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Kagome grinned at Inuyasha’s secretary as she walked by. It wasn’t Nami. She resisted another urge to check her watch, last time she checked, it was 10:30. If Inuyasha complained, he could stuff it. And if he actually didn’t want to her come… she would make up an important question she had to ask him and hope that it was believable. She didn’t bother to ask for the door to be opened, she just knocked. There was a long pause, no one answered. She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock again when the door opened, revealing Inuyasha. She looked up into his eyes; there were his normal melted gold color, instead of the brown he assumed when he went out.

Before she could drop her hand, he grabbed her wrist, hard, and pulled. She braced and leaned backwards, no way in hell was she going to be pushed around. Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed and she felt his fingers tighten on her wrist, he pulled harder. Kagome leaned back father. He simply started to drag her. Kagome slipped one foot out of its high heel and dug in with her bare heel for better leverage. Inuyasha harshly tightened his grip on her wrist, and Kagome felt tears prick her eyes, but she leaned back and tried pulling her arm back. His grip tightened and the tears welled up again, blinding her. Suddenly he released her wrist and Kagome started falling. She stared to catch her balance when the heel on her remaining shoe broke off and her ankle twisted out from under her. She closed her eyes and hoped she didn’t land too hard, but Inuyasha was there. He had managed to get almost directly behind her, and had his arms wrapped around her waist. Kagome’s breath caught in her throat as he slowly raised her back up, his arms tightening around her.

Inuyasha didn’t wait for idiotic things like words before he slid his foot around her ankle, swept her feet out from under her and pulled her up into his arms. Kagome tensed in shock as he walked through the door. As he loosened his hold on her to close the slam the door behind them, she managed to get her arm loose and she brought it up and into the underside of his jaw. She swore her heart stopped when Inuysha’s body suddenly went rigid. She stared, horrified, up at his emotionless face for one terrifying moment before she bucked her hips and violently twisted her legs in an attempt to dislodge herself. His hands slipped slightly. Kagome wrenched her legs free. She landed at a run, but her leg slipped and she fell to her knees. Kagome’s breath was ragged, and when she heard no sound from behind her and nothing touched her, she started to tremble. She waited for several long moments before she staggered to her feet and stumbled into a run… she got two strides away before she was jerked to a stop by a hand on her wrist. She looked down at the floor and refused to glance back at him, her other arm simply hanging limp by her side. She leaned forward, making him balance her so she wouldn’t fall.

He started to drag her backwards. She didn’t fight him. By the time she could feel his breath on the back of her neck, she was trembling again. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her back against him. She shivered when she felt his breath on her ear.

“Kagome…” she tensed at the sound of his voice. “Why the fuck are we doing this?” She had no reply for him, so she nodded mutely.

“Kagome, answer me…give me something!” He tightened his arms painfully. She remained silent. “Kagome!” by now she could practically feel his anger. Almost feel it in the heat of his body. Kagome shook her head again. Inuyasha tightened his arms suddenly, making her gasp in pain. He started pushing down on her. Kagome felt her eyes widen in shock as he applied more pressure. When she didn’t bend her knees he pushed harder. Kagome sucked in a breath and craned her head around to look at him. His face was unreadable. He pushed down again and she felt her legs start to shake under the pressure. Suddenly he stopped pushing. She started to turn and look at him again when she felt a sudden force on the back of her knee, it gave out. As she started to go down she felt Inuyasha hook his foot around her ankle and yank. Just before she hit, Inuyasha shoved down on her shoulders, slamming her into the ground, forcing her to kneel. Kagome let out a strangled scream as white hot pain shot up her knees. She didn’t have time to struggle before she felt him kneel behind her and wrap her in the vise like grips of his arms. They knelt, entangled, while Kagome started to catch her breath. She could tell that he was waiting for something. She shuddered when she felt his breath on her neck. Inuyasha gently touched his lips to her neck. Kagome exploded.

She let out a strangled scream and violently started to thrash. Inuyasha tightened his arms to a bruising force, forcing her to be still. By this time Kagome’s breathing was a wheeze. Inuyasha again lowered his head to her neck, and bit.

Instantly Kagome went limp in his arms. He was shaking almost as hard as she was. For different reasons. The sweet coppery taste of her blood was filling his mouth. He felt her pulse under his tongue; it felt as if her heart was trying to throw itself down his throat. He could feel Kagome making an effort to stop shaking, she knew how not to act around a youkai in this situation. He slowly released her shoulder and relaxed his hold on her.

“Lets stop the bleeding.”

