InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Futures' Past ❯ Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf ( Chapter 12 )

My Futures' Past

 

Disclaimer: Don't own it, can't afford it, taking donations. Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Many, many thanks to doggieearlover for beta-ing this chapter. :hugs:

 

Chapter 12: Who's afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

 

Kirara spotted them first. Miroku was about to enter the room when the neko leapt over his shoulder, tangling around his ankles. Teetering, he felt Sango grip his arm and yank him into the hall, but not before he spied the two bodies illuminated by firelight. Bodies obviously not wearing much, considering the hanyou's hakama and kimono lay on the floor, and the girl's yukata could be seen peaking out of the fur covering them. If that wasn't enough of a hint, Kagome's shoulders were as bare as the chest of the hanyou she was curled upon. What struck Miroku hardest was, in the brief glance he was afforded, the look of contentment on the girl's face.

 

“Lady Sango?”

 

The slayer puffed her cheeks as she pulled the cord holding her chestnut hair in a high ponytail. She was grateful the `escorts' provided by the headman decided it unnecessary to follow them back to the room. “Houshi, it would be best to just settle in for the night. I am struggling to just now gain Kagome's friendship, and I will not risk it to defend someone I do not know.”

 

The monk nodded and motioned for Sango to enter first. The sound of a palm connecting with flesh startled both hanyou and miko awake. Kagome saw Sango, red-faced with a hand covering her backside, and Miroku with a handprint on his cheek. Shaking her head, Kagome settled back to sleep to the sensation of Inuyasha running his claws lightly over her back.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Morning dawned colder than any previous, and Kagome was beginning to wish for more layers of clothing. She didn't think her school loafers were going to hold up once the snow started to fall, and boots probably weren't invented yet. She made a mental note to ask Miroku or Sango later about winter shoes. Inuyasha might have been the one most familiar with the west but he never wore anything on his feet! And while she hated the toed socks available to her in this era, her knee highs were looking worse for the wear and she might have to consider replacing them. At least her underwear were holding up. She'd gotten so used to going without that she rarely bothered with them under the long pants and loose shirts.

 

The shrine blessing went well (considering she made it up with Inuyasha's help), and they were rewarded a small satchel of dried meats, fruit, cheese, and rice. Kagome noticed the monk watching closely as she and Inuyasha walked the ancient shrine grounds replacing the fading sutras with new ones, each one glowing silvery-blue as Kagome prayed for the Kami to smile upon those visiting the grounds. Even the headman seemed impressed.

 

“Inuyasha, where exactly are we?”

 

“We'll be entering the outskirts of the western territories by mid afternoon. I doubt the bouzo is going to find any human inns up to his standards along these roads. Sesshomaru doesn't rule over the humans here and it's full of fucking rogues and bandits.”

 

“Great, just great,” Kagome mumbled stepping closer to the hanyou.

 

“I can assure you that I have spent considerable time in the Western lands, and can handle what need be.”

 

Kagome looked at the newest addition to their little group. “Are you really a monk? I mean, your sutras work, but you're a lecher.”

 

Miroku sighed loudly. “I am so misunderstood. I am a monk. I was raised by my father's dear friend, Mushin, upon his passing. I remained at the temple under his tutelage until two years ago when I set out to help those in need.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Or to help yourself. And don't monks have a vow of celibacy, or is that just optional at your temple?”

 

“It is a curse. My father had it and it was passed along to me. I have no control over my right hand when a beautiful woman is involved.”

 

“I'm surprised some female hasn't rid you of it by now.” Inuyasha smirked, casting a glace towards the wary demon slayer. He moved Kagome slightly in front of him for good measure. He could handle the monk touching the slayer, she would knock him out; but he didn't want the pervert laying a hand on what was his.

 

“I may ask the same question of Lady Kagome. How is it she is able to retain her spiritual powers, and significant ones from the demonstration we were privy to at the village, when she lies with you, Inuyasha? Mikos are to be pure of mind and body, untainted by the desires of man…or animal.”

