A/N: This story has been sitting around in my broken laptop for a few years. I have been fortunate to retrieve and upload it for your reading pleasure. I hope that you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the original characters from the Inuyasha series. However, the many characters that pop up from time to time are indeed mine.

"…." –Speaking

'…' –Thoughts

"…"– Spirits Talking

"…"– Beast Talking

True Alpha

Shippo silently walked behind his mother and the demon lord that he had come to admire after the battle with Naraku a few years back. 'It's strange…' Shippo thought to himself as he stared at his mother's long onyx hair, completely marveled at how it glittered under the pale moonlight. 'Lord Sesshomaru is the only one who mother will allow to see her as she really is nowadays. It used to be Miroku and Sango but now not even they can see her as she once was. I wonder why that is. I wonder why she allows someone as cold and unapproachable as Lord Sesshomaru to see the real person she is instead of her trusted companions.' Shippo continued on.

Kagome turned her head slightly, feeling her kit's eyes on her. She smiled warmly when she noticed that he was deeply lost in his train of thought. "Shippo, my son, can you do me a favor and see if Rin, Jaken, and Ah Un are well?" Shippo smiled warmly up at his mother and nodded. "No problem Kagome. See you in a bit." He said as he ran off into the distance. Sesshomaru raised a brow. "Your kit is growing into his kitsune nature. He will have to begin training sometime soon if he wants to control his mischievous powers."

Kagome nodded. "I understand this. I have been suspecting it for a while now, but the thing is that I don't know anyone that can train him properly. I won't ask Koga. He'll take it as an excuse that I want to see him. Inuyasha doesn't have the patience that Shippo needs in order to learn correctly. Plus, I can bet that Inuyasha knows less about kitsunes than I do. I'm not a fox demon so I can't teach him the ways of the kind. There's also the fact that I know nothing of what a kitsune can do, even though I have read about them. I've tried to look for other fox demons but I can't venture very far without leaving the village unprotected. Inuyasha, Kikyo, and the others usually leave me to protect the village while they go off and defeat rogue youkai."

Sesshomaru listened to her and silently agreed on her opinion concerning Inuyasha. "Has the half-breed met any kitsune along the way?" He asked silently. Kagome shook her head slightly. "In all honesty, my lord, I don't know. If he has then he hasn't told me anything about it. As I'm sure you've noticed, Inuyasha and I are no longer on friendly speaking terms." Sesshomaru bowed his head faintly. "Yes I have noticed although I cannot fathom why."

Kagome remained silent for a moment as the denseness of the forest gradually thinned out eventually becoming a clearing. "I can tell you why later my lord. It is, after all, a part of why I have become what I am now." She said as they both made their way to her "hut". The two powerful entities walked inside to find Ah Un curled up next to Rin with Jaken sitting across from them.

Kagome looked around and scowled vaguely when she found that her son's aura was nowhere inside her home. She looked to Rin and gently asked. "Rin dear, do you know where Shippo has gone off to?" She asked. Rin looked up at her and grinned brightly. "Kagome-sama… Sesshomaru-sama… welcome back. He went hunting. I'm afraid that I haven't eaten. Please don't be mad at him for not being here. I would have gone myself but he insisted."

Kagome raised her hand to stop that girl from continuing. She smiled at the young woman. "I'm not mad, Rin. I'm actually quite glad that my son is willing to provide for you. Although I must apologize, had I asked you earlier, I would have brought you something to eat before heading out. Please forgive me for my ignorance." Rin shook her head. "It's no problem, Kagome-sama." She replied with her trademark smile.

At that moment, Shippo walked in, an already skinned and gutted rabbit in hand. "Gomen Kagome. I didn't mean to take so long." Kagome walked over to a chest a few feet from the door and opened it. She pulled out a pot and placed it at the center of the fire. "It's all right Shippo. Will you be a sweet and get me some water and vegetables from the garden?" Shippo nodded and went back out after handing Kagome the rabbit. "Milord may I go with Shippo?" Rin asked. Sesshomaru nodded his permission. In no time at all Rin was running out the door. Kagome smiled and shook her head before cutting up the rabbit into small chunks.

