A/N: Hey sorry it took me a while to get this chapter out. I got a new job writing for a website, along with that, my primary job, and college final exams starting next week I've been swamped.
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Chapter 42: True Heir
Things were going so well with Tamako and Kouga. It was like they were courting again. She went out on walks with him, lunches together. But, she didn't move back in with him yet. She was still working on it, but for now she loved just being with him. She didn't want to complicate it with their problems, she just wanted to feel safe and happy with him.
And he was content with that. He had even a little bit of her back, and it was enough for him for now. It was better than he'd gotten for months.
And the sex definitely hadn't been a one-time thing, either. It'd been two weeks, and they'd had a lot more sex over those two weeks than they had in months. Of course, just one time was more than they'd had in months. But, they were together more than that.
They walked back from their lunch and bath perfectly happy and content with themselves and each other.
He glanced at her a little, a grin forming on his lips. Quickly he moved to scoop Tamako up off her feet, making her squeal and giggle in his arms. Her arms slid around his neck, gripping him a little as he carried her.
"Kougaaa! What're you doing?" she asked, laughing.
"Mm, carrying whats mine." he said, glancing at her face a little as he walked. "Problem?" he asked playfully.
She could only giggle, shaking her head. "Nope, no problem that I can see." she said. Leaning up and kissing his cheek gently, nuzzling her nose against it slowly.
"Good. Cause I am the alpha male here. And what I say goes."
"Ohh really? Mr. big and tough alpha?" she asked.
"Yup. Leader of the pack. I think I proved just how big and tough I am to you enough for today. Just today though, you might have to be reminded tomorrow."
A deep red blush spread over her cheeks as he reminded her of their lovemaking. "Kougaa!" she said.
"Whaat? You might forget." he said with a grin.
"Oh, I'll never forget." she promised, resting her head on his shoulder and looking up at him.
They were both too into each other to notice the figure that was in the woods by them. And one that slowly stepped out. A female, with her arms crossed across her chest as she looked at the couple. "Disgusting." she said..
Tamako's eyes moved from Kouga to the woman by them. A growl slowly escaped her throat as she squirmed in Kouga's arms. "Put me down. Now." she said.
He complied with her request, sitting her down on her feet just in front of him, his hands resting on her shoulders. "Ayame, what is it you want?" he asked.
Ayame looked up at Kouga when he addressed her. "To talk to you."
"That will happen over my dead body." Tamako answered, growling at the woman standing in front of them, glaring at her. "You rutted MY mate. I have every right to rip your head off, you slut." she warned.
"Tsk tsk tsk, name calling does not become you, Tamako." Ayame answered, looking at the half demon in front of her. "Like a half demon really can take me..."
"Oh, you'll see what this half demon can do to your slutty ass. Why don't you go find a mate of your own? Or, are you too busy stealing someone else's? Oh wait, I bet no male wants you, right? I mean, you did rut someone else. You're loose now." Tamako pushed.
And, Kouga was not going to stop her. He kept his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them slowly, trying to keep his mate calm. Even he knew better than to fuck with Tamako when she got angry most times.
But, Ayame didn't. She growled at Tamako's words, glaring at her. "Me? We're talking about me? You're lucky, no self respecting full youkai would mate with a lowly hanyou. Its disgusting. Besides, if your mate really was happy with just you, he wouldn't have rutted me."
Tamako's hands gripped into tight fists at her side as she growled deeply. Slowly, small purple jagged lines started to form across her cheeks as her youkai blood screamed to rip the woman in front of her apart. For the second time today, her youkai blood screamed at her. Earlier, her youkai blood screamed for the passion and pleasure Kouga was giving her. But this time, her blood boiled for her to kill the woman who dared to touch what belonged to her.
"You deceitful slut. You came down here all sweet and innocent asking for help. His trust is not in question here right now. Trust me, I'm dealing with his betrayal. But you, how dare you show your face around me again? You touched what belongs to me. Be grateful I didn't rip your throat out months ago." Tamako said in a growl.
