Summary: Kagome emerges. As what, read and find out.
AN: There is a lemon (explicit graphic sex) towards the end of this chapter.
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~ooO Maturity Ooo~
Kagome twisted within the warm not-fluid. She could feel the silken walls brush against her bare skin during her rare waking moments. But most of the time she dreamt. She dreamt of cool charged energies, soothing auras, a powerful dominant presence. He had been there from the start, a constant source of reassurance and stability in her private world.
The first time she had felt him she had been terrified he would drag her out of this safe womb before she was ready but as time passed her fears had faded and she had welcomed him. Unable to vocalize her pleasure she had done all she could to grant him comfort and healing when he was with her. From him she learnt without words. When her energies laced with his to heal him she gained from his essence his knowledge and experience.
A worthy opponent will see through illusions but lies must never be spoken.
Power is to protect what is claimed.
Pack is most important of all relationships.
Destroying for the sake of destruction was for the weak.
If one battles it must be for a worthy reason or against an equal or better opponent.
Control is of utmost importance to not shame lineage with a poor display.
One must return loyalty or be dishonored.
Duty and Responsibility must never be shirked.
And so on.
Big things. Little things. Beliefs. Idealogy. Opinions.
Some she disagreed with. Others she embraced whole-heartedly. Most were accepted as relevant for the Feudal Era in which she now lived.
There was no black or white, only shades of gray.
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Sesshoumaru stared at the faintly pink-blue tinged white cocoon. In the past week the urge to return to this place had been so strong he had cancelled several important meetings without a second thought.
It was nearly time. Soon the miko would emerge from her protective shell.
As though in response to his thoughts the silky material stretched prodded from within. The material thinned and distorted allowing the daiyoukai to see the shadowed outlines of moving limbs. A soft glow filled the cocoon outlining the lithe feminine body in dark relief.
And then the material gave way at one point. Quickly the cocoon ripped falling apart and to the stone surface exposing the nude female form that had been hidden within for so long.
Amber eyes studied the female intently, noting every aspect of her including several additions Sesshoumaru had not expected.
She was clearly not entirely human, not with her pointed ears, fangs, slit-pupil eyes, facial markings in the form of narrow pink strips. The rest of her body had also changed. Her body was fragile-looking, small and delicately made. Even the claws on her fingers and toes had the same delicate femininity that made Sesshoumaru question their usefulness in battle. Her body was slick with the delicately scented fluids that had cushioned her in the cocoon, her black hair was wet and clinging damply to her skin, neck, back and front.
And she was clearly unaware of him. Any youkai would have sensed his presence and power by now but she hadn't. Was she a hanyou? But even hanyous would have detected potential threats by now. Was her senses muted from the change? If so how long would it take for her to sense him and react?
Deciding it would not make a difference either way Sesshoumaru waited. He watched her struggle to find her balance only to fall back on her backside into the nest of silky cocoon fragments and scented fluids. A growl of frustration and loathing escaped her.
Sesshoumaru watched with interest as she first rolled onto her stomach and then shifted onto her hands and knees. The perfect position of a submissive bitch. Red bled into amber as his feet took him to her.
Blue eyes snapped in his direction in a wild panic. She had sensed him! A soft keening sound of fear escaped her as she crawled off the dais and pressed herself against the rocky wall, cringing slightly but knowing there was no escape from the powerful and experienced predator.
Sesshoumaru stripped off his clothing as he walked. His swords and obi, boots, armor, haori all formed a trail behind him as he approached her. All he wore were white hakamas and the white lineage pelt over one bare shoulder.
Blue eyes widened a fraction. "I know you." Even her voice was different. Gone were the high girlish-tones. Now her voice was soft and throaty, well suited to the growls of an inu-youkai. "I know your soul." She looked faintly confused. "You… taught me in my dreams."
Sesshoumarus eyes widened a fraction then narrowed. Clearly she had somehow been absorbing his essence and knowledge as she soothed and regenerated him from within the cocoon. Could she still do that now that she was self-aware and not acting on subconscious instinct?
"Do you know who you are? Who you look upon?"
"My name? My name is Kagome. You… You are Sesshoumaru. Pack but no more." She looked faintly distressed at that confession.
Sesshoumaru smirked. "You are mistaken. You are Pack."
Kagome shook her head. "No. InuYasha denied me." A soft keening sound of mourning escaped her. "He has chosen another. I am nothing. Nothing!"
Now he was kneeling before her, forcing her eyes to meet his with two fingers under one pointed chin.
"You are wrong Kagome. You are this Sesshoumarus. Pack. Bitch. Mate." Sesshoumaru wasn't certain why he said that but instincts urged him to make the Claim. His more logical side also supported his instincts. She was powerful, clearly not ningen, with the power to heal and soothe his body, mind, and soul.
Her eyes widened in shock but before she could protest he pressed his mouth to hers and proceeded to thoroughly kiss her.
Memories from Before screamed at her to run and hide. To flee from this cold beautiful youkai who had nearly succeeded in killing her and her friends.
Memories from Now urged her to submit and obey. To melt into his touch and respond to his caresses because he was the One, the Only One for her.
Sharp fangs nipped at the sensitive cords of her throat raising delicate welts on white flesh. Large clawed hands in her damp hair tugged her head back to expose more of the underside of her jaw and throat.
