~Freak Attraction: Seven-Man Circus~

Chapter Five: Forest Encounters

"You expect me to believe" the demon began in a deep timbre, blue eyes peeking through wisps of brown hair, "that you would live in enemy territory… put your life in danger… to save the lives of halfbreeds?"

"You know, it's exactly that type of attitude that keeps causing me trouble" Kagome quipped, arranging herself on the moon-speckled grass across from her captor. The wolf-demon had recovered from his earlier brush with her powers, but thankfully hadn't attempted to drag her away again. Instead he'd listened in silence to the short version of her tale, looking more confused with every word. "At any rate, you have to agree it'd make more sense for us to be allies than enemies."

But the demon scoffed, his eyes full of mistrust as he growled "And why should I put my faith in a human girl who couldn't even protect herself from being carted off like a boar? While you're wasting time scrubbing cages, my pack is being bewitched and devoured."

"And what have you been doing?" Kagome responded without missing a beat. "I haven't heard of any wolves breaking into the circus, or any attempts to get the captured ones out. At least I'm being productive."

"You think I haven't tried?" he spat, fangs glinting dangerously in the moonlight, "You think I don't have the skills to beat a few freaks? Don't underestimate the power of a real demon."

Kagome bit her tongue to keep another snippy response at bay. His cocky attitude was starting to grate her nerves; a seed of frustration had been growing since their first day in Yokohama, ever since Inuyasha threw her on a train to send her away for her own good, and this demon's complete dismissal of her had that seed sprouting into a gnarled and bitter vine. Forcing a deep, calming breath, Kagome desperately pushed back her growing anger before opening her mouth to respond. "If you really want to protect your wolves" she said slowly, waiting for their eyes to meet, "then let us help you. You can't expect to take on the whole circus by yourself – you're outnumbered."

"I've slaughtered whole villages, evaded every last group of slayers, and you think a puny little group of humans would be enough to-"

"LISTEN TO ME!"

The demon's mouth shut with a snap, his eyes locked onto the fuming young woman leaning towards him. Her dark hair framed by sky and stars fell over her shoulders as she gathered her temper, eyes pinching shut as she breathed heavily in and out through her nose. When she opened her eyes again to see her companion, she was faced with a very different expression than before.

"Do you want to help your wolves, or not? Because your attitude is getting us nowhere." The wolf didn't respond, only stared at her with something akin to awe, so Kagome plowed on "I'll tell you what I know, and you tell me what you know, and together we'll find a way to both get what we want."

He watched her in contemplation, seeming to have recovered from her outburst, until finally his lip turned up in a surprising smirk. "I think I can live with that" he said in a voice smooth as silk, "but if we're going to work together, I think we should get a little more acquainted." He flashed her a grin of shining fangs, his head tilting back to regard her with hooded eyes as he said "The name's Kouga. What's yours?"

"Kagome" she answered quickly, caught completely off guard by the drastic change in the demon. She was happy to be rid of the growling and posturing, but somehow… somehow this new 'Kouga' seemed a lot more wolfish than the old one.

"What are you sensing?" Pushing aside a low branch, Kagome stumbled after Kouga in the darkness, following as closely as she could as he cut a path through the brush.

"My wolves are gathering" he answered, glancing back to see her trip over another hidden root.

Kagome was just about to growl out in frustration when sudden pressure closed her in, and she was lifted gasping off of her feet and into Kouga's arms. His blue eyes glinted in the moonlight as he gave her another arrogant smirk and whispered in sultry tones "Don't worry – I've got you."

Keeping her arms tucked close to her body, trying her best to be as small and unassuming as possible, Kagome fought down her blush as she thought 'that's just what I'm worried about.' Despite her embarrassment, the new arrangement allowed them to move much quicker through the darkness, Kouga's demon eyes just as used to the dim light as Inuyasha's always were. The thought of Inuyasha had a whole new level of worry coursing through Kagome's mind: was he alright? Had Jakotsu's training hurt him at all? Would he be able to find her, or would he be caught trying to escape? She had no doubt that Kouga would return her to the circus in one piece; she only hoped Inuyasha wouldn't be in too bad of shape when she got there.

"Found 'em" Kouga whispered, coming to a sudden stop that had Kagome's stomach lurching painfully. The ride had never been so rough on Inuyasha's back. Placing her beside him in a patch of tall grass, Kouga knelt and pushed the blades aside to reveal a clear patch of grass ringed with trees. Kagome kept as silent as she could, listening in petrified anticipation for the arrival of the rogue wolves. She heard their panting breaths first, and then the thumps of their paws on the forest floor as they stepped into the glade.

"They don't even know I'm here…" Kouga muttered, and Kagome turned to see him looking spooked. "Something's drawn them aside from scent." He turned to briefly meet her confused glance, and she whispered "but what would lead them he-Mmph!" Kouga's hand slapped over her mouth just as another sound made itself known across the clearing. Kagome didn't even have time to glare at the demon-man or adjust her balance before Kouga had moved both of them deeper into the brush, away from the edge of the clearing. His hand never left her mouth, but Kagome found herself distracted by something else: a lumbering figure entering the glade, and the bright white light accompanying it.

It was Kyoukotsu – Kagome had taken to helping Jinenji gather the wooden beams used by the god for his opening act, and she remembered the name of the giant well. Given his show-stopper was wolf-swallowing, it was no surprise to the young woman to see him at the would-be crime scene. But the other figure… this was someone new. From the blinding white of apparel, hair and skin, Kagome had a hard time distinguishing one feature from the next, but from what she could tell, it looked to be no more than a young girl dressed in a ceremonial kimono. Sharply cut bangs framed an emotionless face, and small hands clutched a round, ornate mirror before her, directly facing the dazed wolf pack. A throaty chuckle from the giant man was all the warning given before the mirror glowed bright, and vaporous tendrils shot out toward the wolves. Kouga lurched at the sight, but didn't dare move from his hiding place; it was far too late to help though, as the threads of light had reached the animals and left them dropping one by one to slink back with glowing orbs in tow.