Her words caused Kouga to grip her shoulders a bit as he rubbed them, trying to keep her calm. Looking up at Ayame slowly. "What is it you came here for?" he finally asked.
At his question, Ayame smiled, looking up at him. "You haven't come to meet your son, Kouga. Your true son." she said.
Tamako growled, shaking her head. "My son is his true son, not yours. You are not his mate. You're just a whore, thats all you'll ever be."
It was Ayame's turn to growl, glaring at Tamako. "Oh my son is his true son. My son is full wolf demon, Kouga's true heir. You'll do well to shut up, half breed." she told her.
As she growled, Tamako's fists gripped tighter, her elongated claws pricking the skin of her palms a little bit as she did. "No, I will not shut up, bitch. My son will not be disrespected! Besides, he doesn't have a bit of human in him." she declared.
"But...but how is that possible?" Ayame asked, confused.
Tamako grinned, showing her fangs a little bit. "Simple. The demon blood I carry is stronger than my human blood. The blood of Inu no Taisho runs through my veins, who was one of the strongest daiyoukai's in all of Japan. Its his blood that runs through my veins, and will not bow to human blood. How else do you think I'm only a half demon, when my father was a half demon who mated a human?" she asked.
Listening to her, Ayame growled, shaking her head. "But still, my son is full wolf! How could you let a half dog lead the pack?" she asked, looking up at Kouga.
It was Kouga's turn to growl slowly. "You will not disrespect my son, Ayame."
"Yet you call yourself a father and have yet to even set eyes upon your own son! A father does not deny his son, no matter who his mother." she said.
Kouga nodded a little. "Your son is mine, yes. But he is illegitimate. I will treat him like my son, I will be a father. But he will not be my heir, he will not be seen a equal amongst the wolves. Whether Tamako bore me a son yet or not, he would not be in the running for the heir. Say Tamako didn't bear me a son, but did in a few years...it is Tamako's son that will be my heir, she is my legitimate mate, wife."
Ayame growled slowly, gritting her teeth a little. "No! I will not have my son treated as illegitimate! He is legitimate! You call yourself a father, yet you have not even laid eyes on your own son. You hadn't named him like a father should. I did that. You have not even asked his name..."
"What is his name, Ayame?" Kouga asked.
He could feel Tamako tense beneath his hands on her shoulders, but she stayed silent aside from a soft growl in her throat.
"Isao." Ayame answered.
Kouga nodded slowly. "Isao is my son. Like I said, I will treat him like my son...it is not the child's fault he was born illegitimately. But I can do nothing about his stature in the pack."
"No, my son will not be treated like that. I refuse." she told him.
"Thats the best that you'll get Ayame, I'm sorry." he told her, rubbing Tamako's shoulders and bringing her back against his chest a little as he stood behind her.
"Its not good enough! Isao is your son, you should fight for him if you're any kind of father!" she yelled, glaring at Kouga now.
Kouga sighed a little, thinking for a minute and looking down at Tamako. He was about to make a decision without his mate being in on it first, but it had to be done. Looking back up at Ayame slowly. "Then bring him and leave him with me. He'll be raised with mine and Tamako's pups, almost as if he were ours. Thats the only way he will have any kind of stature in the pack. People will know he's not my heir, but I can raise him with Koichi and Sayuri."
"No." Tamako said, stopping his words. Shrugging his hands off her shoulders and turning to look at him. "No, I will not raise that kid along with mine! No. Thats your answer, Kouga."
Kouga growled, looking at her. "What I say goes, Tamako. If Ayame agrees to it, you will raise Isao with our pups, like it or not."
Tamako rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest and shaking her head. "No I will not. If thats how you'll have it, then you can raise Isao by yourself in your den. I will not be constantly reminded of your betrayal!"
"This is not a reminder of that..." he assured. Moving to take her shoulders, pulling her to look at him. "This is what I must do...can't you see that? Isao is my son, regardless of whom his mother is. Can't you see that I just cannot disown my flesh and blood?" he asked.
