The room was surrounded by silence, the sun barely peeking through the wavy dark red curtains. Despite that quietness, Kouga's face was adorned by a frown. His nostrils were opened wide as a familiar scent tore him from his rest; blood. His eyes slowly opened, revealing blue orbs, and he took a better sniff. This was not his blood; it was Kagome. A rush of adrenaline traveled through his veins and he sat up in a flash, trying to find the source of the injury. Meanwhile, Kagome laid by his side, still sleeping, with no apparent wounds on her body. He gripped the edge of the blankets and pulled them from their bodies. At that moment, the origin of the blood became clear; it stained the sheets beneath her.

She was bleeding from - oh god he did this.

Kagome groaned in her sleep, her arm reaching out for the blanket in an attempt to find back the warmth she lost. Unfortunately for her, it was out of reach. She was forced to open one eye and then saw Kouga staring at her with panic in his eyes. His jaw was clenched and his line of sight was locked on her... wait what?

"Fuck, Kagome. I'm so sorry!"

She looked at him and then at the blood between her legs. Di- did he think that was his fault? Part of her wanted to die of embarrassment, but it was hard to do so when she could barely hold back a laughter. She leaned forward and grabbed his shoulders with her hands, gently squeezing them in the hope of relaxing him and comforting him. "Kouga you didn't hurt me."

"You're bleeding." He hurt her - was he too rough? It was her first time, he should have been more careful. Heck, it should have been better than what he gave her. She deserved better than to lose her virginity in the shower. He fucked up, he really fucked up. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling at the knots at the same time, but he did not care. "Fuck."

He was going to shame her, he was going to force her to say it out loud. "Kouga, It - I'm - it's my period." They were fairly regular, though they always varied by a couple of days. After everything that happened lately, it sort of slipped her mind. Plus she did not think it would happen so suddenly and be so heavy. She never bled much. And now she had soaked and ruin his sheets and most likely his mattress. Now that the truth was out, she was free to hide her humiliation. She let her body drop and she hid herself in the pillow.

P-period?

Oh.

Well now he felt like a fucking idiot. As his blood flow returned back to normal and her heart no longer hammering in his chest, he realized just how stupid he was. He made a big fucking deal out of it and he mortified her. He sighed before leaning forward and laying his head on her bare back. He gently left a trail of kisses down her spine, but obtained no reaction out of her. This was not how he wanted to morning after to go down; he was supposed to sneak out of bed and make her breakfast, bring a little romance into it. Instead, she was hiding from him for no valid reason. He smirked before letting his fangs poked out and then, nibbled her naked rear.

She yelped and turned her head to look at him. She had been so focused on the blood that she completely forgot about her lack of clothing. She tried to narrow her eyes, but he flashed her a grin and suddenly it was difficult to be mad at him. She did wish she could melt into the mattress though. "Sorry about the mess."

"Kagome, it's a mattress. I don't give a shit."

Plus, he was not even focused on that. Instead, he relished in the scent he had just caught. He had been so panicked when he awoke that he did not take the time to let the scent sink in, but now he had. And he almost regretted it. Nope, the blood was definitively not coming from an injury. If it was just to him, he would dive between her legs and lapped at her core until he licked her clean. Obviously, he could not. Already he was afraid he had pushed it too far and he did not intend on skipping steps again. Kagome might love all of him and he trusted her, but he would not go all wolf on her so soon. They had just begun their physical closeness; he could not unleash himself.

"Are you okay?"

"I told you it's just my -"

"That's not what I'm talking about."

It took a second for her to understand the meaning behind his words, but when she did, she was horrified. He thought she regretted it, he thought he made her do something she did not want to do. Was he not there in the shower? She was pretty sure he tried to stop it and she was the one who initiated it. All of it was her fault. However, she did not see it as a mistake. How could it be? If she thought she might regret it, she would not have done it. It had felt right at that moment; she had wanted it to happen. Despite the small twinge of pain she felt when she move too quickly, she was glad they did it. But there he was, fearing it might all be his fault.

"Kouga, I don't regret it." She had been so exhausted after the events that they had opted for a good night of sleep. As soon as he had wrapped his arms around her she had been a goner. Because of that, they did not truly talk about it. Then again, she thought there was nothing to talk about.

