Kagome Higurashi was your average high school teenager who yearned to fit in and live a normal life. One day she found herself crawling out of a well into another time. In that time she fell in love but within the past 24 hours everything she held onto so tightly began to tumble out of her grasps. The wall she had built to keep the Wolf Demon Prince out was falling apart, and her sadness began to leak through the cracks.

"I don't want Kouga to go back!" Sota whined.

After the night's festivities, grandpa had retired and Kagome, Kouga, her mother and brother sat around in the living room drinking tea from tall ceramic mugs. The Wolf Prince let out a hearty laugh. As much as he wanted to stay with Kagome in her world after their day of fun he knew it was only a matter of time till he had to go back. One, Kagome would make sure of it, two, he had responsibilities he still had to tend to back home as well. All of this was far to complicated to get a ten-year-old to understand. "Well I'm going to stay as long as your sister wants me too," Kouga grinned, "but it won't be long till the pups back home start to wonder where their leader went."

Over hearing this Kagome turned to the pair and felt as if an invisible hand pulled at her heart strings. Seeing Kouga interact with her brother, dressed in costume still, made a gear inside begin to tick. The sight of them smiling and laughing as he tickled the small boy version of herself sent her mind reeling. If she didn't choose Inuyasha... if she chose Kouga? This raised a number of pros and cons. No doubt he'd love me and care for me just as much if not that more than Inuyasha... oh Inuyasha... what am I doing? Her heart still yearned for the white haired hanyou. This was to be expected she decided. I just can't forget about being in love with him over night! She silently wondered if she had lost her mind. She just considered "loving" Kouga! I don't love Kouga! Inside she struggled to accept the strange emotions that came at the thought of being with someone who wasn't the dog demon.

Kagome's mom smiled at er visitor, "Well Kouga, I'm going to make you a bed upstairs. You're welcome to stay the night. I think it would be for the best so you and Kagome and can travel back through the well together tomorrow."

He gave a nod and watched as she got up from her spot and walk towards the stairs leading to the second floor. Sota came up from behind and pounced on him wrapping his arms around his neck.

"So, are you both leaving in the morning then?" Sota questioned.

Kouga shrugged, "If that's what Kagome wants."

I hope to the Gods it's not...

Kagome pushed the thought of Inuyasha to the back of her mind and that's when Kouga's words sank in. "If that's what Kagome wants." Small rose bushes warmed her cheeks as she gazed at the Wolf Prince. He always says things like that Kagome, pull yourself together! Then she wondered, maybe it wasn't because of him saying this that made her heart do back flips, but maybe it was because he would actually do anything for her. Kouga was without a doubt a more self-less person in comparison to Inuyasha and went the extra mile to prove it to her often. Her mother returned informing Kouga she had a bed set up for him in Kagome's room before ushering Sota up the steps to get him ready for bed as well.

The wolf demon glanced at the modern priestess, his heart pounding loudly in his chest as he thought about sleeping in the same vicinity as her. He took in the red blush on her pale cheeks and wondered if she felt alright. I hope she isn't sick, poor Kagome. He frowned placing a hand on her forehead.

"Uh Kouga, what are you doing?" she blinked.

He looked so serious and inched closer to her causing the red hues in her cheeks to deepen in color.

"Are you feeling okay Kagome, you're very warm," he growled. I swear if that mutt has been the cause of this he'll die by my own hands!

Kagome's stomach felt like a team of gymnasts were jumping around inside her stomach. A strange aroma wafted its a way from the wolf demon, yet it was familiar to her. He smells like the forest, like the trees... oh my god! Without warning she jumped up and clutched at her heart, trying as hard as could to force the unusual scent away without looking like something was wrong. "Don't be silly Kouga, I'm just tired," she chuckled nervously.

"Oh," he stood sending her a goofy grin, "then let's get some rest Kagome."

"Right!" she agreed. Her thoughts reflected on what Kouga had said earlier that day about the scent she gave off. The aroma that confirmed his feelings for her, was that what she smelled? Or was that his natural odor? I mean that would make sense seeing how he lives in a world without shampoo and conditioner, he just smells like his home! But Kouga lived in the mountains, sure he may wonder into the woods from time to time to hunt with his pack but certainly the smell of pine and oak didn't cling to him, right? She wanted so desperately to believe this.

The Wolf Prince was fast asleep when the school girl returned from the bathroom. She gazed down at his sleeping form nestled under blankets her mother had prepared for him. Noticing his armor next to him she blushed and tried to not picture him without his top on but a part of her remained curious even as she climbed into bed. Still transfixed on his sleeping form she didn't take her eyes away from him and nearly fell out of bed when his eye lids snapped open and peered back at her.

