Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. This story is rated for a mature audience and may contain language, violence, sex, and/or gore.

oOOOo

It felt too early when Kagome woke him for the day. Both Emma and Grace had been determined to drain every last drop of energy out of him – and succeeded from his perspective. Yet despite his late night, Kagome was determined to get him out of bed obscenely early. She was polite enough to look away as he covered himself in the towel she got for him from the bathroom. He had barely left the bed when a swarm of maids rushed in and began changing the bedding.

"This morning," Kagome continued, impossibly chipper for being so early in the morning. "I have Cecile here for you."

"Are you serious?" he asked, groggily as he rubbed his eyes. "I just woke up. I barely have the energy to stand and stay awake."

"I understand, but that's the schedule." She smiled sweetly, hands behind her back. "Cecile would be more than happy to assist you in the bath." Beside her, the woman nodded happily. "Master Taisho was rather fond of having company when he took his morning baths."

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. He was still undecided how he felt about hearing all the ways his father bedded the women around here. On one hand, it felt necessary for him to find a rhythm to living here. The other, it was somewhat disturbing knowing the intimate details on how his father operated.

"Fine, whatever." I did agree that I wasn't going to fight this, but come on! Without another word, he headed to the bathroom and left the others to work. Inuyasha expected a lackluster performance from himself, but was surprised at how much energy he got once he lowered himself into the steaming water. Despite the gauntlet Emma and Grace had put him through the night before, he was easily able to keep up with Cecile. More, he thought he did a damn good job considering. The first time, he sat half submerged on the stone bench lining the side opposite of the waterfall. With her back pressed against his chest, Cecile sat on his as lap he thrust into her, his hands cupping her breasts and running along her wet skin as her moans filled the bath. With her head resting against his shoulder, he was able to see her pleasure-filled face as he got her close to orgasm. Finding himself not satisfied with just one, he had her leaned over the side of the bath as he pounded into her from behind. She was much louder the second time around, her legs nearly giving out as he emptied his second load into her. He was proud that his second time managed to get her to climax as well.

Despite her exhaustion, she helped him dry before he shooed her out to let him dress alone. Leaving the bath more tired than he entered, he found Kagome waiting for him outside. Self-conscious about being half-naked with only a towel covering him, he cleared his throat and tried to look confident. He took a few steps towards her. Beyond, he could see his bed where clothes were laid out for him. I can dress myself you know. "Were you standing out here the entire time?"

"I was," she said. It was annoying how adept she was at keeping her face neutral. She gestured to the clothes lying on the bed. "I made the bed and laid out some fresh clothes for you."

"So you—"

"You seemed to find the energy after all," Kagome said with an amused half-smile. Her head followed him as he moved past her. "How was last night?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Exhausting." Knowing that wasn't what she wanted to hear, he stopped to face her. "But enjoyable." She gave him a dazzling smile, clearly pleased by what she heard.

"That's wonderful to hear! Tonight I was thinking—"

"Kagome?" he cut in, raising a hand to stop her.

"Yes?"

"That doesn't mean I want one every night." I mean, you weren't seriously—he saw the look on her face and realized she had been planning it. "That's an abuse of trust, and you know it. Not to mention I don't think I'd survive," he added quietly.

"I…" She nodded. "I may have been a bit – zealous – of my desire to get back on track." She gently gnawed on her lower lip as she looked up at him. "Would… every other day be okay? At least until everything is caught up."

He took a moment to think. If every threesome was like last night, every other day might be too much. Sighing, he gave a slight nod. "Just until we catch up," he said thrusting a finger towards her. Inuyasha was beginning to understand why his father preferred one at a time. They got breaks, while he was constantly up for performance. Now I know how a dairy cow feels.

"Thank you," Kagome said. "I know a lot of people will be happy to hear that. We were all a bit anxious by how far we are behind our goal. The solstice may seem far away now, but it will be here before you know it."

Seeing his opportunity, he leapt on it. "Speaking of the solstice," he said, trying to keep his tone casual. "What exactly happens? Seems to be a big deal."

"For you? Nothing."

He frowned. "That wasn't what I asked."

Stepping towards him, she gestured to his clothes. "One day at a time, okay?"

It was clear he wasn't going to get an answer, which annoyed him. "See, that doesn't make me feel any better about things. I know you don't want to overwhelm me, but at the same time, no one likes being left in the dark."

Kagome avoided his gaze as she walked across the room to where the single bottle of alcohol rested on the table. Picking up the glass he used before, it was clear she was going to take it to be replaced with a clean one. "You're going to have to trust me. I promise you it's nothing you have to worry about." Turning, she gave him a thin smile. "If anything, it's a break for you."

Inuyasha wasn't sure how to take that, so he just stood there with a hand against his hip to ensure his towel remained in place. He sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, it's clear you don't want to talk about it."

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it—"

He waved her off. "Just… let me get dressed." Inuyasha did his best to ignore the pained expression that flashed across her features, but he was too irritated to care.

"I'll go make sure breakfast is ready for you." Turning his back to her, he waved her off. He didn't move from the side of the bed until he heard the door close behind her. Looking down at his clothes, he was once more blown away by the wealth he now had. He was fairly sure it was custom made. That it had no brand name stitched anywhere farther cemented his belief. Regardless, it was as fine as clothing as anything he had seen in stores. Better even if you considered how it seemed to perfectly fit him. Tossing the damp towel on the bed, he quickly began to dress himself. Once dressed, he looked at himself in the mirror. He barely recognized the man in the reflection. While the fashion was undeniably rustic and a tad bit dated, it fit well with the environment he was in. It reminded him of an aristocrat with his loose white shirt under a grey vest with gaudy gold buttons. Combined with his black slacks, it matched well with the black and white uniforms the women wore around the house.

Leaning a bit closer to the mirror, he brushed at his white hair. He had one of the women trim his hair to where he was used to it, but the damn thing grew like a weed on steroids. It had only been a few days and it was already halfway to his shoulder. In another few days, it'll be past my shoulder again. It wasn't that he disliked the look of him with long hair, it was just a pain in the ass to maintain.

Rubbing his eyes, he rolled his head a few times. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to himself in the mirror as he rubbed his hands. A grin formed as he thought about the breakfast waiting for him. "Time for the best part of the day."

oOOOo

There was a rhythm to life in the manor, and Inuyasha was getting better at stepping to the beat. Kagome would wake him just after dawn where he would have a few minutes to prepare himself for his first woman of the day. Depending on his mood, he either made love to her on the bed or in the bath. After dressing, he would head downstairs for breakfast. Miroku and Kikyo would bug him throughout the experience with mundane things like personnel and maintenance issues – despite him having nothing to do with either of them. Hell, he didn't even think they would let him weigh in on the issues. Their job was just to make him aware of them and what they were doing about it.

