I'm back! Super sorry about disappearing the way that I did, but I was busy with training for my new job and once I finally got some free time, my computer started messing up! I think I finally got this thing up and running now, but it's still giving me some problems. No worries though! I have no intention of leaving this story unfinished ^_^

hope y'all enjoy the long awaited newest chapter!

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There was a rumble beneath the ground, considerably light but enough to cause the stone walls to vibrate. The gladiator and the girl looked around, curious and puzzled at the cause but it was not long before the rumbling ceased.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, confused.

Sesshomaru stood still for a moment before shrugging casually, concluding that the unknown tremor was indeed over. He shifted his eyes over to the girl, who was leaning against the wall, having lost her balance when the ground mysteriously shook. The girl kept her gaze away from the Daiyoukai in a futile attempt to hide her blushing face.

The demon gladiator paid the shy girl no mind and took this opportunity to sit on the floor, leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow. His chest was still bare and for this, Sesshomaru was grateful. His skin was on fire—either from the pain of the suppressant stone or his own desire—he did not know. For now, the pain was nothing a demon of his strength could not handle. If he were a weaker demon, he would have succumbed to his orders and bedded the girl, whether she desired him or not.

It made no difference what the girl wanted, he was under orders to be intimate with her and he needed to comply with his master's orders unless she went to him herself and told him of her change of heart or even the truth of her friend being the one who purchased him on her behalf. Such an occurrence would grant her a refund and warrant a severe beating on the demon gladiator for failing to live up to her expectations, but then again, complying with his original orders despite the customer's unwillingness to proceed would also earn him a harsh whipping session with his trainer—an added bonus amongst the human trainers. A demon would suffer no matter what decision was made—obey and be punished or disobey and suffer the consequences. In the end, it did not matter. His master had already been paid for his services and the damned suppressant stone would not allow him to forget it. Should he continue to ignore the stone's reminders, the slight pain would soon become torturous as the night progressed. Sesshomaru would need to conserve his strength. It would not be long before he would need to call upon all he could muster.

Kagome stood still, unsure of what to do but could no longer take the tension building up in the silent room. It was becoming too much to handle. After finally working up the courage to lift her gaze at the demon gladiator, the young girl made her way towards him in soft steps, her angelic smile brightening her lovely face.

Sesshomaru found this behavior odd. Most women in his company would look upon him with lust or cruel amusement in their eyes, but this girl…. She looked upon him with kindness, a pure light shining down on his darkness, illuminating his world with her presence alone.

Once Kagome stood in front of the gladiator, she kneeled down. Her heart slammed against her chest. Up close and without the haze of desire to cloud her senses, he was fear and perfection personified. He was powerful and enormously strong. She did not know how, but she could sense his power and it caused her skin to shiver. His finely chiseled features were sensual and hard. He was strikingly handsome, yet immeasurably intimidating at the same time.

"Umm…y-you somehow know my name, yet I do not know yours…" she trailed off, biting at her lip nervously. She had been surprised to learn that the handsome demon gladiator had known her name and this only sparked an entirely new storm of questions. Perhaps learning his name would be the best start in solving the mystery behind the unknown connection between the two of them.

The gladiator remained silent. He gave no indication of hearing her speak, but she knew otherwise. Demons had superior hearing, no matter how weak her voice had become, she had no doubt he had heard her. Perhaps she needed to explain.

Kagome's teeth bit her lower lip, unintentionally drawing the Daiyoukai's eyes to her luscious mouth. "W-well I just thought that it might help us to learn more about each other if I…at least knew your name…"

"Hn." Sesshomaru closed his eyes, obviously refusing to answer.

'So he doesn't trust me just yet.' Kagome concluded with a sad, but understanding smile.

Sesshomaru could smell the girl's sadness, but remained silent. It was nothing personal, but revealing his name was the one thing the Daiyoukai had never done in all his long years as a slave to anyone, demon or human, no matter how badly he had been beaten for his refusal. It was how he had protected himself since his enslavement. It was widely believed that the entire royal family of the Western Lands had been slaughtered and that was the ultimate goal of the imperial city—to wipe out any threat to the emperor's tyranny. Should anyone ever discover that he was the sole survivor, he would be killed immediately for fear that a demon of his birthright would one day break free from his shackles and possibly free his people, sparking a revolution against the humans. Whether such a possibility was real or not, Sesshomaru had been intelligent enough to learn at a young age that it was essential to never reveal his name to anyone. Not even to this girl.

