Human Compensation

Warning: Graphical Violence in this chapter.

***********************************************************************

“Yes, she’s here. Koga kidnapped her from Inuyasha and brought her here.”

Kagome turned to the voice and saw one of the youkai talking on a cellular phone. She frowned wondering who he was talking to.

Koga stood a few feet from the entrance of the cave waiting to fight his enemy. He never had anything personal against Inuyasha until now. He had stolen his woman away from him and had made her his, that itself was a horrible offense against any youkai. His eyes narrowed when he saw the shape Inuyasha was in. He looked ready to kill him at any given moment.

Inuyasha glared at Koga. His eyes flashing red, his lips were pulled back showing his long, sharp, canines that were extended over his bottom lip. As angry as he was, he had enough common sense to know he couldn’t let Koga lay a hand on him. He was still very closely bonded with Kagome. If Koga so much as laid a scratch on him, Kagome would feel it. So, how was he supposed to fight this idiot without getting hurt himself?

Koga crossed his arms relaxing for a minute. “What’s wrong Inuyasha? You scared to make the first move, too afraid you’re going to loose to me and loose Kagome?” He taunted.

Inuyasha growled tensing.

“I’m tired of this. I’m impatient to get back to my woman!” Koga flew at him preparing to attack him full speed.

Inuyasha jumped out of the way into the air.

Koga stared up at him. “Come back down here!” He yelled. He lept up in the air so quickly that Inuyasha barely missed his swinging fist.

Inuyasha ran all over the place dodging his attacks the best he could. The only thing on his mind at the moment was protecting Kagome. He knew by running from Koga he looked liked a coward, but he didn’t care.

“Dog face! Stop running all over the place and fight like a man!” Koga shouted completely frustrated because he couldn’t even lay a finger on the hanyou. “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you really are afraid? You’re Inuyasha, the hanyou that isn’t afraid of anything, so what’s your problem?”

Oh he was afraid all right, Inuyasha thought, but not for the reason Koga thought. Something caught his eye as he stood on the ground a few feet from Koga. He looked passed his shoulders and watched a figure sneak into the cave. “What the!” He said out loud causing Koga to turn around to see what he was looking at. Inuyasha took this chance to slam his fist into Koga’s face and send him flying to the ground unconscious. He’d kill him later, right now he had to check on Kagome.

During their fight outside, Kagome stayed in the cave watching the wolves and the wolf-men as they watched her. A figure appeared at the entrance of the cave. She knew it wasn’t Inuyasha, by the way the figure smelled. She watched it warily as it approached her. Even the wolves growled slightly.

“Call off your wolves before I destroy all of them,” said a woman’s voice behind the hooded cloak she was wearing.

One of the men stepped forward and said something to the wolves in a language Kagome couldn’t understand. She watched the woman, not liking her smell at all. Her voice seemed strangely familiar also.

“Where’s the money you promised me?” The wolf man asked.

“You’ll get your money when she’s dead,” the woman said.

Kagome backed away. Now she knew who the voice belonged to as the woman pulled down the hood of her cloak revealing a face Kagome had grown to fear and hate. “Kikyo.” She whispered feeling a low growl coming from her throat. What was happening to her? She didn’t growl....

“That wasn’t the deal. You said you’d give me five thousand dollars if I was able to tell you where she’s at. You didn’t say anything about killing her.” The wolf man said.

Kikyo glanced at him as she slung her cloak back. “If you try to interfere, you won’t get your money and I will also kill you!” She turned to Kagome and gave her an evil smile. “So we meet again and I assure you this will be the last time.”

Kagome held her place continuing to growl as Kikyo walked toward her. She could smell the intense scent of danger coming from the wicked woman. Instead of being afraid like she usually was of Kikyo, she was actually getting pissed off. She was tired of this woman trying to kill her for no reason except to get back at Inuyasha.

Kikyo stopped a few inches in front of her. The two women glared at each other as if they were having some kind of staring contest. Kikyo could sense something different about Kagome. The fear in the girl eyes that she had become so use to was gone. She gasped when she saw what appeared to be a red glowing light spreading in Kagome’s pupils.