SKSKSKSKSKSK

(Mean while at Kaede's Hut)

After Kagome, Sesshomaru, and Shippo disappeared into the forest the group consisting of four humans, a demon, and a half demon made their way back into the hut of the eldest inhabitant of their group. Everyone settled back into their usual spots around the fire or against the wall. No sound was made for everyone was lost deep within their thoughts. Finally Inuyasha, never one to keep quiet for long, let out an angry growl. "What the heck is that wench's problem? I can't believe that she would shoot an arrow at me just to defend that bastard."

Sango snapped her head up as she heard Inuyasha insult Kagome; fury beginning to bubble up in her chest. "I'm not exactly surprised. In case you don't remember Sesshomaru was the one that treated her with respect back when he joined us to defeat Naraku. Kagome really took a liking to him. He protected Shippo as if he were his own. He was always saving Kagome's life whenever you abandoned her in battle to go save your precious Kikyo." Sango bit out at the hanyou while giving the woman next to him a heated glare. "No Inuyasha. I don't blame her for wanting to turn you into a pin cushion or a pile of ashes."

Miroku spoke up next. "Aside from what Sango has just stated, Inuyasha, you know how Kagome gets whenever a person intends to harm someone she's close to. You, Inuyasha, triggered that instinct whenever you attacked Sesshomaru and without due cause, which leads to another reason why she was so upset. You attacked Sesshomaru when he clearly had no ill intentions. If you had bothered to take a moment and feel his aura you would have realized that. You also would have known that Lady Kagome was with him. She has protected this village for years. I highly doubt that she'd go through all that trouble in keeping it safe just to let one demon destroy all her hard work."

Inuyasha stared at his friends as if they had grown a second head. "I can't believe you guys. You're supposed to take my side not hers; you're supposed to respect me. I'm pack alpha. She has to answer to me." Sango cut in. "That would be the case if she was still part of your pack, Inuyasha, but as it is, she's not. The day you decided that Kagome was no longer your problem was the day that she decided she was no longer a part of your pack. Should I remind you when that day was Inuyasha?"

Kikyo glared at Sango. "Why would he even care about that day? Why should anyone care for that matter?" Sango turned her angry chestnut eyes at the once dead miko. "You should care you ungrateful witch. If you think it was Inuyasha that gave you that body of yours, you're dead wrong. It was Kagome who made that wish." Turning to Inuyasha, she continued, "Kagome stopped being part of your pack on the day the well sealed itself five years ago. Five years Inuyasha. Five years that you stopped having any control over Kagome. She is no longer yours."

Kaede, who had been silent throughout the whole conversation, finally looked up from her seat at the back of the hut. "Aye Inuyasha, Sango has made a valid point. She now answers to her true pack alpha." She said absentmindedly while she neatly put away a stack of herbs. When she looked up everyone but Miroku stared at her. "What?" Inuyasha managed to choke out. "Who the heck is her true pack alpha?" Kaede shrugged. "Ye brother… Lord Sesshomaru."

The room suddenly went quiet. "Sess…Sesshomaru?" Sango stuttered out, her eyes wide with disbelief. Inuyasha growled out angrily. "When did this happen?" Miroku took a drink of his tea. "It may have been some time after he joined our group but I'm not exactly sure." Inuyasha glared at him. "You knew?" He shrugged. "I made an educated guess, Inuyasha. If you want the exact timing, you have to ask either Lady Kagome or Lord Sesshomaru, but I doubt that either will give you an answer."

Inuyasha looked in the direction of the forest despite the fact that he couldn't see it. 'Darn you Sesshomaru; how dare you take Kagome away from me.'

A/N: Hope you liked it. Let me know what you think. Until next time.