Disclaimer: Inuyasha is sooo not mine.
Chapter 16
Kagome lay in bed and gazed absently out of her bedroom window. The sound of rain ticking sporadically against the glass soothed her. At times she felt that if she grew any calmer, she would eventually fade away into nothingness. But that was not her fault; it was the sedatives that Hiro kept giving her. It wasn't often when she would agree to take pills of this nature, but she knew that she was in no shape to refuse to do so. Would she ever feel normal again?
There was a loud clap of thunder. She blinked at the sound and a large tear rolled down her cheek. Yesterday had been a memorial service for the slayers that had been killed by Naraku, as well as Corporal Meyer's funeral. Sam had left behind a wife and a newborn daughter…
Kagome's face crumpled and she turned over on her side, burying her face in her pillow to muffle her sobs. She ignored the tenderness of her scratched cheeks. Although she had not cared at the time, Hiro and Kouga had restrained her hands before she could do even more damage to her face. The marks were only superficial and were on their way to healing. Hiro had prepared a special lotion for her, the recipe of which had been given to him by Miranda, who was in the depths of despair.
Miranda, who had never done anything to harm her…
Miranda, who had always treated her with love…
Miranda, who had lost her only son…
Gil.
Suffocating feelings of shame and inadequacy washed over Kagome. With a sob, she covered her face with her hands and wept bitterly. Today had been Gil's funeral. She wanted to be there to comfort his mother, to apologize for not protecting him from Naraku. But she did not have the strength pull herself together. Indeed, she had only taken a step out of her bedroom when that hideous image of Naraku's tentacle coming out of Gil's back had taken hold. She began to scream and scream until Kouga caught her and carried her back to bed, where he forced her to take two sedatives. He held her close until the pills kicked in and when she teetered on the verge of unconsciousness, she felt him undress her and tuck her into bed.
She regretted not going to the funeral, but it had been too much for her to bear. Her conscience would not allow it. It had been her fault. All their deaths had been her fault. Why hadn't she stopped Naraku before then? Why hadn't stopped Sam and the others from going out that night? Why hadn't she forced Gil to leave?
Why? Why? Why?
Why wouldn't the memories of that unspeakable night go away?
With a sudden feeling of heaviness, her arms fell downwards, pulling her hands away from her face and landing in her lap. The weeping had ceased suddenly, although her tears still fell and her brain went as numb as her body. No… no, of course the memories wouldn't go away. The memories of that night would remain with her for the rest of her life, a constant reminder of what an incompetent slayer she was. It was her punishment for allowing so many innocent people to die.
She was the one at fault. She was fully to blame.
How was she to cope with herself now?
ooooooooooooooo
It was early June and Kouga found himself staring out of the window of the bedroom that he shared with his mate. The sun was setting, here in the Elven Realm and to Kouga's eyes, it was the most magical sunset he had ever seen. There was something about this place that comforted him, drew him. A part of him wanted to never leave here, but another part of him wanted desperately to get out, to go back to Tokyo-- back to the world to which he belonged. He turned around and stood for a long moment, staring at the occupant of the bed.
Kagome slept. Kagome was always sleeping, he thought with a twinge of annoyance. As soon as he recognized the feeling for what it was, he instantly regretted it. He knew she couldn't help it if, at seemingly every waking moment, she was prey to her vicious, blood-soaked memories. And terrible ones they must be, since he had seen with his own eyes the carnage that Naraku had wrought.
The elven doctors who attended to her wanted for her to be kept under close surveillance. The day after Gil's funeral, Kagome had gotten a hold of her water glass. The moment she was alone, she had slipped out of bed and locked the bedroom door. Taking the glass, she broke it by striking it against the edge of her nightstand. She had picked up the largest shard and slit her wrists, slicing through her old scars.
At that moment, Kouga had been downstairs in the library, looking for something to read. It was not the sound of the glass shattering on the floor that brought Kouga to their room at breakneck speed, for he thought it had been the cook, who had been in the kitchen at the time. No, it had been the scent of Kagome's blood. Finding the bedroom door locked, he burst into the room where he found his mate on the floor, lying in a spreading puddle of blood. But that was not the most frightening sight of all. It was the vision of her sweet face, which held no emotion whatsoever. She stared unblinkingly up at the ceiling with the blankest expression he had ever seen. He realized then, to his great surprise and horror, she had wanted to die.
Hiro, Yuki, Akira, Sesshoumaru and Lady Miranda were suddenly in the room. Kouga, who had been completely stunned by the knowledge that she had actually meant to leave him, could not move. Instead, his heart aching more than he could have ever imagined, he watched helplessly as Hiro and Miranda swiftly tended to her wounds.
Poor Miranda! Having just lost her only child then having to see the girl she had hoped would have become her daughter-in-law, lying like a mannequin in that dreadful scarlet stain-- Kouga knew that it couldn't have been easy for the elf princess to view such a sight.
Suddenly Akira was in his face, demanding to know why the hell he hadn't tried to stem the bleeding, but Kouga couldn't answer. All he could do was shove the enraged elf to the side and stare down with confusion and horror at his wounded mate.
It was Yuki who realized that Kouga was in shock and got him to sit down. Kouga barely acknowledged him, but finally complied when Yuki forced him to have a seat. Meanwhile, Akira very nearly lost it, seeing Kagome lying motionless on the floor. He began to panic, his breaths coming faster and faster until Sesshoumaru had to drag him from the room in an effort to calm him down. Kouga bowed his head in shame when he heard Akira screaming at him from the hall, telling him that he didn't deserve her if he couldn't even stop her from trying to commit suicide.
And it was then that Yuki, in an uncharacteristically kind gesture, put a comforting hand on his shoulder and told him everything would be alright. Through his tears, Kouga had looked up at the fair elf. For once, Yuki appeared to be completely serious.
"She'll live through this," he told Kouga somberly. "She has you to love and care for her. We will support the two of you any way we can."
"Yuki, I--"
Yuki shook his head. "Please accept our assistance, for she has suffered enough. If the two of you wish to make a home here in our world, you may. My great-grandfather will allow you to live here for as long as you like. In fact, that might be the best solution right now. Kagome will be safe from Naraku here. The power of my people can protect her, as long as she stays within the boundaries of this realm. A youkai such as Naraku cannot pass its borders."
Kouga blinked. "If he can't come here, then how is it that Sesshoumaru and I can be? We're not elves."
"My aunt Miranda is mated to Sesshoumaru and you are Kagome's mate. Also, we are certain of your loyalty and devotion to your mates. Those are the only reasons why either of you are allowed to be here."
