I should be doing homework, from my absence at school...but eh, I don't feel like it. So instead I'll type this chapter, and then later tonight (when I realize; oh shit, I still haven't done the homework!) I'll rush to get all five assignments done! Ah, tis the life of an authoress!

Gotta love me!

Disclaimer: I wish.

Chapter 10: We're The Same: Forbidden Kisses!

Kagome yawned admist the idle chatter of her garden-girls, many of them giggling at each other when a 'man' was brought into the conversation. She hated sitting here, hated listening to them talk about men as if they needed one to be complete. It disgusted her, and made her wish she was out training with Sasha.

Last night had been...interesting. After Sasha had returned from the throne room, looking rather disheveled and angry, Kagome and Sango had preceeded to load the wolf-girl up on sake and good food, with a whole hell of a lot of chatter. Questions had flown, about Kouga and Inuyasha, and Sango had even pitched in a few words about the mysterious monk Miroku. After that, Sasha had insisted that Kagome spend a day doing her duties, and that Sango go and get some training in while Sasha was still here.

So off they'd gone in the morning, rising at dawn. Kagome slept in later than they had, listening half-heartidly as her two best friends left the room and headed for the training grounds. To tell the truth, she'd felt rather left out by the whole ordeal, wondering in the back of her head what the hell was so important about beating each other up.

So engrossed in her irritated thoughts she failed to see a certain hanyou and his brother walking the grounds. Inuyasha was dressed in his normal red haori, glaring at his brother as Sesshomaru talked about Kikyo, who hadn't left her rooms since last night.

"I don't sense the jewel's power as much as before, it's like she's trying to hide it." Inuyasha stated, clearly upset. When his brother didn't respond, Inuyasha threw his hands in the air an stalked away, but not before catching her scent. Immediately he paused in his steps, just now noticing the loud giggling of her peers, and turned his golden gaze towards Kagome. He licked his lips, watching her silently as she waved a question off one of the other women, and responded nuetrally. She looked bored, he noted, and grinned to himself when he thought of all the ways to alleviate that problem.

She hadn't noticed him yet, so he was content to continue watching her, his arms placed firmly in the sleeves of his haori and his ears twitching as he strove to hear her voice. He licked his lips again, recalling the kiss they'd shared, and wished feverishly that she were alone and they could try again. A shudder passed through him, his nose wrinkling as he fought off his own arousal at the thought of her and him alone once more, and trotted away before anyone else noticed his take on the princess.

Too bad for him that Sesshomaru was already watching, and had caught every little detail his brother had thrown out there; a barely perceptible smirk crossing his features. His little brother was always one to cause a problem...

Sango was sweating, something she hadn't done since the last time Sasha had visited, and was extremely grateful to the female wolf demon for dragging her out here to the training field. Since her injury, and her new position as Kagome's maid, Sango rarely trained with any of the warriors...aside from Kohaku, but that didn't count. Her little brother had a knack for going easy on her.

Sasha, on the other hand, would just assume knock Sango on her ass before giving her a break!

"Truce! Truce...!" Sango wheezed, falling to a knee, "Gimme a break Sasha, I'm out of shape!" the boomerang came screaming back to Sango, who caught it one handed and let it fall to the ground beside her. They'd been out here all day, and though Sango was sweating and breathing heavily, Sasha was barely showing stress from it.

The wolf sighed, coming to kneel in front of the other woman with a serious expression. "You must get into shape, the time has come." Sasha stated, and Sango blinked up at her confusion in her eyes. Another sigh left the wolf and she glanced away, and for the first time Sango noticed that Sasha wasn't really all there. Had she been that way the entire time?

"Sasha?" Sango reached a hand out to the wolf, touching the side of the other female's face gently, and Sasha reacted by turning to look at her.

"Kagome, she'll need you as her protector now. I want you to come with us to Lithomia in three days time, I'll need you to be at your best; as you were when you were an exterminator." Sasha held up a hand as Sango went to protest, "Kagome's power grows with each day, and Kikyo's fades. She is the new jewel, the true holder and protector; the true Miko. Kikyo and Hiko have both asked me to train her, normally I would refuse...but, circumstances being what they are..." Sasha shrugged her shoulders, her head shaking back and forth.