 

Inuyasha stopped walking and snarled low in his throat. Kagome quickly cupped his cheek, tracing her thumb over the pale purple stripe to calm him. She had a feeling that the half demon would have no problem gleefully ripping the monk apart for what he just said.

 

“Are you saying I tainted her, bouzo? That I made her impure or dirty because I'm half youkai?” he ground out.

 

The monk shrugged. “Mikos cannot lay with human men. I shudder to think of the consequences that could have befallen Lady Kagome by lying with a hanyou.”

 

Both Miroku and Sango watched as Kagome moved to block as much of the hanyou as she could. They couldn't tell whether it was for their protection, or for his.

 

“For your information, I didn't even know I had these `spiritual powers' until after I was with Inuyasha. I realize demons can be evil and cruel, but so can humans. Inuyasha was saying that there are bandits and rouges in the area, and I doubt they will be any kinder to the three of us because we are human. Just because I refuse to sleep with you, Miroku, don't take it out on Inuyasha.”

 

Nothing else was said as the group continued their way west.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Are the sentries in place?”

 

“Yes, Kouga.”

 

“And the wolves?”

 

“Already at the borders of Lord Sesshomaru's territory.”

 

The blue-eyed demon grinned. “Let's see what this bastard excuse for a youkai has in him.”

 

The wolf demon giving his report shifted. “Kouga? What of Lord Sesshomaru? Are we really going to rid him of his brother for him?”

 

The wolf prince stroked the head of a nearby wolf. “Of course not. We deliver the half breed but in numbers. That overgrown dog won't be expecting a full blown attack. It should be simple to take a hanyou and a human girl. We'll rest a day, celebrate and enjoy our spoils, and then attack. We will increase our numbers and rule the Western territories once again.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The stream gurgled clear and cold, a stark contrast to the land surrounding them. The closer to the western lands the group got, the more…sick the land looked. It was the only way that Kagome could describe it. Fields were abandoned and overgrown, bridges crumbled, and small shacks dotted the roadside and appeared to be empty. The grass had been a light shade of green and the trees clung to a few brightly colored leaves in other places, but here it looked like winter had settled in; brown grass, bare trees, nothing to block the frigid winds whipping around them. Inuyasha had wanted to make camp somewhere in the open so he could remain on alert but decided that the `weak humans' wouldn't be able to handle the elements. They were trying to find a decent sized empty hut that was in fair repair.

 

She'd just leaned over to refill the last water skin when Inuyasha began to growl. Sango and Miroku took up defensive stances facing the hanyou, but Kagome understood the growl. It was a warning. Something was coming too close and it was a threat. Packing the water container away, she grabbed her bow and moved next to Inuyasha. She gave a small yip.

 

Inuyasha responded in inu, barking something similar to dog. The only thing Kagome could think was wolves. And with the lack of vegetation, it didn't look like they would have much to hunt.

 

“Lady Kagome, what is going on? Were you both speaking?”

 

She glanced briefly at Miroku before focusing her attention back to where Inuyasha was watching.

 

“There are wolves coming.”

 

Kirara transformed with a growl and moved to back the slayer and monk.

 

Sango adjusted hiraikotsu and wished she had the time to pull back her hair. “Inuyasha, how many are there?”

 

Inhaling deeply, he growled. “We're fucking surrounded.”

 

Crunching and rustling came from the decaying underbrush and Kagome could make out angry yellow eyes and vicious looking teeth. The wolves crept out forming a circle around the group. The animals looked mangy and thin…and hungry. One of the larger ones lunged forward and Inuyasha dodged it easily, his claws opening its stomach, its entrails spilling on the ground in a steaming pile. The rest of the wolves moved at the death of their comrade.

 

Kagome chose the wolves at a distance; her first arrow charged with spiritual energy caused the beast to literally explode, spilling chunks of bloody flesh throughout the clearing. She heard a cry of `sacred sutra' and Inuyasha's curse.

 

She watched him drag the monk back by the scruff of his neck before cuffing him on the head.

 

“Fucking idiot. These are mortal wolves. Use your damn staff.”

