Chapter 10:

So much has happened in a span of 24 hours.

The tension between Kouga and her when he had kissed her. The revealing bath with Ayame where she had confessed her feelings. The lap sitting at dinner. The fire demon. Hakkaku and Ayame's injuries. Ginta's confession. The woman and small boy she couldn't save.

How could so much good and bad happen within such a short time?

Last Night

Kouga had brought them to his secluded part of the den, deep within the cave, and Kagome weakly followed, thinking of nothing but sleep.

She sat down on the furs ready to lay down when she had a thought. None of the wolf demon slept in their armor. Most women wore there's but never to sleep.

All Kagome wanted was a good night's sleep and she couldn't imagine feeling so rested trying to sleep with cold metal armor on. She would still have her furs on and she could cover herself with her long hair and the furs and blankets on Kouga's bed.

Could she really do this?

Kagome stared accusingly at the wolf standing before her. "If I do something, do you promise to keep your hands to yourself?"

His face dripping with fatigue, he blinked back not understanding.

Huffing loudly, she turned away from him, quickly discarding her armor. She made haste to cover her modesty with her long thick hair, before slowly turning back around.

Exhausted, she sighed and sank back to her knees on the fur bed. "I just want to sleep."

Kouga met her kneeling and gently touched her cheek. "Then we will sleep."

Kagome woke to a fire. What time was it? It couldn't still be night.

Groaning as she sat up, she saw could see day break very far away. Turning to her left, Kouga was fast asleep. His arm lay next to her hip.

Gone was the furrow of his brows or the frown of his lips, the fierce look of a leader who lead and protected and did not rest. Asleep, he looked so peaceful. Not a man at war.

Studying his features, he was so handsome. Gently her fingers stroked through his hair as she tried to sort through the thoughts in her head.

Kouga was very certain of his feelings towards her and always had been. He loved her and claimed her as his own, even if he wouldn't speak it aloud these days. But how did she feel?

She cared about him, that much she knew. There was a solid attraction. He had shattered her illusions that it might not be true time and time again, and worse he could smell it on her every time, which made lying futile. He was her protector, her laughter, her safe haven. He saw himself as her lover. She saw him as someone who would be a loving partner, a support to her dreams, someone who would raise her up. He was a man who had spent a hundred years without her and had not yet given up on her. A man who would raise strong boys and wise girls, who would be a good father and a good man.

Could she give him everything? Could she be mated to him? From what Ayame had explained, mating was just like what humans called marriage except more... permanent and at the same time, more secure.

He would never leave her, never forsake her love for another. He loved her now but would it change when he finally made her his? Would it be better or just more? Would she care for him more?

As she carefully moved his hair from his face, he stirred before blinking awake piercing blue eyes.

"Did I sleep all night?" he asked his voice hoarse with sleep. Kagome laid back down beside him, her hands still softly touching his hair.

Kagome nodded. "It would seem so."

Kouga . "I never sleep an entire night."

"You fought hard last night. That rest was deserved," she said, hoping her feather light touches were soothing. "Even my wolf prince needs sleep."

A smirk jerked at his lips as he sat up, and Kagome followed him giggling, "What?"

His eye brows lifted as he turned to look at her, running his hand through his own hair. "Your wolf prince?"

Oops...

"I didn't mean —"

"Oh I don't mind," he said leaning in. "Usually I'm the possessive one."

Suddenly his lips were on hers. As they kissed, he quickly pulled her onto his lap in a straddling position, their lips only breaking for a moment.

This was such a hot kiss. The way his lips opened and moved against hers. His hand on the small of her back. The possessive way he took charge. The hard feel of his body beneath her hands. The fact that they were both topless. Even if she was covered for now.

When she needed air, he pulled away and began kissing her neck. She was already dizzy.

"We have injured and all you can think about is kissing me," she said breathily. "Kouga."

Kouga placed pressure with his fingers gripping her hips and he watched as her hips rolled against him, her mouth opening with a suppressed noise of pleasure.

"It's not every day I have you in my bed undressed," he said huskily, pressing kisses along her collarbone. "Smelling so good."

His hand pushed her hair off one of her breasts and onto her back, giving him more access to her throat.

"Kouga, we —"

"Just let me touch you for a while. The day can wait."

Kagome relented, nodding as he continued assaulting her neck. What would it hurt for a little bit? Plus what he was doing to her felt so good.

She could use a little relaxation after yesterday. Kouga, too.

Running his fingers from her abdomen up to her breast, he ran the palm of his hand over her breast, moving the rest of her hair over her back. Her bare breasts were full and round, nipples rosy, and completely revealed to him. His mouth practically watered at the sight.

At first his fingers explored the new territory, feeling underneath her breasts, the full shape, the valley between, and then finally moved in small circles around her nipples.

