InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forever a Shadow ❯ Love and Shadow ( Chapter 19 )

19. Love and Shadow

 

 

There was Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, and Dennis Radar the recently arrested BTK, they all looked like children in Kouga's eyes. However he had to respect the m.o. of Bundy and Ramirez the Night Stalker, those men had their prey wrapped around their finger only showing their true face before their death. BTK was a coward, and a hypocrite, how does one do Gods work and bathe his hands in blood at the same time? That twisted bastard disserved to be caught; you do not kill children simply to get off to watching them die, what a sick excuse for a human. Humans were prey animals to the youkai, be they from five centuries ago or present day they were still cattle in the eyes of predatory youkai, the wolves were no different form any other hunter. The multitude Kouga had killed through his more aggressive years would cause the majority of America to faint, or vomit, maybe both. He was the epitome of a perfect apex predator. And why not hunting was what his kind did best, and with such fertile hunting ground in the states, the place where no one really cared for their fellow man, what true-blooded wolf could resist?

 

 

Kouga awoke with a start, and a snarl escaping his lips, the woman in front of him turned in response to the alarming noise behind her, her eyes widened when she realized what the man really was, quickly turning back minding her own business, disorientated Kouga realized he was on a trans Atlantic flight, and they were preparing to land. He could smell the blood of the blond still in his nostrils, and feel the warmth of her sanguine colored life force on his clawed hands even now. The poor little Starbucks whore, she never really had a chance, but she did disserve a fitting meal and should be proud to carry the fuck of a lifetime to her grave, not that she would ever have a proper burial, his prey would forever drift anonymous in a sea of refuse, lost to the world. Cindi, or Candy, what ever the hell her name was really didn't matter, she had been used and killed, like all the countless others in his past resume of dead lays.

 

 

Kagome should feel proud of herself, she was giving the wolf prince a respectable hunt, even if his temper was flaring, and his pride wounded, yet Kagome would nonetheless pay. The prince was willing enough to marry her and combine their immeasurable fortunes, but now she ran away, she denied him, and the little bitch would forfeit her life to appease Kouga's bruised ego, let Onigumo fawn over the Kikyo woman, Kouga could care less, as long as his dear Uncle went down with the rest of the Chinkara family.

 

 

Ginta nudged his older cousin. “Let up on the arm rest Kouga.”

 

 

The wolf glanced down finding the perfectly dented finger impressions in the thin sheet metal, and his sharp-edged claws had gouged deep marks, leaving steel shavings under his manicured nails. The blood scent of his last victim still fresh in his mind was unsettling to the wolf, Kouga hated to fly, being locked in a steel container fueled by such a violate substance, that could go off with a minor mechanical error bothered him, however it was the quickest way to find Kagome. He could hunt again once they landed in London. Yet this time he would be hunting his bride to be, that was a different scenario for Kouga, but one he found enjoyable, maybe he should get engaged more often.

 

 

“Shit.” Kouga gruffly voiced, looking out the window to find the gray London morning begin to fill with snow flurries. “You're sure she's here?”

 

 

Ginta hesitantly nodded, the last GPS signal was from this airport, but there was never a follow up indicator. Someone had removed the battery or the phone was destroyed, but he didn't have to reveal that information just yet, plus Ginta was almost positive that they would be able to pick up the woman's scent even in such an expansive city as London. “Yea, she was here. I figure because the scent is only a couple of days old we should pick it up easily.”

 

 

Kouga growled forcing his gaze briefly out the window taking in a cleansing breath; he really did not want to cause a scene so close to landing in London. “Did you even think you idiot that she probably took a cab to wherever she was going? How do we pick up a scent when the scent trail ends, because the target took a ride?” Kouga fisted his hand hitting the damaged armrest, bending it to even a more distorted shape. “However Kagome more than likely went to her brothers.”

 

 

Hakkaku stirred awake, leaning forward his hazy eyes finding the mangled arm rest humorous, chuckled a bit ringing a sneer from his alpha cousin. “Think they'll charge us for that?”

 

 

Kouga growled deep in his chest, the annoyances of his cousins would by the end of their hunting expedition would more than likely push the alpha too far, to bad for them, their lives were worth little to the pack, and even less to him. The two had better do their best to stay on Kouga's good side, for the sake of their lives.

 

 

----------***----------

 

 

Kagome drove on silently, her eyes locked to the road, Shippo seemed lost in thought as he watched the snow begin to fall, the gray morning mixed with the snowfall seemed to hypnotize the Kitsune. Shippo abruptly jerked to attention, his hand on Kagome's shoulder so suddenly she herself jumped in reaction.

