InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fano's Fantasies ❯ Untamed Premonition ( Chapter 3 )

Author's Note: I almost called this “Kiss That Frog” after the coming-of-age fairytale of which I imagine this to be Kagome's version (and the Peter Gabriel song I was listening to as I edited it). Lucky Kagome get's two frogs, InuYasha and Kouga! An okami is a youkai that takes the form of a mountain wolf in Japanese legend. Abanken is a protective canine figure, like a watchdog. Edited 6-2-06 with a beefed up beginning and a little extra beefcake inside, just for Rosencrantz. Ever wonder why Kouga shows so much thigh?

 

Untamed Premonition

Something wasn't right. They were all sitting in her room. Ayumi and Eri were going on and on and on about Houjou -- again! Kagome had told them a thousand times that she didn't want to talk about him, and she was telling them again now, but they couldn't hear her. She kept talking and then yelling, but they went on and on even more. It was like she wasn't even there.

 

“Eri,” said Ayumi, “you know Houjou is perfect for Kagome. Stop teasing her.”

 

“I'm not teasing her,” Eri sniggered into her hand, “Houjou is!” Both her friends burst out in laughter.

 

“Shut up, you guys!” Kagome tried to yell at them. “I'm not interested in going out with boys! I've got enough problems as it is!” Kagome fumed at them while they kept laughing and talking, despite her efforts to wave her hand in front of their faces.

 

“Ooooo!” Eri couldn't stop laughing. “I bet he'll take her to a dark movie, and put his arm around her.”

 

“And then what?” Ayumi's eyes were wide.

 

“And then …,” Eri leaned over and whispered something in Ayumi's ear. Ayumi's eyes got even wider and then they both burst out laughing again. “Come on!” Eri grabbed at her friend's sleeve. “Let's go tell Houjou Kagome can't wait for him to do that!”

 

“Stop it, you two!” Kagome tried running after them, panic rising to a buzz in her ears. They wouldn't tell Houjou something like - well, whatever they were whispering about, would they? She really didn't want to go on a date, to a dark theatre … alone … with a boy. The thought of her friends telling him that she wanted to do that brought the panic up to tighten her throat even more.

 

The girls ran down the steps and out the front door. Kagome chased after them, but she seemed unable to move her arms and legs as fast as they could. When she got outside, they were gone and she looked around to see that the door to the well house was open and Buyo the cat was wandering inside. Eri and Ayumi must be hiding from her there. She ran as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast, following them into the dark, damp building. About half way down the steps leading to the well she realized that no one was there.

 

“Hello?” She called out. The well house had always been kind of a family joke, a place that kids hid from other kids so they could jump out and say Boo! when their friends came after them. She walked carefully down the remaining stairs to stand next to the well, listening for the snicker she knew Ayumi wouldn't be able to keep concealed.

 

“Ack!” She jumped as Buyo crept around the corner of the well and snuggled up to her leg. “Buyo! Don't do that! Eri! Ayumi! Come out, please.” Fear rang clear in her voice, the fear of the girls getting Houjou excited about a date with her was transforming into a fear of something else.

 

The mournful quiet of the building, the hot stillness of the air, the dark, it was all starting to press in on her. Suddenly, her breath struggled to pull into her lungs and she felt very disoriented.

 

Without warning, her head spun with a rush of wind and pressure that whirled around her in bursting light, tipping her into the well. Horrible images surrounded her … monsters reaching for her … beasts with long tongues lapping at her … pushing them away … and then she landed heavily in darkness. The dust that rose to choke her, lining her nose and throat with its rotten smell, was sickening. Coughing and blinking the grit from her eyes she struggled to find a way out. Her eyes adjusted to the black and she noticed a lighter shade of pitch, with tiny starlights pinpricking its surface, high above her at the mouth of the well. Painfully, exerting every bit of strength she had, she scratched and clawed her way up to the top of the well to find her home gone. She was truly alone now, her friends and family gone away with her city. She let out a small cry of fear and felt sweat break out on her brow.

