Chapter 6 - If at first you don't succed...

~*~

Kagome sighed as she opened the door to her locker the next day at school.

It have been hard to wake up the morning. . .

With Inu-chan's protective, warm, loving arms around her. . .

Giggling as she flushed slightly pink, the girl squirted herself with a little Tiger Lilly perfume, made to match her personal scent. She and Sango had bought some scent-matching cologne for each other as early Christmas gifts. It was too much fun to give out presents just to give each friend only one!

She was about to put the bottle away when she sniffed her arm.

Hmm. . .

As an after thought, Kag decided to put on a little more of the sweet smelling liquid then usual, to hide her scent a bit. She felt fine, but for some reason, she smelt a little. . . different.

Shrugging, she quickly checked her hair in her mirror. As she batted a bit behind her shoulder, she noticed the welt she had received from the 'silver kiss' was just about gone.

Thank the goddess for ointments and makeup.

Gathering her books in her arms, Kag closed the door to her locker without paying attention.

She paid for that by coiled into a solid body right in front of her; causing her to drop all her things.

As she looked into the body's face, she gasped.

"We meet again, Kagome. . ." the man in front of her smirked.

And for the first time, the were-girl got a good look at the man.

The man named Naraku.

He was dressed in tight black leather, looking very much like a punk; adorned in many silver studded belts and no-finger gloves on his fingers. His face was bedecked in multiple pieces of jewelry- on his lips, his ears, and his nose. All were punctured parts decorated with silver studs. His long, wavy black hair tumbled all over, and his dark eyes glittered maliciously.

"Naraku. . ." Kagome whispered, backing slowly into her closed locker door.

"Ah, so you know my name. . . Did your little friends tell you it?" he frowned slightly, yet his eyes continued to sparkle dangerously. "I told you- warned you to avoid them, Kagome-chan. . ."

"Don't call me that! We are NOT friends!" she spat, trying to quell the shivers of fear threatening to run down her spine.

The wolf hunter pressed a hand to his heart, looking wistfully away. "You hurt me. . ."

"And you want to hurt my friends!"

"Do you even know what your friends ARE, Kagome?" he hissed, grabbing her arms and pressing them to her side against the lockers.

"Good people!" she glared, trying to stay out of range of his silver jewelry without looking as if she were avoiding it.

"They're WEREWOLVES. . ." he whispered softly into her ear, causing Kagome to stop wiggling.

So he did know. . .

She had hoped. . . he was just. . . assuming. . . guessing. . .

But no. . .

"What are you TALKING about?!" the wolf lied. "Werewolves aren't real!"

"Oh, they're very real, my dear," the boy lectured gently, sounding as if he were explaining 2 and 2 equaled 4 as he waved his arm, indicating the passing students. "I guarantee that at least 1/12 of all the students here are wolves in disguise. They could be on your bus. . . in your class. . . next to you. . ." he finished softly, his hands snaking around her waist.

Kagome instinctively pulled away, whirling around to glare disbelievingly at a smirking Naraku.

"Join me, Kagome. . ." he murmured, clenching his fist. "Together we can rid this school of those disgusting- disgusting THINGS. . ."

Kag stood stock still, shaking slightly, her voice wavering. "I don't know- who or WHAT you are, Naraku. . . But you- you stay away from me and my friends!"

With that, she spun on her heel and raced down the packed hall way, disappearing from sight.

Naraku sighed slightly.

Disappointing.

But no matter.

He'd try again later.

After all-

If at first you don't succeed. . .

Smirking, the dark haired teen turned around and melded into the crowd.

*

Panting, Kagome raced into the girl's bathroom and bolted into a stall; locking the door as she sank down on top of the toilet seat, panting and clutching her books to her wildly beating heart.

'Kouga and Inu-Yasha were right. . . This Naraku. . . he knows. . . but how? There is no way. . . he could learn all this from books. . . '

Sighing and banging her head against the back wall, the girl gently closed her eyes, ignoring the bell as it rung.

'But. . . for all his knowledge. . . he doesn't seem to realize I'm a werewolf too. . .'

Her brow furrowing slightly in confusion, the girl sighed one more time before standing up, deciding it would be best if she got to class.

As she reached to open the door of the stall, she stopped.

Well. . .

She'd go to the bathroom first.

Suddenly, she really had to go. . .

*

"Kagome!" Sango whined that night as the two ran to the mall's bathroom for the umpteenth time in the last 2 hours. "This is- what- your 5th stop here?!"

"Sixth," Kag laughed nervously as she left the stall, washing her hands in the slightly soapy sink.

The brown haired werewolf sighed. "How much water did you drink today?!"

"More then usual," the girl shrugged as they re-entered the mall. "I was thirsty."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Well, next time don't do that right before a Christmas Shopping trip."

"I take the warning to heart," Kagome giggled.

"By the way," the older wolf mentioned casually, her lips tugged into an unseen smirk as she innocently examined a jacket as they passed a clothing rack. "I happened to have woken up last night. . ."

"Mm?" Kag murmured, showing she was listening as she picked up a small, crystal trinket; trying to figure out it's purpose.

