His new ward

Chapter 6

Very early the next morning a knock on the door awoke the Northern lord and his mate. "I swear if he wasn't grown I would whip that boy." He covered up his mate and then sat up to face the door. "Enter."

"Father, you and mother should be leaving any minute and you are still in bed. Are you even packed yet. We don't have time to delay." Kouga turned and left the room.

"Now I know how he controls his wolves. Sleep deprivation and nagging them to death. That must be how the boy does it." Koona watched as more servants than normal
entered the room. Some started dressing them and others brought them food and the others packed what they would need. Wait till he got his hands on his cub. He may not be able to whip him now but there was other tortures he could lay on the cub.

His mate watched her servants fly around their room and turned to her mate. "I agree with you. We should definately find some way to torture the pup. This was so uncalled for."

Koona smiled at his mate then took her arm and they walked out of thier room. Servants followed them carrying their baggage and anything else they might need. Soon everything was loaded into a carriage and they departed for the Western Lands.

Kouga watched his mother and father depart then turned to Ginta and Hakaku. "You two must remain here. I will return by nightfall." He smiled at them and then in a swirl of dust took off for his caves.

Ginta looked to Hakaku then smiled. "I will miss running with him, but I sure could use a break."

"And what better place to take a break than the Northern Palace. I think I am going to take a bath." Hakaku turned to enter the castle.

"I am going to get something to eat." Ginta followed Hakaku into the castle. He was so going to enjoy every minute of this break. For breaks came very rarely when Kouga was your leader.

Kouga reached his cave by mid afternoon. He rounded up all the surviving wolf demons that had heard his claim. Some had even been slaughtered by Kagura. After they were rounded up. he appointed a new leader until he returned with the order to ready the cave for his mate.

Kouga and his followers departed to return to the Northern Palace. Most of the warriors had been wounded by an attack on the cave barely a week ago by some snake demons, though none of his followers or the wolves had been killed. They had suffered many wounds but they had won the battle. It would be a long time before any other demons attacked his caves. His warriors may be roughed up, but they lived and that is what counted to him. His tribe had been reduced in number drastically due to Naraku's attacks on him. They had just started building it's strength back up before this attack. Some of the warriors who could not walk were strapped onto the wolves backs. It would slow him down but he would make sure each and everyone of them reached the Northern Palace. He glanced at the tribesmen around him. Some didn't appear to be doing very well. He yelled for the tribe to stop. He sent some of the healthy guards to gather water, herbs and wood for a fire. He left some in charge of setting up camp while he went hunting for his party.

Kouga returned about an hour later with two deer slung over his shoulders. "This should help you all gain some strength." He dropped his kill in the middle of the camp and used his claws to slice pieced of meat off for this tribesmen.

"My Lord Kouga is Sister Kagome really going to come back with you and be your mate?" Yasuo turned and took the meat from Koga.

All eyes on the clearing turned to Kouga. He rubbed the back of his neck and growled at the impudent wolf.

"Do you think that I am lieing!" He looked around the clearing and glared at the faces around him, "That is the plan. But first I must prove my right of first claim. If that happens then Lord Sesshomaru can not deny me the right to mate her. Thats where you all come in." He saw the smiles on the faces around him. Well at least his pack was still behind him.

"Is that all you have to do? Sister Kagome will be with us in no time then." Yasuo smirked and faced his leader.

"Thats what I thought too but I keep getting this feeling that something is going to happen to stop it." Kouga frowned at the ground.

"That's just mating night jitters talking. I had them before I mated Arata. But everything turned out fine and now she is about to have our first pup. I am sure it will be the same for you also." Yasuo smiled kindly at his leader.

For all his gruff and rough ways he was still a little uncertain about his feelings. Hopefully Sister Kagome could help him loosen up a little. He remembered the times Kouga returned to the caves after seeing her. He was almost like a different wolf then. But let a couple of days or weeks go by without him seeing her and he was like a wolf caught in a trap. It was not a pretty sight. During those times he trained them ruthlessly, had half the pack searching for her and the other half out hunting. You were not allowed any rest when Kouga was upset about Kagome.

"I hope your right, Yasuo. I would really enjoy finally having Kagome as my mate." He sat and stared into a fire that someone had built. After all the men had rested and the wounds were seen to properly they resumed their march. They finally reached the palace just before sundown. He saw the many servants exit the palace to assist with the wounded. He saw his older brother approach him. "Khano, have our parents returned yet?"

"No pup, they haven't. I have recieved word that they would be staying an extra day." Khano smirked at his brother as he flinched at the word pup.

"Who are you calling pup? I am only a few minutes younger than you." Kouga growled at his brother.

"I do believe he has gotten smarter in his abscence." Khano couldn't resist taunting Koga. It was one of his rights as his twin.

"Smarter and better looking. You will never catch up to me runt." Kouga tackled Khano and they wrestled until a servant interupted their play. They helped each other up and into the castle. "Still not able to beat me brother. Come and stay with me for a while. I will toughen you up."

Khano smiled at Koga now. "I just might. After you have time to acclimate your mate to the way of the wolf. Are you sure a human female can handle such a hard life?" Khano looked behind Koga as his pak of wolves lightly growled at him.

"My Kagome can handle anything. She fought with us against the Birds of Paradise and even rescued one of my tribesmen by shooting a birds wing off. My woman fought Naraku and his minions and didn't bat an eye. If it wasn't for her he would still be around. She is really amazing." Kouga was now lost in his memories.

Khano watched his brothers face as he spoke of the human he wanted to mate. If she made his brother this happy he would help him with his claim. Besides that left a heartbroken Ayame for him to comfort. And that was one task he would gladly take on. "Come on, brother, your other siblings want to say hi to you." He took Koga's arm and drug him into the palace to the dining room.