InuYasha Fan Fiction / Wolf's Rain Fan Fiction ❯ Promises Under the Moon ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

A/N:  Your support is much appreciated!  There is some cursing in this chapter, so don't take offense.  But you can't really represent Tsume without that  Enjoy!  BelleDayNight

Promises Under the Moon: Chapter Six

Kagome found that she could not sleep that night.  The temperature was warm enough that Toboe didn't need her extra body heat to keep warm, nor did she need his.  The anxiety she felt at finally being reunited with Kouga wasn't the only thing keeping her up.  The fact that it was the night of the new moon brought back other emotional memories of her times with Inuyasha.

She snuck out of the cave, unaware that two pairs of eyes had followed her movements.  "Are you going to allow her to wander around out there?" Kiba asked Tsume when the human woman left their shelter that night.

Tsume glared at his dark haired companion but didn't comment verbally.  Instead he walked up to the more-or-less consensual leader of the pack and kicked a cloud of dirt with the toe of his boot into those annoying cerulean eyes.  A satisfied smirk crossed Tsume's lips as he followed the troublesome miko outside.

He found her sitting with her back propped against a winter barren tree, staring at the clear night sky.  Purposely, Tsume allowed a twig to snap under his weight to give the woman warning of his arrival.  She looked up at him and shifted in a silent invitation for him to sit beside her at the tree.

With some obvious reservation, Tsume took up the offer.  He could feel a shiver course through her petite frame and feeling mischievous, since he knew good and well that with the lack of a chill on the breeze, that it was not the cold causing her reaction he decided to act.  Casually, he wrapped his arm around her frame, settling his hand delicately over her hip and pulled her close to his side.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked; trying to free herself of the wolf-made cage formed around her without permission.

Tsume frowned and tightened his hold, "I saw you shiver.  I would feel responsible if you caught cold."  He willed his golden eyes to reflect such sincerity and innocent concern that he knew Kagome would be trapped by her own actions now.

After gaping like a fish speechless, Kagome closed her eyes briefly and fought to regain her composure.  She knew good and well that Tsume was only teasing her and enjoying every minute of her torture.  With that in mind she firmly gripped his hand and pried it away from her waist and settled his hand back by his leg.

"I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you that I am perfectly fine," she smiled in the most congenial fashion possible.  Tsume didn't act phased in the slightest as he laced his fingers together joining his hands over his lap in a poise of perfect ease.  He ignored the hint of disappointment he felt at her subtle rejection.

"Any particular reason you left the safety of the pack to come out here and brood?" Tsume asked after some time passed between the two in silence.  Kagome's small sigh drew his attention and he turned to her in concern.

"It's about Cheza," Kagome began in a tired voice.  She turned to face Tsume, their legs touching, drawing her attention for a moment before she moved a centimeter away to sever the contact.

Tsume narrowed his eyes slightly in insult by her reaction.  "I don't carry the plague you know," he commented in a cold voice that conveyed his annoyance.   Satisfaction came when Kagome's face burned in shame.  "What about Cheza?"

Kagome looked him right in the eye.  "She's going to die and there is nothing I can do to stop that inevitability."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Tsume demanded.  "Aren't you supposed to be some all-powerful priestess?  What good are you if you can't help her at all?"  Instantly he regretted his harsh words when he saw Kagome's face drain of all color.  She rushed to her feet and took off away from him, deeper into the woods.

"Damn it all to hell," Tsume cursed as he took off after the upset woman at top speed.  "Fucking hormonal bitch," he growled as he tracked down her scent.  He spotted her a few feet a head when he called out.  "Kagome!  Wait!  I didn't mean what I said."

It was too late.  Kagome turned to look over her shoulder at him while running and tripped over an upraised root.  Tsume couldn't get to her in time to prevent the inevitable fall.  He flinched when her head knocked hard against the trunk of the tree.

"Kagome?  Can you hear me?" He asked as he reached her and gently shook her shoulder, only to notice no reaction.  He lifted her into his arms and placed her head upon his shoulder, feeling her warm breath blow against his neck.  Tsume sighed in relief for small miracles.  He looked up at the moon to pray for guidance, but was dismayed to recall that it was the night that the moon was dark.

"You have to wake up Kagome, we need you to get to Paradise," his voice softened and grew quieter.  "I need you to show me that there is hope in the world," he whispered as he pressed his nose into her dark hair and inhaled deeply.  He could feel her body shiver in his arms and he pulled her back to examine her.  "Damn it, wake up!"

Tsume's exclamation was greeted with a pair of wide sapphire jewels staring at him in horror, pupils dilated in fear.  Kagome began to struggle out of his grasp so he released her, feeling hurt at her behavior towards him.  However, it was the words that left her mouth that caused his heart to stop.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered as she crawled clumsily away from the white haired, golden eyed man before her.  She stood shakily onto her feet and took off at a run once more, much faster than her previous escape.

The name she called him sounded faintly familiar and Tsume took off after the human woman once more, determined to protect her from hurting herself more.  "Kagome, wait!  I won't hurt you, you have my word."  Tsume used his inhuman speed to catch up with the mortal woman.

He tackled her from behind, wrapping his arms securely around her waist and sending both of their bodies tumbling to the forest floor.  He twisted at the last minute so that his body would bear the brunt of the fall.  Kagome's ragged breathing worried him, as did the blood he could smell coming from her scalp at the back of her head. 

"Kagome, I am not Sesshoumaru and I mean you no harm," he assured her as he sat up and began to rock the shivering form against him.  Why couldn't Kiba had gone to check up on her earlier instead of him? 