After breakfast, he had lessons with Kikyo. She had, thankfully, lightened up since he had allowed Kagome to manage his schedule. She was almost pleasant to be around. Almost. She was a great teacher, but her drive to perfection rubbed him the wrong way. He was convinced nothing he did would ever satisfy her. He always found himself overjoyed when Kagome came to the rescue at noon with another woman in tow. After making love to the next woman, he would come down for lunch. By then, he was starting to feel the strain of lack of sleep and the exertion these women required from him. It was a weird feeling. While it was physical exhaustion, it was unlike any he had felt before. No matter how little sleep he had, he always managed to spring to life in the morning after a few minutes of walking around. The more women he was with, the harder it was to get the energy to do anything. It was like each one was draining him of something more than just physical energy. In a way, he guessed they were. The thing that creeped him out most was his hair. After one or two women, his hair would begin to turn black again in weird streaks. After the third, it was usually completely back to it's "natural" black. Come morning, it always returned to platinum white.

His afternoons were free after lunch. He spent his time in different ways. Despite his weakness in the literary arts, he found himself reading more once Miroku gave him a tablet and showed him how to access the vast collection of books available to him. Kagome had managed to convince him to give horseback another try, giving him a structured lesson instead of taking him somewhere. Inuyasha was still not convinced and his backside agreed.

Following dinner and listening to the mundane issues of the day, Inuyasha was once again free. Usually, he was so drained that he retired early – or at least as early as he could considering his final task for the day. True to her word, Kagome rotated between one and two women for the night. Now that he had four threesomes under his belt, he wasn't sure how he felt about them. Grace and Emma had set the bar high with their performance. While the others had left him far from wanting, it was clear they weren't as into the experience as those two had been. And as fun as the threesomes were, he couldn't deny he never felt as perky in the morning and was often more exhausted by the evening.

Before he knew it, another week had passed. He had been on the island for almost a month now and he was still no closer to figuring out what the hell was going on than he had the first two weeks. He was also amazed by just how many people he had slept with. Now that he was on Kagome's brutal schedule, he had just about slept with every woman in the manor and was starting to work through them again. There had been a noticeable shift in the general mood. For one, he was far more comfortable walking around and greeting everyone. The women no longer looked at him with hopeful eyes – or at least, they no longer seemed desperate to attract his attention. Inuyasha wasn't a complete idiot. He could tell they would have dropped everything had he offered, but it no longer felt like he needed to do it. The atmosphere was no longer thick with tension as everyone seemed happy with how things were going – minus Kikyo, who he was convinced was never happy. He found himself passing time by talking to the many people who worked the manor. While it was interesting learning about them, he also felt guilty having slept with so many people without knowing anything about them. He was only just starting to get everyone's name down.

Taira, Inuyasha thought to himself as he looked up at the raven-haired beauty. She had her eyes closed, mouth parted slightly as she rocked against him. I'm pretty sure her name is Taira. He tried to distract himself from the heat and pressure that was pulling him closer to release. The problem was the more he thought about it, the more unsure he was. It would be awkward to ask now, wouldn't it? As he watched her pleasure-filled face, his eyes caught sight of a few white streaks in her hair – the same color as his own. It wasn't just her either. All the women he had slept with had various degrees of white in their hair now. Yet as creepy as it was to him, the women seemed to take it as a badge of honor. He had overheard several conversations bragging about the color of their hair.

"Master Inuyasha," she gasped, eyes opening to reveal their dark brown color. Hearing his name brought his attention back to the present. She moaned his title a few more times as she ran her hands up his bare chest. He really didn't enjoy being called "master" during sex, but it was one thing he couldn't get them to budge on. By the third time, she was moving much faster making it increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything other than her beautiful pert breasts…

"Oh fuck," he groaned, thrusting his hips up as he came. Tossing her head back, she sighed in content as his seed flooded into her. Collapsing his head back against the pillow, he breathed deep as his orgasm faded. Taira – he was convinced now that was her name – remained atop him until he began to soften within her. Knowing her time was at an end, she lifted a leg and dismounted him. Being his second woman today, he felt the familiar drain start in his chest, as if an important part of him was missing. His arms and legs felt heavy as he remained sprawled on the bed. Inuyasha was too exhausted to react to her cleaning him up, only vaguely aware of her leaving the bed to dress.

"Thank you again Master Inuyasha," she said from the side of the bed, waking him. He hadn't realized he nodded off.

"Huh? Oh. No. Thank you Taira. You were fantastic." He took a calculated risk calling her by name. The reaction was worth the risk. By her smile, he knew he had gotten her name right. Giving him a quick bow, she retreated from view. Once he heard the door close, he rolled off the bed and began to dress. Like always, the more he forced himself to move the less heavy his limbs felt. Still, he was never back to one hundred percent after. Adjusting his vest, he opened the door and nearly ran into Kagome.

"Oh! Master Inuyasha!" she said, lowering her raised fist. He realized she had been about to knock. "You are finished already?"

He was getting used to the casual sex talk, but there was something about talking about it with Kagome that made him uncomfortable. Now that he thought about it, he always felt weird when he was with her. Not weird in a bad way, just… weird. Inuyasha had the sense that the other women here looked at him as the master in the truest sense of the word. It felt as though he were on another plane, and they were just lucky to have his attention for that briefest of moments. With Kagome, it was something different completely. While she still technically followed his orders, she carried herself with much more confidence. That even though he was technically superior to her, he wasn't some untouchable entity that completely negated her self-worth when she was around. She wasn't the only one. Both Kikyo and Sango acted like that around him, but he had seen Sango only sparingly and Kikyo… well… was Kikyo.

"I know I have some issues, but I never figured being premature was one of them."

Her eyes widened in shock. "N-no! That wasn't what— There are no complaints—"

"Kagome," he said firmly, reaching out to place his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him. "I was joking."

She smiled sheepishly, face flushing slightly. "Yes… Of course."

Removing his hands, he gave Kagome a quick once over as he realized she was out of uniform again. It was different than the other time. While she was still wearing jeans, she was in noticeably nicer clothes. She was wearing a white sleeveless shirt that was longer on the left side, the right side ending just below the belt. The lower portion of the shirt reminded him of the ocean waves before they crashed onto the shore. Her hair was also done differently. While it normally hung free, today it was pulled back into a ponytail.

"You look… nice," he said lamely. Her cheeks reddened a few shades more as he cleared his throat. "Something special going on today?"

"Actually – yes," she said as if his question reminded her why she was here in the first place. She gave him a wide smile, which caused him to be extremely uncomfortable for reasons he couldn't put his finger on. "You've been working hard and I figured you could use a break. I was hoping to take you for a chance of scenery. Since it is technically supposed to be my week off, I wondered if you wanted to come with me."

