At What Price

SUMMARY: He smiled maliciously at her, as Naraku reached for her again. “Kagome, I was concerned for your welfare over the tragic events of this night. Let me console you.” Naraku walked closer to Kagome and extended his hand for her face.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: : ) Hello once again. Here is the latest drama from deep in the thoughts of my weird mind.... Hahaha! Anyways, Enjoy. Plus the disclaimer is at chp. 1 Thanks to all that reviewed this humble story.

CHAPTER 43: FLEEING INTO MOONLIGHT
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He had seen it all. What a sight. For once, he was glad he didn’t leave right away after all. A joy, of an evil kind, filled him. He followed the grief stricken goddess out of the ballroom through the foyer, and from the foyer to the opened French doors that led to the terrace and then too the gardens. ‘She is quick,’ he thought. ‘But, not quick enough to elude me.’

Naraku followed the blur of silver iridescent material fleeing into the moonlit shadows of the night. Kagome couldn’t hide from him, for he knew this land like the back of his hand. Naraku had been here before in the past, a long time ago.

Kagome wanted to run forever. To leave behind the pain and hurt that so cruelly tore at her soul. It was gnawing at her from the inside out. But, she threw that imprudent notion away with the wind when her side started to pinch, causing a sharp stabbing pain coursing through her sides. So, Kagome stopped unwilling, deep within the forested garden. Her breathing was labored and tears flowed like a never ending stream down her rosy cheeks. Kagome’s eyes of granite stone, saw a large oak tree a few feet away from her and went to rest her emotionally and physically tired body against it. The bark of the tree was rough and rigid against her back as she sagged alongside it, however; its biting sting didn’t compare with the words Inuyasha used. Kagome thought that the tree would hide her from the prying eyes of their guests, however; she didn’t count on one of them to be her unknown stalker who had just followed her.

“Kagomeeee.” The leaves rustled at the sound of her name being uttered.

A familiar cold seeped into her again just like at the club. The ring on her hand started to burn in warning. Kagome felt the dire urgency for safety. It was like her soul craved it, like air to breath. The need to be protected consumed her.

Naraku reached out to touch Kagome from behind. His hand touched her bare shoulder sending shock waves of nefarious feelings into her being. It was all it would take to implant a tinge of darkness into her pure soul.

Kagome screamed into the night and flinched violently at the unknown person’s touch. ‘Get away!’ the voice screamed inside her. She moved to face the person that was violating her person. Her silver-blue eyes met evil crimson ones. His wavy brown hair fluttered around him. ‘Naraku? What is he doing here?’ Kagome let her guard down. “Naraku?”
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Sesshoumaru growled at his brother who seemed to be in a totally different world. “Leave!” He whispered in a menacing tone, but it was like he had screamed it at the top of his lungs. Sesshoumaru’s guests all but stampeded out of the palace estate in a boisterous rush fearing for their lives. Then, Sesshoumaru walked out of the ballroom in search of his Kagome, but that’s when the scent arose out of nowhere.

Kikyou got up from the floor with a splitting head ache. Her hands grasped onto the back of Inuyasha’s purple tuxedo styled jacket to help pull herself up. Kikyou cursed the bastard silent in her aching thoughts.

Inuyasha was snapped out of his daze when Kikyou pulled on him. He didn’t remember when she got to his side. But, it was evident that she had another palm print on her face. ‘How the hell did she get that? Kagome? No, Kagome didn’t do that.’ The gears slowly clinked way in Inuyasha’s head. ‘Sesshoumaru! That fuck bastard hit my woman.’ The past fifteen minutes that were a blur come flooding back. ‘Kikyou smacked Kagome. Sesshoumaru slapped her back in retaliation.’ Kagome’s words hurt him, like it was cutting his soul into two with a double edge sword. Then the ultimate betrayal. Inuyasha picked Kikyou up in his arms and left the estate. Has far as he was concerned Kagome no longer existed in life. Or, at least his.
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He smiled maliciously at her, as Naraku reached for her again. “Kagome, I was concerned for your welfare over the tragic events of this night. Let me console you.” Naraku walked closer to Kagome and extended his hand towards her face.

Kagome inched back, but she couldn’t retreat anywhere with the oak tree behind her. Something inside her physically made her pull back, even though she was too frightened to move. “I’m fine thank you.” Kagome mumbled. “Please, I would like to be alone, if you don’t mind.”

