Little Red Riding Hood

Title: Little Red Riding Hood
Chapter 3: Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood
Author: Pucie


A/N I just realized that in the last chapter I said that one of the attributes of the cloak was that any youkai, whether they knew her or not, would not be able to smell her, hear her, or sense her aura. . .And then Kouga heard some of what she was mumbling to herself. . . .ok, so what can I say, I'm human I make mistakes. . .hehe, but I fixed it!!


"KAGOME!" He repeated, yelling slightly to attract her attention, while grabbing her shoulder at the same time.

"AAAGGHH! Who, what?" Kagome jumped at least a foot off the ground, simultaenously managing to turn around at the same time. "Who's there, What do you want?" She spit out rapidly. "Wait a minute, how the hell do you know my name?" She said squinting into the growing darkness.

She heard a chuckle and then, "I can see that mutt-face's language has rubbed off on you. . . .Look at me Kagome, don't you recognize me? I know I was gone for a while, but I didn't expect you to completely forget about me. . ." He trailed off sounding more than just a little disappointed.

She took a tentative step forward, and reached up her hand timidly, "K-Kouga-kun?"

He smirked, even though he knew with her ningen senses she would not be able to see him, "None other!"

"KOUGA!" she shouted, as she squealed and jumped forward to wrap him tightly in a hug.

He wrapped his arms around her to bring her as close to his body as he could. 'Kami-sama how I have missed this woman. . . .' He couldn't help but notice how nicely her body fit and felt against his. He felt himself start to grow hard at the closeness of her body . She had all the right curves in all the right places. . . . 'No, don't even go there, Kouga. She is mated to Inuyasha now. Stop this train of thought before you take her, despite the mark of claiming she probably has by now.' Even though he had always pretended to argue with the hanyou over this spectacular specimen of the female species, deep down he had always considered the hanyou a loyal friend. He did not want to do something that would endanger his friendship with either of them, especially since he considered both of them family. He heard a gasp from the miko in his arms, and knew that his 'secret' had been found out. With those thoughts in mind, he very gently pushed her away. He knew if he didn't allow some room between the two of them, his beast would take control of him and he would commit acts that he would deeply regret later.

She felt him respond to her hug, then was a little shocked when she felt more of him respond to her impulsive action, but after a few seconds he gently pushed her away. Then a little bit of reality hit her, he was a mated youkai, and here she was practically throwing herself on the poor demon. Even if he had mated with Ayame, she knew that after he had tried to court her for so long, his body would respond to hers on a primal level whether he was mated or not. And here he was trying to save her some dignity by pushing her away before the situation got away with them. 'What the hell was I thinking?' she thought to herself, starting to grow embarrassed as she let go of him and stepped back a little.

He caught sight of her reddened cheeks and mentally cursed himself. "I'm sorry Kagome, I mean no disrespect, but I had to push you away before I lost control of myself. . .I don't know why I still respond to you that way. Old habits die hard, I guess. . .I mean. . .well, crap that didn't come out exactly as I had planned"

"No, no Kouga-kun, it's my fault. . .I should have known better than to just throw myself at you like that. . . I-I meant no disrespect, I was just so happy to see you, I couldn't restrain myself. . ." Her voice trailed off as she looked away.

He needed to change the subject. . .fast, "So uhhhh, what have you been doing with yourself?"

She sighed with relief at the change of topic, "Well, after the battle with Naraku, we, well, I made a wish on the Shikon Jewel so that it would vanish from this realm. Sango, Miroku and Kohaku went back to the demon slayer village to rebuild, and train a whole new generation of demon slayers. They actually traveled the countryside for a while to recruit young able bodied people to help with their efforts. I'm very proud to say that they are teaching this new generation to analyze a demon without prejudice. They are being taught that killing indiscriminately, even if the being is a demon, is just as bad as a rogue youkai killing innocents. And yes, they did get married, I even performed the ceremony. I've been in Edo training with Kaede, so that one day I will eventually be able to take her place as the village miko. After I made my wish, the well portal closed for good. . .but I have no regrets. I knew even before we killed Naraku that it was my destiny to live out my life in this era. This IS home for me, and while I do miss my family in the future, I was lucky enough to realize that I still have a family here. ." She smiled up at him as she finished her explanation.