He paled slightly at the thought of another horseback ride. He was seriously contemplating asking for another woman. "Err…"

Seemingly following his thoughts, she looked slightly disappointed. "It has nothing to do with horses." Inuyasha let out a relieved sigh. "Not that there is anything wrong with that," she added with pouty cheeks.

"No. No of course not," he hastily agreed, not believing a single word of it.

"However, I did promise you a movie." That got him to perk up. "So I talked with the theater and—"

"What are we waiting for?" Inuyasha asked, sliding out of his room. He was already a few steps down the hall before he heard Kagome rushing after him, laughing.

"You haven't even heard the movie!"

"Doesn't matter!" he called over his shoulder.

He was surprised to find Miroku by the door. "I've talked to the theater. You will have it for the afternoon."

"Thank you," Kagome said, finally catching up to Inuyasha as he stopped before the door. Inuyasha gave her a curious look as Miroku opened the door for him.

"Enjoy the movie Master Inuyasha," Miroku said as he was hurried out the door by Kagome. Goro was waiting next to the open car door. Once he and Kagome climbed in, the door closed and he made his way around the car.

"I figured you would be uncomfortable, so I asked Miroku if he could talk to the owner and have him close the theater for the afternoon."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

Kagome nodded. "Of course. Technically, you own the theater. You own everything here actually. No one is going to fight you when you make requests like this." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Though, you have to be reasonable. And indulgence or two is perfectly acceptable, but no one likes a tyrant."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, shifting anxiously in his seat. He wished Goro would speed up. While he waited, he tried to think back to the last time he had been to a movie. He gave up when nothing came to him.

"I was wondering what to show, so I talked to Miroku," Kagome said, trying to fill the silence that had built between them. "He told me you have been reading quite a bit of science fiction."

Inuyasha shrugged. "I just like the space stuff. I tried reading a few of Dad's books, but…" He sighed. "It's hard to get into a porn book when you are living one."

She giggled. "Master Taisho never read them for that."

Inuyasha frowned. "Then what?"

"The relationships. Master Taisho was a romantic."

"He was having sex with over forty women. He didn't want for relationships."

Kagome's expression fell, her eyes on her lap. "I suppose you could say that." Inuyasha knew he was missing something important, but didn't press the issue. It was clear that whatever ran down that rabbit hole was personal. He was a bit surprised when she continued, looking him in the eye as she spoke. "But is a relationship just about having sex with someone?"

Inuyasha was confused by the question. Of course it isn't. His old life had been built on and around people whose relationship with sex had been a means of income. Still, sex played an important part in a real relationship. If you liked someone, you had sex with them. That's how families are created after all. He knew that most, if not all, the women he had slept with wouldn't be jumping to have his children, but it wasn't as if they disliked him. Everyone genuinely seemed to like him – even Kikyo in her weird way. Each day, he was getting more comfortable with talking to them, getting to know them as people. They returned that whole-heartedly. He rather enjoyed the after-sex chats he was starting to have. The people here had such interesting backgrounds. Yvette was one that came to mind. Born in 1605 France, she had been on this island for nearly four centuries. She was even acquainted with his grandfather, the first Master of the island. Talking to her had been eye opening. She had one hell of a story on how she eventually found herself halfway across the world stranded on this island.

"Isn't that what you do in a relationship with someone you like?"

"Well, yes, but—" She stopped, looking at him. Finally, she simply smiled. "You're right. I suppose Master Taisho was a bit silly." He could tell she was just saying that and didn't actually believe it. Inuyasha was sure he was missing something important, but had no idea what it was. After being on his own for so long, he was just happy to be around people who enjoyed his company and looked at him instead of through him. Granted, he could use a little less hero-worship.

The conversation died when they arrived at the theater. Looking out the window, his eyes looked up at the display in awe. Being the middle of the afternoon, the bulbs were off. He could only imagine how wonderful the place looked at night with all the lights on. Now showing: Marvel Marathon.Frowning, he glanced over at Kagome as Goro walked around the car to let him out. "What's 'Marvel Marathon?'"

"Ah, that's what's normally playing. They are playing one Marvel movie a day until they get through the entire collection." She thought for a moment. "I think they are on 'The Avengers' right now."

"Huh." He climbed out of the car, continuing to look up at the sign. A couple walked past, offering a greeting and bowing their heads in reverence. Awkwardly, he gave a sloppy bow and returned the greeting.

"Better get used to that," Kagome said now beside him, watching the couple as they continued down the street. "They aren't going to mob you like before, but they are never going to treat you as an equal." He frowned, shaking his head.

"I'm a man just like any other."

Snorting, Kagome grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the doors. "Not many men are walking fountains of youth. Come on. We still need to get snacks."

The movie turned out to be something called Star Wars, which was apparently an original trilogy. Kagome said there were more movies, but he was only going to see the first three – which turned out wasn't the actual first three, but actually four, five, and six. The whole thing was confusing. One thing that wasn't confusing was the popcorn. He had never taken drugs, seeing what they did to people firsthand, but he was sure this was as close to crack as you could get. He vacuumed up the first tub before the Death Star was introduced, causing a giggling Kagome to go get a refill. Overall, he was transfixed by the visuals, sounds, and food. Kagome had to shush him several times, reminding him politely of theater etiquette – something he didn't see a point of since they were the only ones there. With the defeat of the second Death Star and rolling credits, Inuyasha left the theater with his head spinning.

"That was better than sex," he said, belly uncomfortably stuffed with a fourth tub of popcorn. He was carrying the fifth tub with his right arm – unwilling to part without something for a snack later tonight. He turned to Kagome quickly as they reached the waiting car – nearly spilling the popcorn at the same time. "And Darth Vader was his father? What the fuck!"

Kagome laughed. "I'm surprised that wasn't spoiled for you."

"I don't get out much."

"I remember seeing it for the first time too – and having to wait for the next one to come out."

"Ugh. That must have been torture." Inuyasha followed Kagome into the car, Goro shutting the door behind him. It had gotten dark outside and the theater was brightly lit, but he was still too excited to bother looking. He nearly missed the crowd that was waiting outside, but it was hard ignoring the mass of people who bowed reverently in his direction. "The graphics were amazing. It was like I was actually there."

Kagome laughed harder at this. "Oh man. You are in for a big shock when you see something more… modern."

His jaw nearly dropped. He couldn't see how it could be any more lifelike than that. "I can't wait to see the next trilogy. Aren't they a prequal? We should see them tomorrow!"

"Hmm. I'm actually curious how you'll react to them. But remember what I said about abusing power? Why don't we give it a few days at least?"

He let out a disappointing sigh. "Fine."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Kagome said, not meeting his eye. "I know how exhausting your job is."

