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Scent of Blood	By : FlameWolf666 Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 12967 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don’t own anyone or anything from Inuyasha. If I did, I wouldn’t need to post my stories here. This is just for fun and no profit will be made from this.

Chapter List
- 1-Scent of Blood
- 1
Author’s Note: Sorry for the long wait. This entry was a lot longer than I anticipated and other life things made writing difficult for a bit. Hopefully you will enjoy it anyway~

Scent of Blood

By: FlameWolf

    Thankfully a certain hanyou had been nowhere to be found on that fateful night, giving Kagome ample time to pull Sango aside to ask for her help. Of course, all of that had been nearly ruined by Shippo’s sensitive sense of smell. The kit had come very close to declaring what had happened as soon as he had smelled it on her simply due to how shocked he was. It was only some quick thinking on Kagome’s part that had stopped certain disaster. With the quickness she had only thought possible in anime, the sixteen year old had darted forward to shove a lollipop into his mouth before he could say anything; scooping him into her arms to whisper a quick explanation.
    Thankfully, luck had still been on her side when she had asked Sango if there was a way to shield the fact she had been scent marked from Inuyasha. That conversation had started out a bit rocky, the taijiya being extremely concerned about what it meant. Unfortunately, the young miko didn’t really have any answers; simply not knowing enough about Sesshomaru to say if he truly intended to fulfill his claim on her. After some serious talk and begging from a very scared Kagome, the older female had finally given in after making her reservations about the deception well known. She had rightfully pointed out that neither brother would like her actions and both were likely to react poorly.
    Finally the high school student had broken down and frankly told her pack sister about her own doubts. At the end of the explanation, the reincarnated priestess had been in tears while her adopted son and sibling gave her what comfort they could. It was easy to say the boat shouldn’t really be rocked until the Western Lord showed his true intentions. The herbs shown to her by the slayer would ensure the peace was kept for a bit longer. Unfortunately, it was only a few days after her first application of a homemade salve she had been taught to make that it became apparent someone was following their group. A demon that was powerful enough to hide its youki when it wanted, only letting out a bare hint to drive Inuyasha wild.
    The brash male would charge blindly off into the woods at the faintest ripple, eventually challenging the phantom straggler to come forward already and fight them. Only Sango, Kagome and Shippo had any suspicion of who it could be but kept silent for the most part; a bit shocked by the taiyoukai’s strange behavior. Still, some part of the young woman felt the tiniest sliver of vindictive satisfaction that all the upheaval had pretty much halted any nightly visits to a certain undead holy woman.
    While she had finally given up the final vestiges of her crush on the night Sesshomaru had pseudo-marked her, it didn’t mean it hadn’t still stung whenever Inuyasha would continue to sneak off like some cheater in the night. It truly rankled something in her pride that the hanyou thought he was getting away with anything, let alone the fact that he refused to tell her his intentions. All she wanted was him to make an honest break, to stop acting like he was doing something he shouldn’t. Both she and her previous incarnation deserved better than that.
    As it was, it seemed that Sesshomaru was driven to tweak Inuyasha’s nose and she was getting sick and tired of the thick tension filling the atmosphere. The night before she had gone home for exams, the entire situation had come to a head. There had been a lot of youki spikes that day and the half-breed had been on edge. He had even gone so far as to try to stop her from going back to her time through the well, saying he had to protect what was his. That had been like touching a match to gasoline. Just as a massive peak of demonic energy came from far too close her own reiki had exploded with her rage. She had sat him about a bajillion times before she had finally explained to him that she had never been fooled. She knew he had been sneaking to Kikyo and that she had long gotten over him. After that, she had given him her blessing to pursue what relationship he could with the clay golem.
    That had been nearly a month ago and she had avoided going back or even thinking about the Feudal Era. Thankfully, because of her explosive exit, a certain half demon hadn’t dared to come for her; wisely opting to let her return on her own. To be honest, it had crossed her mind several times to just stay in her time for many different reasons. It was a mixture of the dreams as well as a strong sense of duty that drove her to the well. Though, if she was honest with herself, it was more her dreams. For several nights now, a certain youkai lord would visit her sleepscapes; turning a peaceful dream into an oppressive atmosphere full of worry and a hint of desperation. Even though she had no concrete proof, something deep inside instinctually told her that Sesshomaru was searching for her.
    Hefting herself onto the lip of the ancient, wooden square that lead to the past, Kagome inwardly winced as she remembered the night this all came to a head. She had been having one of her more pleasant dreams when the electric feeling of infernal energy had begun to prickle her skin. The once blue sky had been full of thunderheads as the air around her became almost thick, pressing down on her skin and making it hard to draw breath. Phantom claws had landed on her shoulders as a violent wind began to blow, whipping her dark hair around her head and effectively blinding her. A gust of familiar scent hit her nose just before a sense of danger played with the edge of her senses. Yet she felt unafraid, her reiki coming out to curl around the almost angry youki to help calm it. Suddenly ghostly fangs sunk into her shoulder, right into the spot Sesshomaru had scent marked her. She had shot up in bed drenched in a cold sweat, a not quite there pain throbbing on the right side of her neck; right where the scent mark was.
    It had been more than enough to drive her to go back, if not just to find out why she was having such intense dreams. She just hoped a certain hanyou would be there to greet her because she had made a rather unpleasant discovery this morning just before she had gotten ready to leave. A discovery that just irritated her all the more because it was just her luck. Of course, the warning signs had been there for a few days but she had desperately ignored them; trying to play off the discomfort in her lower back as her mattress getting old. The little red dot in her panties when she had gone to the bathroom had proven otherwise and had set her teeth on edge. She had been so frustrated that she had nearly forgotten to apply the salve to her neck before charging out the door.
    Allowing herself to fall forward into the well, she felt all her bad emotions bleed away as the comforting purple light surrounded her. This was soon followed by the sensation of standing on your head while still remaining upright, giving a dizzying feeling of vertigo as reality seemed to turn around her. Finally she was almost floating to the ground below as sunlight bled through the violent fog. As soon as her feet touched, everything cleared at once and her lungs filled with the sweet, unpolluted air of the Feudal Era. Closing her eyes as she tipped her face into the welcoming warmth of the sunshine, she stretched her senses to see if she could find any trace of her pack.
    She could sense the calm, mauve aura of Miroku, the pink, rather spirited soul of Sango, the bright orange of her young kit and finally, the crimson temper of Inuyasha. Yet, somewhere in the background, she could feel a faint energy. One that was amber in color and pulsed almost softly before fading entirely. Opening her eyes, she felt a brief spike of apprehension before wrapping her hands in the vines hanging down the wall and scaling her way up. In all her times clambering back and forth, the plant growth seemed to accept her abuse without complaint. It had never dried or withered in all the times she had used it and she found herself pondering for the first time why that was.
    As she got closer to the opening of the well, she saw a familiar clawed hand reach for hers as an ear topped head silhouetted the small square of light. “You... you okay Kagome?” came a surprisingly humble sounding, raspy mid-tone as her hand slid into a warm, slightly rough palm.
    “Yeah, sorry for going off on you like that ‘Yasha,” she sighed as she allowed him to pull her up into his arms. To her shock and slight horror, his nose burrowing in the side of her neck the hidden scent mark was on. Thankfully, the salve did it’s job and he soon pulled away with a sheepish expression on his young face. It was then that it truly struck her just how much like a kid Inuyasha really was.
    Thanks to his mother dying when he was at a very young age, the half-breed pup had to grow up in the wild with very little contact with civilization. It was a wonder he acted human at all and not like the animal that took up half his genetics. Then he had met Kikyo, the only human to treat him like something more than a beast. A miko who trusted him, tried to talk to him, even offered him food. It was no wonder he had fallen for her as hard as he had. She had practically tamed him. If not for Naraku, the pair would have no doubt mated and had a family with Inuyasha as a normal man.
    Seeing him in this new light made all her jealousies over her incarnation seem petty and misplaced. She had been coveting what had never truly belonged to her. If Kikyo had never been resurrected and she had pursued a relationship with her companion, she would have been participating in a farce. He would have never seen her as her own person, always seeing the woman she had once been and comparing her to her previous self. “I’m sorry...,” came a gruff voice from in front of her, startling her out of her thoughts enough to focus on the subject of her ponderings.
    Blinking slightly, she only gave him a smile to show she understood. “While I can’t say what you were doing didn’t cause me pain, I can’t bring myself to really blame you for a lot of it. You probably had no idea what to do,” she whispered, thinking about how similar she was to the unfortunate undead priestess. The hanyou could only give her a dumbfounded look, his triangular ears twitching out of nervous reaction. He had clearly been expecting a certain three letter word, not her acceptance. Even Shippo, who had come running up some time during all of this, seemed stunned. Then his nose was twitching and his blue-green eyes went wide before he ran in the opposite direction to intercept Sango.
