Disclaimer: Nope, not mine.
The ground shook beneath Koga's right fist as he vented his frustration. The scent of Sesshomaru's blood permeated the air, deepening the scowl upon his face as he struck the ground with his left fist, feeling the tremors ring up through his arm.
The rising tide of regret washed over him, drowning him as he replayed the final scene; dissecting it. Anger had taken over, manipulating him into ignoring common sense, ignoring Kagome as she had pleaded with him to stop.
And now, they had vanished beyond his senses, leaving him alone to ponder the cruelties of fate.
Images of Kagome flashed through his mind, every one a painful memory of free-flowing emotions; terror, disbelief, anger, grief. Grinding his jaw, he drew in a heavy breath. He had promised to avenge her, to draw the blood of her torment, and he had failed, miserably.
Obviously, he and the Mutt had more in common than either cared to recognize.
Rising from his kneel, he scanned the surrounding area.
The first glitter of stars broke through the violet and navy skies as the orange ball of daylight glided beyond the hills. Branches of nearby trees creaked and whispered, bending into the winds rippling through the grasses and flowing over Koga's tanned skin. The fresh water smell of rain mixed with the scent of the earth and carrying with it, the scent of ashes and feline.
A soft smirk edged its way across his lips and turning toward the well, he caught a tuft of red hair peeping over top.
"Heya Shippo, I gotta take off, but tell Kagome this: I'm...uh...Sorry"
Clouds of dust blew up and dispersed, leaving empty space where Koga once stood. Peering out from behind the well, Shippo eyed the area, searching for any sign of Kagome and the others.
The simple act of breathing became a chore as Kagome stared wide-eyed at Sesshomaru, her chocolate iris's shifting incessantly, searching for some hint of a joke.
The hand around her throat eased away, caressing her jaw and settling along the side of her face, his fingertips massaging the sensitive skin behind her ear. She could have purred and turning her head into his hand, she plied soft kisses to his palm.
A deep shadow drifted over head, casting a dark parlor over those below and within seconds, heavy drops of rainwater dripped from the forest canopy.
With a squeal of laughter, Kagome stepped back and threw her arms up, allowing the rain to wash over her, soaking through her clothes, melting away the blood and grime until she shivered and stepped back to Sesshomaru.
Rivulets of water trailed down his face and broad shoulders, bending and pooling into every sinew, every curve of muscle of his toned torso until, finally, soaking the waistband of his hakamas. Wisps of silver hair clung to his neck and back, heavy-lidded golden eyes regarded Kagome with desire, sending shivers of anticipation up her spine.
Rising up on tip-toe, she kissed him gingerly, and purred deep in her throat when he ravished her mouth, plying her lips apart with his own, thrusting his tongue against hers, sending trills of pleasure to her belly; warming her; melting her.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she leaned into him, her breasts straining against the soaked material of her shirt, the friction of the solid wall of male rubbing against her delicious.
Flinging her head back, Sesshomaru nibbled and kissed the chilled column of her neck, one hand held her nape, the other tugging, peeling the burden of clothing from her body.
Before long, she could feel the whisper of damp winds curl over her nakedness and only the fire in Sesshomaru's gaze and touch to warm her.
Gold and orange rays of sunset peeped through the foliage, casting a haze over the forest floor, a world all their own as the rain stopped and the evening mist floated through the woods.
With ease, Sesshomaru laid her down upon her pile of clothing, laying down beside her, he discovered her body.
He tasted the silken, ivory mounds, suckling the pert nipples until she cried out, her body trembling beneath his hands as they traced every inch or her. Short gasps escaped her as he tasted the valley between her breasts, the smooth expanse of her belly, the inside of her knee. Her skin melted to his touches and left goosebumps in their wake. His fingertips danced over her thighs, parting them as he followed their natural curve to the mound of ebony curls. Honeyed eyes caressed Kagome; the slight arch of her feet, the toned length of her well-turned legs, his claws sliding through the curls, the curve of her hips rising into a slender waist, delectable breasts tipped in pink, her long lashes fanning over her cheeks.
