As soon as Toga was somewhat sure that he was out of earshot for the other demons, he stopped running and tore his umanori open. He grabbed his throbbing member and began to violently tug it. He wasn't taking much pleasure from his ministrations, he just wanted to rid himself of the need. Grunting and shivering he quickened his pace and relentlessly squeezed his tortured organ.

He forced the last drop out and collapsed on the mossy ground. Pressing his face against the greenery, panting. Why on earth did this have to happen now? He had lived through hundreds of spring heats in his life and not once had any female affected him like that human did. Admittedly he was intrigued by the opposite sex and many times had been asked to sire them. He was, after all, the son of the Great General, once to rule the Western lands. Sharing his blood was highly sought complement among the females. But Toga didn't really have that much interest in continuing his bloodline yet. Even though he found some of the offers tempting. But he had his reasons to forgo.

It was true that some of the inu youkai enjoyed recreational mating but it wasn't as common as it was among humans or other youkai species. Inu youkai mainly mated for reproductional purposes during the spring when the bitches were in heat. Outside of that time frame, males were forced to either couple with other youkais or, on the very rare occasion, with humans. But as the meaning was not to breed, some males sometimes killed their partners to ensure that their bloodlines were not soiled or diluted with other species.

Abstinence had never been a trial or a burden to Toga. He had had ”lovers” in a sense that there had been some innocent courtship at his early teens when the lure of women first hit him. As tempted as he might have been a few times, his body never had betrayed his reason. Until now.

Toga dug his claws in the soil. If that human was ever to offer herself to him, he had just as much chance denying her as the willow had a chance of not being swayed by a stormy wind. He growled at the thought. He would have to make sure it would never happen. Whatever his cock demanded, he refused to tarnish his bloodline. That human would not seduce him. There was just one pressing problem. His treacherous nose. If he just as much as caught a sniff of her heated scent, his willpower crumbled like a dry leaf. Toga groaned and sank his face in the moss.

Unless. His eyes lit up. Unless he couldn't smell her. It would solve the problem. Toga rejoiced his ingenuity and grabbed a tuff of moss in his hands. He laughed manically.

----------------

Back at the camp, Kagome was trying to find something to do. All the demons avoided her presence, which she was used to, but there was something bothering her in the way they did it. Usually when she had been in the proximity of other demons, they simply held their noses high and turned their backs at her. Now they seemed almost... Scared? They would quickly eschew her when she came near and instead of showing open disdain they looked concerned and began whispering to each other. It greatly bothered her, but she knew there was absolutely no-one she could ask about it.

Defeated, lonely and bored, Kagome decided to let it be and headed into the forest. Maybe there could be Wood Sorrel, roots and other edible plants to be found. She couldn't rely on her stock of chips forever. Toga still owed her that rabbit, though.

Kagome trekked her way in to the forest, making sure to not wonder too far off from the woodline. If she ran into trouble, there was no-one saving her ass. The miko crumpled her nose when a twig lashed at her leg, tearing into the fine fabric of her leggings. These weren't an ideal outfit for the time or the weather, but she had wanted to pack lightly to save room for food when leaving home on that particular day. Plus her mom hadn't had the chance to do laundry yet, so she was stuck with some unconventional choices regarding her wardrobe. It's not like actually thought ideal to wear leggings' and tank tops in the spring. But it was still better than skirts and kimono's when it came to mobility. Besides- Kagome stopped suddenly and quit defending her clothing to someone who hadn't even questioned it. She sensed a demonic aura nearby. She carefully hoisted her bow up and drew an arrow from the leather quiver fastened to her back.

The aura wasn't threatening but it was overwhelmingly strong. Kagome squeezed the bow in her hands.

'It's better to sit this one out. I should just back out slowly. It might've not noticed me yet. Better for both of us to avoid confrontation.' Kagome tried to calm herself as she began walking backwards. Not wanting to turn her back at that great aura that clashed with her own reiki. But she could sense that it was too late. The aura suddenly darted straight into her direction. Kagome froze, knowing that whatever was coming at her, it would outrun her effortlessly. The whole area was taken over by that magnificent aura in just seconds. It waited her in the shadows.

