Enamored

A/N: I know, slow update. I'm sorry. OTL. I'm lame. I'm trying, I swear. 

Again, 4am. Not beta-ed. I apologize. T.T

Enamored

Chapter 3: Slow Process

"Are ya stupid? I told ya to cook it!"

Kouga was snarling as he bore his fangs at Ginta. They offered him raw meat. What was he supposed to do with raw meat? Kagome made it clear she found it disgusting! He personally thought it ruined the flavor of it but this was not about him. His woman was weak and she needed energy! He would be damned if she did not get her food exactly the way she loved it.

Ginta and Hakkaku stared at each other, nervous. "But- but Kouga, how do we cook it?"

Usually whatever meat they ate – human or animal – they just dove right in and ripped chunks off with their mouth and fingers. They loved it when the blood dripped down their chins. They did not know the first thing about cooking meat and preparing it for a human. Kagome was the first one they did not eat.

"Put it above a fire, ya idiots."

"Right, right," they mumbled before scramming off with the boar. Kouga was in a bad mood and they would not be the one to piss him off even more.

Out of frustration, Kouga punched the rock wall beside him. Kagome did not eat since she got injured. Actually, unless she ate while she was with mutt face, she did not eat since he first kidnapped her. He was trying to take care of her, to make up for the few mistakes he made, but everyone was making it so damn difficult.

She spent the night fairly restless but he found that he welcomed the way she stirred in her sleep. At least it meant her health was improving. She even let him stroke her hair all night as if it soothed her and took away her pain. Of course it did. She felt safe with him and it made her feel better. He knew she was beginning to realize Inuyasha was no good for her. He was the one male she needed, him and nobody else.

The sun was rising in the horizon and another day was dawning upon them. The wolves who stood guard all night were finally retreating to their dens while new ones took their places. Although their main enemies were dead, Kouga refused to let his guard down. On top of that, he was sort of expecting a visit from Inutrasha.

Even that idiot should be able to eventually track down Kagome. Since he was hot headed and reckless, he would probably try to take Kagome away while she was still injured. Kouga's priority was her safety and he would make sure Inuyasha did not get anywhere near her.

After glancing at the vicinity one more time, he found himself inside his den once more. Kagome was still sleeping and considering the disturbed nights she was having, he figured it would be a while before she woke up. Good. He wanted her food to be ready before she was awake.

Immediately, he found himself seeking her presence. He sat down near her and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. She was so beautiful. She would make a beautiful alpha female for the pack and she would bear him many strong, handsome sons. They would be hanyous but they would be from her so he did not care. On top of that, they would have jewel shards. Nobody would dare to mess with them, hanyous or not.

He ran his thumb across the soft skin of her cheek. Surprisingly, he found her tilting her head to lean into his touch. She - she was trying to nuzzle him! A smirk of satisfaction appeared on his face and he almost chuckled. Not so taken was she? He knew she just needed to be around him to know what a real youkai was like.

Kouga dared his hand further until his fingertips brushed against her lips. He did not even kiss her yet. He almost did when he announced she would be his but her slap caught him off guard. His woman was a feisty little thing.

"Hnmh," she mumbled in her sleep.

"Kagome?" he tried.

It seemed to snap her out of it and she turned around, burying her face right into his crotch. A blush immediately rose to his cheeks and he retracted his hands from her body. He froze in place as she slowly nuzzled. His hands shook as he tried to grab her waist to move her. Unfortunately, in his embarrassment and nervousness he missed his target and made contact with her wounds. She yelped against him and he stiffened even more.

Kagome slowly opened the eyes and only found darkness. She groaned while pain rapidly spread through her body. Afterwards, she attempted to breathe only to realize that her lungs felt crushed. She gapped against some wet…fur, panic settling in.

"Hey- Kagome, Kagome!" Kouga took hold of her hips and flipped her on her back as delicately as she could.

Fear shone in her eyes while she stared at him, tears forming in her eyes because of the light. "K-kouga," she croaked out.

"Ya alright," he mumbled, relief washing over him.