Slipping one finger within the folds, he stroked the swollen bundle of nerves. Feeling her body tense, he nuzzled her neck and brushed his lips against hers. Starting a rhythm with his fingers, her body relaxed and soon moved into his touch, her lashes fluttering as she arched into his hand, her body tightening in anticipation. Sesshomaru growled softly when Kagome flung her arm over her mouth to silence her cries.
"Let me hear you"
Her arm dropped to her side, her fingers digging into the earth, mewling deep in her throat as her body contracted, but felt the sensation ebb away as he ceased his ministrations. His body shifted, his hand moved away and her sob of protest lapsed into a cry of desire as she felt a gentle pressure against her heated, pulsing core. Realization dawned on her and she blushed as his tongue lapped against her, her cries echoing off the trees when he slipped a finger inside.
She couldn't hold a breath, her body writhing, trembling until her muscles contracted once more as he suckled her. Her release came swift and powerful, her back arching as her body convulsed through wave after wave of pleasure, her head rolling side to side as she gasped sobs.
The whisper of cloth sounded far away and then Sesshomaru was stretching his lean, muscular body over hers, bracing his hands on either side of her head, the hot rigidity of his maleness impossibly large against her inner thigh. Her eyes grew wide in near panic, her hands grasping his biceps, she bit down on her bottom lip.
A curtain of silver hair fell around them as Sesshomaru leaned down and pressed his lips to Kagome's, gently at first and then with fervor. She marveled at the way his body shivered against her, the quiver in his muscle as she stroked his shoulders and back.
"Kagome?"
The huskiness in his voice sent a trill of warmth through her blood.
"Hmm?"
His lips traced a path up her jaw to the skin below her ear, his sensuous lips an erotic touch as he whispered.
"Do you accept me?"
"Yes"
His aura flooded over her, the white of his eyes melting red, his fangs elongated, a rending pain seized Kagome as he slipped inside of her, breaking her innocence and the flesh of her neck as he bit down. Her own blunt teeth bit down upon his shoulder as she waited for the pain to ebb.
Slowly, her body succumbed to the sensations of him filling her, of his moving inside of her and despite his hold on her neck, her body relaxed and she found the rhythm. Their bodies moving together, creating a delicious friction, her deep throated mewling grew into cries of passion, her legs wrapping around Sesshomaru's lean hips, her body pulling him deeper.
The sound of his panting in her ear thrilled her, her nails scratching into his shoulders, clinging, holding, loving every part of him. The salty tang of his skin against her tongue, the creamy complexion beneath her fingers, his lithe body fitting against hers.
She could feel the tightening, her body contracting around him, his breathless growls rumbling deep in his chest.
Her body lifted to meet his and then she hit her climax, sparkles floating before her eyes, her body convulsing, gasping for air as pleasure washed over her. Sesshomaru gave one last, hard thrust and went still, the softest of groans escaping him as he released his hold on her neck.
Languid with contentment, Kagome released a sigh and winced as Sesshomaru pulled away and laid by her left side, his hand sliding over her thigh as he pulled her to him and draped his arm around her. Curling into him, she wound strands of his silken hair around her fingers, feeling his warm breath fan over her face and neck.
Sango nudged Kilala's flank, urging her to hurry as they dived beyond the trees and soared over the clearing. The cling of metal rings a musical tinkle as Miroku shifted his staff over his lap, adjusting his balance as he leaned to the left, searching the grounds around the Bone Eaters Well.
"Sango, over there!, I think that may be Shippo"
"Right! Kilala!"
Nearing the ground, Sango slid from Kilala's back and leapt, wisps of her hair brushing Miroku's face as he followed suit. Throwing his hand to the ground to hold his balance, his eyes widened upon the mauled terrain.
"Miroku! Sango!"
