FicWad

Something Unexpected
Chapter 04 - You Belong To Me
by SkylessStar



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Before everything, I want to thank anybody who put up with my exasperating slowness and continue reading the story, as well as those who reviewed or put the story in their favorites.
For this chapter I couldn't find a beta-reader, so I apologize in advance for any mistake I could have missed.

Disclaimer: Koga, Sango and all the characters had been created by Rumiko Takahashi.
The Song "The Prophet Said" belongs to Lacuna Coil.
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Teasing pureness of your eyes
Crawling into empty spaces
You could lie and lie again
You belong to my possession
- - -

Kouga stared at the clear night sky.

Seen from above, the forest looked like a silent, serene land graced by the ethereal light of a silvery moon. Everything around him was immobile, helplessly oblivious to the impatience wrapping his soul.

Just like he had done a second before, he sniffed the air. Still no sign of her.

Again, he moved on another branch of the tree that allowed him the highest possibilities of seeing and smelling her arrive, wondering once more if he should storm in the village to find her and bring her somewhere private.

At the beginning of the night he had been overwhelmed by excitement, both physical and psychological, but as time went by and she didn't arrive uneasiness began to gain the upper hand. Three hours had already passed since sunset, why was she taking so long? Hadn't she agreed to met him in the night?

Kouga scratched his head, thinking about what had happened. Back at the village, with his brain fogged by her closeness and her scent, he had thought it was a good idea to go away before she could say 'no'. Now he was beginning to see that not allowing her to refuse wasn't the same as making her accept.

Even if she wanted to meet him, anyway, he hadn't given her a place or a time... The hour he had spent choosing the spot from where he'd catch her scent faster and better would be all in vain if she decided to enter the forest from the other side of the village.

Not that he was really blaming himself for the stupid way he had acted: with the mind-blowing effect her presence had on him, he was actually wondering how had he managed not to jump her bones while talking with her, being near her, even teasing her.

Eyes filled with worries and longing turned to the village, wishing for her to magically appear even if he hadn't perceived her scent. She had to hurry up, the night might not be long enough for all the things he wanted to do.

What was she doing?

- - -

Sango turned in her futon for maybe the hundredth time.

Sighing, she watched the light of the full moon enter from the small window and enlighten the whole room. Maybe it was a good moment to go. The night was still young but, if she waited too much, she might be unable to come back before the others would wake. Not that she could guess how much time her meeting with Kouga would take, since she didn't even know why he wanted to see her.

She had dared to think he wanted to spend some time with her -something romantic, just the two of them under the moon, walking hand in hand, doing sweet talks, looking in each other's eyes- but...

'Get real, Sango.' She said herself in an inner talk. /'Kouga/, doing something like that? ...For you?' She had been able to witness his caring side, but there was a long road from being concerned to going lovey-dovey.

It had been bugging her since dinner, after somebody said something she couldn't remember exactly: what was the true reason Kouga wanted to see her alone? They all knew he wasn't one to keep his feelings for himself, if he was in any way interested in her, he wouldn't have been so discreet.

Because of the things he had said about her scent and her being 'sexy', when he had invited her in the forest she had really thought he wanted to see her, just her, only her.

What if he just wanted her to give him some suggestions on how to court Kagome? After all, that same afternoon he had fought with InuYasha just to go near the younger girl.

Being a taiji-ya, Sango knew some Youkai -Yorozokus among them- were really possessive about their mates. She should have understood from the first moment that he was still running after Kagome, but she had nonetheless listened to her ludicrous hopes.

But if that was the reason, why had he licked his lips so often around her? Well, not really often, just a couple of time, but he was so close and his eyes held so much intensity that she had been expecting a kiss at any moment. A kiss that obviously didn't arrive.

Sango turned again, now lying on her back. Maybe she should just give up and try to sleep a little. Kouga was obviously not interested in her, and yet she was considering to go in the forest, in the middle of the night, leaving a warm and comfortable house, just to tell to the very one she liked how to court someone else?

"This surely ain't gonna happen." She whispered, closing her eyes with another sigh meant to take away all her sorrow. Controlling her breathing, she forced herself to relax, trying to get some very needed sleep.

- - -

Silent as he had never been before, Kouga was approaching the village. Every movement he made was slow and deliberate, every step he took was the result of an inner struggle between the emotions that pushed him forward and the thoughts that uselessly tried to stop him.

Pride screamed for him to go back. How could he go to her, begging for some attention -after she, not showing up, had practically turned him down- and still expect her to respect him?

Anger allowed him to proceed. Pretending he was going there just to make a scene about her absence could be a good excuse to deceive his pride.

Good sense told him to stay away from other people. If courting her in front of others would embarrass her as much as seeing him naked, then being alone and far from the village was necessary for what he wanted to do.

Attraction pushed him forward. He wanted her, no point in denying it. Denial couldn't erase that primitive need to see her body move beneath his own.

Gathering his courage, he decided to end that pointless debate and continue without further questions. No matter how many good reasons to stop his brain could find, his body would always find one more reason to go.

It didn't take long to reach the last trees of the forest, from where he could easily smell the various humans inhabiting the village. Given the number of people that lived there and the fact that she was probably inside some house, it didn't surprise him that he couldn't make out Sango's scent. Resolved to find her nonetheless, he decided to search fresh traces of her scent around every huts.

Luck should have been on his side, because as soon as he approached the nearest window, he felt her scent became more intense; not enough for her to be in the room behind that wall, though. He tried the opposite side of the hut and her scent seemed to be stronger. Kouga climbed the small height that separated his face from the window to better smell the inside.

It was strange: her scent kept coming nearer, but inside the hut he could only see and smell an old man and a child. And the house, he realized then, wasn't big enough to held more than a room.

"Looking for someone?" A whisper, from behind his shoulders.

Still grasping the edges of the window, Kouga turned his head as fast as he could, only to see Sango standing behind him. All the doubts and uncertainties that had been plaguing his mind until then instantly disappeared in the exact moment he saw her smile.

- - -

When she recognized the dark figure sniffing the air around a hut, probably doing a thorough search for her, Sango smiled. Not because he was there -she was still unsure about his reasons- but because she was finally understanding why Kirara had dragged her out of bed just when she was about to catch some sleep. She had initially thought there was some adverse Youkai, but when Kirara convinced her to leave Hiraikotsu behind, Sango had begun to wonder what might be so urgent.

"Looking for someone?" She asked, her voice low enough not to wake anyone.

When he turned around, Sango began petting the yellow companion on her shoulder, as for thanking her. She was still afraid Kouga could break her heart, but at least she had a chance to make things clear. In a way, she felt relieved, she felt good. And she felt even better at the refreshing sight of him smiling while still holding onto the window.

"Sango." Was all he said. He stared at her for a moment before realizing there were more comfortable position to do it than loping from a window, then jumped down. Eyes restlessly wandering over her, he nonetheless failed to notice Hiraikotsu's absence; he couldn't care less at the moment. He noticed very well, though, her hair let down and the pink kimono she was wearing. It was a good sign, she had no intention of hiding her scent from him.

Finally setting his eyes on her face, he began to slowly move toward her. It didn't matter the light of the moon gave her a supernatural aura, it didn't matter the smile on her lips was the most gracious and innocent thing he had ever seen, it didn't matter they were in the middle of a human village: in that moment the only thing in his mind was her body, ethereal personification of raw, earthly carnality.

He could tell -no, he /knew/- beneath that collected appearance of hers there was an untamed fire, and he longed, ached to touch it, explore it, be the one to push it to its limits as the two of them become one.

Sango watched him approach. His smile had slowly turned into a piercing stare, holding much more intensity than she ever believed could be seen on Kouga's face. She noticed all too well how his eyes roamed over her body more than once, something ravenous transpiring from behind them.

Her own smile disappeared, unable to withstand his seriousness, and uneasiness began to make its way inside of her. Her taiji-ya's second nature kicked in, forcing her to stay alert. He was giving her the same sensation she got whenever a Youkai tried to assault her: his predatory grin, the confidence in his movements, his tongue licking his lips -again...

Everything about him said she was his prey and he was about to eat her.

Just before he could reach her, Kouga saw Sango take a fighting stance. He paused; was the expression in her eyes, the one skilfully disguised as the focused gaze of a warrior ready to fight, an expression of fear? He felt confusion grow once again as he didn't find a single trace of said fear in her scent. Then what? Why retreat if she wasn't afraid? What if, instead, she was able to mask her scent?

Many emotion crushed on him all at once; he was proud of his mate -only the bravest warriors could dominate fear like she was doing- he was concerned she might actually be scared of him, he felt manly because a female like her seemed to recognize him as stronger, he wanted her to fight back to show him the opposite...

Under the watchful and knowing eyes of Kirara, Kouga extended his arm searching for some kind of contact. The instant he moved she cursed herself for not bringing along a proper weapon. She squared him with her eyes, waiting for the best moment to strike, but somehow he sensed her intentions and froze, unwilling to bother her in any way. She studied his eyes and all the emotions hidden behind them; all the aggressiveness had gone away, leaving behind concern, maybe even insecurity.

Her eyes softened and it was all the assurance he needed to finally rest his hand upon her arm. Never breaking eye contact, he began to move his hand, making it slide up and down her elbow in a slow and soothing gesture. His touch was gentle, for he was just looking for some form of contact, something to show her she didn't need to be afraid, to reassure himself she won't flee him.

"Am I scaring you, Sango?" His voice and his gaze were soft, as if he was offering to change his behavior for her sake.

