The villagers scattered when they saw him skid to a halt. He could hear them screaming as they went and Kouga twirled around growling. He knew this must be the old lady's village. Though unfamiliar with her, the humans scent reeked here.

His lips peeled back over his fangs and he drew her closer, trying to pinpoint where exactly was supposed to go next.

But it came to him.

"Lady Kaede!" He heard one of the villagers call and he turned to see the old woman emerging from the hut.

Her face twisted in confusion at first until her eyes dropped to the girl in Kouga's arms. Her mouth instantly fell and she gasped out "Kagome!"

Kouga closed the distance between them, the anxiety making his muscles ache to rush.

"I need you to help her." He grounded out through his clenched teeth. Kaede jerked a nod and beckoned him back into the hut. She held the straw mat door open for him and he slipped in.

"Set her down on the bed." Kaede instructed.

Kouga carefully set her down blankets, carefully positioning her head of the fluffy white pillow. He drew away a bit but kept his caught one of her hands and held it as if he could pour his nervousness away and into her.

"What happened?" Kaede dropped to Kagome's side with a basin and a small towel clenched in her hands.

The old woman immediately touched the girl's neck searching for a pulse. Kouga didn't really answer, watching her carefully afraid he'd miss something.

"She's breathing," Kaede nodded to herself and went to pull up Kagome's shirt.

Barely exposing the pale white navel, Kaede glanced up at him to catch his eyes.

"Do you know where she was injured?"

Kouga shook his head and told her, "I don't know. We just found her like this."

Kaede placed the basin onto the wooden floor and dipped the cloth in the cold water until it was drenched.

"Please Kouga. Cut her clothes free with your claws. I need to find her wound."

Kouga heard the words before completely understanding them, but he lifted his free right hand and hesitated.

The thoughts of disrobing Kagome didn't strike him nearly as much as a deep rooted fear he'd uncover a bloody and fatal wound. His heart kept twisting.

Moving a trembling hand, he took a breath and tried to concentrate. The tiny white fabric sliced through clean and he touched the hem of her skirt. In another second, he cut it through.

Kaede eased the fabric away, dropping the cloth in a crumbled bundle on the floor. Kouga watched her for a second before his eyes roamed over Kagome's form.

The absence of a wound struck him first and he twitched his nose remembering he hadn't smelt blood. But then his eyes caught the curvature of her backside, the definition of her hips, the smooth skin over her stomach and the cleavage of her breasts that bosomed up through the odd fabric that covered them.

His face warmed with some strange realization he was invading her privacy and he turned away. His eyes instead caught a blanket in the end of the room. He stretched out and snatched the soft fabric and drew it to his side, some absent thought of eventually needing to cover her up.

He looked back, trying to quash the sudden twanging in his chest—and yet the image of her never quite left his mind.

Kaede shook her head, the frustration reaching her scent and drawing Kouga out of his trance.

"I don't understand. There is no wound." She let her wondering hands drop to her sides. "And yet she stands near death. There's something strange."

Kaede reached for the wet cloth and draped it over Kagome's forehead. The girl didn't even shift in response.

Kouga's heart dropped when he focused back on the girls pale face. Drawing the blanket closer, he covered the girl up. His mind snapped over to wonder if the room was too cold for her to be like that.

"What do you mean woman?" He asked impatiently, his anxiety finding its way back."Could she have been poisoned or something?"

His thoughts darkened when he suggested it but the thought made sense.

"No, I think not." Kaede said.

Kouga suddenly caught the scent of her human companions and glanced back to find them rushing through the door.

"Kagome-sama! How is she?" Miroku asked for both of them and they raced to drop by her side.

Kouga almost growled when they invaded her space so closely but forced himself quiet. Instead, he tightened his grip on her hand.

"Miroku, look at her." Kaede ordered him. "Tell me what you see."

Kouga and Sango instantly shifted, trying to see the unspoken idea that had struck the old miko. Kouga's heart sped up again.

Miroku obeyed, turning to scan the girl in the blanket. He blinked, at first confused, but focused more. Kaede asked him to look. Miroku drew his concentration and tried to feel for Kagome's aura. He gasped.

"She has no aura."

"What, what's that mean?" Kouga growled impatiently.

Kaede held out a hand to silence him and took another moment to draw her thoughts together. She drew a hand up to her chin while in thought, and finally spoke.

"She seems to have no aura. Like she had sucked her soul's energy away."

Kouga cocked his head to the side but stayed quiet. Kaede kept talking.

"Perhaps she purified something. Used up all of her energy. The soul is the very root of purifying abilities."

Miroku jerked his head in agreement. "That would make sense. I felt a large wave of spiritual energy when the shield fell."

"Kaede," Sango spoke up to redirect their thoughts. She reached out a rested a hand on the old woman's shoulder and leaned forward. "What's this mean for Kagome's health?"

"I know very little about how the soul affects the mortal form in ways of health. It happens so rarely. And yet, I think…if Kagome hadn't died at the incident she won't die now. How she would recover from it though, I'm not sure."

Kouga let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. A wash of happiness ran through him and let his muscles ease. He still never let go of her hand.

Sango and Miroku too drew back with the news and let themselves smile weakly.

"I do think," Kaede continued while slowly struggling to stand, "that ye best course of action now is to let her rest under supervision. I shall go and ask inquires among other spiritual guides in the nearby village. I do believe that's the best way for us to learn what we may be dealing with. And it'll do well if she wakes up and can too, help us."

Sango turned to Miroku and where Kirara had curled up on his purple robes.

"Go tell Inuyasha, will you?"

Miroku nodded and excused himself with Kaede.

The two left the room to silence and the weak breathing of the girl under the covers. Sango looked over them.

Kagome's face was washed out but her facial muscles were completely relaxed giving her some type of look of peace. Dirt lightly smeared her cheeks and her hair fell around her in a jumble.

Her eyes slipped down to where Kouga held her hand. The wolf prince didn't look up or even acknowledge her stare. A fair amount of his long black hair had slipped free of his tie and dropped over his face. His blue eyes were completely still and his mouth barely open and frowning, showing just the tip of one of his fangs.

She could feel his apprehension.

Sango drew her hands into her lap and clenched them into fists.

"Kouga." She called his attention, and the wolf prince let his eyes drift over to the human girl. "Will you stay with her and retrieve us if something happens? I feel like I need to go help them search for answers."

When the wolf prince nodded silently, she stood up and crept quietly out the door.

~*~

A/N: Are you wondering about the random updates of the chapters? Yeah, check out my profile. I continue to update the usual news there.