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A lifetime of Illusions	By : deepa Category: InuYasha > Yaoi - Male/Male > InuYasha/Sessh?maru > InuYasha/Sessh?maru Views: 18117 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

A lifetime of Illusion

Chapter four

Do you have strength enough to protect him?

Can you love him enough?

Enough to consider your life meaningless against his?

Can you love him enough to care for him and support him when he
is at his weakest as I have done with your father?

Do you love him enough to correct him when he is wrong and face
his wrath bravely when he is angry? Do you love him enough to defy
him for his own well-being? To disobey him when you know that he is
your mate and your lord?

Can you love him enough to know and face that darkness that
resides within him? That darkness that is sure to kill what you are
with intense passion.

My dear daughter, my precious jewel, you have the power to
soothe his soul or further his torment.

You withhold, willingly, all the true love and affection that
his mother refused to provide him. You as his wife should heal him,
not scar him ever more.

Mother… you make too many demands… I…

This is not about you! Your life is his and his life is yours.
You are a single soul split in two. How DARE you deny him that bond?
How dare you put him secondary to your needs, your heart?

I do not! I just…

…Do not wish to be hurt, or place him in danger. I
know my lovely one. But you must start at one time to trust him.
There must be a beginning. He has taken you as his wife and so cannot
betray you or harm you. However, there is only so much his heart will
tolerate and you will push him back into the edges of sanity once
again. You know…

I know and I am trying with all I can mother. I have pledged
my heart and body to him the moment he claimed me as his but my soul…
my soul is too precious to me to entrust it to him easily… so
blindly.

My dear child, he is starving can you not see. He is starving
for you to give him what a wife should… what a mate should.

He does not need your body, nor does he value heirs as much as
he leads you to believe. He chose you the moment he set eyes on your
changed form for the simple reason that he trusted you…
implicitly. You have never lied to him; you have never backed down
from your word. To him, even when he hated you and wished to kill
you, there was no other being he would trust more.

My dear one, heartbreaks lasts as long as you want and cut as
deep as you allow them to.

Inuyasha stifled a gasp as she woke up but that instinctive asking
still disturbed her mate’s slumber and the Daiyoukai tightened
his arm around her before growling in warning. She was not to move
for his embrace until he permitted it.

She wouldn’t have imagined herself in a similar situation if
she tried. Inuyasha found it impossible to contain the smile that was
threatening to grace her lips. There was a strange sort of
satisfaction watching her husband sleep with his head comfortably
resting on the valley of her breasts.

It was a wonderful feeling, having someone so close, holding her
so possessively even in his sleep. With a small sigh she ran her
fingers through his silk-like hair and smiled unconsciously.
Sesshoumaru look untouchable even in such a vulnerable state.

For now, she would forget all about the conversation that played
in her mind. She didn’t want to ponder whether it was true or
just a figment of her imagination. Nothing would stop her mother from
setting on the path her mother deemed best.

Inuyasha was somewhat frightened to know that she was starting to
worry about his well-being like a proper wife would do. At odd times
of day she would find herself thinking about trivial things like the
tension in his shoulders whenever he finished attending to some
problem. Some times she wondered if he needed something to drink when
he was working late at night in his study.

Inuyasha would never have considered those things about
Sesshoumaru but suddenly, she had this urge to look after him and
take care of his needs even though he was ignorant of them.

“You have been whispering in your sleep Inuyasha, you looked
distraught.” Sesshoumaru murmured against her skin.

“If you noticed than you have been awake.” Inuyasha
countered with a frown. “It was nothing but a dream
Sesshoumaru.” Her fingers continued to comb his hair in a rare
show of affection. They had been mates for two weeks now and no one
but the servants and Kouga knew about their relationship. They
weren’t trying to keep it a secret; both of them were reclusive
people so the public displays of affection were absent.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Sesshoumaru lifted his
head slightly and looked at her with narrowed gold eyes. “The
villagers are organizing the annual Sakura festival today. Your
friends will be visiting it… we have the entire day to
ourselves.”