    Tilting her head in confusion, the sixteen year old simply shrugged off the odd behavior before returning her focus to the part youkai. “I just want you to be happy and I don’t think it could ever be with me. I’m happy to stay your friend, however,” Kagome assured as she saw some frantic movement in the background. Sango was heading toward them at a rapid clip, only adding to the teen’s confusion. A pair of hands grabbing hers in a tight grip shocked her enough to nearly jump back as her gaze travelled to the male before her. His ears were flattened against his skull as he shifted in place, as if he was struggling with something he wanted to say.
    Immediately her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as the sick feeling of dread tickled her skin. Something told the young woman that she didn’t want to hear what her friend was about to say to her under any circumstance. She was so distracted that she didn’t notice the growing aura beginning to permeate the air. “I wanted to talk to you about that. I... I’m just so confused. I still have no idea which of you I want. When I’m with Kikyo, I miss you. It goes the same for when I’m with you. I’m sorry my behavior has caused you pain but you’re two parts of the same whole to me and asking me to make a choice...,” he whispered, his words halting as a thick atmosphere of malice became overwhelmingly apparent.
    As the hanyou spun on his heels and their two pack members closed the distance, Kagome could only pray fervently it wasn’t who she thought it was. “‘Yasha, I was trying to tell you when I left that you no longer have a choice to make,” the miko whispered, putting it as bluntly as she could while the youki grew stronger in power. This at least made the red clad male shift his focus to her instead of preparing for a fight, something she was sure would have only incensed the fast approaching Lord.
    “Wh-what do you mean Kagome?” Inuyasha whispered, hurt tinging his normally confident voice as Sango started doing her best to get her adopted sister’s attention.
    Sighing, the teen closed her eyes as she tried to hang onto her happy memories about this young man. What she was about to confess to was almost tantamount to sleeping with the enemy. “What I mean is...,” she began, waving away the slayer that was practically tugging her arm off to get her attention. It was at that point demonic energy fairly exploded from the forest as storm clouds instantly filled the formerly clear sky. Blinking and staring up at the sky, she felt a faint sense of deja-vu as well as dread. It was just like the dream she had before coming and, just like said dream, the wind started to blow violently.
    “Kagome, I really hate to interrupt but you really need to go back through the well and come back another time,” Sango urged, her brown eyes wide and full of a terror the teenage miko had never seen from her friend before.
    “Why on earth should I? Besides, its about time I told him anyway. I can’t let him go around thinking I’m still in this strange love triangle of his,” the sixteen year old protested, feeling a lot less sure of herself when the youki finally reached her. It felt like shards of glass giving her skin tiny cuts all over, the owner of the energy having to be extremely angry to give off such a horrible aura.
    “Please don’t make me say it. Lets just say you would be much safer in your time for a week or a few days,” the brunette hissed before her eyes fixed on something in the distance and all the color drained out of her face.
    Previous conversation forgotten for now, Inuyasha spun to face what she was looking at; drawing out a transformed Tetsusaiga as his ears laid back on his head. Knowing what she would see but unable to stop her eyes from moving; Kagome saw the white, very far figure standing along the outline of trees. Before anyone could do anything, a low snarl ripped across the clearing as the taiyoukai became surrounded by a blinding, white light. It was at that point realization washed over the sixteen year old and she felt the bottom drop out of the pit of her stomach.
    Thick, red, coppery, tainting delicate pink blossoms and seeming to sweeten them as crimson tainted his vision. Gone, she had been just gone. Not a scent of her for almost a month and yet no one seemed to be mourning or even worried. Her pack had gone on with their lives while he had slowly descended into madness. There was no scent of struggle or injury, she had just disappeared; almost as if she had never existed in the first place. Yet, despite her absence, her group never moved far from the village they seemed to call home. In fact, a certain bastard of the Western house often went to an ordinary well; seeming to be waiting for something. On one of the rare nights the half-breed didn’t go, he had found out why.
    As the scent of vermillion soaked blooms overtook his senses, he let out a low growl at the unwelcome memory. As soon as the scent of the miko had come to him, he had rushed forward without thinking; his heart sinking when he found the sweet scent was stale. Thinking she had fallen to her death despite the clean smell clinging to the area, he had leapt into the manmade hole. He had been stunned to be greeted with undisturbed Earth as well as a veritable miasma of the miko’s pure scent. There was also something else, a scent that burned his nose and made his beast rage. It was faint, smelling of rot, sewage, disease, and the press of millions of ningen.
    He could sense a magic he didn’t understand and had to resist the urge to dig in the dirt like the canine he loathed to admit he was. As it was, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the bottom, covering his scent and youki as he leaned against the wall to allow himself to bathe in the scent of her. His obsession. His much sought after yin. Some part of him railed at how low he had allowed himself to become, to chase after the scent of a human. A miko. Someone that was supposed to be his mortal enemy.
    Yet, he sat; slipping slowly into madness as then scent of her played with him. It smelled so much like her, at times he could almost trick himself into thinking she had been there with him. Sometimes he even saw her, reaching out to touch nothing. He had no idea how long he went on like that. Ignoring the scent of death just so he could bathe in sakura. It was at that point he came to a conclusion that finally drove him to climb out of the pit to care for himself once more. He was heart sick for the little human and his body had been preparing him for death, as if he had lost his mate.
    That alone had made his indignation come alive, driving withered claws to scrabble up vine covered walls. Even with this new determination, that damnable perfume threatened to lure him back down into the pit. His kraven beast also made it hard to leave, wanting only to be where the source of his agony was closest. It was only his own stubbornness that got him over the lip of the well, his clothes hanging off his emaciated frame as he stood. Perilously thin, the taiyoukai curled his remaining hand into a fist before forcing his body into the woods to feed. The miko may hold his soul but he would not die for her, not when so much rested on his shoulders.
    It had been weeks before he could convince his beast to live. The creature was convinced the strange female was dead and he could only feel a mixture of anger and poignant pain. He hated the miko for what she had made him into, for molding him into some simpering puppy that bounded to her at her call. Yet, under all of that, some part of him longed for her to come back from where she had gone to. He wanted her softness the most during the night, his hate growing to match his need. If she ever came back, he would show her just what she had done to him and demand compensation. Then he had scented her on the wind, having stayed near the village as some strange compromise with his beast.
    At first, he had felt only hot rage; wanting to punish her for making him into this weakling. Then he had smelled something else, something that called to a more primal part of him and made his blood boil in an entirely different manner. Instead of anger, he now felt a ripping need to possess, to take, to taste, to never let her leave his sight again. He had been moving without realizing, the thick, coppery scent driving him forward until he reached a clearing, his eyes landing on the hanyou hugging what belonged to him. On top of that, her scent mark was still hidden; only further antagonizing the sleeping monster within him. Next thing he knew, he was in the clearing; his body filling with pain as he began to change.
    Bursts of power coming from the glowing demon nearly knocked the group off their feet and Kagome was moving before she even knew where her body was intending on going. Some part of her instinctually knew what would happen if she didn’t reach Sesshomaru, her heart racing for all parties that would be involved. If not stopped, the enraged youkai would transform and rampage; possibly killing her pack as well as the entire village. She had to get him to calm down, no matter the cost and practically snarled when she felt an iron grip clasp around her right wrist.
    Spinning, she saw the baffled, concerned face of Inuyasha. His honey colored eyes were fixed on her as the calluses on his fingers scratched pleasantly against her skin. “What are you doing?! He’ll kill you,” the well meaning male reasoned, making a surprised noise when he was suddenly attacked by an orange hued blur.
    Upon closer inspection, the creature moving over Inuyasha’s head like a buzzsaw was none other than her adopted kit, taking the teen a bit by surprise. This was soon followed by Sango grabbing the red clad hanyou under his arms and taking him into a headlock, forcing him to drop the sixteen year old out of simple shock. Giving a nod to her friends and not sticking around for an explanation, Kagome began to run; ignoring the burning of powerful youki licking her skin like flames. Squinting her eyes against the almost slicing wind coming off the lord, the miko forced her body to move; ignoring the pain shuddering through her as the holy energy inside her began to react to the demonic aura punishing her.
    Barely able to breathe, she closed the distance; reaching forward blindly as her reiki did its best to shield her. Then her hand was meeting his skin and it was taking every ounce of willpower she held inside her not to yank her appendage back. It felt like she had touched hot magma, pain searing her palm in a millisecond. There was also the fact that he was glowing so brightly she couldn’t open her eyes for fear of them melting out of her skull. “Sesshomaru!” she tried to scream, the breath ripped from her lungs by the sheer force of his youki. Yet, some part of him seemed to hear her and the heat on her hand lessened a bit, not that it mattered with how badly she was sure she had been burned.
