Midsummer Night's Dream

A/N: This chapter is actually two chapters combined into one. I am also going to be placing up the final chapter for you to enjoy and I can proudly say that this story is now finished. Enjoy the chapters and thanks for reading. Please review.
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By the time Inu Yasha found Ayame, she had already made it to the village and was speaking with Kaede. He came up behind the pretty wolf and heard her say, “So, that is where the miko, slayer, monk, kitsune, and neko are, Lady Kaede.”

The elderly miko slowly nodded and looked around the wolf. She sighed and said, “So, Inu Yasha, ye have managed to finally drive Kagome into the arms of not one but two other males. I hope ye are happy with the result.”

Inu Yasha sucked in a deep breath and slowly approached. He saw Ayame’s back stiffen and he cringed. He never wanted her to hurt because of him and it pained him that now he had hurt not one, but two women who had accepted him the way he was. Hanyou.

He glanced at the elderly miko and shrugged. “She is happy. That is all I have ever wanted for her. If she finds her happiness at the sides of my baka brother and that wolf, then I will support her to the end.” He said.

Kaede’s eye widened. “That is a very mature thing for ye to say, Inu Yasha. Perhaps I was wrong in thinking that ye would never grow up.” She replied.

Inu Yasha scowled at the miko, but then turned to Ayame. “It is time to be heading back to the palace.” He said, his voice soft.

Ayame huffed. “I will go when I am good and ready, Inu Yasha. Don’t presume to order me around.” She hissed.

Inu Yasha was shocked at how angry her voice sounded, but he reminded himself that he deserved every venom-laced word and he would accept them gladly if that meant that he could get Ayame to listen to him once they were alone.

After accepting Kaede’s offer of lunch, Ayame made sure to stay as far away from Inu Yasha as she could. She had come to the conclusion that she would never be loved in return and would never find a mate, so she would simply go about her life and deal with it as best as she could. Alone.

After lunch, Ayame thanked the elderly miko and turned towards the forest. She was well aware that Inu Yasha was following her, and once she got into the forest, she broke out into a run. It did not take the hanyou very long to catch up with her, and when he did, he snapped, “Why in the hell are you running, bitch?”

Ayame’s green eyes narrowed and she shoved him as hard as she could. “Don’t you ever call me a bitch, you fucking prick!” She screamed. “I am not your bitch. I am not anyone’s bitch!”

Inu Yasha watched as the female’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. When she quickly turned away, he sighed and placed his hands upon her shoulders.

“I never should have treated you like that, Ayame. I am sorry for what I said. You were right about Kikyo. The Kikyo that I knew has been dead for a very long time, and I simply could not let go. Please, Ayame. Please turn around and look at me. Please?” Inu Yasha asked, his voice pleading.

Ayame had been quietly sobbing as he spoke, but she had heard every word. To hear him, the normally prideful and proud Inu Yasha, say that he was wrong, stunned her. She slowly turned to face him, but kept her head down. She did not want him to see her cry.

Inu Yasha could smell her tears. He knew that she was ashamed to be seen crying, but that did not matter to him. In fact, her tears made his youkai blood boil, and unlike Kagome’s tears, which made him feel badly, Ayame’s tears made his youkai blood’s protective instincts stir into a frenzy. It took a moment, and when he finally got it under control, he gently placed his finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up so that he could look into her eyes.

Ayame closed her eyes. She did not want him to see just how much his rejection of her hurt. She did not want him to see that he had affected her in such a way. She was one of her tribe’s most fierce warriors and here she was, crying like a newborn pup.

However, all of her coherent thoughts flew south when his lips gently touched hers. Her eyes flying open, Ayame broke the tentative kiss and lightly touched her lips. That was the first time that anyone, besides her grandfather, had kissed her.

He watched as Ayame’s face flashed through several different emotions. At first, she looked confused, then amazed, then sad. He gave her a tired smile and asked, “Do you remember when we were in the garden and you touched my ears? Well, that touch made me feel good. It made me feel accepted. Ayame, you make me feel accepted, and I am very sorry that I hurt you.”