"I thought you were tired?" he raised a brow.

"I thought you were asleep," she retorted.

He shook his head a grin appearing on his face, "No way."

She huffed, "Well, I'm a little tired but it takes me a few minutes to wind down."

"Ah," he smirked noticing the small blush on her cheeks and caught her scent. Lust? Maybe his sniffer was out of whack. "So are we going back in the morning?"

She gave a small nod, "Most likely, I think its safe to say if Inuyasha came looking for me he'd lose his mind if you were here."

This made Kouga frown. Even after their fantastic day together he couldn't make her forget about his rival. His memories lingered to the early afternoon when she had been crying over the dog-demon. Anger began to boil in the pit of his stomach. "Kagome, what did he do to you? You don't have to tell me but earlier today, it killed me to see you like that," he sighed and in it Kagome swore she could hear his heart break.

She didn't realize what she had said until after the fact. She felt her heart drop at the sight of the heart broken wolf demon. He honestly just cares about me, and I feel like I should confide in him... Kouga is a true friend or else he wouldn't have chased me across time.

Sitting up she hugged her knees to her chest. It was safe to say she felt vulnerable but Kouga, this time around, was her shield.

"You see, the well you came from Kouga to get here, that's my entrance into your world. I fell down the well about a year ago and met Inuyasha. When we had met he thought I was Kikyo," she began to explain.

Kouga raised a brow, "The dead priestess?"

Kagome confirmed with a nod, "You see, fifty years ago Inuyasha and Kikyo were lovers, and Naraku deceived them into thinking that one had been betrayed by the other and when I freed Inuyasha from the spell Kikyo had placed on him he thought I had been her... It's said that I am her reincarnation. In addition to that it was my fault the Shikon no Tama had shattered and I took on the responsibility of tracking down these shards with Inuyasha before Naraku or another evil demon found them."

"Hmm," he wondered, "so were you two fighting over the shards?"

She shook her head, "No, I went to find him this morning so we could continue our journey and I found him with Kikyo." Tears began to well up in her chocolate brown eyes as the image of Inuyasha holding Kikyo came to mind. "I thought he may have went after her but I was hoping to catch up with him before hand but instead I caught them together. I have stumbled upon them before on accident not knowing he was in search of her but this time it was different. Inuyasha admitted his feelings for me...to her..."

Kouga stared at her in shock, "What?"

"He loves us both... but he said if I wasn't in the way when we finished defeating Naraku he'd go to hell with her... If I wasn't in the way... so if I let him go with her... he would just... just... forget about me..." No longer could the modern priestess hold in her feelings, tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she hid her head in between her knees. The half demon wanted Kikyo after all, it hit her in full force this time around. If I were to never return Inuyasha wouldn't even care!

The Wolf Prince couldn't take it any longer. Leaping out of the blankets on the floor he wrapped his protective arms around her and pulled the young girl into him. Kagome found herself crying into his bare chest, her hands numbly gripping at his body as she sobbed. He hated to see his woman in so much despair, it was tearing his insides apart. "If I could Kagome, I'd kill that mutt, I hate him for what he's done to you." You would never let me though.

The husky tone of his pained voice sent shivers down her spine. "Please don't Kouga," she begged.

He chuckled lightly, "You know I would never do anything to hurt you Kagome physically or emotionally."

"You know I would never do anything to hurt you Kagome..." These words echoed on repeat. A sudden yearning to crane her head and meet his lips struck her. If she just turned her head slightly upward... Inuyasha was far from mind once Kouga had embraced her. The way they were positioned on her bed was comforting. She noted how well they fit together, like a puzzle piece.

The Youkai, although he wanted so badly to kiss her as well, was more concerned with meeting her needs. He just wanted to ensure her happiness and comfort her in a way no one else could. For the first time the priestess wanted nothing more than to return the affections he so often displayed for her. She wanted him to know she was thankful and didn't want him to leave her side. It just took her opening up to him to realize where her loyalties truly lied but now wasn't the time. Instead she allowed the wolf demon to hold her and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her crying had seized eventually and he was lowering them into her bed. He stroked her silky black hair, feeling the smoothness between his rough digits as he held a piece of it and brought it to his nostrils to sniff before letting it fall. Her scent was driving him mad with hunger but he forced the feeling down.

Kagome's eyes widened as the forest aroma returned, she felt as if she should say something but decided against it. "Thank you Kouga," she mumbled her lips against his chest.

He tightened his hold on her, "Kagome, I will always be here."