Inuyasha raised a brow in question as she absently brushed an
errant strand of silky white hair off her eyes. “What do you
have in mind Sesshoumaru?”

“A simple outing, nothing more. I wish for you to see the
beauty of our lands… which I am sure you will appreciate.”
Inuyasha narrowed her eyes in confusion but nodded silently. The
Daiyoukai pressed his lips against her collar-bone, his body
responding to her naked skin, “We have a lot of things to
discuss. I can assure you that we will not return until nightfall…
better have some food packed.”

“Don’t you have work to do? You have been busy
lately.” Inuyasha asked as she closed her eyes. Sesshoumaru’s
lips were tracing the long column of her neck. She leaned her head
back to give him more access. She loved these lazy, languid kisses;
they were very comforting and led to nothing.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes darkened in desire when his wife moaned
lightly and pulled her closer. She was being more submissive this
morning than he recalled. May be it was because of the fact that she
was still tired. “A day away from responsibilities would serve
us well. I haven’t had time to properly enjoy the first weeks
of our relationship.” The Daiyoukai raised a brow when Inuyasha
snorted. He was relieved to realize that Inuyasha didn’t wish
to bother him by asking for needless attention. She never disturbed
him at work or asked him for affection of any sort.

That independence just made him desire her more.

Sesshoumaru wanted to give her every thing she could possibly
desire just because she didn’t ask for it. He wanted to fulfill
her every wish that was left unspoken. As he traced her jaw he
wondered if the growing number of smiles that she sported these days
meant that she was content. He was well aware of the fact that there
were many problems they had to solve before they ready to accept each
other fully, but he could see that they were on the right path.

“Sesshoumaru?” She questioned tentatively. The
hesitation caused the Daiyoukai to raise his head and look at her
questioningly.

“Hm?”

“Do you recall that incident with Souunga?”
Sesshoumaru sat up and gazed down at his wife with a frown. He could
see that Inuyasha was heading for a serious conversation and judging
by her tone, she was unsure. Her behavior told him that she didn’t
think he was like to hear what she was about to say. “You said
that I have never seen father and I don’t know what he is like
to speak about him.”

Sesshoumaru nodded and lay back down. He drew Inuyasha into his
arms and buried his nose in her hair, waiting for her to continue.
“For a long time I have been hearing things like ‘he was
an honorable ruler’ and ‘he was a gentle and kind person
who loved your mother dearly’… I want to know more.
Sesshou…” Inuyasha trailed off, her pale cheeks coloring
beautifully in a shade of sakura pink. “You said that he always
wanted to have a girl child… and that till his death he
believed that I would be a girl. That meant he wanted me right? I
wasn’t an unnecessary burden… was I?”

“Don’t speak such foolish things.” Sesshoumaru
scowled at her; he could tell that Inuyasha was still a little
uncertain about their relationship. “If he had been alive, you
would have grown up to be a coddled, delicate princess that I
wouldn’t have mated under any circumstances.”

Inuyasha laughed softly, pleased with Sesshoumaru sincerity. “You
are an intriguing man anata… confessing such a thing to your
new wife. Had I been anyone else, I would have been upset.”

“Had you have been someone else Inuyasha…”
Sesshoumaru replied dryly. “However, you are Inuyasha…
the princess of west who doesn’t know anything about being a
princess but does an incredible job of being a street rat.”

Mirth danced in his eyes at the sight of her mock scowl.
Sesshoumaru knew she was not offended. “Street rat huh? My
lord, you have chosen a street rat as your mate then.”

Leave it up to her to come up with a smart retort. Sesshoumaru
silenced that smart mouth with his lips, conceding his defeat for
once. Slender arms wrapped around his neck in immediate acceptance
and he rolled over, pulling his enchantress underneath him. “From
a street rat emerged a beautiful, strong woman that I call my mate.”
He whispered against her rose colored lips.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow when she laughed softly, “Ah, but
beauty is just as dangerous as it is appealing to the eye. You said
so yourself anata. You said that wars have been fought over beautiful
women.” A slender finger came up to trace the demon markings on
his face, “Would you fight a war for me Sesshoumaru?” Her
tone was sly, seductive.