Ayame felt the tears streaming down her face and she softly sobbed. She sighed when she felt his tongue catch one of the tears that was sliding down her cheek and she did not resist him when he pulled her closer to his body. At first, the touch felt strange, but as her body relaxed, she noticed that she could feel his body heat through his clothing and that his scent was laced with a hint of arousal.

Licking her lips, Ayame tilted her head up, a silent acceptance of his apology, and slowly brought her lips to his in a kiss. At first, the kiss was gentle, but Inu Yasha quickly became unsatisfied and deepened the kiss. When he thrust his tongue past Ayame’s lips, he heard a small whimper tear from his wolf’s throat and he smirked. Clearly, he was the first to taste the female, and he was going to be the last. His rational thoughts flew south when she tentatively touched her tongue to his.

Ayame’s brain ground to a halt and she quickly lost herself to the sensations that the hanyou was creating within her body. She felt wanton, achy, and needy. So often she had heard the females from her tribe growling at their mates, their arousal obvious, and she had never understood why they did that, now she wanted nothing more than to pounce on the male and force him to give to her what the males of her tribe gave to their females.

Inu Yasha’s fingers flew over Ayame’s furs and armor. Within minutes, the female was gloriously nude before him and he smirked when she quickly pulled away, her face flushed from their kiss. He had done that.

He slowly untied his outer haori and slipped out of it. Soon, he was just as nude as she and from the way she was softly growling, his body pleased her just as much as hers pleased him. Taking in a deep breath, he reached out and grasped the aroused female by her arm and pulled her close before lowering her to the ground.

Ayame allowed the male to control the situation. Her instincts told her that she was about to mate and that she was supposed to be submissive. Acting on those instincts, Ayame allowed Inu Yasha to lower her to the ground and sighed when he covered her body with his. Being beneath him made her head swim and she did not resist when his claws gently pulled her thighs apart so that he lie between them.

His lips moved over Ayame’s heated skin slowly, his tongue tasting every inch of her and savoring her unique flavor. Not even Kikyo had made him feel this crazy, nor had Kagome, though she had aroused him, it was nothing compared to what Ayame did to him. His lips came to a breast and his tongue gently lapped at the rose-colored nipple, causing the wolf to cry out and arch her back, feeding him more of that milky-white treat. He eagerly suckled the breast and then switched to its twin. Never before had he seen a woman so beautiful as his Ayame was at that moment.

Ayame’s fingers threaded through Inu Yasha’s silvery mane and she moaned. His touches were so addicting and she could not help but wonder if each time after this would be just as good, if not better. She allowed her fingers to snake up and begin rubbing one the little triangles that rested up on her lover’s head. She felt him stiffen and then purr loudly, causing her to grin.

As he traveled lower, he could not fight off the shivers that were coursing through his body as his woman massaged his ears. She would constantly switch from one to the other, making him harder than before. He glanced up and saw a pair of lovely green eyes staring at him and he smiled.

“I am going to taste you, Ayame. I am going to have your scent and taste burned into my senses and I will never be able to let you go after this. Can you accept me? Can you accept a hanyou as a mate?” He asked, his voice soft. ‘Please, please let her say yes.’ He silently prayed.

Ayame smiled and she nodded. “I accept you, Inu Yasha. I accept you now and forever.” She whispered. ‘Oh, finally!’ The woman within her purred.

Sighing happily, he ducked his head and allowed his tongue to gently flick out against her bud. He felt his woman stiffen and he grasped her hips tightly within his hands. She would not be getting away so easily. As he continued to lap at her, she cried out and thrashed her head around, her body shaking. It was not long before she exploded, and her sweet honey flowed onto his tongue.

Ayame blushed when she heard the sounds of her mate-to-be slurping. He was clearly enjoying himself and when he glanced up at her, she could see that his lips were coated with her essence. He crawled over her body and he leaned forward. Her tongue snaked out and she caught some of the fluid, tasting herself for the very first time. His bright eyes suddenly darkened and he growled.