He would have to make sure she stayed on her back from now on. "Ya were just having a nightmare." At least he thought she was. Was it not why she spoke in her sleep? Though he did not have the first clue as of what she said.

Nightmares. Each time she closed her eyes, they invaded her mind. They became her regular dreams. Shaken by what took place, by the feeling of death she experienced, Kagome let a few tears slide down her cheeks.

As soon as the scent of salty tears hit his nose, Kouga frowned. He was here to protect her, she had no reason to cry. He tilted his body forward and pressed his chin to her forehead. Shyly, he poked his tongue out and licked away her tears. A hue of pink shaded her skin as she felt his warm tongue pressing against her face. She thought it would feel gross, just like when a dog did it, but instead it was almost comforting.

She was injured, away from her friends and in another world. If she could go home, she might feel better sooner. There were so many risks of infections here! However, she noticed she was in agony each time she moved. There was no way she would make it to well. Especially since she was pretty far from it right now.

"Are ya hungry?" he tried.

The rumbles of hunger never stopped echoing in her stomach but she was not even sure she could move enough to feed herself. Nonetheless, she weakly nodded before closing her eyes once more.

Kouga turned his head, desperate to catch a glimpse of Hakkaku or Ginta. It should not take that long to prepare food! He refused to move while she was comfortable and yelling when she was this close to him might startle her. The only option left was to impatiently wait. What he disliked the most was leaving her in pain. Perhaps there was something he could do to relieve some of her suffering. Reaching out for the nearby cloth, he clenched his fingers around it. With a soft touch, he pressed it against her forehead, sponging some of the sweat off.

Her fever remained.

Maybe staying in a stuffy cave constantly was not the way to go but he refused to move her. Even then, she was always cold. He hated to see her shiver but he did not want it to make it worse by giving her more warmth. He never knew what to do! Humans were much more complicated than wolves!

"Hey, hey, Kouga!"

Their whispers filled the cave and he winced. There were not as quiet as they thought they were.

"Get in here," he mumbled.

They ran, their hands wrapped around large leaves. Once they reached their destination, they dropped to their knees. "We didn't know what to bring it in," Ginta said sheepishly as he opened his hands. They wrapped the leaves around large chunks of meat.

He felt like smacking them. "And you think my woman is gonna eat that?"

"W-we cooked it!"

"She can't chew that!"

"We weren't sure how to cut it." Usually they used their teeth but he was not sure Kagome was gonna like that. They did try the knives but - the meat was not the best and it fell apart.

Kouga sighed. "Gimme that."

She was awake but her eyes were still closed. He did not think she could do this. Meh, he would help her. It was his duty as her future mate. He took the meat from Ginta and took a huge bite out of it before putting the rest down. Slowly, he masticated and kept going until it felt soft enough. He secured his arms around her waist and lifted her until the top of her head hit his chin.

"Kagome?"

"Hn."

His fingers brushed against her jaw before he grasped it. Delicately, he tilted her head backwards. "Immana need ya to eat a'right?"

She weakly nodded, her eyes never opening.

He lowered himself until their lips met. Heat rose to her face and her eyes flashed wide opened. K-kouga was kissing her? A sudden gasp escaped her and as her lips parted he began feeding her. It was so unexpected to the point that she almost choked. Once she realized what was happening, her heartbeat slowed down and she painfully swallowed. Kouga emptied the rest of the chewed meat in her mouth and once she ate that too, he released her chin. She closed her mouth which applied pressure on his lips.

And he kissed her.

He did not mean to do it. At first, he thought she initiated it, not knowing she tried to close her mouth. It did not last long, barely a few lips movements. When he said she did not respond, he pulled away a bit baffled. It all happened so fast.

His own cheeks were like hers, red.

"We- hm, do ya need more meat?"

Ginta. Hakkaku. He could smell their awkwardness from here and his embarrassment quickly turned to anger. How did he forget they were right there?

"Ju- get some water!"

