Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine!
Chapter 10
Spring came, bringing with it some lovely rain showers and a lush greenness that Kagome had never seen before. But alas, there were no new slayers to whip into shape. This was just fine for Lieutenant Higurashi and her slayers of Horningsham, who were enjoying the peace and quiet as long as it lasted. That would not be for much longer; they were being sent a new batch of incompetent slayers in mid-April, a whole month from now.
Kagome, who had been fighting off her homesickness for as long as she could, finally succumbed to Gil's pleadings that she return to Japan and see her family.
"I'll let you go, but there's one condition," he said, entwining his fingers with hers, "You have to let me go with you."
She eyed him suspiciously. "You want to go to Tokyo? Why? Are you planning to rub Yuki's nose in the fact that we're getting married? Oh, Gil, please tell me you're not going to do such a foolish thing!"
A sheepish look crossed his face. The day after Gil had managed to seduce his beloved Kagome, she had snuck back into his study to get a good look at his mother's portrait. Needless to say she was flabbergasted, for the woman in the painting looked exactly like Yuki! When she confronted Gil about it, he broke down and admitted that yes, he and 'ol' sludge face' Yuki were related.
"Look, it's not my fault that my mum and his mum are sisters, you know," an adorably pouting Gil told Kagome petulantly. "And twins to boot! Can you credit it? Of all the rotten luck! I was sweating bullets every time I caught you staring at me, because mum tells me more often than I'd like that I favor the bastard."
"Well, I did wonder," Kagome mused. "I kept having a feeling that you looked awfully familiar to me. Now I know why."
He took her hands in his and kissed the knuckles. "You really don't find me repulsive, do you? I know I've asked you that before, but now that you know I'm his cousin-" Miserable grey eyes gazed sadly into hers. "You won't leave me because of that, will you, darling? I'm nothing like him, you know. If you left me, I don't know what I'd do. I might snap and start wearing bright yellow gingham dresses and combat boots or something. Can you imagine me in yellow gingham dresses and combat boots, sweetie? It wouldn't be pleasant, I can tell you."
Kagome swore she would never leave him and she sealed her promise to him with a very passionate kiss. "No, Gil, I can't imagine you in yellow gingham dresses," she told him whilst attempting to hide her mirth. "I hope you never have a breakdown and wear one. You'd never be taken seriously again. Although I wouldn't mind you in the combat boots. I think they look rather nice on you."
"You're damn straight," he eagerly agreed before kissing her soundly.
Later on, Gil's mother arrived at Horningsham and once she was introduced to Kagome, the elf princess swept her up into a warm embrace. "At last!" she cried and proceeded to hug Kagome to within an inch of her life. "I was beginning to think that my selfish son was trying to keep you all to himself. Tee hee!"
It had taken a few moments for Gil to untangle his beloved from his enthusiastic mother's octopus-like arms.
ooo
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have you tag along," Kagome was saying as she was typing an email to her mother. "But I keep having this feeling that you're going to look Yuki up and spill the beans." There was no response from Gil and she looked up from her computer monitor. "Well?"
Gil's normally innocent eyes took on a shifty look when he suddenly shoved a handful of the sunflower seed kernels that he had been munching on, straight into his mouth. With his cheeks bulging madly, he resembled a startled, very large, grey-eyed hamster. A hamster that was doing its damnedest not to look guilty.
One of Kagome's eyebrows twitched and she sighed, turning her attention back to her email. "I thought so," she muttered with a disappointed shake of her head. "Well, I guess you'll have to stay behind, then."
There was violent sputtering and coughing fit from Gil and sunflower kernels flew everywhere. "But you said I could go! That's not fair! You can't go back on your word, Kagome."
Brushing some sunflower seeds out of her hair and off of her desk, Kagome sent him an irritated glare. "Look, I told you that I don't want them to know what I've been up to. It's none of their business anyway. I don't want you to use me as a tool to help you get one up over on Yuki."
"How can you think that? You're not a tool, darling, and besides, I've already got one up on that prick." Gil leaned forward on her desk and brought his face close to hers. "I got you, babe."
Stifling a laugh, Kagome reached up and brushed at the front of his shirt. "You're covered in sunflower seeds, Sonny Bono," she quipped lightly.
He grinned at her for a moment, then his face grew serious. "Damn, I want you," he breathed and pulled Kagome forward, placing a kiss beneath her earlobe. "C'mon, let's get out of here. Your place or mine?"
"Hmm... Mine... as in, my office," she told him, giving him a playful push. "I have work to do and so do you. Now go away, Sergeant Marsten."
With a tragic look on his face, Gil groaned and reluctantly removed himself from her office.
oooooo
Gil was as jubilant as a child the moment they landed in Tokyo. He was even more jubilant when he got to meet Kagome's family and he behaved like a perfect gentleman towards her mother, which Kagome adored seeing.
Her family took an instant liking to the amiable giant and soon they were chatting away like old friends. Occasionally, Kagome would sit back and watch her family ask Gil all sorts of questions and they marveled at his grasp of their language. Gil told them that his mother taught him Japanese long ago, so that he could be able to converse with family members who lived in Japan.
That's when Kagome realized he'd actually been speaking in her tongue and she cursed herself for not picking it up as quickly as her family had. She supposed it was because she was so used to her and Gil speaking the same language that it had taken her awhile to realize he was no longer speaking in English. "Wait a minute! Why didn't you tell me you could speak my language?" demanded Kagome.
Gil shrugged. "I guess I wanted to spring the knowledge on you at some later date. You know, surprise you." He stared innocently at Kagome. "Ta da!"
She only rolled her eyes at him.
When asked about his family, Gil shot a look at Kagome, who quickly explained to whom he was related.
Kagome's mother smiled gently at her daughter's young man. "My, how fascinating! We know the Yamadera brothers well, don't we, Kagome? Such nice young men, too. Especially Hiro. He's always so helpful and oh! What a wonderful cook he is. I know I shouldn't say this to you, Gil, but sometimes I wished Kagome would have dated him. He was my favorite."
"Akira was my favorite," Souta chimed in happily with all the enthusiasm of a teenager. "He was so cool! He'd always let me borrow his manga and stuff. Sometimes, he'd come over and he'd play video games with me. You know, Kagome, Akira was a lot cooler than Inuyasha ever was."
A bright scarlet flush crept up Kagome's neck, spread to her face and up to her hairline. "Do you guys mind? You're saying all this in front of my boyfriend, you know," she moaned and clapped a hand over her eyes.
