Chapter 12

Nothing but the soft breeze rustling the leaves in the trees was heard as Kagome stared in horror at the frozen tableau – even Inuyasha was too stunned to move or say a word.

Surprised that Mattaki hadn't already attacked she slowly turned her head to meet his gaze, her own eyes wide with fear and worry, only to meet golden eyes that were bleeding crimson – it was in that moment that she realized that he hadn't moved because he was so enraged that he'd frozen. It would only last moments, however, and she knew it.

Before she could say anything though, Kouga opened his mouth and made everything a thousand times worse.

"What the fuck were you thinking, you fuckin' mutt, lettin' some damn dog hang all over my woman?!" he snarled at Inuyasha, who was too stunned by Kouga's complete and utterly foolish dismissal of the danger his father posed to him to respond. "What the hell ever, you weak little bitch," he hissed disgustedly after a further moment, "I'll take care of whoever the hell this other weak mutt is and take my woman home with me where she belongs." He looked down with his usual irritating cluelessness at the woman who was still trying to free her hands. "Don't worry, Kagome, I'll protect you from any more advances from some pansy-assed flea-bitten dog," he spat, curling his lip at the word 'dog'.

Forcing herself to still as her struggling wasn't getting her anywhere and certainly wasn't getting through the idiot's thick skull, she allowed her powers to gather in her hands and shocked Kouga, knowing that was the only way he was going to let her go; he did, cursing and snarling as she stumbled back away from him as soon as she was free.

"Damn it, Kouga! I'm not your woman!" she screamed at him. "Stop being so thickheaded and stupid - and keep your hands to yourself!"

Eyes bugging from his head with resentment in a most unattractive fashion he started to stutter out his usual claims once more, but before Kagome could react Mattaki rushed forward and Kouga barely managed to get out of the way in time, suddenly sporting several deep claw wounds across his chest as he leapt back just enough to keep from being clawed completely in half.

That was all it took and the fight was on, though it wasn't much of a fight as Kagome had already known it wouldn't be. Kouga wasn't even a match for Inuyasha* let alone for Mattaki, and within minutes the wolf was on the ground and Mattaki was poised over his body, just about to land the killing blow.

"NO!" she finally managed to scream out, panic forcing her voice through the obstruction of a nearly closed windpipe as she crashed into Mattaki from behind and clasped her arms around his waist. "Please, Mattaki, don't!" she begged, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please don't kill him. Please. He's stupid, but that's no reason to kill him. I don't want him, I promise I don't – I want you. I promise, Mattaki. I don't love him," she gulped, her fear forcing her to take in and acknowledge what she hadn't been able to accept until this very moment. "I... I love you." Her eyes fell closed as she gave whispered voice to those words, a fatalistic sense of finality clear in her voice to all those witnessing the confrontation.

The time for denial was gone, and she could no longer hide her feelings even from herself. She loved him. Truthfully she had for a while now. She simply hadn't been able to believe her own feelings, truly convinced that it was still too soon. Yes, she was falling in love with him, that was fine, she could deal with admitting that – but not that she was already there, despite her mother's words about love and time and even her own previous thoughts on the matter.

But there would be no more hiding now.

Mattaki had frozen the moment he felt her arms go around him, but when she began crying and begging for the wolf's life he came back to himself and closed his eyes, trying with every bit of his will to calm down and force his enraged blood to cool. He hadn't actually meant for things to go this far, but when he'd heard the wolf claiming her as his and watched the bastard touching her, obviously against her will, he'd just... lost it. He'd actually surprised even himself with his instant descent into a mad rage – he'd finally done the one thing he'd never thought he would – he'd gone berserker. And all over someone desiring and trying to claim the woman he considered his.

When the rest of what she'd just said sank in though, his eyes widened and he stiffened; letting go of the body of the wolf, who hit the ground with a heavy thud, he grasped her hands where they clutched at his waist so he could pull them away, allowing him to turn around and face her.

He needed to see her face... to see her eyes. He needed to know that she was not just saying that to stop him from killing the ookami. He needed to know it more than he'd ever needed anything. He needed to.

It was surprising even to him just how much he needed to know she was speaking nothing but the truth – while waiting for her to be ready, for her to love him had not been easy he hadn't really realized just how truly difficult it had been to hold himself back from her for her comfort, nor the toll it had taken on his own emotions. He hadn't wanted her to feel pressured, and instead, now that she'd finally said what he'd been waiting so desperately for he felt the pressure he'd been carrying around so fiercely that he literally had to forcibly hold himself back from grabbing her and shaking her to get her to speak – to reiterate what she'd just said.

