Chapter 3:

oOo Kagome's Promise oOo

Inuyasha was furious with himself. He slowed down his run to a jog, and finally stopped. How could I have been so incredibly stupid? Fucking idiot enough to believe she would befriend a half-demon?

Kagome stood all alone in the dark. Inuyasha… Why would he have ran off like that? Suddenly Kagome heard wolf cries, she jumped when far off bushes began to move.

"Inuyasha?" She said quivering with fear. The foliage that now trembled was closer to her, she held her breath as she waited for whatever shook the bush to emerge.

It was not Inuyasha, but a wolf. Slowly, he approached her and one by one his pack emerged from the leaves. One snapped at Kagome and bared it's teeth.

Inuyasha jerked his head, a scream had come from the direction he had left. Kagome. He raced full speed back toward Kagome, another scream rang in his ears. Inuyasha grew fearful, he smelled blood.

Kagome fell to the ground, one of the wolves had scratched her. She held her waist with one hand, but the pain overwhelmed her, she was paralyzed with fear. I'm going to die. she thought.

The wolf was getting ready to pounce.

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!"

Kagome felt no claws or fangs attack her, she opened her eyes and saw Inuyasha's fighting the pack. He shouted as he kept slicing the wolves, a bloody carnage. A wolf leapt at him and bit into his shoulder, Inuyasha shouted from pain. He put his hand over his bleeding shoulder. Before the wolf could attack again, he looked up.

"BLADES OF BLOOD!"

Soon the pack decided against attacking this enemy and fled. Inuyasha was panting as he turn around and faced Kagome.

"Ka-go-me," He words were coated with his pain and he pronounced each syllable with a tremendous amount of effort. "Are you ok?" He breathed, wincing.

Kagome stood up, her waist hurt and she was bleeding, but she nodded yes.

Inuyasha smiled "Good." Then he gasped in pain and fell to his knees.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran to him. "Inuyasha…" She was holding back tears, "-your hurt."

Inuyasha looked up. "Kagome- ah!" He grabbed his shoulder in pain. "Go home, before anything else- gah- happens." he was gasping for breath.

Kagome shook her head.

"No, I'm not leaving you." She looked at Inuyasha with determination in her eyes. He stared in them. Kagome, are you going to stay in a forest with a half-demon?

Inuyasha saw there was no point in trying to talk her out of her decision, she had made up her mind. He looked around. He stood up, picked up Kagome and jumped into the branches of a tree in one bound. He sat cross-legged on a thick branch with Kagome in his lap holding on to his waist for dear life.
"Kagome, let me see your wound." Kagome lifted up her shirt enough for him to see the cut in the side. "It doesn't seem fatal…" Using his fangs and claws he ripped off the clean sleeve of his shirt. It has baggy enough and she was thin enough so, once spilt in two, it could be wrapped like a bandage.

Kagome was amazed by his gentle hands. He never once scratched her with his claws and only touched her where he needed to. He displayed a lot of respect for Kagome's body, and she tried her best not to squirm. Once Inuyasha was finished, he leaned back against the tree. His shoulder had not improved.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome started
Inuyasha looked at Kagome,

"Yes?"
"That wound, I doesn't look to good, let me see if I can help…" She tried to tend the wound but Inuyasha's shirt was in the way. She looked at him and she knew he would have to take his shirt off for her to be able to help him. She started blushing violently at the thought of asking his to remove his shirt. Inuyasha got the message, he took off his shirt, revealing the gash in his left arm.

"Inuyasha, could you tear you shirt into strips of cloth?"
Inuyasha nodded and began ripping them. Once he was finished Kagome began to work her magic. With the first piece of cloth she wiped off excess blood. She began conversation. In the nicest tone imaginable Kagome asked.

"What exactly are you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha sighed and began explaining how he was a half-demon. His mother was a human but his father was a very powerful demon.

"But I thought demons weren't real." Kagome said
"Many demons have human forms and walk among humans. Others like nature better. I am a half demon, and most of the time my true appearance is hidden. Only on one night, on the night of the full moon, my disguise is taken away until the sun rises again." He laughed bitterly as he continued. "Then on the night of the new moon I actually turn mortal, for that night. I remain half-demon always having my powers, just hidden appearance."

He motioned to his hair and ears. Kagome tightened the last strip of cloth to his arm. Pleased with her work she stretched out in the tree as much as she could, but the moment she looked down, she crawled back into Inuyasha's lap and held on to him once again, for dear life. Inuyasha patted her head.

"It's okay your safe up here with me." Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Kagome…"
"Yes?"
"Promise you won't tell any one…"
"Of course I won't.." Kagome said yawning.
"Thank You Kagome… Kagome?"

He looked down to see Kagome asleep on his chest. He smiled as a balloon of happiness swelled up in his chest.

END FLASHBACK