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As he rummaged through his drawer Inuyasha glanced at Kagome out of the corner of his eye and winced. She was curled up on one of his leather couches. She looked like some abused thing all huddled up against all the black leather. Her modest buttercup yellow skirt had been pulled up so they wouldn’t touch her knees. There were already bruises with an un-healthy yellow tint to them, covering up the entirety of both knees. Her matching blouse was ruined, there was a massive blood stain spreading over her shoulder and spreading down her chest. Which brought him back to the present. He opened the newly found first-aid kit and gave a mental sigh of relief. Everything he needed was here. Inuyasha walked slowly over to the couch and sat gently next to her. Kagome glanced at him, and then the first-aid kit, before slowly raising her hand to unbutton her shirt for him. When the bite was revealed he hissed in surprise, he had thought he had been able to control himself more. It looked like a wild animal had gotten to her. He inwardly winced at the simile. The wound was still bleeding sluggishly, so he had to first stop the blood flow. As he worked, to his enormous surprise and relief, Kagome started to relax for him. By the time he had cleaning and bandaging, it she had managed to get her muscles to go lax. After he secured the last piece of gauze he slowly let his hands fall to his lap. They simply gazed at each other, the awkward silence growing between them.

Finally Kagome sighed softly and slowly opened her arms. The universal sign for “hug me!” Inuyasha let out a breath that he hadn’t known he was holding and stood up. He then bent down and gingerly scooped Kagome up into his arms before settling back on the couch. He was secretly glad when he discovered she was small enough to curl on his lap and barley overflow. He grinned a little when Kagome butted him in the chin. He lifted his head so she could fit the top of her head in the hollow of his throat. He waited until she settled and wrapped his arms around her, almost blocking her from view. They simply sat there, soaking in each other… and planning what they would say.

“This isn’t a hug” he smirked. “This is a mauling”. He chuckled and Kagome managed to elbow him. He started to laugh. “What the hell happened?” the laughter died in his throat. “Inuyasha?” When he didn’t answer she pulled herself away from him and peered up at his face. “Inuyasha… what happened.” Finally Kagome voice had gotten an edge. Kagome finally caught his gaze, “what was that?” Inuyasha could feel her body tensing as she spoke.

“Before you came I had a … conversation with one of my business associates. We had a slight disagreement …and I got a little edgy.” His eyes slipped away from her accusing gaze. Kagome very slowly pulled back and uncurled herself from his lap. She gingerly stepped back off the couch. “You got edgy? She started to back away from him, “YOU GOT EDGY?” She was almost all the way across the room from him when Inuyasha finally met her eyes. He felt his heart literally convulse. There are some things that no one wants to see on another person face. Especially some one you care about. He could literally see her trust in him start to fade.

“ Kagome you don’t under-“

“STOP IT!” Kagome’s voice cracked and her back slammed into the wall, she could retreat no further. “Inuyasha I have seen you come back from your demons side, I have seen you control yourself in situations that would have broken others! And you have the nerve to say that an argument got you out of control you couldn’t stop your self from DIONG THIS TO ME” Her eyes her dilated and her chest was heaving, he could smell her anger. He took a deep breath and slowly stood up, Kagome made a choking sound and tried to back up further.

“Kagome” He tried to keep his voice gentle. “Kagome, you don’t understand. When you knew me… when you knew me I was able to fight. I was able to take my anger out... I was able to kill.” He started to take a step foreword but stopped when Kagome threw her head up and he felt a rush of her power lick along his skin.

“Today… demons have no outlet. We get… tense.” He saw her shoulders slowly start to lower and her breathing deepen. “I was so fucking angry. I wasn’t sure I could control myself…and then you showed up.” He wanted to touch her. He wanted to make her understand he never meant for her to get hurt” But her eyes still held their wild-eyed tinge to them. Sometimes you just need leave people alone.

“I saw you and I knew… you calm me down. I needed to breathe. And danmit you wouldn’t come!”

The silence in stretched on until it was almost defining. Inuyasha started to take a step forwards, but he saw her tense up and stopped in mid step. Kagome sighed and leaned her head back against the wall.

“Who was the blonde?”

Inuyasha jerked in surprise, and took a deep breath. “She is… we’re kind of, well actually “dating” isn’t the right word-“ he was startled out of his explanation when Kagome suddenly jerked her head up and met his eyes. She slowly straightened, her eyes never leaving his, “Inuyasha I don’t care.”

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Kagome winced as she banged her knee against the elevator door. She had forgotten to take a pain pill when she went home to change. When she finally got home she had simply stripped and sank into a hot soothing bath… only to have it interrupted by Kouga calling. There might have been a break in the case, and they needed her insight. Oh Joy. As she walked into Kouga’s main floor, she thanked herself for the foresight of changing into jeans and sapphire blue sweater. She started to slow down uncertainly at the secretaries desk, she had been so angry at the interruption she hadn’t bothered to get real details, like where the hell she was supposed to be going. Just as she was opening her mouth to speak with the secretary, Kouga turned the corner.