    Harsh claws grasped one of her upper arms as a nose pressed against the crook of her shoulder, the glow around them ebbing slowly until she was finally able to open her eyes. Slowly removing her hand, Kagome found herself inwardly surprised when she didn’t leave a layer of her skin behind on him. Not daring to look at the damage done to her throbbing appendage, she leaned her head to the side to allow him better access; hoping against hope that her pack was explaining what was happening to Inuyasha. With a low snarl of displeasure against her pulse, she shuddered when she felt a semi-rough tongue begin to lick up the salve she had use to hide his scent mark.
    Soft, soothing words poured out of her unthinkingly as she stayed absolutely still, aware the fact what she was saying was more something someone would say when dealing with a wild animal. When she felt fangs, something in her froze and she felt her heart shudder. “Easy, easy,” she murmured over and over, like a mantra. Using her uninjured hand, she cautiously rubbed the stub where his left arm had been. The vocalization he let out in response was enough to make her drop her hand and close her eyes, dimly aware of her reiki doing its best to calm his wildly out of control youki.
    “Miiiiiine,” hissed a guttural snarl before a tongue laved over the mark he had left before, causing a shudder of hot lust to wash through her despite how scared she was.
    “Yes, yours. Just take it easy Lord Sesshomaru. I’m not going anywhere. There’s no reason to fight for me,” she murmured, licking her dry lips as he unleashed another growl. It sounded like two boulders grinding together, a very primal noise that made gooseflesh break out all over her body.
    Instead of allowing her fear to bubble to the surface, the schoolgirl forced herself to remain calm as she reached up to pet the back of his head; a rather daring move given the proximity of his deadly fangs to her jugular. Thankfully, he finally relaxed just slightly; pulling back as he shook his head to clear his senses. “That’s it Lord Sesshomaru, just relax. I’m still right here,” Kagome reiterated mechanically, her eyes going up to meet his. What she saw made her blood turn to ice in her veins. His sclera were still a deep red, amber irises regarding her with a deep anger as well as a betrayal she didn’t quite understand.
    “You hid the mark,” came out of the male towering over her, a rasp lacing his baritone and making the thin hairs on her arms stand on end.
    “I had to. There was no good way to explain to Inuyasha what was going on when I didn’t know myself,” she replied, flinching when he let out a loud roar of pure fury. His fangs bared at her as red began to bleed into the amber islands in the middle of his eyes and she felt the extreme urge to cower to the ground and bare her neck in submission.
    “You left,” came another accusation, his singular hand flexing as his poison dripped onto the soil. An unpleasant hissing came from the ground as the substance melted it, noxious smoke rising in a thin plume and dissipating quickly.
    Fidgeting, Kagome nibbled her lip as she gave in to the urge to slide to her knees; bowing her head forward in subjugation. “That was unavoidable as well. I only meant to return home for a short time but Inuyasha pissed me off so much that I...,” she whispered, her heart thumping hard enough to blur her vision as she focused her gaze on the dirt under her stocking covered knees.
    “All I am hearing is the half-breed’s name over and over. Have you already forgotten your vow to this one?” came a heated reply as a pair of boots moved restlessly in front of her.
    White hot rage was all he could think, feel, see until he had heard his name and felt her touch. The scent of crimson stained cherry blossoms brought him back from the brink of unleashing his beast but didn’t fully bring him back under control. No, he was still maddened by the lack of his scent marking her. Nuzzling her neck, he felt his rage rise afresh as he found the substance she had used to hide his claim. He removed it immediately, coming very close to just marking her and having done with it. At least that would be impossible or her to hide.
    The only thing that held him back was her voice. Like a lifeline, she reeled him back to some semblance of rationality and he was finally able to come back to himself enough to demand answers. What he had received made his beast rage anew. Inuyasha, the blasted blight on his house name. The reason why he had come to hate humans. The reason why he found himself ensnared by a reincarnation of the creator of the Shikon Jewel. If not for the half-breed, he would be living a peaceful life patrolling his lands with Tessaiga in its rightful place.
    Movement brought his attention to said half-breed and he felt his demon surge against its chains, coming dangerously close to dragging him back into being feral. It was only the fact the miko cherished the mutt that stayed his hand as he bent to scoop the teen into his arms. Then he was taking to the skies, masking his scent and youki as he carried his intended to a secret place. A place that had been in his family for generations. A cave that had been shown to him by his father and would be shown to his own son. It was only there that he felt truly safe.
    As soon as he was inside, he set the miko down; allowing his youki to branch out and create a barrier. “You are in heat as well,” he stated, the scent of her coming close to driving him into a frenzy. It was only his strong willpower that prevented him from giving in. It was then the most fascinating blush spread over her pale skin and he felt the last of his anger bleed away for just being happy she was safe.
    “Y-yeah, I didn’t think that... I’m so used to the others not having a problem that I just came here. If I had stopped to think, I would have stayed another week to avoid this,” she murmured, her voice tinged with shame as well as a hint of apology. She didn’t seem to notice the effect her words had on the male looming over her.
    Red dropped over his vision like a blanket and a strange buzzing filled his ears as reality pulled away for a few moments. Where ever she had gone, she would have stayed another week if she had stopped to think about the effect her heat would have on him and not his half brother. Before he realized what he was doing, he was grabbing her arm to drag her closer; a dangerous snarl bubbling up from the bottom of his chest. Jealousy and rage fought for top spot within his as his beast strained against its chains, demanding he just take what is his. To taste her heat, pup her and give her a rightful place by his side. It was only her sweet voice that drew him back from the brink, her soothing tone effectively calming his raging demon. “This Sesshomaru would have preferred you hadn’t left in the first place,” he declared, leaning forward to nuzzle his courting mark.
    At first, Kagome had been a bit apprehensive about his odd behavior. Let alone the rather pointed questions he had aimed at her earlier. As he nuzzled her however, she felt herself calming despite the tense situation and backed out of his arms to put some distance between them “I already told you why I left. As for any vow I made to you, I don’t remember doing any such thing. I remember you scent marking me but I don’t remember making the same pledge to you. Besides, I had no indication you planned to uphold your claim in the first place,” she reasoned, bracing for his reaction to her words as her arms crossed in front of her developing breasts in a protective manner.
    She wasn’t disappointed, the ancient being fairly bristling as his aura flared; youki prickling her skin. It almost felt like shards of glass scratching at her and made it hard to breathe as well. Still, she stood her ground. Even under the pressure of his anger, she stuck by what she had said. She knew as well as anyone that Sesshomaru didn’t exactly regard her species with any sort of respect. It could have been a mistake on his part to mark her, let alone follow her around like he was. It had to be utterly driving him insane. “Even after all this Sesshomaru has shared with you, you would still question his intentions,” came a low rasp from the noble glaring her down before he was closing what little distance there was between them, startling her badly with the conviction in his tone.
    “This Sesshomaru has allowed you liberties on his noble person. Liberties this one has killed many for attempting. This one has followed your pack despite feeling a deep prejudice toward your kind, even placed his scent mark on you when he has given that honor to no other,” he pointed out, an odd emotion shining in his amber orbs as his upper lip twitched almost reflexively. Then he was reaching forward, grabbing her with his one hand to drag her close to his body; the heat of him coming close to searing her flesh.
    Tilting her head up to look at the inu youkai, she tried to muster up any other protest but they died in the light of what he had pointed out. If she had stopped to allow herself to think or even just hope, she would have seen the truth of it for herself. Against all odds, the Western Lord was falling in love with her. Just thinking it made her want to shake her head in disbelief. What could possibly be so special about her that he would throw away his deep hatred for humans for her? Opening her mouth to offer another denial, she stopped when she saw his eyes. Red had overtaken his sclera once more, a deadly serious expression in the nearly feral orbs.
    All of a sudden the air around him became far too heavy, his scent far too alluring and she fairly ran from his arms; huddling in the back of the cave as she looked up at him like a deer caught in headlights. Hope fought with terrible fear in her breast as she fought with herself to at least stand up straight. Still, all she could do was press against the cool stone of the cave as she shook her head in denial. This was met by an explosive snarling as the taiyoukai’s demonic energy began to whip the air, his silver hair floating slightly as electricity crackled in the small space. “You still demand more proof miko? What more can this one do to convince you of his seriousness? Of the amount of power you hold over this Sesshomaru? Are you truly ready for the answers you will receive,” he bit out, his eyes glowing in the dimness of the cave as he prowled toward her.
    All he could feel was a mixture of indignation and frustration, his claws on his right hand flexing as he fought to maintain control. Still, some part of him couldn’t fault her for her assumptions. They hadn’t known eachother very well before that strange encounter in the hot spring, their relationship only moving faster despite how much time went between visits. Despite his best efforts, he was slowly giving into the wants of both his beast and his own chaotic soul. As much as he had originally hated the idea of anything beyond his control, he had come to accept there was just something about this miko that drew him in. Something that went beyond scent, much deeper than he had dared to believe.
