His new ward

Chapter 5

Koga exited the castle and once past the gates he howled to his compainions. It didn't take them long to appear at the edge of the forest.

"We go North. I have to talk to my parents." He turned and ran northward his companions and wolves following him.

It was night when the castle was finally in sight. He smirked at the guards when they bowed to him. At times being a prince had it's priveleges. He opened the door, and was not surprised to find his parents standing on the other side of the door waiting for him.

He bowed to his parents then rose, "I seek your council, Father."

Koona looked at his mate. He could tell by her scent that she was worried about their son. But he knew Koga could take care of himself, Kouga had been doing it since he was a young pup. As his father he was very proud of his son. He just wished all his other children were responsilbe like Koga. He took his mates arm and turned toward another set of doors. "Lets retire to the garden we can talk there."

Koga followed them to the garden it had been a long time since he had been home.

Koona and his wife sat on a bench under a cherry tree and waited for their son to join them. By the way he lagged behind he must have something terrible troubling him. "Now tell us your problem."

Kouga walked up to his parents and started pacing back and forth in front of them. He thought about what he was going to say before he turned and looked them in the eyes. "I have found my mate, and though you might not approve of my choice. I know that she is the one for me."

Ghanna watched her son closely. "And why would we not approve of her, Kouga?"

Koga smiled at his mother before he answered her. "She is a ningen, and a miko." He waited for his father to start screaming at him and for his mother to faint.

The silence around the garden was almost eerie. Koona stared at his son in shock.

A human? His son wanted a human mate? And not just a human but a miko at that.

Had the whelp lost his mind? Maybe he had damaged his head in some battle and didn't tell anyone.

"Calm down dear lets hear him out before you take him to task. Besides it's not like it is the end of the world and we both know it." Koona nodded to his mate.

Kouga saw his mother place her hand on his fathers arm like she was trying to restrain him. Then shook her head. He hated it when they talked in their minds.

Koona glared at his son "Why a human? You have a perfectly acceptable wolf demoness waiting for you on the mountain. And you choose a human."

"Father, Kagome is no mear mortal. She is a miko, and the guardian of the Shikon no Tama, it is rumored that she comes from the future. That could be a great help to the pack in later years. She is beautiful, smart and won't put up with my antics. She would make a great alpha Bitch. My pack looks up to her and they would accept her in a heartbeat as my mate. Ayame would make a great mate but not to me. I may have promised her when I was younger to mate her when she reached the proper age but I just said that to comfort her. And it was before I met Kagome. If you must, mate her to my brother Khano, I know he likes her so that would not be too difficult to arrange. She would make him a great mate but she is not meant to be mine."

Koga could see his fathers face cloud over with anger.

"Let me get this straight. You claimed this Kagome--told Ayame that you would mate her-- is there any other females that we need to worry about? And how can you be so fickle. Wolves mate for life, you know this. What happens if Ayame chooses not to mate Khano? You could very well be stuck with her. Then where would that put the miko. As your concubine? Do you really want that for her?"

Ghanna laid her hand on her mates arm. "Kouga as far back as I can remember a miko and a demon has never mated. No one knows or wants to know what will happen if it occurs."

"I want to find out. I love her mother. I would die for her if necessary. You have one week to get use to it. That is if I can convince Sesshomaru that I had first claim on her that is. All you have to do is talk to Khana and see that I speak the truth about his feelings for Ayame. " Koga smiled once again at his parents.

Ghanna smiled back at her joyful son. "How does this girl feel about you?"

"That I do not know. She travels with an enemy of mine and her other companions. She seems happy to see me when I meet up with them but Lord Sesshomaru's mutt faced brother always interupts us. If she got to know me I know that she would love me. Besides you did not love father until after you were mated and you two turned out just fine." Koga sat on the ground and faced his parents.

Koona looked down at his son. "Why did you need our council? It seems that you have it all figured out."

"Lord Sesshomaru has taken the girl as his ward becuase me and Inuyasha were battling in his lands and destroyed some forest of his. I guess this is his way of getting back at us for doing that. He also said that we need to repay him for the trees. Sesshomaru said I had one week to prove my challenge of first claim. If I can't then he is free to let her court anyone he chooses and he could deny my claim out right if it is not done properly. I am not the courtly type. I see something I want and I take it, but I can't do that this time. I require your assistance in forming my claim." Koga looked up and saw the frowns on his parents faces. Now they were both frowining this could not be good.

"You need to gather all that saw and heard you claim the girl. Bring them back here. While you are doing that we will go to the Western Castle and meet this girl. If I deem her worthy of you, I will assist you in drawing up the paper work you need to win this girl. Rest for tonight, we leave in the morning." Koonan helped his wife stand and they left their son in the garden lost in his thoughts.

He left his wife in the hall outside of his study. "I must inform Sesshomaru of our arrival. I will retire shortly." He entered his study and picked up a scroll, inkwell and quill. He drafted his letter and affixed his seal then sent it by courier to the Western Lands.