InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Close Encounters Of The Fluffy Kind ❯ Female Problems ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. For some reason, I get my reviews a few days after someone sends one in, but I want everyone to know that I do read them and thank you. I don't know if it is a glitch or what. Enjoy.

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After a couple of weeks of shard hunting, Kouga informed the group about a meeting that was to take place between the wolf packs of Japan. He explained that it was a time of celebration and that there would be good food and drink along with entertainment. He invited the weary shard hunters to come along and delighted when they agreed. He glanced over at Inu Yasha and wondered if the hanyou would behave in front of the elders. He hoped so, or else there would be one less hanyou in the world, or on second thought, let the hanyou act up.

Kagome was ready for a rest. She had been bored out of her mind lately and was ready to have some fun. Because of Sesshomaru's mark and pendant, any youkai that they encountered would take one look at it and then run away, screaming its fool head off. But, when they did encounter youkai that wanted to fight, they always avoided her and went after her companions, even though she was the one with the jewel shards, so while they fought, she and Shippo usually sat under a tree and read a book or talked about the latest crime that Inu Yasha had committed against Shippo.

Miroku and Sango were excited. They had heard about the wolf gatherings and that they were quite fun, but no humans had ever been a part of it and to be allowed to attend was truly an honor.

Inu Yasha really did not care one way or another. He was hoping to get some new leads on shards and promised to be on his best behavior.

So, when the time came to go to the northern mountains, the group was excited, and Kouga knew that he would be joining up with his pack. They would want to know if he had succeed in mating Kagome, but knew that they would understand his position about not forcing her now that she had been claimed by another.

After walking for several miles, Kouga heard a familiar howl and let loose a howl of his own, only to be followed by Ginta and Hakkaku's howls. When they finished, Kouga turned to them and announced that the meeting had started and that they would be welcomed.

When they got to where the tribes were gathered, Kouga smiled when he saw members of his pack grinning over at him. He quickly walked over and began speaking with them.

Kagome noticed that there were nobles in attendance and that they were staring at her, or rather, the pendant. She felt her face flame with embarrassment and quickly looked away.

When Kouga returned to the group, he led them over to sit with his pack and together, they waited for the lord of the white wolves to speak.

Kouga looked around and tried to find Ayame in the crowd, but could not seem to locate her. He had made the decision to pull her aside and apologize for hitting her. He quickly snapped to attention and grew silent along with the other wolves when an elderly white wolf appeared before then. Kouga's eyes grew wide when he saw Ayame standing at the elder's side. He had never seen her look as lovely as she did right then.

“Greetings to you, brothers and sisters of the wolf tribes. We gather to celebrate our forefathers and lost comrades. Let us not forget that with every death, we grow stronger and our legacy will live throughout the ages. I have been told that we have some humans among us for this joyous occasion and as elder to the white wolf tribe, I welcome you to our home and wish you a good time. Now, I have one other announcement to make before the festivities begin. Lord Sanya of the southern wolf tribe has asked me for the right to mate with my granddaughter, Princess Ayame. Provided that he proves himself worthy of her during the trials, I will agree to his request and give to him my precious red wolf, thus binding our two tribes together. With that being said, the trials will begin tonight after the sun has set. Good luck to the males and I wish all of you the best.

Kouga sat in stunned silence. He knew Sanya and really did not care for him at all. Sure, he was a good wolf, but arrogant and cocky. In fact, all of the southern wolves were like that. They seemed to think that just because they lived in a larger cave, they were better than other wolves. How could the elder allow this union? He got up and moved towards the area he had seen Ayame standing in. He soon found her and made his way over to her.

He examined her carefully and took note that she had pulled her hair out of its usual pigtails and allowed it to flow down her back in silky waves. He also could see that she was thinner than before and that her furs fit her better. He cleared his throat and waited for the young princess to look at him.

Ayame slowly turned and then paled when she saw Kouga. She quickly cast her eyes to the ground. “Don't worry, Kouga. I am not going to bother you while you are here. Excuse me, please.” She said. She attempted to leave, but was stopped when his arm blocked her way.

“Ayame, I want to speak with you for a moment. I apologize for hitting you that day at my den. I was wrong and I can assure you that it will never happen again.” He said, staring down at the female.