He inched closer to her and she turned to her side to comfortably look at him. He put an arm around her, pressing their chests together. Then, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. She was not lying and yet he required the confirmation that she was not going anywhere. He feared he might lose her when he told her he loved her and then the mess with Izu happened... and then sex. It was a crazy last couple of days. He nuzzled her skin, letting her scent sink in. She smelled different now; more like him. He would be lying if he said he did not enjoy the sudden shift. Scent marking was his only way of marking her. Granted, it was not as useful as it used to be, but it was nice to do it. It satisfied the beast within him.

Kagome snaked her hands around his neck, gently massaging his scalp with her fingers. She wanted this to be a sweet moment, and she understood his need to seek comfort from her. However, it could not be a sweet moment. "Can we resume this when I'm not bleeding all over the place?"

He wanted to tell her that he did not care and there were ways to keep her in that bed without making a mess, but he refrained. Instead, he forced his face away from her neck and covered her lips with his. Although it was meant to be a quick kiss, it was passionate, his tongue sweeping across the seam of her lips. Her body vibrated with need beneath his and he could not stop it as all of his blood rushed downwards. He felt his cock swell, brushing up against her inner thigh and a shiver took over his body. He could never get enough of her and that scent of hers was not helping. He forced himself way from her face and put his best straight face.

But it was too late because she felt it. Proof of that was the blush that spread across her cheeks.

Damn it. Why did he do that? She felt the puddle of warmth that formed in her lower regions and she squeezed her legs. Nope. Blood. Wow, could mother nature have a worse timing? Now of all time. It was not cute, it was embarrassing and it ruined it all. She was supposed to wake up in his arms - not with him freaking out, thinking he hurt her. Although that had been slightly amusing. He did worry a bit too much. She might only be human, but she was not that breakable. Maybe he was going to need a reminder about that. Still, now she had to focus on something else than the thoughts in her head and the pressing hardness that kept brushing up against her.

Now, one shot - or she would never move.

She hopped off the bed, tearing herself away from his arms. She already missed his warmth, but she did not let it show. She walked towards the bedroom, deciding it was best not to look at him while she asked a shameful question. "Do you have anything..."

"Yeah, I think the girls kinda left shit everywhere just in case."

Oh thank god. This already ruined the mood and she did not want to make it worse by having him getting some stuff for her. She was never as relieved as when she closed the bathroom door and isolated herself. As soon as she glanced around, she noticed one thing; their clothes. They remained on the floor, completely soaked and all bundled up. Fuck. She did not have any clothes - not even underwear. Of course her nightmare could not be over that easily. She resisted the urge to bang her head against the door and instead she took a deep breath; she had to go back out there. She resigned herself and opened the door before peeking her head out.

"Hm, Kouga?"

She found him laying across the bed, still naked, with his phone in his hands. "Yeah?"

"My clothes are wet."

Oh right, the clothes. He completely forgot about that. He dropped his phone on the bed and stood up, hoping to find something in the drawers. Kouga did not have her shame when it came to nakedness. He strutted to the drawers, baring it all for her to see. He remained hard from their previous interaction on the bed, but he did not hide it. It attracted her attention and involuntarily, she followed it with her eyes. She had not gotten a good look at it last night, but now it was there for her to see. It was no wonder he had felt large inside of her. How did that fit? She squeezed her legs together at the thought while he smirked, as if he guessed the thoughts forming in her head.

He dug through a drawer and pulled out a black t-shirt that seemed small enough to fit her, along with a pair of short. He walked over to the door that she had left open. It seemed that since she was ashamed about her staring, she retreated back inside. He chuckled as he watched her, looking at the wet clothes on the floor. He kept a tight grip on the clothes and closed the distance between their bodies. He used his free hand to grab hers and he tugged her closer. She stared at his face, the familiar blush back on her cheeks. Though she did hold his gaze this time.

"Stop it."

"I'm not doing anything!"

"I told you, I don't give a shit."

She sighed. "I just wished it didn't happen today."

"Who cares?"

"I do! It's embarrassing and it's - disgusting."

He blinked. "Disgusting?"