 

 

“Stop the car, or pull over, something.” Shippo's aqua eyes pleaded with his new friend, the foreboding feeling within him would no longer be ignored. “Please, stop Kagome.”

 

 

“But we're only ten minutes form the airport, can't it wait?” Kagome reluctantly took her foot off the accelerator, bringing a beep from the car behind them.

 

 

“Pull over.” Shippo was insistent, the seriousness of his tone unsettling to Kagome, she pulled to the curb bringing about another chorus of honks behind them.

 

 

Kagome turned to her newfound confidant, a little perturbed; she wanted to be on a plane, not sitting in the now faster falling snow. “What?”

 

 

“I've been thinking about all of this. Sesshomaru's men are here, and came very close to finding us, what's to say your wolf is not also in London tracking you down? Where is the first place he would go?”

 

 

The color drained from Kagome's face. “Sota. Oh my god, he'll kill him. What do we do?”

 

 

“We can't go to the airport, Sesshomaru's men will be watching both airports for you, and they would have the money and influence to get airport security looking for you also. Can you say terrorist.” Kagome looked visibly beaten, slumping in the car seat, her eyes filling with tears. “Listen, I'm not trying to scare you, but the people you are running from are youkai, not everyday humans, they hunt, and they kill without remorse, especially the wolves. I think Sesshomaru just wants you found, there are too many what if's, but if he wants you so badly I can only imagine what the wolves are up to.”

 

 

“I have to call Sota, we have to warn him, I can't just stand back and let Kouga's thugs kill my baby brother for doing nothing but give me a place to sleep for a night.” Shippo watched Kagome's face change from outright fear to panic. “We have to do something Shippo.” Kagome's voice neared a whisper as the tears came in torrents.

 

 

Shippo dialed the number to Sota that Kagome could get out through her tears. The Kitsune hoped against hope it was not too late for the guy, he didn't voice it to Kagome, but Shippo really wished Sesshomaru's men would take him into custody, Sota would be safe with them for a while. However his gut was warning him that was not the case. Sota's cell phone rang five times before Sota answered, the longest six seconds Shippo had ever experienced.

 

 

“Sota?”

 

 

“Yea.”

 

 

“Get out now. It's the wolves.”

 

 

A moment of silence crackled on the line, Shippo was holding his breath listening intently to the background noise of any sign of a intrusion, but none could be heard.

 

 

“Sota? Still there?”

 

 

“Um… yea, got it I'll be gone in less than ten minutes, just gotta get my passport.”

 

 

“Good, that's good.” Shippo looked to Kagome who was gnawing at her bottom lip, the tears free falling streaking her face.

 

 

“Tell her thanks, you two just saved me from getting my ass kicked.” Shippo knew a beating would be the least of Sota's worries; the wolves would take his life. Sota held the cell to his ear as he flew through his apartment throwing things into a backpack, unlocking a hidden safe tumbling all of the contents into the bag. “I'll be in touch. An' Shippo please take care of my sister.” Sota ended the call, saying goodbye to his home for god knew how long, maybe he would never be here again, and Sota somehow knew he would be all right with that as long as Kagome was safe.

 

 

Shippo returned the phone to his pocket, looking at Kagome who was once again an emotional mess. With some coaxing Shippo pulled Kagome to him hugging the poor woman fiercely, the Kitsune could not remember feeling such strong emotions for another person in his life even since he lost his mother, it felt good to be so passionate again. If only he alone could protect her, yet the way thing were so quickly unraveling Shippo doubted it, the thought pulled out such strong anxiety, but he fought well to hide it from Kagome.

 

 

Sniffling, Kagome slowly pulled away from her knight in shining armor. “So what do we do now? Where do we go?”

 

 

“The train station. As long as we can keep ahead of the pack we should be safe, I truly don't think Sesshomaru is the main threat, if anything he could maybe help.” Shippo ran his hand through his damp hair shivering a bit, even if the heater in the car was going full blast, the chill wasn't from the cold but the underlying fear he had when it came to a pack of wolves hunting them down in the London streets.

 

 

“I'm not calling Sesshomaru unless I absolutely have to, got it?” Shippo nodded. “I like trains.” Kagome pulled back onto the road taking the round about the opposite direction toward the train station. Kagome could not help but worry about her baby, somewhere along the way she would have to see a doctor, as close as she could figure she was about seven to eight weeks along, so she still had time to decide about telling Inuyasha and hitting him with another devastating blow with the child conceived out of an affair. “Please be okay baby.” Kagome muttered.

 

 

Shippo heard her plea all to clearly, he was also worried for the unborn child, they could not continue running with a baby, something would have to be done to protect them both. How am I going to get them both out of this unscathed?