“I accept your apology. Now, I really need to go.” She replied quietly. He frowned when she did not look at him. He could feel her shaking slightly and he had to wonder if his blow did more than he had expected it to. He placed his hand upon her shoulder, and felt her jump. “Ayame, calm down. I am not going to hurt you.”

Ayame shook her head. “If he sees me talking to you, he will get angry. I need to go.” She said, shrugging off Kouga's hand. However, Kouga had other plans.

“Who will get angry? We are just talking.” He said, his concern for her growing by the minute. This was not the Ayame he knew.

“Sanya. He really doesn't like you and doesn't want me to be near you. So, since you don't want me around you, and Sanya doesn't want me around you, it works out nicely for everyone.” She explained.

Kouga did not know what to say. He ran through every conversation he had with her and tried to recall every thing he had ever said to her, and when he was finished, he realized that he had never said a kind word to her, and had only insulted and humiliated her time after time. He shook his head and looked down at the red head in his grasp.

“Ayame, I am sorry for everything that I have ever said to you. I am ashamed over my behavior and can only promise to never treat you with such disrespect ever again.” Kouga said as he took her hand and placed it over his heart, a show of respect and a silent vow between a male and female.

Ayame shook her head. “It doesn't matter anymore, Kouga. Go back to your miko. I have promised my grandfather to stay away from you and intend not to dishonor him anymore than I already have.” She replied, pulling her hand away from his chest.

Kouga was about to say something else, but felt a hand fall upon his shoulder. When he looked up, he saw the angry eyes of Sanya. It was clear that someone was going to be getting their ass kicked. Sanya glanced over at Ayame and motioned for her to leave. Once she was gone, Sanya glared at Kouga.

“Leave her alone, Kouga. I mean it, she is no longer for you.” Sanya said, his green eyes narrowing with hate.

Kouga snorted. “And you believe that she is for you? You are not worthy of any female, and it is a shame that you had to go to her grandfather instead of asking Ayame out right for her hand.” He sneered.

Sanya growled. “At least I did not promise to mate her and then walk away from her for some human bitch. You see, Ayame and I go way back, Kouga. We have been friends for a very long time and I have been in love with her for many years. I should be grateful to you for screwing up, but the fact that you had the nerve to proclaim that she dishonored herself when she was at your den and then insist that she inform her grandfather of this supposed infraction against you was low. The only one who was dishonorable was you, Prince Kouga. She had every right to question your position of leader, especially when you can't keep your word. You are a disgrace to the wolf tribes, Kouga of the eastern pack.” He snarled.

Kouga could not keep the anger at bay any longer and lunged at the male, intent on killing the male who dared to insult him.

Both males were locked into battle and only stopped when the white wolf elder called for them to cease. He told both males to stand before him and called for all of the tribes to be quiet. Ayame stood at her grandfather's side and watched as the elder looked down at the two males.

“Lord Kouga, forgive me, but I am confused. I was told that you did not care for my granddaughter and that you expelled her from your den. Why are you now fighting the male who is set to mate her and take her off your hands?” The elder asked.

Kouga saw Ayame flinch at the reminder of what had happened and knew that he had to set things right. He could not allow her to continue believing that she had done something wrong. As much as he was loath to admit it, Sanya was correct, he had been the one to act dishonorably.

“Elder, I apologize for the disruption. I am afraid that Sanya was correct in his words and I allowed my temper to get the best of me. I also wish to apologize to you and the princess for my behavior towards her while she was at my den. I had no right to discipline her when all she wanted was for me to keep my word to her. I also acted harshly when I told her to inform you that she had acted in a manner that was not honorable, thus tarnishing your family's image. I will never allow such an insult to happen again, and your granddaughter is more than welcome at my den.” Kouga said, bowing before the mighty elder.

The elder was troubled. What exactly had gone on at the eastern den? When Ayame had returned to the northern den, she had told him what Kouga had ordered her to tell him and then he proceeded to yell at her in front of the entire tribe and called her the worst of all his children. He had told her that she had shamed her parents and him by her disrespect to the leader of the eastern tribe and now, here he was learning that Ayame had done absolutely nothing to deserve his anger. He had seen a decline in her attitude and appetite over the recent weeks and now could associate it with what had happened. If only he were a few years younger, he would make the eastern leader pay for his granddaughter's upset. However, Sanya seemed to be more than eager to fight for Ayame's honor, so why not let him?