"Kagome...is the new jewel?" Sango asked, somewhat confused. "...and what circumstances?" she added suspiciously, watching with glittering eyes as Sasha rose to her feet.

"Naraku."

A shrill scream reached across the entire courtyard, from the gates to the training grounds and even up to the kitchens. Sango and Sasha were racing forward before the scream had even left Kagome's lips, the wolf's ears catching the peircing release of air even as the startled maid's at Kagome's side leapt forward to catch their princess.

Kagome was in a state of viciousness, her eyes rolled back in her head, her mouth agape as scream after terrible scream escaped her lips. Her face was deadly pale, little hands clenched tightly to the knitting she'd been working on, and her legs sprawled uselessly underneath her. No one knew, however, what was going on...

No one except Sasha, who knew that somewhere in the castle, Kikyo was writhing in pain. Kouga and a few of his guards had come along as well to see the damage, and Inuyasha was hovering in the background with his brother and Miroku...it seemed the line to see Kagome's fallen form was growing longer, and Sasha wasn't liking it. All these demons, if they sensed the jewel in Kagome...things would go very wrong. She couldn't take them all on at once, and Sango was too tired to do much but help her lift Kagome to the chair.

"We must find Kikyo!" Sasha hissed to Sango, who nodded and informed the wolf demon that the elder human girl hadn't left her rooms since last night. That was all Sasha needed to know before she was heaving Kagome over her shoulder and taking off for the castle, yelling back for Sango to meet her in Kagome's rooms. The exterminator nodded, both she and Kohaku headed for their charge's chambers.

By the time they got there, Kagome was curled against Kikyo's chest on Kagome's bed, both of them pale and shaking. Sasha, on the other hand, was mutely standing in the corner, a frown gracing her features.

"Oh Kagome, are you alright!?" Sango cried, lunging to grab hold of her best friend who began sobbing into her shoulder.

"It hurts Sango!" Kagome whimpered, and Kikyo winced. A gasp left both human princesses, a pinkish light filtering from Kikyo to Kagome, before they both screamed. Sasha flattened her ears, trying to block out the sound, while Sango attempted to calm their fears and Kohaku went about securing the doors. He had already been informed of what was happening, and would be staying behind to protect Kikyo when Kagome and Sango left.

"It's the jewel, Kagome." Sasha said suddenly, breaking the tension in the air. Her voice was nuetral, her eyes blank as she stared at the younger princess.

"The...the..what?" Kagome asked, brown eyes confused.

"The Jewel." and at another blank look from her friend, Sasha sighed and glared at Kikyo, "Has no one told her about the jewel!?"

"She means, Kagome..." Kikyo said, swallowing as she pulled her younger sister into her arms, "That you are receiving our mother's power. You know how everyone called me the Jewel of the Family?" at Kagome's nodd, Kikyo continued, "It wasn't entirely a nickname, inside of me is the Shikon no Tama, a powerful jewel that only a miko can take care of. If it falls into the wrong hands, it will be used for hurtful purposes; it's why men came after me, why I left with Sasha all those years ago. I had to train myself to use it, to heal it, and most of all; to protect it. Sasha knows a bit more about training, as does old Kaede..." Kikyo stopped as another round of pain escaped them both, a cry leaving Kagome's pale lips.

"Is...is that why," Kagome gasped, "Is that why I'm going with Sasha? To train, so I can protect mama's jewel?" at Kikyo's nodd, Kagome sniffled, "So, what will happen to you? Why couldn't you have it anymore?"

"I wasn't meant to be its protector, in all honesty I don't know why. Perhaps the jewel senses your innocence, your purity. The only reason I received it so young, too young in fact, is because mother died when Souta was born. The Jewel needed a holder, and our father could only take it for a short amount of time before it would try to consume him, so I had to be it's shell, now you have to be it's protector." Kikyo said softly, patting Kagome on the head.

"We must keep it hidden, if any of those blood thirsty bastards find out-" Sasha paused, a quiver racing down her spine, and Kikyo sent her a worried look. "We leave in three days time, unfortunately I cannot go any sooner without it being suspicious; besides, we have peace talks here with Lord Hiko I must complete in my father's...absence." she winced here, "Until then, Kohaku will travel with Kikyo as a constant guard, and Sango with Kagome when I cannot be with her. I will do what I can to mask her power, but should an unusual flare up start..." she glanced at Kikyo, who nodded.

