Written for iy-fanfiction at LiveJournal

Word Count: 770
Prompt: dig
Genre: drama, romance
Rating: R

"The hell?" Inuyasha asked in utter confusion. "You can't take my pack."

"But I can, little brother. It seems you do not know as much about pack law as you think. I not only can, but I will. When you are defeated, if you survive the battle, I will become alpha of your pack and you will either be dismissed from the pack entirely or you will become pack omega. Of course, you can always choose to surrender your position, in which case you would be blessed to become my beta. Either way, I will be alpha and, as such, can court Kagome as I wish."

"Like hell! I would never surrender to you. I'll kick your ass and send you on your way. Besides, Kagome doesn't want you. You're a fucking icicle!"

"Wait, wait," Kagome interjected. "So you're saying that right now, Inuyasha makes the decision and I have no say? And if you win, would I have a say then or would you simply tell me I belong to you? Oh wait, you already did that!" The miko's frustration with her situation was growing by the second and Sesshoumaru recognized that he needed to word his reply very carefully.

"As long as Inuyasha is your alpha, he has the final say in who may court and mate you. Once I become alpha, I will ask for your permission to court you. I would never force you to do anything you did not wish to, Kagome."

"Uh-huh. Says the guy who's already claimed to own me."

"That is not what I meant when I..."

"Keep digging, asshole. The more you talk, the deeper the hole gets," Inuyasha said in amusement.

"Inuyasha," Kagome warned. When the hanyou showed no sign of remorse, she said his most hated word. "Sit!"

Sesshoumaru raised a brow. "Hmm, perhaps you have not accurately assessed the standing in your pack, little brother. While you may be alpha male, it is obvious that Kagome is the alpha female. She also can subdue you with nothing but a word. As such, I believe that she, not you, is the true alpha of the pack."

"Bullshit," Inuyasha growled after spitting out a mouthful of dirt.

"There is only one way to be sure," the taiyoukai said, a smirk showing on his face. He'd known that fighting with Inuyasha was not going to earn him any points with Kagome. She was always quick to defend the hanyou and readily fought by his side. Hurting one she considered such a close friend could only harm the relationship he was hoping to build with her. "We shall take a vote of pack members."

Everyone gasped and Kagome looked around, realizing that she'd forgotten all about her other friends. "Really?"

"Yes, each pack member must name who they believe to be their leader, who they would choose to follow if you and Inuyasha disagree and head in separate directions."

"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense."

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed in relief. She'd already moved past her anger at him for claiming her. He hadn't meant to. It had just slipped out in the heat of the moment. He knew how she would likely react to such a thing and he would never have said it under normal circumstances.

"Yes, so, shall we have the pack vote?"

"Sure, why the hell not?" Inuyasha growled, finally having regained his feet. "They all know who's in charge around here." While his tone was filled with bravado, the hanyou was nervous. He knew just how much the others cared for Kagome. He knew that she was the one who held their group together. He'd just never considered that she was the true alpha of the pack and he probably never would have if Sesshoumaru hadn't brought it up.

One by one, the pack members were polled, and while Sango and Miroku were hesitant at first to answer, fearing hurting their friend, Shippo gladly called out Kagome's name. In the end, the winner was obvious. Inuyasha hadn't gotten a single vote.

"So, brother dear," Sesshoumaru said snidely. "It seems that you have no say in who Kagome chooses be courted by or who she mates. She, on the other hand, must approve any choice you may make."

"What the fuck ever," the hanyou snarled before leaping into a tree to pout. He hadn't expected to feel his friends' rejection quite so powerfully, even if he had known the truth all along.

Kagome glanced up into the tree with a frown. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she whispered before turning to face Sesshoumaru. "At least you don't have to fight."