As Kagome felt the food slowly slid down her throat, she wondered. Did he kiss her or did she imagine it? No, he did not. He was only trying to feed her. Unfortunately for her that did nothing to make her feel less shy. It felt like a kiss. Not that she would not what a kiss felt like since she never kissed anyone. Unless this counted. It did not… did it?

"Do ya want more?" he asked with a straight face.

She shook her head. She might be still hungry but she was a bit overwhelmed with the intimacy they were sharing. She did not doubt Kouga's intentions. True, they met because he kidnapped her but he did not hurt her. He actually proclaimed his love for her. She also knew he was not doing this to get her but to look after her. Under his tough guy heart, he was kind; she saw it. Nonetheless, she was not really used to being this close to a guy in general.

He nodded even though she could not see him.

Actually, he was glad she couldn't. Or else, she would see the grin on his face.

-E-

Darkness was swallowing the sky by the time Kouga emerged from his den. Kagome fell back asleep and though he did not want to leave her alone, he desperately needed to stretch his legs. He wished to run through the forest and feel the wind against his face. It did make him feel guilty that he was not with her right now but he was going crazy.

It was not like she was going to be alone though. He sent one of the women to look after her while he was gone.

What he did not expect was to be stopped on his way outside of the den's territory. A few wolves gathered around him, including Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Whaddaya want?"

"Maybe we should prepare for a mating huh?" Hakkuka said as he elbowed Ginta and wriggled his eyebrows.

Involuntarily, Kouga blushed again. "Idiots. She's sick. I ain't gonna mate her right now."

"Well, soon! I mean, Inuyasha can't take care of her! Whatcha gonna do when she's all better? Let her go?"

"Yeah, you let someone else take care of your mate and she got hurt!"

"You should mate her and protect her!"

They were not wrong. He would not let her be on her own but her friends were not responsible enough. The only time she was truly safe was when she was with him. Maybe it was the way to go. Though he was not sure how he felt about mating her right away. He did want her - a lot. But, they still had enemies out there. She was human; what if they went after her to get to him? As long as she was not his mate, they did not know how important she was to him.

"Maybe."

He ignored their stare before speeding out of the vicinity. He smiled as happiness washed over him. Wind was freedom. He ran so fast the trees were nothing more than a blur around him. He destroyed any obstacles in his way by running right through them. Moments passed and only the moon and the stars were lighting the sky by the time he came to a halt.

Kouga stood proudly on top of a mountain, the wind blowing through his ponytail.

As he stared in the distance, a small tree attracted his attention. It was full of small red berries and it gave him an idea. Those might be somewhat easier for Kagome to eat! Humans liked fruits right? Deciding it was a fantastic idea, he hopped all the way down in one jump. Quickly, he picked at them.

His pace was however suddenly interrupted when he heard voices. His ear twitched. It was not any voices, it was Inutrasha's stupid voice.

Kouga grinned, thinking about how he would march over there, taunting him. He was about to follow the voices when it hit him. This was a bad idea. Kagome said she belonged to another - Inuyasha. If he messed with the mutt, then he would come to his den and try to take Kagome away. If she woke up - she might just go with him. No, not yet, not so soon. She finally seemed comfortable around him and he was not about to let that idiot ruin it.

Instead, he tried to keep a certain distance but went closer. He just wanted to know what they were saying.

"Maybe you should go see Kagome at her house, Inuyasha."

"Keh. If I go, I'm dragging her back and she's gonna complain."

"But we don't even know if she made it home safely. Kirara hasn't been back yet!"

Kirara? Didn't Kagome talk about a friend named like that? Right the cat. Maybe he should send out more people to find her. If even Kagome's pack did not hear from her, she might be badly injured and it would hurt his mate if her friend died.

"Maybe Kagome told her to wait for her. Maybe she took Kirara to see the damn wolf."

Kouga smirked; he knew the mutt was jealous and he should be. Kagome was about to be all his. He was mad at him though for not being more worried about Kagome. If he really cared about her he should be trying to find her.

"We should travel back to Kaede's village and wait for the both of them there."

