Inuyasha watched as Kagome slept, the fire illuminating her soft features. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get Kagome to return to the village. Her encounter with Koga had left her shaken to her core. Inuyasha couldn't blame her; how else would you react when you were kidnapped a few hours ago. Inuyasha growled at the thought of Koga. No doubt when the wolf's mating time was over he would come running back to Kagome, begging for her forgiveness. 'But will she forgive him?' Inuyasha wondered. Kagome had the biggest heart out of everyone he had ever met, but he didn't know if even she could forgive this. Inuyasha sighed, leaning his head against the wall. 'I should have protected her better,' he thought. An inu-demon's number one priority was protecting his mate. No wonder Inuyasha's demon side had come out. But this time, his demon side didn't overwhelm him; it joined with him. 'Maybe my demon joined with me because we both wanted to protect Kagome.'

Inuyasha's thoughts were disturbed as Kagome began to shift in her sleeping bag. Her soft whimperings tore at Inuyasha's heart. 'She's having a nightmare,' he thought, quickly going to her side. Her face was covered in a light sheen of sweat, her bangs sticking to her forehead.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said softly, not wanting to wake the others. They had fussed over her enough when they were awake. Inuyasha's demon side had just wanted to scoop her into his arms and take off running. "Kagome, wake up," he said, resting his palm against her cheek. Her skin was hot, worrying him that she might be getting sick.

Kagome gasped and opened her eyes suddenly, startling him. "I-inuyasha," she said, throwing her arms around him. Kagome held onto him tightly, trying to fight back the images of her nightmare. Her heart raced, her skin burned with heat, her stomach churned, and she felt like there wasn't enough air in the hut.

Sensing her distress, Inuyasha lifted her into his arms and carried her outside. The cool night air helped calm Kagome's racing senses. She let Inuyasha's gentle rocking step calm her as the images in her mind began to slow down. Inuyasha unconscious, his forehead bleeding. Koga appearing at the mouth of the cave, blocking her way to freedom. Him gripping her arms tightly, his head coming toward hers. Kagome shivered at the thought as Inuyasha settled them on his favorite branch of the Goshinboku. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha as he wrapped his haori around her shoulders.

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, his expression worried.

Kagome nodded, wrapping his haori tightly around her body. The smell of Inuyasha surrounded her, making her feel protected. "I just had a bad dream," she said softly.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her gently, being mindful of the bruises on her arms. When Inuyasha had seen Koga's handprints marring Kagome's perfect skin, he had nearly gone mad with rage. His demon side reappeared, wanting revenge for the injury to his mate. He wanted to tear Koga's throat out, ensuring he would never say Kagome's name again. But Kagome kept him from going. He couldn't leave her side, not seeing how vunerable she looked, how scared she was. So Inuyasha settled for tearing a few trees out by its roots.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked softly, laying her head on his shoulder.

"You," Inuyasha replied, running his fingers through her hair. "Kagome…I'm so sorry."

"Stop sayin gyou're sorry," Kagome said, looking at him. "It wasn't your fault."

"I should have protected you better."

"You saved me Inuyasha."

"But you shouldn't have been kidnapped in the first place," Inuyasha said fiercely. "I should have protected you better. What kind of mate am I if I cant protect you from that stupid flea bag?"

"Inuyasha-"

"Kagome, if anything had happened to you…I don't know what I would have done," he said softly, looking into her eyes.

"Inuyasha, I'm okay. I'm here with you, safe in your arms. Don't think about what could have happened okay? And you're a wonderful mate Inuyasha."

"Yeah right," he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious," she replied, punching his shoulder gently. "You take care of me, you provide for me, you protect me. You love me. This one bad thing happened but it wasn't your fault and it wasn't my fault. It just…happened. That doesn't make you a bad mate."

"How do you have so much trust in me when I've messed up so many times?" he asked in an agonized voice, closing his eyes.

"Because I love you and I know you will always try your best to protect me," Kagome said confidently.

"I won't fail you again Kagome. I promise." Kagome smiled and snuggled back into his arms, sighing happily. Inuyasha watched as Kagome slowly fell asleep, looking calmer than before. 'I will always protect you Kagome. Always,' he thought, closing his eyes.

Inuyasha and Kagome have gotten over this crazy hurdle on their way to the altar. But this won't be the last problem to pop up. What else could happen to them? Reviews are appreciated :D