    As logical as he had tried to be, even he had to admit where the facts were leading him. Because of their equality in power, both he and this female were heading down the path of reliving an ancient legend. A tale that told of the birth of the Shikon Jewel, an object that had caused much pain in its existence. Due to spawning the stone, Midoriko’s own soul was destined to keep coming back until it was finally erased; her sin having finally been rectified. A sin he was beginning to wonder was even the priestess’ fault in the first place. All the tales pointed to a battle between her and a youkai of equal power, a battle that had forced her to trap their souls so it wouldn’t absorb her power.
    Looking down at the woman shaking before him, he found himself wondering if there was another side to the story. A side that had long been forgotten or had been twisted by the priests to maintain the purity of Midoriko. What if the youkai had been in love with her, what if something had happened to one of them. What if she had put their souls into the jewel as a way for them to stay together, even in death? What if he was destined to live out the same tale, as his half brother almost had with her previous incarnation? What if he was destined to lose her like all the others before him? Just thinking about it made his beast claw harder at its restraints, forcing him to take a deep breath as his arm snaked out to bring her against his body.
    Just the feeling of her against him, the strong scent of bloodied sakura in his nose, was enough to make him relax. No matter how it happened, she was his now and he would protect her with his last breath. Bending to nuzzle his courting mark, he felt a slight bit of satisfaction when she whimpered and leaned into him. Small hands flexed on his shoulders, a sweet voice begging him to stop but holding no true conviction. Still, it was enough to make him pull away; the sour smell of her sadness bringing him back to reality with a hard slam. “Please... don’t... I can’t... if you don’t mean it...,” she stammered, drawing a deep, rumbling purr from him as he stopped her words with a heated kiss.
    The taste of her exploded in his mouth, drawing an instinctual groan from him; the smell of her blood mixing deliciously with the musky scent of her arousal. “This Sesshomaru assures you he means every word. Every syllable. This one has.... I have missed you Kagome,” he allowed himself to say, the bright smell of her hope nearly rocking him back on his heels.
    “I must apologize for any misunderstandings you have had about our relationship. This... I have not scent marked any before you and I thought you knew that, as well as my intentions. It appears I was mistaken. You had no way of knowing anything about me as I doubt my half brother has mentioned much about me. I will rectify this by saying it as plainly as this... I can. I intend to mate you, on this very night if you will allow me. Whatever you decide, you are not leaving this cave until your heat is over,” he declared, smirking slightly when he scented the beginnings of peppery rage.
    At first she had felt as if she was in a dream, soaking in his rasped words with a mixture of longing and budding belief. Then he had implied he would be able to keep her here against her will and the happy bubble was popping for a stormcloud of anger. Shoving away from his far too welcome heat, the miko tried to ignore just how entangled her reiki had become with his youki without either of them noticing. “While I may return your affection, that doesn’t mean you can start ordering me to...,” she began, starting out rather heatedly but tapering off as she became aware of a soft rumbling emanating from the powerful male in front of her.
    “So you admit to returning this one’s affections,” came a satisfied baritone as gentle claws came up to scratch almost lovingly at her skin.
    Kagome had to fight against the extreme urge to melt into his touch, wondering just why he had such a strong effect on her. It almost felt as if he was touching part of her soul every time they encountered eachother, getting stronger each time. Struggling to hang onto her indignation, the teen gritted her teeth as she forced herself to move toward the entrance of the cave. She was unsurprised when a grasp on her left wrist halted her movement. Turning her head, she felt her infamous temper flare when she saw an arrogant smirk on the Lord’s handsome face. “As this one has said before, you are not to leave the cave. It would be dangerous to allow you to wander freely in your condition,” he murmured, sounding so sure that she came very close to just shocking him with her reiki.
    The only thing that stopped her was the fact the holy energy was fully preoccupied with his youki, seeming to curl around it in a manner that came very close to being obscene. “Then just bring me back to the well for a while,” she hissed, jolting slightly when she felt tendrils of his aura touch her. It was warm, almost soothing as it moved over her skin; prickling in a pleasant manner and relaxing her despite herself.
    “This one is unable to do that. As I have said before, I have missed you Kagome. You were gone for almost a month. I would prefer you stay with me,” came a surprisingly desperate sounding response as the fluffy thing around his right shoulder unwound to wrap around her.
    Blinking and confused about just what the thing was, Kagome squeaked when it yanked her closer to her would be beau. Next thing she knew, he was nuzzling and licking at his mark; making whimpering noises that melted away at her admittedly weak defenses. “This one thought you were dead. I went to the well the half-breed kept frequenting and got assaulted by your scent. There was no sign of you being buried there but the scent was so thick that I... I stayed. My beast was so sure you had perished that it had stopped caring about living. It was only this Sesshomaru’s own determination to keep existing that got him out of that strange trap,” came a confession that shocked her into silence.
    Of all the things she had been expecting him to say, that certainly hadn’t been one of them. To hear such a powerful creature had come close to allowing himself to die because he had thought she had died made her feel faint and she found herself swaying slightly from simple shock. The dog demon holding her let out a strangely distressed noise before scooping her into his remaining arm, the fluffy thing that was usually wrapped around his shoulder helping to support her. It was at that point that she came to the conclusion that it was his tail. “You can see why this one would be reluctant to let you out of his sight,” rumbled his sinful baritone in her ear, holding just the right amount of pleading to win her over the rest of the way.
    He could smell the moment she had decided to acquiesce, his beast fairly frolicking from both joy and relief. Restraining himself from purring, he carried the miko over to a pile of furs that was changed every few months and had been placed here for his comfort should he need to hide. “The slayer will take care of the explanation and this one’s barrier will make sure the hanyou will be unable to interrupt. This Sesshomaru does not want to have to engage in battle but...,” he explained, trailing off to allow the surprisingly sharp teenager to put the rest of the pieces together.
    He didn’t have to wait long, allowing himself to nuzzle his courting mark as the scent of her comprehension washed over him. “With me on my period and you being what you are, if anyone else comes past the barrier you won’t be able to help yourself. Especially given your apparent attraction to me,” she observed, using some language he was unfamiliar with. Still, given the context, he could make a fair assumption about what she had meant.
    “Correct. My beast has chosen you and your condition only exacerbates its need to claim you before someone else does,” he replied, the sweetness of her on his tongue taunting him; driving him to taste more of her. It was only his immense self control that kept him in check. While an inu youkai, he was a male of honor. It would be a blight on his house to take any female against their will. Besides, from the smell of it, he wouldn’t need to stoop to such cowardly tactics in the first place.
    Then the sour smell of doubt tainted her sweet, vermillion soaked flowers and he pulled back to look in her eyes, his crescent marked forehead crinkling in concern. Tear rimmed, brown eyes rose to meet his, the hurt waiting to blossom twisting his heart in his chest. While feeling such emotions for anyone would have normally enraged him, Sesshomaru had long come to accept his inability to control his feelings as far as this female was concerned. As frustrating as it was, it would be useless to continue to fight against it. “Is... is that the only reason you want me here? Your beast?” came the shaky question that nearly stopped his heart in his chest.
    It would be an easy thing to say yes. To allow her to believe his attraction to her was wholly alien. Yet, as she began to tense to shove away from him, he felt a strange anxiety about any distance between them. That and the way his heart clenched at the salty smell of her tears was more than enough to convince him to be truthful. “That is not the only reason. There are many others. You are a very powerful miko and not unpleasant to be around. Your scent is also.... Rather addictive to this one,” he replied, a bit surprised when she began to laugh.
    “That’s not too much to go on. None of this explains why you’ve been acting the way you have. How obsessive you’ve seem to become. The worst part is... I’ve missed you too. I feel just as attracted to you and I don’t know why. Even my reiki seems to like you,” came her half amused response as she shifted slightly in his hold. Then she was leaning her head onto his chest, her small hand curling in his kimono as she inhaled deeply.
    The knowledge that she was enjoying his scent coupled with her earlier words was enough to rip a possessive growl from him as his tail tightened around her legs subconsciously. “Is it not enough that we enjoy being around eachother? Must you humans always question why?” he rumbled, a playful tone to his voice as he allowed himself to nibble along her pulse. The smell of her instant arousal threaded through her heat was nearly his undoing and he let out a raspy vocalization as he reluctantly forced himself to pull away from her neck.
    His question cut through the thin veil of want, making her drawing a shuddery breath tinged by his musk. Just the scent of it made something in her lower body clench and she found herself leaning into him as she inhaled more of it. Something inside her instinctually knew she was smelling his arousal and she heard herself let out a small, satisfied purr of her own. Blinking in embarrassment as she came back to her senses slightly, Kagome looked up to see islands of honey surrounded by blood staring down at her.
