AN: Sorry for the wait. Once again you guys are AMAZING! Thank you for the wonderful reivews! I loved reading all of your thoughts! It has been a crazy last two weeks. I started a new job, closed on a house, had a sick puppy, etc. It's just been a mess. So this is later than I liked. I'll admit, there are probably mistakes that I over looked, so if you're picky about grammatical errors, I apologize. I'm a nurse with a full time job and sometimes I don't get the chapters edited completely. This chapter was mainly to get INU and Kags relationship on the move. Next chapter will probably contain lemon/lime. So, be on the look out for that. I think I replied to everyone's reviews. If I missed you, I'm sorry! Drop me another one that says I missed you and I will reply! I love you all! Enjoy your chapter.

Chapter 11

It was late in the evening when Sesshoumaru finally arrived at his brother's estate. His afternoon had been piled high with reviewing tedious contracts and proposals both within and outside the company. Despite working through lunch, the Ancient hadn't even managed to touch the files related to the clan until right before the board meeting. Usually, he would hand some of the work off to his secretary, Jaken, but the imbecile had taken leave during the busiest part of the month to take care of some personal matters. Nevertheless, it was still business as usual and he would make due. As much as he hated to admit it, not having Inuyasha to help carry the load at the office was bothersome. Wasn't it time he returned? Perhaps he could persuade the elders into letting him come back to work at the next meeting.

Especially with the unsettling information he had just been introduced to.

The priest met him at the door, a look of surprise flickering across his face before he quickly lowered his head and stepped aside. Sesshoumaru regarded him with a cold glance before walking past him and into the familiar foyer, the designer loafers his mate gave him last Christmas tapping against the smooth marble flooring rhythmically.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, we were not expecting you this evening. " Miroku announced before closing the door quietly and turning to face the wolf with a strained smile. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

The Ancient glanced down at his wrist watch, a look of annoyance passing across his normally stoic features as he observed the time. It was already this late? His mate was going to hang him if he didn't get back within the hour. He had better make this quick. The last thing he needed was to upset her in her condition. He had made the unintentional mistake of doing that a few nights ago and decided he was ill equipped to deal with her when she was emotional, irrational, and hormonal.

"Where is my idiot brother, priest? I'd rather not waste my time with anymore aimless drivel."

Miroku inclined his head once more, a knowing smile touching his lips as he turned and headed down the main hall. "I believe Lord Inuyasha is in his study at the moment. Allow me to walk you."

Sesshoumaru nodded, his pace matching the priest's as he came to walk beside him, their shoes echoing in the large hall. Sesshoumaru suppressed a sigh. He really would have to tell Inuyasha to do something about the décor down this hall before the ball. It hadn't been changed since their father passed which was unacceptable. How many times had he told the bastard that the estate should reflect the clan's power and wealth. Especially when they would be entertaining the leaders of the werewolf community.

"How is Lady Rin?" Miroku asked casually and Sesshoumaru lifted a delicate brow in response before turning his gaze back down the hall.

"Last I checked, my mate was no concern of yours, priest."

"Of course, my lord, I only meant to inquire as to how her pregnancy was going and if there was anything I could do to make her more comfortable during her upcoming stay."

Sesshoumaru decided to ignore him. Why did his brother insist on bonding these meddlesome humans? They were really more trouble than they were worth. Incidentally, wasn't that his brother's troublesome chosen that had just ran by up ahead? He glanced at the priest who had stopped walking beside him, his dark brows furrowing in confusion. So, he hadn't imagined it. Frowning, he inhaled deeply, sifting through the smells until he found Kagome's scent and honed in on it.

He could smell her urgency now, thick and suffocating. The pounding of her heart was echoing loudly in his sensitive ears and he frowned as his wolf whimpered in concern for his brother's mate. Damn woman and her emotions. It was clear she was distressed, so why wasn't Inuyasha seeing to her?

His languid pace increased to short brisk steps as his wolf urged him forward to investigate. Miroku followed suit, his stride matching the Ancient as they both rounded the corner, passing his brother's study. They stopped to observe as the small woman slammed purposefully into the doors of the grand ballroom. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the golden doors refused to budge under her touch. Obviously they were sealed. Did she not see the gold inscription above the door?

The slayer called out from behind them in earnest, and the priest tossed a concerned look over his shoulder. The outburst only seemed to fuel Kagome, and he smelled the shift in her scent as she made some decision at that moment. Her hands slammed against the doors once more and Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as the inscription shuddered and then vanished momentarily. She gracelessly fell inside the room, the grand doors silently closing behind her as the golden seal flickered back in place above the door.

For a moment it was quiet as all three persons took into consideration what had just happened. Of course, Sesshoumaru was the first to recover and turned walking back down the hall towards the door. Reaching into his pocket he found his cell phone and quickly dialed the familiar number. He needed to look into a few things before his discussion with his brother.

"Get me everything you have on Kagome Higurashi by tomorrow morning." He barked into the phone before hanging up.