Shippo barreled into Sango's chest, his emerald eyes wide and tearful. Miroku's eye twitched as Shippo buried his head against Sango, her arms wrapping around his trembling body, stroking his back in a comforting gesture. Clearing his throat, Miroku stepped closer.
"Shippo, perhaps you could explain to us just what went on here?"
Sniffling, Shippo turned toward Miroku and through a series of hiccups and more sniffling, he belted out the confrontation that had taken place.
"Then Momma-Kagome tried to help Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha got mad and tried to pull her away from him, then...then...they disappeared!"
Sango and Miroku exchanged confused glances over Shippo's head.
"Disappeared?"
Shippo narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, glaring at Miroku for questioning him.
"Like 'Poof!', and they're gone! Jeez Miroku! I'm not an idiot, do you see them here?"
Grinning sheepishly, Miroku scratched the side of his face.
"Ah...no, you do have a point there"
Setting Shippo down, Sango huffed as she glanced around.
"This is getting ridiculous! In four days, poor Kagome has been almost ra-has been beaten, kidnapped, hunted, and now she's missing! All because of Inuyasha, Koga and Sesshomaru! I have a headache just thinking about how depressed she must be, seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to go home for a month!"
Throwing her arms up in the air, she plopped to the ground and gently stroked Kilala's blonde fur as she settled in Sango's lap.
"You might as well get comfortable, you two. Look's like we might have to wait this one out as well"
Folding his legs beneath him, Miroku sat across from Sango and laid his staff by his side. Shippo plunked down in between, pulling up blades of grass, his brows furrowed.
"Something on your mind, Shippo?"
Thoughtful green eyes glanced up at Miroku, then Sango before settling on the ripped leaf of grass in his hand.
"Sango, you said that Momma-Kagome should be depressed, but if that means 'sad', then...you're wrong. Sure, she was mad and upset with Inuyasha, but she's happy with Sesshomaru.
"He's not a bad demon, in fact, he made her smile a lot, and when they thought we weren't looking, they kissed a lot.
"Rin likes Momma-Kagome a lot too, she was sad that we had to leave. I asked her to come with us, but she said that she would stay with Sesshomaru to cheer him up 'cause he'd miss us"
Eyebrow twitching, Miroku hid a smirk as an image of Sesshomaru plucking petals while reciting "She misses me, she doesn't miss me...", danced through his head. Stifling a cough, he patted Shippo on the back.
Leaning back on her hands, Sango contemplated Shippo's words, tapping her index finger against her lips when she remembered something.
"Shippo, since when have you called Kagome, Momma?"
Clouds obscured the translucent glow of the midnight moon, casting gloomy shadows over the billowing white and red robes. Her full length of hair whipped and whirled over her face and shoulders, her dark, dull gaze intent upon the leaf lying in the grass before her.
Rippling in the breeze, it would slide and skitter, but was held down by a cricket, the shiny, black body clinging to the leaf as it's chirp resounded through the air, crisp and clear.
Sitting on the ground, her wrists resting upon her slightly raised knees, she inhaled a deep breath and smirked at the irony of breathing; she didn't have to, but it was a hard habit to break.
Ignoring the tingle as her body absorbed another soul, the eerie glow of her soul collector momentarily highlighted her body before fading as the long, slinky eel glided away through the air.
Beyond the edge of the cliff where Kikyo perched, the tips of evergreens wavered and floated in the wind, distorting the shadows of the clouds. Even from this distance, she could feel the other half of her soul somewhere within the forest, as well as the Western lord's demonic aura.
Sensing someone approaching, she tilted her head to the side and kept a sharp eye on the edge of the trees behind her, un-threatened, but not to be taken for surprise.
"Heh, I thought that was you I smelled, Kikyo"
A sliver of moonlight shone over one side of Inuyasha's face, shadowing his eyes and glaring off his sneer. His steps padded softly over the stone as he came forward and sat beside her, balancing one elbow atop his raised knee, the other leg outstretched.