Not one to be fazed by his impassiveness, Kagome decided to change the subject. She figured they had all night with each other and hopefully once he got to know her, he would at least trust her enough to tell her his name. "When we first met…" she stopped when he opened his eyes, his intense eyes looking into hers. "…have you always shared a connection with horses?"

Sesshomaru was slightly surprised that the girl had not pressed him to answer her original question. She was apparently more intuitive than he had expected. Treading carefully, he decided to answer this time, his strong voice spoke, "I share a connection with many creatures in this world."

She shifted nervously, it was obvious he was not accustomed to nor a master of engaging in conservation. "What I mean is…when you were younger—"

His eyes suddenly hardened. "A demon shares a bond with all of nature's creatures. It has always been, even before my kind was killed and the remaining few enslaved." He said, his voice low and dripping with resentment.

Kagome felt her heart fill with sorrow for the gladiator. From what she could tell from his regal stature, the strength of his contained powers and the significance of the symbol on his forehead, he was obviously from a royal bloodline…and now he was reduced to a slave, groveling at the feet of his masters—his human masters. "I am so sorry…"

"Sorry?" He stared relentlessly, the watchful eyes of a predator. He looked like a true warrior, an invincible being with no emotion, only a hard resolve and a killer's instincts. "What would an imperialist know of such things?"

Her expression changed, her blue eyes instantly turned stormy. "I am no imperialist," she denied sharply. "I am a citizen of the North."

Sesshomaru raised a brow, mildly surprised by her firm tone, but his cold mask never faltered. "Then why do I see the Imperial eagle everywhere I turn?

"I am no part of that!" Kagome snapped, her sweet voice now harsh. "After a year in the imperial city, I had hoped never to see that eagle again…" she said, lowering her head as her voice trailed off, as if afraid to reveal a dark secret. "…and yet here it is, thrust into the soil of my home. My father believes he can bargain with those braggarts."

His gold gaze slid over her calmly. He did not detect any deception in her voice or her scent. He could only smell her anger and fear. The scent of her fear…was uncomfortable to him. He wanted to smell her sweet scent, untainted and more than anything, he wanted to feel her pure light once more. She was different from the imperialist pigs responsible for the murder of his family and the downfall of his kind. She did not appear to be like the other humans who had supported and even celebrated the fate of his kind. This…intrigued him. Every human he had encountered sought favor with the imperial city with the desperation of a hungry beast begging for the leftover scrapes of its master's meal. And yet, this small woman wanted nothing to do with them.

"My father…"

His strong, velvet voice startled her, causing Kagome to meet his gaze. His golden eyes bore into hers, burning with a dark and unyielding intensity. She felt exposed and vulnerable under the weight of his penetrating eyes.

"He would have killed every last one of them," he proclaimed proudly, his voice was strong and filled with unnerving conviction in his words. There was a cruel edge to the set of his mouth, a darkness in his golden eyes.

Kagome inhaled sharply. His eyes were flat and cold, yet she could see his anger, his vulnerability at the mention of his father. It was obvious that the demon gladiator had admired his father and loved him dearly. If his father was who Kagome thought he was, she had no doubt that his father would have fought with his last breath against the imperialist soldiers before ultimately succumbing to his tragic fate.

Before her mind could register her own actions, she reached to him. Her fingertips found his forehead, her touch was gentle and soothing. "I am sorry."

He closed his eyes and savored the touch of her fingers on his scalp.

"InuTaisho was a good man."

His golden eyes snapped open and looked straight into hers with that penetrating stare that shook her, a vicious growl filling the room. For the first time, Kagome could see rage on the gladiator's face.

Her heart nearly stopped and she jerked backward to put distance between them, but he was faster. He was instantly on his feet, dragging her up with him. His claws circled her wrist, preventing any escape while holding her close. His grip was unbreakable—she felt his raw strength—yet he was not hurting her.

"Please…" she began, her eyes startled.

"How do you know his name?" The gladiator demanded, his voice now cold as ice.

Kagome was taken back by his icy tone. It soon dawned on her that it might have been a mistake to mention the former Western lord's name, but she did not think she was showing any disrespect to the memory of who, the young girl was now certain was the father of the demon gladiator.

"I…I meant no disrespect…"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "That was not my question."

His grip slightly tightened around her wrist, causing the girl to whimper in pain. At this sound, Sesshomaru loosened his hold but refused to release her just yet, ignoring the sting of the suppressant stone as it sensed her discomfort.