“Kouga, you do realize that Princess Ayame has suffered a severe injury due to your temper. I, myself, have punished my granddaughter for this supposed dishonor that you had her tell me about. Why would you come to me now and tell me that you were in the wrong? It is clear to everyone that you cannot stand my granddaughter, so why the sudden need to confess what really happened?” The elder asked, silently asking Ayame for her forgiveness of the constant reminders of her last meeting with Kouga.

Kouga looked over at Ayame, and could see the tears glistening in her eyes. His heart lurched in his chest. He never should have treated her so poorly.

“I do not dislike your granddaughter, elder. I will admit that she was very forward in her pursuit of me, but then again, most female wolves are forward. I know that she has been trained in the way of the warrior and really doesn't know how to act when courting a potential mate, and I can understand that she is quite new to courting. But, that still doesn't excuse my behavior and I am willing to make amends with her. I know that she has suffered at my hands and I wish to correct my error.” Kouga replied, his eyes never leaving the upset female.

The elder looked up at his granddaughter and he reached out to squeeze her hand. He told her that she was excused and watched as she walked away from his side and towards the woods with a couple of her white wolves in tow. She was so much like her mother, turning to nature when she was troubled. He, too, had amends to make with her. When Ayame was gone from his sight, he turned to look at Kouga and said, “Let's just get to the point. What exactly do you want from my granddaughter, Kouga? I have seen you watching her and can't figure out why you would even bother with her after that fiasco at your den. So, cut to the chase and just tell me what you want.”

Kouga cleared his throat. He could feel everyone's eyes upon him and even felt the hate roll off Sanya. However, that would not stop him. He had come to a decision and he would not back down. He had made a promise and he would keep it.

“I am letting you know that I have never officially withdrawn my claim upon Ayame and that I intend on mating her. I am well aware that Sanya has also issued a claim, but because mine was first, I hold the right to mate her and I will not give that right up.” Kouga said, his voice firm.

The elder heard the gasps from the wolves around him and then looked upon the two males. He had just known that something like this would occur. Things never went easily when a female was concerned. “When there is a situation much like the one we have here, the second male may issue a challenge to the first male and can fight him for the rights to the female in question. Sanya, lord of the southern tribe, do you wish to issue a challenge to Kouga of the western tribe for the right to mate with Ayame?” The elder asked, knowing full well that Sanya would fight for his granddaughter.

“Yes, elder. I, Sanya, Lord of the southern wolf tribe challenge Kouga, Lord of the eastern wolf tribe, for the right to mate Princess Ayame.” Sanya said while he glared at Kouga.

The elder nodded. “Prepare yourselves. Tonight, one of you will become the mate of my granddaughter and master of the wolf tribes, and the other will become nothing but a memory.” He said. He waved the males off and then proceeded to call forth the other elders. This was going to be interesting.
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Kagome had seen the entire confrontation and she had to wonder exactly what had happened between Kouga and Ayame to cause the normally energetic and happy wolf princess to be so quiet and subdued. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she felt hot breath upon her neck. She quickly turned and found herself looking up at a very handsome wolf and quickly recognized him as the wolf that kept staring at her. The wolf smiled down upon her, and lifted his fingers to the pendant that was around her neck.

“So, I see that Lord Sesshomaru has decided to go back on his word and mate with a human. What spell did you have to cast to make him put aside his hatred for humans?” The wolf asked, his eyes transfixed upon Kagome's neck.

“I did not put any kind of spell upon him. Now, please excuse me.” Kagome said, turning from the wolf and looking for her friends. Now, where did Sango run off to?

The wolf reached out and grabbed her arm. “Well, whatever it is that you did to him, you are doing it to me, and I must admit, I like it. Tell me, little miko, are all human women as sweet smelling as you?” He asked, his nose brushing up against her neck.

Kagome tried to pull away, but then jumped when she felt his hand slid down to her backside. Yelping, she pulled away and allowed her hand to fly, smacking the wolf right across the face. She glared up at the wolf and froze when she saw that the smack did not seem to bother him, in fact, it only seemed to encourage him.

