(I hope the first part of this chapter clears up why Kouga was the lenient with Ayame in the last chapter.)

Chapter Ten

It wasn't in Kouga's nature to give a shit about what others thought about him. Kagome was the only exception. He didn't hide from the crushing reality of his responsibilities. He wasn't Alpha for his strength alone. He'd fought and won his position as Alpha. He may not run his Pack in the traditional manner, but they were prospering.

He wasn't afraid of hurting Ayame's feelings, but he was afraid of Ayame starting something that he was going to have to finish. Ayame knew something had happened between him and Kagome. To what extent, it didn't really matter. She knew. Ayame wasn't the type of Wolf Demon to tether her feelings and if she chose to bring to light what she was suspicious of, Kagome would be the recipient. His pride would be on the line, but Kagome's would be shattered.

It all came down to the fact that if he over-reacted, Kagome would possibly be on the receiving end.

So he knew he had to deal with Ayame accordingly. Respect and honor came hand in hand. He'd warned her and his Leave her alone was all the warning needed. Leave well enough alone. He wouldn't tolerate a threat to any human under his watch, much less to Kagome.

There wasn't a single person alive outside of Kagome and himself that knew Kagome was in an undeserving position. God dammit, but she was deserving of what she wanted.

His jaw clenched. He'd made his position clear and Ayame had submitted.

He skidded to a halt in the forest, dead leaves kicking up behind him as he reached the small hut. Inuyasha's voice reached him, followed by Sango's and then Kagomes. He turned the corner and saw Kagome kneeling on the ground. His eyebrows snapped down when Kagome coughed, gagging before wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her kimono.

"What happened?" He snapped out and sank to his knees beside her, cautiously touching her back.

"Get your hand off her, you mutt." Inuyasha said and latched onto Kouga's wrist.

"Don't touch me, Inuyasha." Kouga said evenly, ignoring Inuyasha completely. He could feel Kagome's body tense beneath his hand, but it wasn't from his touch. She vomited a small amount of saliva, coughing again. "God dammit, what's wrong with her?"

Kagome shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. What was Kouga doing here? She hadn't even felt him approach. She lifted a hand and pointed towards the basket she'd held and opened her mouth but spit again.

"It's the mushrooms. They're poison, I think." Sango said from her kneeling position beside Kagome on the opposite side. She held Kagome's hair back. "She always tries them to make sure they're not poison."

"I couldn't let Sango do it." Kagome finally managed to speak, breaking the terse silence on her part. Sango was nearly nine months pregnant.

"And you let her?" Kouga asked, but his question was directed at Inuyasha. Poison? His stomach dropped. Was Inuyasha dense? Hell, was Sango for that matter?

"I've gotten bad ones before, Kouga. It happens." Kagome took a deep breath and sat up. For once, she didn't blush. She was too shaken up to even care about what had transpired between them.

"It doesn't 'happen', Kagome. There are varieties of plants out here that can even kill me." Hell, he didn't even like mushrooms. Why the hell did humans feel the need for mushrooms of all things, in their food? Fucking mushrooms.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Inuyasha asked, but his tone was even and calm. Probably for Kagome AND Sango's benefit.

"I was in the neighborhood." Kouga snapped out. He was tempted to tell the mutt to mind his own business but knew that wasn't the way to go. He was angry that they were letting Kagome try poisonous food. He picked up the small basket and deposited it in his lap and picked up two of the mushrooms.

He shook his head. "These aren't poisonous."

"They sure tasted poison." Kagome muttered sourly. Not the taste, but the effects afterward.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be tasting them, then." The thought angered him that they were letting Kagome put her life at risk. He stood from his crouched position and offered his hand to Kagome.

Staring at Kouga's outstretched hand, Kagome felt horrible. Poison, whether it really was poison or not, Inuyasha's arguments and then Kouga witnessing her vulnerable. She didn't like company when she vomited. Food poison was ten times more likely in the Feudal Era. She took Kouga's hand and let him pull her to her feet before withdrawing her hand. "Someone has to, or we'll all get sick."

He nodded his head towards Inuyasha. "Let him."

Inuyasha bristled. "Trying to kill me off, ya' mangy wolf? Well, I don't die that easily."

Sango stepped between the Half-Demon and Wolf Demon, sensing the tension that was growing between the two. "No, Inuyasha. That's not what Kouga means. He means that you should..." She trailed off, realizing that that would only piss Inuyasha off even more.

"No, that's exactly what I meant." Kouga interrupted before Sango could say anything more, catching onto what she had almost said. "Since you're not properly taking care of her, maybe I should." Hell knew he wouldn't let Kagome do something so stupid. She was human and the mutt was doing a poor execution of protecting her.

"Are you forgetting whose Mate you're talking to?"

His blue eyes narrowed. "Do you really want to go there, Inuyasha? Because I will. You let her poison herself. Poison herself, Inuyasha."

Kagome didn't know where the confrontation had come from, but Kouga was definitely making a confrontation. She hadn't seen Kouga in nearly two weeks and the moment he came back, he and Inuyasha were at odds. That was putting it mildly.

She swallowed past the tightness in her throat and stepped between them before their argument could break out into violence. She lifted her arms and directed her palms outward to near touching each mans chest and used minimal spiritual energy to shove the men apart.

"Stop it—the both of you. I'm alright, Kouga. Poisonous or not, I'm alright. What's gotten into you two? Just stop it. Now."

Sango looked ready to whip out a well concealed weapon. Kouga didn't doubt the slayer carried some form of weapon.

When Kagome would have reached for the basket, Kouga lifted it out of her reach and dumped the contents unceremoniously on the ground. She sighed and took the emptied basket from his clawed hand.

"Poison or not," Kouga confirmed. "—no."

She didn't argue the point with him. God, her life was so complicated.

"How about you two argue it out in the forest. Kagome and I are going back." Sango stated with a hard stare, almost daring the half demon and wolf demon to argue with her.

Inuyasha wanted to fight him. Whether it was just because of rivalry period, or the need to prove he was the better man for Kagome, Kouga didn't know and didn't care. He wasn't going to fight Inuyasha. He didn't want to. After two weeks of Pack business, he missed Kagome and he'd be damned if a little awkwardness from their past kept him from seeing her.

"As long as you're alright." Kouga said, grabbing Kagomes arm. Visibly, she looked alright. But she had been sick. Poison or no, she had put herself in that position and it didn't sit well with him. He knew he was overreacting. Whether or not he actually had a chance with Kagome again, he wasn't going to sit by idly and watch her poison herself.

Only when she nodded did he let her go.

-Your reviews mean the world to me-

(Author's Note)

Short but sweet.

Someone mentioned that in the last chapter, Kouga seemed a little out of character because he wasn't stating his real feelings when he dealt with Ayame. Yes, that's true. There are times when he's blunt with Ayame, but in this particular matter Kouga knew that if he did the wrong thing, Kagome would pay for it, not him. He won't let Ayame use it against him, though. He is her Alpha and his word is the Law.