Gil burst into laughter and he leaned over to ruffle Kagome's hair. "It's fine, it's fine! But I must admit that I enjoyed watching your face get redder and redder," he chuckled. "Poor baby, do you need me to fan you?" He proceeded to do just that with one large paw, but Kagome slapped it away irritably.
"Leave me be," she retorted hotly. "I'll have you know that it's embarrassing to hear my family discuss an old flame's brothers with a new one. I'm afraid of the awkwardness that might surface as a result."
But Gil shrugged and smiled at Kagome's relatives. "Like I said, it's fine. All that is part of the past and I know that Kagome loves me and wants to be with me. What have I to be jealous of?"
They all nodded in agreement, then Kagome's mother turned to Kagome with a start. "Dear? I just remembered something. Yuki came over to the house several months ago looking for you, but I didn't tell him where you were. I hope I did the right thing."
Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but Gil answered first. "Yes Mrs. Higurashi, you did the right thing. That guy is nothing but trouble. Kagome is much better off without him." He looked at Kagome. "Aren't you, darling?"
"Of course, sweetheart," agreed a rather distracted Kagome, who stared absently off into space.
oooo
Two days after she arrived in Tokyo, her phone rang at ten in the morning. Kagome grunted and tried to turn over and ignore it, but was blocked bodily by Gil's broad torso as he reached for the phone over her head.
"Hullo?" He listened a moment, eyes half-closed, then handed the phone to Kagome. "It's for you."
As he rolled away from her onto his other side, Kagome scowled at his back. "This better be good," she snarled into the receiver.
"Kagome! Oh thank heavens! I was so hoping to catch you-"
Kagome closed her eyes in silent agony. "Bakuya?"
Bakuya tittered. "Yes, darling, who else would dare rouse the slayer extraordinaire from her beauty rest?"
"Not today, Bakuya," Kagome pleaded into the phone. "Please, not today-"
"I'm afraid so, darling," came Bakuya's serious reply. "Jiro-san is particularly interested in meeting that divine creature that had the audacity to hold your hand and before you say anything, yes, we've all seen the TV footage of your arrival at the airport yesterday." Her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. "Does Yuki know?"
"No, and he's not ever going to find out." Kagome had come awake all at once and sat straight up in bed. "Why the hell do you want Gil anyway?" she hissed at Bakuya. "Can't you people keep your paws off of him? He's done nothing to do deserve this-"
"Oooh, is that his name? Interesting. American, is he?"
"No, British."
"Shame." Bakuya clicked her tongue reproachfully against her teeth. "I've heard about those British men. No passion whatsoever."
"Shows what little you know," snorted Kagome as she slid reluctantly out of bed.
Bakuya purred into the phone. "That good, is he? Well, I guess I should try one out for myself, then. Was that him who answered the phone just now? Mmm, lovely voice. Very deep and sexy. I didn't even hear the British accent."
"Go ahead and get one, by all means." Kagome sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She knew the reason why Bakuya called. There was no use in delaying the inevitable. "What time?"
"Twelve, on the dot," Bakuya answered promptly. "We are skipping lunch today. Jiro-san has been feeling quite overweight lately. He says that skipping lunch will do him no harm. Oh, and please don't forget the exquisite Gil. Jiro-san can't wait to get his hands on him."
An insulting retort died on Kagome's lips just as Bakuya hung up the phone.
ooo
Kagome and Gil went downtown to keep their noon appointment with Jiro-san. On the ride over, Kagome gave her sweetie as much information as possible about Jiro-san and his energetic assistant, Bakuya. "Jiro-san is Tokyo's leading fashion designers and he also dabbles in photography. Do you remember those spreads of me with the Yamaderas?" Gil nodded and Kagome went on. "Well, those photos were his work. The man's a genius when it comes to fashion, but he's a bit... um... eccentric."
"You mean he's gay."
"Wow, Gil, that was pretty shallow of you, but no. For your information, he's straight, and really quite a lovely man. He loves women... a lot. Remember that. There was a few times where Yuki started shouting matches with him all because-" Kagome broke off. She made a face, shook her head then continued. "Well, never mind about that. He also has this overwhelming paranoia that someone will take his place in the fashion world, so works himself quite a lot, but when he does, he gets amazing results."
Gil frowned. "If he hits on me, he won't have to worry about working for quite some time."
Kagome shushed him just as they pulled into a parking garage. Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in Jiro-san's waiting room. Bakuya, coming out of an office, saw Kagome and rushed forward with a squeal of delight. "Darling!" she gushed and proceeded to air kiss somewhere in the vicinity of Kagome's cheeks. "You look so incredibly fit! Jiro-san will be pleased-" Blue-lined eyes turned to Gil and widened. "I knew you were stunning, but this-! Jiro-san will weep with joy!" She turned on her stiletto heels and led them into the inner sanctum.
"Jiro-san? They're here," Bakuya said with a bow and indicated that Kagome and Gil should enter.
At the other end of the room, a tall, slender man in a silver and navy blue kimono stood in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window. He turned slowly around for effect and it was all Kagome could do not groan aloud with exasperation. The man held out a hand and flapped it limply at her. "Kagome, my love, come to Jiro-san. Let me have a look at you."
Giving Gil a reassuring smile, Kagome advanced into the room and stood before the famous Jiro-san, who studied her seriously for a long moment.
Jiro-san was a handsome, youngish-looking man in his late thirties who had a penchant for dying his hair impossible colors. Today, it was an eye-catching electric blue with frosted silver tips and oddly enough, it looked very good on him. Kagome recalled fondly that when Jiro-san wished to match, he made certain that everything matched. Even Jiro-san's fingernails were painted a deep shade of blue, which were then tipped with sparkly silver nail polish.
He eyed her up and down, indicated for her to turn around for him then brushed long fingers along her cheekbones. "My delicate little blossom," he said softly, a tear welling up in one black-lined eye, "you are perfection personified. As always." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss on her lips.
"Hey!" roared Gil and stormed forward to physically remove Kagome from the man's grasp. "Keep your lips off of her!"
Startled by the outburst, Jiro-san stared up at Gil for a long moment, his eyes wide. His kohl-lined eyes drank Gil in hungrily then he staggered back, one hand clutching wildly at his chest. "Oh!" he wailed dramatically, and slid to the floor in a swirl of colored silk. From out of nowhere, a cry rang out as several people flew to Jiro-san's assistance and fanned him frantically with their hands. In the background, Bakuya cheered Jiro-san on and clapped her hands madly.