"Walk with me will you, I have to finish gathering these herbs, there will be a birthing tonight, and I have to get back to the village fairly soon. It will be the first birth I attempt on my own." She said as she started walking and collecting herbs again.

"Ahh, Well I'm happy for the monk and the slayer. They deserved to find happiness after all that bastard put them through. . ." He replied as he started to walk alongside her.


"I know what you mean, we all went through so much together. But enough about me. . .How is Ayame?" she asked hesitantly.

"She was faring well when I left her. Keeping herself busy with her pack." He replied a little elusively. "What is Inuyasha up to these days?" he said changing the subject yet again. But if Kagome noticed the change in topic, she gave no note of it.

"Well, after Naraku, his brother resurrected Kagura, and took her as a mate." She started saying.

"WHAT? The ICE prince took a mate?? And it was that evil bitch??" he snarled.

"Wait, let me finish. Don't judge her too harshly, my friend. She had no control over her actions, but in the final battle she sacrificed herself to keep me out of harm's way. He said at the time, that her final action was enough to warrant another chance at life for her. So, imagine everyone's surprise when they show up mated, and she's pregnant. Very pregnant. To make it even better, they adopted Rin in a formal ceremony, and it was HER idea. Sesshoumaru even accepted Inuyasha and all of us, his friends into his pack. I don't know what she did to him, but it's definitely a very nice change. Anyway, once he accepted his brother into the pack, he slowly began sharing more and more of his duties of "Lord" with Inuyasha." She explained.

"Well, who would have thought it, eh? The Ice prince and wind bitch actually had a heart hidden in there somewhere," he said chuckling lightly.

"Oh, don't be so mean Kouga," she laughed before she continued. "Fluffy-sama demanded that since his brother is the second-in-command to him, he should wear clothes more fitting to his new 'station' in life. He didn't want to get rid of the firerat robes, because they held a great many memories dear to us both. So, for my last birthday, he and my friends, and my son all pitched in together to have this cloak made for me. It has a few special properties, but mainly it was so that no matter where I am or who I'm with I'll always have my family by my side"

"Ahh, so is that why I can't detect your scent then?" he asked, sliding her a sideways glance.

"Actually, yes it is, the cloak projects a faint barrier that keeps youkai from being able to smell me, or sense my aura. . ." She replied.

"So that's why I couldn't feel your aura when I came up on you. . " He mused to himself aloud. Turning back to her, he asked, "So, where is the great half-breed now? I guess I should congratulate him on his wonderful turn of fortune. . ."

"He's back in Edo, waiting for me to return. I think it would be great if you would come back with me, I know the others would like to see you before you return to your. . . .pack" she said, purposefully avoiding the use of the word 'mate'. Everytime she even thought about Kouga and Ayame together like that it drove a knife straight through her heart. She had finally finished gathering all the herbs she would need, "I'm all finished out here, let's go ahead and go back to the village now."

'He's waiting for her. . . .I guess he made a good mate for her after all.' He thought to himself as they turned back to go towards the village. Turning back to her as they walked, he said, "Well, I'm glad that everything has turned out so well for everybody" But despite the false cheerfulness he held in his voice, he couldn't help but feel his heart breaking. She would never be his. . .the one woman he would go to hell and back for, and he could never have her.

"Yes, I suppose it has. ." She replied, trying her best to keep the pain she felt out of her voice. He was happily mated, she had no right to interfere with that, not after she had turned down his offer to be his mate so many times. . . .

She lifted her head up to look at the skies once again, and smiled," Oh look, it finally stopped raining. That is wonderful, as much as I love the cloak they gave to me, it has a tendency to be rather weighty after awhile. I never realized his firerat haori was so heavy. . ." She stopped in a clearing not far from the village, set her bag on the ground, and started removing the cloak. After folding it back up, and placing it in her bag, she straightened and looked over to her wolf demon friend, as a sudden breeze swept through the clearing, passing over her first, before sweeping towards her heart's hidden desire. 'That is the oddest expression I've ever seen on his face. . . .I wonder what he's thinking now'

As the breeze wafted her scent to him, he noticed that something was a little off. . .It smelled just like Kagome, he got lost in thought as he tried to place his finger on just what was bothering him about it though. He racked his brain trying to figure out what was so strange about her scent. . .he couldn't find the reason why it was bothering him so. . But something about it was getting under his skin. . . .