"How do you know his name?" He repeated.

Kagome struggled against his hold on her wrist, but she could not escape his iron grip.

The demon gladiator's eyes were unwavering, like a predator watching his prey. His piercing amber gaze penetrated straight through her, silently demanding her compliance.

Unable to break free, Kagome gave up and dropped her head in defeat. She swallowed heavily, hoping that her answer would not make the situation worse.

"I…studied demons…"

Sesshomaru blinked, surprised. He was not expecting such an answer, but he remained silent and urged her to continue.

"Your father was a very famous figure amongst your people, strong and noble. He was someone my father greatly admired." Kagome said, softly, truthfully.

Sesshomaru was taken back by her response, but his face remained expressionless. "Why would a human lord admire a demon he helped annihilate?" His voice dripped with ice.

Kagome's large blue eyes flashed with sudden anger at the accusation. "My father had nothing to do with the crusades! He was exiled from the imperial city because he dared to speak out against the massacres. He nearly lost everything, including his own life trying to stop what happened to your family, trying to save them!" she snapped, her eyes beaming with angry tears.

Sesshomaru froze, his expression unreadable. This girl's father, a human lord, had spoken out against the imperial city and the demon massacres? But why? All humans feared and hated his kind. It was implausible to think that a human, especially one of nobility, would put their station or even their own life at stake, all in a futile attempt to save a demon's life, let alone countless others. Such humans were unheard of. The Daiyoukai could only conclude that the girl's father was either an incredibly courageous or foolish man. Possibly both.

However, this new found knowledge might have unlocked the mystery behind this strange girl. Her father's unusual respect and mercy towards his kind might explain the girl's misguided compassionate and gentle nature towards one such as himself. 'No, there is something else.' A soft voice whispered within his mind. He was forced to agree. There was something more to this mysterious angel than what he could sense with his limited abilities. There was something about this girl that called to him, something unknown.

Kagome pressed her fingers just above her eyes, feeling humiliation that she had lost control of her emotions and revealed too much about her family, but she could not allow anyone to speak ill of her father whom she loved and respected. She was only a small child, but she remembered the fear her mother felt for her husband and their young child's safety after he had failed in his efforts to stop the massacres that lead to the death and enslavement of demons.

"I'm sorry…I meant no disrespect," Kagome murmured, her gentle tone apologetic. "It was just…I had always been curious about demons ever since I was a child. When I came across Lord InuTaisho in my studies, I was astonished. It had always been said by the imperial city that the legendary Western Lord was a bloodthirsty tyrant, merciless and barbaric—a dangerous threat that needed to be eliminated."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, growling at the outright lie.

Kagome regarded his spiked anger with her gentle eyes. "I never believed such nonsense," she added, her soft voice calmed him almost instantly. "My father knew of demons…before the massacres. My father had formed an alliance with several demon lords, including Lord InuTaisho and even traded with them. My father never would have done so, much less risked his life to try to save a lord if he was truly a monster. I...I had often heard stories from my father, but I eventually travelled to the imperial city and it was there that I learned for myself what the emperor tried so desperately to cover up—the Western Lord InuTaisho was truly a great leader. He was very powerful and fearsome, but he always led with honor and mercy, to both humans and demons alike. From what I learned, he was the greatest amongst the demon lords."

It was the truth. Kagome had gone to the imperial city for the purpose of advancing her education, but she soon discovered that she was drawn to learning all that she could about demons and their history. She had learned much about them from her father until he began to fear for his daughter's safety and future lest she be labeled as a demon sympathizer by the imperial city, putting her own life in danger. This did not stop Kagome. Although she had always been curious about demons, it was difficult to find any texts or scrolls that could help her better understand their culture. The imperial army had collected and burned whatever she could have found in her home city and neighboring lands. In fact, the only known writings she could hope to find about demons were held in the heart of the imperial city. As much as she detested her time there, she was only grateful that she had finally satisfied her curiosity about demons…until she met this particular one.

There was a long heavy pause. His molten eyes never left her face, but she didn't so much as flinch. In fact, there was steel in her deep blue eyes. Despite the demon gladiator's harsh reaction, she knew that he would not truly harm her. It was not so much that he couldn't harm her because of the suppressant bracelet all demons were forced to wear, but somehow she felt that he did not want to harm her.

He studied her face in silence for so long, she didn't think he would respond.

"He was the greatest demon lord in existence."