"If she's not back tomorrow, you need to go see if she made it home Inuyasha."

"Yeah, yeah."

One more day. That was all he had before her friends realized Kagome did not make it home. Heck, if Inuyasha followed the trail Kagome used to go home, he might find the blood. That could lead him to the den. He would have some of his men clear the scent away from where they found Kagome. Maybe they would find her friend there too.

When the conversation fell silent, he decided he heard enough for today. He grabbed the berries he had put on the ground and wrapped his hand around them. His woman was going to be happy, he just knew it. At least he knew how to take care of her.

Satisfied with himself, he sped back towards the den.

-E-

"More fur! I'm tired of my woman sleeping on the ground like that!"

Technically, she did lay on a couple of furs but it was not enough. He saw humans' home when he raided them. The rich ones had much padding underneath their beds. Kagome was human and she was going to be his - a princess. She needed the best. Also, he was afraid that being so close to the ground was not helping her sickness.

Since this was going to be her home too, he needed to make it better for her. He usually slept in the main cave, watching over his pack. Things were going to change around here and he would spend more time alone with her. They needed a place to sleep together. He might not need much rest but she did.

So far, he managed to pill up quite an amount of fur; a few more and it would be perfect. The dilemma left was to figure out how to move her without hurting her.

"Her wounds are cleaned."

"Thank you," he said as he nodded in gratitude.

Even if he did it that one time, he knew it was much more comfortable for Kagome to have another woman do it. To be perfectly honest, he was more at ease that way too.

"Do you need anything else, Prince Kouga?"

"Ya can go. I'm sure they're starving out there. I don't have time to scold them if they start acting like idiots."

"I will keep an eye on them."

Hayu was a trusted healer. She was no longer young, her hair turned white and Kouga respected her wisdom. He might be the leader of the pack but it did not mean he needed to ignore those who came before him and possessed more knowledge than he did. One did not become the youngest leader by acting like a fool.

"Here ya go, Kouga."

Two more furs were added and he smiled. "That'll do it." He smoothened them before standing straight. "Keep guard near the den. If ya see anyone ya don't recognize, ya tell me."

Inuyasha must have checked up on Kagome's home by now and found out she was not there. If he had any respect for Kagome, he would be looking for her.

"Did ya find the cat?"

"Some of 'em are still looking."

"Good."

If Kagome asked, at least he had a truthful answer to provide her. He would like to have good news but this was better than nothing. At least he was trying.

Everyone quickly left the area, leaving him alone with Kagome once more. Her bandages were just changed and she wore new clothes. He appreciated her revealing clothes but in a kimono… she was just breathtaking. Unfortunately, she shivered again and guilt swallowed him whole. Damn it. He was the one who unwrapped her from the fur, knowing her fever was too high. He simply needed to remind himself he was doing this for her own good.

Maybe - maybe a little trip to the waterfall might be worth moving her.

He rushed outside, glancing around, trying to find Hayu. Once he spotted her, he ran her way. "Her fever is high ain't it?"

She nodded.

"Will it hurt her if I take her to the waterfall?"

Hayu sighed and pondered carefully. "Perhaps if another carried her with you?"

He growled involuntarily. Kouga was not too keen on the idea of another man touching his woman but - if it was in her best interest he could hardly refuse. He nodded. "Thank you."

Kouga turned around and marched towards the gathered pack. "Ginta, Hakkaku, ya comin' with me." They were a bit clumsy at time but he trusted them. They would not do anything inappropriate to his Kagome.

They hurried to their feet and followed behind their leader. Kouga seemed in a bad mood, then again they would be too if their woman was sick and maybe dying.

Both of them trailed behind him as he leaded them inside the den. "We're gonna move here to the waterfall."

"Aren't we gonna hurt her?"

"Her fever is too damn high. She needs to cool off," he tried to hide some of her the concern in his voice but he failed.

They nodded and quickly circled Kagome. "Ya gonna grab her shoulder and you her feet." He would be the one holding her to her waist.

