10

Sha woke a few hours later, feeling the aftereffects of her drinking binge. She put a hand to her head, grimacing in pain. It was then she grew aware of the presence laying next to her. "What time is it?"

"About noon. There's food in that bag next to you. Might be cold by now, but still something for your stomach."

She looked over to her mate, seeing him look at her with a slight worried glance. She looked away and picked at the bag, pulling out a burger from the café downstairs. "Sorry I didn't handle the situation too well this morning."

He grinned at her. "You haven't learned yet that you don't handle alcohol too well."

"Or stress. Though usually we have more time alone to work off that stress in more physical ways."

"They could come in at any minute, so that's out of the question. For now, anyway."

She crumpled up the wrapper and tossed it back in the bag. "I'm going to walk off the rest of the intoxication. If you don't mind, that is."

"Just be careful."

"Of course." She leaned over and kissed him before putting on her boots and leaving quietly through the door.

Once outside the hotel, she took a deep shuddering breath, attempting to steady her nerves, if at least a little bit. She followed the scent of the ocean, deciding on a walk along the shore. She didn't make it far into the woods though, before an energy source met her senses.

"Who's there?" she demanded, flicking her fingers from her palms to extend her talons. "Show yourself." When no one answered, she held up a hand, calling black flames to her fingers. "Last warning." A twig cracked to her right, catching her attention. Flinging her arm to her side, she launched the fire at the trees, slicing through the trunks of the first row.

"You are impressive in taking care of yourself, but not so much of your awareness."

Her eyes widened as she whirled around, coming face to face with a demon. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The demon's eyes glanced at her neck. "What I want I would not be allowed to extract from you. Not while that mate of yours is still alive."

Sha backed up a step. "You didn't answer the first question."

"Excuse me. I am Sasori, a member of the S Group. I saw you leave while the rest of your team watched earlier this morning." He advanced on her slowly as she backed up.

She didn't stop until she felt a solid object hit her back. Hissing slightly, she flashed her fangs at him. "Back off."

Sasori grinned. In a movement faster than her own trained eye could keep up with, he snatched her throat in his grasp, piercing the skin slightly. His smile widened at her cry of pain. "Now that's what I like to hear. No lip, just cries of mercy. I saw you walk off before I even got to fight. For that, I claim your fight as my own."

Sha couldn't breathe. Sasori was doing more than strangling her. Toxins were dripping into her veins. "What…"

"My specialty you could say. My energy can form toxins at my will. Deadly, or benign. Right now, this is a warning shot, though of what, that's what's going to be fun."

"Hey, Drongo!"

I know that voice… Sha glanced to her left, seeing the tall Australian with the purple Mohawk. "Chu…?"

Sasori growled and looked to the side. "What did you call me?"

"Well now I don't know your name, but I know the Sheila you've got in your grubby little hands. If you don't stop now, that Blood Bond she's got there will—"

Chu didn't even get to finish as a flash of black darted past him, knocking Sasori off of Sha and into the next tree. "Get your hands off my wife!"

Sha fell to the ground, holding on to her throat and coughing up blood.

"Easy there, Sheila," Chu said, helping her up

Hiei pinned Sasori to the tree, using a forearm to keep his throat the object holding him still. His sword also was held over his gut. "You saw the mark and honestly thought I wouldn't feel her pain?" He pushed his arm tighter against Sasori's windpipe. "I swear if you've done anything to cause her harm—"

"Relax, you uptight hothead. The toxin in her veins will do no damage apart from making her sick and dizzy." He grinned as Hiei's eyes flashed red. "No need to get hasty. It will work its way out of her system, one way or another. Now care to let me go?"

With a final sneer, Hiei roughly pushed in once before moving away. "You're lucky I didn't keep you on that tree with my sword."

"Mm, yes, I suppose so. Whatever will help you sleep at night." Sasori brushed his long brown hair from his face, flashing his gold eyes to Sha, who glared back. "Do not forget, your fight is mine." He then turned back to Hiei. "If I were you, I'd keep her in seclusion for a good two hours. Unless you'd like to witness such vulgar acts as that poison would bring out." With a final smile, he turned and left through the woods.