Ayame did not have the chance to do or say anything else. She was suddenly flipped from her back to her hands and knees. When he draped himself around her, Ayame felt the evidence of his desire for her and she began to panic. She had seen how large he was, but at the time, she was so aroused that she had not cared, however, now that he was slowly nudging himself into her, stretching her, she began to shake.

“Shhh, I promise, Ayame, we will fit. Just relax, love.” Inu Yasha whispered. He tilted her hips up at an angle and continued on his journey. His wolf whimpered and when he broke through her barrier, she had yelped and whined. He could feel her shaking, but refused to pull out. He could not pull out or else she would remember nothing else except for that it had hurt. No, he had to keep going. He was going to mate this woman.

When he began to push again, she continued to take in deep breaths until he leaned back over her and whispered to her that they were now one. She tilted her head back and felt him place a feather-light kiss upon her cheek. When he started to thrust, Ayame felt her body heat up once again and she gladly allowed herself to get lost within the pleasure.

His hips pounded against her, his heavy sac slapped her backside, and his grunts filled the air. He was a male on a mission and until his mate was satisfied, he would not stop. When her sheath began to quiver around him, he intensified his thrusts until Ayame started to cry out, her eyes clenched shut. The feel of her body squeezing his shaft was too much. He exploded within her, and at the same time, he allowed his fangs to embed themselves within her soft neck. Finally, he was mated, and happy.

After they had calmed down, he was not ready to pull away from her just yet. So, he rolled to his side and brought her with him. A nap shared between new mates sounded just right at the moment and when they got back their strength, it would be her turn to mark him. He leaned up and peeked over Ayame’s shoulder. His mate had been very quiet for the last couple of minutes and when he saw her face, he knew why. His mate was already asleep, a small smile upon her lips.

As he lay back down, he reached for his haori and spread it over their bodies. He cuddled up close to Ayame’s back and allowed himself to embrace sleep. He could not wait to return to the palace and decided that he and Sesshomaru would need to have a very long talk. After all, he had a mate to care for now and would need what his father had left to him to do it. Yes, a talk was definitely in order.
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Miroku sighed and looked over at Sango. She was a vision, even as she slept. He could not believe that after he had finally decided to pull her aside and ask her to marry him that she would actually accept. It was like a dream come true for him. Now, he had to do two more things. He had to kill Naraku and have his curse lifted and he needed to start behaving himself. No more women. Period.

He quietly got up and made his way over to his robes. After he was dressed, he walked back over to Sango and he lightly kissed her cheek, the memory of their first night still fresh on his mind. After making sure that she was covered and taken care of, he slipped out of the chamber and made his way to the gardens.

He was shocked to see Kagome up so early, but he put on a happy smile and made his way over to her.

“Good morning, Lady Kagome. What brings you out on this fine morning and where are your mates?” Miroku asked as he eased down to sit beside her.

Kagome grinned. “Kouga and Sesshomaru are still asleep. I kind of wore them out last night. Where is Sango?” She asked.

Miroku grinned sheepishly. “Like your mates, she, too, is worn out.” He admitted. “I asked her to marry me last night.”

Kagome’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “You did? Well, what did she say?” She demanded.

“She said yes. She actually said yes.” He replied happily. Kagome sighed. “Well, this is going to turn out to be a day full of surprises.” She said.

Miroku turned to look at Kagome, his eyes questioning. Kagome grinned and she asked, “Can you keep a secret?” When he nodded, she said, “I think that I am pregnant. I missed my last monthly cycle and I have been getting sick lately.”

Miroku’s eyes widened and he asked, “When will you tell your mates?”

Kagome cocked her head. “I will be telling them today, but I will be needing to go to my own time so that I can take a test, so I need some help. I am going to take Kilala and go to the well. Will you cover for me?” She asked.