The wolf grinned and watched as the miko slowly backed away. He glanced around and saw that no one was looking at them. This would be a perfect time to sample the sweetness of the human girl's mouth. He reached out and placed his hands upon Kagome's shoulders. He pulled her close to him and saw that she was about to scream, so he decided to shut her up. He lowered his lips and nearly kissed her, but a hand upon the back of his neck stopped him.

He heard a savage growl and slowly turned around to find himself looking into the fierce face of a very angry taiyoukai.
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Sesshomaru had not been having a very easy time. His mind could not seem to let the images of Kagome underneath him rest, but instead, the images ran through his head and kept him supplied with a constant erection and he had to wonder if it had been a good idea to allow Kagome to leave his home. And, it did not help matters now that he could clearly feel each one of Kagome's emotions in his head. He would get angry if he felt her sadness or anger, he would grow calm when he felt her at peace and happy, but then he would grow aroused when he felt her arousal and he knew that it would only be a matter of time before things got to the point of no return.

Many nights he would awaken to find himself humping a pillow, drenched in sweat, and panting heavily from the dream he had just had. He had been having some very erotic fantasies about Kagome and could feel his youkai straining to break loose. It was clear that the youkai desired the small female and Sesshomaru found himself sharing in that desire. Perhaps a visit to Kagome was in order. After all, it was his right to look in on the woman, and perhaps he could get her alone and take what belonged to him. Yes, a visit was definitely in order.

However, the visit came quicker than he had imagined. On this particular day, he could sense her confusion, then anger, then he felt her fear. He could almost smell another male near her and that angered him to the point where he nearly lost control of his youkai, however, he managed to locate where Kagome was and took off in her direction, using his youkai stealth to get to his woman within a matter of moments. If he found her harmed, there would be hell to pay.

When he arrived, he found Kagome wedged between a large rock and a very horny wolf demon that looked like he was about to kiss her. That was not acceptable. He quickly made his way over to where his intended stood and grabbed the wolf by the neck. When the wolf turned to see who had dared to disturb him, Sesshomaru could clearly see the shock and upset in his face. Sesshomaru's eyes flickered towards Kagome and he bit out, “Leave. Now.”

Nodding, Kagome quickly left and ran over to where Kouga and a few of his pack mates stood. She quickly explained to Kouga what had happened, and then turned her attention to where the demon lord stood with a wolf dangling in his grasp.

Sesshomaru looked down at the wolf, who was now struggling to get loose from his grip. Sesshomaru smirked and tightened his grasp, causing the wolf to stop all movements. A sudden movement caught his eye and suddenly, Sesshomaru was surrounded by several concerned wolf demons.

The demon lord growled and glared at the wolf that was now whimpering. Suddenly, a voice floated to the lord's ears.

“Lord Sesshomaru, what an unexpected surprise. Have you come to enjoy our festivities?” The white wolf elder asked, stepping forward through the crowd of wolf demons.

Sesshomaru barred his fangs at the elder and then said, “No. I have only come to kill this insolent beast for touching what belongs to me. After that, I will take my leave of you.”

The elder cocked his head to the side. “And what exactly did the wolf touch?” He wondered.

“He touched the miko who bears my courting mark. His disrespect will not go unpunished.” Sesshomaru ground out. He wiggled his claws right in front of the wolf's face.

The elder glanced over at Kagome, who was staring over at the demon lord. He then looked at the wolf and asked, “Derk of the white wolf tribe, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Sesshomaru threw the wolf to the ground and then watched as the wolf stood and glared up at him. “The girl is a powerful miko and I find her to be pleasing to look at. It is my intention to erase this mongrel's mark off of her and replace it with my own.” Derk said, his green eyes darting over to Kagome. He smirked when he saw the girl blush.

The elder was now amused. “I see. Well, Lord Sesshomaru, you are in our lands and will have to abide by our ways. You wish to have the girl and Derk also has a desire to claim her, so you will fight for her tonight and to make it more interesting, you will partner with Prince Kouga, just as Derk with partner with Lord Sanya. I will lay out the terms of this particular battle tonight at the bonfire. I suggest that both of you rest up. It is going to be an exciting fight.” He said, chuckling. He heard Sesshomaru's warning growl, but chose to ignore it. Never before had one of these meetings promised such excitement. In fact, the last time something really interesting happened was when Lord Zuku grabbed the backside of a female with the intent of telling her that he desired her, but as luck would have it, the backside that he grabbed was that of a feminine looking male and for the rest of the night, that male chased Lord Zuku around, proclaiming that gender did not matter when it came to sex. Yes, that had been a very interesting evening.

