Disclaimer: All InuYasha characters depicted are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi and are copyrighted by Viz. All original characters and the plot are my intellectual property. All names and places, either factual or imaginary, are used for the purposes of entertainment only. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of InuYasha. Copyright infringement is NOT intended.

Hallowed Desire

Chapter One “I assure you, Mother, that I am fully capable of tending to my own affairs.” Sesshoumaru's words were distinctly lacking in warmth. Their chill didn't make a dent in the formidable scowl marring his mother's elegant countenance, however.

She tapped a long, finely-curved claw against the manila envelope she held. “Oh? I think not, Sesshoumaru. How much time do you think your father will grant you after his demands are made public?” Her eyes narrowed while her mind turned to the male in question. “I still cannot believe the audacity of that youkai! He would have never-”

Withholding the urge to sigh, Sesshoumaru watched his mother pace the ornately furnished room while she continued to rant. Graceful, with the same silvery hair and golden eyes as himself, she could pass for a sister rather than his mother. A red, brushed silk blouse and a similarly colored knee-length skirt draped her curvaceous form; a perfect foil for her unblemished, pale skin.

Angry, her youkai markings were not as thinly delicate, but were now glowing slashes across her fine-boned features. “You,” she began, after recovering enough to halt in front of her wayward progeny, “need to take this seriously. Do you even comprehend the full scope of the disaster looming on the horizon?”

Sesshoumaru stiffened in reaction to the implication that his understanding was flawed.

Just as she knew he would.

She smiled beatifically. “You will allow me to protect your inheritance, my son. I will find the woman. I know what you need in a female, after all. Your distinction as a future lord requires the youkai you will take to mate to be as refined of sensibilities as myself,” she pontificated. “Along with being of the understanding that you, as a male, require certain... shall we say, largess on her part?”

Having been groomed for the purpose of taking over the reins of said responsibilities, Sesshoumaru wasn't completely uncaring as to their future. However, he was not to be outmaneuvered or manipulated. By either of his parents.

“As I have already stated,” he declared in ominously stilted tones, “you will do nothing. I have matters well in hand, and you would only prove to be a hindrance.”

The air of motherly regard vanished. In it's place, frustration simmered to the surface. She had to take a deep breath before asking, “If you have everything under control, then tell me now how you plan to outwit your father's demands that you mate? It is not bad enough that he has demanded you mate, but no, you must also produce one of whom he will approve!”

Not to mention the fact that, on his own, he surely lacked the insight to properly choose a female, she thought.

Grimly amused, Sesshoumaru glanced at the small clock sitting on a marble table beside his fuming mother. Almost time, he realized with the first stirring of true interest. He turned his attention back to the matter at hand. “I will not be coerced into anything, Mother. You can trust in that. If Father insists on this ridiculous decree, then let Inuyasha take the title. I dance attendance on no one's whims.”

Truly shocked, she gasped. “Sesshoumaru! You do not know what you are saying! I admit, I would prefer you to be free to choose your own mate, in your own time. But to allow Izayoi's pup to take your inheritance? I will not choose some weakling, nor would I saddle you with a nagging shrew. Cannot you sacrifice your pride, as I have done in the past for your sake, long enough to take aid from me, your mother?” she cajoled.

“What you have done, was at your own behest. I am not responsible for seeing to it that you are given suitable return on the investments you've made for me.”

She huffed, piqued. Her arms crossed under her bosom. “Do not take that tone with me, Sesshoumaru. If you insist on throwing everything away, then so be it. I will not tolerate disrespect, however. I am first wife and honorable mate to your father.”

Implied, therein, was the fact that, until such a time that he rose to his father's position, she was still his alpha female and he was answerable to her.

The reminder irked Sesshoumaru more than the mention of his father's demands.

Disdaining a suitably impressive display of temper, he said, “Our visit must be cut short, Mother. I have an appointment.”

Arrogant, self-absorbed, and admittedly single-minded, she was, nonetheless, his mother. He wondered what she would think if she knew he was now heading to meet his mate-to-be. The one she knew nothing of. Most likely, she would cheerfully consign him to hell, but he would take his chances.

He had meant every word. He had already chosen a mate before she had made her demands, though, and he would not alter his plans for the sake of expediency. The decree had not come until he had already made up his mind.

It would actually prove quite useful to him, as now he would not be forced to reveal the depth of his own feelings for the female in question to obtain her hand. He had not given her any inclination to believe that he found her to be anything other than an annoyance. She was highly romantic by nature. A characteristic that he should have found cumbersome, but strangely he did not. It was, he mused, the reason he had not approached her with anything other than an occasional question.

Even unsure of his choice, he had been oddly protective of her tender feelings. In spite of his ruthless reputation, he had not wanted to chance hurting her with a rescinded offer.

Now, all that remained was to claim the woman. He smirked. The engine to his stream-lined luxury sports car purred to life and he left the estate.

Kagome, his unknowing prey, was stubborn and head-strong. The next few weeks were looking to provide some entertainment, at the very least.

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

“Kagura? Are you sure this is me?” Disbelief, combined with modesty, had Kagome tugging on her new top's scooped neckline. The black, hip-hugging pants weren't so bad, if a bit tight. The sandals had heels-not something she was accustomed to wearing-but they were tasteful and quite cute in her opinion. However, the décolletage on the shimmering gold top, trimmed in black beads, was outrageously low-cut and the embarrassed woman could see clear to her navel down the neckline.

Kagura, her adventurous friend who had invited her out on the shopping trip to celebrate their graduation from University, slapped Kagome's hands away from the blouse's front. “Leave it alone, Kagome,” she demanded. “You look great. It's about time you started wearing clothing more suited to your age than those ridiculous school girl outfits.”

“Oh?” Kagome took in the equally daring ensemble of a red, leather mini-skirt, scarlet peasant shirt and calf-high boots her friend wore. “I seem to recall a certain boy with a fondness for those 'school girl outfits,' particularly the skirts. Don't tell me you've gotten rid of all of yours.”

Kagome laughed when Kagura fell silent. “So,” she asked mischievously, “has Miroku worn out your skirts yet? Maybe you should borrow some of mine. Kami knows I've got plenty to spare,” she joked.

Kagura rolled her eyes before smirking. “No, the pervert hasn't gone through my entire collection yet.” She grinned wickedly. “But, it's a near thing. I've hope for him yet!”

Now it was Kagome's turn to blush and Kagura chuckled wickedly. “Come on, dear. Blushes at your age? Hasn't anyone gotten into those white little panties yet?”

Shocked, Kagome sputtered. “What? No! You, I...”

Taking pity on the tongue-tied woman, Kagura clucked her tongue. “Ah, well. We can't all be seductive patronesses of the divine code of sexual equality. I know you're waiting for 'The One.' To bad, really. I had such aspirations for you,” she ended on an exaggerated sigh.

Luckily for Kagome, she was saved from having to continue that line of conversation by the appearance of Miroku. Dark-haired, with violet eyes and a handsome visage, he was a perfect match for the wind youkai, Kagura. Blessed with equally dark hair, a svelte figure and a vivacious personality that showed in her sparkling crimson eyes, Kagura attracted a fair amount of masculine attention.

Having known Miroku from an early age, however, Kagome hadn't been surprised at all that he had managed to capture the youkai female's attention despite his very obvious humanity. The man could charm the panties off a soured nun.

The real shocker had been when he had sworn off other women after only a single date with Kagura. A notorious pervert with a penchant for feeling up any 'legally available' female, he had never gone so long without his fingers doing his walking for him. As near as Kagome could tell, that was a miracle in-and-of itself.

Kagome wasn't quite sure how Kagura had managed it. She wished her friend would reveal the secret of her success. When asked about it, Kagura had merely smirked and proclaimed that the man was kept too busy to contemplate straying.

The couple bickered good-naturedly about the next stop. Walking alongside the pair, Kagome mused contemplatively about her situation. While she hadn't lied about not minding waiting for 'The One,' she did have some doubts about her ability to keep him once claimed.

How on Earth was she to interest a male when she didn't even know what she wanted in one, let alone how to go about getting him?

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

Roaring into the parking lot, Sesshoumaru leaned against the wheel briefly when a shaft of pain cut through his gut. Damn, he cursed, not now. He took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. Maintaining his humanoid form was taking more out of him lately.

His clamoring instincts demanded more of him than normal. In turn, he was forced to expend precious energy on controlling them, along with his urge to transform into the more comfortable form of his inuyoukai heritage.

Certain, for the moment, that he had it under control, Sesshoumaru left his car and went in search of his prey. Once inside, he ignored the giggles of air-headed females and pointing fingers to scent the air. He smiled, a rather frightening display of fangs for the onlookers.

A few minutes later Kagome came into sight. He halted, taking in her changed appearance with masculine appreciation. Her clothing, doing nothing to hide her womanly figure, was a definite change from her standard uniform of jeans, sneakers and a top. Even her hair, once tucked behind her ears in careless abandon, had been cropped slightly to curl about her shoulders in becoming disarray.

It was her blue eyes, however, shadowed with insecurity, that drew him in and held his attention. Oblivious to the male attention she was receiving from the humans and youkai, Kagome was still uncomfortable in her new finery.

He was not so blissfully unaware, and he held back the growl of anger that threatened to overcome him. There would be plenty of time later to protect what was his. To do so now, before it was a fact, would be both foolish and counterproductive.

Sliding narrowed eyes over the wind youkai female, Kagura, if he recalled correctly, Sesshoumaru guessed the new look was her doing. The hair wasn't so bad, appealing even, but the clothing would be the first thing he would attend to once in charge of Kagome's welfare.

The monk placed a proprietary arm around Kagura's waist. The hidden youkai caught sight of the longing glance slanted by the lone woman on the pair. Sesshoumaru chose that opportunity to step out of the shadows and into their path.

Kagura was the first to react to the abrupt blockage placed summarily in their path. “What the hell do you think you're doing? Get out of our way!” she demanded angrily. She had almost twisted her ankle to stop before she collided with the large inuyoukai!

Miroku, the more diplomatic of the two, gave her a warning squeeze. “Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama. Is there something you need?”

Staring directly into Kagome's smiling eyes, he ignored them. Instead, the inuyoukai waved them off before making a demand of his own, “You will come with me.”

Sputtering, outraged at being so casually dismissed, Kagura opened her mouth to unleash a verbal lashing, followed by a few well-placed wind spurs if that didn't do the trick. She knew who he was, but she'd not allow some freak to tell her what to do! She was the daughter of Naraku, Sheriff of the province, and was only a step below him socially.

Unfortunately, Kagome took all the wind out of her sails when she nodded. “Okay,” Kagome said softly to the inuyoukai, maintaining her smile.

Miroku turned an incredulous look on her. “Okay? Kagome, since when do you let anyone tell you to go somewhere, let alone a male you don't know?”

Kagura kept her peace, eager to hear the answer to his question as well.

Kagome dropped her eyes to the ground, hating herself for blushing once more, before mumbling, “It's okay guys. I'll be perfectly fine with Sesshoumaru.” She stepped to his side and gestured for him to lead the way, forgetting about her embarrassing wardrobe in her haste to leave before any more questions were asked.

Left behind, Miroku mouthed, “Sesshoumaru?” Wide, violet eyes turned on his girlfriend. “Since when did Kagome become so familiar with him?”

Intrigued, she could only shrug. Kagura's mind whirled with speculation, but even she could not answer that.

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

Kagome guessed that her friends were confused, but it wasn't as if she could tell them that she had always seen more in Sesshoumaru than any other. The son of a powerful inuyoukai general and a celestial inuyoukai bitch, his birth had been unprecedented. Too much power in one line, it had been whispered, would herald disaster. And in his case, the curse became reality.

Born in inu form, he hadn't managed to maintain a humanoid guise until puberty. Even now, however, his entire body was covered in the thick, silky fur of his true form. 'Freak,' she had heard him called. Even her friends, especially the youkai, delighted in maligning him. Others pitied him, something the proud tilt of his chin told her he would detest more than hatred.

To her, though, he was beautiful. Tall and muscular, even his thick fur could not hide his appeal. Instead, it was an attraction all of its own. There wasn't a time when she had seen him that Kagome hadn't wondered if it was as soft as it looked. Or as warm. Golden eyes and a pair of dark magenta slashes across each fur-covered cheek always drew her eyes to the moon on his forehead. A source of pride for his mother's clan she'd heard. The moon and markings always seemed to glow briefly whenever he looked upon her.

Not that such an occasion happened frequently, she admitted silently as Sesshoumaru led her outside and to his elegantly sleek car. He had only approached her once or twice with questions about her field: historical artifacts and their uses. Most of his questions centered around the Shikon No Tama and the supposed wish it could grant the user.

She had been surprisingly sad to tell him that it was only a myth. If anyone deserved a wish, it was him. He was stoic in the face of the ridicule heaped upon his head, only striking out against the worst offenders as his father would not allow him more.

If it were up to her, Kagome decided darkly while peeking out at Sesshoumaru from under her lashes, she'd teach anyone who was mean to him a lesson they'd never forget. Then again, he didn't need her protection. Despite everything, he radiated an aura of pure strength and absolute arrogance that took her breath away.

What would it be like to be so self-assured? So uncaring of the opinions of others?

Even his father wasn't as self-contained. After discovering the mistake it was to mate with Sesshoumaru's mother, he had turned her from his bed and found another. Izayoi, a human woman who bore him a hanyou, was his second wife. At least, the youkai and human community said behind closed doors, if the Inu General was to have flawed children, better they at least look somewhat normal.

Izayoi was known as a soft-spoken, kindly woman. Sesshoumaru's mother was arrogant as all celestial beings are, and sorely pressed by her lowered status in the face of sharing her mate with another woman. She was a favored patron of the university Kagome had attended, which was why Kagome knew so much about the inuyoukai family.

Too bad she didn't know everything.

Shifting his position closer to Kagome's, Sesshoumaru deliberately rubbed his arm against hers. He carefully watched her for any indication of disgust at his intruding on her personal space. Not to mention of his rather hairy person.

All thoughts of claiming her aside, he would not stoop to bedding a female who had to close her eyes when in his presence. Inherently vain, there wasn't a single youkai female of his acquaintanceship that had attempted to seduce him despite the rather illustrious title waiting to drop upon him or the obvious wealth of his family. None were willing to tie themselves to one who looked as he did. Nor would they take the chance that their children would be as afflicted as he.

Kagome, however, only smiled that welcoming smile of hers that made her eyes glow with an inner light. He repressed a scowl. He wanted more than her friendship.

“I have called you out here for a reason,” he began slowly after both were seated in his car. “I have received instructions from my sire, rather specific ones, that involve you.”

Confused, her brow furrowed. “But, I don't even know your father. I know of him, but that's it.”

He shrugged. “They do not name you specifically, but involve you,” he clarified, taking in her surprise with calculating, narrowed eyes. “My father has had a rather interesting legend come to his attention. One involving the gem that had been in his possession for over a century. Supposedly, a wish can be made upon the jewel, but only when in the hands of a pure-hearted individual.”

Kagome gasped. “The Shikon No Tama?”

“Indeed. However, the scroll described the ritual of wishing in more depth than your books. Created from the souls of youkai and a human miko, only a youkai and another miko can harness the power. It is also necessary that the wish be made by someone other than the benefactor of the power. One,” he stated slowly, carefully enunciating every word, “bound to the recipient bodily.”

Innocently blinking, Kagome tried to follow his logic. “So they have to be tied together?”

“They must mate,” he stated baldly.

Immediately, her jaw dropped as a light went on upstairs. “Wait just a minute here! I'm not a real one, I turned down the training! So... so, you will just have to find another miko for your father!”

Brow rising, Sesshoumaru savored the flash of approval he felt upon her rejection of his father. Legendary for his prowess among females, that she felt no such attraction for his sire only added to the fuels of his attraction. “I am speaking of myself, Kagome,” he said silkily. “In order to master the jewel-for what purpose I am sure you can guess-I am offering you the position of my mate.”

Stunned speechless, Kagome felt her world tilt on its axis. Mate? Sesshoumaru?

-------------------------------------------------------Chapter Two

After his astounding pronouncement, Sesshoumaru leaned against his seat and awaited Kagome’s decision. The silence in the car grew to deafening proportions.

Finally, she cleared her throat. Unable to look at him, Kagome stared at a long strand of silver hair laying innocently on her knee. It stood out in stark relief against the black fabric. “I don’t know you, Sesshoumaru,” she softly whispered finally. “How could I agree to something like that?”

A tapered finger, tipped with a lethally sharp claw, gripped her chin and forced her to look at him. “You know of me. You know I can provide for you, have the political clout to ensure you a place within society, and I will endeavor to care for your family as well.”

Her shy confusion melted in the face of his complacency. “You are talking about money, all of it. I am perfectly well off the way I am, thank you very much!” she huffed. “The shrine is prosperous also, so my family is not a consideration.” Her chin slipped from his grasp and she narrowed her eyes on him. “Why me, Sesshoumaru?”

Intrigued by the swift dismissal of his perfect background, he tapped a claw on the steering wheel. Nervous, her fingers picked up the long, silvery strand. Golden eyes took in the hair now twirling between her fingers. She didn’t even realize she was doing it.

“Well?” she pressed.

He slowly claimed the piece of hair and took in her shock when she realized that she had been caressing it between thumb and forefinger. “Because when you look at me, you see a male. Not an abomination.”

Her blush returned. Before she could stammer out a denial, he drew her attention by shifting closer. “Um, what are you doing, Sesshoumaru?”

“Testing my theory, Kagome.” And then he kissed her. He had never participated in such an oddly intimate gesture before, for obvious reasons. It was highly provocative, however. She remained so stiff, her posture awkwardly infused with steel. But her lips were warm under his, and her trembling gasp told him she was not an unwilling recipient of his affection.

Kagome forced herself away from the temptation. A shaking hand covered her lips while she stared at him from her position against the door. His mouth had been hard upon hers, almost as if he had been unsure of what he was about- not that she had any more of an idea than he. The faintest brush of hair against her cheek had brought her back to reality.

It had felt nice. Too nice. And she was right. It was warm, oh so very warm and soft.

Sesshoumaru licked his lips, carefully cataloguing her unique taste, and committed the texture of her lushly curved lips to memory. “You want me,” he bluntly stated, certainty coloring his voice husky. The knowledge caused his blood to surge in anticipation.

Kagome gasped. ”You…you…Kami!” Exasperation replaced a bit of her embarrassment. “Just because I let you kiss me doesn’t mean you can conclude that I want you!”

“Let me kiss you?” he repeated, amused. Experience, or lack thereof, in bed aside, she was still a bumbling innocent compared to him. After all, just because he had not indulged did not mean he was bereft of the instincts and desires to accompany them. She, apparently, didn’t even have that.

“Oh, you know what I mean!”

Sesshoumaru decided to change the subject. His silent question had been answered most satisfactorily. “Your objection to my suit is not based upon anything other than a lack of knowledge of this Sesshoumaru.”

She blinked, momentarily side-tracked. “I suppose. Well, that does about sum it up.” Her fingers twisted together and she carefully reclaimed a more comfortable perch in her seat. “But you still haven’t answered my question. I’m sure there are other women who are receptive to you. I mean, look at you!” Encompassing his masculine appeal with one wave of her hand, Kagome gulped at the hard light that entered his unwavering gaze.

“I assure you, Kagome, I am aware of my appearance. You are either cursed with poor eye-sight, or are blessed with an abnormal attraction for the odd. However, I am not above taking advantage of either trait,” he stated coldly. He knew he was blowing it but, for some odd reason, he felt the need to know, beside the obvious, why she saw in him what others did not. And what that something was.

Taken aback by his harsh statement, Kagome responded before she had a chance to think. “You are beautiful beyond belief, surely you know that. I know you’re not, well, normal, but that doesn’t mean you are odd!” she ended with a scowl at his word choice.

She caught his hand in her own, ignoring the way he stiffened in reaction, and stroked the fur-covered appendage. “You know, I had always wanted to see how soft your fur was. Did you know there is a human condition in which the person is covered in hair? Except, I imagine their hair isn’t as fine or soft. And, well, you are most fit,” she added with a blush, embarrassed but determined to make him see that she was not so shallow as to be unable to appreciate his unique appeal.

She flushed when his thumb stroked her hand, realizing that she was, essentially, petting him. Kagome tried to drop his hand, but he wouldn’t allow it.

His fingers tightened around hers, effectively holding her in place. “You have two weeks in which to come to a decision, Kagome. In that time, you may learn all you wish of me.” He resumed stroking the soft skin of her palm with his thumb, unconsciously soothing her.

A stray thought hit her and her budding excitement-which she was unsure was a good thing anyway- died. “Sesshoumaru, you’re right in that I know your family. They would never approve of a human for your first mate. You need a youkai female so that you can have a full-blooded heir.”

He regarded her silently for a moment, brow arched, before replying, “I have decided to follow my father’s wishes in regards to gaining the cooperation of a miko. I will not, however, be dictated to whom she will be, nor how I intend to secure said aid.”

“You know,” Kagome began nervously, trying ineffectively to regain her hand, I, well, that is to say, I could maybe help you without you being stuck mating me.”

His nostrils flared in a mixture of anger and outrage. “You will not sell yourself so cheaply for anyone, not even myself!” She winced, and he had to force himself to loosen his grip, which had tightened at the suggestion.

“I wasn’t talking about selling anything!” she yelled back, chest heaving, provoked by the insinuation. Kagome took a deep breath and managed to calm herself. “I just meant I would help you, with no price of any kind attached.”

“No.” His strong profile was presented to her when he turned away to stare out the windshield after finally releasing her. “You would be shamed for your aid. Do not shake your head at me, woman. That is exactly what will happen should I not claim you. While you may spout such nonsense as it being of no consequence, my honor will not allow me to let such a thing come to pass.”It’s all or nothing, then, Kagome mused, in the silence that followed his pronouncement. She knew he was an honorable youkai. To hear him so concerned about her own honor was heartwarming, however.

Even if it left her in an awkward position; one she wasn’t sure how to handle. “Can I sleep on it, Sesshoumaru?” After all, even sprung on her out of the blue, she would not disregard him immediately. He was Sesshoumaru. How many nights had she wondered about the mysterious youkai? And now, here he was, offering himself on a silver platter.

Neither could she outright accept what he offered. This was no casual flirtation like what Kagura encouraged her to indulge in. Mates were for life and, for a human like her, she would also need to be prepared for the fallout of condemnation. Not only from youkai, but her own kind. Could she handle it?

Pleased by her serious mien as her open face displayed every emotion she went through while lost in thought, Sesshoumaru approved of her hesitation. He had chosen well, had known she was the one for him. Eventually she would give him everything he wanted and needed. But for that to happen, Kagome had to be secure in her decision. He would not accept uncertainty, not for what he had planned.

He leaned across her, startling Kagome out of her thoughts in time for her to hear her seat belt snap into place. “I will take you home.”

Kagome gave a short nod of acceptance, and he started the car. The entire trip to the shrine was made in companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts. When they pulled up to the curb, she absently opened the door and got out. It wasn’t until Kagome was half-way up the stairs that she noticed Sesshoumaru wasn’t behind her. Startled, her head whipped around to see him watching her from beside his car, leaning against the slick metal with crossed arms.

“Well, aren’t you going to come up and meet my mom?” she asked.

He cocked his head to the side. Sesshoumaru took in her earnest expression. Something in his eyes made her want to take his hand again, but she refrained and he climbed the steps to reach her side.

“Sesshoumaru,” she stated seriously once they began climbing the steeply grooved steps that led up to her family shrine that dated back to the end of feudal era Japan, “I just want you to know that, no matter what, I’ll be your friend.”

“How comforting,” he replied laconically.

She stared at him askance, not sure if he was being sarcastic, or merely short of words. They reached the top and she turned to face him. “Here,” she straightened the collar on his long-sleeved polo shirt.

Her fingers lingered a bit longer than necessary, and his sharp gaze caught the faint blush warming her cheeks when she snatched them back. The uninvited touch of her fingers, one that would have warranted a sharp rebuke, or worse, depending upon the offender, left him feeling off balance just as her prior caress of his hand in the car had. As if he wanted to lean into her warmth, if only for a moment.

Kagome took a deep breath after turning away from the impossibly attractive male and her reaction to him. She slid the door to her home open and gestured for him to enter before her. He refused with a shake of his head. Rather than argue over it, she entered after slipping her shoes off and replacing them with slippers while Sesshoumaru did the same behind her. Her mother turned from the stove with a smile for her daughter.

“Hello, Mama. I’d like you to meet InuTashio Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru,” she turned to him, “this is my mother.” Kagome waited with bated breath and let it out in a grateful rush when he gave a short nod. Looks didn’t compare to good manners, after all, and she would never consider a male who would be rude to her mama.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled warmly at the visitor. She knew who he was, of course. “Hello, Sesshoumaru-sama. You honor me with your visit to my home. Please, take a seat. Would you like some tea?” she asked after he had taken the proffered chair at the scarred wooden table and Kagome had settled beside him.

“No.”

Kagome winced at his abruptness, but her mother took it in stride. “Well, then,” she said, folding the wash rag she had been using and placed it beside the sink, “is there anything I can do for you Sesshoumaru-sama?”

Kagome answered for him. “He is a friend, Mama. I just thought it would be nice for you to meet. I did promise to bring more friends over. With the move coming up, I wanted to make sure you met,” Kagome ended, referring to her move to her own apartment so that she would not have to travel so far to the museum where she worked.

“Oh?” Mrs. Higurashi vaguely murmured. Her mother’s instincts warned that there was more to it. The ‘friend’s’ eyes never strayed from her daughter for more than a moment at a time, and there was an entirely predatory light within them. But her daughter was not a fool. If Kagome trusted him, then so to would she. It was about time she was given grandbabies, anyway.

Visions of cuddly children to hug and spoil clouding her mind, Mrs. Higurashi missed Kagome’s groan and the subsequent questioning look he slanted her.

“Come on, this is where we escape,” Kagome told him in a conspiratorial whisper. She took his hand and led him to the door while her mother walked out of the kitchen with a wink. Standing there, alone with him in her kitchen, she suddenly became shyly nervous once more. “How shall I contact you with what, uh-”

He decided to take mercy on her and cut off her stammering with another stolen kiss. This one was quick, only a soft passing of his lips over hers, but her pulse fluttered all the same. “I will call you tomorrow morning. If you decide in my favor, I will come to you and we will begin the business of dating.”

The word ’dating’ was oddly uttered, as if he had a hard time saying it, and Kagome laughed. “You know, maybe you’ll find something you don’t like about me. Did you consider that? I mean, I do have a quick temper, and am, most definitely, not a morning person.”

He bore her sparkling blue gaze outwardly with stoic resolve, but internally he was amused and pleased. “It would take much more than those paltry reasons to dissuade me from my choice, Kagome.” He turned to leave but, before she could close the door, he said over his shoulder, “I am not considered a ‘morning person’ either. You will not have to worry over me rousing you from our bed at an ungodly early hour.”

After that last parting shot, he leapt down the stairs without waiting for a reply. His step strangely buoyant, Sesshoumaru had to repress the urge to grin. She may not know it, but she had already made up her mind. Then, he recalled his own words and the urge to smile dissipated. Kagome truly did make him act out of character. That could be dangerous, he mused on the way back to the family estate. But, thinking on all that he stood to lose should he give her up, Sesshoumaru decided it was worth the risk.

Kagome stared at the retreating male in a mixture of shock and rampant curiosity. She was twenty-two, after all. A woman. And, like any other woman, she had thoughts of what it would be like to be with a male. His words had conjured up visions of them, together, in the same bed.

She bet he would be a wonderful cuddler. Something about him just screamed that to her, though she knew others would think she was certifiable should she share that, Kagome realized, amused. As for the other… Being inexperienced served to blur that bit about the edges quite nicely.

It wasn’t until that night that Kagome finally admitted, if only to herself, that she could never live with herself without taking the chance he offered. She didn’t know if he was ‘The One,’ but then, she’d never imagined any male like him could exist while dreaming up her imaginary prince.

Her stomach exploded into an entire colony of butterflies when she realized that this time tomorrow, she and he would be ‘official.’ Her thoughts immediately turned to that future.I wonder if he’ll kiss me again? she asked herself, hopeful.No, Sesshoumaru amended later that night while he stared out his window and took in the night sky. She was worth it.

------------------------------Chapter Three

The next morning dawned damp and dreary. A light drizzle fell from the grey sky, and Kagome sighed from her seat beside the bedroom window. Not a good omen for the beginnings of her quasi-relationship with Sesshoumaru, she predicted dismally.

Something about the rain always got to her. It probably had something to do with the way her father died, but she shied away from a more thorough examination of that particular notion. After all, it wasn’t as if she would ever know the truth about that day. Best not to dwell on it.

Smoothing her beige, cotton pants that flared slightly at the ankles, Kagome stood. She glanced into the standing mirror in the corner of the room and took in her slightly mussed appearance. Hopefully, Sesshoumaru knew better than to expect her to look perfect, Kagome mused ruefully. Her blouse, a pretty pink number with a modest scooped neck and little cap sleeves, was now wrinkled from her short time spent by the window. Her hair, never an elegant affair, was pulled back in a high ponytail. Dainty feet encased in low-heeled brown boots tapped as nervous anticipation made her jittery.

Kagome’s mother called up for her daughter moments later. Familiar butterflies assaulted her stomach, and Kagome went down stairs to greet Sesshoumaru.

Mrs. Higurashi discretely retreated to another part of the house after a precursory “good morning” for her daughter. Sesshoumaru stood in the light of the kitchen, real and solid under the harsh fluorescent lighting. He wore another long-sleeved polo shirt, this one blue, Kagome noted, along with black slacks and polished, cobalt-colored boots. She absently wondered what it would take to see him in a short-sleeved shirt even as she smiled in greeting.

“Good morning.” Kagome’s trembling fingers plucked at the hem of her shirt nervously.

He inclined his head and returned the greeting from his place leaning against the counter beside the sink.

Recalling the short conversation on the phone earlier that morning, Kagome asked, “What did you want to do today?” He hadn’t seemed surprised on the phone when she had told him “yes” and had told her to expect him to call within an hour for their first date.

“It matters not to me.”

“Well, what do you like to do?” she inquired shyly.

His eyes widened minutely, something Kagome wouldn’t have caught had she not been studying him like a hawk. “Do?” he asked, a faint trace of suspicion lining his voice.

“Like a hobby or just something you do to have fun or pass the time.” She warmed to the subject, ticking her fingers off while she named a few of her own hobbies. “I like to swim, read books, watch a few movies in the theater, and I even sew.”

He shrugged negligently. “I do not waste my time with useless endeavors. ‘Having fun’ is not something to which I aspire.”

She decided to ignore the implication by proxy that she wasted her time. Kagome persisted doggedly, “So, you don’t do anything but work? Nothing at all?” she ended incredulously.

He shifted slightly against the counter where he had been leaning. “This bothers you?” He had never understood the need to fill one’s time with ‘hobbies.’ They served no tangible purpose; offered no return on the time invested in their pursuit.

She narrowed her eyes and considered him for a moment. “It wouldn’t bother me if you didn't have a hobby, but I think we are having a communication problem. When I say ’hobby,’ you think ’waste of time.’ So tell what you consider work.”

He cocked his head slightly, the waist-length silver hair that had been tied into a low ponytail swayed with the movement. “I am responsible for overseeing my father’s various corporation’s financial investments: stocks, bonds and other lucrative avenues. Being heir to the Western Lordship requires that I be constantly informed of happenings within the boundaries of my father’s territories here in Japan, as well as our enemies and allies throughout the world. As a Daiyoukai, I must also strive to train myself to achieve perfection. In this form as well as power.”

He hesitated for the space of a heartbeat. “My father also holds the world title of Grand General. For this, too, do I train so that one day I may assume the title as it has never moved outside of the Inu clan. In fact, it has become part of our heritage.”

“That’s all?” Kagome croaked out. Kami above, and she thought she was swamped when her boss wanted her to work Friday night! Had she detected a small frown with the ‘Daiyoukai’ bit? She strangled the faint trace of pity from her soul at the mention of perfection in his form. He was perfect, just not in a conventional sense. So what if others couldn’t see it the way she could? That was their problem, not her’s nor Sesshoumaru’s.

She asked instead, “So, what is a Grand General anyway? I had heard of it, but never really paid much attention to the news when they reported on the competitions.” It must be something, for his family to take that title and use it as a surname! Most youkai didn’t even bother with the human practice of more than one name.

Sesshoumaru curled his lip. “I suppose to you it would seem uninteresting.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” she bit out, incensed at his snide tone.

He shrugged. “Even my own mother has renounced the practice as juvenile. I do not expect that a female would understand the appeal of a test of strength and skill on a battlefield, when such realities are a thing of the past.”

She thought about that for a moment. Well, she had been a bit flippant about it. Souta tended to get the same way when she teased him about his video games. “It sounds like boxing or something,” she offered in hope of making peace.

“There is no human equivalent, Kagome. The Grand General is one who is proven against all opponents in sword-fighting skills, hand-to-hand combat, and pure, raw power.” His golden eyes blazed.

“Hmmm…” That was the most passion he’d shown for anything. Even this dating business, Kagome mused, interested enough by the knowledge to overlook his attitude. Mostly. It did serve a purpose to erase the vestigial feelings of shyness within her, however.

Slightly unnerved by the speculative glance she sent him, Sesshoumaru blanked his expression. What had possessed him to speak in such an inflammatory manner?

She walked up to him before smiling mysteriously. Appreciative blue eyes slowly perused the broad strength of his shoulders hidden by his shirt. A faint blush gave her away, but she mentally waved away her faint embarrassment to ask, “How do you train for such a thing? Do you find someone to partner and fight them?”

Surprised by her genuine show of interest, he answered truthfully. “Father trains me with a sword and in hand-to-hand combat. Occasionally, I will accept a challenge to spar.” Especially when I am provoked, he added silently before continuing. “In order to ensure I surpass all others, I have also begun a weight regimen. I am Daiyoukai. I was born stronger than most can ever hope to become, yet I am not satisfied with accepting their limits as my own. I will not be satisfied until I have become the most powerful in all arenas, even if many modern youkai disdain the physical realm.“

Kagome smiled wryly at his arrogance. “Well, I’ve always heard there was something to be said for the sense of achievement. But, I never worried about lifting weights with my puny self. About being a Daiyoukai. I‘ve always wondered about that. I always thought you‘d be stronger in your true form. Is that why you train this one?” She waved a hand, indicating his body.

He disregarded the comment about her ‘puny,’ human body, with a wave of his claw-tipped hand. She was female and, even if she were youkai, she would still be weaker than he. It was nature‘s way. “My strength does not leave me in this body, Kagome.”

Awed, she stared at him wide-eyed. “That’s incredible!” Kami, she had so many questions to ask him. Kagome silently cursed her disinterest whenever her grandfather, a noted youkai historian, had attempted to share his knowledge. Her bright grin had him narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “Well,” she asked, her curiosity piqued, “how big are you?” Secretive by nature, most youkai didn’t take their true form unless assured of privacy. She’d heard Daiyoukai could be big but had never seen either Sesshoumaru or his father in true form.

He took in her shining eyes and almost smirked at her eager expression. “You will discover for yourself soon enough, Kagome.” Not surprisingly, the real meaning behind his words flew over her head.

Disappointed, she shrugged it away. “Well, I suppose that’s for the best anyway. Now, about the General thing. You seem to really care about it, and I want to know more about you, the real you. So, we’ll do some training.”

“Woman, you cannot believe you could possibly compete with me, let alone understand the complexities of my training.”

She rolled her eyes, hands on hips. “Well, no, mighty one. I know better than to think I could compete with you. Did I say I wanted to? No,” she answered before he could. “What I had wanted was maybe a demonstration of what you do, and then we could go to a gym. Youkai do have those, even if great and terrible Daiyoukai are too good for them.”

“Had?” he asked, having caught the inflection she had placed on that particular word. Perhaps this would be a good thing. A suitably impressive display of prowess could only serve to further his cause with her. Especially in comparison to other youkai males. None but his father could touch him in terms of skill or brute strength. Bringing a female into an area crowded by males, especially given the female in question, could prove problematic, however.

“Yeah, had. I’m not so sure I want to subject the other youkai to your snobbery. After all, they’re just honesty trying to better themselves, and you’d probably laugh at them. You’re probably used to a private gym, anyway,” she said. “Not to mention your rather indelicate way of calling me stupid,” she huffed.

Sesshoumaru was caught off guard. He took in her militant stance and addressed what appeared to be the most grievous accusation. “I did not insult you.”

Kagome sniffed haughtily. “Oh? You said I wouldn’t be able to understand your training. Which, I might add, seems a bit overly presumptuous of you. I mean, how hard can it be to understand two males swinging metal at each other or beating each other up? Seems pretty simple to me.”

“Simple?” Sesshoumaru felt himself grow irritated with her pat dismissal of his training. He calculated the risks and decided they were negligible. “In order to correct your assumptions and instill a proper respect within you for the nobility of the title for which I strive, I shall undertake your education in this matter,” he stated magnanimously. This was the best choice. He would be spared a wasted day and she would come to appreciate his finer, if lesser known, talents

She contemplated her options. Still aggravated with his none-to-subtle hit to her intelligence, regardless of his words to the contrary, Kagome wasn’t irritated enough to refuse him. Had he been any other, she’d want an apology before continuing.

Kagome glanced up at his implacable features. Golden eyes stared into her own with calm resolve. Better take the easier road on this one, she decided. He looked as movable as a boulder, and his head was probably twice as hard. “Fine. But no more assumptions about my comprehension capabilities. Deal?”

“That is acceptable.” Gesturing for her to precede him, Sesshoumaru slid the kitchen door open. Anticipation fired his blood.

Sweeping by him, Kagome caught sight of a small grin. Just what was that about? she wondered. “Where are we going to go first?”

A fang flashed at her briefly as they descended the stairs to meet at his car. “We will go to the gym, as you wished.”

Kagome slanted him an unreadable look. “So, you don’t own a gym in that big mansion you all live in?”

“In order to foster the image of a caring and diplomatic leader in touch with his people, Father has always made use of the services of the locals when he can. In this, I must follow his lead,” Sesshoumaru explained, not without a faint trace of derision.

“Oh.” That answers that. Kagome gave him a smile when Sesshoumaru held the door open for her. She got in and, minutes later, they were speeding towards the gym that he, apparently, made regular use of. Kagome was left to wonder if this was such a good idea after all.

“Whoah, check it out! Is that your brother?” Shippo, a teenaged kitsune youkai with blazing red hair and mischievous green eyes, nudged the hanyou sitting next to him.

Inuyasha whipped his head around and followed the kitsune’s pointing finger. What the hell? “I’ll be damned. The fucker never comes when he knows I’ll be here.”

Sure enough, it was Sesshoumaru that stood at the counter. He was checking in and was handed towels and his bag by the bored attendant. Well, well, well, Inuyasha mentally sneered. Who is that? At his half-brother’s side, a dark-haired woman fidgeted.

Shippo sniggered. “I wonder what he’s doing with her.”

“Keh, who cares?” Inuyasha turned away from the counter in favor of hefting the metal bar, laden with five hundred pounds of weights, above his head again. “As long as he stays away from me, then I don’t give two shits what he’s up to.”

“Aren’t you the least bit curious, Inuyasha?” Shippo stared up at the hard-lined visage of the hanyou, incredulous. Sure, the silver-haired half-brothers of the Inu No Tashio had never gotten along. The son of Izayoi and the Tashio, Inuyasha was assured of his place in society, but that could not make Sesshoumaru accept him. Especially when it was Sesshoumaru’s mother that was put aside in favor of Izayoi.

“Ten, eleven, twelve…” Inuyasha counted each pass of his arm holding the weight.

Irritated at being ignored, Shippo huffed. “Well sorry for being curious as to why he would show up now, and with a woman to boot! I’ve never seen him with anyone, though it doesn’t surprise me that she’s a human. No self-respecting youkai female would go near that-”

“Shut up, runt,” Inuyasha ordered the kitsune roughly.

Shippo stared up at the hanyou from where he had been knocked down. He rubbed his sore head and winced when he felt the knot forming. “What was that for!”

Left ear twitching restlessly, Inuyasha resumed his exercise. “Sesshoumaru is a bastard. Lookin’ the way he does has nothing to do with it. All that does is make him a furry bastard. I don’t want to hear anything else about it, got it?”

Comprehension dawned and Shippo flushed. “Sure, I got it Inuyasha. I didn’t mean-”

Not wanting to hear it, the hanyou cut him off. “Here. Your turn.” He handed the bar over to Shippo after taking care to remove half the weight.

Unwillingly, his eyes strayed to the woman now standing beside the male’s changing room. She was obviously nervous, tapping her foot with her arms crossed over her chest, as she waited for Sesshoumaru to return. Just who was she?The hanyou scented the tell-tale odor of wolf and groaned. He turned from the unknown female in time to avoid the punch that had been aimed for the back of his head. “Kouga, what the fuck are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to stay the hell outta here?

Bright, blue eyes crinkled in amusement. “Aww…is that any way to talk to your superior, dog shit?” Kouga, son and heir of the Northern Lord, was leanly handsome with shoulder-length brown hair that was tied back in a perpetual high pony tail. Today, he was wearing a pair of outrageously tight, black Lycra shorts and nothing else. Sweat gleamed on his chest in small beads.

Inuyasha twitched, disgusted, and swore, “What the fuck am I, an asshole magnet? First it was Sesshoumaru, now you. Get the fuck out of here!”

Shippo sighed, used to the hostility between the two, and continued with his reps.

Unfortunately, Kouga had caught sight of something more interesting than tormenting his rival. He growled in appreciation, “Yum. I think I’ve found something better than another hour of one-upping you, dipshit.”

Following the wolf youkai’s gleaming gaze to the woman who had come in with Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha smirked. “I saw her get here a few minutes ago. Why don’t you go introduce yourself, Kouga?”

Shippo choked on his spit, but managed a, “Ah, Inuyasha-”

The hanyou waved him to silence and Shippo obeyed with a roll of his eyes.

Staring between the two, Kouga suspiciously asked, “Yeah? What’s the deal? You never try and help me out.”

Inuyasha shrugged nonchalantly. “Whatever. Like I give a flying fuck what you do. Just get away from me, you’re stinkin’ up my air.”

Throwing his hair behind his shoulder, Kouga smirked. “What’s the matter? The scent of a real male got you jealous?“

“That’s it, I’m gonna-”

Interrupting the hanyou’s threat, Sesshoumaru had emerged from the changing room. Kouga’s attention immediately shifted to the woman that was now blushing up at the tall Daiyoukai. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was as surprised as Kouga was, Inuyasha would have laughed at the comical expression on the wolf’s face as his eyes bulged and his jaw dropped.

Sesshoumaru, prince of ‘touch-me-and-die,’ was holding hands with a woman. After kissing her!

----------------------------Chapter Four

Sesshoumaru led Kagome to the partitioned room that housed the hydraulic weights. His fingers tightened around her delicate hand when the hostility in the room raised another notch at the display.

His kiss had been deliberately fleetingly hard. A stamp of ownership proudly displayed in warning toward the watchers. It had proclaimed Kagome as his female. The question he had sensed swimming around the testosterone and youki-laden room had been answered. And not to the satisfaction of many present. His eyes hardened, promising retributions as they glided over the assembled throng.

This was a community gym. Human and youkai males mingled here in an attempt by the establishment to enforce the Inu Tashio‘s desire to promote peace between the species.

For the most part, the Tashio’s scheming had been successful. The only exception was in cases of mating outside the races. The Tashio’s wife, Izayoi, was accepted, in part, only because she was second to his youkai mate, Noriko.

Youkai had proven they didn’t care who another mated. They lusted for power, and as long as a mate was chosen for breeding capability, they accepted it. Humans, on the other hand, jealously guarded their choice females and grew enraged when one was enticed out of their ‘fold.’

Kagome- undeniably beautiful and blessed with the mystical powers of a miko, even untrained- would be seen as ‘choice’ by any male’s standards, youkai or human. And he knew the males present wondered what she was doing with one such as he. They could keep on wondering, Sesshoumaru thought, viciously satisfied.

Inuyasha’s scent he ignored. The hanyou knew better than to interfere in his business even if he, Sesshoumaru, had broken the silent agreement between them to maintain separate locations.

As for the others… He was labeled “freak,” and mocked behind closed doors. None, however, would dare to dispute his power. That fear would keep the rabble away from Kagome. Should one or two prove ignorant enough, he would be more than willing to demonstrate just how fiercely he would guard what was his.

“Sesshoumaru?” Kagome glanced up with inquiring eyes. She could have sworn he’d growled.

He cleared his features. Females, even youkai ones, had taken an odd turn in the past century and were more likely to be offended or scared off by the blatant possessiveness he knew had been evident. “We are here,” he said, drawing Kagome’s attention away from himself.

The massive machinery sprawled out in front of them in a tangle of wires and steel glinted maniacally under the bright lighting. The angry eyes followed them into the room, full view of the machine attainable through a slotted window in the wooden partition.

He ignored the collected displeasure directed at him and settled on the large metal bench that was attached to the machine.

Kagome walked around the small room while Sesshoumaru toyed with the dials. Roughly twenty feet wide on all sides, the space was crammed with the machine and a spare bench. A long mirror, probably an attempt to create an illusion of more space as it reflected back at them, hung from the ceiling to the floor on the far wall facing the machine. The blue carpet was a nice touch, though, she allowed, before settling onto the smaller wooden bench beside Sesshoumaru.

“So,” she asked curiously, “what does this do?” The weight machine looked like a space ship, with blinking lights and an oblong structure that was superimposed with steel supports.

He punched the buttons on a small keypad by his knee. “This is a weight bench designed for the more powerful of youkai,” he answered condescendingly. “It cannot push me to my limits, of course, but it is suitable for a light work-out of the upper body.”

“Of course,” Kagome stated dryly. “I should have known.”

He glanced at her sharply.

Kagome smiled serenely, asking, “Well, is there anything I can do to help?”

Without looking away from her bright eyes, he disengaged the ‘braking’ mechanism. A long hiss, and the metal bar overhead jerked as it slammed over his lap, trapping his legs in place. “You watch,” he ordered. He prepared for a short set of reps.

Kagome rolled her eyes, secure that he didn’t see it since he had turned away to grasp what appeared, to her, to be a bike handle bar. He was such an arrogant male, that was for sure. Kagome mentally snorted. So, she was to watch? Watch what?

Withholding a groan, she saw her morning wasted in boredom. Kagome resigned herself to enduring it. This had been her bright idea, after all. She just had to know about the training he went through. She had never even liked P.E.!

Sesshoumaru rolled his shoulders and began a smooth pulling motion on the bar. Her silent lament was cut short; her breath caught in the back of her throat.

When he moved, her eyes had been drawn with unerring accuracy to his broad back. The smooth expanse of the white, cotton, long-sleeved shirt he had donned had been broken by rippling muscle. His fur was visible against the shirt, but interspersed underneath it, smooth bands of ropey muscle rolled and coiled under the tightly fitted canvas that was his shirt.Oh my… Kagome swallowed. She had known he was strong. To hear him speak, he was born that way. But something within her responded to such a visual display. In a rather primitive way, at that.

Her heart pounded, and her mouth went dry. Unable to look away, Kagome’s mind went blank. With every pulling motion, Sesshoumaru’s shoulders bunched and his shirt tightened. Her feminine heart delighted in the show. Conversely, it mourned the release of the bar when his power was once more shielded from her view behind the innocence of fabric.What would it be like to touch him? she wondered. She licked her too dry lips. To feel such strength beneath my fingers? Startled by just how badly she wanted to explore the answer to her question, Kagome found the strength to break away from her contemplations. Confused, she couldn’t explain the intensity of her reaction to him.

To the draw he had exerted, all unknowingly, on her body.

She had seen males on beaches and at pools, some that would be considered handsome and quite fit by anyone‘s standards, barely clothed in less than what a two-year old kid would dare. Sesshoumaru, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and loose, flowing pants, had undone her?

It felt as if he had called to her, and she had nearly tripped over herself to obey.

Disgruntled, Kagome tipped her chin mutinously. She was attracted to him. So what? She already had thought him beautiful. The only thing that had changed was that she now knew he was hiding more than fur under his clothes.

For the woman in her, the draw of his silky fur had just gained competition. Well, she rationalized, at least my time isn’t being wasted, precisely. Her gaze flickered over his shoulders once more. Strangely, her mouth wasn’t dry any longer, but she did have to swallow repeatedly.

For his part, Sesshoumaru was struggling with his own revelations. He had known, from a purely biological standpoint, that the females of all species were attracted to power. He had not, however, counted on his own reaction to the rapt stare he could feel burning through his shirt.

He didn’t dare glance into the mirror facing him again. The one she had apparently forgotten existed. Initially, he had planned on using it to observe her. To gain confirmation in an unguarded moment that she was, indeed, suitably impressed with his display. To that effect, he had set the machine to full power. Its maximum was only a four-ton breaking point, but he had assumed it would suffice.

When his sensitive hearing had picked up the hitch in her breathing, he had been smugly satisfied. The stolen glance through his long, silvery lashes had almost undone him, however.

Pupils dilated while she watched him, her little, pink tongue had darted out to moisten her lips. His groin had twitched. The warm, faintly moist and spicy scent that had then invaded his nose ensured that his groin did more than twitch. He had mentally cursed and forced his attention away her enticing display, redirecting it towards controlling his own bodily reactions.

He’d be damned before he’d walk out into the open with a visible hard-on the size of Tokyo.

To that worthy endeavor, he applied his full strength to the machine. Sesshoumaru ignored the whine of the protesting pulleys and motors housed within as he sped up. Arms pumping furiously, he attempted to take the edge off the surging need swirling within his heated blood.

It wasn’t until Kagome gasped that the scent of burning fabric reached his nose.

“Sesshoumaru!”

He glanced up, startled out of his single-minded task. Sesshoumaru cursed lowly, “Damn.”

Pushed beyond its limits, the machine was now spewing black, acrid smoke. The carpet smoldered where hot oil dripped from within the twisted metal guts to land on it with a loud popping hiss.

At least the shock of losing control had managed to restore his equilibrium, he sourly noted. He wrenched the lap bar off and stood. A suspiciously muffled squeak drew his attention from the disaster in front of him. He turned incredulous eyes on Kagome. “Are you laughing at me?”

Stifling her giggles behind a hand, Kagome couldn’t answer. She shook her head furiously, sending her pony tail swinging. Her sparkling eyes betrayed her, however.

Nonplussed, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Kagome met his gaze, unrepentant. Her shoulders shook with a fine tremor as she tried to conceal her mirth. He had looked so put out by the machine’s failure. She had been reminded of Souta as a toddler. The little boy had sat on his kiddie seat after having been told he was too big for it, only to have it collapse under him.

About to lecture her on the unsuitability of finding humor in such a minor incident, he was distracted by the men who chose that moment to join them.

Four humans, reeking of bodily fluids and ‘enhancement’ chemicals, blocked the only exit from the small room. Kagome’s sweetly smiling eyes sobered quickly. Angered, as no one had the right to dim her laughter but him, Sesshoumaru turned his glare on them.

“Leave,” he ordered. The black smoke had dissipated somewhat through the ceiling vent, but the remainder furled about him, burning his sensitive nostrils and irritating him further.

Takeo, a burly weightlifter with blunt features, crossed his bulging arms over his chest and refused to be intimidated. “You ain’t got no right to tell me what to do, freak.”

Kagome gasped in outrage. Without thinking, she jumped forward and slapped him across the cheek. “You cretin!”

Startled by the vehemence behind her reaction, Sesshoumaru blinked. The other men took a collective step back, glancing between the Daiyoukai and their leader in fear.

Flushing hotly in outrage, Takeo whipped his head around to face her. Her hand print stood out, an angry red against the pale tone of his skin. “You bitch! I come in here to save you from that thing, and you dare to hit me?”

Incensed, Kagome didn’t back down. “You really are an idiot! What is this, 1960?” she asked violently. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and her chest heaved with the force of her anger. “The human/youkai anti-segregation laws have been in effect for over forty years now, bonehead. If I need any saving, it’s from having any more of my time sucked away by ignorant bigots like you!”

Enraged, the man lost all sense and advanced on Kagome. She found herself pushed behind a solid wall of muscle. She couldn’t see beyond Sesshoumaru’s broad shoulders. A clawed hand held her anchored behind him, but she could hear his tightly-controlled voice chill the air.

“You would dare?”

The flare of youki was noticeable by even the steroid-clouded minds of Takeo’s companions. He felt the disturbance of air as they deserted him, but he dared not look away from the eerily blank eyes of the youkai. He stilled the instinctive urge to flee and snarled out, “Damn straight, I do! She needs to be taught her place, the little-”

Dangling effortlessly from his claws, the human turned an interesting shade of blue within moments. “You were saying?” Sesshoumaru asked the gagging man silkily. His thumb applied subtle pressure to the larynx of the trapped male.

Weakly attempting an escape, Takeo’s vision grew fuzzy. He stilled when the sharp point of a claw glided along the vulnerable curve of his throat. Kami, it just wasn’t fair! He spent all his time in the gym, and some forsaken dog could put him down so easily?

“Sesshoumaru?” Kagome’s soft hands squeezed the hand on her hip in question. The guy was a jerk, but she didn’t want him killed.

Relenting, Sesshoumaru dropped the man at his feet. He pulled Kagome to his side and anchored her there with a heavy arm across her shoulders.

Kagome could feel the tension in his body. She wasn’t feeling too relaxed herself.

Grateful for the strength in his frame, she accepted his hold and leaned into him slightly for comfort. Unsure how to handle to situation, she glanced up at him for guidance.

Sesshoumaru set his face into unreadable planes and led his female from the room. He didn’t bother changing his clothing, not wanting to leave Kagome unguarded for that brief space of time. Both ignored the silent room as they left the gym.

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

Left behind, the youkai in the gym broke into guffaws at the expense of the human as he staggered from the gym, holding his throat. Cursed or not, Sesshoumaru was still one of them and the humans had gotten what they deserved. Sensing the hidden hostility, most of the other humans quietly left the gym.

Kouga ambled back over to Inuyasha’s side from where he had left to continue his training. He whistled appreciatively. “Well, I’ll be damned. He’s got him a regular little bitch.”

Shippo’s eyes widened comically from where he struggled beneath the weight bar. Did the wolf have no class?

“Go fuck yourself, wolf shit,” came Inuyasha’s disinterested reply. Kami, why did everyone think he gave a fuck about Sesshoumaru and his little female? Though, Kouga, dense as they come, did have a point. That had been some display.

Undeterred, Kouga flexed his chest muscles while he grinned wolfishly. “I wonder if she’d consider going for a ride on the wild side with me. I could think of a dozen uses for a good bitch. Especially one with a rack like that. I swear, her tits wo-”

Inuyasha had heard enough. Without pausing in the motion of curling the three hundred pound weight, he smashed his fist into the wolf’s jaw. The sensation of bone crunching under knuckles was most satisfying to the put-upon hanyou.

The fight that ensued encompassed the entire gym as youki levels climbed, both in reaction to the female’s earlier display and the need to work off some tension. Either way, Inuyasha told himself as he dodged a kick from the pissed off wolf youkai, Dad can’t get too angry at me for starting it.Judging on how his prick of a bastard brother had been acting with the woman, he had only been defending a future sister-in-law, after all. As disgusting as that notion was.

Chapter Five

Kagome fumed beside Sesshoumaru once they made it to his Porsche. “Of all the nerve…Stupid idiots…Can’t get peace anywhere…”

Her litany of complaints continued even as Sesshoumaru’s cell phone interrupted his amusement at her temper. She had been a fiery, ill-tempered shrew and utterly and completely amazing. He was still not accustomed to the idea that he had been defended. No one had ever done so before, and it had left him feeling oddly…warm.

“What?” he snapped into the metal and plastic nuisance after seeing the name of his secretary flash on the screen. Jaken was an ill-favored toad demon but was dedicated to serving him. That did not excuse the interruption of his time with Kagome when he had given express orders otherwise.

“Sesshoumaru-sama, please pardon this unworthy one’s untimely call,” Jaken squawked. The sounds of ringing phones and hushed voices came over the line. “The Takai investment is in trouble. There is word out that Takai’s wife has left him, and as she holds half the shares to the company in escrow…” he trailed off, knowing his boss didn’t need things spelled out for him.

The phone was flipped shut with a sharp snap of Sesshoumaru’s wrist. Having picked up on the irritation in his voice, Kagome stopped her mumbling to ask, “Is everything okay?“

“I need to go to the office,” he said. “There are some matters that cannot wait.” The profits from their shares of Takai’s company constituted roughly thirty percent of Jidai Enterprises, Inc.’s ready influx of investment money. His father had been short-sighted in that regard and had refused Sesshoumaru’s advise to diversify their portfolio

“Takai is an old friend of the family, and one does not abandon old friends,” his father was fond of saying.

Even if it left he, Sesshoumaru, in the lurch now that the worst has come to light. He expected Kagome to pout like Izayoi did when his father was forced to cancel a dinner or was called into the office late at night. Instead, she surprised him.

“Okay. I can catch a bus to the shrine. I have things to pack up anyway. You go do your thing, and we can try again later.” She patted his arm lightly, smiling up at him sweetly. “Just don’t work too hard, okay? I know you big corporate honchos live high-stress lives.”

“Oh? And how would you know this?” he asked, relieved she was handling their canceled day together with grace and curious about her statement.

Her smile dimmed slightly, but she answered honestly. “My dad worked as an accountant for Gumo before he died. I can still remember the late-night calls and all the times he had to work on his days off.” Not to mention all of the school activities that had been foregone in favor of his job. But…she had understood. Just as she knew Sesshoumaru was needed at his work. She was disappointed, of course, that he had to leave, but why share that with him? It would do nothing, and she was above making someone feel guilty when it could be avoided.

His eyes softened. He decided to drop the subject of her father rather than ask the questions burning in his mind. She’d never spoken of a father, and he was curious about the absent man. Knowing he was dead, however, and detecting the sadness mention of him had caused Kagome, he would let it rest. For now.

“Come, I will take you home.” He held the door open for her, forestalling her protests that she see herself home. Business might be dire enough to ensure he would attend to it today, but seeing Kagome home safely was important enough to him to make the small delay worthwhile.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome and Sesshoumaru stood outside the shrine door. Hesitantly, she stood on the tips of her toes and lightly brushed her lips across his. She pulled back, a pleased smiled softening her mouth. “Good-bye, Sesshoumaru. Call me when you can.”