Convinced that he'd somehow managed to have been tricked into entering a mental ward, Gil grabbed Kagome's hand and began to beat a hasty retreat. But the formidable Bakuya reached the doorway before him and blocked it with her body, then pointed to someplace behind Gil. He turned slowly and saw Jiro-san rising majestically to his feet with aid of his entourage, his dark eyes trained on the fleeing pair.
"Come here!" Jiro-san commanded of Gil.
Gil began to hedge away from the blue-haired drama queen, but Kagome dragged him forward. "Wh-what the hell do you want?" demanded Gil, not certain if he should be angry or terrified.
Jiro-san's right hand came up and pointed straight at Gil's chest. "You! You will be the new face of my male slayer clothing line!" he cried, his eyes burning fiercely.
"Say what?" Gil flinched and looked ready to bolt when Jiro-san spoke again.
"Just look at you!" Jiro-san's other arm came up and he gesticulated wildly, nearly smacking two of his underlings in the face with his expressive hands. "You... are... amazing! Sensational! Your face, your body! They are sheer perfection!" The hands came together with a sharp clap and a look of overwhelming ecstasy spread over his face. "Oh, how my hands itch to clothe you in fine linens!" Tears began to stream down his cheeks in torrents, fatally ruining his mascara. "I cannot wait to put you in my underwear!" he sobbed happily.
Kagome could not help but laugh at the horrified look on Gil's face. She took his hand and kissed it. "I think he likes you," she said in a low voice.
"I think I'm going to be ill," moaned a very wretched-looking Gil, who did indeed look green around the gills. "I will never forgive you for subjecting me to this, Kagome."
Pulling himself together with a great effort, the weeping Jiro-san soon ceased the tear production, dried his eyes, then stepped imperiously forward and eyed Gil shrewdly. "You are related to the Yamadera brothers, are you not?"
Gil froze. "How do you know that?"
The flamboyant designer flapped his well-manicured hand dismissively in Gil's direction. "It's obvious to anyone with at least one eye to see. Your facial structure is very similar to theirs; Yuki's in particular. The hair is different, of course, as are your eyes, but you look very like him. Although," he murmured, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes, "you come across as more masculine. Yuki has very feminine features, light and delicate. He is beautiful; there is no denying that, but one cannot truly say he has sex appeal. He is sexy, but only someone that looks like him can pull off his version of sexy. You, on the other hand, have sex appeal in spades."
"Um... what?"
Jiro-san smiled. It was an odd smile, cool and calculating and it gave Gil the feeling of a small animal being stalked by a predator. "As I said, Yuki is beautiful. Women love to see a male like him pose in a magazine or on a runway, because he makes the clothes he wears look simply delicious. However, he is not all that interesting without his clothes, for he is too exquisitely built to be truly enjoyed by any red-blooded woman. But men like you, tall and muscular... You have a body that was built to please a woman, a body that would drive a woman wild with want and desire." Jiro-san leaned close to Gil and sniffed, after which he shut his eyes blissfully. "Simply wonderful! Yuki, although he smelled nice, did not exude this kind of essence. You have the scent of a man who would turn a woman on the instant she got close enough to you. That, my friend, is the difference. That is sex appeal."
Gil felt slightly light-headed. "Is that so?" he asked faintly. This Jiro-san person was beginning to scare him. "I won't be posing naked, will I? Because Kagome said nothing of my stripping for this photo shoot."
"Do not worry, your chance for that will come soon enough," replied the designer cryptically, who clapped his hands twice at his bevy of underlings. They scurried to do his bidding, which consisted of dragging both Gil and Kagome off to get changed.
All things considered, the photo shoot went well. Jiro-san did not even have to scream at his assistants above a dozen times and Bakuya was thoughtful enough to provide sandwiches and water for Kagome and Gil. There were actually very few times when either of them had to expose excess amounts of skin. The donned shirts that were artfully situated off the shoulders or raised high enough to show off flat, well-toned abdomens; legs whose tanned flesh peeked out from slits in trousers or pants whose hemlines came up to accentuate muscular calves.
Sometimes Jiro-san posed his subjects together, and wept all the while. At the end of the session, Jiro-san sank to the floor wearily. "Bravo, my darlings! Bravo! Jiro-san hasn't felt so much emotion since he last photographed Kagome. I think I shall go home and take a long, hot bath." He bestowed a weak smile on them both then beckoned weakly at his assistants, who picked up the exhausted man and carried him away to the other end of the room and lay him down on a stylish, crushed red velvet divan as though he were royalty.
Bakuya came forward and hugged Kagome. "You have made Jiro-san's day, really you have! Thank you for coming! He was so depressed until he heard that you had arrived back in town. Now then," she said, instantly business-like, "next month you will receive a call about our fearless leader's upcoming show. I will let you know the date and time when you need to arrive for-"
"Hold on a minute," Kagome broke in, "who said we were going to do the next show?"
A faint voice from the other side of the room drifted towards them. "Who is refusing to do my show?" Jiro-san cried plaintively from his divan.
"As much as we would love to do your show, Jiro-san," Kagome said, "we do have a job to do. We may not even be given the time off to come back to Tokyo."
Jiro-san burst into overwrought tears. "Kagome is deserting me!" he wailed piteously. "You cruel, cruel girl!"
Gil clapped a frustrated hand over his eyes and Kagome tried hard not to let her annoyance show. "Gil and I do have to ask for time off. We can't just take off whenever we please." Kagome paused and sighed heavily. The noise he was creating was maddening. There would be no consoling Jiro-san unless he got his way. "Fine, we will do our best to take off that week. Just let us know when and where."
The weeping figure on the divan ceased its undignified noises and cheered. Bakuya grinned at Kagome. "Thank you, darling. Now, if you don't mind, Jiro-san needs his rest." She escorted Kagome and Gil to the doors of the front office. "Thanks so much. You two will be a hit. I have a feeling Jiro-san's show will be talked about for months. Until then, darlings." She waved at them and returned to Jiro-san's office.
Once outside in the hall, Gil sagged wearily against a wall. "I never want to do that again," he moaned in agony. "That was pure torture."
She took her lover's hand. "It had to be done, you know. They never would have left us alone until we came in and sat for them. It's better to get it out of the way now."