Kagome looked directly into the demon gladiator's intensely cold gaze, his expression was hard and unreadable. It was only for a brief moment, his eyes flashed with sorrow before the cold ice returned and he lowered his head.

She was unsure what complied her to speak, but it was too late to stop herself.

"It…was written that InuTaisho and his entire family all perished," she murmured softly, almost cautiously. She knew she was treading into dangerous territory, but it was the only way to truly know who this demon was. "It was written that those born of his bloodline had silver hair that shone like moonlight, golden eyes as bright as the sun and that they possessed untold strength and nearly unmatched power…" she trailed off, gazing at the magnificent creature she was describing, a true legend in the flesh. "…but mostly, the symbol of this powerful family was a crescent moon adorned on their forehead."

The demon gladiator stiffened. He turned his head without lifting it, still bent over, and their eyes locked together. His gaze was intense, penetrating right through her, waiting—daring her to continue.

The girl obviously refused to back down and she simply offered the demon gladiator a kind smile, her expression so tender his mask of indifference nearly fell from his face.

"I could be wrong, but please allow me to voice my theory," her voice was soft, almost a caress. "If anyone could survive the most brutal assault of the demon crusades, it would be the son of the legendary InuTaisho."

Sesshomaru's jaw clenched, he shifted his eyes away from the girl and forced a nonchalant shrug.

"I meant what I said," she murmured softly. "I am sorry for what has befallen on your kind. My father truly tried to stop the massacres, but he was a single voice of reason amongst frightened madmen in power. He narrowly escaped, what those beasts dared to call, a traitor's death. My father is a very skilled businessman, able to transform this ruined land into a thriving city, and that was what spared his life. Ever since that day, he has been labeled a demon sympathizer and has had to fight to keep this city safe from our enemies who have ridiculed and mocked him for what he tried to do all those years ago," Kagome explained, her blue eyes flashing with admiration for her father, but her voice soon became strained as she lowered her gaze. "Now he is hoping to regain favor from the imperial emperor for the sake of this city's future and its citizens."

The Daiyoukai said nothing. His anger was still strong and his sorrow heavy in his chest, but he was suddenly overcome with empathy for the girl's father. For any human to dare sympathize with demons, they were risking not only death, but also enslavement. It was a miracle that her father was able to escape with his life and his status as a human lord. Sesshomaru was forced to admit his own form of understanding for her father in his attempts to win back favor from the imperial city. It was not because her father supported what the imperial city had done to his kind, it was for the sake of his city, his family and the welfare of his people. The former prince understood…because he would have done the same if he was in a similar situation, had he been allowed to take his rightful place as the Western Lord.

"Your father…sounds like an honorable man." Sesshomaru found himself saying aloud.

Kagome looked at him, stunned at his words. Before she could open her mouth to respond, the gladiator's face suddenly contorted in what she could only interpret as pain, and her heart wrenched at the sight. Cautiously she reached out toward him to touch his stripped cheek, a gasp escaping her upon feeling just how cold he was.

Sesshomaru crouched down to his knees, a sharp pain shooting through his entire body, leaving him slightly drained of his natural strength. It was merely a warning; the stone simply reminding him of his purpose with the young girl. The demon gladiator was strong and powerful to fight off the effects, already accustomed to defying the cursed trinket. However, this was the first time in his entire life of slavery he wanted to comply with his order.

Kagome quickly grasped his shoulders, worry and confusion laced heavily in her scent as he nearly fell to the floor. Kneeling in front of him, she looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you all right?"

The demon gladiator opened his golden eyes and looked straight into hers with the penetrating stare that shook her. The moment he felt her delicate touch, a flame of desire ignited and spread throughout his already pained body. She was so beautiful, her blue eyes so deep he lost himself drown in that wild blue sea. She was so small and fragile, yet he felt a mysterious strength emitting from her petite form. As young and pure as his angel was, he was unable to stop himself from desiring her, wanting nothing more than to have her writhing naked underneath him, feeling her soft flesh against his, surrounding him in her warmth. His trapped beast rattled against its cage, roaring at him from deep within, demanding he claim the girl as their own.

Nearly distracted by the beauty before him, the pain was back, but he kept all emotion from his face. He leaned his head back against the wall until he could block out the throbbing effects of the suppressant stone once more, this time now accompanied with his own hungry desire, concentrating his strength until he was able to revival in the presence of his beautiful angel.

