InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Strings and Kevlar ❯ Koga's Heart ( Chapter 7 )

Twenty minutes earlier…

Koga sat in his Mustang in front of Chimes, gripping the steering wheel—just as he had been for the last hour—as overwhelming suspicion clouded his brain. He wanted to go inside. His gut was telling him to, and he had learned long ago to trust his gut with everything, but he was scared of what he would see. He was scared she was in there with her friends, or possibly another man. His suspicions had starting running wild when she wouldn't return any of his voicemails for the past two weeks, and the phone call he had with her just a few hours earlier had done nothing to extinguish the fire.

*~*~*~*

“Goodnight, Kagome.”

Koga pressed the `End' button on his cell phone, bringing the device to his chin and tapping it slowly as he stared blankly at his television. Something was going on with her, he knew it. For two weeks, his calls went unanswered and unreturned, and he refused to believe it was just because she had been “busy.” Never before in the last two years had she ever been so busy that she wouldn't talk to him, at least every few days or so. And when he had called her apartment last night and got her cousin, she had been anything but helpful, not that he expected her to be. He would be a fool to think Sango's allegiance to Kagome would falter for his benefit.

Then there was the little matter of tonight. He frowned. He was well aware that there was a party tonight at Chimes to celebrate the end of band camp. There was one every year, and she had invited him to go with her for each of the last two years they had been dating, and unless they had suddenly decided to not have one, she had purposefully not invited him this time. Not only did she not invite him, but she didn't even bring it up. She had said that she was tired and was going to go to bed.

His irritation surged, and he gripped his cell phone hard enough to crack the screen. How dare she deceive him like that! Didn't she know how obvious she had made herself as soon as that lie had left her lips? Did she really think he wouldn't be able to tell?

Taking a deep breath, he slowly sat forward and set his phone on his coffee table, willing himself to calm down. He had no proof that she had lied to him, after all, and it was possible that there really wasn't a party this year. Maybe she really was as tired as she had said. Maybe she really had been too busy to call. It was her senior year, which meant her senior recital would be either this semester or in the spring, so she would definitely be practicing more often….

Koga gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, staring at the floor. Something was telling him he was lying to himself, that his heart was sticking up for Kagome while his brain was telling him to wake the hell up. He didn't want to believe she would be dishonest with him. But he was certain… almost certain….

“Bah. Enough of this.” Rising to his feet, he snatched up his keys and damaged cell phone and turned off the lights. Nothing could be decided until he knew exactly what was going on, and the only way to know would be to see it for himself. He would make the drive over to Baton Rouge and straight to Chimes, and then he would just take a quick look around inside.

“Just in case,” he muttered to himself as he shut the door behind him.

*~*~*~*

Koga glanced at his Movado, noting the time. He had been here for just over an hour, which meant it was a little over two hours since he had gotten off the phone with Kagome. He had already circled the parking lot a few times when he had first arrived and hadn't noticed her car. Instantly relieved, he had then considered driving back home to New Orleans, secure in the knowledge that Kagome had not betrayed him.

`But what if she didn't drive?' his conscience had nagged him.

And so now, here he sat, staring at the doors to the restaurant and the throngs of people standing outside waiting for a table. There was definitely a party going on inside; Chimes was popular, but it never had that long of a wait, even on a Friday night. At least, it hadn't on the many, many Friday nights he had taken her there.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. Over two years they had been dating each other, and he had long ago within that time frame stopped seeing other women. He didn't so much as glance at another female with any romantic intent, because he had eyes only for his Kagome. But what if she was inside the restaurant now with another man? What if she had started seeing someone on the side? That would make sense after how standoffish she had been lately….

`NO!' Baring his fangs and hardly keeping himself from ripping the leather steering wheel to shreds, his entire body shook as he struggled to hold onto the last remnants of his self-control. He had to calm down before he went inside, because if she really was in there, he didn't want to frighten her. Of course, he would be furious that she lied to him, but he would keep his temper at bay. He loved her, and he'd be damned if he lost her because he couldn't keep his cool when it mattered most. But that wasn't to say she wouldn't get an earful from him. And if she was in there with another male…

…any part of him that was touching her would be swiftly removed by Koga's own claws.

