InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ When true love comes knocking.. ❯ All's Fair in the Game of Love... ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Inuyasha has really goofed this time, and now he�s worried that Kagome is getting a little to cozy with his older cousins Sasha� (A/N: For all you confuzzled folks the four older hanyou cousins, aka the quads, have been doing security and bodyguard work for the more known side of the Taikaeda family and are helping out with protecting Kagome. They are undercover as teenagers and have orders to stay with the Inu gang 24/7. They are also of my own creation� don�t ask where or why it just sorta popped in my head ~ shrugs ~) Can Inuyasha prove his feelings for Kagome and right the wrongs he did

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Romance / Fantasy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 01.28.2006 | Updated On: 01.29.2006 | Pages: 8 | Words: 11.3K | Visits: 734 | Status: Work In Progress

Hiya again everyone! Sorry for the extremely long wait on the update. Life has been murder lately. First work was hell from the holidays, then I get sick… and on top of all that I've been fighting off some serious depression. My best friend of seven years that I thought I was madly in love with has been talking trash about me behind my back about how im an utter fool that can be scammed out of anything and using me for money and taking advantage of me. After all the shit I've been through in my life and he does this to me and it's bad enough I have to find out from someone else. Well let's see if he remembers the crash course in Karma he got from me. Beware the rule of three; what you do will come back at thee, three times three. Anywho… sorry to ramble on, just venting some frustrations.

Summary: Inuyasha has really goofed this time, and now he's worried that Kagome is getting a little to cozy with his older cousins Sasha… (A/N: For all you confuzzled folks the four older hanyou cousins, aka the quads, have been doing security and bodyguard work for the more known side of the Taikaeda family and are helping out with protecting Kagome. They are undercover as teenagers and have orders to stay with the Inu gang 24/7. They are also of my own creation… don't ask where or why it just sorta popped in my head ~ shrugs ~) Can Inuyasha prove his feelings for Kagome and right the wrongs he did? Find out how it all goes in Chapter 9: All's Fair in the Game of Love…

Inuyasha: 18

Miroku: 18

Sango: 17

Kagome: 16 almost 17

Koga: 18

Rin: 20

Sesshomaru: 23

Shippo: 10 (though he looks like he's 5)

The Quads: 23

“ Speaking”

`Thinking'

` Annoying voices in their heads'

Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Inu crew or any of the songs I toss in along the way. Rumiko Takahashi and all the other spiffy people do. But I do own the Quads- Sasha, Kaido, Keichi, and Adaiko… They are all mine!!! Now on with the story…

Downstairs in the poolroom Sango and Ada were trying to convince Kagome to get in the water. Kagome sat in one of the lounge chairs near the edge of the pool, watching as the two smaller boys were wrestling with Sango and Ada. Sango had Kohaku in a headlock as she continuously dunked him under water. Ada was trying to balance Souta on her shoulders… yet every time he got his balance and was standing for more then ten seconds, she would mysteriously loose her balance and dump him off into the water.

Kagome laughed as her brother sputtered as he came up for air after the last particularly large splash, which nearly soaked her in her chair. She turned and stared in awe at the impressive size of the room and everything in it. The poolroom was almost as big as the living room and kitchen of the shrine combined. The far wall was solid thick panes of glass, that could be slid to the sides like doors in the summer, or kept closed in the fall or winter time to keep the room heated, for that late in the year swimming urge. Scattered around the room were tables and lounge chairs, as well as a state of the art propane grill, and propane accessories. (A/N: ok… time to lay off watching King of the Hill late at night ~ bogglez ~) Near the grill was a fridge stocked with drinks and things so you wouldn't have to go all the way through the house for junk food runs.

When she heard the sliding door that lead into the house open she turned towards it, but the words died on her lips when her tongue got tied in knots.

` Holy shit, these guys are hot!!!' was the only thought that ran through her mind as the three male quads strolled out of the house, clad in nothing but matching black swim trunks. Kagome stared openly at Sasha, taking in his massive tan chest, his perfect abs, and biceps. His trunks hung low on his hips, giving a teasing look at hard muscles of his abdomen. Sasha shook his hair back over his shoulder, before glancing over to smile at Kagome, who jerked her gaze away from him… blushing at the thought of being caught staring. Sasha smirked as he made his way over towards her chair, while the dastardly duo charged headlong at the pool, catapulting into the water, making Kagome laugh as she watched Ada and Sango sputter as a wave covered them. When Sasha was beside Kagome he dropped down into the chair next to her, drawing her gaze away from the antics of the others in the water. She was afraid to look at him… scared that she would make it seem like she was leading him on when she was already with Inuyasha. Kagome thought back throughout the day, all the times when Sasha chatted with her, or joked around and made her laugh.