"Look at me," he demanded, his normal baritone even deeper than it usually was and his eyes intense as she obeyed and opened her own drenched blues to meet his gaze. When she did, he asked, "Did-you-mean-it?" in desperation-laced tones that had her eyes widening in shocked surprise. When she didn't answer immediately, he did shake her, though gently. "Answer me, Kagome!"

"O-of course I d-did," she whispered huskily after a moment to gather her scattered thoughts and her composure. "I would never s-say something like that if I didn't," she managed to hiccup. She sniffled, trying to dry her eyes and stop crying though the way he was looking at her was making it very difficult.

She means it, he thought, his mind almost detached as he stared down at her blue eyes absolutely shining with honesty. She means it, but she wasn't quite ready to say it. It was actually easy to see that she hadn't been ready to acknowledge those feelings, that she was still uncomfortable with them, but now that it was out in the open there was no going back.

"I'm sorry that you were forced into recognizing this before you were really ready, Kagome," he breathed, glancing quickly at Shippo and his son who, now that he was over his own shock, was showing that he did have a little sense by taking himself and the kit off somewhere else to give them at least some privacy.

An unconscious and bleeding wolf didn't count.

Looking back down at her, he sighed. "There is no going back though, you know this, don't you?" he asked, just to make sure. "I... I have held myself back from you because I knew you weren't comfortable – that was why in the end I did not insist you move back into the rooms I had first placed you in – but I... I do not think I can hold myself away from you any longer," he confessed, slight guilt expressed quite clearly in golden eyes. "Though... if you truly cannot accept me at this time, I will try..." he trailed off, his own discomfort and even pain at that thought quite clear to the emotionally charged girl in his arms.

It was Kagome's turn to feel guilty; she'd had no idea that her waffling on her own feelings had made him suffer so much. She felt truly foolish in that instant, like a child playing adult's games, and looking at such a magnificent male, one who wanted nothing more than to be allowed to love her only to see what she'd put him through... she felt shame well up inside her followed by more tears. She owed him a major apology...

"I'm so sorry, Mattaki," she whimpered, planting her face into his chest as she threw herself back into his arms. "So, so sorry. I didn't realize... I was acting like a child over all of it," she said, shame clear in her low tones. "I just couldn't believe that love doesn't always take a long time and so I kept fighting the knowledge, insisting inside that it couldn't be real love I was feeling because it was too soon – that it had to be just a beginning infatuation and attraction that would take time to deepen into real love. And all this time you've respected my doubts and dithering without ever trying to force the issue or make me feel guilty." She felt a swell of love rush over her as she openly acknowledged all of the last months of his loving treatment of her, and with tears still streaming down her cheeks she stood on tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his with a heartfelt moan, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull herself even nearer to his body.

Mattaki froze for just a tiny fraction of a second, but almost immediately his arms went around her and he pulled her even closer, molding his body to hers as he coaxed her lips to open with a sweet, shiver-inducing caress of his tongue across her lower lip. The moment she complied he tilted his head and swept inside, tangling his tongue with hers and moaning into her mouth at her taste, at the feel of her returning his caresses - and his affection.

The kiss went on for some time as the two standing in the road over a still-unconscious wolf continued exploring each other's mouths, seemingly unable to stop. Hands clenched tightly in Mattaki's haori, as he'd forgone armor on this trip, Kagome tried to pull away in her desperation for air; Mattaki pulled her back with a deep growl, completely unwilling to allow her to end the kiss.

His own hands were not idle; one large palm spread against her back, his fingers reaching almost entirely across it emphasizing just how tiny she really was as his other hand slid up to cradle her head as he teased her tongue into following his back into his mouth. He shuddered all over, a deeper growl wrenching itself from his throat as she explored his fangs, seemingly fascinated by such an inhuman part of him.

Things might have progressed a little farther than was strictly polite out in the open if it weren't for the pained groan of the ookami still on the ground next to them; with a sharp gasp and a bright blush, Kagome pulled back away from Mattaki and looked down at Kouga, only to find his eyes fluttering open as he bled sluggishly into the dirt.

"Damn," she sighed as she knelt beside him and took stock of his injuries after a moment spent to regather her composure, "you really did a number on him, Mattaki. We're going to have to spend the night here again – don't you narrow your eyes at me; despite his stupidity I can't leave him laying in the road injured like this." She pointed to the base of the tree where her pack still lay. "Grab my pack, please – I need my first aid kit," she said. "He should be fine by tomorrow and then we can go on our way, okay?"