Miroku slowly nodded. “Maybe someone should go with you?” He said, his tone soft. Kagome laughed and shook her head. “Nope. I am going all alone. Now, just cover for me and I will be back as soon as possible, ok?” She asked.

When he nodded, Kagome leaned over and kissed his cheek. She jumped up and quickly scurried off, looking for Kilala. Miroku lifted his hand to his cheek and began to chant the words, “I must be good, I must be good” over and over again until the urge to fondle something passed. When it did pass, he took in a deep breath and wondered how he was going to keep a wolf youkai and a inu youkai from getting upset when they discovered that their mate had left the palace. It was certainly not going to be pretty.
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When Kagome returned to the palace, it was strangely quiet. At first, she assumed that nothing was wrong, but when she walked into the study, she found her friends and mates sitting, waiting for her. Poor Miroku was sitting on a chair, in the middle of the group and Kagome could tell that he was exhausted.

When they turned their furious gazes onto her, Kagome grinned sheepishly and said, “Hi, guys.”

Sesshomaru stood up and strolled over to Kagome. He grabbed her arm and yanked her over to Miroku.

“Get up, monk. It is now Kagome’s turn.” He growled, his eyes narrowing. Miroku quickly got out of the chair and he mouthed, ‘I’m sorry’ to her, letting Kagome know that she was in deep shit.

At first, no one spoke, but then Kouga snapped, “Have you lost all of your senses, woman? How in the hell could anyone be so damn stupid is beyond me.”

Kagome blinked. Um, excuse her, but who in the hell was he calling stupid? If she was the one in question, he could drag his fuzzy ass back to his den and sleep there for a while.

Sango glared at Kagome. “What in the hell were you thinking and why did you get Miroku to cover for you?” She demanded.

“Ok, you guys need to calm down. I simply went somewhere for a little bit, but now I am back.” She explained.

Sesshomaru growled. “You know that you are not permitted off the palace grounds without an escort, yet you purposely disobeyed Kouga and myself. You placed yourself in danger and you did it with a song in your heart. Tell me where you went, Kagome. Tell me now and I might lessen your punishment.” He snarled.

Kagome paled. She had not yet taken the test, and had brought it back so that she could perform it at the palace. She glanced over at Kouga, hoping that he had calmed down, but he was still glaring at her, and she knew that she would not get any help from him at the moment.

“I can’t tell you, Sesshomaru. Please try to understand. There is a good reason, and if you will give me until tonight, you will know why.” She said, her tone desperate.

Sesshomaru nodded. “I see. You disobey me and Kouga, and now you stand there and ask for us to give you until tonight to come up with an excuse. Well, you will have all the time you need, Kagome. Since you want your freedom to come and go as you please, you have it. You will be returned to your village and will be allowed to do whatever you want, without us. Until we calm down, you are not welcomed here.” He said. He snapped his fingers and when Jaken appeared, he told the retainer to have a maid gather all of Kagome’s belongings, that she was returning to her old life.

Kagome’s eyes misted and she shook her head. “You don’t understand. Please, if you would wait for tonight, you will see that I meant no harm.” She sobbed, her tears coursing down her face.

Kouga snorted and looked away. Seeing her cry nearly made him forget his rage. Nearly, but not quite. “Get her out of here. I don’t want to see her for a while.” He snapped, his tail wagging back and forth.

Kagome stiffened at her mate’s words. When they looked at her, she straightened her shoulders and she turned away from them, brushing past Sango and a pathetic looking Miroku. She stopped at the door and called to the maid that was hurrying to the stairs.

“Don’t bother packing anything. I don’t want anything from either Kouga or Sesshomaru. I am returning to the village and will not have anything further to do with either of them.” She said, her voice devoid of any emotion. She turned to face her mates and she said, “I will send Kilala back after I arrive at the village. Don’t both coming for me. You don’t want to hear my side, and I won’t want to hear you later. You can both go to hell.”