Taking a few last calming breaths, he closed his eyes and sent a quick prayer for God to help him subdue his anger. He climbed out of his convertible, stepped away, and slammed the door with a little more force than necessary, rattling the frame. Straightening the collar on his dress shirt, he cracked his neck once and started the trek to the front doors to Chimes. He kept his stride slow and purposeful, taking the opportunity of the distance to continue cooling his blood. As the doors drew nearer, his heartbeat quickened slightly in apprehension of just what he might find inside. He tried to not think about how badly it would hurt, regardless of whether she was in the company of a man or not; the single fact that she will have lied to him would be devastating. It would bring into question all of the trust he had ever placed in her, all of the faith he had in the woman he loved to not break his heart….

No. He couldn't think about that right now. If he let the pain take over his heart, he knew he would fall to his knees and forgive her anything in exchange for her word to never hurt him again. The heartache would have to be dealt with later. For now, he would concentrate on making sure she understood how her betrayal had affected his trust in her, but not his love. He would be angry, sure, but he would still love her.

`Even though she doesn't love me.'

Koga wasn't an idiot. The fact that she had never returned the endearment was not lost on him, but he presented it to her every time nonetheless. She had been in possession of his heart for nearly their entire time together, though she had yet to fully offer him hers. He could only hope that one day she would, but he was also well aware that hope would dwindle significantly depending on what he saw inside in just a few seconds.

Steeling his nerves, he maneuvered his way through the crowd until he reached the glass doors. He took one final deep breath before pulling on the handle, his skin chilling as the light sheen of perspiration evaporated in the conditioned air. It was loud inside with the huge crowd, everyone talking and laughing, glasses clinking, silverware clanging, rock music blaring a little too loudly. His nose twitched as it took in the smell of Cajun food, followed by the underlying scents of perfumes and alcohol coming from the bar. Looking into that direction, he scowled as he recognized a few of the patrons inside as Tiger Band members. Of course, he didn't know all of Kagome's friends, and those people could just be here of their own accord….

“Would you like a table, sir? I'm afraid there is a two-hour wait.”

“No,” Koga replied, never taking his eyes off the crowd in the bar area. “I'm just looking for somebody.”

“All right, just let me know if….”

The hostess's voice faded into the background as he walked away, his eyes scanning the immediate area as he approached the bar. When he was within ten feet of the row of barstools, he came to an abrupt halt, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Kagome's scent. She was here.

Well, that was one hurdle crossed. Koga cringed as the realization that she had indeed lied to him struck him, but he cleared his head. He still had to make sure she was here with friends, and only friends. He swallowed, suppressing the ache in his chest as he peered around the corner in the direction from which his girlfriend's enticing scent was coming.

And there she was. Sitting a table in the corner was his Kagome and her cousin, Sango. If there were any others at the table, he couldn't see them because of all of the people crowding the area. Kagome appeared to be arguing with Sango, who was very obviously intoxicated, and he couldn't hear what they were saying over the noise, but it didn't matter. Noticing his anger had calmed somewhat once he saw her gorgeous face, he relaxed his shoulders a bit as he took a few steps forward, only to stop short again once he caught sight of the table's other occupants.

One of them he recognized as Sango's boyfriend, Miroku. He wasn't a threat. The other man, however, was unknown to him. `Inu…inu hanyou,' he growled inwardly. He observed how the hanyou was looking at Kagome, at his woman, his body language screaming his lust for her.

Koga's neck muscles tightened dangerously. Who the fuck was this mutt? Was Kagome friends with him? If so, why had Koga never met him? Was she keeping him from him for some reason? Or was he reading too much into it? It was possible she had only met -

His thoughts froze when he saw the mutt lean in close to Kagome, whose attention was now on Miroku and Sango. His hand was reaching out, apparently aiming for Kagome's lower thigh. Koga's jaw clenched painfully, and he quickly closed the distance between himself and the group, his fists tightening with every step. The hanyou then pulled back for a moment before turning in his direction, and Koga got a good look at his face.

`Fucking half-breed piece of shit.'

Koga kept his eyes on the mutt as he announced his arrival to his girlfriend, who seemed to be the only one at the table still unaware of his presence. “Kagome.” He watched as the inu's lips peeled back, baring his fangs in a pathetic attempt of dominance. Koga barely kept himself from rearing back and punching them right out of his filthy fucking mouth. “I thought you said you were too tired to go out tonight.”

“Koga!” she exclaimed in shock. He finally looked her in the face, and once again pain gripped his heart like a vice. Inwardly, he cried out to her, asking her why she would betray him like this. But he kept those reactions hidden, settling for a scowl as he looked into her gorgeous eyes. Clearing his throat, he repeated his question, leaving no room for question that he wanted an honest answer. “I thought you said you were tired. What are you doing here?”

“I….”

“Hey, Koga!” Miroku stood from his seat, walking around the hanyou and offering his hand. “I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been, man?”

