A/N Once again, thanks for the reviews always very pleasant to read! Enjoy!

Sesshoumarou had woken once the first glares of the sun hit the bed. He noticed that he was spooning his alpha, and that he was still within her and he had a raging morning hard-on. He did not want to wake his miko, so he withdrew from her wet folds and headed for the bathroom that was adjacent to their room. He gripped his turgescent member and started stroking it rapidly, thinking about the sleeping female. He was quite glad that she was sleeping though, as he knew that she would thoroughly deplete him of his energy would she be awake, and though he had enjoyed every single moment that they had shared, he wanted to be in his castle, in his own bed. The horse breeder had been a most gracious host, but he longed for his own domain, where he would be free to court his alpha on his own territory. Thinking about his little miko, and how he was now hers, he felt shivers webbing out from his mating mark to his throbbing member, as he thought of the hours that had just come to pass.

His miko had given him all he could hope for. They were now bound, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before she agreed to him marking her as is. He rubbed his mating mark with his free hand, which sent new jolts of pleasure through his body. He felt himself close to his release, and held a towel close him to avoid making an embarrassing mess. Sesshoumarou had not pleasured himself in years, as he always could find an available female to ease his discomfort when needed. However, he would not wake his alpha for such menial reasons. Thinking of her made him reach his peak, and his seed spilled into the towel, which he quickly disposed of.

Sesshoumarou returned to the bed, where his miko was still sound asleep, He slid carefully back to her slumbering body and nuzzled his face in her thick head of hair. That's when he noticed a shift in her scent. He frowned as he inhaled again, deeper. She still held her four seasons smell, yet her human base was changing. For lack of better comparison, he found that the smell defining her essence was now closer to that of a half-demon than to that of a human. He then noticed certain physical changes as he opened his eyes. Her dark head of hair was now displaying silver streaks, which shimmered under the sun. He raised his head and saw that her small hands now displayed a set of sharp claws. He remembered that her canines had grown into fangs the previous night and suspected that they had remained that way. Her ears were now slightly pointed on the top. She did not have any of the typical stripes demons usually displayed, but Sesshoumarou somehow knew that her transformation was not complete. She turned around to nuzzle to his chest in her sleep. That's when he noticed the distinguishable look of a family crest on her forehead.

Sesshoumarou only saw it for a second, as she pressed her entire face onto his bare pectorals. It flashed before his eyes, as the sun gleamed on it, making its silver hews dancing. Though he had only seen it for less than a second, he knew exactly what it looked like, as he had seen it when he was younger. It was the unmistakable crest of the house of the North Country. The resemblances now struck him. He was just a pup at the time, but he clearly remembered the lady and lord of the north. He had visited so often, as his father was close to them. He had loved going there, as his closest friend was their son, Kazuhiko. He remembered the lady of the North, as she had been a very loving person. She had always treated him like her own son. Lady Katsumi was one of the most gentle and caring person Sesshoumarou had ever met. She made him feel as though he was part of their family and had even defended him fiercely once. She was also a striking beauty. She had pale marble skin, sparkling floor length silver hair, deep magenta eyes and a tall, slender figure.

Sesshoumarou smiled as he remembered an episode where she had shown his own mother that the lady of the North truly was a force to be reckoned with. Kazuhiko and himself had gone to play, and as pups will be pups, they had ended up chasing frogs into a swamp, and gotten covered up in stinky mud. He remembered lady Katsumi's warm laughter, as she had seen to mud covered boys return. His mother, on the other hand, snickered in disgust. She had looked at him with disdain and had said that if she had wished a pig for a son, she would have mated a bore demon. Being only a child, his mother's remark had wounded him deeply. He had even felt the prickling of tears in his eyes, when he had heard a large snarl of anger behind him. He had turned to see the lady of the North staring viciously back at his mother as she walked towards Sesshoumarou.

She had knelt before him, and wrapped her arms tenderly around him, ruining her beautiful kimono. His best friend had joined them in the hug, and the mud covered Katsumi had lifted both boys in her arms effortlessly. She had looked at Sesshoumarou's mother and said that she truly did not deserve the child that she had if a little mud was all she needed to hurt his feelings. She had then told both boys that they were going to spend some time in the castle of the north. Both the pups were ecstatic at the idea of spending more time together. Since Katsumi had wanted to avoid having to speak with the ice princess of the West, she decided to simply form a ball of light around her and speed to her castle, leaving her mate to deal with the lord of the West.