Eyes darkened with irritation, his hands crept to her waist and he swooped down to claim her lips. Her arms flew up to wrap around his neck. Softly exploring the hard contours of his neck and shoulders, her fingers slid through the sleek fur.

Just when her lips parted on a sigh, he lifted his head to meet her dazed blue eyes and almost groaned. Now was not the time.

“You will be hearing from me soon, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru promised. For the first time in his two hundred years, Sesshoumaru was sorely tempted to ignore the business and stay right there within the warmth of Kagome’s arms.

Instead, he set her from him. Kagome’s arms slid back to her sides. She would never know how much it cost him to step back. He silently cursed the old fool, Takai, and his inability to keep track of his runaway wife. Some of his irritation faded at the bemused expression adorning the female in front of him.

Repressing a growl, he turned away from the flushed woman and walked down the shrine steps to his Porsche. Starting the car, Kagome came into view in the rearview mirror once he pulled away from the curb. She waved to him, smiling, before stepping through the door and out of his sight.

He scowled ferociously. This had better not take long.

-----------------
Later that day, Kagome laughed at her brother’s lame joke. “Jeez Souta, do girls actually fall for your sense of humor, or do they just feel sorry for you?”

A self-styled ladies man at sixteen, Souta prided himself on his ability to charm any woman with his jokes. He pouted. “You’re my sister. Of course you don’t get it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Brat, being your sister doesn’t mean I’m not a woman. Trust me, that last one was lame.” As if a sexist ’how-many-women-would-it-take’ joke would pass as funny to an intelligent female!

She glanced at her brother and frowned. “Unless you’re messing around with girls who don’t happen to believe in such things as self-respect. I’d like to hope you have higher standards than that.”

Souta rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Where do you want this?” He hefted the last box of books from her bedroom floor.

“Just take it to the car,” she directed. As he passed, she ruffled his hair. “You know I’m just being protective. If, by chance, you do see girls that are, um…amused by those things, I’d still like to meet them. I promise to be nice.”

Souta stopped at the door. His brown eyes were unusually somber when he looked over his shoulder at his big sister. “I know, Kagome. Hey, it’s not like you’re moving to another country. Maybe I can stop by after school sometime and visit.” He grinned wickedly. “I’ve got a key, so your place could be a place to crash.”

Kagome smiled mistily. “I’d like that. Just not too often,” she joked to ease the mood. “And I don’t want to see any wild orgies either!”

He snorted. “Of course not. I’ll wait until you leave!” Laughing at her shocked gasp, he left the room before she had a chance to reply.

Mrs. Higurashi walked in just as Kagome finished folding the sheets she had washed. “What is Souta laughing about?” she asked. “He almost tripped into me going down the stairs.”

Kagome smiled sheepishly. “Who knows. Kids these days…they take odd turns now and again.” Siblings had to stick together after all, and there was no way she was going to let her mother in on Souta’s budding sexuality. Heck, she wished she was still in the dark about it!

Not believing her daughter for a moment, Mrs. Higurashi let it go. One day, when she had children of her own, Kagome would know that mothers knew more than they let on. She hadn’t come up here to discuss her son’s odd behavior, however.

Moving further into the room, she took a seat on the neatly made bed. She patted the spot next to her. “Come sit with me, Kagome.”

Apprehensive, Kagome took the seat. “Yes, Mama?”

Mrs. Higurashi pulled her daughter into a firm hug. “My baby is all grown up and moving out. I just wanted one more mother daughter moment, that’s all.” Despite her prior resolve to keep it lighthearted, she sniffed.

Kagome felt her eyes tear up. “Oh, Mama. I’ll come by as often as I can. And I promise to call every Sunday at least.” Her mother’s shoulders shook and Kagome hugged her tightly. “I don’t have to go,” she stated desperately. “The lease is paid up for the year, but I can sub-let it. If it would make you happy, I’ll stay here, Mama.”

Mrs. Higurashi pulled back and wiped her eyes with the handkerchief from her apron pocket. “Don’t you dare, young lady! I’m just being an old fool, as is my right as your mother. I’ll certainly miss you, but it is time for you to go out on your own and spread your wings.”

Kagome smiled and kissed her mother’s cheek. “I love you, Mama.”

Mrs. Higurashi smiled back. “Well, at least I can comfort myself with the knowledge that you have that nice, young youkai to keep you company. Maybe I will even have some grandbabies to take care of while you work.”

Blushing, Kagome sputtered, “Mom! I’ve only been on one date with him and you already have me pregnant!”

“You aren’t getting any younger, dear, and neither am I. I’ve got all my hopes pinned on you, as there is no telling when that rascal son of mine will settle down.”

“Souta is only sixteen, Mama,” Kagome stated dryly.

Her mother waved a hand in the air. “Old enough to find a nice girl to be serious about,” she declared. A traditionalist, she had no qualms with long engagements that began during school years. That was how she had met and married her husband after all. Before the Unfortunate Tragedy, she had been quite happy, too.

Mrs. Higurashi shook away thoughts on her departed husband after sending up a short prayer of hope that he had found the peace in death that he had been denied in life.

Sensing her mother’s sadness, Kagome cast about for a diversion. The pile of old school clothes in the corner stood out. “Would you help me with those clothes? I need to go through them and decide which ones I want to keep, and the ones to give to charity.”

Launched upon the new task, Mrs. Higurashi fell into it with great aplomb. Mother and daughter began the age-old task of clothing selections and peaceful acceptance settled upon both.

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

Later that day, while Kagome was retrieving the last of her clothes to carry up to her apartment from the passenger seat of her mother’s car, her improvised purse, a brown leather satchel, jingled. She snagged the cell phone out of the cavernous depths after rooting through gum wrappers, receipts and chap-stick. She didn’t recognize the number displayed.

“Higurashi, Kagome speaking,” she chirped brightly into the phone.

“Stay away from the youkai,” a muffled voice whispered maliciously.

Shocked, Kagome paled. “What? Who is this?” And then her anger took hold. “Lose my number, you jerk!” About to hang up, she was stopped by the ugliness that spilled forth from the phone.

“Stupid bitches like you who spread their legs for such filth should be exposed for the whores they are. You’ve been warned. Stay away from him or you will be sorry!”

High-pitched laughter oozed into Kagome's ear and she punched the ‘end’ button to silence it. The words were not so easily dismissed, however. Her legs threatened to give out on her, and Kagome dropped to sit on the curb.

She stared down at her phone blankly. What is going on? she wondered, confused. She frowned at her fingers when they refused to quit trembling as she dialed Sesshoumaru’s number. At the moment, the only thing she could think of was him.

He picked up on the second ring. “Kagome?”

Deep as an ocean fault and twice as mysterious, his voice washed away the fear that had invaded her body. She slammed the car door shut. Propping the phone between her shoulder and neck, she picked the clothes up and entered her building.

Excited chatter in the background reminded her of his reason for leaving in the first place. She sighed into the phone. “I feel silly for calling you. I’m sorry for bothering you when I know you are busy with work. I just…When you get a chance, will you come by my apartment? I need to talk to you.”

Sesshoumaru frowned into the phone. Something sounded off. Her voice was strained, or so it seemed. In truth, despite his desire to correct it, he did not know her well enough to be certain of it, however. “I am going to be here the entire night. I will be off tomorrow sometime around two for lunch, however.”

He waved away Jaken, who was bearing a pile of papers, intent on hearing Kagome’s reply.

Kagome unlocked her apartment door and shut it behind her. She slammed the dead bolt home before dropping her clothes on the threadbare couch. “I can take off for lunch at the same time. Mr. Miagi won’t mind, I’m sure.”

Jaken began fidgeting. The papers rustled against his green, warty skin and Sesshoumaru glared at him. The toad youkai stilled instantly. “I will pick you up at two then.”

Kagome hesitated slightly, worried that maybe she should tell Sesshoumaru right away, but decided that he had enough on his mind. She had been taking care of herself for years now, one more day wouldn’t kill her.

She winced at the poor choice of words even as she murmured an agreement into her phone and they said their good-bye’s.

As she hung up, Kagome couldn’t help but wonder how he would react to the news that she had been warned off of seeing him.

Sesshoumaru was furious. His aura crackled against Kagome’s skin and she winced. Maybe choosing a public restaurant hadn’t been such a good idea, she realized when the other patrons slowly left their tables and edged towards the exit.

“Why did you not tell me when you called that someone had dared to threaten you?” he demanded to know. Kami, just the thought of what had been said to her, that someone had dared to call her a whore…He felt his youki fight to be released.

Kagome’s shoulders stiffened in reaction to the censure in his voice. “I didn’t want to bother you. I mean, I can take care of myself, Sesshoumaru. The point is, I am telling you now. Though,” she mumbled lowly, “next time I’m going to think twice about that.”

His golden eyes flashed red and she gasped. “You will tell me if anything of the sort happens again, Kagome, or so help me…”

“Or what? You’ll ground me?” She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Look, this is getting us nowhere fast. I just thought you should know. And, while it scared me at the time, after a night to sleep on it I’m convinced it’s just some guy who doesn’t like youkai and humans together. He probably saw us at the gym together and wanted to try to scare me off. Once he sees that it didn’t work, he’ll get a life and move on.” She lifted her glass and took a small sip.

Resisting the urge to show her just what he was capable of when pressed, Sesshoumaru growled. The waiter that had been making a bee-line for their table halted and turned around to return to the kitchen. “You may be convinced, but I am not. Until I locate and remove the threat to you, you will not leave my sight.”

Kagome choked on the tea she had just swallowed. “I will not! I’ve got a life, Sesshoumaru, one I am quite happy with. I’m not going to do anything stupid, and I refuse to put my life on hold just because some wacko called me!” She cut into the steak in front of her angrily.

Eyeing the way she stabbed the beef with her fork before sawing through it, Sesshoumaru tried to calm himself. It would do no good to alienate her. “Try to be reasonable. You have just revealed that there is someone out there who holds enough dislike for our…relationship…to threaten you, and you expect me to do nothing?”

Kagome chewed on her meat furiously. Once she swallowed, she gestured to his plate. “You should eat, it’s really good.”

Unwilling to be led from the topic at hand, he scowled.

She gave up and said, “I don’t expect you to do anything. I just thought I’d tell you since it is the sort of thing one would share with a, uh, male friend. I didn’t think you’d react so badly, however. It was just a phone call.”

“This ‘male friend’ is more than a friend. Unless, of course, you go around kissing all of your male friends, or are aroused by watching th-”

Kagome slapped a hand over Sesshoumaru’s mouth. Twin flags of pink glowed on her cheeks. “Sesshoumaru!” she whispered, embarrassment warring with exasperation. “You don’t talk about things like that where other people can hear you!”

He wrapped his fingers about her wrist and pulled her hand away from his mouth. He ignored her embarrassment and the attempts to pull it out of his grasp. “I care not for the thoughts of others. Do you?”

She glared under his intense regard. “No, I don’t, and you know it! It’s just embarrassing to have my sex life broadcast to the room in general, thank you very much! And for the record, just because you‘re an inuyoukai doesn‘t mean you can sniff out all of my secrets, especially something like whether I‘m aroused or not!” she ended, not realizing in her anger that her voice had risen above a furious whisper.

Those that had been brave enough to stay smirked and gulped down the juicy, new gossip served with their lunch.

“As long as you care not for the opinions of others, what is to keep you from staying by my side until the threat is nullified?” he asked smoothly.

She blinked, thrown off track by his sudden subject change. “I have work. I just got this job a few months ago. I’m not going to lose it now. There aren’t very many positions open for someone in my field.”

She shrugged. “Besides, I imagine we’d drive each other nuts if we had to be together every hour of the day.”

He nodded. “Very well. I will escort you to work every morning and will arrange for you to be picked up and brought to my office. You will have your work, and I will be assured of your safety.”

She groaned. He was taking control. She should have foreseen this, that his honor would demand he do something to protect her. But really, this was too much! “Why do I have to go to your office? I can just go home.”

He raised a perfectly curved brow. “I do not trust the security at your apartment.” He had a file in his office on the security, or lack of it, at her apartment complex. It was filed in the investigator’s dossier on her he had done after the first time he had met her in the museum. “You will stay with me.”

“No. No way. We aren’t even sure about, well, about us. I’m not going to be a live-in girlfriend! I can take care of myself, Sesshoumaru.”

He growled under his breath. “Don’t be stubborn, Kagome. If you will not stay with me, then I will move in with you.”

She stared at him, aghast. “You? Stay with me? In my small apartment? Where would you sleep? I only have one bed!” Her mind boggled at the notion of Sesshoumaru, in all his sleekly masculine elegance, surrounded by her personally selected second-hand furniture and the cracked plaster walls. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford better, but it was all she could find on the short notice.

He shrugged negligently. “It will be a small matter to arrange proper furnishings.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Oh no you don’t.” She knew where that was going. Her apartment may be ratty, but it was hers damnit! “You can have the bed. I’ll take the couch. If you don’t like it, then you can sleep in your own bed.”

He took in her mulish expression and decided to leave the topic of furniture and sleeping arrangements for now. She had agreed to his protection, and he would take what he could get. “That is acceptable,” he said. He waved the hovering waiter over. He was feeling hungry and had a feeling he would need the nourishment. He doubled his order even as he tore into his own steak platter.

They ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Leaning back in the leather swivel chair, Kagome groaned. The antique maple and gold leaf cuckoo clock on her office wall squawked eleven times. The wooden bird, denuded of feathers after over a century of use, trembled in the slight breeze generated by the overhead A/C duct on its slender stand before being pulled back into the little door.

She crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at the clock. It was a gift from her boss, Mr. Miagi, after she had managed to secure the supposed mummified foot of an actual mountain saru gami. She had failed to mention that it had been a present from her grandfather for her sixth birthday.

Getting that thing off her mantle was worth a little white fib.

She rubbed her neck, massaging the protesting muscles. She‘d been trapped at her rather large desk for over six hours now. Arching her back, Kagome winced. Several satisfying ‘pops’ later, and she slumped over her desk. Her forehead hit the polished surface, but she didn’t have the energy to waste on moving to a more comfortable position.

Mr. Miagi, a four-foot tall dapper old man with a balding pate and a wonderfully expressive face that was unabashedly ugly, was a hard taskmaster. He did reward his employees for a job well done, however, so Kagome put up with the odd hours he sometimes enforced.

Tonight, he had caught her only a half an hour before it was time to leave for the day. The whole collection of Ming Dynasty vases and figurines on loan from the Kyoto Museum needed to be catalogued before the gala event on Thursday. That meant all available, knowledgeable and experienced hands were needed.

Some clumsy intern couldn’t help. Given the small staff pool from which to spear some help, Kagome was the only option. Everyone else had conveniently-timed projects that just had to be done that night. Sesshoumaru hadn’t been happy about the change of plans when she had called him, but it was her job. She wasn’t about to lose it.

Sango Taekada, the one in charge of the event, had arrived shortly after Mr. Miagi’s departure, carrying a carton of carefully packed figurines for Kagome to inspect and photograph. For insurance purposes, photographs were needed to ensure that the condition of the items received matched with the way they were returned. And then there was the documentation required of such costly and rare items. Paperwork that sucked the life out of Kagome.

Hair mussed and a smudge of ink on her chin, Kagome turned exhaustion-lined eyes to the door as Sango walked in.

Her co-worker didn’t look much better. Brown eyes bleary, Sango’s short bob of chestnut hair stuck out at odd angles. Her trim, black silk blouse and knee-length skirt with delicate purple pin-striping was wrinkled mercilessly.

“Hey, Sango. Do I look as bad as you do?“ Kagome asked. She managed to lift her head and offered a small smile to the entering woman.

Sango snorted, dropping into the small, leather loveseat beside Kagome’s desk. “Worse. Much, much worse,” she joked. Sango kicked her pumps off and swung her legs over the arm of the couch. “Kami, I need a vacation.”

“Tell me about it. Do you have everything catalogued, Sango? Mr. Miagi is going nuts about the gala.”

Glaring, Sango stabbed a manicured finger at Kagome. “Well, if someone hadn’t mentioned how it would be a great idea to raise money for the museum, Mr. Miagi wouldn’t have thought of such a thing in the first place.” Her verbal lashing having worn her out, Sango’s arm dropped across her eyes and she groaned.

Kagome snickered. “Oh, really? Well, I suppose you don’t want the raise that will come with the renewed funds.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Sango said before chuckling. “I am such a crab when I don’t get my sleep.”

“Yep.”

Peeking from under her arm, Sango grumbled, disgruntled, “Well, gee, why don’t you take a minute and think about it.”

Kagome’s giggles were interrupted by the phone. “Higurashi speaking,” she said into the black mouthpiece while Sango reluctantly got up to reclaim her shoes.

The museum’s guard answered, “Tashio Sesshoumaru is here, requesting to be allowed upstairs, Ma‘am.” His voice wavered a bit, and Kagome had to wonder just how Sesshoumaru took being denied entry until she gave permission. Not well, if the faint rumble she picked up over the phone line was any indication. The human guard wouldn’t stand a chance. Kagome was impressed he’d lasted long enough to call.

“Thanks, Kin. You can send him up.” Kagome made a mental note to leave standing instructions to allow Sesshoumaru access to her office. As much as she enjoyed the thrill of exercising her meager authority, it wouldn’t do to aggravate him overly. She’d made her point.

Kin breathed a sigh of relief, hanging up the phone. The youkai in front of him wouldn’t have taken well to a negative reply; that he was sure of. “You can take the elevator to the third floor. Higurashi’s office is the third from the right,” he instructed the youkai. “I hope you don‘t plan on keeping her long. She has been up all night and needs her sleep,” he added, not without a hint of patronization.

Higurashi was a fine woman, and he’d been laying subtle hints that he would like to take her out sometime. The thought of the other male being with her, alone, late at night, pushed him past sane thought.

Sesshoumaru rolled his shoulders to release the tension that had taken up residence there once he had been denied entry to her office. The ludicrous notion that the weak guard could do so, had not settled well.

The realization that it was only at Kagome’s behest that he was allowed to continue on disgruntled him further.

The subtle hint of ownership, the attempt to claim right to see to Kagome’s welfare, however, put Sesshoumaru on edge. His already narrow eyes glowed ruby-red briefly. Sesshoumaru turned on his heel and stalked to the elevator, leaving the startled guard behind. He was beneath him and undeserving of a proper threat.

Though, Sesshoumaru realized after stepping into the elevator and turning to glare balefully at the guard, satisfied when the human swallowed heavily and the stench of fear flooded the air, a proper set down was not without its benefits.In Kagome’s office, Sango was staring at the other woman in disbelief. “Did I just hear right?” she asked. “‘Send him up?’” she repeated. “Who him?”

Kagome blushed. Sango was a co-worker, and they occasionally had lunch together. But they weren’t exactly bosom buddies. “Ah, well, I am kinda seeing Sesshoumaru. He‘s picking me up.” Luckily, she’d managed to finish in time. Apparently, he’d been serious when he’d promised to personally retrieve her, finished or not, at eleven.

“Sesshoumaru? Tashio Sesshoumaru?” Sango asked incredulously, eyes wide.

“That would be the one,” Kagome answered. She smiled when Sango gaped. “I know, I know, who would have thought that someone like him would be interested in me!”

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Kagome? He’s so…so,” Sango sputtered.

“Beautiful? Powerful? Smart?” Kagome supplied helpfully, grinning mischievously.

“Hairy,” Sango choked out.

“No? You don‘t say?” Kagome laughed. “I‘m not blind, Sango.”

Awed, Sango slumped against the desk when Kagome’s words finally made it past her skepticism. “You really think he‘s beautiful?”

Sobered by the disbelief, Kagome’s smile died. “Does it bother you, Sango? That I am attracted to him, and that he wants me?”

Taken aback by the question, Sango hurried to reassure Kagome. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just-I don’t know. Odd?” At Kagome’s scowl, Sango threw her hands up in defeat. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded, Kagome. But, you’ve got to admit you don’t seem to match, appearances aside. You’re bubbly, and kind, and are an all-around good girl. I don’t know him personally, but my brother interns at Jidai Inc. and has said that Sesshoumaru-sama has a reputation in certain circles for being ruthless. The male is downright caveman-ish, if you take my meaning.”

“Well, he’s been nothing but a gentleman to me, Sango. Sure, he’s touched with arrogance and has a smidge of a domineering attitude, but that’s all manageable,” Kagome said, crossing her fingers behind her back. She’d never air her personal grievances to anyone other than him. And oh, did she just know there’d be some airing if he tried to make her play submissive ninny to his feudal lord.

Their conversation was interrupted by Sesshoumaru’s appearance in the door frame. Dressed in an undoubtedly expensive three-piece, charcoal-colored suit tailored to perfection to hug his lithely muscular frame, he took in the room with a sharp glance.

A cold light burned in his golden eyes, and Kagome wondered how much he’d heard. She cleared her throat. “Um, Sesshoumaru, this is Sango. She’s my co-worker and is in charge of the items from the Kyoto exhibit.” She gestured to the embarrassed female.

Sango bowed, frantically wondering if he’d overheard her rather unflattering comments. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Sesshoumaru-sama.”

He gave a short nod of his head but otherwise stayed a silent observer in the doorway.

Sango cleared her throat nervously. “Well, I need to get going.” She hefted the carton of figurines. “I’ll talk to you later, Kagome,” she called over her shoulder before coming to a halt in front of the towering figure looming over her. She swallowed convulsively, but before she was forced to ask him to move, he glided into the room. She fled down the hallway.

Her office, a small affair crammed with her loveseat, desk, filing cabinet and the odd personal item, shrunk even further. Kagome smiled at him brightly in an attempt to dispel the tense atmosphere. “Just let me clean up and we can go,” she said.

His intense gaze followed her as she gathered the files and photos on her desk and slipped them into the filing cabinet. The assorted array of snack wrappers and soda cans that had littered her desk top were tossed into the small trash receptacle. Sesshoumaru frowned. Humans were prone to disease when not properly fed. He would need to speak to her about maintaining proper nutrition.

Grabbing her satchel from under her desk, Kagome smiled up at him. “Okay, ready!” she chirped, excited at the prospect of going home and hopping into bed. After a long bath, of course.

His presence had nothing to do with her invigorated senses, she lied to herself even as she locked her office.

The short walk to the elevator, then past Kin’s desk, was made in complete silence. It unnerved Kagome. She glanced at him through her lashes, trying to figure out if his silence was due to the conversation she’d had with Sango, or if he was just tired like her.

Climbing into the Jaguar, wondering just how many cars he had, Kagome decided to wait until they were at the apartment to confront him on it.

Mechanically starting the engine, Sesshoumaru sorted through his thoughts on the subject of what he’d overheard. One concern had been answered. Kagome was being open about their relationship. The niggling doubts that plagued him in regards to her commitment to giving them an honest try were put to rest. Her co-worker’s disbelief and doubts did not faze him. Kagome’s defense of his character still warmed his chilled heart. Though…

Manageable? He smirked, the fiercely male expression hidden in the darkness that cloaked the car‘s interior. Evidently his female had plans to civilize the cave-youkai. He wondered if she would enjoy if half so much as he.

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

“I can’t possibly eat all of this, Sesshoumaru!” Kagome exclaimed, throwing her napkin onto the table in exasperation.

He gave her plate a speaking glance before arching a brow. “You haven’t eaten enough to sustain a child, Kagome.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not hungry.”

“Eat,” he ordered. After leaving the museum, he’d driven them to a small café that he frequented for late night meals. She was too slender; he would see to it that she was appropriately fleshed out in no time.

Kagome pouted. “I don’t want to.”

He picked up her discarded fork and speared a gravy-sodden piece of steak. “If I must, I will feed you myself, Kagome. Just eat the steak and we will be on our way.”

Appalled at the determined light in his eyes, Kagome snatched the fork. He would do it, she knew he would. Stupid male. Stupid ideas about ‘proper nutrition.’ The lecture she’d received, in front of the amused waiter no less, on the food pyramid and proper proportioning of ‘desert food stuffs,’ all said with a sneer, still had her fuming.

Even if she did know better than to have Ho-Hos and Ding-Dongs for dinner. Her mother would have been appalled, that was for sure. But, she was a woman! If she wanted to eat icing out of the can, that was her inalienable right!

Kagome groaned, dropping her fork to the plate with a ‘clink’ of finality. “I’m done, no more,” she said with a mutinous look at the overbearing youkai. One more piece and she’d sprout horns!

Strategically retreating in the face of her much-put-upon expression, Sesshoumaru proved gracious in victory. He acquiesced to her demand for a small cone of vanilla ice cream. Even if it was topped with caramel and fudge and was consumed with smug and overdone satisfaction.

Refusing to admit she had overdone it with the ice cream, Kagome refrained from rushing into the bathroom once they reached her apartment. Instead, she managed to pace slowly to the door before closing it behind her in relief. Once there, she abandoned Sesshoumaru to the television and turned on the shower. Her clothes winged their way to her hamper and she stepped under the hot spray with a groan.

She scowled at her bloated stomach before discretely burping into her hand. There was nothing more un-ladylike than gas! Even disguised by the water falling from the shower head, she tried to be as quiet as possible.

Thus relieved, she relaxed and enjoyed her brief time in heaven before stepping out and into the pajama shirt Souta had given her that read, “Don’t mind me, I just do what the voices tell me.” Brushing her teeth, Kagome stuck her tongue out at the reflection in the mirror. Oh yeah. Bags under her eyes were so attractive! Hastily throwing on her robe, she walked out into the living room.

Sesshoumaru glanced away from the Wall Street ticker playing across the small screen of her television. Still flushed from the shower, she smelled divine. The pollutants of the city were gone, replaced by her unique scent signature and the faint hint of rose soap. Damp, ebony tendrils of hair curled about her shoulders while little pink toes peeked out from under her too-large robe. Only through considerable effort of will was he able to conceal his immediate, pressing reaction to such enticing, wholesome appeal.

Kagome smiled, nervous under his regard. “Um, did you want to take a shower?” she offered.

“I will take one at the office tomorrow morning, when fresh clothing is available,” he replied. “Do not concern yourself with me. It is time for you to retire, is it not?”

Fidgeting, she didn’t know how to act with him here. She felt as if she needed to do something for him. He was here to protect her, wanted or not, after all. “Tea? Popcorn? Do you want anything?”

His mind eagerly supplied all sorts of images of what he wanted. Needed. He cleared his throat before huskily stating, “I am fine, Kagome. Go to bed. We both have early mornings tomorrow.”

“Um. Okay, I guess I’ll just go to bed then. If you need anything, though, let me know,” she said while retrieving a spare set of sheets and a blanket from her linen closet. She made up the couch under his watchful eye before patting the taut sheet. “There, all ready.”

The couch seemed to shrink under her anxious eye, and she peered at his long frame in disbelief. Girding her resolve, Kagome forced the concern to quiet. He was the one who wanted to stay. He was the one who had made it clear in the car on the way home that he would take the couch. If he wanted to try to sleep on the lumpy couch, that was his problem, not hers.

Kagome’s bedroom door closed while both set about trying to forget the one laying just on the other side of the door.

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

Staring at the ceiling, Kagome gave up the pretense of sleep. Illuminated by the moonlight filtering in through the blinds over the small window, her sparsely decorated bedroom seemed to laugh at her.

Frustrated, she punched her pillow. She hadn’t asked him to play guard dog! So why, she asked herself, did she feel so darn guilty he was cramped on the couch?

Kagome tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. Angrily throwing a terrycloth robe on over her pajama shirt, she tied the sash with quick, jerky movements.

On a mission, Kagome threw open the door and promptly stumbled over the prone form that laid right in her way. “Oomph!” She gasped, startled when a pair of strong hands caught her before she could sprawl across the floor. “Sesshoumaru! What are you doing on the floor?”

Carefully standing, pulling Kagome up with him, Sesshoumaru shrugged negligently. “Your bedroom window is an opportunity for an intruder to enter.”

Kagome blinked. “My window. You were sleeping on the floor in front of my door because you were afraid someone would climb four stories, on a flat building with no ledges mind you, to break in through my window? The one by two-foot window?”

“A youkai could manage it, Kagome,” he said, irritated by how paranoid she made him out to be. Even if he silently admitted it was unlikely.

Lips pursed, Kagome leaned against the door frame. She regarded him silently before throwing her hands up in the air. “Whatever. If you’re just going to sleep on the floor, you might as well come in and share the bed. Don’t, however,” she warned with a wagging finger, “get any ideas. You get the foot of the bed, I’ll take the head.”

Surprised, Sesshoumaru barely controlled his reaction to the idea of sharing her bed. Platonically.

He frowned. It promised to cause problems for him, potentially painful ones, but he was intelligent enough to keep that to himself.

Rearranging her pillows, Kagome tried to ignore the aura of the male behind her that alternately soothed and ignited her senses. What had she been thinking? she wondered. What if she said something embarrassing in her sleep? Lately, she’d been having dreams, rather sensual ones, featuring none other than the inuyoukai behind her.

Well, she rationalized finally after the pillows had been rearranged, it wasn’t as if he didn’t know she was drawn to him physically. And, she wasn’t one to go back on her word. Carefully sliding under the blankets after tossing her robe onto the small chair beside the queen-sized bed, Kagome waited.

He’d taken off his jacket and shoes in the living room but still had on his silk shirt and suit pants. Unprepared to spend the night, Sesshoumaru had resigned himself to discomfort rather than shock her by disrobing further. Preparing to slide in behind her, he was stopped by her question.

“Aren’t you going to be hot? I mean, you do have an undershirt on, don’t you? I promise not to look if you want to take your pants off too.”

Taken aback, he was silent for the space of a heart beat. “I am fine, Kagome.” As tempting as the thought was to rid himself of the irritatingly restrictive clothing, he wasn’t going to push his luck. Being so unencumbered while in bed with her could prove to be too much. Just the glimpse of bare thigh he had received, courtesy of the absurdly short night shirt she wore before she snuggled under the downy pink coverlet, had been enough to stir him to throbbing attention.

A few tense moments later, Sesshoumaru finally settled on his side on top of the blanket. No sense in tempting fate. Her scent surrounding him, he willed himself to relax. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work, and he resigned himself to a very uncomfortable night.

Kagome curled up under the blankets. His long legs against her back, she sighed contentedly. She could get used to this. She trusted him as she had no other male. Having him in bed with her actually made her feel safe. Not that she had any plans on admitting that any time soon. No sense in giving ground yet, she mused sleepily. Peacefully relaxed, she succumbed to the warmth radiating through the blanket.

Kagome jerked awake. She squinted at her alarm clock, disoriented by the fog of sleep that still held sway over her mind. It read five a.m..

The bed dipped beside her, and her startled eyes leapt to meet Sesshoumaru’s. Leaning on an elbow, he drew his leg up to rest his forearm on his knee. His hair had come undone sometime last night, and in the darkness, its silken magnificence along with his fur created a halo about him that was almost otherworldly as it reflected the moonlight. His intense gaze bore into her, lighting sparks along her nerves.

She blushed, pulling the covers to her chin, nervously twisting the fabric. The phone beside her bed jangled again, the shrill noise gaining her fuzzy attention. She scrambled for the nightstand. Her legs tangled in the sheets, she almost fell ignominiously over the side, but a strong arm steadied her before she could embarrass herself.

She claimed the cordless phone. “Higurashi,” she whispered huskily into the receiver, smiling at Sesshoumaru in thanks after he released her ankle.

“Give me Sesshoumaru,” a deep baritone commanded.

Confused, she obeyed. “It’s for you,” she told him before holding out the phone. How on earth they had gotten the unlisted number was beyond her. She hadn’t even given it to Sesshoumaru yet.

Sesshoumaru’s legs swung over the side of the bed. He claimed the phone, his fingers lightly brushing hers in passing, and stood.

“Sesshoumaru,” he stated in a hard voice, irritated that he was being phoned at Kagome’s apartment. He had left specific instructions at the office that she was not to be disturbed.

Beside him, Kagome yawned and flopped back into her pillows. Her soft breaths signaled she had returned to sleep. Despite his irritation, Sesshoumaru smiled at the sight of her snuggling into the warmth of the bedding like a pup.

“What are you doing?” the caller asked without hesitation.

His hand tightened around the phone; the plastic threatened to crack under the pressure, and he forced a calming breath. “I was sleeping, Father. If there is nothing more that requires my attention, I will be returning to bed.”

“I meant what are you doing with the woman, Sesshoumaru. Her services are required to utilize the jewel, but that does not mean you must link your name with hers in the media!” the Tashio whispered furiously into the phone. Beside him, Izayoi stirred in her sleep. He got out of bed and left the bedroom for his office.

His contacts in the publishing world had called him just thirty minutes prior with the breaking news that his son had been sighted with a female. A human one at that, and on a date no less. The story was going to run in the morning paper’s society column. It was a disaster waiting to happen.

“My name has been linked to worse,” Sesshoumaru replied blandly, his apparent lack of concern a façade for the roiling anger threatening to spill over.

His father sighed into the phone. Sesshoumaru could just imagine the pained look that would pinch his eyes closed. “You know very well this is a different matter entirely than the failed mating arrangements, Sesshoumaru. You cannot expect the youkai to ignore the implications of my unmated heir escorting a human woman about town. There will be chaos! She was supposed to be useful, not a hindrance to your inheritance!”

Sesshoumaru softly padded out of the bedroom and sat on the couch. He wiped a tired hand across his face. “I have every intention of securing Kagome’s aid. She is aware of the situation and has agreed to help.” He recalled her honest declaration to her friend hours ago in her office. “As for the other, you will simply have to accept it.”

“Accept it! ACCEPT IT!” the Tashio roared into the phone. “I am your sire! You will do as I bid!” Growling fiercely, he refrained from slamming the phone into the wall. His son had never been more difficult. He had demanded Sesshoumaru chose a mate after a miko was procured to use the jewel. He had assumed the youkai female would be amendable with a mate of Sesshoumaru’s power and beauty. Assuming the jewel worked, of course.

The fiasco of the previous engagement would be averted.

He forced himself to calm. “Sesshoumaru, if you truly want this woman, do it the right way. Find an acceptable youkai female. Mate and get your heir. Then you may claim the other woman. It is the way things have always been done. The first mate is for the continuation of the line. Breeding, if you will. Your other wife can be a human, and none will think less of you for it.”

“No.” He would not bend on this. “I will not. I will have one mate, and she will be Kagome.” Even if the jewel were capable of nullifying the curse of his blood, the thought of taking a female to his bed, allowing her foul hands to touch him when she would have had nothing to do with him as he is now… It would not be bourn.

No.

Kagome, with her sweet smile and intoxicating, addictive scent that spiked beautifully for him, would be his mate, no other.

The Tashio’s expression grew ugly in its intensity. “You are so sure of her affection, Sesshoumaru?” he spat out. “You will throw away your future on this woman? What of your pups? I am not mistaken in your disgust of Inuyasha. Your human would breed true to her kind. That is not to say that Inuyasha does not give me joy, but a hanyou cannot rule. You must protect the name, the line of our blood. Do you not care about the illustrious title which you will be forfeiting with a human mate?”

Unable to resist the opportunity, tired of the manipulation he had lived his entire life under, Sesshoumaru barked out a rusty laugh. His frigid aura crackled in the empty room. “You mistake me Father. There will be no pups. No continuation of the line through my seed. So you see, you need not worry for more hanyous to come of our ‘illustrious’ blood.”

Shocked silence greeted his pronouncement. Then, “You cannot be serious!”

“I have never been more so,” Sesshoumaru replied. “And, before you berate Kagome’s humanity once more, I would remind you of your own little human, Izayoi.”

“Do not bring her into his,” his father demanded, furious. “She is my second mate, as I knew she must be. What you contemplate-I will not allow it. Do you hear me!” He slammed the phone on the desk, shattering it and cracking the marble surface.

Sesshoumaru pulled the phone away from his ear to protect his delicate hearing. The battle lines were drawn. He clicked the phone off before standing. His forced his youki to retreat, his soul numbing under the frigid wash of his anger.

Returning to the bedroom, he stood within the doorframe, watching Kagome sleep. Occasionally, a small smile would flit about her lips before she would murmur some nonsense.

He replaced the phone on its cradle. Uncaring of the consequences, weary and drained from the confrontation and the knowledge that it was just the beginning, Sesshoumaru slipped in beside Kagome under the covers. She rolled over into his hard frame, shivering slightly.

He wrapped his arms tightly about her, stealing the warmth of her body to bring life back to his chilled flesh. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he breathed in the softly alluring scent of the woman he held.

Her fingers curled about his neck and twined into his fur before she stilled, a contented whisper escaping her lips, “Sesshoumaru.”

He sighed into her hair and closed his eyes. He would rest for just a moment. Tense muscles relaxed and his churning youki was, for once, at peace. Minutes later, he was fast asleep.

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

Kagome yawned into her hand before smacking her lips together absently. She stretched luxuriously under the blankets. Opening her eyes when her hand collided with something hard, she smiled.

Sesshoumaru was asleep next to her. She didn’t remember anything after answering the phone, but she imagined he must have climbed in after her. At peace, he looked almost harmless. Innocent.

Kagome mentally snorted at the notion of a harmless Sesshoumaru. Even in sleep his aura pulsed against her miko senses. Oddly, however, she felt no true threat towards herself. Not like the first time they had met.

She had been minding the first floor desk that had been assigned to her three months ago. On Tuesdays, she was available to the public for inquiries into artifacts or questions. He had walked into the museum late that morning, immediately singling her out.

She had smiled at him, even as his frigid and bitingly antagonistic aura had washed over her. Subduing the instinctual need to flare her own aura in defense, she had maintained her smile. He had appeared briefly startled, but had gotten down to the business of interrogating her for everything she knew on the Shikon No Tama.

He had left after only an hour of grilling her but had returned a few weeks later with a few more inquiries. She hadn’t taken notice of it then, but his youki hadn’t been as abrasive to her senses. It had still been unfriendly, but had not threatened her as before.

And now it was more like a cool breeze. Soothing, welcoming, yet not so cold as to be uncomfortable.

Her grandfather had once stated that, to one with spiritual awareness, youki would be uncomfortable to withstand for any length of time. Kagome wondered why it was that she felt relieved to be around him. Her spirit at peace.

She had never admitted it to a single soul, knowing her decision to forgo her calling as a miko had hit her grandfather hard and that others did not understand, but her power sometimes seemed to tear at her. Unused, it festered inside her soul; at times seeming to have a mind of its own. Last night, indeed, the entire time she spent with him, the heated discomfort was calmed by his mere presence.

Hesitating slightly, Kagome leaned over the still slumbering form of the inuyoukai in her bed. She brushed her fingers over his cheek before laying a soft kiss on it. She smiled, almost giddily, before pulling away.

Briefly, she wondered about the identity of the unknown caller from early that morning, but Kagome dismissed it as being none of her business. If he wanted her to know, he’d tell her.

She slid out of the bed and slipped her robe on.

Humming her way into the small kitchen, she set out the ingredients for omelets. She’d picked up the habit of eating eggs and meats for breakfast from an English exchange student that had roomed with her while attending University. Given her current room mate, the practice should come in handy.

Debating on whether or not to add cheese, Kagome heard movement in the bedroom before Sesshoumaru sauntered into the kitchen and claimed a seat at her little, oblong table. His hair was pulled back into its customary tail. His pants and shirt were sadly wrinkled, but she still felt frumpy in her threadbare robe.

“Good Morning, Sesshoumaru,” she said, flipping the sizzling eggs in the frying pan. “Would you like cheese on your omelet?”

Shaking his head, he regarded her from under hooded eyes. “No. Is that pork?” he asked as the scent caused his mouth to water.

She grinned, holding up the package. A dancing sausage was portrayed leaping over the moon in bold, neon colors. “Yep. I remember how crazy Souta’s friend, an ookami, went over theses sausages at one of his sleepovers. I thought you might like to try them.”

Snorting, Sesshoumaru reined in his interest. Rarely did he eat anything other than youkai produced food stuffs, human fare being inferior in taste. Having weak taste buds, they tended to over spice perfectly good meat, ruining it for more refined palates.

Catching his sneer, Kagome rolled her eyes. “Fine. More for me.”

Sliding her omelet and some prepared sausages onto her plate, Kagome snagged a piece of toast from the toaster and sat at the table. She dug into her plate, famished for some odd reason.

Watching her eat with such gusto, Sesshoumaru approved. If all of her mornings began this way, perhaps he need not worry overly much for her appetite. Just the afternoon habit of improper consumption of junk food.

The scent of sausages tickled at his nostrils again, and he narrowed his eyes on the piece that disappeared into her mouth. She licked her lips with enjoyment, smiling at him over her fork. “I made plenty, and I am good at sharing,” she said after swallowing. She speared a fat piece and held it up to his mouth. “You know you want some.”

Against his better judgment, Sesshoumaru’s tongue snaked out to claim the succulent morsel. He chewed thoughtfully as the delicate taste of the perfectly seasoned meat demanded he sample more.

Seemingly reading his mind, Kagome got up and retrieved the plate she had sitting ready for him in the small microwave. The two finished breakfast in silence.

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

Hair up in a bun, more professional than elegant in a blue pant suit and flats, Kagome waved at Sesshoumaru from the doors of the museum. He gave a short nod before driving off.

Still smiling over the brief kiss he had planted on her lips before letting her leave the car, Kagome almost ran over Mr. Miagi on the way to her desk.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she apologized after he caught himself on a conveniently placed statue.

He shrugged his shoulders, realigning the perfect fit of his bright purple and green suit. “It is fine, Higurashi. It is fine. And what has you in such a hurry this morning?”

She blushed, and he grinned knowingly. It’s about time that Kin got around to it.”

Surprised, Kagome asked, “Kin?”

Mr. Miagi flushed. “As you know not of what I speak, I have apparently spoken out of turn. Forget I said anything, please.”

Having caught what he had hinted at, Kagome gave a firm nod of her head. The mention of Kin reminded Kagome of her thought from last night. “I have a request, Mr. Miagi. May I authorize Tashio Sesshoumaru to a key card for the elevator?”

It was a definite necessity if Kin had plans on approaching her. Something about that man just seemed slick. She wanted to avoid a potential confrontation should Sesshoumaru continue to have to go through him.

Eyes narrowing under his wide-framed glasses, her boss muttered, “Sesshoumaru…” He snapped his fingers. “Ah, the Tashio’s son? The one with all the,” he gestured to his chest, “you know?”Wasn’t that what she had just said? Kagome wondered with fond exasperation. Refraining from sighing at her absent-minded boss, Kagome nodded instead. “Yes, sir.”

His eye brows beetled. “For what purpose would he need a key card? I thought he had all the information he needed.”

Kagome felt an embarrassingly warm flush creep up her throat and into her cheeks. “I’m seeing him, and as he insists on picking me up from work, I thought it would expedite things.”

Mr. Miagi blinked. Then he smiled wickedly. He patted her arm briskly before winking. “Oh, yes, yes, Higurashi, we cannot have that youkai waiting on his lady in the main lobby, can we!”

Ducking her head, Kagome dropped an adoring kiss on his bald spot. “You’re a real sweetheart, Mr. Miagi, you know that?”

Embarrassed, he waved away her compliment. “Now, now, I may be getting on in years, but no man likes to be called a sweetheart, dear.”

She chuckled. “I’ll try to remember that.”

He gave a dramatic start. “Oh, I almost forgot. A Mr. Ryoko called this morning and requested a tour of the museum. He asked for you by name. I said you’d be busy with the morning visitors, but that he could drop by at noon.” He leaned in and whispered, “He promised a hefty donation to the museum, too!”

Calculating the odds of getting rid of the man in time to meet Sesshoumaru for lunch, Kagome winced. Staring into the hopeful expression of her boss, she forced a smile. “Okay, I’ll be sure to show him the best of the museum‘s collections, Mr. Miagi.”

The blinding grin he threw her way before whistling away warmed her. Now, how to get rid of Ryoko before Sesshoumaru appeared at one?

Not so distracted by the complications of time management that she forgot the key card, Kagome stopped by Kin’s desk on her way to her own.

Mr. Miagi’s revelation still fresh, she had a hard time meeting his eyes. “Hi, Kin. I need a key card made out for Tashio, Seshoumaru, please.”

Black hair tipped with blonde, an obvious salon effect , Kin frowned. “That youkai that was here yesterday? Is he bothering you about that jewel again?”

Kagome frowned. Slightly built, Kin still had a face that had many of the women museum patrons fawning over his desk rather than studying the artifacts. Right now, his brown eyes snapped with irritation and something else, something she had no desire to translate. “Yes, Kin, that youkai. Sesshoumaru is going to be picking me up some nights and for lunch.”

Kin leaned back in his seat. He narrowed his eyes on her. “Why?”

Irritated, Kagome’s hands went to her hips. “It’s none of your business, Kin, but we are dating. That’s what a considerate male would do for the woman he’s seeing.”

“The hell you are!” he shouted, coming out of his seat in masculine indignation.

Taken aback, Kagome gasped.

Kin stepped around the desk and grabbed her about the shoulders. “Look, I know I hadn’t come out and said anything concrete, but you must know I’ve been waiting for you to come to me!”

Kagome tried to shrug his hands away to no avail. She scowled instead. “Let me go, Kin. I’m seeing, Sesshoumaru. Even if I wasn’t, I’m not interested in being anything other than friends with you.”

His fingers tightened around her, threatening to leave ugly bruises in their wake. His eyes darkened and a sick feeling twisted in Kagome’s stomach at the hate that shone in their brown depths, turning them into murky puddles of malice.

“Kin! Release Kagome right now!”

Kin did as bid, stepping away to glare at the one who had interrupted them. Kagome rubbed her arms, chilled.

Incensed, Sango tapped a well-shod foot on the marble floor. “You’re going to be lucky to keep your job after I tell Mr. Miagi about your deplorable actions!”

Kin snatched his grey uniform hat off his head and threw it on the desk. “You don’t need to bother, bitch. I’d rather quit than work for that old coot.”

Sango gasped, her eyes snapping with outrage while her hands fisted.

Kagome stepped in front of her, restraining the woman. “Just let him go, Sango,” she said.

Nodding, Sango popped her knuckles. “I’m fine Kagome.” She turned her enraged eyes on the man that smirked behind Kagome’s back. “As for you, if I ever see you around here again, you’ll learn first hand what I can do. I didn’t always work in a museum, you piece of-“

Kagome muffled the rest of the insult with her hand. She glared over her shoulder at the still smirking Kin. “Leave. As it is, I might still press charges. We‘ll see how well you do in jail.”

Some of his smugness melted away at the threat. “I didn’t do anything to you!”

“Oh? I’m going to have bruises from you! Just get out of here, and I might forget this ever happened,” Kagome said darkly.

He wasted no time in leaving, his slick-soled shoes clacking on the floor until the doors slid shut soundlessly behind him.

Kagome leaned against the deserted desk, her knees threatening to collapse.

Sango asked, “Are you okay, Kagome? What was that all about anyway?”

Sighing, Kagome straightened and took a deep breath. Once she felt calm enough, she recounted the events that led up to the other woman’s interference.

“Oh,” Sango said once Kagome finished. She hesitated, her hands smoothing an invisible wrinkle on her paisley, skirted suit. “I don’t condone it, of course, but Kagome, you do realize that Kin won’t be the last one to object to your seeing Sesshoumaru.”

Blinking back tears, Kagome turned her back on the woman. “I know that Sango. But I’m really tired of hearing it from you.”

“I’m just trying to get you to see reason, Kagome. I went home last night and thought about this whole situation. If he were some average youkai, someone who had no heritage or wealth, it would be one thing. People would frown, but not much else. Sesshoumaru is the next in line for the Lordship of the whole of Western Japan, Kagome! And you, if he is serious about his pursuit, would be the first human Lady. The youkai will rebel, if only for that. His father will have no choice but to refuse Sesshoumaru’s birthright. And the humans…you’ve only seen a taste of how some react!”

Kagome didn’t reply, simply walked off. As much as she desired it, however, Sango’s words stayed with her the entire morning. As noon crept closer, doubts crowded her mind.Is this the right choice? she asked herself, her heart clenching at the painful contemplation. Am I hurting Sesshoumaru by even entertaining the thought that we belong together?

Mr. Ryoko proved to be completely different than what Kagome had expected. He appeared to be roughly her own age and was tall, well-built, and stylish in a pair of grey slacks and a red silk shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck. He was also blessed with perfectly defined features and unusual light brown eyes that appeared to be an almost pale amber.

She wasn’t impressed. That, and she just knew those were contacts.

Mr. Miagi smiled at the future museum patron. Kagome could practically see the wheels turning in his head. She wouldn’t be surprised if he already had his contacts in collections buzzing to spend the promised donations on new acquisitions.

“I’ll just leave you to business,” he said after he made the introductions.

Kagome turned to Mr. Ryoko after her boss retreated to his office; she offered a small smile and bowed before saying, “I had thought to begin the tour in the Feudal Era room. It is the most popular of all our collections. Would that be acceptable, Mr. Ryoko?”

He smiled, displaying blindingly white teeth set off by dimples. “Please, we mustn’t be so formal. Lee will do. The Feudal Era room sounds perfect, Kagome.”

Kagome bit back the retort on her tongue at his commandeering the use of her name. He was a potential donor for the museum, and in light of his acceptance of Sesshoumaru, Kagome didn’t want to let Mr. Miagi down.

She led the way to the room, their footsteps echoing in the swiftly emptying museum as the visitors left for lunch. Pointing out certain items of interest to Ryoko, Kagome felt her irritation slip away at how intensely he listened to her. Undivided attention as a tour guide was a rare treat.

“…And that’s the Ming Dynasty room. The gala event we have planned for Thursday promises to bring in new visitors as we expand our collections with seasonal exhibits loaned from other museums,” Kagome explained enthusiastically.

Ryoko whistled appreciatively. “I’m sure that will be an important event. Will you be in attendance, Kagome?”

She nodded. “Mr. Miagi is a generous employer. All employees of the museum are invited, along with one guest. I think there are still some tickets, if you would like to attend,” she added helpfully.

He smiled wryly, “I imagine I would have a difficult time locating a companion at such short notice. It’s been a long time since I was in a serious relationship.”

Unaccountably discomfited by his revelation, Kagome earnestly replied, “Oh, but you needn’t worry about bringing someone. I’m sure there will be plenty of people to speak with; others will come alone as well.”

“What about you, Kagome? Will you be coming alone?” he probed softly, smiling gently.

“I haven’t asked him yet, but there is someone I would like to come with me,” she said, missing the flash of irritation that flew through Ryoko’s eyes at her answer.

“Ah… he must be a lucky man, then.”

Deciding to forgo correcting him on the ‘man’ remark, as really, it didn’t matter, Kagome grinned. “Well, let’s hope he knows that.”

She wasn’t completely oblivious to his intent, but even had she not met Sesshoumaru, cookie-cutter men had never appealed to her. Nice enough, Ryoko wasn’t her type. Not that she had ever had a type, she thought. Images of Sesshoumaru, his masculine grace coupled with the intense heat that had burned in his eyes that morning as he kissed her, had her blushing while she ducked her head to hide it.

Mistaking her blush, Ryoko smirked. This would be easier than he had thought.

And so they moved from one room to another. Irritation mounted within the woman again at each inquiry that hinted more at her private life than the museum. She fended him off with vague replies before drawing his attention to yet another artifact.

Finally, Kagome thought, as they reached the end of the tour. They were standing in front of Mr. Miagi’s office once more. She was running out of patience, and his queries had grown less subtle. Where had the polite man gone? Surely, her mention of already having a date in mind for the gala should have been a large enough hint that she was not available?

It was five minutes till one, so she had enough time to make her lunch date. Sesshoumaru would be there any moment.

“And so, as you have seen, Miagi’s Museum of History is dedicated to the preservation of Japan’s history and it’s cultures, past and present. Thank you for taking interest in the museum,” Kagome wrapped the tour up, preparing to direct him to her boss’ office.

Sensing his imminent dismissal, Ryoko took hold of Kagome’s hand. “I do hope this isn’t where I am sent off with a pat on my head.” His lips twisted wryly. “I was hoping I could take you to lunch. To further my education on the merits of donating to the museum, of course.”

She extricated her hand from his grasp. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ryoko. I already have plans for lunch. Thank you for the offer, but I must decline.” Please come out of the office! Kagome silently begged her boss.

His smile dimmed. Ryoko’s eyes turned hard. “Oh? And who is the lucky fellow, if I might inquire?”

Kagome narrowed her eyes on him. One man unexpectedly turning nasty on her that day was enough. She stepped back, putting distance between them. She tilted her chin proudly. “I am seeing Tashio Sesshoumaru.”

Rather than the shock she expected, Ryoko raised a brow. “So, the rumors are true then. You don’t know what you are doing, Kagome.”

“I did not give you permission to be so familiar, Mr. Ryoko.” Kagome said even as she wondered what he was talking about. Then again, she really didn’t care.

Sango had given her more than enough to chew on.

She turned her back on him and knocked on the office door. Her boss opened it, smiling widely at Ryoko.

“Ahh! I trust the tour went well?”

Before she could reply, Ryoko interjected smoothly, “I was just asking Miss Higurashi for another hour of her time to run a few questions by her about the financial aspects of running a museum.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Regretfully, she said she has other, more important, plans than museum business to attend to.” His expression of masculine forbearance suggested that he suffered for the negative reply.

Mr. Miagi’s normally vague eyes sharpened on Kagome’s stilled figure. He turned a bright smile on Ryoko. “Ah, well, it is a lady’s prerogative to be difficult at times, no? Of course a young woman would rather spend her lunch time with other, more diverting things than business. But, no matter. I shall undertake to answer any and all questions you might have. I still remember Mrs. Miagi and her penchant for keeping me waiting every night for dinner.” Grumbling about women and their penchant for causing a man’s gout to act up, he guided Ryoko into his office.

Ryoko couldn’t refuse without looking like a complete cad and soon disappeared into the cluttered office.

Just before he shut the door, Mr. Miagi winked at Kagome after giving her a shooing motion.

Kagome chuckled, the tension that had seized her at the horrible realization that Ryoko had attempted to wrangle her boss into making her break her lunch date with Sesshoumaru dispelled.

“What has you distressed, Kagome?” Sesshoumaru asked from behind her.

Kagome whirled around. He stood there, solid in the bright light that streamed in through the ceiling windows. Kagome smiled. “It’s nothing. Have I told you how much I love my boss, Sesshoumaru? If I haven’t, consider yourself told.”

Eying her warily, Sesshoumaru considered her flushed cheeks and the lingering scent of her anger. Since he knew her boss, he was not perturbed with the notion of her actually ‘loving’ the male, though he would have preferred a different word choice.

Unsure how to reply, he settled on a standard, “Hn.”

Kagome linked her arm with his and turned him around to the main doors. “Since it’s just lunch, I don’t need to get my purse from the office. How about I choose where we eat today?” she asked as they left the museum.

He shrugged nonchalantly. It was then that Kagome noticed his attire. Rather than the suit she expected, he was dressed in his standard long-sleeved polo shirt, this one black, and khaki slacks. “Casual day at the office, Sesshoumaru?”

He stiffened, but remained silent as he opened the door of the Porsche for her, shutting it after she had settled onto the leather seat.

Confused, Kagome waited until he had taken the driver’s seat and had started the engine before asking, “Sesshoumaru? What’s wrong?”

“It is nothing, Kagome.” Navigating the car, he kept his gaze directed on the flow of traffic. “Where is this place you wanted to eat?”

She gave him directions, watching him warily. Something was wrong; she knew it. And she wouldn’t let him get away with fobbing her off. Not when there was so much at stake.

The Porsche pulled into the parking garage located behind the restaurant a few minutes later. She laid a hand on his arm, stalling him from leaving the car. Here, in the privacy of the vehicle, she wanted answers. “Don’t tell me it’s nothing, Sesshoumaru. It obviously bothers you, so please tell me.”

He raised a brow. “You are not one to lecture me on secrets, Kagome.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. What was he talking about? she wondered. Then it dawned on her. She groaned. “I wasn’t trying to keep secrets, Sesshoumaru. I just didn’t want to upset you. It really was nothing.”

He looked unconvinced, so she gave up. “I gave some guy a tour of the museum. He was a creep, but my boss took care of him for me so I was free to come to lunch. That’s all.”

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, forcing his youki to remain calm lest he frighten her. Creep? That was a strong word, coming from her. What had he done to merit the insult? Had he laid hands on her? If so…

“Who is this ‘creep?’” he demanded to know.

“I’d rather not say. I would not like to wake up to the headline that you are in jail for assault, thank you very much.” She laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “Sesshoumaru, really, it’s okay.”

He sniffed lightly and brought her hand to his nose. A hint of male musk lined the fragile skin there. Indignant, he rubbed her hand between his palms, covering the strange male’s scent with his own.

Kagome stared at him wide-eyed. “What are you doing?”

“He touched you, and now I have his scent,” Sesshoumaru replied, dark promise hooding his eyes.

She snatched her hand back. “Sesshoumaru! Don’t you touch him, do you hear me! I mean, he didn’t do anything but act like a jerk! It’s not worth you getting in trouble with the law. What he did was nothing compared to getting manhandled by…” Her mind catching up to her mouth, Kagome let her sentence die. Suddenly, she couldn’t get out of the car fast enough.

Sesshoumaru engaged the door locks. Kagome flinched as they clicked down. He loomed over her in the small car, backing her into the door. “Manhandled?” His voice whispered over her skin, making her shudder.

Kagome gulped. “Eh, hehe.” She tried to smile, but the effect died as his eyes glowed into her own, daring her to lie to him. “I took care of it, Sesshoumaru,” she finally spit out desperately.

Angry didn’t even begin to cover it, Sesshoumaru thought as he took hold of her shoulders to shake some sense into her, if need be. Her wince, when he knew damn well he hadn’t touched her hard enough to warrant such a reaction, was the final straw.

Without even attempting to ask permission, he slit the sleeves on her suit jacket and blouse with a slash of his claws. The steadily darkening bruises, foul splotches in the shape of a man’s fingers, stood out in stark relief against her peach-hued skin.

Breathing heavily though his nose, Sesshoumaru fought for control. “Who did this?” he growled out, almost feral as his eyes bled crimson.

Frightened, Kagome knew better than to tell him. Not in this condition. “Sesshoumaru, please calm down! I don‘t want you to get in trouble!” she cried out, tears forming in her worry that he would do something rash.