He saw through the boy's attempt at civility, but he shook his hand nonetheless. “I'm fine. Kagome,” he repeated. “What are you doing here?”

“Well….” She bit her lip nervously.

“You know, it's funny,” Miroku continued annoyingly, clapping a hand on Koga's shoulder. “I was just saying to Kagome the other day that the four of us should go out and double some time. We'll have to have the girls set it up. You know they think we'll just screw it up if we do it ourselves, right?” He laughed.

Koga nodded in Miroku's direction, trying to get the boy to drop the diversion bullshit. He looked at Kagome again, noticing a bright blush on her cheeks. Sango was passed out on the table, not that anyone seemed to care at the moment.

Kagome sighed. “Look, Koga, I -”

“Come on,” he interrupted, reaching for her hand. “Let's go. We'll talk in the car.”

“Koga, just wait a minute,” she tried even as she rose to her feet.

“Kagome, where r'you goin?” he cousin suddenly mumbled from her head's resting place on the table. Her eyes opened blearily and slowly focused on him. “Koga-kun? Heeey,” she drawled, smiling lazily. “How're you doin'?”

“Let's go, Kagome,” he growled impatiently.

“Come on, Koga, stay for a drink,” Miroku suggested and pulled his own chair around, offering it to him.

“Wait.”

Koga's eyes widened at the sound of the mutt's voice. This fucker had the balls to speak to him after pawing all over his woman? Granted, he hadn't touched her yet… that he knew of, anyway. With that thought in mind, he swiftly buried his nose in Kagome's neck, ignoring her startled gasp. Her tantalizing natural scent filled his nostrils with no smell of dog tainting her, so he leaned back, mildly relieved. He noticed the narrowing of her eyes as she peered accusingly at him. He scowled. “Don't be mad at me for checking. You've already lied to me at least once tonight,” he spat, nonplussed at her glare.

The half-breed had the audacity to speak again. “She's not leaving.”

Koga turned to face him, poison on his tongue as he spoke. “That's not your decision to make, half-breed.”

“You're right,” he answered as he slowly rose from his seat, locking eyes with Koga in a brazen challenge. “It's hers. And I don't think she wants to leave.”

Koga tightened his grip on Kagome's hand slightly as he took one step forward. “And how would you know what she wants?” he asked, daring him to say the wrong thing.

The hanyou raised his chin slightly, the meaning of this subtle movement not lost on Koga. “How would you? I don't remember you asking her.”

“I know because she is my woman, and I know her well. I know what she needs, and I know what she wants.”

“Really?” He had the gall to smirk before looking at Kagome. “Kagome, do you really want to leave with the wolf?”

“W-with Koga? Well, I -”

“How dare you speak to her in front of me!” Koga snapped, pulling Kagome behind him protectively.

“Koga, I -”

“Who are you, her fuckin' bodyguard? All I did was ask her a simple question, which you obviously don't want her to answer!”

“Please, Inu -”

“Simple question? You put her on the spot! You made her uncomfortable, which you would have noticed if you hadn't been eye-fucking her at the time!”

“Koga! How could you say -”

“Feh! The only thing that made her feel uncomfortable was you! She was having a great time before you showed up and stunk up the place, wolf!”

“Will one of you please -”

“I will not stand here and let you imply that I, her boyfriend of over two years, by the way, am someone who does anything but make her happy! You were the one who -”

“BOTH OF YOU STOP IT!”

Both men snapped their heads toward the bright red face of Kagome, whose hand was still being possessively held by Koga. He bit back a surprised gasp when he noticed how dark her eyes had turned. Never before had he seen her so angry.

She pursed her lips together before continuing. “Clearly, neither of you know what I want right now, so I would appreciate it if you would stop fighting about it! Especially since I'm standing right fucking here!” She took that moment to wrench her hand free from Koga's grip and walk purposefully around the table to where Miroku was standing and sporting a very calm but vigilant demeanor. She let out a breath to calm herself and placed a hand on Sango's shoulder, who had fallen back to sleep on the table despite the commotion. “Miroku, can you please take Sango home? I'm sorry I won't be able to help you.”

He smiled grimly. “Sure, Kagome. I'll make sure she gets home safely.” Tossing a quick glance in Koga's direction, he lowered his voice. “Are you letting him take you home? I mean, he's probably pretty pissed if you really told him you weren't coming.”

Kagome nodded resolutely but said nothing, probably because she knew Koga could hear them. She dug into her pockets and handed him some cash. “Here's for mine and Sango's portions of the bill.”