His name escaped her in soft breathy pants. "Ses-shou-ma-ru."
"Mmm?" He could scent her rising desire. Just a few more minutes and she would be more than ready to accept him.
Then she jerked away from his mouth, flushed, swollen, ripe with need.
"You don't want me!" She cried out. "I am weak! I traveled with InuYasha! The untrained miko! Remember?"
He chuckled softly. "Once, a long time ago, but no more."
"You don't know anything about me!"
"Who do you think you are fooling Kagome? This Sesshoumaru knows enough about you to respect your courage and determination. And now that you are inuyoukai there is no point in denying the attraction."
"So if I was just an ordinary human you wouldn't be attracted to me?"
"Probably. But you are not an ordinary human. You never were."
Kagome glanced at her claw-tipped hands. "I've changed. But what if I never changed? What if I stayed as a ningen miko?"
"This Sesshoumaru would never have approached you." Sesshoumaru answered bluntly. "You have seen how intimate relationships between youkai and ningens end… Badly."
Kagome flinched then stilled. What he said was true. Every single couple ended up parting, one half killed while the other struggled to raise a hanyou child despised and feared by both societies. As much as Kagome hated it she could understand the daiyoukais point of view. He would not want his offspring to go through what other hanyous endured, would endure.
"So you are only acting on your interest in me is because I've changed." Kagome was proud of how steady her voice was.
"Hai."
Kagome wasn't sure of how to react to such bluntness. He was telling her the truth and it completely destroyed her self-esteem. She wanted to run and hide and deny him, hurt him as he hurt her.
"Miko, youkais do not mate for love; it is a fragile fickle emotion that rarely withstands the test of time. What do you know of this Sesshoumaru?"
Kagome blinked. Flashes of memories, experiences, lessons...
"You are guided by your personal honor, not society."
"Do you imagine this Sesshoumaru would Claim a mate with intentions to dishonor his lineage and mate?"
"No…" Kagome trailed off. "But I want love!"
"You want displays of affection, loyalty, companionship, trust, understanding."
"Yes."
"This Sesshoumaru can give all that to you. And more."
And then he pressed her against the wall and brought her body to life with every inch of his.
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Kagome came to and winced feeling the ache between her thighs, the bruises, scrapes and teeth marks in other areas. He had taken her thoroughly forcing her body practically drown from endorphins released from each orgasm. Between short naps he had roused her and demonstrated the ways her body could be pleasured, leaving her trembling, sweaty, exhausted, and sore before he actually experienced his release. She wondered if she would be able to walk anytime today. Wasn't youkai healing supposed to kick in by now?
"Good morn Ka-go-me."
Gingerly she shifted onto her belly to make some space but was quickly thwarted when he moved to straddle her, keeping the bulk of his weight off her smaller frame by crouching over her on his hands and knees.
A soft moan escaped her as the hard lean body behind her shifted her thighs and thrust into her from behind, stretching swollen tissue around his girth. She hissed as he reached the end of her channel. Soft knowing chuckles made her want to turn around and hit him. She could but she didn't.
Last time she did he had punished her by taking her to the edge but refusing to let her climax leaving her inexperienced self frustrated and enraged. She did not know enough to break his control or to satisfy her own urges. Kagome vowed to find some older youkai women or even geisha to get some tips on managing male lovers.
"You are killing me Maru." He had made his displeasure very evident when she had used the diminutive Sesshy, or even Sesshou. Maru was more acceptable to him. She couldn't quite argue since he was Perfection.
He chuckled softly. It was something she had discovered about him in the past twenty hours. He abandoned the mask-like expression and spoke in a more teasing lilt than his usual stony tones during intimate encounters; or at least he did with her. He enjoyed making her cry and scream and growl out her need, her pleasure, her joy. He was not very vocal in demonstrating his satisfaction but Kagome knew she had pleased him by the warm light in usually cool eyes, his voice, his words. He was not denying his newfound attachment to her.
"If this Sesshoumaru wished you dead it would be a done deal." He thrust his hips against her backside in emphasis.
Kagome winced as somehow another inch of hard flesh found its way inside her. She could feel his cock pressing against her belly from the inside. She shuddered as the hard shaft rubbed against sensitive nerves on the inside and the pressure ground her clit against the soft white pelt that was the only thing between them and the stony floor of the cavern.
"Are you reassured of this Sesshoumarus affections? His desire for you?" He murmured softly in one pointed ear.
"Yes."
"And what of loyalty and companionship? Trust and understanding?"
"You care for Rin, even Jaken. You are not very demonstrative but you protect them. And you do not hurt them with careless words. You will never turn your back on those you form ties to. Duty and obligation to the past and the future shape your present actions and your path."
"Can you see yourself sharing that path with this Sesshoumaru Kagome?"
Kagome struggled but in the end found she could not lie. "Yes."
"Then you are Mine!" The growl of triumph ended when he sank his fangs into the flesh to the right side of the base of her neck.
Pleasure and pain mingled from that point where his fangs tore her flesh, as the cold acid of his venom and youki flooded her veins. Kagomes last conscious thought was that of primal satisfaction before she blacked out from overwhelming pleasure radiating from her neck and her core as her body convulsed around his shaft, soaking him and the pelt beneath her in musky fluids.
Sesshoumaru had marked her as his mate.
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TBC…
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