That night, as the night before, Sesshoumaru watched her sleep. Perched on a high branch, sufficiently elevated from the wolf stench permeating the campsite below, he studied the profile of her face by the faint light of the moon. It was easier to look at her this way–when the world was silent, and she was

“Tessaiga,” Sesshoumaru said, his claws curving around the frayed hilt as he regarded her closely. “You believe the sword to have this power?” “Yep,” the girl said, smiling slightly. “Inuyasha used it to break through Naraku’s barrier once before.” His eyes narrowed. “How?” “With its other form—the Red Tessaiga,” she explained, her blue eyes gleaming.

“Y-your grandpa?” Kagome stammered apologetically. “You mean, you guys just change into regular wolves? When Sesshoumaru transforms, he turns into this huge, scary, poison-mouthed dog-monster.” The inu daiyoukai glared. “Regular wolves,” Ayame returned hotly, her auburn brow twitching at the perceived slight. “You should show some respect, human—my gramps here is the Elder of all the

Face bloody and back against a tree, Kouga snarled raggedly, his claws biting into Sesshoumaru’s stony arm as the inu daiyoukai trapped him close–rendering his super-powered legs effectively useless. “What the fuck,” Kouga seethed, “is your problem?” As Sesshoumaru’s claws dug deeper, tingeing venom-green, Ginta, Hakakku and Ayame ran forward, one fierce growl from the

“YOU,” Ayame seethed in accusation, the pure murder in her voice making Kagome flinch, “slept with MY fiancé?!” “No!” the miko cried, looking desperately between her and Sesshoumaru as if trying to determine who was the frying pan and who was the fire. “Never! Absolutely not!” Blood boiling, she glared at the wolf prince. “Kouga!

“First off,” Kagome said, raising a terse finger. “I’m not a ‘homewrecker’. Second off, congratulations on your engagement, Ayame-san.” The wolf demoness blinked, promptly deflating. “Huh?” Green eyes turned to Kouga in confusion. “Did she just congratulate us…?” “Nothing to congratulate,” Kouga barked, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest. “I never agreed to marry

Fangs bared, Kouga glared up at Sesshoumaru from a tense, bristling crouch. “Who the hell are you?” Even without her miko senses, the murderous intent radiating from the dog demon lord would have been pretty hard to miss. Slipping out from behind him, Kagome eased her way cautiously between him and Kouga, standing a little

As morning faded into noon, the mountain home of the northern wolf demon tribe finally appeared on the horizon. Much taller than their southern counterparts, the white-capped peaks soared high into the clouds, their flinty, jagged slopes rimed treacherously with ice and snow. This was a harsh, unwelcoming land–forbidding, even without the dark, ominous presence