How this story turned into 32 chapters, I honestly have no idea.

Chapter 32

Kagome stood in what felt like a sacrificial chamber. A small chamber that was carved into the mountain itself. It held six different high perches from which six Wolf Demons stood. The Elders, huh? You've got to be kidding me. Was this how Kouga had felt all those months ago? He'd been alone then. She felt like the lamb led to slaughter. She lifted her chin. She wasn't alone and she wasn't a God damn sacrifice.

Kouga nodded and motioned for Kagome to continue. He fully expected her to say something out of the way. They'd already gone over this. She knew what to do. She knew what to say. She knew how to act.

"We'd like to congratulate you on the birth of your pup, Priestess. We apologize for the circumstances that led to it." The female in the middle spoke first.

"Thank you." Kagome spoke tersely, keeping her tone smooth and even.

"And the pup?" The Elder on the far left spoke, motioning towards whom Kouga held in his arms. It was spoken as a question, but Kagome heard the authority in it. No, not a question. It was a statement. She saw no fear in Kouga's expression, just caution and wariness. With reluctance she unwrapped the swaddle and then watched as Kouga gently placed their son in the Elders arms.

That was why they were here, she knew. Their baby. Not just a mixture of both human and demon, but a mixture of the spiritual and Wolf Demon.

"He's strong." The Elder commented, waving his hand above the infant's head. "I see you both in him. I feel you both in him."

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She was silently grateful when he placed her baby back in his father's arms. He beckoned her forward then and she looked at Kouga—he nodded.

She hoped the old fool choked on that hand.

"You were Mated to the dog Demon Inuyasha, no?"

Behind her, Kouga tensed.

Her eyes narrowed. They had no right to speak on her past with Inuyasha. How dare they? Inuyasha was and would always be her friend. She was tired of being blamed for something she had no control over, and she was tired of Inuyasha being hurt in the process. She knew that he had loved her as best as he was able.

It just hadn't been enough.

She was tired of accusations being thrown Kouga's way.

She lifted her chin. "No."

"It was common knowledge that you were, Priestess." The Elder stared at her with those beady eyes. Was he trying to intimidate her?

"It's common knowledge that you're a bunch of shriveled up assholes." She retorted. Someone snickered behind her. A couple of Demons, actually. Whether they were laughing at her or the fact that she'd just gotten cocky with the Elders, she didn't know. She didn't care.

"Do you deny that you were ever Mated to the Dog Demon?"

She was not going to let them intimidate her. "What Inuyasha and I had is none of your business. If I remember correctly, dogs are a part of the Wolf family. Don't they both Mate for life?"

Disgust crossed their faces, and Kagome felt a moments amusement. What, they didn't like dogs? "Do not compare races, Priestess."

No, then. They didn't like dogs.

But they did Mate for life. They both did.

"But they Mate for life, right?" Kagome pressed.

"They do." The second Elder responded.

"And do you think I would be here if I were already Mated?" Right, she thought. Mind your own business.

"And how do we know that you won't leave Kouga as you did the Dog Demon?"

"You don't."

"I get the feeling that you want to shoot us with those arrows of yours, Priestess." The Elder from before spoke.

Spot on. "You're not wrong."

One of the Elders smiled.

They actually smiled.

"We were given word that you were able to cure Reiko of the Rot. Is this true?"

Kagome paused. "I haven't cured him." That hadn't taken long to get out, had it? "But I have lessened the degree of decay on the inside where it started. But yes, I can." With time.

"You do realize that there are Pack members who think you don't belong, Priestess?"

"I'm sure."

Those knowledgeable eyes shifted from her. "And you, Kouga, will you make the Run with the others?"

Kouga had mentioned something about a run before, Kagome realized. He'd brought it up more than once, actually. She turned.

Kouga frowned. "No."

"And yet you have every year since you hit the age beyond adolescence, correct?"

Kouga faltered but nodded. "Yes."

"You're not Mated."

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

"You'll be breaking hundreds of years of Wolven Tradition if you don't Run." The male Elder on the far right finally spoke.

"I don't think he cares much about tradition. He lost his role as Alpha. He's the first of his entire bloodline to not have that title." The male voice came from the crowd of onlookers, pushing forward until he was in the front.

Kouga whipped his head around.

"Shouldn't his female have to make the Run? She wants to be part of the Pack."

What the fuck?

Murmurs filled the chamber, some in agreement, some in offense.

"She's human." Kouga snapped out.

"And yet here we are—because you wanted to Mate with a human."

Kagome stared at the stranger—she didn't know him. She certainly had never seen him before. What the hell was he talking about? A "run"?

"…She also defeated Naraku. She rid the world of his vile evil." One of the Elders said, as if in deep thought.

"We've all had our first Run within a Pack upon acceptance. It's only right that she runs. THAT'S tradition."

The Elders gave murmurs of approval and Kouga cursed.

"She will Run. We're to assume that you, too, then, will Run, Kouga?" The Eldest of the Elders spoke.

He didn't have a choice now, Kouga knew. He nodded. "When is the next Run held?" He bit out.

"During the next Waning Gibbous moon phase."

That gave them a little time, at least. God dammit, what the fuck just happened? He looked at Kagome. He had a lot of shit to explain.

Kagome stared at Kouga, confused. What the hell just happened?