Author's Note,

Thank you for the reviews! Hahahahah! I felt like this story was going unnoticed except for by a few for a moment. I really appreciate the love and support. Reviews go a long way because it lets me know that this story is being read and enjoyed.

I did receive a review asking why Kagome didn't just tell the Elders that Inuyasha had Mated prior. Kagome isn't going to explain herself or her actions. She felt like she didn't owe them an explanation. But she did answer that question without actually answering it. She did remind them that dogs and wolfs mate for life. She wouldn't be with Kouga if she were TRULY mated. If that makes sense.

Chapter 33

What felt like months turned into weeks and weeks into days. Time was moving too fast but too slow at the same time. She was tired and confused.

Kouga was angry.

What are we running from?

Those weeks turned into days and those days turned into hours.

"This is complicated. But I need you to listen to me, Kagome. Really listen to me. Okay?"

Kouga had explained in detail what the Run was. At first, she had thought it was just a bunch of Wolf Demons running under the moon. They were Wolves, right? Wolves were often linked with the phases of the moon.

"The Waning Gibbous starts after the Full Moon and lasts until a quarter moon. It's when the brightest part of the moon loses half of its light."

She was the only human in all of existence to run with the Wolves.

"We run free because there are no humans under the Gibbous. There's no Demons. It's just us. It's mostly the unmated that run."

Kagome pulled the laces of her shoes tight and then wrapped the laces around the fur covering her ankles and calves. Kouga had had her a pair of shoes made with thick leather soles to cushion her feet. It was like a pair of fur boots that rose just midcalf.

"Why only those that aren't Mated? What does that have to do with anything?"

She stood and tested the soles, walking back and forth as Ayame watched her. It was comfortable. They were sturdy. How are they? She nodded at Ayame's question. Her eyes dropped to Ayame's bare feet. Her feet were nearly bare except for the fur that was pulled up like a sock, her heels and toes were exposed. The other females could run along the forest bed without hinderance. Kagome couldn't. The ground would tear her tender feet apart.

"The Waning Gibbous does something to us during the moon phase. Most of us look forward to it."

"What does it do?"

"It's a chase. And you're the prey." Kouga looked her dead in the eye. "And if you're caught, you're fucked."

Kagome went over those words in her head. Over and over. That hadn't gone well with her. She looked around, more females were gathering, Pack members filing out of the forest line. The sun was setting, and she could just make out the stars beginning to twinkle in the sky.

"What?"

"I can't be any more clear than that, Kagome."

"You chase females, and you fuck them for sport?"

Kagome had thrown the accusation at him.

Ayame blew out a breath, seeing where Kagome's thoughts were going. "It's a part of who we are, you must understand that Kagome. You wanted to know more about Pack, right? This is natural to us. Natural to Kouga."

Kagome understood. She did. To an extent. But being human made it difficult to accept certain Demon traditions. Not accept, she thought, understand. It made it hard to understand why they did this. What was the point? They didn't have to.

Ayame pointed to a group of women at the other end of the field in wolf armor. "You see all those women? They'll be in the Run. Every single one of them is willing. It's a chase. And we're all the prey." She said the exact same thing Kouga had said. "It doesn't always end in sex…if the woman overpowers the male…he has no choice but to give up. The Run itself is powerful and exhilarating."

"If they're willing, then why run? Why not just give the man what he wants?" That didn't make sense to Kagome.

"Pride." Ayame said.

They had to run. They had to fight. That's what Kouga had meant.

"It's in our nature to submit. But if he's not worth submitting to, then we won't. Why would we?"

Kagome stared at Ayame. She couldn't imagine Ayame submitting to anyone, not even Reiko. Ayame stretched, raising her arms over her head and then stretched her legs one at a time, jumping twice before popping her wrists and knuckles. "You got this. Kouga's not going to let anything happen to you. None of us will."

Kouga had said that Mated pairs usually don't run, but Ayame was Running because of her. Which meant Reiko would be making the Run as well. Kagome wasn't stupid—she knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. She could defend herself just fine, but it was going to be difficult when she had to watch her back and front. Run. Run. Run. That's all she had to do.

