I've decided to start a new story…an InuYasha story! I'm pretty excited as InuYasha was my first fandom ever. I hope you all enjoy it!
Also, I would like to point out that there are hanyou and youkai in this story, but it isn't a deciding factor in everything and therefore is not a huge part of the story.
Prologue
Kagome smiled down at the simple silver wedding ring adorning her finger. It fit perfectly with the beautiful engagement ring she had worn so proudly for the last four months, only bringing out the splendid shine of the brilliant diamond in the center of her ring.
Mrs. InuYasha Taisho. At long last, she thought, tears threatening to spoil her makeup. It wasn't the first time she'd had to pull herself together that day; she'd nearly been a raccoon-eyed, blubbering mess countless times since before the ceremony even started. Walking down the aisle, her veil being lifted, turning to her beloved friends and family as they were announced as husband and wife…it had been the hardest thing in the world to hold back.
But she had done it and she would continue to do it throughout the reception. All of high society was there, glorifying in the decadence that came with two overly-wealthy families coming together. Other than the few friends she could trust, many of them would kill to see her a mess, but she refused to give them that satisfaction on the happiest day of her life.
Married. To the man of her dreams. Someone who had given her the most romantic year of her life. How could she hold back tears of joy?
Giving herself another moment to pull it together and ogle her rings, she allowed her smile to grow wider and glanced up to find her new husband. While she and her bridesmaids were giggling over their champagne, InuYasha had gone to mingle with some of his potential business associates. Wherever he was, he was no doubt dominating the conversation, making sure that everyone was aware that his ruthlessness was much worse than the rumors led them to believe.
Kagome turned her grin towards her friends, murmuring, "I'm going to go find InuYasha, guys. I'm thinking I might be able to get him to sneak out early. Cover for me?"
Her maid of honor, Sango Taijiya, smirked over her shoulder at the other women lining the table, being sure to stage-whisper behind her hand, "Kagome's running off to finally get her some-some, girls!" She winked back at her best friend, long brown hair curling enticingly around her face. If Sango had had any interest in such things, she would have been a fantastic model. Alas, she was more into her college lacrosse team than posing in front of a camera.
"Oh, shush! I think she deserves to run off from this society soiree; she and InuYasha have never had a moment without someone following them around. Namely all those idiotic paparazzi!" Rin Takahashi responded with a wave of her hand, trying to hide her smile behind her champagne flute. With her low side ponytail, she looked elegant yet innocent, as evidenced by the blush spreading across her cheeks at Sango's innuendo.
Ayame Tsuyosa—well into the Coors Light pitcher she had insisted be put in front of her—snorted at that, rolling her eyes and running her hand through her wild red hair in frustration. "What did the two of you expect, Kagome? In New York, you guys are, like, two Royal Families. I'm surprised there weren't even more paparazzo following you around. I mean, we actually made it to our hair appointments today without anyone demanding to know if Kagome was pregnant with the next Taisho heir! How the hell did that happen?!"
Unable to stop herself, the bride let loose a full, embarrassing laugh at her three friends and their antics as she turned to walk away.
All they were saying was true, of course. With all their societal obligations and the papers wanting to know their every move, Kagome and InuYasha hadn't had any time for…things since they'd first started dating. Their every move had been documented and it had brought an obnoxious amount of scrutiny into a relationship that could have gone so much farther. Physically, at least.
And it was all because of the families they were born into. Kagome was the daughter of Ichiro Higurashi and Gen Omoiyari-Higurashi, two powerful people in their own right. Ichiro had inherited a small, failing shipping magistrate and had managed to not only pull it into the black once more, but expand it across the entire Northern Hemisphere. And Gen Omoiyari had been the compassionate head of many charities that gave support to many needy people around the world. Their marriage had been almost as big as the event that Kagome and InuYasha's had been made to be and Kagome's birth made her one of the most powerful heiresses in the world.
Yet that was still nothing compared to the scandal and power that swirled around the Taisho family near constantly. Inu Taisho had married his first wife, Kazuko Yoyaku, out of obligation, practically forced down the altar by both their families. Unfortunately, even the birth of his first son, Sesshomaru, wasn't enough to keep the two together; they quickly and quietly divorced after he was born and kept a strained yet polite relationship alive for their son's sake.
But what really caused scandal was Inu's sudden elopement with a common nurse Izayoi Takahashi—who was actually Rin's adoptive aunt—who he had met after she started taking care of his dying father. When they'd run off together, the gossip pages had gone ballistic, wanting to know where they'd gone and why. So when the two had shown up out of nowhere nearly two years later with an infant InuYasha, wedding rings, and Inu back at the helm of Taisho Enterprises, it had caused the biggest stir in New York City history.