With a rather disgruntled sigh Mattaki gave in, knowing it was really his own fault for going so far off the deep end and injuring the wolf so badly. And he knew Kagome was not the type to leave an injured being behind – even one she didn't like, let alone one who'd been a friend... sort of. While it was apparent she hadn't liked his habit of claiming her, it was also apparent that she did at least marginally care for his life, and he wouldn't deny her much of anything – especially not after what she'd just told him. He was so thrilled with her declaration of love that he was willing to let her spend the day treating the ookami's wounds as long as it made her happy. (Although, admittedly he could also come up with a much better idea of how he wanted to spend the day – and night – ahead of them.)

"Here, love, I've a better notion," he said, motioning for her to move back; with a confused look she complied, and he bent down and lifted the barely conscious wolf up and moved him off the road, taking him to lay him in a spot near the now dead fire. The fire he was about to rebuild.

When she realized what he was about Kagome smiled gratefully at him, and yanked an extra blanket out of her pack to lay it down under one of the trees so he would at least be out of the direct sun. Once it was ready she indicated that he could lay the injured youkai on it with another bright and happy smile. Within minutes she had bandages and ointment out and was using the water in her canteen to cleanse the wounds the wolf was now sporting.

Inuyasha came ghosting back through the trees just then, a curious Shippo riding his shoulder; without even arching an inquisitive brow he grabbed her small pot and went after more water, depositing Shippo on the ground next to Kagome as he did so. It was quiet until the hanyou reappeared and set the pot on a flat rock near the edge of the fire, and Mattaki, surprised at his son's lack of same asked him why he was taking this delay so calmly.

"Because I know Kagome. As soon as I saw you going after the stupid wolf I knew we'd be staying here at least another day so that she could take care of the bastard's wounds." He shrugged as he took a seat up on the limb of the tree he'd spent the previous night in. "That's just how she is. There was no way, even with as irritated as she was at him, that she was gonna leave him like that."

Once he'd heard Inuyasha's reasoning he had to agree that his son was correct – Kagome was far too compassionate to leave the ookami wounded, even though he would have been fine even if she had. He was youkai, after all, and though he wasn't daiyoukai or even as strong as Inuyasha he still would have healed fine.

Shippo, on the other hand, with tail bristling watched the ookami through narrowed eyes as he caught the flash of Kouga's eyes as he opened them to look at Kagome, only to once again close and flutter them as though he were fighting to remain conscious. The wolf, while injured wasn't as injured as he was pretending, and Shippo being kitsune was an old hand at tricking people. Kouga was up to something... but what?

He was determined to find out and protect his mother from him.

So he sat right next to her, his eyes pretty much nailed to the wolf, who quickly caught on to the fact that he was being watched – and glared at the tiny kitsune when he realized that the boy wasn't falling for his trick. Shippo simply glared back – all under the guise of a fake smile, which warned the ookami quite nicely that he'd been made.

Kagome was completely oblivious to the undercurrents between the two, not paying the slightest attention to Kouga's moaning or his pathetic whines. She simply wasn't impressed. She'd treated Inuyasha for far worse, and he hadn't acted anything like this. As far as she was concerned the ookami was simply a wimp, and was proving it with every whine. Yes he was badly injured, but not that badly – she herself had been injured worse and hadn't acted like this.

Finally, finished cleaning and bandaging all his injuries she stood up, and ignoring his pitiful voice as he begged for her to stay near grabbed her bag and headed for the nearby stream to wash up. Mattaki went with her, a fact which set Kouga to growling though he was smart enough not to let her hear it.

"Shut up, you stupid wolf!" Shippo hissed, glaring at the ookami with the fires of hell dancing in his eyes the moment Kagome was out of eyesight – and hearing range. "You leave my mama alone – she doesn't want you!" He narrowed his eyes and planted his hands on his hips as Kouga's focus shifted to him and his growl turned to a snarl. "I know you ain't hurt as bad as you're fakin' and I'm watching you, Kouga," he snarled back, to the watching Inuyasha's everlasting amusement. "I won't let you mess things up between her and Mattaki-sama!"

"Oh, shut the hell up, you little snack," the wolf growled, though the sound wasn't as dangerous as he certainly wanted it to be, his injuries showing themselves as he coughed and his voice puttered out weakly. "I ain't gonna lose my woman to a fuckin' lowly d-dog!"

"Funny how that lowly dog just beat your ass to within in inch of your life and didn't even break a sweat," Inuyasha drawled, smirking at his pointless threats.

