Thanks again to all of those who reviewed the last chapter. As promised, because the last one was shorter, I'm giving you a second this weekend as it is also on the shorter side. The next one is longer, I promise.

Disclaimers: Same as the last few chapters.

Hope you enjoy this one . . . enter the Wolf . . .

"I don't give a rat's ass, Jaken. I need to talk to Sesshomaru."

Bristling, Jaken pulled himself up to all of his two-foot status. "It is not your place to demand anything of his Lord, you mangy wolf. And you will address Lord Sesshomaru by his rightful title!"

Throwing up his hands, Kouga let his body drop into a nearby chair, completely wrinkling the gray suit he was wearing. "Spare me the hero worship ya little toad."

"Why, I never - "

"Your great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru has been holed up in his rooms for over three days now." Leaning forward, Kouga flicked a sharp claw against Jaken's forehead. "Who do ya think's been runnin' things while the bastard's been off on his little vacation?"

Rubbing his forehead, Jaken looked positively pissed. "Do not mistake your worth to my Lord. Such a lowly, disrespectful Youkai such as you is easily replaced."

Kouga merely grunted. "I ain't arguin' with ya there, toady. But the point is that I've been disrespectin' him for years now and he hasn't gotten rid of me yet. Don't that tell ya somethin'?"

"Only that you have somehow managed to twist my Lords image of you."

"Jaken," Sesshomaru's cold voice fell into the room. "Are you implying that this Sesshomaru is simple minded enough to have been deceived by the Wolf King?"

Turning horrified eyes in his Lords direction, Jaken immediately ran to Sesshomaru's feet, falling prostrate with his head firmly pressed to the floor. "N-no my L-Lord. Your humble servant would n-never believe something like that. I was merely - "

"Enough." Stepping on the imps back, Sesshomaru ignored the grunt of pain Jaken gave before coming towards a now standing Kouga. "There is something you need?"

Contrary to what Jaken thought, Kouga really did have a lot of respect for the Lord of the Western Lands. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true. Perhaps it wasn't for the DaiYoukai himself, but more the power said DaiYoukai was capable of wielding. Bowing his head in a slightly deferential manner, Kouga ran a distracted hand through his long, brown hair. "You've never been away this long."

-Silence.

"The natives are getting restless."

-More silence.

"Damn it Sesshomaru, there's only so much I can do! Sure, they accept me when you're gone for a few hours or maybe a day, but we're talkin' several days here and they don't give two shit's about me anymore."

Sesshomaru raised a single eyebrow while ignoring the wolf's foul language. Kouga's colorful choice of words reminded him too much of a certain Hanyou for it to ever truly make him angry. Funny how things change. "Would they be the council members?"

Kouga grumbled, "Who the fuck else would it be." Shaking his head, the wolf let his blue eyes wonder along a book filled wall. "I don't know how you put up with their bullshit. Really and truly, I don't. You'd think age would bring a certain amount of wisdom. Unfortunately, I think all it's brought those geezers is a misplaced sense of entitlement."

With no one to see his reaction, Sesshomaru allowed a rare smirk to flit across his lips. "Indeed. What is the supposed crisis this time?"

Taking one last look at a random book title in front of him, Kouga shook his head before walking closer to the DaiYoukai. "Apparently, there's this river bordering . . . " Kouga's voice drifted to a stop as he came within a few yards of Sesshomaru's body, his own nose scenting the air. Eyes suddenly dilated, Kouga stared into nothing as memories of long ago flooded his mind.

Narrowing his golden eyes, Sesshomaru stared at the silent wolf, knowing full well what the problem was. In response, the Lord of the West increased his own scent as well as his Youkai in an effort to mask that of his brothers. He'd just gotten Inuyasha back and was far from a sharing mood. Forcing his voice into its normal state of cool aloofness, Sesshomaru questioned, "Is there a problem?"

Shaking his head, all Kouga could do was frown in bitter disappointment. For a moment he'd thought he scented something he hadn't smelled in ages. And then, it was gone as if it had never been. Something he'd never thought he'd miss and yet he could not deny how much he'd mourned Inuyasha. True, no one really knew what happened to the Hanyou, but it had been centuries since the mutt had been seen. It really didn't take a lot of imagination to realize the half-breed had been killed. Honestly, it was a wonder to Kouga that Inuyasha managed to stay alive as long as he had. Not that the mutt wasn't strong, it was just . . . well, just that he didn't have a pack to look after him. Plus, Inuyasha was a Hanyou, not the most welcome of creatures in any circle. Lowering his head, Kouga allowed his bangs to mask his emotional blue eyes. He'd more than heard the stories regarding Sesshomaru's hate for his younger brother and didn't really feel like letting the powerful DaiYoukai know that the object of his anger had once been a friendly rival of the wolf. "Naw, just old memories I suppose."