Kagome remained in her stand and scanned all the bushes, the peak of her arrow following her gaze.

"Put down your weapon, human. You are at no harm here."

Kagome almost dropped her bow when she heard the voice. Following that voice was a figure that peaked from behind a large tree.

In awe, Kagome let the string of her bow loosen and descended her weapon. She stared at the youkai that gracefully walked towards her.

It was a inu youkai, a small girl. For the first time Kagome was seeing an inu youkai child. The girl was probably way older than Kagome was, by decades maybe, she wasn't sure how they aged, but she appeared to be around 12 by human standards. She was dressed in a dark blue hakama, with a great white fur shawl draping her shoulders. Her hair was fair as snow and it was held up and divided into to two long tails. Her bangs were also held up, revealing a delicate crescent marking on her forehead. But what was most fascinating feature about the girl, was not what was on the outside, but what was in the inside.

All dog demons Kagome had come to know by now all had a flaring, hot aura. This girl did not. Her aura was cool and calm, terrifyingly strong. Actually, Kagome had sensed an aura similar to this girl. And now when she thought about it, that crescent marking was also familiar.

"You are.. Are you Sessh.. Umm, uh, oh." Kagome stumbled on her words. This had to be the mother of Sesshoumaru. Toga's wife. Or wife-to-be. And obviously the name of Sesshoumaru would hold no meaning to her. Yet.

"I am the daughter of the great Sesshoumaru-sama. The lord of the Eastern lands. I am... Kimiko." She answered to Kagome's unintelligent stammering with a polite smile.

Okay, so obviously the killing perfection was named after his grandfather. And the miko had to admit, he took way more after his mother's side of the family. In many regards.

"Will you not introduce yourself to me?" The suave soft words of Kimiko's sounded equally friendly as they sounded threatening. But Kagome sensed no ill intentions from her aura. Maybe her seemingly deadly demeanor was just part of her personality. Chills ran through Kagome's spine. If that lady ever meant business, depicting from her aura, she would grow to be some piece of hard meat in her womanhood. She could probably easily kick the asses of all the male inu's Kagome knew.

"I'm... Kagome... Uh. Daughter of the Higurashi shrine." She clumsily tried to introduce herself in the same fashion as her interlocutor.

Kimiko chuckled gently. Even though her honey golden eyes remained cold as dry ice. She closed her eyes and turned her back at Kagome. Kimiko could clearly smell the scent of a certain male inu on Kagome. Quite an interesting move from his part.

"Run along now, Kagome. We'll meet again." She flicked her wrist as a goodbye and disappeared back into the dark of the forest.

Kagome didn't wait for a second admonition. The small hair on her skin stood up all over her body.

----

When Kagome returned to the village, Toga still hadn't gotten back. Somewhat disappointed, Kagome sighed and headed back to her lodgings. When she was nearly there, she was stopped by an rude knock on her back.

"Hey, ow, watch it!" Kagome protested and tried to rub the aching spot. She turned around to meet a familiar face that hovered way above her own. What was even more familiar, was the dress on the body of said demon. Ishu. They would have to have another discussion about private property, Kagome decided, but Ishu had another thing coming.

"Is it true!?" Ishu fumed. Quickly she covered her mouth and nose in disgust. "Oh, kami, it is!" She skreighed when the offending odour drifted down wind to her nose.

Kagome swiftly forgot her gripe about her school uniform by this new accusation.

"What now?" Kagome grumbled.

Ishu tried to reign her gag reflex, at least enough to let that human harlot get a piece of her mind.

"How dare you? Have you no common sense or decency, you... You loose slag!"

Kagome almost fell to her behind from the sheer force of the other woman's voice. She wiped off droplets of saliva that had splattered on her face as Ishu was yelling at her no more that few inches away.