In her sleep, Kagome sighed. Kouga scowled and looked away from his sleeping mate's face. He tried very hard to be patient with her, but he was afraid. He was afraid for his mate, who had such a delicate state of mental health, and he was afraid for the tiny life inside her.
A soft knock came at the door. "May I come in?" It was Hiro. Upon seeing Kouga's dark countenance, Hiro's own sunny face grew worried. "Is she okay?" he asked anxiously.
"She's asleep," Kouga answered gruffly. "How the hell do you think she is?"
"I'm sorry," Hiro murmured apologetically as he moved forward to check on the sleeping woman. "But this is what the doctors want. What she has experienced has obviously very traumatic for her. I couldn't imagine seeing someone close to me have a hole punched through their chest."
"Yeah, I understand that, but keeping her in this…this… constant comatose state is not going to help her in the long run! You're only postponing the inevitable. We both know that she will need lots of therapy. Am I right?"
"Yes, but the doctors--"
Kouga's face turned red. "To hell with the damn doctors! I want my mate back!" he roared, his patience at an end. "I can't live like this anymore! I refuse to! Do they truly expect me to enjoy being without my mate?"
Hiro paled. "Kouga, believe me, I do understand. For your information, I came here to tell you that my aunt is coming to see Kagome in a few minutes. She is going to speak with her about an important matter."
The tension drained out of the youkai's face and he actually smiled. "You're here to wake her up then?"
Returning Kouga's smile, Hiro nodded. "Yes, for awhile. We need to see if she can cope with being awake. If she is able to handle it, then the doctors see no reason to keep her asleep."
There was another knock on the door and Lady Miranda glided in, accompanied by Yuki and Akira. All four elves, Kouga noted, were dressed in long flowing robes. This came as no surprise; it seemed that this was standard garb for all elves. Not that it was a bad thing, he thought. The long, loose clothing made them even more beautiful, more ethereal, than they normally were. But that, he found out later, was another story.
When Kouga first arrived in the Elven Realm, he was startled at how extraordinary everything was here. He could find no imperfections anywhere. Even more surprising was how alike the male and female elves were. Both sexes wore, of course, the sweeping robes and both wore their hair long. There were many times when Kouga had not been able to distinguish the male elves from the female. It was rather disconcerting.
The only elves of whose sex he was certain of were the Yamadera brothers and their aunt, Lady Miranda. When he had first laid eyes on Yuki in his pure elven form, he had been thoroughly stunned. Not only could he have passed as his aunt's identical twin sister, but he was by far the most beautiful male he had ever seen. Such a thought rather shook him. He was not homosexual by any means, but damn, Yuki was really—
Suddenly uncomfortable, Kouga averted his eyes from Yuki, his brain attempting to reason this situation out. The elf couldn't help that he was born with such exquisite and very feminine features. But couldn't he strive to appear more… masculine?
Before he and Kagome had arrived in the Elven Realm, Kagome had been given a special drink that was a bright, unnatural shade of blue. When Kouga demanded to know what it was, Hiro smiled and explained. "Without this particular potion, no human would be able to survive for long in my world." He stood back and indicated his body. "Right now, my appearance is quite different from how I look in the Elven world. What you see when you look at me or any of my kind, is only for a human's benefit. If a human saw us as we truly are, they would go insane."
Kagome looked shocked, while Kouga shook his head and gave a low whistle. "You guys look that bad, huh? So how would it affect a youkai?"
Hiro chuckled. "Oh, it wouldn't harm a youkai a bit. They do not have weak human eyes, you see." He turned to Kagome and gave her a gentle smile. "Without trying to sound egotistical, elves in their true form have such great beauty that it would drive a human to madness. But it is a terrible kind of beauty which has harmed humans before. Thankfully, in my world, I am considered average looking."
Kagome turned to look at Yuki who was talking to his aunt. "What would Yuki be considered as?" she asked curiously. If he was obscenely beautiful here, she thought, what could he possibly look like over there?
Both Hiro and Kouga turned their attention to Yuki. Hiro sighed. "Without any kind of protection, a human who looked at Yuki in the Elven Realm would be killed instantly. He, Akira, my mother and my aunt are all endowed with what we call 'cursed faces'. Unfortunately for them it's genetic. My maternal great-grandfather and grandfather are also afflicted and I believe that my great-grandfather's mother and aunt had it as well. There are even some elves that cannot bring themselves to look at them for too long or they become weakened. Luckily, I inherited my father's genes. We are considered normal by Elven standards."
"Cursed faces?" Kagome asked with disbelief. "Is that how you refer to extraordinarily beautiful elves? That they have cursed faces?"
Hiro nodded. "Yes. Of course, no one says anything about it, at least to their faces. My great-grandfather is the emperor, you know, and my grandfather is the Crown Prince, so no one would dare say a word. On the flip side, having a cursedface is a sign of a noble lineage, for it shows itself only in elven families like mine with royal blood." He cocked his head to the side, a thoughtful look on his face. "I believe it has something to do with our ancestors, who were supposedly the most perfect beings to have ever walked the earth." The elf blushed furiously and bowed his head. "Ah, forgive me, Kagome! Even though I did not mean to, I've managed to make my people sound as though we are a condescending and conceited bunch. Again, please forgive me for that! Also, you need not worry about meeting my mother, for she rarely leaves her home but my father would love to meet you. At any rate, if you begin to feel odd whenever looking at Yuki, Akira or my aunt, please let us know immediately. The potion will be strengthened."
She agreed and drank the potion. Later, after catching his first glimpse of Yuki and Lady Miranda in the Elven Realm, Kouga wondered if he too would need to drink a potion. Never had he seen such a striking man. Seeing such perfection running around everywhere -- especially Yuki and Miranda -- made Kouga feel as though he were nothing more than a loathsome, filthy little slug on the ground. Hiro had neglected to tell them how looking at such attractive creatures would make them feel, esteem-wise. Kouga knew he wasn't bad looking as far as youkai went, but damn he felt like a troll next to these amazingly lovely beings!
When Kouga looked at Yuki again, he could not help glaring at the elf. Damn that disgustingly pretty bastard! His ego took another hit every time he looked Yuki and it was becoming more difficult for Kouga to hide the fact that he wanted to cry out of sheer jealousy. The fact that a creature that was so insanely gorgeous was in love with his Kagome had a devastating effect on Kouga. A majority of the time he and Kagome and spent here, Kouga had continually evaded Yuki. He wanted nothing to do with him; his jealous nature could only handle so much. But in the end, he remembered that Kagome had turned Yuki down and she was now his mate. Even during the times when Kagome was conscious, she did not appear to be swayed by Yuki's overpowering magnificence, although it seemed to Kouga that the elf in question was attempting to do just that. It was with much satisfaction when Kagome only turned back to Kouga and gave him a gentle and loving smile that was meant solely for him. After that incident, Kouga noticed that Yuki was unusually subdued in his manner, as though he had finally accepted the fact that he lost her for good.