But Sesshomaru was anything but ignorant when it came to almost any topic, and Inuyasha's previous friendship with the wolf before him was no different. Still, the DaiYoukai dismissed Kouga's answer, merely responding, "You were mentioning something about a river?"

Kouga reached up, scratching the back of his head while burying his emotions and memories. Perhaps tonight, when he was alone with Ayame, he'd talk about what he'd just felt. But for now, there was business to attend to. "Well, apparently there's this river running through . . . "

::::::::::

Sesshomaru felt his gaze drifting towards the doorway leading to his younger brother's room once again as he pushed his inner Youkai deeper into his soul. Unfortunately, he was finding that an even more difficult endeavor than it had once been. Being in total agreement with his Youkai certainly wasn't helping.

"Will you be gone long, my Lord?" Kadira asked from the doorway leading to Inuyasha's room.

"No." And Sesshomaru was sure of that fact. He didn't care what he had to do to resolve this petty dispute, but whatever it was, was sure to be quick. Neither he nor his Youkai could stand being away from Inuyasha for very long. In fact, Sesshomaru wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to make it outside the building at this rate.

Straightening his tie, Sesshomaru looked up, a deep scowl settling across his face. "You will stay with the Hanyou."

"Of course, my Lord."

"Guards shall be in place. I have instructed them that no one is to enter this wing of the house without your permission."

Kadira could only smile, knowing how well that must have gone over with the guards, knowing that Lord Sesshomaru had essentially placed a human miko in charge while he was away. "I'm sure the guards were pleased with my Lords words."

Sesshomaru's eyes were as cold as ever. "Their opinions are of no matter. They will obey this Sesshomaru's orders."

Kadira inclined her head. "Of course, my Lord."

"If there should be any change, you have my number."

"Aye. If there is the slightest indication of his waking, I will be sure to call."

Taking one last glance towards Inuyasha's room, Sesshomaru began making his way towards his own bedroom door, stopping as his hand landed on the doorknob. "Any change, Kadira. No matter how small it might seem."

Kadira couldn't help but smile fondly. "I will not hesitate to interrupt you."

Knowing he'd never leave should he hesitate another moment, Sesshomaru opened the door and strode out into the hall, never once looking back as he made his way towards Kouga and the awaiting elevator. But with every step he took, the great DaiYoukai felt his heart clench, his stomach feeling leaden and heavy.

::::::::::

Oh, gods, everything ached, including his head. Far away, Inuyasha swore he could hear a hum. No, not a hum, more like someone was singing; singing something soft and gentle. But where? Everything was so dark and heavy. But as the minutes ticked by, the singing became just a little bit louder; the pain in his body just a little bit sharper . . .

Kadira sat, pleasantly rocking while reading a newly printed book on herbal remedies and their applications. Silently, she scoffed at some of the notions the book preached, while praising others for their insightfulness. Truly, she didn't know why she'd purchased the book, for her own mind held more information than these pages could ever hope to convey. Still, it was an interesting diversion and she passed the time skimming the glossy words while singing an ancient lullaby passed down within her family. She'd always found the melody soothing, even if her gift for song was not what her mother's had been.

Coming to the end of one of the verses, Kadira's old but sharp ears picked up a new sound. Halting mid-verse, she paused in her rocking, her eyes fixed upon the Hanyou. Countless seconds ticked by and the old miko was just beginning to believe it had been her imagination when she heard it again - a low, yet audible whimper.

Gathering her body and standing up as quickly as her aged limbs would allow, Kadira shuffled her way over to Inuyasha's bedside, her arthritic fingers hovering above the Hanyou's heart. By now, she knew Inuyasha's vitals inside and out. Yes, something had changed. Both his heart and respiration rates had increased. Early signs the Hanyou was waking up. Without a second thought, Kadira's hand reached for the phone.

::::::::::

Sesshomaru felt as if his head might explode. No, that wasn't quit right, if anything were about to explode it would be the jaguar Youkai's entrails, soon followed by the lion demoness he was bickering with. And just when he was getting ready to act upon his instincts, his phone rang. Lifting the cell to his ear, Kadira's two words were all he needed to hear, "Come home." Ending the call, Sesshomaru felt his Youkai screaming at him to leave, unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing screaming . . .