His instincts screamed at him to find the threat, to force her to reveal to him the name of the man who had dared touch his female. The acrid scent that invaded his nostrils, however, urged him to calm her. To reassure Kagome that she need not fear him, nor should she fear for him.

Caught in a maelstrom of conflicting desires, his control on his form threatened to slip. He buried his nose in her hair, pulling her from her seat to cradle her upon his lap. He took in deep breaths of her essence, fighting to retain his humanoid body.

Startled, Kagome had let out a yelp when she had been dragged into his lap. When his cold nose buried itself between her neck and shoulder, however, she relaxed in his hold. Tentatively, she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to pacify him.

Her aura reached out to his. She barely managed not to recoil at the malice that darkened it only because she knew it was not directed towards her, but her assailant. Concentrating on soothing him, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

Time lost all distinction as the pair sat there, the car idling in the parking garage. It was when Kagome began to sniffle into Sesshoumaru’s hair that he pulled back.

Regarding her with clear eyes, Sesshoumaru huskily murmured, “Your fear was unnecessary, Kagome. I have no intention of losing myself to the justice system. Dry your eyes,” he commanded. Even if he cherished each tear as a sign that she cared enough to feel fear for him, not of him, he couldn‘t abide the sight of her sadness.

She smoothed out his shirt awkwardly. She pulled away as far as the confined space would allow. The steering wheel at her back didn’t allow for more than breathing room between them. “Sesshoumaru, how old are you?” she asked.

Thrown off by the question, he answered automatically, “I will have reached my 200th year by next month.” He regarded her quizzically. “Why?”

“Have you ever been serious about a female?” she asked rather than answering his question.

“Why are you asking?” He would know where she was going with this.

Kagome absently smoothed another wrinkle. “Just answer me, please, and I’ll explain.”

Capitulating to her request, he scrutinized her weary eyes for any sign of where this was heading. “There was once an engagement. It ended before the mating.”

“Why?”

He narrowed his eyes on her before looking off. “She had been contracted to mate this Sesshoumaru fifty years ago. The engagement was created between my father and the female’s sire. Before the mating was to occur, she ran off with her human lover. It has been said that they had moved to America.”

“So, she left you because she loved him and couldn’t mate you?” Kagome felt heartless for pestering him on it, but she needed to know.

Sesshoumaru snorted. “Hardly. She had not known to whom she was promised until the night before the mating. Then we met. That night, she left with her human. Had it been only for love,” he sneered dispassionately, “she would have left much sooner.”

“You said you viewed mating me as honorable repayment for helping you use the jewel. Yet, you also said I was the one you wanted because I was attracted to you. Which one is it, Sesshoumaru? Do you want me, or do you find using me, in that way, less disgusting than another woman?” Kagome finally asked.

Her every sense was trained on his answer.

Muscles locked, Sesshoumaru froze before allowing his gaze to fall into her own. Intellectually, he floundered to find an answer that would not damn him. Alternately, his instincts demanded he ease whatever it was that worried her.

“I want you, as a male desires a female,” he finally replied. “That want has nothing to do with the jewel. It is only a bonus that you are capable of aiding me in its use.”

Intensely interested, she didn‘t give up. “What about your lordship, Sesshoumaru? What if you lose that because of me?”

Comprehension dawned. He swore colorfully while Kagome‘s eyes widened in surprise. “Who has been filling your head with doubts?” he asked, frustration evident in his gravely voice.

She waved away his question. “It doesn’t matter. They are good questions, Sesshoumaru. I need to know if you realize what could happen if you mate me. Just dating has so many people upset.”

He growled lowly, irritated. “Every angle of the situation was dissected before I made contact with you, Kagome. I will not pretend to a disinterest in the Western Lordship, as I was raised to it. But I will not allow it, the opinions of the people within the territory, nor my own Father, to decide my mate or rule my life.”

Kagome stared him down. Intense blue clashed with fiery gold. Finally, she gave a sharp nod of her head. Her doubts were extinguished by the certainty that cloaked his words in rock-solid finality. “Okay.”

“Okay?” he repeated, nonplussed.

Claiming a clawed hand, Kagome laid a small kiss in the palm. “You’re a big boy, Sesshoumaru. I know now that you know what you’re doing; what you chance by choosing me. I have enough respect for you to allow you to make your own decisions. To not try and make them for you. Besides, who wants to be a lord anyway? All work and no play,” she joked weakly, trying to lighten the air.

Lifting a brow, Sesshoumaru peered down his nose at Kagome. “Your doubts were spawned from the belief that I did not know my own mind?” He didn’t know whether to be insulted at the blatant insinuation that she had judged him to be a feeble-minded adolescent or relieved that her mind was now at rest.

She smiled apologetically, shrugging within his arms. “It’s not like I know you all that well yet, Sesshoumaru. Or anything about youkai maturity, for that matter. At least I asked before jumping to erroneous conclusions.”

He scoffed, “Yes, there is that. Perhaps I should be the one asking the questions, now that the topic has been brought up. These questions have not come from out of the blue.”

Kagome’s somber gaze met his evenly. “I’m sure that, while I would like my friends to understand and accept, I‘m not going to let their opinions sway me. Let alone people I don‘t even know or care about.” She cleared her throat and dived in, “I’m sorry about what Sango said last night, by the way. If it’s any consolation, Sango’s more concerned about your being a lord than anything else. She thought she was giving me friendly advice.”

“You will forgive me if I reserve judgment on her merit as a credible friend.” Especially when said friend seemed more interested in leading Kagome from his side, he thought morosely.

Figuring that he had a right to be upset with Sango, Kagome decided to change the subject. “Well, in light of the revelations on my part, perhaps now you will be willing to be upfront and tell me what this is about?” she asked, toying with the collar of his shirt.

Knowing better than to attempt to change her mind, disaster having been recently averted, Sesshoumaru decided to reciprocate her openness. “I am no longer employed by Jidai, Inc..”

She gasped. “What! Oh no, Sesshoumaru! What happened?” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“There was a difference of opinion among upper management,” he hedged. He would not have Kagome feel guilty that his father had fired him that morning upon the realization that his arguments held no more sway in the light of day than they had earlier.

“Let us see how well you do on your own in the world, Sesshoumaru,“ his father had declared. Soon you will come to realize that no woman is worth it, least of all one who will be dead and gone in a mere youkai moment.”

Paradoxically, while he was angry that his sire would not give up, would waste their time on yet another attempt to bring him to heel, Sesshoumaru was relieved. He had not been satisfied in his position within Jidai, Inc.. Taking orders from another was not to his liking, even his own father.

Kagome bit her lip. “It’s because of me, isn’t it?” she asked in a small voice.

Sesshoumaru silently damned his father. “It is not the end of the world, Kagome. I have been managing my own investments for a century now. It will be a small matter to set up my own business, should I so choose.” His gaze hardened. “Or, I can take this time to further my training for the Grand General title.” Without his sire to train with, he would be hard-pressed to find another sparring partner. Still, nothing was insurmountable once he put his mind to it.

Kagome decided to have faith in him. She had always sensed that nothing would be beyond him, provided he wanted it enough. She wondered if she fell into that category. Either way, she would be sure to find out.

“I’m starved,” she blurted out.

Sesshoumaru blinked before a deep chuckle escaped. He unlocked the Porsche and helped her slide out over his knees before standing. “Then let us eat,” he said, his own appetite whetted. For food or something else, he couldn’t differentiate.

Disclaimer: All InuYasha characters depicted are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi and are copyrighted by Viz. All original characters and the plot are my intellectual property. All names and places, either factual or imaginary, are used for the purposes of entertainment only. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of InuYasha. Copyright infringement is NOT intended.

Chapter Ten

Comfortably attired in the ratty robe once more, Kagome left her bedroom after giving the ‘Dynasty Dynamics’ calendar that hung from her wall a stern glare. Circled in bright red marker, the day’s date mocked her plans to relax. Unless…

“Sesshoumaru?” Kagome called out to the Daiyoukai lounging on the living room couch. Her fingers plucked at the robe’s frayed belt.

He looked up from the newspaper, a brow arched in question. She looked nervous, yet also hopeful at the same time. After his informative visit with Noriko, he’d picked Kagome up from work. Dinner at the same café as the other night had followed, before they ended up back at her apartment.

This time, however, he was prepared to stay over. He had been immersed in the stock quotes, while also trying to figure out the logistics of making use of her shower, when she’d rejoined him.

She dropped onto the couch. “It’s that time of the month,” she stated without preamble.

Aware of human biology, Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply of her scent. Still flushed from the shower, she exuded nothing but the clean aroma of woman, soaps, and her unique scent marker. His brow beetled. “You are not using those foul scent potions, are you?”

Developed by an up-and-coming pharmaceutical company, marketed as a form of body deodorant, ‘Secrets’ had taken the market by storm. Dependent on their ‘type,’ a youkai’s abilities to pick up scent varied; from the animal youkai’s capabilities, to the elementals almost humanly-dulled ability.

However, purported to conceal a human’s scent, rendering even an inuyoukai’s refined olfactory capabilities null and void by blanketing the human‘s own bodily scents with its pheromones, ‘Secrets’ was now the top selling item of its kind. Already, the darker side of humanity had added it to their standard ‘tools of the trade.’ The process of tracking criminals, human ones at least, was now a highly complicated matter; whereas, before the saturation of ‘Secrets’ on the market, a youkai detective could simply track the criminal by scent.

Not only that, but to an inuyoukai, scent was one of the most important ways in which to identify another.

“What are you talking about?” Genuinely confused, Kagome’s direct gaze cleared away the fog of Sesshoumaru’s anger.

“I do not detect the scent of your menses,” he stated clearly, his hard voice demanding an explanation of his own.

“My…” Kagome trailed off, fighting the urge to stammer. “Oh, I didn’t mean that! That’s not until three weeks or so.” She could do this. A conversation about her period wasn’t that embarrassing. She was a woman of the modern age, not a giggling teenager. Pep talk aside, she still felt her cheeks pinken slightly.

“Why don’t you like ‘foul scent potions’ anyway?” she asked. It would be a nice change for her, to know that her neighbors or the stray youkai that came into the museum couldn’t scent out everything about her from her age to her current sexual partner. At times, she felt almost naked, her privacy violated in some way. She’d heard about some sprays and perfumes; one was supposed to be really good. The price tag was outrageous, however, and she didn’t have the money to try it out.

The newspaper was folded and placed on the coffee table. Normally, he would not render an answer. He would simply order her to comply with his wishes. This was not a lackey or an employee, though. Kagome would not respond to commands. “It would displease me were you to use them. Because, he added silently, the thought of something masking her scent, hiding a part of her away from him, was intolerable. How could he care for her properly if her body did not speak to him of its needs?

“Why?”

He should have known better than to think, for even a moment, that she would have done it simply for that reason. Oh, she would not do something simply to spite him. That he was sure of. Despite that, if she were to promise not to do something, she would need a reason.

An independent creature, she could reject anything that smacked of his possessive need to see to her health. “I cannot see you properly without your scent,” he finally let out. “Humans depend completely on their sight. Sometimes, with those they are intimate with, touch and scent can be used by inferior organs to enhance the impressions cemented by sight. If you conceal your scent from me, your identity is blurred, changed, if you will.”

“You wouldn’t know who I was if you couldn’t smell me?” she asked, aghast. She’d had no idea it was so complicated!

A clawed hand chopped through the air impatiently. “Mentally, I would know who you are, Kagome. Instinctively, however, I would be uneasy. That is the best explanation I can give.”

“Oh.” Peering contemplatively through her lashes at him, Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip. She sighed. “Well, it’s not like I could afford them anyway. But, just for the record, I won’t use anything to block my scent, regardless of how much I might like to sometimes. Okay?”

He gave a short nod. “Now, you will explain what you meant by it being ‘that time of the month.’” Even if the detour in conversation had proven fruitful, he wanted to get back to her original concern.

Reminded of her coming chore, Kagome groaned. “I have to balance my checkbook.”

Of all the things she could have said, that was not what he was expecting. “Balance your checkbook.” All the sighs and groans for that simple endeavor?

She pouted. “I’m not exactly algebraically gifted, if you take my meaning, Sesshoumaru. Add to that the fact that I hate going through all the receipts and check stubs. I put it off as long as I can, but every month I make sure to tally up everything so I don’t overspend.”

Appalled, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes briefly. He took a deep breath, then turned incredulous eyes on her slumped figure. “You do not keep track of your finances but once a month?”

“I know, I know. The thing is, stuff just gets piled up. I get too busy to bother with it.” She offered a bright, hopeful smile. “Today is the day that I have marked off to do it. And, it just so happens that there is a financial guru right here before me.”

He wryly noted, “I assume you are speaking of myself.”

“Please?” she begged. “It takes me forever and a day to get through it. I’m not asking you to do all the work. I’ll go through all the receipts and give you the numbers. I just need help tallying everything up and making sure I haven’t made any mistakes.”

Unable to resist, the impulse to delve into her financial affairs as thoroughly as he was her life impossible to quell, Sesshoumaru nodded. Kagome squealed in thanks and jumped up to retrieve her purse from the kitchen table. When she returned, she kneeled by his feet and upended the contents of the satchel on the coffee table. Under his watchful eye, she began to sort through the various bits of paper to find the receipts.

“You keep your receipts in your purse,” he stated blandly after running a hand over his eyes at the sight of the growing pile of small squares of white paper.

Kagome paused, looking over her shoulder at the resigned words. “Of course. Where else would I keep them?”

“A folder, in a filing cabinet, preferably with a lock, perchance?” came his sardonic reply.

“Pshaw.” She waved a hand dismissively before turning back to her task. “I don’t have the room for a filing cabinet. Besides, isn’t that going overboard just for some receipts?”

Talking to the back of her head, Sesshoumaru’s irritated glare had no affect. “What of your important papers? Birth certificate, banking statements, others of that nature?” Half of him dreaded the answer, while the other half leaned forward in semi-anticipation of her off-the-wall comment.

He was not disappointed.

She didn‘t even pause in the act of tossing an empty gum wrapper into the discard pile. “Oh, I keep those in the freezer along with the credit cards.”

“The freezer.”

Something in his voice must have given her pause, because Kagome swiveled her head around in time to catch his sour expression. “Yeah. I read somewhere that thieves never think to look in the freezer. It’s okay, because I’ve got the corn and sausages on top of it. Kinda like a disguise, you know? Blending into the surroundings and all that.”

Abruptly taking his feet, Sesshoumaru stalked into the kitchen. Seconds later, he pulled a large bowl of frozen water out from under a pile of the promised vegetable and meat camouflage.

Kagome came to stand at his elbow. “What are you doing?” she asked curiously, breath fogging in the arctic blast from the open freezer door until he closed it with a muffled curse.

He carried the bowl to the sink only to stop and stare at it in utter silence. “Why, precisely, did you feel the need to encase your papers and credit cards in ice?” he finally bit out between clenched teeth. “What if there was immediate need for them?”

She rubbed her arms innocently. “Oh. That. Mom told me to freeze my credit cards. That way, I won’t make impulse purchases with them if I have to hack through the ice to get to them. The other stuff, I figured I’d just keep it all together, so I wouldn’t lose them. Safety, you know? Identity theft is big now.”

Mentally cursing intelligent females possessed of less common sense than a gnat, Sesshoumaru turned the tap on hot. Kagome wisely held silent as the block of ice slowly melted under the combined forces of the hot water and his even hotter glare. About to reach for the water-tight plastic baggy she’d placed everything in to freeze once it was free, she was surprised with a sharp stinging on the back of her hand.

“Did you just slap my hand?” Wide eyes met his narrowed golden gaze. Really, she swore that was his hand that had swatted hers away, but she couldn’t believe it!

Sesshoumaru carefully pulled out the birth certificate and financial papers. The little idiot had even placed her diploma in the gallon-sized bag! “As you do not have the necessary security here, I will lock these in my vault along with my own papers tomorrow. In the meantime, I will place them within my briefcase for safekeeping.” He glared at her, daring her to refute his plan. How she had survived this long, he’d never know.

Hair pricking on the back of her neck, Kagome sniffed haughtily. “Whatever, Mr. Security Expert. As long as I can get them when I need them, knock yourself out.” She’d die before admitting it now, but in light of his rather obvious show of disdain, maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to use the freezer for a safe.

“Much obliged,” he drawled icily, irritated at her sarcasm.

“Thank you!” she shot back ungratefully, giving him an insincere, toothy smile. Kami, she hadn’t asked him to do anything for her! Well, other than help her with her checkbook. But that didn‘t mean she deserved to be treated like a scatterbrained idiot!

Withdrawing from the argument when Kagome bared her teeth at him, Sesshoumaru’s skin itched to stretch. In reaction to her silent warning, his instincts clamored to meet the challenge, to prove his worth as the dominant partner in their relationship. The end result found him floundering to control his shape as cramps overtook his body. His legs buckled, and he fell to the floor.

Shocked, Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru seemed to fold in on himself.

“Sesshoumaru?” She reached out to him, anger forgotten. Slowly, she sank to her knees beside him. Hesitantly, she brushed aside his long mane of hair to see his face. Red eyes stared out at her, stained with violet pupils and little flickering green veins. “Are you okay?” she asked warily.

Closing his eyes on the fear he could hear, could smell, in her every word, Sesshoumaru couldn’t reply. He’d pushed his control beyond its limits, expended too much energy fighting his instincts in regard to protecting Kagome; resisting his own urges in regard to her period. Spending the nights here had also meant he could not take his true form at nights, easing his pain momentarily to gain true rest. He fought to stand. Leaning heavily on Kagome’s arm, having no other alternative as his stomach swam and his vision blurred even further, he wobbled to the door, pride the only motivator to keep him going.

“Wait, where are you going?” Halting in her tracks once she realized that he was heading towards the door, Kagome refused to budge. Her fingers wrapped around his arm; she squeezed it in entreaty. “Sesshoumaru, you can’t go anywhere like this! It could be dangerous. What if someone tries to take advantage of you?”

A dark chuckle traveled to her ears and she shivered in reaction. “No one would dare accost me in this state, Kagome.” Husky, his words held a bestial hint that paled her complexion even further.

“At least tell me what’s wrong!”

The panic in her words broke through his self-recriminations long enough to lodge them in his mind. “I must take my true form, Kagome.”

Taken aback, she didn’t immediately respond to that simple statement. All this over that? she asked herself, astounded that he was making such a big deal over something so little.

“Well, why can’t you do that here?” she asked before the words had even registered in her mind.

He stilled, the pain silenced momentarily as if his instinct was a living entity that waited with bated breath for his reply. “I cannot.” And with the denial, the extreme agony of bone and sinew fighting against his control renewed ten-fold.

“Damn it, Sesshoumaru, just do it!” Frustrated, hating the helplessness that threatened to bring tears to her eyes as his obvious pain ate at her soft heart, Kagome snapped.

Startled into complying, her words wresting enough control from him for the change to take place without his consent, Sesshoumaru’s elongated mouth could only rumble a warning. “Bedroom. Now!”

Taking heed, she ran for her bedroom, slamming the door shut for good measure. Outside the door, monstrous growls and horrific popping and tearing sounds shook her windows and rattled the mirror on her wall. Terrified for him when silence reigned once more, Kagome threw open her door.

A wall of silver fur blocked her way out. Oh, my! Shocked, Kagome’s fingers slid through the silky fur, learning the texture was as fine as the fur he had worn on his humanoid body. The muscle shifted under her fingertips, and after a minute of shuffling movements that she could hear, but not see, Kagome was face to nose with quite possibly the largest dog she’d ever seen. “Wow.” Now she understood the awe in their voices when others spoke of Daiyoukai.

Seeking the silken down on his nose, Kagome missed the way he tensed up at the touch of her fingers. She laughed when her eyes caught sight of a splinter of wood peeking out from under his paw. Given that her living room furniture was now resting in pieces underneath his huge body, his tail filling her kitchen, it was a pretty fair guess that she‘d be hitting the thrift stores again. “I only have myself to blame for that. You did try to warn me, but in my defense, I hadn’t expected, well, I didn’t know what to expect.”

A rumbled growl met her pronouncement. Feeling it in the very marrow of her bones, Kagome patted his nose before yawning. “Well, given that I cannot find it right now, I suppose I can put off balancing my checkbook until tomorrow. Will you be okay tomorrow?” she asked, wondering if he could need more time to do whatever it was he needed to do.

Carefully maneuvering his head so as to save the ceiling from being knocked down upon them, he slowly nodded. He hated this form for its inability to communicate with Kagome. The pain had stopped, and he would be able to sleep the true sleep of his kind.

But that would leave her unguarded. He unconsciously snarled at the thought.

Unnerved by the violence promised in that frightening sound, Kagome was unprepared for the tongue that snaked out to pull her to his side. Nearly as smooth as his fur, it was appeared to be feathered at the edges. Kagome shook away the irrelevant observation when he shifted some more. Summarily deposited against his side, her scrambling movements to regain her feet were all met with a fierce snarling warning.

Catching on after the fifth attempt to return to her bedroom was rejected by a paw blocking her way, Kagome dryly asked, “Is this your way of keeping an eye on me tonight?”

A crimson eye blinked at her before he shifted slightly, attempting to find a more comfortable position. Shoulders hunched, unable to stand as his back touched the ceiling laying down, he looked terribly uncomfortable. Taking pity on him, Kagome leaned into the crook of his foreleg, savoring the warmth that emanated from his body. “Good night, Sesshoumaru.”

A brief burst of air from his nose was her only answer, but Kagome smiled anyway. As her dreams began to take over, the small grin faded when he shifted again in the small, confined space. If he had needed to change, why had he waited so long? she huffed mentally. It looked like Sesshoumaru needed someone to take care of him just as badly as he tried to look after her.

The real question was, could she make the necessary sacrifices to ensure she gave him what he needed as easily as he had for her? Kagome sighed, the answer to that question coming easily. Now…how to take care of him without pricking the Daiyoukai’s pride.

The problem kept her up most of the night. When she finally did fall asleep, it was into a deep, dreamless place where only the warmth of the body surrounding her body was allowed to join her.

The insistent warble of the bedroom telephone went unanswered.

Chapter Twelve

“Sesshoumaru! Do you know where my soap is?” With only two hours to prepare for the gala, Kagome was frantic. Her favorite soap, a personally formulated combination of hibiscus and rose hips, was missing.

Slamming into the living room, Kagome pulled up short at the sight of Souta standing there, gaping at Sesshoumaru who had been occupied clearing the living room of the demolished couch. “Um, hi Souta!” she offered brightly.

Souta’s eyes widened further upon sighting his sister. “Kagome! Where’s your clothes?” came his shocked question. He’d been around the block a few times in the past year, but Kagome wasn’t supposed to be so comfortable with a male in the room!

Gasping, Kagome ran back into the bathroom to put her clothes back on. She had a habit of forgetting things when she was stressed out, but to have run into the living room in nothing but a towel? Kami, where was her brain? What must her brother think? she wondered, horrified.

The brother turned to glare at Sesshoumaru, but the Daiyoukai ignored the impudence. He could afford to be magnanimous with the brother of his female. The impression, clearly read from the frothing scent of indignation and outrage that wafted from the male, gathered as a result of her little display was incorrect. As he had every intention of becoming her lover, however, it was merely a matter of anticipating the eventual, rather than a completely erroneous mistake worthy of correction.

Sesshoumaru wondered what it would take to get Kagome to model that towel for him again. It had stopped just barely at revealing everything the Kamis had gifted her with.

The sight was not something he would be likely to forget any time soon, if ever.

Throwing her robe over her jeans and t-shirt for good measure, Kagome left the safety of the bathroom to face the music. Namely, one pesky kid brother.

“Souta, what brings you here?” she asked, hoping to deflect the coming, potentially embarrassing, inquisition by distracting him.

Slanting his eyes at Sesshoumaru, Souta glared at his sister. “What the hell was that all about? I know who he is, but why the hell are you running around naked with him here?”

Deciding to give them privacy, or a semblance of it, Sesshoumaru left them for the kitchen.

Taking the offense, she planted her hands firmly on her hips. “Language Souta! And, not that it’s any business of yours, but I’m dating Sesshoumaru. He‘s just picking up some things that got broken while I get ready for the gala. And I wasn‘t ‘running around naked’ you baka! I had a towel on.” As comebacks went, that last line was a bit lacking. Kagome almost bit her tongue.

“A towel.” He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I bet mom will be real happy when I tell her, ‘Oh, by the way, Kagome had some stray dude in her pad, but don’t worry, nothing was going on. She had a towel on!’”

Incensed, Kagome leapt for her brother. “You little rat!” she yelled from on his back, pulling on his ears viciously. “You’d better not tell mom! All the times I covered for you when you snuck out, and you’re going to snitch me out?”

“Ouch, Kagome! Get off!” All attempts to dislodge his sister failed and Souta was forced to concede before she managed to rip his ears off. “Fine! Just get off!”

Huffing, Kagome complied with a victorious smile. “Why are you here anyway?”

Warily, he took a step away from her. Souta rubbed his sore ears. “Mom sent me. She said she tried to call, but the phone wouldn’t work. She got worried, so I came to make sure you were alright.” He glanced at the kitchen before whispering, “And I just bet she’d love to know you’ve got some male stashed in your apartment.”

Kagome smirked, the effect an odd sight on her normally kind features. “Mom already knows I’m seeing him, Souta. I just don’t want you running to her and making her worry that I’m a ruined woman.”

“Are you?”

Knowing better than to get angry with his honest question, Kagome smiled wryly. “No, Souta, I am not. And if I were, Sesshoumaru would take care of me, I know it. So, no worrying about me, okay?”

He shrugged noncommittally. “What happened here anyway?” he asked as a means of changing the subject. What with getting his ear yelled off, he’d not had a chance to notice the utter mess her apartment was in.

She couldn‘t resist the temptation. “Oh, you know how orgies get,” she replied slyly.

“KAGOME!”

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

Three hours later, one hour late as a matter of fact, she managed to get rid of her brother, get showered and change into the outfit that had cost almost two months of junk food splurges. The missing soap had turned up, thank the Kamis.

Full of excited energy, Kagome fidgeted in the blue silk dress she’d bought to wear to the gala. A formfitting, empire-style bustline flowed seamlessly into a fluttering skirt that brushed her knees. She felt like a princess in it, especially with the silver and blue sandals that accompanied the dress. Ebony hair pulled back in a gleaming knot and minimal touches of lip-gloss, blusher and mascara completed the look of restrained elegance.

She glanced at her companion in the car when a clawed hand settled on her knee to still her tapping foot. “I can’t help it. This is my first time going to an event like this. I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself or the museum,” she defended herself against his warning look.

Decked out in a standard black and white tuxedo, silver hair pulled back and tied at his neck, Sesshoumaru was as handsome as she’d ever seen him. Something about the stark coloring definitely set off his unique appeal.

“You will not.” Especially looking as appealing as she did tonight. He had always thought she was beautiful, but something about her tonight was different. Energy crackled around her form, while her smile had never been so bright. She was so enthusiastic; the transparent joy couldn’t help but to make even him feel less jaded.

Kagome chuckled. “You sound so sure of yourself, Sesshoumaru. I’m not accident prone or anything like that, but sometimes I can be clumsy. What if I spill something, say, on you?” she teased.

Without taking his eyes off the road, his fingers squeezed her knee before returning to the wheel. “You do, and I will have to find a suitable punishment for you.”

Blue eyes glittering in challenge, she tilted her chin daringly. “Oh? Getting kinky now, are we?”

Startled, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

She burst out laughing. “Oh, my Kami! I was joking, Sesshoumaru!” She gasped for breath between bursts of giggles. She felt so good tonight, almost as if she could take on the world!

Refusing to allow her victory in the verbal skirmish, he smirked. “I wasn’t.”

She choked on her last chuckle. “What?”

He shrugged. “It is a fact that should a mate need correction, their male is free to do so in any manner they see fit.”

“Oh, and what about the female? What if the male is a jerk? What can the female do to correct him?” The teasing gone from her voice, Kagome was intent on his answer. Some of her enthusiasm had been sucked away by the calm honesty of his words, and she resented its absence.

Sesshoumaru hesitated, scowling. How did she hone in on seemingly innocent banter and turn it into something potentially detrimental to their mating? “Kagome, there is no need to worry over such things. I plan on being a generous mate and will make allowances for your independent nature.”

“You’re evading my question again, Sesshoumaru. If there is something I need to know, you owe it to me to be fair and let me make my decisions based on all available information, rather than on what you deem I should know.”

The excitement that had been bubbling in her chest all afternoon slowly eroded even further. The silence in the car remained unbroken after her pronouncement until he pulled into the large parking area designated for the museum’s gala by flashing lights and uniformed attendants.

“Kagome,” he began after turning the engine off, “You ask what I cannot answer. The way I think, even my reactions around you, they are not something I am familiar with. Had you been a youkai female, the argument Tuesday night would have ended with your blood on my claws. Mates can be violent when challenged or crossed. As it was, I could only think of howling, stomping, doing anything to make you see my way, but not harming you.” His grip tightened on the wheel; the leather creaked under his grasp. “I can only assume it is something about you, in particular, that gentles my instincts. I’ve been confronted by human females before and had been tempted to deal with them as a youkai many times over.”

Her thoughtful gaze scrutinized his earnest expression. Digesting the fact that sometime in the future, regardless of any ‘gentling,’ he could turn violent in the face of a perceived challenge to his authority, Kagome didn’t know what to say.

Granting her a reprieve from the question in his golden eyes, the car attendant opened the Porsche’s door. She quickly scrambled out of the car, forgetting her small, glittery purse in the seat she abandoned.

Dressed in a red jacket and black pants, his tie slightly askew, the skinny, brown-haired teenager’s nose piercing glinted in the bright lights that cut through the evening gloom. “Hey Kagome!”

She smiled in greeting. “Hey Jin. Are you going to be working all night?” Souta’s age, he often hung out at the shrine with her brother after school.

“Yep. Mr. Miagi is paying me more than I could make in a week at WacDonald’s to stick around the entire time. You want me to walk you to the door?” he asked, taking in the freezing glare leveled on him by the male that had exited after her.

“Thank you for offering, but my date can help me.” Refusing to look at him after he’d blatantly tried to intimidate the poor boy, Kagome still allowed Sesshoumaru to take her arm. Not that she’d had any choice in the matter.

Once inside, Kagome forced a smile to cross her lips, even as she held back a wince at the bitingly frigid aura that almost threatened to suffocate her. The quartet that had been hired to play for the gala had already set up and were playing a soft waltz, the first of their many compositions. Individuals and groups, all garbed in the latest fashions, chatted amiably amongst themselves between accepting champagne flutes and small helpings of shrimp or crackers layered with pate from the helpful caterers.

Mr. Miagi waved to Kagome from a group to her right. “Come over here, dear. I’ve got some people I’d like to introduce you to!”

Her smile a little less forced now, Kagome followed Sesshoumaru’s lead and was soon standing before her boss.

Mr. Miagi politely bowed his head to Sesshoumaru. “So glad you could attend, Sesshoumaru-san.”

The Daiyoukai nodded stoically. Kagome wondered at the change of address, but then assumed that, since he was no longer the heir, he would not be seen as a ‘-sama’ anymore. Her boss wasn’t comfortable enough to drop the honorific entirely as most did with youkai not of the nobility, either.

That spoke very highly of his true nobility of character. No matter his political status, Sesshoumaru would always command deep respect.

Ashamed of her behavior, Kagome apologetically stroked his hand. He had been honest with her, and she had overreacted. It was terrible that her boss had shown him more respect than she had.

She struggled through the polite introductions. Curious, the three men and their dates didn’t even bother to conceal their blatant interest in the Daiyoukai and his possessive grasp on her arm.

The tension within Sesshoumaru’s frame increased exponentially with each passing minute. Deciding retreat was in order, along with some apologies, Kagome bowed out of the conversation on pottery restoration.

She silently led her looming escort to the elevator, ignoring the now obvious stares following their every move. The ride to her office floor was made in absolute quiet. She sighed. It was her fault that he was so remote. And it was up to her to salvage the evening.

Grateful she hadn’t locked her office for the night, Kagome opened the door and waited for Sesshoumaru to enter before closing it behind them. He stalked to the small window and stood there, staring out at the crowd gathering below. Features blank but so distant it almost hurt to look at him, he made no effort to look at her.

Shame dulling her eyes, Kagome bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Sesshoumaru.”

When he still refused to acknowledge her, Kagome’s vision began to blur. She sniffed pitifully. What had she done? her heart wailed miserably.

A long, drawn-out sigh preceded the calloused finger that tapped her chin. “Look at me, Kagome.”

Blinking back the moisture threatening to fall any moment, Kagome complied.

Probing her with his stern gaze, Sesshoumaru demanded, “For what do you apologize, Kagome?”

Wishing he would just wrap his arms around her and banish the chill that invaded her every limb with regret, Kagome’s lip trembled. “For punishing you for being honest with me. For pushing you to answer, then turning on you for what I don’t understand without giving you a chance to prove you meant what you said.”

He expelled the breath he’d been holding. “All of that?” he asked gently. Her answering sniffle melted the last of his irritation. He pulled her into the circle of his arms, whispering in her ear, “Can you trust me? Will you place your faith in me; accept, even when you cannot understand?”

Kagome contemplated what he was asking of her. Was it really so simple as a matter of faith and trust? Resting her head on his broad shoulder, she relaxed as his aura embraced her in its familiar, protective hold. What had felt suffocating was now understood to be a reaction to something other than anger.

Large hands stroked her back comfortingly. He was waiting, still patiently allowing her to make up her own mind, without coercing her to give an answer to his liking. He was good at that, waiting in the wings while offering of himself without reservation.

Just the other night she had vowed to help him as much as he did her. And what did she do? Attacked him. Maybe it was time that she grew up a little and stopped being so selfish. She had been so busy worrying about protecting herself that she had hurt him. Would continue to hurt him, unless she could give him this.

A lesson, one of the few that had stuck in her memory from when she used to listen to her grandfather‘s tales, surfaced.

“Is it true?” a ten-year old Kagome had asked her grandfather while they sat under the god tree in their backyard. “That inuyoukai say they’re sorry different than us?” Her school friend Yuka’s cousin was seeing one and had told her that they did all sorts of icky things, like licking each other. Yuka had, of course, passed along that information to her chums.

He had laughed before launching into an extended lecture on the topic. Although he was eccentric, if there was one thing he knew, it was youkai behavior. Enlightened, Kagome had been curious why Yuka had thought it was icky. Her childhood self had been envious, in fact, that words weren’t necessary, only a soft touch.

Kagome sent silent thanks to grandfather.

Tentatively standing on her toes, she brushed his cheek with hers before laying an apologetic kiss on his strong jaw. Swallowing her nervousness when he stiffened, Kagome slowly lowered one of the broad straps that held her dress up. It fell to rest on her elbow, while the neckline threatened to dip embarrassingly low. Blushing but determined, baring her neck completely to his burning gaze, Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist. She sighed contentedly, nuzzling his cloth-covered chest while hoping she had remembered the procedure correctly.

It felt right, somehow, even if she wasn’t youkai, let alone an inuyoukai, to show him that he held her trust, rather than giving him the words.

Taking what she offered, Sesshoumaru’s lips closed over her soft skin, the tip of his tongue lightly flicking her pulse point. Her arms tightened around him in response, and he closed his eyes to shut out the office setting. Her lush curves pressed against him. Her womanly scent-intoxicatingly interspersed with his own-filling his nostrils with every breath, his dangerously unstable blood calmed completely.

He could only be grateful to whomever had taught her this; to submit. Experience had taught him that humans had odd notions, most of them derogatory, towards the notion of submission. It was not a sign that the female was less than the male.

No.

Only his wretched father and other dishonorable youkai took it to that extreme.

Submission meant everything to an inuyoukai.

By submitting, she was displaying her faith in him that he would not attack, would accept her apology. Alternately, she was offering herself to him, giving him her complete trust.

That she would partake in a display that held no humanistic value for his sake meant more than he could express verbally. She was trying to speak to him in his own language.

So he responded in kind.

Sesshoumaru’s hands drifted to Kagome’s waist. He lifted her effortlessly, depositing her on the desk. Carefully maneuvering closer to avoid frightening her, his clawed hands settled on her thighs while his mouth descended to claim her parted lips in an act of ultimate possession.

Having tensed at the abrupt movement, finding herself seated upon her desk, Kagome didn’t know what to think. Then, his hot hands had traveled from her waist to her knee, slowly sliding under the flared skirt to rest on the bare skin of her upper thighs just above the hollow of her knees.

She had gasped in reaction to the stimuli of his calloused palms on her smooth skin, and that was when he had struck, igniting her senses; his hard mouth claiming her breath.

Kagome leaned into the kiss, relaxing into his hold even as he parted her legs to stand between her thighs. The textured cloth of his tuxedo jacket scratched against the sensitive skin of her parted limbs, and she shivered in reaction.

He pulled away only to harshly yank the knot in his bowtie free. Watching her with his shadowed golden eyes, Sesshoumaru shrugged his jacket off and tossed it across the desk chair. He began to work the buttons on his dress shirt. Kagome looked on in confusion, but held silent. She did trust him, and would prove it by not clouding the beauty of the moment with her questions.

Finally, the last button was free and the white shirt joined his black jacket. One movement later and the remaining barrier, a white undershirt, was tugged off over his head and dropped to the floor.

Unable to resist, Kagome’s fingers slid appreciatively through the soft fur that covered his muscled chest. Her exploration was halted by strong fingers gently trapping hers. Trailing down her arm, stopping to lightly caress the delicate bones of her wrist and elbow, Sesshoumaru’s eyes never left hers as he gently tugged the other strap from her shoulder.

Kagome bit her lip but made no move to stop him. The silk slithered down her torso, pooling at her waist. Resisting the urge to cover herself, Kagome couldn’t help the light blush that stained her cheeks as the cool air washed over her heated skin.

Rather than touch her, as she had half expected, Sesshoumaru rubbed his downy soft cheek against her collarbone. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. She went willingly, laying her head against his shoulder.

Situated as she was, Kagome could feel his desire for her. But he did not press, he did not take advantage of her trust to take her in the office where others would know what had happened. Instead, Kagome realized, he had simply bared himself, as he had never done before, and had only asked the same of her.

She sighed into his fur, fingers once more lacing into the silky tendrils as she caressed his shoulders; as content as he to savor the moment. Perhaps, the manner in which such things as acceptance and comfort were offered didn’t need to be understood, as long as they were felt.

AN-This chapter is rated M. Citrus beginning and end marked with (&)

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kagome asked, more curious than angered by the male’s audacity.

Meeting her question with a direct glance, Sesshoumaru resumed rifling through the rack of blouses. “Can you not deduce that on your own, Kagome?”

Cradling the short stack of shirts under one arm, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, dear. What you are doing isn’t what I want to know. What currently evades me is why you are picking out my clothes.” They’d been in four store-stalls already. Each time she’d managed to pick out something, he’d vetoed the selection in favor of his own choice.

He slid a mocking glance over her current attire. “You need to ask me that?” He was grateful she wasn’t a clothing fanatic. Vain females were a bore. But, given that he knew she didn’t care one way or another, what harm could there be in giving her a helpful nudge in the right direction? And, while he would never admit it, choosing the very cloth that would caress her skin was much more intimate an experience than he would have suspected.

Snickering, Kagome grinned widely. “I never would have pegged you for a metro-sexual.” She shrugged when he whirled around, nostrils flaring in irritation. “What ever floats your boat, I suppose. It’s not like I care, really. As long as you don’t pick out anything too risqué.”

Just for that remark, Sesshoumaru casually tossed her a garishly red sundress with a barely there top. Satisfied when she gaped up at him after bright flags of pink rose on her cheeks, the Daiyoukai resumed perusing the wares of yet another youkai merchant. He ignored the dress as it quietly made its way back on the rack. He wouldn’t have allowed her to step one foot outside of his rooms wearing it, in any case.

After the debacle of the meeting with Kouga and a short lunch at an outdoor cafe, they’d been scouring the stores for suitable clothing. At his insistence, she hadn’t packed anything for her stay with him. It was a devious ploy on his part to endear her to his home. For, despite the fact that he had spent the majority of his growing years on the estate of his father, the Realm was his home. His refuge from a world that had never bothered to understand him. His rooms were his den of peaceful solitude.

Except now he would no longer be alone. She had seen right through him. Had seen his desire to provide for her for the blatant manipulation that it was. Yet she’d gone along with it without a question or any expressed doubt. A casual shrug and the insistence in bringing along a small album that fit neatly in her satchel had been the only answer to his request.

Discarding a puce skirt, Sesshoumaru’s brow beetled in thought. She had been entirely too complacent. Granted, he would have admitted to his desire to show her that the Realm was more than capable of providing her with everything she could possibly need. To have her see through him so easily, to the heart of his machinations in regard to her, when his own parents had never been able to do so was slightly unnerving.

The Daiyoukai dismissed his troubling thoughts as easily as he did the plaid skirt Kagome held up for his perusal. He was determined to see her in something other than a business suit, jeans or a t-shirt. Her college days were over. While he appreciated her desire for comfort, he knew it was more shyness on her part that prompted her to swath herself in layers meant to conceal rather than compliment her personal attraction.

That and, while she was intelligent and quite capable in other areas, she had abysmal fashion sense. The plum-colored, one-piece pantsuit she was currently fingering was a case in point. He lightly flicked her fingers away from the offensive item. “Don’t even think about it.”

“What? I think it’s pretty. And,” she pointed out the main selling factor on the outfit, “look at all of those pockets! I bet I wouldn’t even have to use a purse.”

Golden eyes slanted patronizingly on the style-bereft woman. “Why don’t you go sit over there,” he said, indicating a conveniently placed chair that sat next to the changing room. “Or, you could go try on the selections I’ve already made.”

Slitting her eyes dangerously on the back that was currently turned to her at his tone, Kagome sniffed haughtily when it had no effect. “Fine.” Just out of spite, she snagged the red number off the rack before stomping over to the waiting stall. Of all the high-handed, arrogant, pompass!!! she fumed silently the entire way.

Ten minutes later she cursed again for an entirely different reason. Admiring her reflection in the beveled glass mirror, Kagome groaned. How did he do it? Every item had fit her like a dream. There hadn’t even been any snags or embarrassing lumps from loose material. Nipping her bottom lip regretfully, Kagome reluctantly pulled off the khaki capris and cerulean-hued blouse that had undoubtedly been made from the finest material.

Resolved to get a small bit of her own back, Kagome slipped the red dress over her head. The crimson fabric slithered sensuously down her smooth skin. When the skirt settled about her thighs, Kagome shivered. Staring at herself in the mirror, doubts assailed her. The silky material clung to every curve, and her generous breasts threatened to fall out of the top. What there was of it, anyway. Was revenge really worth it to embarrass herself? she wondered apprehensively.

“Here is the last of the suitable clothing that this store has to offer, Kagome. Have you quit pouting long enough to try on the other outfits?” Sesshoumaru drawled from outside the locked door. She set her jaw at the obvious amusement that fairly dripped from his words.

Sucking in a deep breath, she adjusted her breasts for maximum plumping effect. I hope he bites his tongue off. If there was one thing she absolutely abhorred, it was being handled as if she were a recalcitrant child. Kagome unlocked the door and swung it open. “Thanks,” she managed smoothly. “But I don’t think I’ll need to try them on.”

Silence, glorious silence, fell as soon as the door swung open. Kagome was gratified to see the smirk that had been playing about Sesshoumaru’s lips disappear in an instant. He inhaled sharply, and the Daiyoukai’s stunned attention fell to her bosom, blindingly revealed by the scandalous dress. She snapped her fingers in front of his face and raised an amused brow. “My face is up here, Sesshoumaru,” she remarked coyly-sweet.

Growling warningly when a stray customer threatened to gain more of a view of his female than was necessary, Sesshoumaru grunted when they abruptly left the store. He ignored Kagome’s amusement at his expense. He had been more than a bit high-handed. Moreover, if this was how she planned on punishing him, he wouldn’t bother adjusting his behavior.

Twirling an ebony lock of hair about her finger, Kagome repressed a shiver at the cold air that blew down on her in the store when she pirouetted to show off the low back. She didn’t know how anyone could wear these dresses! “I was thinking I’d wear this out of the store. It’s so pretty. Don’t you think?”

He scowled, his appreciation of her curvy little form darkening into possessive pique. “You aren’t going anywhere in that dress, Kagome.”

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Unbeknownst to her, the movement had subtly shifted the dress’ neckline. The faint outline of a dusky nipple peeked over the fabric’s edge. “I can wear what I want, when I want, Sesshoumaru.”

A faint, rumbling growl met her pronouncement. Startled, she glanced into his crimson-stained eyes. “Sesshoumaru?” What had she done now? She hadn’t been challenging him, had she? “Oh, Kami,” she whispered after replaying her words mentally. She supposed some could say she had been challenging him.

Despite the fact that she wasn’t accustomed to backing down to anyone, Kagome knew better than to hold her ground. He wouldn’t hurt her; never that. If their relationship was going to work, she needed to be willing to compromise as much as he was. He didn’t respond to her as he would a youkai female; it wouldn’t be fair to grate harshly on his instincts when she had other options. She would be better served to deal with his irritating bouts of patronization differently than her usual headstrong immovability.

Carefully backing into the stall, Kagome lowered her arms and her gaze. “Just give me a minute and I’ll change.” She made to shut the door.

The door’s progress was halted by a clawed hand. Sesshoumaru pulled it open before stepping into the small room with the wide-eyed woman. The door was then unceremoniously slammed shut and the lock engaged.

Paling, Kagome tried to reason with the Daiyoukai. “I didn’t mean to challenge you, Sesshoumaru. I was just trying to, well, you upset me a little, treating me as if I were a kid,” she explained nervously, steadily backing up as he advanced on her.

“Hardly a child, Kagome,” he huskily murmured. Her back hit the mirror, and he caged her there with outstretched arms.

She swallowed apprehensively. Heart pounding, she drew in a stuttered breath when his chest was pressed up against her exposed bosom. “What are you doing?” she asked shakily.

Smiling lazily, his hands drifted off the mirror and landed on her shoulders. “Merely showing my appreciation for the favor you’ve granted me, Kagome.” Clawed fingers slid down the heated flesh of her shoulder, tracing the delicate hollow of her throat before drifting between her breasts. From this new vantage point, he was afforded a magnificently unimpeded view straight down her cleavage.

Following his eyes, Kagome was mortified to discover her neckline’s desertion. “Sesshoumaru!”

(&)

Halting her before she could right the enticing view, Sesshoumaru’s knuckle grazed against the tightly furled bud framed by the silk of her dress. She gasped in response. Instead of pulling away, however, her head fell back against the mirror she was pressed into. Her eyes slid closed.

Entranced by the picture of abandonment she presented, the Daiyoukai dropped to his knees. Urgently pulling the neckline of the dress down further, he freed her beautiful breasts fully to his gaze. Saliva gathered in his mouth, and he swallowed harshly. Growling deeply, he claimed a nipple. Tugging hungrily on the beaded flesh with his teeth, Sesshoumaru then soothed the bruised skin with his tongue.

Kagome moaned, her body heating with every pull of his mouth. She’d never imagined it would feel like this. To have him at her feet, his body supporting her quaking knees while he worshipped her aching nipples with his teeth and tongue, his calloused hands kneading her heavy breasts… “Sesshoumaru,” she whispered longingly. Threading her fingers through his hair, she tugged gently.

Glancing up at her insistence, Sesshoumaru’s red-tinged eyes glowed with famished desire. It had been too long that he had gone without a female. Too long had his instincts clamored at him to find one worthy of him, to give him purpose other than financial conquests. In her, he would have completion. With her, he would find nirvana.

Staring down on him trustingly, she didn’t protest when his hands moved up her thighs to caress the sides of her cotton panties. She breathed deeply, lost in the sensation of his warm hands on her baby-soft skin. Clawed fingers smoothed across her aching center, surprising her into starting.

When she jumped in his hold, Sesshoumaru retreated and soothingly stroked her thighs. Once her breathing had calmed a little, he pulled away completely to regain his feet. Once more, he had begun something that could not be finished. Not yet, and not here. Were it not for the fact that these rare moments were precious to him, he would have cursed his poor timing.

Unwilling to allow him to withdraw completely, still burning and ignorant of how to calm the fire stirring her blood, Kagome refused to release his hair. Instead, she burrowed her fingers even deeper into the silky mass and urgently tugged him down to her level.

She nipped his lip warningly when he stopped her from pulling him flush to her overheated body with an unsteady grip about her hips. He snarled, and she sucked on the flesh apologetically before tracing the firm flesh of his upper lip with her pointed tongue. “Don’t go,” she begged shamelessly. “I need you.”

Sesshoumaru sucked in air harshly. Her words sent jolts of electricity through his veins, arousing him into a state that was beyond painful. Unable to refuse her plea, he deepened their kiss. Their slick tongues dueled for dominance, until Kagome surrendered to the passionate demand.

Head lolling to the side, she blissfully submitted. Leaving her kiss-swollen lips, he clamped onto her neck. Sucking the tender skin there, his fangs grazed her fragile pulse point. He resisted the instincts that urged him to clamp down forcefully.

His groin throbbed with unrequited desire. Sensuously, he rubbed his pained arousal against the welcoming heat that beckoned him through the thin, red fabric.

(&)

Disturbed by an inner, vague sense of wrongness, he found the strength to pull away from ravishing Kagome’s welcoming warmth. Listening carefully, almost unable to concentrate beyond the needy pants of his female, Sesshoumaru was forced to further calm himself as icy tendrils of awareness traveled down his spine.

The store was empty. The patrons and the owner had fled the confines of the cement stall for the safety of the open Marketplace. Outside, he could also sense that the area within range of his aura was conspicuously empty of others as well.

Common sense reared its ugly head. The Daiyoukai cursed himself for not noticing the effect of his youki sooner. As a poison youkai-a trait inherited from his mother-his youki was potentially lethal in large enough doses to an enemy. For his woman, however…

His mother had warned him about the potential consequences. Granted, she had been imagining a youkai female in his arms instead of a human woman. Let alone one of miko origins. Obviously, despite what he had assumed, Kagome was as vulnerable to the potency of his youki as much as any youkai female would have proven.

Damning his ignorance on the matter, Sesshoumaru swiftly reined in his rogue youki.

She sighed wistfully, interrupting his train of thought. A cold nose rubbed against the warmth of his neck, and she yawned. “I’m so tired all of a sudden, Sesshoumaru. I think maybe all the worrying has finally caught up to me. Will you carry me home?” Without waiting for an answer, she blinked sleepily and smiled widely up at him. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?” she asked dreamily. That said, she promptly passed out in his arms.

It had been close. Too close. Any longer and he would have been unable to prevent claiming her. His great will would have fallen to the siren call of her need. Need that had been fed and fanned by his own youki in response to his desire to mate her. He had wondered after their little visit in the police station at her open acceptance of his affections in a place that was so public. Now it all made sense.

It was not supposed to be this way. He had assumed her humanity would save her from that eventuality. That a human would prove immune to what he could not control. Not in the heat of the moment, and not unassisted at least.

Carefully, he wrapped a silken shawl around her exposed body after adjusting the dress as best as he could. Sesshoumaru lifted Kagome into his arms along with the clothing she’d tried on. Carelessly, he threw enough yen on the store’s check out counter to cover more than the cost of the wardrobe. Ignoring the gossiping youkai that had crept close enough to see through the store front window after his youki had been withdrawn, Sesshoumaru left the store to take to the sky.

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

“What do you mean, I need to sit down?” Agitated after being woken in a different place than she recalled falling asleep, Kagome tried to think past her fuzzy memories. “Sesshoumaru, just tell me what’s going on.”

Guiding her back to the couch that had been delivered as specified, Sesshoumaru decided to be forthright with what he knew. “Are you hungry?” he asked with obvious concern. “You have been asleep for two days, Kagome.”

She clutched the hem of the long-sleeved shirt that dwarfed her small body. “Two days? How?”

Pacing in front of her seated position, the Daiyoukai was ill at ease. “There are certain factors that come into play during the courting of certain poison youkai. Factors that can lead to complications.” Catching her darkening expression, he forestalled her outburst with a quelling glance. “I had thought that, given your humanity, it would not matter. I now know I was wrong.”

Kagome fidgeted on her cushion, but held her peace. The admittance that he had been wrong had come at a price, and she wasn’t going to shove the knife in deeper. “What does this mean?” she asked instead. “What complications?”

Coming to a halt in front of her, Sesshoumaru once more dropped to claim his place beside her legs. She moved to accommodate him, this time ensuring he settled with his back between her legs. With a sigh of acceptance of this new development, she stroked his hair soothingly. “Just tell me, okay?”

Relaxing under the touch of his woman, the Daiyoukai felt his tension recede. “As it was explained to me as a pup, my youki is different from a non-poisonous youkai in that it is a tangible force. Given the power of my blood, it is also a potentially dangerous presence. I can kill without a thought by blanketing another’s aura under the greater weight of mine, suffocating their life force. I can also entice the female I desire to mate. It is difficult to explain to one who does not have an intimate understanding of what youki is. For lack of a better explanation, it can seep into your mind and body, lowering your inhibitions and enhancing your desires for carnality. Having never desired a female before, I had thought it would only work between youkai.”

Kagome plowed through that revelation. Her fingers nimbly braided a long strand of his hair while she did so. “So, what you’re saying is that what happened in the changing room was because of you?” Biting her lip, Kagome’s brow beetled thoughtfully. “I hadn’t felt like that before. Like nothing mattered but you, feeling and touching you.” She blushed at the recollection, but forged on. “I had felt like that a little in the police station as well. Is that really all you?”

Forcing a calm he did not feel, the Daiyoukai answered, “I am almost positive it was.”

“Huh.” That was certainly something to chew on. But…

Shoulders tense once more, the scowl that crossed his face couldn’t be helped. He was grateful she could not see it. ‘Huh?’ he repeated to himself silently. That was all she had to say about it?

“So, when did it start?” she asked curiously, intrigued by the notion.

“I assume as soon as I saw you in that dress, Kagome,” he replied dryly.

Tugging on his hair gently, she chuckled softly. “Not that, Sesshoumaru. You said that you had never desired a female before, so it hadn’t been an issue. What I want to know is when did it become a problem. With me, that is.”

Having had two days to contemplate such an answer, he paused only briefly before replying, “I wanted you from the moment I first saw you in the museum. It was a visceral reaction; the sort a male has for a desirable woman who looks at him the way you did me. That slowly changed into an attraction for you, Kagome, rather than simply a pretty woman. The first time we slept together while I was in my true form, however, is when I believe my youki began to react actively inviting to your presence.”

Kagome digested that tidbit of information. Seeking fingers abandoned the braid and sought out the knotted muscles in his neck. Giving up the impromptu massage when he only tensed further, Kagome leaned over his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him to her.

She brought her lips directly next to his pointed ear. “Do you remember what you said after you’d kissed me in the car at the mall?” she asked in a breathy whisper.

Catching hold of a slender forearm, Sesshoumaru instantly recalled the moment. “I told you that you wanted me.” He smirked devilishly at the recollection. “You seemed to disagree with me at the time.”

Huffing at his arrogance as well as her own naiveté, Kagome brushed the sensitive fur on the nape of his neck with her lips. “So I did. But you were right. I was attracted to you, and I did want you. I still am, and I still do. That has nothing to do with your youki and everything to do with you.” A blunt fingertip traced the location of his pulse point through the thick fur guarding it. “How many do you feel comfortable allowing so close to you?”

A spastic tremor traveled down his thigh in reaction to the blunt nails lightly scratching his throat. Settling his weight to lean heavier on her thighs, Sesshoumaru didn’t have to think long. “You.”

She smiled in reaction to his instant, starkly honest reply. “I trust you also. You would never willingly take advantage of me. This…” She nuzzled his neck, breathing in his masculine scent with deep appreciation. “I’m not worried, Sesshoumaru. If we, well, anticipate a mating, then so be it. Will it go away after a mating? Or will your youki constantly work to make you even more enticing than you already are?”

Put that way, Sesshoumaru felt the last of the unease that had been eating at his mind fade away. “From what Mother described, the moment a permanent bond is created the youki is settled.”

Kagome gnawed on her abused lip again. “Wait. So, this isn’t just about lust, but actually mating? As in forever mating, mating?”

He glanced over his shoulder to take in her startled look. “You assumed I meant otherwise? The purpose of my youki’s activities is to secure you as my mate, Kagome. Not to claim a one-night stand.”

Solemn blue eyes took in his serious golden ones. “This is-I don’t know what to say.” She looked away, uncomfortable in the face of his admission. How do you act around someone who was so fully committed to you that their very essence was working to bond with you?

He caught her withdrawal, but misunderstood the reason. “It changes nothing, Kagome. The choice is still yours.”

Hastening to reassure him, Kagome dismissed her insecurities as being inconsequential. Nothing but her understanding of his nature had changed. And, he was being upfront with her as promised. However, belaboring the current topic would not serve any purpose but to further upset him. “Will you come lay down with me? I’m still tired.”

Accepting the turn in their conversation, Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. He closed the short distance between the couch and the prepared bed that he had placed beside a short shoji screen. “It is the effects of my youki. In large doses, it can be wearying on the recipient once withdrawn.”

“Gotcha.” She sighed dramatically. “So, no more prize claiming if I need to be bright and chipper in the morning?”

Interrupting his answer, her stomach rumbled demandingly. His rusty chuckle escaped. Laying her on the bed after pulling the thick comforter aside, he tucked her in securely. “I procured a dinner. I didn’t know if you would be awake for it but wanted to be prepared. There is chicken and rice pilaf, caesar salad, and French bread. I am told it is a standard meal for humans. If you don‘t like it, I can find something else.”

Kagome waved away his offer. “That will be fine. Thank you, Sesshoumaru.”

As he set about preparing the small meal, she watched him from the bed. A soft smile played about her lips. He looked so domestic that it made her heart ache. The truth was that she was positive that, even had it turned out that his youki had been working to bring them together from the beginning, she wouldn’t have minded. This feeling in her heart… It could only come from within.

Chapter Nineteen

Bolting upright in bed, Kagome’s fingers fisted in the blue silk comforter. The familiar tightening in her back had her leaping onto the floor. In true form, Sesshoumaru’s head rose from beside the bed just as she darted through the sliding doors that guarded the small bathroom. The faint, lingering scent of blood followed her to the bathroom.