"Say it, don't spray..." That would just go way above Ishu's head. "What exactly are you excusing me of?"

Ishu snickered dryly and crossed her arms. "Oh, feigning innocence now? I suppose you are completely unaware that Toga's cock went up your cunt last night then?"

Intense heat gathered around Kagome's face. One third of embarrassment, one third shock and last third of sheer anger. WHAT WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!" Kagome shrieked, her eyes burning just as hot as her cheeks and Ishu had to actually take a few steps back, just to avoid any permanent hearing damage. "NO-ONE'S... NOTHING WENT UP... NOWHERE LAST NIGHT! OR ANY OTHER NIGHT!"

If there was any way possible that someone hadn't heard their previous shouting, now it was utterly impossible. The dead could hear Kagome's bellows.

On cue, Toga suddenly appeared to stop the females from shouting each other deaf.

"Enough!" Toga firmly announced and stepped between the human and the demon woman.

"What is she talking about?" Kagome pointed at Ishu from behind Toga's back.

"How could you?!" Ishu shouted and pointed right back at Kagome.

"What is going on?!" Both women yelled at Toga.

Toga hung his head low for a moment to take a deep breath through his mouth. Then he looked unwaveringly at Ishu. His words were slow and articulated.

"Just what do you think happened, Ishu." Toga harshly said. It wasn't a question.

Seeing his determined eyes, the fighting spirit left Ishu.

"You cannot seriously mean..." She tried to comprehend while still pointing at Kagome.

"It is not your business, Ishu." Toga answered more softly now. His voice was sounding a bit odd, but Kagome didn't have time to give it any thought.

"What are you two talking about?!" Kagome tried to butt herself into the conversation but the demons crudely ignored him.

Ishu shook her head. "How could you do this? To Kimiko? Your mate? How could you possibly go and rut another woman? A human, nonetheless!"

The heat that had just began to dissipate from Kagome's cheeks, returned with a vengeance. Ishu, and now thinking about the behavior of the other demons, suggested that they were all under the impression that Toga had laid with her. But how could they have come to such a conclusion? And more importantly, why was Toga not denying it!

"It's not..." Kagome tried to explain, but Toga silenced her with a wave of his hand and a glare so powerful, Kagome lost the track of her own sentence. It was also that Kagome finally noticed that Toga's nose was stuffed with moss.

'Whatta?'

"What I do with my property is on my decision. And I haven't mated Kimiko, yet, as you are aware. If you find my discreetness lacking or distasteful, that is your concern, not mine." Toga's tone of voice confirmed that the discussion was over. Ishu didn't try to argue any more. She simply shook her head at Toga and gave a final parting scowl at Kagome before storming off.

Toga shut his eyes close. He could feel the fuming hot reiki behind his back.

---

Toga entered Kagome's hut in the wake of said woman's steps. Kagome seated herself on to the pile of skins and didn't wait for Toga to find comfortable place to sit in.

"Explain. Now." Kagome commanded.

Toga leaned his body on his hand that rested against the wall of her hut. No point beating around the bushes.

"You are in heat." He answered. Expecting that to make Kagome suddenly realize everything.

Kagome blinked a few times. It had been explained to her by Sango that male demons referred to ovulation as being in heat. It simply meant the time females were fertile.

"So what if I am? What has that got to do with any of this nonsense?"

Toga turned his eyes on Kagome and gritted his teeth. How did she not understand.

"I was... forced to take measures ensuring that no other male would try to claim you." He explained under his breath. Hoping that the human woman was capable of doing some reasoning on her own. And not to force him explain in any more detail his humiliating acts.

But all his answer did was to create more confusion in Kagome's head.

"I still don't understand. What 'measures' are you talking about?" She had an eerie inkling on his answer, taking how all the other demons thought Toga had slept with her. But she wanted to hear the whole thing.

Aggravated, Toga decided that she would never drop the subject lest he give her a full explanation. Even though he reeeeeeally didn't want to.

