Chapter 1

The whelp was a disgrace, this he already knew. However, it seemed that the half breed's shame knew no bounds. Turning the missive over in his hands he looked out the window, ruminating. It had been during his last visit to the village to check on Rin that he had heard from his little girl that Inuyasha had been absent from his home with the miko as of late, and was not to be seen or heard from for many days at a time. His ward was like the miko, a caring individual with a kind heart. It had been for this reason he knew that his ward had mentioned the miko. As she had told him that the miko had been sad the last time she had seen her, and was concerned about her. His ward did not wish to see the miko, whom she considered a close friend, and looked up to as a mother figure sad, or unhappy.

This he thought was odd, as he had thought that his half brother had mated the miko. Since the defeat of Naraku, the small group had decided to settle in the village; Inuyasha and the miko shared a hut in Inuyasha's forest, not far from Kaede's own hut where Rin stayed. After dropping Rin off, with a pat to the head, and a cheery goodbye from his ward he had walked towards the Miko's hut. How very odd he thought that the brash, and possessive hanyou was gone from the village, and his miko. He knew Inuyasha to be possessive of the woman, unwilling even in some instances to share her with the miko's kit. Where had the whelp gone? As a newly mated pair, his half brother's instincts would have insisted that he stay close to his mate.

It didn't make sense, as he had walked closer to the miko's hut he smelled only her scent, it smelled as if his half brother had not been anywhere near their hut in days. In fact, as she came out to greet him, he took another discreet sniff of her scent, and received a partial answer. The miko didn't smell strongly of his brother, and could detect no scent mark on her. He was beginning to suspect that she didn't bare a mating mark either, however he would have to have the miko pull the collar of her kimono aside to confirm his suspicions.

It had been during their final days before the defeat of Naraku that he had come to a tentative truce with Inuyasha's group. He had no real interest in the slayer, or the monk. However, the Miko by virtue of having been claimed by Inuyasha meant that she was pack. As alpha, it was his duty to oversee his packs welfare, which meant the Miko, and her kit were included.

"Hello Lord Sesshomaru." Her voice was soft, and welcoming. He hadn't seen her in six months since the hanyou, Naraku's defeat. He'd been busy, and had been unable to relieve himself of the duty to his lands until recently, to come and check up on Rin, and the rest of his pack.

"Miko, it has been brought to this Sesshomaru's attention that the half breed has not been around as of late. Where is my idiot brother?" A small little frown brought down the corner of her lips, and her brow creased. The Miko didn't give anything away, however there was a subtle change in her scent. She smelled of rain. It was sadness that tinged her scent. "Do you have time for tea my lord?" Not waiting for an answer, she turned her back, and walked back inside – she knew I would follow. I wanted answers, and I wasn't leaving until she told me what I wanted to know.

As she busied herself gathering the tea pot, and tea leaves, and placed the kettle on the fire I watched her. The scent of rain was stronger now in the hut, and I could tell as the minutes passed by that she was straining to control herself in front of me. She brought out the cups, and set them on the tray by the teapot. She had yet to say anything, and I was growing impatient.

"Miko." She started, startled out of whatever thoughts had been occupying her mind. She looked up at me, unsettled. "Sesshomaru, I do not know where Inuyasha is. I have not seen him in almost a month." As she finished speaking, she reached over the fire and grabbed the now boiling kettle and poured the water in the tea pot. She set the kettle down, and brought the tray between them – ready to serve once the tea had finished steeping.

It wasn't the answer I wanted, and she knew it. She refused to look at me. Her eyes were cast down, and her hands were clenched on her lap. He was going to have to drag the answers out of her it seemed. "Miko, my brother declared you as his chosen before the pack, shortly before I left after Naraku's defeat. It has been six months since that time and his scent is barely noticeable on you. What happened after I left?"

A pink blush bloomed on the Miko's face, her scent lacing with a slight twinge of embarrassment. Humans were easily embarrassed. The miko reached for the tea pot, and poured the tea. She reached for my cup and placed it in front of me, and took her cup in her hands. He felt her conflict, her aura was flickering, and her brow had a slight crease. "My lord, two weeks after you left Inuyasha and I moved into our hut and we were…." And here she stuttered, her cheeks colouring again. "We were intimate. I had asked Inuyasha before we consummated our relationship, what it meant to be mated by youkai customs, and he told me that once we shared intimacies, that meant that we were mated. I spoke with Sango, and she said that she didn't know much about youkai customs when it came to mating, and that if that's what Inuyasha had said then that must be what was required to be recognized as mates. That time when we first moved in together was the first, and last time I was intimate with Inuyasha." Looking down at the floor, she softly spoke again. "I asked Inuyasha if we could be married by my human tradition as well as youkai custom, and he told me that being mated was enough. It was a month or so after we had moved in together that he became distant, and started leaving the village. At first only a few days at a time, and then his trips got longer." Here she looked down at her tea cup, visibly upset. "My kit recently left for training at a kitsune village for the winter, it was a few days after that, that Inuyasha left. He never let me know he was leaving, I woke up one morning to find him gone. I have not seen him since that day."

