InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Enemy Mine ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Inuyasha. Those are the property of one Rumiko Takahashi. I thank her whole-heartedly for giving us such an amazing manga/anime to read/watch.

Author's Note. While this chapter maintains an R rating for language use and lime content, future chapters will contain adult material that warrant an NC-17 rating.

I'd like to thank my daughters, Himeko and Kojika, for helping come up with names for characters introduced in this chapter.

Enemy Mine - Chapter 5

By Urd-chan

Kagura tossed and turned on the soft furs. Even in sleep her mind couldn't rid itself of the images that plagued her during the day. She saw Kouga's men as her fan sent energy blasts at them, cutting them down where they stood. She once again watched them dance at her will, slamming them into Inuyasha in order to set him up as the one who murdered them. She could see the horror in the faces of Kouga and the others as they watched her make puppets out of the corpses.

She whimpered softly in her sleep while drops of sweat collected on her brow, but she remained asleep as the images changed. Instead of Kouga's men, she saw a single wolf youkai. Reiya. She was bending down to pick a flower when the bird youkai grabbed her with its talon, squeezing the child in its grasp as it ascended out of reach. Kagura tried in vain to reach the girl, but couldn't. She could hear the bird youkai laughing, only it wasn't a normal laugh. It sounded like Naraku. Suddenly it wasn't Reiya being clutched in the talon, but Kagura herself. The bird youkai faded, to be replaced by Naraku as he continued to squeeze Kagura until she thought her heart would burst. Over it all she could hear him laughing. Kukuku… She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

Kouga finally gave up on sleep before the sun was up. He wandered from the common room to the courtyard outside where several of his men were stationed on watch. They acknowledged their leader as he walked by them and he waved his hand reflexively in return. His mind was otherwise occupied and he found himself heading unconsciously towards his den. He stopped when he was within sight, noting that Ginta dozed, sitting against the wall just outside the den. Hakkaku leaned against the wall on the other side of the door.

"Is something wrong?" Hakkaku asked as Kouga continued to maintain his distance from the den.

The wolf youkai grunted and shook his head. "Just making the rounds. After what happened yesterday, we can't be too careful."

Hakkaku nodded and leaned back against the wall. It had been a long night, especially after having to take his turn on patrol the day before. Doing double duty wasn't something he enjoyed, and he had a feeling that as long as the wind user was their guest, he would be doing a lot of it.

Kouga turned and started walking away when a scream filled the air.

"Kagura!" He spun on his heel and raced into his den.

The wind user sat up among the furs of his bed. Her hair was hanging loose around her face. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead and her chest, where her kimono had worked its way open from her thrashing. She was gasping for breath and even Kouga could hear how fast her heart was beating. He dropped to his knees in front of her and grasped her shoulders.

"What the hell's wrong?" He glanced around the den but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He turned back to Kagura, a worried expression on his face.

"Damn it, Kagura. What happened?"

The wind user took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I can see them."

"What the…? Who can you see?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Your men. They're all dead. I killed them." Her voice was low and monotone, shaking despite her attempts to sound calm.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kouga started, relieved to find that Kagura was all right.

"I killed them," she repeated in a flat voice.

Kouga glanced around the room. "There's nobody here, Kagura. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Not here," she explained as she tried to brush his hands from her shoulders. The physical contact was making her feel funny again.

"What?" Kouga let his hands drop from her shoulders and sat back on his heels. The realization hit him. "It was just a nightmare."

"Nightmare?" Kagura echoed. "I don't understand." Her breathing had calmed and she seemed more like her usual self. Something about Kouga's presence was comforting.

"A nightmare…" Kouga narrowed his eyes and studied her. "You, know, a bad dream?"

Kagura shook her head.

"What the hell? Don't tell me you've never had a nightmare before? I know youkai don't sleep much, but you do sleep sometimes. You can't tell me you've never had a nightmare before."

Kagura shook her head again. "I've never…"

"It's just a bad dream. When you sleep, you get pictures in your head. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not. They can't hurt you." Kouga's gaze dropped from Kagura's face to her exposed chest as he talked. He wasn't aware that he was staring until Kagura noticed the line of his sight and quickly closed her kimono, tying the sash securely as she stood up and walked to the stream.

She cupped her hands and gathered some of the cool water, splashing her face and then taking her wet hands and smoothing her hair. She pulled it up to its usual high ponytail and fastened it.