"I guess," Gil grumbled as they made their way to the elevators. "He's got some serious issues. I sincerely hope he gets help. Anyway, enough about the blue-haired freak. I require steak and potatoes in compensation for having been put through that awful ordeal. It was enough to make the strongest bloke want to run crying to his mum. Therefore, I think you should be the one to buy dinner, Kagome. By way of an apology, you understand." He sent her a sidelong glance as the elevator doors slid open to admit them.
Kagome appeared to give this careful consideration. "Hmm, I suppose so. May I pick the place?"
Gil shrugged and pushed the ground floor button. "It doesn't much matter to me, darling. You're buying," he said, and leaned back against the wall of the elevator car.
"Okay." Kagome leaned back against the wall opposite Gil. "Whatever you want, babe."
Something struck Gil as odd at the tone of her voice. It wasn't like her to be so acquiescent like this. But he said nothing. She would buy him his steak dinner, he knew that much.
As it turned out, Kagome took him to a terrific steak joint in Tokyo Bay, but he soon realized why she had dragged him to this part of the city and he was reminded of that day in Bond Street. The place Kagome had brought him to was named Venus Fort, a shopping paradise for women.
"Don't worry," she told him airily as she propelled him through the entryway of the nearest store, "I won't take too long."
ooo
Three hours later, as the sun was setting, Kagome and Gil strolled along, heading for the Odaiba Ferris Wheel. They rode it a couple of times, much to Gil's delight and when they finally got off, Gil exclaimed that was so much fun that he wanted to do it again.
"Go ahead," Kagome said and headed for the nearest bench. Upon reaching it, she sat upon it and assumed a relaxed position. "I'll wait for you."
"Aw, c'mon, Kagome! Just one more time, please?"
She shook her head firmly. "No, thanks. Twice in one day was quite enough for me. But please, don't let me stop you."
Just like an upset little boy, Gil's lower lip protruded sullenly. "Fine! I'll go by myself then. Be right back." He turned and walked away.
She watched him go, an indulgent smile on her face. He was so tall, she thought, studying his lengthy form as it moved away from her. So tall, so handsome... Really, she was very lucky to have a man like him. A thought struck her and she recalled something that Jiro-san had said earlier that day. Sex appeal. Yes, Jiro-san was so right about that. From the very moment she first laid on eyes on him, somehow she had known that that picture of him had not done him justice. But seeing him for the first time in the flesh... well, that only served to-
From somewhere in the back of her mind, a ghostly voice whispered, "Niobe."
Kagome stopped breathing for a moment and she remained sitting on the bench, motionless, like a deer sensing the approach of a predator. Her eyes roamed over the crowd that passed in front of her eyes; she only wished she could see the people walking behind her.
A fearful sensation crept up her spine and curled hard fingers about her heart, giving it a good squeeze. When she remembered to breathe, she gathered the courage to get up and look about her. Her eyes scanned over each and every face, looking for... looking for...
"Niobe," the ghostly voice again whispered in her head and she was suddenly filled with a cold, intense feeling of dread.
"Kagome?"
Kagome whirled around saw Gil walking up to her, holding two ice cream cones. "Gil! Back already?" she asked, feeling incredibly relieved by his presence.
He nodded and handed her one of the cones. "Yeah. I felt bad for leaving you here all by yourself, so I got us some ice cream instead." He grinned. "Sweets to the sweet."
"Thank you," she said, grinning back at him. "You're the best."
When they finished eating their desserts, he took her hand and they walked off together, but as they moved away from the famous Ferris wheel, Kagome could not help but cast a nervous glance back over her shoulder.
ooo
By the next day, Kagome still hadn't been able to shake the uneasy feeling from the day before. On this morning, she had woken before dawn due to a frightening nightmare. In the nightmare, Naraku was the name given to a serial killer who was systematically killing off her family and friends. When all her loved ones had been murdered, he began to stalk her and soon found herself caught in his web. She managed to get loose and escape into the arms of a stranger with a kind face. But the moment she allowed him to get her alone, he pulled off his mask to reveal that he was none other than Naraku. Later, she recalled that the stranger in her dream had actually been Thanos, although she had not recognized him.
The dream left her badly shaken and she wondered if she should take it seriously. After some serious contemplation, she felt that she should heed the warning in it. If Naraku/Thanos had managed to survive to the present, it stood to reason that he would need to have a mask of some kind to hide behind. She knew their faces well enough, so she figured that he would be very well disguised.
"All the better to sneak up on you with, my dear," her brain said mockingly and Kagome had a vision of the Big Bad Wolf grinning down at her, large pointed teeth showing prominently in his long snout and a pair of burning yellow eyes that watched her unblinkingly...
Kagome shook herself and got out of bed. She reproached herself harshly for thinking such silly thoughts.
After leaving Gil a note just in case he woke and found her gone, Kagome left the house and went for a long run in an attempt to rid herself of her anxiety. By the time she returned, she felt more or less normal again but this time it was Gil who was gone. He'd scribbled a message on the note she'd left for him saying that he'd gone out to run a few errands before they departed for England, so she headed downstairs to her gym and had a few rounds with her punching bag. When she was finished, she knelt on the floor, panting heavily.
Nothing had changed. Not only was the feeling of dread back and in full force, now she had that alarming picture of the Big Bad Wolf stuck in her head.
"Go away, damn it!" she cried, throwing off her boxing gloves and put her hands to her head, as though she could squeeze out her bad thoughts.
"Huh? But I just got here."
The disembodied voice startled the life out of Kagome, but not her instincts. Against the wall were propped up several samurai swords she used for practice. She grabbed one and whirled around to face the unwelcome visitor, her heart pounding with fright. But the moment she saw who it was, the sword fell from her grasp and clattered onto the floor. With a sob, she bolted across the room and threw herself at the newcomer.
Kouga's arms went around her and held her close. "Hey, Kagome, what's wrong? You're trembling! What happened?" It took him several minutes before he got an answer out of her and when he heard her tell him of the dread she had been experiencing, he frowned. "That's odd, Kagome. What do you think it could be?"
Kagome shook her head, but in her heart, she already knew the reason behind it. Someone wanted to frighten her badly enough so that she was thrown her off her guard. Someone who had made it his life's ambition to torment her...
"Kouga," she asked, moving away from the safety of his arms, "did Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha manage to kill Naraku?"
While Kagome paced restlessly to and fro before him, Kouga studied her with concerned blue eyes. "No, I'm afraid not. They say he that he got away, despite the fact he was badly injured."
His answer brought Kagome's feet to a halt and she froze. So it was true then. Naraku had managed to survive and he was here, in Tokyo, in the present day. The original Big Bad Wolf had been lying in wait for her... to torment her.