'Their souls…' Kagome's head spun with realization. 'She took their souls. Is that… Is that how they keep bringing back dead wolves? Creating a false body for Kyoukotsu to eat and filling it with an old soul?' Her stomach churned, memories surfacing of how Kikyo's apparition had been similarly revived through bones and a soul. It was unnerving, thinking of such deep magic being used on something so wasteful… all for a stupid carnival trick….

There was movement in the glade again – Kyoukotsu had stooped to gather the lifeless wolves, slinging them over his arms like fur pelts and saying in a gravelly voice to his companion "Faster work next time, Kanna. Not so good a haul tonight. Too many escaped the spell, and now they'll spread word to the others."

Kagome turned, ready to motion to Kouga that now was their chance to escape, but he was already standing – already advancing. She watched shaking as he stepped boldly through the bushes and brush still hiding her from sight, a long fur which almost looked to be a tail swishing from his belt in agitation. She saw his fingers flex, claws glinting in the moonlight, and heard an ominous growl.

"You cretins… you dare attack my pack so shamelessly, to use them like cattle for your demented little town-festival?!"

The giant man turned toward the wolf-demon with a grimace, as though Kouga were a buzzing cicada disrupting his sleep and murmured "What is he? Any use for him?"

Kagome barely heard the answering whisper from the white-haired girl as her soft voice carried back on the wind "He is a demon."

Kyoukotsu scoffed, turning his back on the simmering Kouga to stalk away into the woods. "You deal with him then. Brother Bankotsu wants few of your kind around as is."

"Don't turn your back on me, coward!" But the giant laughed off Kouga's outburst, the girl Kanna walking slowly to stand in Kouga's path, blocking him from chasing after the circus-god. "Get out of my way, little girl" Kouga growled, unfurling his claws for effect, "I've never shown mercy to fools who get in my way – don't expect me to make an exception now."

There was no response from the child, not even a change in expression, and it only enraged Kouga further. Looking above her, he watched the staggering figure disappearing into the dense forest with the disappearing scent of his wolves, the smell of death and decay heavy in the air of the clearing, and a snarl ripped up through his throat. Without a word of warning he charged, claws raised to tear straight through the young girl's heart.

Kagome clutched a hand over her mouth to stifle a silent scream as she watched the demon launch an attack on the defenseless child. There was nothing she could do to halt the murderous intent of his claws – but then the mirror glowed, and a burst of light filled the space between attacker and victim just as his claws swiped down in a long arc. Before either human or demon knew what had happened, Kouga was sent hurtling across the clearing to hit the solid trunk of a tree.

Silence descended on the forest as the wolf-demon's knees buckled and he fell in a heap at the tree's roots. Shock froze Kagome in place, warring with the need to help. Kanna calmly lowered her dimmed mirror, turned, and walked without even the sound of crunching leaves into the dense tree-line after the circus performer.

Kagome waited until the last glimmer of white disappeared before turning her attention back to the beaten Kouga. Even from her distance she could tell he was breathing hard, a shaky hand reaching to his torso where it seemed he'd been hurt. His head rose to her hiding place, hazy blue sending her a silent plea for help, and she answered immediately. Without a thought she cut through the edging brush and across the clearing until she was kneeling at his side, carefully moving his hand away to take a look at his injury. A startled gasp broke from her to see what looked like claw marks stretching across his torso, and she met Kouga's blue eyes with confusion.

"I don't know how" he managed through heavy breaths, "but that little witch sent my own attack back at me." He winced as she pulled aside his torn and bloody linen kosode to see how deep the cuts ran. She didn't know much about demon healing, but had he been Inuyasha, these wouldn't have been life-threatening. Still… she bet they hurt like hell. "We need to get this bandaged" she said softly, pushing aside part of his fur vest and sleeveless kosode to let the wound breathe. She didn't stop to think about the fact that she was pulling clothes off the man, nor did she notice the growing smile and heavy eyes he was watching her with as she worked; it was any normal day in the circus tending to her injured half-demons, nothing more. At least, until a clawed hand grabbed one of her fidgeting ones and held it gently, stopping her as she reached out for a wide leaf to wipe away some of the blood. She resisted briefly, but when he didn't let go, his thumb instead brushing over her knuckles, her entire body stiffened and the illusion of an impersonal atmosphere vanished.

"Don't bother" he said in a husky whisper. Kagome didn't dare look up at him, her eyes trained on the hand holding hers as if it would strike. She was beginning to think this whole night had been a very, very bad idea. "I'm not like those weak half-demons you're used to. I'll be all healed up by tomorrow night."

"I'm sure you will" she said through a forced smile that she hoped didn't look as much like a grimace as it felt, "but if you keep bleeding like that it's going to attract attention, and there might be other demons wandering around out here. I'm sure you don't want anything else attacking us, right?

She glanced up at his face, but he merely shrugged and looked away with a hint of a smirk on his lips, throwing out a nonchalant "It's not like we're surrounded by enemies; my pack and I are the top predators around. We might as well find a cave or den somewhere nearby and hold up for the night. No sense wasting more energy until this wound is healed."