"So, do you have these…dreams?" she asked unexpectedly.

Kouga opened his mouth, ready to answer when the memory of a dream he had the night before came back to him. Why the hell was he dreaming about Kagura, anyway?

"Yeah, sometimes. I usually don't remember them," he lied as he shook the dream images of the wind user from his mind. "They're nothing to worry about."

Kagura stood up, still keeping her back to him. "I didn't mean to cause a disturbance. You can go back to whatever you were doing."

She's dismissing me? he thought.

"Nah. I've got nothing to do. Besides, this is still my den, so I think I'll stick around for a while."

Kagura turned to face him. "You don't have to stay. Anyway, I'd rather be alone."

Kouga turned towards the door in a huff. "Suit yourself." He stopped when he heard her speak.

"How is the child?" Kagura's voice was soft and low. The hint of emotion in it was in sharp contrast to the way she had spoken to him only moments before.

"Reiya? She's okay. She got some cuts and bruises, and one broken bone, but she's already healing. She should be back to normal in a few days," he replied without looking at her.

Kagura watched as Kouga walked through the door. She realized that she had been holding her breath, waiting for news of the child's condition. So, the girl was all right, although Kagura was confused at her own concern for her.

Kouga paused and glared at Ginta and Hakkaku. "She had a nightmare, of all things." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'll have someone bring some food for you in a little while. I'll get someone to cover your patrol so you can stay here today."

"You want us to watch Kagura all day?"

Kouga growled at his underling. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Ginta and Hakkaku simply shook their heads and watched as their leader walked away. They could see he was agitated about something.

Kagura paced the room, unable to relax. Memories of her dream kept coming back to haunt her, and the feelings they were awakening in her were more than she could deal with. She had never felt this way before, and her instinct was to flee. Anything would be better than being trapped in the midst of the very people she had wronged. They had every right to hate her, and she knew they had the right to want her gone.

She didn't even glance at Ginta as he brought her food in and placed it on the table, fighting an urge to ask him where Kouga was. She waited until he was gone to approach her meal, and even then scarcely picked at the food.

Kagura's nervousness grew as the morning wore on. Finally, she could take no more. She changed into her silk kimono and slipped several feathers into the tie holding her hair. She walked quietly to the door, her fan held firmly in her right hand. She could hear Ginta and Hakkaku talking softly just outside the door.

The two wolf youkai looked up in surprise when Kagura appeared at the door. Ginta mumbled something about Kouga wanting her to stay inside the den, but she pushed past him and slid a feather from her hair. Within seconds she was airborne, looking down at Kouga's underlings shouting and running around. She could see one take off in the direction of the center of the village. She knew by the time they got to Kouga, she would be long gone.

"Kouga!!!" Ginta raced to where his leader stood talking with several men who had just returned from their patrols.

Kouga knew without asking that there was trouble with Kagura and shouted at Ginta to follow him as he raced to his den. Hakkaku had watched Kagura until she was out of sight and was able to point out to his leader just what direction she had traveled in.

"Damn it! You two were supposed to keep her from leaving!"

"There wasn't anything we could do. She came out and the next thing we knew, she was on that feather of hers," Ginta stammered.

"Which way did she go?" Kouga demanded. His eyes followed the path of Hakkaku's pointing finger. At least he knew which direction to take, assuming Kagura didn't veer from course after she was out of sight.

"I'll be back," Kouga shouted as he ran in the direction Kagura had taken. His legs had healed, but without the shards, he knew there was no way he could catch up with her as long as she remained airborne. He only hoped she landed soon.

Kouga continued running, his anger fading when he realized where he was headed. It wasn't much farther to the place he had first met Kagura - the castle where his men had been slaughtered. Surely she wouldn't be heading there?

Kagura's dream. Kouga remembered the way she reacted to her dream. Damn it! He should have known she would do something. She had been upset by her visions. Despite her request to be left alone, he should have stayed with her.

The wolf youkai slowed as he came within sight of the castle. The building was nothing but ruins, and all signs of the violence that happened there was gone. A flash of light blue caught his attention. Yes, there she was.

Kagura stood in the middle of the place they had battled. Her back was to him, and she didn't appear to notice that he was there. He paused, watching her as she stood silently.