Suddenly, Kagome felt very afraid. The picture of the wolf's face had altered and now, the smile had gotten wider, more sinister; the teeth, longer and more pointed... his eyes... more terrifying...
A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned to find Kouga standing behind her, worry etched all over his face.
But this wolf, Kagome thought, as overwrought tears slid down her pale cheeks, this wolf would never, ever hurt her. This wolf would protect her always.
Exhaling a shaky breath, Kagome spoke. "If I... confided in you about something, would you promise not to laugh at me? You don't have to believe me, but... could you just listen to what I have to say?"
ooooooooo
Gil waited until Kagome left the house before he got up. With a gleeful expression, he rushed to the bathroom to take a shower, but he took extra care in dressing. At last he left the house.
After nearly getting lost— damn his mother's directions!— he reached his destination. He got out of his car, walked up to the door and knocked.
A familiar pair of brown eyes stared at him in shock. "Gil! Oh my gosh, how are you? Please, come in!" Hiro stepped back to let his cousin enter, then engulfed him in a big, friendly hug. "It's so great to see you again! Damn, you're so tall! How long has it been?" Excitedly, he led Gil into the living room.
"It's been about fifteen years, I think," Gil replied with a grin. "I'm doing well, thanks. I hope you're doing the same?"
Hiro nodded. "I sure am! Your mom was here for a visit a while back-"
"Yeah, she told me."
"She told us that you're a slayer now. That's great, Gil. How did you find boot camp?"
Gil smirked. "With very good directions."
Hiro blinked at him then chuckled. "That's good. Sorry, I'm a bit slow in the mornings. It takes me a bit to get up to speed. Say, I'm about to have breakfast. Would you like to join me?"
Gil considered this. "Perhaps some tea. I'm not really very hungry right now."
"Okay, that's cool. Well, come along to the kitchen." Smiling, Hiro led the way to the kitchen.
"Thanks, Hiro. Actually, I liked boot camp. At that point in my life, I really needed a swift kick to my nads to get my ass going. That was exactly what I got when I was there. I got the discipline that I so desperately needed. Before, well... you already know that I wasn't exactly a model citizen." Gil shrugged.
Hiro shook his head and smiled. "Ah, don't worry about that, Gil. Most of us aren't either."
Gil watched as Hiro put breakfast together. He had always liked Hiro best of his three cousins. Hiro was the nicer one, the one who was willing to talk to him and treat him as a normal person. Yuki liked to tease him because of his half-human heritage and Akira didn't really seem to care about him one way or the other. Those two loved his mum an awful lot though. Yuki, in his annoying way, would try to monopolize her and at the same time, completely ignore him. This hurt Gil a lot and made him feel very inadequate, but Hiro was always there to make him feel better; make him feel like he mattered.
"I have a reason for visiting you, Hiro," Gil said at last, breaking the silence.
"Oh yes?" Hiro glanced up from what he was doing and stared at Gil.
Gil shifted his feet. "It's about Kagome."
For a second, Gil thought Hiro would faint dead away for his face turned a bloodless white. "Yes?" he prompted somewhat forcefully. "Kagome? Have you seen her? Is she okay? Why hasn't she written me? Did she send you here? Is she in any kind of trouble?"
Putting a hand up to stem the flow of questions, Gil shook his head. "Kagome is fine, Hiro. She's in no trouble and no, she didn't send me here. To be honest, she doesn't even know I came here to see you."
"Why not? Where is she?" Hiro's brown eyes were anxious, then they widened with sudden comprehension. "She's here in Tokyo, isn't she?"
Gil shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hiro, but I can't tell you that," he murmured regretfully.
Hiro's eyes narrowed. "That means she is here then. Alright, I get it. But can you at least tell me why she hasn't contacted me for a whole year? After Yuki's bout of stupidity, I'm not surprised she refuses to speak to him for that long, but me? I thought we were friends."
Gil frowned. "What are you talking about? Kagome did write to you, Hiro. I saw a couple of those emails just before she sent them off to you. It was you who never wrote back. I can't tell you how hurt she was when she waited and waited for a reply from you. After several months, she stopped writing. She thought you wanted nothing more to do with her."
"But that's not true!" cried Hiro, his face still quite pale. "I checked my email at least every couple of days when I had the chance, but there was nothing from her."
"Then why didn't you at least write to her?"
Hiro turned from Gil and leaned back against the counter. "I know Kagome, Gil. I know her better than most people. If she went through something traumatic or was incredibly stressed about something, she would only speak to me when she was ready. I never pushed her, because I knew that would only make her withdraw even more. After the debacle with my foolish older brother, I settled myself down for a long wait. I knew she wouldn't have contact with me for awhile, but after about six months, I started getting worried. Even so, I remained at a distance, in hopes that she would eventually come around and start talking to me. Her privacy is important to her, so I made sure that I respected that. Do you think you could tell her that I want to see her and explain why I-"
Unable to hold his silence any longer, Gil burst out, "Kagome and I are getting married."
The words Hiro had been about to say died on his tongue. He stared blankly up at his tall cousin for a moment. "What did you say?" he asked breathlessly.
Gil took a deep breath and sighed. "Kagome and I are engaged. We're to be married."
The elf swayed a bit unsteadily on his feet. "No. No, no, no, no, that can't be. You can't... you… and Kagome..." He felt his way along the counter until he reached the kitchen table where he pulled out a chair and sank heavily down upon it. "Gil, please tell me that you're joking."
"I'm not joking, Hiro. Far from it. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but that's just the way it is. I've loved her for a long time now and she's the one that I want. You can't imagine how hard it was for me to try to compete with your brother for her love. She was always thinking of him."
"I can only imagine that, Gil. You have every right to be happy and I'm glad that you found the woman of your dreams. But you need to understand that Kagome... that she..."
"What?"
"Yes, what?"
Both Gil and Hiro jumped and turned to see Yuki walking into the kitchen. He eyed Gil with some distaste. "Gil. Nice to see you. A bit early in the day for a visit, don't you think?"
Hiro got to his feet, pleading with Gil to stop, but Gil ignored him. The moment he'd waited for had come at last. "I stopped by to tell you the good news, Yuki."
Yuki yawned and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Oh yes? And that would be?"
Hiro grabbed Gil by the arm and tried to tug the giant away from his brother. "Gil, let's not do this now, okay?" he pleaded with a frantic face. "Another day, maybe, but not now. Please."