 

The forest that surrounded the well's mouth was overgrown and wild. Its great silence settled around her ominously, isolating her heartbeat, and she smelled the strong scents of pine and leaf mold. Slivered moonlight fell down through the treetops to brush the grass and limbs with touches of gray. Looking back into the well reflexively she wondered if jumping into it again would bring her home. But the memory of her frightening fall, the struggle to get out, and her exhausted body, gave her a crucial second thought and she swung her leg painfully over the scratchy wood to sit and think. It was nighttime here. She'd fallen in the morning and emerged in the black of night.

 

Before she'd even caught her breath, Kagome felt the hair on the back of her neck stickle and sensed something large in the darkness. Images of the beasts from her fall into the well came into her frightened mind. Whatever moved in the darkness was large enough to crackle leaves and snap twigs as it moved. Experimentally, barely overcoming the wave of fear that rose in her with its primal desire to run, she crept towards the trees in the opposite direction and when she heard nothing following her, she moved further into the blackness, not sure she was doing the right thing. Knowing she was no survivalist, she thought to find a hiding place until morning, so she walked forward slowly, trying not to make any noise. Once or twice she thought she heard something behind her, but then it grew quiet and she ventured on.

 

Before long, she came into a moonlit clearing and immediately knew there was something special about the place, something mystical and powerful. Maybe it was the way the insect noises quieted, or the size of the trees that stood like sentinels at its edge. Her eyes roamed until they came upon a sight that stilled her breath. A man, clad in dusky traditional clothing, was caught in the roots of a huge tree. She cowered on the edge of the clearing, expecting the flowing tree roots that consumed him to continue moving around him until they squeezed his life away, expecting him to cry out, expecting that she could not save him, expecting this nightmare to come to an end.

 

Nothing happened.

 

Feeling a new bravery, born on the confidence of having survived almost fifteen minutes in this strange place, she slowly approached the tree with its captive. Testing the solidity of the roots with the toe of her shoe, she looked up to see that the man with long silver-white hair slept, cradled in the tree's embrace. She waited, expecting him to wake in her presence and when nothing happened, she called out softly to him but he remained unmoving.

 

Wondering if he could help her, and if he would want her to help him, she climbed the roots unsteadily to stand just below him. She became aware, as she grasped his clothing for support, that she'd never been this close to a grown man before outside her family. Her heart picked up its speed as she lifted her face to look at him. In this intimate proximity, she noted his height and the strong muscles of his neck, which bowed gently to the side with the weight of his head and mane of hair. Then she saw a terrible sight. The shaft of an arrow had buried itself in his chest, right through his heart, and pity tugged her at the sight of it. Looking again at his face she could not believe he was dead. He looked as though he'd just nodded off for a nap.

 

Again, she called to him and when he did not respond, she touched the skin of his jaw and noted that he looked beautiful and sad in the dim, peaceful light of the moon. Smooth, cool skin met her tentative fingers and when he did not move, she moved them to his hair, lightly stroking its soft tendrils. He'd obviously been here for a long time for the tree roots to have grown so fully around him. How was he so unblemished by weather and wear? What magic pinned him lifelike and yet not living? She carefully placed an ear to his chest and heard a single, strong heartbeat. Her eyes grew wide when the next beat came over a minute later. He was alive!

 

Looking back up at his face, she noticed another strangeness, his ears were not human but perched on the top of head and covered in - fur. Following curiosity and the desire every girl has to stroke velvety things, she raised her fingers to gently stroke their downy sides, feeling the silken caress of fine hair on her skin. They felt like little puppy ears.

 

Suddenly, his ear tweaked in her hand, trying to flick away her fingers. She gasped and almost fell off the root, but grabbed at his suikan to stay her fall. When she looked up at him again, his shadowed golden eyes were open and boring in to hers. Even in the darkness she could feel the anger in those eyes, the hatred. And as they focused on her, taking her in, his eyes grew more frightening, becoming the vortex of a scowl that warped his fine features and erupted in a growl.

 

“You!” She saw his shoulders move against the tree's restraints as he tried to free himself. As his motion grew more strenuous against the arrow, he cried out in pain, “Ahhhhh! What have you done to me, you witch!”