Turning on her heel, she walked from the room and was soon outside explaining to Kilala why they had to go back to the village. Soon, they were up in the air and the palace was quickly fading into the background. It was then that Kagome finally allowed her tears to flow.

Miroku watched sorrowfully as Kagome flew away. He could hear Sango’s angry voice as she conversed with Kouga and Sesshomaru. He shook his head and slowly turned to face them. All Kagome had asked for was for them to wait for the night to fall and then they would have their answers. He saw the three look over at him and he shook his head once again.

“Oh, I suppose that you think that you are off the hook, don’t you, Miroku?” Sango asked, her voice angry.

Miroku shrugged. “You know what, I don’t really care. I, too, am returning to the village. All Kagome asked was for her mates to give her until the night to explain, but instead, they threw her out of her home. Kagome is going to need someone to help her since her mates have abandoned her. You had no part in this, Sango. It was really none of your business. You should have pulled her aside and asked her what was going on before you jumped on her.” He said as he reached over and picked up his staff.

“And why would Kagome need someone to help her?” Kouga asked, his sharp claws digging into the soft skin of his palms. Damn it, now the monk wanted to talk and he was curious as to what the monk knew.

Miroku glanced at the wolf and shrugged. “You know that Kagome is from the future, right? She returned home to take some kind of test that would tell a woman if she was with child. Kagome confided in me that she had missed her last cycle and that was why she needed to return to her time. She wanted to surprise the both of you.” He said, watching as Kouga’s face turned white.

“Why couldn’t she just tell us? Was that the reason why she wanted to wait until tonight?” He asked, his voice shaking. He glanced at Sesshomaru, who looked as though he had just been slapped. Neither of them could believe that their little mate could be with their pup.

“I can only assume that she was going to take the test here so that she could show you the results. Sango, I need time to think about things. I need to decide if I can continue with this engagement. After what I saw today, I feel that I need to be away from you.” Miroku said, his eyes trained upon hers.

Sango opened her mouth to argue with him, but he quietly slipped from the room. As he walked into the sunlight, he sighed and began the journey to the village.

It was not long before he came upon a certain hanyou and female wolf. After explaining to them about what had happened, they agreed to accompany him to the village to help care for Kagome.
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The next few months had been hectic for Kagome. Kaede had taught her how to control her miko abilities and had even started to care for Kagome during her pregnancy. Kagome’s mother had been told what had happened, and though she wanted to kill both Sesshomaru and Kouga, she told Kagome that she was eagerly awaiting the day when she would hold her grandchild.

As she got bigger, Kagome began to miss Kouga and Sesshomaru. She often wondered which one of them had fathered the pup, but it would not matter to her. She just wanted her pup to be healthy.

When she neared her ninth month, Kagome began to cry out at night for her mates, and would often hear their voices in her head. Many times she could hear their whispered voices lulling her back to sleep and she often dreamed that they were holding her, telling her how much they loved her and that they wanted her to come home. Each morning was the same. She would wake up sobbing and heartsick. She just wanted to go home.

The leaves began to fall from the trees and Kagome would often stop and watch as a red leaf floated down from the god’s tree. It often calmed her to be near the tree, but on this day, something was wrong. The forest was unusually quiet.

Ayame glanced nervously at Kagome. “Come on. Let’s go back to the village. I don’t want to be here anymore.” She said. Her white wolves whined in agreement with her and one of the males walked over to Kagome and grasped her hand in its mouth.

Nodding, Kagome followed the wolves from the forest, and was suddenly hit by a large gust of wind. It seemed that things were about to get very ugly.
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Sesshomaru tried to concentrate on the scrolls that lay scattered across his desk, but lately, he had not been getting that much sleep. A guard had informed him that he had sent to check up on Kagome that she was indeed with pup and that she seemed to be having a difficult pregnancy.

Kouga wanted nothing more than to go to Kagome and beg for her forgiveness. He, too, had been having difficulty sleeping, and both agreed that the only way to remedy the situation was to go and collect Kagome and bring her home. However, both were worried that she would not take it well if they were to simply show up and demand that she return, so they had spent nearly eight months getting the palace ready for the birth of the pup. The plan was to go and get Kagome right before she gave birth and have her deliver the pup in its home.