"OI! KAGOME! WENCH! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE AND TEND TO MY MATE DAMMIT!! KIKYO'S IN LABOR ALREADY!!!" they heard a very distressed Inuyasha shout from the edge of the village.

And that's when it hit him like a ton of bricks. . .the reason why her scent was strange to him was because it smelled just like it had the day he had left her to go to the council. It was UNTAINTED, she did NOT have a mate. She was free for the taking, and that realization shook him to the very core of his being.

Wincing after hearing the Inuyasha's distress call, she spared a glance at Kouga. She watched as several emotions flitted over his face in the space of a few seconds, and she started to get a little nervous. She knew that he was going to find out she was without a mate sooner or later, but she had really been counting on later. . . .she didn't want him to feel pity for her simply because everyone else had found someone to be with, and she hadn't. She figured now was as good a time as any to talk to him about it.

But he beat her to the punch," You didn't mate with him?"

"No, It's a long story, suffice it to say that, I resurrected Kikyo, gave her own soul back to her, and wished a new one into being for myself. Afterwards, we all realized that the feelings I had for him were only echoes of memories FROM her soul. Because I was able to get to know him without the prejudice she was taught, she was finally able to accept him as a hanyou, and even went so far as to become one herself, when they mated. Now she's in labor with her first set of pups, and that is why I was gathering herbs in the forest, she went into labor early, and caught me unprepared." She said in a rush.

"You're not mated?" he said.

"No."

"You are not mated? I am hearing you correctly, right?" he slowly repeated.

"No, Kouga-kun. I am not mated, but let's not make a big deal out of all of this, ok? I know the reason why I haven't seen you in a year's time is because the council you went to must have upheld the contract you had with Ayame. I understand that you have a mate, and are happy now. I just didn't tell you that I was without a mate because. . .well, honestly I realized after I made my wish that my feelings for you ran deeper than friendship. I just didn't see that until after you were gone. . . . And obviously, you ended up happy with Ayame. At least that's what I'm guessing, otherwise why did you stay away for so long? In the end I just want you to be happy, and I didn't want to ruin anything between the two of you by expressing my true feelings for you. . " she said as she trailed off, but she couldn't contain the one lonely teardrop that made it's way down her face.

He felt like a hyperactive kid in a candy store, she felt something more for him, she wanted to be MORE than just his friend, and the only reason why she didn't tell him was because she thought he had mated Ayame. That was a situation he was going to clear up as soon as possible, but he needed to hear something from her first. . .

"Kagome. . .don't cry. I need you to tell me one thing though," he said as he walked up to her and grasped one of her hands in his own and wiped the tear-drop from her cheek, "How deep do your feelings for me go?"

"What's the point? You're mated, I. . . " she started saying, but he silenced her by placing a finger over her lips.

"I have to know this, please tell me. . .How much do you really feel towards me?" he whispered as he leaned his forehead down to hers, and gazed into her eyes.

She couldn't breathe, he was so close. Her heart felt like it was hammering in her chest, and she just knew she was going to faint any second now.

Even more quietly than before, he repeated his desperate request one last time, "What are your feelings for me?"

Taking a deep breath, she answered in a shaky voice, "I love you, more than the air I breath, or the food I eat to survive. I love you so much that it hurts to be this close to you and know that I can't have you, that you'll never be mine only. . ."

He smiled when he heard her answer. "Kagome, there is something I need to tell you about Ayame and myself. . ."

A/N: If it seems like it's moving a little fast, just remember this, they've had these feelings for a looooong time and are just now admitting them to each other. . .

Ok, rate and review, and I'll love you forever!! Hero cookies all around! And constructive criticism is appreciated. . .