InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Longest Journey ❯ Cry Wolf ( Chapter 19 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 19: Cry Wolf

After the rest of the group had awoken and readied for the day, Kagura had pointed them in the direction that the tiny void youkai was wandering with Naraku's heart, and they all agreed that the plan to destroy the hanyou without fighting him was definitely worth the effort of chasing down Kanna and Akago, no matter how far away they might be at this point.

So, within an hour of finishing breakfast, they'd broken camp, and gotten on their way. According to Kagura, Naraku had a nice little hiding place along the southernmost coasts, and Kanna and Akago were there.

That meant they would be traveling for some time - it would take about two weeks to arrive in the vicinity of the two - and so, the group had plenty of time to begin to merge their quite different fighting styles into a more coherent force.

They traveled steadily, but not in any way rushed, since Kagura could always tell where their prey was, there was no need to worry about Kanna disappearing again. As they neared the mountains containing Koga's clans, however, Kagome became a bit nervous, and pulling Sango aside, asked her a few questions.

""Hey, Sango - does Koga think I'm dead?"

Sango looked at her friend, understanding flaring in her gaze. "Yeah, he does - and if he catches your scent... there's going to be trouble if he blows into camp manhandling you and claiming you as 'his woman' like he always did before."

Kagome sighed. "I guess there's no hope that he's mated Ayame, is there?"

She shook her head. "Nope. He's claiming that once Naraku's dead, he'll follow you into the grave so he can be with 'his woman'. She rolled her eyes at that.

Kagome gave an exasperated snort. "What is with him, anyway? I've spent years trying to tell him no... you know what?" She shook her head in irritation. "I never thought I'd say this, but the way Inuyasha's acting, he and Koga are a lot more alike than I'd have ever thought."

Sango laughed at this. How true is that? she thought.

Kisho, purring contentedly on her shoulder, snickered to himself. 'You just do not understand your own appeal, my Kagome. You are beautiful, and more importantly, you smell divine - and you have power. All these things are a natural draw to anyone with youkai blood... even human males are drawn to these things.'

Kirara mewed agreeingly.

Kagome blushed, and said, "Beautiful I am most certainly not, and as for my scent, well, I wouldn't know about that. And power..." she trailed off for a moment sadly, then continued, "... that's not something I can help, nor is it something I asked for."

Kagura laughed. She'd been listening to the conversation, as had Kikyou, and when Kagome came out with that statement, she just had to jump in.

"Beauty is subjective, Kagome, wouldn't you say?" As Kagome flashed her a confused look, she continued. "It depends on who is looking at you. It isn't really your opinion on it that counts, but others, and I can assure you, others think you are gorgeous. Sugimi-sama for one... I bet he's secretly patting himself on the back for catching himself such a beautiful onna," she said, with a sly look in his direction. Neither he nor Sesshoumaru were paying attention to their conversation, lost in their own, but she was pretty sure he heard what was being said.

"Besides," she said lightly, grinning at a blushing Kagome, "I can guarantee you he finds you unbearably desirable - I don't think I've ever scented a male that was as turned on as he is around you all the time. I honestly don't know how he's even walking, it must hurt like hell!"

At Kagome's horrified look, she burst out laughing, while Kikyou and Sango just blushed deeply and refused to meet the male's eyes.

Miroku, of course, had to open his mouth. "Well, it is no wonder that he is affected that way - Kagome is, after all, an extremely attractive woman."

Sugimi growled lightly at him. "She is... I can't stop you from looking monk - but your hands had better not wander," he flexed his claws warningly, "or else."
Sesshoumaru watched all of this with his usual stoic expression, then glanced at the kaze youkai. "I see, Kagura, that you still enjoy using words as weapons, and causing havoc with them."

Kagura smiled widely at the daiyoukai. "Of course, Sesshoumaru. I may hate Naraku with a passion, but I was around him for a long time - and he is a master at using words to hurt, or cause embarrassment. Do you disapprove, then?" With a sly look at him, she continued. "I would not have thought so... after all, you are also a master at using words to cause harm, are you not? she asked, seeming innocence gushing from her words.

He raised a brow as his father chuckled. "She's got you there, my son. Your words always did drip poison, rather like your claws and fangs."

"Hn."

Kagome breathed deeply in relief when Kagura turned her attention to baiting Sesshoumaru, and managed to lose herself in her thoughts for a while.

She dismissed the claims of beauty right off - Sugimi aside, she was just average, and always would see herself that way. She knew she wasn't ugly - she was just unremarkable... the only draw she could see about herself was her personality. She knew she had what was considered an attractive one, and that, to her, was a far more acceptable reason to love someone - although she had to say, Sugimi was indeed gorgeous - and she wasn't complaining.