` I can't help but like him… but not that way. I mean sure Sasha is hot as hell, but he doesn't make my heart thump, or make my blood sing.' She thought to herself, as she looked Sasha over wondering why he had no affect on her, attraction wise.

` Because Inuyasha's the one who has your heart.' Argued her conscious.

Kagome blinked when she realized Sasha was looking at her expectantly as he waited for her to answer to whatever question he had asked her.

“ Uhh… sorry Sash. I didn't catch that.” Sasha smiled teasingly as he leaned forward, taking Kagome's hand in his… making her giggle uneasily.

“ I was just wondering if you wanted to help me torture my baby cousin Yashie?” Kagome stared at him in utter confuzzlement. Thinking she hadn't heard him right she cleared her throat to ask him again.

“ You want me to wha?” Sasha chuckled as he watched confusion roll around in her eyes.

“ I'm getting a huge kick out of watching Inuyasha growl and snap because he thinks that I'm charming you away from him. I'm torturing him until the baka finally pulls his head out of his ass and claims you like he should before someone else steals you away.” Kagome shook her head to clear away the fogginess.

“ Ok back up a second here. Your telling me… that this whole time that I thought you were hitting on me behind Inuyasha's back, you've been doing this just to screw with him?” Sasha shrugged his shoulders as he eased back in his chair.

“ Pretty much.” Kagome didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she settled for hugging the stuffing out of Sasha. Sasha patted her back soothingly when she released him. “ Now why don't you tell me why your sitting on the sidelines here and not in that pool giving my brothers hell like you should be?” Kagome withdrew instantly, making Sasha frown. He reached forward and laid his hand over her own, giving a quick squeeze. “ Kagome, you know I'm here if you need to talk, I'm not just a muscle for your protection. I make a pretty good confidant.” Sasha paused dramatically as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “ I also make a damn good love slave… but I don't think I should prove that to you, unless I want Yash to rip out my spleen.”

Inuyasha chose that exact moment to step out of the house, his eyes snapping to Kagome when she burst into laughter, all the while her hand was still gripped in Sasha's. Inuyasha felt his demon blood boiling at the sight of his Kagome laughing while his cousin flirted with her. He snapped out of his jealous haze when Miroku slapped him on the back. When he turned to look at his one true friend from as far back as preschool, he blinked in surprise when Miroku held out a bag of gummy bears, rattling it slightly as he grinned wickedly at Inuyasha. When Inuyasha gave him a blank stare Miroku took his hand and stuffed the bag into it. Then he leaned close to whisper as though they were conspiring.

“ The sure fire way to Kagome's heart. Trust me.” Inuyasha gave a quick nod as he watched Miroku strut towards the pool, drawing Sango's gaze as she warily watched the lecher make his way towards her… knowing the hentai had something up his sleeve.

“ Practicing your runway model walk again Roku?” The others burst into laughter as Miroku added a little more swing to his hips, as he pranced along the edge of the pool. Kai, and Kei looked to one another, grinning wickedly as they hoisted themselves out of the pool. While Miroku was busy flexing his manly muscles at Sango, the two hanyous pounced him from behind, each one grabbing an arm and a leg as they hoisted the flailing Miroku into the air.

“ What the fuck are you two doing? Put me down damn it!” Miroku continued to struggle fiercely as Kai, and Kei carried him over to the deep end of the pool. The two laughed as they prepared to toss him in.

“ Better hold your breath Miroku!” cackled Kai, as they swung a helpless Miroku back and forth. The two began to count down in unison with each swing.

“ Three.” Miroku continued to struggle, much to the entertainment of the others around him.

“ This is not funny you bastards!”

“ Two.”

“ If I'm going in… I'm taking at least one of you with me!”

“ One.” Once the words were out they swung out as hard as they could, but when they released their hold on Miroku's limbs, Miroku latched onto their arms. This caused the two to loose their balance and all three plummeted into the water.