"Do you think...Naraku has felt it?" Sango asked, and the room went silent.

"I have no doubt that dirty bastard is clinging to the last traces of the transfer, trying to find out where the jewel is now so he can steal it and make it his own. The only thing we have going for us is that he's in love with Kikyo, the part of the sickly hanyou that's still human loves the elder human...for now, that will keep Kagome safe." Sasha muttered, acutely aware that Kikyo was holding back tears.

It was later that night that Inuyasha could be seen jumping from his balcony and out into the gardens below; after Kagome's little scream-a-thon earlier he was concerned for the beautiful girl's health. He'd noticed she hadn't been feeling well all day after that, and her maid and that damnable wolf-girl had been clinging to her hips, not giving him a damn chance to talk to her. Especially since they both knew his secret.

Sighing he leapt easily onto the tree outside Kagome's balcony, he knew for a fact that Sango was in the kitchens; having sent Miroku to keep the little twit busy, and that Sasha was off with Kouga doing Kami only knew what. He cringed, pushing those thoughts away with a disgusted grunt, and heaved himself over to her balcony's edge.

Judging by her scent, she was asleep...and a troubled sleep at that. He could smell her sweat, her fear, underlying her natural scent that usually drove him wild. Right now, though, all he could feel for the girl was extreme worry. It wasn't normal for a young maiden to start screaming randomly and pass out in her friend's arms, nor was it normal for her energy to spike so that it almost rivaled her sister's. Naturally it was a stupid assumption, to think that anyone could be as strong as Kikyo...but at the time, he hadn't been the only one to think so.

Even his stoic brother had murmured something about it before walking off. Ah, well, either way he was just here to see if she was okay. He smirked, remembering the LAST time he'd told himself that was the only reason he'd been there.

Suddenly, the girl on the bed stirred, and he paused in his advance. She was drenched in sweat, the blankets tossed crazily around the large room, and judging by the marks on her skin it looked like she'd been trying to scratch the first several layers off! Concern washed over him and he inched closer, blood reaching his nose as he realized she'd actually succeeded in tearing a few layers off her left arm.

"Kagome..." he whispered, one clawed hand coming out to touch her shoulder. She whimpered and jerked awake, eyes wide and hair tousled. "You were..having a bad dream.." he muttered, and she blinked at him.

"Inu...ya..sh..a?" she asked, staring at him with a dazed expression. He nodded briefly, one finger tracing lines around the wounds on her arm. Kagome winced, drawing away and holding her injury to her chest. It was in this position that Inuyasha saw the real damage.

'Kami, she really had been trying to tear her skin off!' he thought, brows knit in concern. Her left arm was torn from the elbow to the wrist, ruby red blood squirting down the length and coating on the bedspread below. It had to hurt, seeing as how her nails weren't that long to begin with, and if Inuyasha didn't know any better he'd have thought Kagome had transformed into a demon to injure herself so severely! He muttered something under his breath and snatched her arm away from her chest before she could protest.

Kagome watched with wide, frightened eyes as Inuyasha brought her bleeding wound to his mouth. She winced slightly, letting off a small whimper of pain, as his tongue lapped out to clean the wound; it was all so surreal. Here was Inuyasha, licking her wound and watching her with those strange golden eyes of his that made her heart kick painfully in her chest. Suddenly, she didn't want him to lick her just on the arm...she wanted...

"Inu..yasha..."

He looked up from his ministrations, eyes widening slightly at the sight. Kagome's eyes were half-lidded as she watched him, her cheeks flushed as the smell of her arousal reached his sensitive nose. Demon senses picked up the loud thrumming of her heart rate, and the increased degree of her temperature. Even her voice was laced with want. He gulped.

"Please, Inu-" she didn't get to finish, his lips descending on hers in a hungry kiss. She could taste her own blood on his lips, which oddly excited her even more, and let off a groan of bliss when he pushed her down to the sweaty bedspread. What was happening to her body? She was reacting to him in ways she didn't understand, but oh it felt so right!

"Kagome..." his heated whisper broke through her thoughts, and she realized he was leaning over her, his hips nestled between her legs. Much in the same position she'd caught Sasha and Kouga in earlier, and the image made her flush. All thoughts of being embarrased were washed away instantly as his tongue flicked out to graze her neck and jawline. She clutched at him, fingers digging painfully into his sides, the hanyou growling and nipping and licking at every turning point.