And right now, the golden haired stunner stood beside him at Kagome's bed side, and was giving him a reassuring nod.
Miranda smiled at Kouga. "How are you, my dear?"
Kouga frowned. "Upset. I'm upset that my mate is being kept from me." He sighed and shook his head. "Forgive my rudeness, my lady, but I'm tired of being without her."
"You aren't the only one," muttered Akira unkindly under his breath.
The elf princess turned on her youngest nephew. "Akira! That was uncalled for. Mind your tongue, elfling," she admonished him sharply.
Akira slid a hostile glance over at Kouga, leaving the wolf youkai with the impression that the elf still hadn't forgiven him for Kagome's wrist-slitting incident. "Yes, Aunt Miranda," he grumbled as politely as he could manage and would have moved towards Kouga, but the hand of his eldest brother stayed him. "Damn it, Yuki! Let me go!"
But Yuki shook his head. "No. If you're going to start anything with Kouga, I suggest you leave the room and cool down. None of us needs to be subjected to one of your rages, Akira."
"But--"
"I said no! Do you want to leave? Because I will make you leave." Yuki's body tensed, as though he were ready to rumble.
"No." Akira switched his glowering gaze to his brother. "Of course I don't want to leave."
"Then please stay calm," Miranda put in. "The last thing this girl needs is to hear you insulting her mate." She turned to Kagome and touched the younger woman's face gently. "Kagome? It's time to wake up, dear."
Obediently, Kagome opened her eyes and stared somewhat confusedly at the she-elf. "Miranda?"
With a relieved smile, Miranda nodded. "Yes, honey, it's me. How are you feeling?"
Kagome stared blankly at the she-elf for a moment before her dark eyes searched the faces of the people around her. When her gaze rested on Kouga's smiling face, she returned his smile and reached for him. As she did so, her gaze was diverted by her bandaged wrist. A look of revulsion filled her eyes, which was soon replaced by guilt. "Oh my god," she whispered in horror. A quick check of her other wrist, which was also bandaged, brought the memory of her suicide attempt slamming back into her befuddled brain. "Oh god, oh god, oh god!" she cried, covering her face with her trembling hands.
She was soon swept up by her mate, who clutched her tightly to him. "No baby, it's okay!" His hand came up to cradle the back of her head as he rocked her while she wept. "Please don't cry, baby. There now, please don't cry."
Standing stock still at the foot of her bed, Akira's face went from outraged to anxious. He wanted to go to her, to comfort her as Kouga was doing, but of course he was not able to. Comforting the woman he loved was not his right. That right, as much as he despised it being so, belonged to another.
His eyes drifted over Kouga's back and then slid straight up to the back of his dark head. So easy, Akira thought to himself maliciously. So damned easy to think those certain little thoughts and – poof! No more wolf.
Kagome's sobs brought Akira back to himself and he watched with growing jealousy as her slim arms went around Kouga's middle, her head coming to rest against one of the wolf's broad shoulders. No, even though he wanted to rid the world of Kouga's existence, he couldn't. Apparently, Kagome still needed him and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. Thankfully for the annoying wolf, Kagome's need of him was the only thing keeping him alive…
Akira looked up to find Yuki's narrowed gaze on him and those cool, assessing green eyes were full of suspicion. The younger elf had to fight back a laugh. After all that had happened, after all the times Kagome had rejected him, Akira realized that if he tried to destroy Kouga, the one that would stand between him and the bastard youkai would be Yuki.
Poor, beautiful, foolish Yuki! How weak he had become! And weakness, Akira reminded himself, was a trait to be utterly despised. One only had to look at his own pitiful existence. He had a mother who hated him above all else. He was possessed of powers that allowed him to kill whenever the fancy took him, in addition to having a brain tumor. As far as he knew, he was the only elf around who came down with human illnesses. Had he given into weakness, he should have killed himself long ago. But no, he had survived; he was strong. Strong, and blessed with a deadly gift-- A gift that he badly wanted to unleash on the wolf youkai that stood in the way of his supreme happiness. And if he, Akira, was given the chance to have Kagome, he would never allow any male to be around her unless he was present. Unmated males were dangerous things…
Moving backwards to stand near the window, Akira watched everyone in silence. It had been gradual, this heavy, shadowy feeling in his chest; a feeling he had slowly come to embrace. Now, he positively reveled in it.
For almost two years now, unbeknownst to even his brothers and Kagome, darkness had begun to fill Akira's heart. It began that first night they had spent in the Sengoku Jidai and Kagome had loosed her miko energy on him. That night, it seemed that something inside of him had awakened. It had frightened him and at first he worried incessantly if he would end up hurting the ones he loved most because of it. But he had never done anything to harm them, so the only thing he could do was accept what was happening to him. There was no one he could talk to about this and he knew that Kagome and his brothers would do anything they could to help him, but he did not want to worry them further. His health had never been strong, and that caused his brothers to fuss over him as though he were a child. He did not wish to be coddled; he was not a child.
Miranda began speaking softly to Kagome and Akira turned towards the window, his eyes staring absently out through the glass. He loved hearing his aunt speak; she had such a beautiful, calming voice.
"What?! Are you insane?"
Coming back to the present, Akira frowned and turned his head to look over his shoulder. Kouga had jumped to his feet and was now facing Miranda, his body radiating sheer rage.
"Absolutely not! My mate is not going to face Naraku again! Do you want her to get killed?" roared the livid youkai. "Oh no, no, I forbid it, Miranda!"
Lying in bed, Kagome stared up at Kouga with wide, confused eyes while her mate and the elf princess argued heatedly over her as they faced each other from opposite sides of her bed.
"You have not been paying attention, Kouga," Miranda was telling Kouga as calmly as possible. "Kagome must face Naraku again. Only she can defeat him."
Kouga looked down at Kagome with a mournful expression. "Forgive me, my love," he told her gently before turning his attention to Miranda. "I hate to remind you, but every time she has gone up against him, she has lost. I'm not sure who this Thanos person is, but I know Naraku and I know that he's a murderous bastard who'd kill his own mother if it suited him. As she is now, Kagome wouldn't stand a chance! Let me face him instead. It would be a fairer fight, seeing as how we're both youkai--"
At Kagome's cry of protestation, Miranda quickly passed a hand over Kagome's eyes, putting the young woman back to sleep. Kouga yelled at her for doing so, but Miranda only glared angrily at him. "Everyone, get out. Except you, Kouga. You must stay." When everyone had gone, Miranda turned to face Kouga. "You absolutely cannot interfere in this matter," she warned him. "Kagome must face him! I'm sorry, but there is no other way."
