Hey guyzzz! Hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas!
Thank you to: Kingdomkeeper9000 – luckgirl13 - LoveInTheBattleField -Veraozao - XxXinu-hanyou2021XxX – and Sesshomaru2004 for reviewing!
And just a FYI, this chapter is mostly a chapter that gives you Kagome's background.
On with the show!
PaCk BoRn
o0o0o0 Flash Forward Fifteen Years 0o0o0o
My paws pounded against the forest floor as I ran, my breath came out in short pants, and my heart beating a thousand miles a second. I kept pushing myself to go faster, I knew my pursuer was slowly gaining on me. 'Move, move, move!' I chanted in my head, doing turns and running through small ponds of water to cover my tracks. After a while, I was exhausted and slowed down to a slight jog. A rustling behind me had me alert, and before I could do anything, a huge ball of honey brown fur tackled me to the ground. I couldn't breath with the large amount of weight on my stomach.
"Bankotsu...your...suffocating me..." I managed to gasp out with my limited amount of air. Right as I finished my sentence, the weight lifted off me and I could breath again.
"Are you trying to kill me?" I panted unnecessarily.
"Don't be such a drama wolf Kagome, your too tough for that." Bankotsu snorted. He laid down on his belly and shut his eyes, no doubt resting after such a long run. I followed his example and laid down next to him.
For a moment, we just laid there and savored the sweet silence that clung to the forest air. Then I felt Bankotsu stiffen and start sniffing the air around him, my eyes flew open.
"Whats wrong?" I whispered to him, crouched down in an attack position.
"Hunter." he growled, lips curled up, flashing his deadly white canines. His normally blue eyes burned a darker shade with anger.
"In this area? Are you sure?" I sniffed the air and sure enough, I could smell human and gunpowder.
"I know trash when I smell it." he snarled.
I strained my ears to see if I could hear the human. A low, pained moan and thud of a body was all I heard.
"It's hurt," I paused, then flattened my ears on my skull, afraid to finish my thought, but did anyway, "or dead."
"Good." Bankotsu perked right up and turned to walk back towards the den, "Lets get out of here princess, if we're lucky, there will be nothing left but bones by tomorrow morning."
With one last glance in the humans direction, I followed Bankotsu home. We walked in utter silence, collecting our thoughts, or at least I was, I just assume he was doing the same. Unlike the rest of my pack, I didn't despise humans as much as they do. Although I admit, I wasn't exactly ecstatic about them when they killed my mother. I was three when she was murdered. At the time, I wanted to wipe out every single human off the face of the earth. Rage had covered every inch of my body as well as my mind and it felt as if I was on fire. I can still recall angrily hunting deer with my father, tearing into their fragile necks with my fangs, tearing it apart like velvet, and he let me, knowing that I was beyond enraged and needed some sort of outlet.
The pack elder was far from content with my behavior as the only daughter of the alpha. According to him, I should have played with other pups my age, not hunting with the adult males. Learning with the other females about the nature of the forest, not learning how to fight an opponent and finding their weak point. Although the wolves loath the humans, they could never act on it, that would mean war with them, and fortunately or unfortunately, we don't have the same luxury of being able to hold guns.
Anyway, I had a dream one night, and in that dream, my mother came to me. While I shared my father's colored fur, my mother's rare, deep red eyes and crescent moon were identical to my own. She looked sad in my dream, which in turn saddened me. She looked just like she did before they killed her. From her red eyes, gray fur, and the glimmer of happiness in the depths of her eyes, she was everything I remembered. Everything I love and adore.
"Mamma..." I ran to her and nuzzled my cheek to her's, I could feel the fresh hot tears starting to form in my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall.
"You're supposed to be dead..." I whispered softly.
"Yes, but I don't have much time little one, I am not supposed to be here. I must tell you now: don't blame the humans for what happened. Not all of them are evil. Please, don't hate them, learn from them and help when your help is needed, even if they are human and hunter." When she finished, her form started to disappear, it looked like mist floating up to the sky.
"Wait! No! Mamma!" I cried out.