“There you are, come one” Kagome frowned but followed, Kouga was usually the most polite person she worked with on the murders. She followed him into the lounge. Kouga’s lounge really was a lounge. There was almost no floor space because there were so many couches, chairs and piles of pillows. Kouga designed this space for his wolves, his tribe not the animals. Just because they didn’t live in caves anymore didn’t mean that demons ceased to need the close family community anymore. She almost grinned when she walked in, the room smelled like wolf. Just because Kouga didn’t let the wolves in didn’t mean that his people didn’t always smell like wolf. She almost grinned again when she caught site of the hardened professionals she usually saw looking like grim statues splayed out like the wolves they used to surround themselves with. When she and Kouga entered, several half asleep patrons of the lounge almost fell off their perches in hasty attempts to right themselves for the boss. A particularly nervous looking man, he looked young, mid twenties maybe, almost tripped over himself to vacate his seat. Kouga simply took the seat and said nothing. He motioned for Kagome sit also. She settled herself next to him on the row of couches.

“There was another killing. But this time the victim managed to escape, alive. He survived for a short time after , so the body is mainly intact.” Kouga’s voice was grave. “Here, Kagome take a look at this.” Kagome saw his jaws tighten as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a Polaroid. Kagome looked at him uncertainly and slowly unfolded the picture. Kagome gasped and her fingers tightened convulsively. She stared at the picture for several long moments before slowly dragging her gaze slowly up from the picture to meet Kouga’s grim face. Kagome let out a shuddering breath and pried her fingers off the crumbled paper. She gingerly set it down on the couch beside her before guilty trying to smooth it out.

“Kagome?” She jerked a little at the sound of Kouga’s voice. Kagome looked down again at the picture of the dead man. He was lying on his stomach. The bright red spider scar dominated the pale skin of his back.

“Oh God” Kagome breathed as she stared helplessly at Kouga. He nodded grimly, retrieved the picture and put it back into his pocket.

“We found pieces bright red scar tissue around the bodies apparently belonging to the victims, but there was no record of any such scar. And when we asked the girlfriend of the last one, she said she hadn’t even seen a red scar.” Kouga’s eyes were shadowed. Kagome simply stared at him. “I never felt him Kouga.” By this time she had started to shake slightly. “ Could this be a copy cat?” Kouga sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“I don’t know danmit!” Kagome was about to respond when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head towards one of Kouga’s men she recognized from somewhere she couldn’t even begin to remember.

“Yes?” He looked her squarely in the eye, and Kagome felt a wave of relief wash over her. Finally some one who could actually do the job.
“Do you know anything that could help us? How to kill whoever it is that is doing this? How to actually find the bastard?” His tone was accusing, but Kagome didn’t bother to be offended. He had a job to do. She sighed and leaned back into the thickly padded couch back.

“Look, the last time I went demon hunting, I used a bow and arrow. We chased down castles that kept picking up and flying off. Coming across the remains of a battle between two feuding demons lords wasn’t uncommon. I really don’t think I’ll be of much use besides purifying until it comes time to kill the guy.” She said tiredly. The man blinked at her and a awkward silence filled the room. Kouga, acting the role of diplomat for once, interrupted.

“Look, Shem, You’ll get more helpful information from the others…” Kouga’s voice was tense. One of his people had spoken up without permission.. Shemi looked Kagome over once before glancing over of Kouga again.

“So we only call her in when we need something purified or killed?” Disbelief had found its physical from in Shemi. Kagome thought about being offended, then remembered what she looked like… well she really should be offended. How long had this guy been alive? And he was still naïve enough to judge people by their appearance. She levelly met his gaze “Shemi, call me in for purifications and to kill. But make a note, I only hunt demons. I’m a miko, not a mercenary.” Kagome dropped her light tone and let her eyes harden. If he wanted to walk, she would walk. She let the silence grow deafening, no way in hell would she back down this time. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kouga start to tense, maybe to bring his underling to heal. Before Kouga could interrupt, Shemi slowly nodded and turned on his heel.

When Shemi left to go about whatever the hell he was supposed to be doing, Kouga turned to her. “Come on, we need to head on over to see Shippo, his team found something at the last crime scene.” Kagome nodded and started to get up when Kouga hastily interjected. “You’ll have to work with that other miko… what the hell is her name again? Wait Isn’t it … Akane or something?” Kagome almost choked, but Kouga ignored her and started walking out the door.