Hello again, everyone! I promised you another chapter soon, and I plan to deliver! I plan for this to be completed soon (which is going to be a tad difficult considering I'm also binging Sherlock [with Buzzlebob Carrotpatch} right now). For now, please enjoy!

Previously...

"What made you run away? Did you discover the truth about that damned tajiya?"

"Excuse me?"Koga crossed his arms and turned away from them as his anger grew at the thought."The tajiya that travels with you," he was saying, "isn't to be trusted. Years before you arrived, the tajiyas would travel around exterminating youkai from villages."

Kagome nodded. "She told us that. Her village would get various requests to go to other villages to assist them in the youkai that were attacking. The villagers would reward them for their bravery and assistance."

Kouga shook his head in disgust. "She lied. The tajiyas were selfish and cruel humans," he began.

Chapter 5: The First Truth

Kouga's head shot up at the sound of his father's howl. He immediately sprinted back, his kill slung over his back, and gave a howl of his own. He was excited for his first hunt while training to be the next alpha. After hunting, they were to distribute to the pack, feeding the children and females first. Tonight, he would be formally introduced to the council members as the next head of the eastern tribe. He couldn't wait to make his father proud!

He reached the others in the meeting spot, and noticed most of the party had returned. He spotted a male ookami with short and slightly spiky black hair and ran up to him.

"What is next, father?" he asked eagerly. Takeo looked at his son, green eyes brimming with pride at the determination the young ookami showed.

"As much as you want to meet the council members, we must seek out Kenta's party, as they did not respond to the alpha's howl."

As the word's spilled from his mouth, the entire party tensed as the metallic scent of blood immediately poured into the clearing. They all turned to see as someone came stumbling out of the trees. He has covering in gashes and bruises, bleeding profusely. Takeo and Kouga rushed to his side, the others following closely behind.

"Kenta!" he shouted as he caught the youkai before he fell. "What happened?!"

"We w-were on our way back," he groaned, "when we were ambushed by a large group of ningen. They outnumbered us three t-to one and wielded various weapons with a skill we weren't p-prepared for. The others were captured-" He was cut off as he began coughing, blood spewing out of his mouth. Takeo turned to some of the large wolves that were nearby.

"Get him back to the den," he said as he laid Kenta on the wolf's back, mindful of his injuries. "Make sure the healers tend to him at once." As the wolves ran back to the eastern tribe, Takeo turned and addressed the other wolves. "We are going to gather a search party and locate the others."

As everyone gathered the prey to return, Kouga turned to his father. "What's happened to the others, Otou-san?"

Takeo waited for the group to make their way back, and after some distance between the party and the two youkai did he address his son. "It sounds as if the tajiyas have found Kenta's group."

"The tajiya?!" Kouga said increduously. He had heard rumors of them, but he didn't' think that there were ningen that would be so dedicated to slaying youkai.

Takeo nodded. "Yes, the tajiya have been known for slaying all youkai they come accross. They have trained to be able to handle youkai of different sizes. It is a miracle that Kenta escaped, but it also has me concerned about the reason behind them taking the others."

As they arrived back to the tribe, Kouga followed his father to their cave. "I'm going with you guys!" he shouted as he ran to prepare his things.

"You can't!" Takeo shouted, grabbing his arm. "We have no idea what the tajiya are capable of. If something happens to me, then you must be here to take my place as the next alpha."

"But father, they're just ningen!" Kouga responded. "Surely, we can take them no problem!"

"I said no, and as alpha, my word is final," Takeo said in a voice that meant the topic was over. And really it was. Kouga knew better than to fight agaist his father after he pulled rank on him.

"You know," a voice came in from the entrance of the cave, "maybe you should take him with you instead." They turned to see a male youkai with grey hair and dark blue eyes standing in the mouth of the cave.

"What if something happens to us, Shiro?" Takeo snapped, upset with the other ookami's words. "I can't risk taking him with me and potentially leaving the village without an alpha to guide them."

"I understand your reluctance," Shiro said wisely, "but if he doesn't see the danger firsthand, then the lesson will remain untaught."

Takeo sighed. Although he didn't like it, Shrio was right. Kouga was impatient, and until they could do something to resolve it, he would make a risky alpha. Shiro was truly the wisest of the council members.Closing his eyes, Takeo relented, "Alright, you can go with us." Kouga gave a whoop until Takeo pinned him with a fierce glare. "However, you will do exactly as I say. If I say run, you run no matter the circumstance. Understand?"Kouga took in the serious tone of his father's voice and nodded his head. He would do everything his father commanded. At his nod, his father then dismissed him to prepare.