Hiei didn't move until he was completely out of sight. "Chu, what are you doing here?"

"Helluva way to thank someone, don't you think Mate?"

"I mean what are you doing here in this general area?"

"I was having some fun out in a clearing. My team up and lost, but we're all still alive. All the guys are here. I heard a familiar voice and investigated, and sure enough, it was your Sheila. I was about to kick some ass when you showed up."

"I thank you for your attempt, but for now, I need to take her back. I don't know what his last words meant, but I have no desire to find out here."

Chu was about to say something, before a quiet moan slipped out from the female he was holding up. "You ripper there, Sha?" He noticed a slight color to her cheeks and the way she was fidgeting ever so minutely. "Mate, you'd better get her back to that room of yours. This is something only you'll be able to work out of her system."

"What is it?"

"Seems to be a very powerful aphrodisiac, and she's fighting it for now. Thing is, who knows how long she can." He handed her over to her mate. "If I hadn't have come when I did, I think he would've tried to rape her with that toxin." As for a last bit of light humor, he said, "I hope you're up for twi hours of sex, that's what's going to happen in the next ten minutes I'm suspecting."

"I can. I just don't think I can with her under this spell—"

"She's still herself. Just… can't control it. Now unless you'd like her to get naked here, I suggest you take her back." He nodded towards her lower body where her legs were held tightly together.

With a final nod Hiei helped her onto his back and took her back up to his room, once again sending a mental tendril to Kurama to explain the situation.

"If it's something like this, that can't be controlled, we'll leave the room to you two until she's herself again. Come and get us after it is worked out of her system."

"I will. Just… don't tell the others this is the reason why. Tell them we're both—"

"Under a lot of stress only sex that lasts for hours can cure. Still using what you're doing, but with a different explanation."

"What's wrong with me? I-I can't seem to think straight."

He helped her on to the bed. "You were given something that will arouse you profoundly for a few hours. It will be like our mating fog was, even though that lasted only twenty minutes. Just… bear with it as long as you can."

"Is she all right?"

"Yes, but I'll have to leave you now. Don't think this is something you'd want to hear in your head." He cut the connection, looking back to his wife, now biting on her finger as if in pain. "Are you all right?"

"No, my body… it's like one touch will set me off. I-I don't know what's wrong."

This is something only you'll be able to work out of her system. Hesitating, he lifted up her skirt and pulled off her panties, tossing them to the side. "I really don't want to do this if you're not yourself, but if it's the only way…" He put a finger to her core and flicked it across once, finding out she had been right as she came hard. "What is it he did to you?" He resumed once she had calmed down a slight degree.

"I am myself, I just can't, ah, control what's happening. It's like every nerve in my body is a hundred times more sensitive." She threw her head back as she came again. "I guess, just make the best of it. At least it's you, and not that sleazeball."

Nodding, he paused again before shifting his body, taking her in his mouth and making her cry out. "I want no one touching your body but me. I'll kill them before they do," he said to her with another tendril so he wouldn't have to stop. "I put up with too much shit in my life to have the one good thing defiled."

"Ah, just like that."

He flicked his tongue once more as she came a final time, crying out his name. "Sha, are you ready for the rest of this?"

"Yes, I am. Ah curse this stupid poison." Another wave washed over her, making her need intensify.

Pulling off his boots and pants again, he flinched slightly as his painfully hard erection came free. "You're not the only one it's affecting. It may not be in my body, but it's not hard to get me like this when you're so far gone." He spread her legs to the side and slipped in carefully, gritting his teeth at how tight she had become. "It's times like these I'm glad we're demons. Human woman wouldn't feel like this after two kids."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she managed before the wave came back, forcing her inner walls to clamp down on him.

"You'll make this hard to last long if you keep doing that."

"Sorry."

