Hello again! I had to cut this chapter a little short as the dreaded writer's block crept into my head. I was stuck on this chapter for two weeks. And after some editing I decided to not force it and end it here. I already have a rough, and I mean ROUGH draft of chapter 11 wrote out. I'm trying to figure out the best way to incorporate an OC character who will reveal a bombshell…

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"Can you tell me what you know about wolves?"

"Wolves?" He enunciated.

"Mhm."

He took a moment to process her question as it had staggered him. The girl's sparkling tone piqued his curiosity as well.

Alright, girl. I'll entertain you.

"Why do you ask?"

"Honestly," she replied, tucking a section of her hair behind an ear, "I just want to know more about you, get you talking more. Like…" She hesitated and looked down at her papers, briefly eyeing the black and white illustration of a wolf-dog's skull. "…you're so mysterious and, um, kind of secretive and—"

Just a look from the demon was enough to separate the Miko from her words. She had spent enough time staring into Sesshomaru's eyes to know that something was different about this gaze. If only for a second, she noticed his expression softening.

"—y-your ancestry…it's fascinating to me. " Kami, I barely got that out. I'm stammering all over the place.

"My ancestry, you say? So, you wish to ask more than one 'funny' question?"

"If Sesshomaru-sama will allow it," she quipped, gaining control of her jittering nerves.

He raised a brow. How sweet his formal name rolled off her tongue.

"I did not take you for a bootlicker, Miko."

"I'm not, but I don't think you're fond of 'my discourtesy," she jested, lightly imitating his baritone voice.

"If we are being honest," Sesshomaru said as he concealed his smirk, "I do find your prying amusing at the best of times."

A smile spread across her face, reacting to the glint in the youkai's eyes. His unpredictability was unsettling at times, but if she didn't know any better one could say he was being playful.

"So, about those wolves," Kagome reminded him, "Tell me what you know."

"I know many things. Perhaps too much to relay in one day."

"Hmm, good point. Well, let me be more specific. Tell me, what do you know about their relationship with people?"

"Are you referring to both youkai and mortal okami?"

She nodded. "Maybe start with the regular wolves?"

"The mortals have a long history of troubling humans—attacking both their community and livestock, if you will. I suppose the ningen's lesser numbers and lack of organization in the past was the reason for that. Over time their weapons improved. Enabling them to fight off attacks from wolves as well as other predators. Although, I would not be surprised if their dogs had something to do with it as well."

Kagome's posture improved.

"Dogs, you say?"

"Yes. You will have to excuse my limited knowledge of the beasts. They are of little importance to all creatures save for their human masters," he informed before continuing, "But I suspect that with the human's increased ingenuity over the centuries they incorporated stricter breeding practices. Favoring heavier, more capable dogs to help combat the wolves."

Kagome looked at him expectantly when he stopped talking.

"Inuyoukai have never lived peacefully alongside wolf demons. We detest the worthless lot with such bitterness that I would not hesitate to disembowel any who dare trespass on my land."

"Has any ever given you trouble?"

His scowl was nothing short of oh, please. "It's been at least a few thousand years. Before my time."

"Your time…just how old are you?"

"I turned five-hundred and four this year."

"Wow! I turn nineteen in a few weeks."

"Riveting," he muttered straight-faced, "But I do believe we were talking about okami demons."

"Ah, I'm sorry. Go on."

"When I was a pup, my father told me that wolf demons were once far more formidable than they are today, on par with our blood you could say. However, as capable as they were it didn't prevent my father from ripping the throat out of the last known okami-daiyoukai."

"Hold on. There were great wolf demons? I'm friends with a few packs and thought they were always lower tier youkai."

Sesshomaru glowered at her admission. Friends?

"What? They're not that bad. I'm an honorary wolf to one pack."

Hmph! A title more worthless than my brother. At least he has the blood of my father in his veins. "If I may continue," he said flatly, "Prior to the last great wolf's death, the demons were often caught sniffing around the taken western territory. It is believed they had done so before it was claimed by my blood."

"And when did your family claim it?"

"If my memory serves me correctly, about sixteen thousand years ago."