Her pride rejected the concept of fear, but for the briefest moment she felt like telling him he had actually put her on alert, wishing for him to comfort her and say it had been just a misunderstanding. But she was a warrior, and as a warrior she knew better than show her weakness to an enemy, even when she wanted nothing more than snuggle into his arms.

It was taking her some seconds to find the best answer, something that could make him understand how ominous his figure had been just a moment before and to conceal any weakness on her part, but patience had never been one of Kouga's virtues.

"I won't hurt you." He whispered, lifting his hand to skim over her cheek and encircling her with the other arm. Sango froze, unable to avert her gaze from his meaningful one; she didn't move even when he brought his face closer to hers, so close that it touched her cheek. He remained in the same position for a little while, softly brushing his nose against her velvety skin, then embraced her tightly with both arms, shrinking to nothing the distance between their bodies.

She inhaled sharply; the fear for her safety had been replaced by a new one, mixed with trepidation, that made her aware of every single movement, breath or heartbeat happening between the two of them. Her whole world had been reduced to his body and the sensations it was awakening: the strong need to let go and return the embrace, the overwhelming qualms it was too fast, too new and too good to be right.

Her scent was giving away her slow acceptance of his closeness but he could tell there was something holding her back because her body was still rigid and stiff and her breath, tickling his shoulder, was coming out in a slow and controlled rhythm. He nuzzled her neck to smell her better and, hoping to make her relax, began rubbing his hands up and down her back.

Despite her good sense, Sango closed her eyes and pressed her face against his shoulder, all the resolve to keep her composure failing miserably against the sparkles his hands were sending through her back. He knew, at that point, she needed just a little push to surrender to him.

In her mind, Sango was cursing herself. She was losing her battle of will against the primal call Kouga represented and she knew, but felt helpless. Right as she was -tightly wrapped in his arms, strongly assaulted by his masculine scent and delectably caressed by his hands- she didn't have the strength to do anything. And while her rational part pointed out a thousand reasons for it to be wrong, the rest of her screamed at rationality to go to hell.

Kouga moved his face a little upward, grazing her neck with his nose and lips, the touch so light it gave her goosebumps. When his mouth leveled her ear, Kouga let a hot breath caress it. She swallowed loudly, and he knew it was time to take what was righteously his.

With his nose, he slowly traced the contours of her ear, slightly brushing their cheeks together; his eyes were closed, to enhance the senses of smell and touch. He had been dying to be this close to her since last time they met and, at the moment, he just wanted to let the scent and the shape of her body invade his senses completely.

"Sango..." He said huskily, paying attention to every little reaction.

"My beautiful Sango..."

The time slowed down, and Sango swallowed hard when the meaning of his words, what she wanted them to mean, reached the depth of her soul. The possessiveness permeating his words didn't go unnoticed and, suddenly, she realized that she wasn't just a means to get to Kagome; somehow, it looked like the younger girl had just disappeared from his thoughts.

And as this revelation hit her, she also understood the deep implications of his gestures. With his embrace, he wasn't just asking forgiveness for scaring her, he wasn't only holding her because he liked her.

No. He was a Youkai -one from a rather primitive tribe, should be added... He wasn't just hoping for her to reciprocate, he was demanding her to give herself to him, without doubts and without restraints. It was no longer a game, it wasn't as trivial as living out her fantasies in a nightly escapade and then return to her normal life.

Her mind blanked out for a moment, the last thought feeling like an icy shower to her. Was she really considering this an 'escapade'? Just how far was she ready to go, how much was she willing to give? She had never considered herself a woman of loose morals, nor had she been raised as one; to do something like that...

Though -she had to admit- she had fantasized about being held, being kissed, maybe even being touched by him, but not even in her fantasies she had given herself to him completely. Or, to say things as they were, she had been afraid her scent could change enough for InuYasha to understand what she was thinking -and then ask about it.

But that didn't change the fact that the body surrounding hers was real, and what he wanted to do had always held a deep meaning to her. She wasn't ready to be with a man just because of carnal desire -she'd never be ready- and a serious commitment was out of question, since she had learned about his feelings... When? A handful of seconds before? And were them feelings at all? How did those things work among Yorozoku? How long was their 'love' supposed to last?

Overwhelmed by a multitude of questions, Sango felt the urge to detach from him and raised her hands against his hips, preparing to push him away.

He mistook it for a silent request to go ahead and, feeling encouraged, teased the backside of her ear with his tongue, pulling it into his mouth. Wet and hot lips curled around it and he gently sucked, in a gesture she felt was too erotic to withstand.

She jerked her head away, trying to no avail to wiggle out of his grasp. Kouga stared at her, wondering what he could have done wrong. He searched his memory for some kind of rituals humans performed to mate and that he had missed, but nothing came to his mind. In her face was a mix of lust and terror, her wide open eyes begging him to go away, her flushed cheeks telling him how much she wanted him. And her scent, always delicious, was exciting as never before.

"Ko-Kouga..." Sango stammered, so nervous that her lips were almost trembling. Shaking her head, she continued, "I... W-we... Can't... No-not yet..."

Without so much of a hint of releasing her, he continued to stare into her eyes, trying to decipher the emotions running beneath her expression and her body language, at the moment a complete mystery to him.

His piercing gaze was too much to bear and Sango turned her face to the side, lowering her eyes. After so many days spent thinking about him, she still couldn't tell how much of it come from her heart and how much from her body's desires.

Watching her profile as she tried to deprive him of the sight of her face, he caught a movement beyond her shoulders that he would have gladly done without.

"Please, let go." Sango whispered, sounding too miserable for her own liking and, to her biggest surprise, he released his firm hold on her body. She was about to turn her head at him in disbelief, but before she could do it he had already scooped her up in his arms; she let out a surprised yelp, but he was already running toward the forest, carrying her.

- - -

When InuYasha had seen Sango get up to follow Kirara, he had paid it no mind; they were both big girls -or Youkai- after all. When he had smelled Kouga going around in the village and had gone outside to chase him away from Kagome, his companion had already left his mind. So, when he had seen the whole exchange between them he had been dumbfounded, to say the least, and had stared at them wide-eyed the whole time, unable to move.

Only after he realized he was into Kouga's line of sight InuYasha had been able to return to reality and hide himself. He, though, regretted it the moment he did it: Kouga's sight, as well as his own and that of all Youkai and animals that lived of what they could hunt, was strongly attuned in perceiving movements, and his dash had surely caught the wolf's attention. Thing that, ironically enough, his brightly colored appearance probably wouldn't have.

Before InuYasha could decide to poke out his head, he heard Sango's little cry. When he looked at the place Sango and Kouga had been standing, the only one left was Kirara, changing into her bigger form to follow them. It was at that point that he saw Kouga running away holding Sango.

Despite himself, who had never been curious about other's people private affairs, InuYasha took off after the two; after all, Sango was part of his group and, judging from the way she had tried to free herself from Kouga, she might be unwilling to go with him.

'Or maybe not.' he thought when his nose caught the scent of Sango's arousal. Which, much to his dismay, he found rather tantalizing. For once, he was grateful that Kouga's smell was there as well, or Sango's one could have had unwanted effects on him, and he had already too problems with 'just' two females in his life to even consider a third one.

- - -

"What do you think are doing?!" Sango yelled in Kouga's ear, mostly to overcome the wind's noise.

"Taking you away from unwelcome eyes!" He answered, squeezing shut an eye as if it could avoid the pain in his ear.

"Unwel- WHAT?!" She asked, embarrassed by the realization that someone could have seen them.

"Mutt-face was spying on us. I don't want anyone looking at my woman." He stated. "Especially him."

Hearing his words and the way he said them, Sango felt all her doubts return and hid her face in her hands, letting out a frustrated groan. She didn't feel comfortable in the position she was in, both emotionally and physically, but she stopped squirming around because she knew if she asked him to put her down he would ignore her words and if she tried to convince him by force they might both fall and get hurt.

Since she could do nothing else, she hid her face against his chest and decided to enjoy, secretly, the feeling of his body and of the wind running wildly through her hair.

"Remove your hands." He said, gently enough to sound as a request and not as a command.

Sango only spread her fingers enough to watch at him, but it was enough for him to see the questions behind her eyes.

"Whatever you're ashamed of, don't be." He said resolutely. Soon, anybody would know she was his and guess what they, as a couple, would be doing; there was no point in hiding it or in being embarrassed about it. Plus, his pride wouldn't allow her to be ashamed of him in any way.

"What are you talking about? It's you the one that ran away!" She questioned, a little angrily.

Kouga smiled, noticing how she had removed her hands from her face. She could deny it, she could act gentle and collected, but deep inside she was as wild and proud as he was. He delayed the answer for a moment, until he decided they were far enough from the village -and from any possible spectator- and abruptly stopped, setting Sango on her feet with her back against a tree.

Even though its trunk prevented her fall, it still made her feel cornered.

"Let's get this straight," He said, looking her squarely in the eyes, "I'm not ashamed to be seen with you. In fact, I'm proud you accepted me as your mate."

"I didn't--" Her protests were silenced by a finger he put on her lips. He approached her body and placed his hand beside her shoulder, still giving her some space to avoid scaring her.

"But I don't want anyone else to enjoy the sight of your body, its scent, its feeling under the hands, the taste of your skin, the sound of your moans..." Kouga said, in a voice increasingly low. "All those things will be /mine/..." He removed his finger, searching her eyes for any kind of reaction.

Sango didn't know if it were his words, his self-confidence bordering on arrogance, the hungry look in his eyes, the hand lifting her face, his masculine scent, the pleasant presence of his body or some kind of spell he must have cast upon her, but the only thing she managed to do was stare at him, unsure of her own desires.