With a roar, he forced his body into submission. “Kagome!” What had happened? It was almost morning, and she had fallen into a peaceful slumber after finishing dinner just hours ago. Had his youki done irreparable harm to her body? Damage that was only now becoming obvious?

“GO away!” she yelled through the closed doors.

Taken aback by the strident order, the Daiyoukai paused at the doors. “What is going on, Kagome?”

She was so embarrassed! Seated on the toilet, Kagome didn’t know what was worse. The fact that her monthly had come early, or that she was going to have to ask him to get her the necessaries to deal with it. Kagome groaned into her hands. Why me? she silently asked any deity that was listening. What did I do?

“Answer me now, woman, or I am coming in!” he demanded harshly. Prepared to do just that, he was stopped by a stifled sob from within the bathroom. Why was she now crying?

There was no help for it. She could either give in and accept the inevitable, or potentially humiliate herself further when he forced his way into the bathroom. “My period came early, Sesshoumaru,” she finally let out between sniffles. “Normally, I’m quite regular. I wasn’t expecting it for another two weeks.”

Immediately relaxing as the source of her blood became known, he was still confused as to why she was crying. While he hadn’t cared to learn about the problems that plagued females, he knew youkai females went into heat bi-yearly. His own mother never broke into tears when such happened. Though, he knew the process was different for humans than it was youkai. Youkai rejoiced in the opportunity to procreate. Humans bemoaned the occasion. “What is wrong, then?”

He was going to make her ask him outright. She’d hoped he would magically deduce what she needed. Evidently, youkai males were just as prone to obliviousness as human ones. “I, uh, didn’t bring anything with me. To take care of it, that is.”

The gist of her problem slammed into his brain with all the force of a spear. He cast about for a feasible, alternate solution to what he knew she was hoping for. “You may make use of the towels in there to stem the flow. I can then fly you to the store so that you may buy what you need.”

He wanted her to what? “I’m not going to walk around with a towel in my pants!” she shrieked semi-hysterically. “You were the one who didn’t want me to pack anything! And now you can’t even go to the store for me?”

Growling under his breath, he snatched her satchel from where it lay on the table. “Isn’t there something in here you can use?” It was certainly large enough to hide an abundance of female items.

“Don’t you dare go in my purse, Sesshoumaru!” she yelled before he could even get the clasp undone. “I know what’s in there, and I told you I don’t have anything! Kami, you are being so immature! Just go to the damn store! Now!” she snarled irritably.

“Stay inside,” he ordered sarcastically. “I’m putting up a barrier to guard you in my absence.” After calling a cloud of youki to form about his rooms, he called Ah-Un. His mount instantly complied and they flew to the Market.

Left behind in the bathroom, Kagome scrubbed her panties clean in the tap. She grumbled spitefully, “Like I’m going anywhere.”

Then the humor of the situation hit her, and she broke into a fit of giggles. Oh, poor, poor Sesshoumaru. It was somewhat reassuring that he had acted just like a man would have. If her brother was any indication, at least. Her Daiyoukai wasn’t entirely perfect, after all. The fact endeared him to her all the more. Even if she had to suffer the pains of embarrassment to learn such about him.

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

Infuriating woman! Sesshoumaru snarled just as Ah-Un landed outside the largest store in the Market. Simply called the Pavilion, it was a grocer and a mercantile. He strode through the double doors and immediately eyed the signs for directions to the female needs section.

Five minutes later, he ignored the hushed giggles of the group of youkai adolescent females that occupied the rest of the aisle. Minutely-widened eyes took in the entire wall of colorful boxes and packages. Why did females feel the need to complicate such things with an overabundance of selections? If it wasn’t for the fact that he knew she’d berate him for it, he would simply fly home and insist she accompany him.

He wasn’t afraid of her. She couldn’t hurt a fly. But, she was embarrassed by the whole thing. Rather than compound her obvious humiliation, he would bear the brunt of his own ignorance. Selecting a package at random, he was unprepared for the fit of snorting laughter that exploded from the females.

“Excuse me, Sesshoumaru-san, but do you need help?” One of the young females, a short neko with brown hair and green eyes, smiled widely up at him.

“I am fine,” he stated bluntly.

Her gaze switched from him to the box he held. Her eyes danced with unconcealed mirth. “Please pardon my insistence, but everyone knows that you are courting a human woman. Are you, perchance, trying to purchase something for her bleeding time?”

Lips pinched slightly, he gave a short nod. Evidently, he had chosen the wrong item. He must now suffer the blow to his ego in accepting the assistance of the teen youkai.

Carefully restraining the urge to giggle like her friends, the neko gave him a small smile. “Oh, well, then that won’t do. Those kinds of pads are for old youkai. You know, adult diapers?”

He hadn’t known. The label had read that it was ‘Super Absorbent,’ and the picture on front had looked like all the other packages. Restraining the urge to strike the neko for being so familiar when she placed a smaller package in his hands, he replaced the larger one on the shelf.

“Here,” she explained patiently, “this is what she probably needs. It’s got all the absorbency levels, plus the wings to keep it in place. I hate it when mine slips.”

Unbending far enough to nod his head in thanks, he abruptly left the aisle and the pack of snickering females. The things he did for her, he later thought, as the kitsune youkai behind the counter stared at him oddly when he paid for his purchase.

Peeking around the corner of the aisle, the females sighed wistfully when the tall inuyoukai left the store. The fur was kinda freaky, but he was so sweet to do that for his female. Why couldn’t they get their boyfriends to be so considerate? Males their age were so immature!

Catching the eyes of the females, Shippo smiled disarmingly. Rather than bat their eyelashes at him like they had when the had entered the store, the contrary youkai simply huffed and left the store.

What was their problem? He wondered with a shrug. Then he smirked wickedly. Just wait until he saw Inuyasha!

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

One shower later, and Kagome felt worlds better. Sometime while she was under the spray of piping hot water, she had heard him open the door. A pink bag sitting beside the sink drew her eye as she exited the stall. She smiled lovingly.

Clean and in a considerably better mood, Kagome donned the khaki capris and blue blouse. In return for the huge favor he’d done for her, she decided not to take issue with the package of skimpy, satin panties and bras she found in the clothing pile in lieu of the cotton ones she‘d selected.

She slid the door open to the bathroom and caught sight of him sitting on the couch. He stared at her with narrowed eyes and arms crossed over his broad chest. “Thank you,” she shyly said after joining him on the couch. She rubbed her neck nervously. “I’m sorry for jumping on you so harshly. I was embarrassed, and-”

Cutting her words off with a finger on her lips, he dropped an arm around her shoulders. “Your apology is accepted. Though, after reading the instructions to your sanitary items, I understand now why a towel would not be an acceptable option.”

“You actually read that?” she asked, surprised. No wonder the bag had been open. She’d attributed it to careless claws. She should have known better. He was never careless.

He nodded. “I have a few questions now, if you don’t mind.” He glanced at his watch. “In two hours we will leave to visit the Tokyo subway. I believe it is where Mother stored whatever she had hidden all these years. The key matches those used by the transportation authority for the lockers there. At this time, however, there will be too many people in the morning rush to manage to do with any level of privacy.”

“And in the meantime, you want to grill me?” She sucked on her bottom lip while she eyed him contemplatively. “About what, exactly?” she asked.

“Even among youkai,” he answered, “there are biological discrepancies. For this reason, only truly scholarly youkai, or even humans, attempt to understand what holds no meaning for them. In this regard, so too do many youkai view humans.”

Kagome giggled. “You know, you could have just said that you didn’t know anything about humans.” A wide smile bloomed on her delicate countenance. “Or our senses,” she added, recalling his comment the other day.

Stretching his legs, he crossed them at the ankles. “I do not care about humans in general, Kagome. What I want to know is what to expect with you. I understand the need for proper nourishment and sleep. And, apparently, your menses do not come at regular intervals.”

He was still irritated that he hadn’t immediately discerned what the distinctive scent of her blood heralded. Only the recent events and the fact that she had already told him she was not due for three weeks could be blamed for his lapse in good sense. That, and he had simply panicked at the scent of her blood.

Cheeks flushed pink, Kagome managed to maintain her smile. “Well, I already said that this isn’t the norm for me. Usually I am quite regular. Stress and other things can sometimes throw me off, though.”

“And your pain? Is it manageable?”

“You can detect that?”

Gently, he brushed her cheek with the edge of his knuckle. “You wince every so often and shift as if uncomfortable.”

“Oh, that. My back hurts sometimes, but it’s not too bad. I’m lucky. Some women have terrible cramps.”

He frowned in thought. “When bitches go into heat, they shed blood. It is a signal that her body is prepared to be pupped, however, not that they are currently infertile.”

Rolling her eyes, Kagome lightly punched him on the arm. “I know that’s the term for inuyoukai females, but still. And, you aren’t all the way right. Yuka, a friend from school, got pregnant during her period. Rather than playing guessing games on what you want to know, I still have all of my old school health books if you want them. They can explain better than I could, anyway.”

“I would.”

She snuggled into his hold, laying her head on his chest as his arm tightened around her. “If we drop by the shrine on the way to Tokyo, I can get those for you. Anything else?”

“You were slightly irrational. You yelled at me.“

Groaning, Kagome closed her eyes. “I already apologized for that. It happens sometimes. I’m more sleepy. Hormones go out of whack, and I tend to get snippy. Don’t worry though,” she winked up at him, “I always feel bad for it later.” Then, “Will you take off your shirt again?”

Startled, though he hid it well, the Daiyoukai asked, “What?”

Kagome forged on determinedly. “I just like the way it feels to lay against you. And, considering the past few days, I thought it would be nice to cuddle when we’re actually home.” Catching on to his hesitation and comprehending the reason behind it, she hastily reassured him, “No kissing or anything else, just like we were at the gala. That should be alright, shouldn’t it?”

Giving in, he was seduced by the realization that she found comfort in his arms. Sesshoumaru leaned forward and tugged his shirt over his head. Turning slightly, he shifted further to the side and pulled Kagome to lay across his chest. Soon, they were laying flat out on the couch.

Kagome sighed in bliss at the feeling of his soft fur on her bare arms and cheek. She nuzzled into the fine stuff, nosing his hard muscles through the silky texture. Heeding the prompting of his determined hands, she allowed her shirt to join his on the floor. Upper body covered only by the flimsy excuse for a bra he had bought, she relaxed in his hold. Utterly boneless, Kagome bit back a yawn. “In all the fuss, I forgot to ask about Kouga. Weren’t you supposed to spar him?“

He nuzzled her temple, taking in her fresh scent. “I called him to reschedule. We will meet tomorrow. Inuyasha will be there as well, Kagome, so you must be aware that there could be real violence.“

Mind fogged from the vibrations passing through his chest and into her ear, Kagome said, “Huh?” She knew Inuyasha was his brother. Tales of their none-too-pleasant sibling rivalry were also old news.

He chuckled, amused. “Just do not worry about the whelp‘s attempts to prove himself against me. Alright?”

“M’kay,” she agreed amiably. “Can you wake me up when it’s time to go?”

Caressing the smooth skin of her back, Sesshoumaru was careful to monitor his youki. “Sleep. I will watch the time.” Soon, her breathing evened out. Staring down upon her, the gold in his eyes shimmered affectionately before turning hard.

Oh yes, Kouga had been most adamant about allowing the hanyou to attend the match. Sesshoumaru was not blind to the wolf’s blatant attempts to bring them together by any means possible for his own amusement. Given that he was the one who had canceled, despite his valid reason for doing so, the Daiyoukai had been honor-bound to accept the addition.

One foul word or insult to Kagome, however, and the hanyou would be breathing out of a straw for the rest of his miserable life.

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

Due to the intimidating presence at her side, Kagome was able to navigate her way through the crowds waiting for the bullet train. Not once was she jostled. That had to be some sort of record, too!

“So,” she asked, hefting the satchel higher on her shoulder, “How did you figure out that the key went to the lockers here?”

The Daiyoukai scanned the crowd for threats, uneasy in the midst of so many potential enemies. “I removed the plastic. Underneath it the name of this station was etched into the metal.”

“So obvious. Well, I guess that’s why I’m a museum worker instead of an investigator.” Rolling her eyes at the rowdy group of teenage boys hanging around the gaudy faux-panty machine, she nudged Sesshoumaru’s arm. “It takes all kinds.”

He snorted. “Of that, I already know.” The reasons that some would spend money on disgusting novelty items had always eluded him.

Catching sight of the lockers, Kagome exclaimed, “Look! There it is!” She pointed to the bright blue metal containers in an alcove situated away from the main crowd.

Almost ready to jump up and down in excitement, Kagome bounced in place at Sesshoumaru’s side when he stopped in front of the locker numbered to match the key. Carefully unlocking the door, the metal hinges protested shrilly when he pulled it open. He claimed the small box that had lain hidden inside.

Deciding to keep it for later, he slipped the rectangular box into Kagome’s satchel. “We’ll open it once we are back in the Realm,” he told her authoritatively when she opened her mouth to protest. She had an avid curiosity, but it would have to be satisfied when he would be sure the contents would stay private. He had no idea what his mother could have possibly discovered about his father.

Suddenly, he glimpsed a long metal object over her shoulder. “Down!” he ordered ferociously, pushing her to the ground with a heavy hand. A shot rang out, and a sharp pinch pricked his chest. Glancing down, he saw a needle protruding from his shirt. He knocked it off just as a strange lethargy began to over take his body.

What was happening? Immune to most toxins, nothing should have this effect on him! He sank to his knees before falling forward. Immobile, his mind began to shut down as well.

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome screamed. “What is it, what happened?” Face pressed to the ground, she hadn’t seen anything. “Sesshoumaru!” she called again when it appeared that he hadn’t heard her.

Dull eyes blinked blindly into her own. “Kagome, run,” he demanded weakly. “Can’t…move.” He fell over onto his side, helplessly sprawled on the cold, tiled floor just as the first sounds of running footsteps penetrated her fear.

“Miss? What happened?” A strange man in a station uniform placed a hand on her shoulder. “Move aside, and I’ll see what I can do.”

Panicked, she reacted blindly to seeing Sesshoumaru so helpless. “No!” she yelled. “Get away!” She turned on the gathering crowd that whispered and pointed at him. “All of you, stay away!” Tears blurred her vision. Stupid, ignorant, cruel people! They would come to point, mocking him when he was helpless to defend himself?

He had been protecting her. Had been hit with what had been meant for her.

Bursting from her skin in holy judgment, pink light washed over the crowd. Panicked screams erupted, and the crowd stampeded away in all directions. A barrier, fed by her need to protect him, flared to life over the pair.

Carefully lifting his head, Kagome cradled it in her lap. She stroked his cheeks tenderly while her tears continued to fall. “Sesshoumaru, please be okay. Please. I need you.”

Chapter Twenty

“Move, I said!” Shoving aside a group of loitering kids, Miroku made his way to the forefront of the crowd surrounding the station. Off-duty, he had been about to call Kagura to confirm their date when the call came in that something had happened at the station. As it was on his way home, he’d decided to drop in.

Staring at the bright glow of a miko barrier, he cursed, “Damn.” He recognized that power. Kagome was in the station somewhere, and she was afraid. The officers on duty, three demons with spiked hair and bad attitudes, hissed as the holy energy threatened to burn their skin.

“Miroku!” Hiro, one of the demons, called out when they spotted the monk. “Can’t you do something about this? Traffic is backed up six blocks, and the train can’t start without loading up!” He turned away to push another human back from the improvised barrier of cars and signs they’d thrown up to keep curiosity seekers at bay.

Removing a sutra from his shirt pocket, Miroku laid it on the barrier. Instead of calming, the energy crackled angrily and ballooned out even further. What was going on? he wondered even as the dire straits Kagome was in stirred his worry. She was untrained. As such, she stood a more than decent chance of overtaxing herself or hurting an innocent bystander.

“What’s going on here?” came an unfamiliar voice from his side.

Turning to look at the youkai, Miroku catalogued the white hair and dog ears that sat atop the head of the hanyou. As he only knew of one with that description, he deduced that the stranger was the second son of the Tashio. “A miko put up a barrier. If you will step back, I will have it down shortly.”

Irritated, the hanyou’s ears flattened. “Don’t talk down to me, monk. I could see for myself that a miko did this. What I want to know is who and why.”

Given that he was the nominal heir, Miroku was unable to refuse to answer the hanyou’s questions. “The miko goes by the name of Higurashi, Kagome. She would have only done this, however, if she felt threatened,” he hurriedly explained in defense of his friend.

“My half-brother’s woman?” Inuyasha asked in disbelief. Shippo had called him earlier with an outlandish tale of his brother going to the store. He’d been on his way to the Realm to scope out the pair for himself. Despite his former disinterest, his own situation mirrored his brother’s much too closely for him to ignore the ramifications entirely. “What’s she doing here anyway? I thought they went to the Realm.”

Feigning casual interest, Miroku turned an intuitive ear towards the hanyou. “Oh? I was not aware that his plans were made public. How would you know about his movements? Do you often keep track of your brother’s whereabouts, Inuyasha-sama?”

“Hey! I’m not some criminal! Everyone knows about Sesshoumaru moving into his rooms there with the woman. Quit interrogating me as if I’m some thug, got it?” Huffing, Inuyasha crossed his arms.

“Hmmm…” Refusing to answer the male, Miroku eyed the barrier thoughtfully. He hadn’t truly thought Inuyasha was guilty of anything, but he had been taught to leave no stone unturned. Now, to get the barrier down so that he could get to Kagome.

Just as he was about to try to force the issue by subduing her energy with the, hopefully, greater power of his own, Miroku was interrupted by the arrival of Hiro.

“Here,” Hiro said while bringing a young human male to the front. “He said he saw it all.”

Intrigued, Miroku turned on the teenager. “Your name?”

“Jin, sir.” The youth turned troubled eyes on the monk. “Is Kagome going to be okay?”

Sharing a suddenly sharp look with Hiro, Miroku gave the boy his full attention. “You know her? What can you tell us about what happened here?”

Shuffling his feet nervously, Jin’s pale face tightened with worry. “Souta, Kagome’s brother, is my friend. I was just foolin’ around with the guys when they walked by. Then, some dude came up by us. Almost knocked me down, which is why I even noticed him. Then, he just points this pipe thing. I heard the youkai she was with yell out for her to get down. Next thing I know, he’s on the ground, and she’s freaking out and yelling. The pink stuff came, and then all hell broke loose.”

“The man,” Miroku asked excitedly, “can you describe him?”

Jin’s face screwed up in concentration. “I dunno. He was wearing some kind of jacket and a hat. They were both black,“ the youth added helpfully. “He was kinda short, though. I do know that. He only came up to here,“ he indicated his shoulders.

“That’s all?” Hiro asked, snapping the memo book he’d taken out to scribble notes on closed.

Jin shrugged apologetically. “Yeah, man. I’m sorry. I just didn’t think to take a second look.”

Hiro took the teen away. Inuyasha turned to the monk. “So, Sesshoumaru was protecting her and got hurt somehow. She’s protecting him,” he whispered to himself, though he knew the monk overheard.

“Unfortunately, your brother is a very powerful demon. Whatever it was that took him down must be absurdly strong. We need to get to him immediately to give first-aid.” Not to mention the fact that he could feel Kagome weakening. She was maintaining a barrier around two hundred yards. Given that it was proof against humans as well as demons-the process extremely draining even for the most powerful-he didn’t know how she had managed it this long.

Taking advantage of the flickering of her reiki, Miroku pulled out five of his strongest sutras and slapped them on the barrier. It fell under the crackling strength of his still-fresh power. Miroku immediately entered the station, conscious of the fact that Inuyasha was right by his side.

Both came to a dead halt at the sight of the crumpled woman and fallen Daiyoukai. The male’s chest barely rose and fell, as if even breathing took too much effort. Inuyasha gasped at the sight of some of Sesshoumaru’s fur covering the floor in great limp piles. He was losing his hair? Curled protectively over his body, Kagome was slumped over Sesshoumaru’s head.

Weakly, she lifted her head to warily watch the newcomers. Lines of fatigue pinched eyes that were red and swollen from crying. The exhausted woman relaxed when she recognized Miroku. “Please help him,” she begged pathetically. “He won’t wake up.”

Unable to hold off the dark mists threatening to engulf her any longer, Kagome fell into the waiting abyss of unconsciousness.

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

Muffled whispers penetrated the fog holding Kagome hostage.

“Poor dear. He’ll be gone before she even wakes up.” Fluffing the pillow underneath her patient’s head, the brown-haired, huskily-built nurse watched her intern check the woman’s reflexes.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” the intern whispered back. “She wouldn’t want to see him as he is now. It would be a kinder fate for her to remember him as he was.”

“Was? Kira, I still don’t understand how she could have possibly been with him before. Even if it is an improvement from now,” the nurse rebutted callously.

Momentarily forgetting her place, the intern gasped. “Nurse Mia! What a thing to say! Don’t you read? National Youkai Weekly has been publishing everything about their dating. It was so romantic. Now, she’ll be all alone, the poor dear.”

Mia was not impressed. Her eyes turned hard. “Maybe now she’ll move on to a nice human boy her own age. I swear, some of these youkai are practically committing pedophilia! He’s at least 150 years older than her!”

Kira rolled her downcast eyes. “Nurse Mia, your notions are positively ancient. She’s a consenting adult, not a child.”

Interrupted from answering, Mia’s eyes swiftly flew to the heart rate machine. “I think she’s waking up, Kira.”

Angered by the insults, Kagome‘s mind cleared rapidly. “Sess…” Her eyes blinked open before closing immediately as the harsh glare of the overhead lights punched through her brain. Groaning, she struggled to sit up.

Mia held the struggling figure of her patient down. “Now, now, young lady. You must stay in bed. Doctor Takagawa insists that you need rest.” Taking advantage of the woman’s disorientation, the older nurse tied her to the bed using buckles and straps.

“Sesshoumaru,” she whispered around her parched throat. “I need to see him.” Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes.

Blinking back sympathetic tears, Kira ignored Mia’s hard glare when she stepped away from the bed. She couldn’t help but feel the nurse was being terribly cruel. The woman’s love was dying next door, and she wasn’t allowed to see him?

Disgusted, the nurse huffed at her intern once the patient was strapped in and unable to move. Ignoring her pleas to release her, Mia prepared to inject the sedative Dr. Takagawa had prescribed. She never saw the bedpan that cracked against her skull.

Hurrying with trembling fingers to undo all the straps, the intern bit back her sniffles. She’d done it now! No doubt she would be fired. Not to mention the possibility of arrest for assaulting the head nurse! Something about the pleading blue eyes of the patient moved her to action.

“Here now, we have to hurry. You have to be quiet though. They have your youkai under quarantine,“ Kira warned the woman.

Nodding to show she understood, Kagome rubbed the feeling back into her wrists from where the bands had bit into her flesh. “Where is he?” she asked. “Is he-” Unable to finish that train of thought, Kagome stifled a sob when the intern looked away rather than answer.

Falling to her knees, Kira began pulling at the nurse’s uniform. “Here, come help me. We’ve got to try to pass you off as a nurse to get you in that room. The guards posted won’t know it’s you rather than Nurse Mia.”

Swiftly undressing the nurse, Kagome soon donned the uniform. Grunting with the effort of lifting the heavy woman, both women worked to place the unconscious nurse in the bed. Viciously pleased with the end result, Kagome snapped the last buckle in place.

“Come on,” Kira urged, beckoning Kagome to the door with a finger. She peeked out of the door before turning back to the other woman. “Here, let me fix your hair.” Deftly putting it up in a twist, she fixed the nurse’s hat to hide it. “Just follow my lead, okay?”

“Yes, of course,” Kagome agreed. She grabbed the intern’s hand, smiling gratefully. “Thank you so much. For doing this for a complete stranger.”

Kira patted the hand before pulling away. “Hey, us romantics have to stick together, right? Just be prepared for what you’ll see. He’s not well,” she added gently.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kagome nodded decisively. Kira stepped out into the hall and motioned for Kagome to follow after discerning that it was clear of anyone that could recognize the ruse. Two doors down, the women stopped before a large red door. Emblazoned on the polished surface, a biohazard sign announced that the room was off limits to anyone but medical personnel.

Two human guards sat by a small table beside the door. They looked over the women disinterestedly. “What is your business here now?” one asked Kira. She’d already been there a few times today to clean up.

Grateful her voice didn’t squeak, Kira answered, “Nurse Mia sent us to check on his vitals again. You know how she is.”

The guard snorted. “A royal bitch is what she is.” The other guard didn’t even bother to look up from his hentai magazine when he snorted in agreement.

Pushing the log book forward, the guard ordered, “Sign in. Just hurry it up. The doc is coming back soon, and he didn’t want anyone in the way.”

Gulping, Kira nodded. “We’ll be right in and out, I promise.” She signed the book, and motioned for Kagome to do the same.

Unable to think of a better name, Kagome signed in as her co-worker Sango.

Catching sight of her pretty, if a bit drawn, features when she bent over to sign, the guard asked, “Hey, I haven’t seen you around here before. You new or something?”

Kagome forced a smile. “I just transferred from a private unit. I was tired of the extra duties. You know how wealthy people are.” She winked conspiratorially.

He chuckled. “Damn if I don’t. A hospital isn’t good enough for them. No, they’ve got to have their own doctors on call and all the nurses they need to ensure they haven’t even got to shit on their own.“ He waved her away. “Go on with you two. Hurry it up like I said, though.”

Nodding quickly, Kira and Kagome waited as the guard passed the keycard on his belt through the lock on the door. It swung open with a faint hissing sound. Kagome pushed aside her nervousness when it swung closed behind them. The lock engaged with a loud ‘pop.’

Kira gently nudged her forward. “I’ll wait here by the door. I don’t know how much time you’ll have before someone discovers Nurse Mia is in your bed.”

Biting her lip, Kagome gave the woman a hard hug. “Thank you again. So very much.”

Brown eyes sympathetically pitying, Kira didn’t reply. Kagome pulled away and walked through the opaque plastic surrounding the large room. Coming to a halt once she was inside, she almost fell to her knees at her first glance of Sesshoumaru.

Connected to an assorted array of machines with long, winding tubes while blinking monitors mocked his chances of recovery, he lay as pale as death upon the white sheets. Entirely denuded of his fur and hair, his skin was beaded with sweat.

Stumbling forward, Kagome grabbed his hand. “Sesshoumaru? Sesshoumaru, please wake up!” she begged. He didn’t answer. He didn’t even move.

Up close, the devastating effects of the attack were even more evident. Exhaustion lines grooved through the once smooth skin of his face. Veins, black with poison, pulsed just underneath the surface of his skin. Stroking his cheek with a shaking finger, Kagome leaned down to gently kiss his bald head. “Oh, Kami. What did they do to you?” Searching with her aura, she could barely detect the flickering of his youki. “Hold on, Sesshoumaru. I’ll think of something. Just fight, okay? Stay alive.”

By force of will alone, Kagome held herself together. She’d heard the women before they knew she was awake. Sesshoumaru had been given up for dead. Yet, something wasn’t right. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did. There was more to this than a poison dart.

Just then, an odd current passed by. Brushing against her aura, it induced a shiver. What was that? she wondered while moving closer to Sesshoumaru. The skin around his eyes tightened minutely.

Throwing herself forward over his body, Kagome flared her aura. An answering pulse of deadly magic threatened the purity. A dark miko! Having caught the trace of it, Kagome followed the needle-thin connection to Sesshoumaru’s left pectoral. She pushed the sheet down. A small puncture wound oozed grey pus.

Coughing on the stench, Kagome fought back the urge to vomit. That explained his weak youki! Someone was stealing it! How? she was forced to ask herself. He was too strong for it to work so simply.

Vague lessons from her mother surfaced. When she’d made the decision not to follow in her footsteps, her mother had warned against evil-doers who could try to steal her untapped power. In order to do so, however, they would first need blood and hair samples to personalize the spell to her specifically. Then, they would need to inject a bit of their own blood into the victim. The only way to counteract such a spell was to overpower the darkness or to turn it back on them.

Had that been the intent of the attacker? To steal her power? But, then, how was it working on Sesshoumaru? A blinding headache built up from all of the conjecture, but Kagome just rubbed her temples to clear her mind. Think! she commanded herself. Sesshoumaru couldn’t last long like this!

She glanced at the clock. Eight hours had passed since they went to the station. By all rights, he should have died within the first hour. Either something was wrong with the spell, or he was strong enough to counter the effects fractionally. Drawing out his suffering as he slowly lost ground to the spell.

Maybe it was both.

How could she stop it? she asked, reminding herself of the dire circumstances. A simple shield wouldn’t break the connection. It was one of the most powerful dark magic spells. Only a truly powerful or frightfully evil miko could have managed it. They would have no problem breaking through any barrier she, untrained as she was, could throw up. Especially given the fact that she was still so weak.

Maybe, if the spell was flawed in some way to begin with, messing it up further would work? She bit her lip. But how? The wound bubbled and popped. She swallowed her rising bile. Of course! Remove the last step of the spell. The blood of the attacker was anchoring the spell to him.

If she could somehow purge his body of it, the spell would collapse.

If he were a human, it would be a simple matter. She’d simply run a jolt of power through their system. She had been able to clean her brother of infections that way before. It was a parlor trick to most trained mikos. Simple and effective, but not terribly hard.

Sesshoumaru, as a youkai… Would she hurt him more than help him? Kagome chewed on her bottom lip indecisively. For once, she cursed her decision to not follow her mother’s path. If only she’d taken the training! She’d even accept the Vow if it would mean- Kagome gasped.

The Vow! Unlike ancient times, present miko took under their protection, and promised to give spiritual aid to, all of the human and youkai that lived within their territory. She’d even seen her mother help a youkai kitten with no ill effect. Her mother, she knew, was an exception as most miko still held distrust in their heart for youkai. Ingrained by society, no doubt.

Once given, the Vow was permanent. And what she contemplated had never been done before. Could it even be done? Another pulse of dark magic cut off her meandering thoughts. Sesshoumaru’s youki flickered, the sensation like the weak brush of a butterfly wing against her senses.

She threw out all of her doubts and fears. He was going to die if she didn’t do something. If he died, she couldn’t live with knowing she hadn’t done anything.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome called to Kira.

The intern walked to her side, nervously casting her eyes away from the wasted body on the bed. “Yes?

“I need you to leave the room. Tell them anything, but it’s time for you to go. There’s something I need to do.”

About to protest, Kira was stopped by the implacable resolve in the direct gaze of the woman. Gone were the tears and fears. In their place, determination burned bright and clear.

“Please, Kira. Just go. Run away from here, if you think you’ll get in trouble for your aid.”

Kira nodded. “Okay. Good luck. With whatever you’re going to do.” Without waiting for a reply, Kira turned and left. Punching the release button with her index finger, she prayed for the life of the youkai. Anyone who could inspire such love as she’d seen in the woman’s eyes had to be someone special.

Left behind, Kagome studied the lock pad. She’d broken enough of them at the museum by improperly inserting the cards that she should have no problem destroying this one. Feeling herself down, she discovered a pen in the side pocket of the nurse uniform. Perfect!

Cracking it open, she tapped the ink tube out and bit the metal nib off. Closing her lips around the tube, she blew the red ink into the lock. The electronic device hissed in protest before the light turned from green to red. Just barely, she could hear the sounds of scrambling feet and questions from outside the door. Based on how long it had taken the repair man to fix her office door lock, she had fifteen minutes.

Quickly moving to Sesshoumaru’s side, Kagome rifled in the metal drawers beside his bed. She removed a small scalpel and a felt tip pen, placing them beside him on the bed.

The sound of her labored breaths was muffled by the hissing of the machines working to keep Sesshoumaru alive even as they failed. Drawing the sheet down to his waist, Kagome climbed onto the bed to straddle his prone figure.

“Please work,” she whispered hopefully. Uncapping the pen, she began to draw the symbols that had been inscribed into her brain from the time she began to walk on his chest. During the Vow, a miko would be kneeling before the ground on the shrine. Using a branch or stone, she would write her promise to shelter and protect, heal and nurture, all that lived under the blanket of her Vow.

It was archaic, some had cited in recent years. The majority of people preferred to go to hospitals and the like nowadays, rather than trust in the spiritual powers of a simple woman. Those who lived under the Vow were healthier and happier, though, according to studies. They were protected from wars and disaster by their Taiyoukai, but were mothered by their miko. It was a symbiotic relationship, as it was their donations that fed and housed the miko and any family she had.

Working with what she could find, however, Kagome had to make do with a marker. Five minutes later, his chest was covered in Kanji and vague symbols only understood by her family. A metallic clanging threatened to draw her attention as the metal doors were hit with something, but she ignored it.

She took a deep, cleansing breath before slowly exhaling. She replaced the cap on the marker and picked up the scalpel. Thinking through the words of the Vow, she changed it slightly to suit the circumstances.

“My power, my life, my soul. This I promise to you. My power for your safety. My life for your life. My soul to serve yours. I take this Vow, and give it to you, Sesshoumaru,” she chanted softly, her words slowly gaining strength as her power surged to the surface of her skin. “Never from your side will I part. Forever entwined, your happiness shall be mine.” Pink light began to travel from her body and settled over the markings. His chest glowed garishly bright in the dim lighting.

Carelessly slicing her palm with the scalpel, she winced at the pain but continued. Laboriously tracing the markings with her bloody finger, Kagome repeated the Vow. At the last marking, fascinated eyes watched as her blood began to seep into his skin. It was just as she’d seen when her cousin had taken the Vow. Except, it had been the earth accepting her cousin’s offering on behalf of the people. Not a living being.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes shot open just as the last of the blood disappeared. His unseeing eyes blazed with crimson fire. He began to thrash underneath her in obvious pain. Throwing herself forward, Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and completed the vow. “Into my care do I take thee!” she yelled over the wild howls that shook the walls and threatened to deafen her.

Gripping his body tightly with her arms and thighs, she managed to maintain contact even as his spasms threatened to buck her off. A lethargy similar to what she’d felt in the station after Miroku had dropped her barrier began to weigh her limbs down. At the same time, Sesshoumaru’s struggles quieted.

Soon, she was no longer able to hold her head up as her powers fed into his body with all the force of a tidal wave. Gasping for every breath, Kagome’s heart slowed. She hadn’t known what would happen. Hadn’t guessed that it would take so much of her.

With her ear resting on his chest, she could hear his heartbeat steadily growing stronger. The strong signal was a welcome reprieve from the sluggish staccato that had barely registered on the machine next to his head. The wound on his chest pulsed faintly and a thick, black liquid seeped from it until, finally, it closed completely.

The last bit of her decimated power left her and flowed into him. Like a tugboat, the whispered trail of power pulled her soul along with it.

A dead weight, Kagome’s teary eyes met Sesshoumaru’s feral gaze. It hurt in a way she’d never experienced before. As if her heart and lungs had simply collapsed. Just before she stopped breathing completely, a loud humming filled the air. The bed they were sprawled helplessly upon began to vibrate, rocking back and forth on the wheels.

A startled, maliciously enraged shriek cut viciously through the air. A black cloud that roiled with malevolent intentions formed next to the bed, but Kagome was helpless to do anything but watch. It moved to hover over them and disappeared from her line of sight. The brush of evil against her spine chilled her to the bone.

“You are nothing to me!“ it hissed. “I will not let some youkai slut defeat my purpose! The power will be mine!”

Tortuously slow, a sharp spine formed in front of the defenseless woman’s eyes. Kagome gasped as she twisted in helpless agony when it was pushed through the skin at her shoulder. The dark miko entity twisted it, chuckling gleefully. In the back of her mind, Kagome felt something shift. Something important, but she couldn’t concentrate on it to discover what it was. All she knew was that breathing was no longer impossible.

“You should have stayed out of it. You should have thanked me for killing that vile creature you lay so shamelessly against!” it taunted.

Harnessing the last smidgeon of her strength, Kagome hissed out, “Go to hell!”

It laughed. “You first, bitch.” It bore down on the spiny protrusion, slowly widening the wound before shooting it full of dark poisons from its own mists.

Air sucked out of her lungs, Kagome screamed soundlessly. It felt as if every nerve ending had been fried! Her fingers and toes curled spastically, and she began to shake uncontrollably as the oily substance moved through her body.

A loud snarl answered her silent plea for salvation. Unceremoniously flipped onto her back, Kagome’s pained gaze met Sesshoumaru’s clear golden one. Even as she watched, his fur began to grow back. “Sess…” she tried to whisper, but her throat burned too badly to allow her more than that one syllable.

Drawing back, the entity howled. “No!”

Sesshoumaru whirled around on the bed, flying to his feet as he yanked wires and tubes from his body with furious speed. Threatening to transform under the need to protect, he howled out his rage and turmoil at Kagome’s pain. He could feel it, as if it were his own.

He didn’t know what had happened. Waking up to see the vile creature about to stab his woman in the head with a deadly spine was all he needed to get him moving. Summoning his youki, he frowned at how weak it was. Instantly, another power answered his call in place of his absent one.

Kagome, he wondered in surprise, even as he readied to attack with the foreign energy. What had she done? No matter, he decided with firm resolve. He would use any means necessary to protect her.

Assuming the Daiyoukai was still weak, despite his rapid recovery thus far, the entity decided to push forward. Swiftly stabbing downward, intending to remark the target, its progress was halted by a glowing purple whip that lashed out and severed the protrusion.

“Bastard!” it shrieked in pain. “You will pay for that!”

“How unoriginal,” Sesshoumaru drawled sardonically in response. “I would expect no less from a lowlife who cannot even face me in person, but must hide behind illusions.”

Boiling angry now, enraged past the point of discretion and sane reason by the interference of the woman and now the mocking of the Daiyoukai, the cloud collapsed. In its place, an old crone stood. “I am Tsubaki, you insignificant scum! I am the greatest miko to ever walk this earth. When I am done with you, you will beg me for death!” she promised, gimlet eyes gleaming brutally. “And then, I will make you watch as I suck your little whore dry.”

Responding to the knee-jerk reaction of his instincts at the threat to Kagome, Sesshoumaru lashed out. Faster than her eyes could follow, his claws raked over Tsubuki’s ruined face.

She screamed, “Ahhhh!” Dropping to her knees, she spit at the ground before his feet. “You think I cannot withstand a puny attack like that?” she asked in a desperate attempt to regain face for her pained outburst. “Just watch this!”

Calling her magic to the surface, she attempted to retake her mist-like, nearly invulnerable form. She wasn’t fast enough. Leaping from the bed, Sesshoumaru felt the foreign power build up in his fist. It burned through his veins, but he breathed through the pain. Just as her head dematerialized, he punched his fisted hand through her ribcage.

Exploding on impact, the old miko’s powers swirled darkly around the room. Uncontrolled torrents of invisible winds buffeted him, and he leaped back to Kagome’s side to protect her from the debris of machines, needles, and other apparatus.

Suddenly, everything grew still. Abandoned by the winds that had carried it aloft, the remaining debris shattered as it crashed to the floor. Eyeing the spot where the old woman had stood, Sesshoumaru discovered a pile of ash covered by the grey robe she had worn. He turned back to Kagome.

Panting, she stared up at him and smiled. “I’m so glad,” she whispered weakly, “that you will live.” She knew now what it had been that she had felt while the dark miko was torturing her. He had accepted her Vow. She was tied to him now; her soul was in his keeping.

He stroked her cheek. Before the words that clogged his throat could be uttered, the doors to the room burst open. Guards filed in while a doctor in a white lab coat followed. All came to a stumbling halt when they caught sight of the Daiyoukai whole and well. Even as they watched, the last of his hair grew to its normal length.

“Wha-What,” the doctor sputtered in shock. “What happened?” He turned to the woman on the bed. “Is this the intruder?” he asked the guards.

Growling, Sesshoumaru placed his body between the males and Kagome. “This is my mate, and she has more right to be here than anyone else.” He turned his back on the insignificant humans to claim her hand. He squeezed gently and relaxed slightly as she returned the gesture.

He may not yet understand what had happened, but he knew, without a doubt, that they had both been irrevocably changed. Bonded. His youkai heart rejoiced in the knowledge.

Forcing himself to move aside in order to allow the doctor to attend to her wound, Sesshoumaru never left her side. At the pronouncement that the poison was dissipating, he breathed a sigh of relief. With the dark miko dead, her magics would thankfully fade.

He began to make plans to take her back to the Realm. She had made her choice, had claimed him as surely as he would her. He hadn’t thought it possible, but she had. And now, he would return the favor.

Chapter Twenty-One

At the sharp rap on the closed door, Sesshoumaru turned from rearranging the thin blanket protecting Kagome from the chill of the hospital room. “Enter,” he called out. He’d informed the hospital staff that no one was to be allowed entrance without his express permission.

Doctor Takagawa strode purposefully through the doorway. A raw-boned, human nurse dourly followed him into the room. him. “Sesshoumaru-san,” the doctor greeted amiably with a respectful nod. The catastrophe of the previous day fresh on his mind, Takagawa was determined to improve the Daiyoukai’s impression of the hospital.

“You are here to remove the IV?” Sesshoumaru asked from her bedside. Kagome had been asleep for almost a full day now. Once the doctor had finished sewing the gash in her shoulder closed, he’d reiterated the need for her to sleep. Sesshoumaru had then convinced Kagome to accept a sedative.

Takagawa nodded in the affirmative. “The nurse will take care of that after I’ve given Higurashi a clean bill of health.” Under the eagle eye of the protective male, the doctor proceeded to pull down the blanket to access her wound. Laying on her stomach, her gown was pushed aside to reveal the taped gauze.

“Here now,” the doctor whispered reassuringly when she stirred uneasily in her sleep as the tape was pulled off. “Relax. I’ll be done soon.” She stilled under his expert touch, and he refrained from glancing at the other male. After only a day of the inuyoukai, the hospital staff would be glad to see him gone. Exacting, picky, and entirely too easily roused to anger when he felt the woman was being mistreated or not receiving the best care, the male would not be missed.

Already, Takagawa had been forced, under threat of lawsuit, to fire Nurse Mia. She’d been livid and had vowed to sue Higurashi and the intern Kira for assault. After a few minutes alone with the Daiyoukai, however, she had left without another word. The intern had been elevated to an administrative position within the financial department. A nice raise came with the position, and that was that.

At least the doctor hoped so. Even disinherited, the Daiyoukai could rain ruin upon the hospital administrative heads, if he so chose.

Satisfied that the wound was healing nicely and looked to be clear of infection, Dr. Takagawa relaxed. He straightened and met the inquisitive gaze of the other male. “She will be released as planned, Sesshoumaru-san.” He took the chart from the nurse and began to sign off on the appropriate documentation. “The wound will need to stay dry for at least a week, so no showers. I have prescribed an antibiotic cream to help the healing process. I’ll also prescribe an oral antibiotic, just to be on the safe side.” He handed the sheath of papers back to the nurse before asking, “Do you have any questions?”

“When will the stitches need to come out?”

Takagawa did a swift mental calculation. “Around two weeks. The nurse will take care of the appointment. If there is any sign of infection, or if she experiences any dizziness or other odd symptoms, return immediately to the hospital to get it looked at.”

Nodding to show he understood, Sesshoumaru turned back to Kagome. Accepting the curt dismissal with an objective shrug, Takagawa added, “And, as a warning, the paparazzi have gotten wind of your stay here. They have swarmed the lobby and have also staked out the back entrance. Security have been called in to deal with the situation, but there is only so much that they can do.”

An irritated growl passed Sesshoumaru’s clenched jaw. “I will deal with reporters.”

Shivering slightly in the sudden chill of the room, Takagawa smiled apologetically. “Vultures, all of them. But, there is little I, or anyone else for that matter, can do about them.”

“I said that I will take care of it,” Sesshoumaru reiterated. The doctor’s obvious fawning was grating on his last nerve.

Detecting the male’s short temper, Takagawa bowed and left the room. He had no qualms about leaving the nurse to deal with the discharge.

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Thirty minutes later, Sesshoumaru carried Kagome toward the hospital lobby. The anxious nurse hovered behind him uselessly. At her insistence that all patients exiting the hospital must be pushed there in a wheelchair, he had merely scoffed. His strength was more than capable of handling the slight weight that rested so trustingly in his arms.

As soon as the elevator doors opened into the spacious entryway, a stream of flashes flared across his retinas. Composing his features into a façade of boredom, he proceeded to push his way through the crowd of humans. Youkai were conspicuously absent from the throng.

When one particularity daring human shoved a camera in Kagome’s face, Sesshoumaru snarled in outrage. His mask of indifference gone, the red-eyed Daiyoukai hissed warningly, “Step away, human, or suffer the consequence of your folly.”

His youki flared dangerously. On the scent of a big story, however, the intrepid reporters paid it no mind. They had been following the story of the inuyoukai since they were weaned on sensationalistic journalism in their cribs by parents who had spoken of his curse in excited whispers. Given the chance to add their own words to the legend surrounding him, they wouldn’t back down.

Smelling blood, the sharks moved in for the kill. They circled the Daiyoukai and his precious cargo. Pressing in on all sides, cameras and microphones manifested as if by magic. Questions issued in loud, ringing tones filled the lobby with a cacophony of voices.

Presented with the wall of humans blocking his way out, Sesshoumaru felt his control begin to slip. To the Daiyoukai, it felt as if his mate was being threatened. He snarled and snapped his fangs at the assailants as they continued to film, heedless of the danger he represented. They jostled closer; filthy bodies that stank of greed and dishonor defiled his superior sense of smell.

The reporter that had been threatened previously decided to up the ante. The woman was still asleep in Sesshoumaru’s arms. His sources had told him that she’d been sedated. How much better of a story would it be if he could get a shot of her first waking moments?

To that end, he slipped under the Daiyoukai’s attention while the inuyoukai continued to push forcefully through the crowd. After ensuring that he was undetected in the mob, he took careful aim and threw his spare camera.

Kagome shot upright in Sesshoumaru’s arms with a startled shriek when the small digital camera connected with her cheek. The camera dropped to the ground. The enraged roar of a feral Daiyoukai traveled over the assembled paparazzi.

In a moment that would be forever etched on the inner eyes of those watching, Sesshoumaru turned on the crowd with all the ferocious force of a crazed bull elephant. Electronic devices went flying along with those holding them. With no care for the frailty of the human bodies he mowed down, Sesshoumaru gave no mercy.

Finally detecting that he was unstoppable, the paparazzi scrambled for safety with the unerring instinct of rats on a sinking ship. Mere moments later, Sesshoumaru and Kagome were alone in the deserted lobby. Even the useless guards had run.

Giving a satisfied grunt, Sesshoumaru flicked his claws clean of vulture blood.

Wrapped safely in his arms, Kagome sniffed against his chest. “Can we go home now?” she asked softly.

“We will be there soon, Kagome,” he murmured gently in reply as he walked them out of the lobby and into the parking lot. The stray camera snaps he heard were ignored. He cared not about the pictures taken as long as he didn’t have to see the scum taking them.

Jaken met them at his car. He’d called the toad demon and ordered his Porshe brought around. Taking in the dark look his assistant slanted on the woman in his arms, Sesshoumaru scowled. “Is there something you want to say, Jaken?” he asked forbiddingly.

Shuddering, the toad swallowed thickly. “No, no, Sesshoumaru-sama. I was just, uh, bemoaning the chilly winds,” he lied. If his Lord wanted to mate a human, then he would simply have to accept it. After all, his Lord could do no wrong. If he wanted the woman, then there must be some good reason for it. Perhaps she came with a large enough dowry to wash away the stain of her humanity?

Carefully arranged on the passenger seat, Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru before he walked around the car to slide behind the wheel. “Get back to work,” the Daiyoukai ordered the toad before closing the door.

While Kagome had been sleeping, he’d looked over Jaken’s report. His prospects were almost set up. As a consultant, the requirements of his business wouldn’t necessitate the manpower of a larger corporation but promised to be just as lucrative.

One hand on the wheel, Sesshoumaru started the engine. The car roared to life and was soon flying down the road to the shrine. The monk, Miroku, had claimed Kagome’s satchel and had delivered it to Mrs. Higurashi for safekeeping. Perhaps now some answers could be had.

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“What have you done, Kagome?” Taking a sip of her tea, Mrs. Higurashi stared across her cup at her daughter.

Startled, Kagome’s head cocked to the side. “What do you mean, Mama?”

Her mother picked up the magazine that laid innocently on the kitchen table beside her elbow. Opening it to the marked page, she slid it across the scarred, wooden surface.

Eyes widening, Kagome’s attention was immediately snared by the headline and the pictures that accompanied it.

Kagome sucked in a shocked breath. There, alongside the slanderous article, were pictures of Sesshoumaru and her. She hadn’t even taken notice of the fact that he had been naked! She’d been more worried about keeping him alive than to note something so unimportant at the time!

Tears sprang to her eyes as she reread the article. How could they assume something like that? That she had ‘ensnared’ him? He was going to die! If she’d waited to ask him, she would have been waiting forever!

Sesshoumaru chose that moment to walk into the kitchen. He’d been speaking with Hiten and Manten about the security measures around the shrine. They had been oddly quiet around him but had also been significantly more respectful. It was something to mull over later.

Once the scent of Kagome’s tears came to him, all thoughts of the Thunder Brothers and their odd behavior fled his mind. “What is wrong? What happened?” he demanded to know. “Did you pull your stitches?”

Unable to reply, Kagome silently handed him the magazine.

After reading the damning words, Sesshoumaru ripped the magazine in half. “Fools,” he hissed in outrage. It was bad enough that he was depicted as being weak-willed enough to be trapped unwillingly. For the insinuations slanted against Kagome they would pay, and pay dearly. He would see to it personally.

“Kagome,” Mrs. Higurashi interrupted the vicious thoughts of the Daiyoukai, “why did you do something like that?”

“Mama, it wasn’t anything like what they’re saying! Sesshoumaru, he-” Kagome’s whispered explanation was cut off by the Daiyoukai laying a restraining hand on her uninjured shoulder.

“I asked her to be my mate. As such, it was within her rights to protect and defend me by any means necessary. That is all the explanation anyone else deserves. Even you, if you insist on treating Kagome as if she was guilty of some crime,” he stated authoritatively. Though the reminder that he had been weak chafed his ego, a surge of pride enveloped him at the reminder of Kagome’s strength in his time of need.

Taking offense to the hard line he had drawn, Mrs. Higurashi frowned. “Her rights? What rights do you speak of? My daughter is human and is not yet your mate. She is still bound by the laws of humans. Those laws were created for a purpose. Especially,” she added with a sorrowful look for her daughter, “those that pertain to priestesses. Kagome, I accepted it when you decided to forgo your heritage. I embraced your decision to be courted by this Daiyoukai. How could you take something so sacred to our kind and pervert it into something so wrong?”

“Wrong? Perverted?” Sesshoumaru growled over Kagome’s shoulder. His normally extensive vocabulary failed him in that moment. “What idiocy do you speak of, old woman!”

The tea cup rattled as Mrs. Higurashi set it down on the saucer. She ignored the Taiyoukai, turning beseeching eyes on her daughter in the hopes of salvaging the situation. “Kagome, how do you think the people who depend upon this shrine for their spiritual needs will feel once they learn of your actions? You turned your back on their need, but gave the Vow to Sesshoumaru? A single entity means more to you than the entirety of the village this shrine serves?”

Sighing, Kagome refused to look away from her mother’s faintly condemning gaze. “I wasn’t thinking about anything but keeping Sesshoumaru alive, Mama. It was the only way I could do so. I thought you, of all people, would understand. I thought you said love was worth sacrificing everything for!”

Mrs. Higurashi shook her head. “No, Kagome. I only spoke of children and love. There are some things that must always take precedence. Even over love. Maintaining the sanctity of miko traditions is one of them. We are already under attack by naysayers, and now you have handed them yet another reason to abolish the Vow completely!”

“If the system is so flawed that her actions to save a life can topple it completely, then perhaps it is for the best,” Sesshoumaru snarled.

“Youkai know nothing of the value of what a miko can offer!” Mrs. Higurashi shouted in a rare show of temper. “You, with your powers and strengths, cannot comprehend what it means to us humans! You sleep soundlessly at night, assured of your superiority. We must go through each day knowing that there are those of your kind who would dispose of us as if we were refuse!”

“Mama!” Kagome admonished, shocked.

Sesshoumaru silenced her with a gentle shake. “No, Kagome. Let her speak. I would hear what she would say.”

“Do you see? Even in my own home, I am subjected to your will! For myself, I feel no animosity towards youkai. I will turn none away who seek my counsel or aid. But it is for the humans, our kind,” Mrs. Higurashi added in a pointed aside to Kagome, “that I strive to create equality. To do so, the power balance between the two races must be maintained! You have tipped the scale in youkai favor with your actions, and it is this that I do condemn, Kagome!”

Speechless, Kagome stared at her mother dumbly. Where had her mother hid this virulence all these years? If she felt such things, why had she been so supportive of their mating? she wondered.

Asking himself the same thing, Sesshoumaru glared at the older woman. “So your words of acceptance in regards to this Sesshoumaru mating your daughter were lies.”

Kagome’s mother gasped. She held a trembling hand to her chest. “I would never lie to my daughter! Had you accepted her as a human instead of trying to turn her into a youkai, this never would have happened!”

Prodded by the injustice of her mother’s accusation, Kagome was moved to defend Sesshoumaru. “He never once asked me to change, Mama. Not once! Compromise between two people is natural, not something to be looked down upon! If anything, he is the one who has forsaken his own beliefs on my behalf!”

Sensing Kagome’s upset escalating, Sesshoumaru began massaging her neck soothingly.

Kagome wearily closed her eyes before relaxing against his welcome presence. “I won’t have you disrespect him, Mama. He’s nothing like what you describe youkai to be. How could you be so like those that would condemn us for our feelings?” After everything her mother had revealed about her own past, how could she still be so blind?

Mrs. Higurashi took a deep, calming breath. “I will not apologize for my feelings. I do not hate youkai, and I never will. I hope for the day when humans and youkai will live in true equality. What I regret is the stain you have placed upon my vocation. For what you have done… Do you not realize that some would see it as an act of a dark miko?”

Shooting to sit upright, Kagome was saved from having to reply by Sesshoumaru’s fierce snarl.

“You speak blasphemy! She is no more a dark miko than I am! Any who would say otherwise will retract their words at the point of my sword!”

“Oh?” Mrs. Higurashi uttered coldly. “Do you speak your own mind, or has the power of my daughter’s Vow seduced you into protecting that which you have no right to hold?”

His hackles rose at the older woman’s brittle tone and hateful insinuation. “Kagome is my mate. Her life now lies within my care, not yours. Any doubts you may now harbor will serve no purpose but to estrange your daughter,” he finally said when he felt he was capable of speaking. His fingers tightened on Kagome’s shoulder.

For her part, Kagome’s eyes burned with unshed tears. She stared at her mother as if she were a stranger. And, indeed, in this moment, she felt as if the older woman seated across from her was no more than that.

“Mama,” Kagome finally whispered, “Why are you saying these things? I don’t understand. I’m still me. I’m still Kagome, your daughter. Nothing has changed about that. Sesshoumaru,” she said, a hand slipping up to cover the one that rested on her shoulder, “accepted my Vow. I didn’t force it on him. He won’t abuse it, I know that with absolute certainty. Souta has already said that he plans on following grandpa and studies to develop his budding spiritual powers. Surely the people will accept his protection in place of mine and be happy for it.”

Shaking her head sadly, Mrs. Higurashi’s shoulders slumped. “You are too headstrong to listen to what I am trying to tell you. You were always so stubborn! I allowed it because I love you, and because I saw so much of your father in you. Now, I can see that I should have stopped letting you go your own way, provided you with a more restrained upbringing. What you have done, I do not know if it can be rescinded. It is unprecedented, a Vow being wasted upon one person, be they youkai or human.”

“She will not take it back,” Sesshoumaru declared venomously. “What has been given was accepted. I will cherish your daughter. I will protect and care for her. Her soul and her power resides safely within my own soul. You will not condemn her for following her heart in this! You will accept her and her actions!”

The older woman stood on resolute legs. She looked down upon her daughter sadly. “I’m afraid that is something that I won’t do. If you cannot at least apologize for what you have done, Kagome, then I must ask you to leave and not come back until you see the error of your ways.”

At Kagome’s shocked inhalation, Mrs. Higurashi continued with false bravado, “I will always take you back, Kagome. But I cannot, in good conscience, give countenance to your actions. We can weather this storm together, my daughter. Please trust me that it would be best if you worked with me to end this travesty of what the Vow stands for,” she pleaded soulfully. “I know others, older miko who have knowledge of ancient texts. Perhaps, within them, we may find a solution. If it is only love for your youkai that you would hesitate, think on this: he was willing to take you without the Vow. Why won’t he support you sundering it when it would mean the difference between losing your own family or having your family and your love?”

Lowering her head, Kagome felt Sesshoumaru’s helpless rage beat against her aura in agitation. She knew he wanted to strike out physically, but he held back for her sake. Her honorable Daiyoukai.

“Sesshoumaru,” Kagome murmured softly. “Take me home, please.” Chapter Twenty-Two

“Sesshoumaru,” Hiten called out softly from just outside the slightly ajar bedroom window. Busily packing what little remained of her belongings into her satchel, Kagome didn’t pay attention to the summons. The Daiyoukai moved over to the window.

Taking it as a sign to continue, Hiten shifted on his perch beside the roof and quietly stated, “We heard the fight. Her mother also came out a minute ago and asked us to leave. What do you want us to do?”

Shifting minutely, Sesshoumaru considered the options available to him. As the shrine miko, Mrs. Higurashi would know the demons were still present if he were to order them to stay. Assuming he would actually care to do such a thing after the debacle in the kitchen.

“Just keep an eye on Kagome’s brother and grandfather when they are not on the shrine,” he ordered. Currently at school, Souta would be home shortly. Given their display of sibling affection in her apartment, he knew Kagome would be devastated should anything happen to him. He had yet to meet the elder male of the shrine, but knew Kagome harbored deep affection for him as well.

Mrs. Higurashi, by her words and actions, had taken herself out of his protection. Bound by her own Vow, she could not leave the twenty square mile shrine territory in any event.

His unease transmitting to her through the agitation of his aura, Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru before closing her bag. Her mother wouldn’t allow Hiten and Manten to stay if they weren’t welcome, she realized. No matter how much it might ease her mind. In this way, her mother was attempting to guilt her into falling into line. It was underhanded, to use her fears for her family against her.