"Hmph," he said as he stuffed a handful of popcorn in his mouth. Why the fuck am I still eating this? He already felt like he was going to split down the center. "And whose fault is that?" She didn't answer him. Not that he was expecting an answer anyways. He had said it teasingly, and he hoped she recognized that. Giving her a few sideways glances, he tried to gauge her mood. Kagome was sitting with her hands folded on her lap, her head turned towards the window. They were leaving the outskirts of the town now, so the lights from the housing began to fade, causing shadows to dance around her features. He felt his face flush.

Is this a date? he felt himself wonder as he looked at her. It was just the two of them. Inuyasha was dressed up, though he wasn't sure that counted since his entire wardrobe was stylish now. The clothes he had brought with him had mysteriously disappeared long ago and he'd discovered people got irritable when he tried to pick out his own clothes. More evidence was Kagome herself. She was clearly dressed up in nicer clothes than the last time they had gone out. He wasn't an expert in female fashion, but he was sure it was at least a step above casual.

The idea of being on a date made him self-conscious. Kagome was a gorgeous woman – they all were. However, there was something different about her. Besides Kikyo, he had spent more time with Kagome than any other person on the island. Because of their near daily interaction now, he was slowly getting to know about her. Yes, he was doing that with the other women in the manor as well, but this happened more organically. He had never been close enough to anyone of the opposite sex to ask out. This was probably the best chance he had ever had in his life. Besides, it was clear Kagome cared about him, right? He felt pretty attached to her as well. Wasn't that the most important thing?

Yet despite all the checks in the "yes" box, he hesitated. As limited as his knowledge on the subject was, he knew it wasn't natural for an interested woman to bring you other women to sleep with. She was always so upbeat when she announced who would be his next bed partner. More, Kagome was also there when he was finished, that same brilliant smile asking if he enjoyed it. As if there was ever any doubt about it. Even with his blunders, the women were all experienced and took it in stride, adapting and taking the lead when it mattered.

Goro pulled to a stop and Inuyasha realized in surprise that they were already back to the manor. Walking around to the side, he held open the door for Inuyasha and Kagome to exit. Craddling his popcorn tub, Inuyasha faced Kagome. Her ponytail blew in the salty breeze coming in off the ocean. Reaching up, she brushed a few errant strands from her face and gave him a warm smile. He nearly dropped his tub.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself." He simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Besides, it would be hard with the lump in his throat. "Good. Do you want me to have the kitchen make you something?"

He shifted with the tub awkwardly, suddenly anxious around her. Damn thoughts and feelings. "I think I'm good for the night."

She nodded. "I'll see you in a few hours then?" He was about to ask what for, then realized she would be bringing his nightly appointment.

"Sure," he said solemnly. Reaching out, she brushed his arm and walked past him. He watched her retreating form as she climbed the stairs to the manor. Realizing he was ogling her ass, he pulled his eyes away and followed after her.

oOOOo

Inuyasha was on his second glass when he heard the knock on the door. After telling them to come in, he quickly finished the remainder and refilled it for a third. He was a tad woozy. While he wasn't new to drinking, the stuff on his table was strong and he had just downed a decent amount in record time. After storing his popcorn, he had taken a quick bath in the hopes he would calm down. It was like his mind was fixated on Kagome now. He kept running through "what-if" scenarios that had zero chance of playing out.

"That was full when we left," Kagome said, clearly seeing the sizable depletion from the bottle.

He shrugged, not facing her. "I was in the mood." Inuyasha could hear the judgement in her voice.

"Well I sincerely hope it doesn't affect your performance tonight."

Sighing, he lowered his head. His shoulders felt heavy as he sat the glass down on the silver platter with a clank. He turned. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to—" Shocked, he stopped when he found Kagome standing there. Seeing his expression, she tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"Something wrong?" she asked. She had changed back into her uniform sometime after they arrived back home. That wasn't what got him. Looking from side to side, she was undoubtedly alone.

"I should ask you the same thing." He paused. "Do I get the night off?" Hearing the words aloud, he actually felt himself excited by the prospect. Sex was great, but by evening, he was already tired. Not to mention the third time always seemed to affect him the most – whether it was one woman or two. He didn't so much fall asleep as simply collapse in exhaustion.

Her smiled betrayed her confusion. "Why would you think that?"

"Well… You are alone," he said as if it was obvious – because it was.

Her face reddened slightly. "That's because your partner tonight is me." Stunned, he stared dumbly at her. Seeing his reaction, she looked a little hurt. "I do work here as well," she huffed, planting her hands on her hips.

"Err, right," he said, quickly turning around. Holy shit. Despite secretly hoping for this situation, now that it was right in front of him, he was terrified. It was as if his body was frozen. Now I really do need that drink. Fortunately, it was right where he left it. He coughed after downing it in one go.

"Is the thought of sex with me really that bad?" she asked. Glancing over his shoulder, he found she had moved a few steps towards him.

Shaking his head, he set the glass down while resisting the temptation to refill it. Three in and he was already feeling the effects. "It's not like that." She cocked an eyebrow in interest, but said nothing. "Think of it as… Liquid courage." Kagome was uncomfortably close now, steadily stepping towards him.

"Courage? What for?" she said in a throaty whisper. His voice caught in his throat, unable to escape as she hovered inches from him, her head tilted to look up at him. She had a thin smile on her face. It was clear she was enjoying watching him squirm.

This is all happening so fast. It was only a few hours ago that he had awaken to the fact that she was, in fact, a woman. Now, here she was ready to jump in bed with him.

"You seem nervous."

"A little," he admitted, glancing away from her steady gaze.

"No need to be." He could feel her hands rub against the front of his thighs. "This is just." He could feel his pants loosen as she undid his belt and button in a few quick movements. "Another." His pants were sliding down, along with his underwear. Her eyes never left his, but he could feel her warm hand against his rapidly growing erection. "Night." Her voice was a whisper as she sank to her knees.

Inuyasha backed into the table behind him. The tray and glass clattered noisily as he used his hands to steady himself as his erection disappeared into her wet mouth. "Oh fuck," he gasped, feeling her hands run along the underside of his shaft. Her fingers gently tickled his balls as her head slid up and down on his sensitive tip. He had gotten blowjobs before, but rarely were they anything like this. Kagome was skilled in this particular art, and was masterfully performing her craft. A small part of him wondered if it was truly her skill, or if it was the person herself that made the experience so intense.

Like the others, she stopped when he was getting close to climax. It was an annoying habit of theirs. They would pull him to the edge, but stop before he reached that critical point. From there, the only chance he had of relief was doing the work himself. He was still using the table for support as she got to her feel before him, a sly smile on her face as she slowly licked her lips. Backing away, she slowly began to undo her uniform. One piece at a time fell to the floor as she approached the bed. Sadly, she turned right before she exposed herself completely. Twisting her torso, she beckoned him over as his eyes slid over the smooth skin of her shoulders and back. He was quick to follow, eager to see what she had been hiding beneath the uniform all this time.