 

 

 

----------***----------

 

 

 

Kikyo lay silently watching Inuyasha as he entered her room, not even speaking a word to her, or look her in the face, but he proceeded to draw all of the blinds, and lock the door. Just what was her husband up too, it was then she noticed something in his left hand rolled up into a tight tube. After the bolt engaged in the door Inuyasha finally turned to face his wife. He looked absolutely terrified of her; Kikyo could not help but let out a small laugh.

 

 

“I'm glad you still have some sense of humor. Then again I deserve a hell of a lot more that a little giggle from you I guess.” Inuyasha deeply sighed, trying to regain some hold on his dignity, yet he found he had none in reserve. “I know you want nothing to do with me, and I don't blame you one bit for that, but there is something I have to ask you, will you hear me out?” Inuyasha stayed standing stiffly in front of the door afraid to move one step toward his injured wife. Kikyo laughed again, his rigid stance reminded her of the first time Inuyasha tried to ask her out on a date in this very hospital, he had nearly tripped over his feet, and he completely forgot how to speak when in her presence. “Am I truly that pathetic that you have to continue laughing at my expense?”

 

 

With a smile on her face and a memory of better times, she could not help but look genuinely lovingly at Inuyasha. “No, no, honey, I just…” She realized that she was giving Inuyasha a kindness he did not deserve, even if it did come as second nature to Kikyo. They were still married, a problem that would soon be remedied, but the love that gripped her heart when he looked so vulnerable kept coming to the surface. With difficulty she forced the smile from her lips. “Yes, Inuyasha you are that pathetic, not to mention some other words that I really should not get started on. Okay what do you want?”

 

 

Inuyasha took a hesitant step forward, then stopped at the foot of the bed, thrusting the rolled photo and note toward Kikyo. “I need you to tell me about your relationship with him.”

 

 

 

 

“What is…” Kikyo unrolled the picture, her smile turned to a pained expression. “Where did you get this Inuyasha?”

 

 

 

“It was waiting at our house for me. Who is he Kikyo?” Inuyasha regained himself with a deep breath walking to the chair at her bedside, his eyes capturing her puzzled expression, his own curiosity growing.

 

 

 

“He's dead, or he's supposed to be dead.” Kikyo's hands holding the photo and note began to shake. “Onigumo.” Kikyo's eyes stayed locked on the image of the assumed dead man.

 

 

 

“Somehow I doubt he is. Who is he Kikyo?” Inuyasha did not want to push or sound upset, but in reality the heat of jealousy was getting his blood boiling, the mere idea of Kikyo having a relationship with someone he didn't know bothered him severely. Even it the man was from her past, still, she never told him about the unknown man. “Were you in love with him?”

 

 

Kikyo's astonished eyes met Inuyasha's, and the coy smile returned to her pale lips. “Why Inuyasha you sound jealous. It is really none of your business what my relationship with Onigumo was.” Inuyasha's jaw visibly tightened, he knew he was being a hypocrite, but the idea that some bastard was involved with his Kikyo when she wasn't his wife brought the youkai stirring in his blood to the surface. “Inuyasha, you surprise me, you are nearly shaking with rage.”

 

 

Inuyasha clinched his fists at his sides, his nails biting into the tender flesh of his palm. “I…just the idea that I never knew about him…”

 

 

“It hurts doesn't it? It tears at your heart, makes you feel like you've lost all control over your life that you ever thought you had, makes you want to rip your heart out if it would stop the pain, but you know in truth nothing would ever stop the agony of being betrayed by your spouse.”

 

 

Kikyo's face was too beautiful for the hard look that shone in her eyes as she glared viciously at her husband; he looked as if he would kill the next person that pissed him off. Kikyo laid the picture in her lap, ignoring Inuyasha for the moment, let him have a small taste of what he had done to her, yet this would never be enough. The note written in longhand surprised her, just who would say such a thing about her, Kikyo never consumed anyone's heart. Just what did this mean? What truly surprised her was the fact that she was speaking to Ayame about Onigumo late last night, what was going on?

 

 

“I'm so sorry Kikyo, but I still love you with all of my heart, please know I will do everything in my power to fix this, I'll do anything for you.” Inuyasha felt as if he must look as pathetic as he sounded, it was not his intention, but he had to humble himself before her, in all honesty Inuyasha was pleased that Kikyo even allowed him in the door without pitching something at him.

 

 

“Inuyasha stop, I am not going to get into us right now, even as much as I would like to go round and round with you, and I am curious how you would justify sleeping with Sango's assistant, but that is for another day with my lawyer present. You want to hear about Onigumo so sit, and maybe we can figure this all out.”

