Salutations! Greetings! Long time no see! I feel like crying for letting this story go like I have and I apologize for leaving so many of you hanging like this. I hope someone is still reading this and if you are still reading this after years of no updates, thank you. I know I'm not the only fanfiction writer who, unfortunately, loses inspiration in a story. It happens. But I really do want to finish this story and lately, I've been thinking about this couple a lot. This chapter is short, sweet and a little funny. I'm already working on the next chapter and I promise the next one will be longer and have that serious undertone.

Much love and appreciation to my loyal readers.

Chapter 26

The Slayer wasn't listening to him.

"Nah, he's in there." Reiko said again. He took a step, the wood creaking beneath his weight. He leaned forward and rested his forearm over his knee. Just one step. He could rip the slayer apart with his bare hands. Oh, he'd come out sporting a few bruises here and there, maybe a loss of limb here and there. Ayame would be mad about that one. Man, he loved that fiery she-wolf, he thought with a shit eating grin.

His eyes dropped to one of the slayers brood peaking out from behind the Slayers skirts. For whatever reason, the little brats weren't as afraid of him and his wolves as they should be. Oh, he was aware of the hidden truce between the species. It's not like he would have hurt them. But he didn't mind scaring them.

After all, he did like his food best raw.

He gave a teeth baring grin and wagged his tail invitingly. As if. He wasn't Kouga and he didn't want the human brood hanging from his behind. The child disappeared. From the look of the Slayer, she wasn't amused.

He was and for more reasons than one.

"I assure you, he's not." Sango eyed the bastard. Her eyes lowered to the clawed foot perched on the second to last step from the ground. Her boomerang may have been out of sight, but oh was it in reach. The first mistake Reiko had made was being in that damn field. Sango liked Kouga. He'd been their alibi in the fight against Naraku and he had saved Kagomes life, not to mention Inuyasha's more times than she could count. The second mistake was putting his foot on that wooden step.

Kouga always waited with his feet planted on the ground.

This was her home. Her family. Reiko was lucky she hadn't decked him out so he was on the ground. Sango tilted her head. "Kouga is not here." She said again. The bastard alpha was not welcome and that was a given.

He had shit to do and chasing after Kouga's ass was not one of them. There were things that still needed to be done before the arrival of Kouga's pup. And Kouga still had a job to do. That didn't involve sleeping in with his Mate. There would be time plenty for that later. Reiko's teeth flashed white as he spoke, never dropping that grin. "You know, you really should check those windows. Anyone could slip in. Especially in the night."

The slayers eyes narrowed and then she turned, heading towards the back. She left the door open and Reiko followed.

This was going to be good.

If he could wake up everyday like this, he would be the happiest wolf demon alive. Kouga wrapped himself tighter around the woman asleep in his arms, one leg moving up to wrap around her lower body. His woman. The mother of his pups. Because if he had anything to say about it, there was going to be more pups in the future. One day he was going to wake up with her in his arms in their own Den.

His hands shifted, spanning the small growth of her stomach. He could feel the small movements against his hands, as if the pup knew he was there.

He'd woken up before dawn, but he'd be damned if he was going to leave the warmth of Kagome's body. Reiko could wait. But judging by the sounds coming from the waking world and the birds, he'd slept a little longer than he'd originally planned.

Tap, tap, tap...

One of his hands drifted, trailing clawed fingertips along her thigh. One day he was going to wake her up like this, trailing those claws up and down her thighs. Dangerous to others, but gentle with her. He was going to trail them upward, drawing small circles as he moved higher...

Tap, tap, tap...

One day he was going to wake her up by sliding his body inside hers.

Tap, tap, tap...

His ears peaked. What was that? Tap, tap, tap... Slow and constant. The sound of fingertips drumming-

Kouga tensed and turned his head slowly, looking over his shoulder. Sango sat in the chair beside the small bed, her fingers drumming on the windowsill. Reiko leaned against the open bedroom door, giving the biggest grin he had ever seen in his life, arms folded across his chest.

"Good morning." Sango said.

"Good morning." Kouga echoed. Why did he say that? This was Reiko's fault. From the look on his face, he knew it, too. And he was enjoying every bit of his discomfort.

"You could have used the front door." Sango suggested in a cool tone, never once losing her expression.

"I told him that." Kagome's sleep filled voice drew his gaze down to her as she turned onto her back.

Yes, she had. On more occasion than one. Sango wouldn't have said no if Kagome had asked. She'd have said no if Kouga suggested. He wasn't sure why he had said no, but that didn't really matter anymore, did it? Sango was a force to be reckoned with and he wasn't exactly on good terms with her yet.

"Are you hungry?" Sango asked.

"Are you going to poison me?" Kouga returned suspiciously.

"I hadn't thought of it, no."

Kouga had the feeling that she hadn't thought of it yet. Yet. On second thought, he wasn't that hungry.

"Great, what are we having for breakfast?" Reiko said with one clap of his hands and Kouga fought the urge to groan when Kagome sat up, her expression dark at the sound and sight of his Alpha.