Kouga's face turned a dangerous red as his temper threatened to make him blow his top – though that idea at this point wasn't one to inspire any fear in anyone except maybe for his own life, because at this point all he could do was send his own blood pressure through the roof until he passed out.

Not a bad idea, Inuyasha contemplated as he watched the ookami squirm in impotent anger. At least then we wouldn't have to listen to his dumbass whimpering and whining.

At that moment Mattaki and Kagome were heard returning from the stream, and the sight of the two holding hands as well as Kagome's shy but brilliant smile at the daiyoukai had Kouga sniffing angrily and turning his nose up in the air – which everyone simply ignored, not caring a whit if he was upset or not. Mattaki sat down with a tree at his back and promptly pulled a contented Kagome into his lap, and she curled up in it like she'd always done so, leaving Shippo grinning in malicious pleasure at an enraged wolf.

So passed most of the rest of the day; despite getting up once in a while to check on Kouga, take care of her own needs, and then get dinner as the day waned she spent most of it curled up with a loving and highly pleased and contented Mattaki speaking idly of whatever took their fancy.

Inuyasha was quiet and kept to himself, Shippo also mostly leaving the couple alone so they could strengthen the bond that was just now beginning to finally bloom. The wolf, on the other hand...

That idiot really is, well... an idiot, isn't he? Inuyasha thought with amused derision. He almost got himself killed once today already, and the way he's goin' he's workin' on number two. I'm just not sure which one of them is going to unload on him next.

He'd amused himself through the day with visions of different outcomes depending on who it was that unleashed on him, his mental meanderings keeping a faint smirk on his face that didn't go as unnoticed as he'd thought.

"It must be something good if he's got that look on his face," Kagome whispered to an amused Mattaki, casting frequent glances at the treed hanyou from beneath her bangs.

Just then Kouga let out another irritating noise and Inuyasha twitched, his smirk growing just the tiniest bit. His father snorted quietly. "I would almost pay to get into his head and see what he's seeing, because every time the wolf cub makes a noise he twitches and that smirk gets bigger. I'd bet it has to do with either reliving what happened earlier or making up new scenes of that boy getting his rear end handed to him."

Kagome's eyes widened a little and she looked unobtrusively closer, only to see that yes, Inuyasha's thoughts were seemingly directly influenced by Kouga's mutterings. She had a hard time keeping the laughter in, and slapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to do so.

"Oh, dear... I think you're right. Inuyasha has never been able to stand Kouga, though he's helped him a few times when I've asked him to," she giggled, the sound muffled just enough by her hand to keep the others from really hearing it.

"Well, you must admit the wolf is irritating. I'm surprised that you put up with him as long as you did – though you have a soft heart it seems that your patience is even greater," he chuckled softly, his eyes meeting hers, glowing gold with deep affection and desire gently pulsing in them.

Mesmerized, Kagome stared into those beautiful eyes, not realizing that her own eyes had become a mirror that was flashing that same affection and desire back to the male whose arms she was cuddling so happily in. That in truth her whole being was glowing with those emotions; to the watching Inuyasha, the beauty she was suddenly exuding was astonishing – a revelation. Never had he realized what she truly looked like when she was actually happy – because she had never been truly happy before, with him.

She should have always looked that way, he thought with regret, but his attention was grabbed before he could really go any further with those thoughts; it seemed that Kouga was also noticing her glowing happiness – he wasn't taking it well however, as his muttering and grumbling got louder – and consequently more annoying.

A very menacing growl broke from Mattaki after a particularly nasty comment. "I would suggest you keep your eyes andyour opinion to yourself, wolf, lest I decide to finish the job I started earlier this day," he snarled, his eyes flashing angrily.

Kagome rolled her eyes, wondering just how stupid the ookami really was. "Mattaki," she said softly, cupping his cheek in one slender hand, "don't worry about him. We've been through this, ne? I want you. I love you. He's no threat, you know this. He has no place here."

Mattaki's eyes glowed as he looked down at the small woman in his arms, in that moment wishing he could just ditch everyone else and return to his estate – he'd keep them locked in his rooms for a week – or two. Or maybe even three, come to think of it.

"He's no threat, but he is annoying, my love," he agreed after a silent moment as he brushed clawed fingertips gently through her bangs.

"Isn't that the truth," Inuyasha snorted not so quietly, one golden eye opening and glaring over at the bristling ookami. "Too bad you didn't rip his throat out, old man. It would have been a lot quieter."