She laughed at his reaction. "You seem cured of your anxiety." Her smile faded when he stood before her, staring down at her. Her face had grown serious as her brown eyes stared back into his. Inuyasha's eyes fell onto her slightly parted lips, his heart racing. After all this time, he had never wanted someone as much as he wanted her. Slowly, he started in for a kiss. He was mere inches when her head moved back, turning slightly. It was subtle, barely noticeable from this distance, but he did notice it. The spell was broken and the heated atmosphere between them cooled. It appeared she hadn't even noticed doing it, but for him, it was like being pushed into a pool of ice water. In that moment, he realized that whatever feelings he had for Kagome were just that – his feelings. To her, this was her job, just like all the others.

Then what was everything up until now for?

His body seemed numb from the shock of the revelation, barely noticing her pulling him onto the bed with her. Hands holding his, she drew him in between her spread legs. Guiding him to her, his instincts took over as he slowly drove himself into her welcoming embrace. Her legs hugged him tightly, locking around his back as he jerked his hips against her. Kagome's moans were sweet music to his ears, urging him forward in the hopes to reach new heights and create even more beautiful sounds. His concerns and worries fell aside as the blanket of pleasure wrapped around his body, blinding and numbing him to everything besides her. Grunting and groaning, he felt himself thrusting with increasing force, his body craving relief despite the hurt in his heart. She had rejected his heart, but not his body. Fortunately, he had something to distract him from his thoughts.

He put everything he had into his drives, discovering new sides to Kagome he had never expected or seen before. For one, she was a screamer. Others were quite vocal, but few were quite like this. To someone outside, one might have mistaken her for seducing the god of sex himself. He was hardly worthy of an amateur title compared to his partners. Another aspect to Kagome was that she had a bit of a foul mouth – and she really, really liked the word "fuck." At times, it seemed like it was the only word she knew and used it liberally. It was a good thing she had clamped on to him with her legs, because the way she was squirming and flopping on the bed, he had no doubt he would have had trouble staying inside her. Jutting her chest out as she arched her back, her hands grabbed at the bedding.

"Fuck!" she screamed, elongating the word.

All this together made him ponder the situation. Either he was really good, or she was exaggerating for his benefit. The problem was he knew he wasn't the former, which only left him with one remaining choice.

She's one hell of an actress, he thought as he leaned forward, arms on both sides of her as he tried to get better leverage on her. She was taking everything he could give and demanding more. Inuyasha had his limit however, and he had hit it. Groaning, he gave one last thrust with all the might he could muster as he reached climax. Trying to control his breathing, he attempted a few weaker thrusts before the sensitivity caused him to rest himself deep inside her. She was gasping for breath, head resting against the bed as his orgasm came to an end. Closing her eyes, she smiled as she rested her fingertips against her navel.

"I can feel it," she whispered. "I've missed this feeling."

Confused, Inuyasha carefully worked himself out of Kagome which was made difficult since she still had her legs locked around him. Fortunately, they grew loose enough for him to slid out of her. Looking down, he found he was still fully erect.

It's going to be one of those nights, he thought, frowning.

Opening her eyes, Kagome looked up at him to find his attention wasn't on her. Head rising from the bed, she followed his gaze. Upon seeing his still erect cock, she laughed, head falling back to the bed. "All that and you're still hard?"

He frowned, not quite liking the tone. Inuyasha knew it was made to tease him, but he was still stinging from her rejection earlier. "It gets like this sometimes. I don't know why."

Her laughing faded as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. He had to force his gaze up to not stare at her exposed chest. Meeting her eyes didn't help much. He had to fight the overwhelming desire to wrap her in a hug and never let go. "For Master Taisho, it usually happened when he had too much energy remaining at the end of the day. It's also due to your emotional state, but that is unpredictable since there isn't a predictable pattern to it."

"It's exhausting," Inuyasha complained.

"I can only imagine." Her eyes met his. "Want me to do most of the work this time?"

"We're going again?"

She grinned. "Unless you want to stay like that," she said with a gesture towards his erection. Frowning, Inuyasha shook his head.

He expected Kagome to take a few more minutes to collect herself, but she immediately sprang into action. Rolling him onto his back, she quickly swung a leg over him. He could see the wet marks of his cum on her leg. Straddling him, she scooted back into position, oblivious to the extra fluids she was leaking. He watched as she reached down to place him at her entrance. A few seconds later, he disappeared into her. Holding on, Inuyasha expected a wild ride now that Kagome was in complete control, yet it never materialized.

Towering above him, Kagome made small forward and back motions. He recognized them as something similar to what she did when riding a horse. Great. I'm a fucking horse now. Reaching over, he slid his hands along the outside of her legs, causing her attention to fall onto him. She gave him a small smile, but didn't increase her pace. Reaching back, she undid the ponytail she had worn since earlier today. Shaking her head, her black hair tumbled free across her shoulders and back as she tossed the hair piece aside. Inuyasha stared up at her as she gave him a ghost of a smile, as if embarrassed. The smile slowly faded – as did her rocking motions. Motionless, she stared down at him. He would have given up everything, the manor, the fancy clothes, the comfortable bed, even the endless food, all of it for a peek inside her mind. There was something in her eyes that he didn't recognize. Her expression seemed sad, but that wasn't quite it.

Reaching up, she pulled back some hair and hooked it behind her ear. Bending forward, her face hovered near his. Her eyes never left his until seconds before she kissed him. It felt like an electric shock. It was less a kiss and more a brush of her lips against his, not even lasting a second. She pulled away as he stared up in shock, not believing what had just happened. Her face reddened at his stare and she quickly looked away.

"Sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't have done that."

"What? No!" he said, pushing himself up on his elbows. "That was—"

"Inappropriate. I'm sorry," she said, still looking away. "I let—" She cut herself off.

"What?"

She looked back at him, eyes wet. "I let my feelings get the better of me. I'm sorry." She moved to get off him but he held her in place. Before she could say anything more, he sat up and pressed his lips against hers. Unlike hers, his was more demanding. He knew he sucked at kissing, but at that moment, he didn't care. His intention was clear. Whatever had been holding her back broke with his kiss. Throwing her arms around his neck, she pulled him against her, returning his kiss with a surprising passion. While he sucked at kissing, she was amazing.

Breaking the kiss, she pulled back slightly, her arms still tightly around him. She seemed out of breath, her eyes searching his. He grinned stupidly, eliciting a giggle and smile from her as she pressed her forehead against his.

"Want to continue?" she whispered softly.