The silence following that statement dragged on so long that Kouga was prompted to look back at the girl sitting in front of him, leaves clutched in one hand, her eyes hard and containing just a hint of panic. "We're not staying out here." Her forceful words had the wolf-demon slinking back into the bark of the tree behind him. "You're taking me back to the circus. Tonight." Swallowing back some of his anxiousness, the wolf-demon tried to regain his cool by asking softly "You sure? It'd be a lot safer with me, y'know. I can protect you from those circus freaks." The look she gave him was too patronizing for his tastes, and he sat up with a growl, trying not to wince as the gashes on his torso stretched. "I'm serious, I don't want you going back there! A human like you shouldn't be trying to handle this on your own."

"I told you" she answered in a measured tone, pushing him back less gently than she might have normally to wipe the seeping blood away, "I'm not alone. My friend and I-"

"So what? Two humans aren't going to be any better against those monsters than-"

"He's not human."

Kagome almost sighed in relief at the sudden silence that followed, glad that something had stopped Kouga's little power-trip. Still… she wasn't sure just how much to tell the demon. It would be good to get his help, but she had been wondering just how far he could really be trusted as an ally. She was anxious to get Inuyasha's opinion on the matter, and the sooner she got Kouga patched up, the sooner he could take her back to the half-demon.

"What, you already have a demon protector? Is that why you're so sure of yourself?"

There was a little twinge of offense in Kouga's voice, and Kagome kept her eyes trained on the clotting wound, head spinning as she tried to figure out what he was so worked up over. "I guess you could say that…." He sneered out at the dark, and Kagome quirked an eyebrow at the strange behavior, but ultimately let it rest. They were wasting time, and she was worried about Inuyasha. "I need to bandage this – can you move your robes?" He looked back at her with an unreadable expression, thinking it over as she sat patiently waiting for him to acquiesce. But then something seemed to click for him, and with a positively predatory smirk he was leaning up and shrugging off his torn and bloodied kosode and fur vest, the fabric hanging around the obi at his waist as he stretched and flexed unrestrained by the cloth, blue eyes never leaving hers which stayed defiantly away from his chest. She couldn't do anything about her peripheral though, or the fact that she knew he'd done it on purpose just to shake her, and she cursed the heat in her cheeks. 'What a jerk!' Her mind screeched, desperately slapping hands to her face to distract herself from the sight of the well-muscled man. 'If he thinks I'm going to fawn all over him just because he's strong, he's got another thing coming! It takes more than brawn to win me over, and besides! I've got my own muscly-man who's worth more than this guy could ever dream!' Taking a deep breath, empowered by her mental pep talk, Kagome tamped down her blush and set about looking for a suitable bandage. She thought about asking Kouga to use his Kosode, but thought better of giving him another reason to strip. Honestly, she couldn't believe he was being so… forward! She was only a weak human after all, and one he'd just met! Could it be he was just toying with her, like a Kitsune? Wolves weren't known for being tricksters, but then… what did she know about wolf demons? She had her own suspicions about his actions, but… it seemed ridiculous. He'd only just met her! He coulnd't… like her! And yet… hadn't he been dropping more than subtle hints to that end all evening?

Looking about the clearing distractedly, Kagome came to the conclusion that she had nothing to bandage the man with, until her eyes fell to the fraying edge of her long blue skirt, and she decided that a few strips off the end couldn't hurt – it wasn't hers to begin with after all so ruining it wouldn't bother her much. Trying to focus on her task instead of her hyper-awareness of the demon-man's proximity, Kagome found a sizeable tear in the hem of the fabric, and made to pull off to the side… but the fabric had other ideas, and tore along the path of least resistance – straight up to her hip.

Another long silence stretched through the clearing during which Kagome could feel the last of her nerves fraying like the fabric in her trembling hands. The cold night air hit her bare leg, and with a start she made to fold the torn fabric back over her exposed skin… but then she remembered that the demon beside her still needed a bandage, and she still needed the fabric. Taking her courage in both hands, she gently set the torn fabric down, acting as casual as her mortification allowed, not daring for a second to look at Kouga's face or see where his eyes were focused. It occurred to her briefly that Kouga had claws… claws that could be used to cut the fabric at the bottom of her skirt, making the task a simple one, but… after the way he'd been acting, the thought of him tearing any piece of her clothing was too much for her panicked mind to process and she promptly threw the idea out. Finding the hem once more, she found another tear and tried in the opposite direction. Her result was to indeed tear a strip of fabric… but one that ran vertical up the side of her leg, as opposed to across the bottom. Desperate fingers tried to tear the wide strip away before it went any higher up her skirt, but she only succeeded in making the ripping worse, and each tug brought it closer to her waist to expose more of her leg to the cold and her companion's gaze. She was growling now in high tones, pulling and tugging, her hair falling in her face and tears of frustration pricking her eyes as each and every horrible little event of the night built up in her heard like lava trapped under a block of stone. What she wouldn't give right now to see Inuyasha!

Then there was a chuckle beside her, a horribly amused little sound, and Kouga said with a laugh "If you're that eager to get it off, I could help, y'know."

She didn't know if he meant to sound so condescending; she couldn't tell if the innuendo was intended or all in her head. But at that point, it didn't matter. Her last nerve had just snapped.

He was laughing right until he felt the sharp sting of her palm against his cheek, and his eyes shot wide to see her terrifyingly beautiful face close to his and yelling "I'm MARRIED!" Kouga reeled, his mouth gaping as his fingers came up to tenderly tap at the growing redness on his face from her slap; but Kagome had already turned her attention back to her skirt. Her fingers were growing red and raw from tugging apart the threads, but eventually she managed the fray the fabric at her waist enough to break it off with a triumphant shriek which nearly sent Kouga scrambling. Makeshift bandage in hand, Kagome smoothed down the western blouse tucked under her skirt so that it covered the short hem of her cotton underclothes, adjusting the folds of fabric to preserve her modesty as best she could, and rounded on the wolf-demon. "Come here, sit still, and don't try anything."