“You know what?” Kagome spoke in a cold voice that was so unlike her own soft, warm voice. “I’m sick of seeing your skanky face. I’m tired of you trying to kill me and I will not let it happen again. Let’s get this over with, bitch!”

Kikyo looked taken back. This was definitely not the weak, scary girl she had enjoyed terrorizing in the past. Her eyes narrowed into two tight slits as she looked at Kagome closely. “What happened to you?” She did want to know, but she was hoping to throw Kagome off as she hid a hand behind her back to gather her energy to fire at her.

“Let’s just say it’s that time of the month and I am really pissed off.” Kagome told her knowing she was up to something since she was standing there with a hand behind her back.

“What the fuck?!” They both heard Inuyasha's voice at the entrance of the cave.

Kikyo used this distraction to fire at Kagome when she turned her head in the direction of her surprised mate. However, Kagome senses and reflexes were higher than normal, due to the intense bond she still held with Inuyasha, she was able to dodge the energy bolt a second before it struck her. It struck against the wall of the cave creating a huge explosion and leaving a smoking hole.

“Stay out of this Inuyasha. For once I want to fight her on my own!” Kagome yelled at him.

Inuyasha nodded wondering how Kikyo had found them in the first place. Had Koga set them up? As if on cue Koga appeared beside him.

“I’m not finished with you dog boy.” He stopped after smelling another scent in the cave and looked in just in time to see Kagome strike out at a surprised Kikyo slashing her clothes across her chest with her...claws? “Isn’t that Naraku’s woman?” He asked forgetting about his fight with Inuyasha for the time.

“Don’t pretend you had nothing to do with this! You set us up so Kikyo could find Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled, grabbing him by the front of his shirt.

Koga pulled away. “I did not! I hate that woman! I smell a rat in the pack.” He looked around suspiciously at his men. They were backed up against the wall of the cave watching the fight between the two women with awe, but gave Koga a frightened look when they heard what he said.

Inuyasha continued to watch the women fight. Kikyo was firing waves of energy every chance she got at Kagome who easily dodged them. This was Kagome’s first battle, even though he’d agreed to not interfere, he still kept a watchful eye on her, ready to take over if Kikyo did anything to hurt her.

“Is that all you can do?” Kagome asked with a smirk. She disappeared and suddenly appeared behind Kikyo. Even Inuyasha had to blink at that one. “You are nothing to me.” Kagome curled up her fingers in a tight fist and punched Kikyo in the back before she could turn around, sending the woman flying across the cave and crashing into the wall face first.

Koga grinned. “That’s my woman,” he said proudly. Inuyasha’s fist connected with Koga’s face knocking him down to the ground without taking his eyes off the women.

Kikyo slid down the cave and fell to the ground on her stomach as Kagome watched. She rose up weakly on her arms and glared at Inuyasha. “You...made...her..your mate?!!”

Inuyasha crossed his arms and smirked. “Not so tough anymore are ya, Kikyo?” He taunted.

Kikyo arms shook and gave out sending her smashing back to the ground on her face.

Kagome shook her head and turned around to walk away feeling very unsatisfied. The fight had ended too soon for her. Kikyo might have been powerful with her magic, but physically she was a weak woman. She didn’t see Kikyo rising back up with a smirk and raising one of her arms. Her hand opened and a bright light developed in the middle of her palm.

“Kagome!” Inuyasha yelled, running towards her.

Kagome eyes widen when she saw him and turned back around just in time to see Kikyo fire at her. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion during that one second. Taken off guard, Kagome could only stand there and watch what she thought would be her death as the energy blasted towards her head. Instead, all she saw was a blur in front of her and found herself hitting the ground hard with another body draped over hers. A strong gust of wind blew by her causing her hair to fly up. There was a loud growl coming from Kikyo’s direction, an agonizing scream and a sickening sound as if someone was tearing apart flesh. The blood hit her nose sharply making her stomach turn. She blinked trying to clear her vision which had blurred from the impact of hitting her head on the ground. Inuyasha’s face suddenly came into view as he lay over her. However, he wasn’t looking at her, his face was turned toward’s Kikyo. Kagome slowly turned her head to see what had happened and nearly threw up at the sight before her. Koga was hunched over Kikyo’s body holding her ripped out throat in his mouth. His eyes were red and he looked ferocious.