~6 Weeks Later~

"Follow me," Takeo said as Kouga and three other ookami trekked their way through the greenery of the forest. For weeks, they have been trying to scent out their pack, but the scent of blood constantly muddled the scent too much for them to pinpoint them well. They've been attempting to track the blood, but the scents constantly lead in different directions.

Yesterday, however, they found the faint scent of a ningen mixed in with one of the scents.

The ningen scent only lingered for a few yards before disappearing, but it was the only blood trail that was different. So they were currently tracking it.

As they made through the foilage, they came upon a destroyed ningen village. There were bodies littering the ground and the stench of blood was almost soaked into the lands.

"What-" Kouga began but was cut off by another voice.

"More demons are this way!" A ningen male jumped out from behind a collapsed house. He was covered in some type of dark blue and black armor-like uniform and carried a large boomerang on his back.

As he jumped towards the group, others garbed in the same attire leaped out from different buldings and hiding spots. Within seconds, the ookami were surrounded.

"Who are you and what did you do with the members of our tribe?!" Takeo demamded to them.

"My namce is Ichiro," the first ningen said, "and we are tajiyas who were requested by the villagers to exterminate the nearby youkai that had recently began attacking them."

"We aren't here to harm this village," Kouga yelled, stepping forward. "We tracked the scent of or tribe members' blood to this location. We are only here to bring them home."

"If you're talking about the wolf youkai," another tajiya was saying, "then your just a tad bit too late. They have already been dealt with. All that's left is to collect our fee and leave."

"But do you think we can charge extra for taking this group out?" another stated, raising his large blade."We would have to make up some excuse for them though, or else the villagers will get suspicous."

"Those idiots wouldn't think more of a few more youkai died!" another snickered. As more and more voices began to add, Ichiro slammed his large weapon into the earth.

"Warriors," he bellowed, "have you forgotten your lessons?! Have these years battling at my side taught you nothing?!" Ichiro turned his head back towards the ookami. "My apologies, apparently my soldiers have forgotten how things are done in our village."

"Accepted," Takeo responded. "But tell me what has happened to my wolves?"

"The villagers informed me that the wolves were attacking the villagers, preying and feasting on the closest me they came upon. We were summond to take them out immediately."

"But we aren't like that!" Kouga shouted. "We only hunt the prey that is closest to out lands. There is-"

"Kouga, be silent!" Takeo snapped, surprising his son. Kouga looked up at him with wide eyes before reluctantly dropping his head and stepping back.

"It was the orders given to us," Ichiro was saying holding out his hand. "I hope you can understand that we were just protecting our race the only way we can." Takeo nodded as he held his hand out and grasped Ichiro's

Suddenly, Ichiro face twisted into a cruel smirk and thrust a dagger into Takeo's skull.

Kouga and the others rushed to his side, barely missing Ichiro, who had lept back to gain distance between the two parties.

"Guys, I thought I trained you well on how to notice when you're in the presence of the leader of a youkai's clan. All we have to do is tell the villagers that the alpha came to finish what his wolves started, and we took them out. They'll be so grateful that they would have to pay extra."

"You monsters!" Kouga shouted, eyes blurring. "How could you strike someone who wasn't fighting?!"

Ichiro shrugged. "He was a youkai. As long as we tell the villagers that you all showed up to attack them, we should be able to charge a pretty high fine."

Before any more could be said, the tajiyas attacked.

Kouga was able to take down two of them with his claws before he was tackled from behind. He landed on his stomach and his entire back was set ablaze with pain as his attacker vicously slashed at his back. He was then grabbed and thrown into the nearest tree, falling to the ground. He lifted his head to see the tajiya with the large blade from before. The man came over and roughly grabbed a fistful of Kouga's hair and yanked his head up.

"Wanna know a secret kid?" the man taunted. "Did you know that if it takes adult youkai wolves one full moon rotation without food before they ferally begin to attack anything on sight?" At Kouga's gasp, the man snickered. "The villagers were so naive. They believed that the wolves randomly showed up to their prosperous village and began attacking. The tajiyas, however, won't assist those who can't afford our fines."

Suddenly, the man was shoved to the side and Kouga was released. He looked up and recognized him.

"K-Kenta? How d-did-" Kenta had already picked up the young prince and slung him over his shoulder.

'There's no time kid. We have to hurry up and get you out of here before anyone else notieces." And with that, they fled the battle.

That's the end of that chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and comment what you think! As i lost two days of sleep writing this, please be keep in mind that there may be some plot holes I missed that I plan to acknowledge next chapter! But for now, I have work tomorrow, and 5 hours of rest to get in. Until next time!

~~AnimeAndie~~