Once everyone was positioned they took their time to lift her up the ground and as slowly as possible they headed outside. Kouga made sure to watch her and listen to her breathing. As long as she remained asleep, he would be happy. It meant they were handling her carefully enough to not disturb her.

Moments passed and then finally made it. They all stepped into the water and lowered her into it. When Ginta and Hakkaku released Kagome, Kouga was the only thing keeping her afloat.

"Go, I'll call ya in a while."

Even if she might dislike it, he would keep her in the water as long as possible. He was not going to move her like this again and he would make sure her temperature was way down before pulling her out.

Ginta and Hakkaku threw concerned glances in direction of their sister before obeying their leader. They trusted Kouga to look after her. Though they wondered who was going to look after him. He spent day and night watching over Kagome and it showed he was tired - not physically but emotionally. They prayed Kagome would get better soon.

Kouga guided them near the edge and pushed his body against the edge. He lifted her up, wincing in fear that he might open her wounds and wove his arms around her waist. Gently, he lowered the both of them until everything but her head was in the water. Their disturbance of the water created small waves, some of them hitting her lips. It seemed to shake her out of her sleep as she stirred in his hold.

"Cold," she mumbled, seeking warmth.

Kagome inclined her head forward, leaning into his chest. Her actions made him glad he was not wearing his armor - she might not have found it as comfortable.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I gotta do this Kagome."

He was not sure she understood him since all she did was bring her hands against his chest. He lowered a hand to her back and gently stroke it underneath the water. Maybe the gesture would be enough to bring her comfort.

Kagome was edgy, feeling wet. Arms held her up but she did not feel safe. She dared to open her eyes, tan skin welcoming her into the waking world. A familiar blush sneaked up on her cheeks but she did not pull away. Instead, she was busied herself with the realization that she was submerged in water. Panic wanted to fill her and yet she fought to remain calm.

"Kouga?"

He looked down at his woman, guilty. "You got a fever."

Kouga lowered his free hand and wiped the sweat forming on her forehead before running his fingers through her damp bangs and pushing them out of the way. He wished he could dunk her head underwater too; it probably was not too comfortable to have her hair soaked with sweat. Unfortunately, he did not trust that she would hold her breath and was afraid she would lose her calm. For now, this would have to do.

"B-but I'm c-cold," she stuttered.

She found that not much made sense at the moment. She wanted warmth and nothing else. She felt as if someone threw her in a bath of ice and she did not like it. She teeth was chattering and her body was trembling. Why was he keeping her in the water? She wanted the fur, the heat.

He decided to wrap both of his arms around her, securely holding her. "You're gonna be okay. Immana look after ya."

"Inuyasha," she blurred out.

He tried not to be frustrated, he really did but that one little word was enough to hurt him. He ignored it in the hopes that she would not repeat it. Mutt face was not the one looking after her - heck he had a hard time looking for her. When would she realize he was no good for her? She enjoyed his touch, he knew she did! Why else would she let him so close to her?

Kagome tilted her head backwards. Did he not hear her? "W-where's Inu-yasha?" He was searching for her, she knew he was.

"He ain't here. Couldn't find him."

Liar. He found him. Even when he was not looking for him.

She swallowed hard, her heart sinking in her chest. Inuyasha was a good tracker - he always found her. Days went by since her incident, she was certain of it. How did he not find her by not? Kouga was as hot headed as Inuyasha but he would not keep her his prisoner. At least, not again. Plus, Inuyasha would have ravaged through the place with his sword.

Did that really mean he was not looking for her?

"I'm here," he said, nuzzling against the side of her head.

He might hate Inuyasha but he did not want his Kagome to be upset. He promised to take his mind away from that worthless mutt. As long as she was with him, she would be happy.

His nose tickled her but she was too weak to smile. The more he pushed his nose into her hair, the closer he got to her. In the end, she found her face pressed into the crook of his neck. Involuntarily she found herself breathing in heavily. He smelled salty and like the forest. It was nice, especially since she thought nobody in this era was very dedicated to hygiene. She liked it. His scent was comforting and involuntarily, the tears spilled from her eyes.