Kagome laughed from her seat next to Sasha as Miroku surfaced again and started swearing a blue streak as Kai and Kei started wrestling with him in the water. Suddenly she felt a sharp tingle of electricity shoot up her spine, and a feeling that she was being watched came over her making her turn to look behind her. Her eyes widened, her heartbeat went wild, and her mouth went dry. Sasha may have looked sexy as hell… but compared to him Inuyasha was a God!!!

He was a doggie Adonis. His long platinum hair hung in disarray around his shoulders, and his bangs hanging over his eyes made Kagome want to brush his bangs back and bury her hands deep into his gorgeous locks. Her eyes trailed down to his rock hard chest, and abs… formed from hours of exercise and training. When her eyes made it to his tight fitting red trunks, she swallowed down the lump that was lodged in her throat. Sasha snickered softly as he watched Kagome all but pant at the sight of a half nekkid Inuyasha. He reached over and pets her hand as he got to his feet, which Kagome ignored, as he made his way over towards the pool. When he reached the edge of the pool he knelt down as Ada swam over to grip the wall of the pool.

“ All right Ada… I've done my duty of pissing off the baka. I'll leave the rest up to you.” Ada nodded, then when Sasha was least expecting it… she jumped up, wrapping her arms around his neck in a headlock, and dragged him head first into the water.

Back at the lounge chairs, Kagome and Inuyasha were still staring quietly at each other… Kagome twisting the hem of her shirt in her hands, while Inuyasha fiddled with the bag in his hands, each one waiting for the other to make the first move. Kagome decided to break the silence and take the plunge.

“ What's in the bag Yash?” Inuyasha jumped, blushing slightly, as he hid the bag behind his back, before dropping it onto the lounge chair discreetly. When he turned back and finally got his first good look, Inuyasha felt breathless as his eyes slid slowly over Kagome, head to toe.

The sunlight played through her raven locks, highlighting her hair with a bluish tint when she turned her head. She sat with her legs curled under her, tempting Inuyasha with thoughts of what he would like to do with those long endless legs. When his eyes took in the t-shirt she was wearing over her suit, his eyes narrowed slightly when he thought it looked slightly familiar. He took a quick sniff, and fought the back the urge to growl fiercely when he inhaled Sasha's scent. His demonic blood rose up, roaring for him to stake his claim on his mate. He fought back his instincts, not wanting to rush Kagome into anything, when he wasn't sure she felt the same way as him.

` Sure she said she loved me, but she's been through so much lately… maybe she's just grateful and confused.'

` That's bullshit and you know it. Your just scared that she won't accept you and want to change you… like Kikyo did.'

Kagome stared at Inuyasha as he glared at her, yet not seeming to see her at all. When she reached out to lay her hand on his arm Inuyasha growled as he argued with the voice in his head, making Kagome jerk away from him in apprehension. She bowed her head, her hair spilling around her, effectively cloaking her face from sight as she clenched her fists tightly in her lap. The scent of her barely contained tears snapped Inuyasha out of his daze, blinking as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

“ I'm sorry Inuyasha, I didn't mean to upset you.” She leaped to her feet and ran for the door. Inuyasha sat in shock for a second before leaping to his feet to catch up with Kagome. The only problem was when he caught her, he slid on the water along the edge of the pool, and while trying to regain his balance by grabbing a hold of Kagome's arm, gravity took control as he dumped the both of them into the pool. Kagome surfaced and fought to fling her mop of wet hair out of her face as she treaded water. The others around her were laughing at the sight of the two tumbling into the pool. Kagome sputtered and growled angrily as she searched through the water for the irritating baka, but started feeling a twinge of panic at not finding any sign of him.

“ Inuyasha? Where are you?”

Just when she was about to launch into a full blown panic attack, she yelped as Inuyasha shot out of the water behind her, snatching her up into his arms with an evil cackle. Kagome tried to shove her way out of his arms, fighting the urge to laugh at the goofy look on his face.

“ Let me go you ass munch!” Inuyasha growled playfully as he wrestled with her… but all the wriggling she was doing was wreaking havoc on his already worn thin control. The white shirt was now plastered against her form, clinging like a second skin. His body tightened painfully from her body rubbing against him as she struggled in his arms, sputtering when he occasionally dunked her under the water.

“ Feh, never wench! Not until you submit to me.” Kagome swore loudly, making Inuyasha's eyes widen as he burst out laughing, only succeeding in pissing her off more.