She only shook her head, pulling from his hands. "No. I can't see that. Because I'm over here trying my hardest to learn how to trust you again! I'm not the one that went off and fucked someone else. You are. You don't know what its like to live with something like that. Maybe I should go fuck someone else, huh?" she asked.
Kouga growled, shaking his head. "Do, and the man you fuck will be a dead man. I promise you that."
"Then she should be a dead woman!" Tamako yelled, pointing at Ayame. "I should have killed her when I found out! I should have never let you back with me."
Her words made him pause, shaking his head. "Tamako...please. Listen to me. We're working past all that."
"I thought we were. And then you offer to bring her son into my house? As far as I'm concerned, her son has nothing to do with us!" she said.
"Can't control your woman, Kouga?" Ayame teased.
"Shut up!" Tamako and Kouga yelled in unison, both shooting a glare at Ayame.
"This doesn't concern you. You have no say in this. I'm his mate! You're his slut!" Tamako yelled at Ayame.
"Stop calling her that. She isn't my anything." Kouga defended.
Tamako's eyes darted back to Kouga, growling. "Oh so you're defending her? You wanna defend her and expect me to raise her child. No. You made this decision without me, so I'll give you my decision. You can either have me and our pups, or you can have her and her pup. You cannot have both. You cannot mix the two. I will not raise that womans child. Thats the final decision." she told him.
"You...you can't mean that. Come on Tamako..." he said slowly, reaching one hand out to her.
But, she backed away from his touch. "No, don't touch me. You're not touching me again for a long time." she said, turning her face away and hugging herself a little.
Kouga sighed a little, looking at her face. "Please...you have to understand. I cannot abandon my son...what kind of man would I be if I do that? Abandon my own blood?"
"And what kind of woman would I be if I could raise the child thats the result of an affair my husband had? You don't seem to get what you did to me. Its been so hard to even be near you anymore. You have no idea. You can't ask me to do this, not when I don't even know if I can actually trust you enough to be with you again." she told him.
Kouga looked at her dumbfounded, not sure what to say. He didn't want to abandon his pups, any of them. Slowly glancing from Tamako to Ayame, and then back to Tamako. "I...I can't abandon him..."
Tamako nodded a bit, chewing on her bottom lip and turning her face away. "So you choose to abandon us then? Fine...fine I get your choice." she said, fighting the tears she knew were building up.
"Tamako..." he said. Stepping up to her and moving to rest his hands on the sides of her neck. "Please. Don't make me do this...I can't choose between my children and my mate. I need you, I need our pups..."
Looking up at him, shaking her head. "I can't raise a pup you created with another woman. I can't. You can't ask that of me."
Slowly he rubbed her neck with his thumbs, sighing a little. "I don't know what to do here...tell me what to do." he said.
"Let her raise her own son. Be a father to him if you must, but do not ask me to raise him."
"You could raise him with me..." Ayame chimed in, looking up at Kouga.
He looked towards Ayame at the sound of her voice, shaking his head. "You know I cannot do that. I need my mate. She is like the air I breathe, I need her. I can't loose my family over one mistake.."
"So...it was a mistake?" Ayame asked.
Tamako leaned a little into Kouga, moving her hands up to rest on his wrists, resting her forehead forward against his shoulder.
"It was. Can't you see it cost me everything? If you care about me at all like you say you do..you will stop this. You will let me be happy with my wife..." he told her.
But Ayame shook her head. "My son comes first. I cannot just allow you to treat him like he doesn't matter."
Tamako took in a breath, leaning a little bit back from him and looking up at his face. "Deal with this. I told you what your choices are. Make one. And let me know what choice you've made. I cannot make this choice for you, I can only lay down what they are." she said.
Leaning back from his hands, Tamako glared towards Ayame. "And you. If I ever see your face again, I will rip you to pieces I swear that. By demon law, I have every right to. But the human blood in me, my human heart, that you seem to think is such a weakness, will not let me. Because you are a mother, your pup needs you. That is why I don't rip you to pieces. Be thanking my humanity, because the demon in me wants to taste your blood." she warned dangerously.