At that Kouga, angered beyond his ability to control himself began snapping and snarling, sounding like nothing so much as a rabid animal. But the final straw was his claim of being sick and wanting to throw up at hearing Kagome deluding herself so when it came to her feelings for the daiyoukai.

Then it was Kagome's turn to lose her temper. Startling everyone with the sudden move she launched herself at the stunned wolf and slapped him so hard that his head snapped back – and then she slapped the other cheek, leaving livid red handprints on each side of Kouga's face.

"I've had enough out of you, Kouga," she snapped dangerously, baring her teeth at him and growling loud enough to make an inu step back. "In what deluded fantasy did I ever claim to want you? I've never accepted any of your damn claims over me, and I never would have – you're the most annoying, irritating, oblivious, deluded, and foolish guy I've ever met! I'd sooner kill myself than be stuck with you! I swear to every kami I know the name of," she said then, her low, angry voice completely serious, "that if I ever see you again after tomorrow morning and you say one word about me being 'your woman', I'll purify you and have done with it, are we clear? You are the type of guy I most despise, and for you to think that you'd ever have a chance with me is laughable. You truly are a fool," she finished, her tone loaded with disgust and even, surprisingly for her, dislike. She stared the wolf down for several long-seeming seconds and then turned away to walk back over to a proud Mattaki, settling into his lap once more as his aura began to caress her own, slowly soothing her all-too-real irritation.

Shippo snickered at the gobsmacked look on the wolf's face. "What an idiot," he said behind his hand, laughing outright when Inuyasha piped in with the comment that he'd always told Kagome, and everyone else incidentally, that Kouga wasn't too bright but that none of them had ever listened to him. "Oh, I listened. That's one of the few things we agreed on," he said as Inuyasha finished. "It's just that Kagome doesn't like to believe anything bad about people, so I just didn't say anything."

"Well, he's beyond stupid about this matter," Kagome snapped tartly. "I told him from day one that I wasn't his woman because there was someone else." She blushed even as Mattaki tightened his arms around her and nuzzled her neck with a slight growl, knowing who she was talking about. "That was a long time ago, and things have changed – but I've never wanted Kouga and I never would have. I feel sorry for whoever does end up with him," she huffed, casting a look of frustrated dislike at the injured wolf. "And it's not even because he loves me, like he keeps claiming – the idiot doesn't even know me! It's just because of his stupid pride, and originally it was because of those damn shards, too. Whatever," she sighed finally. "I'm done with it. I meant what I said, and I can only hope kami hear my prayer and I never have to see him again. Let some other female deal with him."

Rumbling soothingly Mattaki began rubbing his hand up and down Kagome's arm as she resettled, still disgruntled, against his chest. "Be calm, love. As you said before, he is no threat. He is merely annoying," he said, eyeing the very resentful wolf warningly.

She sighed. "I know. I guess I've just had it with his thickheadedness. He's been saying this same stuff for so long – and like I said, he doesn't even know me! If you took every instance that he's come around and put it all together, I doubt it would even come out to two days that he's spent around me! And yet he keeps talking that trash. It's so stupid," she finished plaintively.

With laughter all around, except for a completely insulted Kouga, the evening finally settled down and the night passed peacefully enough, even considering the wolf's occasional muttering and complaining. But Kagome couldn't have been happier when, just before dawn Kouga found enough strength to get up and leave, not saying a word to anyone. He was moving a lot slower than normal but no one tried to stop him, only too glad that he was leaving and all of them hoping that they never crossed paths with the aggravating male again.

Still a bit sleepy Kagome decided to just get a move on since everyone was already awake, figuring she could catch up on her sleep later and actually spend the night indoors where it was a lot warmer. Autumn was well on its way in, and with as fast as the temperatures were dropping she was pretty sure it was going to be a long, cold winter. She was glad that they'd made sure that Kaede was well-stocked with everything she could possibly need for the coming bad weather, since she wasn't really able to move around as much, especially in the cold season.

With the delay that Kouga had cost them they were running behind, so in order to make up for it Mattaki flew them most of the rest of the way, allowing them to arrive in the vicinity of the slayer's village by mid-afternoon. Figuring that they were springing a surprise on the monk and taijiya, who wouldn't be expecting the several extra mouths to feed Mattaki and Inuyasha hunted down some game, a deer and several rabbits falling quickly to flashing claws. Gutted and ready for the spit, they carried their catch wrapped in the deer hide, which could be dried and used by the couple for many different things, and were soon on the approach to the village.