"Do not forget, my stamina is nothing to laugh at."

"How could I forget, when nights on end we'd do similar things."

Without removing himself from her, he pulled her into his lap. "I'm just glad, knowing you're still yourself through this."

"For now yes. I don't know how long I can hold off the haze. But please, don't stop."

Nodding, he pushed on her shoulder to turn her around and maneuver her onto her hands and knees. "This one might help a bit more." He moved her tail so it wouldn't get in his way.

"Not with your size! It hurts each time!"

"We'll see." He began rocking his hips, gently at first as she grew used to him.

She felt the haze steadily increasing as he moved. Without being able to stop herself, she cried out, "More, I can't stand it. Go faster."

He stopped for a second, confused temporarily by her boldness. Sha's always so submissive; it has to be the toxin talking… He leaned over, grasping on to her breasts under her shirt as he drove himself inside her faster and harder than before, making her choke back a moan. "And here you said it'd hurt." He himself tried biting back a moan, but failed.

Sha couldn't handle it. Her body started thrusting against his on its own, seeking another release.

He laughed against the skin of her neck. "I'll help you through this, I promise." His fangs extended, he bit on his mark, heightening her pleasure and bringing her to climax. Though in the position they were in, she tightened down too hard and he himself released. He choked out her name as his body emptied itself in her.

She felt the haze lift just enough to where she could speak clearly again. Past a lump in her throat, she said, "Just whatever happens, don't hold it against me, all right?"

"I would never hold something like this over your head. It's not your fault. Now if it was you climbing onto my cock without something like this in your system, I do use that for a few days before it dies as it is." Hiei smiled into her hair as they both calmed down a bit. "I can do this for the next hour and a half, but can you?"

"I'll have to." She leaned back onto her knees and captured his lips with hers. With him still inside, she felt him stroke at her core again with his fingers.

"Then it'll be an… interesting experience, to say the least."

Kurama and the others were having a hard time focusing in the girls' room. They were each trying to decide of a strategy to use against the opponents they would soon face. Though the noise from next door was a bit on the distracting side.

"Oh that's it!" Kuwabara yelled as he leapt to his feet. "I'm gonna go tell those guys to knock it off! We're all under a lot of stress as well, you don't see us going and doing things like that!" He stalked to the dividing door.

"Kuwabara, that is not wise," Kurama tried, but failed.

Kuwabara swung the door open, taking a step into his room. "That's it Shorty! You guys have had—" He stopped short at the glare of death and grew chills at the ominous feeling he gave off.

Sha scrambled to hide behind her mate, holding a sheet up to her form, seeing she was just as naked as he was by this time.

"If you'd like to keep your head attached to your shoulders, get out." Hiei's eyes glowed red.

Without another word Kuwabara went back into the other room and shut the door behind him. "Well I guess they could use a bit more time alone."

Yusuke laughed his head off. "Just like you to go and piss him off. You don't learn, do you?"

Hyouga agreed. "After knowing him for eight years, you should know his nature by now. Hell, after knowing him for four I've gotten used to it, and I'm around him less than you guys were in those two years. I know if he asks to be left alone, especially with her, you don't bother them."

"Didn't Salem walk in on them once?" Sukuna asked.

"Yeah, he couldn't walk right for a week after that."

"Wow, sounds like you got off easy then Kuwabara," Kitsu said as she drank from a can of beer.

"Well no, now he'll just get a less amount of a recoil after they're done."

Kuwabara groaned and sat down. "Let's just get back to figuring out a plan."

Sasori had been right when he said two hours. When Sha finally felt the haze lift, she collapsed onto Hiei's chest, feeling the tugs of sleep pulling at her. "Never. Again."

"Ah, it wasn't so bad. Though ask me to go another round and I might just run and hide."

She laughed at the mental image that created. "No, it's out of my system now, thankfully. No more waves, no more haze. And I can speak for myself again." She closed her eyes, feeling herself drifting off.

