:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Chapter 35: Dog in a Wolf Den
Tamako was entirely too excited to have her father coming to live in the den with them. Kouga though wasn't too excited for it. It was no secret that Kouga didn't get along with his father-in-law. Though, he loved his mate, and he would do whatever it took to make her happy, especially while she was carrying their first pup. So, Inuyasha would be moving into their den if he liked it or not.
Truthfully, Kouga also felt bad for the Inuhanyou. He'd just lost his mate. Again. And Kouga couldn't imagine what it'd feel like to permanently lose your mate. At least when Tamako was forced through the well, he knew he'd see her again...one day, in the future. He just hadn't been looking forward to the wait. But, for Inuyasha, it wasn't that simple.
Not that Kouga would let that concern for the inuhanyou show. He would show his annoyance at the move.
It was a pretty simple move. Inuyasha was never one for many things. Tamako had helped him pack up what things he had, and a few things he insisted on bringing of her mothers. Of course she didn't carry any of the things, her father and Kouga did most of that.
When they got back to the den, she was pretty excited. They'd left after her mothers funeral, and it didn't take long for them to get back to the den. Tamako took her fathers hand, looking up at him and smiling a little. "Come on, daddy. We'll get you set up in a room by us."
"You don't haveta go through any trouble...I don't gotta have nothing fancy.." he said, looking up at the cave. He wasn't looking forward to this either. Somehow he just didn't feel comfortable sleeping in a den full of wolves that probably hated him. Sometimes he'd wondered how Tamako felt comfortable in such a place.
"Oh daddy, I insist." she said, looking up at him. "And I know. Its all nothing fancy. You haven't really been around the den, have you? Its basically like a big village." she explained. Holding her dads hand as she walked in, hugging his arm a little bit. "We've got a sleeping quarters, a separate area thats just for me and Kouga, storage area, and a kitchen sort of area." she explained as she walked into the mouth of the cave that served as a general gathering area.
"This is just a general gathering area for people. They only chill around here though when its raining or snowing or something, because its so much nicer outside." she explained, bringing him down one hallway towards her and Kouga's own chambers. "Theres not many rooms in here. Not many people sleep close to our chambers. Theres bedrooms down here, but they usually sleep in the more common sleeping areas." she said.
"Really? Like your own little hut sorta.." he said slowly, glancing around at the walls of the cave as they entered.
Giggling and nodding a bit. "Sorta. Its kind of weird to be separated from everyone sometimes. But its pretty private this side of the den. Privacy is good sometimes." she said with a smile, looking up at her father.
"I...do hope you'll like it here. I'm glad you're here. I missed you." she told him with a soft smile.
Glancing at his daughter, he leaned to kiss the top of her head. Taking his hand back from hers and moving his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side a little. "I miss you too, princess. I'm sure I'll be fine. Still don't like the idea of being a dog in a wolf den though..."
She moved her arms around his waist as she walked with him, giggling softly. "Oh daddy, its a little weird at first being around so many demons. But you get used to it. You make friends. Its just like living with a village of humans."
"Yeah...but one of those humans back in the village isn't mating with my daughter." he answered in a soft growl.
Another giggle crept from her lips, shaking her head, blushing softly. "Daddy! Come on now, I'm a grown woman, about to have a pup. Really, honestly, I'm older than most village women who have kids.."
"Mmhm, you are. But, again, those village women aren't my daughter. I don't care how old you are, to me you're always my sweet little girl." he said softly, rubbing her shoulder. He rarely let anyone see into his heart but for his daughter and his mate.
Rubbing his side a little, smiling. "Good. I like that." she said.
Walking with him into a room that was just by her and Kouga's, it was a more simple bedroom, but it wasn't too small. It had a window carved from the cave wall looking outside, a bed like her and Kouga's and a dresser. "Welp, heres your room." she said, looking up at him. "Like it?"
He walked with her, looking into the room and nodding a little, flashing her just a small smile. She was the last thing that he felt could make him smile anymore. "Yeah...its perfect princess." he said. Leaning down and kissing her forehead gently before moving to put the bag he'd brought down on the bed.
"Great!" she exclaimed, closing the door behind her and looking up at him. "Mine and Kouga's room is right down the hall. Its the door at the end of the hall. But...you know that."
"Didn't...I stay in this room with your mother when we came after your first human night here? When you got hurt?" he asked.
Nodding. "Yes, it is. I wanted you close to me then, and I want you close to me now."
"How do the other wolves feel about this?"
"They're fine with it. The thing you have to know about wolves, once you mate with one of their own, you become one of their own. They consider me their sister now. And not only that, I'm the leader of the packs mate. And therefore, you being my father means you're their family too. Its one big family here. I love it." she explained with a soft smile. Walking to the bed, she moved to sit down on it. Being on her feet and being so pregnant tired her out. And in an instant Inuyasha held her hand and arm to help her sit.
A smile crossed her lips as she sat with her fathers help, one hand resting back on the mat. "Thanks daddy." she said, looking up at him.
"So...it really is like a family? I remember Kouga muttering some bullshit like that when he was trying to claim your mother when we were hunting Naraku."
Nodding slowly, giggling again. "Yeah it is. Kouga doesn't tell me much about when he was trying to court mama. He just tells me that he thinks he felt so strangely attached to her because she would be my mother. Something about a...sixth sense." she said, shrugging.
Inuyasha laughed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. The wolf wanted your mom because she could see the jewel shards. Though...your mom was perfect still..." he said, a small frown forming on his lips as he thought about his past mate.