"What happens if someone else does catch me?"

"They'll fuck you. Or kill you. Maybe both." Ayame was blunt. She had to be. She needed Kagome to understand.

It wasn't even about Kouga catching her first. It was about keeping her alive tonight.

Great, just great. Kagome counted to five and then ten.

Change of subject. "I heard the other women talking about…knotting." Among other things. "They kept using that word. What does that mean?"

Ayame paused from where she was bent over, touching her toes before she slowly straightened. She studied Kagome for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "It's when a male… usually during Mating and after…he swells…the male can't …He'll be stuck inside the female. It's to insure offspring."

He swells… Kagome's lips formed an "O". It took a moment to understand what Ayame was saying. Just like a wolf. Kouga had never… she would have remembered if he had.

"Have you ever…?" Kagome asked; she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Knotted?" Ayame finished the sentence for her. She didn't answer. She just grinned.

"Does it hurt?" Kagome remembered what she had learned in school about the subject of wolves. The tie usually lasted 15 to 30 minutes. It was a physical knot at the base due to the swelling in the male's penis and constriction in the females' walls. Was it the same with Wolf Demons?

"No." Ayame said with a grin. That answered the question of whether Ayame had been Knotted.

Good Lord.

What else didn't she know about Wolf Demons? Kagome opened her mouth but the sudden alertness in Ayame's eyes drew her pause. She turned and came face to face with the Wolf Demon who'd suggested the Run in the first place.

His dark eyes moved over her, taking in the fur clothing covering her body. She may be lacking Wolf Armor, she may have been human, but she looked the part of Pack. "Looks like your Wolf didn't show, Priestess."

"I'm right here." Kouga's dark voice came from behind her.

Kouga stared over Kagome's head, his expression just as ominous as his voice. His hackles rose. He placed his hands over Kagome's shoulders and moved her to the side as he stepped forward. There was a silent challenge in the air. He could feel it sparking between him and the other male. "What do you want?" His upper lip curled—he couldn't stop the expose of fangs in warning.

"I didn't think you'd come. Surprise surprise. You yourself said you didn't want to Run." The male was mocking him.

"I'm Running because I'll kill any male who touches what's mine." Kouga could feel the cool rage of his Demon against his insides. It was brought on by the Gibbous and the male in front of him. "Who are you?" Because he'd never seen him before in his life. Not many people challenged him. They weren't stupid enough to. It wasn't an open challenge, so Kouga couldn't do anything about it. But the threat was there regardless.

"Koda-Fang. Who are you?"

Kouga nearly snickered at the name. Of course it was. The bastard knew who he was—he was just insulting him by saying without words that he was no one worth remembering. "You really should head on back with your Pack. This Run isn't for pups." Kouga said.

"Then why are you here?"

Kouga bristled on the inside. His eyes jumped to the three other males crowded behind the foolish Wolf. His Pack. Kouga did snicker then. They didn't look like a Pack. They looked like a bunch of pups drooling at their mouths for a prize.

One of the others stepped forward. "You were no more fit to be Alpha than Reiko is—"

Reiko's fist lashed out. "Challenge accepted."

The Wolf Demon hit the ground with a heavy thud, knocked out cold from one punch. Reiko arched an eyebrow as he stepped over the prone body. "Looks like he's not making the Run. What do you think?"

"Nope." Kouga said, but he didn't so much as break eye contact with Koda-Fang. The name had him sneering inwardly. There was no way that was his real name. He probably thought it made him look big and bad.

"Maybe I'll catch her myself and Mate her if she survives." Koda sneered the words out.

"Over my dead body." Kouga snarled. The thought had occurred to him. But he wasn't going to Mate her during this bullshit. She didn't deserve that. He wasn't going to put her through that. She had finished her first cycle since pregnancy not too long ago. So he knew exactly what he was going to do to her when they were done here.