Not to mention that, when InuYasha graduated college and ready to be a part of the company at long last, Sesshomaru renounced his heir status and built his own company from the ground up. Though he made a clear effort to be a part of all the gatherings the papers expected him to be a part of, Sesshomaru's distaste for his half-brother and step-mother was palpable to all those around him.
That's not even the stuff that involves InuYasha directly, either, Kagome thought sadly, remembering the look on his face every time reporters brought up Kikyo.
The woman he'd lost to his arch-nemesis, Onigumo Naraku, a shady, rich man. The woman who was killed because of her involvement with Naraku.
With a sigh, Kagome tried to force those thoughts from her mind, focusing on the beautiful day of their wedding. She was the new Mrs. Taisho, determined to make InuYasha as happy as possible. She was the one he chose to be his wife and she would be damn good at it!
Smiling with the poise and grace that had been bred into her at the guests that stopped her with well-wishes, the new bride kept her eyes peeled for any sign of her silver-haired, hanyou husband. She was shocked to find that he wasn't with Kouga Ookami—a former rival that became his reluctant business partner under Ichiro's suggestion—or Miroku Houshi, his closest friend—or as close as InuYasha allowed anyone.
Where could he be? Kagome wondered, finally able to slip away and wander freely through the hotel.
It wasn't like him to just slip away like that without telling anyone. Especially at their wedding reception. He had rarely left her side throughout everything, even though it was obvious that he detested the pictures and constant attention.
So why had he decided to sneak off alone when it was officially okay for the two of them to sneak off together?
"Well, son, I'm proud to call you a part of the Higurashi family."
Dad's voice? Is he talking to InuYasha? They have to be having one of those man-to-man talks in one of these rooms….
It made Kagome happy to know that her father liked InuYasha so much. In fact, they had seemed to hit it off right away, always talking about which direction Higurashi Shipping should go to stay in the running with its rivals. It seemed like they enjoyed each other's company enough, which was really all the Higurashi heiress could ask for.
"That's great, Ichiro, but I don't think it's a good idea to talk about this here," InuYasha replied, sounding bored and annoyed. Was her father trying to talk business even at her wedding reception?
She got nearer to the door that muffled her father's chuckle. "I'm just glad that I can keep Higurashi Shipping in the family and still have it joined with Taisho Enterprises. It's comforting to know that all the hard work I've put into my company won't be going to waste."
What? I didn't know InuYasha was taking over the company. Wasn't Dad determined to sign it over to Souta and I?
Confusion ruled her. What the hell were they talking about? Shouldn't she be involved in some of this, considering InuYasha was her husband and she was being combed to be on the board? None of this was making any sense!
She started to worry. Was something wrong with her father? Was he sick and worried about the company's standing without him? It was true that neither she nor Souta were ready to take the helm, so maybe he was just trying to be sure that the company was in sure hands. He wouldn't sell everything out from under us.
"It was a great idea for you to marry my daughter, InuYasha; now the company can at least stay in the family."
Kagome froze, not knowing what to think. Was her father just glad InuYasha had proposed or….
InuYasha seemed to scoff at Ichiro. "Well, it was either that or attempt a takeover. I just don't have the energy to deal with that. A wedding was easier. Besides, I have to think about heirs and society shit now; I need a well-bred woman by my side."
Well…bred?
That was all it took to break her heart. How could she have been so stupid, so blind? She had thought that the whirlwind romance they'd gone through had been because he'd been as smitten with her as she was with him. But really…it had been because he'd wanted a good wife and broodmare. Someone that would do as she was told and look good on his arm.
Glancing down at the rings on her finger, she felt as if the world was closing in around her. Everything was…wrong. She had only wanted someone that would love her for the rest of her life. She'd wanted someone to share everything with, to have children and grandchildren together. She'd been so controlled her whole life, wanting to be the perfect daughter, friend, role model. All that she had really desired was someone that she could be herself with, even when she wasn't perfect.
Anger suddenly erupted within her. She might be a fool, but she wouldn't be fooled twice. She wasn't going to go through with this farce any longer, not when she knew the truth. Not only was she too stupid to realize that InuYasha had never felt anything for her, but she was too blinded by unconditional love for her father to see that he had only ever been worried about the company. They wanted to make her out to be a fool?
So be it. She would show them.