Looking into her eyes, Ayame could tell that she wasn't kidding in the least.
Tamako held eye contact for a few minutes before she turned her head and walked away, towards where the hut was. She couldn't believe she was trusting Kouga to be near Ayame alone. But, she was pretty sure Kouga wouldn't do it again, and she was also pretty sure that he'd had his fill of sex for the afternoon since the sex they'd had earlier in the afternoon had been pretty intense and amazing.
But still, she couldn't help but worry, insecurities floating around in her mind as she tested the trust of her mate.
Watching her go, Kouga knew that Tamako meant business. Really, he admired her strength, a strength he didn't think he'd have if the situation were reversed. He was sure he'd kill anyone who would dare sleep with his mate. Though he knew about Kohaku, to a point, he didn't know the whole story behind what happened between Kohaku and Tamako in Tokyo, not yet.
He looked up to Ayame, shaking his head. "I can't choose you over her, Ayame. I need her...she's my entire life. You'll understand when you find a mate some day, I promise." he said.
She pouted, looking up at his face and biting her bottom lip. "How can you choose that woman over your own child? Isao is your son! Your full blooded wolf demon son!" she asked.
Gently he moved to rest his hands on her shoulders, looking down into her eyes. "I want to be there for him, I really do. And...my offer still stands. If you wish me to raise him, I will. With Tamako, though. Not with you."
"What about what Tamako said? Huh?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and looking away. "And what about me? Thats my son too...Kami he looks like you, just like you, it amazes me so, so much. I see you when I look into our sons eyes..." she said, turning her eyes back up to look at his face.
"I'll deal with Tamako. She will listen, like it or not. But I can't have you around her. Me and her...we're just now starting to get better together. She's like the air I breath, Ayame. Without her I feel like I'm suffocating. I need her in my life. We're bound, forever. You claim to know our traditions...you know the traditions we have as mates..." he said slowly.
She bit her bottom lip, shaking her head. "I know...but...but we have a son. I want whats best for my son, Kouga..." she said, looking up at him. "My son will not be second to hers."
"I know its not a normal situation...but...there isn't anything I can do, Ayame. Isao is my blood, yes. But he is not my legitimate heir. He's not. No matter what you do he never will be. I think...whats best for him is either to be raised with my pups, or to be taken back and raised with you. With you he'd have a chance at being a leader..."
Crossing her arms across her chest, Ayame shook her head. "A leader? Yeah. With everyone calling his mom a whore. Good luck." she said, turning her head away. She'd heard the rumors that were quickly spread, the names people called her behind her back. She didn't like it, but she didn't regret being with Kouga.
Gripping her shoulders a little. "You cannot let names bother you. You must be strong for your son. Find a mate, raise the pup. I'll help when I can..."
Thinking about it, she wasn't sure. Glancing up at his face slowly. "And...and if I give you my son?"
"Then I'll raise him with Tamako like he were ours. I am a good father, Ayame. I love my pups with all of my heart. Tamako had two pups. Sayuri, my little princess, and Koichi, my big strong man. There isn't a thing I wouldn't do for them. I would give up my life for theirs in a heartbeat. And, if you gave Isao to me to raise, I would do the same for him. Hell, even if you didn't give him to me to raise I'd do anything for him. Blood is blood."
She shook her head slowly, tears actually starting to well up in her eyes. "I...I don't know if I can give him to you. He's...he's my son." she said, biting her bottom lip.
"And you don't have to. Its your choice. I'll make Tamako listen to me, one way or another. I'm only giving you options here."
Ayame nodded slowly, sniffling a bit and wiping her eyes, nodding again before looking up at him. "Okay."
"Okay what?"
"Okay...I'll give you my son. But..but I want to see him still..."
Kouga nodded slowly. "Of course. We'll figure something out. Now go. Please don't come back here and anger Tamako anymore. I'll send Ginta to speak with you and arrange something..." he said.