"If that's what it takes." Koda said, his eyes leering at Kagome before Kouga was in his way, blocking his view. "Maybe I'll put a pup in her belly and kill your bastard pup. We can't have two pups fighting for Alpha—"

Kouga launched himself at Koda.

Kagome never even saw Kouga move. One moment he was there and then there was an angry twist of growls and black and brown fur tearing into each other. What?!

Reiko cursed and turned, disappearing into the tree line.

The two wolves tore into each other, gaping jaws snapping with sharp teeth, rolling with furious growls. Pure shock filtered through Kagome as she stared. Kouga was a wolf. He was a Wolf. Werewolf. Wolf? Was he on four legs or two? She couldn't tell; they were moving too fast.

Ayame grabbed her arm when she would have followed them into the clearing. "No. Let them. They have to."

Kagome cursed. Freaking Pack rules. She understood that and it killed her to just watch them tearing into each other. "Did you know he could do that?"

Ayame nodded. "Most Alpha males can. Not everyone can, though. It's hard."

"Can you?"

"No."

The two wolves jumped apart and Kagome's heart stopped. Kouga had to be at least 8 to 9 feet tall standing on two legs. Oh my God. Fur covered every inch of his body, but she could still see the ropes of muscle over his arms and stomach beneath the fur. Razor sharp claws marked the tip of his fingers. She watched as his body slowly began to shrink, the fur receding back into his skin before he was naked. He didn't seem to care about that nakedness.

Oh my God.

She saw Reiko pass between her and Ayame and then he was tossing a pair of clothes at Kouga. He caught them one handed before tugging his pants up silently. His arms were already in the shirt sleeves when he pulled the shirt over his head. Barefoot he started towards Kagome, his eyes meeting hers.

"When you hear the second howl, you run. Do you understand me, Kagome? You run." Kouga said, his voice rough.

Kagome nodded but that must not have been enough.

"Do you understand me, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded again. "I understand. Run." His pupils were dilated. Kagome could barely see the blue in his eyes.

"If he catches up to you, you light his ass up. I don't care if you kill him."

Kagome nodded. She felt sick.

"You can do this." Ayame reminded her.

Kouga nodded. "Ayame is going to run with you. Just do what she says, when she says." Ye Gods, he wished she would have brought her bow and arrows. He knew she didn't need them to defend herself, but he would have felt better knowing she had something in hand. Then again, he knew how bad it would look if she was seen as hunting those she was Mated to.

Shit didn't have to be this complicated.

"I didn't know you could…" Kagome said.

"It doesn't happen often." Kouga muttered as he sank to his knees, running his hands over the laces on her shoes. He pulled them as tight as they would go and then stood. "Remember what I said. When you hear the third howl…don't you fucking look back. You just…keep….fucking…running."

Kagome started to turn away, but Kouga caught her arm. She looked up at him.

"If I catch you, purify me."

Her mouth dropped open. "Are you insane? I'm not going to purify you. Why would I do that?"

"Because I might not be myself." He snapped out.

"I'm not going to purify you, Kouga." Kagome turned on him fully, stressing over the words. "I could kill you."

"You won't kill me."

"I am NOT—"

A lone howl filled the night, and a shiver raced down Kagome's spine at the sudden silence that followed. It was eerie but beautiful at the same time. It went on and on before it slowly started to fade. Funny, she'd never heard a Wolf howl—she just hadn't realized until now. It was eerily silent after that howl, not even Kouga spoke. She looked up at him, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking up at the moon.

It was just like he said it was. It was darker than it should have been, given the view of the moon and how much was left. She waited in terse silence, her heart thudding in her ears.

A second howl filled the silence, and she stood there, frozen in time at the eerie sensation against her ears. It was beautiful and serene—

Hands shoved her shoulders. "RUN." Ayame hissed out, pushing her forward. Kagome took off at a dead run, the sudden rush of night air whipping her hair back. She was past the forest line in seconds, dense foliage and trees on either side of her.

"Where are we going?" Kagome panted out.