Sesshoumaru pondered that question carelessly as he parted
Inuyasha’s legs and easily slipped between them. Lowering his
head, he gently bit the soft flesh of Inuyasha’s naked
shoulder. “I would fight it alongside you.”

That single statement made Inuyasha’s eyes widen in
surprise. She would be a fool if she didn’t understand the
hidden meaning of those words. She looked up at her mate and cupped
his face, caressing the smooth skin of his cheeks almost
affectionately. “I appreciate that, Sesshoumaru.”

Sesshoumaru hummed in agreement, not really paying attention to
what his wife was saying. His attention was solely focused on her
peach colored skin. He slipped and arm underneath his wife and
flipped them so she was on top of him. She was tired, he could see
that and he didn’t want to add to it. He rubbed soothing
circles on her back and tucked her head under his chin. “You
have been busy yourself. Midori was all praise; she says that you do
your duties as the Lady of the castle very well.”

Inuyasha snorted at the comment. “You know that I do not
like to sit idle. Besides training, there is nothing much I can do. I
am grateful that you gave me the task to organize the youkai
gathering. That gives me something to do.”

Sesshoumaru frowned and looked at Inuyasha with narrowed eyes, “I
didn’t realize, you should approach me if you are uncomfortable
Inuyasha, I cannot help if you keep such things to yourself.”

Inuyasha laughed softly and shook her head. Raising her head, she
looked at her husband with amused eyes. “You are going out of
your way to please me Sesshoumaru; that is uncharacteristic of you
and entirely unnecessary.”

Sesshoumaru traced her faintly bruised lips with his thumb, “That
is because you are not open with your needs Inuyasha. I do not know
what you want. The other females I have courted are very open with
what they want or do not want. I must admit, I am at a loss.”

Inuyasha raised a brow at the admission. She understood that it
was because of his youkai. As her youkai was forcing her to love him
and make sure he takes care of himself, his youkai might have
insisted that he protect her and provide her with everything she
needed and desired.

Regretfully, she kissed his cheek and smiled, “There is
nothing that I desire from you that I do not have. But for now, I
have matters to attend to and you, Sesshoumaru, have a meeting with
the council.”

The Lady of the house slipped out of the bed with the silk
coverlet wrapped temptingly around her naked body. Sesshoumaru raised
a brow as his eyes darkened in desire. It was quite a task to refrain
himself these days. He was now used to the pleasures she provided, he
was now used to her warm body in his bed.

She was constantly on his mind. Sesshoumaru found it difficult
something to concentrated on his work or get her out of his mind,
even for a short period of time. Her presence was always distracting
to him; her scent and her smile were things that he could not bring
himself to ignore.

That both annoyed him and amused him.

Briefly, Sesshoumaru pondered over the reactions of the other
lords when he would introduce Inuyasha to them.

Of course, the first issue that would present itself would be the
fact that she was a hanyou. That would accompany the accusation that
she was not trained enough to handle the western lands alongside him.
Then they would complain that her existence was not revealed to the
youkai world before he mated her.

Of course, he was smart enough not to do that. The Inu-youkai
followed a different set of youkai laws. Normally, the woman’s
consent was not required. She just had to accept whoever was proved
the strongest and the most desirable mate amongst the contesting
youkai.

Inu-youkai gave a higher importance to woman considering they were
rare and powerful. Here, it was the woman who selected her mate and
not the other way round. It was because Inuyasha had allowed him
court her and pursue her that he was her mate. Had Inuyasha refused,
Sesshoumaru would have had no choice but to let go.