".../Only/ mine." He finished, caressing her chin with his thumb.

Sango felt all her protests fade away; somewhere in the back of her mind she tried to remember if a Youkai could affect a human's judgment and make her act like a Yorozoku than a human but it soon lose its relevance. Everything became clearer by the moment as she pushed aside every foreign thought and began to concentrate on him. Her eyes went back and forth from his eyes to his lips and, for once, the awareness of what would happen next didn't scare her.

He finally closed his eyes, lowering his head. Just a second, a single breath and...

Their lips met.

From the beginning, he put all himself in the kiss, pressing and brushing their lips together almost roughly, but she didn't protest nor back away; instead, he felt her hands on his hips, trying to pull him closer. Kouga licked her lips and she finally began to return the kiss with a passion matching his own.

His hand abandoned her face to trace her neck and then slide down her back, passing below her hair, until it rested at her waist; it took a great effort from his part to stop there, but before touching any of her roundnesses he wanted to be sure she was ready.

Sango decided it was time to take the initiative and lifted her arms around his neck; one hand reached the fur band around his head, pulling him closer, the other's fingertips grazed the bare skin of his shoulders, eliciting a moan from him. She responded opening her lips slightly.

Whether the act had second meanings or not -he didn't know and didn't care- Kouga slid his tongue into her mouth, caressing the inside of her upper lip. She inhaled deeply at the new sensation, the delicate touch sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine. Soon, a sound resembling a purr came from her throat.

Every moment more confident, Sango licked his lower lip with the tip of her tongue, and that was Kouga's breakdown. Throwing all cautions to the wind, he licked and caressed her tongue, enjoying its warmth and his taste. At the same time, he pulled her body closer and held her tightly against himself. Kouga pressed the physical evidence of his appreciation against her lower abdomen, but her lack of response made him wonder if somehow she had failed to understand what it was and that she was the reason of its stiffness.

He leaned forward, making her slightly arch her back to follow him. When she gave herself willingly into whatever movement he wanted to do and moaned at the increased contact of their bodies, they both realized he was in a position of utter dominance above her.

In spite of her being inexperienced, Sango still understood clearly the hidden message he was conveying with his kiss and with his body language; it was something primal and absolute, that allowed no uncertainties nor holding back, a need that came straight from his deepest instincts and crossed his whole being:

You. Belong. To me.

Putting aside right and wrong, keeping for later thoughts of what was appropriate and what not, she accepted what his attentions without restraint. She wanted to be his. She wanted him to be /hers/. And to make sure he understood the last part, she pulled him down to deepen the kiss.

Her acceptance and sudden boldness aroused him even more and, finally, he let his hands travel down to grab her well-shaped buttocks.

Surprised, Sango opened her eyes wide and gasped. He was going too far, she knew she had to stop him soon because later would be too hard for both of them, but the feeling of his hands on her body was to good to make him stop, so she forced herself to believe he wouldn't do anything more. A pitiful lie, and she was the first to know it.

His hands ran up and down her bottom, pushing her forward. When the pressure between their groins was enough, Kouga began to rub himself against her intimacy and Sango became aware, at last, of the thing pressing against her lower parts. What it was was clearly obvious and she was assaulted by contrasting sensations of excitement, trepidation and uncertainty until, against her judgment, her eyes shut themselves on their own accord.

Not even in her dreams Sango had ever felt so good, he seemed to know exactly what would make her body ache for more. She cursed her own lack of self-control, her body shouldn't be allowed to defy her like that: how could she ask Kouga to stop when her desire was so thick in the air that she herself could smell it? She didn't even want to imagine how strong the same scent could be for his Youkai senses.

She emitted a sound halfway between a pleased moan and a groan of disappointment. She didn't want all that to end. Why couldn't he just know when to stop?

Mislead by his self-confidence and the obvious message of her scent, he took the sound as an encouragement to go ahead. He began to lift the skirt of her kimono, savoring the moment when his hands would slide over her sex and her legs would be wrapped around his waist, but he felt her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him away. Guessing, wrongly, that she was just asking for some air, he released her mouth and buried his head against her neck, kissing, licking, sucking and grazing at it with his teeth.

"S-Stop." She whispered, exerting all of her willpower to ask for something she absolutely didn't want.

Kouga quickly ignored her request. Instead, he moved his right hand to her chest, inserting it inside her kimono, and started to caress her breast; if she wasn't sure she wanted him, he'd just convince her by showing her what she was going to give up. It was how thing worked within those of his kind: she was supposed to resist, he was supposed to seduce her.

"Kouga!" It was a strangled sound that came from her mouth as she grabbed his hand to keep it still. His fingers brushing on her nipple felt even better than his hands on her buttock, and it was even more difficult to resist them.

He growled. A low, menacing sound to make her understand who was the one in control. Despite the sound, though, he wasn't angry for her attempts to stop him; on the contrary, he was loving every moment of it. She was acting exactly as he would have expected from a female Yorozoku. Could his Sango be any more perfect?

Unable to stroke her breast, he settled instead for squeezing it. His mouth moved to her jaw and he began to nibble it, and Sango had to hold her breath to suppress another moan. She grasped the few survivor bits of her good sense to push him away, but only managed to detach his mouth from her face.

"Stop." She said, breathless and with her eyes still closed, slipping her arms between their chests to keep him away and to immobilize the hand inside her clothes.

Kouga stared at her, unsure if he had to take her request seriously or not. There was no way he could have mistaken her scent's message, but her face was so serious that he soon understood her rejection wasn't just a part of the mating ritual. Something was bothering her and, on instinct, he fondled her hips with his free hand trying to make her feel comfortable.

When she felt his soothing gesture, she slowly released his other hand; as she expected, it went to her left side and mirrored the action of its twin. Tentatively, she opened her eyes. The two of them stared at each other, her expression begging him to understand why she wanted to stop, his eyes begging her to follow her body and not her brain.

"Sango..." He whispered after awhile; he didn't know exactly what he could or wanted to say, but he knew he had to say something when her only answer was to bit her lower lip and look away. Too many questions were flooding his mind all at once -What's bothering you? Why are you holding back? Are you hurt? Are you afraid I'll hurt you? Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid you won't be enough? Do you think I won't be enough? Do you think you're just a replacement, a second choice? Are you embarrassed because of mutt-face seeing us? ...

"Don't you... Want me?" Was all he managed to put together.

"No-" 'It's not it.' she wanted to say, but the lump in her throat interrupted her. Still avoiding his eyes, she missed his shocked and almost pleading expression. She licked her lips nervously and took a deep breathe, trying to articulate her thoughts, but he didn't gave her the time.

"Liar." He said, in a voice devoid of any anger or accusation, once he had gotten over his shock.

Taken by surprise by his words and his calm tone, Sango suddenly turned to face him. When he knew he had her attention, Kouga slowly knelt in front of her, trailing his hands down her legs. The expression on his face, those eyes that held the strong determination of a man who had something to prove, made her resolve fade in a frown of confusion and fear as she saw his face level with her femininity, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I can smell your lust, Sango." He buried his face against her crotch and inhaled noisily to emphasize his words. One hand sneaked down her kimono and caressed sensually the inside of a thigh.

"You can't deny you want to be mine." He continued in a rough voice, muffled by her clothes.

Sango perceived the danger. This time a small distance wasn't going to stop him, not when he was actually right. Wherever she found the resolve, or whatever possessed her to do what she did next, was unknown even to her.

- - -

From behind some bushes, InuYasha and Kirara were watching everything. They could also hear and smell everything. While Kirara was happy for her companion, knowing it was the best thing for her, InuYasha was fighting the need to touch his private parts.

'That stupid wolf, he isn't even good enough to cover Sango's scent with his own.' InuYasha was thinking. If Kouga's smell had been stronger, probably now he wouldn't be so aroused. He hadn't realized before how much his body needed to relieve some tension, maybe it was time for him to finally chose between Kagome and Kikyou, but he really didn't want to. Was it his fault that Inu-Youkai weren't monogamous to begin with?

The moment Kouga crouched down to smell Sango, both Kirara and InuYasha took for granted the two would be mating soon -Sango's scent was unmistakable, as well as Kouga's intentions- therefore it was a shock for both of them to see, a split second later, Sango retreat from Kouga just enough to kneel him in the head, in a lightning move that would put to shame said Youkai's speed. The strength of her kick was enough to make Kouga roll over once and land on his back, visibly confused by the blow.

At that point, InuYasha decided to head back. Soon, Sango would return to their temporary accommodation and he needed to be there when she arrived, or else she could suspect he had been spying on them. Protesting with himself because he wasn't 'spying', but watching out for one of his friends, InuYasha made a sign to Kirara and went away. The Youkai remained there, waiting for the right moment to take Sango back.

- - -

Kouga opened his eyes slowly, then quickly squeezed them shut; his head was hurting and his ear ringing. He brought an hand to his temple, groaning in pain as he slowly massaged the left side of his head. After a while, he tried to open his eyes again and assess the situation. He blinked; why was he staring at the sky?

"Are you okay?"

Kouga turned his head to the voice and tried to focus on the figure kneeling beside him. "Sango." He said, as if he was surprised to find her with him. Looking at her, though, his memory quickly returned and surprise left its place to anger.

"Why the hell did you hit me?" He said -and not screamed- only because his ear hurt. One hand protecting it, he sat up so abruptly that his head spun. He must have wobbled, because he felt Sango's hand on his shoulder, steading him.

Sango felt guilty for what she had done to him, but to detach him from her before things could get out of hand again brute force was the only resource. Talking would be pointless: he would not listen and she would not sound convincing. But hurt him wasn't something she had planned or wanted to do; had she knew he was so out of guard, she wouldn't have hit so strongly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forceful." She said, concern evident in her voice. "Does it hurt too much?"