He obeyed quicker than he ever would have admitted to, and Kagome wrapped the strip tightly, only getting it around twice before having to tie it off in a little knot. It would be enough pressure to staunch the worst of the bleeding though, and enough to get Kouga off his feet to escort her back to the circus.

But the wolf-demon didn't seem ready to let their interactions end just yet.

"So… this husband of yours… is it the demon you're at the circus with? Or a human you left behind?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, rising to her feet once she was done and shaking feeling back into the sleeping limbs. "I wouldn't abandon my husband to spend time with another man" she shot back acridly, but Kouga's quick response of "isn't that what you're doing now?" had her turning a glare on him that prompted a surrendering gesture.

"Easy now, I was only teasing! If you're so set on this guy, then I'll take you back. Though I have to say… it's pretty irresponsible of him to let his wife wander around in the forest at night." The wolf-demon pulled himself up on his legs, not bothering to fix his robes just yet as he adjusted to the bandages. He noticed Kagome looking distant and lost beside him, and his arrogant attitude faltered. "Hey… I'll take you back, you have my word."

"I'm just worried about him is all…" she said in a small voice, a hand fumbling with her torn skirt, "he should have found me hours ago, but they kept him after for punishment… because of me. I got him in trouble earlier over something stupid…. If I'm not careful, I could get us both killed." Gentle pressure on her shoulder drew her eyes up to see Kouga smiling softly, the look much different from his earlier arrogant smirk.

"Hey, you're not alone in this. I'll help you get rid of these creeps. You can count on me and my pack."

The smile she returned was radiant, and Kouga seemed to get lost in it for a moment, but with a soft "Thank you Kouga" she had stepped out of his reach and back under the tree-line. The wolf-demon took a moment to collect himself, brushing a clawed hand through his dark brown bangs, flicking his long ponytail back behind him and putting a smug grin back on his face before following her into the darkness, quickly taking the lead after it became evident she didn't know the way.

"So I was thinking" her voice rose up through the night air, pausing each time she stumbled over a root or bramble, "that as soon as your wound is better, we should act. I'm afraid to waste any more time, and… I'm sure you want revenge."

"Sure do" Kouga said darkly, glancing back to make sure she was keeping up. Several times he made as if to grab her and carry her through the woods again, but stopped himself before he could reach her side; his cheek still stung from her earlier outburst. "We won't be able to take them down all at once though – there just aren't enough of us left."

"But Kyoukotsu… do you think you could take him down?" Kagome searched out his eyes in the dark, wanting to read his response, see for herself if he had the confidence to really do it. She wouldn't ask something impossible, but… if there was a chance….

His wide grin filled her with relief, and he answered airily "The boys and I can handle him, no problem! We just need to get inside. We've… never tried, because we feared an ambush."

"But there aren't guards at night, aside from the circus performers" Kagome mused.

"Oh yeah?" Kouga shot back, his blue eyes like ice as he looked at her over his shoulder, "Then you haven't seen the monster prowling the grounds after everyone's gone to bed. What, too preoccupied with your husband?"

"I'm usually asleep" Kagome snapped, hoping the wolf wouldn't see the red blossoming on her cheeks. She knew she should have expected such talk from the beginning, should have assumed that's what people would think when she first made their little cover-story, but… did everyone have to bring it up? Even if they were married, what business was it of his or anyone else what she and Inuyasha did in their private time? The fact that they really did nothing but sleep and very awkwardly cuddle couldn't stop Kagome from thinking of what everyone else thought they should be doing, and the stubborn blush refused to back down. Desperately backtracking to remember what had prompted the embarrassing turn in conversation, a question popped into Kagome's mind and she leapt on it.

"What monster?"

"A great big bull or something." Kouga answered with a wave of his hand, picking his way effortlessly through the thick trees, "You must know: I think it's one of the half-breeds. Anyways, it guards the gates, and none of my wolves have ever gotten past it."

'Izumo!' Kagome hadn't known he stood guard at night… she'd never seen him out, but then… she'd never gone wandering like this before. Although… the first night she and Inuyasha had snuck into the circus… there'd been no Izumo to stop them. Had he not been out that night? Or perhaps… had he willingly let them in?

"Kouga, don't worry about him. I'll make sure he lets you and your wolves into the circus."

The wolf-demon stopped in his tracks to look back at her with more respect than she would have expected. "You can do that? Wow… yeah, that'll work. You take care of the beast, we'll charge in and do the dirty work."

"There's one thing though" Kagome said quickly, catching Kouga's arm before he could turn and continue walking, "we can't help you fight." She set her jaw, waiting for some kind of retaliation, but he merely shrugged. "Understandable. You've still gotta live in that place after all." His eyelids drooped, smile turning into a roughish grin as he placed a finger under her chin and purred "We'll just have to be enemies for a night – no hard feelings. I'll try not to behave like too much of a villain in front of your 'noble husband'."

"Yeah, well" lightly nudging the hand away, Kagome gave Kouga a perceptive glance and said with a hint of warning "make sure you don't. I wouldn't go picking any fights with him if I were you. Just stick with defeating Kyoukotsu, and we'll put on a show to hide the fact that we let you in."

