InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ His Little Girl ❯ Running ( Chapter 38 )

 

 

The sun had long since set over the Western Lands and still Kagome had not been found. Sesshoumaru was beside himself with worry; his mate was missing and for whatever reason would not talk to him. For all he knew someone could have taken her from him. No that wasn't right and he knew it. She had left on her own, but why? He sat high in a tall oak tree on the outskirts of his lands as he lifted his nose to the wind for any trace of her. There was nothing.

 

 

Something had felt off all day long, but Kouga just simply couldn't place what that something was. Now as the last remnants of the sunset lingered briefly in the twilight sky, he left the cave he and his pack were in and went to follow the feeling. After about ten minutes of walking south of his cave he heard a woman crying. Sniffing the air his eyes opened wide. That's Kagome's scent!

 

The wolf prince ran fast to her, and was beside his friend in mere second. So lost was she in her tears that she didn't even sense him until he was sitting beside her on the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes so full of sorrow and regret and self hatred. Kouga wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. Instead of comforting her, the move seemed to make her cry harder. Words had no place here at this moment and so he stayed silent as he held her in his embrace.

 

The sky was darkening as the black of night settles around them, the waning moon hanging high in the sky. He may be a youkai, but this still was no place to be at night unmoving. Lifting the friend he had once proclaimed as `his woman' into his arms, he moved back to his cave. As they became insight of it Kagome stirred from where she had tucked her face into his pelt covered shoulder.

 

“Kouga,” she asked her voice barely above a whisper. His blue eyes looked upon her, “can you take me to Kaede?”

 

“In the morning,” he said with a nod. “For now you need to rest. You'll get a chance to meet Ayame while you're here.”

 

The girl in his arms smiled sadly and nodded. He'd never seen her like this and it worried him to no end. Had her mate been killed? But then, he hadn't heard of any wars that the Western Lands were currently involved in. Although that didn't mean that someone trying to usurp his rule as lord hadn't caused an overthrow. But then, he hadn't heard of that either.

 

Walking into his cave he was met by Ginta and Hokkaku. The wolf brothers looked upon the girl they considered to be their pack sister. Ginta looked into Kouga's eyes as Hokkaku turned his attention to Kagome. Hokkaku brushed the ebony hair out of the girl's face and saw the tears that still lingered on her skin. Kagome turned her face to the youkai at his touch and her dull blue grey eyes fell upon him. As Ginta and Kouga stood talking, Hokkaku moved closer and gave the girl a warm hug as she lay in Kouga's arms.

 

Kagome returned the embrace, seeking both his warmth and Kouga's. She was so cold now. She had been so for the past two days. Kouga looked down on the embracing pair as the broke apart and he walked into the room in the cave that he shared with his mate. He called in two of the youkai wolf bitches and the canines came in and laid down on either side of Kagome when he laid her upon a pile of furs.

 

“It'll be alright Kagome,” Kouga said as he leaned down and kissed her temple. “Whatever happened, it'll be alright.”

 

Kagome curled herself against the warm body of the wolf in front of her, burying her face in the thick fur of the bitch's neck and fell into a fitful sleep plagued with nightmares. She just didn't understand why anyone still wanted to be near her. Surely Kouga could smell what she had done. She had just been starting to get over Hojou's first attack when the second one came. And she knew this time it was her fault it happened. She knew it was her fault, because unlike the last time, no one told her it wasn't.

 

 

The sun had finished rising a few moments before the wolf that was curled against Kagome from behind applied her wet tongue to the human's face, waking her. The woman stirred, moaning softly as her eyes blinked open. She wrapped her arms around the wolf's neck and hugged it to her. The wolf in front of her turned and nuzzled her face into Kagome's arms begging to be petted as well. Kagome giggled softly and for a moment forgot all of her problems as she hugged and petted and played with the two companions. Kouga saw this and smiled from where he was laying next to Ayame.

 

“You're taking her to that old miko today right?” Ayame asked her mate, keeping her voice low enough so that she didn't disturb Kagome's play.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Take those two with her. Let them stay as her companions.”