Kagome would have never believed her mother capable of such devious ploys. This was the woman who had deliberately gone behind her husband’s back to get pregnant because she felt she was losing him. Kagome didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Yet, even now, Kagome knew it was partly out of fear for her that her mother acted so desperately. If the rest of humanity viewed her split-second decision to give Sesshoumaru her Vow as the magazine author did…

She would become a pariah among her own species.

Kagome squared her shoulders stubbornly. Her mother was right about one thing. She was headstrong. And, if she wouldn’t let her own mother direct her life anymore, then she sure wasn’t going to let anyone else do so.

Her mother had made her choice. Just as Kagome had made hers.

Hiten nodded. “Sure thing.” Hesitating slightly when Kagome wiped her eyes clean with a spare shirt while resolutely stuffing another packet of photos into her bag, the thunder youkai added reassuringly, “It won’t be so bad for you in the Realm, Kagome. Maybe, in time, the humans will come around. Youkai already know that article was a crock of shit.”

Startled into meeting the elemental youkai’s gaze, Kagome asked, “What do you mean?”

Hiten rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. His eyes darted between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. “Well, the pictures told it all, in my mind. No offense, Sesshoumaru, but you looked like shit. If I could tell that you were just a breath away from death, then I should think it would be obvious that Kagome saved your life. The whole Vow thing, too, I mean, damn!” he exclaimed, forgetting his need to be quiet.

“You don’t think it was wrong?” Standing, Kagome walked over to join Sesshoumaru and Hiten at the window. She dragged her packed satchel with her.

Glancing oddly at the Daiyoukai, Hiten shook his head in the negative. Why hadn’t hadn’t Sesshoumaru told her yet? the confused youkai asked himself. “No way. I mean, from a youkai’s perspective, it just makes things that much easier. You know?” At her look of befuddlement, he recanted, “Or maybe you don’t know. I’ll leave the explanations to Sesshoumaru, though. That’s something you need to talk to your mate about. I can tell you that I’m excited to be alive to witness this!”

Gently nudging Kagome to get her moving away from the window, Sesshoumaru waved the thunder youkai away. “All explanations can wait for later. Your fee,” he told Hiten, “will stay the same. For now, Kagome and I will be in the Realm if you have any more questions or need to report any developments.”

“Will do,” Hiten said with a sexy smirk twisting his lips. Bounding from the roof, he disappeared into the canopy of the god tree. Far be it from him to keep the Daiyoukai from taking his woman home. He wondered how long it would take before Sesshoumaru claimed Kagome. Even if it did tickle his twisted sense of humor that the dog had been collared first.

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Clouds flew by as Kagome snuggled deeper into Sesshoumaru’s hold. Given that cars weren’t allowed within the Realm, in order to preserve the clean atmosphere, he’d left the Porshe in a private garage. After the fallout with his father, he’d rented the space to accommodate his pricey collection.

Blinking rapidly to clear her vision of the misty air fogging it, Kagome stared in bewilderment once the Youkai Realm came into view. “What’s going on?” she asked Sesshoumaru. Orientation made indistinguishable by the high altitude, a crowd of people were lined up outside the gates that guarded the entrance.

Appalled at the scene, the Daiyoukai growled angrily as his nose supplied what his eyes could not. “Humans.” Pests, he added silently.

Before Kagome, humans had been little more than a passing moment in his life. A secretary, or the one who prepared his supper in some café, or whatnot. Useful in their own way, one had been much like any other; small-minded and only concerned with their limited slice of mortality.

He could allow that there were a few that had managed to catch his attention over the years for being possessed of farsighted insights in regards to humanity on a whole and its flaws. Conservationists who attempted to halt the rape of the natural world. Philanthropists who reached out to those of poorer nations and tried to stem the needless deaths of the innocent...

Yet, to a one, none had ever cared to include youkai in their efforts. It was a divided world; youkai stood on one side and humans huddled on the other.

Youkai, as Kagome’s mother had so succinctly stated, were assumed content in their superiority. However much that may be so, Sesshoumaru cynically wondered why, with the growing number of scholarly human researchers delving into youkai nature and history, that none had discovered the truth behind a youkai’s disdain for interspecies relationships.

It was easier to assume that a youkai naturally disliked humans for their weaker bodies and abysmally short lifetimes. It was true that those traits did equate to the perception that humans were lesser beings to many youkai. Yet youkai did not treat humans as cattle, but as they would pups: unsteady in their movements, unable to defend themselves from a show of force, and intellectually inferior.

Yet, to maintain their air of wounded dignity, the vast majority of humans clung fast to their false beliefs rather than deducing the truth.

Sesshoumaru knew there were youkai who would kill a human without a thought. Those same youkai, however, would murder their own mothers if provoked. Humans however, were capable of dismissing youkai lives as insignificant. A youkai who is killed after many centuries of life is announced as ‘finally departed,’ rather than properly mourned as an individual of great experience who had much to impart to future generations.

Even in their laws, humans announced lesser sentences for a humans who would do injury to a youkai than to another human; citing the youkai’s ability to heal as negating the need for a longer sentence. To them, the indignity of the attack itself mattered not, as long as it was only a youkai who suffered.

It was the youkai who allowed the laws to stand. Who abided by the moral code of humans to protect the fragile peace between the two species, even when human practices were so unjustly executed.

And now, now that one human, Kagome, had placed her complete loyalty with him, above even the hallowed traditions of her family; indeed, of humans in general, humanity would rise to strike her down for her audacity.

Because she had shared her very soul with him after she had denied them.

A human could befriend a youkai. A human could even become the mate of a youkai. But when it came down to it, their loyalty was still owned by their species. Kagome, however, had crossed the line of human tolerance.

Despite what the fools contemplated, Sesshoumaru decided with frightfully keen insight as the placards the humans bore aloft on sticks came into view, she would not be made to pay for the perceived infraction. “They are showcasing their ignorance for the world to see, Kagome. They matter not.”

Subsiding into his arms, she clutched her satchel closer as the words that had been hastily scribbled onto cardboard and wood became clear. Traitor. Black-Hearted Miko. There were even a few that read: Youkai Oppressor. Slaver. Abomination.

Current resolve notwithstanding, Kagome felt her heart pinch in reaction to the pure hate that twisted the faces of the people that waited below with malice-darkened eyes. There were so many of them! As bad as the reporters had been, this crowd was easily three times as large. Would Sesshoumaru have to fight through them as he did the paparazzi?

Determinedly beginning their descent upon his youki cloud, Sesshoumaru willed his claws to fill with a poisonous mist. It would immediately put the foul humans to sleep. If he was lucky, perhaps it would prove to be a permanent condition. Such filth was undeserving of life.

Before he could deploy his poison, the gates to the Realm burst open. Leading the youkai that spilled forth from the depths of the wrought-iron tunnel, Kouga gleefully knocked two humans out by banging their heads together.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up,” he called out to the Daiyoukai. The humans had begun trickling in last night. Given that Kagome’s stay there was already old news, he’d been prepared for the onslaught of human pests. Around him, two dozen other youkai who had volunteered for clean-up duty dispatched the crowd without difficulty.

Kagome noted gratefully that the process was swift and bloodless for both youkai and humans. Some of the humans would wake up with a killer headache or would need some serious back re-alignment, but they were alive.

Catching sight of the woman’s pale features, Kouga didn’t speak further until Sesshoumaru had carried her through the tunnel.

Leaving the slumped figures of the dispatched mob behind, Sesshoumaru listened to the wolf mutter about idiot humans in an almost unintelligible voice.

Kouga cleared his throat once they were in the open Marketplace. “We heard about the shitty reception you got at the hospital,” he stated conversationally. The youkai community was abuzz with gossip about the insult to the Daiyoukai and his human mate.

The youkai in the Market made way for the trio, but then went about their business as if nothing of import had happened just outside the entrance.

Bewildered, Kagome looked to Sesshoumaru for an explanation. “Such things are easily dismissed,” he offered by way of explanation.

Striding purposefully through the crowd of youkai, he carried Kagome away from the heart of the Marketplace. Content to remain silent for now, Kouga trailed along.

When the small group reached the tree-line that demarcated the Market’s end, Kouga stopped. “We still on for that fight?” he asked hopefully. He had plans for the meeting between Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Plans that he’d had to forestall with the mess surrounding the inuyoukai.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes on the pushy wolf contemplatively. Something about Kouga’s insistence in meeting him in battle, even a mock one, hinted at hidden motives. “Tomorrow at noon is acceptable. However, we will meet at my rooms rather than the dojo. Kagome is still not healed entirely, and I will not move her about more than absolutely necessary.”

Kagome protested, “I’m not that hurt, Sesshoumaru. If you want to spar at the dojo, I can stay home while you go. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

Two identical looks of male condescension landed upon her. “Sure you are,” Kouga said patronizingly. He smirked at Sesshoumaru. “I’ve got a feeling she’s going to keep you quite busy.”

“Indeed.” That was something he had known from the beginning. It was a challenge he looked forward to engaging in.

“Hey!” she exclaimed irritably. “I’m still here!”

Suddenly serious, the wolf youkai ignored her protestations to glance over his shoulder at the walls of the Realm that loomed over the trees. “They will hold the crowds out, Sesshoumaru. They were not meant to guard, however, merely isolate. One or two stealthy ones might slip in. Even now, too, a youkai could be bought,” he warned.

Countering Kouga’s concerns, Sesshoumaru replied, “I already have connections in the youkai dredges. They will not be a concern.” And they wouldn’t. Hiten and Manten were well known in their element, and they had already placed Kagome under their protection. None of their competition would dare to cross them for fear of retribution. As for the humans… “All others will be dealt with,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Kagome shivered in reaction to the dark promise that coated each word in impenetrable ice.

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

The next morning, Kagome groaned into the feather pillow. By the time they had arrived home last night, she had been bone weary and heart-sore. All questions, she had decided, could wait. After a light repast, Sesshoumaru had put her to bed with the last of the sedatives the nurse had slipped him.

Now, clad only in the loose, white pants of his fighting gi, he was bent over her prone position. “This may hurt,” he warned.

Groaning, currently topless and face down on the pillow, Kagome rolled her eyes. He’d done it twice just today, so she already knew to brace herself. “Just be quick about it, Sesshoumaru,” she groused.

She winced sharply when the tape holding the gauze in place was ripped off in one smooth movement. The bruised flesh tingled as fresh air hit the wound. “Ow!” she yelped.

Deeply masculine chuckles had her skin tingling for an entirely different reason. “You whimper like a pup,” Sesshoumaru teased while balling the gauze up. He threw it into the small trashcan beside the bed.

Gasping in mock outrage, Kagome stretched her arms above her head to ease the tension in her injured shoulder. “You are so mean. No sympathy for my pain.” Grimacing as the torn muscle protested, Kagome quickly pulled her arms back to her side.

Fingers expertly probed the stitches to test their strength. The Daiyoukai chided, “The wound will not heal if you pull on the stitches too soon, Kagome.” He may not know much about human biology or recovery periods, but after countless injuries from sparring his father, Sesshoumaru knew about wounds. Uncapping the ointment, he dabbed a generous amount on the tips of his fingers before gently applying it to the injury.

A pained hiss escaped from between clenched lips, and Kagome tightly gripped the bed sheets. After having Jaken fetch her medicines from the pharmacy outside the Realm yesterday, Sesshoumaru had been a bear about studiously following the doctor’s directions.

It was currently eleven in the morning, and she knew he was looking forward to the noon meeting with Kouga. He didn’t let it deter him from torturing her, however. Since she planned on using the time during which he was distracted to take a bath, Kagome didn’t complain. Too much.

Even if the horse pills the doctor had prescribed made her want to retch.

Finally, she saw him pick up the roll of fresh gauze from the corner of her eye. Swiftly cutting a swath with his claws, Sesshoumaru taped it over the stitches. He wiped his hand clean of the ointment on a spare towel, but Kagome caught his arm before he could move away. She tugged gently, and he complied to the silent entreaty in her soft blue eyes.

Sliding down, he laid on his back. To protect her injured shoulder, he guided her to rest upon him, her breasts pillowed against his chest. With steady hands on her lower back, he softly stroked her smooth skin.

Refusing to give in to the tranquility of the moment, Kagome sighed regretfully at the need to sully the peace with questions. But she’d put some off for too long; and right now, she needed answers more than another nap.

“Will you tell me about what Hiten meant?” she blurted out after deciding that there was no adequate lead-in for her inquiry.

His hands stilled upon her back for a moment before he resumed the massage. Carefully considering each word, Sesshoumaru replied, “Hiten spoke of the Vow. You wish to know why he, as a youkai, feels differently about it than the humans thus far?”

She nodded against his chest. Gliding through the fur that lay sleekly on his side, her fingers lightly scratched against his skin.

Repressing a shiver at the sensation, Sesshoumaru realized that his youki was strangely quiet. At rest. It was a telling observation. “In the simplest of terms, you mated me, Kagome.”

“Oh.” She mulled that over for a minute. “Is that why you now refer to me as your mate?” The fact had not escaped her, but the opportunity to ask him about it hadn’t come sooner. Then her brow scrunched up in confusion. “But we didn’t, um, do anything. How are we now mates?”

His chest shook with mirth. “A human misconception. Mating normally occurs during or after sexual intercourse. During such times, a youkai’s power is heightened to the point that it is easier to access without causing harm to the one being claimed.” He stroked a hand down her uninjured arm, twining his fingers with hers. “By giving me your Vow, you presented me with your power. I accepted it. This is the process of true mating. The ritual will be complete when I return the gesture.”

“I don’t regret it, but, Sesshoumaru, I hadn’t planned on this happening. How would we have been mated, if you say that a power exchange is what signifies the bond?” It was a conundrum of irritatingly important dimensions. Had he not meant mate in the way that she’d taken it? Or was there some other way that youkai mated humans?

He squeezed her hand, cutting off her wandering thoughts. Careful of her shoulder, Sesshoumaru pulled her closer and cradled her in his arms so that their eyes could meet. “I would have given you my power, thus marking you as mine. A mate’s youki serves as a signature of ownership. It resides within their partner, and even after death, the power will follow the deceased into the afterlife.”

Taken aback, Kagome questioned, “But, wouldn’t losing their power make them weaker?” She didn’t know much about youkai on whole, but one thing that had been drilled into her from a young age was that they craved power. Whether in body, politics, or something else entirely, it mattered not.

Smiling proudly that she had hit upon the main point, Sesshoumaru said, “That, Kagome, is why youki is shared during mating. It is also why mating is based more upon power than true affection. Youkai seek strength so that they will not be weakened after the mating. This is also why youkai disdain a mating between our species. It offends their most basic sensibilities.”

“I would have weakened you,” Kagome stated softly as the realization hit her hard. “With the Vow, you have my reiki. It isn’t youki, and it hurts you to do so, but you can use it. However, you were going to mate me without it.”

He sighed. “It is the way of all youkai who chose humans to mate, Kagome. I had accepted the potential loss of youki in favor of gaining you for my mate. Nothing else mattered.”

Following his words, shining blue eyes spoke to him of absolute adoration. Edging up, she kissed his chin before pulling back to smile cheekily. “A few more words like that and I may just have to keep you.”

He growled, nipping her lightly on the tip of her nose. “It is too late to change your mind. You claimed me, and I accepted. All that remains is for me,” he pulled her closer to nip her ear, “to claim you.” Smirking at her delightful shiver, his chest thrummed contentedly at the fact that it was not his youki inciting such a delicious reaction. Only the whisper of his voice across the delicate shell of her small, rounded ear, was needed to warm her blood. Wickedly, Sesshoumaru added in a husky murmur, “And you will accept, will you not?”

Aroused by the heat of his body and the way he spoke so arrogantly of his right to her, Kagome swallowed a moan threatening to escape. “How could I not?” she whispered back. Then, reveling in her newfound knowledge, she grew a sensual smirk all of her own. “I did claim you first, so I suppose it is only fair that I allow you to reciprocate. And, if you need any pointers on how it’s done, I’m here for you.”

Snorting, the Daiyoukai pressed a silencing kiss onto her impudent mouth. “Wench,” he mocked after pulling away to stare upon her moistened lips, “while it is not necessary to be intimate in order to mate, in order to handle what I have planned, you must heal. Do not think to press me. I can be most creative when challenged. Unless, of course, that was your objective?” If she was so eager to be mated, he would be more than willing to accommodate her.

Embarrassed, yet oddly intrigued by his insinuation, Kagome settled her head just under his chin. “Well, I am a tad bit curious. Just a little, mind you, as to what you have planned. But, I would also like to be in, uh, full-functioning form when it occurs.”

“‘Tad bit?’ he repeated, “‘Just a little,’ hmmm?” He snorted. “You are a terrible liar. Your body already sings for me. Two weeks, Kagome, and the stitches come out.” Even if he would spend the majority of the time pained by unrequited lust, it would be time well spent. She still had not yet accepted everything that had happened. It was perhaps a self-defensive move of her mind to hide away the full brunt of her changed reality. But he would be there to help her adjust.

Chapter Twenty-Three

She’d been wanting to meet Inuyasha for some time now. Even before she’d been approached by Sesshoumaru, in fact. The circumstances of his birth, along with everything that he had dealt with for being born a hanyou, had attracted her attention much like Sesshoumaru’s plight had. Except, for Sesshoumaru she felt a fierce attraction and now also devotion. For the hanyou, she was only moved by compassion.

Said compassion was currently taking a beating as yet more filth spilled from the male’s mouth. She had given up a bath for this? Kagome asked herself ruefully.

Sesshoumaru had taken matters into his own hands when she’d asked to remain indoors. After preparing a blanket in the little bit of shade offered by the imposing building, he’d carried her outside. She’d given in after he had tersely informed her that Kouga would see it as an insult to himself were she not present.

Not given to enjoying bloodsports of any kind, Kagome had swallowed her objections. Resigned to the inevitable, as she wouldn’t allow him to lose face if she could help it, Kagome had then been treated to a sweet kiss that had effectively stripped the pout off her lips.

Before anything else could happen, Kouga and Inuyasha had shown up. The wolf youkai, dressed in a fur ensemble that looked more appropriate for a prehistoric B-movie than a sparring match, stalked into the clearing as if he owned the place. Attired in a simple pair of jeans, a red t-shirt, and a fierce scowl, Inuyasha had followed at a slower pace.

The brothers had initially pretended the other wasn’t there. Then Kouga made the mistake of hopping over to Kagome’s side and introduced her to the hanyou. “This is Higurashi, Kagome. I’m sure you remember her.”

Inuyasha looked her over derisively. “Not much in the daylight, is she? Of course, I wouldn’t have expected more from any bitch of yours, Sesshoumaru,” he stated sarcastically. “The woman has to have some serious issues if she’s willing to put up with your frigid ass.”

Taken completely aback by his utter rudeness, Kagome wasn’t fast enough to dissuade Sesshoumaru from throwing a reprimanding punch at the hanyou’s jaw. Sneering, Sesshoumaru moved to stand protectively in front of Kagome’s seated position. “You will speak respectfully to my female, Inuyasha, or not at all,” the Daiyoukai ordered demandingly.

Refusing to give the older inuyoukai the pleasure of seeing how bad that hit had hurt, Inuyasha refrained from feeling up his jaw. “I didn’t come here to play nice, you bastard!” Inuyasha shouted coarsely. “Kouga said he knew something about Kikyo.” He glared balefully at the smiling wolf. “Then the asshole said I had to come here to find out what it was!”

Sesshoumaru’s irritated scrutiny switched to the ookami. He had known there was something deeper than a need to test his strength in the ookami’s machinations. “I do not take kindly to those who waste my time, wolf.” Itching for a fight, a reaction only Inuyasha seemed to engender within him so effortlessly, Sesshoumaru rolled his shoulders to ease the tension twisting the muscles there into formidable knots.

“Who is Kikyo?” came the soft question from beneath the glares of the three males. Softening his penetrating stare for her benefit, Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder at Kagome. “The hanyou’s woman. She is a human miko, like yourself.”

“The hell there’s anything similar about my woman and yours!” Inuyasha protested stridently. “Besides, I found mine first!”

“Found yours first?” Kagome repeated in ominously stilted tones. “What is that supposed to mean?” Was he somehow implying what she thought he was?

Inuyasha sneered nastily after regaining his feet. “Exactly what I said.” Pointing an obnoxious finger at his half-brother, the hanyou assumed a superior pose. “I found Kikyo, and then, all of a sudden, he’s sniffing after you. It’s obvious he was just jealous of my woman and had to go hunting for one like her.” He looked her over carefully, taking note of her even, if only vaguely pretty, features. “You even kinda look like her. That’s some freaky shit, Sesshoumaru.”

Irritated at the imbecile’s false deductions, Sesshoumaru snorted regally. “I think not, baka. I have known Kagome for almost three months. You claimed your female a mere month ago.”

Sputtering, Inuyasha blurted out, “How the hell did you know that? I haven’t even told the old man yet!” He’d been waiting for the right moment to make itself known. So far, however, there hadn’t been a single minute that hadn’t been devoted to Kikyo or fulfilling the demands of being heir. Loath though he was to admit it, Inuyasha was amazed at how Sesshoumaru had managed for almost two hundred years under that kind of pressure. It had only been a few days, and he was ready to cut the traces and run.

Flicking an imaginary piece of lint off his sleeve, Sesshoumaru’s brow raised in amusement. “Father may turn a blind eye to your peccadilloes, but as the heir at the time, I was responsible for overseeing your activities. To ensure you brought no shame upon the bloodline, of course.”

Flabbergasted, Inuyasha’s amber gaze was clouded. Why didn’t his father know, if Sesshoumaru did? he silently questioned. For what purpose had his brother held silent on his mating Kikyo? For taking her to mate without his father’s permission, Inuyasha could have been ostracized. He’d told his mother, of course, but she had promised to remain quiet on that front.

“Problems, hanyou?” Sesshoumaru taunted at the male’s obvious confusion. He had better things to do than tattle on the brat. Evidently, the hanyou thought he lived to do just that. What did he care if his hanyou brother mated? As long as the female didn’t attempt to claim his time or press his patience, it was none of his affair.

“Keh.” Inuyasha crossed his arms. “Fuck you.” He turned to Kouga. “Tell me why the hell I’m here, so I can leave. My day is already shot to shit.”

Kouga’s air of amusement vanished. Uncharacteristically somber, he said, “Well, what I have to say won’t be an improvement on your temper.” Hence Sesshoumaru’s presence. It had been a risky move on his part, but he knew the hanyou’s volatile temperament. Add to that his unstable blood, and what Kouga had to reveal promised danger.

For Inuyasha, of course.

He wasn’t afraid of the younger male, not by a long shot. But when the hanyou lost control, and Inuyasha had done so repeatedly, only the Tashio had been capable of bringing him back to sanity. Kouga hoped Sesshoumaru would prove just as effective a dose of reality. He needed Inuyasha sane and alive.

Impatiently tapping his foot, Inuyasha scoffed, “Yeah? Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Kagome interrupted Kouga before he could begin. “Um, maybe I should go inside? This is obviously a private matter.” The last thing she wanted to do was overhear something embarrassing.

Shaking his head in denial, Sesshoumaru curtly replied, “No. You will stay where you are.” He knew she had plans, plans that would test her recovery should she pursue them alone. Not to mention the fact that he was looking forward to assisting her in her bath.

Kagome glowered. “No?” Since when did he come off talking to her like that? Especially in front of others! Ignoring the twinge in her shoulder, Kagome crossed her arms under her breasts mutinously. Something held her back from completely rebelling against his order, but she made it known with a hard glare that she was not happy with it.

Lips twitching, Inuyasha coughed to hide the telling gesture behind a fist. He may dislike the bastard with the burning intensity of a thousand suns, but he knew that look. Kikyo had been giving it to him often enough as of late.

Somebody was in deep shit, and for once, it wasn’t him.

Sesshoumaru knew he’d pricked her temper when her aura flared coldly against his own. Kagome did not do cold. Not unless she was truly peeved. Slanting her a suspicious glance to ensure she still obeyed him, the Daiyoukai wondered how long it would take for her to forget her anger.

“Okay-” Kouga glanced between the now-warring couple and the hanyou. Kami, the drama surrounding these three would be amusing or beyond amazing if he wasn’t involved. Especially considering the impossibility of the fact that Sesshoumaru truly looked wary of the woman. That was something he would take to his grave, of course, but was still a tasty tidbit of knowledge. “Inuyasha, concerning Kikyo. I was going to tell you the last time I saw you at the gym, but thought better of it. Now, however, with everything that has happened with your brother-”

“Half-brother,” Inuyasha interrupted petulantly. Sesshoumaru cut his eyes at the idiot, and Kagome sighed in exasperation. She’d only known Inuyasha for all of five minutes, and he was already grating on her nerves.

“Whatever, inu-baka. Just shut up and listen!” Kouga growled out in irritation. If it wasn’t for the sake of the Realm, he’d…

For once, Inuyasha didn’t take offense to the name. “Fine, fuck-face. Just go on,” he said finally.

All amusement gone, Kouga glared at Inuyasha. “I saw your precious mate with Kagura a few weeks ago. Just yesterday, I spotted her with Naraku and his little mistress Kaguya, as well.”

“Kagura?” Kagome interjected before Inuyasha could explode. “What is wrong with his mate being with her? I know you don’t like her, but she’s my friend too,” she stated defensively.

Surveying her flushed cheeks, Kouga looked beseechingly towards to Daiyoukai. Sesshoumaru only stared right back. Cursing the inu for forcing him to be the bearer of bad news, Kouga cleared his throat nervously. “Kagura has a bad history in the Realm,” he said as gently as possible. “I know you think that you are friends with her, but she would only have befriended you on her father’s orders.”

Incredulous, Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru for him to deny the accusation. When he turned his face away instead, she scrambled to her feet to tug on his arm. The gala, she remembered. Kagura had said something about Naraku’s interference with friends at the gala. Had that been a belated warning? “Sesshoumaru? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Sesshoumaru covered her hand with his calloused palm. “It didn’t matter, Kagome. After our meeting in the gala, I knew Kagura would stay away. You are under my protection, and as such, she knew you were off limits.” He hesitated slightly at the pain radiating from within the depths of her soulful eyes. “I wanted to save you the unnecessary anguish, Kagome.”

Gagging, Inuyasha scoffed, “Yeah, right. Since when did you become Mr. Sensitivity?” His brain hurt from trying to reconcile the time-tested picture of Sesshoumaru that he’d carried around for his entire twenty-five years with the wholly alien side of the Daiyoukai that was now coming forth in the presence of this woman.

“Would you be quiet for one minute?” Kagome snapped. Kami, he was so childish! Tense, she turned back to interrogating her mate. “You promised no more secrets, Sesshoumaru. So, tell me now, just what has she done that would warrant your low opinion?”

Giving in to the inevitable, Sesshoumaru explained, “A few years ago, Kagura was planted within the Realm as a spy by her father. Naraku had just been elected to office, and he was eager to prove himself. Within the Realm, there is no law other than youkai law. However, if a crime occurs against a human, and the perpetrator is apprehended outside the Realm, then the offense is punishable by human law.”

Catching on, Kagome asked, “And Kagura helped Naraku catch a youkai outside the Realm?”

Kouga further elaborated, his voice husky with emotion as he recounted the terrible day, “It was my pack that was hurt by her accusations, Kagome. I am the son of the Northern Lord, but I also have a very large pack. All wolves do. My cousin, Ginta, had been partying in one of the Market clubs called The Den. It’s a rowdy place, but some humans go there looking for a good time and a youkai bed partner. Ginta picked up a hot piece of ass. Only, when he got her home, she turned cold. He was pissed, and rightfully so in my mind, but he respected her wishes to return to the club. Sometime between his place and the club they were attacked. Ginta was knocked out cold. When he woke up, he was covered in blood. The woman, dead, was laying beside him.”

Paling, Kagome grasped Sesshoumaru’s fingers. He pulled her closer to his side with a comforting arm about her shoulders. Intrigued, since he hadn’t heard the story before, Inuyasha remained attentive.

Kouga continued, “Ginta came to me and told me everything. He was a good youkai. Nothing would have induced him to kill that woman. Especially not over an aborted lay! However, the human’s family demanded reparation for her death, and he was the only suspect. Yet, as I said, within the Realm, only youkai law rules. Here, we knew better than to assume he’d killed the woman. Kagura, however, seduced Ginta. She got him to meet her outside the Realm. He was then seized by human authorities under the direction of the new Sheriff, Naraku. After a one day trial and sentencing, Ginta was executed for her murder. We didn’t even know he’d been taken until his body was delivered for burial.”

Kagome felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. All this time she’d never imagined Kagura capable of something like that. “Are you sure,” she finally whispered in a last ditch effort to salvage the image she’d held of her university friend, “that it was her?”

“Oh, yes,” Kouga breathed out venomously. “I know damn well it was her. Ginta may have been foolish enough to fall for her lies, but I was his Alpha. He left me a note, telling me where he went and who he was with. I didn’t find it until it was too late. On top of that damning evidence, Kagura was given a fucking medal for honorable service for her efforts to ‘rid the Western Province of crime.’”

“Kami,” she breathed out sorrowfully, “I’m so, so sorry, Kouga.”

Head cocked to the side, the ookami regarded her steadily. “I think you really mean that.” It was a rare occasion for him. That a human would commiserate with him for his loss. If he didn’t have better faith in Sesshoumaru’s judgment of a person’s character, he’d almost think she was too good to be true.

Shrugging away the comment, Kagome leaned on Sesshoumaru‘s arm. “I do mean it. At least now I know why you were so abrasive towards her at the gala. But, I don’t understand. If Naraku executed your cousin unjustly, why haven’t you sought justice for him? I mean, if it was me, I’d have scratched his eyes out at the gala, not stood so calmly next to him. Or Kagura, for that matter.”

“There is more at stake than the life of my pack member, now, Kagome.” Kouga’s attention switched to Inuyasha. “That’s why you need to know about Kikyo. After I went over the various probabilities with my father, he’s convinced Kikyo was a plant.”

Rage flickered to life. Inuyasha snarled, “I don’t think so you asshole! Kikyo is my mate. She loves me and would never betray me!”

Startled by the wild pulsing of the hanyou’s aura, Kagome instinctively sought to sooth it. “Do you have anything other than a few meetings with Naraku and Kagura to prove that, Kouga?”

Glancing warily at Inuyasha, Kouga admitted, “I’ve had someone following her since the other day. Yesterday, she was seen with Naraku again. This time at a motel in downtown Tokyo. Alone.”

“You son-of-a-bitch! Kikyo would never cheat on me!” Inuyasha growled out fiercely before smiling victoriously. “I’ve never smelled him in her, so there’s the proof that she’s innocent!”

Kouga’s face twisted in pity as he looked to Sesshoumaru for help. Confused, Kagome wondered what was so important that Kouga would defame the absent Kikyo.

Bored with the dramatics, Sesshoumaru stepped into the impossible task of talking sense into the hanyou. He, too, was curious as to why the wolf needed Inuyasha to admit to Kikyo’s disloyalty. “Inuyasha.”

“No, you bastard! You stay out of it!” A clawed finger wavered angrily as it pointed at the Daiyoukai. “You don’t know nothing about Kikyo. None of you do!” She’d mated him, a hanyou, when other women snubbed him. She was shy, but polite. Nice, but with a temper to rival his. She would never do what they insinuated! She couldn’t!

Irritated with the entire scene, Sesshoumaru waved a hand at Kouga. “You will tell me what purpose you hope to serve with your revelations.” If this was simply yet another attempt to rile the hanyou and himself, he’d ensure the ookami never attempted such again.

“Father has reason to believe that Naraku has been the silent force behind the underground movement to abolish the Realm. Naraku has always been vocal about how ‘unfair’ to humans it was. Recently, with all of the human women being killed off, as it isn’t only within the Western Province that they are being murdered, tensions between the youkai and humans are high. The West has been able to hide the deaths so far, but the other Provinces have not. The humans within my territories blame youkai for the deaths. They also think the ones responsible are hiding within the Realm.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes slitted thoughtfully. If that was true, and Naraku was the one responsible, his Father had more on his hands than a few rogue malcontents. Kouga spoke of insurrection. “And Kikyo?”

“She is a spy, to be used to gather information from within the Tashio’s household. At least, that’s what we assume without knowing more on it. We have, however, recovered documentation from Naraku’s household. In it, the blueprints for the Tashio’s estate were outlined. Along with plans to replace the Realm with a string of shrines. One of which Kikyo will be elected head Maiden.”

“Liar!” Roaring to life, Inuyasha’s tenuous grasp on sanity slipped away completely.

Reacting instantly to the threat, Kouga leaped away from the sloppy but potentially deadly swipe to his jugular. Sesshoumaru pushed Kagome behind him. “Inuyasha, control yourself,” he commanded.

Red-eyed, Inuyasha turned on his half-brother. He snarled while blue stripes flared to life on pale cheeks. Spittle and drool flew threw the air as he howled his outrage to the sky.

Disgusted with the display, Sesshoumaru calculated the chances that Inuyasha would recover. Having been lost to rage before, Inuyasha had never come back to his right frame of mind without assistance. Encumbered by Kagome’s presence, the Daiyoukai would also need to account for her vulnerability.

Damn it, he didn’t need this, he thought angrily. Now, for the sake of his female, he would actually have to stoop to helping the wild-blooded whelp.

Claws outstretched, Inuyasha leapt for Sesshoumaru’s throat. Grunting, Sesshoumaru caught the foolish male by the neck. Inuyasha snarled and spat at him like a neko, scratching his brother’s outstretched arm and laying open the flesh.

Irritated, the Daiyoukai shook the insane hanyou roughly. “Calm yourself, Inuyasha, before I do so for you.”

The hanyou howled again. Digging deeply with his claws, Inuyasha hit bone after swiping at the Daiyoukai’s face.

Snarling as pain ripped across his cheek, Sesshoumaru gave up attempting to use reason to reach the peanut brain of his brother. Twirling gracefully on his toes, he tossed Inuyasha over his shoulder.

Flying through the air, the male landed on his feet. Kouga jumped at him, kicking the hanyou in the back of the head. Stumbling, Inuyasha retaliated with a powerful punch to the ookami’s stomach. Snarling in instinctive outrage at the attack, Kouga lost a bit of his cool to the heat of his own rising blood.

Horrified by it all, Kagome stared from the dueling pair as they tore up the ground with feral outrage to where Sesshoumaru stood. “You’re bleeding,” she gasped out upon noticing the crimson staining his fur.

“Hn. It is nothing, Kagome. Do not worry yourself on my account.” Even as they spoke, his youki was knitting up the gash on his forearm while the slashes across his cheek were already healed.

“You idiot!” Kagome hissed. She stepped around his tall form to punch him in the stomach. It hurt just as much as the last time, but she felt immeasurably better.

Startled into looking away from the battle between the wolf and the hanyou, the Daiyoukai stared down upon his mate incredulously. He was not to be likened to the hanyou. By using the moniker he was most fond of applying to the half-breed, she had struck a frayed nerve. “Excuse me?” he asked coldly.

“You heard me!” she yelled back. “I can’t believe you just stood there and let him cut you up! What if he’d really hurt you, you arrogant jerk!”

As there were tears welling up in her eyes, Sesshoumaru decided not to take offense at the insinuation that the hanyou was even capable of truly harming him. She was reacting out of concern for him. For that, he would respect her feelings, even if he still did not like the tone she took with him. “I am youkai, Kagome. I will heal.”

Folding her arms across her breasts, Kagome tapped her foot irritably. “I don’t care if you are youkai! I don’t like seeing you hurt! Don’t do it again, okay?” she asked in a slightly softer voice. “It hurts me to see you in pain, even if you wouldn’t ever admit to feeling it.”

“Yo, Sesshoumaru, hope I’m not interrupting anything, but feel free to jump in here any minute now!” Kouga called out after dodging another swipe from the still feral hanyou.

Scowling, the Daiyoukai noticed that the ookami was slowing. Either he was attempting to draw in the hanyou for a closer attack, or Inuyasha’s blood, diluted it may be, was still stronger than the ookami’s. Given his previous experience sparring the ookami and knowing his own blood’s strength, Sesshoumaru was inclined to believe the latter.

Modern youkai, the Daiyoukai scoffed, really needed to work out more. Especially if they couldn’t handle a battle for more than five minutes at a time.

Leaping into the fray, Sesshoumaru’s form blurred as he sped towards his wild sibling. Slamming into him, Sesshoumaru knocked the breath out of the raging male. Carried into the sky on a giant leap, he waited until gravity began to work upon their bodies. Whirling around ferociously fast, he threw the hanyou forcefully toward the approaching ground.

Kagome stumbled as the ground shook beneath her feet upon impact with the hanyou-turned-meteor. “Wow,” she breathed out in awe as she sprinted to the crater formed by the body of the fallen male. Staring into the hole, she figured it was at least twenty feet deep. Face first in the dirt, only the rapid rise and fall of Inuyasha’s back assured her that he wasn’t dead.

“Why didn’t I think of that,” was Kouga’s only response to seeing the large crater and the one who occupied it after walking over to her side.

Sesshoumaru landed nimbly on Kagome’s other side. He stared dispassionately upon his handiwork. “He will wake. I assume, as Father has done this before, that the blow will have returned him to his natural idiotic self.”

Sighing, Kagome only shook her head at his lack of feeling for his brother. The Tashio had a lot to answer for, was all she could think as she began the short walk back to the rooms. For now, she needed a nice, hot cup of tea. All the testosterone had made her jittery.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Bracing herself for the impact, Kagome caught the teacup before it smashed on the stone floor. Six times. Six times, Sesshoumaru had been compelled to slam Inuyasha into the floor since Kouga had dragged the hanyou through the doors. Each time, the enraged male had risen with bloodlust burning brightly in his eyes.

Were it not for the fact that she could tell Sesshoumaru was as bored by the whole thing as she was, she’d have put a halt to it long ago. Her Daiyoukai wasn’t being cruel. He certainly couldn’t let Inuyasha run amok in the Realm. It was time, however, to take matters into her own hands.

“Sesshoumaru?” she called out from the couch. Crouched by the hanyou’s head, he looked up. “Can you use my powers right now?” she asked.

Curious as to where she was going with that line of questioning, Sesshoumaru nodded. “It is possible.” It would hurt, as her powers attempted to eat away at his youki once they were released from within his soul. Yet, due to inheriting a portion of his mother’s celestial heritage, he was naturally immune to the full brunt of spiritual energy. Even as powerful as Kagome’s was proving to be.

Sighing in relief, Kagome wondered why she hadn’t thought of this before. “Well, I’m not sure how she did it, but I’ve seen a miko force a hanyou back under control by slightly purifying the demonic side. They are human enough that it isn’t fatal, and he should recover in a few days.” Taking a last swallow of her tepid tea, Kagome set the cup on the table. “I don’t have the control it takes to do something like that, but maybe you can.”

Sesshoumaru glanced thoughtfully at the passed out hanyou. The wild aura still beat weakly against his youki. If this kept up for too long, Inuyasha’s tenuous grasp on his sanity would be severed permanently.

Kouga interjected, “Ah, Are you sure that’s a good idea?” The Vow aside, seeing a youkai actually use reiki would be odd to say the least. Assuming Sesshoumaru could even do such a thing.

“Kagome, come here,” Sesshoumaru ordered from Inuyasha’s side, ignoring the ookami’s doubts. Kagome complied easily enough and kneeled on the ground by his side. “If the power grows out of control, you should be able to call it back in line,” he informed her knowledgeably. “You cannot retrieve it, but as it is your essence, no matter the fact that I now possess it, it should obey you.”

Swallowing apprehensively, she gave a short nod of her head. “I’ll do my best.” It was a nerve-wracking thought, that she could be responsible for hurting him if she failed.

Wary, Kouga moved away from the trio to take up a place beside the doors. If this plan backfired, he wanted the fastest way out. He refused to go down in history as having been purified by a Daiyoukai!

Sesshoumaru called upon the reiki. It rose quietly, apologetic even, as the peaceful energy burned through his youkai body. Hissing, he held his own youki at bay as it howled to answer the unintended challenge.

Observing the battle, Kagome winced in sympathy for his pain. She shifted closer, wrapping her arms about his waist. Willing the youki within him to stay calm, she pressed her face into his neck as she asked it to embrace her power. Only to Sesshoumaru’s body could her reiki cause harm-his youki was much too powerful for even her to overcome-yet from that, she would protect him. An answering echo resounded from within Sesshoumaru’s essence, and Kagome gasped.

It was her own soul that had answered her plea. The pure energy shifted, coalescing and conforming to heed her. Hesitantly, his power receded from the battle; embraced in the warm, soothing strength, it trusted the honesty of her soul’s desire against even its primal instincts of self-preservation.

Kagome relaxed against the Daiyoukai’s body, unmindful of Kouga’s incredulous, gaping expression or the chill of the floor. Entranced by the sensation of completeness she felt in that moment, the woman sighed blissfully.

In Sesshoumaru’s hands, her reiki had found the purpose that she had denied it. She had never felt so relieved and needed.

Sesshoumaru carefully coiled the holy power about his hands in an invisible rope. Tendrils of pink interspersed with purple-the result of brief flickers of his power joining with hers-began to spark along his palms. The pain was negligible now, Kagome’s presence soothing it until it was nothing but an annoying twinge in his joints.

Once he thought he had enough power gathered, he slowly lowered his hand to the hanyou’s neck. The offending youki flared in protest, but to no avail. Inuyasha’s skin smoked. The scent of burnt flesh pervaded the air with its stench.

Kagome swallowed her bile at the horrendous smell, but was amazed to watch as, slowly, the white hair darkened with shadows until it was as black as night. The ears melted away, receding into his hairline as pink, human shells grew in their wake.

Not satisfied until there was only a sputtering flame of youki remaining, Sesshoumaru pulled back.

“Is he okay?” Kagome whispered once she felt his withdrawal.

Turning the hanyou-turned-human over, Sesshoumaru grunted at the sight of his half-brother‘s peaceful expression. “He will live.” And he would retain his sanity. What remained of it, that is, he added silently. Not all hanyou were plagued with the unsteady blood of his sibling. While there was the added danger of losing control, that was something all youkai had to deal with on some level. Inuyasha, as an individual, lacked the temperament necessary to control himself. Brash and foolhardy, he was his own worst enemy.

Given how far he had gone this time, Sesshoumaru was left to wonder if Inuyasha could survive another transformation. At that realization, an unwanted sense of understanding came over the Daiyoukai. Plagued as he was by his own internal demons, the thought that he would go insane had never bothered him. Betrayed by his body, he was in complete control of his mind. Inuyasha didn’t even have that.

Quietly taking in the telling expressions flitting through Sesshoumaru’s eyes, Kagome stroked his arm.

Interrupting the moment, Kouga loudly yawned. “Well, there isn’t much more for me to do here. Just let Inuyasha know that there’s going to be a meeting at my Father’s estate tomorrow. He needs to be there,” he added seriously, “to hear what evidence we have gathered. This is a threat to all of us. First the Realm, then what? Will we be forced to surrender even our rights as mates or pack?”

Flicking his gaze to the wolf, the Daiyoukai uttered, “He will be told. His cooperation cannot be guaranteed, however. This you know. Has my father been informed of the new developments?” That he, himself, had been unaware of a plot underneath his own nose was unacceptable.

Kouga wiped the back of his neck nervously. “Well, you see, about that-”

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru gripped Kagome’s arm to help her stand beside him as he rose. “What do you seek to hide, wolf?” he asked demandingly, cutting off the stem of excuses that had been sure to flow from Kouga‘s mouth.

The nervous hand dropped and Kouga groaned. His father was not going to like this, but he knew better than to lie to Sesshoumaru. If they wanted the inu’s cooperation, then it would take nothing less than the truth. “We aren’t sure, but we think he might, just might, be in on it.”

“Blasphemy,” Sesshoumaru growled out. His father working with that vile hanyou? Then, his mind conjured up the image of the fateful meeting at the gala. Naraku’s sly insinuations had been timed to perfection just prior to his father’s entrance. Naraku, the bastard, had even been nominated to his position by the Tashio as was dictated by tradition.

At the time of the debacle of Ginta’s execution, Sesshoumaru had simply assumed Naraku had worked without his father’s permission. Yet, it had been his father who had awarded Kagura the medal. His father who had known all along that Naraku worked to undermine the Realm’s stability. “Your evidence, it is solid?”

Kouga shook his head. “Not on your father, no. Just a few pieces here and there. Not to mention his attitude toward youkai in general. I know you don’t want to hear it, and as his heir, the discontent of those who feared his disdain was kept from your ears, but he is not well-liked among youkai. He, and the rest of the high-brow youkai who like to pretend they are better than those of us who are governed by our instincts, would demolish any link to their origins. They mimic humanity, and would force the rest of us to forgo our heritage for the sake of their sensibilities.”

“Why? Why would he do that?” Kagome asked in a bemused voice. “I don’t understand. I thought your father followed youkai traditions. That’s why he was upset with you, wasn’t it?”

Contemplative, Sesshoumaru absently answered, “Father has always touted that traditions are not the same as youkai instincts. To follow tradition is a conscious choice. Instinct can be an uncontrollable force for those not strong enough to overcome the pull of nature.” His sharp gaze cut into Kouga’s blue one. “Is there a time constraint?”

“Father believes he will make his move during the Competition.” The Grand General Competition was a lavish affair held within the Realm. During that time, the single gate that guarded the entrance to the Realm was open to everyone. It was the unspoken rule of the Realm that anyone entering had to cross through the gated tunnel; their presence to be noted by those in the Market. It kept the criminally inclined honest and lent the Realm a more civilized air than if it was simply an open area where one might enter anonymously.

However, during the competition, too many flocked to the Realm. All were allowed to access the Realm by any means available.

“Pardon me,” Kagome interrupted, “but you sound as if he will attack the Realm itself or something. And which ‘he’ are we talking about? Naraku or the Tashio?”

Somberly regarding Kagome, Kouga was silent briefly while he waged a private battle. One glance at the Daiyoukai, and he caved to the internal victor. “We are unsure who will spearhead the campaign. What I am about to tell you is not for anyone else’s ears.”

When she nodded in agreement, Kouga continued, “The Realm was formed five centuries ago. A terrible soul that had been unleashed upon an unknowing world, Sou’unga, seized control of over a million humans. In a last stand against the onslaught of his undead minions, two thousand youkai battled. Victorious in the end, only forty survived. To commemorate the victory, a victory which had stopped the horde from making it to Edo, the Realm was created. However, the land it is on is owned by a consortium of humans-the descendents of the ones who had granted land rights to the youkai to create the Realm. There is a clause, a loophole, if you will, in the original documentation granting land rights to the Realm inhabitants.”

Not liking where this was going, Kagome’s fingers tightened on Sesshoumaru’s sleeve.

“The barrier over this Realm was created by over twenty mikos and forty priests in thanks for the youkai sacrifice. It is not only for cleaning the air, however. Even though they were grateful, the humans wanted to ensure that the Realm was not entirely without some protection for humans. The land charter reads, ‘should more than sixty human souls cry out for justice within the embrace of their power, the barrier will fall and the Youkai Realm will cease to be.’”

Blinking rapidly, Kagome ventured, “So if sixty people die in the Realm, the Realm’s charter will be revoked?” Another thought occurred to her before the last one was uttered. “But, couldn’t you explain it to the consortium that it wasn’t you, but Naraku, if he somehow manages to get the barrier to fall?” She skimmed over the necessity of sixty deaths having to occur for that to happen, shying away from that possibility.

“The current body count that occurred on Realm lands, with the recent murders included, is over forty,” Kouga informed them both. “Father already approached the head of the consortium. The human said that the circumstances behind the charter’s breach would not constitute a reversal of the terms. In short, we’re shit out of luck on that end.”

“Who heads the charter?” Sesshoumaru asked sharply at the information.

Shrugging, Kouga replied, “Some guy named Ryoko. He’s also a priest, so he said he’s got a vested interest in ensuring that the will of his ancestors is respected.”

At the name, Kagome gasped. “I know him! He came to the museum!” Funny, she hadn’t recalled any holy energy about him at the time. Had he been masking it?

Immediately put on guard, Sesshoumaru scowled. “For what purpose did he go there, and why do you know of him?”

She rolled her eyes at his tone, but decided not to take offense. “He had called Mr. Miagi to ask for a tour. As the only one not occupied setting up for the gala, I was the one who walked him around. He was a bit pushy, but didn’t seem evil.”

“Huh.” Kouga frowned in thought. “That’s odd. No offense, but why would he care about that particular museum? It’s second-rate at best, and Ryoko is one of the wealthiest humans in all of Japan.”

“What do you mean by ‘pushy?’” Sesshoumaru asked at the same time. He recalled the day that she had been out of sorts.

Kagome groaned. Hope that she‘d managed to bypass that whole encounter deflated. “Look, it wasn’t a big deal. He just kinda not-so-subtly tried to maneuver me into a date even after I said I was seeing you.”

Both males glared at the implied insult to a youkai claim.

“Why did you not tell me this?” Sesshoumaru inquired coldly. Just the thought that some human male had dared tempt her was beyond irritating.

“Because,” she replied angrily, “you were already hot under the collar about the bruises. I wasn’t about to add to that! Now are you done interrogating me as if I did something wrong!”

Taken aback by the statement, the Daiyoukai backed down immediately. “I do not believe you did anything wrong with him, Kagome,” he said, puzzled by her distorted perception of the root of his anger. “I am disturbed by the male’s audacity and the fact that you hid it from me is what I find unacceptable.” Not to mention the reminder of the other attack on her that day. He still had to seek out that particular offender.

Scowling, she sniffed. “Fine. I won’t do it in future. Just for the record, at that time, I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets. So, we’ll just bury this one and forget about it. Okay?”

Forced by her logic to concede, Sesshoumaru gave a short nod. “What did he want from you? Did he ask any questions?” he inquired by way of moving the subject back along the original topic.

She considered the question before shrugging. “He did ask a little about me, where I was going in life, and where I was educated. Once things started getting personal, however, I distanced myself and didn’t give out anything.”

Only by force of will alone did Sesshoumaru hold to his present course and refrain from storming out of the building to seek this Ryoko out. The male had dared much by attempting to delve into the secrets of his female. Particularly after he’d been told who she was dating!

Sensing the Daiyoukai’s inner turmoil, and frankly admiring his fortitude in not reacting to what was a blatant insult, Kouga coughed into his hand. “Well, is it just me, or is it too much to believe that this whole meeting between Ryoko and my father being followed so closely by the impromptu tour is just a coincidence?”

“No. It is not just you,” Sesshoumaru stated in hard, unforgiving tones. “What do you know of this Ryoko?”

“Not much, to be honest. He’s kept a low profile. A priest, he was educated by his father, who was an unpresuming fellow. Their money comes from their family coffers, which have been replenished through the years by shrewd investments made on behalf of the family by an unknown source. There doesn’t appear to be any connection to Naraku, however. This new information about him meeting Kagome, however, has me wondering.”

“Why would he want to meet me?” Kagome inquired from Sesshoumaru’s side. “I’m nobody compared to someone like him.”

Growling, Sesshoumaru’s youki spiked. “He knew of my desire for you. That is the only reason. If he could have persuaded you to their cause, perhaps as Kikyo was, then there would have been two spies within the Western estate.”

Kagome chuckled before dryly stating, “He must not know you very well, then, to assume that. You are no Inuyasha, to be fooled so easily. Even if I had been stupid or mean enough to do something like that, you would have gotten rid of me as soon as that fact came to light.” Unlike Inuyasha, who even now remained unconscious from defending his woman from the charges levied against her. Despite her pity for his situation, she couldn’t help but to feel slightly envious of the devotion the faceless Kikyo received. Would Sesshoumaru believe in her so blindly?

Kouga stared at her blankly before allowing his eyes to flit back to Sesshoumaru. “She’s still got a lot to learn about youkai, doesn’t she?”

“Huh?” Kagome scowled at the patronization.

Momentarily forgetting the severity of the situation, Kouga laughed out loud while she looked on, non-plussed. He wiped the tears from his eyes before saying, “Don’t you get it? You belong to him. I saw it from the very first time you appeared in the gym with him. Granted, I didn’t believe it at first, but the gala cinched it for me. Even if you had been discovered as a spy, he wouldn’t have let you go. Punished you, yes, but not released you.”

She blushed hotly. Glancing up at the still Daiyoukai through her lashes, Kagome asked, “Is that true? Even then, you would have forgiven me something like that?”

He stared down into her eyes, entranced by their glowing depths.

Kouga took that as his cue to leave. “I’ll see you at the meeting, Sesshoumaru, Kagome.”

Ignoring the wolf’s departure, Sesshoumaru closed his arms about her fragile body. “You have belonged to me since our first meeting. My youki embraced you. Did you not feel it?” he whispered against her hair.

She wrapped her arms about his body, hugging him to her tightly. “I had never been so at peace as when I was with you. I didn’t know what that meant, but that I was attracted to you.”

His shoulders shook slightly as deep chuckles spilled into her ear. “There was more than desire there, Kagome. It is not something that happens often. When it does, when a youkai’s power calls out for another, it is not to be ignored. Why do you think my youki acted to draw you in? It had found something that it craved to bring it stability.”

“I needed you too, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome admitted softly. “My reiki has always been out of control. I wish I could say that training would have helped, but I don’t think it would have. I’ve always felt like I was missing something, some vital part that would make everything better. Now, here with you, I know I was wrong. So very wrong.”

Curious, he asked, “Wrong?”

She smiled after sighing into the hardness of his chest. “It wasn’t something that I needed to gain to make things right. Rather, I needed to find someone to give myself to. You, Sesshoumaru, have more of me than I do, and I’ve never been more at peace.”

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

Cursing, the Tashio smashed the phone within his grasp. Everything was threatening to fall apart. Even with everyone in his power, the infernal miko would bring chaos to his long-held plans.

It was all her fault. That damnable quasi-miko, Kagome. With her Vow, she had single-handedly managed to unite the youkai community behind her union with his thrice-bedamned son. He couldn’t even locate Noriko to use her to bring him back into line!

Throwing his form into the leather chair behind the desk, the Tashio cursed his decision to appoint Naraku in charge of the situation. He had been a gamble, and apparently, a foolhardy one. Now it was left to him to clean up the situation.Chapter Twenty-five

“Inuyasha, you are to report to the Northern Lord’s manor tomorrow,” Sesshoumaru commanded. The hanyou had woken mere minutes ago. Shocked by his behavior as well as the fact that he now appeared more human than hanyou, he had been oddly silent.

Not wanting to interfere, Kagome held her tongue as Inuyasha bent his head. Black hair hiding his eyes, he nodded before walking to the door. Unable to remain quiet, Kagome called out, “Inuyasha, if you truly feel that your Kikyo is innocent, then ask her. Give her a chance to defend herself, or if she is guilty, to make reparations.” Were she in the faceless woman’s shoes, that was what she’d hope Sesshoumaru would do for her.

He didn’t answer, and a moment later, he was gone. Sesshoumaru pulled her back to his side. “She has fooled him this long. On what premise do you believe he could discern the truth now?”

Sighing, Kagome pulled away from Sesshoumaru to look him in the eye. “If someone told me that you had betrayed me, I would never believe it. That he feels the same for her, I can only respect. If she did do what you and Kouga claim, then she has a lot to answer for. But it is to him that she owes an apology, if anyone.”

Accepting her logic, Sesshoumaru nodded before changing the subject. “Where is the satchel?”

Eyes brightening, Kagome fetched it from beside the bed. Instinctively knowing what he wanted, she withdrew the small box from the depths of her bag. The bed dipped under his weight, and Kagome handed the box to him from his side.

Unwilling to wait any longer, he crushed the small lock that held the box shut. Wrenching it open, his ears picked up the small, shocked gasp that escaped his companion once the contents were revealed.

“Is that-” Kagome’s fingers unconsciously reached for the small glowing bauble that laid atop a folded piece of parchment. The Shikon jewel, here in this box!!

Before she could touch it, Sesshoumaru snagged her wrist in an unbreakable grip. “No.”

Trusting him, Kagome withdrew her hand. He carefully reached into the box and withdrew the jewel. Up close, Kagome could feel the faint trace of youki upon the Shikon.

“Mother’s poison is bespelled upon this jewel. It is caustic enough to eat through your skin at contact.” Sesshoumaru calmly broke the thin spell protecting the jewel and dissolved the poison. Once it was safe, he dropped the jewel into her hand. He watched with interest as the grey crystal-like Shikon sparked to life at the contact and the smoky interior pulsed pink.

Dropping her hand into her lap, Kagome stared in awe at the jewel. All the legends she had read about, and she was holding it in her hand! It was incredible! Yet, with the revelation that the Shikon Jewel was, indeed, a reality, Kagome’s spirits grew troubled.

Sensing it, Sesshoumaru withdrew the parchment from the box. He discarded the empty container. “What is it that troubles you?” he asked, concerned at the small frown lines marring her brow. She had known that he had plans for the jewel. Surely she did not fear what he would use it for.

Kagome fingered the pink bauble. “Are you really going to do it?” She felt awful for the burning desire in her heart that he wouldn’t do it, that he would stay as he was. Everyone deserved to live without ridicule. Just because she loved him the way he was, didn’t mean he did.

Kagome felt tears gather in her eyes. She did love him.

When she began to blink back tears, Sesshoumaru grew disturbed. He placed the parchment beside him on the bed and drew her into his lap. “Kagome?” Tracing her cheek with a clawed finger, he drew her gaze to his. “Tell me.”

Her heart in her eyes, Kagome cupped his beautiful face with shaking hands. “I love you, Sesshoumaru. And, even if I love you the way you are, I will give you your wish.”

Startled by her pronouncement, he didn’t know how to react. She simply remained peacefully within his grasp, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs while looking at him with such burning devotion that it made his heart ache.

Gently claiming the jewel, he dropped it into the box. The dull clattering of stone upon metal echoed in the room. “I would wish for nothing but to please my mate,” he finally murmured into her ear.

Kagome shivered in reaction to the whisper of air across her sensitive neck and the heat that burned through her clothing. “Can’t you be careful?” she asked wistfully. “Do we really have to wait to be together?” Now that she knew just how much he held of hers, she needed… Needed to feel complete. He possessed her heart, body, and soul. She needed to hold him; to have that same bond with him.

Almost undone by her questions and the honest desire behind them, Sesshoumaru weighed his options. Could he? Did they? Having never been intimate with a female, he truly did not know if he would be capable of restraint during the final moments. He didn’t want to risk hurting her still healing body. But, looking into her adoring eyes, Sesshoumaru realized that there was another pain he needed to guard her against. He held within his grasp the ability to harm her with rejection, no matter how innocently it was handed out.