Pressing his lips against hers, he gave his answer.

oOOOo

Opening her eyes, Kagome knew she had made a terrible mistake. Chloe stood next to the bed, a curious expression on her face. Kagome could feel Inuyasha's arm around her, his warm breath on the back of her neck. She closed her eyes, cursing herself for not having better control over herself.

"I'm late, aren't I?" Kagome whispered softly.

"Incredibly," Chloe said, breaking out in a grin.

Kagome gently slid herself out of Inuyasha's grasp and quickly climbed out of bed. She glanced over her shoulder, relieved to find Inuyasha still asleep. Seeing his peaceful face made her face flush. To hide it, she went about collecting her clothes and quickly put them on.

"What time is it now?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Nine," Chloe said still grinning as Kagome winced. "I was debating on whether to let you sleep longer or not…"

"No. Thank you for waking me." She did her best to keep her embarrassment buried.

"And the Master?"

Kagome glanced over her shoulder once more. She quickly suppressed anything she thought she felt. I have a job to do. "Let him sleep a while longer." She strolled over to the door, trying to hold on to what little pride she had left. "I need to find Saiko. It's her turn this morning."

oOOOo

Inuyasha woke to find his bed empty minus him. Blinking in confusion, he found Kagome standing next to the bed. The smile on his face faded when he realized she wasn't alone.

"Good morning Master Inuyasha," she said in her usual chipper manner. Her smile was warm, but it wasn't the one she had shared with him last night. "I hope you had a restful sleep."

Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, careful to keep the blanket covering his lower half. He looked around to find they were the only three in the room. Something was off too. His eyes rested on the open window to find it was awfully bright for the morning.

"What time is it?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the window.

Kagome clearing her throat brought his attention to her. She seemed flustered for some reason. "Almost ten."

"Ten?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. He scratched the back of his head, a smile forming on his face. "Well shit, if that's what it takes to sleep in, I need to sleep with you more often."

Beside her, Saiko snorted, quickly holding a hand up to her mouth. Kagome was red, clearly embarrassed. She cleared her throat again. "I should bring Eri here too," she began. "Seeing how it's almost afternoon. There is a schedule we need to keep…"

Inuyasha paled. "Can I get my bath first?"

Saiko perked up. "Would you like me to join you?"

"No uh…" he started a little to quickly. "I need a few moments to myself, please."

Saiko didn't seem to disappointed, merely nodding. Yet it wasn't her Inuyasha was looking at. The Kagome who stood at the edge of his bed was like the Kagome he had always known, yet different. He wanted to say something about last night, but found no words to say.

Instead, he retreated to the bathroom, not even bothering to hide himself from either woman. Taking a moment, he stood in front of the mirror, examining himself. Last night had been something. It was like his night with Sango, but amplified by a thousand. Did I dream it, or did it actually happen? Last night had been something special to him. He knew it was special to her as well. No other woman had ever looked at him as she did. And she kissed me! Me!

Yet Kagome had been business as usual. Yes, she seemed a bit more easily flustered today, but she still fully expected Inuyasha to continue his daily ritual. While he knew it was too important to them for him to take a day off, he expected something to be different. After all, after an amazing night like that, how could it not be different?

Soaking in the bath, he was deep in thought when movement to his left caught his attention. He found Saiko standing there in all her naked glory, blushing as his eyes lingered over her.

"You were taking longer than usual so I thought I would come in to join you…"

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Inuyasha forced a smile and resisted the urge to sigh. He gestured for her to join him. Can't I just have a few moments to myself?

oOOOo

Kagome let out a long breath as she stared at the open ledger. Reaching forward, she took her pen and scratched a single ink line in the box next to her name. Last night had both been everything she hoped for, and everything she feared. She had tried her best to keep a professional distance, but in the end she succumbed to her own feelings. It made her hate everything about herself. Inuyasha was a wonderful man. He was kind, sweet, and naïve. It was hard to spend time with him and not find him endearing. She wasn't the only one who felt that way. Many of the other women talked about it. It was his own unique charm.

Reaching up, she brushed the tips of her fingers against her lips. She closed her eyes, fighting back tears of shame. He's not Master Taisho, she reminded herself. No matter how much he looks like him.

A pair of arms wrapped around her as a weight pressed against her back and shoulders. She jumped at the sudden intrusion of her personal space. "Well?" Sango asked as her arms tightened around her. "How was it? Everything you wished it would be?"

Straightening slightly, Kagome turned her attention back to the ledger, creating new marks next to Saiko and Eri. "It was… good."

"'Good?' Just 'good?'" She felt Sango's hands run through her hair. "One time and I can already see some change. Come on, you've been holding yourself back this entire time…"

"What do you expect me to say? I enjoyed it."

"You're no fun." Sango rested her chin on the top of her head. "Did you get him to give you a massage?"

"I was a bit busy."

Sango made a short raspberry sound. "Damn, you missed out. His hands are golden." Her friend sighed loudly, as if remembering a fond memory. "Which reminds me… Is my turn coming up soon oh Keeper of the Book?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked down at the book, frowning in concentration. There was only three months left before the winter solstice and there were not nearly enough marks in the ledger. "That depends. Are you up for a threesome?"

Sango hummed in thought. "I suppose I could. Who with?"

Kagome sighed. "Kikyo still hasn't had a turn…"

"I bet Inuyasha is going to be thrilled when that comes up."

"I've been avoiding it."

"And you know she knows you have. Definitely not helping matters between you two."

"I know…" Kagome continued to look over the ledger. "How about Taira?"

"What about you?" Sango's voice was a breathy whisper in her ear. "You're behind the curve, aren't you?" Kagome was silent, not taking her eyes off the page. Impatient, Sango gently rocked her in the chair. "Come on! When was the last time we had one together?" Years, Kagome thought to herself. She shook her head. "You want to keep him all to yourself then? Since when were you so selfish?"

Pursing her lips, Kagome closed the ledger. "It's not like that." I don't trust myself to keep me in line.

Sighing, Sango released her. "If you say so." She paused for a few seconds. "Taira is fine, by the way. Hell, I'd even go in with Kikyo if it meant more time with him." Kagome turned in time to find her friend walking away. Slumping her shoulders, she could tell Sango was disappointed in her. Nothing I can do about now, she thought as she turned back to the ledger, examining its thick leather cover. Blowing out a breath, she shook her head and tried to focus, opening the ledger again. Despite her desire to get some planning done, she found her thoughts drifting back to the previous night, and all the feelings that came with it.

oOOOo

"Master Inuyasha? What are you doing in here?" Inuyasha turned his head at the sound of Kagome's voice. She was standing in the doorway, a surprised look on her face.

"Miroku here is introducing me to video games," he answered, gesturing to Miroku. Miroku ignored both of them, focusing on the screen in front of them. "Am I not allowed to be in here?"

