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.