Kouga squared her as if she had grown a second head. "Of course it hurt, what do you think?" He said, rather brusquely. He turned away from her, testing if he could let go of his ear without feeling too much pain. He never noticed the hand sliding down his back, as if suddenly feeling unworthy to touch him.

Ashamed for hurting him as if she hadn't given him certain signs, she remained silent for a while, not really knowing what to say. She didn't want to take all the blame -he wasn't innocent and should have stopped once she had asked so- but a part of her was afraid she had reacted far too encouragingly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered at last, to him but also to herself. She was a warrior, she should have some sort of control on her body and her emotions, but she felt like a slut.

He turned again to look at her, but she was facing down, her bangs hiding her eyes. He contemplated her form for a while, wondering why she was so adamantly pushing him away when she wanted him and no other male had any right on her. Had it something to do with her being human? Maybe mating her wasn't such a good idea after all...

He immediately discarded the thought. She was perfect, period. They just got off on the wrong foot; belonging to different species, it was inevitable there would be some incomprehension.

He sighed. He had never been very good with words but, apparently, he was the one that had to break the silence. He faced ahead, with his legs bent and slightly apart, and casually rested his arms on them.

"Sango?" She said nothing, but he noticed she had lifted her head to look at him; he decided it had to be enough.

"Why did you kick me away?" He asked calmly.

"I-" Sango began, just to stop herself. How could she explain her reasons and make them sound convincing -or at least logical- when she was the first one to doubt them?

"I mean..." He continued, maybe to help her to articulate, maybe because he wanted an answer as soon as possible. "You' want me, I can tell. It's not just your scent... Your lips, your hands, your tongue... All your body was begging me to take you. Face it, Sango. You want to mate with me, at least as much as I want it." He turned to her, waiting for her to acknowledge the obviousness of her reactions.

Sango's eyes were open wide and her cheeks red as cherries. She couldn't deny her attraction for him, but did he really need to be that blunt about it? She turned her head, drawing a deep breath to take some time and gain courage.

"Look at me, Sango." Kouga demanded softly, almost pleading. He grabbed her chin gently and made her face him, but her eyes continued to avoid him.

"It's not so simple." She said. When he said nothing for a while, she decided to shift her eyes on him and Kouga, finally, spoke.

"It's the simplest thing in the world: I want you, you want me, we mate." His voice was plain -he was just stating the obvious, after all.

Embarrassment and anger made Sango's cheeks became even redder. That was what it was all about? Mating? And then? What would be of 'them' once the passion was over? How long it would take for passion to be over? Sango felt a sudden surge of pride; the man who could consider her in such a way had yet to be born. She rose to her feet, looking down on him.

"Maybe among you beasts it works this way. I, though, have a brain." She said rather nastily, maybe more than she had intended, but she let indignation lead her way; it would be simpler this way, she might be able not to feel pain if she convinced herself she despised him.

Kouga stared at her, bewildered at her renewed aggressiveness. After a moment, her words finally registered in his mind. And to think he was about to volunteer to follow whatever human habit could make her more comfortable around him.

"And just what would this mean? Are you calling me an idiot because I was courting you?" He spat back as he stood up, leaving very little space between them.

"You call that courting? You take me here against my will and the moment my feet touch the ground you are all over me. In my language it's called /rape/, not courting." She gradually raised her voice.

"And in my language to rape a woman she must be unwilling, not kissing back."

"A kiss doesn't give you the right to do more."

"And what about your moans?" He plastered a satisfied grin on his face, he was cornering her.

"Uh..." She blinked, but regained her senses soon. "T-They were just part of the kiss."

"You moan like that every time you kiss someone?" He said smugly, beginning to think he could have a second chance with Sango if he got her to admit what she wanted.

"I don't go around kissing the first one I meet! Who do you think I am?"

"Does it means I'm special?" He practically purred.

"It- It means nothing!"

"'Nothing' doesn't have the scent of a female in heat." He said, approaching her.

"WHAT?!" She shouted, her blood-shoot eyes meaning sure death, but he totally ignored it.

"A very sexy female, indeed. Especially when she's angry." He licked his lips.

She stared at him for a moment, wondering when their argument had changed into another seduction attempt from his part.

"This has noth-" She interrupted herself when he began smelling the air around them.

"HEY! What are you doing?"

"Just a minute away from me and you no longer have that scent. This must mean something I'm sure I'll like." He said, continuing to ignore her rebuts.

"It. Means. Absolutely. Nothing!" Her eyes were now dangerously narrowed and her hands curled up in fists; he was really getting on her nerves.

"What about I kiss you again and we see if that scent comes back?" He closed the distance between them, but didn't touch her.

"Kouga, I warn you: my patience is wearing thin." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, a gesture that didn't really suit her mood, and slid each hand inside the opposite sleeve.

"If you're so eager to have me kiss you, you coul-" He was interrupted by the slap Sango delivered to his face. Before he could say something, an extremely bad smell made him collapse onto the ground.

Sango did nothing to support him as he fell down. She only sighed in relief and watched the broken shell in her hand that once contained a Youkai-repellent; fortunately, earlier that day she had put some of those stinking things inside her kimono. She glanced back at Kouga, but decided to turn away and set off for the village before she could begin to feel sorry for him. She needed to focus on her anger, she had any right to: he had forcefully tried to 'mate' -as he liked to put it- with her!

Sango suppressed a sigh, stopping a few paces away from him. She wasn't being fair to Kouga. He had been insistent, yes, too forward, surely, and maybe also a bit of a fathead, but she couldn't honestly say he had been forceful. No matter how strong and trained she was, at that moment she had been unarmed against a Youkai that, she had been able to witness, was pretty strong himself; had he really wanted to be forceful, she wouldn't have gotten away totally unharmed as she had.

Anyway, that didn't mean she should compliment him, she reminded herself. It was normal not to hurt the one you're courting, he had done nothing special. On the contrary, he hadn't stopped when she had said so, and that also should be a given thing; at least it was among humans.

But again, he wasn't human; what did 'normal' mean for him?

Tired of mulling over the same thing over and over, Sango let free the sigh she had swallowed moments before. Lowering her head, she finally noticed two big eyes staring at her.

"Kirara!" She exclaimed, suddenly realizing the last time she had seen her little friend had been at the village. The Youkai raised a paw toward Kouga and meowed in a way that Sango interpreted as 'What happened to him?'.

"He was... A little too friendly." Sango said, purposefully avoiding to look at Kouga. There were other things she should have said, but she hoped the scents lingering on her would be enough for Kirara to guess what had happened. And probably she understood better than Sango herself, because she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, as if telling her master 'It is not the whole truth.'. Sango stared back at her, until she was no longer able to held her gaze.

"Fine. I wasn't able to let go. Are you happy now?" She finally admitted, both to Kirara and to herself.

The Youkai cat didn't answer and approached Kouga as much as the smell of the repellent allowed her, then looked back at Sango. When the girl's gaze shifted from her to Kouga, Kirara meowed something between a 'What are you going to do with him?' and a 'Go help him.'.

Sango bit her lower lip as she noticed how Kouga's head was bent; he would surely have a stiff neck later. Slipping past Kirara without a single word, she reached Kouga and rolled him on his back. Absentmindedly, she brushed away the remnant of the repellent's shell from his cheek while she studied his face. It was contracted in a grin due to the substance, but there was something fierce and noble in it that made it pleasant to look at him. He was... Beautiful.

She sighed again, finally acknowledging that it was plainly useless pretend she didn't feel attracted to him. Wordlessly, she slid her hands under Kouga's arms and dragged him to a nearby tree, where she arranged him into a sitting position. She produced another shell from the sleeves of her kimono, containing a concentrated essence that she always brought along together with the repellent, because it could counter its effect in case of accidental contact with Kirara.

After quickly discarding his face or the exposed part of his chest -because there was a chance his recover would be too fast and he might go after her- and his legs -it would be embarrassing to touch them after what had happened- she decided to crash the shell on his upper arm. She took aim with her hand, but then lowered it to look at his face one last time.

"I'll give you a second chance, mister." She said, knowing he couldn't hear her. "But if you rush things as you've done today, or if there's even a single thing I don't like in what you do, consider this to be over. Understood?"

Just as expected, he didn't answer. Probably saying those things to someone unconscious was like taking the coward's way, but she couldn't tell him openly; it would be too simple for him to just do what she said without really feeling it. He needed to figure it out by himself and, if he did, she'd consider it a proof of his love for her.

Without further delay, she broke the antidote's shell against the skin of his upper arm. When Kouga's nose began to twitch, reacting to the essence, she leaned toward his face.

"Do your best, Kouga." She said sincerely, then placed a chaste, sweet kiss between his lips and his nose, as a token of the opportunity she was giving him. Before he could wake up or even stir, she was already walking away.

She wasn't sure he could tell that last kiss apart from the other they had shared, she wasn't even sure he'd be able to smell it over the repellent and the antidote, but it didn't really matter. What was important was that she had given him a second chance in her mind and /her heart/. As for him, whether he got her message or not, she had the feeling and the hope he would search her again.

Very, very soon.

- - -
This is my harmony
I'm in your heart again
This is the place to live
Where I'm alone again



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Finished 07-May-2008
Latest revision 21-July-2008

Thanks to anybody who read the story, and thanks to those who reviewed.
Whoever wants to review is welcome, even -I'd dare to say 'especially'- if she/he says the story needs improvements.