She nodded; how could it not be? She could not even understand how he was so fine with all of this. She would not hold it against him if he had a bad reaction. The thought that he had hurt her freaked him out more than this.

However, he had a completely other vision about this. And he never wanted her to be uncomfortable around him. He used his hold on her to push her against the nearby wall, covering her body with his. "Quit being so embarrassed." He trailed his lips alongside her throat, his breath teasing her. "I think it's sexy."

"S-sexy?" she managed to grunt out, afraid to breathe.

How could he turn her on with a mere touch? His body was flustered against hers, his erection digging into her thigh while his lips got a taste of her skin. She put her hands on his chest with the intention of creating some distance between them, but he did not let that happen. Instead, he slid down lower, her hands landing on his shoulders. She gripped at them while he captured a nipple between his teeth. She hissed, arching her back and pushing her chest closer to his mouth. He used her new position sucked on her breasts, his fangs threatening to break the flesh. Already he felt the wetness that spread between her legs and his cock twitched.

Now that he had a taste it was hard to pull away, it was hard to not touch her.

Although they had taken that step, there was so much they had not done. He wanted to explore every inch of her with his tongue, he wanted to show her just how wonderful she could feel. He pulled his mouth from her breast, leaving a trail of dampness behind, and he inched himself down even more. Lips found her stomach and he kept lowering, and lowering until he reached the patch of black curls. Kagome held her breath, her mortification worse than ever and she cringed as he buried his nose in the curls. There was no way this was good. He had to be somewhat disgusted. And yet, his hands were gripping her ass, claws threatening to break the skin.

Kouga closed his eyes, knowing that if he did not, she would notice the redness that took over. He wanted nothing more than a taste of her, but he also knew it was dangerous. He felt how crisp and stiff her body was; she was uncomfortable. That was the last thing he wanted. He needed to pull himself away and wait until she was more at ease with this kind of stuff. Still, he let his nose nuzzled and the scent was so strong that he could taste it. His jaw clenched, his self-control slipping him. One taste. How bad could one taste be? His lips were quivering as he parted them and then, he tilted his head forward, allowing his tongue out. It was a quick lap, just enough for his tongue to part her folds and dive inside to steal a taste.

"K-ou-kouga." His name came out like a stutter and her body quaked, knees ready to give out.

His tongue retracted back into his mouth and he growled against her as her divine scent spilled into his mouth, exciting his taste buds. Enough. He glided his fingers across her skin, then down her legs, before retrieving the clothes that had fallen on the ground. He forced himself up and handed them to her. For the first time, he opened his eyes, the red still over taking the usually calm blue in his orbs. His fangs were sticking out, breaking into his bottom lip which gave her a hint of how not disgusted he was. His breaths were jagged and he forced a kiss on the side of her head, hoping to calm himself down. His cock was hard it became painful, but he managed to leave her alone in the bathroom.

Kagome watched him go, unable to find her voice. She did not even remember how to breathe, instead letting the pressure in her chest built up. She had heard about that, but she did not think it could actually feel so wonderful. One swipe of the tongue and she was ready to crumble in his hold. But there was blood - and he hardly seemed to mind. Parts of her yearned to go after him, but she remained grounded. As sensual as the promises of his tongue were, she did not think she could fully let herself go. She had not reached the level of comfort with him yet. Already she felt like she was never going to live this incident down.

Kagome ended up resigning herself and washing off the blood before getting dressed. She required a few moments to collect herself, but she did manage to make it out of the bathroom. In the room, she found Kouga completely dressed with a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Once he caught a glimpse of her, he flashed her a grin. On cue, her stomach growled.

"I think we need to feed the little human."

"Who you calling little?"

He leaned forward, grabbed her hand and used his hold to push her against the wall. His body slammed against hers before he rested his forehead against her. "Who do you think?"

His presence was intoxicating. One thing. One thing happened between them and he became like a drug. Her body drummed for his touch and his constant teasing was not helping. Kouga was many things, but she never thought he would be this sensual. This whole time he had made sure he was not pushing her, respecting her and the boundaries she laid down. Now she was left wondering why she ever feared this? Though she was shy, she dipped her chin forward and stole a quick peak from him. Unfortunately, he did not let her off that easy. Before she could pull away, he captured her lips into a long, sensual kiss. One that sent tingles all the way down to her toes.

