Chapter 2 - Neko coffee club

"Come on you guys, we're gonna be late for school!" Kagome called in frustration from the kitchen.

Buttering a piece of toast, she rolled her eyes as groans echoed from every bedroom.

"Kaaaagoomeeeee," whined Miroku as he crawled to the table, looking as if he had just fallen out of bed- which he had. "How can I sleep if you're out here screaming?!"

"Try and stay in the same room with her," Inu-Yasha grumbled as he walked out of his room, scratching his bed-head hair. "With her clanging and clanking through the closet and banging around. . ."

"Stay in the same room with her?" the perverted one repeated, his head snapping up from its previous position in his hands. "Sure, I'll-"

"PERVERT!" Sango screamed in annoyance, chucking the first thing she saw at his head, which happened to be a frying pan.

"Hey! I was gonna use that for bacon!" the ebony haired girl exclaimed in disappointment as the pan whammed Miroku in the face, sending an metallic echoing through the small apartment.

"'Oops'," Sango smirked, plopping down next to Inu-Yasha- who was poking the unconscious Miroku- in satisfaction.

"God damn, Sango," the silver haired wolf snickered, still poking his friend. "You do good work."

"Thank you, thank you. No applause, just money."

"Speaking of money," Kagome sighed as she sat down with her toast, whapping Miroku's now wiggling hand out of the way as she did so, "We're about $300 in the hole. Anyone got some cash?"

The wolves around the table began to slowly shake their heads no.

"shoot," Sango sighed. "I forgot how much adding Kag's room was gonna cost us."

"We'll all need to find some jobs," Miroku advised. "I know this one ice cream store-"

Inu-Yasha glared dryly at the male. "You moron, it's the middle of December!"

"Look, why don't we all just look for jobs after school?" Kagome interrupted calmly, playing the peace maker.

Mumbled 'sure's 'whatever's and 'keh's were heard around the table.

Another articulate morning.

*

Kagome was used to school by now.

After she had become a werewolf, she found that- wherever she went-, stares and whispers followed her.

But no matter how silent the teens were, she was always able to hear every word.

Some of the choice phrases were 'slut' 'whore' 'dog' and. . .well, some just didn't need to be mentioned.

All because she was hanging out with 'the wrong crowed'.

How *dare* anyone hang out with that weirdo freak Inu-Yasha and his gang?

And so kids she once considered friends all avoided her, and teachers that had once respected her now ignored her.

But she had gotten used to it.

Who cared what they thought? They'd never understand.

So after yet another day of school in it's usual hellhole form, Kagome decided not to pay any attention to the pair of eyes she could feel piercing her back.

Instead, she simply walked up to the job board in the middle of the almost deserted hall- everyone else had already left for the busses or their cars- and began to search for an interesting ad.

But though she continued to ignore the staring person, they didn't go away.

Finally fed up, the ebony hared girl whipped around- - -

And found no one was there.

She stared blankly left and right, fruitlessly trying to find her pursuer.

But there was nothing. . .

Nothing but the stench of a person who had already left.

What was going on. . .?

*

Kagome stood chatting with the manager of the Neko* Coffee Club; a woman named Kagura.

The coffee house was really spectacular. Made mostly of red velvet, large, squishy arm chairs and couches littered the floor, and books of every subject imaginable lined the walls. Pictures of anything and everything adorned the walls, and beautiful crystals dangled from the ceiling.

However, it got it's name from the many kittens and cats who prowled the floor, weaving through the legs of the many customers, relaxing in the winter sunbeams that were pouring through the large glass windows, and slumbering on unused chairs.

"You need a job, hun?" Kagura smiled kindly, working behind the counter and toying with a rope in her hands.

"That's why I'm here," Kagome smiled back, ignoring one of the cats the hissed at her.

"Well, you're in luck. I'm in need of one more new hand. Just moved here myself, you see."

"Really? How did you get to be manager so quickly?" the teen asked in astonishment.

"Oh. . . just a few pulled strings," Kagura smiled sweetly, tugging the rope in her hands in emphasis.

Kagome frowned slightly as she heard a thud from the back room, but ignored it. No one else would have been able to hear it.

"So would you like to be a waitress? You'll make good money," the manager grinned, cocking her head as she rifled around for an application.

"I'd like that very much," the ebony haired teen replied politely, gratefully taking the pen and paper Kagura handed her. Sitting in one of the chairs, Kag became so wrapped up in her application that she didn't notice the scent of blood that was beginning to cling to the air.

*

Kagura stepped into the back room, locking the door carefully and smirking at the sight before her.

The previous manager and all his hired hands were back here-

Dead.

The manager hung from a rope wrapped around his neck, having been strung up and toyed with from the ceiling. The new manager smiled softly as she tugged the rope in her hands one more time, enjoying the sickening crunch of the old, dead man's head against the ceiling as she pulled. A stray cat batted at the male's shoe strings as he dangled.