"Leave me alone," she said hoarsely.

So, she was aware he was there. Kouga started walking closer.

"Leave me alone!" She turned and glared at him, holding her fan in position. The look in her eyes told him she would not attack. She was too busy fighting her own battle to worry about him.

"I'm taking you back," Kouga said quietly as he approached her.

"Damn it, Kouga. Why can't you just leave me alone? I don't need your help. I'm just fine on my own." Her voice was shaking slightly and she took a step back from him as he drew nearer.

"Just come with me," he said as he held his hand out toward her.

Kagura took another step back. "You promised that girl you would take care of me until I was ready to be on my own. Well, I'm just fine. Go back to your village and just leave me the hell alone."

"No," he replied as he continued to approach.

The wind user reached towards her hair.

"Damn it, Kagura, don't you dare take off again," he said, still walking slowly towards her. When he got close enough he grabbed her right wrist, pulling her hand to him. He yanked the fan from her grasp with his free hand.

Kagura lunged for her fan, but he tightened his grip on her wrist and dropped his hand to his side, bringing her arm with it. She tried vainly to reach her fan as he held it over his head.

"Not so good at close up fighting, I see," he laughed.

"Damn you, Kouga. I don't want to fight. I just want you to get the hell out of here and leave me alone."

"I'm not going anywhere, Kagura, so you better get that through that thick skull of yours."

"Then just let me go. I'll be on my way."

Kouga shook his head. "If you think I'm going to let you leave, you're crazy. I promised Kagome…"

"To hell with your fucking promise. As far as I'm concerned, you did what you said you would do. Why you should care so much about a promise to a human is beyond me."

"You had your own deal with her, if I remember right," he laughed.

Kagura tried again to reach her fan. "I did what I said I would do. Now get your damned hands off me."

His laugh was cut short as Kagura lifted her knee quickly to his groin.

"What the fuck…" The wolf youkai doubled over, effectively pulling Kagura's hand almost to the ground and making her lose balance. She dropped to one knee.

"Why won't you just leave me alone," she rasped.

"I can't."

"Because of some stupid promise?"

"No."

Kagura struggled against his grip and stood back up.

"Kagura, you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened. You were used by Naraku."

The wind user closed her eyes, once again picturing the faces of the wolf youkai as she slashed them with her attacks.

"I could have refused," she said bluntly.

"Naraku would have just killed you and sent someone else."

"Still, I could have refused." She opened her eyes and glanced back at the scene of her crime. "Besides, I enjoyed it. At the time, I enjoyed what I was doing. The feeling of power. The ability to control the wind. It all made me feel good."

"And, what about now. Do you still feel that way?"

"No," she whispered. Her shoulders shook slightly as she turned her head away from him.

"That's why I can't just leave you alone."

Kagura turned and looked at him in surprise. "Damn it, Kouga, I just don't understand you. I kill your people. I play with their corpses, and you don't hate me?"

Kouga released her wrist and waved his hand that held her fan, indicating something in the distance.

"There is a human village not far from here." He paused, a hint of sadness in his voice.

Kagura looked at him with a confused expression. "So, what the hell does that have to do with this?"

"The village is empty. The humans are all dead." Again, Kouga paused and looked at her.

"They're dead because of me. I set my men and my wolves on them."

Kagura glanced in the direction he had indicated and shook her head. "I don't understand."

"I'm to blame for all those deaths. You see, I didn't know that humans…that humans had a place here. I had always thought they were beneath us. As youkai, we had the right to kill them."

He stared into the distance, remembering the events of that day.

"That's where I met Inuyasha and Kagome. They showed me that humans had just as much right to live as youkai. Hell, Kagome accepted me as a friend, even after I did that." His voice had faded to a scratchy whisper.

"Kouga."

"The difference between what you did and what I did is that I had a choice. Nobody was controlling me or threatening my life if I didn't follow orders."

Kagura nodded mutely.

"That's why I can't let you go."

"You're not making any sense, Kouga. I don't know why you think that has any bearing on me leaving, but…"

"We're more alike than you might think," he said as he turned to look her in the eyes. "And, neither of us is the same now as we were then. We've learned from our mistakes. Like Kagome said, we need to move forward."

Kagura shook her head and laughed. "You're an idiot, Kouga. You think I can just march back to your village and everything's going to be all right? There's not a single member of your tribe that doesn't hate me and wish I were dead."