    All of a sudden the fact she still barely knew a thing about him didn’t matter. All that mattered was how she felt in his arm, how comfortable and almost safe she felt. Her reiki was also content, almost inseparable from his youki and only helping to add to a feeling of rightness. She somehow felt at home in the hold of her enemy, was even allowing her hand to venture into the opening of his shirt to rest on his pecs. Unfortunately, she had forgotten her earlier injury and was sharply reminded of it as soon as her palm met his flesh.
    Yanking her injured hand back with a shocked yelp, the sixteen year old felt the memories come back as she unthinkingly looked down at the source of her agony. What greeted her eyes turned her stomach and she felt all her earlier lust fade to the background for horror tinged with nausea. Reality grayed around her and she felt herself begin to faint, dimly aware of the powerful youkai cradling her moving his head down. Then she felt her head being nudged out of the way firmly by his, the cool press of his cheek against hers bringing her back to some semblance of reality.
    Blinking in confusion, she nearly fell out of his arm when she felt something wet touch her stinging injury. The burned, melted flesh screamed at being disturbed, drawing a whimper from her as she tried to move her hand away from him. A low growl greeted her efforts, his grip on her steadying as a reddened eye shot up to give her a clear, unspoken message. Leave her hand where it was. Wincing on the inside, Kagome grimaced and moved it back to where it had been; letting out a gasp of pain when she felt the same wet, slightly rough sensation as before.
    The next few moments bordered on torturous for the young woman, soft whimpers leaving her as what she could only assume was his tongue moved over her injury. The only consolation she got was a deep rumble that became nearly constant through the operation, lulling her in a way she was honestly grateful for. After what felt like an eternity, the agony slowly began to taper off; eventually turning into an almost pleasurable sensation. There was also the fact it felt more like he was licking her skin rather than a raw wound. Then he was pulling away, to her relief and disappointment; revealing her palm was fully healed. “Sesshomaru...,” came out of her in a stunned murmur as she flexed the appendage, the significance of this act not lost on her.
    From what she had learned about inu, they only healed those they considered pack or at least held a high esteem for. With a taiyoukai like Sesshomaru, he was unlikely to lower himself to use his saliva on any that weren’t strictly important to him. The deep rumble that emanated from him at her response was enough to tell her that her suspicions were dead on and she found herself actually beginning to believe all of the things he had said before. She hadn’t wanted to at the time he had said them out of simple fear, not just of him only wanting her for sex. She had been terrified of how much it would hurt to find out that was all he had been after all along.
    Despite her best efforts, she had been unable to shake her growing infatuation for this proud male. Had found it growing stronger to her distress. Some part of her, a part that was well used to being thrown to the side by a certain hanyou, still expected this all to be a dream. Or a trick of some sort. In his arms and breathing his scent after a month of absence, it wiped all of that away. Her terror crumbled easily for contentment and a feel of well-being, wiping away the last dregs of the doubt she had clung to like a safety blanket. As long as she had reason to have suspicion, she wouldn’t have to risk her heart.
    He could smell all of her emotions, allowing her to sort through them as he felt his tail brush her upper thighs. The feel of her silky skin against his fur was all too pleasant, drawing him to wonder how the rest of her would feel on his true form. Shaking his head at the thought, the Lord filed it away for later. When she was more used to him, he would ask for that. For now, he would content himself with the fact she was finally beginning to let down her walls. He could smell her forming trust, fragile like a robin’s egg and easily broken.
    Letting out a soft churr, Sesshomaru dipped his head to nuzzle her cheek; his tongue flicking out to taste her as she let out a musical giggle. “This Sessh... I would like to mate you Kagome,” he sighed, not surprised when she went a bit stiff as the scent of fear tainted her alluring perfume.
    “But... I’m only sixteen! You haven’t met my parents! We don’t even know eachother! Also I still have to look for the Shikon Jewel and the fact my pack still sees you as an enemy! There’s no way we can...,” came a string of protests, no real conviction behind any of them. Only the sharp, damp scent of her sorrow. The scent of her doing her best to dull her feelings.
    Darting down to capture her lips, Sesshomaru let out a short, sharp growl to get her attention back on him. Once her brown orbs were fixed on him he allowed himself to break the lip lock to speak. “It is regrettable this one did not get a chance to ask for permission but it is unlikely you will leave this cave unmated. We have a week alone Kagome and we harbor mutual attraction for eachother on top of you being in heat. This Sesshomaru afraid that it is inevitable,” he pointed out, leaning against the cave wall as he positioned her against his torso. His dextrous tail also helped, the tip snaking between her upper thighs and moving almost lewdly.
    Glaring down at said appendage between her legs and wondering if he was even conscious of what it was doing, Kagome sighed as she silently agreed with what he had said. She hadn’t refused due to any lack of want on her part. She was honestly worried what taking such a drastic step would do. Poor Inuyasha had no idea his hated sibling had even held an interest in her, was probably denying it hotly at this very moment. It was unlikely a full on mating would go over well at all. Still, some part of her longed to be selfish; if even just this once.
    Even if she barely knew Sesshomaru, she felt safe around him; content in a way she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Since after Kikyo had been brought back by Urasue, in fact. It had almost felt like the part of her that had loved Inuyasha had been taken along with that part of her soul. Something she had been terrified to admit to for a painfully long time. She had clung to her crush out of fear of being alone, something she could admit to now that it was long dead. Still, that didn’t mean she wanted to ruin any chance she had at friendship with the headstrong male.
    As thoughtlessly as he could treat her sometimes, he could be just as thoughtful; although in much more hidden ways. One had to be fairly adept at catching subtlety when it came to Inuyasha and being nice. Smiling slightly, she looked up at the creature holding her; her heart aching at the thought their romance would probably be the cause of a lot of misery. Not just for her either. Sesshomaru would have to deal with the fall-out of taking a human as a mate while holding the reputation of hating them. There was also the fact he would likely want to join their packs, another action likely to go over like a lead balloon. The entire situation was hopeless and neither of them could stop the forces that drove them to be together against all odds as well as sense.
    Inwardly cursing the Gods for putting her in this situation, she simply let go of her worries and just let herself feel. Her blood suddenly sang as her senses became flooded with a slightly sharp, almost acidic, musky scent that held just a hint of ozone. Unconscious of the moan leaving her, Kagome felt her whole body shudder as a cramp of desire gripped her lower body. Feeling claws prickling one arm, she found herself leaning up to nip under the shelf of his chin; a soft sigh leaving her as her hand came up to tangle in his platinum hair. Her senses were filled with him and she felt some regret he only had one hand.
    To say he was shocked when she began to nip him would be an understatement. He had been expecting her to pull away. To make him fight for her affections for the first few days. This was a pleasant surprise and he remained still both out of shock as well as the fear that she would stop if he dared move. “S-Sesshomaru,” came a hesitant inquiry, drawing a reassuring sound out of him as he shifted to look at her. Thankfully, she had pulled back to make this easier; giving him a shy smile that made him both want to devour her and protect her until the end of his days.
    “D-do you really...? I just wanna.... C-can you promise me something?” she continued, her voice small and halting; holding none of the power he had become used to seeing from her.
    “Yes, anything you wish,” came his unhesitating reply, not even stopping to think about what she could ask of him. She could ask him to mount his hated sibling and he would do so in an instant, if only to get rid of the taint of sadness and fear clinging to her red soaked blossoms.
    “P-promise me... that you... that you won’t hide me. That you won’t become ashamed of choosing me,” came a simple and yet complicated request, the fact that she had made it at all making his heart stop dead in his chest.
    Biting back the growl that very much wanted to escape, the canine demon forced himself to take a deep breath through his nose before bending to nuzzle at his scent mark. This action was both to reassure her and calm him enough so he wouldn’t leave the cave to skin a certain half-breed. Instead, he shifted his tail so it draped over her body to cup her chin; never lamenting his missing limb more than he did in that moment. “I would never hide you. You are the one who has gone out of their way to hide me, if I remember correctly,” he pointed out, amusement coloring his baritone as she squirmed guiltily.
Of course he would bring that up! Still, she should have just come clean in the beginning. She should have told Inuyasha what was going on from the very first encounter. Doing so would have at least avoided all of the misunderstandings later on as well as the predicament she now found herself in. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m the last one in the world who has any right to worry about such things. I’m just so scared of what my pack will do. They’re my family,” she whispered, knowing she didn’t have to explain further than that. As an inu youkai, he would know more about pack than she ever would.
    “If they are true pack, they will understand,” came his reply, doing nothing assuage her very real hesitations.
    “You make it sound so easy. I wish it was. I know Sango, Miroku and Shippo won’t raise much of a fuss but ‘Yasha... You two have hated eachother for so long, its hard to think he’d see you as anything but a threat,” Kagome sighed, sinking into the heat rolling off him for comfort and smiling slightly when his chest vibrated under her cheek due to a quiet grumble.
