Chapter 1

It was done. It was finally done.

Kagome Higurashi, the Shikon Miko, wished on the jewel and restored the lives of everyone that died from the jewel's influence. Kikyo's heartbeat fluttered to life while she was in Inuyasha's arms. Kohaku appeared the next day and Sango held him, sobbing for an hour. Shippo's parents, the wolf tribe, and whole villages even, returned from the land of the dead and sought out their beloved priestess. The number of resurrections was astounding.

And yet, as that Fall slowly turned to Winter, the cold crept in, and the excitement died down in the village by the well, Kagome felt listless. Her purpose in the past was gone, but she loved her friends and didn't want to leave forever. She decided that as soon as the wedding was over, she'd go through the well and visit her mother. Maybe enroll in classes at the local community college. It seemed like the perfect plan.

She shivered as a snowflake hit the back of her neck.

"Do you think we can make it Kilala?" Kagome shouted over the screaming wind. A mew from the cat demon was her only answer.

She'd been called over to a neighboring village the day after Inuyasha's wedding. One of the men had fallen off a roof and she needed to help heal his leg. The journey wasn't long, but it was already beginning to snow and she was worried that the storm would only get worse.

They landed in the village and Kagome went inside the small hut and got to work resetting the man's leg in a splint and administering an herbal tea for his pain. Morning had turned into late afternoon and as she was packing up she glanced at the sky with a frown. It was a bit clearer than this morning, and they'd just have to chance it and try to get back before it started up again.

Kagome mounted the transformed Kilala and immediately regretted it. Only a few minutes into their trip home and Kagome could see that the storm was only getting worse to the North where Kaede's village was.

She looked around for familiar landmarks and saw the wolf tribe's mountains just to the East. If they hurried they could make it in time and shelter there until the storm let up.

"We won't make it Kilala. Let's wait out the storm with Kouga and his pack."

Kouga stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking his territory and watched Ginta and Hakkaku bring in the last of their prey to be smoked and stored for the winter ahead. This year had been plentiful, and they had enough meat and caches of food and sake to last well into Spring, even with the extra mouths that Kagome had wished back to life.

And of course all the news mouths that were sure to be born now that they'd be shut in the den for a few months. All the newly mated pairs and reunited lovers that Kagome resurrected were already anticipating the Solstice nights with ready bodies. What else was there to do all Winter?

Shaking off his thoughts and looking over his shoulder, he noted that the waterfall had nearly frozen over and was down to its last trickles of water flowing over the ice that had formed already.

"Hey you boneheads, hurry up! It's getting colder by the minute and we gotta get inside to seal the opening before the snow starts!" Kouga heard a faint shout of "Yes boss!" over the howling wind. Walking around the frozen waterfall, he was just heading into the den when he felt a familiar aura and heard a weak scream and dashed back to the cliff edge. He'd know that scream anywhere!

In the distance he saw Kagome as she fell off the back of the Tajiya's cat, Kilala.

That cat will never catch her in time! He thought as he jumped off the side of the mountain and raced towards her. He bounded over trees, pumping his legs furiously until— CRASH! She landed right in his arms and he caught and rolled them onto the freezing ground.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." Kouga smirked up at her. She had somehow managed to come away with minor wounds, and she looked down at him, dazed from the wild catch.

"Kouga, thank you so much!" She suddenly seized him in a huge hug. "I thought I was a goner when I got swept off of Kilala! The storm winds were just too strong." As she sat up she realized their embarrassing position was a bit too friendly and she blushed as they untangled limbs and stood, with a soft "S-sorry" reaching his ears.

"Aw it's alright Kags, you know I'll always catch you." Kouga winked and brushed himself off. He couldn't help but look her over as she blushed. She was so charming and it was so fun teasing her. He loved getting a rise out of her.

"But anyways, what are you doing out here in this storm? You could have gotten yourself killed! And where's that stupid mutt? Isn't he supposed to keep you out of trouble?" He huffed out as they walked, thoughts turning to what could have happened if he wasn't there.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Inuyasha isn't my keeper Kouga, and besides, he's busy with Kikyo on their honeymoon. And for your information I was asked to go help a neighboring villager with a broken leg. I am a miko after all, it's my job! But it took too long and I got caught in the storm on the way back."

Kouga gave her a cocky grin and said, "Well, you're always welcome here with us, you know that in the eyes of the pack you're still my woman." He paused for a minute and then said, "But just so you know, we're about to den down for the Winter. That means we won't be opening the entrance to the cave back up until Spring. Once we close them, they close until the prey herds return."

Her eyes widened and she took a minute to digest that information. "So you mean if we stay, we'll have to stay until Spring?" She looked back at the snow falling and dark storm clouds and then over at the fire cat.

"Yep. It's how we survive the dangerous weather out here. It's not safe to travel, so we hunker down in the den and seal in all the body heat. We're all stocked and ready to seal the entrance now." He held out a hand to her and waited for her decision. She glanced over at Kilala and told her to go on to the village without her and tell their friends what happened. The cat would make it and be fine, but Kagome was human and the cold would be too much. She tentatively put her hand in his and he swung her up into his arms bridal style. She gasped when she felt the heat of his hands through the fabric of her miko hakama pants on her thighs.

"Close your eyes and we'll be up in no time" he whispered to her. Her arms wrapped around his neck for a better grip and she took a moment to look up at him. His turquoise eyes widened and he was knocked away by the look of trust in hers, and her wonderful scent in the air around him. The heat of her thighs practically scalded his hands as he lingered there with her in his arms.

He leapt up the mountain, and the moment was over too soon. He reluctantly let her down and huffed at the snickers from his betas as he watched her blushing form retreat into the den. Ginta whispered to Hakkaku that "Maybe Kouga does have a chance with Sister after all," and then got a cuff to the ear as Kouga walked past.

Several sets of eyes watched Kouga seal the den with a round stone door, but even more eyes stared curiously at Kagome.