"There is always another way!" hissed the youkai. "If she goes up against him, he will kill her and you know that!"
"Wrong!" retorted the she-elf. "Kagome will not die if she faces him!"
"I don't believe that. Let me take her place instead, okay? I can't have her fighting him now. She's pregnant with my cub, for heaven's sake! As a wolf youkai, I can't allow my mate to come to any harm. It must be me."
Frustrated with the hard-headed youkai, Miranda glared up at him. "Then you would be a fool for doing so." She leaned forward and poked Kouga in the chest. "If you see Naraku again, you will die."
It took Kouga a full minute comprehend her words. "What? Wh-what are you saying?"
The elf princess sighed heavily and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kouga. Perhaps I should have said nothing." She turned her back on him. "Please forget what I said."
"Forget what you said?" he barked incredulously. He grabbed her and whirled her around to face him again. She stared up at him, her soft blue eyes swimming with unshed tears. Terror took hold of his heart when he saw the grief in those big eyes of hers. "Tell me," he whispered. "Please."
She shook her head and then wiped away the tears as they fell. "Kouga," she began weakly, "I may be mistaken…"
"You're not mistaken. I know you can see the future. Please," he begged, "I want to know. If something is going to happen to me, I would like to be prepared and so… and so I can prepare Kagome--"
"No!" Miranda's head shot up. "She must not be made aware of this. If she knew, then she would refuse to face him."
"And that is a bad thing, why?" he demanded hotly, ignoring the trembling in his hands. "I don't want her to face him at all! She's pregnant, for crying out loud! Hasn't he put her through enough already? How can you make her do this?"
"You don't understand," Miranda replied sadly. "It is her destiny to fight him."
Kouga said nothing for a long moment. His chest was beginning to hurt. He did not want to die, but if that was supposed to happen-- "If what you say is true, then when will--" he began hesitantly. "When am I supposed to die?"
"I cannot tell you that," she answered quietly. The grim, set look on his face told her that he would not rest until she gave him something. "I'm sorry, Kouga. All I can say is that-- you will not live to see the birth of your child."
For the next several minutes, Miranda held the sobbing, distraught youkai in her arms. And she wept with him.
ooo
Kagome was soon reawakened and the doctors decided that she could remain awake. She found that she was able to cope with the tragic deaths of Gil, Sam Meyers and the others, but she was worried about Kouga. He looked different now; his eyes were almost always filled with sadness and despair although he tried hard to hide it. She asked him several times what was wrong, but he would only shake his head and reply that it was nothing.
"I was so lonely and miserable while you were kept in that sleeping state. And now I find that the elves want you to face Naraku again…" He trailed off. His gaze slid down to her hands, which lay in her lap and he reached over, taking them in his. "I have a bad feeling about that, Kagome. I don't want you to put yourself and our baby in harm's way."
She attempted to press him further, but he refused to speak on the subject any longer. Instead, he held her close and asked if she would like to get away for awhile, just so they could be alone.
"Well, no matter. I doubt I'll see him in any time soon. So… where would we go?" she asked, turning her face against him and pressing her forehead against his warm throat.
He was silent for a moment. "Well, it might be nice to do some sightseeing here. I've always wondered what this world looks like at sunrise, sunset," he murmured. "Or seeing the woman I love by moonlight. Something like that would remain with me for the rest of my life."
"Mmm, that sounds so wonderful," Kagome breathed. She tilted her head back to kiss his neck. "I would love to do that with you."
Kouga smiled and continued to hold her close. He had been very close to breaking down just then. Thankfully, Kagome had not noticed the little tremor in his voice when he had spoken about the rest of his life.
ooo
The next month was spent on a tour of sorts in the Elven realm. Every day was lovely, warm and happy and Kouga wished that their lives could go on like this forever. He spent most of his time just staring at her, committing – burning – her face to memory, as though somehow staring at her intently would force her image to remain with him long after his death.
How hard it was keeping such a terrible secret to himself! A part of him wanted to tell her everything, to let her know that his life would soon come to an end and that she would soon need to gather the strength to pick up the pieces of her life and carry on, she and their child. But common sense always took over and he ended up saying nothing. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her long and slowly, allowing his fingers to thread through her silky hair.
And at night, when they were alone in their bedroom, he made leisurely love to her until they were both exhausted. Although he did not doubt she would easily forget him, he felt the need to make certain that he stayed alive in her heart as long as possible.
After she fell asleep, completely drained, he held her close and wept silently into her hair. How much longer did he have? How soon would their days of sunshine, happiness and love end? Those questions ran round and round in his head until he too, fell asleep.
One other thing that bothered him was the youngest Yamadera brother, Akira. Akira would come after her as soon as she became a widow, that much was certain. The elf would come and make her his and no doubt would raise their child as his own. The thought irked Kouga, but what could he do? The only thing he could do was hope that the elf would not mistreat his child. No, Akira would not ill-treat their child—not unless he wished to remain in Kagome's good graces.
Another thing he had come to realize was that Akira, though outwardly polite to him, hated him. Every time the elf looked at him, Kouga could feel pure, unadulterated hate pouring off of the elf in waves. Whenever he and Akira locked eyes, Kouga was reminded of that moonlit night long ago in the Sengoku Jidai when the elf had given him a taste of the pain he could wrought. Never had Kouga felt such agony! He had felt his brain throb and swell, the soft tissue pushing painfully against the inside of his skull.
But his sweet Kagome had saved him.
He glanced down at his lovely, slumbering mate who lay, curled so innocently against him. A sudden stab of pain filled his chest and slowly, he moved away from her and got out of bed. After grabbing his cigarettes and a lighter, he made his way over to the balcony and perched himself on the sturdy stone railing. Lighting up, he tipped his head back and gazed up at the night sky. The moon was full and its bright, milky rays brightly illuminated the landscape below.
It wasn't until he felt something warm and wet roll down his bare chest that he realized that he was crying. The end was near. For him, the end was very near and the trepidation was tearing him up inside.
Flicking his cigarette over the side of the balcony, Kouga covered his face with his hands. He did not want to die! He did not want to die and leave his beautiful mate to raise their child alone. A vision of Akira flashed in his mind and he began to growl low in his throat. He did not want another man to have her either, and to take his place in her life and in the life of their baby. He did not want another man to take care of his child and he did not want his child to refer to the other man as father.
A soft hand touched Kouga's naked shoulder and he lifted his head to see a sleepy Kagome standing beside him. "What's wrong, baby?" she asked him in a quiet voice. Seeing his tears, the sleep fled from Kagome's eyes. "Kouga? Oh sweetheart, what's wrong?"