"What sore losers. The wolves fought your family for the territory for that long?"

His voice dripped with pride. "Until they could no longer."

"And what about the people? Did the youkai attack them while all this fighting was going on?"

"Ningen populations were attacked often, albeit by low rank demons and their controlled mortals. It was not until we started to compete for the ownership of the western lands that the humans began to settle around the border."

"Which was…?"

"Sixteen thousand years ago."

The more Sesshomaru talked the more Kagome believed in her theory of man's best friend being ancestors of Inuyoukai. The challenge was to bring up her inkling without offending the great dog. It is obvious that he holds his lineage with great esteem.

"And before that?"

"Our bloodline has no record prior to sixteen thousand years."

"Why do you think that is?" She asked somewhat knowingly.

"The lack of a written language," he replied with confidence.

"I don't think that's it, Sesshomaru." Amber narrowed before his brows slipped into a furrow. "But I may know why."

He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I am eager to hear what an eighteen-year-old human has to say about what occurred sixteen thousand years ago."

"Good," she quickly responded with a sickly-sweet tone, "Because I think you are the descendants of our dogs." Her words rattled around in his head; his expression steeled in response to her triumphant smirk.

"What did you say?"

"I think you're related to mortal dogs," she repeated matter-of-factly.

If looks could kill.

"Explain your sadistic assault upon my lineage."

Her laughing triggered his anger even further.

"It's not like it's an insult or anything," she assured him, "And before you strike me down where I sit, give me a chance to explain."

"Speak quickly," Sesshomaru warned.

"Okay, okay. Alright, see, dogs are pretty much wolves who have been tamed and then domesticated by humans."

…as if a mere dog could produce something as great as this Sessho—"Hn? Inu are okami?"

"Well, they were wolves, now they're something different."

"One could argue that they are similar, but that does not mean they are wolves."

"Try to keep an open mind," she said before handing him the paper that sparked all of this. Although hesitant—licking the wounds inflicted to his pride—he took the sheet from her as she continued. "There are still disagreements about how we tamed wolves, but make no mistake, dogs and wolves are so closely related that they can produce offspring."

Sesshomaru struggled to pay attention, his eyes darting back and forth between the girl and the paper.

"I don't understand," he admitted, "What does this have to do with my bloodline?"

Her chuckle was wholesome. "Because, Sesshomaru, dogs would not exist if it were not for people and…" That's a new expression, she thought.

"And?"

"…I don't believe you would have either," Kagome finally revealed, pausing to give the youkai a chance to absorb what she had said. "I know there's a lot of thoughts running—"

A blur appeared in front of her. Cool and splaying across her face, the ends of his silken strands tickled her cheekbones as she looked up at the demon who was glaring down with bared canines.

"Hey, what—"

His display intensified, further revealing his fangs. Good lord is he pissed off, she thought. Kagome could quite literally pinpoint where his growl vibrated in his throat. It should have been horrifying. The way he hovered over her sporting a menacing look, but Kagome just could not process it that way. Instead, she felt thrilled, completely indifferent towards the danger she put herself in. Crimson crept into her cheeks as she scanned his face, taking in every inch of those pissed off features. But he's so…hot.

At least her priorities are in the right place.

Jeez, of all things to think of at a time like this, she recoiled inwardly.

"I've had enough of your absurdity, girl."

"It-it's not absurd! If you'll just calm down I can explain, I swear!"

"Silence! You…"

His words caught in this throat upon realizing her changing scent and blushing face. He had intended to raise the smell of fear from the blabbering girl but instead invoked another.

"Sesshomaru…?"

It was intoxicating. A mild musk with a sweet finish.

"…hey, what's up with you?" She wondered out loud.

His eyes glazed over as he felt his rage leaving him.

"Excuse me," he muttered from a distant place.

And just like that he tucked his fangs away and removed his person from her face. Taking a seat against his tree once more. Kagome grabbed the paper she had gave him before his outburst and handed it to him again.

"Are you willing to listen to me now?"

Sesshomaru slowly tilted his head towards her.

You smell lovely, Kagome.

He nodded.