But that wasn't why she loved him. Sure, it was a nice bonus, but she could do without that kind of thing, and indeed, she would love him just as much if he were an average joe, so to speak. It was who he was inside that grabbed ahold of her heart and melted it, not his looks. As far as she was concerned, he was far more beautiful inside, than he was outside. And, admittedly, that was saying a hell of a lot, and that thought had her giggling to herself, because there was no getting around the fact that he was indeed the most beautiful male she'd ever seen.

Even more than Sesshoumaru, really, and heaven knew, he was also a gorgeous male. Of course, in Kagura's eyes...

She giggled again. Poor Kagura - she's so totally smitten, but then again, she manages to get under his skin more than anyone I've ever seen, so... maybe she's got a shot. She probably has a better one than anyone else, that's for sure.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the tugging on her soul that meant...

Her worst fears becoming realized, as she noted the proximity of two jewel shards, moving fast on an intercepting course, and she barely had time to get out a warning before the ookami prince himself appeared in the midst of the group.

Koga looked the same as he always had, just as cocky as the day she'd met him. He hadn't noticed her yet, looking instead to Miroku, and Sesshoumaru.

"Oi, monk, where's dog-turd? I see his undead bitch, but I don't smell him anywhere." Lifting his nose into the air, he again scented it, and then stiffened, shock running across his face. Spinning, his eyes alighted on an inwardly groaning Kagome, and he moved towards her, almost in a trance.

"K-kagome? What... how?" He took a deep breath and tried again. "They told me you were dead, my love... how are you standing here now? And then his eyes brightened, and he didn't even seem to hear the growling behind him at the 'my love'... suddenly pouncing on her he crowed, "That stupid bastard mated the undead bitch, so now he can't say shit to me about you! I'm taking you with me now, my onna - it's time you became my mate!"

Kagome tried desperately to pull away from the grip he had on her, shaking her head, she was beginning to panic as she said, "Dammit, Koga! I am not your woman! I never have been, and I'm not Inuyasha's woman, either! Neither of you have any say in who I take as a mate!"

Sugimi's eyes had bled completely red, and everyone backed up quickly as his aura flared, the immensity of it making even Sesshoumaru uneasy, and he stalked forward, intent on pulling that filthy ookami pelt away from his onna.

"If you value your life," he growled out, "I suggest you get your paws off of my woman."

Koga had stiffened at the feel of the very dangerous aura that had flared to life behind him, and dropping Kagome's hands, he turned and stared at the male standing there.

He was tall, taller even than Sesshoumaru, with the same silver hair, except it was worn in a top-knot, he wore heavy armor, had a youkino pelt that was longer than the Lord of the West's, and obviously expensive clothing. Turning his head a bit, he asked Kagome, "Uh, Kagome, love... who is this?"

Sugimi stalked closer to the idiot, and yanking him forward by his furs, pulled him into his face. "I am the Inu no Taisho, Sugimi, Lord of the North - and Kagome's intended. I have a rightful courtship claim on her, and if you wish to challenge me," he flexed his claws, "I would be more than willing to destroy you," he finished in a soft and dangerous hiss.

Koga's eyes had gone wide, fear nearly dripping from him. Inuyasha was one thing - but there was no way he was stupid enough to challenge this Inu. That would just be plain suicide. It didn't stop him from sulking angrily as he shook his head at the Inu Lord, declining to challenge.

"Dammit, why is everyone always determined to keep me from the woman I claimed years ago?"

Sugimi stared haughtily at him. "There was no claim on her when I placed mine, ookami, so you must not have done it right. Are you not bright enough to know how to place a courtship?"

Kagome choked at that. "Sugimi! You stop that right this instant! There was no courtship claim on me," she glared at Koga when he started to protest, "because I never allowed one. You're the only one I've accepted, but don't start getting all cocky about it."

Kagura burst into laughter, letting out the amusement that everyone in the group was feeling, even Kikyou laughing at the ookami that Inuyasha despised so much.

"You truly are a fool, prince of the ookami. You cannot just claim a woman by saying it - she has to agree - and Kagome never did." Kikyou shook her head and turned away, completely unconcerned with his irritated growl, smiling comfortingly down at a slightly frightened Rin. Shippo patted her hands, whispering to her that no one would let her be hurt.

"Fine! I came to find out what you all were doing in my territory - so why are you all here?" he asked, sulkily.

Sesshoumaru spoke up then. "We are going after Naraku, what else?"

Koga's eyes narrowed at that hated name. "And why is the wind bitch traveling with you? I thought Naraku killed her, and besides, isn't she just one of his incarnations anyway?"