With a choked sob, he grabbed her and held her to him. "I'm afraid," he confessed brokenly. "I'm… terrified."
"Don't be," she whispered against his shoulder. "Everything will be alright."
But everything wouldn't be alright. Very soon, she would be a widow—
"Kagome," he said, "just in case something happens to me, I want you to--"
"No!" Kagome pulled away from him and stood out of arm's reach. "Don't say that, Kouga. Don't you dare say that! I've lost too many people in my life and I don't want to think about something like that."
He reached for her and she went to him. "I'm speaking hypothetically, sweetheart. Please don't get upset."
"I don't care. The last thing I want to hear you talk about is that, hypothetical or not." She reached up to cup his face in her hands. "If I lost you—I wouldn't know what I would do. Life wouldn't be worth living without you, Kouga," she breathed, pulling his head down to hers.
Groaning her name, Kouga crushed his mouth against hers and did not release her until he felt her body sag in his arms. A thought struck him and he turned his head back up to the brilliant white orb situated high above them. "Do you remember when we met again after seven years? That night in the forest?"
She nodded. "Yes, I remember. You were still wet from your bath."
Kouga chuckled. "Yes I was. I remember thinking how fortunate it was that it was dark out and that you were human. If you had been youkai, you probably would have run away from me screaming. As soon as I caught whiff of your scent that night, I got a really painful erection and all I wanted to do was throw you down on the ground and mate with you right then and there."
Kagome smiled against her mate's smooth, warm chest. "I had no idea," she told him with a laugh.
"When you were beneath me on the ground, I felt like I was the luckiest male on earth. Seeing you lying there, bathed in moonlight, I felt like I was in the presence of some earth-bound goddess and I felt extremely humbled. I knew you were the woman for me; that you were meant solely for me." He kissed the top of her dark head. "This might sound a bit silly, but from the way the moon shone down on us, I could have sworn that it approved of our union and was sending down its blessings on us."
Kagome's head came up and she stared up at her mate. "Oh my god, I thought the exact same thing!" she cried. "Kouga? What's wrong?"
He took her face in his hands. "Whatever happens, I want you to remember the moon and that night. You got that? Don't ever forget what the moon signifies."
She nodded hesitantly. When she opened her mouth to ask him again what the matter was, Kouga swept her into his arms and carried her back to bed.
oooooo
A few days later, Kouga and Kagome left the Elven Realm and returned to Tokyo. Inuyasha, who returned to Japan not long after Naraku's attack on the slayers in England, had been tracking the hanyou's movements as best he could and now he learned of Naraku's return to Japan. Sesshoumaru and the top generals were all made aware of this new development. Now all they needed to do was wait and see what would happen next.
Once Kouga and his mate returned home, they found a large package waiting for them. Kagome opened it and squealed with happiness. It was the champagne-colored gown created by Jiro-san that Kouga had found so appealing on her. Blushing like a schoolgirl, Kagome tried the gown on, much to the delight of her mate.
"It suits you perfectly," he said, eyeing her up and down. His rapturous gaze grew sad and he told her, "Thank you for wearing it for me. It means a lot to me."
With a puzzled frown, Kagome looked up at her beloved. "Kouga? Something's wrong. Please tell me what it is."
As he had each time she asked him what the matter was, he shook his head and replied that it was nothing. But Kagome knew that he was lying. Something was definitely wrong but he refused to share his troubles with her.
Instead, he took her hand and held it to his chest. "I know we're already mated," he said at last. "But there is something that I want you to do for me. It's—rather important to me, Kagome."
"Of course! What do you want me to do?"
Kouga lifted her hand and kissed it. "Marry me, Kagome."
Kagome was taken aback. "Eh? But we're mated, Kouga! I don't mind following the mating laws of your people--"
"I know, but if something should happen to me, all my worldly goods would go to you and the baby without incident. The world is run by humans as you know, and if I die, no matter how much I leave the two of you, you might not get it because we were never married according to human laws."
She stared up at him. "If-- if that's what you wish, then I would love to marry you." After a moment, she moved away from him. "But I really wish you would stop talking like this. You're behaving very oddly. Is there something you're not telling me?"
He slid behind her and enfolded her in his arms. "I'm just thinking ahead, Kagome. I want to be assured that if something did happen to me, then you and our baby would be taken care of." Kouga rubbed his nose in her sweetly scented hair. "Ginta and Hakkaku would take of you, and their families would too. I have seen to that."
Turning in her mate's arms, Kagome glared up at him with tear-filled, angry eyes. "Stop it, I said! Stop talking like this!" In her rage, she pounded hard on his chest, but quickly stopped and buried her face against him. "I can't listen to this anymore! Please-- please stop!" she sobbed.
"As you wish, my lady," he whispered.
ooooooooooooooooo
It was a simple, quiet ceremony which was held at Sesshoumaru's home on the outskirts of Tokyo. It was a comfortably large home with a lovely garden. The lush foliage was the perfect backdrop for Kouga and Kagome's wedding. Miranda, who begged her sister Rini to help with the decorations and food, was very pleased with the outcome. She and Rini got everything done with time to spare and as they completed the finishing touches in the spacious backyard, Miranda asked Rini if she wanted to stay for the wedding and to meet the bride and groom.
"Well, I suppose I could stay to watch, and perhaps have a bite," Rini told her sister haughtily. "I've got nothing else to do at the moment and besides, I must be Yuki's rock. As you know, he is tells me he is in love with this human female and this has, no doubt, come as a blow to my darling little boy. He will be in need of his mama's steadfast, loving arms before this day is over."
It was all Miranda could to keep from rolling her eyes in exasperation and annoyance. When Rini returned to the house, Miranda paused and glanced towards the far end of the property. As luck would have it, Sesshoumaru's property included a large chunk of forest and a very lovely forest it was too.
She frowned. As lovely as the forest was, something did not feel quite right to her. A dark presence seemed to be lurking in that dark line of trees and the she-elf felt as though something – or someone —was watching her. Please, she thought, sending up a little prayer to the heavens, please don't let anything happen to Kouga on this day!
ooo
The priest said the final words and Kouga swept Kagome into his arms and kissed her passionately. There was a round of applause and a chorus of whistles that did little to pry the groom from his bride.
At last they broke apart and were immediately escorted to the reception area on the stone patio near the swimming pool with its burbling, splashing fountain. Here, many pictures were taken of the happy couple. Kagome was lovely and glowing in her hand-made gown that had been created by Jiro-san, while her new husband was dashing in his white, spotless dress uniform.