"That's where you're wrong. If nothing else, I know of a mother and daughter who would be sad if you left."

Ruka and Reiya. Kagura could remember the way Ruka had spoken to her. And, Reiya. Kagura could picture the child handing her a flower.

"They'd live without me."

"Maybe not. Remember, if you hadn't stepped in against those bird youkai, Reiya would be dead."

Kagura shrugged. "What did you expect me to do, just wait until they decided to come after me?"

"Damn it, Kagura! Why can't you just be honest. I saw the look on your face. You weren't thinking about yourself. You were scared to death for Reiya."

"So, there are two tribe members who don't hate me…"

"Make that three."

Kagura looked at Kouga in surprise. "You'd live without me, too. Hell, you'd have your den back and be rid of my stench. And you wouldn't have to worry about guarding me."

"You're not going to change my mind," he said as he lowered his hand with her fan. "I see it this way. You have two choices."

"And just what the hell are these two choices?"

"You can come back with me willingly, and with a little dignity, or…"

"Or what?"

"Or, I can carry you back kicking and screaming." Kouga moved as though he was ready to throw her over his shoulder again.

"And, what if I don't agree to either of those choices?"

"Those are the only choices you have." Again, the wolf youkai moved forward, only this time he leaned down and grabbed her around the knees, swinging her slender form over his shoulder. "So, I take it this is your choice?"

"Damn it, Kouga! Put me down!" Kagura struggled and pounded his back with her fists.

"Are you going to go back willingly?" He carefully lowered her until her feet were on the ground again.

"You're not going to leave me alone if I don't, are you?"

"No."

"Why? I don't get it, Kouga. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He shook his head. "Believe me, I wish I knew myself."

The wolf youkai took a step back from her and held out her fan.

The wind user snatched her fan and shook her head. "You're a fucking idiot, Kouga. But, I know you aren't going to go away, so I guess I really don't have any other choice." She glanced around her, suddenly wishing she were anywhere else. And, it wasn't like she really had any place else to go.

Within moments they were airborne. Kagura closed her eyes for a moment, delighting at the feel of the wind on her face. She glanced at Kouga.

The wolf youkai was studying the horizon ahead of them. "What the fuck?"

Kagura looked closely ahead of them as they approached the wolf youkai village. Something was wrong -hovering over the village were several dozen of the bird youkai. Even from a distance it was obvious they were attacking.

"Can't you make this damned thing fly any faster?"

Kagura nodded and focused her energy on the feather's flight. Despite an increase in speed. It still seemed like a lifetime before they reached the village.

Kagura flipped open her fan and sent a blast of energy bolts at the youkai. Several of the birds screeched in pain as they were ripped apart. The others turned and started towards the feather.

"Kagura!" Kouga shouted as he gripped the edge of the feather, anticipating the bird youkai's attack.

The wind user had already shifted their flight, taking them momentarily above the attacking youkai and coming down behind them. She waved her fan again and a second barrage of energy bolts cut through their attackers. Several more fell to the ground in pieces.

Kouga could see several members of his tribe lying on the ground. It was apparent that the attack hadn't been going on long, but the bird youkai must have arrived unexpectedly and the wolf youkai were at an obvious disadvantage to the aerial attack.

"Kagura!" he shouted as the wind user once again maneuvered the feather out of the way of the attacking bird youkai. A third wave of her fan brought down even more of the attackers.

Members of Kouga's tribe quickly dispatched two of the bird youkai who survived Kagura's attack and fell to the ground in the village. Their leader assessed their situation from his perch on the feather and turned to Kagura.

The wind user was already positioning them for another attack. Kouga pointed to what appeared to be the leader of the bird youkai. "Can you get me close enough to jump on that one?"

"I'll try, " she said as she swerved to avoid a group of bird youkai who came directly at them. She released another blast of energy bolts at the attackers and directly her feather between them and up to the leader.

"Can't you get in any closer?" Kouga readied himself for his leap to the bird youkai's leader, but was unsure of just how far he would be able to jump without the aid of the Shikon shards.

Kagura nodded as she brought the feather around the youkai and swung in as close as she could.