Hands before him in a placating gesture, Kouga took a step back, still grinning and said "Fine with me." They shared understanding smiles, turning back to the path, but Kouga froze mid-turn, his entire body tensing. It was as though the air around them grew thicker, and Kagome didn't dare breathe as Kouga lifted a warning hand. She strained her ears and senses to catch what Kouga had, but she knew it was useless, and when Kouga turned unnatural blue eyes on her and said "we're being tailed" she didn't question when he lifted her into his arms and took off into the woods at break-neck speed.

Kagome's heart thundered painfully, breathing difficult as her lungs compressed under the force of the air whooshing past them; Inuyasha had never run so fast with her. It was impossibly fast – dangerously fast. She was close to telling Kouga to stop – she'd rather take her chances with their pursuer than die from asphyxiation – but she didn't need to. He had forgotten about his wound, and her weight against his injured torso was aggravating the cuts. With a final gasping breath he gave into the pain, tumbling to the dirt and moss of the forest floor while carefully caging Kagome's body from impact with rocks or roots with his arms and legs.

They came to a sudden stop with Kouga flat on his back, breathing through clenched teeth, arms still wrapped protectively around Kagome as she lay across his bared chest. The makeshift-bandage dragged over the wound, pulling at the fresh scabs and causing Kouga to wince. Sitting up with a gasp, Kagome's hands reached out instinctively to correct the mistake and ease her patient's discomfort, completely forgetting their former pursuit… at least, until the crunch of dead twigs and snapping of branches reminded her sharply that they weren't alone. A gasp caught in her throat, and she cowered instinctively against Kouga, her only source of defense, whose arms tightened even more around her middle. Her skirt lay flayed over the ground, offering no cover or protection at all against their attacker, and the absurd thought to reach down and cover up her legs crossed Kagome's mind – but it was pointless now. They were trapped, and a little cover would do nothing to save her.

… She had to wonder though, if there wasn't some other force at work behind that little voice telling her to cover up, when their pursuer finally broke the line of trees, and Kagome came face to face with a panting Inuyasha.

Her gut reaction was to smile, to shout his name in joy and leap up and throw her arms around his neck… but the look he wore was like nothing she'd ever seen on him, and it chilled her very bones. There was a painful moment where she tried to swallow, but her throat was so dry she couldn't do it without coughing. He'd never really made her nervous before, but… she had to really stop and ask herself for a moment if he could transform into a full demon without the red eyes and face stripes. He had yet to say a word – he wasn't even growling. And it was unnerving Kagome like nothing else. She watched his eyes travel over her face, no doubt noticing her disheveled hair, before traveling down to her torn skirt and bared legs with a twitching brow. His gaze shot up to zero in on the arms around her waist, and then a little northward, and Kagome noticed for the first time that her hands were still splayed on Kouga's chest from where she'd been fixing his bandage. Shoving in sudden panic, she scrambled to leave the demon's hold but he held firm.

"Kagome, what're you-"

"Kouga, let me go! This is Inuyasha, he's my-"

She left off with a gasp as she was bodily lifted away from the man on the ground, a slight tug-of-war ensuing as the wolf still refused to relinquish his hold. A well-placed kick and sharp yelp of pain quickly ended the feud, and Kagome found herself stumbling back a few steps to see her half-demon hauling Kouga to his feet by his neck only to slam his back against a nearby tree.

"I'm her goddamn husband, that's who. And your executioner." Kagome was between them in an instant, fruitlessly trying to wedge herself between the two snarling demons, tugging at Inuyasha's arm and rising up on her tiptoes to meet his burning amber gaze. He refused to look at her.

"Inuyasha, knock it off. Listen to me! If you would just –" with a huff she went directly to pry his clawed fingers from Kouga's throat with her own hands, and with a growl he let go. She knew he would – he wouldn't risk her getting cut. "Look," she started pointedly, hands on her hips as she positioned herself strategically to give Kouga time to catch his breath "you've got it all wrong! Kouga's an ally! We were running, because… well, we thought you were an enemy! We didn't want to get caught!"

It was entirely the wrong choice of words – she realized that the moment they left her mouth. And she would have taken them back… if only Inuyasha hadn't opened his mouth immediately afterwards.

"Well, excuse me for interrupting you two" he said in a dark, throaty tone, "You should be more careful next time so I don't put your little tryst in danger."

Nothing moved. No one breathed. There was still a moment where Kagome thought she'd made the whole thing up. He hadn't really said what she thought he'd said. He couldn't possibly be accusing her of-

But reading her as he always did, his golden eyes narrowed and he said in a bitter voice she couldn't believe was directed at her "Yeah, you heard me." Kagome was sure for a moment that she had slapped him, but only her mind's eye had the satisfaction of seeing his stupid, stunned expression. She couldn't make her real body carry through. She wouldn't have done it, not to him… but if he thought she was going to come crying to him with some sort of apology, he had another thing coming. Her shock hardened into a glare, twin expressions of anger shooting through the air between them as neither party dared back down. An unfamiliar chuckle broke the stalemate as Kouga spoke up suddenly "No wonder you asked for my help, Kagome! Your husband's a weak little half-breed!"

Despite her anger at Inuyasha, she never took insulting him lightly. Her anger turned suddenly on Kouga, who didn't notice it quickly enough. "He's more than strong enough Kouga – that was never the issue." She glanced up at the man in question to see him looking smugger than she was ready to allow. He owed her some serious apologizing before he got any flattery. "But he's not my husband."

The change of expression on both men was a little more satisfying than perhaps it should have been, but it had been a particularly long night, and Kagome was feeling particularly petty.

"But…" Kouga's eyebrow rose in confusion as he floundered "didn't you both just say…"

"It's a ruse." Ignoring Inuyasha's indignant sputtering behind her, Kagome crossed her arms and continued "He's working for the circus and the only way they'll let me stay is by me pretending to be his wife. It's worked so far."