The elder walked into the crowd and away from the males. He could only guess what their faces would look like when he told them the rules of battle.

Sesshomaru shook his head and then looked over at Kagome. He extended his hand to her and watched as she made her way over to him. Once her hand was in his, he pulled her to him and glared over at the wolf known as Derk.

“Once this battle begins, your life will be over and you will never again touch my property.” Sesshomaru said, his eyes full of rage.

Derk snorted. “Come off of it. We all are aware that she is one of those mikos who are afflicted with the blood moon's curse. What demon in his right mind would pass up an opportunity to mate a woman who was guaranteed to produce him a powerful heir? Besides, we all know that once you have your heir, you will toss the girl away and not look back, but as my mate, she will have a permanent place at my side. So, you see..it is better this way.” He said, then he looked at Kagome. “Don't worry, my sweet. Once I claim you as mine, we will never have to deal with this fool again.” Derk winked at Kagome, but then decided to take the elder's advice and turned to leave. He needed to prepare himself for the eventual blessing that was about to befall him.

Kagome watched him leave, but still heard his words echoing in her mind. Her brows knitted together and she pulled away from Sesshomaru.

“Is what he said true?” She asked. Ok, now she was freaking out.

Sesshomaru looked around at all of the demons that were staring at him, and since he was known as a cruel and sadistic bastard, he saw no reason to sully that reputation.

“Of course it is. Did you honestly expect me to mate you, a pathetic human girl, when there are so many beautiful demonesses out there for me to sample? Once you give me the heir that you have promised, we will part ways, and I will not look back. This is, after all, just a business deal.” He said, his face as cold as ever, however, he carefully gauged her reaction. He had expected many things from her: tears, screams, even violence, but he never thought that she would simply turn away and say, “Well, I suppose then that I will need to rethink about whom I cheer for tonight. Have a nice battle, Sesshomaru.”

Sesshomaru watched as she walked away and could feel her upset in his mind. His body was screaming for her touch, but he had an image to maintain, and he would not tarnish it just because of her feelings. No, he was Sesshomaru, and he would not yield. But, once again, he felt the familiar bulge in his hakama and he realized that he, too, needed some alone time. He walked off, making sure not to let on to anyone about his discomfort and he faded into the forest. This was getting old really quick.
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Ayame sat beneath a tree and held the head of her most beloved wolf in her lap. She allowed the tears to flow and thought back to that night when Kouga had saved her from the birds of paradise. How she now wished that he had not saved her. If she had only known how he would turn out, she would never have believed his vow to mate her and she would not be sitting here crying her eyes out. She was such a little fool.

Kouga had quietly slipped away from his pack and into the woods. He sniffed the air and was finally able to detect Ayame's scent. He made his way to where she was and finally found her under a tree. He smiled at the scene she made, with her wolves cuddled up next to her and her long red hair flowing down her back. His smile was quickly wiped off his face when he heard her sob softly. He had done this; he had caused her all of this pain, and for what? A chance to be with a human girl who could see jewel shards and produce demon pups. Sure, he still loved Kagome, but when she told him that they could only be friends, he had come to understand that his feelings were more brotherly than romantic, and that was ok, but what was not ok was the fact that a woman who had loved him and held onto a promise that he had made to her had been injured by his foolishness. He was about to step from his hiding place, but froze when he heard the elder's voice.

“I knew that I would find you here. Your mother used to come here to think when she was your age. I am happy to see that you have inherited her love of nature.” The elder said as he walked over to his granddaughter.

Ayame was about to stand, but saw her grandfather shake his head. Instead, he lowered himself to sit beside her and wrap his arm around her shoulder.

“Ayame, I am sorry for everything you have been through. Everything you have experienced would have crushed a much weaker person, but you have remained strong and resilient. I am very proud of you.” The elder said. He took his other hand and gently wiped away the tears that were coursing down her face. “You still love him, don't you?”

Ayame thought about it. “Yes, I still do love him, but he hates me, and has told me so time and time again. I finally got it through my thick skull. But, I can't help it, I just can't bring myself to hate him back.” She sobbed, her tears coming on stronger. She leaned her head down and cried on her grandfather's shoulder.