"Who, who are you?" Kagome asked wearily as she tried to pull out of his strong, vise-like grip but to no avail.  Gingerly she ran her fingers up to her scalp where she felt an intense pain.  She drew them back with a cringe and noticed the thick layer of blood coating her finger tips.

Tsume released his hold with one hand and gripped the base of her skull to angle her head towards his view.  He grimaced at the sight of all the blood, which was already causing his nose to tingle.  The gash wasn't deep, but it was bleeding profusely.  He ripped the bottom hem of his shirt and placed it against the wound, holding it tightly in place.  "Do you not remember me?" He asked, concerned and fearing the worse.

"What game is this Sesshoumaru?  Inuyasha will never give you the Tetsusaiga.  Do your worse, you will never get your father's sword," Kagome vowed with a determined spark in her eye as she struggled to pull out of Tsume's arm that circled her.  "Let me go or I'll purify your puppy ass."  She pushed away his hand and held the bandage against her scalp herself and scrambled clumsily to her feet.  She began to sway, but Tsume caught her just in time, much to her chagrin. 

"I do not know this Sesshoumaru, nor this Inuyasha of whom you speak.  My name is Tsume and you are traveling with my pack to reach Wolf's Paradise.  Do you not remember any of this?"  Tsume demanded as he pulled her up to face him, refusing to yield his hold.  "And I am NOT a dog."

"Spawn of Naraku!  I will not give you the jewel shards!" She cried as she slammed the heel of her foot along the shin of his leg, landing with a crushing impact on the top of his foot.  Tsume howled in pain and released the woman as he tried to sooth the burning pain she had inflicted.

"Damn it woman!  How hard did you hit your head?" He growled out as he glared at her coldly while rubbing his foot. 

Kagome blinked at him, pausing in mid-sprint.  "You really aren't after the jewel shards?"  Tsume shook his head in exasperation.  "You can't be Sesshoumaru, he never would have cried out like that."  She added thoughtfully, cocking her head at his one footed hopping dance.

A dark, dangerous look flashed through Tsume's golden irises causing Kagome to bite her lip.  "But you do look like him, maybe you are in disguise."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Tsume asked, trying a different approach.  Kagome paused to think, giving the wolf time to recollect his cool exterior. 

"Inuyasha and I just met this monk, named Miroku.  Naraku is his enemy as well.  And Sesshoumaru, you," she clarified with a pointed look but then frowned, "or not you, just attacked us at Kaede's village.  Inuyasha sent me back through the well but then I was able to come back because Shippo left the jewel shards for me."  Kagome raised her hands to her lips and looked back over towards Tsume.  "Where am I?"

Tsume took a deep breath and approached the woman cautiously.  "Kagome, you are in the twenty-first century.  I came to you at the Higurashi Shrine in Tokyo.  You joined with my companions and I to search for paradise.  You are," he paused, "acquaintanced with the king of Wolf's Paradise."

Kagome shook her head, "No, I think I would have remembered if I was friends with royalty.  But then Sesshoumaru is Lord of the Western Lands."  She tilted her head and looked at him strangely.  "Are you certain you are not him?"

Tsume gave an exasperated sigh of frustration.  "Yes I am sure, come on."  He walked towards her and removed her hand from the bandage on her scalp to inspect it some more.  "I'm pretty certain you gave yourself some form of amnesia with that nasty spill."  He stepped back from her.  "Can you walk?"

Kagome took some shaky steps forward and lost her balance, but was caught by Tsume, again, before crashing.  "Looks like I'm carrying you back then," he grumbled as he lifted her easily into his muscular arms.  One arm was under her knees while the other supported her back.  Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to his chest. 

"Is Shippo back where we are going?" Kagome asked, feeling very disoriented, but also feeling that she could trust the white haired man before her. 

Tsume shook his head.  "No, but Toboe misses you and I'm sure that Shippo is at paradise.  That's why we need to find it."  He explained as he began to wonder how long this amnesia would last.  It seemed rather odd that one small little crash to the earth would cause such a reaction.  He was about to tell Kagome about the others at the camp and that her betrothed was the king.

Something stopped him though.

Kagome had fallen asleep in his arms while twirling the long hairs that were tied in his ponytail.  The gentle tug against his scalp was soothing and he found himself finding pleasure in the warmth of her body pressed against his.  He stopped in his walking in indecision.  He wasn't sure how long this memory lapse of hers would last.  What if just for tonight, he nurtured the possibility of something more existing between the two of them?

Exactly what would happen if she wasn't attached to someone as powerful as the king of wolves?

oooooOOOOOoooooOOOOOooooo

"What is it?" Shippo asked when his father stopped dead in his tracks and turned due East towards the direction of the thick forestlands of the island nation.

"I just felt like someone walked right over my grave," Kouga replied using a slang description he picked up over the years with a dark look in his icy orbs and a growl building in his chest.

"Maybe you're just tired," Shippo suggested.  His stomach growled causing him to groan aloud at the betrayal of his body.  "Must you always be full?" He complained as he began to dig around in the back pack slung over his shoulder for a power bar.

"We must hurry," Kouga decided.  "I have a feeling that Kagome is in need of our presence."  He was about to take off in a whirl wind of dust, but Shippo grabbed hold of his collar, choking him instead.

"Not so fast Speedy, you've waited five centuries.  You can wait for me to finish eating this little snack."  Kouga folded his arms over his chest and curled his toes in the dirty snow that lay at their feet.  The snow had mostly melted and the dirty path they followed was now a sloshy mess.

"Let's not forget who is king here."  Kouga snarled, but it was obvious he would be catering to his son's wishes.  Shippo gave a token bow of respect as they waited for him to consume his meal.