Furious—truly furious—for the first time in her life, Kagome grabbed the doorknob, twisting it decisively and throwing open the door. The two men in the room just stood there, gaping at her as she raged.
She must have been quite a sight, standing there with her fists clenched angrily at her sides in her flawless, pure white wedding gown. All done up and ready to kick some ass, she stormed forward, yanking those damnable rings off her fingers and throwing them straight at the man who had given them to her.
"This was all some business deal?! My feelings and emotions meant nothing to either of you?!" she shrieked, only further enraged by the lack of response in InuYasha's face. Did she really mean so little to him? "You only married me so that you could have some quiet sap to bear your children and look good standing next to you?"
Crossing his arms over his chest, InuYasha leaned back against the chair behind him, raising an eyebrow at her outburst. "Listening in, were you?" he responded sardonically, though she could see the quick flare of temper behind his eyes as he turned to glance at Ichiro. "Didn't you teach her that eavesdropping isn't proper manners?"
Her father gave a nervous laugh, running his fingers raggedly through his hair as he often did when he was called out. "I'm sorry, son; she's always been a bit of a wild child. But don't worry! This will be easy enough to break her of. Her mother was the same way until she got herself pregnant."
Kagome could see red as she turned on her father. "Excuse me?!" she cried before stomping over, stabbing a finger in his chest. "Don't you dare talk about my mother or me that way! I can't believe you would barter with your daughter's life just for some stupid company! You're despicable!" When he merely glared down at her as if to shush her, she couldn't contain herself any longer; the tears started falling freely. "You're supposed to be my father! You're supposed to want me to be happy!"
"Oh, sweetheart, of course I want you to be happy," he responded lightly, gently brushing a stray hair behind her ear with a soft smile that almost pulled at her heartstrings. "And someday you'll be very happy with all the children you'll have running around to keep the Taisho line going."
Those words were enough to give her strength to shake him off and turn her back on him…just as he had done to her. Her broken gray eyes sought InuYasha's gold ones, hoping beyond hope that he might say something—anything—that might fix this terrible situation and her heart.
All she found was annoyance as he reached down to pick up her rings. "You really shouldn't throw around these rings like that; this is a very fragile ten grand," he said, shaking his head as he grabbed her left hand to slip them both back on.
She snatched her hand away, burying that one and the other in the fabric of her dress to lift it off her feet. "I'll do whatever I like, you pig!" Stomping away, she turned to look at them only from the doorway, spitting, "In fact, I'll go get this whole thing annulled right now! I'm sure there's someone in your extensive contacts that you've invited that will help me figure all that out quickly."
Barely able to make it two steps, her arm was grabbed by fingers like shackles, spinning her around. InuYasha's face was livid, finally showing some emotion…but not the one she needed to see. "You think I'll just let you run away like that? You're my wife, Kagome, and that isn't about to change anytime soon!" he practically snarled, dragging her closer.
"You can't make me stay with you!" she answered just as sharply as she fought for him to release her. "You can't make me do anything! I'm going out there and finding someone to end this idiocy right this minute!"
It was scary. For just a moment—the longest moment of her life—there was complete silence. But it wasn't like the calm after a storm. No, this was just the eye of it all. There was a tension that caused Kagome to think she might be watching her entire short life flashing before her eyes. InuYasha was so eerily still that she had no idea what he might do, and she realized that she also had never had any idea of who he really was. Or what he was capable of.
His jaw clenched once…twice. Then he leaned his face a little too close to hers, showing his fangs in a dangerous smirk. "No one out there will help you because I will destroy any of them that would even think of it. You are my wife. Those vows we took earlier today? 'Til death do us part," he murmured as he put the rings back on her finger with a quick move.
Kagome couldn't believe it even though she knew the truth behind his words. She had no way out, not so long as he didn't want to let go of her. Panic seized her at the thought of being forced to stay in this marriage, making her eyes widen as they stared into his. Her mouth fell open, her breathing became ragged. God, she could feel her heart threatening to pound out of her chest as fear made her nauseous.
She might be a Higurashi, but that was nothing compared to the power InuYasha could weild as a Taisho. No one would dare to listen to her—not even the media. No one would care about her plight and the only person who might be able to do anything—her father—was more than happy to see her rot in a loveless marriage if it meant his company was still in the family yet run by someone more capable than either of his children.
As InuYasha dropped her hand with a smug smirk, she tried to gain control of her terror at the prospect. She shook her head even as he seemed to try to sooth her, saying, "Just go up to our room and relax. We're setting off for our honeymoon in the morning, so get some rest."