Something Unexpected
Chapter 04 - You Belong To Me
by SkylessStar



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Before everything, I want to thank anybody who put up with my exasperating slowness and continue reading the story, as well as those who reviewed or put the story in their favorites.
For this chapter I couldn't find a beta-reader, so I apologize in advance for any mistake I could have missed.

Disclaimer: Koga, Sango and all the characters had been created by Rumiko Takahashi.
The Song "The Prophet Said" belongs to Lacuna Coil.
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Teasing pureness of your eyes
Crawling into empty spaces
You could lie and lie again
You belong to my possession
- - -

Kouga stared at the clear night sky.

Seen from above, the forest looked like a silent, serene land graced by the ethereal light of a silvery moon. Everything around him was immobile, helplessly oblivious to the impatience wrapping his soul.

Just like he had done a second before, he sniffed the air. Still no sign of her.

Again, he moved on another branch of the tree that allowed him the highest possibilities of seeing and smelling her arrive, wondering once more if he should storm in the village to find her and bring her somewhere private.

At the beginning of the night he had been overwhelmed by excitement, both physical and psychological, but as time went by and she didn't arrive uneasiness began to gain the upper hand. Three hours had already passed since sunset, why was she taking so long? Hadn't she agreed to met him in the night?

Kouga scratched his head, thinking about what had happened. Back at the village, with his brain fogged by her closeness and her scent, he had thought it was a good idea to go away before she could say 'no'. Now he was beginning to see that not allowing her to refuse wasn't the same as making her accept.

Even if she wanted to meet him, anyway, he hadn't given her a place or a time... The hour he had spent choosing the spot from where he'd catch her scent faster and better would be all in vain if she decided to enter the forest from the other side of the village.

Not that he was really blaming himself for the stupid way he had acted: with the mind-blowing effect her presence had on him, he was actually wondering how had he managed not to jump her bones while talking with her, being near her, even teasing her.

Eyes filled with worries and longing turned to the village, wishing for her to magically appear even if he hadn't perceived her scent. She had to hurry up, the night might not be long enough for all the things he wanted to do.

What was she doing?

- - -

Sango turned in her futon for maybe the hundredth time.

Sighing, she watched the light of the full moon enter from the small window and enlighten the whole room. Maybe it was a good moment to go. The night was still young but, if she waited too much, she might be unable to come back before the others would wake. Not that she could guess how much time her meeting with Kouga would take, since she didn't even know why he wanted to see her.

She had dared to think he wanted to spend some time with her -something romantic, just the two of them under the moon, walking hand in hand, doing sweet talks, looking in each other's eyes- but...

'Get real, Sango.' She said herself in an inner talk. '/Kouga/, doing something like that? ...For you?' She had been able to witness his caring side, but there was a long road from being concerned to going lovey-dovey.

It had been bugging her since dinner, after somebody said something she couldn't remember exactly: what was the true reason Kouga wanted to see her alone? They all knew he wasn't one to keep his feelings for himself, if he was in any way interested in her, he wouldn't have been so discreet.

Because of the things he had said about her scent and her being 'sexy', when he had invited her in the forest she had really thought he wanted to see her, just her, only her.

What if he just wanted her to give him some suggestions on how to court Kagome? After all, that same afternoon he had fought with InuYasha just to go near the younger girl.

Being a taiji-ya, Sango knew some Youkai -Yorozokus among them- were really possessive about their mates. She should have understood from the first moment that he was still running after Kagome, but she had nonetheless listened to her ludicrous hopes.

But if that was the reason, why had he licked his lips so often around her? Well, not really often, just a couple of time, but he was so close and his eyes held so much intensity that she had been expecting a kiss at any moment. A kiss that obviously didn't arrive.

Sango turned again, now lying on her back. Maybe she should just give up and try to sleep a little. Kouga was obviously not interested in her, and yet she was considering to go in the forest, in the middle of the night, leaving a warm and comfortable house, just to tell to the very one she liked how to court someone else?

"This surely ain't gonna happen." She whispered, closing her eyes with another sigh meant to take away all her sorrow. Controlling her breathing, she forced herself to relax, trying to get some very needed sleep.

- - -

Silent as he had never been before, Kouga was approaching the village. Every movement he made was slow and deliberate, every step he took was the result of an inner struggle between the emotions that pushed him forward and the thoughts that uselessly tried to stop him.

Pride screamed for him to go back. How could he go to her, begging for some attention -after she, not showing up, had practically turned him down- and still expect her to respect him?

Anger allowed him to proceed. Pretending he was going there just to make a scene about her absence could be a good excuse to deceive his pride.

Good sense told him to stay away from other people. If courting her in front of others would embarrass her as much as seeing him naked, then being alone and far from the village was necessary for what he wanted to do.

Attraction pushed him forward. He wanted her, no point in denying it. Denial couldn't erase that primitive need to see her body move beneath his own.

Gathering his courage, he decided to end that pointless debate and continue without further questions. No matter how many good reasons to stop his brain could find, his body would always find one more reason to go.

It didn't take long to reach the last trees of the forest, from where he could easily smell the various humans inhabiting the village. Given the number of people that lived there and the fact that she was probably inside some house, it didn't surprise him that he couldn't make out Sango's scent. Resolved to find her nonetheless, he decided to search fresh traces of her scent around every huts.

Luck should have been on his side, because as soon as he approached the nearest window, he felt her scent became more intense; not enough for her to be in the room behind that wall, though. He tried the opposite side of the hut and her scent seemed to be stronger. Kouga climbed the small height that separated his face from the window to better smell the inside.

It was strange: her scent kept coming nearer, but inside the hut he could only see and smell an old man and a child. And the house, he realized then, wasn't big enough to held more than a room.

"Looking for someone?" A whisper, from behind his shoulders.

Still grasping the edges of the window, Kouga turned his head as fast as he could, only to see Sango standing behind him. All the doubts and uncertainties that had been plaguing his mind until then instantly disappeared in the exact moment he saw her smile.

- - -

When she recognized the dark figure sniffing the air around a hut, probably doing a thorough search for her, Sango smiled. Not because he was there -she was still unsure about his reasons- but because she was finally understanding why Kirara had dragged her out of bed just when she was about to catch some sleep. She had initially thought there was some adverse Youkai, but when Kirara convinced her to leave Hiraikotsu behind, Sango had begun to wonder what might be so urgent.

"Looking for someone?" She asked, her voice low enough not to wake anyone.

When he turned around, Sango began petting the yellow companion on her shoulder, as for thanking her. She was still afraid Kouga could break her heart, but at least she had a chance to make things clear. In a way, she felt relieved, she felt good. And she felt even better at the refreshing sight of him smiling while still holding onto the window.

"Sango." Was all he said. He stared at her for a moment before realizing there were more comfortable position to do it than loping from a window, then jumped down. Eyes restlessly wandering over her, he nonetheless failed to notice Hiraikotsu's absence; he couldn't care less at the moment. He noticed very well, though, her hair let down and the pink kimono she was wearing. It was a good sign, she had no intention of hiding her scent from him.

Finally setting his eyes on her face, he began to slowly move toward her. It didn't matter the light of the moon gave her a supernatural aura, it didn't matter the smile on her lips was the most gracious and innocent thing he had ever seen, it didn't matter they were in the middle of a human village: in that moment the only thing in his mind was her body, ethereal personification of raw, earthly carnality.

He could tell -no, he /knew/- beneath that collected appearance of hers there was an untamed fire, and he longed, ached to touch it, explore it, be the one to push it to its limits as the two of them become one.

Sango watched him approach. His smile had slowly turned into a piercing stare, holding much more intensity than she ever believed could be seen on Kouga's face. She noticed all too well how his eyes roamed over her body more than once, something ravenous transpiring from behind them.

Her own smile disappeared, unable to withstand his seriousness, and uneasiness began to make its way inside of her. Her taiji-ya's second nature kicked in, forcing her to stay alert. He was giving her the same sensation she got whenever a Youkai tried to assault her: his predatory grin, the confidence in his movements, his tongue licking his lips -again...

Everything about him said she was his prey and he was about to eat her.

Just before he could reach her, Kouga saw Sango take a fighting stance. He paused; was the expression in her eyes, the one skilfully disguised as the focused gaze of a warrior ready to fight, an expression of fear? He felt confusion grow once again as he didn't find a single trace of said fear in her scent. Then what? Why retreat if she wasn't afraid? What if, instead, she was able to mask her scent?

Many emotion crushed on him all at once; he was proud of his mate -only the bravest warriors could dominate fear like she was doing- he was concerned she might actually be scared of him, he felt manly because a female like her seemed to recognize him as stronger, he wanted her to fight back to show him the opposite...

Under the watchful and knowing eyes of Kirara, Kouga extended his arm searching for some kind of contact. The instant he moved she cursed herself for not bringing along a proper weapon. She squared him with her eyes, waiting for the best moment to strike, but somehow he sensed her intentions and froze, unwilling to bother her in any way. She studied his eyes and all the emotions hidden behind them; all the aggressiveness had gone away, leaving behind concern, maybe even insecurity.

Her eyes softened and it was all the assurance he needed to finally rest his hand upon her arm. Never breaking eye contact, he began to move his hand, making it slide up and down her elbow in a slow and soothing gesture. His touch was gentle, for he was just looking for some form of contact, something to show her she didn't need to be afraid, to reassure himself she won't flee him.

"Am I scaring you, Sango?" His voice and his gaze were soft, as if he was offering to change his behavior for her sake.