"Inuyasha, I should have known that you would be near. You never travel far from Kagome's side, I'm rather surprised you would leave her alone while in the company of your brother"
"I killed him, Kikyo"
Narrowed eyes focused intently on Inuyasha's profile.
"Koga, that damned wolf, and I were in a battle and Kagome tried to stop us. The idiot jumped right in the path of my Windscar, Sesshomaru shoved her out of the way and took the full brunt it.
"Father's sword, the Tenseiga, the one Sesshomaru was given, protected him, bringing him here, and we were too close to him, I guess.
"He died right in Kagome's arms. The last time I saw her so upset was when she thought I had died.
"Her eyes...they reminded me of you...when you shot me with that arrow and pinned me to the tree. She had the same look of hate and betrayal"
"Inuyasha?"
"She would be so mad at me whenever I came to see you and I could never understand why, Heh"
Inuyasha's tone, his words set Kikyo on edge, she could feel the tension in his body radiating like waves of heat. When he finally turned his eyes on her, she held tight to her position, trying not to show her surprise of the near hatred shining wild in his gaze.
"She's his; Sesshomaru's mate, and I'm...family now. Disgusting! And I have you to thank"
He rose up and, silently, he walked away, swallowed by the night.
Rising, Kikyo glared down into the forest below her. Once again, Kagome remained one step ahead; she had chosen Sesshomaru over Inuyasha, but the fault was Kikyo's own. Reaching down for her bow and quiver, she turned and diverting her path from Inuyasha's, she headed back through the woods.
Stretching various muscles throughout her body, Kagome was amused by the twinges; the protestations of over-worked muscles in her thighs, belly, back and neck. Rolling away from the furnace of Sesshomaru's body and hissing in a sharp breath, she sat up and mussed her hair with her fingers, coyly eyeing his physique as he rose up and pulled on his hakamas. 'Ooooh Yummy...and all mine! Booyah!'
Scrunching her face at her rumpled, bloodied and basically ruined clothes, she dressed, flinching as the cold, wet material clung to her body. Desperately wishing for a bath, she turned toward Sesshomaru, grinning to see him nearly as disheveled as she. The pinked splotches of rain-washed bloodstains, torn and muddied, Kagome felt a ping of sorrow for his silken kimono and seeing him fling the scraggly fur boa over his shoulder, she almost whimpered.
Flinging her arm over her eyes, Kagome gasped as Sesshomaru's body blindingly lit up in a surge of demonic energy, dissipating to reveal a perfect kimono. Just as how she remembered him always being; the boa pristine, the armor untouched and polished...from head to toe, unblemished.
Puffing out her cheeks and furrowing her brows, Kagome shot a death glare at Sesshomaru.
"I could hate you, you know that? That's so unfair! It would take me hours to look that good!"
Blushing, Kagome covered her runaway mouth with her hand, ignoring his raised brow and smirk.
Sliding her sodden-socked feet into her shoes, she stepped up to Sesshomaru; retying his swords to his hip.
"So..ah...do you have any idea where we are?"
A faint blush stole over her cheeks as his eyes danced over her before raising one mocking brow.
"The northern border of the Western Lands"
Kagome blinked.
"Oh"
A wry smile flitted over Sesshomaru's face and he softly brushed his lips to hers.
"Come, I shall take you to your kit"
Kagome thunked her forehead with the heel of her palm.
"Oh, right! Shippo! Poor thing! I left him there with Koga! If he hurt one red hair on that kid, I'll beat him senseless!"
Kilala's mewl woke Sango from her fitful sleep. Hiding a yawn behind her hand and frowning at the pins and needles tingle in her arm under her head, she braced her hand on the ground to sit up and found her way obstructed. Craning her neck, she gasped to find Miroku's right arm thrown over her waist, his knuckles curled in the grass. As the grogginess wore off, she blushed to feel his body pressed to her back, his even breaths rustling her hair.