“ Just what is so damn funny Taikaeda?”

“ You cussing… it's just to cute.” Kagome scowled as she elbowed him in the gut, finally managing to break free of his hold. She struck out towards the side of the pool, her movements awkward from being weighted down by the oversized t-shirt. Just as she was within reach of the steps out of the pool, strong hands gripped her hips tightly, dragging her back towards him. When she rounded on him, ready to have it out, all the fight died out of her when he laid his ears back against his head and whined deep in his throat. Her brow rose up as she stared at him for a second, giving him the chance to lean forward and nuzzle her cheek softly as he brought out his secret weapon…. The Puppy Eyes. Kagome rolled her eyes at his pitiful face, though she felt her resolve slipping. Finally she shoved lightly on his chest to get a little bit of space between them, only to sigh when he didn't budge.

“ What the hell is wrong with you today Inuyasha? First you insult me in front of the others at school, then you come out here and growl and snarl at me, then you shove me into the water. What did I do to you?” Inuyasha winced slightly when her voice wavered… shame pouring over him at the thought of hurting her. He swallowed down his pride and growled out an answer.

“ I was jealous.”

Kagome blinked as she stared at him in complete and utter shock. All this time she had been worried that he didn't feel the same way about her as she did for him and he was getting his panties in a knot because he was jealous? Thinking maybe she heard him wrong she cleared her throat before speaking.

“ What did you just say?”

“ I was fucking jealous ok! How the hell am I supposed to feel when some fucking wolf is trying to claim my mate, and then your always going off with Sasha and laughing and smiling at him? Especially when you threw your arms around him when I came out here.” The last part came out on a growl, and Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Inuyasha… the hottest guy in the whole school… was actually jealous over her. Suddenly she reached out and pinched his right ear, making him yowl in pain.

“ What the hell was that for?”

“ You put me through all that hell because you got jealous?”

“ Well what do you expect? I come out to find MY MATE in the arms of my cousin… and not to mention you've got his scent all over you!”

Kagome stared in confusion as she fought to keep up with him. She couldn't fight the tingle of warmth that shot through her when he called her his mate… but was completely lost over the scent thing. She thought back to all the times he'd gotten pissed about Koga constantly hugging her or kissing her hand.

*Flashback*

That mangy wolf had made a pass at his Kagome again while he wasn't around. He had tried to ask Kagome out on a date after school, which she had politely turned him down, saying she was riding home with Inuyasha. Not one to give up easily, Koga took her hand in his raising it to his lips, nuzzling them softly, making Kagome grimace as she tugged on her hand.

“ If it's bikes you like, I'll take you out on mine sometime. I can put the mutt to shame with my skills.” He winked at Kagome slyly putting a double meaning to his words that made her face turn red. She had been prepared to not tell Inuyasha, but that plan was shot out the window, when he sniffed her, his eyes narrowing and his ears flattening against his head as he growled.

“ What the hell did that mangy wolf want from you?” Kagome stared in surprise at him trying to play dumb, then sighed before letting the story out. Inuyasha growled before reaching out grabbing Kagome's hand. Before she knew it, he dragged her against him, crushing his lips against hers in a possessive kiss that melted all brain activity. When he finally released her from the kiss she blinked to clear her mind, puzzling over his actions as he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist walking her towards the archery course to meet the others.

* End Flashback*

She thought back over the way he had sniffed her like a bloodhound. He had always ranted about her smelling of wolf, but she just took it as wolf versus dog thing… yet now he was all in a tiff over her smelling like Sasha. There had to be something more to this insanity then meets the eye.

Summoning up her remaining strength, Kagome tugged her arm free from it's imprisonment where it was pressed between their bodies, and thumped Inuyasha upside the head with her fist. When he swore and released his hold on her to rub the lump that was all ready forming on his head, Kagome swam just out of reach so he couldn't distract her from her goal.

“ Inuyasha, why the hell do you keep freaking out because I smell like Koga and Sasha? And what the hell is all this mate talk about?” Inuyasha hesitated for a second… trying to think of a way to get out of this mess he created in one piece. Kagome's eyes narrowed as she turned back towards the steps. “ If you won't tell me, then I'll just ask Ada.” Inuyasha fought the urge to growl in frustration as he lunged towards Kagome… only to be pounced by Sasha, who immediately put the younger hanyouinto a headlock. Inuyasha struggled to free himself, only to succeed in strangling himself when Sasha tightened his hold as he smiled wickedly.