Her pride rejected the concept of fear, but for the briefest moment she felt like telling him he had actually put her on alert, wishing for him to comfort her and say it had been just a misunderstanding. But she was a warrior, and as a warrior she knew better than show her weakness to an enemy, even when she wanted nothing more than snuggle into his arms.

It was taking her some seconds to find the best answer, something that could make him understand how ominous his figure had been just a moment before and to conceal any weakness on her part, but patience had never been one of Kouga's virtues.

"I won't hurt you." He whispered, lifting his hand to skim over her cheek and encircling her with the other arm. Sango froze, unable to avert her gaze from his meaningful one; she didn't move even when he brought his face closer to hers, so close that it touched her cheek. He remained in the same position for a little while, softly brushing his nose against her velvety skin, then embraced her tightly with both arms, shrinking to nothing the distance between their bodies.

She inhaled sharply; the fear for her safety had been replaced by a new one, mixed with trepidation, that made her aware of every single movement, breath or heartbeat happening between the two of them. Her whole world had been reduced to his body and the sensations it was awakening: the strong need to let go and return the embrace, the overwhelming qualms it was too fast, too new and too good to be right.

Her scent was giving away her slow acceptance of his closeness but he could tell there was something holding her back because her body was still rigid and stiff and her breath, tickling his shoulder, was coming out in a slow and controlled rhythm. He nuzzled her neck to smell her better and, hoping to make her relax, began rubbing his hands up and down her back.

Despite her good sense, Sango closed her eyes and pressed her face against his shoulder, all the resolve to keep her composure failing miserably against the sparkles his hands were sending through her back. He knew, at that point, she needed just a little push to surrender to him.

In her mind, Sango was cursing herself. She was losing her battle of will against the primal call Kouga represented and she knew, but felt helpless. Right as she was -tightly wrapped in his arms, strongly assaulted by his masculine scent and delectably caressed by his hands- she didn't have the strength to do anything. And while her rational part pointed out a thousand reasons for it to be wrong, the rest of her screamed at rationality to go to hell.

Kouga moved his face a little upward, grazing her neck with his nose and lips, the touch so light it gave her goosebumps. When his mouth leveled her ear, Kouga let a hot breath caress it. She swallowed loudly, and he knew it was time to take what was righteously his.

With his nose, he slowly traced the contours of her ear, slightly brushing their cheeks together; his eyes were closed, to enhance the senses of smell and touch. He had been dying to be this close to her since last time they met and, at the moment, he just wanted to let the scent and the shape of her body invade his senses completely.

"Sango..." He said huskily, paying attention to every little reaction.

"My beautiful Sango..."

The time slowed down, and Sango swallowed hard when the meaning of his words, what she wanted them to mean, reached the depth of her soul. The possessiveness permeating his words didn't go unnoticed and, suddenly, she realized that she wasn't just a means to get to Kagome; somehow, it looked like the younger girl had just disappeared from his thoughts.

And as this revelation hit her, she also understood the deep implications of his gestures. With his embrace, he wasn't just asking forgiveness for scaring her, he wasn't only holding her because he liked her.

No. He was a Youkai -one from a rather primitive tribe, should be added... He wasn't just hoping for her to reciprocate, he was demanding her to give herself to him, without doubts and without restraints. It was no longer a game, it wasn't as trivial as living out her fantasies in a nightly escapade and then return to her normal life.

Her mind blanked out for a moment, the last thought feeling like an icy shower to her. Was she really considering this an 'escapade'? Just how far was she ready to go, how much was she willing to give? She had never considered herself a woman of loose morals, nor had she been raised as one; to do something like that...

Though -she had to admit- she had fantasized about being held, being kissed, maybe even being touched by him, but not even in her fantasies she had given herself to him completely. Or, to say things as they were, she had been afraid her scent could change enough for InuYasha to understand what she was thinking -and then ask about it.

But that didn't change the fact that the body surrounding hers was real, and what he wanted to do had always held a deep meaning to her. She wasn't ready to be with a man just because of carnal desire -she'd never be ready- and a serious commitment was out of question, since she had learned about his feelings... When? A handful of seconds before? And were them feelings at all? How did those things work among Yorozoku? How long was their 'love' supposed to last?

Overwhelmed by a multitude of questions, Sango felt the urge to detach from him and raised her hands against his hips, preparing to push him away.

He mistook it for a silent request to go ahead and, feeling encouraged, teased the backside of her ear with his tongue, pulling it into his mouth. Wet and hot lips curled around it and he gently sucked, in a gesture she felt was too erotic to withstand.

She jerked her head away, trying to no avail to wiggle out of his grasp. Kouga stared at her, wondering what he could have done wrong. He searched his memory for some kind of rituals humans performed to mate and that he had missed, but nothing came to his mind. In her face was a mix of lust and terror, her wide open eyes begging him to go away, her flushed cheeks telling him how much she wanted him. And her scent, always delicious, was exciting as never before.

"Ko-Kouga..." Sango stammered, so nervous that her lips were almost trembling. Shaking her head, she continued, "I... W-we... Can't... No-not yet..."

Without so much of a hint of releasing her, he continued to stare into her eyes, trying to decipher the emotions running beneath her expression and her body language, at the moment a complete mystery to him.

His piercing gaze was too much to bear and Sango turned her face to the side, lowering her eyes. After so many days spent thinking about him, she still couldn't tell how much of it come from her heart and how much from her body's desires.

Watching her profile as she tried to deprive him of the sight of her face, he caught a movement beyond her shoulders that he would have gladly done without.

"Please, let go." Sango whispered, sounding too miserable for her own liking and, to her biggest surprise, he released his firm hold on her body. She was about to turn her head at him in disbelief, but before she could do it he had already scooped her up in his arms; she let out a surprised yelp, but he was already running toward the forest, carrying her.

- - -

When InuYasha had seen Sango get up to follow Kirara, he had paid it no mind; they were both big girls -or Youkai- after all. When he had smelled Kouga going around in the village and had gone outside to chase him away from Kagome, his companion had already left his mind. So, when he had seen the whole exchange between them he had been dumbfounded, to say the least, and had stared at them wide-eyed the whole time, unable to move.

Only after he realized he was into Kouga's line of sight InuYasha had been able to return to reality and hide himself. He, though, regretted it the moment he did it: Kouga's sight, as well as his own and that of all Youkai and animals that lived of what they could hunt, was strongly attuned in perceiving movements, and his dash had surely caught the wolf's attention. Thing that, ironically enough, his brightly colored appearance probably wouldn't have.

Before InuYasha could decide to poke out his head, he heard Sango's little cry. When he looked at the place Sango and Kouga had been standing, the only one left was Kirara, changing into her bigger form to follow them. It was at that point that he saw Kouga running away holding Sango.

Despite himself, who had never been curious about other's people private affairs, InuYasha took off after the two; after all, Sango was part of his group and, judging from the way she had tried to free herself from Kouga, she might be unwilling to go with him.

'Or maybe not.' he thought when his nose caught the scent of Sango's arousal. Which, much to his dismay, he found rather tantalizing. For once, he was grateful that Kouga's smell was there as well, or Sango's one could have had unwanted effects on him, and he had already too problems with 'just' two females in his life to even consider a third one.

- - -

"What do you think are doing?!" Sango yelled in Kouga's ear, mostly to overcome the wind's noise.

"Taking you away from unwelcome eyes!" He answered, squeezing shut an eye as if it could avoid the pain in his ear.

"Unwel- WHAT?!" She asked, embarrassed by the realization that someone could have seen them.

"Mutt-face was spying on us. I don't want anyone looking at my woman." He stated. "Especially him."

Hearing his words and the way he said them, Sango felt all her doubts return and hid her face in her hands, letting out a frustrated groan. She didn't feel comfortable in the position she was in, both emotionally and physically, but she stopped squirming around because she knew if she asked him to put her down he would ignore her words and if she tried to convince him by force they might both fall and get hurt.

Since she could do nothing else, she hid her face against his chest and decided to enjoy, secretly, the feeling of his body and of the wind running wildly through her hair.

"Remove your hands." He said, gently enough to sound as a request and not as a command.

Sango only spread her fingers enough to watch at him, but it was enough for him to see the questions behind her eyes.

"Whatever you're ashamed of, don't be." He said resolutely. Soon, anybody would know she was his and guess what they, as a couple, would be doing; there was no point in hiding it or in being embarrassed about it. Plus, his pride wouldn't allow her to be ashamed of him in any way.

"What are you talking about? It's you the one that ran away!" She questioned, a little angrily.

Kouga smiled, noticing how she had removed her hands from her face. She could deny it, she could act gentle and collected, but deep inside she was as wild and proud as he was. He delayed the answer for a moment, until he decided they were far enough from the village -and from any possible spectator- and abruptly stopped, setting Sango on her feet with her back against a tree.

Even though its trunk prevented her fall, it still made her feel cornered.

"Let's get this straight," He said, looking her squarely in the eyes, "I'm not ashamed to be seen with you. In fact, I'm proud you accepted me as your mate."

"I didn't--" Her protests were silenced by a finger he put on her lips. He approached her body and placed his hand beside her shoulder, still giving her some space to avoid scaring her.

"But I don't want anyone else to enjoy the sight of your body, its scent, its feeling under the hands, the taste of your skin, the sound of your moans..." Kouga said, in a voice increasingly low. "All those things will be /mine/..." He removed his finger, searching her eyes for any kind of reaction.

Sango didn't know if it were his words, his self-confidence bordering on arrogance, the hungry look in his eyes, the hand lifting her face, his masculine scent, the pleasant presence of his body or some kind of spell he must have cast upon her, but the only thing she managed to do was stare at him, unsure of her own desires.

".../Only/ mine." He finished, caressing her chin with his thumb.

