Arashi's POV

I paced outside the doors to the ballroom, trying to convince myself to go inside. Every time I would move to open the door, I would hear laughter and move back again. I was already annoyed, and it didn't help that father had forced me to wear a stupid corset and a western style dress. Why couldn't I have just worn is kimono like I had wanted to. He insisted on making me miserable. For about the twentieth time I set my hand on the door and looked at my claws. I may have lived in the palace of a powerful inu taiyokai lord, but this little hanyou was feared by humans and dispised by demons. If I went in there, everyone would either ignore me or chase me out. I chuckled under my breath. Here I was on my sixteenth birthday and I was attending a party for my spoiled older half-sister. I finally drew as deep a breath as my corset would allow and opened the door. Everyone stopped in mid-step and looked at me standing in the doorway. I knew what they saw. A tall, lean muscled girl with thick black hair and peircing blue eyes. Clawed hands clutching at her skirt and fuzzy black ears perched on top of her head. I held my head high as I walked into the crowded room and everyone stared at me as if I were some animal in a zoo. Suddenly I heard a high shrill voice rise over the crowds murmurs that I recognized as my sisters.

"Come on everyone, don't let my stupid sister ruin my party."she said it so arrogantly.

Everyone snuck one last glance at me before returning to their eating, dancing, or gossiping. I clutched my skirts even tighter in my grasp and looked around the room. I felt a grin spread across my face when I found my friends camped out in a corner of the room. I looked at Kagome and Sango's kimonos in envy, as I made my way to their little base camp. We had all met each other seperatly, then introduced each other. We were all so happy for Kagome and Inuyasha, as they had finally become mates. The same for Koga and Ayame, and we all had a pool going for when Miroku made a move on Sango. I was happy for my friends, but I wished that I could find a mate like Inuyasha did. My inner demon had actually found a male that she believed was our mate, but that would never happen. I was snapped out of my musing by a hand on my behind. I turned and slapped the offender in the face, and low and behold, it was Miroku. He chuckled and backed away from me slowly as Sango pulled me into a tight hug. She squeezed me so hard that I thought I would pop, and set me down. I looked over at the newly mated couples, surprised to see that Kagome was now a Hanyou like Inuyasha and I.

"Congratulations you guys. May Kami bring you much happiness and many pups."

Inuyasha and Kouga blushed while Ayame and Kagome beamed. I only wished that I would someday know that kind of love, but I quickly pushed thaw thought away as I heard someone walk up behind me. I didn't know who it was, but I guessed that it wasn't someone we normaly associated with. I turned and found myself staring into a set of large golden eyes. It was the man my inner demon wished to claim. Kai Harashi. I had been introduced to him by Sesshomaru several months before and every time he was near my heart would race, and I would suddenly get very nervous. This perfect inu taiyokai had my heart in his hand and his didn't even know it. He stood there, looking at me for a moment before offering his hand.

"Would you like to dance."

I was in shock and couldn't get my mouth to respond, so Sango did it for me.

"She would love to."

she pushed me forward and I stumbled. I would have fallen on my face, if a strong pair of arms hadn't wrapped around my waist, holding me against him. Why was it impossible to think of this man my mate. I suddenly was pulled away from Kai and into another set of less strong arms. Oh yeah, thats why. Tamaki. My dad had thought it was an ingenious idea to arrange a marriage for me, and so I was saddled with Tamaki Souh. He was a worthless womanizer that put even Miroku to shame. He was a wimp and not worth the time of day it would take to give him all of the attention he wanted. He was so annoying. I pushed away from him, flattening my ears against my head as I gave him a deep warning growl. By that point, he knew not to push me or I would maul him in his sleep, so he backed off. I looked back at Kai, but he was off dancing with a friend of my sisters. Kikyo. She had played with Inuyasha a while back, but she had apparently moved on. My heart sank as I watched them. My demon wanted out, wanted to rip Kikyo apart, because she knew that once Kikyo got her claws into someone, it was almost impossible to get out unless she let you out. My demon had already claimed him, without my permission, and seeing another female with our mate made her seeth and wish to rip her apart. I felt someone touch my shoulder and I snapped at them. I immediately regretted it when I realized that it was Inutasha. I whined an apology and he chuckled.

"It's okay girlie. Hurts doesn't it?"

we looked back out to the dance floor where they spun without a care in the world. I pulled at the chain around my neck and nodded. He poked down at the pendant I was running nervously along its chain, and smiled.

"It gets better. It won't last forever."

I nodded like I was paying attention, but Indy mind was somewhere completely different. I looked back at my friends and tried to concentrate.

"You're all in your usual rooms, with an exemption of Inuyasha, Kagome, Ayame, and Kouga. Mates are rooming together. Sango, you'll room with me, and Shippou will room with Miroku."

I had to get out of there. The moment I was done, I turned on my heel and ran out of the room. My demon was coming out. I had to get outside and quickly, but first I had to get out of that stupid corset.

After a quick stop to get out of that dress and into a kimono, I was in the woods behind the house trying to get away. If got didn't ever far enough, I would hurt someone. My demon was screaming at me to turn around and tear Kikyo's head off, but I kept running. If I gave in, I wouldn't stop until everyone was dead. Thats why I needed a mate. Only my mate could calm the raging beast inside of me. I had given up hope ago long time ago, accepting that I wouldn't find a mate. I was to distracted by the war raging inside of me to notice where I was going. I ran that entire night.