"She was perfect." she said, looking up at her father, smiling a little. "And...I know she'd want me to take care of you. Just like you did to me when I was little. We're a team dad. No matter what happens...you'll always be my dad. And I love you, and I want to see you happy. With family. With me and your grandkids..."
Glancing to his daughter as she spoke, a small smile pulling at his lips. "You know...I never thought I'd be a father, much less a grandfather."
"Really? Didn't you wanna be a dad?"
"Mmhm, I did. But, you know how I grew up. Always thinking I didn't deserve things like that. You know how people feel about hanyous. Never belonging to the world of the youkai or the world of the humans. I never thought I was good enough to have a mate and have children. Your mom taught me otherwise. She woke me up, taught me how to live. And when I'd lost her the first time...I felt for sure I'd never feel that again.." he started to say, closing his eyes halfway. "And then when the well worked and I got through and laid eyes on you...I knew I was alive, for you. I'll always be here for you. Even...even with your mother gone again, I've vowed to always protect you, be there for you. And I intend on living up to that vow to the best of my abilities."
Listening to his story, she smiled a bit more and nodded. "Good. I don't want to loose you too. And I'm glad you decided to come live with us. Its a fresh new start."
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Tamako had left her father to settle into his room while she went out to see about dinner and chat with the other women of the pack. Dinner was almost ready, and she was starving. It felt like she always hungry lately since she'd been pregnant. Kouga would say it was because she was not only feeding herself, but their pup too. She couldn't deny that. At first she'd had her mother to talk to every now and then about the side effects of pregnancy. Though, now that her mother was gone, she didn't know what else to do. Maybe some of the other women in the pack could help.
As the women were getting dinner ready and taking it out to the main room of the den, Tamako walked with them. It was nice out, so they would eat at the gathering area of the den, and a few possibly would eat outside.
"See...what I don't get is how this..." Tamako said, pointing at her stomach. "Is going to come out. Like...the pup feels huge and I'm not even full term yet.."
One of the women giggled at her a little. "Ohh Tamakochan. Women have been having pups and babies since the dawn of man and demon kind. It can happen. It'll hurt though. A lot." the woman said, shuddering a little as she walked, carrying the bowls for the pot of food that was being brought out.
"Ohh yeah it'll hurt." another woman chimed in. "Imagine squeezing a huge boulder out."
"And if its more than one? Let me tell you, I had four pups at once. That was the worst!" another woman called.
"Yeah, and they always expect to pup you again soon after. Men, I swear. They should carry the child, cook and clean while pupped, and give birth. See how they like it..." someone else said.
This all was making Tamako even more nervous. Gulping a little as she listened. "Kouga wouldn't want me pupped right away. I mean...he's not that eager for more pups.."
"Honey, they all are eager." one of the women said.
Walking with them and stopping just in the food area, looking up at them. "You said four pups at once? How do you know if its more than one?" she asked.
The woman that had mentioned four pups decided to answer. "Well...sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. When I had four, I knew it because I got way too huge for just one." she said, looking Tamako up and down a little. "I'd say...if you have multiples, its probably only two."
Watching them in horror as she looked down at her stomach. Sometimes she really did miss Tokyo and its modern medicines. "Great..."
"C'mon girls you're scarin' her." Kouga's voice came in from behind. He came up behind his mate, resting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them, leaning to kiss the side of her neck that his mating mark was on.
"We're only tellin' the truth! You men don't know what its like to be pupped. It ain't easy, I'll tell ya." one of the women said.
"Course it ain't. We take real good care of you when you're pupped cause you're giving us pups. I hate seeing her uncomfortable." Kouga said with a small pout.
This made Tamako smile, looking up at her. "You're so sweet." she said, leaning to kiss his cheek. "Would you go get my father for dinner?" she asked.
Looking at her, about to protest when he saw the cute look she gave him. "Please? I'm tired of standing and I just wanna sit down and eat dinner." she continued.
Just nodding to her, kissing the top of her head. "Take a seat. I'll be back.." he answered her, which just made her smile as she went to sit down with a little help from one of the women.
While she sat, Kouga made his way to the room Inuyasha had been settled in. Knocking once on the door before he opened it. "Come on, mutt-face. Dinner is ready."
When he looked into the room he saw Inuyasha sitting on one of the dressers by the window, one leg off of the dresser, one leg propped up and his elbow resting on his knee, his chin in his hand. His golden orbs were staring out the window, and he looked pretty deep in thought.
At the sound of Kouga's words, Inuyasha only nodded. "Okay. Thanks." he said softly.
The hanyou's response frustrated Kouga a little bit. Usually calling him a mutt would get rise out of the inuhanyou. But he almost could understand why Inuyasha didn't feel like bickering right then, it was understandable.
"Tamako's waitin' on ya." Kouga added, still standing in the doorway.
A sigh came from Inuyasha's lips as he pushed to stand up, walking towards the door and shooting a look to Kouga. "I'm coming damnit. Look, I'm living here because my daughter wants me here. But don't think for a minute that you are the boss of me, wolf boy."
Kouga growled a little at the challenge Inuyasha seemed to present. "Oh really? Well, I am the leader of this pack, you are in my den. I'm only letting you stay because Tamako insists and it will make her happy. Don't think I won't beat you down, mutt."
"How 'bout this. You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours. Sound like a deal wolf boy?"
"Fine. Deal. However, I will not have my word disrespected around my pack. In this den, my word is law. I cannot have another male in here disrespecting me. That, mutt, would be a challenge to my leadership."
"Keh, I don't want your damn leadership, wolf." Inuyasha said. Walking to brush past him and walk towards the common area of the den. Oh, this was going to be 'fun.'