Ignoring the presence of the simmering dog-demon, Kouga stepped forward, smugness back in place, and said in a sultry whisper beside Kagome "then does that mean I still have a chance?"

'Of course not' she wanted to say, and were it any other night, she would have said it… but Inuyasha was still glaring at her as though she'd run out on him – as though she'd betrayed him – and she just couldn't find it in her to be nice. Willfully turning away from Kouga, she made sure she had Inuyasha's eye before saying pointedly "I guess you'll just have to try your luck."

The air between them was suffocating, blood pounding harder in Inuyasha's ears with every step they took. He'd been worried – he'd been damn frantic with panic at the thought of what could have happened to her! He'd caught the lingering scent of the lucky-god, as well as the faint whiff of demon energy, as though there'd been a fight. By the time he reached the clearing where the smells coalesced, the scent of wolf blood and Kagome had worked him up so tightly that he'd been ready to run her the whole way back to Tokyo once he found her just to keep her safe. And then he caught their trail, fresh and close by, and he pushed himself to run at speeds he'd never reached before. And after all that, all his heartache and worry and effort, what does he find? He finds his Kagome tangled in the arms of some shirtless, sweaty demon, her hands all over him and clothes practically falling off.

Despite the horrible image it made, the evil whisperings in the back of his mind of what could have occurred, he was still willing to give her the benefit of the doubt; she'd been kidnapped, and this cretin had probably forced himself on her. But then she defended the wolf, tried to keep him from ripping the bastard's throat out as he rightly should have done, and a sick little thought planted itself in his head: she didn't want him anymore. She'd found someone else. It was a nightmare he'd always harbored but never dared give further thought, that one day she'd come to her senses and realize that she could do infinitely better than a half-breed freak.

'I just never thought she'd go for a wolf' he thought bitterly, glancing down at his silent companion. He noted the harsh crease between her brows and her set jaw, his gaze falling to the hand bunched up in her skirt, keeping the fabric from falling open as she walked and exposing her legs to the cold. He scoffed.

"It wasn't a tryst."

His golden gaze drifted back to her face, but her own eyes stayed forward. "I didn't even mean to go with him in the first place! It just sort of… happened."

Inuyasha grit his teeth, stewing in silence as he fought for a way to respond without snapping at her. It was a losing battle. "How does it just 'happen'" he ground through his teeth, "that you come out here looking for Miroku and Sango" he looked down at her, something heavy settling in his heart as he caught the corner of her eye "and wind up with a wolf-demon's scent all over you?"

That angry gleam was back in those dark orbs, and she responded tersely "Are you actually going to listen, or are you just gonna jump to conclusions again?"

"Start explainin', and we'll see."

"Miroku and Sango never showed" she began, her eyes fixing on the trees before them, expression as neutral as she could make it, "and Kouga showed up before I could get out of the woods. He… he tried to kidnap me, but I fought back."

White ears perked up at that, and Inuyasha folded his arms and kept his mouth shut, silently letting her know he was listening.

"He thought I was in league with the Seven Lucky Gods, but once I found out they were his enemies too, I thought it would be best to make a truce. He agreed, and we went off to find his wolves, and ran into Kyoukotsu."

"I know, I caught his scent" Inuyasha said gruffly. Their eyes met for a brief moment, before Inuyasha turned his face away with a huff. "So there was a fight, he got hurt, and you patched him up even though he's a demon and he'll heal up just fine on his own." Kagome's pace slowed, her warning gaze meeting his in challenge; but Inuyasha wasn't one to back down. "That's a lot of concern for someone who just kidnapped you, y'know! I mean, damn, did you really have to tear up your clothes just to make a bandage for him?"

He trudged forward a few paces before realizing that she was no longer beside him. His heart seized in a claw-like vice as suddenly a faint hint of salt tinted the air hitting his nose, and he froze.

Both hands were clutching her skirt now, ink-black bangs falling over her eyes, her full lips pursed and trembling, and Inuyasha forgot for a moment why he was so mad at her.

"I wanted you there."

Inuyasha couldn't be sure at first that he'd really heard her, but then her shoulders hunched, and she spoke a little louder "I was so scared, and embarrassed… everything was going wrong, and I felt lost, alone with a stranger, in the woods… and he kept… I dunno, flirting with me I guess, and it was just… uncomfortable. And I just… wished you were there."

He was already taking a step toward her, one hand outstretched and anxious to reach her, when her face rose, and she said through angry tears "My mistake."

His reaching hand clenched into a fist, softening eyes creasing into a frown once more as he bit out "Look, if he made you so uncomfortable, then why the hell'd you stick with him?"

"What was I supposed to do, Inuyasha? Wander around in the woods by myself? Go back with Kyoukotsu? Is that what you would have wanted me to do?"

Cowering slightly under her teary glare, Inuyasha grit his teeth, saying in a low voice "You didn't have to defend him though…."

Kagome's eyes rolled up to the trees above them as she said exasperatedly "I wasn't about to let you kill him! He offered to help us fight!" Inuyasha remained skeptical, and Kagome continued in an urgent tone "He said he'd be healed by tomorrow, so he's going to bring his wolf pack to take revenge on Kyoukotsu. The circus has been taking his wolves for the show, and he thinks they can take him down. He just needs us to make sure they can get in, and pretend to fight."

"Oh I won't need to pretend" Inuyasha snarled, avoiding meeting Kagome's pointed look. "Fine, he and his fleabags can try to fight those clowns all they want, but after that," he turned darkened eyes to her, teeth bared and fists clenched, "After that he goes back to the mountains and I never wanna hear his stupid name again."

