#I do like the small collar tho! It's gotten a little out of control lately haha ♪ Save that for alt outfits!

[sysig]

Okay actually, the OG Just Desserts style was onto something (Patreon)

[sugarless-suki-writes]

Big God

Fandom: Inuyasha Rating: M Word Count: 3,939 Chapters: 9 of ?

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Chapter Nine

Kagome smiled and waved Sango over to where she was standing. She had gotten there a bit early, but Sango was also one to arrive early, so she hadn’t been waiting long, about two minutes at most. They greeted each other happily, pulling the other into a tight embrace for a couple seconds before pulling away.

“I’m going to want every single detail.”

Kagome’s cheeks burned. She rolled her eyes at the slayer and gave her a playful shove. “Oh hush, I already know. Let’s just go eat a bit first, okay?”

Sango laughed heartily. “Yeah yeah, let’s go.”

And with that, they made their way to the restaurant. They had decided to go for hot pot, despite the warm weather. They hadn’t had it in a while, and they were both sort of craving it. Once everything was all set up and brought out for them, they thanked their server and started to work on their food.

“So.. where did he take you?” Sango asked as she put the mushrooms in.

“He took me out for sushi. It was a small little hole in the wall sort of place. It was really good, super high quality.”

“And after?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Kagome couldn’t help but laugh.

“He walked me up to the apartment, he kissed me good night, and then it kind of just... evolved.”

Sango nodded, adding in some more veggies while Kagome added in some meat. “And how was it?”

Kagome’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. “It was.... fuck Sango, it was probably the best I’ve had in a while. And it happened again this morning and just... wow....”

Sango smiled. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy and enjoying yourself. How did you guys meet anyway, you never told me, just that you were going out to dinner.”

The miko paused for a moment, trying to figure out what she should say. She knew she very well couldn’t tell her how they actually met, and that he was in the yakuza. Maybe.... “Well, I actually met him at the hospital. He was a patient I had and we kind of just... hit it off? I’m still not sure how it worked out that way but..” she shrugged.

“That’s pretty sweet actually, kind of like the movies.” Sango replied.

“Yeah, I guess.” Kagome said with a laugh.

They continued to chat as they cooked and ate their food. Sango dished out some drama that was happening at the station which Kagome traded with stories from the hospital. Some of the stories she told were pretty gross, but neither of them really minded, they just made sure to keep their voices low so they wouldn’t disturb any of the other customers.

Kagome was in the middle of telling one of her horror stories when her phone vibrated on the table. Her voice trailed off as she looked down at it. A smile curled her lips and she reached out for her phone, unlocking it and opening up Kouga’s message.

Sango watched and did her best to hold back her laughter. It had been a while since she’d seen Kagome so happy, and it was nice. She waited for Kagome to put her phone down before she spoke. “So, when do I get to meet him?”

She laughed as Kagome fumbled and blushed. “I-I don’t know. Why do you need to meet him?”

“He obviously means a lot to you already. I wanna meet him. He’s gotta pass the Best Friend Test™.” she teased.

Kagome groaned, putting her head in her hands. “Why are you determined to torture me?”

Sango’s laughter only increased. Kagome’s phone buzzed again and Sango poked her arm. “Better answer that.” The miko rolled her eyes but reached for her phone regardless.

[ So, how is your dinner going? ]

[ Pretty good. Sango is teasing me tho.. （−＿−；）She said she wants to meet you ]

[ Oh really? Guess that means I’m pretty special then ( ˘ ³˘)♡ ]

Kagome giggled, then blushed at Sango’s raised eyebrow.

[ Don’t think TOO highly of yourself now (๑ˇ ῁̫ ˇ)˒˒ ]

[ Of course, I wouldn’t dream of it (ʃƪ ˘ ³˘) ]

She rolled her eyes, but set her phone down on the table. She didn’t want to be rude, afterall. When she finally met Sango’s eyes, she blushed furiously. “Not a word.” she hissed.

“I would never!”

Kagome gave her a look and Sango simply shrugged. From there, they carried on with their meal, Sango teasing Kagome every now and then. It wasn’t long before they ate their fill, paid, and left. After that, they hung out around a nearby park to finish catching up before heading their separate ways. They made plans to meet up again a couple weeks later. They parted with a hug and then Kagome was walking back to her apartment.

[ So, when is your next day off? ]

[ I have the weekend off. Why? ]

[ Would you like to go out for lunch one of those days? ]

She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face.

[ I would love that ]

-BG-

Kouga grinned and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He let out a breath and then left his room and walked out into the communal space. There were several of his pack members in there, gathered around the TV. Others were in the kitchen, grabbing snacks or drinks.