When lunch was announced, Kagome, Miranda and Rini went inside to change their clothes. Kagome especially, did not want to ruin her dress. Jiro-san would never forgive her if one single stain ruined all of his hard work. While she was changing in one of the guest bedrooms, a feeling of faintness swept over her and she dropped heavily down onto the bed. For a long moment she sat there until the sensation passed. Deep inside, the battle against Thanos that Miranda had told her of, the one that she was told she must engage in, was drawing nearer. The thought terrified her and right there and then, Kagome decided that at the next possible moment, she would tell Miranda that she refused to go against Thanos again. How could she put her growing child in danger? What would it matter to Thanos if she was pregnant? That cold-blooded monster would not hesitate to kill her. How could she leave Kouga alone? He would be unable to take another mate in the event she died and even if he did, Kagome did not want another woman to take her place. No, she would not fight Thanos again.
A knock on her door caused her to glance up, breaking into her thoughts. "Yes?" she called. "Come in."
Hiro's dark head popped inside the door. "Are you busy? He asked somewhat hesistantly.
"Not really," she answered with a wan smile.
At the sight of her face he was inside in an instant. "Well, are you okay? You look really pale, Kagome," he said anxiously.
With a chuckle, she waved away his words. "I'm fine, just a bit tired, that's all. What did you need?"
Hiro went over to where Kagome sat on the bed and took a spot beside her. "I just wanted to have a little chat with you, is all."
"Really? What about?"
The elf reached over and took the nearest of Kagome's hands and held it in his own. "About Thanos. And about you meeting him in battle. I hate to reiterate what my aunt has said already, but your defeating him is very important."
"Yeah, right." Kagome snatched her hand away and got up from the bed. Here was the perfect time to refuse to fight. "Forgive me, Hiro, but that's ridiculous. Defeat Thanos? Are you insane?" Angrily, she whirled around to face him. "If you've forgotten already, let me remind you. I—can't—beat—him!" she yelled at him suddenly. "I can't! I've tried and I've come up empty! He kicks my ass and the sick part is that he fucking enjoys kicking my ass! Is that what you want? For him to kick my ass yet again? Because that's what going to fucking happen if I have to go up against him again."
"Um, Kagome--"
"I said no, Hiro! No! I won't do this. Tell your aunt that this is a flat refusal. I am pregnant with my mate's cub and I won't put myself or my baby in harm's way. Kouga wouldn't like it much if I got myself killed."
"Oh no, Kagome. You won't die--"
Kagome gave a derisive snort. "That's nice, Hiro, thanks. I won't die; I'll just get my ass handed to me like before. And I might even lose my baby. Yeah, that's just fucking great."
"Would you listen to me please?" Hiro asked quietly. He was staring hard up at her. She shrugged nonchalantly and he cleared his throat before he continued. "Thank you. As I was trying to say, you won't die if you fight him again. But first, you must realize who you are."
"Huh?"
He got up and took her hand. A second later, Kagome felt the familiar pull of the portal to the Hiro's world. When they made it to the other side, she looked up at the elf curiously. "Why did we come here?" They seemed to be in some sort of a large, airy room with mirrored wall paneling.
Hiro smiled at her and turned. She followed suit and saw Lady Miranda and a tall, very striking and distinguished looking gentleman standing side by side. When Kagome saw them, she tilted her head to the side and frowned. "Uh, hi. Lady Miranda, I didn't know you left. Did you come back here to change?"
Miranda, who had been staring at Kagome with wide, unblinking eyes, turned to her nephew. "Oh heavens, Hiro! You were right! Grandfather, did you know?"
The striking elf beside her laughed and shook his shining gold locks. "Oh no, Miranda! I hadn't a clue as to what the boy was thinking." He came over to Hiro and clapped him heartily on the shoulder. "And this is why you are going to be my predecessor, Hiroshi! You are such a clever, clever elfling!"
As Hiro blushed profusely at the praise, Kagome leaned over and whispered out of the side of her mouth, "What the hell's going on?"
Hiro looked at the older man, but the he shook his head. "No, son, you go ahead and tell her. After all, it was you who figured it out."
Then Hiro turned to look at Kagome, who was looking more bewildered by the minute. "Have you ever wondered where elves and youkai come from?"
Baffled by the question, Kagome blinked absently up at him. "Uh… no?"
With a nod, Hiro asked another question. "Have you ever wondered why elves and youkai resemble one another, even though we are two entirely separate species?"
She shook her head and Hiro nodded again. "Long ago, while humans were just beginning to form tribes, there was a race of god-like beings that the eldest of my race refer to as The Guardians. The true name of the Guardians is not known, since the entire race disappeared without a trace. It was quite a task tracking down this information; I was actually very lucky in that regard. An elder who was preparing to make his way to the farthest part of our world mentioned something to me about the Guardians. Well naturally, I asked him about it and he told me. After he left, I got to thinking and wondered if I could get any more information to corroborate what he told me. Like I said, it was quite a task following the lead he had given me, since the oldest elves hide prefer to hide themselves or run away to play golf in a distant part of this realm."
"Wait a second. Golf?" Kagome said out incredulously. "You mean elves play a human game?"
At her outburst, Hiro turned a bright red. "Yes, I'm afraid so. The elders have built this massive and incredibly complex golf course where—ah, but never mind about that. Ever since humans invented the game, my people have been playing it. I don't really have a good explanation for it. They just really seem to enjoy it and--"
"Okay, okay, never mind. Go on."
"Well, as I was saying, I had to go to the golf course and see if I could pin down a few of the elders to ask them about the Guardians and each of them told me essentially the same thing. The funny thing was that all the elves I talked to were from all over the world. At first I thought that they would tell me different stories, but no, they were pretty much identical.
"From what I could gather, the Guardians seemed to take a liking to the little bands of humans that roamed the earth and wanted them to survive. The Guardians decided to break up into small groups that would follow the humans and assist them whenever they were in need. When the humans realized that they were being helped, they felt great devotion to their protectors and religions were established. The Guardians were regarded as gods and worshipped as such. Eventually the human race began to grow and thrive. Cities were built, trade between communities was established, but no matter how advanced they became, they still worshiped the Guardians as gods."
"So that was what I was? I was one of these so-called Guardians?"
"Yes."
"Okay. So where do the elves and youkai come into it?" she asked.
"That was a very interesting discovery. The Guardians—no, wait; I'll just refer to them as gods. It's easier that way. Anyway, the gods and goddesses began to look further than their own kind to take to their beds. They began to mate with humans and as a result, half-human, half-god beings were being born left and right. When those half-human and half-god people began to mate with each other, two new races were born: Elves and Youkai. That's where we come from Kagome." Hiro touched Kagome's chin with a gentle finger. "Your people were our ancestors."