Kouga made the leap with no trouble, landing on the back of the bird youkai leader. He grabbed hold of its back feathers and worked his way up to its head as the creature tried to throw him off. The wolf youkai finally managed to get a grip around its neck and twisted. The creature screamed and tried again to throw him off. Kouga let loose with a series of kicks and punches, sending the bird youkai spiraling towards the ground. It recovered just before it hit the hard stone of the mountain and swung back skyward.

Kouga continued to attack, only jumping off when the bird tried to dislodge him against an outcropping of rock. It was having difficulty staying aloft as it screeched out directions to its followers and flew off. The others followed, leaving their fallen members at the mercy of the wolf youkai.

Kagura turned her feather and started to follow the retreating bird youkai until she realized that Kouga was no longer in sight. She glanced at the line of bird youkai as they flew away, making sure they weren't turning to start another attack run, and then quickly turned her feather and flew to where she had last seen Kouga.

The wolf youkai was searching through the fallen bird youkai, making sure they were dead. He waved a hand briefly in Kagura's direction.

She swung the feather in his direction and descended, jumping off just before she reached the ground. The feather disappeared.

"What about the others?" Kouga glanced up as he leaned down to check the final downed bird youkai.

"They took off, but I'm sure they'll be back," the wind user said as she picked her way around scattered youkai pieces. Between her energy blasts and Kouga's physical attacks, many of the fallen birds were unidentifiable for the creatures they were.

"Damn. I knew they would start fighting for territory, but hoped they would hold off until we were ready." He stood and walked quickly to the center of the village where several wolf youkai were already being treated for injuries. Kouga called for Ginta and Hakkaku, who came running up to him with their report.

"We had a few men get injured, but for the most part everyone's okay. It's just a good thing you got here when you did…" Ginta turned and surveyed the open area of the square.

His leader nodded. "Okay, you two need to get some men together to get this garbage out of here. It's already starting to reek." He indicated the scattered youkai pieces with his hand.

Ginta nodded. "Anything else?"

"Get the injured inside and have someone bring me a full report when they've been treated." He paused and glanced at the sky, following the route the bird youkai had retreated in. "We'll have to send out some scouts to see if they can find out anything. I have a feeling they've set up a temporary camp close by so they can speed up their attacks. We need to find it."

"Ummmm…Kouga." Hakkaku shifted nervously and glanced in Kagura's direction.

"What?" Kouga snapped.

"If we could get up there, it would be easier to find them." He gestured upward.

Kouga narrowed his eyes and looked skyward. He then dropped his gaze to Kagura.

The wind user shook her head. "Damn it, Kouga. Don't you try getting me involved in this."

"You're already involved, idiot. You think they didn't see who was launching those attacks at them? The sooner we get rid of those damned youkai the better it will be for everyone, including you."

"If you think you're going to trick me into helping…"

"Just take me up for a few minutes. I need to know what those fucking youkai are doing and where they are attacking from."

Kagura closed her eyes and shook her head. "Just a few minutes," she sighed as she reached her hand to her hair and took out a feather from her hair band.

Within minutes the two were speeding through the sky over the mountainside. Kagura directed the feather in the same direction the attackers had disappeared in, slowing as they passed over the more densely wooded lower slopes. They could see the large clearing from a distance, and Kagura pulled up, keeping the feather hovering in one place. There was definitely activity of bird youkai in the open area.

"Well, you know where they are attacking from. Are you satisfied? I'm going back." She turned the feather and flew close to the treetops, doing her best to keep from being seen should any of the enemy take flight.

They made it back to Kouga's village without incidence. Kouga jumped off before the feather reached the ground, landing in a crouch and watching Kagura's descent. The feather disappeared when she stepped off.

"Come on," he demanded as he grabbed her wrist and started pulling her in the direction opposite his den.

"What the hell? Get your fucking hands off me!" She tried to pull free of his grip.

Kouga turned and smiled. "Again, you have two choices…" He studied her for a moment. "Well, so what's it going to be?"

"I just want to go back to your den," she said dryly and she slapped the hand that held her with her closed fan.

"We'll be back there soon enough. I need to meet with my men and set up my strategy."

"What the hell do you need me for?"

"You're the main part of my strategy."

"Damn it, Kouga. I never said I'd…"

"Look, Kagura. What just happened…without your help, we would have been almost defenseless. My men have limited weapons, and we're mostly trained for close-up fighting. Without the shards, I can't get enough distance to reach those fucking bird youkai."