As he pulled away, she followed his mouth, but it was too late. She heard him sigh and she opened her eyes.

"Let's get you some food."

He wanted her to go downstairs now? What was she supposed to do? Hide the blush in her cheeks? Ignore the tightening in her loins? She took a deep breath and nodded before following him outside the room. He was lucky she was indeed starving. Who would have thought that sex got you hungry?

It was not too long until they made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Kagome had remained stress free the entire time, but Kouga's body was tensed. He knew how this breakfast could go and he hoped it would be as pleasant as possible for her. Although with a pack of noisy wolves he hardly thought that was even a possibility. He tried to keep her upstairs, but there was no way to do it. Facing everyone was the only option they had. Plus, he did not really want to tell her why she might not want to go downstairs. Surely - surely Ginta and Hakkaku reminded everyone that she was human and thus easily embarrassed…right?

Kagome gasped as she noticed the unusual amount of people in the kitchen. Did everyone wake up at the same time?

"Hey, look who it is," Ginta said with a grin as he brought the cup to his lips.

Oh, they were fucked. Kouga winced before making a mental note to make him suffer for this.

"Hey Ginta," Kagome replied with a smile, unaware of what was to come.

"Did you guys sleep well?" He wanted to keep a straight face, but he simply could not. No matter how hard he tried, his lips would quiver and his face would break into a grin. Nobody expected their little fight to end that way. It had started so well - the girl could slap.

A hint of a blush developed on her cheeks, forcing her to turn her head away from them. "Yup, great."

A low growl emanated from Kouga as he narrowed his eyes. The word enough was silently spoken, but nobody seemed to listen.

"You must be starving," Hakkaku pitched in as he turned on the coffee machine.

"A little," she answered with a raise of the eyebrow. "Everyone's up early today."

Hakkaku smiled at her. "Well, you know. Difficult sleep."

"Ah, you know Hakkaku," Ginta said while nudging closer. "Showers are a great way to relax before bed."

"You know you're right." He turned to Kagome and Kouga, a sly smile on his face. "Have you two every tried taking a shower? You know to calm your nerves?"

Kagome's face fell and then she turned to Kouga with wide eyes. "THEY KNOW?" Oh god, now she wanted to disappear forever. She was forced to stare down at the ground, unable to meet any of their gazes. This was a nightmare - this was not real, and she was still in bed dreaming. She had not bled all over his sheet and she was not standing a room full of wolves who knew what she did. Nope, she was not. Shame bubbled through her chest and she hid her face in her hands.

Kouga sighed, his aura letting everyone know just how displeased he was at the moment. Pissed off alpha should equal a very scared pack. He moved closed to Kagome and grabbed her upper arms, tugging her into his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head. "Kagome, they don't know know."

"Oh so they don't know we had sex," she mumbled against his chest.

He winced. "They do know that."

"It's not like we were listening," Hakkaku offered as a sort of apology.

"Do we have to have this conversation in front of them?" she begged.

"No, because anyone who values their head will go see if they're needed somewhere else." The warning was quiet, but everyone understood it. Awkwardly, they all walked around them and moved to the next room. Once he made sure they were all gone, he pulled her away from the comfort of his arms. "So they heard."

"They heard?"

"You weren't exactly quiet," he teased.

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" She groaned. "And oh my god. So they can hear? Every time?"

He wanted to say no, but he did not want to lie to her. He did not have to give her a verbal answer though as his facial expression answered it all for him.

"And smell? Oh, my god they can smell me." She reeked of blood and sex and - oh my god. She wanted to die. Why did it feel like bad luck was following her around? One small break, that was all she was asking for.

Kouga could not help, but smile at her shame - he should not, but he did. In a wolf pack there was not anything that resembled privacy and even if he yelled at everyone to mind their own business they would not. Except, he was not quite sure Kagome would ever be comfortable with that setting. The simple fact of having him walk around naked had her blushing. Although that did put a damper on future activities… now she knew that they could always hear. It was not as though they listened through the door, but - loud noises made it to everyone's ears. Frankly, he had not even thought about it last night…

"Kagome, they're not trying to know what's happening."