 

Kouga snorted softly as he nodded and smiled. Turning back to Ayame he kissed her and then moved to the side of the girl he was honored to call friend. Kagome giggled as she saw him, her face being washed happily by the tongues of her two wolf companions. Kouga gave a lopsided smile back at her, his eyes still filled with concern for the girl and began a series of barks and growls at the two wolves as he talked with them. Their conversation was short and by the end their tails were wagging so hard that Kagome was occasionally thumped by the furry lengths that served as the metronome to the canines emotions.

 

Their tongues lavished her face with more kisses and she was knocked back to lay upon the furs as they nuzzled up to her and rubbed her with their bodies, marking her with their scent so as to always know that she was theirs to protect and love. Kagome wrapped an arm around each of the happily yipping wolves and kissed both their muzzles just above their noses.

 

“You ready to go to Kaede?” Kouga asked softly and Kagome's mood darkened considerably with sadness. She would have to leave her two newfound friends and would miss them greatly. Kouga saw her look longingly at the wolves and shook his head at her. “They're going with you. Seems that Rena and Mina have taken quite a liking to you. They'll serve as your guardians…and friends.” He watched as Kagome's eyes lit with thanks and she smiled at him, even though the sadness still lingered.

 

Kouga walked with Kagome and then her new companions out of the cave and then lifted her into his arms. He held her to his chest as he sped off toward Kaede's village the two female wolves running and barking happily behind them. They arrived at Kaede's in a few short hours and Kouga let her down easily as she moved to greet her friend that she thought of as her own grandmother.

 

Kaede immediately noticed the sadness and despair in the girl's aura. She doubted that as she was Kagome would even be able to enchant an arrow with much if any power. It frightened her to see that apparently the girl had given up and only seemed to be going through the motions. She appeared somewhat happy to have her new companions, the youkai wolves with her. She would be happy and play with them for a few moments, but then her elation would drift away, leaving a depressed and lonely girl in its wake.

 

Kaede stood next to Kouga as the two stood watching Kagome and her companions sit under a tree near the river. She was talking to them softly. Introducing herself and asking if they minded being with her and away from their pack. The only answer she was given were tail wags and wet warm tongue kisses. Kaede turned to the wolf prince beside her.

 

“How did ye find Kagome Lord Kouga?” the elder miko asked.

 

“She was out along in the woods near my pack's cave. She was crying, it was like her world had fallen apart.”

 

“Do ye know what has happened to make her thus?”

 

Kouga shook his head sadly, his worried blue eyes meeting Kaede's warm brown. “She won't tell me. In her sleep she kept apologizing. She just kept saying `I'm sorry' like a mantra…She kept saying it was her fault and something about `restoring your honour once they're here'. What do you think she meant?”

 

“I do not know Lord Kouga. But I have a request to make of ye.”

 

Kouga nodded letting her know that he was listening even though his eyes were trained on Kagome. She was sitting with her back against the tall maple tree, her legs stretched out before her and wolf laying tucked up against either leg, both heads folded upon her lap as she stroked their furry heads lovingly. Those wolves were going to be so spoiled he thought with an inward laugh.

 

“I ask ye to go and find Sesshoumaru-sama as he is her mate. Tell him where Kagome is, that she is here. Let him act from there.”

 

“I will do ask you ask elder miko,” he said respectfully.

 

Kouga walked over to Kagome and petted the two wolves as he said his goodbyes and then left. He sped away in his tornado leaving a dust storm trail behind him as he went. So great was his speed from the jewel shards in his legs that it only took him four hours to reach the Western Lands.

 

His last meeting with his friend's mate had been an uneasy one, due to his arrogance over proclaiming the already mated Kagome to be his. The only thing that had stopped them that day from killing each other was Kagome herself. He smiled as he remembered the fire in her eyes when she told him that he would not be engaging in any kind of challenge with her mate. He had been saddened and rather disgruntled to realize that she loved another and had not thought of him ever in the lovers sense. He shook his head and laughed as he walked through the barrier surrounding the castle grounds and walked up to the castle itself.