She did not know why but she was dying to cry.

Every time she moved, pain jolted through her body. Each time she tried to find rest, she was haunted by bad memories. Nothing brought her relief. Not even this. Kagome knew he was doing this to help her but the coldness of the water only increased her agony. Only his warmth was like a balm over the wounds. She barely knew him but she was certain that if he let go, she would fall apart. She feared death and this was not the way she wanted to go. Not like this, not in such much pain while she was so far from home and all the people she loved.

Her pain vibrated through him and he had to close his eyes to keep himself calm. He did not know what to do to comfort a crying woman; he had no experience in that field. Instead, he tried to hold her back and let her do what she felt was right. When she tightened her hold, he did the same. When she sniffled, he caressed her hair. Having her body against his felt right and he never wanted to let her go.

He meant it when he told her wolves mated for life and that she was his.

But he was also hers and he did not think he would love anyone as much as he loved her.

-E-

Kouga stayed in the water with Kagome until the sun disappeared and re-appeared over the horizon. By then, her tears seized and exhaustion claimed her. He held her unconscious body in his arms until he was certain she was no longer warm. Ginta and Hakkaku helped him bring her back and then he laid her on the furs. Now that he was staring at her in her wet clothes, he wondered if it was a good idea.

What if her fever came back and she had wet clothes on? That could not be good.

He already saw her naked when he changed her bandages - this was an emergency situation too. It was not like he was doing it to get an eyeful. She was his woman and he respected her.

Nervous, he grabbed one of the kimonos off of the floor and put it on the furs. He inhaled deeply, calming himself. He fumbled with her obi, unusual clumsy, until finally the knot came apart. Slowly, he parted her kimono and revealed her body to his eyes once more. He barely caught a peek before he raised his gaze and stared at the rock wall. Void of his sight, he patted the edge of the fur until he found her kimono again. He slipped her out it, never grabbing anything but her arms. He tugged at the kimono, pulling it from underneath her before tossing it on the ground.

Forced to look down, he focused his eyes on her face as he lifted her upper body to slide the new kimono underneath her. Once that was done, he put her arms into the sleeves. Evilly, her large breasts bounced every time he moved her. He kept his gaze away as best as he could but it was difficult when they were tempting him. He leaned over her to carefully tuck in the other arm and he felt them brush against his naked chest.

Blood rushed through his groin and for a moment, he did not move. Despite the amount of deep breath he took, he did not relax. His breathing was hitched, his heart pumping fast as he retracted his body. It was with trembling hands that he closed the purple kimono and tied it up as rapidly as his hands allowed him. Once he was done, he dropped to the ground.

His fur felt tight around his waist and he leaned his head backwards, exhaling deeply.

She was so beautiful it hurt.

He ran his palm over his face before pinching the bridge of his nose. He was not a little pup. He had seen a woman's body before. Maybe he never touched one, but he saw one. This was nothing new. As he filled his mind with different thoughts, he felt himself go limp. Grateful, he rose to his feet once more.

While he looked away she changed her position. She was closer to the wall, leaning on her side. He did not know if it was a good idea but she seemed comfortable and it was all he was asking for. Although, perhaps he could help keep her in that position. To be honest, he rested more while being around her than he ever did before. He liked it and it was becoming routine. He did not let doubt settle in as he laid down beside her.

He hovered his hand over her body a bit longer before deciding to put it on her hip. He kept a distance between their bodies out of respect but it did not prevent him from putting his other arm over his head to let him tangle his fingers through her hair. He gently massaged and waited for her usual reaction.

Quietly, she moaned and he smiled.

She mumbled again and once more, he could not make out the words.

Somewhere in his mind, an evil voice was telling him she was looking for Inuyasha, saying his name in her sleep. He ignored that voice. Instead he trailed his fingers along her hip, tickling the skin. She shivered and he sighed. He would give his life for her and he would do anything to make her happy.

He did not want her to belong to someone else. He wanted her to be his and be happy instead of sad.

He hated Inuyasha.

-E-