“Sanya will make a fine mate for you, my dear. He loves you and will never hurt you with unkind words. I am sure that you will be very happy with him.” Her grandfather replied.

Ayame was quiet. “Sanya is a good wolf, but I only see him as a brother and a friend. How am I supposed to look at him and tell him that I love another and will never return his love? I won't do to him what Kouga has done to me.” She said, firmly.

The elder sighed. “I promise you, you will grow to love him in time. Now, the trials begin in a few hours, and I would like to see you smiling when they begin, so take this time to calm yourself and then join me when the sun begins to set, ok?” The elder asked.

Ayame nodded and watched as her grandfather stood up. He gave her a soft smile and then left her to her thoughts.

Kouga sighed and felt his heart pounding in his chest. He knew it. The elder would be siding with Sanya. Well, when Sanya lost, he would deal with the elder then. Now, he took in a deep breath and started to leave his hiding place, but was stopped when a feminine voice was heard. Damn it, this was just not his day.

Ayame turned when she heard Kagome greet her. Though she and Kagome had never really had the chance to talk, she really did not want to be alone, and from the look upon the miko's face, neither did she. So, Ayame gave Kagome a tired smile and said, “You are welcomed to join me, but I have to warn you, I won't be that good of company, I'm afraid.”

Kagome giggled a bit and replied, “Well, I will be happy to join you and won't be that good of company either. I am just so damn tired of all of this.”

Ayame nodded. She, too, was tired. Tired of this life where all she could do was wait for some male to come and accept her as his mate, bear him pups, then watch over them while he runs off doing Kami knows what. She watched as Kagome sat down next to her and sighed. She noticed that one of her wolves crept towards Kagome and placed its head on her lap. Together the females looked over the small spring and sat in silence.

Finally, Ayame said, “So, what brings you out here? I am sure that Kouga is looking for you.”

Kagome sighed. “I don't think so. I doubt that anyone cares that I am out here. Kouga, however, is probably looking for you or he could be getting ready to fight Sanya tonight.” She said.

Ayame's eyes widened. “Why would he be fighting Sanya?” She asked, her heart pounding in her chest.

Kagome looked over at her wolf demon companion and said, “Because, Kouga has stated to your grandfather of his intent on mating with you and Lord Sanya challenged him. Ayame, Kouga was wrong in his treatment of you, but I saw the way he kept looking at you and he is really sorry for all that he has done and said. Perhaps you should talk with him and get this mess straightened out.”

Ayame's eyes narrowed. “Why would you support this? You know that he has feelings for you, yet here you are, and you are trying to convince me to talk to him.”

Kagome gave a small laugh. “What have I done to give you the impression that I desired Kouga? My feelings were for Inu Yasha at the time, but now they changed and I feel for someone else. Kouga understands how I feel and knows that I see him as a dear friend and nothing more. Please, Ayame, go and talk to him. It is clear to me that you are hurting.” She said, her eyes soft.

Ayame sighed. Perhaps she would talk to him, but for now, she was rather enjoying her talk with the miko. “So, what has you so upset that you felt the need to hide in the woods with me?” She asked.

“Well, you have heard of the blood moon curse, right? Well, I have it and on my first night experiencing it, I ended up sleeping with Sesshomaru.” Kagome said, her eyes going down to examine a very interesting speck of dust on her kimono.

“Sesshomaru? You don't mean Lord Sesshomaru of the western lands, do you?” Ayame asked, a grin plastered on her face. Even though she had loved Kouga, she, along with many other demonesses, had on occasion, indulged in some very naughty thoughts about the demon lord and often needed to find some sort of outlet for their desire. He was a good-looking male. A perfect specimen of the male species.

Kagome scowled at the wolf's goofy smile and then nodded. “Yes, that's him. Anyways, I made a deal with him that I would give him an heir after one year, and he would provide me relief on nights of the blood moon. So, on the last blood moon, he took me back to his palace and…” Kagome trailed off, but Ayame picked up from where the miko stopped. “You made him howl until dawn. Gotcha.”