Sesshoumarou also remembered the lord of the North, a strong and proud dog demon. Lord Takehiko had always stood strong and had defended his country from many attacks. He stood taller than his own father, and had sun kissed skin as he spent many hours out training his men. He had dark hair that was always tied on his nape. He was fairly handsome, with his square jaw and powerful build, but what made him stand apart were his striking turquoise eyes. A stark contrast to his tanned skin, they held a keen intelligence paired with a love of life. Sesshoumarou's father had once told him that never had he met a more gifted being when it came to weapon handling and strategy. He looked down at his little miko, and now saw where she got her traits and made the mental comparisons.

She had her mother's fair skin, and would soon be showing the same striking marks that she had. He also knew that her mother had the gift of foresight, and she had most likely inherited it from her. She had her light frame and delicate features, and though not as tall as both her parents, she held the same willowy grace that her mother had. Katsumi had excelled in the arts, and Sesshoumarou felt that his miko was probably graced with the same talents. She had inherited her distinct eyes and hair from her father. She most likely inherited his wits and his talents for weapons. Something then hit him during his recollection. He remembered that her father held both the scents of fall and winter. As a complete opposite, her mother had held the scents of spring and summer. He then watched her as she had taken the best traits of both her parents. He held her close to his body, a new surge of protectiveness pulsing through his body. His alpha was truly perfect, and as any precious gem, she was well worth protecting with all one's might.

A few hours later, he felt Sakura starting to stir in his arms. She seemed reluctant to open her eyes, as she looked quite comfortable in the demon lord's arms. Sesshoumarou pressed a kiss on her forehead and nuzzled his chin on the top of her head. She coiled her arms around his waist, and let out a sigh of satisfaction. She was now stroking his back, feeling his smooth skin. His alpha started playing with his silky hair, as she seemed to enjoy the sensation that the silky locks brought to her skin.

Sakura was still groggy from the excess of sleep. She had always been a heavy sleeper, and was known to stay in bed for well over her eight hours. She also enjoyed lounging around in her sheets, as she would plan out her day and slowly emerge from slumber. Some people enjoyed reading the news paper with a coffee while she enjoyed the quiet peacefulness of being alone in her room. This was different. She had somehow slept over twelve hours, and she was not alone in bed. Sakura knew deep inside that Sesshoumarou would not rush her to get out of bed, but she did not want him to feel obligated to stay by her side if he had other things to do. She opened her eyes and saw that she was mistaken, and that he was enjoying this moment as much as she was. His eyes were closed, and a peaceful grin was dancing on his lips.

She felt different for some reason. She had more energy than she had ever felt before. She noticed that Sesshoumarou's scent was somehow stronger and richer. She was also able to distinguish more subtleties in it. She could see the details of his skin more precisely as well. Her heightened hearing could pick up his heartbeat even though her ear was not pressed to his chest. She heard the house bustling, as servants came and went, hushed discussions and louder one amongst the girls hanging the clothes, the cooks in the kitchen preparing their meals, maids cleaning, stable boys taking care of their duties. She found the noises dizzying. She placed both her hands on her ears and concentrated on Sesshoumarou's scent to calm herself. She felt a deep rumble erupt from his chest, as he had sensed her distress.

When he saw his alpha place her hands on her ears, Sesshoumarou understood what had caused her anxiety to flare. She had new, keener senses, and was now being overloaded by them. She had done the right thing by covering her sensitive ears, as this was the hardest sense to overcome. He noticed that she was concentrating on his scent, and also knew that this was also a good idea, as the scent of a mate normally calmed the other. He had let out a deep rumble to try and ease her discomfort. Sesshoumarou knew that dog demons had particularly strong senses, and being bombarded with all that at once was bound to be difficult. He felt her relax slightly in his arms, though still tense, she was growing accustomed to the scents and noises of the place. He made his voice as soft as he could, as he spoke in a mere whisper: "Please concentrate on my voice, my Sakura. It will be hard at first, but you will grow accustomed to the noises and smells..." He heard her whimper, as she was physically in pain from the actions in the house. He wished her transformation had happened in a quieter place, as his alpha was now suffering.

Sakura could take no more, as she erected a barrier around their room, cutting out the sounds and smells of the entire household. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt as though a thousand pounds had been lifted off her body. She had felt cornered, as though pressed by an invisible wall. She only now had Sesshoumarou's and her own noises and smells to deal with. She first noticed that they both needed an encounter with water, as the previous day's events had left their bodies covered in sweat and grime and other bodily fluids. She noticed that Sesshoumarou's core scent had changed to be mixed with some of her own, and she guessed this was a direct consequence of the matting mark. He now held within him her distinctive four season's scent, though most would only get the winter and the fall.