"Just keep running." Ayame didn't sound winded in the least.

Kagome could hear her feet on the forest floor, soft thuds against the earth. Ayame didn't seem to make a single sound, though, it was like she was floating with each running step—silent. How long were they supposed to do this? Her lungs were already burning, and her thighs ached as she pushed them to go further. It wasn't as if she had never outrun a Demon. She'd ran and hid from Demons more than once since she'd been in the Feudal Era.

A third howl echoed into the forest surrounding them and Kagome faltered, looking over her shoulder—

"No." Ayame said, her voice not missing a beat with her running steps. "Keep going. Just run."

Her thighs burned. Kagome bit her bottom lip and jumped over another fallen log. She was grateful for the little light that peaked through the tree line. The ground itself was mostly empty. The only thing that she was really doing was dodging in and out of the trees. Water splashed around her ankles as she landed three inches deep in a puddle. Ayame was slowing herself down to a human pace, Kagome realized.

"What is it?" Kagome panted out, barely managing to force the words out when Ayame suddenly looked to the right. The forest was a little denser, but Kagome could just see the running shadowy figure weaving in and out of the trees to the right of them. Why hadn't she sensed that? Because she was focused on running and staying alive.

Sensing a Demon wasn't always as easy as others thought it was. Kagome wasn't always spot on.

Ayame reared to the right suddenly, butting shoulders with the male who suddenly ran alongside them. It knocked him off guard and he stumbled backward along the path.

It wasn't Koda, but it was of his men.

Ayame was back at her side in seconds.

"I can't breathe." Kagome wheezed out.

"Keep running." Ayame snarled.

She was saying that too God damn much. Kagome dipped her head and tapped into reserves that she didn't even know she had and pushed herself harder. But God, her thighs were on fire. Her cheeks were numb from the lash of cool wind slapping repeatedly. Her senses pricked and Kagome looked to her left. She saw the shadow running towards her through the trees at an inhuman pace, but the split second was too late. They crashed into her from the side, and she slammed into Ayame.

Dirt piled up around them like a cloud of dust as they skidded and rolled. Kagome lifted her head. She barely saw the blur of Ayame jumping backward. She took the Wolf Demon with a swift kick to the neck that knocked him backward. Kagome barely managed to get herself to her hands and knees when Ayame was jerking her to her feet. "Get up. Run!"

Kagome stumbled but gave in to the pull. Ayame wasn't giving her a choice. "Who was that?" Kagome pushed the words out past the constriction in her chest.

"I don't know. I think he was the other one with Koda. He only has two running with him now, I think."

How was she not tired? How was she talking so smoothly? How was she still running?

I can do this, Kagome thought. She might never walk or run again, but she could do this. All she had to do was run. It was run or be raped or worse. She wasn't letting him touch her baby or her.

The wind hitting her face nearly choked her throat as she struggled to breathe at the same time. They really enjoyed this? It didn't make sense. Who enjoyed running, anticipation of getting caught—

Ayame's eyes widened, and Kagome missed the sudden movement of her feet too late. The same Wolf Demon from before dropped down from the tree line and Ayame ran right into him. Kagome skidded to a halt and spun around and then lifted her arm to shield her eyes against the sudden rise of the whirlwind that was brought on by dirt. She was vaguely aware of another male that spun up from behind so that they both turned, her and Ayame coming back-to-back against each other. Kagome recognized the second male—number two from Koda.

Great. Number one and number two.

She lifted her hand and felt the spark of spiritual energy at her fingertips but hesitated. She didn't want to hurt Ayame. Ayame was already holding back because of her in the Run.

"You're Koda's." The first Wolf Demon said he stopped within a few feet of Kagome, before motioning towards Ayame. "She's not. She's open game."

Ayame didn't look behind her—she didn't dare take her eyes off the Wolf in front of her. Smart, that they'd cornered them. They needed Ayame out of the way, and Kagome knew it.

"You don't have the balls." Ayame said steadily.