It seemed his brother's choice in taking Kagome for a mate was proving to be more beneficial and interesting than he had original thought.


Kagome sighed contently as she stepped out of the bathroom and into her new bedroom wrapped in quiet possibly the fluffiest white towel she had ever seen. She quickly scanned the vast area and found that Inuyasha still hadn't managed to make it up to their room. Her eyes glanced at the beautiful mantel clock that sat on top of her vanity, reading the late hour before dancing over the room once more.

She still couldn't believe this was considered a room. While the area she had inhabited before was gorgeous, the master suite was without a doubt stunning. A small smile touched her lips as she took in the gleaming antique chandelier above the bed, which she found held a romantic charm and lit the room in a warm amber glow. She found she much preferred the warmer crimson hues against the glimmering silvery accents in the tapestries and bedding. Once again, the silvery crescent moon was placed above the bed and shimmered against the deep crimson crushed velvet. She had learned from her lessons with Miroku that silver was the primary color of the Winter Moon Clan. It was symbolic in that the very first Alpha to start the clan was said to be silver in color which explained why Inuyasha (a direct descendant) had the same coloring.

Marching over to the closet she found her trusty T-shirt and undergarments tucked neatly away and quickly pulled them on. She still couldn't believe she had witnessed such a remarkable phenomenon. It was unheard of in any current scientific literature and existed primarily in myth alone. The scientist in her begged her to investigate and to log this encounter and record every observation. This was the chance of a life time to study something that no one had ever had the chance to record and yet she wasn't able to bring herself to do it. She couldn't treat Inuyasha like a specimen. He wasn't some mouse in one of her lab experiments. No, he was far too human for something like that.

White teeth scraped out against her lower lip as she considered her last thought carefully. How would she describe him? How would she describe her relationship with him? She couldn't explain it, really. Not in just one word.

Taking a seat on the end of the bed she began the task of towel drying her hair. For a while she had felt nothing but mistrust when she thought of Inuyasha. It had slowly started to change though, shifting into something she didn't recognize and understand. The night he had scooped her off the floor and held her until she calmed would forever be burned into her memory. She had never known such compassion in a man's touch. He had even respected her privacy by leaving as soon as she had calmed and spared her any awkwardness the next morning. He was kinder than she realized.

After that it was almost as if he had made more of an effort to touch her in subtle ways almost to reassure himself. Just what exactly he was trying to affirm she didn't know. The brush of his fingers against her delicate wrist, the caress of his lips against the shell of her ear, the stroke of his hand along her jaw were all small but meaningful gestures. And they drove her heart wild. Sometimes she wondered if those golden eyes of his were hypnotizing her. Did werewolves have that ability? Maybe she was confusing it with another legend. Still, half the time she couldn't even remember how she ended up at his mercy! Then there was that kiss that left her breathless and so hot that she swore fire burned in her veins.

Then there was his quiet promise of things to come in the solitude of their bed chamber. She placed her hand over her rapidly beating heart and questioned the meaning behind his words, her eyes landing on the magnificent bed beneath her. Would he really try something with her? The look in his eyes told her he had been serious and it both excited and scared her. Was she ready to move on? Did she want that kind of relationship with Inuyasha?

A soft knock at the door drew her attention and she jumped, startled before adjusting her shirt around her knees. Maybe she should have worn something sexier? Pushing the thought from her mind, she cleared her throat nervously and tucked a few damp strands of hair behind her ear before softly giving consent. She mentally scolded herself. Why was she getting so anxious? She wasn't some school girl and this definitely wasn't her first time.

Pull it together girl! She told herself.

The door fell open and in stepped Inuyasha, a boyish grin plastered on his face as he made his way in front of her. Her face flushed a dark red, suddenly not knowing where to look. His long silvery hair was pulled into a high pony tail on top of his head which brought out the firm, masculine line of his jaw. He wasn't wearing a shirt and she found it entirely too hard to tear her eyes away from his perfectly sculpted chest. She swallowed hard seeing his jeans hang low on his hips, exposing the sensual curve of his Apollo's belt. She was in trouble. Deep trouble. Yes, she had imagine him bare chested before, but to seeing it in person was enough to put any Abercrombie model to shame. He literally looked like some kind of Greek god. He was beautiful.

And dangerous.

"I have a present for you." He said reaching down to grab her hand. He pulled her to her feet and she stumbled, completely caught off guard by his announcement. "Come on, let's go!"

"Where are we going?! I'm not exactly dressed to go anywhere, you know!" She protested, pulling against his grasp. He glanced over his shoulder at her as if suddenly realizing what she was wearing and a small smirk of approval took his lips. She could practically feel his eyes dragging up and down her body, tracing every curve.

"You look good to me." He grinned, tightening his hold on her wrist before turning and dragging her up against him. His eyes darkened into that deep amber hue that made her catch her breath and she felt heat pool in her abdomen when his voice dropped a few octaves. " So good in fact, I may have to save the present for later."

Embarrassed she pushed away from him and he chuckled, tossing his hair over his shoulder. "It'll be fine. Just come on."