The males were not the only ones suffering. Sango had spent several months alone and she had spent much of that time crying. She missed Miroku and continued to dream of their one night together. She could not stop herself from wondering if he had moved on to another woman or if he missed her just as much as she missed him. She decided that she would return to the village and try to make amends. She could not go on like this.

As Kouga, Sango, and Sesshomaru made their plans, a knock on the door was heard and when told to enter, Jaken walked into the study and announced that they had a guest. When the youkai was led into the study, she looked at the trio and cleared her throat. She could see the slayer tensing, and the wolf flexing his claws. She shook her head. Obviously, the wolf had not forgiven or forgotten that she had slaughtered his people.

“Before you decide to take my head, hear me out. Kanna and I have a proposition for you. We help you defeat Naraku, and you set us free and leave us in peace. I know what he is up to and it involves your pretty little mate.” Kagura said, her red eyes narrowing.

Sesshomaru stood up. He told the other two to be quiet and then looked at Kagura. “Continue.” He ordered.

Kagura cleared her throat. “Naraku knows that the miko is with pup. He has been speaking to a very powerful seer who has proclaimed that the pup the miko carries will be full-blooded youkai. He will take the miko to his palace and he will wait for her to give birth to the pup, and he will keep her alive long enough to wean the pup from her breast. Then, once the pup is weaned, he will either kill her or he will experiment with her. Either way, she is going to be harmed.” She explained.

Sesshomaru stood up and growled. Kouga glanced over at Sesshomaru. “Now can we go and get our mate? She is in danger and because we have been too stubborn, Naraku has a clear shot at her.” He snapped.

Sesshomaru nodded his head. “Yes. It is time to bring Kagome home. Slayer, take your neko and go to the village. Warn them. Naraku will not touch what belongs to us.” He said, his tone firm.

Kagura chuckled. “You had better get going. He is on his way, and he is determined.” She warned.

Sesshomaru wasted no time in rushing out of his study and into the garden. Without warning, he allowed his body to transform into the giant inu and he waited for Kouga to climb up on his back. Both knew that in this form, they could get to Kagome a lot faster. Sango had already departed and could be seen in the horizon. Without a further word, they followed, intent on protecting their mate at any cost.

They flew for nearly an hour, and when they came close to the village, screams could be heard. Kouga quickly jumped off of Sesshomaru’s back and headed into the fray, attacking youkai that dared get in his way. He finally saw Inu Yasha and Ayame, fighting side-by-side. He ran towards them.

“Where in the hell is Kagome?” He demanded, knocking a bull youkai from his path. The pair looked up in surprise, and Ayame yelled, “She is with Miroku. He is the one protecting her.”

Kouga’s eyes narrowed and he ran in the direction that Ayame had pointed. He could see the monk towering over Kagome, who was holding her bow. She had an arrow notched and was ready to fire it, but suddenly, the monk was knocked aside by a snake youkai. Kouga’s heart leapt into his mouth as another youkai began to charge towards Kagome. He feared that he would not reach her in time, but just before the youkai struck his mate, a huge white paw landed in front of Kagome and a very angry growl was heard. Sesshomaru had joined in the battle.

Running past the large appendage, Kouga quickly got to Kagome’s side and knelt beside her. She gasped, dropping her bow, and clutched her stomach. His eyes wide, Kouga gently reached out and placed his hand upon her stomach. He could feel his pup moving around in her belly and from the way she cried out, he could tell that it would not be long until his pup decided that it wanted to come out and play.

Sesshomaru, too, was aware that his female was close to labor. He did not waste anymore time than he had to and quickly dispatched the offending youkai before him. Once the threat to Kagome had been eliminated, he changed back into his humanoid form and joined Kouga beside Kagome. Both males watched as she panted, her eyes closed. Sesshomaru could hear his brother release the backlash wave, and knew that Inu Yasha was now facing Naraku.