The man in front of her snickered; he knew the insult was thrown at them both. "Mated or not, you still got a pussy we can fuck. What do you think Reiko will do to another mans pup in your belly?"

Crude words. Ayame didn't move. She didn't fall for the bait.

He lunged.

She couldn't go backwards because of Kagome so she brought an arm up defense. The rough shove sent them both backwards and Ayame took the opening to hook her leg around his ankle and jerk his feet out from under him. He hit the ground on his back and then repeated the move on her—Ayame's feet slid out from under her, and she slid sideways, landing on an elbow.

Kagome spun around and the other man took that as the opportunity he'd been waiting for. He wrapped an arm around her from behind and lifted her off her feet. Kagome did exactly what Kouga had told her to do.

He may not have been Koda, but she lit his ass up.

Pink light flared out through the trees from the sudden burst of power—Kagome kept it small and miniscule, but she knew that pink glow was easy to see through the trees. Ayame and the other two Demons had to shield their eyes from the three second flow of power. But it had the desired effect. The arms surrounding her let go in a fit of smoke and curses and Kagome stumbled forward.

Ayame rolled and then braced her hands against the ground on either side of her head and backflipped onto her feet. In a violent kick she sent her heel into the man's jugular. He rolled onto his knees, gagging and coughing. "I'm going to fuck you raw and make Reiko watch." He snarled.

"Like she said, you don't have the balls." Reiko said from suddenly out of nowhere and grabbed the Wolf Demon by his head—he was already on his knees. He slammed his knee upward into the Wolf Demons nose. Bone cracked and blood spewed. He let the Wolf Demon go without ceremony and then turned, moving in a blur past Kagome. She heard another echoing crack, a fist slamming and then another body dropping heavily.

Relief flooded her and Kagome looked around, expecting to see Kouga walking out from the trees. "Where's Kouga?" They were supposed to be running together. That had been the plan.

Reiko didn't answer her. He turned and his attention shifted to Ayame. "Reiko?" Kagome called out. He didn't so much as acknowledge her. His attention was fixed on Ayame.

"Kagome." Ayame said, her tone low, but she never took her eyes from Reiko. He growled when she spoke, his lips lifting in a silent baring of upper teeth.

Kagome frowned, tensing when Reiko suddenly lunged at Ayame. Ayame jumped to the side and then they were at a standstill again, all of Reiko's attention still focused on her.

"Kagome." Ayame said. "You have to go. Now."

No sooner had Ayame said the words than Reiko was moving. Kagome watched, dumbfounded as he reached for Ayame's throat and then at the last minute jumped over her. That hand clamped around the back of her neck and forced Ayame to her hands and knees. What was he doing? Why was he fighting Ayame?

Ayame was just as quick—she twisted her body out from beneath his hold and then swept her leg out beneath his. She liked that move, obviously. She was good at it. Kagome watched in shock as Ayame forced Reiko to his back in two seconds flat, a blur of a move where she ended up on top, her knee pressed against his chest, a forearm against his neck.

Ayame lifted her head. "You have to go." Ayame bit out. "Run. Kouga will find you." Before Koda, she prayed to the Gods. She rolled off Reiko and then took off at a blurred run in the opposite direction of Kagome. Just as fast, Reiko was gone and after her.

"What just happened?" Kagome whispered. The deafening silence filled her ears. She was alone. A shiver raced down her spine. Don't panic. She turned and took off at a run, her heart racing all over again. The Southern end of the forest was this way. Somewhere. She hoped. That's where Kouga said to run.

God, she hoped she wasn't going the wrong way.

It didn't take long for her thighs to start burning again. Her breath wheezed in her lungs. She barely managed to jump over the tree in her path. Without Ayame there to urge her on, Kagome stopped. She just couldn't help it. She braced a hand against the tree to her right and bent over. She took a deep breath, and her hair fell around her face; she'd lost the hair tie at one point, she realized. A trickle of sweat rolled down the back of her neck.

She shook her head and shifted to sink back against the tree, her eyes sliding closed as she leaned back against it. After a few moments of terse silence, she opened her eyes.