"But they'll hear."

"Only if you're loud."

"Have you met me?"

He chuckled and leaned forever to kiss the top of her head. "Don't worry about it. They're tryin' to show ya they're happy." Which was the whole reason for the gathering - well, yes they wanted to tease them, but they also wanted to congratulate them. It was a long time in the making. Kagome was his. And he could not be happier.

"Now let's get you some food. And eat it upstairs."

"I like that idea." She did not think she could look anyone in the face for a while.

"And home. Before your mother figures out that a sleepover doesn't last a week."

Oh right. That. She would have two choices; tell her mother the truth or lie - and she was not too keen on the idea of lying to her mother. Although the explanation for her long departure from home would bring about a long talk. Then again, it was perhaps best to face her mother rather than a pack of curious wolves. She let her hand sneak into Kouga's and he tore her away from the wall where she had been hiding herself.

There was no other choices; she had to get used to life in a pack.

-U-

Can you come over tonight (don't use the front door).

That was all the text said. Kouga stared at it all day and never even gave her anything more than a simple ok as an answer. He did not dare to call, he did not dare to expand on it. He knew she had a long conversation with her mother - he did not know about what, and he feared the tone of the text message did not lead to anything he would enjoy. Also, don't use the front door? That meant he was sneaking in - past her mother's bed time. He had to go there late, sneak in and talk to her. Did her mother forbid her from seeing him? The last thing Kouga wanted was to cause trouble with her family. Why would her mother suddenly hate him?

After her departure, he had finally indulged the guys, letting them tease him. They needed to get it out of their systems and he rather they did it with him instead of Kagome. He also had a grin on his face the whole time. It was not supposed to happen now or like it did, but it was done. She seemed okay with it - until now. Unless it had nothing to do with what took place. Perhaps he was being paranoid and there was nothing to it. Yes, that sounded like a more logical explanation. At least that was what he told himself as he stared at the stairs leading up to the shrine. It was past ten o'clock and he knew her mother was asleep. But, he had not found the courage to make it to her window.

He did not like this unsettling feeling. Come on, he was not a coward.

Kouga took a deep breath and finally silently made it up the stairs. He stayed away from windows' sight and used his speed to reach hers. Rapidly he climbed out and found himself facing closed curtains. He dared to quietly knock against the glass while he kept himself steady with his other hand. He was like a teenager sneaking in. Plus last time he was here, her mother found out and it did not end as well as it could have. His heart beat picked up while he waited and relief washed over him when Kagome appeared while pulling the curtains open. She opened the window and put a smile on her face before getting out of the way.

It was not a good smile - it was a twitchy smile.

He closed the window behind him and then turned around to face her. She was staring at the ground while awkwardly playing with her hands. "Is something wrong?"

She did not mean to be this cryptic, but she knew it was not something they could talk about on the phone and it was too long to type it up. Plus, she did not want to have this conversation while her mother was around. The best way was to have him come over. It did not strike her immediately. First, she talked with her mother, explaining that she wanted to see Kouga and fell asleep waiting for him. Then they had a sort of fight and made up. She left the sex part out of it. She did not think it was a topic she was comfortable discussing with her mother and if she did know, there was no way she would be allowed over there again.

For now, a little white lie was helpful.

Then, after that conversation was finally over, she went upstairs and took a shower. It was when she saw the blood that it hit her just how lucky she had been.

"We didn't use anything."

It was a very serious matter, but he could not help it as his shoulders slouched; he thought she regretted it or that he was not allowed near her - or worse. This - this was good. This he could take. He had realized that somewhere when he felt his release close. Hence why he pulled out. Although it was not the safest method… it had been better than nothing.

"I mean, I think about Yuka, and I wonder how I could have been so stupid." She watched her friend go through a traumatic experience that left scars behind. And then she turned around and had unprotected sex. Did she not see how this tore apart her friend? Also, it rose a few questions she had regarding her relationship with Kouga. Although, they were not at those questions yet. They had simply begun dating and there were a few things they would not cover for a while. Questions she did not even want to ask now. Yet, she could not help the panic that forced itself into her chest. What if her period did not come?