“But Kagome, I do mind. I couldn’t possibly do such a thing. It wouldn’t be gentlemanly of me at all.” Naraku paused with a cynical smile. “So, you weren’t lying when you told me you were seeing someone.” He reminisced.

“No. Please, I won’t ask again, leave.”

Naraku ignored her pleas and continued to stalk towards her slowly. ‘Kami, I loved her fear.’ “Am I also right in assuming, that you had your fiancée help Inuyasha’s company?” His voice was now tinged with loathing, however; he graced with her a sadistic smile despite the recollection.

‘Oh, Kami he knows! He knows that Sesshoumaru backed Inuyasha’s company. Oh, kami!’ Kagome felt a familiar constriction in her throat squeezing shut. Naraku was getting too close within Kagome’s zone of personal space, which he seemed so intent on to violate. Now, he was lonely a foot from her.

“SESSHOUMARU!!!” Kagome felt his name tear through her lips.
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He heard her scream into the night for him. Sesshoumaru raced with incredible speeds, at which he had never gone before.

Naraku laughed mockingly at her. “Do you really think that I will let this go Kagome?” his tone became wickedly sweet, as to draw her in. “You interfered with something you should have stayed out of. Now, you will pay my lovely. No one denies me.”

The barrier went up around Kagome, but this time she was still very conscious. She felt the ring on her finger surge with an unknown ancient power. It didn’t scare Kagome, in fact, it almost comforted her. Naraku, she perceived, moved in nearer so that he was inches from the barrier. Kagome’s eyes widened at what she saw him do.

His hand approached her face again, but the barrier repelled him back. Naraku wasn’t deterred though he attempted to force his hand to breach the barrier. It hissed and crackled with dark energy at his touch, but still it wouldn’t give way. Naraku wanted to know her thoughts, her mind. ‘What was inside that beautiful head of hers?’ He asked, only to get bits and pieces of information at the brief contact of flesh. One of which, was very useful.

Kagome’s breathing was becoming shallow. Instincts told her to block his hand coming at her. She did. It sent Naraku’s hand flying back away from her. His hand was blistered and rare from the powerfully charged barrier.

“I wonder Kagome,” Naraku asked seemingly unbothered by the pain in his hand, “if Inuyasha knows what you gave up for him?”

Kagome cringed when she saw his hand and felt sick at his words. But, she didn’t look away for the evil aura that was growing around the devil before her.

Naraku smiled at her. “Hummm… good to know that you are a fighter Kagome. I will enjoy breaking you all the more.” He breathed deep and could smell Sesshoumaru approaching, and then he vanished into the night.

Gold eyes faded into a blood red has he gazed into the night searching her. Sesshoumaru found her shaking like a leaf against the oak tree with a barrier erected around her. “Kagome?!!” He said in an untamed demonic voice the caused the barrier to rattle.

The barrier around Kagome shattered about her, and then she ran to him. Sesshoumaru caught the strong scent of the bastard in the air. It was the one who dare touch her before! He had been here.

Kagome threw herself against him. His claws dug painfully into her arms.

“Did he hurt you, Kagome?” He snarled.

“Naraku? No. He was…” Kagome squeezed him harder into her, not paying attention to the nails piercing her skin.

“Naraku?” Everything started to fit into place at the mention of the name. “He was out here with you?!” ‘That bastard will pay for this. I will rip him to pieces.’ Sesshoumaru thought. Naraku was once again one step ahead of him.

“Yes, but he left after I screamed for you.” Kagome could fell his youkai energy coming to the surface again. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Kagome buried her face into his jacket crying softly. “The ring.” She hiccupped. “It was like it protected me, but I don’t know how.”

Sesshoumaru rage passed with her heart wrenched plea. He felt drawn to her sorrow. Sesshoumaru encompassed in his arms around Kagome, and carried her to their room. He had much to do, and had much to think about. Sesshoumaru needed to protect this business deal. He had already invested too much into this to let her go. “That ring was my mother’s Kagome.” He didn’t know was he was telling her this. “It was giving to me, after the death of my mother a long time ago, in the hope that I would marry. The ring is known to have protecting powers, but that is unusual, especially that you could tap into them.”

Kagome was partially listening and talking to herself in incomplete incoherent phrases. “Mother’s ring?…It shouldn’t have happened like this… I should have told him… The look in his eyes… Naraku knows… Sesshoumaru… I had to have you with me…”

“Shhhh! Kagome, you don’t have to explain.” Sesshoumaru made his way silently to the chamber that they shared. ‘I will never leave you unprotected again,’ he vowed. ‘Tonight it will all change.’