Miroku refused the money, pushing her hands back gently. “No, Kagome, tonight's on me. Don't worry, you can get it next time.” He smiled and hugged her, speaking softly again. “You have your cell phone, right? You'll call me if… if you need anything, okay?”

Koga bristled at what he was implying, gnashing his teeth and making a mental note that the kid wasn't as harmless as he previously gave him credit for. `If he tries to put ideas in her head that I would hurt her, I might need to speak with him,' he thought.

Again, she didn't answer him, but gave him a small smile before returning to Koga's side, her eyes downcast and the flush returning to her cheeks. “I'm ready.”

He gave a slight nod and turned to meet the hanyou's livid glare, making sure the mutt was watching when he put his hand on the small of her back to lead her away. The unspoken message was clear, he knew. The filthy mutt surely knew better than to challenge him again.

“Kagome.”

`Or not. That DICK!' A snarl twisted Koga's mouth as he turned toward him again, his free hand curling into a fist. The hanyou stared hard back at him before shifting his eyes to Kagome. “Are you sure you want to go, Kagome?”

Fighting every instinct to launch himself at the half-breed and throttle him until her name could no longer sound from his mouth, he turned his eyes toward the girl once again and awaited her reply, knowing better than to speak for her again. But she gave none. She didn't even turn around, but simply stopped and kept her head down, seemingly waiting for Koga to escort her outside. He would have smirked in triumph over the mutt's lack of perspective, except suddenly he caught the scent of fresh tears.

Kagome's tears.

Koga watched her for a moment, registering this new development. Why was she crying? Was there some hidden meaning in the mutt's words? No, she must just have been upset because she knew how angry he was. Suppressing the angst in his heart at the scent of her distress, he threw another fierce glower at the mutt before ushering Kagome forward, through the crowds of people and into the lobby of the restaurant, and finally stepping through the glass doors outside.

Once they had maneuvered their way through the mob outside, Koga put a supportive arm around Kagome's shoulders and led her to his Mustang, hoping to show her that no matter how angry he was, he still loved her and that they would get through this. She didn't react, which gave him pause. Reaching the car, he opened the passenger door for her and watched her wipe her eyes as she got into her seat. Once secure, he shut the door and rounded the car to his side, shaking his head the whole way. Without saying a word, he climbed in and started the engine, chancing a look at his girl before pulling out of the parking spot and toward the road.

They rode in silence through Baton Rouge. Keeping his right hand on the wheel, Koga propped his left elbow on the door ledge and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Why had Kagome lied about the party? Was she angrier than she had let on about the whole `marriage talk' business from last week? Or was there someone at the party who she didn't want him to meet?

Could that mutt be who it was?

As his thoughts ran amuck, he realized that they had made it to Kagome's apartment building, and he sighed while pulling into her assigned parking spot since it was available. He frowned as he cut the engine, remembering that he hadn't seen her distinctive green Camry at Chimes, either. “Where's your car?” he asked quietly, trying for nonchalance.

She sniffed, wiping her nose. “I had to run back to campus to drop off some music I borrowed last week. I got a ride from there to the restaurant.”

“From the hanyou?” he spat accusingly before he could stop himself.

She bristled, her fists clenching, and refused to answer. He turned in his seat a little so he could face her better, then took a slow, deep breath to calm his anger before beginning. “Kagome, I just want to know why you thought it was necessary to lie to me.”

She slumped dejectedly and bowed her head, looking suddenly defeated and tired. “I don't know,” she mumbled.

Koga clenched his jaw and looked out the windshield. She didn't know? Licking his lips, he tried a different approach. “Well, can you at least tell me why you didn't want me to go?”

“I… I don't know.”

He looked at her again, his irritation rising. “Is there anything you do know, Kagome?” he snidely asked.

She squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head lower, and Koga winced as a fresh burst of salt assaulted his nose. Guilt stabbing his heart, he reached out and put a hand on her knee. “Please don't cry. I just want you to talk to me. Don't get me wrong, Kagome, I'm mad.” She nodded her understanding, so he continued. “To be honest, I'm mad as all hell. You betrayed me, my trust, and I want to know why. Why, Kagome?”

Her dark hair swayed as she shook her head. “I… I… God, Koga, I wish I could give you a reason. I just… I just don't know!”

He released her knee as he felt his temper flare and grabbed the gear shift to squeeze instead. “Dammit, Kagome! That's not good enough!”

“I know!” she cried, her voice cracking as tears rolled down her pink cheeks. “I know, but I honestly….” She stopped and brought her hands to her face, crying quietly.