“ Aww… lil Yashie wants to wrestle?” Inuyasha snarled as Sasha proceeded to dunk him under water, effectively drowning him as he fought to get loose.

Meanwhile, Kagome had climbed out of the pool, muttering under her breath as she cursed Inuyasha. When she reached the lounge chair she dropped down into as she began to towel dry her hair, her scowl darkening when a shadow fell over her. When she yanked the towel off her head, her temper cooled slightly when she saw it was only Ada. She moved aside making room for the hanyouto drop down onto the chair beside her, yet stayed silent as she continued to stare at her feet. She had threatened Inuyasha with going to Ada for answers… yet now she couldn't bring herself to do it.

As she sat there arguing with herself, Ada was resituating her self on the lounge chair when something poked her in the back. Reaching behind her she drug out a slightly squished bag of gummy bears.

“ Where the hell did these come from?” Kagome's gaze jerked up, her eyes zeroing in on the crumpled bag. As she pondered where they could have come from, something nagged at the back of her mind. Suddenly an image of Inuyasha standing before her holding a bag in his hands popped into her mind, drawing a gasp from her.

“ Inuyasha had them earlier… before we fell into the pool. Gummy bears are my absolute favorite, but how did he know that?” Ada attempted to swallow down the mouthful of candy she was chewing on to answer.

“ He probably asked around. That's what mates do.” Kagome's eyes narrowed as she spun around to face Ada.

“ Ok, what the hell is with you all and this mate thing? Every time I turn around it's, mates would do this or mates should do that. Why hasn't he claimed you? Why in the world is he claiming me and do I even want to be? I'm not some damn prize to be claimed after a victory for crying out loud!” Kagome took a few deep breathes to calm herself when she finished her ranting, while Ada watched her silently as she chewed on a few more gummy bears. When she was sure the raging had ended she yawned as she sat up, crossing her legs underneath her as she faced Kagome.

“ Well Kags, when a girl demon and a boy demon REALLY love one another they… OWW!” Ada yelped when Kagome whomped her upside the head with the pillow cushion from the lounge chair. “ Damn woman, take a chill pill… it was just a joke.” Kagome smiled tightly as she wielded the pillow fiercely.

“ Save the jokes for Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum over there.” Growled out Kagome as she gestured towards the pool where Kai and Kei were assisting Sasha in dog piling (pun intended) on Inuyasha. “ Now get to the point.”

“ Well Kags it's simple really… When a demon or in Yash's case, a hanyou, comes acrossed their mate they instantly know it. It's just some kinda inner instinct that screams out at them, and doesn't stop until they finally claim them. Unfortunately… Yash is being an ass and not listening and fighting against his instincts for some reason. ” Kagome chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she fiddled with the towel laying acrossed her lap.

“ How exactly do they claim their mates?”

“ It's done in kinda a three step process. The first step is laying down a scent claim.” Kagome nodded as she hoped she would finally get all the answers to the Koga and Sasha mess. “ When they are just beginning to lay the first claim they really hate it when their intended has the scent of other males on them. The scent of the other male offends them.” Ada rolled her eyes, drawing a smile out of Kagome before she continued on. “ It's kinda like a way of letting other youkai know they are taken and belong to them…” Kagome bristled up at the words “ belong to” and earned a sympathetic look from Ada. “ Or that this certain person is under their protection. It would also be placed on their mates family.” Kagome's brow wrinkled up in confusion as she tried to keep up.

“ So my mom, gramps, and Souta will smell like Inuyasha?” Ada laughed as she leaned back once more, trying to get comfortable.

“ Yea, but it's to show that they are under the Taikaeda family protection. The second step is a courting mark; it's kinda like the youkaiversion of an engagement announcement to the world. The mark looks like a hickey, and it has to be replaced every two weeks or so. It's incase they decide to wait before they take the plunge and become full mates… or they change their minds.” She trailed off slowly, snapping Kagome's attention back to her. Kagome couldn't help the dull ache that started in her heart at the thought of what she'd do if Inuyasha every changed his mind about being with her. When she was finally able to swallow down the lump of nerves that formed in her throat, she glanced over towards the pool where Inuyasha was now wrestling with Miroku, much to the entertainment of the others.