She then heard her own heart beat, as well as heard the blood rushing through her veins. Her heart was beating in sync with her mate's, and she noticed that his was louder than hers. Her scientific mind wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that his chest cavity was larger than hers, thus making the resonating chamber much more voluminous and creating for a larger sound, or was it the fact that his heart might be much larger than hers. She pondered her reflection when she heard her mate say, his voice still very quiet: "Your heart sounds louder to me now, as you have taken me as your mate... It is so that in a crowd I may always find you through any of my senses; scent, sight, feel and hearing. It is part of the matting..."

Sakura smiled warmly back at him, as he had read her unspoken question. She then answered, her voice sounding to loud to her: "Yes, it is the same for me, though I could not hear your heartbeat before unless my head was pressed to your chest, I now hear it clearly and very loudly. I think we should go for a bath... are there hot springs in the house, or are we restrained to bathe in the freezing cold water of the inner spring?" Though she dreaded going into the cold water, she would suffer the minor inconvenient of the freezing water to be clean. She was used to bathing daily, and more than once had she taken a warm shower in the morning and bathed at night. She enjoyed the feeling of clean skin, and hated smelling her own body odours. She saw Sesshoumarou frown before he asked: "Does your Sesshoumarou's scent bother you?" She giggled at the question, as she had never thought that it might make him feel self-conscious. She answered warmly: "Not at all, it is just that I have sweated profusely over the past twenty four hours, my heats and your ministrations helping, and I would like to feel my skin clean."

She paused as she saw that her statements might mislead him and she continued: "Though I thought that intercourse would make me feel... somewhat dirty after all that I have gone through, it is not the case. Would it not be for this damn new sensitive nose, I would revel in your scent, still lingering on my skin. You have to understand that I have never liked smelling of sweat, nor enjoyed the feeling of dried sweat on my skin. It's a personal habit of mine, I like to wash myself at least once a day, sometimes twice or thrice depending on my activities. The time I grew up in holds a much polluted air, and it reeks with odours that you would not even imagine. I always found that at the end of day, my entire body would be permeated with the stench. I think that you are a fairly clean being yourself, and that you like to be tidy... does my explanation make sense?"

Sesshoumarou had somehow relaxed, as she had addressed his concern. He had felt that he might be pushing it too far with the little miko. Though she was a strong being, she had overcome much and he did not want to place her in a situation she was uncomfortable with. She had voice that his actions had not been the center of her discomfort, and he was satisfied with her explanation. He answered: "Your Sesshoumarou understands your need for cleanliness. I enjoy daily bathing as well, as I find it most inappropriate to let your scent become uncomfortable for others. I can understand your need to be clean, and feel refreshed, as I to feel that my skin becomes uncomfortable if I do not wash it after training... and we could say that the activities we have indulged in the past hours were more intense than my daily training..." He saw his miko finally relax as she let out a loud, contagious laugh. Sesshoumarou couldn't help to join her by lightly chuckling, the closest the killing perfection would bring himself to a full on laughter.

Sakura had not missed his change in demeanour when he let his mask down. His eyes held a playful light as he chuckled, and she knew that this was his equivalent of an honest laugh. She then said: "Mark my words my mate, before you mark me as yours, I will see that mask of yours fall and I will hear you roar with laughter." When she saw his cocked eyebrow, as he was trying to put his stoic mask back into place, the playful light dancing in the molten amber did not die; on the contrary, it only intensified. She felt claws playing on her side and she couldn't help but squirm, as she was truly ticklish. She felt her skin turn to gooseflesh under his expert fingers.

When he saw that she was red as a tomato, Sesshoumarou released his alpha from his playful torture. He had loved to see her wriggle against his body, and her clear laughter lifted his spirit. He knew one day, he would be able to truly let down all of his guards with her and do as she had hinted. He did want to roar in laughter with her, his position simply did not allow him such displays. However, he also knew that having her as his alpha placed him in a position where he would one day be able to show his weaknesses in broad daylight. He fluttered kisses on her neck and jaw line and said: "If we continue this route, we will never leave this place, and I do wish to get back to our palace, in what will be our room." He saw her think, and she tapped one of her fingers on his shoulders as she was thinking what he knew was a request before she said, nervousness in her eyes: "I might have a suggestion... You had said that you wanted to delay the mating for until your court accepted me, to make my life easier, right?" Sesshomarou only nodded, pressing her to continue: "What if you were to bring back a full blooded demon mate, pupped with your heir?"