Koda stood not even 10 feet away. "Looks like I found you first."

Kagome lifted her hands and spiritual energy flared to life in the form of a bow and arrow between her hands. She held the arrow ready, the glow of a string pulled taunt.

"Catch your breath yet?" He tilted his head and took a step towards her.

"I'm getting there. Thanks for asking." Kagome took a sidestep away from him, never lowering her hands. She wasn't being cornered against a tree. She looked around cautiously, her eyes jumping back at him every few seconds. Where was Kouga?

"I am curious." Another step forward and she took another step back.

"Curiosity killed the cat." She responded just as quickly.

"You don't want to know about what I'm curious about?" Another leisurely step forward. Another step backward.

"Not really, no."

He gave a small laugh. "I like you."

"Well, I don't like you." Kagome knew that wasn't what he had meant. He probably meant he liked her sarcasm. Well, she was full of it.

"What makes you so special?" He took another step and casually started walking to the right. She followed the move instantly, her arms shifting to keep the arrow locked on him.

"There's nothing special about me, buddy." Kagome realized what he was doing. He was slowly beginning to circle her. As long as he remained in front of her, she didn't care. She took a second long peek behind her, grateful when she saw nothing blocking her. She was even more grateful when he didn't jump her for being so stupid to do that.

"Nah, you're special alright. I mean, you carried the jewel in your body, right? You were strong enough to beat Naraku."

"That's right. Which means I can take you on." She reminded him.

"Eh…That was a different type of battle. This is something different, isn't it?"

She didn't like how he said it. His words oddly made sense.

"Good. You agree." Kudo said.

"I didn't say anything."

He shrugged.

She didn't like the sudden silence. God help her, the way he casually walked around her as if he wasn't planning on doing despicable things to her.

"And then you gave birth to a Wolf Demon. You're a Priestess. Your body didn't reject the Demon growing in your body."

Kagome tensed because he was making total sense. He stopped walking and she mimicked him, her arrow pointed directly at his heart. She. Wouldn't. Miss.

"You've got Demons interested in you left and right and you're just a human. I'm not going to lie; you've got my attention. You're special."

"Thanks." Kagome could feel the sudden strain starting in her arms. Was that what he was doing? Trying to wear her down? Not gonna happen. She didn't want to kill him. That was the only reason that she hadn't shot him with her arrow yet.

He took a step forward and she took a step back, her expression never changing. So, they were doing this again.

"Catch your breath yet?" He asked the same question as before.

"Yep."

"Good. You're going to need it to scream." He lunged at her and Kagome let the arrow fly.

She missed because she stepped back. She wasn't anticipating the dip in the ground—he was. She stumbled and her back hit the tree behind her. That's why he'd been circling her, forcing her to turn around to follow every step he took. To corner her. She notched another arrow in a swift move as he rushed her—the arrow was cocked but he didn't touch her. He ran past her in a blur of speed that whipped up the dirt from the ground. What was he doing?

She stepped out from the tree and to the side again, made sure her back was open. He spun by her at that same speed, and she stumbled to the side from the sudden twist of his body moving too fast for her to calculate. He moved around her from behind and she spun around, the arrow half notched. What was he doing?

More dirt spewed up from his speed, followed by a whirlwind and she lifted her arm to shield her eyes and nose. He was taking advantage of her human senses. She looked around wildly, spinning around, blinking against the watering in her eyes and then his hand fisted in her hair from behind.

"Did Kouga tell you what happens when we catch our bitch?" Her scalp burned from where he pulled her hair.

"Did Kouga tell you that he told me to light your ass up if you touch me?" She reached behind her and over her head and gripped his wrist with both hands. She didn't even try to focus her energy. She just sent it. Pink light flared out from where their skin touched. She heard the sizzle of flesh and then he cursed before yanking on her hair violently. The pain had her losing her hold on his wrist, but it didn't matter because he tossed her to the ground.

He shook his hand, staring at the scorched and blackened skin around his wrist. "I bet that takes concentration, doesn't it?"