Hakkaku came walking up to him, a knowing smile on his face. “You ready to head out boss, or do you wanna stay?” he asked.

Kouga rolled his eyes, giving his beta a playful shove. “Yeah I’m ready. Let’s get going.” He pushed past Hakkaku and put on his shoes. From there, he walked out of the house, Hakkaku following behind him. 

There were a few pack members outside waiting. He looked them over, making sure everyone was accounted for, before gesturing for them to follow him. He hadn’t been out on a patrol with them in a while. Since he had gotten hurt and met Kagome he had gotten a bit.... distracted to say the least.

He sucked in a breath and did his best to clear his thoughts. It wouldn’t help to think about her right now, he needed to focus on the task at hand. Once they all left the compound, they split off into groups to patrol their territory. Kouga was with both Ginta and Hakkaku, as he usually was. He typically only ever patrolled with his betas, as they were always at his side and, if need be, would be able to control him. They also just meshed well together, but that was to be expected.

He itched to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone. He wanted to text Kagome, ask her more about her day, see how she was doing, set up their plans for the weekend...

He slowly let out a breath through his nose. He needed to focus... Something fishy was going on, and he needed to keep his head out of the clouds in order to stay on track. There had been more skirmishes lately, and they didn’t seem to be random like they had been in the past. No, these seemed planned and well thought out. He just had to figure out why. Why now? And who was in charge?

He couldn’t allow anyone in his pack to be harmed. It was one thing to hurt him, but his packmates? No, he couldn’t.. not again....

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

It took every ounce of his strength to not pull it out of his pocket right that second. He needed to focus... But he so desperately wanted to answer her...

Kouga let out a sigh and pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Hakkaku..”

“Yes boss?”

He handed his phone out to his beta behind him. “Take this from me. I can’t be distracted right now.”

Ginta and Hakkaku couldn’t help but snicker. “Of course boss, I’ll take good care of it.” he answered, taking the device and shoving it in his own pocket.

It felt odd not having his phone in his pocket, but he knew it would be best. For now at least. He could answer her later.. he was certain she would understand. He huffed and ran a hand through his bangs. He needed to focus...

They had been patrolling for several hours when Ginta received a text. Something was going down on the other side of their territory. Kouga was seething. Of course, the exact opposite of where they currently were. Sure it would be no problem getting there, but he couldn’t help but feel that this was intentional. But how had they known where he was going?

He would figure that out here very shortly. They were all quick to turn around and backtrack, going to the opposite end of their territory. They ran as fast as they could, weaving their way through alleys and taking as many shortcuts as they knew. Kouga did his best to not leave his betas in the dust, but he was concerned for his pack, not to mention utterly pissed.

It wasn’t long before they could hear the snarling and fighting. Kouga was vibrating, his claws extending and a snarl ripping out of his chest. He turned the corner and saw several of his packmates fending off youkai. The scent of blood hit his nose, and from what he could tell, it was a mix from both sides. He was quick to act, running up and kicking a youkai. They went flying across the alley, slamming into a wall and crumpling.

From there, Kouga lost himself in the fight. His beast broke through and was going on a rampage. His shift was rippling under his skin, threatening to break free, but he kept himself in check the best he could. It was difficult, but somehow he managed. It helped that his packmates were all seeming to do well for themselves, and these youkai weren’t particularly difficult to handle.

Something was off about this..

It had taken a bit, but after a while, they had taken out most of the youkai. Kouga walked over to one that was crumpled up near a dumpster. He bent down and grabbed the youkai by the collar, lifting them up and snarling at them as he held them at eye level.

“Who sent you?”

The youkai coughed, some blood splattering onto Kouga’s shirt. They slowly opened their eyes, looking at Kouga and let out a weak laugh. “Why would I tell you?”

Kouga slammed them into the wall, growling fiercely as his youki whipped around and lashed out at the youkai. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Choose wisely.”

“Kiss my a– AAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The youkai screamed out in pain as Kouga dug his claws into their stomach, threatening to rip out a chunk.

“You better rethink your answer, buddy. I have no problem at all just letting your guts spill out.” he whispered harshly. “I have plenty of others to go through.”

Fear was radiating off of the youkai now and Kouga couldn’t help but smirk. He watched as they contemplated, could see the wheels turning in their head. He added a little incentive. He slowly twisted his claws further into their stomach, his fingers breaking through the flesh and digging in. The youkai screamed and writhed in pain. “Clock’s ticking.”

“FUCK! Okay! Okay okay okay! I don’t know who sent us! He didn’t give us a name. He just offered us money and protection, that’s all I know, I swear!”