"Oh yes. And when I did, I smelt the most curious of scents. Do you have any idea what it might have been?" Sango grinned, watching her friend almost drop the item she was holding in embarrassed surprise.

"No?" the brown haired wolf cocked her head, trying her best to hold back a laugh. "Well, I'll tell you then. It was the hot, heavy scent of sweet love ma-"

"Okay, okay! Shut up!" Kagome hissed, her cheeks flaming as she clamped a hand over her friend's mouth.

But as she did so, her brow furrowed slightly.

She leaned in closer, sniffing once or twice.

"Ho? And what is this. . .?" the ebony haired teen whispered, a large grin slowly spreading across her face as Sango's eyes widened.

"Get off," the older female glared as she pushed her smirking friend away. 'Damn! I thought my personalized scent perfume would cover it up. . .'

"I guess I wasn't the only one that mated last night, huh, SANGO?!" Kag laughed loudly, poking her bright red friend continuously in the shoulder.

"Shut up. . ." Sango grumbled, looking away.

"No way, Jose! Not after the ribbing you gave ME!"

"How could you even smell it?!" the brown haired werewolf sighed. "I used my special perfume!"

"Well, tough. You must not have used enough of it," she giggled before breaking into song. "Sango's got a maaaate! Sango's got a MAAA-"

"Sango's gonna have an injured friend if someone doesn't shut up soon!"

Kagome quieted herself, but even her silence spoke volumes.

And her large, unnerving grins didn't help.

*

Twenty minutes later, both girls had calmed down and come to an unspoken truce.

"So how long have you two been a couple?" Kagome asked as she rifled through more trinkets, trying to find one Inu-Yasha would like.

"Since last night," Sango blushed, examining a few male necklaces for Miroku.

"Oooh? Details, girl!"

"Well," the brown haired wolf grinned, her cheeks still pink, "it started out like any other night, you know?"

"Go on. . ."

"So I snuck into his room when I thought you guys were asleep so we could talk."

"Talk?! Just TALK?! Only TALK?! I don't believe it!"

"It's true. He can actually be rather civil when he wants to be."

"And when you promise you'll let him touch you afterwards."

"Shut up, whose telling this, you or me?"

"Sorry. Continue."

"Right, so we're just talking, when the subject suddenly turns to Naraku. He told me he had heard of Naraku, but he had been praying it wasn't the same one. Turns out his great-grandfather had met up with him before."

Kagome stopped dead. "What? How could that be? The only thing that could live that long would be a. . ."

"A werewolf, I know. Since we live by re-mixed dog years- we age one year every seven. That was why Miroku thought that this must be a different Naraku. Guess it's not."

The ebony haired teen frowned, but edged her friend on, pushing the information to the very back of her mind.

"Anyway, so he tells me how his great-grandfather and his pack died by Naraku, and how he was afraid history would repeat itself. He told me his great-grandfather had watched his love die by that hunter's hands, and he was afraid that would happen to me. He told me he loves me so much, sometimes he wasn't sure that I was just a happy dream he would someday wake up from." Sango giggled slightly as a wide smile overtook her pretty magenta face.

"So what'd you say?" Kag grinned back, leaning carefully against a shelf.

"Well, I said- and a I quote- 'let me prove I'm not a dream'. And, well, one thing led to another. . ."

Kagome laughed and beamed at her happy and embarrassed friend. "Well, I'm glad you're finally, officially together."

"Me too," her friend sighed dreamily. "Me too. . ."

They stood in a comfortable silence for a few moments, until Kagome finally held up an item made of mock silver, black crystals hanging from it like fruit on a tree. "Do you think Inu-Yasha would like this?"

"Hmm, yeah! What about this?" Sango questioned, displaying a blue beaded necklace with little claws on it.

"Mmm, nah. I think Miroku'd like that purple one over there. . ."

"Who said I was talking about my koi? I was talking about yours!" she laughed, putting the rosary down and picking up the violet necklace as the two began gossiping about normal teenager things; anime, other boys, classes. . .

*

"Well?" Naraku pressed as Kagura walked out of the mall, back into the moonless night. "Did you find them?"

"Yes," the girl glared, crossing her arms. "I found them."

"And. . ?"

"They were talking like normal girls! Nothing suspicious at all! That Kagome even picked up some sort of silver thingy, I think."

"What about the other girl?"

"She didn't touch it."

"Of course she didn't you idiot!" he hissed. "She's a wolf! No, I'm talking about if she was doing anything odd."

"NO," Kagura sighed.

"Good. They're both totally preoccupied. That means everyone is out of that apartment building- Kanna just called and told me that Miroku idiot went out to buy a Christmas tree. Everyone is gone but Inu-Yasha and Kouga," Naraku smirked. "And so while I 'chat' with our friend Inu, you occupy the pack leader. Make sure he doesn't hear or smell anything. Is that clear?!"

"Transparently," the female grumbled, whipping out a fan and cooling herself.

True, it was a cold night.

But she liked things icy.

"Let's go," Naraku commanded briskly, heading back to their car in the dark.

Smiling to himself, he quickly ignited the engine after he checked to make sure his gun was loaded with 'special' bullets.

It was time to deliver some early gifts.

All wrapped in pretty silver bows.

~*~

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