"Of course not. I'm just… Well you've never been in here before." Technically, the room was designated to be a break room of sorts for the staff. It had been a large room that hadn't been assigned a purpose when the house was built. Over time, the staff slowly appropriated it for their own use. Now, it had various amenities collected over the centuries. The video games and large TV had been a more recent addition, as with the bar they always kept stocked. While Kikyo would flay anyone found drinking during "work" hours, it became a popular spot in the evening to unwind and relax with friends.

Kagome looked over at the screen. "What game are you playing?" she asked, moving over to the back of the couch. Inuyasha found himself shifting in place at her presence. It had been a few days since he slept with her. He couldn't get a read of their situation, and it was driving him crazy. She acted like nothing was different, but it was different. He could feel it. Damned if he knew what exactly was different. She wasn't helping in that department either. Nothing in their interactions hinted at anything, so he was left with only his feelings and thoughts on the matter – which were entirely unhelpful.

"Halo? This is Halo, right?" he asked, looking over to Miroku who was concentrating.

"Yep."

"I suck at it," Inuyasha admitted.

"Yep," Miroku said, tapping at his controller.

"It's really fun though. Miroku is going to set me up with a computer in a few days so I can play on my own time."

Kagome rested her hands on her hips. "Great. And that will be the last day we see you." She tapped on his shoulder after he had turned his attention back to the TV. "Can I speak to you? It shouldn't take long," she asked, gesturing towards the door. Inuyasha glanced over at Miroku, who was absorbed in the game.

"Sure." Setting the controller aside, he followed Kagome out the door. He did his best to keep from fidgeting, constantly casting a sideways glance to her as they walked in silence. She led him outside into the warm air. He took a deep breath as they walked through the garden, taking in the aroma of flowers and freshly trimmed landscaping.

"It's been awhile since I've been out here," he mused as they reached a familiar spot.

Kagome gave him an amused grin. "I figured you could use some air. Getting caught up with Miroku in one of his gaming binges and we won't see either of you for a week."

"That would be nice…" Inuyasha sighed. At her look, he quickly back-peddled. "Not that I don't, um, enjoy seeing you."

"Is that so," she said cryptically and walked out in front of him. Taking a seat on the bench, she patted the empty space beside her. Walking over, he settled down. Together, they watched the fish lazily swim and listened to the sound of bubbling water.

Running a hand across her bangs, she tucked the hair in behind her ear. "It's been awhile since we talked."

He frowned. "We talked this morning. And afternoon."

"That can hardly be called a conversation." She looked over at him. "I want to know how you're doing." There was a long silence as she locked her gaze on him. "It's just you and me out here. No one else."

Inuyasha sighed, breaking his gaze with her. "I'm adapting. It helps now that I've gotten to know people a little better." Kagome nodded, looking a little relieved. "I don't know what's worse, the idea that I'm coming around to accepting things, or that I've accepted it as a routine I need to do." He looked over at her. "And I'm getting really sick of threesomes. Not that I don't enjoy them, but they are so damn exhausting. I hate how I get black-out tired after them, and the next morning…" He shook his head.

Reaching over, she rested her hand on his arm. "It's only until we get caught up. I promise." She wore a little smile as she continued. "After that, it's whenever you want one."

He nodded, saying nothing more and letting the topic drop. Instead, he focused his attention on her hand, which lingered far longer than normal. Slowly, he looked up to find her still looking at him. Realizing she was staring, she gave a startled look and pulled away.

"Why did you kiss me?" he asked suddenly. The question had been burning a hole in his brain ever since, and the desire to find out finally overpowered his limited courage of asking.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, scooting away slightly.

His lips narrowed. "You know what I'm talking about."

She looked away, ashamed. "That… was a mistake."

"It didn't seem like it at the time."

Kagome gave a humorless laugh. "Nothing ever does at the time you are making it."

"You are the only one who's ever kissed me," he mused, rubbing his chin in thought. "Eriko and Sango both freaked out when I kissed them."

Kagome's eyes were wide. "You kissed them?"

"Yeah, before I realized it's apparently a taboo thing. Mind filling me in?"

Her face flushed. "It's…" She made a few thinking noises as she tried to collect her thoughts. "Well, it's a bit complex but… simply put, kissing is more intimate then the act of having sex – provided you are actually having sex when you kiss. Outside of sex, kissing carries the same weight it does on the mainland."

Inuyasha was silent for a long time. "That makes no sense," he said, finally giving up.

Kagome laughed, though he could tell she was still tense. "I suppose it may seem like that. It's a cultural thing, so it will take you some time to acclimate." She took a deep breath. "Relationships on this island are more fluid than you would see on the mainland being that people here are effectively immortal. Marriage here is considerably more serious than on the mainland. Divorce is nearly unheard of. Courtship with the intent to marry takes decades at a minimum. Engagements last nearly as long. When you marry someone, you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that is the person you are going to spend eternity with – because you are. It's why every marriage celebration is a massive island-wide festival."

"Wow. That makes sense. It really brings new meaning to 'death do us part' when you know time and age isn't a factor."

Kagome nodded. "It's why sex doesn't carry the stigma it does on the mainland. It's not just here at the manor, where it has a specific purpose. Casual sex is a norm down in the town too."

He frowned. "How did sex become a casual occurrence?"

Laughing, Kagome took a deep breath. "Boredom mostly. Think about it. This town has been around for millennia. Once the initial work was done forming it, there isn't much to do besides upkeep. We are blessed with an ocean and land that provides a bounty of food. People… found ways to amuse themselves without the joys of modern entertainment."

"I'm surprised the population is so low considering."

She hesitated. "There's a reason for that."

"Let me guess, 'I'll be told when the time is right.'"

She shook her head. "No, I'll tell you. The same energy that makes us immune to aging also has a sterilizing effect." Seeing his startled reaction, she quickly continued. "Now that doesn't mean we can't have children. Plenty of people on the island are parents. It just means that having a child is a serious commitment. Only when your body is purged of the energy from both parents can you become pregnant. It's risky, since you are aging normally. Some people are lucky and get pregnant immediately, only adding a year or so to their body. Others could add several years. Some give up after attempting for a few years, not willing to give up any more of their youth."

"That sounds horrible."

Kagome merely shrugged. "It's a small price to pay for immortality. Besides, we get enough people in from the mainland now to not concern ourselves with population size. We are growing slowly, and there is a lot of island left."

Inuyasha just nodded, digesting the new information. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea of living forever. Even being a part of it, it didn't feel real. And I have a tremendous amount of things I can do. Movies to watch. Games to play. Books to read. Skills to learn. All thanks to a modern world. I couldn't imagine this place hundreds of years ago.