"Kagome, remembered that you are strong, burn bright! And remember that..." Her form had disappeared, but I barely managed to hear her last three words, "...I love you..."
I know that my pitiful sobs could be heard that night. No one disturbed me, not even my father. That's why me and Bankotsu are friends, he shared my pain, he also lost his mother to a hunter. Bankotsu allowed me to lean on him and cry to my heats content, never questioning, just comforting. Whenever I needed a shoulder to cry on, he was there, and I stood up for him when everyone looked down on him for crying when his own mother died. Apparently, only females can cry, males must hide their pain, even if their mates die. Anyhow, since my mother appeared in my dream that night, I have been more lenient towards humans.
"Kagome!" someone snarled angrily, bringing me back to my harsh reality. It was my father, we were back at the den. Home sweet den. Ha.
"Father," I greeted him, he gave me a sly, wolfish grin, pun intended.
My father is the alpha of this small pack, is word is law and if you disobey, you suffer the consequences. We both have similar traits, both hard-headed, have a temper, and rarely take no for an answer. The only difference is that when I say no to him, he makes sure I pay. Enough said. I also think that it angers him that I have the same birthmark mother had, the one that symbolizes that I'm next in line to be the alpha, birthed into royalty and born to rule. He mated into royalty, underdog to alpha.
"You were supposed to be here by sundown, you are late." He might as well accused us of murdering all the pups in the pack. Just because I am his daughter, doesn't mean he treats me better than the rest of the pack. I think the treats me the worst.
"Bankotsu." He finally decided to acknowledge him and turned his intense gaze to him, father never could look me in the eyes for more than ten seconds, he can only tolerate me when we go hunting. I think it's because I get so into the hunt, its like I become a whole other wolf. I get into this state of blood lust and my mind turns blank, letting my instincts take over.
"Alpha." Bankotsu bowed his head, flattening his ears against his skull, showing submission.
"Leave." replied my father in his monotone voice.
Bankotsu hesitated, he knows that we don't exactly have a happy-go-lucky father daughter relationship, but he leaves in the end. Every wolf fears him, since mother has died, he changed for the worst. He used to be caring, put others before himself, and made me feel loved and protected in m early years. Now though... it's the complete opposite. Once Bankotsu was swallowed into the darkness of the cave, father stared me down. I stared straight back at him. It's suicidal to look an alpha in the eye and not submit, but I can't help it. It's as it I can see right through him, I guess that's why they say your eyes are the windows to your soul.
I could see his pain, misery, and loss through his thick cloud of anger. After a while of defiance, he growled at me in a feral way. I looked away with my eyes, but refused to flatten my ears or bow my head, to someone who's all but turned his back on me. Father dearest growled low and loud, showing that he wasn't pleased with my behavior.
"Learn your place pup, just because you are kin, does not mean you get special treatment." With that said, he turned away from me to stalk back to the den. I stood where he left me, on the edge of the woods, a good distance from the den and let go of a furious growl of my own that I managed to contain in the back of my throat. I began to shake with anger. Everyone knows very well that I am no longer considered a pup, and he tells me to learn my place?! My place is with my friends and family, with the people who care about me. My place is obviously not here.
If I had any doubts before, now they were completely erased, no matter what, I would go into the woods and check on the human. I slowly made my way to the far corner of the cave, my claws softly clicking on the moist cave floor, ignoring the stares that seemed to burn into my fur. No one approached me, not even Bankotsu. Each and every one of them feared that the alpha would not approve of them comforting me, am I really not that important?
As I curled up in my spot, I couldn't stop myself from smiling slightly, mamma would be proud that I would go to check on the human, investigate, help were I am, maybe, needed. If only she was still here with me and make papa go back to the way he used to be.
I quickly shook my head of the dangerous thoughts and shoved the feelings of sadness and regret back into the corners of my mind. I must be focused, who knows what father would do. I slowly drifted into a light doze and waited until everyone else was asleep, I just hope nothing goes wrong. A wolf willingly going to see a human, why do I get the feeling that something is going to go wrong, one way or another?
Thank you for reading! Show that you care by leaving a review and telling me what you think thus far!
Have a safe, awesome New Year!