Kagome giggled and playfully smacked the wolf's arm. “Well, yes. But, then he did something kind of strange. He made me wear these fancy kimonos, and this pendant. And then, after we returned to my group, he made a claim on me and then gave me a courting mark.” She said, bearing her neck for Ayame to see. The wolf examined the mark and then shook her head.

“Wow. He must be really serious to do that. Courting marks are only placed when the male is considering to make the female his mate and is not taken lightly. It will fade after a few months, if not renewed regularly. But, if he marks you during a time when he mates you, the mark is permanent and will not fade, plus it binds you to him for the rest of his natural life.” Ayame explained.

Kagome's eyes widened. “Oh.” She said. She looked down at the ground and felt tears spring to her eyes. Ayame noticed her upset and placed a hand upon her shoulder. “What's wrong? You should be happy.” She said, confusion clear on her face.

Kagome shook her head. “That wolf, Derk, made a claim on me to the elder of your tribe, and he said that Sesshomaru was only using me, that he only wanted an heir and then would walk away from me.” She said, bitterly.

Ayame's eyes grew wide. This was just not making any sense. A demon would not give a courting mark if all he wanted was a good fuck.

“And what did Sesshomaru say to this?” She asked. She watched as a tear slipped down Kagome's face.

“He said that it was true. That there were so many beautiful demonesses out there for him to sample and then I walked away. I didn't need any further explanations.” Kagome replied, her face flaming in humiliation.

Ayame shook her head. There was much more to things than what was being shown. However, it stunned her that Derk would want a human for a mate. “Kagome, do you know why Derk approached you?” Ayame asked. She loved her brother, but he was not very nice when it came to humans.

“He kept staring at me, but I had ignored it and after he approached me, he tried to kiss me. That was when Sesshomaru appeared from out of nowhere. But, Derk did say that I will have a place at his side. Kami, I am so upset that all I want to do is kick something.” Kagome said, anger evident in her voice.

At that statement, every single wolf around the two females edged away from the young girl. They were not about to be the something that she kicked. Ayame shook her head at the sight and then looked at Kagome.

“Listen, Derk is my older brother and he means what he says, but I will be honest when I say that I am surprised that he would want a human mate. No offense, but, Derk is known for a deep hatred of your race, though I don't really know why. Perhaps he has changed. I sure the hell hope so.” Ayame said, thoughtfully.

Kagome shrugged. She felt a bit better after spilling her guts, and could see that Ayame looked a bit happier as well. She watched as Ayame looked up at the sky and then sighed. “Come on. The trials will begin in an hour and we need to get ready. I will loan you something to wear. If Kouga, Sanya, Sesshomaru, and Derk are going to fight, we will wind up being the prizes, and need to look presentable. But, at least we get the best seats around to watch the battles.” Ayame said, standing up and extending her hand to the miko.

Kagome nodded and proceeded to walk with Ayame towards the den. This was going to be a long night.
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Kouga watched as the women left and had a smile on his face. Kagome had stood up for him and hopefully had convinced Ayame to speak with him. He turned around and walked back to his pack, confident in his victory. He felt his cock twitch with excitement at the thought of having his wolf princess writhing beneath him and he was sure that their first night together would be something that they remembered for the rest of their long lives.

Sesshomaru stood on a branch that was located near the top of a tree. He had heard every word, and wanted to kick the ever-loving shit out of himself. His little miko was hurting over his words and he was powerless to do anything about it. Why did he make such a statement? Was he really that big of a fool? Yes, his youkai told him smugly. He was also an ass.

Sesshomaru growled out his frustration but was relieved to find that his cock had deflated. Apparently, the moment he had smelled her tears, his arousal left him just as quickly as it had come. He glanced up at the sky and decided that it was time to go back to the smelly den. After he ripped that wolf to shreds, he would pull Kagome aside and explain his words to her. Wait, why did he need to explain anything to her? He was the alpha and she was the bitch. She would do as she was told. Again, he could hear his youkai calling him some very unflattering names, but the one that kept coming up was ass. Well, ass or not, he was not going to be weakened by a female, no matter how much he cared for her. Besides, she should know by now that he would not walk away from her, the soon-to-be mother of his pup. She would live with him and their pup in the palace and she would act as lady of the western lands and fulfill all of the duties that came with the title, and that included taking care of her lord, in and out of the bedchamber. There would be no arguments, bargaining, or threats. Yes, this was how things were going to work.