 

 

Obediently Inuyasha sat to Kikyo's right, the same chair he had slept in more times than he would like to remember, his head was hung down, inside the hanyou cringed afraid of what type of connection his wife had had with the man, it would be hard to remain passive for Inuyasha if the two of them had a physical relationship. A tremor passed through his body as he gripped the armrests of the chair, closing his eyes Inuyasha waited patiently for Kikyo to begin speaking. A peculiar calm came over him, even if their marriage was over, simply being in her presence was calming, the horrible weeks when Inuyasha didn't know if his wife would live or die was the worst torture he could ever imagine. The uncertainty, the all-consuming fear that she would die leaving him. Inuyasha would be left alone with his torment and guilt to raise their children, that was a future Inuyasha was pleased to never have come to past. How could he look in his daughters' eyes knowing that it was his infidelity that destroyed their mother? Without even realizing Inuyasha began breathing erratically, behind his eyes an explosion of colors, he could hear his heartbeat pounding deafeningly loud in his ears, what was wrong with him? The guilt felt as if it was eating his soul, and he was powerless to stop it.

 

 

“Inuyasha?” Kikyo instantly notices the change in her husband, as much as she loathed him right now, she could not leave him alone in his distress. “Inuyasha?” Kikyo forced her body to move painstakingly close to the edge of the bed.

 

 

Kikyo removed the oxygen from her nose, detached the nodes monitoring her heart; Ayame was going to kill her. As she moved closer to Inuyasha, each movement brought about a new flare of pain to her overwhelmed body. Finally after what seemed an hour, in reality only being thirty seconds Kikyo gently stroked the top of Inuyasha's head, her trembling fingers giving gentle comfort to the panic stricken man she hated to love.

 

 

Inuyasha's breathing instantly evened out, as his raised his head in disbelief, meeting the gaze of Kikyo, hers was a face full of tenderness, the face of the woman he loved. Inuyasha slowly raised his hand to meet hers, bringing it to his lips he lovingly kissed the back of her hand, his eyes questioned her without a word, Inuyasha was afraid if he tried to talk he would break down.

 

 

“Inuyasha you were having a anxiety attack. I've never known you to be that way.” Inuyasha fell toward her bed from out of the chair, Kikyo's hand still in his; impulsively he laid his head in her lap and lost all composure. “Inuyasha, please.”

 

 

It was the first sign of kindness from his wife and it was too much for Inuyasha to hope for, even if it was a false hope it was contact, a touch Inuyasha never thought he would feel again.

 

 

----------***----------

 

 

 

As night fell Kouga and his cousins entered Sota's building, the alpha catching Kagome's scent on the street, threw him into an instant frenzy. Kouga raced into the building leaving Ginta and Hakkaku giving each other concerned glances as they followed him in. They caught up to Kouga as he was kicking in an apartment door, his growl echoing down the hall, an elderly woman opened her door curious about all the noise, only to be intercepted before she stepped on foot into the hall by Ginta.

 

 

“Stay inside lady, it's for your own safely.” Ginta gently nudged the startled woman back inside, closing the door for her. The woman's door locks engaged a second later.

 

 

“Kouga, your gonna get the cops called on us.” Hakkaku stood in the threshold to Sota's darkened flat, he was afraid to follow his angered cousin in, just in case there was someone home he had no intention in playing any part in a murder half a globe away from his home.

 

 

“You are such a pussy Hakkaku.” Ginta shoved his brother aside following Kouga into the vacant home. Ginta flicked on a kitchen light, immediately the wolf noticed the open wall safe from across the room. “Hey Kouga, some one left in a hurry, there is crap everywhere.” Ginta made his way to the safe stepping on papers as he went. “He's not coming back.”

 

 

“I know.” Kouga appeared out of the pitch-black hallway his azure eyes ablaze in his anger. “She was here, and not to long ago.”

 

 

“Yea, so were at least three other youkai. One spent some time on the couch. Kagome have another boyfriend you don't know about?” Ginta approached his cousin only to be halted by an enraged snarl; Kouga was in no mood to be messed with at this moment.

 

 

“God, Kouga, how many men was that bitch sleeping with?” Hakkaku snidely remarked, only to have his cousin fly at him, landing a near jaw breaking punch to Hakkaku sending him to the floor.

 

 

Kouga stepped over his cousin like he was so much refuse. “You have no right to call Kagome a bitch, do it again and I'll tear your tongue out.” Kouga thundered down the stairs hitting the door at the bottom knocking it off of one of the metal hinges, snapping it like a twig.

 

 

“Guess we're leaving.” Ginta yanked his bleeding brother to his feet, dragging the dazed wolf after Kouga into the icy night air. “You never did know when to keep your mouth shut.”