She huffed crossing her arms over her chest before following him out the door and down the stairs. He he led her through the gardens and she shivered as the cool night hair moved over her body. She really should have dried her hair better. It was far too cold for her to be wandering around barefoot with damp hair in the middle of the night. She was freezing! Wasn't he even the slightest bit cold? She pressed on, matching his quick pace before they stopped at a large warehouse. She frowned. That was odd placement for a storage shed. She watched as he walked up to it, muttering a few words under his breath before opening the doors. He motioned for her to follow him inside. Hesitantly, she obeyed, slipping inside the dark room.

"This isn't creepy..." She muttered sarcastically, straining her eyes against the darkness. She could make out a few shapes and figures, but everything was mostly swallowed in blackness.

"Inuyasha?" She asked softly, before reaching out into the darkness to feel for his hand. Her hand met the hard wall of his back and she pulled away muttering an apology. Then she felt his hand brush hers gently before he laced their fingers together.

"Sorry. Stay close." His voice was like black velvet, dark and warm as it wrapped around her. "Sometimes I forget you humans can't see in the dark."

She nodded, moving closer to him as he maneuvered them through the small room. Then they reached another door and he moved them through it carefully. Suddenly, the room flooded with light and she blinked several times to adjust. She drew in a sharp breath when she was finally able to see again. She was in a state of the art laboratory complete with only the best of the best in genetic research equipment. All of her research binders lined the surrounding shelves and brand new glass beakers sparkled under the stark lighting. She even had a refrigerator for specimens and her favorite microscope sat on of the tables in the far corner. It was her dream lab!

"Sesshoumaru wouldn't let me have the larger equipment, but I had Miroku order what would fit. They should be here next week. Do you like it?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.

She nodded, her eyes she had missed this! "It's perfect."

"Good. It's for your personal use and for the project I want you to work on. I know you've been getting fed up with all your training. I figured you needed a little reward."

She blinked. Her personal use? "So, you're really just giving it to me? I can do whatever I want with it?"

He frowned, not quite understanding why it was so hard to understand. "Yes. It's yours. Consider it an early wedding present."

Her heart skipped a beat, her lips softly parting. Why did he do that? When he said things like that she couldn't help but think he cared for her. She couldn't help but think he was actually pleased that he had was taking her for his mate. "Wedding present? We're not even..."

"Engaged?" He finished, his voice suddenly serious. She looked at him then, her eyes meeting his with uncertainty. He moved then, his body closing the distance between them and she had almost forgotten his state of undress. His hand reached under her chin, gently lifting it so he could see into her eyes perfectly. "There is something I haven't told you and I apologize. I will correct that now."

She frowned. What exactly did he mean?

"When the bond was created, our minds were tied together. Our thoughts, emotions, and desires are all linked." He must have seen her eyes widened because he quickly went to assure her. "I haven't been going into your mind without permission! Give me some credit, Kagome." He sighed before continuing, her hand moving to her hair. "Do you remember when we kissed the other night?"

How could she forget? It had been the best kiss she had ever received. Her very soul had sang into that kiss. A gentle smile touched his lips and she wondered if he was reading her thoughts. "Yes."

"You felt something right? It was the bond. The link is strengthened through touch, right? So naturally our minds like when we touch as well."

She nodded slowly. It made sense, really, now that he explained it.

"I know that someone has hurt you and made you wary of a new relationship. I know that this has been painful for you and I am so very sorry." She shivered at his words and she felt the sting of fresh tears behind her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of him, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't fair that he could read her heart and mind like this! She didn't want him to know she was scared of a new relationship. She didn't want him to know she was hurting. Even still, she found herself leaning into him as her tears full of heartache slowly fell. Strong arms wrapped around her, pressing her against his chest. She felt him press his lips to the top of her head.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you by making you my mate, but I want you to realize that mating is a lot different than a human relationship. I will be dedicated to you and you will be dedicated to me. There will never be anyone else, but you. My blood will not allow me to have another. This will be for life."

She pulled away slightly, tilting her head up to look at him through her tears, her lips inches from his. "How do I know I can trust you?"

His thumb brushed away her stray tears affectionately. "Strengthen your bond with me. It's the only way you can know for sure. I won't ask for anything more than what you're willing to give."

She sniffed. "So I will be able to read your mind then?"

He nodded. "You can read it now if you want. It takes practice, but I can teach you. Are you ready to learn?"

She searched his eyes momentarily before smiling softly. What did she have to lose? She trusted him. She was willing to give this a shot. "Yes, I think I am."

"Then get ready for your first lesson." He whispered heatedly before his mouth melted against her own.

AN: Next chapter will have lemon/lime and will be rated M I'm sure. Also, the plot is about to thicken. Inuyasha's plan will be made clear, as will Kazuma's role with the vampires. Also, more on the ball to come. New characters to come. I hope you're still hanging in there with me. I love you guys! Leave me lots of love and remember...REVIEWS MAKE FOR FASTER CHAPTERS!