At that, Sesshoumaru growled. "You will not speak of her that way, ookami. She is an ally - Naraku no longer has any hold over her."

"Fine. If you hunt Naraku, then I'm coming with you - I still have to avenge my tribe."

Sugimi growled angrily at that, but Sesshoumaru chuckled, and as everyone stared at him in astonishment, he waved his hand at the angry Inu. "Then you must speak to my father, ookami. It is his pack, he is alpha here."

Koga paled. "Wait - he's your father? I thought he died like two hundred years ago?! What's he doing here?"

Sesshoumaru raised a regal brow, and stared arrogantly at the ookami. "Apparently, he's claiming the miko as his mate," and everyone burst out in laughter again at Koga's disgruntled expression.

Koga snarled angrily as Kagome blushed. "Look, I didn't come here to trade insults. If you're going after Naraku, you're gonna eventually need my shards - and I won't give them up if you deny me my right to join in his destruction."

Kikyou laughed then, as Kagome's eyes narrowed on him. "You truly are a fool, ookami. Inuyasha was right about that. Kagome will simply take the shards, and there is nothing you can say to stop her - so you may as well hand them over."

Koga spun to look at a now rather irritated Kagome, and with the rest of the group eagerly looking on, she pulled her little trick again, and both shards ripped themselves from his legs as she held out her hand for them, settling down quite harmlessly, purifying instantly. Koga choked, staggering suddenly as his power source was abruptly taken, and he stared at Kagome like he'd never seen her before.

Truth was, he never really had, or he'd have known that one with such power as her was not for him. After all, it did not do for the female to so outstrip the male in power - it was too much of an imbalance in a mating, and it would never last - the female would not be able to respect the male for very long. Bowing, he sighed forlornly.

"I understand," he said softly, looking at Kagome longingly, and with regret. "I could never have matched you - but obviously, he can. I will not interfere - but I still ask to be allowed to join you. I still need to see to the vengeance of my tribe."

Kagome glanced at Sugimi, who finally nodded, though grudgingly. "Fine, Koga, but try not to antagonize anyone." She glanced around at their surroundings, then squinted up into the sky. It was becoming late, and she turned her gaze back to him. "Is there someplace nearby to make camp?"

Koga nodded. "Follow me. I will show you a good place."

---zZz---

Evening of that same day, but miles to the east, Inuyasha settled for the evening in a small cave, content with how things were turning out. He'd already managed to get four shards - it was only a matter of time 'til Naraku came looking for him.

Sitting back with his arms above his head, he leaned against the cave wall, more determination than ever flooding through his system. He would succeed - and soon - he missed his two onna's. He sighed, a bit of melancholy flooding through him. Kikyou was bound to be hurt and angry at him for a long time, and it would take probably just as long for Kagome to forgive him and accept him again, but eventually, they would all learn to work together as a family, he was sure of it.

It was lonely this way, and he desperately wanted to be back with them - it was the only time he felt complete... when he was with them both. The only upside to this whole mess was that while he was gone, knowing Kagome, she and Kikyou would be slowly becoming friends - and that would only help his cause in the long run. If they could learn to get along...

He closed his eyes, sadness shafting through him as he thought back to the day Kagome had disappeared, and he'd thought she'd died. That's what his father and everyone else was wrong about. He wasn't trying to be selfish - sure, this was a far from ideal situation, but the truth was he really, truly loved Kagome, and the memories of that day hurt, unbearably. Just as badly as Kikyou's death had hurt. Privately, he wished he could say he loved one more than the other, and get himself out of this confusion - but he couldn't, and so, this was the only way he saw to deal with it.

Inuyasha honestly wasn't trying to hurt either of the women... but for his own sanity' sake, he couldn't even entertain the thought that Kagome truly was beyond his reach. He feared the consequences if he did - and so, he held onto his blind hope, determined that he would win out in the end. He had no wish to see his father hurt, but he didn't see how the older male could really be as deeply in love with Kagome as he, himself was - after all, he'd known her for damn near three years, and his father only a couple of months.

It didn't occur to him that that one statement alone showed how seriously erring in judgement he was in this situation. Because thinking about it, if you had known a person that long, and hadn't realized any feelings for them, and someone else came in, and within months, knew exactly how they felt... well, that showed something wrong with your judgement - or that you just hadn't been meant as a couple in the first place.

But all realizations aside, Inuyasha wasn't going to give up, and Naraku was waiting and...

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough for the hanyou.

If he'd only realized the heartache and pain he was heading towards, he might have had second thoughts.

Then again, maybe not.