With wide eyes, Kagome looked over at Miranda and the older elf gentleman. "I… I never knew," she murmured with a shake of her head.
"Don't worry about that, my dear," the kindly older man reassured her with a smile. "Elves and youkai in general have no idea of our familial connection. I mean, it's literally been ages since we all lived together in heaven."
Kagome was confused. "Huh? Heaven? What are you talking about?"
Hiro spread his arms and indicated the space around them. "Here, in the Elven realm. But it wasn't always referred to the Elven realm, Kagome. Long, long ago, elves and youkai lived here, together. We enjoyed a peaceful existence at first. Before the gods vanished, we, their offspring, began to quarrel amongst each other and soon, we had divided ourselves in two groups. One group had superior physical strength and some magical powers, but they were also equipped with claws and fangs. They, of course, were youkai. Elves, although we have great physical strength, have no claws or fangs, but we have the ability to control the elements. Since we were deemed better suited to care for this realm, the youkai left for the human realm and that is the way it has been ever since."
"But what about the story of Cho? You told me that he stumbled into an elven encampment. If he was human, he couldn't have been in the Elven realm."
The older male spoke up. "Yes, that was because there a few tribes of elves who wanted to live in the human world. My father thought it would be a wonderful learning experience, so he took my mother, my sister and me, along with several other adventurous families, into the human world to start a new life. All of us learned much from our time there. Cho turned up when we had only recently arrived."
"You—were there?" Kagome frowned as she studied the older man's face. He was very good-looking and in fact, she felt as though he could be an older version of Yuki. "Hold on a minute! Lady Miranda called you grandfather. You're Hiro's great-grandfather? You're the Emperor?"
Kin blinked and smiled. "Why, yes I am." He went over to her and took her hand, which he pressed to his lips. "I am most honored to meet you, my lady."
"My… lady? Oh no, that's not right! I mean, please don't call me that, Your Majesty!" Awkwardly, Kagome attempted to do something like a curtsey, but she only succeeded in tripping over her own feet. The emperor caught her deftly before she could fall and Kagome felt terribly gauche in front of such an important person. "I'm very sorry," she mumbled, her lips trembling. "There are times when I can be really clumsy." She looked up into his handsome face. "I often wish that I had the gracefulness and beauty of an elf. Your race is really very extraordinary--" She broke off.
"My lady?" Kin asked curiously when Kagome's words had ceased abruptly.
A thought had struck Kagome suddenly. "Hiro," she began slowly, "you never gave me that potion."
"What potion?"
Kagome's heart began to beat uncomfortably fast. "The potion that you gave me once. You know, the one that could allow me to look at the elves and not die, or lose my mind or whatever you said." She turned a questioning look at him, only to have him stare hard back at her. Was he trying to send her a message?
"That," began the younger elf slowly and a little uncertainly, "was actually not a potion at all. You see, I had a theory and I wanted to test it. I hope you aren't too mad at me, Kagome."
Forgetting that an emperor was in her midst, Kagome lunged forward and grabbed Hiro by the color of his velvety, forest green robes. "What the fuck do you mean, 'you had a theory'?! If that wasn't a special potion, what in the bloody hell was it?" she cried frantically, giving him a good shake.
"It was only green tea, flavored with cinnamon and orange and dyed with blue food coloring. Incidentally," he said, gently extricating his clothes from her white-knuckled fists, "I had the real potion on hand, just in case my theory was wrong. But I wasn't wrong, as you can see."
"What are you saying, Hiro? That I never needed the potion at all?"
With a grin, Hiro shook his head. "Nope."
"Why not?!"
"It's because of what you are, Kagome."
"Of what I am?"
"Yes. What are you, Kagome?"
Kagome was thoroughly mystified. "Um, confused? Baffled? I have no idea what you're babbling about, Hiro." When he didn't answer, she glared up at him. "I'm human, damn it! According to you, I shouldn't still be standing right now!"
The emperor moved forward and took hold of Kagome's head in both of his. "Let me help you to remember, my lady," he said and pressed against her skull.
A blinding flash zoomed through Kagome's brain and the next thing she knew, she was falling backwards but something warm stopped her from hitting the floor. Something shifted in her soul; it was if a part of her moved back to make way for… for… what?
When the darkness cleared from her sight, she felt strange. Looking up, she found Hiro gazing down at her with such an odd look; a look, she thought uneasily, that appeared almost smitten. "Hiro?" she murmured, then paused when she saw his eyes shift off to the side. His brown eyes widened and his face turned a bright red. With a frown, Kagome looked in the direction he had just glanced at and— oh dear gods, she was naked! That was the first thought in her head. And then it hit her: her nakedness did not cause her any embarrassment. How strange!
"Oh, excuse me," she told him apologetically and got to her feet with the assistance of her very red-faced friend. He, on the other hand, could only shake his head and murmur incoherently.
She looked at Kin and Miranda, who both dropped to one knee before her. Something inside of her wanted to go to them and tell them not to treat her as though she were someone of importance. But she knew that to them, she was. And a mere moment later, Kagome felt herself become someone she had not been for millennia.
"May I have a robe?" Niobe asked.
Miranda jumped up and snapped her fingers. A line of elves filed into the room, their arms draped with clothing in bright colors and soft pastel hues. "Feel free to choose anything you desire, my lady," the she-elf said with a deep curtsey.
"Thank you," Niobe told Miranda. She graced the she-elf with a smile before she turned her attention to the array of clothes before her. "I wish to have this one," she said, walking towards an elf that held a robe of lilac and silver. The elf then draped the delicate, shimmering garment over the young goddess' body.
"It looks wonderful on you, my lady," Miranda cooed. She knew from what Hiro told her, that Kagome was a reincarnated goddess, but Miranda had no idea just how beautiful she would be. Never had she seen such exquisite loveliness.
Niobe shot Miranda a smile and glided over to one of the mirrored walls to see how it looked on her. The goddess stood for a long moment, staring hard at her own reflection. The elves behind her were worried that she was displeased with the gown, but they were relieved by what she said next.
"It has been a long time since I have gazed upon my own face. That is unless you count my dreams," she said quietly, her hands reaching up to touch her cheeks. Her face grew sad. "Why had I not been born a hideous monster? Thanos would never have wanted me and then none of this terrible mess would have happened." She turned suddenly and faced the elves. "I now know why you wished for me to fight my brother. Or rather, I remember why. Only a god can defeat a god and that is what I am. Hiro, please forgive me. I'm afraid I was a bit slow to understand."