 

Sango had hiraikotsu in one hand and her kantana in the other, knocking the wolves down and running them through. Kagome was so distracted by the cries of the others that she wasn't paying attention to what was going on around her. She cried out as claws sank into her shoulder, pushing her face down into the dirt. She summoned her powers and blasted the animal back before plunging an arrow into its chest. A feral roar echoed around her, and Kagome felt the hairs on her body rise in response. This was no wolf cry, this was Inuyasha.

 

The hanyou had turned, the enchanted necklace doing nothing to hold back his demon blood. His eyes glowed red and blue, the pale violet stripes becoming purple blazes on his tan cheeks. Deadly claws made quick work of the remaining wolves, his motions a blur of demonic speed. Sango and Miroku backed away and scouted the periphery for any other threats, but saw nothing. When the last wolf lay dead, the hanyou turned youkai knelt on the blood soaked ground, panting.

 

A popping noise broke the silence. Kirara had returned to her kitten form and was watching the group.

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered, rising to her feet

 

In a flash he was in front of her snarling. His jaws snapped at Sango when she tried to take a step closer.

 

“Sango, drop your weapons and take a step back. Miroku, do the same. He's going to think you're both threats.”

 

Without waiting for the others, Kagome tilted her chin up and bared her throat, opening her arms at the same time so the inu youkai could step into her embrace. Inuyasha growled again before burying his nose against the side of her neck, nipping and licking the pale flesh. He pulled Kagome close and lifted her to straddle him. Her arms wrapped around Inuyasha's shoulders. His rough tongue moved from her neck to her sternum, cleaning the blood trails along the way, his nose pushing her haori and kimono aside. With a sigh, Inuyasha buried his face between her breasts. He nuzzled her gently, licking the warm mounds and inhaling her scent.

 

When he dropped to the ground, she called out to the others, “You can come over but don't make any sudden moves. He hasn't changed back yet.”

 

Kirara crept forward first, her belly low to the ground, and a soft whine coming from her mouth. When she reached the couple she rolled onto her back, baring her soft belly to Inuyasha.

 

Without removing his head from the warmth of Kagome's breast, Inuyasha turned to the fire cat and inhaled deeply. Apparently satisfied the youkai was familiar, he scratched at her belly with his claws causing the cat to purr loudly. Crimson eyes shifted to the two humans nearby. The fire cat and his human were not afraid of them, so they weren't immediate threats; but his demon blood remembered the slayer. She was the first one to try and take his human away. His ears lay flat as he bared his fangs at Sango.

 

“Ummm, Kagome?”

 

The young miko reached out a hand to Sango.

 

“Come over here, Sango, and kneel next to us. You know he won't hurt you.”

 

Swallowing, Sango approached. She hated to think that she feared the hanyou. Kagome was right; Inuyasha had never hurt her, and for the last few weeks he'd been providing for both her and Kirara. As Sango knelt down, Kagome took her hand and brought it to Inuyasha's face. He examined it intently before turning back to the slayer.

 

“You will not try to take her from me, human?” His voice having once again dropped several octaves, taking on a more gravely quality.

 

“No, Inuyasha, I won't. I will help you to protect Kagome.”

 

Nodding, Inuyasha focused on the monk.

 

“Who is the male? Why is he with us?”

 

“Inuyasha, you don't remember Miroku? He's a monk. He wants to help us defeat Sesshomaru.” Kagome asked, surprised.

 

The hanyou turned youkai cocked his head in thought. The male smelled familiar but his blood was screaming for him to take away the competition. At this point his human blood was almost completely suppressed, and what he wanted to do most was to find shelter and food for his human.

 

“Tell me, human; are you a threat to me? Are you a threat to Kagome?”

 

Miroku decided any questions he had were best asked later. He was unaware any such transformation could take place in a hanyou, and he was not sure of what limits he could test. He was certain, however, that the youkai before him could sense his spiritual powers.

 

“No, Inuyasha, I am not a threat. I am traveling with your…pack…to aid you in retrieving your sword and possibly make a name for myself in the West.”