Kagome's eyes carefully studied his muscular form, searching for any signs of injury or illness. She had no doubt that he could smell her fear, hear the frantic beat of her heart. Instantly she felt the impact of those burning eyes. Her heart thudded, worried that something was terribly wrong, but she forced herself to remain calm until she made certain that he was well.

"Are you well…? Have you been injured in some way? She asked, struggling to calm her heart as it beat wildly against her chest. His closeness was intoxicating, but she needed to block out the effects of his presence and focus on helping him.

Sesshomaru shook his head silently, refusing to speak until he was certain he had full control of his voice, ensuring she would not detect any trace of strain or weakness should he decide to speak.

The young girl's brows furrowed, worried. "What is happening to you, Gladiator?"

The Daiyoukai did not answer. He gritted his teeth, preventing a growl from escaping his lips, his golden eyes narrowed in concentration. Without warning, a shot of pain struck him; it was very brief, but excoriating. Sesshomaru was taken by surprise at that last wave that shook through his body. This pain was not from the stone—it was stronger and unfamiliar. It took the demon gladiator a moment to discover the cause.

It was his trapped beast.

This was impossible. His beast had always been restrained, only connected through a weak bond. Any surviving demon with a suppressant stone had been completely cut off from their beast, the bond severed and its presence unreachable. This was not the same for Sesshomaru. He was a powerful Daiyoukai and even with the suppressant stone, he remained connected with his beast, always able to sense its distant presence from within, but never able to free or become one with his beast.

Until now.

"Mine!" His beast snarled, no longer a distant whisper.

Somehow, his beast was slowly trying to claw its way to the surface, momentarily fusing with the gladiator, intensifying his hunger for the girl with its own. This caused a negative reaction from the stone, forcing it to send more waves of pain throughout his body in an effort to tame and subdue his beast back into submission.

Kagome's eyes furrowed when she felt the gladiator's body immediately tense beneath her hands. She noticed small beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead, his muscles clenching and his molten gaze briefly revealed the pain he was in. She did not know what the source of his suffering was, but if there was something she could do to help ease his pain, she would do it. "Please, how can I help you?"

His eyes closed, his strength was slowly starting to falter. Her delicate touch against his skin, the soothing sound of her voice and the warmth of her body emanating against his own was all he could focus on. Sesshomaru wanted to press her to the ground, tear the offending clothes from her body, and make her irrevocably his. He needed to restrain himself. There was far too much innocence in her scent. He had never smelled such purity from any human, such compassion and goodness. His beast needed to made aware of this, of the girl's wishes to remain pure this night.

His beast had somehow strengthened its bond with the demon gladiator, opening a line of communication. Using this to his advantage, Sesshomaru fused his rational mind with his raging beast, in an attempt to reason with it and cease its longing to possess the young girl.

Sesshomaru realized too late that he had made a grave mistake.

It had been many years since he had shared his mind with his beast and he had not been prepared to re-experience the intensity of the connection. For a brief moment, he could fully feel the fury, frustration and bloodlust his beast had felt during its years in captivity, but that was not all he felt. As a result of his linking his mind with his beast, he had mistakenly merged both their mutual desires, amplifying his hunger for his angel.

In a desperate final attempt to resist his primal instincts, the Daiyoukai summoned his remaining strength to combat the searing pain of the suppressant stone now joined with the desperate hunger of his beast. His body began to tremble, his heart pounding in his chest—the inner battle waging within him now reaching its peaking point. Sesshomaru knew he could fight against the stone, confident in his strength to defy the trinket—it was his beast he was now struggling against.

Never before had his beast been this strong, so determined to possess something—someone. Why? There was something about the girl that was causing his beast to react so strongly, but with his senses weakened by the pain wracking through his body, he was unable to uncover the reason, only felt himself responding with equal eagerness.

A final wave of pain shook through Sesshomaru's body, the suppressant stone successful in driving his beast back into its cage...but it was too late.

Sesshomaru looked up at the girl. Her beautiful face was a mixture of worry and confusion. His expression hardened, his golden eyes burning with lust. He struggled, raged at his inability to think clearly in this weakened state, desperate to find the strength to comply with the girl's wishes and save her from his darkness before he gave in completely. He fought for what felt like an eternity until he finally closed his eyes in defeat.

"I have failed you," he finally spoke, his voice was harsher than he intended. "I must lay with you this night."

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Really hope it was worth the wait. I'm working on the next chapter, but with my computer acting up, please be patient. In the meantime, please feel free to leave me a review and tell me what ya think!