 

He was met by Inuyasha when he got close enough to the castle's entrance.

 

“What'd ya want ya wimpy wolf. Kagome ain't here,” Inuyasha snarled.

 

“Yeah I know she's not. That's why I'm here. I've come to see her mate.”

 

“What is your business with me wolf?” Sesshoumaru asked his face stoic as ever as he came up behind Kouga.

 

“I've come with news.” Sesshoumaru arched a silver brow at him. “I came upon Kagome last night; she stayed with my pack until early today.”

 

“Where is she?” Sesshoumaru asked unable to keep the worry and anxiety from his voice though his face portrayed no emotions.

 

“She asked to be taken to the elder miko's village and I returned her there just before I came. Sesshoumaru-sama, as her friend I am asking - have you hurt her in any way?”

 

“No,” his reply was short though he wondered if Kagome had said that he had.

 

Kouga nodded. “She was crying when I found her. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong though. All throughout the night as she slept she kept mumbling something about restoring your honor, I don't know what she meant. But she was very distraught.”

 

Sesshoumaru nodded and then whirled on his brother, grasping the younger boy by his neck and slamming him back into a tree behind him. Both Inuyasha and Kouga were surprised by the move, especially Inuyasha, having not been attacked by Sesshoumaru like this in quite sometime.

 

“I know that whatever has happened to Kagome, that you know what it is,” the taiyoukai growled as Kouga looked on and listened in interest. “You will tell me now what happened.”

 

Inuyasha's brow drew together in confusion. “You mean she didn't tell you? I thought that was why she ran.”

 

“Tell me,” his brother snarled red rimming the edges of his golden eyes.

 

“While we were in her time she was invited to visit a friend. She went while I was talking with mom,” he had begun referring to Kashu as such, “about Maika and what I should do. Yuki had been siding with Hojou the whole time apparently and pretty much handed Kagome over to the bastard.”

 

“What happened,” he growled again and it was then Kouga noticed the scent of human female next to him.

 

“He truly did rape her this time,” Kashu said her voice low and sad. Sesshoumaru released his brother as he turned to the woman standing next to Kouga. “Inuyasha said that he found a shaking stick that smelled of Kagome. That `shaking stick' is a toy in our time that is used for sexual gratification. Be it his own member or not, Hojou truly did rape her. I should have seen it earlier, as a mother and as my history as an ER nurse. Sesshoumaru go to her, she's blaming herself for this attack.”

 

“What?!” he fairly roared.

 

“Rape victims, especially female, and very especially if it happens more than once as it did with my daughter, often times blame themselves. They believe that they brought the attack on themselves and some, who are seeing someone or are married when the attack happens, see it as cheating on their spouse.”

 

“It sure as hell wasn't her fault!” Kouga growled. “It still doesn't explain what she said though,” he said with a thoughtful frown.

 

“What did she say dear?” Kashu asked the wolf prince. Kouga studied the woman and realized that she was Kagome's mother.

 

“When she was sleeping she said something about restoring someone's honor once they were here. Whoever they are.”

 

Kashu's eyes snapped over to Sesshoumaru. “Go, go to her now!” she commanded frightfully.

 

Sesshoumaru sped off upon his energy cloud.

 

“I take it you understood her statement?” Kouga asked the woman.

 

“Kagome's pregnant. If she believes that the attacks - Hojou had attacked her one time before but was stopped by Shippou before he could truly rape her,” she said in answer to the wolf's questioning eyes. “Were her fault and that because of them she was unfaithful to Sesshoumaru, then as hard as it is to believe that she would do this. She would wait until the children she carries within her are born and then she would take her life. There is a ritual suicide that human perform, it is seen as the ultimate act to restore honor to a family or whatever person they have dishonored. My little girl,” she moaned softly as she turned into Inuyasha's embrace. “Oh my little girl how do I protect you from your own thoughts?”