Kilala mewled once again and squelching the urge to screech and send the monk flying, Sango flung his arm aside, coincidentally striking him awake with his own hand, and rising up, she followed Kilala's gaze toward the treetops.
The odd, bluish glow rapidly grew brighter, the shadows of the branches extending and swinging as the large ball of demonic aura flew overhead and circled the clearing before dropping to the ground a few meters away, fading to expose a dazed Kagome and ever stoic Lord Sesshomaru.
One hand clinging to Sesshomaru's wrist, her other arm wrapped around her middle, Kagome clenched her eyes shut, valiantly fighting to keep her stomach contents within her body. Her legs wobbled, her ears ringing, her chest hurt from breathing deeply to keep calm.
"Se...Sesshomaru,...huff!, I'm going...to hurt...you. You could have...Huff! warned me that we would be...traveling at the...speed of sound"
Chuckling deep in his throat, Sesshomaru smirked at her and laid a hand along the side of her face.
"Have I made you ill?"
"Gah!" Playfully swatting his hand away, she glared at him and turned away, her face warming when she spotted Miroku and Sango standing side by said, heads tilted and looking at her with the same expression of bemused disbelief.
"Hey guys!, have you seen Ship-WAH!"
A red-headed ball of fluff whomped her in the belly, sending her stumbling back a few steps and nearly knocking the air from her lungs before ferreting up her side and wrapping his tiny arms around her neck. Kagome hissed in a breath when his paws scraped the bite.
"Careful Shippo, Mommy's sore, really sore"
"Kagome?"
Looking up at Sango, she felt like a disobedient child as her friend stalked toward her, her eyes shinning in the dark.
"Excuse me, Shippo"
Kagome's shoulder shifted with the loss of weight, Sango lifted her hair away from her neck and went still.
"Sango, what's wrong?"
Backing away, Kagome warily eyed her friend.
"You...you're...BIT!"
Remembering, a reddish hue seeped to her skin.
Sesshomaru came up behind Kagome and tenderly grasping her hand, she turned to him, her eyes wide; questioning as he brushed his lips across her knuckles.
Miroku perked up and stepped forward.
"What I believe Sango means to say is; that you are now, in a form, married to Lord Sesshomaru, and, if I am correct in saying so, have become Lady of the Western Lands"
Eyes popping, Kagome turned to Miroku.
"Eh?!, But..all...I...we..I..hunh?"
Shippo scrunched his nose in thought and leapt to Sango's shoulder.
"Does that mean that Sesshomaru's my new pa?"
Stifling a giggle to see Sesshomaru's eyes widen in Shippo's direction, Sango ruffled his hair.
"Not quite, Shippo. You'd have to accept him first, and he, you"
An awkward blush stole over Shippo's cheeks.
"Well, it's just that...I kinda...you see, Rin..."
Kagome, momentarily distracted, clapped her hands, beaming.
"Oh, how cute! You and Rin!"
Sesshomaru growled softly, Kagome whipped a glare at him and poked him in the chest.
"Don't start! They'd make an adorable couple!, besides that, if you don't want your own Enchanted necklace, then you'd better be nice!"
Miroku and Sango shared a grin, amused and bewildered with Kagome's ability to put Sesshomaru in his place.
"And another thing, when we get to Kaede's village and after I eat and have a bath, we are going to sit and talk, there are too many unanswered questions floating in my head"
Flinging her hair over her shoulder, Kagome turned away and snatching the yellow bag from its resting-place beside the well, she marched off in the direction of the village. Masking her surprise when Sesshomaru fell in step beside her despite the angry scowl plastered to his face.
Kagome mentally smirked when Miroku cleared his throat to hide his snicker.
I seem to do this a lot, but if you read my profile, I have an entire paragraph explaining the lateness of chapters. Geesh, it seems I had an easier time getting these in on time when I lived almost three hours away! Oh, and I will explain a bit on the Naraku situation in the next chapter. :o)
Remember: Be kind, please review!