"Oh Kagome..." he groaned as she bucked beneath him, her heat painfully reminding him of his own need for her; the one currently growing where she was pressed against him. He shuddered, eyes closing in bliss as he continued to bath her in his scent. Inuyasha wanted her to smell like him, wanted all the other youkai to know that she belonged to him...he didn't know why, he just did.

If he had been thinking straight, he'd have remembered that wanting to mate Kagome meant betraying everything he was; Kagome could never be his, he had Kikyo.

The thought sobered him and he withdrew, causing the girl to whimper beneath him. He studied her from his kneeling position between her legs and nearly collapsed back on top of the young girl at the sight that greeted him. Hungrily he drank in her state with his eyes, tongue lashing out to lick his lips where he could still taste her. Her arms were above her head, grasping the iron bars that served as a headboard, while her torso was thrust upward towards him, the skimpy nightgown falling down around her shoulders and revealing the top parts of her breasts. He swallowed thickly, trembling as he fought to contain the lust inside of him.

Kami, he needed her!

It was no longer a matter of 'want', but of 'need'. Every part of himself that was demon wanted to ravish the beauty beneath him, wanted to hear his name leave her lips in a wild cry as she went spiraling over the edge; an edge that he'd pushed her off! The other half, the human half, begged him to take her and make love to her beneath the pale moon; run his hands through that silky hair and whisper loving words in her ear as he strove to throw them both over that edge.

It would break all limits set, shatter the rules set about by the royal houses. If he did this, if he took her now, if he made her his mate, his brother would kill him. Kikyo would kill him. Hiko would kill him. Hell, they'd all ressurect him and murder him over and over again just to insure that he felt pain! Inwardly he cringed at this, and he knew this had to stop...

"Inuyasha..." she moaned up at him, head tossed back now as she bucked towards him, begging for his heat. He groaned, sinking back down to kiss and nibble at her skin. How could he resist her when she said his name in such longing?!

"Damn you woman..." he murmured against her neck, causing a giggle to leave her as she pushed upward with her hips against his. He gasped, the sharp intake of air causing his fangs to scratch a wound on her throat. It wasn't deep, but the smell of her fresh blood excited Inuyasha into a mad lust; one he couldn't control. He was grinding against her in wild need, both of them shivering and moaning loudly; lost to the world in their own desires.

The air was thick with their arousal, the scent drifting under the door and into the waiting nose of Sasha Darkwaters; the wolf princess who could hear and smell everything that was happening in her friend's room. Even Sango could hear it now, and she was worriedly watching Sasha to see what the youkai female would do.

The two had been sitting in the adjoining chamber to Kagome's room, watching and waiting. Sango had returned from the kitchen about ten minutes ago, willing to relieve Sasha of her guard duty, but instead the two had begun talking about preparations for the coming days. Sango's training would begin tomorrow, and wouldn't cease until they'd arrived in Lithomia, or until Sango was as good as she had been years ago.

And then she'd smelt him. Inuyasha. The dog's rancid odor, as Sasha had spit out so violently, had begun seeping into the room right after Sango had entered...she'd ignored it, hoping the bastard would smell Sasha and leave, and now that there were obvious sounds of pleasure coming from the other room the wolf was both appauled and amused.

However, the smell of blood on top of that arousal seemed to send Sasha into a blind rage, because the next thing Sango knew...

"Get the hell off her!"

'Well, this is going to be interesting...' Sango thought, hitching her boomerang on her back and leaning casually on the open doorframe behind the enraged female demon. Sasha was truly a sight when she was mad, and Sango shuddered to think that this wasn't really mad persay, just pissed off.

There she stood, red and black armor glinting in the moonlight, tight braid swinging delicately in front of her, blades practically hissing for blood at her hips, while the rest of her body was a rigid calm. The air about her was seething hot, her demon aura crackling lazily...as if it was just waiting to be released...and no doubt everyone who had a talent for sensing demon energies was now feeling the tension in the westwing of the castle.

Inuyasha was pissed.

"She wants me here, bitch, in case you didn't notice!" he spat, before he realized his mistake. A fist connected with his jaw, sending him careening towards the balcony. It took him a few minutes to get over the shock, but when he did he was already reaching for tetsaiga until he realized it was a useless sword. Just a rusty old katana, he reminded himself, urging his demon side to calm down.