She forgot to breathe when she felt his mouth close over the first, swirling his tongue around it. Unable to hold back a cry, her head tilted back.

His tongue circled the other nipple, giving it equal attention. Her breath grew shallow and any rational thought drifted away.

Suddenly he stopped and rested his forehead on her shoulder as if pained. She whimpered from the sudden detachment.

"Kouga?" she breathed, concerned.

"Your scent is so — Kami, I just want to — I need to —"

"What?"

Concerned deeply, Kagome pressed her hand against his cheek and forced him to look up at her. His mouth was open in a pant. He was clearly trying very hard to repress his actions.

His hands gripped the top of her thighs, moving beneath her skirt and squeezing. "I want you so badly, but if I don't stop..." he said huskily. His fingers crept between her thighs and his thumbs stroked millimeters from her warm, wet —

Kagome gasped.

"If I don't stop —" Kouga brushed his thumb up over the soft skin of her inner thighs painfully slow. "I'm going to bury myself inside you for hours."

Kagome almost begged him not to retreat, but she understood. As good as it felt.

Hours? He definitely said hours. Hot sex with Kouga that would last hours.

But she had to think about others. Ayame was probably still unconscious and she needed to check Ginta's wounds.

Kagome covered herself and shakily stood to her legs, and Kouga followed after.

After putting her armor on and fixing her fur skirt back in place, she turned around. Kouga was staring right at her.

Kagome brushed passed him, her arm gently touching his.

"You said hours?"

Suddenly she was pushed against the den wall with Kouga's chest pressed against her back. Her breath quickened as he moved hair behind her ear. She shuddered at the feel of his warm breath on her neck.

"Mark my words, darling. I'll have you," he promised, his voice low. "Again and again and again." Each 'again' was punctuated with a kiss or gentle nip of his teeth along the flesh of her neck.

His touch, his promise of pleasure and affection to come. She felt faint. And she felt cold when he walked away.

Quickly she shooed the inappropriate thoughts from her mind. She had injured to check on.

Ayame.

Hakkaku.

Quickly turning she righted her clothing and moved away from Kouga's private quarters.

"Ayame hasn't woken yet."

Eyes closed, a soft rise and fall of her chest, her skin paler than usual, still Ayame remained as beautiful as ever. At her side sat Ginta, who was for all intents and purposes her husband. As a good mate should, he stayed beside his sick love and tended to her every need even if her need was simply more time to heal, to rest.

Kagome sat quietly beside Ginta, glancing over Ayame for any injuries she may have missed. "Is there anything I can do?"

Ginta shook his head. "Unless you've got something to wake her from sleep?"

It was her turn to shake her head.

"Ginta, what happened last night?"

He sighed. "Kouga didn't tell you?"

Kagome's face pinked and she folded her hands in her lap. "We didn't speak much about what happened last night."

When he spoke, she listened. "It was a fire demon. Unlike anything I've ever seen. It skulked on legs made of stone and it's body was a flaming blaze bringing fire to anything it touched, crushing the ground beneath its heavy weight."

He glanced over to see that she was listening. She was.

"It was impossible to fight. You got too close, you burned. We shot arrows at it and threw spears and they burned up. It finally retreated and we are certain it could return. How do you fight something like that?" he asked, not expecting her to answer.

"Well," Kagome thought about it. "So what? What if you couldn't fight it with strength?"

"How else do you defeat an enemy?"

"What if you had to outsmart your enemy?" she grinned, thinking of a plan. "This thing is basically a large fire on legs, right?"

Ginta shrugged, completely not following her direction. "Right. And?"

"And how do you put out a fire, Ginta?"

The light bulb in his head went off as he stared some place at the edge of the den, right through it.

"Water." Ginta rose to his feet. He needed to tell the others and Kouga. There was a way to defeat this foe yet. "Kagome, you're a genius!"

Kagome laughed and Ginta seemed to pause at war with his duty to his tribe and his mate.

"Go, I'll stay," she said reassuringly.

Ginta kissed his beloved's hand before scrambling away to tell the others.

"Thanks Kagome."

They had a plan.

After Ginta returned, Kagome spent another hour checking those who were still healing. Most had healed and those still healing from grave wounds now had faint pink marks on their skin. It wasn't a joke how quickly wolf demon healed. It was like magic.

Outside in the light of day, she walked around with a few of the children who had asked her to go pick flowers. She was surprised. With this talk of a fire demon, much of their land looked untouched.

While picking flowers, Kagome's ears pricked at the sound of a twig snapping. She spun only to see the desperate woman who slapped her after losing her child, perhaps an only child. Kagome cleared her throat and moved to allow the woman to pass through.

One of the children, a girl, tugged on her hand. "What's this one, Kagome?"

Kagome turned her back only to have the woman touch her shoulder.

"Wait!" Kagome turned back to face her. "Please."

