Chapter 7 – Feelings Resolved

Kagome looked back and saw trust in her lover's eyes. It pierced the wall around her mind and loosened her tongue. "Okay Inuyasha. I believe you so I will tell you why I came back every time."

Inuyasha sighed inwardly with relief. She is so beautiful. I am glad that she trusts me again.

Kagome took a deep breath. This is it, was all she had time to think before her tale flowed from her lips as if it had been waiting there forever.

"It all started with the first time you broke my heart. For some reason, no matter how mad my head was at you, my heart yearned for me to apologize so I could return to your side. I eventually found a word to describe it, love. I first realized this when Kagura and Hakudoushi kidnapped me and tried to taint me with a blackened jewel shard." Kagome stopped to take a breath.

Inuyasha was thinking as she spoke. So that's why she was the first to apologize every time. And I thought I heard Kagome say something before I broke through the wall. He looked at Kagome and saw a questioning look on her face. He blushed slightly and said, "Sorry, please, continue."

Kagome nodded. "And then you broke my heart again by following after Kikyo once more. It seemed like no matter what I did, I would always be second fiddle. But I accepted it with an open heart and a smile on my face. I didn't care, as long as I was by your side afterward." She frowned at the growing pain in Inuyasha's eyes. "I'm sorry Inuyasha. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Kagome walked over to him and brought her hands around his waist.

Inuyasha was a little startled by the hug but he returned it with as much passion as he could manage. He always wanted to hold her like this, inhaling her intoxicating scent of vanilla and lavender. "I love you Kagome."

Kagome felt tears well up in her eyes. She couldn't help it. Even though he had said it before, she believed him now more than ever before. "I love you too, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha smelt salt. Damn it. Why is she crying now "Kagome, what's wrong?" He asked as he held her at arm's length.

Kagome hastily wiped away the tears. "It's nothing, really. Except that I have never heard you use that tone, not even when you promised Kikyo that you would always protect her."

Inuyasha smirked in spite of himself. "Well that's because Kikyo wasn't the one for me. You are, so therefore, you get the special tone." He growled slightly, bringing her closer once more so he could rest head on her neck, tracing her neck lines with his fangs.

Kagome sighed with contentment. But then she felt a sudden rush of pain as Inuyasha sank his fangs into her neck. She barely managed to squeak "Inuyasha….what are you doing?...That hurts…"

Inuyasha felt her tremor with fear and anxiety. He almost stopped what he was doing but his hormones kept him going. I am sorry Kagome. When he was satisfied that his fangs had done their intended job, he removed them slowly, as to not cause her more pain. After that, he lapped at the mark that was left behind, his saliva healing the cuts.

Kagome was still a little scared when Inuyasha finally looked her in the eyes. "What did you do to my neck?" Her voice shaking, revealing the fear she tried to hide.

Inuyasha ducked his head down. "I'm sorry." He looked up. "I was just marking you as my own so that that wolf Koga wouldn't try and take you again." He grabbed her hands. "I'm sorry that I scared you. If I had told you, I was afraid you wouldn't allow me to do it. This is something that all demons do with their intended mates."

Kagome gently tugged her hands from his grasp. "What do you mean by mates?"

Inuyasha returned his gaze to the ground. "Demons are different than humans. They only truly find one love, one person that they plan to spend their life with. And when they do, they mark them with a bite on the neck so that no other demons will try and take them away."

Kagome didn't know what to say. "Okay, I understand Inuyasha. It would have been better if you had asked me, though. But I see a down side and an up side to this."

Inuyasha forced his eyes to meet hers, which stared at him intently. "I know the up side, demons will not try and "reap" you again." He tried to use the word Kagome had called it after he had saved her. And I won't let you get that close to death ever again.

Flashback

They had barely been able to make camp they were so exhausted. Sango had a bad cut to her side and Miroku was nursing her until they had found a safe place to rest for the night. Kagome rolled out her sleeping bag as Inuyasha did his routinely check of the area. When he returned, Kagome had curled up into her sleeping bag while Shippo slept soundly by her side.

Lucky little brat. But Inuyasha pushed the thought away. He knew where it led. He leaped into a tree overlooking the campsite. He tried to stay awake but sleep overtook him with much ease.

Kagome woke up after having a nightmare about numbers and math. When she realized she wouldn't be returning to sleep anytime soon, she got up and walked a little ways away from the campsite, just far enough so Inuyasha would not hear her. But little did she know, someone else had the same idea in mind, a demon.

The demon snuck up behind Kagome, put his hand over her mouth and whispered into her ear, "If you try anything, I'll break your neck." Kagome was so scared that she no response but to nod. Inuyasha, please, save me! was her last coherent thought before the sleeping gas in the demon's hand sunk into her lungs and spread throughout her body.

Inuyasha woke the next morning, feeling a little anxious. Something is wrong here. And then it hit him, and it hit him hard. Kagome was gone.