He expected her to get angry; at the very least he expected a huff or a stomp of her foot or some other sign of her displeasure. He wasn't expecting something bordering on sympathy to fill her eyes, or the way that look tugged at his heart.

"What are you so afraid of?"

"I ain't afraid of nothin'." They both knew it was far too late for that lie.

"Do you honestly think" she started, voice tight and eyes filling with a sorrowful disbelief that had Inuyasha feeling lower than dirt, "that after all we've been through together… that I would abandon you like that?"

His jaw clenched, not trusting himself to answer.

Kagome turned away from him slightly, releasing her skirt to wrap her arms around herself, looking small and helpless all of a sudden. Inuyasha fought down the desire to march over and scoop her into his arms, both their tempers be damned, but he could still smell the lingering stench of wolf around her form, and it kept his feet firmly planted.

"I don't think I need to remind you of everything I went through for you… back at Naraku's circus." He winced at the name, and was sure it had been just as difficult for her to say as it was for him to hear. "And if you really think you mean so little to me… then you don't know me at all."

It was like a gulf was stretching out between them, and Inuyasha sputtered and gaped as he searched for the bridge across it. "It's not-" his voice seemed strained and weak even to himself, but it drew Kagome's attention nonetheless. Seeing the hurt in her eyes, the way she hugged herself for the comfort he refused to give, Inuyasha forced himself to speak. "It's not like that. Of course I remember – how could I forget?" Her eyes rose shyly to his, some of the sadness drifting away to reveal a spark of something brighter, and he felt his mouth quirking into the smallest of smiles. She hesitantly returned the gesture, and he felt some of the space between them closing, a warmth building in his chest again. "It's just… you…" 'You mean everything to me.' "You've done so much for me." He bit his tongue as the words spilled out differently than he'd planned, and fumbling tried again. "I know you're a kind person, but…" 'I don't understand how you could want to be with me.' "I don't want creeps taking advantage of that." His mouth shut with a snap, berating himself for never being able to tell her just what it was he truly needed her to hear.

"I appreciate the concern Inuyasha" she said at length, not as sad but still not as forgiving as he had hoped she'd be, "but I think you're overreacting."

The warmth that had been steadily filling him up vanished in an icy blizzard.

"While Kouga was a little… overbearing at times, he never did anything worth making enemies over! It was all just a big misunderstanding!"

It may have been true – something deep down told him she was right and he was just being a jealous cad. But the jealous cad in him was angrily shouting that the wolf had gotten way too familiar with his 'wife', and every defense of the demon was another knife twisting in his gut, put there by her own delicate hands.

His yellow eyes narrowed, turning away from her as he tossed angrily over his shoulder "Fine! If foolin' around with the wolf is that important to ya, I won't get in your way." Without waiting for a response he trudged off into the woods, the smell of the sea growing stronger as he neared the camp, and Kagome's frustrated growling growing louder as she followed. He didn't stop until they reached the wooden posts of the gate, and once he felt her presence beside him, he grabbed her by the waist and leapt over the wall before she could protest the contact. Letting go quickly as she huffed, the beginnings of a tirade building behind her lips, Inuyasha's dog-ears picked up a faint scuffling in the dirt of the compound, and he grabbed her waist again before she could say a word. The force of his grip stalled her anger, but neither of them were left with time to react as Renkotsu appeared from behind the nearest tent, eyes trained sharply on them both.

"Well well" he said smoothly, glancing from one anxious face to another, "isn't this a surprise? And here I thought the love-birds would be in their tent. Asleep." His words were punctuated by pointed glares that Inuyasha couldn't help returning. After the long day and even longer night he'd had, the last thing he needed was this pompous human giving him a lecture. He grit his teeth, a growl rising in his throat as he worked up a whole list of creative insults to hurl at the circus-performer, but before he could say a word, a lilting voice sounded beside him.

"We just couldn't help ourselves!"

Inuyasha tried not to stare too openly at Kagome, but… damn, he'd never heard her use a voice like that before. It was high and playful and… a little more intriguing than he cared to admit. He wondered where she'd been hiding it all this time. His burning curiosity turned into a flame of a much different kind as she suddenly leaned her weight against his side, and he watched spellbound as a dainty hand rose to rest against the leather of his shirt before rubbing small circles into his chest.

"You kept him away so long training" Kagome continued in that salacious voice, "that I got lonely, and when he finally came back, well… we both wanted to get away for a little while!" His vision was suddenly accosted by skin as her leg slipped out from the tear in her skirt, her knee rubbing against his through his hakama, the fabric unable to keep his legs from turning to jelly under the friction. "I guess we were both just tired of the circus scenery."

Her eyes turned up to meet his, but there was none of the flush on her face that now covered his. In fact, there was nothing in her expression to match the ardent voice or stroking hand – only a cold, hard glare full of pain-filled promises. She was beyond mad at him now.

"There's nothing like 'fooling around' in the forest. Right, Husband?"

'Foolin' around with the wolf' – that's what he'd accused her of. And this… caressing, and leaning, and…. He felt her blunt nails dragging lazily up and down his abdomen, making him shudder, all the while her stony gaze never left his. Yes, this was definitely deliberate, and it was absolutely torture. 'Is… is this some kinda payback?!' he thought angrily, not daring to admit even to himself that it was working marvelously in her favor.

Tearing his frightened eyes away from the girl still wrapped around him, he met Renkotsu's gaze and smirked – the man looked like he was going to be sick.

"Spare me. And next time, just stay in your tent." He turned on his heel, leaving the affectionate couple without another word or glance. As soon as his back disappeared into the darkness, Kagome's warmth disappeared from Inuyasha's side.