 

++++++++

 

Kagome sucked in her breath and began to back down off the tree, when she heard a guttural noise behind her, one that sent the hair all over her body straight up in fear. Perched precariously on the root, she twisted around to see a large dog, no, a wolf, standing at the base of the tree, fangs bared in what grew into an echoing snarl. With a black head and brown body, it was three times the size of any dog Kagome had ever seen. An unearthly light glowed in its eyes, eyes that looked past her. Kagome turned to follow its gaze and saw that the silver-haired man had a nasty smirk on his face.

 

“So, Kikyou, you pinned me here so I can watch that mangy wolf eat you? I'm okay with that.”

 

“Kikyou?” Kagome was feeling very disoriented again, “I'm Kagome!” She looked back at the wolf, waiting patiently for her to descend.

 

“Come here!” the silver-haired man demanded. Not wanting to go down to where the wolf had begun pacing, she complied and inched back up to stand on the roots in front of him, hanging on to his red suikan. “Oi! Stop that! You're pulling on the arrow!” he growled, discomfort in his voice. She balanced her weight more carefully, but did not let go of his garment. He sniffed and looked at her again, “you smell different, but you've still got it with you.” She heard another snarl rumbling close to her and realized with a shock that it was coming from the man she clung to. Looked up to his face, she saw anger brewing again in his eyes. “Why did you do this to me?” He grimaced in pain as her foot slipped and she fell against him again. His scowl pulled on his lips to reveal small, but very sharp fangs. Her heart skipped a beat.

 

“What are you talking about?” She was trapped and fear began fueling her anger. “I don't have anything! I didn't do anything to you!” He stopped his rumbling and sniffed at her again.

 

“Maybe …,” he seemed to be looking into her eyes for something. The wolf below barked and snarled, almost as though he were trying to get their attention. The man looked over Kagome's shoulder and frowned. “He wants you to come down.” Shifting his eyes back to her, he accused, “what'd you do to him, huh?”

 

“He's saying something?” She looked down at the wolf again and thought for a moment she caught a glint of intelligence and cunning in its gaze. “Why does he want me?”

 

“Dinner, probably,” the cruel grin inches from her face bared those fangs and Kagome felt a chill trickle down her back.

 

“Fine, maybe I'll go down there and get eaten and leave you here, stuck to the tree,” she said spitefully. Suddenly it occurred to her that maybe these two were in league and that was exactly what they wanted.

 

“Keh!” He looked down at the arrow in his chest and frowned. “You did put it here; maybe you can take it out.”

 

“I did not!” Kagome flushed with anger again.

 

“Whatever,” he seemed uninterested in discussing the details of his predicament, “pull the arrow out and I'll take care of the mangy wolf for you.”

 

“And you swear you won't kill me?” She suddenly hoped she hadn't given him any ideas.

 

“I swear I won't kill you right away.” A wicked smirk came over his face that gave her a little shiver, and she cringed in fear. His face softened and he looked at her searchingly again, as though he were trying to find something in her eyes.

 

The wolf barked at her and tried to leap up on the roots, but couldn't get a grip. He stayed standing against the tree, up on two legs, looking up at them and she heard a low grumbling growl simmering in him. Kagome pressed herself against the man on the tree, inching away from the wolf's position.

 

“Hey! Get off me!” he yelled in her ear. “Get this thing out of me and I'll help you, but get the hell off me!” She felt his heart speed up in his chest and guessed each beat against the buried shaft must hurt.

 

Stuck between two slathering beasts, Kagome decided to trust the one that spoke Japanese and reached to yank the arrow from his chest. It hardly budged and as she tried to work it free, he grunted and groaned, screwing up his face in anguish.

 

“Ahhhhhhh! Witch! Use your magic, damn you!” His cry grew into a scream of agony and she stopped moving, unable to cause him any more pain, even if he scared and annoyed her half to death. His eyes were closed, eyebrows knitted against the pain and he was panting. She noticed sweat breaking on his upper lip. Her heart was pounding again.

 

“I don't have any magic, jerk!” She huffed and glanced down to see the wolf hadn't moved and was watching them with interest.

 

“Yes you do!” His eyes were open now and he was furious. “I told you, you still have it. I can feel it. Use it for kami's sake!”