Kouga looked the youkai over, analyzing them. Their fear was genuine, but they were hiding something. He shoved his hand further into their guts, the youkai screaming and sobbing. “This would be so much easier if you would just tell me the truth.”

They coughed up more blood, choking and gasping for air. Kouga gave them a moment to collect themselves. The youkai coughed a couple more times, getting even more blood onto Kouga. “Okay.... you.. you win.” Their voice was raspy and tears were falling down their cheeks in thick globs. “The... The person who sent us.. our leader.. his name is–”

“Kouga, watch out!” 

He whipped his head around just in time to miss a fist. However, it seemed like it wasn’t fully aimed at him, as this new youkai’s fist landed square onto the youkai Kouga had just been torturing, effectively knocking them out. He could hear their nose break from the force of the punch.

Kouga snarled, removing his hand from the youkai’s stomach to gain some distance from the new threat. This youkai was massive, and also seemed to be a lot stronger than the others. He watched as they looked down at the other youkai crumpled up on the ground, blood oozing out of the hole in their stomach. Before it could even be given the chance to heal, the youkai stuck their fingers into the open wound and ripped it open even further. Their guts poured out onto the ground, and Kouga snarled. He had been so close to getting information!

“Hey, what’s the big idea? Aren’t you on the same side?”

The youkai slowly turned and looked at Kouga. They stared at him for a couple moments, not saying anything. He watched as their claws extended, and he wasn’t sure what it was about them, but when the youkai started to move towards him, he felt a chill run down his spine. Something wasn’t right..

They moved slowly at first, but in the blink of an eye, they were suddenly in front of Kouga, their fist coming straight for his face. He barely managed to dodge it, and he couldn’t help but feel shocked and a little bit afraid. How fast were they?

Kouga growled, flashing his fangs as he jumped backwards once more. He needed to stay focused... The youkai charged at him again, but this time he was ready. Their fight was almost like a dance with the way the youkai would charge and Kouga would move out of the way. He would duck, dive, flip back, slide to the side, anything to get away from the youkai’s powerful fists. He had only managed to land a couple blows, and it didn’t seem to phase them one bit. It was frustrating, to say the least. But he had a feeling that this youkai was all brawn and had little to no endurance. If he could just wear them down, maybe he could get some answers out of them...

He wasn’t sure how long they had been going at it, but after a while, the youkai’s movements began to slow and he could see that they were getting worn out. Kouga smirked, charging at the youkai and able to land a couple more blows. It was getting easier, and he knew that the battle would be over soon. It took a bit more maneuvering and dancing around, but eventually Kouga was able to get up real close and he crouched down, swiping his leg underneath the youkai’s and knocking them flat on their back. His surrounding packmates cheered as their alpha pinned down the rival youkai.

“Now.. you’re going to give me some answers. Who do you work for?”

The youkai laid there, unmoving and staring blankly up at the wolf. Kouga growled, putting his claws at the youkai’s throat and digging the tips in. The youkai winced slightly, but nothing else was given away.

“Answer me. Who. Do. You. Work. For.”

At the youkai’s continued silence, Kouga grew frustrated. He was about ready to rip their throat out when he heard hurried footsteps.

“Kouga! Watch out!”

He lifted his head, confused. He turned his head around, and everything seemed to shift to slow motion.

The youkai had brought their hand up, claws out and aimed directly at Kouga. Then, Ginta was at his side, pushing him out of the way as the youkai brought their claws down and dug them into Ginta’s shoulder. He could hear a bone pop out of place before a loud crack rang through his ears.

Ginta screamed.

Kouga’s eyes bled red.

Kouga lunged forward, a purely primal, animalistic sound ripping it’s way out of his throat as he dug his claws into the youkai’s neck. The youkai gasped underneath him, trying to pry Kouga’s claws out of their throat. But all too quickly, he wrapped his fingers around their trachea and pulled, ripping it out of their throat. But that wasn’t enough. Kouga moved back slightly before plunging his other hand into the youkai’s chest, crushing and breaking their ribs. He wrapped his hand around their heart, his claws digging into the muscle, squeezing it tightly and piercing it with his claws. He then ripped it out of the youkai’s chest. He was half tempted to take a bite out of the organ, so it’d be the last thing the youkai saw before they died. He managed to restrain his primal urge and, instead, threw it against a nearby wall, satisfied with the splat it made.

His rage now starting to cool, he turned and focused his attention on Ginta, who had been pulled away and was surrounded by pack. Kouga got up and walked over to check and see how his beta was doing. “Let me see it.” he said, his voice still rough and gravelly with lingering anger. 

The wolves moved out of the way, except for Hakkaku, who was cradling Ginta in his arms. Kouga slowly reached a bloody hand out and gently pushed Ginta’s hand away from his shoulder. Kouga sucked in a breath through his teeth.