In the light, Kagome could clearly see the woman's face. Graying brown hair, her skin still holding a tinge of youth, bright hazel eyes.

"How can I help you?" Kagome asked kindly. Pity was the only thing that saved the woman. Her son had just died.

The woman looked away, eyes teary and lip quivering. "I know you did all you could for my son and I am only sorry for slapping you."

Kagome bowed her head at the woman and accepted her apology with grace. "I am sorry he couldn't be saved."

Thinking the conversation was through, Kagome took a step back when the woman thrust her arms about her, sobbing.

Kagome patted her back in a way she hoped was comforting while the children picked flowers.

"I'm sorry."

The morning had taken an unusual turn of events, with the woman in the field of flowers.

As they returned for lunch, Kagome shooed the children to their mothers.

"Will you play with us again, Kagome?" a toothy child with curly blond hair asked.

"Yes, now go. Your mother must be worried how long I've kept you picking flowers."

Kagome smiled and the little girl smiled back.

"Bye Kagome!"

Kagome practically jumped out of her skin at the feel of warm, strong, tanned arms move around her waist.

His deep voice soothed her nerves. "Playing well with others, I see."

Her skin chilled with goosebumps, even in the sun, and she leaned into his embrace. "You frightened me."

His lips pressed against her cheek. "How are the others?"

Kagome turned in his arms so she could face him. His arms did not move from her waist.

"Good. Mostly healed."

"Thanks to you," Kouga nodded, acknowledging her hard efforts from last night.

Kagome giggled, shaking her head. "No, wolf demon just heal really fast."

Kouga smirked. "True. And what of Ayame."

Kagome bit down on her lip. "Asleep last I checked but it's been a few hours."

This troubled Kouga and Kagome could see it. She reached up and placed a kiss on his shoulder, the highest place on him she could reach on tip toe.

The tall freak.

"She will wake up soon. Don't worry."

Noticing the worry that stained his face, she pushed his arms away and tugged on his arms.

"We should do something fun! Come with me."

Kouga and Kagome returned to the dens soaked to the bone, drenched.

They had spent a good amount of the afternoon splashing and playing in the warm spring, laughing hard belly laughs and sharing stories. Kagome taught him how to play Tag though whenever it was her turn to swim away, it didn't last very long. Marco, Polo was much more fun, but he always heard her moving and quickly dashed after her, ending the game in seconds.

They decided to leave only when they realized the sun had begun to set, both of their stomachs ready for supper.

Kouga had swept her up in his arms and Kagome was laughing at the entire thing, both of them out of breath from their efforts. The sun had begun its descent from the sky.

As he stopped spinning, his hands stroked over her hips, and her laughter eased to nervous energy.

The atmosphere between them had changed drastically to something much more intimate.

"We should — we should go," Kagome said between catching her breath. "It'll be dark soon and you're hungry."

Kouga smirked, bright blue eyes gleaming, his head tilted to the side.

"I am hungry." He leaned down to place kisses along her throat. "But my appetite," his hands roamed over her backside, pulling her against him, the water splashing loudly. "My appetite for food is nothing compared to my desire for you."

His still bright eyes now hooded, Kouga leaned in closely. His lips hovered millimeters from her own. His warm breath against her cheek made her dizzy. All of him made her dizzy.

"Show me how fast you are," she whispered. "Race me back."

A smirk stretched across his face and his eyes grew alive with the challenge she presented.

"Forgive me, my love, but you don't stand a chance."

Kagome had been no match for Kouga, just as he had said. Even with a thirty second head start, which Kouga had begun counting even while she was still in the water.

So they returned to the dens soaked to the bone and laughing. It brought Kagome great joy to see him enjoying himself so much. She wasn't sure if she had ever seen him so happy.

"Laughing suits you," she said, unable to contain herself.

Kouga glanced over at her. "Does it?"

"You're so serious most of the time." Kagome stared down at their feet that had already picked up much dirt from their race back. "I like this version of you much better."

"What version?"

Kagome put her hand in the crook of his elbow. "Happy Kouga."

Kouga grew serious once more. "Kagome, do I make you happy?"

He stilled just outside the entrance to the caves and Kagome turned towards him. "Of course you do. You've always... you always make me happy."

"Even a hundred years ago when I was being an overprotective jerk, insisting you were my woman?"

Kagome realized what she had said. He had never really made her unhappy, not even then.

"I remember the time you brought me flowers. You were so sweet. You always protected me, even when I wasn't yours to protect. Our first meeting was a little rough —"

Kouga interjected a, "point taken."

"You were only doing what your instinct told you to," Kagome said quietly, reaching up to brush her hand against his cheek, barely reaching. "Now that I understand it a bit more, how could I possibly be upset?"

Her hand slipped and Kouga caught it upon its descent.