He looked directly into her eyes. "We need you."

Kagura looked away, unable to meet his vibrant blue eyes. "Your tribe would disagree."

"No they won't. Not after what just happened. First you save Reiya, and now this." He reached out and cupped his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I'll personally beat the living crap out of anyone who disagrees."

"This is a bad idea, Kouga." She jerked her chin from his hand and turned away.

"You don't have to stay long. I just need you there to make a point."

"Damn it, Kouga. When I agreed to come back, I didn't agree to anything like this."

"Just come with me for a few minutes. You can go right back to the den after that."

The wind user shook her head. "I really don't want to…" She found herself looking into Kouga's eyes. They were almost mesmerizing and she had to force herself to look away.

"A few minutes. I promise. I'll take you back to the den myself."

Kagura growled. "I'm going under protest - just remember that."

The wolf youkai nodded, the hint of a smile on his face. "Then let's go. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can get back to the den."

Kagura followed Kouga to the central area of the village where most of his tribe was already assembled Silence fell over the group as Kouga and Kagura approached.

Ginta and Hakkaku stepped forward and filled Kouga in on the condition of their wounded men. Nobody was hurt badly and they should all be healed in just a few days.

"Good," their leader said as he glanced around.

Kagura stayed behind Kouga, wishing she could just slip away before anyone noticed her. She was surprised at just how commanding Kouga could be as he took charge of the assembly. He called for reports from several of his men, including those who had just returned from patrol.

"We know where they are attacking from," the leader of the tribe said as he turned and motioned to Kagura to join him.

The wind user glared at him and shook her head. She wasn't stupid enough to put herself in the middle of his hostile tribe.

"By now I'm sure that everyone knows that the only thing that saved our asses earlier was the help of our guest."

Kagura cringed as she felt every eye in the group fall on her. "Damn you, Kouga," she muttered under her breath as she glared at him. Her red eyes reflected the flames of the fire burning in a nearby fire pit, adding to the anger in her stare.

The wind user turned when she heard someone mumble something unpleasant about her. Her smoldering gaze fell on an attractive female from Kouga's tribe. She was dressed much like the others, but somehow managed to stand apart from the rest. She gave Kagura a wicked smile and turned her own gaze back to Kouga.

Kouga pointedly ignored the female wolf youkai and started to recap the battle with the youkai birds. He finished by telling his tribe that he and Kagura had done an aerial survey of the area and discovered the location the youkai birds were attacking from.
"It appears they have set up a temporary base midway between their territory and our village. My guess is that they intend to continue to attack until they take our territory. Normally, with our reduced numbers and the fact that we no longer have the shards to count on, I'd say we didn't stand a chance against them."

A low mumbling rose from the assembled wolf youkai. Several shouted out to Kouga. "There's got to be something we can do." "You're not just going to let them beat us."

Kouga shook his head. "I said normally. But circumstances aren't normal. If we can take advantage of the one thing that can even things out, we can beat them."

"What one thing?" There were more mumbling and shouts from the crowd.

"Kagura."

The wind user found herself the center of attention again. Kouga walked over to her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to the center of the gathering with him.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, Kouga," she mumbled as she struggled against his hold on her. She found herself surrounded by a very surprised looking group of wolf youkai.

"You saw the battle earlier, and even if you weren't there, you've heard about it. If it wasn't for Kagura, I don't even want to think about what would have happened." Kouga smirked at her.

He's actually enjoying this, she thought as fought the urge to hit him. Not a good idea in front of his people. She was going to have to pay him back for this when the others weren't around.

"From now on, Kagura is a vital part of our strategy against those fucking bird youkai. They think they have the advantage, attacking from the air. Well, now we have our own advantage."

The wind user shook off his hand and glared at him. "I never said anything about helping," she mumbled softly.

Kouga leaned towards her and whispered back. "But you will. That's the beauty of my strategy."

He turned back to his tribe. "We hit them pretty hard earlier. I think we can safely assume they won't attack again until at least tomorrow. Until then, we need to do what we can to be ready for them. I want all my men who aren't on patrol to meet back here at sunrise. We'll go over the details of my plan. We'll have another tribe meeting after things have been worked out. In the meantime, be careful, and be sure to report anything suspicious to the patrol leaders."