Sango felt all her protests fade away; somewhere in the back of her mind she tried to remember if a Youkai could affect a human's judgment and make her act like a Yorozoku than a human but it soon lose its relevance. Everything became clearer by the moment as she pushed aside every foreign thought and began to concentrate on him. Her eyes went back and forth from his eyes to his lips and, for once, the awareness of what would happen next didn't scare her.

He finally closed his eyes, lowering his head. Just a second, a single breath and...

Their lips met.

From the beginning, he put all himself in the kiss, pressing and brushing their lips together almost roughly, but she didn't protest nor back away; instead, he felt her hands on his hips, trying to pull him closer. Kouga licked her lips and she finally began to return the kiss with a passion matching his own.

His hand abandoned her face to trace her neck and then slide down her back, passing below her hair, until it rested at her waist; it took a great effort from his part to stop there, but before touching any of her roundnesses he wanted to be sure she was ready.

Sango decided it was time to take the initiative and lifted her arms around his neck; one hand reached the fur band around his head, pulling him closer, the other's fingertips grazed the bare skin of his shoulders, eliciting a moan from him. She responded opening her lips slightly.

Whether the act had second meanings or not -he didn't know and didn't care- Kouga slid his tongue into her mouth, caressing the inside of her upper lip. She inhaled deeply at the new sensation, the delicate touch sending a shiver of pleasure down her spine. Soon, a sound resembling a purr came from her throat.

Every moment more confident, Sango licked his lower lip with the tip of her tongue, and that was Kouga's breakdown. Throwing all cautions to the wind, he licked and caressed her tongue, enjoying its warmth and his taste. At the same time, he pulled her body closer and held her tightly against himself. Kouga pressed the physical evidence of his appreciation against her lower abdomen, but her lack of response made him wonder if somehow she had failed to understand what it was and that she was the reason of its stiffness.

He leaned forward, making her slightly arch her back to follow him. When she gave herself willingly into whatever movement he wanted to do and moaned at the increased contact of their bodies, they both realized he was in a position of utter dominance above her.

In spite of her being inexperienced, Sango still understood clearly the hidden message he was conveying with his kiss and with his body language; it was something primal and absolute, that allowed no uncertainties nor holding back, a need that came straight from his deepest instincts and crossed his whole being:

You. Belong. To me.

Putting aside right and wrong, keeping for later thoughts of what was appropriate and what not, she accepted what his attentions without restraint. She wanted to be his. She wanted him to be /hers/. And to make sure he understood the last part, she pulled him down to deepen the kiss.

Her acceptance and sudden boldness aroused him even more and, finally, he let his hands travel down to grab her well-shaped buttocks.

Surprised, Sango opened her eyes wide and gasped. He was going too far, she knew she had to stop him soon because later would be too hard for both of them, but the feeling of his hands on her body was to good to make him stop, so she forced herself to believe he wouldn't do anything more. A pitiful lie, and she was the first to know it.

His hands ran up and down her bottom, pushing her forward. When the pressure between their groins was enough, Kouga began to rub himself against her intimacy and Sango became aware, at last, of the thing pressing against her lower parts. What it was was clearly obvious and she was assaulted by contrasting sensations of excitement, trepidation and uncertainty until, against her judgment, her eyes shut themselves on their own accord.

Not even in her dreams Sango had ever felt so good, he seemed to know exactly what would make her body ache for more. She cursed her own lack of self-control, her body shouldn't be allowed to defy her like that: how could she ask Kouga to stop when her desire was so thick in the air that she herself could smell it? She didn't even want to imagine how strong the same scent could be for his Youkai senses.

She emitted a sound halfway between a pleased moan and a groan of disappointment. She didn't want all that to end. Why couldn't he just know when to stop?

Mislead by his self-confidence and the obvious message of her scent, he took the sound as an encouragement to go ahead. He began to lift the skirt of her kimono, savoring the moment when his hands would slide over her sex and her legs would be wrapped around his waist, but he felt her hands on his shoulders, trying to push him away. Guessing, wrongly, that she was just asking for some air, he released her mouth and buried his head against her neck, kissing, licking, sucking and grazing at it with his teeth.

"S-Stop." She whispered, exerting all of her willpower to ask for something she absolutely didn't want.

Kouga quickly ignored her request. Instead, he moved his right hand to her chest, inserting it inside her kimono, and started to caress her breast; if she wasn't sure she wanted him, he'd just convince her by showing her what she was going to give up. It was how thing worked within those of his kind: she was supposed to resist, he was supposed to seduce her.

"Kouga!" It was a strangled sound that came from her mouth as she grabbed his hand to keep it still. His fingers brushing on her nipple felt even better than his hands on her buttock, and it was even more difficult to resist them.

He growled. A low, menacing sound to make her understand who was the one in control. Despite the sound, though, he wasn't angry for her attempts to stop him; on the contrary, he was loving every moment of it. She was acting exactly as he would have expected from a female Yorozoku. Could his Sango be any more perfect?

Unable to stroke her breast, he settled instead for squeezing it. His mouth moved to her jaw and he began to nibble it, and Sango had to hold her breath to suppress another moan. She grasped the few survivor bits of her good sense to push him away, but only managed to detach his mouth from her face.

"Stop." She said, breathless and with her eyes still closed, slipping her arms between their chests to keep him away and to immobilize the hand inside her clothes.

Kouga stared at her, unsure if he had to take her request seriously or not. There was no way he could have mistaken her scent's message, but her face was so serious that he soon understood her rejection wasn't just a part of the mating ritual. Something was bothering her and, on instinct, he fondled her hips with his free hand trying to make her feel comfortable.

When she felt his soothing gesture, she slowly released his other hand; as she expected, it went to her left side and mirrored the action of its twin. Tentatively, she opened her eyes. The two of them stared at each other, her expression begging him to understand why she wanted to stop, his eyes begging her to follow her body and not her brain.

"Sango..." He whispered after awhile; he didn't know exactly what he could or wanted to say, but he knew he had to say something when her only answer was to bit her lower lip and look away. Too many questions were flooding his mind all at once -What's bothering you? Why are you holding back? Are you hurt? Are you afraid I'll hurt you? Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid you won't be enough? Do you think I won't be enough? Do you think you're just a replacement, a second choice? Are you embarrassed because of mutt-face seeing us? ...

"Don't you... Want me?" Was all he managed to put together.

"No-" 'It's not it.' she wanted to say, but the lump in her throat interrupted her. Still avoiding his eyes, she missed his shocked and almost pleading expression. She licked her lips nervously and took a deep breathe, trying to articulate her thoughts, but he didn't gave her the time.

"Liar." He said, in a voice devoid of any anger or accusation, once he had gotten over his shock.

Taken by surprise by his words and his calm tone, Sango suddenly turned to face him. When he knew he had her attention, Kouga slowly knelt in front of her, trailing his hands down her legs. The expression on his face, those eyes that held the strong determination of a man who had something to prove, made her resolve fade in a frown of confusion and fear as she saw his face level with her femininity, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I can smell your lust, Sango." He buried his face against her crotch and inhaled noisily to emphasize his words. One hand sneaked down her kimono and caressed sensually the inside of a thigh.

"You can't deny you want to be mine." He continued in a rough voice, muffled by her clothes.

Sango perceived the danger. This time a small distance wasn't going to stop him, not when he was actually right. Wherever she found the resolve, or whatever possessed her to do what she did next, was unknown even to her.

- - -

From behind some bushes, InuYasha and Kirara were watching everything. They could also hear and smell everything. While Kirara was happy for her companion, knowing it was the best thing for her, InuYasha was fighting the need to touch his private parts.

'That stupid wolf, he isn't even good enough to cover Sango's scent with his own.' InuYasha was thinking. If Kouga's smell had been stronger, probably now he wouldn't be so aroused. He hadn't realized before how much his body needed to relieve some tension, maybe it was time for him to finally chose between Kagome and Kikyou, but he really didn't want to. Was it his fault that Inu-Youkai weren't monogamous to begin with?

The moment Kouga crouched down to smell Sango, both Kirara and InuYasha took for granted the two would be mating soon -Sango's scent was unmistakable, as well as Kouga's intentions- therefore it was a shock for both of them to see, a split second later, Sango retreat from Kouga just enough to kneel him in the head, in a lightning move that would put to shame said Youkai's speed. The strength of her kick was enough to make Kouga roll over once and land on his back, visibly confused by the blow.

At that point, InuYasha decided to head back. Soon, Sango would return to their temporary accommodation and he needed to be there when she arrived, or else she could suspect he had been spying on them. Protesting with himself because he wasn't 'spying', but watching out for one of his friends, InuYasha made a sign to Kirara and went away. The Youkai remained there, waiting for the right moment to take Sango back.

- - -

Kouga opened his eyes slowly, then quickly squeezed them shut; his head was hurting and his ear ringing. He brought an hand to his temple, groaning in pain as he slowly massaged the left side of his head. After a while, he tried to open his eyes again and assess the situation. He blinked; why was he staring at the sky?

"Are you okay?"

Kouga turned his head to the voice and tried to focus on the figure kneeling beside him. "Sango." He said, as if he was surprised to find her with him. Looking at her, though, his memory quickly returned and surprise left its place to anger.

"Why the hell did you hit me?" He said -and not screamed- only because his ear hurt. One hand protecting it, he sat up so abruptly that his head spun. He must have wobbled, because he felt Sango's hand on his shoulder, steading him.