The fair elf smiled indulgently, a hint of malice in his green eyes. "Oh, come now, Hiro. I want to know all about Gil's little secret. I'll bet it's juicy. Well? What is it?"
"Gil, don't!" Hiro cried, his face turning an even paler shade of white.
Shrugging off Hiro's clinging hands, Gil smiled disarmingly at Yuki. "Remember that lovely young lady named Kagome that you decided you wanted nothing more to do with? Well, she agreed to marry me."
Yuki, who was in the process of lighting a cigarette, flung it aside and grabbed Gil's throat. "What the fuck did you just say, punk?" His fist tightened around his cousin's neck.
Despite being throttled, Gil managed a smug smile. "You fucking heard me, you... prick," he rasped. "She's mine... now. There's nothing... you can... do."
A hideous, sickly smile turned Yuki's lips up at the corners. "Really? How about I kill you right now?"
"Yuki, stop it!" wailed Hiro, who looked utterly distressed at the turn of events.
Gil matched Yuki's nasty grin with one of his own. "If you do that," he panted, "Kagome will despise you forever. Killing her betrothed wouldn't sit too well with her, I fancy." He shot Yuki a wink before giving him a hard shove, pushing the elf away from him. The sudden motion sent Yuki sprawling onto his back on the kitchen floor. Gil tenderly rubbed his throat. "Still thought I was a wimp, eh, Yuki? An elderly human had more strength than I did. Remember saying that to me?" He laughed harshly. "Who's the punk now?"
Yuki remained sitting on the floor, a stunned look on his face. It was not his cousin's strength that had taken him by surprise. It was the fact that even though he disliked his half-human relative, he knew that Gil was not a liar. Indeed, he had always been too honest for his own good, especially when he snitched on Yuki during his mischief making days. He knew that Gil was speaking the truth about Kagome. It was the pain of the knowledge that Kagome was lost to him forever that left Yuki in a state of shock.
"You hurt her very badly," Gil was saying, a little more kindly now, "and it showed. She never laughed; never even smiled, for crying out loud! Always she was thinking of you, Yuki. But you don't deserve a woman like her. She's kind and gentle even though she had taken great pains to hide it from us. Oh, that reminds me," Gil said, "Kagome is a lieutenant now and my squad leader. We have a good team, you know. Very tight knit and all that, don't you know."
"Shut up!" Yuki snapped, getting slowly up off the floor. The shock had managed to wear off slightly. "You little bastard! So you think you can just waltz into her life and take our place?" He indicated himself and Hiro, who watched them warily. "The four of us were magnificent together! There's no way you could ever reach the level of greatness we achieved. We were climbing to the top when you were still stealing beer and bubble gum! What could someone like you possibly have to offer her?"
Solemnly, Gil replied, "My love. My heart, my soul. All of me. Things you could never give her, Yuki. How could you? There's only a block of ice in your chest where your heart should be."
"Oh please," scoffed Yuki with an arrogant toss of his head. "You don't know what the hell you're babbling about. Besides, a woman like her... she needs a real man. A man like me. You're not nearly man enough for her, Gil. You will never be."
"Is that so?"
Yuki nodded. "Yes, that is so."
"I see." Gil tilted his head to the side and eyed his cousin coolly. "If that was so, then explain to me why she accepted my offer of marriage. We plan on marrying in a few months' time. Oh, I forgot to mention that I've met her family. It's fortunate that they've already accepted me as one of them, isn't it?"
This simple question brought Yuki down a few notches. For a moment, he stared helplessly at his cousin, who eyed him seriously. Anger flared in him. "You caught her while she was on the rebound," he said callously. "She obviously wasn't in her right mind."
Hiro groaned. "Oh, for pity's sake, Yuki..."
"That was pretty harsh of you," Gil replied with a scowl, "but not unexpected. Incidentally, she wasn't on the rebound. I will admit that she still had feelings for you for awhile, but she rarely thinks of you now. The only reason she held out on me for as long as she did was because she was afraid that I'd hurt her-"
Yuki laughed triumphantly. "Ah ha! You see?"
"Because she'd been hurt twice before by men she loved," Gil finished softly. "She didn't want to fall in love with someone else and have that man stomp on her already bruised heart." He turned to Hiro and smiled. "I should go now. I've got things to do before we leave tomorrow. I can tell Kagome that I met you by accident and that you send your regards. Is that alright with you? Or would you rather call on her in person? I'm sure she'd fancy a nice little chat with you, Hiro. After all, you two were very close for a long time."
Hiro shot Yuki a worried look, for he knew that his brother would do anything to see Kagome whether she wanted it or not. "Yes, Gil, I will go visit her. Thank you."
"What about Akira? He's been longing to see her again, too. Are you going to hog Kagome all to yourself?" muttered the blond elf peevishly.
"Um, well, maybe when he gets better," Hiro replied weakly and looked away when both Gil and Yuki eyed him curiously. He felt weak and shaky all over. "Really guys, he needs all the rest he can get. Too much excitement could be bad for him, you know." He gave a half-hearted chuckle, but it was a poor show and the smile he had tried to offer them vanished.
With a sense of doom creeping up his spine, Hiro sat down at the kitchen table and lit a cigarette. He was stalling, but was loath to explain just why allowing Akira to visit Kagome would be a bad idea. Even after all this time, Yuki still had not been made aware of Akira's feelings for Kagome, as Akira had no clue how Yuki truly felt about her. Gods above, what a mess! And he, Hiro, was caught smack dab in the middle of it! Heaven knows what Akira would do if he found out that Kagome was going to marry someone else!
"Hiro." Yuki stared at his brother, suspicious green eyes seeming to pin him to the floor. "Call me crazy, but why do I get the feeling that you are being evasive?"
In the background, Gil made an assenting noise. "For once, I agree with Yuki. What's wrong, Hiro?"
Hiro inhaled deeply and shook his head vehemently. "No. Absolutely not. Just go, Gil. Okay? Send Kagome my regards and my love, but I won't go. None of us will go."
"What? Oh hell no! Look here, Hiro, I'm not sickly like Akira and I think I have every right to march right over to her house and-"
"And what?" Gil swung on Yuki, a large paw clamped tightly on the fair elf's shoulder. "And try to weasel your slimy way back into her heart? Over my dead, rotting corpse you will!"
Yuki slapped Gil's hand away. "Don't touch me, you half-elven freakazoid! Just because you claim that she's agreed to marry you doesn't mean it'll happen."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Gil loomed large over Yuki, his broad chest heaving.