"We didn't even talk about this," she continued, never giving him a chance to reply. "Do you want kids? Do I want kids? I mean why would we talk about this. We just began dating. That won't even be for a while! But what if? And then, what if I was pregnant. I couldn't do it. I respect Yuka's choice, but I couldn't do it. I'd keep it. And then what? I mean would you leave? Do you want kids now? And they wouldn't be youkai. They would be hanyou and how does that even work in the world today…"

She could not keep on babbling since Kouga silenced her by putting his hand on her mouth. She was freaking out and he had to stop it. He did not think they would be having this discussion now. Their relationship was new and though he was all in, he did not know about her. His recent I love you did freak her out. Regardless, he knew the answers to all those questions and if it soothed her to hear them, he would tell her.

"It was dumb, and it was my fault."

"No," she mumbled against his hand.

"Yes. I'm the experienced one, I should have known better." He had done this before, and he knew about protection. She was a virgin who had her unexpected first time - the blame was on him. "I won't make that mistake again." He did not want her to freak out, he did not want her to worry about all this. "I don't know if ya want kids. I know that I thought I wouldn't have them. The world is all kind of messed up, and being a youkai is hard enough as it is. And trusting someone? I didn't think it was gonna happen. I mean, they are a few youkais left. I knew it was possible, but not just cause she's available that I want her…" If he did end up having a cub for the sake of having a cub… it wasn't the same. "So I didn't think much about it. Now?" He lowered his hand and dropped it to her side. He grabbed her hand with his, intertwining their fingers. "I'm gonna freak you out again," he smirked. "But I trust you. And if you get pregnant, I'll want those cubs. Because I love you Kagome and I want to stay with you. So if you want cubs, I'm in. If you don't, then we don't."

It was a big scary speech. But she was the first woman to make kids a possibility. He trusted her, she knew about youkais and she loved all unconditionally. She would not resent the child, she would not hate it; she would love it. Although all of this made him sound like a sappy fool.

"And if you were pregnant? I'd respect your decision." This was nothing like with Izu. He did not want Yuka. Kouga wanted Kagome - and everything else that came with it. Though, he would not be mad if she decided to terminate the pregnancy. "And if you were pregnant, and wanted to keep it, we'd keep it."

He lowered his body until his nose bumped into hers. "And I'd never leave." A quick peak on the lips. "Nothing would ever make me leave ya." He winced. "Except that one time when I was really stupid and I left after that thing? And then you thought I left? Remember. You slapped me," he said teasingly.

"I have a vague memory of that," she said as she tilted her head backward to kiss his nose. "I think we have sex after that?"

"Did we?" He twisted his mouth, pondering. "I don't recall that." He moved his hands to her hips and squeezed gently dragging them to her rear and lifting her off the ground. Immediately she lifted her legs, and wrapped them around his waist. He loved the feel of her pressed against him; already the blood was rushing downwards. "Maybe I need a reminder."

She giggled as he pressed his lips to hers and she leaned into the kiss. His tongue licked her lips, begging for entrance. She granted it immediately and he swiped his tongue inside her mouth. He tasted her, swirling his tongue around in her mouth, then pulling out to tug on her bottom lip with his teeth. She shivered and pressed her breasts into him. She loved the fangs. He decided to test his theory by leaving her lips and raking her teeth down the length of her throat. He was not prepared for her reaction. Her scent exploded and wetness spread in between her legs. He rolled his eyes, inhaling as much of the sweetness as he could.

And that was enough.

He put her back down on the ground while she remained in a daze. "Come on, let's sleep."

"Sleep?"

"I'll stay until ya fall asleep."

It was mostly for him. He did not know how he was going to sleep without her. The bed sheets were washed because of the blood and now he had nothing left of her. He had to return to a place where her scent was not. He got to taste her body in the most intimate way and he had to give it all up. He was a bit possessive and letting go of her was going to cost him everything. He knew he had to see her every day, touch her; she was a need, a drug.

He allowed her to lead him to the bed and they both went under the blankets. His arms snuggled around her and he held her close, burying his face in the crook of her neck. There, her scent was the strongest, and it was the best way to remember it and carry it with him all night. His fingers brushed against her ribs and she pressed her rear into him.

He wanted this, every night.

He wanted to be with her until his last breath.