She cleared her throat. "Since sex is so prevalent, norms surrounding it developed to differentiate relationship status. Kissing is the most obvious one. A normal kiss is still the same, but during sex, it changes. It changes the meaning of the interaction from one of casual fun to emotional depth. As such, only people with deep emotional ties kiss during sex." Her cheeks reddened slightly. "For us, someone who kisses people casually during sex is the equivalent of a slut. It completely destroys the meaning of the action."

Inuyasha felt his face pale as the life drained from it.

Kagome was quick to action seeing his reaction. "But you had no idea! We understand you are still an outsider when it comes to the more minute customs here. We also haven't been the best at being up front about things. It's a bit embarrassing to talk about sometimes knowing we are judged based on norms from outside the island."

"I should apologize to them."

Kagome waved him off. "Don't worry about it. But as I was saying, relationships are complex, but simple at the same time. Some people will couple up for a few decades before moving on to someone else. When in these temporary relationships, it is perfectly acceptable and expected to kiss your partner. You can have as many other partners as you wish, so long as you don't kiss them. Of course, there are exceptions to this. Some people form these relationships with a few people at once. So long as each of them recognize the others, it is perfectly acceptable to kiss multiple people." She took a breath, her hands moving while she explained. "It's the same for married couples. They remain faithful to their partner so long as they don't kiss anyone while having sex, but you are free to have as many partners as you wish. The big difference between a married couple and the temporary ones is their agreement to only ever kiss each other, no matter how many other partners they have."

Inuyasha shook his head, mind swimming in all the information she dumped on him. "That makes no sense."

"In time, this will all be second nature to you. It just seems strange because you spent so much time away from the island." She laughed. "I won't go into the varying degrees of kissing. I think that would overload you."

"There are varying degrees?"

"Of course. Depending on the length, place, and timing, it can denote love, friendship, comfort, respect, and a whole host of emotions and statuses."

"Someone has way too much time on their hands to think all this up."

Kagome gave a light chuckle. "Time is something we have in abundance."

A silence grew as Inuyasha tried to sort through the new information. Kagome sat on the bench, tilted forward slightly as her hands gripped the seat on either side of her. Her attention was towards the blue sky. He watched her from the corner of his eye. While he was thankful for more information about how things worked around here, only one question burned within him.

"Then… why did you kiss me?"

She closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face. For a moment, he wasn't sure if she was going to answer him. "I… made a mistake."

"I don't think you did." She opened her eyes as he stared at her, shifting slightly to face her. He continued on, letting his emotions take the wheel and spill out, not making any effort to curb the flow. "I've been thinking about this a lot since then. The more I think about it, only one thing really makes sense. I think I—"

She looked away quickly. "Inuyasha, stop."

"But—"

"You reminded me of Master Taisho," she said suddenly, cutting him off. It felt like someone had dumped ice water over him. Her not looking at him made the situation worse. The icy chill slowly sunk into him as the realization of what she was saying hit him. The cold turned to heat as the anger warmed his body, boiling in the pit of his stomach. "It was for the briefest of moments, and I…" She looked at him now, tears in her eyes. "Then you kissed me. You. And—" Her eyes followed him, widening as he stood. "Inuyasha—"

He left her on the bench, her words burning in the inferno that heated his face before they could reach him. He was getting tired of making progress, only to find his destination was blocked by invisible walls and obstacles he hadn't been expecting. It was exhausting having his hopes dashed every time he saw the light. At least in his old life, the perpetual darkness never taunted him with hope of something more.

God I'm such a fool. He thought as he marched through the maze. Pausing, he looked up to the blue sky. It was perfect weather once again. Am I in heaven, or am I in hell? He realized that he couldn't immediately answer the question. And that terrified him.

oOOOo

"Master Inuyasha!" Taira cried out as he drove her against the bed. Loud, wet smacks provided a steady rhythm to her shouts of pleasure. He couldn't see her face, only her long raven hair and the smooth white skin of her back. Leaning forward, his hands pressed against her shoulder blades as he slammed into her as fast and hard as he could. Face pressed against the bedding, she continued to cry out his name as her hair covered her face.

"I'm cumming!" she screamed out, body quivering. "Master Inuyasha I'm cumming!"

Ignoring her screams and shouts of pleasure, Inuyasha continued his relentless drive. Beside them was Sango, lying on her side as she recovered from her turn moments ago. Cum rolled down her inner leg before running down the front towards the bed. He had switched between the two several times now. He was used to having an audience now. Most 'threesomes' were like this, with one girl waiting for their turn while he was with the other. If the girls were on friendly terms, they would play with the others breasts or caress their skin, but only Emma and Grace really ensured all three were involved at all times.

"You're really into this tonight," Sango said, still sounding winded. Inuyasha was still focused on Taira, who he was pretty sure was having another orgasm. His hands slid over her back before he got a firm grip on her hips. Not slowing on his pace, he pulled her back against his thrusts. It was that extra push he needed to find his release. Groaning, he shoved himself into her and emptied another load into the gasping woman.

Breathing hard, Inuyasha wiped the sweat from his brow and looked to Sango. Her eyes widened slightly as he pulled out of her companion, still rock hard. Released from his grasp, Taira sagged onto the bed, cum drooling from her slit as she lay unmoving beside the rise and fall of her shoulders as she gasped for breath.

"I haven't even recovered from the last time," Sango complained, not resisting as he moved over to her. As she rolled onto her back, she spread her legs, allowing him inside. "I'm always happy for the extra attention but—" She gasped as he wordlessly shoved himself into her. Her hands clenched at the bedding as he worked like an engine piston, focusing on speed and power. Her long yells rose in pitch slightly each time he filled her completely. Growling in frustration, Inuyasha took her legs and quickly placed them on his shoulders, giving him more leverage. Sango's breasts jerked up and down from the force and speed, overcoming their natural pertness.

Inuyasha had cooled down since his conversation with Kagome, but seeing her again with Sango and Taira in toe had stirred the embers into flame once more. Professional as always, she acted like she always had, but it was to his cold shoulder. While seething anger had started his current energetic lovemaking, it no longer maintained it. Instead, a deep and resounding loneliness filled him. He was familiar with this void. It had been there ever since his mother passed away. Inuyasha was now a man with everything he could ever want. Clothes that caressed his skin when he wore them. Every meal that overflowed with food. He had the money to buy whatever he desired. Beautiful women dotted on him at all hours and would joyfully warm his bed. The people here treated him like a god.

And yet, he was every bit as poor as the moment he arrived.

oOOOo

Another chapter done! Ran into a little writer's block, so that delayed it. I originally was going to wait a bit longer for Kagome/Inuyasha, but ended up writing it in. Then I couldn't decide on how to handle the aftermath. Next chapter should expand the scope a little more. Finally get to learn about the Lords of the island!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review if you would. I love hearing from you all. Until next time…