In the wake of a storm, a wolf no longer alone.

The storm had ripped through the forest, leaving soaked branches strewn across the muddy pathways. Only random flashes of lightning lit the already dangerous unused road. But the woman pressed on. Her chocolate locks had fallen from their pins hours ago, and with each flash of white electric light her soaked hair reflected a somewhat red colored sheen. The white silk kimono she wore seemed to weigh more than her own body was with each second the cloth soaked in more heavy water and splatters of mud from her stumbling. Through all of this, the crashing of the thunder and the constant down pour this woman still radiated somthing inhuman. Now she was a human but she looked like a goddess, even covered in mud. Her dark hazel eyes were lined in thick black lashes, and her full lips were gifted with a natural warm red tint. The color of her lips only stood out more aginst the back drop of her pale ivory skin, the milky cream texture alluring in all ways imaginable. Her cheeks were pink with her strugles to move, but all of her work became futile.

With a crack, so much like thunder that she wasnt able to react untill it was to late, the branch above her snapped like a twigg under the pressures of the storm. The beauty was pinned by the massive log to the point where she could not move. She could only suffer the pain of the weight pushing her skin into the rocks covering the pathway. Her cries for help were easily drowned by the storm and only an hour later she ceased her calls. Her weak body laid still on the muddy earth and her frail body fell into a sleep that she felt she would never wake from.

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Kouga woke in the morning, already feeling irritated at the sun's unwelcome invitation into the entrance of the cave he and his pack were now staying in. They had moved almost once every two to three months since Naraku's demise. The hunting grounds were always fine but the once unimaginably quick feet of Kouga were not satisfied by the idea of staying in one place. He usually roamed their grounds in the night but the storm had kept him inside. He had no want to get soaked and muddy. Kouga somewhat regreted the idea to sleep durring the storm though. He had been mercilessly plauged by nightmares of Naraku. It had been little over three years since the half demon's demise and he still had images strangling his mind. Pictures of fallen comrads dieing by his minions hands. It made him sick. Even his battles with the band of seven still flashed through his brain in his darkest times.

Now in his waking state he examined the memories of the past few years with a distinct frown on his face. Somthing that he had adopted over the years. Ayame, the wolf who had wanted so desperatly to be his mate back then was now mated with another tribe leader. She had grown to impacient for him. Only recently had Kagome returned and all of the hope that was lifted back up from the depths of his heart was squashed as she married that mutt-face. He had even heard that the monk and that demon slayer already had three pups...well children, he guess they called them, of their own. His own life paralleled all of their happily bonded ones. He had no pups, he had no mate, and he didnt know of any woman that he would want as his mate. He was quite alone, and it had gotten even worse over the past year. Ginta and Hakkaku had moved on. Well not really moved on. He was still their leader, but they had found mates of their own. He would never admit this to them but in all of the years that he had known them they were his best and really his only true friends. They followed him to the ends of the earth, and had witnessed his downfalls. Now they were buisy off with their women and seemed to not have as much time for him. Ginta's mate was even expecting! That little skunk haired runt was having pups before his leader, his prince was!! And at the rate that things were going in his own non existant love life Hakkaku would probably reproduce before himself. Kouga's frown increased slightly before he sighed and tried to push the thoughts from his mind.

He stood rather abruptly and left the den. The only mate he had was his duties to his clan. And right now that entailed him surveying the damage to their hunting grounds. The storm had been bad and he wondered if they would actually have to leave because of the damage and not his restlessness. He took no one with him. He traveled on his own ever since Ginta and Hakkaku's marriages. Most of the demons were gone along with Naraku, and he didnt really know what to do with himself anymore. He had lost touch with the outside world and taking someone with him would only make that even more visible to the unlucky wolf who had to follow after him. He hated that Naraku being gone was the cause of his restless body, for so long he wanted him dead. It took Naraku being gone for Kouga to realize that the half demon had given him purpose, and it made him sick to his stomach. His over confident, cocky, and undieing devotional self had faded away only after a couple years of Naraku's absence.

A few twigs snapped beneath his feet bringing him back to the world around him. As he moved through the woods now he focused on the lands. He was glad, or at least in a way he was, that the damage wasnt half as great as the deafening storm had made it self out to be. A few trees were up rooted here and there and large branches were litering a few areas but over all it would probably only take a week or so for the land to begin to thrive once agian as it was.

Kouga's head snapped up in attention as the wind shifted in a different direction. He was greeted by the sickly sweet smell of human blood and inwardly he cringed, though you wouldnt know it by the outside. He remembered when he used to let his pack feast on human villages, but after meeting Kagome he had grown a soft spot for them. Many a time he considered this to be a weakness for himself. Aginst his better judgement he followed his nose to the scent, and then he actually did cringe outwardly aswell as inwardly. A woman lay face down in a puddle of mud and blood with a large branch over her back. The weight had shoved her into the rocky path. He could only imagine the pain that she had gone through before she had died. It was a grotesque sight to see. The earth stained red around him. Her face was turned to the side in the puddle her eyes closed. She was beautiful. Skin so ivory white, and her lips still held their color. Before he realized what he was doing he moved down her. Kneeling in the wet earth. He ran a finger across her face and was stunned at what he felt. A warm pulse pressing back aginst his finger tips. Without even thinking twice about it he lifted the heavy branch off of the beauty and scooped the unconcious body up into his arms. He felt himself involuntary blush as her body was pressed aginst his chest, but he shook his head getting rid of the momentary nervousness. Through all of this the damaged woman did not stir, even as he shifted her in his arms, and her head rolled resting on his chest armor.
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----This is the first installment of this story. Reviews are welcome. I know Im not the greatest speller and I take alot of liberties with grammer. I hope you forgive me.

________________________________________-Ari