Kouga turned to Kagura with a triumphant smile. She glared back at him and turned, walking quickly towards his den. He followed her, only to find himself stopped by the female wolf youkai who had caught Kagura's attention during the meeting.

"Hey, Kouga, don't leave so quickly. We haven't had a chance to talk since you got back." She leaned in close to him as she spoke, moving provocatively against him as she slipped her arms around one of his. "I was hoping we could find a little time to be alone." The tone of her voice was low and seductive. Kouga narrowed his eyes at her and then looked up to see Kagura storming away, heading to his den.

"Sorry, but I'm busy." He shook her off his arm and started walking in the direction the wind user had taken.

"Don't be this way, Kouga. I've missed you. Surely you can't have forgotten how much fun we used to have together?"

"Damn it! What don't you understand? I'm not interested! You'll go after any male you think can give you what you want - power. If I wasn't the leader of the tribe, you wouldn't look twice at me." He could hear her muttered curses as he walked away.

Kagura had stopped outside Kouga's den long enough to look back and see him with the female wolf youkai hanging all over him. The wind user fled into the den, confused as to why she felt so angry. There was a tightness in her chest and she felt she wanted to just get away from where she was. Where Kouga was.

She stood shaking in the middle of his den, trying her best to sort out her feelings. She was angry - angry that he had subjected her to the scrutiny of his tribe. They hated her, and she could feel that hatred as she stood with Kouga in the middle of the meeting. Kagura thought about the female wolf youkai - the one who had made insulting comments about her, and who was obviously enjoying her time with Kouga - and found herself wanting to claw the girl's eyes out. Her reaction didn't make sense. Why the hell was she acting this way? More importantly, why was she feeling this way?

The wind user didn't look at Kouga when he entered the den. "Kagura, are you okay?"

She forced a laugh. "And, why wouldn't I be? Oh, that's right. You just tricked me into going with you to that damned meeting and then stuck me in the middle of a room of wolf youkai who hate my guts."

"Look, Kagura, I wasn't trying to do anything to hurt you. I just needed to make the tribe see that we need your help."

"Well, I'm not going to help."

Kouga narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Why the hell not? You stepped in without being asked. You saw how much you helped against those youkai. Without you there…"

"I'm leaving."

"Like hell you are. I promised Kagome…" He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I really don't give a fuck about your promise to Kagome." She pulled away from him, still keeping her face turned away. "And, I don't give a fuck about you!"

Kouga reacted like he had been hit. "What the…?" He grabbed her by the shoulders again and spun her to face him. He stopped when he saw the look on Kagura's face.

"You're crying?" Surely he was mistaken. But there, trickling down her face, was a single tear. The look in her eyes brought a lump to his throat.

"Don't be stupid!" she snapped as she tried to turn away from him. He held her shoulders firmly and she could only turn her face away. "Just leave me the hell alone!"

"There's no way I'm leaving you like this."

"Why don't you just go back to your little plaything out there and leave me alone?"

"Plaything?" Kouga's confusion faded when he realized that Kagura must have seen him talking to the female wolf youkai. From a distance it must have looked like…

"Hell, I don't even remember her name. She's a power hungry bitch. Do you really think I'd actually want to have anything to do with a female like that?"

"You seemed to be enjoying her attention."

"What the…?" Kouga stared at Kagura in amazement. Surely he was wrong, but she was acting like she was jealous. "No, it can't be…"

Kagura glared at him. "It can't be what?"

"You're jealous. You're actually jealous."

Her fist connected with his face before he could stop it.

"So, that's the way it's going to be." He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her, bringing his other arm across the front of her body to pin her free arm against her side. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her against him.

Kagura's heart was racing and she could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck. "Damn it, Kouga! Get your fucking hands off me!"

"No! Not until you admit it."

"Admit what? You're crazy, and if you don't take your hands off me, I'll…"

"You'll what?" he mumbled as he twisted her around to face him. He tightened his grip on her wrists and brought them together behind her back, bringing her body close to his.

"I'll…"

The wolf youkai realized that his own heart was beating just as quickly as hers. The feel of her body against his was triggering feelings he was unfamiliar with. His groin felt like it was on fire as he pushed against her.

Kagura's eyes opened in surprise when he leaned towards her and put his mouth to hers. His lips were hot and moist, and the feeling was almost electric as he moved them against hers. No, she thought to herself, but her body wouldn't cooperate and she closed her eyes, letting her own lips relax against the pressure of his.