"I don't care what Kagome wants, dog-breath!" she snarled, advancing into the room. Kagome opened her mouth to protest to this, but Sango sent her a warning glare that silenced her immediately. "Kagome is my charge, my responsibility! Or have you forgotten when we nearly had a problem at the winter ball because of you!? Or should I tell Kikyo about this as well..." the threat didn't go unnoticed by Inuyasha, who visibly paled.

Kagome, on the other hand, was barely following the conversation. Why would Kikyo care if Inuyasha was with her, he was just a stupid servant!

"I'll leave, but this won't be the last time I see her." Inuyasha vowed, tightening his hold on tetsaiga's hilt.

"Yes, it will. She's leaving with me in two days, just as you are leaving tomorrow." Sasha spat, eyeing him with disdain. "If you attempt to speak with her in that time, I'll have your head, as well as a few other choice things, on a platter being served up to Kikyo before you can blink!" her voice was laced with venom, a slight reddish tint falling about her normally green eyes. Inuyasha growled and looked at Kagome.

"Kagome, I-" he started, but Sasha was standing in his way, a snarl on her face.

"Don't test me half demon!" she growled, fangs bared. He ignored her, knowing Kagome was waiting to hear the rest of what he had to say.

"We are the same, girl, you may not understand it now but you will someday! We. Are. The. Same." his eyes locked with the confused human's, and he flashed her a smile. "I'll be back for you." he whispered, but Sasha was the only one who heard it.

Before the wolf could attack, Inuyasha was gone.

It was silent for a few moments, before Kagome's bed creaked as the girl rose; there was a fury to her aura that the other two sensed. Sango backed away, eyes wide, knowing this was going to be messy...while Sasha turned on them both and stared calmly at Kagome.

"You have no right-" Kagome started, but was cut off as Kikyo's voice entered the room.

"She has every right, Kaggy." Kikyo stepped into the room, wearing her priestess garb. "When the jewel fell to you, and she agreed to train you, she took your freedom." her voice was weary, and she watched as Kagome sunk to the bed again.

"I didn't ask her to train me!" Kagome shot back, and Kikyo smiled sadly.

"No, Kaggy, you didn't. But this is how it must be. In order to protect you, Sasha must keep everyone away from you. It's a lonely life, Kagome, but it's how it is. It's how it is supposed to be; the life of a miko doesn't allow such things as love and fun. Worse, you are also a princess...which doesn't allow much to begin with." another sad smile rose on Kikyo's face, and Kagome stood again, even more furious.

"I hate this jewel! I hate everything to do with a miko! I hate mom for doing this, for giving us this stupid power! I. Hate. It!" her voice faltered and she fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Sango watched quietly, before following a stoic Sasha out of the room, while the two hume sister's cried to each other.

"Is that why you became partial to Kagome, because she didn't have the burden of the jewel?" Sango asked, once they were seated in the adjoining room. Sasha stiffened, but nodded.

"I had to train Kikyo, even though I was the same age as her, and she reacted the same way. Part of being a Lithomian Wolf is protecting the Jewel Bearer, and when protecting you don't have time to become attatched. Instead, I fell in love with Kagome; she was innocent, and with Kikyo already holding the jewel I didn't think the burden would ever fall to Kagome. I didn't think I'd ever have to watch another girl go through what Kikyo and I had to go through." the wolf sighed, and Sango frowned.

"What Kikyo and you had to go through?" Sango asked suspiciously, "How is it that you can use holy energy, you're a demon...demons can't use holy energy, it will kill them."

Sasha sighed, knowing this question was long overdue in it's coming. Kikyo had asked the same one, once. "Lithomian wolves are...unique." she licked her lips, but said nothing more. Sango was about to push for the wolf to keep talking when Sasha suddenly stood and left the room, muttering for Sango to keep watch tonight and that if Inuyasha even dared glance in the general direction of the westwing, that she was to inform Sasha immediately.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow...

You know the drill! Review! Love me! Yadda Yadda!

New chapter up by the end of the week, I have another three day weekend, so maybe two chapters like this time, eh!? Would you like that? Shippou in the coming chapters, too, so stay tuned!

And Review! I love reading them!