He tightened his arms about her body. “I am unsure if my control will hold, Kagome. I would not wish to hurt you.”

Snuggling into his hold, Kagome sighed resignedly. “I know you wouldn’t,” she said softly. Therefore, she was surprised when he set her aside to pull the top of his gi off. His undershirt followed swiftly and was carelessly dropped onto the floor. He hesitated slightly, scrutinizing her reactions as he untied the thin ribbon holding the waist of his pants closed.

Kagome felt a flush overtake her cheeks, spreading down to her breasts and even lower. Unable and unwilling to look away, however, she watched, enthralled, as he stood in front of her. Their changed positions placed her eye-level to his waist, while he looked down upon her.

He waited, and Kagome finally understood that he was waiting for her to take the next step. A fine tremor wracking her fingers, Kagome tentatively brushed them through the soft fur of his stomach. She questioned him with her deep blue eyes, and he answered by covering her hands with his larger ones.

Moving slowly but surely, Sesshoumaru slid their joined hands into the waistband of his pants. Inch by inch, they were inexorably lowered until caught on his stirring arousal. Kagome inhaled sharply, and her eyes abandoned his to stare at the bulge delineated beneath the thin fabric.

Fascinated by the blatant maleness, so alien to her sight and knowledge, Kagome needed no prompting to tug his pants free. Liberated from the obstacle, the material whooshed to the floor and piled about his ankles. He kicked himself free of the pants and waited for her to make the next move. Unable to help his body from reacting to her rapt attention, his arousal was further engorged with heated blood.

Tentative, unsure, Kagome had no idea of what he wanted from her. “Sesshoumaru, I don’t know what to do,” she admitted shyly.

Wryly smirking, Sesshoumaru huskily replied, “There is nothing that you could do that I would not appreciate. Learn my body, Kagome, as I will surely map yours.”

Biting her lip, Kagome lowered her head indecisively. This was the male she loved. They would be mates. But, despite his reassurances, she worried over pleasing him. Yet she loved him. And while he had not returned the words, she knew she was special to him. There was no room for doubts in love. He had, essentially, given her carte blanche over his body. Why not use it to assuage her want, if in turn, he would be pleased by it?

Toward that end, Kagome patted the bed behind her. “Will you lay down on your stomach for me?”

Holding in a groan of discomfort as he readjusted his jutting erection, Sesshoumaru complied readily enough. Anything that would ease her mind was, ultimately, his goal. He only hoped he would survive this encounter without being driven mad by the lust she inspired within him.

Giving him no chance to guess her intentions, Kagome pulled her shirt off and hastily shimmied out of her capris and underwear lest she loose her nerve. The bunching of the muscles beneath her thighs as she straddled his back told her quite clearly that he wasn’t as sanguine about the whole affair as he had acted. Good. She didn’t want him at ease. She wanted him as hot and as lost as she felt.

Muffling his snarl in the bedding, Sesshoumaru cursed his own stupidity in allowing her such liberties without knowing where she intended to take them. The brief glimpse of strong, sleek thighs and the thatch of dark, curly hair had him hard as a brick. And Kami above, her scent; her heady, earthly, womanly aroma enticed and clouded his mind beyond all reason.

He wanted to turn over, to unseat her from his back and press her into the mattress while he thrust his aching member into her welcoming body. And then she moved, leaned forward and slid her fingers through the thick fur of his back and shoulders. His muscles locked into place, and all rational thought ceased.

Digging her knees into his sides to maintain her balance, Kagome let out a breathy moan as her furled nipples came into contact with the silky fur beneath her. Sensually rubbing against him, undulating in an instinctive gesture of desire, Kagome slid her hands across his shoulders and down his arms. A faint tugging of the stitches, accompanied by a sharp pain in her shoulder, had her pulling back slightly. She sighed regretfully, but heeded her body’s demands that she respect her current limitations.

There was so much that she could do that she would not waste her time bemoaning that which she couldn’t.

Pulling back, Kagome slid down his buttocks and thighs. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth at the loss of her sweetly curved body against his back. When her fingers dug into his backside, ruffling the fur and caressing the taut muscles there, his answering snarling growl escaped. Understanding that it was a good sign, Kagome repeated her actions, luxuriating in the anomaly of soft silky tendrils over oh-so-hard muscle and bone.

Kagome softly voiced her pleasure, “I love your fur, Sesshoumaru. It is so soft, so smooth.” Accompanying her words with actions, Kagome nuzzled into his lower back while her fingers sought out the tense muscles of his thighs, reaching until they dipped into the backs of his knees. “But you are so hard beneath, so strong…” moaning lightly, she daringly traced a path up his inner thigh. A patch of thicker fur met her questing touch.

He pressed his hips into the bed beneath him, scalded by her loving caresses and further maddened by her lusty utterances. Her next words escaped him, and she had to repeat her request.

“Will you turn over now?”

Reddened eyes met glazed blue ones and Sesshoumaru couldn’t think, couldn’t breath as he obeyed the plea and shifted onto his back. Still straddling him, having moved up his body to aid in the movement, Kagome’s womanly center now cradled his arousal. His hands shot to her hips, and he jack-knifed up to claim a turgid nipple between pulling lips before she could take the next breath.

“Sesshoumaru!” she cried out, breath hitching as his mouth created wondrous suction upon her flesh. Kneading the skin at her hips, calloused palms traveled along silky smooth skin to cup her backside. Sesshoumaru ground his erection into her warmth.

Panting now, crying for something she didn’t quite understand, Kagome’s legs trembled with the force of her arousal. Sensing her confusion, Sesshoumaru wrapped her legs tightly about his waist and abandoned her luscious breasts to claim her lips. Kneading her hip with one hand while the other slipped up to claim a breast in a possessive grasp, Sesshoumaru’s tongue invaded Kagome willing mouth. Tongues dueled for dominance, sliding against one another in shared passionate want.

Breaking away from his firm lips, Kagome mewled helplessly, “Please, Sesshoumaru, please!” Unsure what she was begging for, but unable to dismiss the call of her pulsing center, Kagome buried her face in his neck and rubbed against his hardness shamelessly. Igniting her body to an inferno of lust and need, her womanly folds wet and growing wetter from the stimulation that his arousal provided against her clitoris with every rolling movement of her hips, she panted into Sesshoumaru’s neck.

He could feel it building up within him, the need to release, to claim and conquer the body offered so freely to him by the passionate woman in his arms.

Unable to yet claim her fully, Sesshoumaru had to make do with pressing himself harder against her. Grinding into her heat with restrained strength when all he wanted was to bury himself to the root of his arousal and roar his release, Sesshoumaru reached between their bodies to lightly touch her.

The faintest brush of his knuckle against the nubbin wantonly jutting out from beneath its protective hood set her off. “Sess-” she hissed out, convulsing within his arms. Spots danced before her eyes, and Kagome squeezed them shut as little aftershocks shook her frame deliciously.

Snarling in reply, teeth gnashing while his head was thrown back in release, Sesshoumaru fell after her into bliss. Pulse after pulse of seed left his body to splash upon them both as he locked his arms about her body to forcefully slide his maleness against the slick folds of her heat.

Only after both had calmed, did he manage to nudge her face up to meet his gaze. The satiated languor that shone within her eyes twisted his lips into a masculine gesture of smug authority.

Catching it, Kagome didn’t take offense. That had been-Well, there weren’t enough words in the world to properly describe how she had felt. Would the true act of mating, of having him slid into her body as commandingly as he had against it, bring her to a higher level of euphoria?

Whatever the case, this had been special; would always remain in her heart as a reminder of just how quickly he could make her body sing for him. And that she could bring him to release just as easily.

-----------

One shower later, one that had been shared with soft touches and lazy kisses, and the pair sat down on the couch. Eased in a way that he had never experienced before, Sesshoumaru relaxed completely into the soft cushions while Kagome curled up to his side.

It hadn’t escaped him that control hadn’t been an issue. He had, in a sense, lost control, but not the extent that he had hurt her. He didn’t think, now, that he could ever hurt her, even accidentally. Rather than rise up howling, his youki had only flowed between them, her essence mingled within his soul had managed what centuries of training had not. He could hold his humanoid form, no matter how strained his thoughts became.

He told her as much, and Kagome winked at him. “I always knew I was good for you.”

Dropping a small kiss on her lips, Sesshoumaru rose from the couch to retrieve the parchment that had been crushed beneath the weight of their bodies. When he was again ensconced on the couch, the warm weight of his mate pressed against his side once more. Despite the dire tones of his mother’s letter to Kagome, Sesshoumaru had a gut feeling that, no matter what was revealed, he could handle it. He had his mate and their future. The past was nothing to him.

‘Lord?’ ‘Great’ general?’ Gasping, Kagome looked to the date. Exactly two hundred and fifty years ago. As old as Naraku. “Sesshoumaru??”

“It isn’t possible,” he snarled in disbelief, his relaxed attitude gone in the blink of an eye. “There is no familial scent to recognize him by.”

Swallowing her shock, Kagome asked, “Yes, but aren’t there potions now? And, look-” she pointed to the header, “It was addressed to a priest. I know some who can block scents. And, I hate to mention it,” she added while her mind whirled with this new information, “but with the problems involving Naraku and holy priests… It all fits. The motive, you see… I just couldn’t understand why Naraku would want to join with priests, or miko, for that matter, when most decry the practice of birthing hanyou.”

Sesshoumaru’s knuckles turned white and his poison flowed unheeded down his wrists to hiss upon the floor as he destroyed the parchment. “He cares not about the Realm, but seeks in some way to destroy Father.” Naraku was playing both sides. Working with his father to abolish the Realm while steadily pulling the oblivious Tashio into his web of deceit.

Pale-faced, Kagome nodded in agreement. “What are we going to do, Sesshoumaru?”

How damnably fitting.

Chapter Twenty-six

“Kagome?” Sesshoumaru prodded the slumbering woman’s shoulder. Her skin felt abnormally warm. Peering closely at her face, he noticed a flush upon her cheeks. “Kagome!” he yelled into her ear, recalling how sensitive her hearing was.

They had spent the remainder of the previous day simply. He had used his wireless connection to go over some figures for the business, and she had delved into one of the books that she had packed into her satchel. Later, she had handed over the promised health texts, and he had spent the night going over the fascinating world of her bodily functions.

She had been sleeping peacefully when he had crawled into bed with her. Luxuriating in the ability to curl his larger frame about hers without the pain of maintaining his humanoid form, he had fallen into a deep sleep.

Now, upon waking, Kagome appeared to be under the influence of a fever. Turning her over, he hissed at how hot her shoulder felt. Other than a flush from the fever, however, her wound appeared to be fine. She slept throughout his inspection. Sesshoumaru felt worry surge to the surface.

Throwing a pair of black slacks and a polo shirt on, he wrapped Kagome in the comforter and raced out the door. Her head flopped in his loose hold, and he curled her tightly to his body. Sesshoumaru whistled for Ah-Un. The mount appeared instantly, almost as if it had discerned his master’s agitation.

Thirty minutes later, amidst the screams accompanying the unprecedented occasion of a dragon landing in the middle of the hospital courtyard, Sesshoumaru barged into the lobby.

A gaping nurse immediately recognized the tall youkai. “Sesshoumaru-san? How can we help you?” Her eyes darted to the still figure in his arms.

“Where is the doctor? She won’t wake up,” he stated harshly, his agitation translating to an almost feral growl.

“If you will fill out this paperwork, I will page the doctor on call, Sesshoumaru-san.”

Eyes flashing dangerously, he sneered, “You will fetch the doctor now, or I will tear this building down about your ears and find him myself!”

Paling, she sputtered, “Dr. Takagawa has transferred to another hospital, Sesshoumaru-san! I will have to call another doctor!”

Wheels turning in his mind, he snarled, “Then do so! Now!” Within his grasp, he could feel Kagome’s body temperature climb dangerously high. Cursing his inability to resist her yesterday, guilt ate at his insides. She was hurting and it was his fault.

Before the nurse could finish dialing, a hard voice had her lowering the receiver in relief. “What is going on here?”

Glaring down upon the short, bespectacled woman in a surgeon’s smock, Sesshoumaru demanded, “Are you a doctor?”

“I am Dr. Takahashi,” she replied, refusing to be intimidated and having taken note of the reddened cheeks of the woman held within his arms. “Is this the woman that was treated here this weekend?” She had read the story and had gone over the medical files of her predecessor. Why the woman had taken a turn for the worse during what should have been a speedy recovery was worrying.

Whipping out her stethoscope at his nod, she was appalled at the elevated pulse rate. “Follow me and be quick about it,” she ordered, without regard to whom she was spoke as her training kicked into high gear.

After speed-walking through what seemed like an eternity of hallways, they entered a white, sterile room. “Nurse Kai,” Dr. Takahashi ordered the nervous woman who had entered after them, “retrieve my surgical tools, fetch the anesthesiologist and order blood work.” Then she turned to Sesshoumaru. “You’ll have to leave. I need to do a physical, and then if that fails to explain what is going on, I’ll need to reopen the wound to check for internal infection.”

“I am not going anywhere.” Staring resolutely into her brown eyes, Sesshoumaru remained an unmovable, determined force. “Do what you need to do, but I will be watching.”

About to argue the point, Takahashi was interrupted by a stream of people following the nurse. “Fine. Sit over there.” She indicated a chair in the corner. “Do not interrupt, or youkai or not, I will have you thrown out, even if I have to do it myself. Am I clear?”

For the sake of expediting Kagome’s care, Sesshoumaru took the seat without further arguing or taking umbrage. The woman could yell at him like a shrew six days out of seven if she could heal Kagome.

His claws dug into the chair’s metal armrests as Kagome was unrolled from the blanket and her clothing cut off. She was so still. Swarming the woman, the nurses obeyed the doctor as she set about doing what she did best.

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

Seven hours later, exhausted but exultant at the successful operation, Dr. Takahashi laid a tray on the table that sat in front of Sesshoumaru. “I cannot be certain why, but there were bone splinters within the wound.”

He examined the black shards, recalling that the dark miko had been of a similar color when in her mist-like form. “You cannot be certain, but your theory is?” he asked in carefully modulated tones. Beside him, laying on her stomach on the bed, Kagome still yet slept.

Dr. Takahashi pulled a chair up to the inuyoukai before wearily claiming a seat. “I am new to this hospital, but I’ve already heard rumors that Dr. Takagawa was not always the most thorough of surgeons. If I were to guess, I would assume that he simply assumed the wound to be a clean one and sewed it up. Sometimes, while there would be faint feelings of discomfort, the wound will heal and the foreign material will eventually work itself out. In this instance, however, there were contaminants on the bone shards that caused an infection within her blood.”

Jaw set in a hard line, Sesshoumaru’s eyes never left Kagome. “I will deal with his ineptitude. For now, what is to be done for her?”

Personally appalled at her predecessor’s mistake, Takahashi felt no pity for the man. “Her blood pressure is too high, as is her pulse. I am attributing that to the infection, however, so as long as it reverts back to normal, or at least remains steady, I will not flood her system with drugs to treat the high BP. She needs antibiotics intravenously for the next few days. Infections within the blood are more tricky, and as you saw, the oral antibiotics and the topical cream were useless. I am treating it as an open wound, rather than sewing it up again. The infection needs to be dealt with directly. I’d say we are looking at in-hospital treatment on the upside of a week, since I’ll want her here for a day or two for observation once she goes off the antibiotics to ensure she doesn’t relapse. After that,” she shrugged, “Perhaps another two weeks or so of oral antibiotics. I want to get her off of them as soon as possible, but not too soon.” She stared at him hard. “Rest, Sesshoumaru-san. She will need rest above all else.”

“What about her pain?” he asked, by-passing the emphasis on the ‘rest.’ He would see to it that she did nothing but lay about, if that was what Kagome needed. Treating it as an open wound, as he understood it, however, meant that wads of cotton doused with antiseptic were packed into the wound and changed as needed. His heart clenched at the thought of her having to bear that unaided.

Takahashi sighed. “I am prescribing 800 mg of ibuprofen. At the moment, that is all she can have. They will administer a numbing shot with each wadding change. I have already spoken with the anesthesiologist, and given how her pulse and blood pressure reacted during the brief time that she was fully under, I hesitate to give her anything else until that changes.”

Unhappy with the prognosis, but trusting her knowledgeable, direct approach in comparison to the obsequious fawning of the fumbling Takagawa, he nodded. “You may do what must be done.”

She smiled wryly. “I would do so without the allowance, Sesshoumaru-san.” Brown eyes turned to take in the pale features of the woman. “For what it is worth, I will attempt to keep the curiosity-seekers at bay.”

Sesshoumaru didn’t reply. Claiming a listless hand, he took up watch over his mate’s bedside. Takahashi regained her feet with one last bow of her head to the male. They were an odd couple, she thought as she left to check up on her other patients. She would have pictured him with someone more refined, and the woman with, well, just anyone but him.

To each their own, she supposed before dismissing them completely from her mind.

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

Gritting her teeth, Kagome dug her nails into the bed beneath her until her knuckles turned white. The nurse worked quickly, but it wasn’t fast enough. Even with the shoulder numbed, just the sensation of feeling someone digging into her was enough to make Kagome feel woozy.

At her side, Sesshoumaru quietly took in her scrunched features. Only when the nurse moved away after disposing of the used wadding in the proper receptacle did he speak, “You must rest.”

In the act of rolling onto her side, Kagome groaned. “I’m still a little groggy from whatever they gave me, Sesshoumaru, so I’m not up to a battle with you. I just want to watch some daytime television and forget how bad my shoulder hurts. That’s all.” She’d woken up a little under an hour ago. In that time he had done little more than hover and berate her every time she moved.

Irked, Sesshoumaru brushed aside Kagome’s bangs to look into her eyes. “Had I been more diligent in ensuring that you rested, you would not have been in such danger.” She still felt warm to the touch, but the doctor had assured him that the fever could be controlled with medicine and would break as soon as the antibiotics had a chance to work.[

]Sensing the guilt behind the words, Kagome sighed. “Oh, Sesshoumaru.” She took his hand between hers and kissed his knuckles. “This wasn’t your fault, or even mine. You told me yourself that there were bone pieces in me. That was what caused the infection. Not what we, ah,” glancing at the nurse, Kagome finished in a whisper, “did the other day.”“Regardless, I should have detected that something was wrong. What good is a mate that cannot protect you?”

Kagome chuckled weakly. “Protect me from what? My own body?” She patted the place beside her on the bed. “Come lay with me?”

Staring at the spot dubiously, Sesshoumaru shook his head. “You need to rest.”

“Please?” Pouting, she batted her lashes. “I feel better with you near. I promise to try to take a nap.”

Sold on the nap, the bed dipped beneath his weight, but Sesshoumaru anchored Kagome in place with a gentle hand while he sidled up to her side. “Sleep,” he ordered once he was situated.

Grinning happily, Kagome snuggled up to his solid warmth. Head on his shoulder, she drew his arm about her waist. “Now I can,” she murmured sleepily. Still loopy from the drugs, she did just that.

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

Words uttered to her left had Kagome jerking her head slightly in her sleep. Disturbed for some reason, she tried to muffle the noise against the cloth-covered chest her cheek rested upon. When that failed, Kagome sighed and gave up.

Blinking rapidly to clear her vision, she was greeted with sudden quiet. “You know,” she slurred, her voice sleep-drugged, “the time to be silent was when I was sleeping.”

A voice she had never heard before answered, “My apologies to the mate of Sesshoumaru.”

Startled fully awake by that smooth utterance, Kagome’s blue eyes winked open fully. Kouga and Inuyasha stood by the single window in the large room. Beside her bed, the stranger loitered. Having somehow managed to roll on top of Sesshoumaru during her nap, Kagome felt him adjust her slightly to the left. Mindful of the wires and tubes running from arms to the machines that hummed quietly, he pulled the thin blanket about her closely.

“Sesshoumaru?” she cautiously asked in a small whisper, “Who is he?”

Made uneasy by her trepidation at being so helpless before a stranger, Sesshoumaru stroked the hair out of her eyes to introduce the stranger, “This is Taro. He is the Northern Lord.”

Lord Taro, a muscular ookami with chestnut hair and vivid blue eyes that gleamed with cunning intelligence, nodded his head at her. “Again, I render my apologies for disturbing your rest. With your condition, it was decided that, in order to meet, we would come here.” A wry twist curved his thin lips. “Sesshoumaru made it clear that he would not be attending anything that required him to leave your side.”

Kagome frowned sadly and glanced up to meet Sesshoumaru’s rueful gaze. “I’m sorry. I forgot about the Vow.” He wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without her, nor she without him. At least she didn’t think so. Her mother had tried to leave the shrine territory once, simply to see if she could, and had weakened only a few yards from the perimeter. She had almost died before she could be dragged back.

He smoothed her frown away. “I would not leave you unprotected, Kagome, regardless of any Vow,” he declared. Given how deeply his emotions were entangled with her, with how badly his instincts screamed at him to guard her from the world at large, Sesshoumaru could only be grateful for the Vow. This way, his instincts were eased without him having to deliberately infringe upon her liberty. He would not quibble with the occasional inconvenience, if it meant she would always be at his side.

Interrupting, Lord Taro smiled benignly upon the woman. “I would listen to your mate, young one, and not allow such things to worry you. You will find that the perceived limitations of your Vow are not viewed as such by your mate, nor those who lay claim to youkai blood.”

Intimidated by the presence of old wisdom that shone within the azure depths peering kindly upon her, Kagome nodded. “I won’t, Taro-sama.”

“Now,” Taro stated, “where were we?” His question was misleading, as he knew perfectly well where the discussion had ended, but he thrived on the social graces that so nicely complimented his predatory nature.

A wry grin lightening his tense features, Kouga spoke up, “Sesshoumaru had just told you about the origins of Naraku.”

Kagome shot an amazed look toward Sesshoumaru. “You told?”

“There was no other option. Without understanding the subtle nuances of the entire plot hatching in front of us, they cannot battle the opponents upon even ground,” he answered stoically. It had been a difficult decision. Pack loyalty had demanded that he maintain his silence on the matter. However, that instinct would hurt rather than help in this instance.

Even if it removed him from the Lordship entirely, he didn’t care. The little one who rested within his arms, his home within the Realm, those things mattered more to him than a throne darkened with misdeeds and dishonor.

Lord Taro interjected smoothly, “Do you fear the insinuations of the revelation?”

Befuddled momentarily by the question, it took a minute of silent contemplation for Kagome to understand what he was asking. She scowled. “No, I don’t,” she said curtly, refusing to elaborate. How dare he judge her! The Lordship could rot and she didn’t care if his brother was Attila the Hun; she loved Sesshoumaru!

Chuckling, Lord Taro shared an amused glance with the reclining Daiyoukai. “You need not worry for your honor with this one ready to show her claws in your defense, Sesshoumaru.”

Kagome flushed when Sesshoumaru smirked. She’d been baited and hadn’t even known it.

Inuyasha broke in, “I still don’t see what it matters. So what if Naraku is Dad’s bastard. I thought only legitimate kids could inherit.”

After sharing a look with his son and the Daiyoukai, Lord Taro explained gently, “It isn’t the son who is important in this matter, Inuyasha. This letter spoke of grievous crime against a fellow youkai. Infidelity with another’s mate is considered the height of dishonor. According to Sesshoumaru, Kana used the term mate when describing her male. Only one mated to a youkai would employ that word. If your father seduced her, taking advantage of the fact that, as a human, she would be susceptible to him without the protection of a true mating, such a crime would have been enough to strip him of his title. That she bore a child of the union, one which he ignored rather than nurturing as was his duty, only compounded the crime.”

“What are you going to do about it now?” Inuyasha inquired sharply.

Conversant on the laws regarding such, Sesshoumaru answered in Lord Taro’s stead, “It has been over a millennium since the last trial, but Father will be tried by his peers. If found guilty of the offense, he will be stripped of his territory.”

Inuyasha’s nose scrunched in confusion. “Who will it pass to?”

Lord Taro’s words were heavy with resignation. “Once a youkai is stripped of his territory, it is held in trust until the next worthy successor is found and awarded the land.”

“The Tournament,” Kouga added quietly when Inuyasha still appeared lost.

Finally gaining insight into the terrible mess the Tashio was in, Kagome’s pulse began to race. Naraku hadn’t counted on having his link to the Tashio found out so soon. “Can he win it back?” she asked.

Lord Taro shrugged, blue met gold in silent contemplation. “If another doesn’t defeat him, then yes. But, the insult to his name would stand. There would be rebellion the likes of what had never been seen as no youkai worth their blood would follow one with no respect for the laws.”

When the numbers on the blood pressure machine began to climb, Sesshoumaru ordered, “It is time to leave. Let me know when I must testify.”

Concerned, Lord Taro’s and Kouga’s brows furrowed identically. “She will be alright?” Kouga asked from the door while Inuyasha stayed behind by the window, slouched against the frame.

Sesshoumaru nodded, whispering soothingly into Kagome’s ear. Once the room was emptied of the visitors, Inuyasha walked over to the bedside. Ignoring the glare sent his way by Sesshoumaru, he hesitated before patting her arm awkwardly.

She looked at him in surprise, and he withdrew the hand. “Kikyo said I should thank you,” he said in reply to the question in her eyes. Running a hand along his neck, his hanyou ears twitched in remembrance of their disappearance. “And, just so you know, I talked to her. She said that he had approached her. Naraku, I mean. He had been hurt a couple of years ago while she was younger and an intern in Hokkaido, and she had been the one to heal him. When he offered her a shrine to Vow to, she had thought he was simply repaying that favor. She hadn’t known where it was to be, or that he was planning on destroying the Realm. I believe her.” The last was said with infinite confidence.

Oddly comforted by his quiet faith in his mate, Kagome smiled. “I’m glad you do.”

More reserved on the subject of the female in question, Sesshoumaru refrained from commenting. He had already set Jaken on following the woman. He would see if she was truly trustworthy.Chapter Twenty-seven

At the knock, Sesshoumaru set aside his laptop to walk over to the hospital door.

“Souta!” Kagome cried out happily once it was slid open to reveal the nervous face of her sibling. She had missed him dearly. It was funny, but she hadn’t seen him all that often in the past few months and hadn’t felt the loss except for a small twinge. Knowing she was no longer welcome home, however, had made a world of difference.

Coming to a stop beside her bed, her brother stared down on her worriedly. “Hey, sis. Are you okay?” He had gotten a call from the demon, Hiten, as soon as he had left school grounds. Hiten had said that Kagome was just fine, but that she would need to stay in the hospital for a week.

With school projects and everything going on, Souta had accepted the news gravely, but without alarm. Now, three days after the phone call, he’d finally made it down to the hospital. The wires and tubing leaving the too-slender frame of his sister alarmed him. He should have come sooner, he chastised himself. Why had Hiten lied to him?

She waved him to a seat at her right while Sesshoumaru reclaimed his position at left. The steady tapping of his clawed fingers on the laptop resumed. With a soft smile for her busy mate, Kagome held her arms open to Souta. “I’m fine,” she reassured him while accepting the tender hug.

“What happened?” he asked after leaning back in his seat. “I thought you were okay. So why all of this?” He gestured to the machines and wires.

Kagome shrugged. “It’s just precautionary, Souta. My injury was infected, so I need to be on antibiotics.” She pointed out the IV machine, where a bag slowly dripped the healing medicine into the line running to the crook of her arm. “The rest is for show, really.”

A disturbance of air to her left had Kagome rolling her eyes. “Sesshoumaru, don’t play devil’s advocate. You know I’m fine.”

He looked up upon being addressed and took in the pale face of the not-so-young boy. “You do your brother a disservice, Kagome.”

Blinking, she frowned. “He doesn’t need to worry, Sesshoumaru. There is-”

Souta cut her off. “Just tell me, Kagome! It’s bad enough that mom won’t even talk about you, don’t you keep me out too!” he yelled, the stress of the last week catching up to him. He felt terrible to have shouted at her, but she wasn’t the only one suffering here. Ever since she’d given the Vow to the male sitting so calmly across from him, he’d been inundated with trouble from the other kids.

There hadn’t been a day where he hadn’t heard rude whispers about her, his own sister. The bathrooms were covered in her likeness, all depicting her in various lewd positions. He was ostracized by people that he had assumed were his friends. Snide demands were made by both teachers and students for him to stay home, to show the proper humility that his sister denied them.

And none of it mattered. He went to school, closed his ears to the harshest of words, because he knew she would hate it if he were expelled for fighting over her, and plugged on.

She was his sister, and he would be damned before he’d hang his head in shame when he knew her. He didn’t need an explanation. He knew that she had acted on the whims of her heart. He was proud of her. Now she would keep the truth from him?

Sensing his withdrawal, Kagome gave in. “The infection is in my blood. There were bone shards from where the previous doctor hadn’t cleaned the wound entirely. There were some complications, namely a bad fever, high pulse rate and my blood pressure wasn’t too great either.”

He absorbed that. “So what are they doing?” He silently prayed he wouldn’t regret pushing for full disclosure.

Kagome patted her brother’s hand. “I’m fine, Souta. Really. The infection is the cause of the whole mess. It is receding, so the symptoms are leaving as well. My fever broke last night, as a matter of fact, and my pulse isn’t nearly so troubling. I predict that the doctor will be able to release me on schedule.”

Sighing in relief, he slumped in his chair. “Kami, Kagome. The messes you get into…”

She affected an injured air. “Messes? Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” At her side, Sesshoumaru glanced up to gaze into her features, while the wry twist to his lips betrayed his opinion on the matter. “What?” she asked defensively.

Souta chuckled, heartened to see his sister whole and well mentally, even if her body needed more time to reach the same state.

The siblings fell into easy banter, both skirting the dark issues surrounding them in favor of light teasing over the various daytime shows she had been entertaining herself with. The afternoon passed too quickly for Souta and Kagome both. A rare interlude-guarded over by the silent male who was content to simply be a bystander to the moment-in which they had no worries.

As Souta reluctantly left the hospital that night, his feet guided him home. Mama, he told the absent parent, please end the feud soon.

He had seen the light within the youkai’s eyes. She was loved, and loved dearly, by that stoic male. And she loved him. If only his mother could see that, then she would understand that she was wrong. Even as young as he was, he knew without a doubt, that for that deep a bond, he would sacrifice everything and anything.

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

Kagome hissed between her teeth as the IV was slowly drawn out of her arm. Finally, after six days stuck in the hospital, she was being released. Or, she would be released tomorrow morning. The doctor had decided to take the IV out the night before. If her condition remained stable, then this time tomorrow, she would be snuggled up in her own bed. Well, their bed.

She turned to look at the male tapping on his laptop keys while the nurse cleaned up the mess of gauze and tape. Seated by the bed, Sesshoumaru was absorbed in the numbers she could barely make out. He’d spent a lot of time occupied with business; if not his laptop, then his PDA or his cell phone were readily available.

A loving smile curved her lips. Kagome felt so happy just being around him, that she didn’t mind that she wasn’t the center of his attention all the time. To be perfectly honest, she didn’t think she could stand that for the rest of her life. He was so intense that she needed a break from his regard, just as she was honest enough to admit that her sometimes silly moments sent him running for his laptop.

The hairs on the back of his neck signaling that Kagome was staring at him, Sesshoumaru looked up. “Did you need something?” The nurse left the room.

Smoothing the sheet around her stomach, Kagome shook her head. “No, no. Go on with what you were doing. I didn’t meant to disturb you.”

He quirked a brow inquiringly. “You were staring at me.”

“I like to look at you,” she said simply with a helpless shrug.

Golden eyes softened, and he replaced the laptop into its carrying case after saving his work and powering it down. He slid over the railing and carefully pulled her to his side. The wires were still there, but the troubling needle and tube were not.

“I wasn’t trying to interrupt your work, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome softly stated. Her fingers glided through the hair that he had thrown over his shoulder.

Gently pressing his lips to hers, Sesshoumaru carefully rolled her to rest upon his chest. “You did not disturb me.” He had been busy this entire week working on projections and investment portfolios. Not once had she interrupted his work with a tantrum at his inattention. He shouldn’t be surprised, but he was honest enough with himself to admit that had he been the one injured, he might have been a bit miffed had she proven as inattentive. He had never left her side, but sometimes he knew it had felt like he was a thousand miles away.

Kagome giggled. “Oh, sometimes I want nothing more than to disturb you.” She punctuated her point by peppering his chin with little kisses. “But not now. I know you are trying to get your business off the ground. That will take time and a lot of work.” The faint tickle of memory stung her into recalling her mother’s revelations. The sad picture of her miserable father still had the power to tug painfully on her heart.

“You do not doubt my affections when I am unable to concentrate on you?” he asked curiously. His father’s wife, Izayoi, had needed constant reassurances that she still retained his father’s affections. During his time working for Jidai, Inc., he had also noted the furtive phone calls made to wives or lovers to explain absences or beg forgiveness for late hours. His feelings would not change, but she could be prone to insecurity.

Kagome propped herself on her good arm and leaned over to plant a hard kiss on his mouth. “Let’s make things simple here. I love you. You haven’t said it, but I know you love me.” She paused, waiting for an affirmation, but when none was forthcoming, she forged on with a wry smile. “You aren’t going anywhere, and neither am I. If, and only if, I feel you are beginning to neglect me, will I bother you about it.” A fierce glint he had never seen before entered her deep blue eyes. “In that case,” she elaborated, “you can expect me to nag, shout, scream, and yell until you make it better.”

Absorbing that, Sesshoumaru smirked. “Oh?” The image of her reprimanding him caused him, oddly enough, to smile. He was completely and utterly ensnared, to anticipate such a show, even if he would truly work toward ensuring such never happened.

“Yes.” Kagome laid her head on his chest, breaking eye contact. “Neither you nor I are the kind to simply slide into an abysmal co-existence. If I do something to make you doubt me, I expect you to come to me about it, as well. Deal?”

“Agreed.” He paused, stroking the soft ebony strands that fell over his arm, not minding the slightly greasy texture as she had been denied a bath. “Kagome?”

Yawning into a fisted hand, Kagome shifted her head to stare into his eyes. “Hmmm?”

“I do love you.”

She ignored the tear that slid out of the corner of her eye to smile widely. “I know, Sesshoumaru. I know.”

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

The Tashio stared down upon the letter that was crushed within his hand. No, his beleaguered mind screamed in disbelief. How had this happened? How had it come to light?

It had been so long. So very long ago. The only evidence of it was in his safe, a reminder of the folly of youth. Striding over to the safe built behind the portrait of himself in true form, he carefully punched in the code before swinging the door open.

The safe stood empty, robbed of its secrets. Even the Shikon no Tama was gone! Shoulders tense, jaw set in a hard line, the Tashio realized the extent of his betrayal. The only one who had any knowledge of the matter was Noriko. The Tashio snarled. He would repay that bitch for her temerity as soon as she slunk back home, as he knew she would. Pride would demand that she face him, if nothing else.

As for the matter at hand, enough time had passed to bury his secret beyond recovery except for that damning letter. Surely the pup had passed on without its mother. No priest would have taken in a bastard youkai pup, and even if they had, he would have been found by now.

He would know. He had spent the entirety of his eldest pup’s life until Inuyasha’s birth searching for the lost bastard. Even a bastard would have been better suited as the heir than the heinous creature Sesshoumaru appeared to be, especially considering his attitude on breeding. His hand shook, a fine tremor betraying the churning emotions eating his insides.

Had he not made reparations for his sins? Had he not repented for his actions night after night as he laid beside his human mate-the stand-in for the one whom he had wronged? Despite the stain upon his name, he had done right by her as he could not the long-dead woman he had seduced in his wild youth.

Izayoi looked so much like her, the nameless woman he had impregnated then abandoned. Her face had haunted him upon sighting it in a café, the ghosts of his past rising to mock him unmercifully. It wasn’t until he had saved Izayoi from the poverty she had been born into that he had felt a semblance of peace.

Inuyasha, his poor hanyou son, the replacement for the one he had snubbed just weeks out of the womb. And now, he would be repaid by losing his lands in a trial of his peers?

The Tashio sneered darkly, tossing the crushed paper into the trashcan. As if those buffoons could dare to call themselves his peers. None were his equal; therefore, none were worthy to stand in judgment of him.

He would ride out this indignity just as he had the ignoble birth of his cursed son, the mating of Izayoi, and the birth of his legitimate hanyou son. And when the dust cleared, the fools would see that he was the one in command. Always had been, and always would be.

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

“What are we going to do, sir? The hospital is closed down tight. All week, we were unable to get in without proper identification. That damn doctor even refused entrance to new hires until Kagome is gone.”

Ryoko turned from the window that over looked the cityscape of Tokyo to glare at his minion. “You disappoint me, Kin. I had thought, in light of your recent experience with the Higurashi woman, that you would prove useful to me. Aside from the attack in the subway, you have been nothing but a drain on my resources.”

Kin swallowed heavily. After leaving the museum, he had wandered the streets. Heavily in debt to the underworld due to his gambling habits, habits that he was no longer able to support without a job, he had gotten roaring drunk in the hopes of forgetting his troubles.

Lost in the bottle, he had blabbed his woe to a fellow drunk. A stray passerby had overheard, and had persuaded him to come to Ryoko on the promise of a job.

Upon meeting the man, he had been persuaded to sign on. As Ryoko had smoothly explained, the woman known as Kagome needed to be taught a lesson for turning her back on her own kind, and who better than he to give it?

Now, however, as he stared into the placid amber of the man’s glassy eyes, Kin began to rethink his position on the matter. Something was going on here, something he wasn’t quite sure he wanted any part of. As a newbie, he was regarded with suspicion and wasn’t allowed to know anything of import beyond his assignment.

Maybe, he caught himself wondering, it would be better to go to the police and throw himself on their mercy rather than stay in this outfit. He hadn’t done anything, not really, and he knew they would offer him a deal for all he knew. Even if it wasn’t much more than a location and a name.

Ryoko crossed the richly appointed office to stand behind his desk. He pressed the intercom button before speaking into the piece, “Kagura, send in my visitors.”

Shifting uneasily in his scuffed boots, Kin asked, “Visitors?” He hadn’t been told that this would be a group conference. Assigned to watching the hospital, he had been told to report any chinks in the security directly to Ryoko himself.

Waving a hand reassuringly, Ryoko smoothed the lapels on his three-piece suit jacket before he claimed a seat. “Just some business acquaintances. Useful people, really, once you get past their rather unsavory hobbies.” White teeth flashed amusedly. “Hobbies I have found quite useful recently.”

The double doors the led into the office opened and in poured a motley group of teen-aged kids. At the head, Jin smiled predatorily. “Is this the one, Ryoko?”

“Kin,” Ryoko introduced, “These are my associates. They would like to have a word with you, especially Jin. You see, they take their hobbies very seriously. I am afraid that you poached on Jin’s territory.”

Paling, Kin’s head flew wildly side to side as he tried to comprehend the sick feeling in his gut. “Wha-What are you talking about?”

Jin stepped forward, his nose ring angrily sparkling in the light. “Kagome is my project, fuck-head. I’ve spent years putting up with her dippy brother just to get her to trust me. She’s mine, and you put your hands all over her.”

Ryoko clapped his hands. Kin swallowed heavily. “Now, I tried my best to protect you from this young man,” Ryoko stated apologetically, “But I’ve begun to sense that you are not properly appreciative of all the effort I’ve gone to on your part. And, well, your usefulness is simply at an end.”

“Wait!” Kin yelled as Jin smiled with maniacal glee. “I can get her, I promise! I’ll repay you everything!”

Shrugging, Ryoko nodded at Jin. “It is too late for promises, I’m afraid. I’ve already gifted you to this young man, and what kind of a role model would I be for the youth of Japan if I didn’t fulfill my end of the bargain?”

Screaming, Kin was dragged from the office by the teens while Jin followed after. Ryoko hated messes in his office. That was a lesson they had learned early on, ever since he had found them in the streets hunting rats and knocking off the other homeless to steal their meager possessions. He’d raised them up right and proper, and they would mind their manners.

Ryoko stood once more to stare out the window. Kagura entered the office. “It’s time for me to leave. Miroku called and wants to meet up at the restaurant we always do.”

His reflection in the plate glass window watched her cautiously. “You would never dream of betraying me for your little lover, now would you?”

She rolled her eyes. “As if I could. You would kill me before I would ever enjoy the fruits of my efforts.” She hated him, this she never tried to hide. For a brief, blissful time, she had dared to hope. To dream of freedom. But even now, so ensnared in his plans and her own culpability, even should he fail and she live through it, her life would be forfeit. She had no choice, for the sake of her own life, but to willingly follow his orders.

Ryoko laughed. “Such honesty. I think I keep you around for that more than your dubious charms that are so well-suited to being wasted upon that human.” He smirked at the glare she sent him. “Leave, then. We mustn’t keep your lover waiting. He might grow impatient and seek out another companion.”

Kagura turned on her heel and left the man to stare out over the vast web that stretched over the entirety of Western Japan and beyond. His spies had informed him of the impending trial. The Tashio had apparently not been told of his rather intimate connection to the hanyou known as Naraku. No, the other lords were saving that for the trial. Yet, he knew, just as he knew that Naraku would be absent from the scene from now on to avoid further complications to the messy scene about to commence. Perhaps an accident could be arranged.

Amber eyes flashed red behind the skillfully crafted contacts. “Naraku may have been thwarted, but Ryoko still works for your ultimate fall. Soon, Father, I will have it all and you will be nothing more than the dirt beneath my feet.”

.Chapter Twenty-eight

The Tashio swore violently. “What do you mean, you cannot find him?” he asked in a dangerously low voice when the person on the other end of the line went silent.

“He has disappeared, Tashio-sama,” the young man managed to get out. After this, he decided, he would find another job. With the news out about the Tashio, he couldn’t use him for a reference. But given the guy’s unleashed temper, he’d rather flip burgers at WacDonald’s than lose his head!

Without waiting for more, the phone was slammed down. All around him, servants scuttled to pack. He had been given a week to vacate the premises. Exactly the amount of time before the tournament, when his lands would be handed over to some upstart.

Izayoi had collapsed into tears at the news of his punishment, afraid that she would once more live among the dirty common people of her birth. He had consoled her with the knowledge that he was still wealthy and still had resources to call upon. Resources that had not been drained by the payment to Naraku.

Naraku, his bastard son.

Consigning him to the lowest layer of hell, the Tashio’s thoughts grew dark. The hanyou had certainly played him for a fool. Plotting behind his back for kami knew what purpose, Naraku had risen within his own territories, appointed by himself to a position of authority, even! Next to Sesshoumaru, Naraku was now regarded in the greatest of disdain.

He will not get away with this, the Tashio vowed. Whether or not it had been his intention, Naraku was responsible for his downfall. For now, however, revenge would wait. No doubt his other bastard son would have claimed the miko bitch and taken the wish. That left the tournament as the only avenue through which to reclaim that which was his.

If the gods truly worked in his favor, Sesshoumaru would hold to his plans. Then, and only then, could he face him in honorable combat and prove to the impudent pup just who was Alpha.

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

“Have you considered the repercussions of the trial?” Carefully picking his way through the conversation, Kouga paced before the seated Daiyoukai. At Sesshoumaru’s side, Kagome watched the ookami with concerned eyes.

“What?” she finally asked when it appeared that Sesshoumaru had no intention of doing so. The trial had been speedily executed just yesterday. Naraku had disappeared shortly after her release from the hospital, but using hair samples that had been left behind, it had been determined through DNA tests that he was the offspring of the Tashio.

Ironclad evidence in place, the Tashio hadn’t stood a chance against the Lords’ tribunal. He had been stripped of his lands and ordered to pay a fine of over three million yen to the absent Naraku as recompense for his failure to act as a father to the hanyou.

Jidai, Inc., Sesshoumaru had later explained to Kagome, would be worthless as soon as the Tashio’s trial became public knowledge. Not only due to the scandal, but also the loss of yen. It was no secret that Naraku would be from paid from company funds. Stock prices would plummet and executives would be frantic to escape with their golden parachutes.

The only upside to the entire debacle of the trial was that Sesshoumaru hadn’t been forced to testify against his father. The DNA, coupled with the Northern Lord’s summary of the letter as told to him by Sesshoumaru, had sufficed. The Eastern and Southern Lords had been content to be led by Taro in the sentencing.

Kouga cut a clawed hand through the air as he continued to stare at the seated male. “She will be in danger from him now.”

“She will be safe,” Sesshoumaru stated sharply. The ookami treaded on thin ice by insinuating that he, Sesshoumaru, had not already weighed the issues surrounding his female’s protection.

A fairly impressive growl rumbled past Kagome’s lips. “Would someone tell me what all the double talk is about?”

“Calm yourself, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru said warningly. “You know what the doctor said.” She had only been released a little over a week ago. Her boss had allowed her vacation time to be extended to help in her healing. However, with everything that had happened, the doctor had warned that time off of work might not be enough to allow her to fully recuperate. She needed rest, and a completely stress-free lifestyle.

Huffing, Kagome sank in to the velvety cushion of the blue couch. “I wouldn’t get worked up if you would just tell me what is going on.”

Acknowledging the truth in that statement, Sesshoumaru opened his mouth to reply but was cut off.

“Father thinks he’ll go after you,” Kouga explained impatiently.

Kagome blinked. “Who?” She turned to Sesshoumaru. “Is he talking about your father?” A short nod answered her. “Why? What did I do to him?” Perplexed, she struggled to find a reason behind this new threat. Other than Sesshoumaru choosing her, she hadn’t done anything personally against the Tashio. At least, she didn’t think she had.

Having delivered the message and assured that the Daiyoukai was cognizant to the threat now levied against Kagome, Kouga decided to leave. “I know you worry for her health, Sesshoumaru, but it needs to be done. The sooner the better, for all concerned, in fact. Truly mated, she will hold no appeal to him, thusly ensuring that she and the jewel will be safe.”

Scowling, Sesshoumaru gave a short nod of his head in acknowledgement of the unwanted advice. “This I already know, wolf.”

“Then I will take my leave.” Kouga bowed to Kagome before nodding to Sesshoumaru.

Eyes following the departing youkai, Kagome digested the odd conversation that had flowed over her head. After the door shut behind the departing ookami, her heart clenched in realization. “He could want a wish. That’s what Kouga was worried about, wasn’t it? That your father would force me to make a wish on the jewel for him?”

Sesshoumaru sighed lowly. His temple began to pound in waning of an impending headache. “I will not allow it.” The last thing he wanted was to be pressed into taking her merely to protect her.

Voice slightly shrill, Kagome shot back, “How can you prevent it? You can’t be with me all the time, and going on what everyone has said about him, he’s not stupid. On top of that, he’s also insanely powerful.”

Stung into replying to the barb, he scowled. “Do you doubt me?”

She groaned before rolling her eyes. “It isn’t a matter of doubting you, Sesshoumaru, but of being realistic about the situation. One,” she began, ticking off on her fingers as she spoke, “we have the jewel. A jewel that is capable of granting any wish. Two: he happens to be in dire straits and could very possibly be desperate enough to want said wish for himself. And three: it takes a miko to make the wish; one who could be induced to, uh, join with the youkai to use it.” Daring him to refute her, she added, “As disgusting as it seems, according to you, he seems to think he’s the kamis gift to women. He could just think highly enough of himself to believe I could be seduced. Did I miss anything?”

Running a hand through his hair, Sesshoumaru’s jaw clenched in irritation. “What do you want me to say?” Grappling with his emotions, a dangerous mix of futile anger at his absent father and aggravation that she would press him on this, his eyes narrowed on the woman beside him.

“Don’t look at me like that, Sesshoumaru,” Kagome lectured. “This is not a mess of our making, and I don’t expect you to have all the answers. With this, though, even I know the perfect solution to the problem of your father. You are just too stubborn to admit it,” she admonished him.

Given her recent health scare, she understood his reticence in resuming physical relations with her. But, by Kami, she knew he was capable of being careful. They weren’t going to be running around doing cartwheels! It was either he mated her willingly, or she would take matters into her own hands.

Setting her features mulishly, Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you want him to try to force himself on me?” It was a low blow, but she was desperate to force him to acknowledge the error in waiting. “Because, I have a feeling that is what could happen. There aren’t very many mikos just laying around waiting to be plucked up to grant jewel wishes.”

Enraged by the question, Sesshoumaru leapt to his feet. “He will not touch you!” he roared.

Following him, Kagome stood before her male. “I know he wouldn’t, Sesshoumaru,” she placated. “You would protect me. But that won’t stop him from trying. You could get hurt, or any number of things could go wrong. I don’t want that to happen when it could be avoided.”

“Damn it, Kagome, I won’t have our mating be about some jewel!” he ground out. Breathing heavily with the effort of maintaining a semblance of calm, Sesshoumaru didn’t miss the widening of her eyes.

“Is that why you hesitate?” Not allowing him a chance to reply, Kagome chuckled. “You are being silly.” He scowled at the insult. She wrapped her arms about his waist, and the brewing irritation melted away. “Sesshoumaru, we are going to mate. We would have already if I hadn’t been injured. Right?”

Returning the embrace, Sesshoumaru gently lifted her into his arms. He carried her back to the couch. Settling her in his lap after claiming a seat, he sighed. “Kagome…”

Silencing him with a soft kiss, she smiled whimsically before murmuring, “I know the circumstances could be better. But don’t you dare think that a mating between us would ever be about a jewel. Granted, you will need to make the wish to prevent your father from using it, but I am more than willing to give you whatever you want. Can’t you think of it as a mating present from me to you, a bonus, rather than the reason behind the mating itself?”

Tilting his head to the side, he watched her warily. “You would give me whatever I want?” Something about her casual admission buried itself in his heart.

She bit her lip, blushing. “Surely you must know by now that I’d do anything for you. I love you,” she said simply. “Love doesn’t come with addendums or conditions. At least mine doesn’t.” She watched him with mysterious eyes. “Can’t you say the same?”

Thrown off track by the surge of warmth that accompanied her words, Sesshoumaru nodded soundlessly. He had known she was a loyal person; but, day by day, he had come to truly appreciate how unique she was. He could trust her in a way he had never thought to anticipate. The scorn of others had only pushed her closer to him His physical limitations were understood, even appreciated. He had saved her life and had been saved in turn. She had even given him her soul, her Vow, and he wanted to prove himself to her, just as she had him.

“Sesshoumaru?” Disturbed by the muted gold of his gaze, Kagome reached up to run her fingers through the soft fur of his neck.

“You were never just a wish to me,” he admitted, the words tripping from his mouth before he could call them back. Once they were out, however, and he saw the way her lips curved upwards in response while her eyes sparkled, Sesshoumaru wouldn’t take them back even if he could. “I had used my father’s demands as a reason to approach you, rather than admit to my personal interest in procuring you as my mate.”

She giggled. It was funny how he thought he was imparting a great secret. The truth had proclaimed itself when he had turned his back on his father’s demands to ditch her. Obviously, he had to have had ulterior motives, in this case masking his own interest rather than put himself out on a limb emotionally, to agree with the Tashio’s plan. One did not move Sesshoumaru to do anything unless he wanted it for his own reasons. Obscure or not.

Rather than point that out, Kagome settled for saying, “I know. And using the jewel won’t cheapen our mating, either. You did say that mating would endow me with some of your power; a protective embrace, as it were, of your essence. Using the jewel would be just another case of our mating protecting me,” she added, not above a little manipulation to prod him in the right direction.

He grinned wryly. “You think to manage me?” He was not above using sneaky tactics to get his way in terms of protecting her. It shouldn’t be surprising to find that trait shared between them. It was endearing, really. Even if it meant he would need to be on his guard in the future against his mate’s subtle maneuverings. Already willingly entangled with her, he had no desire to find himself submitting to her every whim. The woman needed a keeper, not a hapless pup.

Smiling winningly, Kagome hummed innocently. “I would never assume you could be so easily managed, my darling Daiyoukai.”

He smirked. “But it will not stop you from trying, I am sure,” he drawled.

She grinned, unabashedly unrepentant. “I’ll stop when you do.”

A slow grin spread across his features even as he attempted to remain serious. “Wench.”

“Stud,” she fired back.

He blinked. “Stud?”

She shrugged. “If you insist on calling me a wench, then I’ll call you a stud. I could use hunk, I suppose, but it doesn’t have that vaguely insulting tone that I’m trying to capture.”

“You are incorrigible.” He shifted, his hands settled about her hips and readjusted her until she straddled him. “What of your shoulder? Does it pain you?” Grasping at straws now, he threw out his last defense.

She sighed. “You know perfectly well that it doesn’t. The pain meds and the numbing cream have taken care of that.” Forestalling any more hurdles, she added, “Besides the wish, am I being too forward in admitting that I want you to make love to me?” Tantalizing memories of their joined release, so beautiful and wantonly glorious, had plagued her dreams. What would it feel like, she had then wondered, to feel him inside, stretching and filling that unbearably empty place within her? Even now, just thinking about it caused a low ache to make itself known in her nether regions.

Immediately reacting to her husky admission, Sesshoumaru’s already swollen member hardened painfully. He hissed between clenched teeth. “You tempt me beyond all imagining.” Grazing the soft skin of her neck with the deadly points of his fangs, he surrendered to her alluring revelation.

“The jewel,” she pointed out shakily when his hands drifted to the outer curve of her thigh.

He smiled against her skin, nipping her ear in reprimand for interrupting him. Calloused palms slid over the generous curve of her backside. “We will discuss it after our mating.”

Body heating at the suggestive movement of his finger as it traced the indent between her buttocks before sliding over her fabric-covered womanhood, Kagome licked her lips and squirmed. “After?”

“After,” he affirmed before claiming her mouth. He nibbled on the plump lower lip. Hard pants brushed against his cheek as she gave in to him completely. His tongue soothed the faintly bruised flesh.

“Here?” she managed to get out breathlessly, unable to keep the obvious excitement from the query. With everything seemingly against them, she needed this. She wanted to know him fully, to hold him deep within her. To touch him in ways that no one ever had, or ever would.

Growling softly under his breath, Sesshoumaru shifted and stood. Legs wrapped about his waist, Kagome clung to him, unwilling to lose contact with his hard warmth. Nipping at his chin, fingers delving into the fur of his neck, Kagome fairly purred in anticipation.

Hands on her bottom, Sesshoumaru supported her weight as he walked them to the bed. When she shifted, hands on his shoulders to lever herself up, and drew his bottom lip into her mouth to suckle upon, his knees threatened to buckle. Kagome chuckled huskily when he managed to land on the bed rather than the floor. “It’s only fair,” she said. “I get weak-kneed just by looking at you.”

His already formidable arousal twitched in burning admiration for her honesty. Shifting her to the side, he watched her for any sign of discomfort. “Have you no guile?”

Grinning shamelessly, Kagome asked, “Am I supposed to pretend I don’t like what I see?” He already knew what she had to offer and had proven he liked what he had seen. Was she to hold onto a feeling of shyness that she no longer felt around him, knowing that he loved her body as much as she delighted in his?

It would certainly make it easier on him to maintain control, Sesshoumaru mused. He should have known that she would prove as uninhibited in love as she did in life. Not that he objected. Far from it. He would simply have to grow accustomed to walking around in a state of semi-arousal.

Her fingers nimbly unbuttoned his shirt before impatiently tugging at the lapels to urge him to remove it. Moving to obey the silent demand, he watched with a dry mouth as she kneeled to pull her own shirt over her head and threw it on the floor. Unhooking her bra, that too followed the shirt to land sprawled on the floor. A flash of white caught his eye, and he frowned at the sight of the bandage.

This time, there were no rosy blushes as she moved closer, intending to make him forget about her injury. She smiled seductively, and an answering heat threatened to swallow him whole. Breasts bouncing, she then shimmied her pants down and over her hips, taking her underwear with it as she kicked the fabric off.

Shirt still half-way on, Sesshoumaru was brought back to reality by the pout on her full lips. “Do you need help?” she asked. He was taking a long time, and she was ready now!

At the goading, he narrowed his eyes. She was certainly ready, rushing even. The button-down shirt floated to land on top of her small pile of clothing to be followed by his undershirt. As he reached for the belt buckle, her small hands stopped him.

Kagome bit her bottom lip. “Let me.” He nodded, and she slowly unbuckled it before drawing the strip of leather from the loops. That out of the way, she dropped it over the side of the bed before turning back to him. Fingers traced the bulge made obvious beneath the khaki fabric as she popped the snap on the pants before lowering the zipper. A rumbling growl followed her actions. Her body answered in a rush of heated warmth that flowed to her womanly center.

“Do you like it when I touch you?” she asked, innocently eager to please him. Her fingers tingled deliciously with every tantalizing stroke, firing nerve endings in her entire body.

He snorted. As if she had to ask. “What do you think?”

Taking him seriously, Kagome eyed her lover’s groin. “I think you might like it as much as I do.” Without preamble, she tugged the pants and boxers down. Jutting proudly, his arousal seemed to swell further before her eyes.

Before he could shift to remove the clothing entirely, she wrapped her fingers about his hard girth. Stilling immediately, a snarl burst forth from deep within his chest. Ignoring it to explore this alien part of him, the flesh that had been made to pleasure her, Kagome tightened her fingers experimentally. The smooth skin, the only part of him that was without fur, beckoned her closer.

A large vein grew from the root of his groin and traveled the length of his arousal. She was astounded to feel the pulse of blood beneath the pads of her fingers, and she lightly followed its path to the heavy sac below. Curiously twining her fingers in the downy fur there, Kagome delighted in how soft it was. The pained grunt that followed her exploration had her attention diverted to his pinched features.

Awash in heat, Sesshoumaru trembled with the force of his need. Her fingers, those delicate digits, were torturing him to the point of embarrassing himself. “Enough,” he commanded when she looked up. He drew her hands away from him, knowing that if she continued, he wouldn’t last.

“But I-” she began, only to be cut off by his lips slamming onto her own. Tongue invading her mouth, Sesshoumaru swallowed her protestation. Both moaned into the kiss, knowing that, this time, there would be no interruptions. No more waiting.

Gripping her shoulders, careful of her old wound, Sesshoumaru guided her to lay back on the bed. He drew a pillow up to support her back and to keep the weight off her wound. Once he had her situated to his satisfaction, Sesshoumaru sat back on the balls of his feet to enjoy the sight of her flushed body sprawled in decadent surrender.