Ordering her around. Demanding that she calm down and get over her whimsical dreams of love. Pretty much telling her that she was just another employee to tell what to do.
A strange calm overtook her, evening her breathing and making her able to lift her gaze to meet his. This all won't matter soon. I might not be able to annul this or divorce him, but none of this is going to matter soon.
"Fine," she said after a moment of silence, lifting her dress once again as she turned towards the elevators. Loving this sudden ability to act haughty—like a true wife of obligation—she threw over her shoulder, "Make the proper excuses for me. I'll be in my room. I don't want to be disturbed. Tell my friends that the four of us will need a girls' day as soon as possible."
Then she walked away without glancing back.
Two hours later, Kagome was disguised as a hotel attendant, slipping through the kitchen to get out the back door. No doubt someone would soon be on their way to check on her, whether it was InuYasha or one of his bodyguard lackeys. She needed to get the hell outta Dodge—and fast. If she was able to get out of New York, he would never be able to find her; she had a few friends that would help her under the table to get away.
Then she could file for divorce somewhere that didn't have all the judges in InuYasha's pocket. She didn't care if the Higurashi name was dragged through the mud anymore; all that mattered was that she needed to be free.
And fast.
She was out on the side of the road quickly, hailing a cab. She had brought her purse with—thank God for that foresight—and had even managed to shove an outfit or two inside. There was enough cash to get her on a plane and out of the area. She would sell her rings when she ran out.
"Where to, miss?" the cabbie asked, his eyes catching hers through the rearview mirror as she slid in the backseat. She could see that he sensed a familiarity and quickly broke eye contact, pretending that she had to find something in her purse.
"JFK Airport, please. I'll pay you double if you make it as fast a trip as possible," she answered, not having to try very hard to sound desperate. "I'm supposed to meet my boyfriend there and I'm running late."
He paused for a moment, but he obviously couldn't stop himself from wanting the extra cash in his pocket. "Of course, miss," he said.
When he stepped hard on the gas, she was grateful to be thrown back in the seat. She was even more grateful when the hotel disappeared from view.
"Kagome! Is that really you?!" Sango cried into the phone, tears choking her. After a week of the entire city searching frantically for her, it was such a desperate relief to hear her best friend's voice. "Oh, God, what's going on? What happened to you?!"
"I don't have time to tell you about that, Sango. I know he's looking for me," Kagome responded sadly from the other end. "Next time we talk, I promise to tell you everything. I swear, you will know everything. But right now I just want you to tell Mama, Ayame, and Rin that I'm okay. They can know everything later, too."
There was a click on the other end, signaling that Sango's best friend had ended the call. "Kagome? Kagome!" the woman shouted, choking as tears trailed down her cheeks. Dropping the cellphone to the table, Sango hung her head, breathing, "Please stay safe, Kagome. And come home."
She didn't know how long she was there, shaking in the chair and crying. She knew she had to trust Kagome and believe that she was okay, just as she said she was. It was hard, but she had to do it. Otherwise she would just be a mess.
So she forced herself to do as Kagome had asked. Picking up her cellphone once more, Sango found Mama Higurashi's number, deciding she was the one that needed to know first and foremost. Just as she hit the call button, it hit her.
Kagome had called Sango first, not her mother. She hadn't called her desperate mother, but instead her frantic best friend. That meant that Kagome couldn't trust a call going in to the Higurashi house for whatever reason. The heiress wasn't the type to let her mother worry any longer than necessary; she loved her too much.
"Hell-hello? Sango, is that…is that you?"
Snapping upright, Sango wiped her nose with her arm, taking a deep, shaky breath before speaking. "Mama Higurashi? C-can we meet up somewhere? I think…I just need to see you. I think the girls could use it too." Don't say anything about Kagome calling until it's just the girls. If she wants to keep this a secret, I have to respect that. "I'm just…so worried about Ka-Kagome."
There was a pause on the other side, followed by a quick intake of breath. "Yes, Sango. Mama's here. Tell the girl's to meet at the house; we can have a girls' dinner."
"No!" Sango cried, unable to control it. Then she sniffled again. "I mean, I think it would be good for all of us to go out somewhere…private."
Another pause. "All right, honey. Let's meet at that little café K-Kagome was always raving about."
I hope you have all enjoyed the first chapter of Wedding Night Scandal! I swear all will be revealed with time. And yes, InuYasha is a total asshole this chapter. I'm sure he can be redeemed, however. ;)