Kagome crawled backward as he started that slow leisurely walk towards her again.

"That hurt, bitch." He sank down to his hunches in front of her. "What did Kouga think was going to happen by trying to bring a human into the Pack? And then he let someone take his title as Alpha?" He shook his head. "You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to kill that brat that he bred. He did things all wrong. We're Wolf Demons. It's fucking Pride." His hand snaked out and his fingers circled her throat. "I'm going to fuck you and pump you full of my seed. I'm. Going. To. Fuck. You. Raw. And then I'm going to Mate you. He's going to go crazy knowing that you're forever out of his reach."

Her fingers closed around the heavy rock beneath her hand, and she swung it.

The hand around her throat disappeared and his upper body fell to the side. She watched in terse silence as he lifted his head. Blood rolled down from the deep cut above his eyebrow. His lips twisted and he bared his teeth at her. "BITCH."

Kagome scrambled backward.

She came up against something hard and warm. She froze. Tanned legs met her view when she turned her head. Her heart in her throat, Kagome tilted her head back from where she sat on the ground.

Kouga.

Kouga. Kouga.

He stood behind her, his legs against her back, so still that she didn't even see him breath. His attention was solely fixed on Koda. "Kouga." Kagome whispered. And just like that he lunged at the other male.

It was just like before, both men met each other halfway and Kagome fell to the side from the sudden jump from Kouga. She didn't see a swift change; she didn't see a tangle of fur or jagged teeth filled with jaws. She saw two Wolf Demons throwing punches, claws slashing. She heard the rip of his skin.

Kagome scrambled away from the two, her back hitting another tree. Her legs were shaking. She didn't even bother trying to get up. It made her feel like a God damn fool, stupid trees, but honestly, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the vicious growls suddenly filling the distance separating them. And they were that—vicious. She'd never seen Kouga so…so…

Feral.

A vicious punch and a rake of claws against Kouga's cheek had his head snapping back. He retaliated and raked his claws against through Koda's throat. It was swift. It was bloody. His hands shifted upward, and Kagome watched as Kouga gripped Koda's head.

He gave a violent twist of his hands.

The sound of bone snapping echoed in Kagome's ears—Koda's body sagged in Kouga's hands before it hit the ground with a loud thud. Silence followed the actions and Kagome stared. Had he just…

He'd just killed Koda. He'd snapped his neck.

Not even the forest dared to breathe around them. Not even a whisper of wind. "Kouga." Kagome said his name and hated the way her voice shook. And those blue eyes lifted to hers. They were bluer than she had ever seen. They burned blue. She barely saw the black in the middle; it was a tiny dot compared to the blue that had overtaken them. He simply stared at her and the expression in his eyes… she didn't know what to call it.

But it scared her.

She knew he would never hurt her—but it scared her.

Because I might not be myself.

His warning from before haunted her. She lifted shaking hands and bow and arrow formed. The soft glow of pink flickered in and out of existence in some places. She didn't want to do it.

It wasn't like when Inuyasha turned Demon. No, this was nothing like that. This was something different altogether.

"Kouga?" She called his name softly.

His lips lifted upward in a snarl so much like that of a Wolf. Dangerous fangs glinted.

She let an arrow fly, and it brazed his cheek. She hadn't been aiming for his heart. Smoke rose from the tiny scratch left behind. An echoing growl followed, and he took a step towards her.

"Kouga…." Her heart skipped a beat as she formed another arrow in place. It flickered just like before. Her breathing grew uneven, and she let the arrow go.

He caught the flickering energy in his clawed hand, the arrow inches from touching his shoulder.

If I catch you, purify me.

She didn't have the heart to do that to him.

He clenched his fist, and the arrow shattered like a thousand pieces of glass between them.

Those blue eyes met hers again. "Run."

The word he spoke was so low and guttural. He sounded like an animal.

For the first time, she did what he said without arguing. She turned and ran. He said it himself; it was a chase.

And she knew Kouga had just found his prey.