The Tattoo

Disclaimer: I don't own any members of the Inu cast. This was an idea I actually came up with based off a drawing my fiancee did for me. It was a picture of Ayame, looking over her shoulder, her hair down, and in the middle of getting dressed. Her backside was exposed, and a pretty green tattoo was decorating the small of her back. Since no one ever really sees Ayame naked, let along her back, who's to say a tribal tattoo couldn't exist? This fic was actually written by both myself, Lilz(aka White Wolf Ayame)and my really good friend B-chan. With later contribution from my fiancee YourouzokuAlpha. Enjoy ^_^

Chapter 11- Hot Confrontations


Ayame pulled away from the male in front of her, not able to meet his eyes as she sighed softly. This was maybe the only way she could say her goodbyes to him. It broke her heart, knowing she was giving up on the one person she'd loved more than anything in the world. She'd spent so much of her life, growing up, waiting for the day when Kouga was to take her as his bride as he promised. But it was all a lie and her broken heart would take a long time before it could mend.

"Kouga..." She trailed off, summoning up the courage to look him in the eye. "If nothing else, I wish us to still remain friends. I may not hold your heart, but you still hold mine. Even if we both move on, even if you find someone else, and I marry Mikhail, I don't want to loose you as a friend. If that's all you'll grant me... I don't want to lose that." The redhead said sadly. Her boldness was fading as her body began to grow cold. Standing out of the steamy water, the droplets had cooled on her body, and it was now cold and uncomfortable. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her forearms as if to warm the chill that had settled in her heart.

"When will you be leaving? Is there anything more you needed to speak to the Elder about?" She asked softly. Kouga cast his blue eyes away from Ayame, finding that in this moment it was very hard to look at the princess and remain firm about his decision. In the mists from the hot springs she appeared to be almost like a spirit of the Munin, the life force that held the wolf tribe together. The spirits of ancient wolves, from Elder to warrior... when they all passed on they were part of the Munin.

Kouga at first had thought she might have been an spirit of the Munin. But of course that was his eyes playing tricks on him, and now here he was, both he and Ayame standing and embracing one another while nude, thinking of nothing other than remaining friends and forgetting about the past. Kouga was about ready to scream at himself for not taking up such an offer, for letting Ayame slip through his fingers, someone who loved him and cherished him, and would do anything for him and he didn't even have to fight for her affections. It was already there. Unfortunately Kouga was more stubborn than that, his heart belonged to Kagome.

Before he could answer the sound of pebbles falling down from the cliff side near the hot springs caught Kouga's attention. His gaze snapped from Ayame's to look up through the steam to see a shadowed figure had been keeping a close eye on what he and Ayame had been doing. The thickness of the mist and steam kept Kouga from distinguishing a particular scent other than just the basic wolf. This was one of their kin, a brother... what was he doing spying on them.

His blue eyes narrowed and as he kept his arm wrapped around Ayame he turned towards the figure. "Oi! You got business poking your nose in others affairs then stop hiding up there and come down here and confront them!"

The figure started moving through the mist and suddenly before them appeared Kaito. His dark brown eyes studied the scene at a closer vantage, and he kept his mouth shut for Ayame's sake. He did not wish to embarrass the princess, for he held her too dear to his heart.

But just staring at her embracing the ignorant alpha prince Kouga from the East in such an emotional and affectionate fashion infuriated him. Ayame was too good and too loyal for the likes of Kouga, regardless if Kouga had saved her as a child or not, anyone could have saved her and made that promise and then Ayame would have been in love with that other male, but no. It had to be Kouga. Just had to be Kouga.

"This is my territory too..." he grunted out as politely as he could muster in Kouga's presence, "I can be at the hot springs if I wish to or not... and I have been sent by the Elder to stand guard over the princess."

Kouga narrowed his eyes on Kaito... this bastard was a horrible liar.

Ayame's eyes widened in surprise as Kaito drew closer, before she suddenly realized the condition she was in. A part of her was embarrassed, she was a modest princess, and allowing every male that wandered by such an eyeful wasn't exactly what she had in mind. But she was proud, and didn't want to be bashful when she'd been so bold so far.