Ada noticed the direction of Kagome's stare and frowned sympathetically. Inuyasha was her favorite cousin of all, and even though she had only just met Kagome… she already thought of her as a sister, and wanted the two to be together. They both had to deal with a lot of pain in their lives, and deserved to find happiness.

Kagome sighed as she once again found herself worrying about the way everything would turn out for her friends and family. Would they be able to stop Naraku before he got to her, and once they did… what would become of her relationship with Inuyasha? Once this was all over with… would his feelings still be the same? Kagome let out the breath she never noticed she was holding, before she finally took the next step.

“ What about the third step?” She mumbled so low Ada nearly missed it. She dug into the half empty bag of candy and handed a handful over to Kagome, who took them quietly, yet fiddled with them instead of eating them.

“ Well… when the two feel it's the right time, they will… uhh…” Kagome glanced up to see a slightly red faced Ada gesturing with her hands as she fought for the less embarrassing way to say it. When Ada noticed Kagome watching her, she shoved her lightly as she giggled uncontrollably. “ Don't stare at me when I say this, or I'll never get it out.”

“ Uhh… sure.” Ada wrinkled her nose up at Kagome, drawing a small smile from her, before she tried to regain her train of thought.

“ The third step is completed when the two… uhhh… do the dirty deed.” Kagome had chose that exact moment to toss a few gummy bears into her mouth, and instantly choked on them. Ada pounded on her back as Kagome coughed and fought to try to regain her breathe. Ada chuckled slightly when Kagome finally got herself under control. “ Ok so maybe that wasn't the best way to say it.” Kagome eyed her narrowly as she cleared her throat.

“ Gee, ya think?”

“ Anywho… when the two finally decide to take the next step and become life mates, the final mark, which is usually placed along the neck or shoulder, is done at the… uhh…” Ada was now bright red once more as she fought the urge to giggle insanely again. “ At the moment of orgasm.” Kagome, who was now just as red as Ada, looked over her shoulder to make sure no one else was around. When the coast was clear she leaned closer to Ada and whispered as though they were conspiring.

“ You mean when we…”

“ Yup. Then something happens to the mark… don't ask what because it's too hard to explain how. It's magic as old as time its self so we don't question it… but it becomes a tattoo of the other's name.” Kagome gaped at Ada as her mouth worked silently.

“ You mean I'd have a tattoo of Inuyasha's name on my neck?”

“ And he'd have one on his. Don't worry… it's nothing tacky or anything like that. It's just a simple kanji of his name that will be about an inch and a half, maybe two inches. Once the third step is completed, from then on you two would be connected.” Kagome cocked her head to the side as she listened intently… having finally gotten passed the moment of embarrassment over the whole thing.

“ Connected how?”

“ Well, no matter where or how far apart you guys are… you would always be able to sense when the other was in danger, upset, and whatnot. It's kinda like a sixth sense sorta thing. You would also live as long as he does… unless.” Kagome's little bubble of happiness of being connected and happy with Inuyasha burst with that one word.

“ Unless what?” Ada seemed to hesitate as she glanced from Kagome to Inuyasha and back.

“ You gotta understand the thing about hanyous. Our demon blood fights to take control when we or one of our pack is in danger or just extremely pissed. It's something we have to battle all our lives. We each have a seal that binds our demonic blood… and we must keep it with us at all times. Inuyasha's is the Tetsaiga, his katana, Sasha's is his daggers, Kai and Kei's is their tanto's, and mine is a scythe. It's what keeps our demonic sides in check. But if anything ever happened to you… Inuyasha's demon half would take over, and there would be no stopping his rampage. His demon side would want revenge for his mate and he would be an unstoppable force. When his demon side's blood rage is finally appeased he would seek eternal rest to be with his mate.”

Kagome stared at Ada in utter shock. She had no idea there was so much to this mate-claiming thing. The fact that Inuyasha might completely snap and take out half the city in his rage because of her sent chills up and down her spine. The pressure was more then she could handle.

Suddenly feeling as though she was being closed in, Kagome leapt to her feet and made a mad dash for the door. She didn't know where she was going… she just knew she needed to get away from there. Ignoring Ada as she called out to her, Kagome shot passed the shocked looks from the others still in the pool as she tossed open the sliding door. Inuyasha scrambled out of the water as he tried to catch up to Kagome… only to be snagged by Sasha and Miroku before he could make it.