 

She had no idea what he was talking about, but something in her thought to try an experiment. Taking a deep breath, she gently reached for the arrow's shaft and noticed his look of trepidation as her fingers wrapped around it. On an exhale she imagined it gone and to her surprise, it disintegrated in her fingers.

 

“Ha!” he cried triumphantly as his arms came up under the imprisoning tree roots, splintering them so they fell away from around him and under her feet. She began to feel herself fall and grabbed at his clothing again. Not unexpectedly, he swept her hand away and let her fall into the broken wood, scratching her legs and causing her to cry out.

 

The wolf was on her in a heartbeat, pinning her beneath him. At first she only noticed his heavy weight coming down on her through his huge paws, one of which was pressing sharp claws into her bare leg. He sank down, pushing his ribcage into her breasts and she felt his growl echo through her chest. The black lips on his snout pulled back tight against gigantic yellow teeth. The smell of hot, rotten breath bathed her and she choked on it.

 

In a breath's space, the wolf was knocked aside and the white-haired man was crouched between them. Kagome felt a wave of relief and sat up to inch back into the pile of sharp splinters as big as her arm. She took a moment to be amazed she hadn't impaled herself on them when she'd fallen. The wolf paced back and forth, trying to find a direct path to her, but the man wouldn't give him an opening. Suddenly, the wolf sprang with jaws wide open and buried its teeth in his shoulder. The man barely grunted as he fell to the ground under the animal's weight, grabbing the beast by the fur at its neck. They rolled over each other, sending growls and snarls flying from them to join the leaves thrown about by their frantic motions. She noticed that her savior had long claws he used to strike with and used them to keep the other's teeth at bay. Finally, the man pinned the wolf and managed to get his hands around the thing's neck.

 

“Had enough?” Again, he spoke as though it could understand him.

 

To Kagome's surprise, the animal began to blur, transforming from a wolf to a man, a man who looked even stranger than the one fighting to save her. Long, wild black hair was caught up behind his head; he wore fur leggings and had more pelts adorning an armor chestplate. His ears were slightly more human than the white haired man's, but tapered to a fine point. As they rolled again, the wolf briefly gaining the advantage over the silver-haired man and fought to keep it; the muscles on his exposed arms bunched into hard ridges and mounds as he struggled to control the thrashing man beneath him. Kagome caught sight of a long brown tail emerging from his lower back. She sucked in her breath; this was an okami out of legend!

 

“Get off me, mutt!” The okami sputtered, as he found himself back underneath the man, who punched at the okami's chestplate only to be rewarded by the sound of metal. Soon, the okami had wedged a knee between them and pushed them into a roll. They broke apart and jumped to their feet, facing each other.

 

The white-haired man was clearly a natural fighter, he had barely gained his feet when he launched himself at the okami's waist and swiping at his legs. The okami let loose with a throaty cry and fell on the man, tearing at his clothing, but the red suikan and hakama pants were impervious to his claws. The man took advantage of the okami's proximity to get in another couple of swipes at his lower body, causing another rough cry of pain.

 

Kagome looked again at the white haired man's clawed fingers and strange ears - maybe he was a youkai too? Suddenly, he clutched at the hole in his chest and bent over with a little groan. He must still be weak from his ordeal on the tree. She looked about for some way to help him, but found nothing she thought would distract the okami. While he was still catching his breath, the okami launched himself and hit the youkai man with both feet right at the point of the arrow wound. The man howled in pain and landed under the okami's full weight. Kagome heard him moaning and rose, not sure whether to try to help him or not. Some primitive instinct told her to get away from these two wild creatures and she bolted for the trees, back in the direction of the well.

 

She hadn't even reached the treeline when she felt strong arms sweep under her and smoothly flip her up on a broad shoulder, her butt hiked in the air and her head bumping down on the okami's armor.

 

“Let me go!” she screamed. He did not stop or respond but ran on into the night, gripping her tightly by the waist.