    “Once we are mated, I will do my best to refrain from instigating a fight with the hanyou. I also promise not to kill him,” he offered, shocking her into a stunned silence. Once more, his response had taken her completely off guard.
    “Y-you would do that for me? That means so much to me,” came out of her as she leaned forward to catch his lips with hers. The purr he let out resonated right to her toes and she opened her mouth instinctually to deepen the embrace.
    The lips under hers gave way eagerly, his slightly rough tongue meeting hers but not taking over. Instead he let her take the lead, his arm and tail releasing her as she moved to lay herself along his body. Careful fangs nipped lightly at her lips as one of her hands lingered over the stub of his left arm, breaking the kiss when she felt her holy energy focus into her hand and enter his body. Suddenly, in a burst of pink light, she felt a limb appear out of nowhere under her hand. Blinking to regain her vision, she could only stare at the arm that was now there. Even Sesshomaru had gone oddly still, his newly regenerated limb flexing as he moved it.
    What happened next was very sudden. One moment he was simply stunned, unable to believe his arm had come back so suddenly. The next, his mouth was on hers; his tongue wrestling hers for dominance as her hands scrabbled for purchase on his broad shoulders. His senses became sodden with the taste of her as both his arms and his tail wrapped around her supple body. His beast demanded he thank her properly for her gift, something he was in full agreement with it on. Nibbling the mark on her neck, he found himself even more sure in his decision to mate her. The mere thought of her being stolen away by someone else set his fangs on edge let alone what her scent was doing to him at the moment. “You have restored this one. I can never repay you for the kindness you have done,” came out of him as he snuffled at her racing pulse.
    Her stammered denials of having done in subconsciously fell on deaf ears, that small fact overshadowed by his joy of just being able to hold her properly. The feeling of an arm he didn’t have earlier moving down her back to grasp her taut ass. Joy and a deep satisfaction filled him, having not realized just how much he had missed having both limbs until this moment. Just the simple action of running his left palm along the left orb of her butt felt glorious and he found himself having to restrain a groan of lust. With a soft rumble, he swallowed the last of her words as his mouth met hers in an open mouthed kiss.
    As his tongue danced across the roof of her mouth, he moved his newly regenerated limb up to the back of her head; the claws tangling in her ebony hair. All too soon, she was breaking the kiss of her own accord; pulling away to catch her breath as dazed orbs met his. “B-but I...,” whispered her sweet voice, still doing her best to explain what happened was completely unconscious on her part. Placing a claw on her lips to stop her meaningless babble, the taiyoukai shook his head as a soft smile curled his lips.
    “It doesn’t matter if you did it consciously or not. It was still your hands that restored this one,” he pointed out, letting out a quiet growl as a particularly strong puff of her scent hit his nose.
    Kagome found herself caught in a whirlwind of sensation and scent, her body practically vibrating as he moved his hands all over her young body. Panting slightly, the teen tried to hang on to some sort of rationality. If she was going to allow Sesshomaru to mate her, she wanted to be aware of as much as she could. Just thinking about it almost made her try to put the brakes on yet again. It was all going so fast and she was so young. Could all of this truly work out? Would she feel the same for him when she turned thirty? There was also the little fact that she was mortal, while he was not. Yet, despite all of this and beyond any form of logic, she wanted him.
    She wanted him so badly she had a deep ache inside her, something that went much deeper than her body. It felt as if her soul was yearning for him, practically screaming at her for not giving in already. Still, she was afraid. This wasn’t an innocent, one night stand. This was equal to getting married, something she hadn’t thought she would do until she was at least in her twenties. Nuzzling into Sesshomaru’s chest, she allowed a small whimper of her own to leave her; feeling a bit better when his hold on her changed from amorous to protective. “I promise that I will care for you, protect you with all of my power. You will want for nothing,” came a gruff rumble that originated from somewhere under her cheek.
    “I know... But I’m still human Sesshomaru. I will die long before you do,” she pointed out, deciding to leave out the age argument. In the current time period, marrying a sixteen year old female was fairly commonplace. Especially given the lack of proper medical care and prevalence of disease.
    A low purr was the response she got as he licked her cheek, so resembling a puppy that she couldn’t help but giggle; some of her tension bleeding away. “Mating a youkai will extend your lifespan to match that of your mate. Being mated is much deeper than any ningen marriage. Mates feel what the other does. If one should die, the other almost always follows soon after simply due to a broken heart. That is why the half-breed’s mother died only a few years after my father gave his life to save them both,” sighed his baritone in her ear as she felt something fluffy play with the hem of her skirt.
    “Wow... I... I had no idea. I mean, I was aware it was serious but not that serious. Its like we’re joining more than just our houses. Why... why do you feel strongly enough about me to go to such an extreme?! I just...,” Kagome gasped before she was lunging forward to take his lips, well aware of her reiki mixing with his youki. Even if she decided to go against this despite how much she wanted it, her own powers would not honor such a decision.
    At first, he had been sure she would refuse again; leaving him to try to woo her over the week. He had just as many misgivings as she did about their union but had come to accept it as inevitable. Whatever came to pass, he would help her weather. He would be there for her, even accept her pack and adopted son as his own. He would even accept her strange trips to her village, even if he never found out what the well was or just why it had smelled so much like her. All he wanted was to finally make her his, to have her softness, her sweetness all to himself. “I do not care about the whys anymore Kagome. Those questions went away when you disappeared and my beast only wanted to die. This one only wants to claim you now, to have some tie to you to ensure you are safe,” he explained as he broke the kiss the young woman had initiated, uncaring about the concern clinging to his deep voice.
    “I have wanted to claim you since that first night in the hot spring,” he confessed, the lust exploding on her scent drawing a veil of crimson over his vision.
    His demon pushed its way to the forefront, making itself known with a feral noise that sounded almost like a thunderclap. His female went still on top of him, a faint sliver of fear stilling the mighty creature enough for him to maintain just the faintest vestige of control over his more animalistic self. Just enough of a tether for the beast to remain mindful of her wants and needs. Should she become too afraid of him, he would still be able to stop this. Letting out a reassuring rumble, the large canine under his skin simply used his body to nuzzle her. “Your heat is affecting this one deeply but you have nothing to fear. I could never harm you,” his more feral self sighed.
    Thankfully that was enough to get the female to relax enough to allow him to groom her; a bonding practice most social animals, with the exception of humans, used to help build ties and maintain them within the pack. In fact, as his tongue moved over her face and down her neck, she giggled and squirmed at first. Humming softly, the ancient beast simply continued; huffing when he met the collar of the strange shirt she wore. It was a material he was unfamiliar with, smelling a bit like the rotting smell that had lay under her scent in the well. With a snarl, he ripped the offending material off her; letting out a soft sigh once it was gone. The gasp of shock his woman let out only added fuel to the fire quickly growing out of control inside him. Reduced to his most beastly of urges, he had to fight to stay rational.
    Nuzzling the rise of one of her developing breasts, he chuckled when she began to stutter in embarrassment. Nibbling the soft flesh with his fangs, he skirted around her pink tips to continue grooming. Right now, his aim was not to arouse her but to calm her; to help her relax enough to initiate the mating. Thankfully, her ill ease soon faded for soft sounds as he continued to lick down her body; stopping at short skirt she wore. Once again, he encountered the unpleasant smell; making him shudder at the memories it held. Before he could tear it away with his deadly claws, he saw delicate hands playing with a strange fastener.
    Raising his gaze, the dog youkai’s reddened eyes met dark chocolate as her pink tongue flicked out to lick her lips. Her eyes were hooded, a faint pink tinge to her sclera as she panted lightly. Frowning slightly, he placed his hands over hers to still them; letting out a soft vocalization as he leaned up to nuzzle the tip of her nose with his. “Not like this. I want you aware,” breathed the voice of the one who ruled this body, the beast currently in charge wanting his chosen to experience what was happening. He only continued grooming her when he saw white return to her eyes, along with comprehension. “Th-that was my reiki, wasn’t it?” came her frightened voice as he nuzzled the strange fastener she had been struggling with earlier.
    Kagome was well aware of the change that had happened in the youkai licking every inch of her body. She knew she was quite literally in the claws of a monster, fully dependent on whatever tether Sesshomaru had left to keep her safe. It wasn’t that the might being would want to harm her. It was more the fact that without his human form’s rationality, the creature was little more than instinct. A quality her own energy seemed to share if what had happened mere moments earlier was any indication. A sudden tugging on her lower body brought her sharply back to the here and now, her breath catching in her throat when she looked down to see both her skirt and panties had been removed.