Now, there was just getting Tamako to see his reasoning. He'd promised he'd make her listen...but Tamako could be pretty stubborn when she wanted to be. And, she wasn't going to like this. He'd sort of hoped Ayame would choose to raise Isao on her own. But, he'd given his word, and he wouldn't go back on that.
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The whole way back to the hut, Kouga wondered how he was going to speak to Tamako about this. Was she going to freak out? Or eventually accept it? He was betting on the freaking out.
Approaching the hut, he looked up and smiled a little as the vision of his mate and pups came into view.
Tamako sat outside just by the garden with both of the pups, holding Sayuri in her lap while Koichi sat just beside her, trying to climb up to share her lap.
When she'd gotten home, she'd just needed to see her pups. She'd been pretty angry and upset, and the two of them just calmed her right down, made herself put things into perspective and breath. And now she sat with them outside, since it was so pretty out.
She held a small toy in her hands, playing with the kids. It was a more simplified version of one of the cubes that was hollow and had cutouts in shapes, where small blocks with those shapes went into their specific hole. She'd had one as a child, and had made one for her children.
"Where does this one go?" she asked, holding up the star shaped block, offering it to Sayuri.
A smile crossed her lips as Sayuri took it, slowly looking at the block like she was trying to figure it out.
But, Koichi reached up. "I do it! ME!" he said, trying to snatch the block from his sister.
Sayuri whined and growled at her brother, trying to pull away from him. She'd still not really spoken a word, but she was a smart kid. She could figure out these puzzles a lot quicker than her brother could. She just...didn't have anything to say yet.
"Okay okay, calm down kids, lets not fight on mommys lap." Tamako said with a giggle.
Glancing up, she saw Kouga enter her line of vision, smiling a little to him. She was sure he'd made the right decision, he was her mate after all, he couldn't choose another woman over her, she was sure of it.
"Look, Daddy's back." she said.
Koichi looked up at his father, grinning from ear to ear. "Daddy!" he said. Pulling himself to stand up, moving to take a step. Both Tamako and Kouga's eyes were locked on the child as he attempted to take a step. Koichi had been trying to walk for days now, just couldn't get it down.
But, the toddler tried to step and failed. Falling flat on his face, he whined, looking up at his father. "Daddyyy!"
Kouga chuckled, walking over and moving to pick his son up. Bringing Koichi against his chest a little. "Hey there, big guy. Lets not hurt yourself, okay?" he asked, kissing Koichi's cheek slowly.
Tamako looked up at him slowly. "So...how'd it go?" she asked, holding Sayuri. She didn't even notice as Sayuri took the block, finding the hole that the star shaped block went into. Pushing the piece into the hole, smiling happily to herself. Looking up, though, she saw her parents were talking and pouted since they hadn't seen her small victory.
"Yeah...I need to talk to you about that later. It...it can wait though." he said.
"Later? So you can't tell me now? So I can presume something happened that the pups cannot hear of?" she asked.
Kouga shook his head. "Later, Tamako. Now is not the time."
"Oh of course its the time. Go ahead, tell us. Tell your family what you've chosen."
"Not now." Kouga said, gripping Koichi a little against him. He didn't really want to have it out right there in front of the pups.
"No no no, tell us. Did you choose the bad woman and her spawn, or us?" she asked, watching her language in front of the very impressionable children.
Kouga sighed, moving to take a seat next to Tamako, looking at her face. "Relax. We just need to work some things out in private. It can happen later. You don't have anything to worry about." he said. Leaning over and kissing her cheek slowly, brushing his nose against it. He was afraid Tamako wouldn't back his choice, take his pups and be done. So, he wanted to soak in the last bit of 'family time' he could.
Looking at him, she pouted a bit but nodded. "Alright then...later." she said, looking down at Sayuri. Smiling at the look on her daughters face, she laughed. "Good girl! You did it all by yourself." she said.
Sayuri smiled at the acknowledgement, reaching for another block to try again.
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A/N: Cliffhangerrr! Will Tamako absolutely flip out? Or will she accept it? :-p...I'm mean I know.