 

++++++++++

 

Kagome was barely conscious when the okami dumped her in the hollowed out root of a large tree. She'd lost track of time as she struggled to breathe, her stomach slamming into his shoulder as he ran. She didn't move after she landed in a heap and tried to determine where he was through slitted lashes. He had moved out to the edge of the tree's perimeter and sat on a large root, one foot propped up and resting his arm on a knee. His posture was casual, but she could tell he was very alert. After a moment, he glanced back at her and she made sure to stay very still.

 

No doubt thinking her unconscious, he bent over to look carefully at a spot on one of his legs. As he pulled back a torn section of his fur garment Kagome saw him wince and begin to tear the leggings away, leaving just a modest pelt around his waist, exposing long, muscular thighs. He ran a finger gingerly across the inside of one of them until he flinched in pain. He was hurt. Maybe it would keep him away from her for a while.

 

She allowed her eyes to close and her mind to drift back over the last hour's events, focusing on the terrifying fight from which she'd tried to escape. Had the youkai man been trying to save her? He certainly hadn't given her any assurances, but he had knocked the okami away. Then again, the okami had been listening to their conversation and barking when the man was yelling at her. Now that she knew he was intelligent, she was sure the okami had been trying to get her attention from the bottom of the tree. Was he a banken and had he been trying to protect her from the man? It was all so confusing.

 

It was almost too much and she found she couldn't make sense of it. She didn't know where she was, or what these beings were, or why they seemed to have an interest in her. She just wanted to go home, back to her old life where beasts and men didn't yell at her and grab her. She felt a tear squeeze from the corner of her eye and sucked in a little inadvertent sob.

 

A sense of foreboding swept over her as she felt a moonshadow and looked up into the black silhouette of the okami, the moon shining brightly behind his head. From the ground where she lay, he looked enormous, even though he had seemed the size of a normal, very strong man when she first saw him.

 

“Hey,” he said and nudged her with a dirty foot, “get up. I want to look at you.”

 

She rose to a sitting position slowly, wiping at another tear. He fell gracefully into a crouch, balanced on the balls of his feet with his knees splayed out, and sniffed at her up close.

 

“What should I do with you, huh?” he seemed to be talking to himself. “That inu-hanyou wanted you so you must be valuable.” He sniffed again and a puzzled look came over his face. “You been rollin' in a flower field or something? Whew!” he waved his hand in front of his face, which wafted his heavy, musky scent at her.

 

“I could say the same for you!” Her fear-fueled anger was back. “You stink! When's the last time you took a bath?”

 

“What's a bath?” The lack of comprehension on his face was genuine and it almost made her laugh, except that she was still really pissed and scared half to death.

 

“A bath is when you clean yourself - with water!” She scooted away from him, trying to get away from his stench.

 

“Wolves don't like water,” he scowled, “we leave it to those inu-mutts who love to romp around in the stuff. Disgusting.” He looked at her again, more closely this time and reached a hand to grip her chin, turning her face one way and then the next. His fingers were rough and she felt his claw tips press sharply into the skin on her neck and cheek. From the angle he held her face, she could see the muscles of his arm as they rippled and flexed all the way up into the fur at his shoulder. It occurred to her that this was how he tried to be gentle. “You're not half bad looking.” His hand moved down to paw the fabric of her shirt pulling it up and to the side to try to look at her chest. “You dress funny, though.” She slapped his hand away and straightened her shirt.

 

“Stop that!” She said, her cheeks burning.

 

“I usually eat humans,” he said matter-of-factly as he continued to move her clothing around to look at her legs and try again to look under her shirt. Kagome felt like a piece of meat being examined at the butchers and her fears were back in force. “But I think you might be worth something.” He stopped messing with her clothes and began patting his hands over her with too much strength for her comfort. He squeezed her breasts and she yelped, pushing his hands away again. “Well, whatever inu-idiot said you got on you, I can't find it.” He smiled a wolfish grin, revealing sharp yellow teeth, “but you feel good.”

 

In the space of a heartbeat, Kagome felt a new heat coming from the okami and realized that the human likeness may not stop at his arms and legs. A pulse of terror went through her. She flashed her eyes around, looking for something to distract him. She saw the gash in his inner thigh, fresh blood still glistening on the torn muscle in the pale light.

 

“You're hurt,” she said as she tentatively pointed to his leg.