Not many in youkai society understood these rules, which was the
main reason behind Kouga’s anger. For the wolf prince, Inuyasha
had insulted him by not letting him fight Sesshoumaru for her hand in
marriage. That alone was the reason for his worry. Their bond was
fragile, unlike other mating bonds. The trust they shared was
tentative and their love was just blossoming. Vindictiveness that
Kouga harbored towards their relationship would harm the bond and
Sesshoumaru wasn’t about to let that happen.

He knew that the wolf prince was driven by instincts. Inuyasha was
an ideal female, strong, capable and of a rare breed. Kouga’s
instincts must have been screaming at him for losing her.

“Inuyasha… have you finished with the invitations?”
Sesshoumaru questioned as he dressed in a simple yukata. He heard the
gentle sound of Inuyasha’s movements in the bath and suppressed
the desire to join her.

“I have nearly finished them. I will complete the rest of
them at breakfast.” His wife’s voice was slightly muffled
by the door, but his sensitive hearing made the conversation
effortless.

He lips twitched in amusement when he heard Inuyasha’s off
tune humming again, her soft, husky voice washing over him and
soothing his senses. Deciding against leaving, he lay back in their
bed and closed his eyes. Whatever song his wife was singing, she
didn’t seem to know it well. A few of the words were missing
and instead she hummed to replace them.

The Daiyoukai smirked slightly and waited for his wife of finish.

As he stayed in their bed, he pondered over their relationship. He
knew that they were hiding under a pretense. He had a lot to make up
for and Inuyasha had a lot to forgive. Their physical unity had not
changed the sense of falseness that was like a shadow over their
budding relationship.

Something was missing, he could tell and he knew that Inuyasha
could as well. There was a barrier between them that he could not
breach. Sesshoumaru didn’t know how that gap emerged but he
knew that it would destroy them and make their bound lives difficult.

He glanced at the shoji door as it opened to reveal his wife with
the glow reminiscent to fresh morning flowers.

He observed silently as she sat in front of the mirror and brushed
her long, rich silver hair, drying it in the light morning breeze
that flowed into the room through large windows. Sesshoumaru knew
that there were many riches in those drawers made from the wood of
Ebony. Beautiful combs that were adorned with crystals and rubies,
necklaces of sapphires and diamonds, everything a woman would need
and crave, Sesshoumaru had bought for her.

She wore none of them except the ring that adorned her slender
left ring finger. The ring signified their union and was the physical
evidence of their relationship. Only that ring had caused her eyes to
glow.

“It is unbecoming of you to stare.” Inuyasha murmured
teasingly and met his eyes via the mirror.

The Daiyoukai narrowed his eyes and smirked, “May I remind
you Inuyasha, that you are my wife and that I have every right to
stare…?” Inuyasha snorted but didn’t reply.
Sesshoumaru continued smirking at her before removing his yukata.
Wordlessly, he walked over to the wardrobe and dressed himself in his
day clothes. He watched with some amusement when Inuyasha walked up
to him and helped him with his clothes.

“You do not seem as impeccable as always my lord.” She
whispered as she tied his obi in a precise knot. “There is
something on your mind that is proving to be a distraction, care to
enlighten me, hmm?”

Sesshoumaru looked down at her as she brushed away the imaginary
wrinkles off his haori before meeting his eyes. The Daiyoukai lifted
his arms and grasped the delicate looking hands on his chest and
guided them around his neck, pulling Inuyasha closer. “I
believe, aisai, that it is time we stop avoiding the topic of our
relationship.” He caressed her supple cheek with his thumb and
murmured, “We cannot survive on physical intimacy alone
Inuyasha, we need to think beyond that.”

The Lady of the west stiffened in his embrace. Her arm sliding off
him, she would have taken a step away from him if he would have let
her. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at his wife, the gentleness that
had graced his face left without a trace.

“Sesshoumaru…” Inuyasha whispered, but
hesitated at his hard stare. Taking a deep breath as looked at him in
the eye sincerely hoping he would understand. “Not yet…
I need time, this is all very new to me, please understand.”