She had nothing to be ashamed of anyhow.

"Kaito..." Ayame asked, cocking her head to the side. "I'm ecstatic to see you've returned from your quest. You and Areku both?" The redhead smiled happily. Five long months, she'd missed her dear friends greatly. She looked down at the tanned muscular arm still wrapped around her waist. She had to admit, having Kouga's arm wrapped protectively around her was comforting. She turned her head to look up at the male in question, noticing the way the water glistened across his muscular chest. He was amazing, and it broke her heart that he wasn't hers.

"Kouga, this is Kaito. We grew up together, he's one of my best friends. Kaito... I'm sure you're familiar with who Kouga is," She stated, pulling reluctantly away from his warmth. She crossed her arms over her chest to hide what she could, as she nodded her head firmly.

"We can continue these introductions later, for now, Kaito, would you please give me some privacy? We need to dress before we go back." Even with Ayame asking him to do so, there was no way that he would just leave her in the hands of this self proclaimed wolf prince, especially while they were alone.

Kaito knew about Ayame's feelings for the brown and couldn't quite understand why she had let herself become so attached to a male who was never there for her, who didn't love her, couldn't love her like he could. He continued to stare defiantly into Kouga's ice blue eyes, daring the alpha male to bring it on.

"Yeah, I know who he is, who doesn't?" Kaito snapped in Kouga's direction. "He's the so called alpha that just let his pack go wandering after jewel shards because he was depressed that he got his ass handed to him. Doesn't impress me one bit, especially since the rest of his pack. minus two are, hmm I don't know..." he paused thinking of the perfect word to press Kouga's buttons.

"Dead..." Kaito finished. Kouga let a low growl escape from his throat, deep and dangerous. This guy had some nerve insulting him like that, not even knowing the entire truth and just jumping to damn conclusions. Bastard.

"You think you know me because you have heard rumor of my past mistakes?" Kouga sneered, "Well let me tell you something, ever since that day I have been working my ass off to make amends for the mistakes I made on that day. I am seeking revenge for my fallen brothers so that their deaths were not in vain," Kouga growled as he stepped up to the other male.

They were the same height, and appeared to be the same in muscle structure as well. It would almost seem as if they were to duke it out it would be an even fight. Kaito mimicked Kouga's motion and stepped up so that the two of them were face to face, growling at one another, fangs bared and snarling.

Ayame was speechless, as her eyes shifted from Kaito to Kouga. Why were they acting like a bunch of pups? This was pointless. And now the two males were pushing each others' buttons just to instigate the other? It didn't make any sense. She stepped up between the two of them, completely disregarding either her or Kouga's state of nudity. She was more interested in stopping a fight before it broke out between the two of them. She stepped between Kouga and Kaito, frowning at the both of them as she placed a hand on either of their chests.

"Both of you, knock it off. Arguing isn't going to solve anything!" Ayame cried, narrowing her eyes at them. She sighed, turning her attention to Kaito first, frowning in disappointment. "Kaito, what is your problem? You just got back and the first thing you do is insult Kouga? I can't believe you..." She sighed, shaking her head.

The two males continued giving the other a stare down, who ever flinched first or pulled away was the loser. There was no way Kaito would back down to this cur. He continued staring into Kouga's eyes as he answered Ayame's interrogative questions.

"Princess you are too good for this scum..." Kaito paused for emphasis, reaching over and grabbing Ayame by the arm, pulling her towards him, he wasn't rough but he was not gentle either. The competition between him and Kouga staring each other down wavered his thoughts on how he should handle the princess. "The Elder ordered that I am your bodyguard. And I will protect you." he stated firmly.

Kouga's ice blue eyes narrowed and the growl in the back of his throat intensified, "Ayame is more than capable of protecting herself." Kouga said, even as he still had his arm around Ayame when Kaito attempted to snatch her away.

"And she is grown enough to make decisions on her own. She doesn't need you or anyone else telling her what to do."

"Oh really?" Kaito snapped, "Well if all of the Yourouzoku lived as recklessly and did whatever they pleased like you did, then I guess we would all be dead. Being in this pack means respecting orders especially from those who are higher in rank. The Elder gave me the orders to be her bodyguard and no one will tell me other wise except for him. Not her, not Areku, and especially not you. I take my position in this pack seriously, unlike others. I'm looking out for Ayame's best interest."