It took a moment for the frazzled half-demon to register the sudden cold beside him, his skin still tingling with foreign yet pleasant sensations from her touch, and by the time he thought to track down his missing wife she was already vanishing behind a wooden stall.

She was determined not to talk to him. He could yell and mope and fuss all he wanted, but as long as he insisted on acting like a jealous five-year-old, she'd ignore him. She underestimated just how riled up he could make her though. Reaching their tent first, she'd waited in the doorway just long enough to drop the tent flap in his face, smirking as she heard him sputter outside before swatting away the fabric. She met his glare briefly before snatching her sleeping kosode off the dresser. There was a brief pause while she contemplated her next move, but seeing him still steaming, his arms crossed and not a hint of apology on his face, she decided more revenge was in order. Turning away from him, assured that his angry yellow gaze was still trained on her, she brought her hands to the waist of her torn skirt and shimmied out of it, letting it drop to the ground as the man behind her made a violent choking sound. Anger and satisfaction made for an interesting brew as her hands began to lift the hem of her blouse without thinking, the edges of her cotton romper peeking out underneath and giving her 'husband' what was probably his first ever view of her western underwear.

"WHAT THE HELL, KAGOME!?"

Innocent brown eyes met yellow ones wide as saucers, and she tried not to smirk at just how terrified he looked. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said in that same false voice from earlier, "I guess I've just become such a loose woman in the past few hours," her voice hardened considerably, causing Inuyasha to take a nervous step back, "that I've lost all sense of propriety. Whoops."

The death-stare from earlier settled back on her face, and Inuyasha swallowed hard before his own face fell into a glare and he sputtered "You've made your damn point, woman." Stepping decidedly around her, he snatched his own kosode and stomped out of the tent, saying with a growl "I'm sleepin' outside – it reeks of wolf in here."

Kagome let him go without a fight, her fingers digging at the hem of her shirt, eyes boring holes into the cot that suddenly seemed too large for just one person. The silence following his abrupt departure was strangely empty, and it seemed to Kagome that he'd traveled miles away instead of just a few feet. 'He can go as far as China for all I care' she told herself forcefully, trying in vain to really mean it as she pulled the blouse off and slipped into the light linen. Glancing down at the pile of clothes on the dirt floor, she kicked it absently, thinking the shirt would need a wash tomorrow once she found a good bucket. The skirt she would trash.

The cot creaked as she climbed into it, pulling the blanket up to her chin and burrowing underneath as she tried to pretend that she was home and it was normal to be sleeping alone. But try as she might, she couldn't stop thinking about the presence that should have been there with her, and the mess they'd gotten themselves in. The face he'd worn when he first found her in the clearing flashed through her mind, and she shut her eyes tight against it; she never wanted to see a face like that again. It hurt to think he couldn't trust her to stay faithful to him. Didn't he realize how much he meant to her? Didn't he realize… that she loved him? She'd never said the words… but did they really need saying?

Her eyes pricked suddenly, and she bit her lip in anger. She wouldn't cry over this – over him – she just wouldn't! But his bitter words and hurt expression kept coming to mind, and she couldn't hold back the welling moisture. She thought of how worried she'd been, how much she'd thought of him, how she'd wished he'd been there with her… and the more she thought, the more her memories began to change, and it was no longer her and Kouga spread across the forest floor, but her and her half-demon. His silver hair fanned out beneath him, her hands braced against his heaving chest as he held her waist tightly, bringing her closer until his mouth met hers and his golden eyes slid shut in bliss…. Kagome let out a whimpering sob, wishing she could just tell the thick-headed man how stupid he was for doubting her. She wished she could just tell him that he was everything she wanted, that no demon or human or other being could ever hold his place in her heart, but… he was angry at her, and she was so frustrated with him, and now he was sleeping outside because she smelled of another man, and she was just too hurt to make the first move.

Turning into her pillow, eyes scrunching against the flow of tears, she tried her best to stifle the sounds of her sobbing, but between her sniffles and gasps it was impossible to hide. She didn't know what to expect when Inuyasha discovered her state, but it certainly wasn't the angry cursing shout that sounded from just the other side of the tent wall. Her eyes sprung open, tears still leaking from the sides as she listened in silence for his next move. She thought she heard his footsteps, but they seemed to be headed away… and then the strangest sounds met her ears, as a cacophony of scrapes and crashes and thuds sounded from a tent nearby. And among it all, her half-demon cursed up a storm.

The sounds continued for what seemed like hours, and they fell into a strange rhythm: Kagome softly sobbing as Inuyasha cursed and dragged things around in the dirt outside. She hadn't a clue what he was up to – perhaps clearing out another tent to sleep in – and a few times she heard him angrily telling off Renkotsu when he came to investigate the noise. But whatever the reason for his clamor, Kagome was glad for it. Anything was better than her silent, empty bed, and before long the muttered curses had lulled her to sleep.

*Author's Note:

Oooohohohoohmigosh it's been so long... Sorry guys. Also I'm sorry because I really didn't want to stop it here but hey! More to look forward to next time. ;) That being said, my goal is to get the next chapter out within the next two weeks. I know that seems crazy considering my usual schedule (or lack thereof) but I really did intend to write more for this chapter, and ending it where I did is just killing me, so I'm going to try and round out this part of the action as quickly as I can. Also... this chapter was seriously the most difficult thing to write ever, and now that it's over, I'm hoping the rest of the story will come to me a bit easier. Cross your fingers!

HUGE THANKS to those who have reviewed/followed/favorited or even just read this story! I really love this au-niverse so much, and it makes me so happy to see others enjoying it as well! Thank you for your support! Love you guys! 3