A sinister smile curled Yuki's lips. "She still loves me. You know it and I know it. When I come back into her life, she'll forget all about you, little boy. Then you'll be out like last week's trash and things will go back to the way they were before. Got it?"
A flood of rage engulfed Gil and before he could stop himself, his hand flew upwards and locked around his cousin's slender throat. "You asshole, Yuki! Do you really believe she'd want you back after what you've done to her? Do you really think-" He broke off.
Seeing his cousin stare off into space, Yuki took that opportunity to free himself from Gil's grasp. "You're a bigger fool than I thought," he croaked, and put a hand to his neck. "Of course she would want me back! I said that already!"
"Gil? What's the matter?" asked Hiro, who had risen to his feet.
Gil blinked and turned to look at Hiro, a look of bewilderment on his face. "I know why you never received Kagome's emails."
"What?"
Before Yuki could make his escape, Gil grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him up against the nearest wall. Yuki fought back, but Gil pinned him to the wall. "Don't listen to him, Hiro! He's lost his mind!"
Gil turned to look at Hiro, a grim expression on his face. "I saw it just now. Yuki logged onto your email account and blocked Kagome's emails then he went through every folder and deleted anything she'd ever sent you. He wanted to wipe her out of your memory because he felt the three of you would be better off without her in the long run." He turned cold eyes on his captive cousin. "I'm right, am I not?"
Silence reigned heavily upon the three men. The sun was shining cheerfully in through the kitchen windows, but the atmosphere in the room was anything but cheerful. The only sound in the room was the sound labored breathing from all three of them.
"You hacked into my email account?" Hiro's voice was deathly quiet.
"I didn't really hack into your email," Yuki tried to explain. "Not exactly. I mean, I already knew your password so that doesn't actually count as hacking, does it?"
Hiro resumed his seat and lit another cigarette. He said nothing... until Yuki tried to walk out of the room. "Hold it," he said, his voice brittle with anger. The sound halted Yuki's feet. "I can't believe," Hiro began, his voice slow and thoughtful, "that you would have the audacity to remove Kagome from our lives without our consent. But then, this is you we're talking about here. Shame on me for even thinking you'd play it straight with your own family. I must admit, that was really well done. I never even suspected that you'd actually done anything-"
Yuki strode over to the table and took a seat on Hiro's left. "Hiro, I'm so sorry! At the time I was hurt and-"
A dark look passed over Hiro's drawn, pale face. "Aww, I'm so sorry, Yuki! Your wittle feewings were hurt!" he spat out sarcastically. His normally kind brown eyes were black with rage. "She was hurt a damn sight more than you were, you selfish bastard! How you can even compare being beaten and raped to wounded feelings is something I will never understand!"
"I thought that if she was out of our lives, that we wouldn't have to worry anymore about getting herself killed on the field. We would have been able to move on that way and it wouldn't have hurt us as much!"
An irritated puff of smoke surrounded Hiro's head. "That has got to be one of the lamest excuses ever," Hiro ground out, his eyes narrowing against the smoke. He stubbed his cigarette out viciously in the ashtray before him on the table. "Perhaps next time you decide to make a damn fool decision, you might want to include your brothers' opinions as well, because I for one would like to have a fucking say in what this family does."
"I... I'm sorry, Hiro."
"It's a bit too late for apologies, Yuki." Hiro paused suddenly and eyed Yuki coldly. "Would you like to know why it would be a bad idea for us to visit Kagome?"
Yuki's head came up at the mention of Kagome's name. He nodded slowly.
A smile, almost diabolical in nature, curled Hiro's lips. "Akira would find out about Kagome marrying Gil... and that, my dear brother, would become a health hazard."
"What do you mean?" Yuki asked cautiously.
The mischievous smile grew. "Akira... is in love with Kagome."
Yuki, who had not been expecting such news, sat back in his chair. "No," he whispered, green eyes widening.
Gil staggered back a little. "No way," he muttered in total disbelief.
"Oh yes," Hiro replied with a satisfied grin. "What's more, Yuki dear, he's already begun the mating process. Gil, do you know of the elven mating ritual? No? I thought your mother would have told you by now. Anyway, when an elven male has found a female he desires to make his own, he must openly declare his love for her and his wish to make her his lifelong mate. Once that is done, whenever he hears about or sees another man with the woman he has chosen, the elf will fly into a jealous rage so great, they will want to kill. You see, elves are not unlike youkai in that they are extremely overprotective of their mates or intended mates. We will take a life if our mate is threatened or even perceived as being threatened. That is really the only time an elf will become enraged in such a fashion." Hiro paused. "Unless of course their brother happens to be Yuki."
"Shut up, Hiro."
"Anyway, just after Akira awoke from his coma, he told me that he loved Kagome and had expressed his desire to be with her months earlier, only he did not have the courage to tell her so. That last day we spent in the Sengoku Jidai, Kagome told me that Akira had caught her in the forest with Kouga. They were in the midst of... um... performing an act of intimacy when Akira found them. He tried to kill Kouga even though it was clear that she was in no danger." Hiro spread his hands. "So you see, it would be detrimental to both our health and quite possibly, Akira's health to allow him to see her again. Furthermore, it would be unfair to Akira if I went to visit her and he did not."
The blond elf sat up straight in his chair. "Oi! What about me! I want to see her too, you know."
"I could care less what you do," Hiro told his brother callously. "It's not like I could stop you, right? But then, you can't really do anything could you? I mean, even if she ends up not marrying Gil, Akira would be next in line. You have no claim to her, Yuki. Sorry. But as it is, we might have to turn this matter over to the Elven High Council, since Akira has already staked his claim long before Gil asked her to marry him." Hiro shook his head doubtfully. "But then again, Gil is part human and the woman in question is human also. I wonder how they would rule on this matter. What do you say, Gil?"
There was no answer from Gil. Both Hiro and Yuki turned to look at their cousin, but he had gone.
ooooo
"There's nothing amusing about my lady if she's in trouble," Kouga assured her gently. "I would be honored to listen to you, Kagome."
Relief flooded her and after shutting the door, she told him everything. She told him about Niobe, Timeus, Thanos, and the connection to Naraku. She spoke rapidly and nervously, pacing back and forth all the while. As she did so, Kouga watched her silently.
When she finished her narrative at last, she turned a worried face to him. "So there you have it," she said as she clasped her hands together. "Normally, I don't work myself up into a state of nervousness, but this isn't a normal situation." She lowered her voice. "The fact is I'm afraid, Kouga."