"Stupid old fool. . ."

Littered around her feet were the three hired hands, each stabbed to death with knives and the cat's claws.

"I suppose we'll need more silverware. . ."

Snickering softly to herself, Kagura walked leisurely around the room, casually spraying air freshener so as not to scare away customers.

The smell of death was rather strong.

Not that she didn't enjoy it.

"Blood," she sighed happily, skimming her fingers across the surface of a pool of the liquid, scattering the cats that had gathered around to take a drink. "How I love it when you're shed."

Laughing quietly to herself, she picked up a stained knife and licked the end of it before throwing it into the stomach of the dead manager.

"Serves you all right," she smirked, slowly heading back to the door. "My master will get what he wants. And so will I."

*

"Done," Kagome smiled as she handed the application back to the manager.

As Kagura smiled and took the papers, the teen couldn't help but frown.

"Um. . . if you don't mind my saying so. . . it smells rather. . . bloody back there. . ." Kag mentioned slowly, not wanting to give away her powers.

But it seemed she wasn't the only one able to smell it, considering quite a few customers were leaving, holding their nose.

Kagura nodded sadly. "Yes, well, there was a bit of an accident back there with one of my other hired hands. Cut herself badly."

"How could that cause so much bl-"

"It was also her time of the month," the manager whispered.

Kagome nodded slowly, not quiet believing but deciding not to press it.

She needed this job.

"Well, hun," the manager smiled happily as she glanced through the application. "You look qualified! How about you start tomorrow, say, after school?"

"Really?" Kag gasped. "I got the job already?"

"Of course," Kagura cocked her head. "Was their any doubt?"

"I guess there was. . ." Kagome grinned sheepishly. "Well. . . gods, thanks!"

"No problem," the woman replied softly as the teen ran happily out into the snow. "No problem at all. . ."

With a small smirk, she walked towards the backroom, another knife clenched in her grasp.

*

The ebony haired teen walked happily out of the coffee house, smiling as she slowly began down the path towards the apartment.

But as she was passing an ally-

Someone or something that she hadn't sensed suddenly grabbing her hands and pushing her against the brick wall, locking her arms above her head.

"What the fracking god damn hell?!" Kagome hissed her surprise, her arms already killing her in the person's ironclad clasp.

"My, my. . . language, my dear, language. . ."

Looking slowly up into the face of the speaker- and her attacker-, the teen wolf found herself staring at a man with a pair of dark eyes, framed by long, wavy black hair.

"Hello, Kagome Higarashi," the man smirked, leaning into her and whispering in her ear.

Kag flinched as his icy breath hit her body, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.

How did he know her?! She didn't recognize his scent. . .

No, wait. . .

Hadn't she smelt it in the hall. . .?

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to ignore the way he gently nuzzled her neck.

"I don't think names are important," he smiled into her skin, slowly backing away to stare into her eyes. "But what I have to say is. . ."

"Then say it and let me go," she glared.

"Patiences my dear, patiences. . ." he chuckled, taking a long pause before continuing.

"Have you ever heard," he began softly, "of the werewolf?"

Kagome fought to keep the surprise out of her voice. "Sure I have. In myths and legends."

No way in hell was she admitting anything to him.

"Don't you ever wonder where those myths and legends came from, Kagome?" he whispered, his eyes glinting.

"What are you getting at?!" she spat, wiggling her sore limbs. "Let me go!"

The man 'tut'ed quietly. "My dear Kagome, please listen. It's for your own good. I'm trying to warn you. . ."

"Of what?!" she barked.

"Of the kids you hang out with," he replied smoothly, his hands tightening around her arms.

Kag's eyes widened.

"What about them?" she hissed slowly.

"Don't be fooled by appearances," he murmured in her ear again, leaning forward and kissing her neck with white-hot lips. "For seeing is deceiving. . ."

With that, he slowly released her arms and stepped back, a smirk toying with his mouth.

"I'll see you around, Kagome," he whispered, bowing his head slightly in her direction before calmly walking out the ally.

The ebony haired teen stood there for a moment, simply catching her breath.

Then what had happened hit her.

"WAIT!" she screamed, racing in the direction the man had disappeared. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

But he was already gone.

*

"Kagome, where have you been?" Inu-Yasha bellowed as soon as she walked through the door. "We've all been back from job hunting for AGES! What the hell took-"

But as she walked into the hall, he suddenly stopped screaming.

Instead, he ran up to her, his eyes narrowed, and pulled her into his arms, sniffing her.

Kagome arched her eyebrow in confusion. "Inu-Yas-?"

But she cut herself off at the look of surprised horror on his face.

"What the hell were you doing with Naraku?!"

~*~

Yes, I know. Second chapter and I've already given you an evil cliffie.

I'm a dog, blah blah blah. . .

^_^;; But I'm a lovable dog!

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