 

“It'll heal soon enough,” he didn't even look down at his wound. His tone was distracted and he moved forward from his crouch to fall on his knees, bringing his hips into closer range and she felt her heart speed in her chest. He reached to grab a handful of her hair and pull her head back, forcing her to look up at him. Tears stung her eyes as her hair was pulled tight against her scalp. Again he turned her head from side to side. “Wonder why he wants you so bad?”

 

“Who?” She felt very vulnerable, unable to move her head. Rolling her eyes upward, she saw his dark shape, kneeling over her as he came in closer.

 

“The mutt.” He looked in her eyes now.

 

“He doesn't want me,” she tried to make a scoffing noise, but it was hard with her neck so tightly torqued. “He's got me confused with someone he hates.”

 

“Maybe,” the okami bent over until his face was pressed up against her ear. She felt him take a deep breath through his nose, pulling a little stream of cool air against her skin as he took in her scent again more slowly. “But I didn't smell the hunt in him.” His voice was lower now, husky as it breathed into her ear, sending goosebumps cascading down her arm. “Maybe he likes these flowers.”

 

“Argh! Let me go!” Kagome's heart was in her throat pounding out its fear into her voice.

 

“I don't think so,” she could not see his face, but she felt him move down from her ear and heard another sniff as he inhaled at the base of her neck. A sprinkle of cold sweat broke on her as she imagined those teeth so close to her neck. She was beginning to feel panic and suddenly thought about the wound in his leg. Could she stab at it? She reached a hand out to find it and when her fingers encountered his skin, she felt a warmth grow in them, turning into a heat she thought was going to burn her flesh.

 

“Ow!” She cried.

 

He jerked back, yanking on her hair until her tears sprang up again. She could barely see him he was pulling her head down so hard. “Stop it!” she cried, hearing the pain in her voice, “you're hurting me!”

 

He let go of her hair and she raised her head to see him looking down where she'd stabbed at him. He raised his leg, placing his foot on the ground and pushed his knee out to trace a finger along the inside of his thigh where the wound twisted his flesh. It had been long, starting at the knee and disappearing up under the dark shadow of his fur pelt, but now it was shorter, having healed near his knee. He looked at her with a new comprehension.

 

“Miko!” There was some awe in his voice. “So that's it. He wants your miko powers.”

 

“No.” she shook her head, confused. Grandpa has told her he didn't want her to become a shrine maiden. He wanted her to go to school, get a job, be successful. “I'm not a miko.”

 

“Yes you are!” he pointed to his leg and the freshly scarred flesh near the knee.

 

She looked and had to admit to herself it had been longer just a minute ago. Impulsively, thinking she might be saving her life, she reached out and touched the bloody flesh at the edge of the newly healed skin. Her finger glowed with a pinkish-purple light and burned again until she couldn't stand it any more, and she pulled it away, clutching it to her. They both watched as the skin closed in on itself and the new scar grew to cover more of the wound. They looked at each other in amazement. Again acting on impulse, she laid her whole hand against the remainder of the gash, gently poking her fingers under the fur pelt at his waist to cover the tip of the wound. Just before the burning sensation came, she felt the torn bits of flesh, moist with blood, and the taut skin over the tendon where the muscle met his groin. She felt how smooth his skin was, broken only here and there by a small hair. She blushed in the dark at the intimacy of this touch and was amazed both at herself for doing it and at him for allowing it. A small bond of trust had been forged.

 

The purple light came to her and her hand felt as though it were bathed in white hot flames. She closed her eyes and grimaced as she thought she felt the healing flames incinerate her fingers, searing the bones in her hand. When she couldn't stand it any more, she pulled her hand back and looked to see that the wound was now nothing but a scar. She shook her hand to try flicking away the residual heat, now fading into her skin.

 

“Does that hurt you?” He actually had a note of concern in his voice.

 

“Yeah,” she exhaled, not realizing she'd been holding her breath. “It burns. Doesn't it hurt you, too?”

 

“No.” He was brushing the scar lightly with his hand. “That's amazing.”

 

“You're welcome,” she couldn't help the little bit of sarcasm that crept into her voice.