 

Kagome gently brought Inuyasha's face back to hers and caressed his markings with her thumbs. The bracelet on her left wrist began to glow softly as Inuyasha's rosary echoed its power. “Inuyasha, you need to relax. The threat is gone and I need you to think clearly. You need to let your human blood free again.”

 

He buried his face in Kagome's chest and took several deep breaths. When he looked up his irises had returned to gold. “Wench, you're bleeding.”

 

“It's just a couple of scratches; I don't think they're deep. What made the wolves attack like that? Do you have any idea?”

 

Inuyasha rose, pulling Kagome to her feet. He was well aware of the monk staring at him yet again, as though he were some sort of pet that just performed an interesting trick. Walking to the nearest wolf carcass, he crouched and inhaled deeply, opening his mouth slightly to allow more of the scent to wash over him. He was worried he'd miss something since the scent of Kagome's blood was so fresh in his mind. But the wench was right, the injury wasn't life threatening, but they would need to get rid of the smell before it drew other scavengers to them.

 

The wolf scent is mortal but there is something else, something under it. Moving to the next carcass, he realized the underlying scent was the same. Pack. Inuyasha brushed the hair from the scruff of the wolf's neck and found a tattoo of a mountain range. The wolves belonged to a demon.

 

Inuyasha faced his companions with a frown. From what he remembered of his time spent in the Western castle as a child, the wolves here held a grudge against the ruling inus. Why would they come after them? Was it because they smelled an inu hanyou orwas it simply because they were hungry?

 

“Inuyasha, what is it?” Sango asked. The hanyou had been staring off into space.

 

“The wolves belong to a demon. Slayer…Sango, have you seen anything like this before?”

 

Sango knelt beside the remains of the wolf and studied the mark Inuyasha revealed. “I've never encountered this symbol before. I know of the wolf demon tribes in the north and their symbol is a waterfall. Are these related?”

 

“Keh. Wolves are territorial. I think these must be from the pack my father defeated. I just don't know why they chose to attack us now. We should move out. There may be more mortal wolves coming to investigate when their pack members don't return.” He pinned Kagome with a look. “Do you have another shirt, wench?”

 

“Yes, why?”

 

“Wash the blood off in the stream and put it on. Clean your clothes. I don't want the mangy creatures following us. The bouzo and I will scout ahead. Call when you're finished.”

 

Kagome nodded as she pulled the blood caked haori away. Sango was digging for bandages to try and keep the blood scent hidden. Kagome couldn't help the small smile that appeared as Inuyasha dragged the reluctant monk to scout the woods on the other side of the road.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Kouga! Kouga!”

 

The wolf prince looked up from his dinner of raw boar and saw the companions he had sent to follow the pack wolves.

 

“Ginta, Hakkaku is the half breed taken care of already?”

 

The one with spiked hair shook his head while he rested his hands on his knees. The other spoke up, “The pack wolves are dead, Kouga. All of them.”

 

“WHAT??”

 

Kouga rose, scattering bits of meat and blood. His brown tail swished behind him, causing the wolves who were hoping for a share of the spoils to back away. “How did one hanyou and one human girl kill one third of my pack wolves?”

 

Ginta rose shakily. “It wasn't just the hanyou and the girl. They had a fire neko and a monk with them. And another female who had the weapons of a demon exterminator.”

 

Kouga laughed. “A half breed traveling with slayer? So he's not even demon enough for them to want to kill him.”

 

“I don't think so, Kouga. One of the wolves managed to injure his female human and he…he changed. I don't know how it happened but he felt more youkai after that. It took him under a minute to kill all the others. There was no time for us to react.”

 

“Is the girl alive?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then we know his weakness. If the half breed can't control himself when the girl is injured, imagine how he'll react when we take her from him. He won't think, only attack blindly, giving us the advantage of strategy. All dogs are the same, loyal to their masters. This one's just happens to be a human bitch.”

 

The wolf prince left the shelter of his den, allowing those few who were brave enough to remain and feast on his leftovers. “Ginta, Hakkaku we will follow the group at a distance and wait until dark to make our move. The half-breed will be seeking shelter for his little pack, and we will wait until they are asleep. We will just take the girl. I want the half breed to at least put up something of a fight.”