The Daiyoukai considered his mate for a while. It was unusual to
see her less than certain. “You have had time enough already. I
have been courting you for over a month now and you have been my
wife, my mate for a fortnight.”

He pulled her closer and grasped her chin, making sure her
enchanting gold eyes meet his. “I cannot feel you.” He
whispered against her lips. “You perform your duties as a wife
impeccably,” he murmured as his hand slid down her back pushing
her into the cradle of his thighs, “Your body has been a
delight in my bed, but I can easily get that pleasure from a whore.”

Inuyasha winced at the truthful brutality of his words. “But
you not my concubine, you are not here to warm my bed but to be my
companion, to be someone who I can trust without question. Our souls
have not yet bonded Inuyasha, this situation simply cannot continue,
I cannot allow it.”

“I am not ready to bare my soul to you.” She replied
carelessly and flinched when he hissed in agitation against her ear.
He was so close; she could feel his deadly claws through the thick
material of her kimono. Nothing except his eyes showed how enraged he
truly was because of the nature of her response to him. His embrace
was deadly this time but Inuyasha didn’t feel the least bit
threatened.

His arms tightened about her pulling her so close that her supple
breasts were now pressed against his hard chest. A soft growl
whispered against her ear, “Know your place!” he
hissed and Inuyasha trembled, her eyes wide. “I am your mate
and your lord, you will deny me nothing!”

Dear Lord she was trying but this man was insufferable. His
demands were impossible to concur with. If he thought that she was
just going to let him get away with a statement like that, he was
dreadfully mistaken.

Faster than Sesshoumaru could even blink, she pulled back and
grasped the back of his neck in a forceful grip. Inuyasha pulled the
Daiyoukai’s head down so that she could look at him in the eye
with her own enraged, amber orbs. “You have my respect and my
love, husband. I respect you because of your wisdom and strength and
I love you for all your strengths and weaknesses and all your flaws.
However, if you wish for me to entrust you with my soul to and to
permit a soul bond between us, you have to earn it.”

She narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip, so much so that her
claws created angry half-moons on the pale skin of his neck. “You
have tormented me throughout my life, you have shunned me when I was
but a child trying to survive in a world that hates my kind, alone
and unloved. Your prejudice blinded you against your own blood and
the minute you found that I was a female you dropped all those
discriminations, all that hate you harbored for me and asked my hand
in courting.”

Inuyasha sneered, “I am a fool and will always be a fool for
you because I love you so. I gave you my hand when you asked it and
submitted myself to you. Consider yourself blessed dear one.
It takes a great deal of tolerance to love a man as untrustworthy as
you seem to be.” The hanyou took a deep breath and stepped away
from him, releasing her grip and turned away from those impassive
eyes to look at the cheerful morning sky. “I am your mate, yes
and most would consider it my duty to obey you but you should know
better.”

Sesshoumaru was silent and he let her speak. Anger bubbled in his
chest and his youkai’s desire to put Inuyasha in her place was
hard to ignore. No self-respecting demon would let his wife speak to
him in such a manner but his wife was different.

He knew that.

His lips thinned and his fingers fisted in an attempt to control
his anger. He prayed to the Gods in heaven that she does not open her
mouth once again, use that vicious tongue of hers, lest he submit to
his carnal instincts, and raise his arm against her.

Sesshoumaru was unpleasantly surprised at his urge to use physical
violence against his delicate looking wife. Those instincts disgusted
him and brought a snarl to his lips.

He was a Royal Inu-youkai. He had been taught to respect woman of
their kind and he knew that it would be an end to whatever trust they
had managed to accumulate if he lost control.

“Anata…” her soft voice whispered and just like
that all his anger left him, making him feel mildly ashamed of his
violent thoughts.

He had enough dignity and intelligence not to deny
something that had been staring him in the face for a while now. He
loved his woman, he was in love with her and he knew it. “It
is difficult for me can you not see?” She whispered in a tone
that shredded his heart into pieces. “How can I forget that my
happiness is always overshadowed by danger and malice?”