Kouga released her lips and looked at her. Her eyes were still closed and her lips slightly parted. He had never noticed just how beautiful she was.

"No!" she gasped as her eyes flew open.

"Kagura, I…" He readied himself for a stream of obscenities but was surprised when instead she pressed her lips against his.

Kouga pulled back, acutely aware of the rising desire in his loins. This was wrong. He knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, but found himself wanting her in ways he had never wanted anyone before. Her body was so soft and warm, and her lips so inviting he found his resolve crumbling.

"No, Kagura." He shook his head and released his hold on her. He turned his back to her. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that, but I promise it won't happen again."

Kagura watched as Kouga left. She felt empty inside, and angry. But, she couldn't figure out who she was more angry at, herself or Kouga.

"Damn you, Kouga," she whispered as she walked to the stream. His scent still clung to her and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to rid herself of it. Her breasts tingled and there was an intense warmth where her legs met her body. She loosened her kimono and slid her hand to the area between her legs, touching the slick wetness that coated her inner thighs and groin. She remembered the feeling of him pressing his hips to her there and quickly stripped off the kimono and stepped into the stream, sitting in the cool water to quench the burning between her legs. She scrubbed her body and washed the kimono, hanging it to dry on an outcropping of rock. Her old green under kimono was still laying on the furs of Kouga's bed, so she picked it up and put it on.

His scent still hung in the air and she found herself picturing the wolf youkai. Damn it, Kagura, get a grip, she told herself. Funny, but even bathing in the cool stream hadn't completely cooled her desire. She curled up on the furs lining his bed and tried to dispel his image from her mind. It was a losing battle.

She didn't acknowledge Ginta when he brought food in. She wasn't hungry, and the last thing she needed was to see anyone who would remind her of Kouga. She lay quietly where she was, remembering how Kouga's arms had felt around her. How his lips had felt when he kissed her. It had felt good, and even now the memory of it was making her body tingle again.

Damn you, Kouga, she thought as she pulled herself into a ball on the furs and tried to sleep.

Kouga stormed from the den and shouted to Ginta and Hakkaku to take the watch. He flashed past them without another word and ran off into the mountains, not stopping until he reached a tiny lake that was hidden on one side by the towering mountainside. The water wasn't deep, but it was cold. Just what he needed as he waded into it, letting the cool wetness reach his waist. He stood still for a moment, letting his thoughts collect as the throbbing at his groin subsided.

Why the hell did he have to go and kiss her? He hadn't planned it - it just sort of happened. It wasn't like he hadn't kissed anyone before. He had been young and just discovering the wonder of females. He had kissed, but nothing more. But, this had been different. He couldn't put the feeling into words, but one thing was obvious. He had reacted in a way to Kagura that was new to him. And, he knew what it meant. He had grown up around the males of his tribe, learning how to hunt and fight from them. Naturally, they had told him about females. He knew the basics of mating, even though he had never mated. It didn't make sense.

He left the water and ran back to the village, letting the wind dry his kilt and leg covers as he made his way to the cave that the unattached males shared. He would let his two idiot underlings keep watch over his den while he found a spot away from everyone. He had some thinking to do and already knew he was in for a sleepless night.

Dawn was still some time away, but Kouga couldn't sit still another minute. He stood up and started pacing, only to discover that he had managed to walk halfway back to his den before he realized where he was going. Okay, that does it, he thought to himself. He would have to just go in and resolve a few things with Kagura. They couldn't go on with the way things were, and the sooner he got a few things straightened out, the better. Of course, he knew that the thing he was going to have to straighten out the most was his own feelings.

Ginta was dozing on one side of the door, and Hakkaku was doing his best to stay awake on the other. Kouga grunted a dismissal to them and watched as they left before entering his den.

*******************

Author's note:

While I realize the pairing of Kouga and Kagura isn't canon, it's one I love and the idea of this story has been in my mind for over a year. Unfortunately, events in the manga, starting with chapter 370, and most specifically with chapter 374, have changed the possibilities of this story. Despite events in the manga, I will continue writing this story as planned. Chapter 374 has hit me hard, emotionally, and I will do my best to honor Kagura in my representation of her in this story. Urd-chan

"I am the wind. The free wind." Kagura (from chapter 374)