The dark curls at the apex of her thighs drew his eyes as they glistened wetly in the dim lighting. His nostrils flared with the force of the musky aroma of feminine arousal as she watched him with eyes filled with need.

Following his gaze, Kagome shifted her legs apart, baring herself to his eyes fully in invitation for him to fill her without an iota of hesitation. She wanted him and she would never waste time on false modesty. This was no stranger, but her mate and lover. That was all she cared about. “Sesshoumaru,” she begged in a broken whisper, “Please.”

He was lost, Sesshoumaru decided as his body clenched in response to her plea and the sight of the moist folds of her womanhood. Utterly and completely enthralled. Blood roared in his ears, muffling even the sound of his breathing as it grew into a steady growling pant.

She cried out in relief when he fell upon her, fingers wrapping about her hips to pull her closer. Latching onto a furled nipple, he suckled the flesh, drawing deeply, and elicited a loud moan as her fingers clenched in his hair.

Undulating beneath his weight, Kagome slid her legs up to cradle his large form between her soft thighs. Pressing her feet into the bedding for leverage, she rubbed against his arousal in an attempt at appeasing the ache of her need. The smooth skin of his erection as it teased her folds coupled with the way the fur of his body caressed her naked body soon had her mewling helplessly.

Pulling away from the puckered nipple, Sesshoumaru hungrily laved the neglected flesh of its twin. Fingers plucked at the nipple he had already worshipped into an almost painful bud. The power beneath his skin boiled in response to her overheated body with every brush of her wet folds against his straining arousal, begging to be released in order to finally return the mate claim of his female. Not yet, he told himself. He wanted to hold out as long as he could, to prolong their first mating until she would never forget it.

Kagome tossed her head to the side, ebony hair fanned wildly against the stark white of the pillow. She tugged on his hair, trying to urge him to move up, straining to tell him with each arch of her back that she was ready, that she wanted him now. He ignored her prompting, and she was moved to drastic measures.

Reaching between their bodies, Kagome grabbed hold of the swollen shaft as it rubbed against her and squeezed. Hard. “Now!” she hissed warningly.

Howling in the pleasure-pain of her demanding caress, Sesshoumaru lost complete control. Wildly surging forward, he sheathed himself in her body with one smooth stroke. She gasped at the pain of the breaching, muscles protesting the too-swift invasion.

“Damn it, Kagome,” Sesshoumaru cursed as he struggled to take in air and resist the need to move. He had known it would be painful and hadn’t wanted to hurt her. Her heat surrounded him, enticing him to nudge forward, to bury every inch within her body’s tight grip. Teeth gritted, he held back. Waiting for a sign to continue, his throbbing shaft begged for completion.

Panting into his chest, some of the mindless need cleared with the painful reality of his entrance, Kagome blinked back tears. “I didn’t think it would hurt that much,” she whispered in apology.

Sensing her upset, Sesshoumaru’s irritation faded. “Hush,” he admonished. Leaning down to nuzzle her cheek, he claimed her lips in a heady kiss. Softly nibbling her bottom lip, he entered her mouth as she opened for him. Twining their tongues together, stroking and delving in an imitation of what he longed to do within the paradise of her silky cavern, Sesshoumaru didn’t let up until her fingers eased their hold on his neck.

She was panting for another reason entirely when he broke it off to groan into her hair. She shifted minutely and was rewarded with a shaft of tingling pleasure that overrode the faint twinges of discomfort that yet remained. She would definitely be sore in the morning, she decided, but not now.

Instinctively pulling her thighs even higher, opening herself further to him as they fell open, Kagome gasped as the movement heralded a shiver-inducing caress against her swollen clitoris. Sesshoumaru tensed further, muscles bunching and locking beneath his skin. “Again,” he ordered huskily.

She complied, and soon he was pulling out slightly with each rub of her swollen pleasure bud against the taut flesh just above the root of his arousal. Both shuddered with the joint sensation. Fingers digging into his back, Kagome grabbed fistfuls of fur to stabilize herself as he began to pull out further, almost leaving her body entirely, before sliding home once more.

Mewling helplessly as he picked up the pace, trying desperately to keep up with him as her hips moved to the rhythm he set, Kagome felt her head swim as her body begged for more. Latching onto his shoulder as the sensations grew almost too intense for her to bear, dull teeth bit into flesh to hold in the screams begging to be let out.

Stiffening in response to the passionate assault, Sesshoumaru wondered hazily if she knew what that did to him. Surging forward, skin crawling with the need to release as the wet furnace of her body engulfed him in its vice-like grip once more, Sesshoumaru knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

Tilting her hips upward with his hands, they were both rewarded with a deeper penetration. He shuddered, muscles spasming with the effort it took to not release. Wrapping his arm under her hips to hold her in place, his free hand reached between their bodies and plucked at her clitoris. At the same time, he pulled out and surged back in with as much force as he dared.

She screeched into his fur and bit down even harder as she came apart in his arms. Snarling in pleasure, Sesshoumaru let go and spilled inside of her welcoming body as her muscles clenched and spasmed around his girth. Muscles shivered and locked alternately as the moment seemed to be stretched out indefinitely.

Staring up at him, Kagome was lost in admiration for the primal beauty of his release. She had done that, her body had given him this, she thought in pleasured pride as his release mixed with the fluids that he had so skillfully coaxed from her body to slide between her thighs.

Until, finally, he was released from the euphoria of their shared bliss. Dropping to the side, he pulled her to follow him rather than break their connection. His mate nestled against his side, without wasting a moment, he released the power surging sluggishly within his blood, the youki gathered yet also subdued by his release. Kagome stiffened as his youki invaded her still shivering body, but then relaxed as the heat of his power soothed her muscles and flowed over her mind and heart to permanently settle within her.

Minutes passed as he shared his power with her, content to simply lay there as the connection built and strengthened. When he determined that she had enough, the flow of youki was cut off. Kagome yawned sleepily into his chest, rubbing her nose in the thick fur there. He smiled tenderly at his mate. “Sleep, Kagome. The day can wait.”

Smiling up at him, she snuggled closer. “Will you stay with me?” she asked.

“There is no where else I would rather be,” he promised. Within minutes, both were soundly asleep.

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

Humming while she washed the dinner dishes, Kagome was reminded of the activities of earlier that day by the faint twinge between her legs. It wasn’t painful; more of a simple discomfort.

It had been wonderful, she recalled while sighing dreamily. Just thinking about the moment of release, of the expression of complete bliss that had crossed Sesshoumaru’s face, had her shifting again as heat pooled in her stomach.

A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that he was still busy at his laptop. Jaken had called, waking them up with the information that Jidai, Inc. had already taken a hit in the market. Many of the stockholders were running to Sesshoumaru to salvage their funds.

Given the fact that he felt a small bit of responsibility for their immediate financial problems, the Daiyoukai had flipped open his laptop and gone to work. After a fast shower, Kagome had amused herself with her own laptop, a gift that had been delivered yesterday from the store that Sesshoumaru had bought it from. Dinner time had rolled around, and he had been enticed into enjoying the simple meal of beef and rice that she had made.

Now, though, Kagome thought, she had been patient enough and wanted some of his time. Given her still recovering nether regions, she had something quite different in mind. The only question was whether or not he’d go along with it. She hoped so. She wanted to see him the way he had been earlier again.

Folding the towel she had used to dry the dishes, Kagome placed it on the counter before turning to cross the floor until she reached the couch. Seated upon it, Sesshoumaru looked up as she cleared her throat.

“Do you need something?” he asked. The scent of her arousal tickled his nose; he willed himself to ignore it as he had all his other urges throughout the day. The work had been a much needed distraction. She was still sore, and he was no beast to ravage her body. At least, not until she could take it without pain.

Biting her lip, Kagome kneeled between his feet. He moved the laptop so that he could see her more clearly, then she took it from him to set on the floor. Unsure how to voice her question, Kagome leaned forward and propped her elbows on his thighs. She played with the buckle of his belt nervously.

Swallowing a groan, Sesshoumaru pulled her hand away from its dangerous location. “You are still sore,” he reminded her lest he forget himself.

Nodding, Kagome latched onto the words. “I am. Couldn’t you-I mean, don’t you-” Frustrated with her inability to vocalize what she could so easily show physically, Kagome scowled.

Stroking the hair away from her neck, Sesshoumaru’s thumb slid across the smooth skin soothingly. Her next words shocked him so completely he froze in place.

“Could I give you release?” Smiling happily as she managed to get it out with only a minimum of blushing, Kagome elaborated, “I mean, I want you to show me everything you like. I did love seeing you when you, you know, and I like making you feel good.”

Heart beating irregularly, he croaked out, “This would please you?” Kami, where was the hesitation he had heard most females harbored about sex? She was, just Kagome. At least he would never be in doubt as to what she wanted.

“Oh yes,” she breathed out, as eager as a child promised an early birthday gift. “It would please me greatly. I want to know your body as well as I know my own.”

Shifting to lean against the couch back, Sesshoumaru regarded her steadily. There were many things which would please him, but he didn’t yet know where she would draw a line. What things were pleasing to her, and what would disgust her? He was working off his instincts as surely as she was. “Do what you would, you needn’t ask,” he said, giving her free rein to explore, yet avoiding the risk of suggesting something she might find repellant.

Biting her lip in indecision, Kagome tapped a finger against his belt. “Will you take this off, please?” She didn’t have first hand experience with love making, but there were some things that one couldn’t help but learn about. Whispers and health classes tended to take the mystery out of it. She only hoped some of her naiveté would melt away along with her innocence. It was a bother not to get innuendo when it was thrown right at her because she didn’t connect the allusion to its true meaning.

For right now, she wanted to know what it felt like to take him into her mouth. To taste that part of him. To see if she could give him release with nothing but her tongue, lips, and hands to stroke him. She wanted to bury her nose in the soft fur that cushioned his sac and breath deeply of his masculine odor, knowing that it was hers. That he was hers, and that only she would ever know him thusly.

Just thinking about it already had her uncomfortably moist, but she paid it no mind.

Manfully refraining from fumbling or moving in crass haste, he complied with her request. Sesshoumaru couldn’t deny that he was, indeed, eager to see what she had planned. He would make sure that he wasn’t the only one to receive pleasure, of course, but she needn’t know that yet. Her desire was something to be nurtured, though judging on the almost rabid way in which she watched his every movement in the removal of his belt, it would not be a hardship.

Without waiting for him to turn around from laying the belt across the couch back, Kagome went to work on the snap and zipper of his trousers. They had a lifetime to explore each other, but her burning attention was focused solely on his burgeoning arousal right now. Tugging, she managing to slide the trousers and boxers to his knees when Sesshoumaru lifted himself slightly from the couch to aid her.

Without preamble, her fingers wrapped around the revealed prize. Pushing his shirt up with the other hand, she leaned forward and sighed into the soft fur of his sac. Running her cheek along the hard length that had begun pulsing once more within her grasp, Kagome inhaled deeply of the musky aroma that would forever be engraved in her mind as being simply him.

A fine tremor overtaking his hands, Sesshoumaru bit back a crude oath when he consigned his shirt to the trash and ripped it down the middle rather than mess with the buttons. His view unimpeded now with the fabric pushed out of the way, a fierce snarl built up in his chest at the sight of her hedonistic enjoyment. Her chest rose and fell on a huge breath, and his heart pounded to know that, even with dulled human senses, she took pleasure in his scent as he did in hers.

Both hands now free, Kagome glanced up to see him watching her as she cupped his softness within her palms. Lids lowered to half-mast in response to the gentle massage of her fingers upon his tender flesh. Tugging experimentally, she was rewarded with a strangled moan. Kagome smiled shakily as her body reacted to his obvious pleasure.

“I like touching you, knowing that I am making you feel good. It pleases me,” she murmured huskily as her palms left his sac to stroke the hard length before her. “Will you taste as good as you smell?” she wondered out loud.

He jumped in her hands, growing impossibly hard with the softly uttered words. Kami, she could bring him to orgasm with only her voice if she kept it up. She was a truly sensual creature, unhindered by the taboos that seemed to plague most of humanity. His, he crowed mentally as his blood sang her name, she was all his. And then her soft lips closed over him and all thought fled before the sweet torment.

Rolling her tongue over the bulbous tip, she coaxed a few drops to fall upon her tongue. Slightly salty, yet, oh-so-deliciously male, was the best description Kagome could come up with for how he tasted. Unable to draw his entire length into her mouth, Kagome sighed around the hard flesh. On bent knees, she scooted closer and wrapped her fingers around the base of his arousal. Drawing back, she released him to study the way her fingers looked wrapped around his hardness. Smiling at the way his stomach muscles clenched with each movement of her hands, Kagome leaned forward to catch the traces of liquid that she had managed to milk from his taut body.

He was reduced to panting, unable to contain the way the muscles in his legs jerked and his skin itched in unrelieved tension. What she lacked in experience, his mate certainly made up for in sheer, hedonistic, enthusiasm. Pumping him between licking up each drop coaxed forth by her untutored if completely effective assault, Kagome began rocking on her knees, her body unconsciously seeking relief of her own arousal.

Lips swollen, cheeks flushed and eyes flared with newfound knowledge and pure wanton desire, Kagome’s gaze flitted upward and was ensnared by the nearly crimson one that had been waiting for her. She almost swooned from the lusty smirk that sprouted on his face as he pulled her hands away from him. “My turn,” he murmured in a voice roughened by desire.

She pouted sexily. “Who said I was done?” She wanted him to lose control, to give over to the sensations she could feel running beneath his skin. And she wanted to watch him tremble and shout, growl and snarl.

He paused, appearing to contemplate her disappointment before offering, “Then we can both have what we want.”

Willing to trust him in this, Kagome gripped his hard shaft and squeezed lovingly. “What do you want of me?” she asked, resuming pumping him as the addiction to his flesh took root in her.

Rather than answer, Sesshoumaru displaced her as he slid to lay back fully on the couch cushions. Urging her into place with his hands, he commanded, “Undress.”

Disrobing fully only took a minute, and soon Kagome stared down on him questioningly. He grinned wickedly. “Come here,” he beckoned with an outstretched hand. She obeyed instantly and gasped as he lifted her effortlessly and turned her in one smooth movement until she straddled his neck and stared down on his body. “Oh, Kami,” she whispered, shocked by her new position, but assuming correctly what he wanted. Glancing at him over her shoulder, barely able to see anything other than his eyes around the curve of her behind, she whispered, “You want to-While I?”

Amused at the reappearance of her shyness, Sesshoumaru answered by pulling her closer. Surrounded by her scent, he growled his pleasure before his tongue snaked out to taste the beckoning honey that had tempted him hours ago. Her thighs shivered within his grasp and her head fell back as she mewled helplessly at the lewdly tender kiss.

Appetite gnawing for more, his tongue delved into her heat to retrieve the breathless moans and pleasure-filled sighs.

“Sesshoumaru,” she whispered in wonder as her muscles clamped onto his tongue, attempting to draw him in deeper.

She began to shiver uncontrollably as he lapped at the wet petals of her feminine flower. Unable to hold herself up, Kagome fell forward, catching herself on his thighs. Panting as he continued to work her until a fine sheen of sweat began to break out all over her body, she watched in awe as the swollen head of his arousal began to seep the evidence of his enjoyment. Groaning, she stretched forward to take him into her mouth once more, to devour him as ravenously as he was her.

Lost in the taste of her, needing more, wanting more, Sesshoumaru reacted instantly to the thought that she was moving away. His arm slid around her waist and clamped her in place with an immovable grip. His tongue pressed into her folds even deeper, seeking the treasure hidden within, before withdrawing to tap against her swollen bud in little teasing patterns.

Groaning around his length, Kagome was rewarded with a surge of fluid that told her just how much he had liked it. Beneath her fingers, his thigh muscles twitched and danced uncontrollably; as uncontrollably as her own, in fact.

Helplessly grinding her hips into that wonderfully dexterous tongue, Kagome gasped as a finger joined it in stretching her wider, increasing the pressure as her entire lower body clenched in response to the welcome invasion. Uncontrollably undulating now, lips stretched almost painfully around his staff to encompass as much as she could in the wet heat of her mouth, her hands pumped him feverishly.

Snarling against her heat as she went wild above him, Sesshoumaru’s release burst upon him. He roared into her spasming woman flesh, and she released him to scream out his name. The muscles in his stomach jerked with each pulse of seed that left his body. A white haze fell over his vision, blinding him momentarily with the force of the sexual euphoria that engulfed him in its embrace.

Almost wheezing with the aftereffect, Kagome slid around to drop into his arms. Sweaty, chin and chest sticky from his seed and exhausted, she had never felt so good. Breathing heavily, she groaned as his arms wrapped around her tightly. “We need a shower.” She didn’t have the energy to get up, though, that was for certain.

He chuckled and decided to take pity on her. After kicking off his pants, making a mental note to remove them fully next time, he carried her into the bathroom and set her down. Yawning, Kagome roused herself enough to return to the living area while he readied the shower. After retrieving their scattered clothing, she dumped them in the laundry basket.

Chore complete, Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his solid weight. “I love you,” she whispered into his back after nuzzling into his shoulder.

Eyes soft as he turned around to return the embrace, Sesshoumaru stroked a hand through her tangled hair. “And I you. Come, let us wash. Then I will get your pills and redress the wound.”

Groaning at the reminder, she gave in good-naturedly. The medicine and bandages were irritating, but he seemed to, oddly enough, enjoy playing nurse to her invalid patient. For that alone did she put up with the fuss.

Twenty minutes later, they emerged from the shower squeaky clean. Ignoring his command to rest in the living room while he dried his hair, Kagome picked up the spare hair dryer. “You do the front and I’ll get the back,” she decided after considering the quickest route.

Frowning slightly, he opened his mouth to argue, but his jaw snapped shut at the stern look she sent him. It was second nature for him to refuse aid in something so personal. His fur had been nothing but a badge of shame for so long that its grooming was something to be done alone and out of sight. At least, that was what he had thought.

Kagome wasn’t having any of it, however, he realized. Bent over to dry his hair, the second dryer turned on behind him and he allowed it. Gentle fingers moved through his fur to fluff it and aid the warm air in evaporating the remaining moisture.

With her help, he was done within a half an hour rather than the standard hour. Reaching for the brush, he was beat to it by Kagome. “Come on. I’ll brush your fur in the other room,” she coaxed with a pleading smile.

Willingly led from the bathroom, he followed her docilely to the bed. The scent of their lovemaking was still fresh upon the air, and he took it into his lungs appreciatively. Kagome pulled back the covers and patted the bed beside her. Sesshoumaru settled down where she had indicated. Replete from their strenuous activity of an hour ago, clean, content in the knowledge that his mate was safe, surrounded by the scent of their joining, and lulled by the soft brush strokes through his fur, Sesshoumaru had never felt so relaxed. It was with great reluctance that he pulled away. “Your wound, Kagome,” he reminded her as she protested.

She fell silent, and didn’t speak again until he was wrapping the bandages over the redressed shoulder. “Sesshoumaru, I’m not on anything,” she blurted out of the blue.

“On anything?” he queried while deftly tying off the bandage.

“To prevent getting pregnant,” she clarified. Her shoulders stiffened in anticipation of his reaction. She hadn’t even thought about it during their mating, but now, she could think of little else.

Stroking her back soothingly, Sesshoumaru lowered himself onto the bed beside her to draw her unresisting body into his arms. The covers were pulled over their nude bodies, and he kissed her brow. “One advantage to a youkai mate, Kagome. We control our potency. You will not get pregnant.”

Sighing in relief, she snuggled into him. This time, he fell asleep first. Still thinking on all that had happened that day, Kagome was drawn to look over at him when he nosed the pillow, snuffling as the cool fabric slowly warmed before settling. A faint snore escaped from between slightly parted lips. Her heart swelled. He looked so peaceful laying there. So content.

She hoped it could last forever.

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AN-Please read my profile for a note on “Creed of the Other Breed” and future stories. The change in formatting to the previous chapters is due to the editing, so much thanks to Wiccan for cleaning up! I didn’t want to re-upload so many chapters individually. Also, there is a lemon warning for this chapter. It is marked with (&).

Chapter Twenty-nine

Sesshoumaru rolled over, yawning widely in the shaft of sunlight that streamed into the room from the narrow window slant above his head. Snuggled up to his side, Kagome stirred before lapsing back into sleep. A quick glance at the clock just barely visible around the shoji screen as it sat atop the dresser revealed that it was close to eight a.m.. He cursed. “Kagome.” Sesshoumaru softly shook his mate. “I need to change your bandage.” He was over an hour late on the first changing.

He knew she didn’t blame him. Intellectually he understood that it was the doctor’s fault that she had taken ill. That didn’t stop him from feeling responsible, however. It was the youkai way to care for one’s mate, but more importantly, it was his desire to see to her health. There would be many years together if she was not taken from him prematurely by illness or disease. Still, those years would not be enough. Not nearly enough.

“Sesshoumaru, can’t it wait a little?” Kagome asked from his side. A slender arm slid over his waist, and she nestled her head under his chin.

“You know it cannot. The doctor was most specific,” he admonished gently, in no mood to ruin her good mood with a preemptory tone. Last night had been incredible, and he was feeling abundantly indulgent in the after-morning. That didn’t mean he’d let her get away with avoiding the necessary business of taking care of her. He got out of the warm cocoon of their bed to retrieve the medical supplies from the bathroom.

Acquiescing to his demand, Kagome rolled over onto her stomach when he came back. “Thank you.” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye as he paused at the task.

“For what?” he asked curiously. Hopefully it was not for what he thought. Surely he should be the one thanking her. In his youthful, lust-frustrated years, he had never imagined that there would be a sensual goddess awaiting him in the future.

She giggled, correctly guessing his confusion. “Not that, you!” She folded her arms and laid her head atop them as he resumed numbing the area before cleaning it. “For taking care of me, Sesshoumaru. You do it so well, you know? I wish there was something I could do for you.”

Surprised, Sesshoumaru felt the area around the wound for tenderness before dousing it in antiseptic. “You do enough, Kagome, just by being yourself.”

Somehow, she knew he’d say that. He was so arrogant about everything else, not to mention to everyone else. Yet, he wasn’t that way about them. There was no assumption in their relationship that she was a burden nor anything of the like. He truly felt that she, just by accepting him, merited anything he could give. It made her so terribly sad. A proud creature such as he shouldn’t sell himself short simply because he was accustomed to being told he was undesirable as a mate or lover.

In many ways, he suffered from an incredibly low self-esteem in that area. Put him in a business suit and he dominated. Take him to the gym and he’d show up anyone who dared challenge him. Put a sword in his hand-well, she hadn’t seen that yet, but she just knew he’d achieved perfection in that as well. There was nothing he couldn’t do. She was sure of it.

Give him a woman, however… He was an incredible lover. Not that she had anything to compare him with, but that was of no consequence. She certainly didn’t need it to know how good he had made her feel. He was kind and considerate of her feelings. Yes, he was domineering, but in a good way. She’d poke her own eye out before admitting it to him, however. She still got twitchy when he began giving orders, but he never did it simply to ‘prove who was boss.’

Sesshoumaru bossed her around all right, but it was for her own good. Had he said such a thing to her, she would have hissed like a cat. That didn’t stop her from admitting it to herself, though. She was honest to a fault when it came to self-reflection. Sesshoumaru, however… He needed to know that she didn’t want to simply be a recipient of his gratitude, as much as that word irked. She wanted to be an equal partner in their relationship.

“From now on, I want to help you dry your fur after baths,” she blurted out. She’d seen the look in his eyes, the brief hesitation. She’d kill to get him over the way he hid his ‘fault,’ too. At least with her.

He finished taping the clean gauze to her soft skin. “You will grow tired of it soon enough, Kagome. It is a tedious task; one I do not expect you to partake in.” Better to allow that a misguided sense of duty to him, given her need to keep things ‘even’ between them, was behind the offer. The vivid memory of her fingers gliding through his fur, her obvious fascination with the thick strands, soon had his skin itching to feel them again. Perhaps, he mused in contradiction to his previous thought, she would enjoy it? Maybe as much as he did?

Rolling onto her back, unmindful of her nudity, Kagome slapped him on the chest. “Don’t do that!”

Taken aback, Sesshoumaru stared down on her. “I was merely-”

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “I know what you were doing. You would rather not expect anything of me. You can’t be disappointed, then, if I don’t ante up. Right?” She sighed. He loved her, but what would it take to make him see that she wanted him to need her as much as she did him? “I know I can depend on you. I think it’s tedious to change bandages, go clothes shopping, and balance my bank account. Yet you are doing these things for me. Do you regret offering, or in some cases, commandeering those tasks?”

His answer came instantly. “No.” A sinking feeling began to build up in his gut as logic dictated where she was taking this.

“Why do you want to help me, Sesshoumaru?” she asked, almost pleadingly. “Is it so that I depend on you and will be less likely to leave you?”

He shook his head. “I know you would never leave me once committed. I would not have put my trust in you by claiming a place by your feet if I felt you would be so fickle.”

“Then why?”

Kagome shifted until she was kneeling in front of him on the bed. Grasping his hands, she guided his arms around her waist and leaned into the warmth of his body. “I want to please you as well, Sesshoumaru. And not just in bed,” she added when he opened his mouth. He clamped his lips together. “Did you like it when I helped you last night?”

When he hesitated, no doubt trying to formulate a reply that wouldn’t give away the truth but wouldn’t be a lie either, Kagome pinched him. “Sesshoumaru!”

“No one has ever helped me before,” he admitted by way of an answer. “I have always taken care of myself. I am unsure how to handle becoming accustomed to another’s aid.”

Shocked, she pulled back to gauge his expression only to find his golden eyes staring blankly at the wall. “Your mother…?” He didn’t reply, and Kagome’s heart clenched. Recent events aside, his mother had a few words coming for her treatment of Sesshoumaru. She had a sinking suspicion he wasn’t only talking about help with his fur, either. Had there never been anyone to watch his back, to stand by his side and offer a shoulder to lean on? “I’m your mate, Sesshoumaru. If you can’t depend on me, then who can you?”

Just the thought of losing her caused the discomfort in his gut to intensify into an all-consuming pain. Pain he hadn’t felt since receiving her Vow. Kagome’s wide eyes stared, frightened, at him as she called his name, but he couldn’t hear it above the roaring in his ears. “Kagome,” he whispered as his muscles locked and bone shifted. From within him, he could feel the reiki rising to calm him as it battled with the youki of his soul.

Afraid for him, unsure what was going on, Kagome threw herself after him when he fell off the bed. Knees hit the ground hard, but she ignored the sharp pain to scramble over to his side and turned him over. She gasped as his body heated beneath her very hands. It soon became painful to hold him as his skin flushed hotly, but she refused to let go. “Sesshoumaru, tell me what to do!” He wasn’t shifting; this was almost as if he was in the middle of a seizure!

The echo of her plea reached him, but Sesshoumaru was helpless to reply. The anguish at the thought of losing her, even in the hypothetical future, was compounded a thousand fold by their mating. His youki howled within his body. Had he ever any doubt before about the strength of his feelings for her, this pain would have put it to rest. It had been rumored that those lucky enough to find the one who could rouse their youki to seduce were also cursed to die with their mate.

He could well believe it now. Oddly enough, that fact served to restore a measure of calm to him. She would die in penance to her mortality, but he would not be forced to suffer through his immortality without her.

Wiping her tear-streaked cheeks clean, Kagome peppered his chin and cheeks with kisses when he managed to sit up within the embrace of her arms. “Are you okay?” she asked. “What happened? Do you need anything?”

“I will be fine,” he managed to croak out, wincing at the weak sound as the memory of pain still reigned sharp in his mind. “It was just a bit of nonsense.”

“Nonsense!” she yelled. If he wasn’t already on the ground, she’d, well, she’d do something! “What the hell does that mean!” It was a measure of her upset that she swore.

Chuckling huskily, spirit lighter than he could recall it ever being, he darted forward and claimed her lips in a searing kiss. He pulled back and smirked into her bemused expression. “I simply realized that, when the time comes, I will die with you.”

She blinked rapidly. “But, I thought-” She struggled to understand. “Sesshoumaru, you are youkai. You’re going to live centuries longer than I will. Remember?” Had the sudden fever damaged his faculties?

Startling happy for a person who had just declared their lifetime sheared into a mere fraction of its potential, Sesshoumaru shrugged as he helped her to her feet alongside him. “It will be my will to follow you into death. There is nothing else here for me. Just the thought of losing you, of being here in life without you, was agony. I would not survive it, in truth.”

Kagome legs fell out from beneath her. If it hadn’t been for his support, she would have crumbled on the floor. This was so much to take in at once! They had gone from a wonderful night to talking about death? “Why-” She stopped herself to tug him to sit beside her. Instead, he sat on the floor and assumed the position by her feet. She took a deep breath before trying again. “You can’t die, Sesshoumaru, not for me! I want you to live and be happy in life.”

He smiled, an oddly understanding gesture that was at odds with the fierce burning gaze. “What will you do if I die?”

She gasped. The mere thought was enough that tears built up once more behind her eyes. What would she do if he died? She couldn’t imagine a life without him now. There was Souta to consider, but she couldn’t build her life around him. He was ready to go out on his own. Nor could she depend upon her mother anymore. Her grandfather was on his last legs of life as well. What, really, would she have to hold her here if Sesshoumaru died?

She knew, in the deepest recesses of her heart, that there could never be another like her Sesshoumaru. With him as her ideal, there were none who could compare. Just the thought of trying to replace him with another caused a sharp stabbing pain in her chest.

“Is this the mating bond?” she asked in a hushed whisper. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. “I cannot, could not, see life without you, Sesshoumaru.” Some would say it wasn’t healthy. After all, where would she and her brother have been if her mother had willed herself to die along with her father? Shouldn’t she want to live, even if only to keep him alive in her memories? Life was a precious thing. To just stop living…

Easily breaking her hold, he twisted about and pulled her over his shoulder and into his lap. Sighing into her hair, Sesshoumaru explained, “Just as there are some aspects of human biology that are not yet understood by all, youkai have secrets that science has yet to discover answers for. There is a myth among youkai, one that is substantiated only through the personal experiences of a few as told to my mother‘s people, about Youki Mates.”

His mother had been oddly detached when she recounted the tale to him. Izayoi had just been brought to the manor, and she had been drinking heavily before he showed up to report on her investments. Out of the blue, she had interrupted him to ask if he knew what Youki Mates were. Celestial youkai were superior researchers and had delved into the history of youkai in order to better understand their more bestial relatives. Privately, he had always wondered if his mother hadn’t been envious of the inu nature she had been unable to emulate successfully.

He had been uninterested but had remained silent as she recounted a tale of oddly-bound mates that a celestial guru had professed to have communicated with while in a trance. At the time, he had simply allowed her to drone on out of pity for her destroyed pride. He had wondered if she had hoped, in a perverse way, that his father and Izayoi were Youki Mates. At least, then, she could save face in the knowledge that it was that, and not her, that had failed her own mating bond.

“Youki Mates?” Kagome scrunched her brows. “I’ve never heard of that. Is it like soul mates?”

Watching her carefully, Sesshoumaru stroked her nude back. “There is no human equivalent. The term soul mates tends to imply an outside force, like the kamis, creating two beings that are the perfect foil for each other.” His gaze turned inward as he recounted what he knew. “Youki Mates are, supposedly, nothing more than two beings that come together in mutual need and desire.”

He continued, “Yet, they are so much more. I have never heard of it happening between a human and a youkai, and it has only been rumored to have occurred four times in the history of youkai. The fact that my youki acted to bring you to me is not unheard of. It has happened instinctively to other poison youki with strong auras. However, given that it had not begun its seduction until I came to the conscious decision to pursue the possibility of a permanent bond with you, rather than upon my personal admission of being physically being attracted to you, I am inclined to now believe it was more of a side-effect.”

Kagome bit her bottom lip as she contemplated the situation. “How could it tie our lives together so closely that neither of us could live without the other?”

He smirked. “I am surprised you must ask that.”

She stared helplessly up at him. “I am trying to understand. It’s just a lot to wrap my brain around. I’ve never even heard of this before.”

Losing his smirk, Sesshoumaru’s hand glided from her back to rest upon her shoulder and he pulled her against his bare chest. “Love, Kagome. For some it is just a word. An expression of emotion or devotion. Depending upon who utters it, it can be meaningless, or it can mean the world. For us, for Youki Mates, it is a tangible force that now ties us together irrevocably. Hopefully, if what I know is correct, we will be bound until the earth rots and the sun implodes.” He took a deep breath, inhaling slowly as her soul, nestled within his youki, fluttered reassuringly. “I believe it to be so.” Everything within him resounded with the truth of the statement.

Frustrated that he was so calm while she still floundered in the dark, Kagome scowled. “That’s very romantic, I suppose, but I still don’t understand! You‘re going to die with me, and we‘ll then be reincarnated together or something?”

Laughter rumbled out of his chest before he could halt it. She looked so endearingly flustered. “Reincarnations are not the same as their incarnates. That only involves a transfer of human souls. They are more like the life-force that serves to provide the capacity for life. It is our memories, our life experiences and the like, that make us into the individuals that we are, human and youkai alike. Having the same soul as another does not mean you are that person. Youkai do not have souls, per se, but are composed of energy, our youki. Even after death, it does not pass on to another unless we will it, or it is stolen by a stronger youkai. As Youki Mates, we will leave our physical bodies behind in death, but we, Sesshoumaru and Kagome, will still exist together.”

Startled, she gaped. “Like ghosts?”

He quirked a brow. “If you want to look at it in such a way, I suppose it would not be completely off the mark. Our essences, your soul and my youki, our memories of each other and our life… We would still remain intact as we were in life. Just not bound by corporeal bodies.”

Paling as understanding came, Kagome whispered, “True immortality. That’s what it would be.” And then, her heart began to beat madly within her chest as another truth came to her. “Together,” she breathed out incredulously. They wouldn’t really be dying, but moving on to another plane of existence. Together.

Would there be others there? Would it be like ghosts, where they would have odd powers over this world? So many questions crowded her mind, but Kagome shoved them away. She took few short breaths and then a long one before saying, “Okay. I understand.” She glanced to the claws resting on her shoulder before adding, “And, while I’m probably going to drive you crazy speculating, I’m okay with it. I have no intention of giving up this life I have with you before I have to, but-” she smiled lovingly up at him “-it makes me, I don’t know, relieved, happy even; to know that, when our time is up here, we’ll move on together.”

He nodded in agreement. “Always.” Breaking the serious atmosphere, Kagome squirmed in his lap. His lips twisted wickedly and she shrieked as he lightly slapped her bare bottom. “Now, about that wish,” he uttered in silky tones that skated along her nerves like hot lava.

“Oh, no you don’t!” she cried out as his fingers slipped down to find where she burned. “You distracted me, but we are going to talk about your issues with me doing for you before you get near this body!”

“I am already near,” he huskily drawled. “What I want is in.” Accentuating his words with action, a single finger slid across her steadily moistening center before dipping inside. “As for the other, you may do whatever you like. I would never refuse you. Just remember that I will take that same liberty with you.”

Groaning into his neck, she bit down on his shoulder as he began to rub his arousal against the curve of her bottom while his finger slid home and began to tease her with short, smooth thrusting motions. “Not good enough,” she panted out. “You’ve got to tell me what you want too. Ask me, Sesshoumaru. Tell me what you want,” she said, practically purring the last bit as he eased his aching flesh between her thighs after removing his finger from her clenching channel to flick her sensitive bud. She locked her legs together, refusing to allow him the entrance his body asked for until he agreed.

Frustrated with her insistence, unwilling to forestall the inevitable, Sesshoumaru surrendered. “Love me, Kagome. Show me how to take what you so willingly offer, and I will.”

She moaned into his mouth as his lips descended upon her after his declaration, but she stubbornly held on. When his head lifted and she took in much-needed air, she demanded, “What do you want, Sesshoumaru?” Squirming in his lap, she brushed her fingers across the weeping tip of the arousal that peeked between her thighs. “Tell me!” He had every right to ask of her what would please him, in this and in every other aspect of their life together. Just as she did him. There might be times when they may both refuse, but it would only strengthen their bond to understand that asking was never wrong.

“You,” he growled out fiercely as his blood swirled with need and his youki burned, “I want you on your knees before me, begging me to take you. I want to press you into the ground, cover you with my body until I surround you as completely as you do my shaft. I want you hard and fast; I want to take you as the beast that I am.” Breathing heavily as the admission was torn from him, he was rewarded by the heat that began to seep from her now-dripping center.

&&&&&&

Nipples puckered instantly as his words registered. Kagome’s eyes drooped in sensual delight at the picture his need crafted in her mind. “Your wish is my command,” she purred before sliding forward. Dropping out of his lap, she grabbed a throw off the bed and tossed it on the cold floor before crawling on all fours onto it.

Aware of his burning eyes following her progress, she added an inviting wiggle to her bottom. Once she was situated on the blanket, she arched her back and glanced at him over her shoulder. The crimson eyes that stared back at her fanned the flames of her desire into an unimaginable agony of pure want. She licked her lips, watching as his eyes caressed her slick folds, bared to his gaze, with blatant lust. A surge of warmth tucked into her stomach and she could feel a slow trickle of moisture begin its arduous slide down her inner thigh.

“Please,” she begged shamelessly as he continued to stare, no longer simply willing to play along, “come to me, Sesshoumaru. I need you deep inside me.”

A terrible rumbling growl burst from his throat and he was upon her instantly. Pushing her head to the ground, he buried his tongue as far as it could go within her wet channel. She shrieked at the unexpected move, but the surge of moisture that answered his call belied the verbal reprimand. Slithering within her, his long tongue lapped up her honey voraciously as he gripped her thighs, partially lifting her from the ground while he buried his nose within her folds and devoured her.

The sounds of his feast echoed around them; sucking, licking, the light smacking of flesh against flesh and the music of her mewling pants coupled with their lusty moans. Unable to withstand the onslaught, she climaxed within minutes. Shivering, muscles trembling, her arms collapsed beneath her, and Sesshoumaru moved to mount her completely at her total submission.

“Yes,” he hissed out as his nipped her neck and shoulder. The scent of her honey carried to her on his breath as it brushed her face. She moaned, shivering in renewed arousal. “Mine,” he growled possessively as his taut flesh, hard and heavy, slid into her still spasming channel. “Mine.”

“Yours,” she answered breathlessly at the sensation of being filled so completely, so wonderfully, “Only yours. Always yours,” she panted as he began to take her as promised, hard and deep.

Cheek pressed into the floor, arms spread above her head as he relentlessly pounded into her with a rhythm she never had a hope of keeping, Kagome felt her climax built up again with frightening intensity.

Sesshoumaru felt it too, the quivering of the muscles that surrounded him with delicious heat. He growled inarticulately, gnashing his teeth as he fought to hold on to fall over the edge with her. His hips surged faster, skin slapped wetly against skin as his sac tightened painfully.

“Sesshoumaru!” she cried out as her release burst upon her, sweat-slick flesh shivering as her eyes rolled back in her head and her honey flowed down his arousal to soak his fur until it glistening in the morning light.

Gripping her spasming body, he surged forward once last time. Roaring out her name with his release, Sesshoumaru fell over her body, caging her to him as his muscles clenched, rolling and coiling uncontrollably as his vision went red.

&&&&&&&

The pair laid gasping for breath, and still draped over her back, Sesshoumaru reached forward to claim the box that yet laid on the floor where it had been left the night before. He had taken it out to inspect while Kagome slept.

She caught his movement and smiled as she looked at him over her shoulder. “Time for a wish?”

He smirked at her still breathless tone, but nodded.

She clenched heretofore unknown muscles, the exact ones that held him so snugly within her, as he toppled them over to rest on their sides and spooned her smaller body with his large frame. He handed the jewel to her. “What do you want?” she asked seductively as his arms wrapped tightly about her body, protecting her from the hard floor.

Power crackled around his form as Sesshoumaru’s smirk turned wicked. “Did you not already promise to give me whatever I want?”

She nodded, understanding. “You want me to word it exactly like that?”

“Yes. The wish will be then under my control, and I can ensure that it will be interpreted correctly.”

Connected to Sesshoumaru, Kagome could feel a faint pulse within the jewel that hadn’t been there before. Instinctively knowing what to do, she willed the power of the jewel to rise, just like her aura. It answered the call, blanketing them in a pink glow. “I wish for Sesshoumaru to have whatever he wants.”

Taking control as the power swarmed into his blood, wording his request wisely, since he had contemplated the possibilities last night while staring at the peaceful visage of his mate, Sesshoumaru made his wish.

“I wish that Noriko would now be free to live the life she desires.”

With a flash of light that nearly blinded the pair, the jewel winked out of existence.

AN- For those that review, thank you. I’ve been busy at home, and when it comes to writing or replying to reviews, I tend to side on the writing. Up until a few chapters back, I’ve been replying to just about every single one. That’s roughly 900 replies from me, and a whole hell of a lot of writing. As for another matter that is slightly upsetting on my part, for those that want the lemons marked, and have even commented upon the rating as being too high for you, I have been marking them. If you read the AN’s, they are all clearly marked with (&). If you still feel the story is too racy for you, rather than comment upon it, you are free to move to another story. I am writing this, and I was never fond of backseat driving.

Chapter Thirty

Noriko stirred on the floor. Robe sprawled in elegant disarray about her slender limbs, she sat up. She had been in the bathroom, having just risen from her daily bath, when an odd light had blown through her window and entered her body with frightening speed.

Gripping the cool surface of the marble sink, she pulled herself up. As soon as her vision cleared, she gasped at the sight that met her in the mirror. A shaking finger traced the crescent moon that shone brightly on her forehead, glowing as it had not done since her transformation.

She inhaled deeply and, for once, didn’t recoil in sensory overload. “Sesshoumaru,” she whispered to her reflection, the green-eyed, dark-haired beauty almost unrecognizable, as it had been so long since she had looked upon her own face. Her new lushly-curved figure trembled in the faint chill of the air-conditioning, and she laughed hollowly. There was only one way she could fathom that could account for the change. Her son had used the Jewel. For her.

After everything she had not done for him, for all the times she had ignored him in favor of wallowing in her own self-pity, he had repaid her by returning that which she could never have attained. Her true self.

Not only that, she realized, but freedom from the ignominy of being mated to the Tashio! The oppressive power that had once clasped her essence within its possessive grasp was gone. Immediately, the urgent need to return to Japan struck her. It was one thing to remove the Tashio from power. It was quite another to take his mate. He was never fond of her-she had lived with the truth of her gullibility for centuries now-but he viewed her as his property.

Sesshoumaru’s wish, in freeing her, had potentially deadly consequences. As set out by the old laws, her son had committed a grievous crime against his father by interfering between mates. As such, the Tashio was entitled to challenge Sesshoumaru to regain face. If he lost… She couldn’t let that happen. Not to him, and not to the faceless woman who had inspired her son to taste freedom.

It was assumed, in the archaic way males had functioned since the dawning of life, that ‘might made right.’ There was nothing she could do to stop the Tashio from challenging Sesshoumaru. Even if she were to sacrifice herself to a renewed mating, he could still be in the right to challenge Sesshoumaru. However, she just had to be there. For once, she would stop running and would stand her ground.

Hastily leaving the bathroom, Noriko flew to the closet and donned a green silk pantsuit before hurrying from the room. Her belongings could wait. She needed to get to Japan. She hoped she wouldn’t be too late.

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

Violet gaze troubled, Miroku stared down on the corpses that had been brought into the morgue as soon as he came in to the station that morning. He had been hard at work on the serial murder case for weeks now. After ruling out Takeo, as the man had both an alibi and a leaky motive, the case had been stalled for days. Now there were two more victims. Neither fit the mold of the killer’s past victims, however.

A contemplative look composed his fine-boned features into a mask of reluctant concentration. Kagura, as much as he loved her, had been withdrawing from him lately. The reason behind it was unknown, despite his best efforts in discussing it. Last night, at dinner, however, she had dropped the bomb on him by casually stating that it would be their last get-together.

He’d been shocked but not terribly surprised. She was like the wind, and he had never made the mistake in attempting to cage her. He had hoped that she would come to feel for him as he did her, of course, as no man in his right mind enjoyed unrequited emotion. He had thought she was a perfect match for him. In bed, she was wild and unrestrained. Add to that her sarcastic wit and cunning, and he had fallen hard.

Perhaps too hard. Hard enough to overlook certain aspects of their relationship, aspects that had not seemed to mean a great deal but were now looking to prove problematic.

Given who she was, she had to have known about her true origins. That she was, in fact, the granddaughter of the Tashio. She had never told him, nor anyone else, however. Last night, she had laughed away his pointed questions. “It doesn’t matter, as he was no grandfather to me,” had been her reply.

She had been wrong. It had mattered deeply to him, and he had, had every intention of fighting for her to give them a second chance. Now that wasn’t an option.

He turned away from the cold bodies, unable to look upon them anymore. Especially not her. The attendant glanced up from the clipboard she held competently between clawed fingers. “Are the identities correct?” she asked detachedly.

He nodded. “The man is Kin Nakagawa. The female,” he swallowed and sighed, “the female is Kagura Onigumo.” The crushing feeling that overcame him threatened to bring him to his knees. Whatever else Kagura had been, she had, for however brief a time, been his.

The attendant nodded and made a note. “Right. Do you want me to treat this as a murder-suicide? Or do you think this is something else?”

Glancing at her askance, Miroku asked, “What makes you think this is a murder-suicide?”

She shrugged. “The preliminary autopsy has revealed that her claws are coated in his blood, and it is her DNA that is in the wounds inflicted on the male. The nature and number of the wounds suggest that the killer was intent on causing as much physical pain as possible before giving the killing blow to the head. She, on the other hand, appears to have been killed by poison. It is a popular way for women to commit suicide.” After scribbling another notation in the margins of the paper, she added, “The DNA swabs haven’t come back yet from the lab on the rape kit I ordered. Something about an accident stalling the results. There were seminal fluids. It could have been a case of lover’s rage… ”

He felt like he had been kicked in the gut. So soon after they had parted, she had been with another? Just who was Kagura? Had she been seeing another behind his back this entire time, a male she had run to as soon as she had left him heartbroken in the restaurant?

The attendant continued, unaware of Miroku’s inner turmoil. “Who knows? Maybe they quarreled over the baby.”

“Baby!” he shouted out in shock.

Finally sensing that he wasn’t as objective as she was, the attendant beetled her brows. “Is there something wrong?”

Miroku fought to regain his composure. “How far has the autopsy gone?” he asked rather than reply to the query.

Narrowed eyes regarded him minutely before she answered, “The fetus was killed by the poison. I removed it to determine the DNA of the father and ran it through the database. There weren’t any matches, so I was left to assume the father was yet another of her lovers.”

Head spinning, Miroku stumbled from the room without waiting for her to finish the report. Baby, he thought while making his way to the quiet of his office. Kagura had been pregnant. And it wasn’t his child. As part of being on the force, he was required to surrender DNA samples to be added to the database. And he didn’t match. He didn’t know whether to be grateful or if the betrayal swimming in his gut was the lesser of two evils.

How could he have so completely misjudged her character? And what of Kagome? She had been close friends with Kagura. Had she known of the betrayal? Almost as immediately as the thought occurred to him, Miroku dismissed it. He might have been sadly lacking in judgment in regard to Kagura, but he knew Kagome. There had always been an elusive quality to Kagura, something hidden. He had dismissed it as simple feminine mystique. Kagome, on the other hand, had always been an open book. You always knew where you stood with her.

Always.

And now, Kagura was dead. Kin, his only other lead in the murders, was dead too. Someone, he knew, had put a lot of time and effort into making it look like a murder-suicide. The bodies had been discovered together in a seedy motel in downtown Tokyo.

Something didn’t make sense about the scenario, however. Kagura would sooner pluck out her own eyes than condescend to patronize such a place. That much he knew with absolute certainty. Nor, as fastidious a creature as she was, would she dirty herself with anyone’s blood if she could help it. If she had poison on hand, she would have sooner used it or even the cutting winds he had seen her deploy once. No. Something was wrong with the set up, something that only he could see with his intimate knowledge of the female in question.

It was related to the murders, his instincts screamed at him. If it weren’t for the fact that Kin was male, he would have immediately assumed him another victim of the murderer based on the similar wound pattern and ferocity of the attack. Somehow, Kin had become a threat to the killer, he was sure of it. Where Kagura fit into all of it, Miroku was unsure.

However, given the timing of her death so close to Naraku’s unmasking as the bastard heir of the Tashio, he knew where to look. It was time to follow the facts out of the maze of intrigue and deception. He slid open the door to the office and sunk into the cushioned seat behind the metal and chrome desk. Pulling a piece of paper out of his drawer, he began making notes. Beginning with the first lead, he started out with Kagome.

“Miroku?” the hesitant tone of the caller broke through the brewing storm.

“Kagome?” he asked in disbelief. “Is everything alright?” The last time he had seen her had been a brief stop off at the hospital to make sure she was alright after the whole issue with the subway. Torn up over Kagura’s defection and the caseload at work, he hadn’t been able to keep in contact. In the background, he could hear a male voice soothing her. Sesshoumaru, he realized.

“I’m fine, Miroku. I was talking to Sesshoumaru this morning, though, and realized that you might not know about Ryoko.” Kagome sighed as her mate scowled at her, but he made no move to silence her. He hadn’t liked the idea of bringing the human authorities into the matter further than they were, but given that Ryoko was human, Kagome thought it best to arm Miroku with all the information they had.

“Ryoko?” he repeated softly, the name ringing a few bells. Ryoko had donated heavily to the task force Naraku had formed. Things were certainly hectic, with Naraku’s disappearance coming on top of the Tashio’s removal from office, but they fought to hold on until a new Sheriff could be appointed.

Why hadn’t he thought to look at Ryoko? he asked himself after Kagome finished informing him of the man‘s involvement. One of the first rules of investigation was to follow the money. The second was that there were hardly any coincidences. After letting her go, he hung up the phone. Glancing at the thought matrix, Miroku mentally added Ryoko to the equation. His eyes widened marginally in excitement.

It was about damn time he got a break!

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

Rearing back in disbelief as power he had surrendered centuries ago slammed into him with the force of a feral Daiyoukai, the Tashio almost fell as he staggered about drunkenly. “How?” he breathed out, incredulous. He recognized the faint hint of Noriko on the returning essence. How had she managed to free herself of his bond? It had never been done!

Suddenly, he realized what had happened. Outrage swam in his veins as the vision of his cursed pup swam before his eyes. His son, who had just so happened to have in his possession both a jewel and a miko sickeningly willing to harness it. Temper boiling, he snatched up the hotel room’s phone and, ignoring Izayoi’s worried questions, dialed the traitor’s number.

As soon as Sesshoumaru answered, the Tashio didn’t bother with pleasantries. “The Coliseum, you ungrateful whelp. You have two hours. I, the Tashio, challenge you to a fight to the death in recompense for the insult to my mate, Noriko, in sundering our bond,” he snarled out. The silence on the other end of the line appeased his bestial nature that envisioned the other male cowering. “Enjoy your mate, Sesshoumaru, for I know you took her. I shall be sure to compensate her for your death in the most… pleasant of ways.”

The line was disconnected, and the Tashio could only assume that Sesshoumaru hung up. He smiled, all fangs and ill-intent. It appeared he didn’t need to wait to fight the pup in the Tournament, after all. Sesshoumaru had handed him the perfect opportunity to get rid of him before the battle for the Western Territory.

How fortuitous.

Sesshoumaru could have interfered in the plans that he and Ryoko had decided to follow through on during the Grand General Championship. Dead, he would pose no threat, and the Realm would fall. All of those officious youkai who had thought to control and condemn him in the trial would pay, and pay dearly.

Recognizing the identity of the caller, Inuyasha answered on the second ring when his cell began to warble. “Hey mom,” he said absently.

“Inuyasha, can you come get me?” she asked, voice trembling.

Immediately coming to attention at the fearful voice, he asked, “What’s wrong? Where are you?”

Izayoi sniffled. “Your father, Inuyasha, he’s-There’s something wrong with him.”

Privately musing that there had always been something off about his old man, even as much as he hated the idea that he had been so blind to that fact, Inuyasha inquired soothingly, “Where are you?”

“I’m at the hotel. I left the room. He just… I think he just challenged Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha. They’re supposed to meet in the Coliseum in two hours. I don’t know why, but then he also said something about Sesshoumaru’s mate. He’s… Something is wrong!” she wailed.

Inuyasha leaped to his feet and made for the door. He waved away Shippo, the kitsune having come to visit him in the small hotel room he’d rented, and ordered, “Leave the hotel, mom. Get a cab to take you to-” he broke off read the address on the back of the door and related it to her over the phone.

“Are you sure? What if he follows me there?” she asked fearfully.

He glanced at Shippo. “I’ll leave Shippo here. He’s going to take you to his father’s house. You’ll be safe there.” Shippo nodded his agreement to the plan even without knowing all of the particulars.

“Okay,” she agreed in a small voice. The noisy lobby was heard over the line as she paused. “What are you going to do?”

Squaring his shoulders, Inuyasha declared, “Sesshoumaru is going to need witnesses to make sure the old man fights fair. I’ll be back after to check up on you.”

Forestalling her protestations, he gently returned the phone to his pocket after shutting it. Inuyasha turned to Shippo. “Dad’s challenged Sesshoumaru. I don’t know why, yet, but it’s got to be good if he thinks it would allow him to do so after everything that’s happened. I’m going to the Coliseum. I need you to stay here and take mom to your place.”

Shippo scratched is head. “Will do. Are you sure you want to get involved in all of this, though?” he was unable to avoid asking. Sesshoumaru had never been there for Inuyasha, that was for sure. With everything that had happened with the Tashio, Inuyasha had been subjected to a great deal of ridicule, since he had been the heir at the time of the Tashio’s trial. Disinherited, Sesshoumaru had actually managed to gain status with the Tashio’s tarnished reputation.

Gazing out the window, Inuyasha saw only the face of his mate superimposed over the understanding eyes of his half-brother’s woman. “Yeah. It’s just something I’ve gotta do.”

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

The ruins of the phone fell to ‘plink’ harmlessly off the hard floor. Kagome stared up at her mate worriedly. “What’s wrong?” she asked from his side.

Sesshoumaru turned hard eyes on his woman. “My father has challenged me for freeing mother. I am to meet him in two hours to battle to the death.”

She paled. “What? How? He can’t do that!” she cried out.

“Unfortunately,” he explained, “he can.” He closed his eyes to the fear swimming in her dark blue gaze.

“Did you know?” she asked quietly after a minute of silence. Had he kept this potential consequence from her, knowing that she would have fought against it?

He slanted her a wary look, remembering his promise to not keep such things from her. He couldn’t reply, but that was more than enough of an answer for her.

“Damn you!” she shouted, flying at him to beat him on the chest. Sobbing wildly, not even realizing it in the chaotic mix of fury, fear, and frustration that fed her strength, she was caught and held in his strong embrace. “Why?” she begged for him to explain.

Burying his nose in her hair, surrounding her in the warmth of his love and willing her to understand, he explained, “Because it means nothing to us, but could mean everything for them.” Gripping her tightly, he claimed her lips in a hard kiss, possessing her easily as she opened to him even in her anger. He pulled away once she was breathless and unable to summon another word.

Her tears offended him, and he wiped them away before adding in a softer voice, “I am no longer the heir. In many ways, I have resented the responsibilities and was not unduly upset by their removal. However, I do feel responsible for putting an end to my father’s reign. In the Tournament, so much can happen, Kagome. So many variables that I cannot control. Even if I were to win, I would be in the same position I was in before. I do not lust for the power, not anymore. If I can remove father from the competition, then the title and the lands will move to another for the first time in over three thousand years.”

She calmed in his embrace, but continued to sniffle. “He’s been alive that long?”

“It did not begin with my father, but my grandfather, Kagome. He was as much of a bastard, if not more so. The other lands have found a sort of peace between youkai and humans, but Japan is in upheaval still. As long as we war among each other, it will never end. It is time to stop the violence, time to begin a new reign.”

She chuckled half-heartedly. “I thought I wouldn’t be alive to witness a new society.”

He gripped her tightly to his chest. “This is a small step, but if I can manage to keep the Tournament clean of father’s influence, perhaps a new face will rise to claim the Western Territories. It is the only hope, as near as I can see, for Japan to institute more change.”

She had no choice but to acknowledge his truths. “I still think a part of you wanted to free your mother,” she said as an after thought.

“She earned it. There were many ways in which I could have aroused him to challenge me. Her freedom was not necessary to do so, but I would rather know she had returned to her own kind with her honor intact than on the death of her mate.” She would never forgive herself if she had been a part of her mate’s death.

Kagone shivered in his arms, and he pulled his essence about them. “Will you win?” she asked.

Rather than take offense, he answered, “I have too much to live for not to.”

Gulping, she closed her eyes to the unspoken truth that hovered menacingly behind his words. He might have too much to live for, but now, his father had absolutely nothing to lose.

Chapter Thirty-One

Kagome gripped Sesshoumaru’s hand tightly within her own. He allowed it without comment, sensing the fear behind the action. A lesser youkai might have taken offense. A lesser youkai might have demanded that their mate display faith in his ability to fight.

She was not a mindless drone, however, to have her emotions commanded so easily. She was also frightfully intelligent in the ways that counted and knew perfectly well that he was the underdog in this match.

The upcoming battle with his father was not a sure thing, Sesshoumaru realized, as he guided Ah-Un to land just outside the Coliseum. Kagome squeezed his waist even tighter with her free hand. Nosing his back, she seemingly attempted to burrow into his skin. As if she could somehow join with him.

He understood the sentiment perfectly. The thought of Kagome sitting on the sidelines, relegated to the position of a mere bystander while he fought for their lives, dampened the ebullient attitude with which he usually approached a physical challenge.

It just felt wrong.

“I love you,” she whispered feelingly, as if the words could somehow imbue him with mythical powers by their very utterance. Sesshoumaru dismounted and helped Kagome from Ah-Un’s back.

In one way or another, they would leave this fight together. That didn’t mean that there weren’t vague doubts in their hearts as to the possibilities waiting their demise. This battle was not to be treated as a mere triviality; even if, in the scheme of their lives, it would make no difference to them.

For once, Sesshoumaru would fight for something greater than himself or his own interests. His mate had shown him a greater path. She had not lectured, or nagged. Indeed, aside from just being herself, loving him without reserve, Kagome had never asked him for what he would do.