Sesshoumaru stood still as she turned away from him. “Not
until it is safe for us Sesshoumaru. I will not concur to your
demands until I know it is safe to do so.”

The Daiyoukai’s eyes widened as he realized something. She
had been lying to him. She was not willing to permit a soul
bond because of its consequences, not because she did not trust him
yet. That was a revelation.

A soul bond connected lives, souls, destinies of the mates.

Inuyasha was not worried about herself; she was concerned for him,
for his soul, for his life and for his destiny. She did not want to
share that burden with him.

Sesshoumaru knew that he would not be able to convince her
otherwise.

Disbelief coursed through him. Inuyasha never lied. She told
half-truths and evaded questions but she never lied. Now he
understood that which was bothering Inuyasha and all his anger and
skepticism vanished.

She was afraid of constructing a soul bond between them because
she knew that their future was uncertain, at least until both Naraku
and the Shikon No Tama were taken care of.

“Inuyasha…” he murmured with a slightly rueful
shake of his head and stepped forward. He wrapped his arms around the
newly familiar body of his wife and looked down at her bent head.
“Why do you lie to me?”

The hanyou stiffened in his embrace and Sesshoumaru tightened his
arms. “I will not apologize for demanding a soul-bond for you
Inuyasha, it is well within my rights to do so. But I would have
understood your reasons had you explained it to me.”

“Would you have consented?” She whispered against his
chest.

“No.” he answered smoothly, without hesitation. “There
would be no point, my dear.”

Inuyasha looked at him questioningly, “A life without you
would have no meaning to me. I know that this sounds
uncharacteristically romantic and false, nevertheless, what I say is
a fact. Despite your existence and the responsibility of your
upbringing, your mother did not survive for long after father’s
death, did she? She managed 20 years and after that she gave up,
despite your existence, her life held no meaning for her. And they
didn’t have a soul bond.”

Inuyasha sighed, “You are not going to convince me
otherwise.”

“I do know that aisai.” Sesshoumaru said, amused.
“However, if you must be stubborn, I can be equally persistent,
and I do believe that I have methods to convince you that you might
thoroughly enjoy.”

Inuyasha raised a brow at him, “And what would they be my
lord?”

Sesshoumaru stepped away from her, “You shall see.”

The Lady of the house narrowed her eyes at him before
straightening her robes and walking towards the doors, “May be
I shall, but for now, we have our duties to attend to before we leave
the castle to explore the lands.”

She walked out of the chamber swiftly and Sesshoumaru let himself
relax with an amused smirk, “Why must you always keep me on my
toes my beloved?” He shook his head slightly and walked out of
the room mimicking his wife’s swift and elegant stride.

Inuyasha was not an easily woman to control. She was fiery,
possessed a tongue that could strip him of his dignity with vicious
words and she never let him forget that they were equals.

Sometimes he wondered who really was in control of the
relationship. Was Inuyasha’s compliance to some of his orders
was simply an illusion of submission.

Sesshoumaru did not know.

What he did know was that his wife had survival instincts that he
could not even comprehend. She knew how to make the worst of
situations aid her. Sesshoumaru knew that he would have to grit his
teeth and bear the fact that she would not be as obedient had he had
hoped his mate would be.

A slow smirk formed on his lips. ‘How terribly dreary our
relationship would have been had she been as submissive as most wives
are.’ At that last thought, he entered the Chamber where
his council had assembled for the first time since he mated.

He knew they would have questions and let not forget, objections
towards his choice. They would demand to present Inuyasha before then
and he absolutely had no intension of doing so.

The entire chamber fell silent as he entered the room. The moment
he sat himself the most ancient member of his council, Lord Katsuya,
who was his father’s closest advisor and his uncle smirked at
him, “Princess Inuyasha eh child?”

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the blatant disregard of his
title but he did not say anything. “Well, I have had the
pleasure of speaking to her briefly when she was relaxing in the
castle gardens. Fine choice, Lord Sesshoumaru, indeed a very fine
choice. She has intelligence and courage that far surpasses her
beauty… and what a beauty she is… I dare say you are
most undeserving of such a jewel, my boy.”