"Running circles around me, showing up to check on me, always being in the right place at the right time when I needed saving. No matter Inuyasha's reaction," she added, her chest tightening just a little. "You weren't being a jerk. You just knew how you felt and you weren't going to apologize for it.

"It was sweet, really."

Kagome paused.

"Kouga, do I make you happy?"

For a moment, she saw disbelief in his eyes before he pulled her in and kissed her hard on the lips.

Before she could count the seconds, the kiss was over and he gently touched the wisps of hair framing her face.

"Happier than any man has the right to be."

The morning came quickly and Kagome had slept soundly. The morning was a frigid one, her warmth coming only from the large man tangled around her. The air was crisp and she could see small clouds from her breath.

She turned inward to seep more of Kouga's body heat, pressing her face into his warm chest.

"Good morning," came a low voice, rumbling from his chest.

Kagome shook her head, her reply muffled. Though he distinctly heard her say, "too cold."

"You disagree?" he chuckled.

Kagome sighed audibly. "How do you survive winters like this? It's so cold!"

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and barked with laughter. "Hot springs, furs and plenty of fires. Being a wolf demon has its perks though."

Kagome nestled back into his chest. "It's not fair."

Kouga leaned down and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "I'll get more furs for you, and in the meantime you've got me to keep you warm."

"Hrmph," was her response.

"Though, I could think of many activities that would keep us both warm."

Kagome pushed away from his chest, her cheeks pink. Quickly she rose to her feet in search of her armor. She had slept without it again and felt a strong desire to shield her modesty.

Large hands spanned over her bare stomach, pulling her in against a body of taut muscles, the skin positively on fire with heat.

She gasped.

Predator seeking prey. Kouga leaned down, his lips touching her ear when he spoke.

"Kagome," he paused seemingly for effect, and it worked. "Do I," he paused again, stroking his fingers through her hair, skimming over the soft flesh of her breast, "make you nervous?"

She shivered. "Extremely."

Kouga chuckled darkly, his face pressed against her shoulder. "I will have to work hard on relaxing you, won't I?"

Absently, Kagome nodded, hardly able to pay attention with his hands roaming up and down her stomach. His hands did anything but relax her. If nothing else, his proximity only made her heart beat with adrenaline, made her body paralyze with submission.

His hands left her and she felt freezing all over. Could it really be this cold? It couldn't.

"You should get dressed and I'll get you something to eat."

Turning to face him, Kagome nodded at Kouga's hooded eyes before turning away again to do just as he said.

After dressing, Kagome practically ran into the den to find Kouga. He was stoking a fire, reloading it with firewood and ensuring it burned properly.

Taking a seat near him, she waited for him to finish. He said nothing when he got up, returning with a fur blanket large enough to wrap herself in.

Thinking he was finally going to sit with her, she was surprised when he kissed her head before saying, "I'll return." He marched out of the den and disappeared.

She presumed he was going to fetch breakfast.

"Sister, can I sit?"

It was Hakkaku. Despite there having been a great battle with a fire demon only a few days before, he looked completely back to normal. No scars, not even a scratch.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, sit."

He sat across from her.

"How are you?" she asked conversationally, and because she wanted to know.

Hakkaku rubbed the tiredness from his face, or tried. "Fine, I suppose. A little tired but I'll manage."

Kagome considered for a moment that perhaps Kouga had met Hakkaku on the way out and had asked him to protect her till his return, but she didn't ask.

"What about you?" Hakkaku asked. "I saw you that night."

Kagome perked up, chills spiking over her.

"I was pretty out of it but I remember the woman and her child."

Kagome bit her lip and rubbed her hands over her arms. "I suppose you would've heard our exchange."

Hakkaku nodded, his face serious. "Yeah, I mean, her son Aku was only a small boy but his death wasn't your fault."

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she wiped them away. "I know." She knew but it was still nice to hear it.

"And it doesn't matter that she's a female, she shouldn't have slapped you. If Kouga ever finds out, she'll be punished."

Kagome laughed nervously. "No." The mother was simply grieved.

Hakkaku's face held a glow from the fire and he squared his jaw before speaking again. "Kagome, wolves don't follow the same rules as humans. Pack law is final. Kouga is Alpha and you are a mate mark from being our Lady. You not telling him spared her life and if you wish to keep it that way, you know what you have to do."

Just as Hakkaku finished speaking, Kouga returned holding a bundle of fruit in one arm and a green leaf full of cooked meat in the other hand.

Hakkaku nodded at his leader before respectfully taking leave and the two were left alone.

Mostly alone. The den was scattered with other members of the pack and wolves resting near their own fires and having their own conversations.

"Are you hungry?" Kouga asked.

Kagome sighed reaching for the fruit. "Starved."

Author Note: You guys, I have been trying to post this chapter for like a month. Chapter 11 is almost done. Merry Christmas!