Chapter 10: What would Mother say?
"Talking"
Thinking
"Inner Youkai Talking" (out loud, when in control)
Inner Youkai Thinking (in head, only host can hear)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the original characters from the story. Although I do own the storyline and any other characters that had the unfortunate luck to stumble into my head and are now at my mercy. Mwahahahaha!
Kagome sunk into the soft cushioning of the couch, leant her head back, closed her eyes and sighed. After her little confrontation with Inuyasha, she – as High Miko of the Higurashi Shine – forbade him from setting foot on the shrine's holy grounds again. Her brother had also shown his utter disgust for his once-idol's actions by prohibiting any further contact with any Higurashi family members or their lands, as was his right as eldest male Higurashi. She had not, however, expected Sesshomaru to react to the actions taken against her all those years ago, especially not something as drastic as he did; in fact, his reprimand was far worse than either of the Higurashi siblings'. He had stalked towards the hanyou as only a predator of his calibre could, and slapped the hanyou sharply, before declaring that such despicable acts against the Shikon Miko could and would not be ignored, and that 'this Sesshomaru will not tolerate such a despicable creature, brother or not, in his Pack'. For an inu, to be exiled from their Pack was the greatest punishment one could receive. Since it was his last family member who had banished him made it an even larger humiliation.
Kagome sighed. Oh, what would the modern Packs think of her? She was a mature female inu youkai without a Pack, without an Alpha. The fact that female inu youkai were not as common as males resulted in female inu youkai being treasured and fought for; any that came across her as she was now would think her some sly bitch with a vice so dastardly that it would be dangerous to accept her as Pack. She sighed again. No matter what the modern Packs would think of her, she was still an inu youkai; she had all the instincts and needs of one. And her instincts right now were pushing her to submit to the Alpha on the couch across from her.
We need a Pack; an Alpha. We are female and strong, but we are lonely.
Kagome hung her head as her inner beast cried out again.
Rather talkative recently, aren't you?
Pack!
We're already part of a Pack, remember? She whispered softly to her inner self. Souta and us, that's our Pack.
Pack needs more Packmates! Where is our Alpha Male, our female companions, the Beta males, the pups?!
The fact her inner beast had reverted to such simplistic reasoning confused her, and as a whimper escaped Kagome's throat without her realising, Sesshomaru looked up from his human daughter to the female across from him. She seemed to be either completely confused or arguing with her inner beast, if her conflicted expression was taken into account.
"Kagome."
Said female jerked her head up in surprise, her confused eyes taking a moment before focusing on the daiyoukai who had called to her.
"Hai, Sesshomaru?"
The older daiyoukai cocked his head at the female, studying her, before questioning, "You have no Pack?"
"No. Yes! Well, um, you see…" A blush overwhelmed her cheeks as she looked down at her hands. "Souta is my Pack."
Sesshomaru's eyes drifted to the young male leading his daughter towards the kitchen. "Your brother?"
"Hai."
Sesshomaru turned back to the inu youkai female. "Just him?"
Kagome squirmed slightly, her tail curling around her ankle nervously. "Hai."
A moment of silence before, "You work at a café, you said?"
"Hai." Kagome replied again, hoping for the interrogation to be over.
"It pays well?"
Kagome scowled. "We get by, Sesshomaru, but I do not believe it is any business of yours."
Sesshomaru smirked as the little female finally showed the backbone of the young miko he had known in the past, not some demure court bitch. "But it is business of mine, Kagome, when it involved members of my Pack."
Kagome looked up, confused, at the elder daiyoukai. "I thought you banished Inuyasha."
"I did."
"Then how is it your concern, Sesshomaru?" the female questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"You are Pack, Kagome."
Kagome whipped her head up from her previously demure position, confused blue eyes meeting amused gold. "I was not aware we were Pack." She began cautiously.
"We have been Pack since you travelled with my half-brother; when he recognised me as Alpha, I recognised his Packmates as Pack as well. His Pack has been my Pack for the past several centuries. Just because he is now banished does not mean I will turn my back on you. Or your brother." He added, almost as an afterthought. "He is your Pack, and since you are Mine, he is Mine as well."
Kagome stared at the daiyoukai before her with awe. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama." She whispered in awe.
"And since you are Mine," he smirked, "you shall resign from your work at the café."
"Sessh-"
The daiyoukai male held his hand forward before she could continue. "You are Pack, Kagome, and I will not have you simply 'getting by'. You will finish your work at the café and I will provide you with employment at my company. Now, your brother is how old?"
"Nearly 19" came a cry from the kitchen.
Sesshomaru raised his eyebrow at Kagome. "He's 19 in a few months." She muttered.
"And what are his plans?"
Souta, followed by a humming Rin, entered the room. "I'm gonna be the High Priest of this place!"
Sesshomaru turned to the miko's younger brother as he flared his youki, watching as the young male flared his own holy ki in retaliation.
"It is rare for one to have such ability and knowledge of holy ki in this day and era."
"I've been teaching him." Kagome grinned proudly.
"Hn. Very well. Kagome, you shall work for me, and your brother shall care for the shrine." He slipped his hand into his suit jacket as he leant forward, handing the slip of paper he retrieved to Kagome. "You are the official owner of the property?"
"Um, yea." She responded distractedly, inspecting the card she had been handed.
"One hundred million." Sesshomaru murmured.
"What?" Kagome's brows furrowed in confusion at the older daiyoukai's mysterious mutterings.
"I will buy the shrine and all the surrounding land from you for one hundred million yen." Kagome's mouth dropped as he continued. "As such, I will be the owner of the shrine, and will then pay for any repairs, refurbishments and all other costs. Your brother shall be the High Priest – that can be a condition of the contract, if you wish – and any major changes will be passed by you beforehand."
Kagome's jaw dropped. He wants to buy the shrine. For one hundred million yen! Blinking several times to bring herself back to the conversation at hand, she tried to focus back on the larger inu in front of her. "O-One h-h-hun…" she took a deep breath to clear her mind. "Isn't one hundred million a bit… well…" she glanced around the old traditional home; the barely-hanging-on shutters and worn tatami mats.
"One hundred and twenty million, then."
"No!" she gasped, leaping up from her seat. "I didn't mean… I meant isn't one hundred million yen a bit… much?"
"You own the oldest shrine in the area, and it is the one with the most history – whether humans know it or not. You also own a large area of woodlands that is considered shrine grounds. The fact your true form can run in it is testament to its size."
"Yea, but… you really don't have to do this, Sesshomaru-sama." She frowned. When had she started calling him 'Sesshomaru-sama'? Oh, right. When he declared me Pack. And thus he's the Alpha.
The large inu smirked and shook his head slightly. "Perhaps I want the shrine, Kagome. Would my reputation not grow more still by owning the largest, most historic shrine in Japan? The only shrine to be managed by the last line of those with holy ki? The home of the Shikon no Miko herself? And of course I will be providing for my Pack, as well."
And that was how, several hours later, Kagome was waving Sesshomaru and two youkai lawyers off the property.
I just sold the shrine to a daiyoukai. For one hundred million yen. She giggled. Oh, what would her mother say? Kagome's eyes bulged. What would her mother say?
"Oh dear." she whimpered.