Sesshoumaru sneered, “Undeserving as I may be uncle,
she is my mate and I shall consider no objections against by
decision.”

By now, the council members were used to the eldest member’s
crass nature towards his nephew but they did not agree with either of
the Inu-youkai’s decision.

“If you are so unwavering in your decision to keep a hanyou
as your mate, let us test her worthiness.” Another council
member said, ignoring Lord Katsuya’s glare. Sesshoumaru raised
a brow and glanced at the other members of the council. He could see
that almost everyone was of the same opinion.

Sesshoumaru knew that his uncle was so impressed and approving of
his choice because he had already been subjected to Inuyasha’s
mysterious charm. Sesshoumaru was not going to speak on his wife’s
behalf. He wanted to see how Inuyasha would handle the situation. A
slow smirk formed on his icy visage, making everyone in the chamber
uncomfortable.

The Daiyoukai summoned a servant and glanced at his council
emotionlessly. “Midori.” He whispered to his wife’s
maidservant. “Where is Lady Inuyasha at the moment?”

Midori kept her head bowed and frowned. “My Lord, your
charge, little Shippou and his young friends are being reprimanded by
Lady Inuyasha for bad behavior.” Midori hesitated a little, “My
Lady is in a rather unpleasant mood this morning Sesshoumaru-sama.”

Sesshoumaru raised a brow and concealed his amusement very well.
He knew of his wife’s temper but his council did not. It would
be amusing to see them being cut down to size by his Lady.

“Inform her that she is required in the council meeting.”
Sesshoumaru commanded and Midori nodded.

The Daiyoukai crossed his arms imperiously and looked at each
council member with a keen eye. He knew each one of them very well.
He knew that they were immensely loyal to him but also rather
opinionated. Sesshoumaru could not say that he disliked it. They were
good councilors, they could make decisions that they knew he would
approve of, without his permission. It helped reduce his workload.

However, it was their insistence to get involved in his personal
life that irked him. They have been persuading him to get a suitable
mate for two centuries now and when he finally meets the one he
desires to send an eternity with, they wish to test her competence.

It would be entertaining to see how his wife handles the
situation.

He did not have to wait long.

The door to the chambers slid open and Inuyasha walked in swiftly
with a very displeased scowl on her soft features.
“Sesshoumaru?” she questioned but there was no mistaking
the displeasure in her eyes.

The Daiyoukai gestured towards the seat, silently asking her to
sit down before glancing at his silent councilors. His perceptive
wife followed his gaze and raised a brow. “What is this all
about Sesshoumaru?”

“It would seem that my council is rather displeased with my
decision to mate you and would like to test you for your worthiness
in being my mate.” Sesshoumaru drawled and smirked inwardly
when his wife’s eyes flashed dangerously. She was exquisite
when she was angry, her eyes blazing with hellfire and her pale face
flushed.

It was been tempting. Starting fights with her just to see her
furious and dangerous. It thrilled him to the core but it was so
much better when that fury was directed at others. Fighting with her
was an exhilarating experience and making up was even better.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha was able to figure out the reason behind
his constant provocation and had reigned on her fiery temper with
astonishing ease. ‘Much to my disappointment.’ He
thought idly as he sat back, waiting for her reaction.

“And what if I refuse?” She asked carelessly and
raised a brow at them, “After all, I am the Lady of the
House now and I have nothing to prove. Or is it…” she
smirked suddenly, her eyes sharpening, much to the discomfort of the
people in the chamber, “…that you do not trust
Sesshoumaru’s judgment?”

One elder narrowed his eyes on her, “It is not that we do
not trust Our Lord’s judgment, child. We do not trust you to
not use your status as a woman and an Inu-youkai princess to sway his
judgment.”

The well-concealed gibe at her integrity was not lost on her.
Despite her temper, she did not rise to the bait.