“ Let me go you fucking bastards! I need to get to Kagome.” Sasha and Miroku latched onto his arms, effectively pinning them behind him as they tried to reason with him.

“ Yash, you need to calm down first. If you go after her now you might make things worse. Just calm down and…”

“ Calm down… CALM DOWN! My mate runs out of here like a bat out of hell, reeking of fear and pain, and you expect me to fucking calm down?” While Inuyasha struggled against the stronger grip of the older hanyou, Ada slowly stepped before him… her head hung low.

“ I'm sorry Yash… I didn't mean to upset her. I was only trying to help.” Inuyasha's eyes snapped to Ada, who stepped back warily at the sight of blood red streaks swirling amongst the deep amber of his eyes.

“ What did you say to her?” He demanded, making Ada wince slightly as she wrung her hands silently.

“ She asked me about the mating steps, and I told her everything…” Inuyasha swore long and loud, before Sasha took hold of his head and yanked it around to face him.

“ Listen to me Yash… You need to calm down. If Ada told her everything, then Kagome is already freaked out enough. Seeing you like this will only make things worse.” Inuyasha was slowly starting to calm down… the red slowly fading from his eyes as he fought to control himself… the need to find and comfort Kagome eating away at him. “ What she needs right now, is to talk to you. She needs to be reassured by you about this, not from your cousins…” He turned to offer Ada a reassuring smile, which she timidly returned. “ No matter how well meaning. She's hurt that you didn't bother to explain it all to her… and she's confused because it is all new to her.” Inuyasha nodded slowly as he sighed deeply.

“ Your right Sash… I'll go talk to her.” As he made his way towards the door, he stopped when he felt a tug on his hand. When he turned back, he saw a rather ashamed and sad looking Ada… her ears pressed tightly against her head, her eyes sorrowful. She was gnawing on her bottom lip as she tried to find the courage to speak to him.

“ I'm sorry Yash…” Inuyasha felt his heart melt at the kicked puppy look on her face, before reaching out to ruffle her hair affectionately.

“ Keh, no worries Ada… we're cool.” Ada smiled before he turned back and jogged into the house in search of Kagome.

Meanwhile inside the house… Kagome had gotten turned around inside the house, due to her panic. When she made finally managing to find her way to the right staircase and down the hall to her room. When she reached it, she slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against it as she fought to catch her breath… her heart pounding from exertion as well as panic. Feeling as though her legs were about to give out on her, she slid slowly down until she was sitting on the floor, her back to the door and drew her knees against her chest. All the while her mind was racing a mile a minute.

` What the hell am I going to do?'

` Why are you spazing out? I thought you cared about him?'

Kagome rested her forehead on her knees as she fought to rein in her out of control emotions.

` I do care for him… but if anything ever happened to me, he might go berserk and hurt a lot of people. I couldn't live with myself if he had to suffer all of that because of me.'

` It will happen anyways and he will suffer even more if he looses you! Haven't you been paying attention?'

Kagome, who had jumped to her feet and began pacing acrossed the room, let loose a feral sounding growl of frustration as she picked up the first thing that came to hand… which happened to be a crystal vase on the bedside table, and launched it against the wall, shattering it into a million pieces while trying to vent some of her pent up anguish… never noticing when a few shards became imbedded in her hand as she argued with her inner self.

` Of course I've been paying attention damn it! If I become his mate, I run the risk of him going completely insane and killing innocent people out of bloodlust if anything happens to me, before taking his own life. WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THAT?'

` Stop and think about it for a second… without panicking. Inuyasha is denying his instincts and hasn't started the process of claiming you, even though he has admitted to you that he has feelings for you. Could it be that he is just as scared as you, and unsure of himself because he already knows all the risks? Did you ever stop to think about that? Or that he might think that loosing you would be worst then anything else he could ever do if he went demonic? Don't you think you should ask him about it before you go off half cocked and make the decision yourself that should be made by the both of you?'

Kagome swore loudly… even though she admitted to herself that that annoying voice in her head had a point. She had panicked and overreacted, when she should have gone to Inuyasha with her fears and worries.

` Yea… you know I'm right. What kind of relationship would it be if you didn't talk to him when something was wrong or bothering you?'

Kagome's eyes narrowed as she mentally flipped off her inner self.

` Shaddup already. You don't gotta rub it in.'