"Your heat makes you smell tempting to men. Especially since you are a maiden. Though my kind rarely engage in those kinds of activities with human women, some were tempted to lay you. And it doesn't always end in there. I know that some kill their partners afterwards, ensuring that there are no unwanted offspring from such joining. Youkai don't take kindly to diluting their bloodline." Toga swallowed trying to figure out how to sound as nonchalant as possible about the next part. "I didn't particularly hope that to happen to you. So I offered my cum to you so you could stray any other males off. If they smell me, they won't be tempted to touch you since they would have to answer for it to me."

Kagome listened to his explanation silently. Taking in his words. The world in the ancient times weren't full of puppies and rainbows, yes, she knew that perfectly well, but what he was saying sounded really harsh.

Youkai males actually raped and killed women just for recreational fun? And they would rather take an innocent life than risk the chance of bringing a half-breed into the world? Kagome had no idea how truly hated Inuyasha and other hanyous really were in the eyes of full youkais. They were nothing. Less even. Just now she could truly see and feel the hate and fear Inuyasha must have been forced to suffer through whole his life. Because that man who stood in front of her. Telling her calmly that it was a common practice to rape and kill human women just to satisfy their own twisted desires.

"Do you think like that?" Kagome quietly asked. "Do you think it's okay what you kind does to women that might carry unwanted offspring?"

Toga was puzzled by her question. He settled for answering her truthfully.

"I think nothing of it. I have never been in a situation where I would have had to contemplate on the morality of such action. But what I do think is that a man should have more dominion over his desires than to succumb to the will of his cock."

Kagome slightly blushed at his coarse word. She bit to her lower lip.

"Have you ever been tempted to?" The question came out half-subconsciously. She really didn't know what she wanted to hear him answer. And couldn't really blame him for not wanting to answer at all. But those... uh, inventive nose plugs of his just tugged at her curiosity. Toga swiftly turned his back at her.

Why would she want to know such a thing? Had she noticed something? Did she remember what happened the night before? Toga's brain frantically thought. Was he really that much influenced by her that he would lose control like that? Toga sneezed the tufts of slimy moss out of his nose and relished at the ability to breath freely again. His joy was quickly clouded by her scent. It wasn't as overpowering as it had been earlier. Her heat was obviously passing but it still called out to his blood. What was he supposed to answer her when even he didn't want to admit her effect on himself.

Kagome understood from his silence that he was reluctant to talk about his temptations or lack thereof.

"I think that hanyous are beautiful." She broke the short silence. Just to lift off the awkwardness unknowing that she just increased his confusion.

"They are an even balance of the two worlds of strength and heart." She thought about Inuyasha while speaking and smiled to her own thoughts. "I think that you full youkais easily dismiss them as weak, but they are anything but. I've seen them fighting powers that not even you could defeat. No matter how high and mighty you think of yourselves. But hanyous are free of those failings that you are blind to. I think they are positively... perfect."

Toga's eyes widened. He had never known any hanyous intimately to form any definite opinion besides what had been taught to him about them. But why was she telling him all that? He had always supposed that humans hated hanyous just as much as youkais did. After all they were just as inconvenient reminder of unnatural joining to humans. Or maybe... She didn't look upon such joining as unnatural. Would she not mind bearing a halfling child? Toga's head was swimming with thoughts he had never entertained before. As confused as he may have been, he was sure that that human woman was really extraordinary

They stared at each other. Each taking an shaky step in their minds towards each other's world.

"Well, may as it be..." Toga coughed. "Your heat will pass tomorrow and you don't have to worry about those kinds of things for another year."

Kagome suddenly remembered that she was lathered in... Toga's intimate product. Thought which called a deep rouge on her cheeks regarding the future. Dogs did have a period of estrus once a year, but...

"Uh... You did know that human females have heat once a month, right?"

In that instant, Toga had turned into a salt statue.

"What?" he wheezed.