Koga watched her intently. There was something she wasn't telling him. “How do you expect me to feel? I tried to take you out tonight, but you blew me off, lied to me and told me you were going to bed, and then you went out drinking with your friends!” He narrowed his eyes. “And a new friend, it seems.”

Her head jerked in his direction, her eyes wide and wet. “Koga, what do you mean? Inuyasha is just a friend!”

`Inuyasha.' Koga logged the name away for future reference. “He sure as hell seemed like more than a friend when he was hovering over you at the table earlier with his hand in your lap. But I guess you didn't notice that, right?”

“What?!” She seemed genuinely surprised, and Koga relaxed just slightly, crossing that item off his list. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that the mutt was a threat, and he came to the conclusion that something needed to be done to squash it. Holding her gaze, he did something he had never done with her before, but given the circumstances, he felt like he had no other choice. He put his foot down. “Kagome, I don't want you to see him anymore.”

The girl's eyes widened at the command before narrowing dangerously. “You can't tell me who to be friends with, Koga,” she said, a shade of warning in her voice.

The alpha inside him flared, but he suppressed it before it made him say something he would regret. “I don't like him. I know his type, and they can be dangerous.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Koga, Sango told me all about inu characteristics, and I know that -”

“I could give a fuck if he's a dog or not,” he interrupted. “I meant that he's hanyou. They're unpredictable, and you never know what the hell they're going to do. He could snap and do something dangerous to you, Kagome. That's just the way mutts are.”

She reeled back in horror, and he did a double take at her reaction. He watched her expression morph into one of disgust as she crossed her arms and looked out the side window, rattling off a bunch of Japanese in a quiet, angry voice. Koga grew frustrated; his father had been Japanese, but he had died long ago, and Koga's fluency in the language was a tad rusty. Finally fed up, he swallowed his already bruised pride. “What did you say?”

“I said that I can't believe you would possibly say that!” she snapped, balling her fists in her lap. “To think that I've been going out with such an ignorant, racist pig!”

He growled. “What the fuck did I say wrong? I only spoke the truth!”

“Inuyasha would never do anything to hurt me!” she declared, and suddenly she froze, as if realizing what she had just said. Her eyes widened a fraction as she stared at him in shocked silence for two heartbeats, and then she shut her mouth and looked away again.

But her hidden words had already reached him. His chest tightened for the umpteenth time that evening, his heart thumping erratically as suspicion flooded his brain. He took a deep breath to quell his rising panic, and licked his lips before speaking again. “Kagome,” he began slowly, tilting his head so he could watch her reaction. “Are you cheating on me with him?”

She reeled, plainly horrified, and stared at him with hurt eyes. “Koga, of course not! I could never do that to you!”

He relaxed back in his seat and let out the breath he was holding. At least he could cross that off his worry list. Realizing they had gotten off track, he reached for her hand. “I'm sorry, babe. Look, I'm still really upset about tonight, and I don't know… I'm not sure that my faith in you is at one hundred percent right now.”

Her expression softened as she lowered her head again and nodded solemnly. “I understand, Koga, and I'm sorry. I really am.”

Allowing a small smile at her apology, he cupped her chin. “I want you to look at me, Kagome.” Once he was met with her eyes again, he reached up to wipe the tears away. “Let's talk about this another time. We're both upset right now, and I think it would be better if we both settle down first before we try to work through this, all right?”

She nodded again and sniffled. God, how he wanted to kiss her, but he wasn't sure if she would let him. He wasn't even sure why he wanted to; perhaps it was just how frail she looked at the moment. “Don't worry, babe,” he offered. “We'll get through this. Let's talk tomorrow, like we planned, okay? Give me a call and we'll go out, just the two of us. By that point, we will have both gotten a good night's rest, and you will have worked that alcohol out of your system.” He smiled.

She gave him a small smile in return, and he couldn't resist anymore. Leaning forward, he captured her soft lips with his own, frowning slightly when hers remained tight and unmoving. Maybe it was too soon.

Pulling back, he brushed her bangs out of her eyes, registering the perturbed look on her face. Too soon indeed. “Go on. I'll talk to you tomorrow,” he offered, squeezing her hand again and letting her go.

Nodding silently, Kagome turned away and opened the door. He watched her leave and waited until she had reached the top of the stairs to start his engine, then watched as she safely made it inside her door before backing out and pulling away. Had he waited one moment longer, he would have seen the violent onslaught of tears cascading down her red cheeks as she turned to shut her apartment door.

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