Before the reality of their mating, prior to his intimate knowledge of her heart, he had desired nothing more than to prove himself to be as strong, no, stronger, than his father. That he was not a mistake to be ashamed of.

The Tournament meant nothing to him now. He had something far greater than a title in his Kagome. Two days. In two day’s time, the Tournament would commence. Before he made the wish that had set in motion the events which had manipulated his father into a challenge, he had known what it would mean for him. Even should he emerge victorious from the challenge, he knew the wounds inflicted during the coming fight would keep him from competing.

So be it.

The right to wrest the title for himself had been surrendered without a qualm. She adored him. She thought him brilliant, witty, and deservedly arrogant. She loved him wholly, the true him. What did he care, anymore, for the grudging acceptance of a people who had no use for him, except in tabloids or to salvage their checkbooks?

No. This thing … He would do it for her. Images of the few who had accepted them flew through his mind. Souta, the brother that had refused to believe the lies and had stood by her side. Her grandfather, the one who had taught her youkai ways in an effort to nurture tolerance. Hiten and Manten, assassins who hadn’t stood a chance against her heart. The absent-minded Miagi and his complete obliviousness to the disparity between the races. The young neko female willing to help him with something so innocuous, for no reason other than to help his woman. The intern who had aided Kagome in their time of need. The doctor who had looked at Kagome and saw a woman in need. Not a tainted human who had pleasured a youkai.

Even Mrs. Higurashi, that confused creature that he could only pity for the loss of her daughter and the sad life of regret, leaped to his mind. She didn’t understand; couldn’t comprehend that her daughter, in loving him, had done more to bring equality to their people than mindless adherence to archaic ways would ever accomplish.

And he would finish it. Would fight to bring down the one that stood in the way of the evolution of the bonds that tied youkai and humans together.

He knew that it could all be for nothing. It was possible that the successor would be proven just as archaic, just as intolerant of change and progression.

His father, however, worked to bring down the Realm. Whether the Tashio schemed out of revenge for the slight to his name for claiming a human, for the birth of his cursed former heir, or out of a disproportionate sense of disgust for his own brethern - something Sesshoumaru had always known his father to possess - Sesshoumaru neither knew nor cared.

Chaos would reign supreme if the Realm fell, he knew with absolute certainty. Civilization could only do so much to tame the youkai heart. When it got to be too much, when the rules became too oppressive, when animalistic instincts clawed at youkai bellies, they needed a place to retreat.

A safe haven.

Where all were truly equal and were measured by the same stick.

Home.

With their strengths, longevity and powers, youkai could never be allowed to roam the lands as they once did. Humans were too numerous. Science had equalized the power matrix that had once been solely in youkai hands. Not even a youkai could outrun a bullet at close range. Should any youkai attempt to enforce his natural laws in human society, that was what he would meet.

It had happened in the past, and it would happen again.

That left the Realm as the last Youkai stronghold against human oppression of youkai law. As long as it stood as a bastion against humanity’s proclivity to annihilate that which it does not understand or approve, youkai could cope. Hell, he knew there were many, like his father, who embraced the human ways. It was the others, those like himself, that needed it. Craved the opportunity to embrace their natural order.

It was those who had not forgotten who they were in the influx of humanity’s morals and codes that would rise against human oppression. It would take a joint effort to even make a dent in the sheer audacity of human stubbornness. Couple that with the obvious fact that many youkai, those beings of ‘higher’ natures than animalistic youkai, would side with the humans, it would escalate into a blood bath within months.

Even those humans that had waffled on the youkai issue would side against them. If not, then they would be eliminated by their own people as a threat. Genocide of the worst sort.

For every human that was killed, there were thousands to take their place. The fighting youkai would not be defeated by greater strength, nor by higher intelligence, or anything so mundanely obvious. No. They would fall to their true weakness. Human wombs.

Despite what humans would like to believe, it was their ability to out-breed all opposition that had bought them the position of power.

Had his ancestors foreseen the potential for disaster looming on the horizon, Sesshoumaru wondered if, perhaps, they might not have taken action centuries ago. Only then had the human population been manageable.

But then, in all probability, he ruminated, as he led his mate into the empty Coliseum, Kagome, if even born could have been the one sprouted under a sea of oppression. He would not be the youkai that he was today, crafted by adversity and honed by the cruelty of a segregated society. Seasoned to perfection to be her ideal mate.

It was a conundrum of philosophical proportions. To know, in hindsight, the answer to an age-old problem, yet to also realize that said answer would have had dire consequences for everything that meant anything to you.

“Do you think he’s already here, hiding in wait to ambush us?” Kagome asked in a solemn whisper. Fear-widened eyes darted about the open space of the Coliseum. In appearance, it resembled the old coliseums of the Roman gladiator-era. Everything was made of stone with heavy iron supports. The fighting area, surrounded by row upon row of benches that reached five stories high, was comprised entirely of compacted dirt and rock.

Sesshoumaru had warned her that the Coliseum had been made to withstand countless ages of Youkai fights since it was only every 150 years that the battle for the title was held. In between title battles, any youkai with a bone to pick with another youkai used the Coliseum to stage challenges like the one about to be held. Witnesses were necessary, hence her presence when she knew that Sesshoumaru would have felt better had she been left at home.

There was none other that he trusted as he did her, and despite his protective instincts, he would not deny her right to be present.

This was no idle sport to be engaged in, but deadly combat. He took a deep breath. The lingering scent of spilt blood and sweat told him that a fight had been fought here less than a month ago. Judging on the strength of the blood scent, the loser had not survived.

Disturbed from his convoluted thoughts by the realization that he had ignored Kagome’s question when she huffed, Sesshoumaru shook his head in the negative. “No. Father would not do so. It is not his nature to slink in the shadows, but to move about boldly in the daylight.” Recent, unsavory machinations aside, he knew his father. In this, at least, the Tashio would play by the rules.

“You presume to understand my motives, Sesshoumaru?” came an elegantly snide drawl from the far left.

Holding tight to Kagome’s hand, Sesshoumaru turned to regard his bastard father. “It is not hard to discern the motives of one so simple-minded, Tashio,” he replied sardonically.

The arrow hit its mark. The Tashio stiffened in offense. If it was one thing he detested more than any other, it was disrespect. His eyes flashed red, but he bit back the rejoinder to level a leering smirk upon the woman clutching Sesshoumaru’s sleeve. “I was not sure that he would allow you to come. It will make it that much easier to collect my winnings. After.”

Kagome reared back as if she had been slapped. “Excuse me?” She turned to her mate to explain. His entire posture stiffened impossibly taut, but he maintained an aloof expression of gentile boredom.

“It is nothing to us, Kagome,” he stated, willing her to understand that, in this, he had not deceived her. The ancient laws dictated that the victor of mate challenges, the most honorable and revered of institutions among youkai, would walk away from the challenge in possession of everything that had once belonged to the loser. Including his mate. Unable to destroy the bond, the loser’s mate would be consigned to the hellish existence of being a mere mistress, a whore, until the winner deigned to release her from his service. It was a stiff penalty, made so in order to protect the sanctity of the mate bond.

Kagome would be spared that fate if he failed to fulfill his objective. Had the discovery of their strengthened bond not been made, he would have ensured her protection by arranging for her to be spirited away to a distant land. It would be considered dishonorable, and his name would have been cursed even more than it had been for the defiance, but he would have been dead. What did he care what happened to his name after he no longer had any use for it?

All that mattered was keeping her safe from harm.

Kagome fell silent. Rather than insist on full disclosure, she decided to do as he asked and trust him. She had learned in their short time together that Sesshoumaru had a habit of keeping things from her. It wasn’t out of a desire to mislead her, aside from the children issue, but because he knew it didn’t apply to her, or wouldn’t have an effect on her. He was such a literal thinker. It didn’t naturally occur to him that information was appreciated nonetheless.

She hoped to nag that out of him eventually.

Instinctively wanting to move closer to her mate, Kagome forced herself to step away instead. Right now, the Tashio needed to see that she was absolutely confident in Sesshoumaru’s ability. She needed to set forward a brave front and show a united front.

Pride surged in Sesshoumaru when Kagome calmed her nerves and stepped away to assume an almost perfect copy of his bored persona.

“Are we here to fight or what?” she asked in a bland tone. “All this talking makes me think that you’re stalling, Tashio-sama,” she spat out. “Afraid?”

Temper ignited, the Tashio ground his teeth together. He fought against the impulse to knock the mouthy bitch to the ground for her impudence. There would plenty of time later to educate her on proper submission, he consoled his stinging ego. “After you, whelp.” He motioned to the Coliseum ring entryway.

“Not just yet!” Inuyasha yelled out from the entryway. The hanyou made his way to the three figures.

The Tashio grinned as soon as Inuyasha made it to stand beside Kagome. “I see my loyal son has come to stand as witness to his father’s might. I knew you were a better choice as heir, Inuyasha.” He snidely commented to the mated pair, “And all you have is the weak female.”

Squaring his shoulders, Inuyasha cleared his throat nervously but bravely shook his head. “I’m here to stand with Sesshoumaru.”

The Tashio’s lips thinned dangerously. The vein in his temple popped out and threatened to burst as his skin flushed red. “You deceitful mongrel!” he finally bit out. “After everything I’ve done for you, for your mother, you will turn on me and bite the hand that fed you!” He waved a clawed hand imperiously toward Sesshoumaru, “For him? For the one who never accepted you in the first place? You truly are a fool and a waste of skin!”

Kagome sucked in her breath at the anger billowing about them. It didn’t come only from the Tashio, but from Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha as well. There was so much hate.

A legacy of hatred had been spawned from this youkai, a father that was no father at all and his two, very different, sons. Sons he believed to have served in so many ways, but had failed in the most important one of them all.

They had been polished, educated and given everything that money could buy. They had been taught how to go after what they want. They had been instructed in the duties they owed him. But never had he loved them.

Never.

They had been tools. Well cared for tools, but tools nonetheless. To be thrown away at the first crack or sign of fatigue. Born an imperfect instrument of his father’s design, Sesshoumaru had always known that truth. Inuyasha had come to learn it the hard way.

Before the silence could be broken by another insult, Taro and Kouga walked into the Coliseum. Sedately moving through the large hall, Taro nodded at his one-time peer. “Tashio.”

Taken aback by the Wolf Lord’s appearance, the Tashio narrowed his eyes on Inuyasha. Taro caught the look and calmly said, “I have been watching your movements. I knew the moment you left for the Coliseum that you would be challenging someone.” He glanced at Sesshoumaru. “I had not known you were involved until you appeared with your mate in hand.”

Kagome swallowed her trepidation. She didn’t understand the protocol for such things, but she had assumed it was supposed to be private except for the witnesses.

“He interfered between his mother and myself. The jewel was used to free Noriko from her duty to me,” the Tashio stated, arrogantly assured that his right to the challenge would stand.

Inuyasha gaped. Given the fact that his father could, more than likely, challenge him for giving Izayoi sanctuary outside the Tashio’s protection, he, himself, could be looking at a challenge if Sesshoumaru failed. It was astonishing, really, how alike he and Sesshoumaru were proving to be in regard to their methods of pissing off their father.

Kouga moved to Kagome’s side, and after sending a questioning look to Sesshoumaru, gently captured Kagome’s hand to pull her away when the Daiyoukai nodded.

Digesting the information, Taro felt entirely too old. He had hoped to be able to overturn the challenge, but as Sesshoumaru did not deny the charge, it had to stand. He had no choice. “We are here to act as the witnesses. There can never be too many,” he added in a suspiciously bland voice, “when a former Taiyoukai of such… prestige… battles.” Conspicuously obvious, his silent admission of being here to watch the Tashio, not Sesshoumaru, garnered a hate-filled glare from the Tashio.

Kouga whispered into Kagome’s ear, “Come, we’ll go to the seats. Inuyasha and my Father will stand as witnesses. Sesshoumaru will fight better knowing that you are not in the path of danger.” It wasn’t a common occurrence, but it was not unheard of for the witnesses to be harmed during the battles.

Sesshoumaru sent her a small smile, urging her to comply rather than fight the edict. Given that most refuse to be witnesses unless it was a pack affair, it had never occurred him to seek Taro as a witness. He would suffice. Sesshoumaru didn’t trust Taro as he did Kagome; still, the ookami was honorable in his own right.

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

As soon as Kagome left, the atmosphere deteriorated further. No longer maintaining a pretense of gentility, Sesshoumaru strode forward and passed through the archway that guarded the ring.

His father followed sedately, almost as if he was just taking a stroll through a kiddie park. Inuyasha and Taro took up the rear, as was their place.

The rules of the challenge were different than for the Tournament. This was no civilized test of skill and intelligence. Challenges were fought with nothing but tooth and claw. Brute strength, an agile body and cunning would win the day.

Sesshoumaru assumed the position to the far left of the ring. The Tashio mockingly mirrored his stance in the right. Once the battle began, there would be no time-outs. No pauses. No stopping until one was dead, or nearly dead, as the case may be.

The sound of his heart beating, pumping powerful blood through his veins, drowned out the faint sound of his even breaths. Sesshoumaru’s vision, trained to near perfection by the male he would engage, tunneled in on the enemy. The smell of musty dirt, the feel of crumbling rocks stabbing through the soft soles of his shoes, faded into the background.

Once all the players were in place, Sesshoumaru and his father stripped down to nothing more than the leather and cotton loincloths the challenge demanded. No hidden weapons. No advantages to grab clothing.

Inhale, Kagome reminded herself as she watched the proceedings from the seat above their position. Inuyasha and Taro were off to the side. Far enough away to avoid the combatants, but close enough to see. She, herself, could make out their every movement, but the suspense was killing her.

She closed her eyes briefly when they began to disrobe, already knowing from when she had watched Sesshoumaru dress for the occasion, what they were doing. At her side, Kouga was thankfully silent. The last thing she wanted was a narration.

His rapt attention was on the brewing battle, just as hers was.

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

“Fight with honor, and you will be redeemed!” Taro shouted out when both males dropped into their fighting positions. His blue eyes gleamed electric, the excitement setting fire to his youkai blood. Circumstances melted away. There was nothing in the ring but the surge of male hormones and the heady scent of battle.

This was what living was about.

This was the truth of youkai.

The clash of the Daiyoukai was at hand.

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

Sesshoumaru and the Tashio surged forward at the same time. Blinding speed behind each male ensured that none but Taro could follow their actions.

They came together with a roaring growl that shook the ground and knocked dust from the upper levels of the Coliseum. Using his heavier bulk, the Tashio knocked Sesshoumaru to the side with a shoulder to the gut. Suspended in mid-air by a burst of youki that stabilized his position, Sesshoumaru flipped to land nimbly. Crouched in the dirt, his stomach muscles protested. Bruised flesh began to heal from the powerful blow.

Feet slid through the dirt, displacing stray pebbles as clawed toes bit into the ground. The Tashio waited on bent knees for Sesshoumaru to counter-attack. When Sesshoumaru leapt again, the Tashio met him in mid-air. Bodies slammed together, and both released grunts of expelled air. Silver hair and gleaming fur tangled while claws threatened to rip and tear.

Using his greater bulk to his advantage as soon as they hit dirt, the Tashio lashed out and threw Sesshoumaru into the stone wall of the ring’s perimeter. The heavy stone crushed beneath the impact, littering Sesshoumaru with a thin coating of debris when he slumped to the ground.

Muscles strained and flexed as the heady love of warfare surged in the Tashio’s blood. It had been too long since he had last battled.

Gauging the distance between them, Sesshoumaru shook his head to clear it. A human would have been crushed, their insides transformed into jello, had they endured such an impact. He leapt the distance between their positions. His foot came down on air when the Tashio moved aside at the last minute. Razor-sharp claws scored the inside of Sesshoumaru’s thigh, ending perilously close to his groin.

He bit back the yelp that threatened to escape, and dropped to his knees in the dirt. It was a deep wound. His fur turned red with blood. The Tashio stood back, toying with him.

“How pathetic,” his father taunted. “You are a disgrace to my training. Better to kill you here than to be shamed during the Tournament.”

Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t defeat his father depending on speed alone. That much was obvious. Yet to close with him would mean he would be at the mercy of his father’s claws. He had no choice, he decided. He would heal. “You are more of a disgrace than I will ever be. You couldn’t even keep your mate.”

Enraged, the Tashio stepped closer and kicked out with a lethally aimed foot. His victim darted to the side. Nonetheless, he managed to land a blow on Sesshoumaru’s shoulder. Before the Tashio could retreat, Sesshoumaru latched onto the extended limb and pulled him down.

Snapping at his son with bared fangs, the Tashio managed to free his foot by threat of biting off the offending hand, but Sesshoumaru refused to let him regain his feet. Ripping through muscle and tendon, Sesshoumaru’s claws bit into his father’s legs. His fangs lacerated the Tashio’s thighs, the heavy muscle there vulnerable to his son’s Daiyoukai bite force.

Retaliating, the Tashio’s fangs latched onto Sesshoumaru’s shoulder with deadly intent while his claws shredded Sesshoumaru’s back until it was no more than ribbons of torn flesh.

Howling in pain, Sesshoumaru reared back and they began to grapple for dominance. Both ignored the agony of screaming nerves that cried out for relief as they rolled over and over through the rocks and dirt that now coated their perspiring bodies in the paint of glorious combat.

With one last wrenching tug of his neck muscles, the Tashio managed to break Sesshoumaru’s hold. Gnashing teeth just missing the satisfaction of tearing out his son’s artery, the Tashio took with him a fistful of Sesshoumaru’s flesh. He spat it into the dirt. He wiped his mouth with the back of a crimson-stained hand. “Disgusting, that such filth should pollute my tongue,” he mocked even as his eyes narrowed in contemplation of his son. None had ever dared to close with him before, preferring to depend upon weapons to even the chances.

A fierce snarl built up in Sesshoumaru’s chest. He had managed to injure the bastard, but with their claws evenly matched, he had suffered worse. He just needed one blow. One mortal injury to take down his father. He wouldn’t get it this way.

The Tashio raised his arm and watched the blood flow down his elbow before licking it clean. He dropped the limb to regard the heavy breathing of his son with mocking condemnation. “You tumble well, Sesshoumaru. It appears that playing in the dirt is your strength.” He shrugged away Sesshoumaru’s glare. “I am better, of course, even if I disdain the necessity. Why don’t you submit? I promise to make it a painless death. It is more than you deserve, but I can be merciful in victory.”

“Never,” Sesshoumaru snarled. “I will never submit to you!” He inched away from the smirking male even as his back muscles spasmed and threatened to give out. He saw that his father’s legs had suffered, no matter how well he masked it.

The Tashio had fared better in the impromptu wrestling match, though. That was the irrefutable reality of the match so far. His father had centuries of experience fighting, most of it done in an era that had seen nothing but war.No matter how much I disdain it, echoed back in Sesshoumaru’s mind. He blinked away the blood that trickled into his eyes, frantically trying to hold onto that thought. It was significant, he was sure of it. His mind was almost sluggish, however, alarming him. He was losing too much blood.

His heightened hearing picked up the scrape of feet through dirt, the almost silent sobs that his mate muffled against her fist, the slowed pace of his heart as his body attempted to heal.No matter how much I disdain it.Disdain it…

Sesshoumaru rolled away just as the Tashio’s arm sliced down with brutal force, claws extended to cut his head off at the neck. The ground rolled, cracks appeared in the dry dirt and rocks flew up in an explosion from the full force of the power behind the attack.

Suspended for a heartbeat, the entire Coliseum seemed frozen in time as the rocks hovered in mid-air. Not even a breath disturbed the virulence of the power that surged to the fore in the aftermath of a denied kill.

The dull clatter of falling pebbles hitting dirt shattered the dream-like stillness.

“Die, Sesshoumaru!” the Tashio screamed in primal rage. It was time to end this, to show them all who was Alpha! All finesse dissipated. Gone was the aristocrat. In its place, a warrior of bygone days laughed, half-mad. “Your head will hang on my wall, Sesshoumaru,” he growled out in feral promise.

Painfully gaining his feet, it was Sesshoumaru’s turn to smirk. “Not yet, old man, not yet.” And then he let go. Surrendered all control on his humanoid body and allowed himself to revert to his true form. Welcomed the pain of the transformation, pushed his youki into speeding the change and embraced the freedom that only standing on his own four feet could give him.

Within the space of a heartbeat, Sesshoumaru stood before his father in all his glorious Inuyoukai might.

Taro was hard pressed to maintain his objective air. Daiyoukai were, by nature, secretive about their true forms. For this fight to degenerate into a true match between beasts … He was delighted to witness it. The honor of the participants mattered not, anymore. This was something far more primal, and infinitely more satisfying.

The Tashio chuckled darkly. “This will not save you, you stupid beast! Witness a true giant!”

He roared into the sun, his face elongated as his eyes burned crimson. Dissolving into a bright orb of light, he shot into the sky only to come back down in a flash of youki-lightning. Dwarfing his son by twenty feet, the mighty Taiyoukai threw his great maw into the sky and howled, the sound sending shivers down the spines of all who heard.

Sesshoumaru snarled, lips curled about his wickedly curved fangs. He lunged forward, and the Tashio let out a sharp bark when those same fangs latched onto his underbelly, biting down with crushing force. Smaller and lighter on his feet, Sesshoumaru darted out of the way of the mighty fangs that attempted to spear him.

Sesshoumaru jumped away, almost prancing in his true form. Lugging his great weight forward awkwardly, the Tashio’s open mouth darted toward Sesshoumaru’s neck, but unaccustomed to moving about in his true form, he wasn’t fast enough to make the killing bite.

Tongue lashing his teeth in gleeful anticipation, Sesshoumaru closed with his father once more. This time, the advantage was his. He slipped under his father’s guard and ripped at the soft underbelly once more. He scored a nearly lethal injury before darting away. He was slowing, Sesshoumaru realized with fatalistic realism. Still bleeding heavily from the deep lacerations, he couldn’t take much more.

It needed to end, soon, or his body would give out.

Finally grasping that, in this, his son had the advantage, the Tashio grew desperate to make the mortal blow. In his desperation, he made a mistake. A fatal one, at that.

Growling fiercely, a rumbling demand for his son to submit, the Tashio dove forward with the intent to overwhelm Sesshoumaru with the greater weight of his body. To pin and crush the lighter body of his son.

Sesshoumaru anticipated such a move. With any other, it might have worked. He was not just anyone. He had not spent year upon year in his true form without training his body to bend to his will. In an agile move that defied the mechanics of an inuyoukai body, he bent low to the ground and twisted around the broad chest and spread forelegs that threatened to sweep him into the deadly intent of his sire.

The Tashio’s bulk worked against his will. The awesome power of his forward momentum defied even his attempts to stop. The Tashio was forced into the stone wall at full speed. It shuddered beneath the impact, only withstanding it by virtue of the youki spells holding the Coliseum intact. Dazed, he struggled to regain his feet, but before he could, Sesshoumaru was there.

Lips pulled away from his fangs, Sesshoumaru’s giant maw snapped closed over the jugular of his opponent. Blood, hot and addictively spiced with the surge of powerful youki, spurted into his mouth. He bit down harder as the Tashio struggled. His father’s great body moved in jerks and starts as he attempted to buck the smaller inu off.

Relentless, merciless, Sesshoumaru held on. Soon, the flow of blood in his mouth became a pulse of fluid as, with each beat of his father’s heart, he bled to death.

Twisting his head far enough to pop bones out of place, the Tashio managed to bite down on Sesshoumaru’s forearm. He bit through it as if it was nothing more than a twig. With a snap of his head, he flung the torn limb from his mouth and, desperate to do more damage, sought another target.

It was too late.

The Great General began to drown in his own blood as his air way was ripped into by the steady onslaught of fangs that gripped tighter when each muscle in their way was crushed and torn. He gagged and vomited foamy blood as his body began to convulse in the throes of death.

Still Sesshoumaru held on. Relentless. Merciless.

And then it was over. The giant body grew still in defeat, and held within Sesshoumaru’s mouth, transformed into the humanoid form of the once-great Taiyoukai.

Snorting to clear his nostrils of the blood that had flown wildly up them, Sesshoumaru forced his body to revert to his humanoid form. His father’s corpse fell to the ground.

Silence reigned once more in the Coliseum as he walked to where his arm had been flung and, almost casually, picked it up. Detachedly watching, as if it hadn’t been his own arm that had been so cruelly ripped off, he didn’t turn back to the waiting witnesses or his mate until the muscles had sluggishly obeyed his command to reclaim the shorn limb.

The first to speak, his calm words shot through the air. “It is done.”

That said, he promptly fell face-first into the dirt. Blood pooled rapidly beneath his body, and the last thing he heard before complete darkness overtook his mind was the sweet voice of his mate calling his name.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sesshoumaru stirred beneath the heavy weight of the comforter. Faint twinges protesting the movement served to bring him to full consciousness.

“Sesshoumaru!” Kagome jumped up from the chair she had pulled to the bedside. Ever since Taro had carried him back home, Sesshoumaru had slept. Unable to do much else, she had wrapped his terrible wounds. Kouga had reassured her that Sesshoumaru would heal soon enough, but that it would take a few days before he was back to full strength.

Inuyasha popped his head in the open door. “He awake?” He’d adamantly refused to leave until Sesshoumaru was awake. He and his brother had next to nothing in common, and he still detested the hanyou-hating bastard. Kagome, however, was soft. She reminded him a lot of Kikyo.

Despite her atrocious taste in mates, Kagome was alright in his book. He wouldn’t mind having her around for a while as a sister. She shouldn’t be left unguarded. Not with all the crazy fuckheads running around.

Taro and his flea-bitten, prick-of-a-son had left last night. They had to finalize preparations for the Tournament, or some shit like that. Not like he cared, Inuyasha thought.

His father’s death had been greeted with an odd mixture of guilty relief and sadness. The Tashio had hurt a lot of people. Some, like Kana, would never know justice had been served. Nor that Sesshoumaru, of all people, had been the one to bring it to him.

But… Inuyasha mused after Kagome gave him a short nod before leaning over the still healing Daiyoukai to shower his face with kisses … he would miss his dad. The youkai who had held him as a child, and who had protected him from the taunts of other children. The male who had taught him how to fight. The one who had done so much for humans beneath a youkai reign, despite his reasons for doing so.

Those rare glimpses of what the Tashio could have been, had he surrendered the bitterness that ate at his heart and acknowledged the potential greatness of his own spirit, was, perhaps, the most heart-wrenching realization of the entire debacle. Such a waste, in a time that needed strong leaders to guide the next generation down the rocky road of progression.

Inuyasha’s blank gaze was captured by his brother’s narrowed eyes. Sesshoumaru said nothing as he held Kagome to his chest while she sobbed into his fur. Something passed through the opaque gold, something Inuyasha had never thought to see. Not from Sesshoumaru.

The Daiyoukai that had just defeated the Tashio, one who had been considered the most powerful youkai to ever live, gave a short nod of his head to the hanyou.

Turning to leave, a small flick of white hair his only gesture of farewell, Inuyasha’s thoughts turned to Kikyo. She would be happy. And proud, he mused, while an added bounce to his step hurried him home. She would most definitely be proud of him.

It hadn’t been much.

He had lost his father, and his mother would, no doubt, require a lot of pampering to help her overcome the shock. The challenge victor, Sesshoumaru, now owned everything the Tashio had once held. In effect, Inuyasha was virtually penniless due to that little fact. Still, what he would walk away with…

It was enough.

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

Sesshoumaru moved beneath her hands, irritated at being fussed over. Kagome slapped his healed shoulder. “Stop that! Just let me cut this off and make sure you are healed, okay?” She was trying to take the bandages off his back, but he was being most uncooperative.

He fell still. It was foolishness to worry over such a small thing as a bandage. He had wanted to rip it off and be done with it. Kagome had been horrified, however, and had refused to allow him to do it. Blood had dried into his fur, and she had decided to wet the cloth bandages rather than risk pulling the matted fur out in clumps.

So, here he sat, in a bathtub, while his mate hovered and mothered him.

“There,” she said, triumphant as the last of the bandages gave away without taking any of his fur with it. The blood-stained cloth was dropped into the trash can. Spearing her fingers through the matted fur, Kagome began to rinse it clean.

Twenty minutes later, she smiled at Sesshoumaru when he caught her hand in his before she could pull away to get the towel. Eyes half-mast, he had almost fallen asleep during her loving ministrations. Before he could say anything, she leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his. “Come on out. I’ll give you a rub down.”

Silently complying, he rose from the bath. Water turned his fur into liquid silver, and she set about drying him with the towel. Rather than breaking the harmony of the moment with the loud blow-dryer, she led him to the bed and saw him settled beneath the comforter. He had slept all day yesterday, but it was only three hours until the Tournament was supposed to commence. She wanted him to rest.

Continuing to follow her demands that he rest, Sesshoumaru pulled her down beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh of surrender.

He would go to the Tournament, but until then, he would humor her need to tend him. It was strange to have someone fret over him, but from her, he would endure anything.

She interrupted his pleasant musing to ask, “Why didn’t you use your poison or my power?”

Startled at the question, he mulled over the answer before replying, “It would not have been an honorable battle.”

She ran her fingers through the fur on his chest. “Why not? I thought it was about using your natural powers.”

“Father had been blessed with protection from my poison while mated with mother.”

“And by taking away the mating bond, he lost that?” she inquired softly.

He nodded and she hazarded, “So, because you took away his immunity, you didn’t think it would be honorable to take advantage of it?” If he felt that way, then it stood to reason that he hadn’t used her power for the same reason. He had wanted a fair fight, even if it meant handicapping himself. Given that he had been the victor in the fight, Kagome’s mind boggled. Sesshoumaru was so much stronger than anyone knew. He had, essentially, been holding back the entire time.

She had no illusions concerning his predatory nature. He wouldn’t hesitate to crush Ryoko by any means necessary. But in a Challenge, an institution depended upon by youkai to determine a matter of pride and honor, he had held firm to an intrinsically developed value system.

He stroked the elegant curve of her spine before turning more fully into her embrace. Narrow eyes stared into her wide blue ones. “It is disconcerting, how easily you understand me.”

She smiled beatifically. “You know you love me.”

“Hn.”

She giggled when his claws passed over a ticklish spot. Pressing the advantage, he watched with soft eyes as she squirmed against him, laughing gaily.

The peaceful moment didn’t last more than a few hours.

“Don’t you even think about it, Sesshoumaru!” Kagome admonished. She glared at her impossible mate. “You were torn and bleeding just yesterday! You will NOT get out of bed!” The gall of that inu! Did he think she’d just smile and step aside while he risked his neck again so soon after the Challenge?

Sesshoumaru smirked as she splayed her fingers across his chest. As if she could overpower him. “I have no intention of fighting, Kagome,” he reasoned. “You know this. Naraku, however, is still missing. He and Ryoko are still a threat. I must ensure that the Realm doesn’t fall.”

Kagome dropped her hand. Blue eyes troubled, she sighed. Leaning into the supportive arm that he laid across her shoulders, she snuggled up to him. “Why does it have to be you? Doesn’t Taro have others that he can trust to stop the Realm’s destruction?”

He frowned. Nudging her temple with his chin, Sesshoumaru urged the impossible woman to look up. When she did, he captured her shadowed gaze with his own. “I do not act on Taro’s behalf. I do this for us.”

“Us?”

“Father is gone. The fate of the Western lands depends, now, upon the whims of the Tournament’s victor. I will have no more to do with it. The Realm, however, is our home.”

Kagome twisted a strand of his hair between thumb and forefinger. “I know,” she said. A sad little chuckle escaped. “Do you think we’ll ever have peace, to just be together without having to fight for it?”

He smirked, a warrior’s grin. “You will be safe. The fights,” he shrugged, “they merely keeps things interesting.”

“Oh, you!” she exclaimed before huffing. “You’re impossible.” But she knew he was right. She had been terrified during the fight. There had been moments where she had wanted desperately to look away but had been unable to. Sesshoumaru, though, she had never seen him so… alive.

Taro, Kouga, even Inuyasha, had been different after the fight. Their auras fairly glowed with excitement. If she had ever wondered about the differences between youkai and humans, then this pointed out a large divergence from human normalcy. Though, to be fair, she wondered if it was youkai that lusted for violent resolutions to problems, or if it was a male thing.

She’d certainly seen enough bloody sports; boxing, and a host of other potentially deadly human pastimes and hobbies. Youkai didn’t waste their time on things like that. They saved their blood letting for Challenges or squabbles. Who, then, was the truly violent species?

It was something to ponder another day. She added that to the list of rainy day distractions she’d accumulated since she’d accepted that ride home from Sesshoumaru. It seemed so very long ago.

“Kagome?” Sesshoumaru called out her name. She had appeared to be lost in thought. While it would behoove him to use her distraction to get out of bed and dress for the day, he wanted her cognizant of his actions. A large part of him wanted her approval; needed it, in fact.

Snapping out of her reverie, her lips curved ruefully. Had she even thought to dissuade him? “I’m coming with you.” It was a compromise, and she could be useful. Maybe.

He hesitated but nodded anyway. “You will obey me in all things while we are there, Kagome,” he ordered. They had not had a chance to test the limits of their bond. He didn’t want to take the chance that it could prove cumbersome to be separated. Nor did he intend to allow her to be hurt. The plan would be to ensure that no human deaths occurred on Realm lands. Not until Ryoko could be persuaded to rethink his stance on the issue of renewing the land charter.

“I will be putty in your hands,” she stated innocently. It wasn’t as if she had any choice. He could be difficult when crossed.

He snorted. Who did she think she was kidding? She was the most stubborn creature he’d ever known. A mule could take lessons from her on the issue of obstinacy. And she was all his. “We must dress and leave within a half-hour. The Tournament will begin shortly. I want to be in place before the humans arrive.”

“Alright.” Kagome rose from beneath his arm and stretched, joints popping, before walking over to the dresser to retrieve a pair of jeans and a blue, cotton t-shirt.

Once her back was turned to him, Sesshoumaru forced his heavy limbs to obey him. His wounds were healed, but he hadn’t recovered from the blood loss nor the drain of youki. He stumbled on the way to the dresser.

Kagome caught the telling weakness just as she slipped her shirt over her head. She bit her lip to hold in the doubts bubbling up inside. He knew she was worried. He knew that she knew he wasn’t healed. He also knew she was going to give him hell and keep him in bed for a month, if need be, until he was fully healed after this.

Right now, though, he needed her to trust him. To accept that, while weakened, he was still strong enough to do what needed to be done.

She turned back to the chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of black trousers, a grey button down shirt, and his undershirt. Without waiting for him to protest, she helped him dress. The she led him back to the bed and motioned for him to sit. He complied, and she swiftly slipped his socks and shoes on before tying the laces.

“It will be fine, Kagome.” Sesshoumaru helped her stand. He pulled her un resisting form forward to stand between his spread legs. “I know it hasn’t been perfect, that our coming together has been stressful on you. After today, we will retire from the world for a while. It will be just us,” he promised.

Kagome laughed. At his surprised look, she explained, “Just you, me, and computer makes three.” He continued to appear lost, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’ve got your business to worry over. I know, I know, it’s so mundane to think on such things now. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to go back to the museum, given the Vow, but I can continue my research. We don’t need to leave the world behind to be together. I haven’t seen the past few weeks as only stressful, either. Adventurous, yes. Sometimes scary, most definitely.” She kissed the tip of his nose, and the arms about her waist tightened in response. “It has also been lovely, fulfilling and, when I’m with you, surprisingly peaceful.”

Blue eyes burned with honesty, and every single ounce of Sesshoumaru’s possessive instincts surged to the fore. He glanced at the clock on the dresser before sliding his hands under the edge of Kagome’s shirt. A calloused palm flattened against her stomach, tensing as her soft skin shivered.

She sucked in a breath. “You can’t-” He was so tired, weak even.

Energized by the way her gaze darkened with sweet desire even as she battled it, Sesshoumaru’s weariness melted away. The shirt floated to the ground and her pants soon followed. “I can.”

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

Miroku watched as Ryoko made his way to the padded box that the priest’s family had owned for centuries. He idly wondered who would buy it after Ryoko died. The man had no family to speak of. No heir. No sisters or brothers. And, according to the will that he had managed to unearth by slightly less than legal means, all of Ryoko’s earthly possessions would be liquidated and sold to the highest bidders from around the world upon his death.

Hell, the will even included contact numbers for some of the shadiest characters that Miroku had ever heard of to be invited to the auction. The fine, upstanding gentleman, apparently, had more than a few secrets. Given Ryoko’s close association with recent events, Miroku was disinclined to pass it off as mere chance.

Ryoko was dirty, and he meant to find out how deep the dirt went.

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

Ryoko sniffed haughtily when the scent of his recently dispatched daughter’s discarded lover assaulted his nose. The bitch had messed up the plan by getting pregnant. Alone, she was easily managed. She was not entirely trustworthy, however. Females were temperamental at best, downright irrational at their worst.

She might have taken a notion to fight against him given the fate of her child. He had seen the shock on her face when he had shown up to announce her pregnancy. It had been a close call, that.

She had been useful as a means of getting secrets out of his competitors. Useless sods were always so loquacious in post-coital bliss. The fact that her belly would have soon ripened, ending her usefulness while also building within her a resistance to following orders, had sealed her fate as far as he was concerned.

Not to mention the misbegotten runt that had been growing within her womb. It could have proven a hindrance to his plans. That Kagura was not, in fact, his daughter might have come to light with the blood work that doctors demanded these days.

A whore he had picked up off the streets when she was little more than a child, just like Jin and his crew, she had been properly grateful for a chance to embrace a life beyond her pitiful expectations. Paperwork proving that she was his progeny had been easily forged. For a price, of course.

She had willingly given her life to him in exchange for money and prestige. Later, she had given her body to him as well. It was too bad she had thought to trap him with a bastard. If nothing else, she had been a good fuck.

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

Taro, the announcer for the Tournament, stepped into the ring and Ryoko forced himself to pay attention. The news that the Northern Lord imparted to the crowd shocked him into stunned speechlessness.

The Tashio had been killed? By Sesshoumaru?

Mind whirling as he fought to process the information, Ryoko studied the new development from all angles. A screen appeared, nearly blocking out the sun, supported mid-air by twin moth youkai that floated effortlessly in the sky.

The entire Coliseum fell silent as the film rolled. Larger-than-life images from the Challenge flashed across the screen. It had been a glorious battle, and Sesshoumaru, the one none had expected anything of, had been the one to walk away.

The film ended, and the moth youkai flew away, taking with them the screen that had held the crowd’s rapt attention. Taro lifted the microphone to his mouth once more.

“In light of the Challenge loss, this Tournament will herald a change in the face of Western Japan’s leadership.” Whispers grew as the listening youkai and humans nodded in agreement. They had known that the Tashio would come, and would have, more than likely, won the Tournament just as he had in times past.

Taro waited for the crowd to calm before adding in a booming voice, “The Tournament victor will come into the arena a mere youkai but will leave as one of the four Great Taiyoukai of Japan!”

A roar built up as the challengers for the title began to race out of the stands. They hailed from all over the world, and all were practically salivating at the prospect of the prize waiting to be snatched.

From the sidelines, Kouga wondered if Sesshoumaru knew that Taro had taped the Challenge. It was normally bad form to do such a sneaky thing, but in this, he and his father had seen eye to eye. Sesshoumaru deserved recognition for the great sacrifice he had made for Japan, and they would see him get it.

He watched as an American and an Australian youkai jostled for position. Kouga winced before stepping forward to break them apart. Dealing with the rowdy group in between wondering how Sesshoumaru would handle the new press on the Challenge was already giving him a headache. It was going to be a long day.

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

Ryoko hesitated as a new plan, one which would require less effort on his part than the current one, tickled his mind. He licked his lips. Those that could not adapt were fated to perish. He rose.

He had people to kill and a country to conquer.

Ryoko left his box and made his way to the crowded halls. Slipping into a shadowed niche, Naraku shed his alternate persona, Ryoko, safe in the knowledge that today, in the Coliseum, none who challenged were turned away.

Naraku walked into the light, ignoring the gasps of recognition from nearby youkai. He had broken no laws, at least, not to anyone’s knowledge. As the recipient of his deceased father’s fine, he was also wealthy. Of course, his underhanded dealings had garnered a fine fortune, not that anyone would know of it.

In short, he was just as worthy to fight as any other. With the blood of the former winner running in his veins, he was even more worthy, in fact. He sneered at a foreign neko youkai. This promised to be embarrassingly easy.

He made a mental note to dispose of Jin before the boy followed through on the old plan. With the Tashio dead, he no longer had a need to bring the Realm down. Despite the earlier opportunity to win the lands away from his father, he had not taken the bait. There had been too many variables. Too much chance that his father, a veritable warrior-god, would defeat him. Now, all of his plotting was moot. He could rule it all. Legally, at that. How ironic, he mused, that his half-brother had proven so agreeable a partner, even if Sesshoumaru had no idea just who he had allowed in the ring.

He’d have to remember to thank him, before he killed the inu and his bitch.

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

Uncertainty eating at her insides for the first time in many years, Noriko paused just inside the Coliseum. The non-stop flight to Japan had taken too long. For one, it hadn’t been non-stop. Four layovers due to dangerous weather patterns had ensured her late arrival.

Unaccountably tired, she leaned against the hard stone surface of the Coliseum wall. The rumored death of her former mate reached her through the whispers of strange youkai standing about the entryway.

Courtesy of her changed appearance, none recognized her. She was grateful for the reprieve from what would have proven a trying experience as she processed the news of the Tashio’s demise. No doubt the reporters-blocked from the Coliseum-would have fallen upon her like a pack of wild dogs had they known who she was.

Sesshoumaru had defeated -killed- him, she repeated to herself. For the first time since discovering what Sesshoumaru had done for her, she breathed just a bit easier. Surely, with his father out of the way, Sesshoumaru would manage to win the title and the lands. Everything would be as it should.

Just as she was about to stand straight and head off in search of her son, her gaze was caught by an oddly familiar youkai as he moved away from her position. Youkai gasped and pointed, shaking fingers raised to point him out to their neighbors. He turned. Sunlight and shadows played across his features, and she barely managed to withhold a gasp.

It was that foul Naraku! she realized, incredulous. What was he doing here? she wondered as he moved away from the small alcove and made for the ring entrance. The news had stated that he was missing, supposedly dead or otherwise ‘indisposed,’ since he hadn’t even come forward to claim the fee due him. Millions of yen were not something to turn your nose up at, the authorities had declared.

Acting on impulse, she deftly took after his swiftly departing figure. Senses turned to the male, she frowned in thought. Something seemed oddly strange about the hanyou. Something she felt she should know.

She kept to the shadows. Those same authorities had been well-aware of his whereabouts, she thought scathingly. More than anyone, she knew the hanyou to be a sneaky, devious sort. He had to have known all along who he was. Who his father was.

And now, he stood in line to defeat her son. Like hell, she decided with vicious, maternal instinct. Awakened in the face of the truth of her failings in rearing Sesshoumaru, Noriko’s heart demanded that she obey her honor and protect him. Just as he had her.

It was after he entered the ring that the truth hit her. His aura was exactly the same as the human, Ryoko’s. After numerous meetings with the male on University board events, she had unconsciously memorized the identifying aura of the human. As a hanyou, Naraku’s youkai matched the nuances of the human’s aura. It was impossible! she told herself. No two people, certainly not a hanyou and a human, could have similar, let alone, identical, auras!

Unless …

Her eyes narrowed in silent contemplation. Naraku, she thought after a few minutes of running through the possibilities, you have hidden your true self well. Until now.

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

Miroku gaped at the transformed male. He cursed mentally, That son-of-a-bitch!

They were one and the same, he was sure of it. Naraku and Ryoko. He didn’t know how Naraku had managed it, but he’d played them all for fools the entire time!

He’d followed Ryoko down to the Coliseum floor, where Ryoko had then slipped nonchalantly into a small, shadowed alcove. The male to exit two minutes later, however, had been Naraku. If it weren’t for the fact that there was no way Naraku could have been hiding in there, Miroku would have doubted his own eyes.

The fact that Naraku wore the same suit Ryoko had been wearing solidified the suspicion into bone-deep truth.

Miroku whirled around, unconcerned with holding to the deception of silently watching in his hurry to inform the others of the new development. Sesshoumaru and Kagome, especially needed to be told.

He sprinted down the corridors, absently noting that they were steadily emptying of spectators as they began to leave to jostle over prime seats. He made it to the small cleaning room that he had set up for an outpost for his equipment.

Ignoring the mops and brooms that toppled over as he breezed through the door, Miroku made a grab for his sidearm. Only through his connections had he managed to smuggle it into the Coliseum. He hadn’t been able to chance carrying it around, though, unless he had a damn good reason. That reason had come.

The scrape of hard soles across stone came from behind him. Before he could whirl around, a hard object slammed into the back of his skull. Miroku tumbled to the ground and sprawled in heap of limbs on top of the brooms.

Staring down upon his victim, Jin smiled maliciously. He pulled the gun from Miroku’s limp grip. Head cocked, he stared at the hand gun in fascination. Burning eyes blinked up at him, reflected in the gleaming metal surface. He’d never used a gun before, preferring a more intimate approach.

Still… For this man, the one who had not even the sense to look in his direction but had, instead, focused all his efforts on Ryoko, he would make an exception, Jin decided. The gun barked twice in his hand, and Jin smirked as the unconscious man jerked with each hit. Crimson seeped from the wounds, trailing from the bleeding man’s back to pool on the stone floor.

Jin hastily stepped away lest he dirty his shoes with the viscous liquid.

The scent of blood fed his appetite for more, and he licked his lips in anticipation.

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

Kagome’s hand shot out and her fingers clamped around Sesshoumaru’s forearm. “Look! Over there!” She pointed toward the ring entrance. Naraku was shown silhouetted against the backdrop of the shadowy entrance. Youkai pointed and moved out of the hanyou’s way, shock taking precedence over the proceedings.

Gold eyes narrowed in irritation, Sesshoumaru considered the sudden reappearance of the former Sheriff.

Even in his mind, he refused to name the bastard any relation of his.

From all appearances, Naraku’s intent was clear. By stepping into the ring, he was applying for entrance to the Tournament. According to youkai law, he would not be denied. Even if there were many here who, undoubtedly, questioned the hanyou’s motives in staying his hand until the Tashio’s death.

Coward, Sesshoumaru thought. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Naraku had been planning something while in hiding. Something that, apparently, he had decided to turn away from in favor of taking advantage of the changed circumstances.

His slitted gaze widened slightly as the implications of the timing reared some interesting questions in his mind. Could Naraku and Ryoko be in league? he wondered. Before he could follow that line of thought, Sesshoumaru caught sight of an oddly familiar youkai female rapidly approaching his position.

“Sesshoumaru!” the female whispered furiously as soon as she appeared before him. At his side, Kagome glanced curiously at the youkai.

“Do I know you?” he asked, rather than sending her on her way with a scathing reply as was his habit. An eerie sensation skated down his spine as he looked into her grass-green eyes, but not a flicker of recognition betrayed the identity of the female.

Slightly taken aback, Noriko recovered to explain, “It is I, Noriko, your mother. This is my true self.”

Startled, Kagome took in the breathtakingly beautiful female. Sesshoumaru looked nothing like her now. Noriko and he had been nearly identical appearance, except for the fur, of course, as she had seen from the pictures that hung in the University halls.

Caught staring, Kagome blushed in embarrassment. She bowed. “Forgive me, Noriko-sama.” This was her mate’s mother, and she would be careful to be extremely polite. She just hoped Noriko would like her!

Prepared the dismiss the human since, while she may accept her, she still didn’t have to actually converse with the creature, Noriko was stopped by a faint pulse of power that passed between her son and the woman. “You have mated?” she asked, incredulous. “There is no mark!”

There should have been a marking done. For inuyoukai, this occurs during the blood sharing. The more primitive youkai simply bit into the female, thus marking them and sealing their power away from being capable of harming the male. Higher-order youkai used ceremonial daggers to make the marks, but it was still done.

Kagome blinked. “Why would he need to do that?” She’d heard about youkai marking their mates, but she thought that had been needed only to mate. Sesshoumaru was strong. He didn’t need to mark her to mate her. Just as she hadn’t needed to spill his blood to give him her Vow.

Sesshoumaru sneered. Surely she had not come all this way to chat about out-dated mating rituals. “Kagome is neither an enemy I must guard against, nor is she a piece of meat to be jealous over.” The marking was done to keep the female weak against her mate and to also warn away other youkai from touching what belonged to another. Kagome wasn’t going anywhere, and she would sooner fall upon his sword than hurt him.

Kagome blinked again, this time to clear away the misty sheen of tears that had surged forth with the declaration. Would she ever get used to him being such a sweetheart? Though he would probably take offense to being called such, she reminded herself with an inward chuckle.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the adoring look the woman was giving her son, Noriko just barely managed to shake away the urge to make a snide remark. Turning over a new leaf was proving harder than she had thought it would. At least the woman was loyal and in love with Sesshoumaru, as Noriko refused to believe her son was gullible enough to fall for a ruse of innocence. She clung to that thought and took a deep breath. “I had come to help as soon as my changing occurred. However, I now know that your father is dead, and as such, had assumed my aid would no longer be needed. Imagine my surprise when just a few minutes ago I spied Naraku entering the ring of challengers.”

“This, I already know, mother.” He shrugged. “It is detestable to contemplate, but if he wins, it is no concern of mine.” Kagome fingers tightened on his arm in an unconscious show of support.

Noriko scowled and an elegantly arched brow quirked arrogantly. “Oh? Then I suppose it matters not that Naraku is not only Naraku, but is also a man known as Ryoko?” she continued, unaware of the shock running through the mates, “There is a way to conceal your aura and scent, as I assume Naraku did to possess the human Ryoko. He must have taken on the persona in order to gain power in case his scheming failed; taking refuge in the other persona until now. I cannot imagine that it would matter, except that it has proven that he is not an innocent, nor is he trustworthy enough to do honor to the title of the Western Lands. In short,” she finished with a sneer of distaste, “he clearly takes after your father. I know you would not want another like him to take the reins.”

The hairs on the back of Kagome neck stood on end. Sesshoumaru’s youki had flared, almost freezing in its intensity. As soon as he detected her nervousness, however, it calmed, soothing her fears that he would lose control. “Naraku has been playing us all along,” she finally ventured when she felt it was safe to do so. “Do you think he still plots against the Realm?”

Confused, a state of affairs she did not find at all pleasing, Noriko rounded on the woman. “What is this about the Realm?”

In short, concise sentences, Sesshoumaru outlined what had transpired so far, including his suspicions on the fate of the Realm being torn apart. The first call for challengers went out just as he finished the explanation. In five more minutes, there wouldn’t be another chance to enter.

“You can’t,” Kagome whispered when Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed on the ring. “You promised.” He was weak, and no amount of faith on her part would negate that fact. He would accomplish nothing but his own death if he entered the challenge.

Noriko stared between the pair. Eyes locked on the hand that settled over the human’s fingers, she addressed her son’s mate, “He must. Do you not wish to see him installed as the next lord? He was raised for this duty.”

Kagome frowned at Noriko. “Sesshoumaru hasn’t recovered fully from the fight with his father. He is strong, very strong. But if he enters that ring, there is no guarantee that he will leave it. Especially if Naraku was hiding more than his origins all these years. There’s no telling if he has some weapon that Sesshoumaru is unaware of.”

Noriko scowled before turning to Sesshoumaru. “Is it true? Are you not able to fight?”

Distasteful as it was, Sesshoumaru had never been one to delude himself. “The time between challenges has been insufficient to allow for full healing.” It burned to verbally acknowledge his own weakness, but he would keep his word to Kagome. He would not endanger their lives, not for something so unnecessary. If Naraku was Ryoko, then he was sure there would be enough evidence to later remove him from the lordship for the deception, just his father had fallen to his past faults. In the meantime, he would have to stand aside and watch the hanyou battle.

Noriko cursed colorfully, ignoring the disbelief that crossed her son’s features at the lapse. The managing of the lands and her charitable endowments had been her only solace, the only escape from the cold mating she had been consigned to. Even if her mate had been a first class bastard, she had not worked so hard at improving the Western Lands to see them fall to Naraku!

“Excuse me?” Noriko asked after realizing that the woman had said something. Sesshoumaru was staring at her, his expression contemplative.

Kagome took a deep breath before repeating, “I said, ‘Why don’t you enter the challenge?’” It made perfect sense to her. If Noriko had the training, of course. She had the drive to be a good Lady, and was dedicated to running things anyway. Even if Noriko was biased against humans, she had never let it affect how things were done at the University. Kagome could only respect someone who could manage to keep personal prejudices out of the equation.

Taken aback, Noriko stared at the woman as if she’d grown three heads. “Enter?” Was the human delusional? No female had ever entered the challenges. It was the unspoken rule that only males were deserving of the honor. Not that she would call it that, Noriko mused derisively. Out-dated, male stupidity, most definitely. As if strength meant that one would be a good leader. Just look at her former mate.

Kagome added, “I think you’d make a good Lady. If you don’t think you could defeat them, however, I understand why you wouldn’t want to face them.” She shrugged. “It was just a thought.”

Outraged at the insinuation that those brats below stairs were capable of dominating her, Noriko sneered, “I am a celestial youkai. As such, I was trained from birth in all of the ways of combat. It is why we are left alone by all others, as none would dare our anger by breaching our perimeter.” That was the only reason, as she had found out later, that the Tashio had desired her for a mate. He had hoped that she would bear a strong son, as all celestial youkai were incredible warriors. Her kind held no prejudice against females, and it had grated her nerves to be subjected to centuries of male bias.

“Then why don’t you?” Sesshoumaru squeezed her hand warningly, but she ignored it to smile encouragingly. “Everyone talks about progress. Maybe you are the one who is meant to bring it to the West.”

Gaze narrowed, actually contemplating the human’s words, Noriko faced Sesshoumaru. “And what do you think of this suggestion?” Her voice subdued, a hint of defensive questioning laced each word.

He shrugged. “You would need to temper your distaste for humans, as you would be expected to care for them as well as youkai. However, you know the Western Lands. The documentations and traditions were never tedious to you. You led well in Father’s absences and are more honorable than the lot below. You could succeed where he merely sufficed.”

Warmed by the honest critique, Noriko allowed a small smile to tilt her lips before turning away from the mates. She only had a minute to decide before time ran out on her chance.

“Just go for it. I know you can do it and so does Sesshoumaru,” Kagome urged helpfully.

“Before today, I would have never followed the directives of a human.” Noriko shrugged. “Perhaps it is a sign of the times that I find it less insulting than I should. Or,” she looked deep into the blue eyes of her son’s mate, “maybe it is that, in this, I am willing to listen to the wisdom of my daughter-in-law.”

With one last glance at the human thrown over her shoulder, Noriko grasped her future in both hands and left for the ring.

“So, does that mean she likes me?” Kagome asked, wryly amused by the regal way Noriko had dismissed them after the slightly less-than-enthusiastic endorsement of her.

A rusty chuckle escaped his chest. “I wouldn’t go that far, but then, there are times that I doubt she likes me. She had accepted our inevitable mating. Now, however, she has also accepted you. There is a distinction between the two, one which will make all the difference to her.”

“Oh.” Kagome frowned. “Well, that’s one thing to be relieved about, but what about Ryoko or Naraku, or whoever he is? What about his plans for the Realm?”

The reminder set Sesshoumaru’s back teeth. “We can do nothing but wait.”

The bell signaling the Tournament’s first match rang loud and clear. Consigned to patience, Kagome sat next to Sesshoumaru in the box that he had rented. A neko youkai and a bat youkai took to the ring, swords in hand. She groaned at the posturing between the two before her gaze flitted about the spectators for a distraction from the scene playing out in the ring.

It was going to be a long wait.

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

Incensed, Naraku growled at Lord Taro. “This is an outrage! To allow that female to participate is a mockery of everything that the Tournament stands for!” He pointed an obnoxious finger at Noriko.

She smiled, an arrogant twist of her lips. “Do you fear facing me in battle so much, then, Naraku?” she drawled. “It is not in the rules that I cannot participate. Only a male who trembles at a female’s strength would debate that the all-male precedent set in former matches would amount to an official rule.”

Secretly amused, Taro hid his smile to ask kindly, “Lady, do you understand the rules of this combat?” He had never seen her before. Pity, he mused as his intent gaze took in the attractive figure outlined to perfection in the pantsuit. His mate of three centuries had passed on after engaging in a Challenge with some silly little twit over a matter of fashion sense. It had happened twenty years ago, and he hadn’t taken another to his bed. It had been way too long.

Drawing herself up to her full height, Noriko glowered at both the lecherous gleam in the Wolf Lord’s eyes and Naraku’s outrage. “I am Noriko, former Lady of the West. I am well aware of the protocol surrounding this farce of a Tournament, and I am willing to condescend to participate, if only to ensure that all of my hard work is not destroyed by an unsuitable replacement Lord.”

Taken aback, Taro managed to catch his jaw before he did something so ignoble as to gape. He had always thought Noriko to be a beautiful but cold fish. The fire flashing in her eyes quickly disabused him of that notion. This was an interesting twist, he thought. Maybe just what the Tournament needed.

Naraku caught his breath. “So, you want to take away my right to the land, just as that weak bastard mate of yours did? Your precious Sesshoumaru, the Tashio’s disappointment and greatest curse, may have killed the former Tashio, but I will prevail!” He cracked his knuckles, restraining himself from lashing out.

She smirked. “Sesshoumaru was always his own youkai. You are your father’s son, Naraku. Defeat at my hands is the most honorable end you can hope for.”

When Naraku made to move forward threateningly, Taro stepped between the pair, hands held up to signal peace. “Since the rules do not expressly forbid a female’s participation, I will allow your entry, Noriko.” He turned to Naraku, eyes turning grim. “There will be many questions for you, regardless of whether or not you manage to win. Do not assume yourself above youkai law, Naraku. Your father did the same, and it was the end of him.”

Left no choice, Naraku nodded. Noriko was an addition he had not allowed for. He would not worry over her entry, however, even if the possibility of fighting a female caused him to sneer. He had wanted an opportunity to prove he was just as worthy as his late sire. What chance was there to do so when faced with such a weak opponent?

Noriko didn’t bother to reply to Taro’s permission to fight. Her pride smarted from the whispers of the other fighters that had gathered to listen to the argument.

So, she sneered mentally, they think I am a simple Lady. A weak female that will fall to their mighty claws within seconds. Stupid males. They always underestimate females. They were due for a rude awakening. She would be more than happy to give it to them.