    The drip of water somewhere back in the cave drummed at her senses as time seemed to almost halt. Without the pad shielding her nethers she was able to feel even the faintest of breezes against her womanhood. Blood seeped out of her, dropping onto the kimono she was straddling with a faint patter. Mortification came over her in a harsh grip and all she wanted to do was escape, get back to her time and just stay there until all of this was over. Not only had she probably ruined what was very fine silk but the thought of proceeding while she was in this condition was almost wholly repellant. The only reason why she hadn’t simply scampered off to a dark corner of the cavern to hide was two clawed tipped hands grasping her upper thighs in an almost painful manner. Red had completely overtaken his eyes and a low growl emanated from him as his upper lip twitched up to briefly reveal his fangs.
    Then, as if in slow motion, his platinum crowned head moved toward her exposed junction; his chest moving as he took in deep breaths. Low purrs sighed out of him as the tip of his noble nose brushed the edge of the wetness she felt spreading on her inner thighs. “P-please, don’t,” she gasped out, to protest sounding weak and shaky. Horror bloomed inside her when he shook his head firmly, the feeling of his tongue touching the blood nearly making her jump out of his hold. A short, sharp bark before he yanked her forward told her he was enjoying this, much to her incredulousness.
    Hot, short breaths hit damp flesh before an eager tongue pressed to the inside of her left thigh, the tip of his nose brushing her shaven folds on occasion. The soft purrs from before grew in volume and gruffness as he cleaned her, a quiet huff leaving him as he finished and lingered at her swollen, oozing womanhood. Whimpering as a hot blush washed over her body, Kagome fought against the urge to shrink back; shuddering as he passed by that part of her to her other thigh. To her disappointment and relief, he continued to lick her; finally seeming satisfied when he reached her right knee.
    Next thing she knew, she had been set down in a pile of fur so soft it felt like a cloud. Looking down, it almost looked like there was snow surrounding her and she found herself wondering if it was his shed fur. Running her hand over it, she felt a twang of guilt to know she would soil the luxurious furs in no time with her blood. Looking up to ask Sesshomaru if he was really alright with the inevitable befoulment, the sixteen year old felt her jaw drop open as she took in the sight looming above her. The western Lord had removed his shirt, revealing a sculpted torso most women only dreamed about.
    He was lean but well muscled, his abs and pecs well defined by years of work. Twin stripes of magenta streaked up the pale planes of his arms, seeming to come to an end somewhere above his broad shoulders. A similar pair outlined his thin hips, tapering to a point somewhere below his hakama. She both wanted to lean upward to lick the faint trail of silver she could see leading to the rim of his billowy pants and burrow herself under the pelts he had set her on. Licking her lips as she swallowed, her eyes travelled up to see him smirking at her; his tail swishing behind him in a content manner.
    The man knew he was enchanting and she felt some of her old temper flare as he smirked at her. Before he could fully free himself of his shirt entangled armor, Kagome darted forward to nuzzle the faint bumps of his abs. The idea that had seemed to be brilliant at first was now turning out to be a very bad one, her nose flooded with a musky scent that could only be his arousal. On top of that, instead of being thrown off balance, the powerful male only seemed satisfied. In fact, he let out a low rumble that vibrated her cheek; his shirt and armor hitting the stone floor with a clang as his hands came to rest on the top of her head.
    Sesshomaru felt himself fading more and more into the background as something wondrous seemed to occur. His beast was becoming almost one with him, becoming close to what could be called tame. A creature that didn’t know morality or limits, was learning them through the awareness he was giving it along with a desire to protect this fragile human. While the beast would always have some form of its own consciousness, he could feel them becoming more and more the same. It would be interesting to see what effect this would have on him in the future. Right now, all he cared about was the closeness of his miko.
    Staring down at the faux halo the light made in the top of her hair, he simply cradled her head in his claws. Claws he only knew were dangerous to her because of the knowledge he was gaining from his more human self. A part of him that had kept him at bay for centuries. It felt good to finally become whole, to reach the potential he had always been meant for. It was almost enough to make him want to frolic despite the taste of the feminine blood clinging to his tongue. Then he felt her tugging at his obi, bringing him back to the present as heat pooled in his belly.
    His shy female was pulling his pants down his slim hips, her tentative fingertips tracing down the markings that ended just above the platinum forest of his pubic hair. Chuffing gently, he felt his skin twitch as she shyly kissed them; allowing her hand to trail to cup his erect manhood. Her touch was like an electric shock, drawing a rasping hiss from him as his flesh surged in her small palm. “You’re so warm and you don’t have your knot yet,” she observed, sighing so her breath hit the taut flesh of his member.
    “You smell so good... I just want to...,” came her voice just before warmth enveloped that most sensitive part of him.
    He tasted of power, of his poison, of something musky and entirely addicting. Each swipe of her tongue along his shaft was a new taste sensation and she found herself unable to stop once she started. Eyes fluttering closed, Kagome became painfully aware of the pulsing between her legs. Moaning around the obstruction in her mouth, she rubbed her thighs together; wanting some friction of any sort. Fluid dribbled freely from her slit but she found herself paying no mind to what was coming out of her. No, all she wanted to do was move her mouth along his shaft; tasting all she could of him.
    Mewling like a kitten, she took as much as she could; stopping when she began to gag. Using her other hand to stroke the rest, the teen continued to suck; relishing the sounds the canid was releasing. The only time she had ever heard him unleash such noises had been the last time they met. Those vocalizations had haunted many a dream and invaded many a filthy fantasy. She added these new ones to her internal library, even if she might never need them. Every whimper, every hitch of breath, every rasped snarl slipping slowly from him, even the way his claws scratched lovingly at her scalp. She filed all of them away to treasure later.
    Suddenly she felt him pulling at her hair, urging her to pull back as he let out soft whimpers. Running her tongue along the bump forming at the base of his erection, she pulled back to look him in the eyes. The absolute need she saw on his noble face was enough to take her breath away as a veritable tsunami of lust washed over her. She could barely breathe, her chest heaving as her body tingled all over. She felt almost like a cat in heat, eagerly opening her mouth to her wild lover as he leaned down to give her a hungry kiss. As his tongue moved urgently over hers, the sixteen year old became aware of the fact he was leaning her backwards to lay on the white pile of fluff he seemed to be using as bedding.
    As soon as her naked back hit the softness below, he was pressing a thigh against her junction; letting out a low rumble as he shifted to remove his pants the rest of the way. Unconsciously, her arms reached up to wrap around his strong neck as she allowed her own tongue to explore his mouth. The tip of her dextrous muscle danced around the tips of his canine fangs, a soft moan leaving her as her fingers tangled in his silky hair. Sesshomaru only sighed in response, his arms wrapping around her to lift her body to press against his. Then she felt something pressing against her slit and her brown eyes shot open as nervousness bloomed inside her.
    Sharp, almost copper scented fear broke through the haze he found himself in. Blinking, he broke the kiss to nuzzle her nose; his silver hair falling to curtain them both. “You have nothing to fear. This Sesshomaru knows you are untouched,” sighed his voice as the beast in charge moved to lick his scent mark. He was awarded with a wash of relaxation on her scent, drawing a deep purr of enjoyment from the bottom of his diaphragm. Then he was moving down, giving her love bites as he worked his way down to her right breast. Sucking the pink tip into his mouth, he felt both parts of him come together with a firm click.
    Even while his beast was still coloring his actions, Sesshomaru was no longer in danger of losing himself to instinct. His demon wanted to protect her so much that it had been willing to give up most of itself to his control. He had heard of such things happening but only once the youkai had reached a certain level of maturity. As old as he was, he was far from reaching that plateau; making what had happened nothing beyond miraculous. His miko had tamed his beast by just being what she was, a fragile human. Something he needed to protect, to cherish. His beast had become very aware of just how easily it could harm her thanks to him remaining just slightly in control of it.
    A musical moan brought him back to what said creature was doing to their mate while he had been distracted. Her nipple was firmly in his mouth as he suckled from her like a pup from its mother. Each swirl of his tongue on her drew a new noise and he found himself much more fascinated by them than what had just happened to him. Like most youkai, Sesshomaru was highly adaptable and was soon using his new situation to his full advantage. It was as if he and his beast were working together to bring their female pleasure, a truly glorious sensation. Releasing her to kiss his way to her other breast, he drunk in the quiet keens of want she made; her hands flexing on his muscled back.
    When he captured her left bud, she let out a cry of his name that he immediately implanted to his memory. The hot, sweet scent of her lust mixed with the coppery scent of her heat, drawing him to move lower on her young body. But he would not rush, he would take his time with his first and only mate. Every inch of her would be touched, treasured before he moved to the next; no matter how fiercely his own need burned in his lower belly. In fact, his erection was pulsing almost painfully; making him all too aware of its presence.
    Still, the hands moving over him as wanton moans filled the cave made the agony worth it. Soft sighs of his name left her as he carefully gave her left breast equal attention before nipping his way down her stomach, chuckling when her skin twitched under his lips. Pausing to dip his tongue into the cup of her belly button and drinking in the quiet giggle she let out, Sesshomaru let out a sigh of contentment before moving to the source of a scent that would drive many a lower youkai mad. The pungent smell of her monthly blood hit him all at once and he felt his claws dig into the stone as every muscle in his body went stiff.