Taking a last sip of my tea, I set the cup down. "Miko, loosen the collar of your kimono so that I can see the left juncture of your neck and shoulder." Looking slightly confused, but willing to obey, the miko gently loosened the folds of her kimono and pulled her collar aside. Inspecting her bare skin, it was as I had suspected, the hanyou had not mated the miko. There was no mating mark.

The whelp had lied, and willfully deceived his chosen. His half brother had fallen to new lows. Letting a growl slip out, the miko startled and looked at me. Her voice soft, carried over my anger. "Sesshomaru, are you alright?"

"I am fine Miko. The half breed has lied to you." Here she braced herself, he could see it in the stiffening of her spine. She sat before him rigid, and he could see uncertainty in her eyes. The miko closed her eyes, as if to shore up her courage, and then spoke, "What do you mean?"

"You are not mated. And from what you have told me you are not even bonded under human tradition. In bedding you, without marking you or marrying you, he has made you his whore." Here the Miko gasped, and then it hit me – the scent of salt. I watched as a tear tracked down her turned face – she didn't want me to see her tears. A small sob escaped her mouth, and she completely turned away from me, unable to contain herself.

I wasn't sure what to do, I had so little experience in comforting humans, and yet the disgrace brought upon her no female deserved. From what he had seen of the human female and her treatment of her own kit, and that of his ward, he knew her to be a responsible, and caring female. Females were to be cherished, and treated with the utmost respect. They bore the males young, and cared for the pack. When Rin was upset she would cling to his leg and cry, or curl up in his lap. He wasn't entirely certain if any comfort he could offer would be welcomed by the miko. Standing up he walked around the tea service, and sat down next to her. Considering her for a few moments, he reached up and grabbed the miko's shoulder and pulled her back towards him. She offered no resistance, and fell back against his chest. Gently, he wrapped his arm around her, and silently watched her shoulders shake from sobbing as she shed her tears.

After some time, it seemed the Miko would shed no more tears, and had grown quiet. Shifting herself, she pressed a hand against my chest, and lifted herself up. Her cheeks red, and her eyes puffy from crying she turned her face away from me. This annoyed me, twice she had turned her face from me. A female of the pack was to look towards their alpha for comfort, not away from them in embarrassment or shame.

"Miko." Here she looked up, sad and uncertain "Yes, Sesshomaru?"

"You will refrain from hiding yourself from me, regardless of your upset. There is no shame in it, and you are pack. You will not hide from me. At this she struggled not to look away. "Yes, my lord." I brought my hand up and gently wiped a stray tear from her face. She looked so lost, and broken.

"Miko, I will be returning it two days time to retrieve you and my ward. The half breed, by not claiming you has left you unprotected, and vulnerable. By leaving you without his mark to declare you as his, he has left you open to other youkai advances with less than honourable intentions." Pausing he could see her struggle not to start crying afresh. "I will walk you to Kaede's hut, where you will stay with Rin. I will explain the situation to the older miko. You will not be staying here in this hut by yourself." He could see that she was about to protest. "You will not argue with this Sesshomaru."

"But Sesshomaru." My eyes narrowed at her. Eyes down cast she murmured, "My lord, I do not wish to burden you." Grabbing her left wrist, I lifted it to my mouth. Curiously she watched with a strange sort of detachment as I bit down on the inside of her wrist and pushed some of my aura into the open punctures, completing the mark I removed my fangs and licked it – sealing it shut."You bare my mark, as personal pack of this Sesshomaru – you are mine now to care for, and protect. You are no burden Miko." At this, fresh tears escaped down the miko's face. She was clearly upset about what I had said and was struggling with herself. It seemed the half breed had much to pay for, if the Miko thought herself a burden.

After the miko had settled, and composed herself I stood up, and held out my hand to her – she looked up, unsure at first. And then took the offered hand, and lifted herself off the tatami mat. Moving forward, I stepped out of the hut sensing the miko close behind me. We arrived at Kaede's, where I settled the miko, and explained the situation to the elder. Looking at the miko currently talking with Rin, and braiding her hair, I was satisfied that my ward, and the elder miko would keep her distracted until I returned. Standing up, I signaled my leave. Rin came up and gave me a smile, and said good bye. The miko, stood up and walked towards me, hands twisted together in front of her. I could see she was unsure what to say. "I will return in two days Miko, do not wander." Looking up at me, she nodded her head, and softly said, "Yes, Sesshomaru." Satisfied, I turned and walked out of the hut, and left.

Thinking back, shortly after I had arrived back at the western palace with the Miko, and my ward it tow, I called for Jaken to meet me in my study. I had left the miko, and my ward with one of my servants to settle them into their quarters. When Jaken arrived in my study, I informed him that he was to seek out my half brothers' whereabouts, and discover what he was occupying his time with. Now it seemed I had my answers, looking back down at the missive my eyes flickered red. According to the missive, Jaken had discovered Inuyasha further east from the village – and mated to another hanyou.