A/N: Yay! My first Ayame and Kouga fic! Well I've been obsessed w/ this pairing lately so I thought why not make a story of my own?

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters… they all belong to the very lucky Rumiko Takahashi-sensei

Wolf Pride

By: InugirlSakura

Chapter One: Too Much to Handle

Ayame's POV

I sat watching the fish in the creek, swimming up and down stream. I remembered to times when I would train on hunting and wouldn't be able to catch a single fish. That's when my thoughts turned to the one who promised me, I would be his wife. It was that promise that kept me going.

'Kouga' I thought. I shook my head furiously.

'No Ayame! Don't do this to yourself! It'll only hurt more if you dwell on it!' I thought angrily.

No matter what I was thinking about my mind always went back to thoughts of him. I didn't want to suffer anymore. It hurt too much…..he didn't remember me. I couldn't believe it. I had failed at seeing the shards so; of course, he was still after the human girl he "claimed" as his own. Kagome. That was the name.

As I listened to the rushing water I sighed. Kagome was a human miko who could sense the jewel shards of the Shikon no Tama or Jewel of Four Souls. After helping Kouga destroy the Birds of Paradise, the wolf prince had become infatuated with her. The only problem was that Kagome didn't return his affections…she was in love with a hanyou named Inuyasha. A lone white wolf appeared before me nudging my leg. A small smile crept onto my face as I stroked the wolf's pelt.

"Ohayo Niku-kun, have you any news for me?" I asked my friend.

Niku barked at me using a very serious tone. The sky blue eyes that made me think of Kouga now made me incredibly nervous. My emerald green eyes were filled with immense worry.

"W-what? No…Niku you must have heard wrong… there's no way that-" I couldn't finished that sentence.

Niku gave me a grave look meaning that he had double checked the news he had given me.

My grandfather was dead. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. I had just seen him an hour ago and he was wide awake smiling at me and telling me not to be gone long. If he had even thought that he was going to die he would have wanted me at his side…wouldn't he? 'Of course!' I told myself. He loved me. He raised me as a pup.

"Niku lead the way…I have to find out how this happened…how it could've possibly happened!" I ordered still in shock.

The white wolf I had grown to think of as a pet and a friend nodded at me respectfully. That is when I realized something. I was the new pack leader. It was now my responsibility to take care of the pack…it was my job to keep the peace, to feed everyone. How can I possibly be ready for this! I couldn't cope with it. It was all too much….I needed my grandfather. We reached the main cave in a matter of minutes. There deep inside lay the body of my grandfather. Fear struck me immediately.

"No" I heard myself whisper.

A wolf female named Hikari turned to me a sad smile placed on her face.

"Ayame…Gomen-nasai there was nothing we could do" Hikari said as she hugged me.

When Hikari said we she meant her and her mate Inochi. They were the betas of the pack.

"Do you think you can lead Ayame…are you ready?" Inochi asked me while covering my grandfather's body with furs.

"No…I can't….I can't handle this! It's all too much…first rejection from my intended, grandfathers dead, now me become leader! You're asking too much of me! I'm not ready! Kami-sama I don't think I'll ever be ready!" I shouted angrily.

"We understand Ayame…you should be given time to mourn before you are thrown into leadership….maybe we should sent word to the Brown Wolf Pack" suggested Hikari.

I looked up at her, "No, not yet… I can't face him yet…especially with all that's happened… you wont be able to reach him soon anyway…he's off searching for Naraku" I told Hikari suddenly tired.

No one knew about Kagome…they all presumed Kouga just thought of the promise as a silly and childish one. If the pack had found out that Kouga had fallen in love with a human girl he would be thought of as weak. As a sorry excuse for a wolf.

"Arigato" I sighed. No matter the consequences, my thoughts always returned to Kouga…to my loyalty towards him. His love for another….I couldn't take it. It was too much to handle.