"The Vende River has always been a part of my clans lands. You have no claim - "

"Have all the lion clan's members gone insane? Or is it just their representative here? The Vende River is a part of the jaguar's lands, yours starts on the bank but does not include the water."

The lion demoness' claws extended, her Youkai growling in response. "Lies! Foolish lies! The jaguar's have squandered their own resources and now seek to do so with what is rightfully my clans." Sending furious red eyes towards Sesshomaru, the lion demoness screamed, "This insolence will not be tolerated. We demand you remove this trash from our property!"

In an instant, Sesshomaru decided his headache could wait. Narrowing his golden eyes to mere slits, the DaiYoukai's voice was deceptively quiet. "You would demand something of this Sesshomaru?"

Beside him, he heard Kouga give a grunt.

Sesshomaru didn't comment on the implication of Kouga's gesture, he didn't have to. Between his own words and his furious Youkai, both the jaguar Youkai and lion demoness appeared sufficiently cowed. Standing, Sesshomaru looked both Youkai in the eye, something he felt was beneath his status and thus made his disgust for the two creatures that much greater. "The two clans shall share the river for now."

"But, my lord - " the lion demoness began protesting, but Sesshomaru simply held up a hand, a small, almost unnoticeable smirk tilting his lips. "The Wolf King will look into both claims and a permanent decision will be made within the week."

Shooting up in his chair, Kouga's mouth was gaping. "You can't be serious?"

Ignoring the wolf, Sesshomaru began making his way from the office, only to be stopped by Kouga blocking the exit. "What the fuck did I do to earn this shit job?"

"Wolf, it would be in your best interest to move." Kouga went from pissed to freaked out in the space of a single heartbeat. Normally he could screw around with the asshole, but apparently, today wasn't one of those "normal" days. If it had been, he wouldn't be looking into crimson eyes right now. Having had a few centuries to grow up, Kouga knew when to duck and cover and now was definitely one of those times. Stepping aside, he had to wonder exactly what had gone on during that brief phone call to get the great Lord of the West so wound up. Whatever it was, Kouga was pretty sure he didn't want any part of it.

Watching Sesshomaru's body condense down into a glowing green ball of light only solidified this opinion and it was only when the florescent ball was out of sight that Kouga allowed himself to exhale the breath he'd been holding. Placing his hands on his hips, the Wolf King slowly turned around, groaning at the annoyed yet expectant faces of the two Youkai remaining in the room. Damn, but the next few days were gonna suck.

::::::::::

"When did this start?" Not a trace of the internal anxiety Sesshomaru felt allowed entrance to his voice.

"Only a few moments before I called you, my Lord," Kadira answered, her own eyes never leaving the Hanyou.

Stepping further into the room, Sesshomaru came to stand next to the miko. Below them, Inuyasha's body lay; tensed and sweating while small whimpers escaped his raw throat, each small sound sending shards of glass straight through the DaiYoukai's heart. "His sounds have only increased since I notified you," Kadira supplied.

"Can you do nothing for the pain?"

Kadira's face pulled into a deeper frown. "Unfortunately, no. Inuyasha's body has healed enough and knows it's time to wake up. Giving him further pain medication at his point might hinder the process. Once he has awakened, I will be able to give him something further."

"Perhaps it would not be such a bad thing for him to remain sleeping longer. It would give his body more healing time."

Pulling her eyes away from the Hanyou's body, Kadira turned surprised orbs up in Sesshomaru's direction. "I thought you wanted him awake as soon as possible?"

Sesshomaru's mouth formed a thin line. Inside, his Youkai was screaming for the Hanyou to awaken, but the noise was tempered by the terror and turmoil he felt at that very same prospect. Not only was Inuyasha's obvious pain at issue, but so was his uncertainty at how his little brother would react to his presence. Given time, Sesshomaru was positive he could convince the Hanyou that he was no longer a threat, but right now . . . "This Sesshomaru is anxious to have his little brother awake, however, this should not come at the expense of his comfort."

Had Sesshomaru been looking at Kadira's face, he'd have noticed the softening of her features, as it was, he only felt the comforting hand she laid on his arm. Truly, no other could have touched the Daiyoukai so freely and expected to keep said appendage. But Kadira was different. And not only her, but the line of women who'd come before her who'd served the Lord of the West for all these many centuries. And just like all the others, Kadira was well aware of the tempestuous relationship the brother's had shared. She may not have known how Inuyasha came to be in his current condition, nor was she aware of how or why Lord Sesshomaru's feelings regarding the Hanyou had changed, but one thing she was certain of was that the being currently suffering on the bed below meant more to the DaiYoukai than anyone she'd ever seen before. The words Kadira spoke next were meant to comfort, but only served to cause Sesshomaru more guilty pain. "Do not worry so, my Lord. If the stories I've heard are correct, Inuyasha has been in worse shape than this and lived to tell the tale." Feeling the subtle tension in the arm below her hand, Kadira could only frown knowing she'd not said the right thing.