“Inuyasha, get me out of here, please,” Kagome pleaded as tears fell down her cheeks.

Inuyasha stood up and picked her up in his arms holding her close to him. “You dare to cry for a woman who tried to kill you?” He asked coldly.

“No one deserves to die like that,” she said softly.

“Kagome, your weak heart will be the death of you.” Inuyasha said, somewhat angrily. “She tried to kill you when your back was turned even after you had spared her life, for that she deserved her death. I only wished I had been the one to do it.” He frowned at Koga then turned to walk away.

“Just where do you think you’re going?” They heard Koga asked as he stood up spitting Kikyo’s throat out of his mouth. “I brought you here for a reason. This is not over.”

Inuyasha growled, tired of this. He turned back to Koga angrily. “Koga, the only reason why I was avoiding you before was because of Kagome. Our bond is still very intense. If you were to hurt me, you would also hurt Kagome. Kagome will feel every scratch, wound, or cut I receive. Now do you really want to hurt the woman you claim to love?” He gritted his teeth saying that, but it was the only way he could think of to get Kagome safely away from here and back home.

Koga blinked. He’d forgotten about that. He could tell that Inuyasha and Kagome had recently mated but he’d forgotten about the bonding. He growled in annoyance and frustration. “Damn you!” He yelled at them. “The bond won’t last forever! It will grow weaker in a few days and when that day come. I will find you again and make Kagome mine.”

Inuyasha felt Kagome shiver at his words. “Don’t worry about this punk, Kagome. He’s more of annoyance than a danger to us.”

“I heard that!” Koga yelled.

Inuyasha smirked. “What are you going to do about it?”

Koga growled knowing he couldn’t do anything about it, unless he wanted to hurt his woman. He turned to his pack seeking out the man who had betrayed them. His pack instantly knew what he was thinking and pushed the man forward. “So you’re the one who called this witch here.” Koga pointed at the Kikyo’s dead body.

The youkai trembled in fear. “She promised to give me five thousand dollars! I was going to give it to you!”

“Kill him!” Koga said, crossing his arms. “Then you can have her for dinner.” He pointed to Kikyo.

“Inuyasha!” Kagome yelled. He was standing there enjoying the scene. He looked at her and nodded. Kagome covered her ears at the youkai’s terrified screams as Inuyasha flew out the cave with her.

***********************************************************************

Rin peeped out of the trunk of Inuyasha’s car to see if it was safe for her to get out. After taking a sniff in the air and finding their scents gone, she grinned and climbed out. She had managed to escape the mansion after Sesshoumaru had left and sneak in the back of Inuyasha’s trunk before he and Kagome had got in. She had been so tired of being locked up in the mansion like a prisoner. She hadn’t seen the outside world in a month and was about to go crazy. She took in a deep breath of city air which was so unlike the country air at the mansion. The sun was beginning to set. Tonight, she would go to one of the clubs and enjoy the life she once had as a normal woman before she met Sesshoumaru. She knew he’d find out she was gone sooner or later and she didn’t want to think of what he would do to her. Right now, she just wanted to have a good time and enjoy it while it lasted. She smoothed down her jeans and adjusted the halter top on her shoulders. It was time to get her groove on. She was gone by the time Inuyasha and Kagome made it back to the car. Inuyasha stopped for a second and sniffed the air when he opened the passenger side to let Kagome in.

“Something wrong?” Kagome asked as she got in.

He shut the door and shook his head. “No, I just thought I smelled something. Must be my nose playing tricks on me.” He walked around and got in. There was no way Rin’s scent could have gotten here. Must be Kagome’s menstrual cycle throwing him off balance. He dismissed the thoughts from his head as he concentrated on driving home.