"How would you even know what her best interest is?" Kouga snarled, "You haven't even asked her how she felt about any of the things that you are proclaiming. What if she doesn't want you as her watch dog? She is a princess, and outranks you. If she doesn't want you here then you should follow her orders."

Kaito huffed, "This is coming from the alpha who just let his pack do whatever they wanted, and then they got themselves killed. I'm not taking your word for any worth. You are as low as an Omega to me, you mean nothing more than the dirt under my feet." Kouga felt his free hand ball up into a tight fist, as the anger and coursed through his body. This mongrel had no idea who he was speaking to, what hardships that Kouga had to go through to avenge his fallen brothers. How difficult the fight against Naraku truly was on himself and his two betas.

This... Kaito... had no right to lecture him on what is right and wrong, and to criticize him on the decisions that he had made, as well as the mistakes. He had no right, no right at all. Kouga could only keep his anger in check for so long. His tightened fist pulled back and in a flurried rush, snapped his arm forward. It was a hook straight to Kaito's jaw. This knocked the other male wolf demon back a few feet, forcing him to lose his balance and stumble to the ground.

"Don't pretend that you know me," Kouga growled darkly, his eyes shaded by his bangs and his fangs were bare, the hair on the back of his neck was standing on end with fury.

"You know nothing of the pain I experienced and the hardships I go through to make amends for my fallen kin. It kills me slowly inside more and more with each day that passes by and I still haven't been able to track down their killer. Do not lecture me... or I will put you in your place," He lifted his intense gaze to glare daggers at the coughing form of Kaito on the ground. The other male was wiping blood from his mouth and nose.

"I might not be your Alpha..." Kouga finished, "but I will be damned if I let a low class warrior like you speak to me in such a way. Regardless if I am in your pack or not I fought my way into the position that I have now and I will not tolerate behavior like yours. Go on and blab to your Elder and see how much I really give a shit, but no one talks to me like that unless they are above me. And last time I checked, no one is above me."

Ayame's started cry was overlooked as Kaito pushed Kouga to the edge of his patience, and Kouga retailiated with a punch to Kaito's unsuspecting face. Never in her life had she been so lost and confused. She didn't understand why Kaito was acting the way he was, or why for that matter, why Kouga was sticking up for her. She was flattered that he recognized her potential, even if it were too late for the two of them.

Still, the young princess was puzzled by the two males arguing back and forth, practically fighting over her and what was best for her. Had it been under perhaps a different circumstance, Ayame might have been flattered by the attention.

Now she was just pissed.

And Kaito had no right disrespecting Kouga the way he was! It wasn't her feelings for the brown male that made her side with him, it was how rude and dishonorable Kaito was being when Kouga was surprisingly trying to keep his temper. It didn't last long, but Ayame had clearly noticed his attempt. And for that, she didn't stop him from striking Kaito. The truth of the matter was, as much as she might not like to admit it, right then he deserved it.

Ayame whirled on Kaito, her hair spinning around her face, her jade irises blazing furiously as she growled down at his form on the ground below. She glared at him, fury practically making her body glow, though it was more the steam from the hot springs.

"Kaito!" Ayame snapped, her eyes like jade daggers as she kept a steely glare on him. "Member of this pack or not I am still Princess here! And in matters concerning me personally, I am the only one who can decide what orders you obey!" She growled, clenching her fists at her sides.

"How dare you insult Kouga! He is an honored guest here, of the Elder's own wishing. YOU do not have the right to degrade him or his actions. What he does is his own business, just as what I do is MY own business!" She snapped firmly. "By insulting my guest, you have insulted me," She said, her tone of voice lowering as her expression softened.

"I would have preferred to welcome you home with joy in my heart, instead of the disappointment I feel for you now." She paused with a sigh. Wordlessly, she turned her back on him, crossing her arms over her chest, her face calm and blank as her eyes remained closed. "Please leave my presence here. I shall speak with you personally later."