What they found when they arrived, however, wasn't anything like what they were expecting.

When Naraku had originally had the village destroyed almost everything but the walls themselves had been razed to the ground, very few actual buildings surviving the carnage. Now however, there was nothing left save a few logs that had once been part of the walls. They didn't have to get very close for something to set Mattaki off; with a great snarl he immediately halted the group and with hackles up he studied the ruins closely, his youki flaring up protectively around the his companions.

Whatever was wrong Inuyasha seemed to pick up on it as well; he was releasing a low, continuous growl that a shivering Shippo whispered to Kagome was a warning to whatever was out there to stay away. As soon as he said that Kagome's memory took her back to the dog she'd had when young; she remembered the female making the same sound one night just before someone had tried to break into the house. The reminder set her to shivering, and wrapping her arms protectively around the kit, she watched the surrounding area warily.

"The monk and taijiya are not here," Mattaki growled after several long moments. "They left heading in that direction." He indicated a small path leading away from the main road, and keeping a wide berth between them and the remains of the village, he began heading that way. Completely silent the group moved swiftly along, Mattaki before and Inuyasha bringing up the rear.

Kagome could only be thankful that there was still plenty of daylight; she could feel something... wrong... for lack of a better word in the atmosphere around them, and wanted to get as far away from this place as possible before night fell. At the same time she couldn't help but be extremely worried and curious; what could have happened here in the weeks since Sango and Miroku had arrived to try to revive the village, and where were they?

Even more importantly – were they okay?

~oOo~

Mattaki had set a swift pace, and by the time the sun set they'd managed to get some miles away from the ruined and haunted place that they'd been expecting to find in a much livelier condition.

But they hadn't come across Sango or Miroku or even Kirara, even though they were following their scent trail, the daiyoukai assured them.

"How long has it been since they passed this way?" a subdued Kagome asked as she settled the deer meet to roast slowly over the fire so that it would keep for several days as they traveled, and spitted the rabbit meat to cook for their evening meal.

"Several weeks, at least," he replied, his face somber as he stared into the fire. "The only reason I can even catch the traces I have been able to is because there's been relatively little rain to wash it away." He glanced at Inuyasha, who met his gaze solemnly. "Not to mention the strength of the fear that they were literally covered in. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the scent imprint."

Fear? I'm not surprised... something about that place was scaring me, too. "It would take a lot to scare those two," she said after a moment, watching as the hanyou scraped the deer hide down and then hung it over a branch that was close to the fire to finish drying. "Whatever happened, it had to be strong to make them flee."

Shippo shivered and cuddled closer into Kagome. "Yeah... they weren't the type to run from something little."

"What was it that you felt, Mattaki?" she asked after a few minutes. "What made you stop?"

It was silent for a few minutes as the daiyoukai stared into the fire with a fixed gaze. Kagome wasn't even sure he'd heard her until he finally answered.

"Several things. There were several things that felt wrong, dangerous. Fear, strife, hatred. That place looked empty." His eyes flashed gold as he looked up, then. "But it wasn't."

Everyone exchanged uneasy looks and Kagome shivered.

Sango... Miroku... what happened to you guys? What happened to the village?

The night, already cold closed in around them, and Kagome huddled as close to Mattaki as she could get as the firelight flickered, such a small light to hold back the vastness of the dark around them.

It's so eerie out here, was her last thought as an uneasy sleep claimed her.

It was a thought that was being echoed in the minds of her companions, as well – and even Mattaki, who kept a tight watch all night refusing to sleep at all, thought the same.

Daylight couldn't come fast enough, as far as he was concerned.

~oOo~

A/N: I finally managed to get the next post up! Also, my email got hijacked last week from some hacker in Poland, and then yahoo wouldn't allow me to send any emails. When I would try to contact them about why my account was still shut down, they kept feeding me some stupid crap, which wasn't doing me any good. Long story short, I had to open myself a new email address, so any reviews or pm's were lost when I lost that account. I apologize to anyone that had left me any messages or anything. I've now changed all my stuff with FF so that it all goes to my new email, and hopefully this doesn't happen again. (I still have to change quite a few sites that still have my old email – it's such a hassle!)

Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and everything that happened in it!

Amber

*this is a canon fact. Kouga is not a true match for Inuyasha and never was, even in the beginning when Inuyasha was not as strong, and the only reason he survived his rivalry with Inu is because my favorite hanyou really didn't try to claw the fool in half. This should all be apparent in the fact that Inuyasha destroyed Ryukotsussei – Kouga wouldn't have survived that fight.