The elves said nothing and Niobe turned back around to stare at her reflection again. "My brother," she began slowly as one of her hands grabbed a silken lock of her unruly obsidian hair, "is very powerful. He always has been, ever since my father taught him the art of war." Idly, Niobe twisted the lock around her finger. "My mother was not very happy about that, for she wanted us to be peace-loving. But my brother scoffed at the very idea of laying down his arms in favor of peace. He loved to fight. He loved war. He loved death. Nothing suited him more than being suited up in his shining black armor, armed with only his sword. I was his complete opposite in that I emulated my mother. She would only fight if it was absolutely necessary, other than that, she fully embraced peace. And that is what she instilled in me, as well as a love of learning."
Niobe sighed softly and turned back to the elves. "So I am afraid that I little more than useless if you wish me to go up against my brother. There will be no victory for me if I face him."
"You may not know how to fight, my lady," Hiro spoke up suddenly, "but Kagome does."
The goddess nodded. "This is true, but that part of me has already faced Thanos. Those skills are useless against him. I am sorry, Hiro, but I cannot win." She graced him with a sad, sweet smile. "Do not worry. Thanos will not kill me; he desires me too much to do so. Rather, he would only demand my complete submission to him and that, of course, is something that I find unfathomable. I do not know what I should do on this matter."
Hiro opened his mouth to speak just as his mother swept into the room. "Hiro, where is--? Oh, Randa, there you are. Where is Kagome? Kouga is worried si--" Lady Rini's cool blue gaze settled on the magnificent creature clad in lilac and silver. "Who are you?" she demanded coldly.
With a cry, Miranda slapped a hand over her twin's mouth. "Please forgive my sister, my lady! She's always been a rather rude person."
"Rude?" Rini cried as she twisted herself out of her sister's grasp. "You're one to talk, Miranda!" She whirled around to face Niobe. "And why are you wearing that?" With a huff, she walked over to a she-elf who held robe of peach and gold and took it. "Here," Rini said gruffly, helping Niobe out of the lilac robe, "this color is much better suited to your skin tone. You are definitely not a silver person. Your skin tone demands that you wear gold."
"But I like purple," Niobe pouted prettily.
Rini's hard gaze snapped to the young woman's face. "So? It looked terrible on you. You need to choose clothing that compliments your looks and coloring, not simply because you like the color." She smoothed the silk garment down over Niobe's figure before marching her back over to the mirror. "You see? What did I tell you? The golden tone highlights your skin."
Miranda and Hiro watched Rini in stunned silence. Apparently, Rini had no problem with running roughshod over people, be they god or mortal. For her part, Niobe seemed to be immensely amused by the harshness of the elf princess and indeed, hugged her when Rini had ceased to lecture her. But Rini made a face and gently pried the goddess off of her and in doing so, touched her bare arm.
Rini's eyes widened. "You're Kagome?" she blurted out abruptly. When Niobe nodded, Rini took her by the wrist. "Come on, your husband is waiting impatiently. He and the others have been looking all over the house for you. The poor guy is frantic."
"Oh no!" Niobe cried and looked around for Hiro. "How do I change back? I can't let him see me like this!"
"Are you crazy? Why wouldn't you?" Rini ruthlessly pulled her captive along. "He loves you no matter what, right? So what's the problem?"
Niobe couldn't help smiling at the back of the pugnacious she-elf's bright yellow head. "You're right, Rini. It's just that—well, he has never seen me like this. I don't want to just appear before him like this and--"
Rini pulled her through the portal and Niobe found herself standing once more in her bedroom. The elf princess turned to her and said, "I know who you are, Kagome. And I know how important you are. But let me tell you this. I have never been one to mince words and personally, I could care less if you are one of the Guardians." Rini moved forward so that she and the goddess were face to face. "Once my Yuki lays eyes on you, he will fall deeper in love with you. I know this and there will nothing I can say to him that will stop it. He was hurt enough when you and the general mated. How do you think he felt when you asked him to witness your marriage to your youkai mate? How do you think he enjoyed feeling that double blow to his already bruised heart?"
The younger woman shook her head, her eyes wide with alarm. "Oh! Forgive me, I did not think…!"
Through narrowed eyes, the she-elf glared at the other woman. "That," Rini retorted derisively, "is quite apparent. I want you to go out there and apologize to him. You got that? Today has been utterly miserable for my son and if you do not, I will never forgive you." With a look that was shy of pure hostility, Rini tossed her flowing golden locks over her shoulder before sailing from the room.
As Rini shut the bedroom door with a slam, Niobe trembled where she stood. What an angry woman, she thought at first, then paused and shook her head. No, Rini was merely a mother who fiercely defended her son from one who had wounded him.
A flash of movement appeared in the corner of her eye and Niobe turned to see what it was. The movement was only her reflection in the mirror. She was still not accustomed to seeing herself as she once was…
She moved towards the full-length mirror, staring at her likeness in the glass. Her body was simply wonderful; it curved in all the right places and her face-- dear heavens! Her face was pure perfection! Perfect in every aspect…
Her hands clenched themselves in tight fists and slammed them into the mirror. The glass shattered and the pieces flew everywhere at her feet. Gods above, she hated her face! Was beauty not supposed to bring joy to all those around it? Was it not supposed to attract others? Of course it was. Unfortunately, the beauty she had been blessed with had attracted the attention she wanted least of all. Single-handedly, Thanos had turned her looks, which she had admired once upon a time, into a thing to be despised. She did not want this face anymore!
As she wiped away the tears from her eyes, Niobe felt such a sense of self-loathing that she wanted to die. He had done much to destroy her joy of life—
A small fluttering in her belly brought her from her thoughts. She looked down at her still-flat belly and smiled, laying her hand against the spot where her child was growing inside of her. No, she thought, as she felt herself become Kagome once again, he had not destroyed all the joy in her life.
The bedroom door opened slowly and Kagome glanced over her shoulder to find her husband looking at her. He came into the room and shut the door behind him. "Rini just told me where you were." He shot her a sheepish smile. "I'm afraid I nearly went insane looking for you. It was all the others could do to keep me fro--"
He did not finish his words, for his bride launched herself across the room and straight into his arms. "I love you, Kouga! I love you!" she sobbed, kissing him all over his face.
It was several minutes before the two were able to pry themselves apart. "I think we had better go down," mumbled a shaken Kouga. "They'll come looking for us and I don't want them to find us mating like a pair of rabbits in heat. Besides, you need to eat something. The last thing I need is to see my pregnant mate pass out from hunger." He took her hand and led her downstairs to join the others.
A/N: Sorry I took forever, guys! I am very easily sidetracked by things. Uh… you will find out soon why I was distracted from writing this chapter. Btw, OOTP will be coming to an end, most likely in the next chapter.
Much love!
Raven Skye Blackhawk