"Indeed, the Hanyou has suffered greatly in his life."

Hearing Sesshomaru's answer, Kadira felt she understood. "Ah, I see." Below her, Inuyasha's body clenched, a louder whine coming from deep within his body. And, beside her, she could all but feel Sesshomaru's melancholy increase. "Somehow, my Lord, I imagine the Hanyou's suffering will soon come to an end."

Finally looking at the miko, Sesshomaru was unsurprised at the look of sheer conviction lighting her wizened eyes. "Truer words have seldom been spoken, miko. For this Sesshomaru will make certain the Hanyou's welfare."

Kadira nodded, her own lips twisting into a genuine smile. "Of that, I have no doubt."

Suddenly, Inuyasha's body clenched, his clawed hands fisting the sheets below him before finally relaxing in a body-rocking shudder. "If there is nothing further you can do, then it would please this Sesshomaru to be alone with his brother when he awakens."

Masking her disappointment well, Kadira only bowed in acknowledgment of the order. "If it would please his Lordship, I will get to work making a healing tonic for the Hanyou. Once done, I shall be right outside the door if I am needed."

"Do as you wish, but no matter what you hear, do not enter unless specifically asked for."

Giving a last, fleeting look at the Hanyou, Kadira turned and began shuffling her way out of the room, closing the door gently behind her as she worked her body down the hall and to a smaller kitchen where she could begin working.

With Kadira gone, Sesshomaru eased his body onto the bed, his long fingers combing their way through Inuyasha's silvery white strands. When the Hanyou tensed again, Sesshomaru let out a low, rumbling growl. Normally, he'd used his Youkai for intimidation and power, rarely if ever had he made such a comforting noise for anyone. Truthfully, he'd not been certain he was even capable of such an action, but watching the almost instantaneous relaxation of Inuyasha's body proved him wrong. Finally, he felt as if he'd been able to do something to ease the pain of his little brother. Cupping the Hanyou's face in his hand, Sesshomaru leaned forward, his gleaming white hair curtaining down and around Inuyasha's body as his own chest rumbled with soothing sounds of safety. Whispering, Sesshomaru spoke into a perfect puppy ear, "Shh, little brother, this Sesshomaru will make certain you never suffer again."

Although still unconscious, Inuyasha's own Youkai responded with a submissive whine. Pulling away, Sesshomaru sat back up and stared down at his brother with wide eyes. Clutching his chest, the DaiYoukai wondered if he'd ever felt his heart beating so loudly before. Inside, his own Youkai was wagging its tail in utter approval. For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt as if he understood his father's motives all those years ago. Why the Great Dog General had given his life for a human woman and infant child. Now the Lord of the West had something to protect, something more precious than his very own life. How that creature could wind up being the very same one he'd once claimed to loathe so completely, Sesshomaru didn't know. Most likely the instinct had always been there; suppressed under layers of anguish and pain at the loss of Inu no Taisho. Perhaps . . . Sesshomaru was pulled out of his own musing's when the body below him once again stiffened; Inuyasha's hands and feet curling in on themselves as he opened his mouth in a howl of pain.

Needing no further prompting, Sesshomaru crawled upon the bed, straddling his brother as his arms moved to hold the Hanyou down. Given Inuyasha's debilitated state, it took very little effort on the DaiYoukai's part. Gasping through the awakening pain, Inuyasha's mouth continued opening and closing, silent screams blowing breaths of sweet Hanyou scented air upon Sesshomaru's face. Staring down at Inuyasha's fanged mouth, Sesshomaru felt the Hanyou's body quiet and then stiffen. Pulling his eyes away from cracked, red lips, the DaiYoukai found himself staring into panicked pools of amber.

Bit of a cliffy there . . . but finally, he's awake! Hope the two chapters in 1 weekend helped make up for the both being individually shorter. As promised above, the next chapter will be longer and full of scared, pissed off InuHanyou.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated and make me smile. I love hearing what you guys think and am pleased some of you are enjoying this story. It's nice to be able to put a bright spot in someones day. (sorry, that was a little on the sappy side :-)

Until the next chapter . . . lunamist