 

“Huh,” he put his knee down and kneeled by her, reaching out to her. She withdrew, and he shook his head a bit, apparently intending to reassure her. She let him take her hand and he engulfed it in both of his. “I'm sorry. Thank you.”

 

Looking in his eyes, she knew he meant it. She nodded and raised her healing hand to look at it, wondering how she'd done that. He let her hand go and stood over her again. She looked up the length of his body to the dark pool of shadow over his face.

 

“Get some sleep,” he said, and moved off to the other side of the tree. She laid down, suddenly exhausted.

 

+++++++++++

 

Darkness wrapped around her - a flitting image of Houjou -- and then she smelled dirt. Without warning, assaulting her fitful sleep, she felt warm skin against her mouth, stifling her scream. Strong arms pulled at her waist and for the second time that night, she was jolting along, bumping into a strange man's body. She could hardly breathe between the jostling, his hand and the strength of his fingers squeezing her face. She tried to bite him, but couldn't. His claws were tightly clasped around her jaw, pinching into the base of her skull, and she couldn't move it.

 

After some time, he slowed and hoisted her off his hip, pressing her up to stand against the rough bark of a tree. Her head swam and she saw little sparkles drift through her vision. His hand was hard against her mouth and she blinked over his fingers to see those angry eyes framed by a silver mane of hair.

 

“Don't scream,” the command was clear in his voice. She was confused. Was he trying to save her or was he going to kill her? She gave a little nod and he removed his hand slowly, pinning her shoulders so her back was slightly arched, giving her no leverage to stand or run. As her eyes roamed her surroundings, she was surprised to see a familiar shadow only a hundred meters away, just through the trees. He'd brought her back to the well!

 

“What is it with you guys?” Anger flared as she looked at him. “What the hell did I do to you that you have to kidnap me in the middle of the night?”

 

The moonlight filtered into the small clearing, splashing his face in shadowing grey, making his eyes unreadable. He looked at her closely, searching her features. He wasn't even listening to her words. He tilted his head into the light briefly and she saw something in his eyes that mingled with the anger still brewing there. It almost looked like … longing … He stepped back, releasing her, and she heaved herself forward a bit to stand straight. He was looking her up and down, taking in her form.

 

“Give it to me,” he put one hand on his hip and held the other one out, palm up.

 

“Give what to you?” She straightened her shirt.

 

“The jewel, witch.” His brow furrowed in a deeper frown.

 

“I don't own any jewels, idiot.” She put both hands on her hips, matching his defiant stance.

 

“I don't believe you,” he sounded suspicious.

 

“Well, believe me! Your wolf-buddy searched me over too and couldn't find anything. You might as well do the same!” She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, not really knowing his intentions any better than the okami's. He only brought his hand back to his hip. They squared off.

 

“What did he do to you?” suspicion grew in his voice and Kagome couldn't tell if he really cared about the answer.

 

“Nothing.” She fumed at him, “and if he did, it'd be none of your business!”

 

“It is my business,” he stepped closer, towering over her and forcing her to look up at him. “Have you forgotten everything?”

 

There was, that slight bit of longing, in his voice this time. She didn't understand why he was insisting that she was someone else. It made her uncomfortable and she brought her eyes down from his face to rest on the arrow hole in the fabric of his suikan. She remembered his screams as she'd tried to wrest the arrow from him. Thinking of her success with the okami, she reflexively lifted her hand to his chest. He flinched a little, but he let her touch him. As her fingers pressed on the soft fabric, she instinctively knew she'd need to touch his skin.

 

“Show me the wound,” it was like someone else's voice coming out of her mouth.