Sesshomaru told Kouga to lift Kagome up, and when he did, the little miko began to struggle.

“No! I want to stay here. I don’t want to go anywhere with either of you.” She sobbed, not caring if she hurt anyone’s feelings. She had spent so many months alone that she could not bear to look at either of them.

Kouga glanced at Sesshomaru, who shook his head. “You are not the one in charge here, Kagome. You will return to the palace and resume your duties as our mate. You are also carrying our heir and we will not allow him or her to be born in this dirty little village. You will have the pup in our chambers and that is final.” Sesshomaru said, his tone dry. He would not allow Kagome to take this moment away from him. He would not have his pup born anywhere other than his ancestral home.

Kagome began to cry quietly as Kouga tightened his grip upon her. Her contractions had stopped, but it was happening so frequently that Kagome was sure one of these times she would think that she was having false labor pains and it actually be the real thing. She heard the gust of wind and looked up to see a large white dog kneeling before them.

Before long, they were airborne and on their way to the palace. When they arrived, several servants appeared and Jaken began to bark orders at them. Rin and Shippo were excited to see that Kagome had returned and Kouga excitedly announced that they would soon have a brother or sister to play with. With a squeal from the pups and a soft groan from Jaken, Kouga carried Kagome up to the master bedchambers and then stepped back to let the serving wenches attend to their lady.

When she was comfortably resting in bed, Kagome was examined by a healer, who told her mates that she was in the early stages of her labor. Every so often, Kagome would cry out as a contraction hit her and as they grew stronger and closer together, Kagome’s weariness began to show.

Sesshomaru and Kouga began to get on each other’s nerves. While Sesshomaru was the picture of calm, Kouga was restlessly pacing up and down the corridor. Each time their mate cried out, he would rush to the door, only to be yanked back by Sesshomaru. Each male would glare at the other and then look away. However, both did come to the agreement that it would be a very long time before they got their mate pregnant again.

Both males were growing tired of not knowing how Kagome was fairing and as their patience came to an end, the tiny wail of a new pup was heard.

Kouga’s lips curled into a smile and he rushed forward to the door. Once inside, he made his way to the bed and sat down next to Kagome, who was holding onto a little silver haired pup.

“Isn’t he the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” Kagome asked, awed. She looked up into Kouga’s bright blue eyes and saw him nod.

“He sure is. He looks just like Sesshomaru, but hopefully, he won’t have inherited the stick that is up Sesshomaru’s ass.” Kouga chuckled.

Sesshomaru glared at Kouga before going to the other side of the bed. He reached out and gently brushed the pup’s cheek with his finger. The pup mewled and then grabbed onto his father’s finger. As he smacked his lips, Kagome giggled.

“I think that somebody is hungry. After all that work he did to get here, I suppose that he has earned his meal.” She said, her eyes trained on her son.

As the pup fed, Sesshomaru cleared his throat. This was long overdue and it needed to be resolved before another day passed.

“Mate, Kouga and I were made aware of your condition the day we returned you to your village. Both of us wish that you would have told us so that we could have avoided the events that happened, but that is in the past. We wish to start over and move forward.” He said, his tone just as stoic as ever.

Kagome had watched his face the entire time he had been speaking and she knew him well enough to know that he was sincere. She glanced over at Kouga, but he was too entranced with the pup to look at her. Sighing, she looked up at Sesshomaru and nodded.

“I am sorry that I didn’t tell you, but I was not sure. I didn’t want to get your hopes up for nothing.” She said.

Sesshomaru gently placed his hand upon her head and bent down to her ear. “From this point on, there will be no more secrets between us. We are mates and will act as such. Things will work out.” He murmured.

Kouga looked up and smiled at his mates. He could not wait to tell his tribe that he was a father. He saw Sesshomaru and Kagome smiling back at him and he sighed. Yes, things would work out just fine.