The wound was deep, and there was a deep, dark purple staining his skin. He knew something wasn’t right.. Kouga let out a huff and moved Ginta’s hand back and pressed down. “We’re gonna have to go to the hospital...”

-BG-

Kagome grumbled as she drank her third cup of coffee. She couldn’t believe she had been called into work to run a graveyard shift, and she still would have to work her usual morning to dusk shift. An almost 20hr shift was definitely not what she wanted, but she supposed she’d take it. She’d make good money at least... Besides, it was odd for Tsubaki to call out of a shift, so she figured it had to be for something important. Kagome would forgive it this time. Though, in all honesty, she wasn’t really one to hold a grudge. She could be mad for a while, sure, but she always forgave in the end. Sometimes it caused her problems.

She shook her head, ridding the thoughts from her mind. This was the first moment of respite she had since she started the shift. She was determined to enjoy it. Kagome was currently sitting behind one of the receptionist desks, sipping coffee and relaxing. Thankfully the craziness had calmed down a bit and she was able to unwind and clear her mind. She took another sip of coffee, praying that the miracle liquid would continue to keep her functioning and awake until she was able to take a nap in a couple of hours.

She was about to reach for her phone in her pocket to see if Kouga had answered her, when the doors burst open. Her head snapped up and the receptionist behind the desk let out a gasp.

It was Kouga and Hakkaku, carrying Ginta in who looked like he was in a lot of pain. Kagome shot up from her seat and started to walk out from behind the desk. “Get more staff down here. Prepare the OR.” she said as she rounded the corner of the desk. If Kouga had brought one of them here, it had to be bad.

The girl nodded, quick to start paging doctors and nurses, and then get on the PA system, just to make sure. Kagome tuned out her call for more doctors as she approached her new patient.

Kouga couldn’t help but stare at Kagome for a moment. He had seen her when she had gotten off of work all exhausted and ready to pass out. But right now she was alert, her eyes already scanning and searching, analyzing before she had even fully approached them. Her plum colored scrubs looked nice on her, and her hair was tied up in a neat bun. She looked stunning as always.

“What happened?” she asked, not looking at either Kouga or Hakkaku, her full focus on Ginta. She started to get him onto the gurney she had dragged behind her so she could look him over better. Kouga was a bit taken aback by how.. cold her voice seemed. Maybe it was just him?

“Well.. there was a bit of a.. problem. We went to take care of it and got into a fight with some other youkai. One of them, really large, dug their claws into him.”

“How long ago was this?” She was turning Ginta over then to look at his shoulder. It was still bleeding.

“Uhh.. probably about 35.. 40 minutes ago?” Hakkaku answered.

Kagome grimaced. His bleeding should’ve stopped by now, or at least slowed with him being a youkai and all. She ripped open a small section of Ginta’s shirt to further inspect the wound and her eyes went wide. A deep, dark purple was staining the skin of his entire shoulder blade and starting to go down his arm a bit.

“What...”

“We don’t know. It’s been spreading though.” Kouga said.

Kagome brushed her fingers over Ginta’s skin. It seemed to even be overtaking the ink in the wolf’s skin. This was bad.

Thankfully, it was at that time that more staff arrived. She was quick to debrief them on what she had learned. Some of the words she was throwing out left Kouga and Hakkaku confused. They stood there, helplessly as they watched Kagome slip an IV into their friend and giving out orders. When they started to move away, Kouga panicked.

“Wait, what’s going on.”

Kagome huffed and motioned for them to continue on to the OR. “We’re taking him into an operating room. He’s going to be alright.”

She turned to move again but Kouga reached out for her. “Wait, Kagome– ”

“Sir, I’m going to need you to stay out here. I can’t talk now, I have to go help your friend.” And with that, she turned on her heel and was rushing down the hall to catch up with her team.

Kouga was left there confused. Why was she acting like that? He didn’t understand.. Did he do something wrong? Had he upset her?

Hakkaku placed a hand on his shoulder, drawing the alpha out of his thoughts. “It’s alright. She’s in work mode now. She has to remain professional.” he said.

Kouga nodded. Right.. of course...

Hakkaku frowned a bit. Kouga still seemed to be more in tune with his beast, so it was affecting the way he viewed things. He could smell the worry and sadness all over him, and it made him sad. He needed to find a way to distract Kouga while they waited for the results, and for him to become more himself.

“Let’s go sit for a bit. Roka and Chiyo should have some answers for us soon.”

Kouga nodded once again and let Hakkaku lead him to the waiting area. He had a feeling they were going to be here for a while...