However, Sesshoumaru, it would seem, did not take well for his
mate to be insulted. “You will hold…”

“Sesshoumaru.” Inuyasha interrupted him softly and
placed a gentle and calming hand on his shoulder. The elegant Lady of
the West turned to the elder and pierced him with her extraordinary
eyes, “Politics is but a play of words, a field of trickery and
deceit and you are politicians while my husband is a Lord and a
warrior. Tell me, council members, how trustworthy your word against
mine is when I am his wife and his chosen mate. His well being is my
primary concern but it is not yours.”

“As your minds age, you grow more skillful at this game of
words.” Inuyasha said calmly, “Nevertheless, I have not
survived in this world without gaining a wisdom that you do not
possess. I can see how many of you are truly concerned about the
welfare of the West.”

Sesshoumaru watched with well-concealed surprise as his wife stood
and walked around the room, pausing in front of each council member
to look at them in the eye. “I shall not lower myself to
perform in these tests of yours. I have a mate to vouch for my
integrity and sincerity and that is all that I require.” She
narrowed her eyes shrewdly and smirked dangerously, “After all,
he is the one who took my maidenhood the day he made me his wife. And
if you do not trust his word in the matter, then you are not worthy
of the position of honor my husband has so kindly bestowed upon you.”

The entire chamber rang with stunned silence and Sesshoumaru
looked at his mate in silent pride.

Through the empathy they shared as the consequence of mating, he
could feel her restraint. He could see as clear as day the annoyance
and distaste Inuyasha felt the moment she entered the room.

She had known that something of this sort would have happened.

And she found it amusing the moment she started speaking and
toying with them.

The silence in the room was disrupted by a frantic knock and the
scent of blood and death. Both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru narrowed
their eyes, “Enter.” Inuyasha spoke, her voice tight with
command.

The guards brought in a severed head and suddenly Inuyasha found
it difficult to breathe.

Sesshoumaru’s eyes iced immediately as he dismissed the
council and they swiftly walked out of the room. The guards were
still, the severed head on a plate and a missive in one of the
guards’ hand.

“Kohaku…” Inuyasha whispered in horror and
leaned unsteadily into Sesshoumaru’s arms. “Oh Lord,
Sango…”

“Shhh…” Sesshoumaru whispered against her ear.
He knew that she did not care much for the boy but she was afraid for
the reaction of her friend Sango. Of course, she did not cry or shed
tears as many females are known to, but she did look distressed.

Sesshoumaru turned her away from the gruesome sight knowing that
she has seen much worse in her life; nevertheless, he refused to let
her be subjected to any more pain when she was under his protection.

He pulled her into a tight embrace, as she grew more worried about
her friend. He looked at the guard and asked him silently for the
missive the accompanied the severed head.

The Daiyoukai kept one arm wrapped tightly around his mate while
the other held the missive.

Dearest Lady Inuyasha,

What interesting secrets you hold. I would have never presumed
you to be a woman, much less a stunning piece of art that you are.

You are a wonderful jewel to possess and I shall possess you.
Oh, I know you will struggle; you are a defiant creature are you not?
Nevertheless, I shall have you before Prince Kouga and Lord
Sesshoumaru do.

Except my first gift of Courting and know that it will not be
the last.

Your slayer friend asked her brother to be returned to her and
I have done so. Albeit, it is just a part of him, however, it is
enough to be content. After all, she should have known that her
brother was a mere puppet and should have not let her hope lead her
astray.

Alas, common sense does not seem so common after all, does it?

Guard your pack well; you might not know when one should
disappear from right under your nose.

With all my regards,

Naraku.

Sesshoumaru snarled and tightened his grip on his wife. He knew
that it would be only a matter of time before Naraku tries something
else.

As he pressed a firm kiss against Inuyasha’s temple, he
promised to himself that he would protect his mate’s pack even
if it meant sheltering humans.

He would to anything to keep her at peace.
- 3
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A lifetime of Illusions