Sakura knew that she was prodding in the dark with her question. She had no ideas what he would say, but she needed to ask. He looked at her and said: "How do you know that once we mate, you will become a full blooded demon?" She answered simply: "Because my demon said so." Sesshoumarou tried to wrap his mind around her suggestion and his eyes narrowed as he spoke: "Though your human heats might come once a month, if you are truly demon, then they come only once every other year, turmoil in my country may grow if I stay away for so long..." Sakura couldn't help the smile that was growing on her face. Sesshoumarou stopped as he looked into her eyes, and said: "Could it be, my Sakura, that you have been pupped despite the mating knot being absent?" The demon lord could not hide the hope present in his voice as he spoke. Sakura kissed him lightly and said: "According to my demon, not only am I pupped, but it was necessary to release some of my demonic aura to protect my body during the gestation. Our pups will be full blooded demons, and since we both have poisonous abilities, my body might be in danger as our pups will most likely have deadly claws..."

Sesshoumarou was beside himself as he crashed his lips on hers. For the first time in his long life had he felt true happiness. He was now the mate of a most precious creature, who was also going to give him an heir. He then frowned as something hit him and said: "Pups?..." Sakura giggled as she answered: "It seemed that you have more in common with your half brother than you think... unless my demon has poor grammar, we are expecting more than one pup..." Sakura paused when she saw that his frown did not disappear. On the contrary, in only intensified into a worried expression. She then asked: "Are you not happy that I might be pregnant with twins?"

Sesshoumarou's heart sunk as he spoke, despair obvious in his tone: "Demon pregnancies are extremely difficult on a female's body, which is why our families count so few members, as opposed to humans. For dog demons, the gestation period is very short, and is very demanding, as it drains the mother's body of essential resources. It is quite often seen that the mother dies in child labour as she has been thoroughly exhausted of her strength, which also explains why we take so much care of our females, as they are truly precious to us. I have never seen a pregnancy where a mother was pupped with twins end well. In most cases, I have heard that the pregnancy ended with the death of mother and pups..." Sesshoumarou's voice caught in his throat as the thought of losing her hit him. He then said, desperately: "My Sakura, I know of herbs which could terminate the..."

Sakura felt her aura flare at the mere suggestion that she might abort the pregnancy. She felt her temper rise as she said: "You will not kill my pups" She saw Sesshoumarou cower slightly and calmed down, as she understood that he only wanted to protect her. She then said in a warmer tone: "My demon told me of a way to strengthen the barrier around them, so they would live, as well as of a special diet to keep me strong. Though it does not greatly appeal to me, it consists of raw livers, hearts and meats of all kinds, as the nutriments will keep my constitution strong. I would also suggest that we visit your younger half-brother to get his family concoction's recipe, as I have a sneaking suspicion that it might help." She saw that Sesshoumarou calmed down completely at her last statement. She then continued: "My demon also suggested that we be mated before the birth, as you will have the ability to sooth both me and the pups during birth. She said that your presence will alleviate the pain caused by the barrier, as it will be a taxing birth due to it."

She had kept from voicing it directly, as she wanted it to come from it. She wanted to be present during the birth of their pups, but she would not force him. If he were present only during the pre-labour pains, she would accept that as well. He nodded and then said: "Your Sesshoumarou will be there for you during the birth of our pups. If it brings you any type of support or comfort, then your mate will do what is necessary." Sesshoumarou wanted to lighten the tense atmosphere that had set between them as he said, with his usual haughty tone: "Besides, as fascinating miko said that males found it enlightening to be present during the birth of their pups. I even found that my little half-brother seemed that have found the experience slightly enriching. I, for myself, have always sought out enlightening experiences and would not miss the chance to do so. And mark my words, my little miko, you Sesshoumarou will be present for every birth of every pups that his alpha will grace him with."

Sakura smiled as she felt joyful tears swelling in her eyes. She let out a stressful laughter as she said: "Pray tell, my Sesshoumarou who is the fascinating miko, as I am not good at sharing..." She heard him chuckle, out of relief as he said teasingly: "She is a most intriguing creature, this miko. She cares about others more than she cares for herself. She carries the scent of the four seasons, and is quite intelligent. She is something else, this little miko I tell you..." He heard her chuckle as she spoke: "Well you sound like you almost admire her, now I might be truly jealous..." Sesshoumarou looked into her turquoise eyes, an intent, serious expression taking over his traits as he said: "I feel much more than admiration for her, my alpha..." Sakura then stopped her chuckling as she saw the intensity of his features as she said: "And pray tell, what is it that you feel for that miko, my Sesshoumarou?"

Sesshoumarou paused for a moment and then answered, his gaze locked in hers: "I love you."

Sakura's heart must have skipped several beats as the words he had spoken finally sunk in. She found the ability to finally breathe again as air filled her lungs. She pushed her lips up to his in a strong kiss, and coiled her arms around him in a vice grip. She broke the kiss only to look into his burning amber pools and said: "And I love you, my Sesshoumarou." As his lips came crashing down on hers, a single thought made her chuckle internally, as she thought that the bath could wait...

That's it for today folks, hope you liked