Meanwhile, Kagome was fighting and forcing her eyelids open, to see what the pain was coming from. When she managed to open them a little more to survey her body, she found she was naked and bleeding. She tried to scream but a hand swiftly clasped itself over her mouth. "Ah, ah, ah wench. We had a deal, you don't scream, and you won't die."

At the sound of the disgusting voice, Kagome's eyes flew wide open. A demon of some sort was perched on top of her, his legs spread over her privates. So that is what the pain is from. She tried to fight him but she had lost too much blood. He smirked and resumed his lovemaking. She wanted to scream in pain and fear but his hand would not budge.

Inuyasha quickly found her scent. There was the scent of a demon mixing within it, causing Inuyasha's demon blood to react. No, I can't lose control while Kagome is missing. He rapidly followed the scent, and the stronger it became, the more he smelt Kagome's fear, tears, and blood. He also smelt the demon's hormones dancing with ecstasy. Whoever this guy is, he had better be gone before I get there.

Kagome felt the demon suddenly retract himself. "Well well well, what do we have here? It seems your little friend has come to join the party." The demon stood up and clothed himself with much haste. That was when Inuyasha burst into the clearing.

Inuyasha saw the demon standing with a smirk on his face. But his attention was snatched up by the sight of Kagome. She was naked, covered in her own blood, and he saw the tears' paths on her cheeks. He sensed that she was afraid, angry, and barely keeping awake.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha said, lunging at the demon with his claws. The demon was still smirking as he dodged Inuyasha with much ease.

"Well this is a pity. I was hoping for a challenge, not a half-demon."The demon said, producing a dagger from one of his side pockets. Kagome saw that is had a lot of poisonous jiykai built up in the end.

Inuyasha actually managed to smile at the demon's comments and dagger. "Is that all you've got, words and a little stick? Well, if it's iron you want, let me introduce you to tessaiga," he said, unsheathing his powerful sword at the same time.

The demon saw this and lunged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha dodged it and leaped to land in front of Kagome. The demon was persistent and turned to attack again, something Inuyasha wasn't expecting.

Kagome panicked at the sight of the demon coming and Inuyasha making no effort to move. She hastily stood up and threw herself in front of Inuyasha, just in time to be struck by the dagger's poison tip.

Inuyasha's heart missed a beat when he saw Kagome in front of him, taking the dagger right into her stomach. He grabbed her as she started to fall, her eyes already shut from the effort it took to stand up. "KAGOME! Why did you do that?" he shouted, knowing that she couldn't hear him.

The demon laughed. That sent Inuyasha's demon side over the top. He gently set Kagome down before attacking the demon full force. The demon wasn't ready so he was killed instantaneously.

Inuyasha hastily returned to Kagome's side, picking her up gingerly before turning and running back to the campsite to tell the others where he was going.

A few days later, Kagome awoke at Kaede's, Inuyasha sleeping with his hand on top of hers. She gave him a squeeze using what little strength she had left to awaken him.

Inuyasha was awake in an instant, his eyes flying from his hand to Kagome's open eyes. Thank Kami! She's alive. He abruptly scooped her up into a hug before remembering that she was still naked and in pain. Her whimper brought him back to his senses.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I didn't come soon enough, and then you took a knife that was meant for me," he managed to confess while trying to keep his voice from revealing how relieved he was.

"It's alright Inuyasha, really," Kagome said, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall from her eyes to thank Inuyasha for coming.

Inuyasha shook his head. "It's not alright. You got hurt, again. If you keep this up, I may have to sleep with you." He wished that he could but he knew that she would never allow him to.

Kagome smirked in spite of all the pain. "Maybe that's exactly what you should do…"

End Flashback

Kagome shuddered at the thought of the memory. It may have had a happy ending but it had been a close call. If Inuyasha had come any later, I may not be here with him right now. The tears came but her voice held strong. "That's right, but the word is 'rape'. But the downside is now Naraku has something that he can use against us.

Inuyasha groaned. He had thought of it be he hadn't cared at the time. He was focused on finding the right time to do it. "I know Kagome, but even if Naraku were to find out, I wouldn't let him get to you. I will stay by your side from now on." He hugged her and then picked her up, jumping into the tree beneath which they stood. He settled down on a strong bough and set Kagome between his legs so she wouldn't fall. "I think we could use a rest. How about you?"

When she didn't answer, he craned his neck to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, and her bangs tumbled across her face, accentuating her beauty. He couldn't help himself as he gave her a quick kiss before leaning back to fall asleep. He mumbled "I love you so much Kagome. More than I think you will ever know," as he drifted to sleep

She wasn't sure if he would hear but she whispered, "Sleep well my Inuyasha. I love you more than life itself. I will always be by your side, no matter the danger," as she let her mind clear and her heart soar at the thought of being in Inuyasha's arms for the first time in a long time.

Sorry about the long wait. I had too much homework and stuff so yeah. There is chapter 7 in all it's glory. If it seems chunky in some places, I apologize. It is 1:30 am and I am a little tired. Otherwise, please R & R. BTW, I have a new name. It is Lunar Sky, soon to be changed once more to Watery Lunar Maiden. Night!

Watery Lunar Maiden