He nodded seriously. "Because of Narak- I mean, Thanos."
"Yes. I know Thanos too well, you see. I know absolutely that during the time you've all been searching for him, he's been waiting for me. He knows I'm here in Tokyo now."
Kouga shifted his stance. "How do you know that?"
"How?" She laughed a mirthless, nervous little laugh. "I heard his voice in my head just yesterday!" Kagome shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "He was watching me, Kouga. I could feel his horrible gaze burn right through me."
Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Kouga narrowed his eyes. "If you don't mind me saying so, I would prefer it if you never go out alone, Kagome. If he's out there watching you, then it's not safe."
"So what are you trying to say? That I need a bodyguard every time I step outside my door? No, Kouga. I refuse to allow him to run my life. You do realize that that is what Thanos wants? He wants to enslave me, to force me to submit to him. Thanos gets off on that." Kagome shivered again. "Thanos believes himself to be my lord and master. Is it any wonder why I prefer to be independent? Besides, it doesn't matter. I'm going back to... oh, never mind. The point is that I won't be in Japan after tomorrow."
Kagome gave him a weak smile and led him out of the room and into the kitchen where she offered him something to drink. He refused with thanks and watched her as she downed a bottle of ice cold water.
"Kagome," he murmured quietly, "please don't go."
"I'm sorry, Kouga," she said briskly, laying the empty bottle on the counter. "I must go. I have a job to do."
"Please don't go," he said again, his voice at a whisper. "I've missed you so much, Kagome. Stay here with me." His eyes burned through her, hypnotizing her.
In an effort to break the spell, she turned her back on him and flattened her hands on the cold marble in order to steady herself. "Stop it, Kouga," she commanded, although her voice trembled slightly. "What I felt for you back then is gone. Okay? I love Gil. I love him and I'm going to marry him- oh!" Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt Kouga's warm breath brush the back of her neck. She felt the heat from his body engulf her back just as his lips pressed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder.
"I loved you first," he whispered as he kissed his way along her shoulder to her neck. His hands slipped around her waist and pulled her back against him. "It's only fitting that the one to hold you every night for the rest of your life should be me."
"Please don't! Kouga, don't do this to me!" She tried to push herself away, but he held her fast.
"Centuries have passed since I saw you last," he murmured, dropping a light kiss on the top of her dark head. "I can't tell you how often I dreamed of you or how much I wanted to see your beautiful face again." He turned her face up to his with a gentle finger. "I've missed you more than words can say." His thumb brushed away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "All I could think about was you, Kagome. So many women offered themselves to me during those long years, but I never touched one. Not one."
"Kouga don't..."
His blue eyes darkened with some powerful emotion as he turned her to face him. "I lived for only one woman. I've loved only one woman. A million beautiful females could never make my love for you waver."
Feeling the urge to cry, Kagome shook her head slowly. "P-please don't talk like this, Kouga. I told you that I'm engaged to be married. I love him."
Kouga's left hand slid up her back and cradled the back of her skull. "I don't care," he replied casually, "because he will never love you as I love you." With that, he closed the space between their faces and kissed her full on the mouth.
No amount of struggling could free herself from the wolf youkai's powerful grip on her and but it was a nearly forgotten memory that stopped her from fighting him. It had been a beautiful, moonlit night just over a year ago. He had just come from having a bath; his lean, sculpted body and long black hair still dripping with water.
Kagome closed her eyes in ecstasy. The recollection of that evening was now fresh in her mind. She could remember the way he smelled, the way he tasted, the heat and the feel of his powerful body beneath her fingers... the incredible way he had made her feel...
Without a thought, her hands slipped up into Kouga's hair, which he wore much shorter now, and gripped his head tightly to keep his mouth anchored to hers. Never could she forget the animal attraction she felt for him on that night, the soul-melting, breathless desire that had sent her heart to racing like mad. She had been ready to give him anything he wanted; she had been more than willing to allow him to make her his life-long mate. She had wanted to be his mate.
Her inhibitions slipped away as he lifted her up onto the counter and sat her upon it. His nimble fingers eagerly stripped her of her shirt then quickly did away with his. Her legs went around his waist, her thighs gripping him tightly.
"Oh, Kouga," she moaned against his mouth and broke the kiss, which had become nearly unbearable. His passion had overtaken him and the sensations he had aroused in her were setting her on fire. She could not take anymore. She groaned loudly as Kouga bit his way down her throat as his large hands clutched her back, pressing her body against his.
His mouth lingered at the spot that joined her throat and shoulder. It lingered a little too long and Kagome looked down to see what Kouga was doing. To her horror, she saw him staring back at her, his eyes blood-filled and wild; his fangs peeking out from under his upper lip. In that moment, she knew he was about to mark her.
"Kouga, no!" she screamed and pushed at him.
"You're mine," he growled at her, baring his fangs.
With a yell, Kagome head-butted him, taking him off guard. It didn't exactly daze him, but it gave her the room she needed to follow that with a vicious left hook and a swift kick to his chest. He landed on his back, a shocked look in his eyes, which by now were back to their normal appearance.
"I told you," she said, grabbing her tank top and pulling it back on, "that I'm taken. I love you, Kouga. I always will. But my feelings for you aren't the same as they were. You need to realize that." She held out a hand to him and helped him up.
Kouga remained where he stood, his blue eyes filled with pain. "Please, Kagome. I want you. You know this. You know how long I've waited for you. Don't do this to me, I beg of you!"
She shook her head firmly. "I'm sorry, Kouga. But no amount of pleading will change my mind, no matter how much I care for you." She smiled sadly at him. "I have to leave the house soon, so I think you'd better go. I need to get showered and run a few errands. If you say nothing about seeing me here, I will say nothing of you trying mate me. Deal?" Kagome held out a hand to Kouga.
"You want me, Kagome," Kouga said, arms crossing over his naked, powerful chest. "Don't pretend that you don't. I felt the passion I aroused in you just now; your scent told me just how greatly you wanted me. You can stand there and lie through your pretty little teeth, but I know what I experienced." He grabbed his shirt up off the floor and pulled it over his head. "I'm not angry with you; I'm just a bit disappointed. But that's fine. I've waited this long for you; I can wait a bit longer." He took her hand and kissed the underside of her wrist. "Until later, my lady."
When he had gone, Kagome's facade crumbled. She sank against the counter and slid to the floor, bursting into overwrought tears.