Kaito was speechless. How could this have happened? Ayame was one of the most important people in his life, he would do anything for her. And to suffer through such dejection broke his heart. This was all Kouga's fault, that filthy vermin! Slowly he got to his feet, his head hung in shame but his fists were clenched at his sides and a fire burned in his eyes.

"Then speak later we shall... Princess..." He turned on his heel and retreated into the mists that surrounded the hot springs. Ayame sighed as she watched Kaito sulk off, heading back towards the dens and leaving her and Kouga alone once more. The young princess closed her eyes, rubbing her temples as she sighed softly to herself. She had been so happy to see her dear friend, so why had he gone and ruined the moment by fighting with Kouga?

Kouga snorted hotly from his nose, that bastard Kaito... anymore pushing and he would have had to get serious. He took in a deep breath and punched his fist into his palm, turning to look over at Ayame.

"You're just going to let him walk away like that!? I would have done more than just give him a piece of my mind if he were in my pack!" He paused in his rant and blinked a few times, looking down the line of Ayame's nude body. He had completely forgotten that they were naked during this entire ordeal. A flush came over his cheeks and he quickly averted his gaze. Her body was perfect, shaped nicely, and she had curves in all the right places.

Especially her hips... pup bearing hips. He shook his head, pounding on his temples to make the images in his head disappear. He took in another breath, and let it out slowly, "Perhaps we should get dressed... and head back..."

“Kouga.” She began, opening her eyes as she regarded him curiously. She was about to go on when she noticed the flush on his cheeks just as he averted his gaze. What had been that look in his eyes? It was something she’d never seen in those crystal blue depths before. Whatever it was, sent a shiver down her spine. But he had a point. They couldn’t stay in the hot springs forever. If Kaito had returned, it meant so had Areku. And she was eagerly looking forward to seeing him. But she felt it would have just been rude to rush off and leave Kouga without a good reason. At least this way, he was offering to head back with her.

Wasn’t he?

“I understand your frustrations with him, Kouga. I apologize for his rude words and brash actions, though I understand why he’d be so... adamant against your presence here,” She began, casting her gaze down at the steamy water of the hot springs. Ayame was naive... but she wasn’t so naive not to realize Kaito had feelings for her. She just honestly didn’t see him as anything more than a close and dear friend.

“Regardless... Kaito isn’t a member of your pack, he’s a member of mine. And as such, it is my responsibility to put him in his place whenever the need occurs. Besides, he would not have listened to you in any case. He holds a bit of a grudge against you personally,” She sighed, shaking her head. “But I agree. We should get dressed and return as quickly as possible. My furs are behind that stone there.”

The redhead passed him without another word, stepping out of the hot springs and heading for her belongings. The top half of her body had already begun to dry, being out of the steamy water for so long. Now only her abdomen and legs were still wet. But she’d still manage to pull her furs on anyhow. She did her best to avoid making eye contact with the other male as she dressed, her backside to him once more. Just like the first time he’d come into her den, but this time, she was far more vulnerable and exposed.

However last time, she was able to do something about it. Now the only thing that would protect her modesty was her armor and furs. And besides, what hadn’t he seen? It wasn’t like he said anything.

Knowing Kouga, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he hadn’t even noticed. Silently she dressed, her mind on many things, and none of them giving her any sense of peace. She turned to look over her shoulder, her hair still too damp to put up, so she’d left it down. It cascaded down the majority of her body, reaching just above the small of her back.

“There is another I am eager see. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen him, and I missed him so much. I need to speak with him before I can speak with Kaito. I hope to see you more before you leave to return home. I’ll understand if you don’t have the time, however,” She paused, her expression growing sad as her green eyes filled with pain.

“I will cherish all the time we spent together Kouga, now and to the day I’m married to another. You always will be my first love. Thank you,” She smiled lovingly at him, before turning around and heading back down the worn path to the dens beyond, her heart full, and yet empty at the same time.


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AN: To check out the cover art for "The Tattoo", specifically the image that inspired this story, please visit my fiancee's deviantArt page at the following link below. I want to thank YourouzokuAlpha for the time and patience put into this work. It's beautiful.

http://yourou.deviantart.com/#/d2qdp3f