 

He looked mildly puzzled, but moved to release the ties that bound his clothing, pulling the deep red and creamy white garments away from his chest and off his shoulders, exposing a lean, hard torso with pale smooth skin. She gulped a little feeling the heat from him as she moved her hand over the small hole of twisted flesh over his heart. Extremely conscious of how tauntly his skin clung to his collar bones, the tendons of his neck and the strong muscles of his chest, shoulders and upper arms, she focused on the little spot of torture, radiating pain to her hand as it approached. Her cool fingers touched him in the space just next to his ribbed sternum, covering the arrow's path through him with her palm. She felt the suffering of his blood and then the healing heat came to her. Her hand burned until the pain forced a tear down her cheek. Finally, she withdrew her aching fingers and he raised a hand to his chest, looking down and carefully probing the spot. Only a small scar remained, a tiny blemish on his perfect form. His face lost the tense look he'd had since awakening and smoothed into the boyish features she'd seen while he slept. The beauty came back to him as she saw his eyes widen in wonder. He raised those wondrous eyes to hers and she watched them as they traced down the path of the tear that had fallen on her cheek.

 

She felt another one fall, for no reason at all.

 

From nowhere, a rush blurred by her and the white-haired enigma disappeared in a flash of black and brown. She reflexively hid behind her hands and heard a feral growl and then the solid thump of bodies hitting the dirt. Peeking through her fingers, she saw the silver-tressed man struggle out of his suikan, freeing his arms to grab at the beast falling upon him.

 

“Bastard!” It was the okami. “She's mine!” His only response was a snarl that sounded like rocks grinding against each other. Grunts and breathy exhalations flew around the clearing, following the bodies as they grappled each other, looking for a hold or room to swipe sharp claws. Muscled arms, backs and thighs blurred between her fingers as they rolled over on each other. She heard the sound of skin hitting armor, yells and howls of pain. The intensity of their fight scared her as she realizing that the strength of their blows would most likely kill her if she got in their way or fell prey to their frenzy. Looking up carefully, she eyed the well. If she could take advantage of their fighting, she might be able to get to it before they realized she was gone. She had no idea if she'd be able to get home by jumping in it, but she had to try. Inching her way from the tree, she made ready to run.

 

“Get off me, asshole!” It was the youkai man speaking, “I might let you have her, but first I have to know!”

 

Kagome stopped in her tracks. A wisp of memory tickled a forgotten corner of her mind. She shook it off, resisting the urge to turn, resisting the urge to find out with him. She broke for the well. After the excitement, discomfort and pain of the last few hours, she could feel her limbs move slowly, as if in a dream, dragged down by a fatigue even the adrenaline pumping through her could not overcome.

 

“Hey!” she heard the okami's voice from some distance now. “You let her get away!” His outburst received an incoherent response and she tried to pick up her pace. All manner of branch and leaf trailed her skin as she pushed through them into the clearing by the well. She heard sobbing in her own throat, a sob of fear for what smashed through the darkness behind her, a sob of sorrow for having to leave this place and a sob of confusion for why she felt so desperately torn.

 

As she mounted the well, she risked a glance back to see them crashing through the brush, both grabbing at the other as they ran at top speed, trying to pull ahead and reach her first. Time seemed to slow and she saw them grimace and strain against their own physical limits, sweat ran down their cheeks, muscles bulged with exertion, breath expelled from deep lungs and she felt the sheer power of their movements rushing at her. She was entranced, feeling a strong pull to let them catch her, but then she saw their claws and heard their grunts and pants and her fear returned. Sucking in a deep breath, she jumped, feeling relief as a beautiful light shown about her, suspending her in its magic. Looking up, she saw both their faces bathed in it as they watched her slowly descend into the blackness, sadness etched on their features. The silver-haired one reached down after her.

 

She almost reached back.

 

+++++++++

 

The sun shone brightly through her window as she woke, curled in a ball under her covers. Yawning, she went about her morning routine, trying to recall the strange, dark dream. There'd been magic. Animals. Men. They'd been after her.

 

As she came down the stairs, she heard Souta yell for her.

 

“Kagome!” he had that tone in his voice, the one she knew meant he was really upset about something. Sighing, she slipped on her shoes and went outside looking for him. He stood by the sliding wooden door leading to the well. Her heart clenched at the site of the building, but she brushed away the irrational trepidation and came up to him.

 

“What's the matter, Souta?”

 

“Buyo's gone in there,” the little boy's eyebrows were squished so tightly together, they called her hand to his brow to smooth them. “I'm scared to go in. Will you go get him?”

 

“Sure,” she said, trying to quiet the boy's fear as much as her own and she slid the door open to enter the darkness again.

 

The End