Kagome was snapped out of her mental conversation when there was a light knock at the door. She froze as she stared at the door, pondering whether to answer or not. Before she could decide if she should stay silent or not, Inuyasha's voice sounded through the door.

“ I can smell you Kagome… it's no use hiding from me. Open the door.” Kagome cursed hishanyouabilities, and was about to send him away when his next words froze her in tracks. “ Please…?” The utterly dejected sound of his voice nearly broke her heart, so she went to the door and opened it, stepping back behind it as she let him in. When Inuyasha stepped into the room, he looked around in confusion when he saw no sign of her. Suddenly a sound caught his attention, his ears flicking in her direction before turning and spotting her behind the door. When he held out his hand for her to take, she hesitated for a barely a moment… but it was long enough to make the sinking feeling in his heart grow.

When she finally took his hand, he tugged hard enough to jerk her off balance towards him… enveloping her in his arms tightly as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Kagome stiffened when he tugged on her hand… yet when she was in his arms, all the tension just drained out of her making her cling to him tightly as if her very life depended on it.

After a few minutes of silence as they comforted one another, Inuyasha pulled back enough to tilt her face up to his… feeling his heart ache at the incredibly lost and hurt look on her face. He raised his hand to brush her hair back and tuck the wayward strands behind her ear, before tracing his finger along her cheek tenderly. Kagome swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat at the show of tenderness from the usually so hard and tough half demon before her. As Inuyasha started to give the speech he had practiced on the way up the stairs… he found that all those words didn't seem to be the right ones. So he simply looked her in the eyes and spoke from his heart.

“ I'm sorry I wasn't the one to explain things to you Kagome, and I understand that you're frightened and confused about everything… but I want you to know one thing.” Kagome watched him carefully as he seemed to hesitate of his next words, and she squeezed his hand that was still holding hers to encourage him on. “ I love you and feel that my life is not complete with out you in it… I want nothing more than to claim you as my mate for life… but I was scared.” Kagome watched him silently… knowing what it must be taking for the proud son of the great Tai Youkai of the western lands to admit he was scared. She smiled as she fought to told back the tears that threatened to come at any moment.

“ I'm scared to Inuyasha. I'm mostly worried about you and what this will do to you.” Inuyasha blinked in surprise as he stared down at her.

“ What do you mean what this will do to me?”

“ I'm talking about when we become mates…” Inuyasha's chest swelled slightly with pride at the fact that she said “When they became mates” and not “If”, before he snapped back to attention. “ The fact that if anything happens to me, your demonic side will take over and you will kill anyone who gets in your way.” Inuyasha now understood why she was so scared and upset, and tried to think of the best way to ease her fears.

“ Kagome… I can't promise you that it wouldn't happen, because it's not something I can really control all that well. But I know that I can't and won't live without you.” Kagome was so happy that he had shared his feelings to her, and tossed her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly.

“ I don't wanna live without you either Yash… And I trust you to make sure nothing happens to me… but I can't help but worry about you.” Inuyasha smiled as he planted a light kiss on her forehead.

“ Don't worry so much Koi… I'll always protect you.”

Suddenly, Kagome felt dizzy and light headed as a floating sensation over took her. A piercing white light blinded Kagome, and when it cleared she saw the girl from her dreams. She could feel the sadness rolling off of her in waves, and she gritted her teeth to hold the feeling at bay.

“ He will protect you Kagome… if you can let go of your fears and trust in him. Don't believe the lies and turn away from him like I did. No matter what happens you must TRUST IN HIM.”

Before Kagome could ask her what she meant, she felt as though she was being pulled back towards herself, and was once more blinded by that same white light. When she managed to blink away the spots that filled her vision, she was in Inuyasha's arms once more. She had no idea why she was getting these visions, as Kaede called them, but she had a sinking feeling that something was coming…

~ Bows repeatedly ~ Gomen nasai for the loooong wait, but life has been hell for me lately. Ontop of everything that's going on with me, my dad is about to have to undergo major heart surgery and I am really worried over him. I will try to update Once Upon a Chat Room next asap, if I can get the time around work and stuff with helping out my mum and dad. Anywho… on the next instalement of True Love, it's finally time for the big tournament. Who's gonna win and who's gonna run home crying??? Find out in.. Chapter 10: And First Place Goes To… See ya Soon! ~ waves ~