    Biting back an instinctual snarl, the might taiyoukai closed his blazing eyes as he fought not to slip back into simple instinct. His Kagome deserved better than that. She deserved him in control, treating her like a Queen instead of a mere means to achieve his own pleasure. The sound of his own fangs grinding was loud in his head as he shook, each breath he took in only bringing more of that dangerous scent to him. Before he knew it, he was nosing at the wiry, black hairs that crowned her womanhood.
    To say she was shocked when he began to nose at her pubis would be an understatement. She honestly had no idea how to react, mortification doing its best to overcome the lust and anticipation burning inside her. It was then her reiki, combined firmly with his youki, came to settle on her; the warmth of it doing wonders to soothe her. Closing her eyes as she allowed the two auras to comfort her, she only flinched slightly when Sesshomaru began to lick. It started tentatively at first, as if waiting to see if she truly approved.
    Breath gusting in and out of her in great gulps, Kagome could only manage a soft whimper of need; gasping when the heat of his mouth enveloped her core. His slightly rough tongue laved up her swollen lips as hot breaths puffed from his nose and onto the tight nest of pubes just above her opening. A low, vibrating noise rolled out of him, causing a strange sensation to go through the most sensitive part of her and drawing a gasp from her lips. Then he was nipping as his long tongue dipped into her, as if he were lapping up the period blood oozing out of her.
    Knowing this was almost enough to give her pause again but the feeling of him pressing into her as he alternated between suckling her pearl and lapping at her entrance. Soft grunts laced with canine whimpers rippled up from the youkai between her thighs as her head tipped back and her hands settled on the crown of his head. Making a sound of approval, Sesshomaru nosed at her opening before laving his tongue slowly up her slit; making her shudder all over as pulses of pleasure hummed in her veins. “I would like to make you cum before I take you Kagome. I long to hear your voice sighing my name in completion undistracted by carnal pleasures. I will carry the memory of your first cries into the centuries,” he husked before he went back to pleasing her with his skilled mouth.
    Her blood, her sweet nectar flavored by her intense need; all of it flowed over his taste buds. All he could think of was wanting more, both his hands grasping generous handfuls of her ass. The yelp she made made him want to chuckle but he merely kept licking, scooping his tongue inside her to bring out her arousal laced menstrual blood. She squirmed beneath him, tugging at his hair but never coming close to hurting him; her walls squeezing his tongue as her ankles locked behind his head. The nectar pouring out of her also became more sweet, signaling her approaching orgasm.
    Letting out a rasp of utter possession, he pressed himself against her as hard as he could; his dextrous tongue brushing against a slightly rough spot deep inside her. A spot that was very close to her hymen. As his female arched up to take more of him in, he reached between them to brush her button with a recently restored thumb. She exploded like a firecracker, her voice singing his name as her blunt nails buried themselves in his scalp. Letting loose a gruff noise, Sesshomaru used the moment to dart his tongue forward to break that precious barrier. The thin membrane that signified her purity, the fact that her every experience this night had been his alone to witness.
    She was exploding and imploding at the same time, unable to stop the sound leaving her as her entire body bucked upward into the source of her pleasure. There was a brief flash of pain but it was over so quickly that she almost thought she had imagined it. Then he was pulling away from her, the lack of his heat driving any further thought about the matter from her mind. Reaching for the taiyoukai, Kagome felt unimaginable relief when he came to cover her with his body on his own; his reddened eyes glittering down at her as a continual rumble came out of him. In one swift movement, his lips met hers as he thrust into her at the same time.
    Her surprise at the taste of herself on his tongue was soon overtaken by the shock of feeling him slide inside of her with no problem whatsoever. The stunned teen had been expecting pain, not the slight discomfort of him filling her when she wasn’t used to it. As if sensing her question, the powerful canine broke the kiss to meet her wide eyes. Amber had returned to his irises and a small smile curled his lips as his hands came up to cup her face. “I didn’t want you to feel any pain during our first coupling. I removed your maidenhood while you were in the throes of orgasm,” he explained, a rasp tinging his baritone as his hips moved forward once.
    Just that motion was enough to draw a moan from her as her legs came up to wrap around his strong waist. Then he was moving, each stroke of him sending new sensations straight to her womb and making her limbs tingle. His name left her in ragged gasps as he let out a growl that shook the ground below her, his hips starting to move faster; making him go deep enough that he hit something deep inside her. Something that both hurt as well as felt oddly good. “Oh Gods!” came out of her as her nestled his lips against his scent mark, his tail wrapping around her waist to hold her in place as he kept moving.
    Pulling out slowly, the male above her seemed to chuckle at the mewl she let out as she tightened her legs in a vain effort to keep him in place. Teasing her with his hooded tip, the silver haired adonis entered her with loud roar; drowning out her surprised wail at being filled so suddenly. She could feel every part of him, his forming knot included as he began to perform short, quick thrusts. The wet sound of their coupling filled the cavern, the faint smell of blood and bodily juices wafting up to her nose. Fur on his tail slid on her midsection as the western Lord tensed, fangs prickling his courting mark as he reached between them to ply her pearl with his renewed left hand. “Cum for meeeee,” came a gruff hiss as his rough thumb touched her sensitive flesh.
    It was like he had touched a live wire, her limbs going board stiff as her mouth dropped open into a soundless ‘o’. Then she was coming apart, vaguely aware of him biting hard into the left side of her neck. Then he was emptying into her, the substance filling her nearly as hot as lava as his knot swelled up inside her. The strange sensation only served to prolong her peak, soft cries eventually tapering off to whimpers as she slowly came down. Panting, Kagome became aware of the fangs buried in her neck; a muscled chest heaving against hers. Low growls poured out of him, sharp claws tearing into the fur she laid on. Strangely, she felt no pain; only the pressure of his sharp teeth as he shuddered above her.
    All the dazed priestess could think to do was run the hands she still had on his back up and down in a soothing motion. “Easy Sesshomaru, I’m still here. No one is going to try to take me from you and even if they did, I wouldn’t just sit back and allow it,” she murmured, her voice sounding older somehow; almost as if it wasn’t really her talking at the moment. Thankfully, it seemed to be enough to make the powerful youkai pull from the wound; his tongue licking it closed within seconds. Instead of responding verbally, he pressed his cheek against hers as he rolled them both to lay on their sides.
    An odd peacefulness soon followed, their breathing the only sound in the cavern as they both came down from their peak; his knot still seated firmly within her. To her shock, he began to groom her again; giving her face affectionate licks as his luxurious tail moved along her bare back. “It will take a half hour for us to separate and you are unlikely to become pregnant as you are already bleeding, still I will enjoy this week,” sighed a rasp tinged baritone as he held her as tightly to him as he possibly could. Unfortunately, it was then they both became aware of a faint pulse of familiar, unwelcome youki heading toward them at a fast clip.
    “It seems the slayer was unsuccessful in impressing upon him just how bad an idea this is,” snarled her new mate as she felt a faint wash of protectiveness that felt wholly alien to her. It was as if she had felt his emotions for that brief moment.
    “Maybe you should shrink your barrier to the entry of the cave. With any luck, seeing us tied together with me snuggling you willingly will blow enough fuses that he’ll faint,” Kagome found herself suggesting, a bit shocked at herself.
    Sesshomaru seemed thrown off balance as well, staring at her before laughing out loud. “As amusing as that would be, I have no wish to allow him to see you naked,” he replied, flinching suddenly when something impacted his barrier. Even she could sense the impact, shuddering along with him as she nestled into his arms.
    “I guess he’ll just have to content himself to waiting a half hour then. The sooner we can get things through his thick skull, the sooner he’ll go away,” Kagome grumbled, the words feeling like a lie in her mouth. After her travels with the hanyou, she knew better.
    He would not make any of this easy and would probably flat out refuse to listen, even after being sat a few times in a row. Still, under the annoyance, some part of her was touched at his persistence. Inuyasha had no trust for his half brother and would more than likely want to hear what was happening from her own lips. It was just a crap shoot if he was actually calm enough to hear her out. “Seeing my mark and sensing how your reiki is entwined with my youki will be more than enough,” came a calm assurance as he practically wrapped himself around her.
    “For now, I want you to rest. This one will wake you when we have separated. Then we can deal with my half brother together,” came a gentle command, the feeling of his tail stroking her lulling her to sleep despite herself. Her new mate kept watch, twitching each time his idiot sibling hit the barrier with the Tessaiga. When all was said and done, the stubborn hanyou was bound be a problem. Just thinking about it made him feel on edge, his beast perturbed at the thought of anything upsetting their female.
    “No matter what happens, I will not be denied what is rightfully mine,” he snarled, his hold tightening just slightly on the slumbering miko.
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Scent of Blood