"No no, not yet," he said, gently shaking her awake. "Unless you'd rather fall asleep naked for them to walk in on again. On top of that, covered in a lot of different things."

"Mm, I guess you're right." She scooted off and tried to stand up, falling back to the bed as her legs gave way. "No good."

He rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. "All right, c'mon di'mio, I'll help you there." He tried standing himself, finding it to be a bit difficult. Once he had a good balance, he helped her up and took her into the shower.

She reveled in the feel of the running water once he turned it on, stepping in with her. "There has to be a way to avoid that man's poisons. All of them."

"Kitsu uses the same techniques; wouldn't she know something that could help?"

"She may. I just hope it'll be able to help me as I am."

The two bathed in silence after that, washing away the entire afternoon from each other.

"I hope you're not hurting from this," she said to break the ice as they stepped out and dried off.

"Nothing of the sort." He had to lie. He didn't want her worrying, especially since they needed to fight in the morning. Just hope I'll be able to move then…

Sha let out a relieved sigh. "Good, because I am, and I don't want you in the same boat as me."

He winced. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's not your fault. It happens from being contorted into odd positions for hours on end." She stole Kurama's brush from the counter and began to work the tangles out of her hair.

"I'll go get you some clothes. Don't fall asleep on me just yet."

"I won't."

He left the bathroom, snatching his pants from off the floor and putting them on. Without bothering to buckle the belts on them, he went into the next room, instantly put on the spot by six pairs of eyes. "What?"

"So you finally stopped banging her brains out. Hopefully whatever stress you had is gone," Yusuke said with his trademark grin.

Hiei felt his face growing hot. "It's none of your concern."

"Oh it is," Kitsu interjected, "especially when it's been penetrating our ears the past two hours."

"So what kind of stress would be so great that needs that much time alone?" Sukuna said, not looking up from a book she had been reading. "Or did you want to be sure she got knocked up again to replace what you lost." She did look when a ball of fire was thrown at the book in her hand.

"Never… talk about that again. It will be more than a book next time, and more vital."

She cowered under his glare.

Now extremely angry, he stalked past them and took his wife's night clothes from her bed before going back into the other room, slamming the door behind him.

"Sukuna!" Kitsu yelled. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

The spider brushed the ashes of her book off herself. "I was only kidding. I know it's been hard on them. I just assumed—"

"Regardless, that's not something to joke about!" Hyouga yelled as well.

Even Yusuke put his two cents in. "And here you were, just a few hours ago, saying you knew what he was like. You are lucky he torched your book and not you."

Sukuna bit her lip. "Well yeah, thanks for making me feel like a bitch. Should I go apologize?"

"I'd advise strongly against that, for the time being," Kurama said. "Let him calm down. Talk to him tomorrow, in the ring."

"Still would love to know what stress would be that powerful to make them go at it for three hours straight," Kuwabara said.

"Most likely nothing we need to concern ourselves with," Kurama answered. He could not bring himself to tell them the truth. He wouldn't betray his friend and his cousin's trust. "How about another game of cards as we review our strategies?"

"She's such an idiot," Sha said as she buttoned up her flannel shirt. "But I'm sure she meant no harm by it."

"Either way, she delved into a bad topic. She's the one I can stand the least out of your friends, to be honest."

"I can't stand her very much either. But Enma placed her with me; I can't get rid of her so easily." She pulled her hair from the shirt as he slipped into the bed with her. "I'm sure she'll apologize. Once she feels it's safe, of course."

"Are you still in pain?" he asked, trying to change the topic.

"A bit, but it will fade." She snuggled up to him, getting comfortable. "What do we do for the rest of the day though? It's still early."

"I was just going to suggest resting a bit, and then go figure out strategies."

She stretched, but got up instead of burrowing under the sheets like she wanted to so badly. "We wouldn't sleep properly tonight, and thus we'd suffer for it in the morning. Best option would be to hold off on it as long as possible."

He shrugged and followed her to the dividing door. "As you wish."