Sequel to Chapter 48 (KogSan, Forest Service Ranger, Maroon)

She'd barely been able to get any work done after he'd left, the smug bastard. Sango groaned, checking the clock for the umpteenth time, then chastising herself for doing so. "Get it together. He's not even that hot." It was a bald-faced lie, but no one was around to contradict her, so she was sticking to it.

Sighing, she checked in with the other rangers, focusing on something tangible like keeping the campers from burning the forest down. Maybe she'd go for a walk and check on a few of the places people were more likely to hide fires.

They always argued the signs weren't obvious, even though they were painted in almost fluorescent colours at every entrance to the park, and it would be a good way to get rid of the frustration that had been growing ever since Kouga had left.

Yes, she knew his name.

No, she wasn't about to admit she'd looked up his lineage after he'd left.

All she'd really needed to know was that he wasn't a psychopath. Cocky grin and blue eyes aside, Sango had a habit of attracting the wrong kinds of people, and she'd settle with dealing with her pent-up libido than another broken heart any day.

Grabbing her keys, she headed into the wilderness, breathing in the fresh mountain air. From the look of things, most campers were spending the day at the lake, which made her job that much easier, but it also meant she had no one to yell at.

A slight shuffle of bushes and subsequent hushed whispers had her turning around, almost giddy at the prospect of laying into someone about the fire ban, but she was instantly disappointed to find a pair of young wolf youkai digging in the dirt.

They jumped when they saw her, eyes widening at being caught by a human, but she knelt down, offering them a soft smile. "What are you digging for?" The pups looked at each other, holding their hands behind their backs, and Sango laughed. "I'm not going to steal your treasure; I was just going to tell you what a great place you'd found. No one else has thought to look here."

One of them pulled his hands out, showing off a collection of ashen rocks, and she gasped as she got a closer look. "Wow! You must've been digging for a long time!"

The boy perked up, puffing out his chest. "We're miners!"

"And very talented ones, at that."

The other boy narrowed his eyes at her, still hiding his bounty, then leaned closer, inhaling deeply. Sango kept still, knowing he was about the age to start joining pack hunts and not wanting to contradict anything he'd been taught at home.

He eyed her again, then grabbed her hand, tugging her past their hole and further into the thicket. "Did you have another spot you wanted to show me?" she asked, keeping her eyes on both boys, the first showing her each stone in turn and explaining what he liked best about it.

They eventually came to the mouth of a cave, and Sango dug her heels into the ground. "I can't go in there. I'm sure your alpha has rules about—" The pup let go of her hand, howling into the cave before zipping around and shoving her from behind. She stumbled, hands going out to brace herself against the forest floor but hitting a wall of muscle instead.

"Oi! What have I told you about—"

"I found your treasure," the pup said, finally speaking. Sango blanched, staring up at the one person she'd been trying not to think about all afternoon.

Kouga raised an eyebrow, looking between the two boys and then her. "You're not supposed to be this far into our territory."

"I wasn't!" She tried to pull away, but Kouga had her by both elbows. "They were telling me about playing miners, and then one dragged me here!"

"She smells like you! She's your treasure!" the second boy argued, crossing his arms. "You told me we're supposed to return things to people they belong to."

"Lots of things smell like me. It's what marking territory is all—"

The boy stomped up to them, then pointed at her neck. "Not there! You said that place is special." Sango flushed, remembering why Kouga's scent lingered around her neck. "See! She knows it too!"

Kouga growled at the pair, but the second stood his ground, crossing his arms over his chest, and the older wolf eventually groaned. "This is what I get for training ya too well. Fine, she's my treasure. Ya found her. Happy?"

The boys looked at each other and shared a smug smile, the first pocketing his rocks. "You should keep a better eye on her. You don't want to lose her again." They waved at Sango, then ran into the cave.

Kouga ran a hand down his face, finally releasing her. "Sorry 'bout that. They have overactive imaginations."

She nodded, unable to look him in the eyes. "I need to get back to work." She stepped away from him, making it halfway to the treeline before backtracking, brushing her lips against the underside of his jaw. "I'll see you later."

He didn't say anything as she returned to the station, but she swore she heard triumphant howling as she made her way up the steps.