Sango felt guilty for what she had done to him, but to detach him from her before things could get out of hand again brute force was the only resource. Talking would be pointless: he would not listen and she would not sound convincing. But hurt him wasn't something she had planned or wanted to do; had she knew he was so out of guard, she wouldn't have hit so strongly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so forceful." She said, concern evident in her voice. "Does it hurt too much?"

Kouga squared her as if she had grown a second head. "Of course it hurt, what do you think?" He said, rather brusquely. He turned away from her, testing if he could let go of his ear without feeling too much pain. He never noticed the hand sliding down his back, as if suddenly feeling unworthy to touch him.

Ashamed for hurting him as if she hadn't given him certain signs, she remained silent for a while, not really knowing what to say. She didn't want to take all the blame -he wasn't innocent and should have stopped once she had asked so- but a part of her was afraid she had reacted far too encouragingly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered at last, to him but also to herself. She was a warrior, she should have some sort of control on her body and her emotions, but she felt like a slut.

He turned again to look at her, but she was facing down, her bangs hiding her eyes. He contemplated her form for a while, wondering why she was so adamantly pushing him away when she wanted him and no other male had any right on her. Had it something to do with her being human? Maybe mating her wasn't such a good idea after all...

He immediately discarded the thought. She was perfect, period. They just got off on the wrong foot; belonging to different species, it was inevitable there would be some incomprehension.

He sighed. He had never been very good with words but, apparently, he was the one that had to break the silence. He faced ahead, with his legs bent and slightly apart, and casually rested his arms on them.

"Sango?" She said nothing, but he noticed she had lifted her head to look at him; he decided it had to be enough.

"Why did you kick me away?" He asked calmly.

"I-" Sango began, just to stop herself. How could she explain her reasons and make them sound convincing -or at least logical- when she was the first one to doubt them?

"I mean..." He continued, maybe to help her to articulate, maybe because he wanted an answer as soon as possible. "You' want me, I can tell. It's not just your scent... Your lips, your hands, your tongue... All your body was begging me to take you. Face it, Sango. You want to mate with me, at least as much as I want it." He turned to her, waiting for her to acknowledge the obviousness of her reactions.

Sango's eyes were open wide and her cheeks red as cherries. She couldn't deny her attraction for him, but did he really need to be that blunt about it? She turned her head, drawing a deep breath to take some time and gain courage.

"Look at me, Sango." Kouga demanded softly, almost pleading. He grabbed her chin gently and made her face him, but her eyes continued to avoid him.

"It's not so simple." She said. When he said nothing for a while, she decided to shift her eyes on him and Kouga, finally, spoke.

"It's the simplest thing in the world: I want you, you want me, we mate." His voice was plain -he was just stating the obvious, after all.

Embarrassment and anger made Sango's cheeks became even redder. That was what it was all about? Mating? And then? What would be of 'them' once the passion was over? How long it would take for passion to be over? Sango felt a sudden surge of pride; the man who could consider her in such a way had yet to be born. She rose to her feet, looking down on him.

"Maybe among you beasts it works this way. I, though, have a brain." She said rather nastily, maybe more than she had intended, but she let indignation lead her way; it would be simpler this way, she might be able not to feel pain if she convinced herself she despised him.

Kouga stared at her, bewildered at her renewed aggressiveness. After a moment, her words finally registered in his mind. And to think he was about to volunteer to follow whatever human habit could make her more comfortable around him.

"And just what would this mean? Are you calling me an idiot because I was courting you?" He spat back as he stood up, leaving very little space between them.

"You call that courting? You take me here against my will and the moment my feet touch the ground you are all over me. In my language it's called /rape/, not courting." She gradually raised her voice.

"And in my language to rape a woman she must be unwilling, not kissing back."

"A kiss doesn't give you the right to do more."

"And what about your moans?" He plastered a satisfied grin on his face, he was cornering her.

"Uh..." She blinked, but regained her senses soon. "T-They were just part of the kiss."

"You moan like that every time you kiss someone?" He said smugly, beginning to think he could have a second chance with Sango if he got her to admit what she wanted.

"I don't go around kissing the first one I meet! Who do you think I am?"

"Does it means I'm special?" He practically purred.

"It- It means nothing!"

"'Nothing' doesn't have the scent of a female in heat." He said, approaching her.

"WHAT?!" She shouted, her blood-shoot eyes meaning sure death, but he totally ignored it.

"A very sexy female, indeed. Especially when she's angry." He licked his lips.

She stared at him for a moment, wondering when their argument had changed into another seduction attempt from his part.

"This has noth-" She interrupted herself when he began smelling the air around them.

"HEY! What are you doing?"

"Just a minute away from me and you no longer have that scent. This must mean something I'm sure I'll like." He said, continuing to ignore her rebuts.

"It. Means. Absolutely. Nothing!" Her eyes were now dangerously narrowed and her hands curled up in fists; he was really getting on her nerves.

"What about I kiss you again and we see if that scent comes back?" He closed the distance between them, but didn't touch her.

"Kouga, I warn you: my patience is wearing thin." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, a gesture that didn't really suit her mood, and slid each hand inside the opposite sleeve.

"If you're so eager to have me kiss you, you coul-" He was interrupted by the slap Sango delivered to his face. Before he could say something, an extremely bad smell made him collapse onto the ground.

Sango did nothing to support him as he fell down. She only sighed in relief and watched the broken shell in her hand that once contained a Youkai-repellent; fortunately, earlier that day she had put some of those stinking things inside her kimono. She glanced back at Kouga, but decided to turn away and set off for the village before she could begin to feel sorry for him. She needed to focus on her anger, she had any right to: he had forcefully tried to 'mate' -as he liked to put it- with her!

Sango suppressed a sigh, stopping a few paces away from him. She wasn't being fair to Kouga. He had been insistent, yes, too forward, surely, and maybe also a bit of a fathead, but she couldn't honestly say he had been forceful. No matter how strong and trained she was, at that moment she had been unarmed against a Youkai that, she had been able to witness, was pretty strong himself; had he really wanted to be forceful, she wouldn't have gotten away totally unharmed as she had.

Anyway, that didn't mean she should compliment him, she reminded herself. It was normal not to hurt the one you're courting, he had done nothing special. On the contrary, he hadn't stopped when she had said so, and that also should be a given thing; at least it was among humans.

But again, he wasn't human; what did 'normal' mean for him?

Tired of mulling over the same thing over and over, Sango let free the sigh she had swallowed moments before. Lowering her head, she finally noticed two big eyes staring at her.

"Kirara!" She exclaimed, suddenly realizing the last time she had seen her little friend had been at the village. The Youkai raised a paw toward Kouga and meowed in a way that Sango interpreted as 'What happened to him?'.

"He was... A little too friendly." Sango said, purposefully avoiding to look at Kouga. There were other things she should have said, but she hoped the scents lingering on her would be enough for Kirara to guess what had happened. And probably she understood better than Sango herself, because she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, as if telling her master 'It is not the whole truth.'. Sango stared back at her, until she was no longer able to held her gaze.

"Fine. I wasn't able to let go. Are you happy now?" She finally admitted, both to Kirara and to herself.

The Youkai cat didn't answer and approached Kouga as much as the smell of the repellent allowed her, then looked back at Sango. When the girl's gaze shifted from her to Kouga, Kirara meowed something between a 'What are you going to do with him?' and a 'Go help him.'.

Sango bit her lower lip as she noticed how Kouga's head was bent; he would surely have a stiff neck later. Slipping past Kirara without a single word, she reached Kouga and rolled him on his back. Absentmindedly, she brushed away the remnant of the repellent's shell from his cheek while she studied his face. It was contracted in a grin due to the substance, but there was something fierce and noble in it that made it pleasant to look at him. He was... Beautiful.

She sighed again, finally acknowledging that it was plainly useless pretend she didn't feel attracted to him. Wordlessly, she slid her hands under Kouga's arms and dragged him to a nearby tree, where she arranged him into a sitting position. She produced another shell from the sleeves of her kimono, containing a concentrated essence that she always brought along together with the repellent, because it could counter its effect in case of accidental contact with Kirara.

After quickly discarding his face or the exposed part of his chest -because there was a chance his recover would be too fast and he might go after her- and his legs -it would be embarrassing to touch them after what had happened- she decided to crash the shell on his upper arm. She took aim with her hand, but then lowered it to look at his face one last time.

"I'll give you a second chance, mister." She said, knowing he couldn't hear her. "But if you rush things as you've done today, or if there's even a single thing I don't like in what you do, consider this to be over. Understood?"

Just as expected, he didn't answer. Probably saying those things to someone unconscious was like taking the coward's way, but she couldn't tell him openly; it would be too simple for him to just do what she said without really feeling it. He needed to figure it out by himself and, if he did, she'd consider it a proof of his love for her.

Without further delay, she broke the antidote's shell against the skin of his upper arm. When Kouga's nose began to twitch, reacting to the essence, she leaned toward his face.

"Do your best, Kouga." She said sincerely, then placed a chaste, sweet kiss between his lips and his nose, as a token of the opportunity she was giving him. Before he could wake up or even stir, she was already walking away.

She wasn't sure he could tell that last kiss apart from the other they had shared, she wasn't even sure he'd be able to smell it over the repellent and the antidote, but it didn't really matter. What was important was that she had given him a second chance in her mind and /her heart/. As for him, whether he got her message or not, she had the feeling and the hope he would search her again.

Very, very soon.

- - -
This is my harmony
I'm in your heart again
This is the place to live
Where I'm alone again



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Finished 07-May-2008
Latest revision 21-July-2008

Thanks to anybody who read the story, and thanks to those who reviewed.
Whoever wants to review is welcome, even -I'd dare to say 'especially'- if she/he says the story needs improvements.