Disclaimer: Inu Yasha© belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Rai: Yes it's an update! hoho~ I am not that happy about this though, because I just finished writing it and I need to sleep now. It's almost 4 in the morning, tsk! But anyway, enjoy! :D

His Mistress

Chapter Thirteen: Suspicions

Shimizu was walking the hall of the west wing with a servant following behind her, carrying the tray that has Kagome's dinner in her hands. She tilted her head as her thoughts went back to what had occurred earlier. She could not shake Izayoi's words from her mind…

"Her room is just across Sesshoumaru's, just in case you didn't know."

That was what Izayoi told her. So, the locked door across her husband's room belonged to Kagome. She didn't know why, but she had a bad feeling about all of this. Why did Izayoi tell her about that? She snorted at the thought, but that didn't come unnoticed by the servant that was following her.

"Is there anything of the matter, Miss?" Mayu asked. She was Kagome's nanny way back then and she presented herself to help Shimizu in bringing Kagome her dinner. Her heart went out for the youngest Taisho. She has endured everything that came her way, ever since she was just a little kid. And she supposed that her ward deserve some happiness.

She tried to look at the helper behind her through her peripheral vision. "That is nothing of your concern." She muttered to herself as they continued to walk the long hallway that only Kagome and Sesshoumaru occupied. She must know, because in the several times that she invaded her husband's room, she had never seen anyone went in that part of the manor. Aside from the occasional cleaning of the servants, the west wing was solely occupied by Sesshoumaru ― that was before she knew that Kagome's room was located there, too.

"Miss Shimizu?" Mayu asked again, hearing the trail of incoherent words coming from her.

"What I mean is that, we are here." Shimizu stopped from her tracks and faced Kagome's bedroom door. "This is her room, ne?" she asked tilting her head to the side, confirming with Mayu if she had the right room. The wolf demon nodded in response. They were standing outside Kagome's door as she turned to the following servant behind her. She smiled as she held her hands asking for the tray. "I can definitely handle it from this point. You can have your rest." She said softly.

Mayu was hesitant at first to give her Kagome's dinner, but she did anyway. Shimizu was Lord Sesshoumaru's wife and has the authority to give her orders otherwise stated by the head of the Taisho family. She forced her eyes on the floor and gave the young miss what she was asking for.

"Thank you for your help." Shimizu said, her smile was saccharine, before she turned back to face the door that would lead her to Kagome's room.

- II -

"You are still a child, Kagome." He said with such retort, displaying his annoyance to the way their conversation was going to.

"What do you mean by that?" confusion surfaced on her face as she faced him.

"You should grow up. Not everyone could give you what you want." His words laced with his cold tone made her dumb founded.

Kagome gasped as her eyes flew open. She felt the little drops of sweat falling down from her forehead as she breathed heavily. For a moment she let her eyes stare at the pristine white ceiling above her. She heaved a sigh of relief. It was just a dream. A hand found its way to her chest and she felt her heartbeat's going wild. The dream seemed real, like she was taken years back and letting her feel all the emotions that she fought so hard to overcome. She slowly lifted her body to sit on her plush bed. Running a trembling hand on her disheveled hair, she let her eyes roamed the place she was in.

It was her bedroom in Tokyo.

Tokyo.

A crease formed in her brows. She remembered something about her parents and Inuyasha's plan of them going home as a rush of memories came crashing through her mind. So, they had really come home. She released an inaudible sighed at the remembrance. It's been three days. Yes, three days had passed since that fateful day, when they landed on Japan. Kagome's thoughts went back to yesterday, when Shimizu said that she was Sesshoumaru's wife. The fine hairs on her body stood on their end as she remembered the shock that was uncalled for. She let her hands clasped in front of her chest as she closed her eyes. Leaning on her headboard she released a breath to calm herself. She could not believe what she said. Hell no! She would never believe it. But, she had seen it in her eyes ― Shimizu spoke of the truth.

Fresh batch of tears started to pool on her close lids. She let it fall silently on her cheeks and let it die on her clasped hands that still rested on her chest. It hurt. Damn, it hurt! Shimizu just didn't know how much she was hurt by her immediate and sudden revelation. But what could she do? Shimizu was innocent of the whole situation and she could not blame her for something she was not even aware of. Besides, she and Sesshoumaru didn't have any relationship. And if ever they were, through the eyes of the public it would be incest ― something that no one had deemed moral. She opened her eyes and stared at the wall across her bed, blinking back the thoughts that she never wanted to flock her mind. Sesshoumaru never told her that he loved her. Much less, he never spoke of love. He just took her innocence and went back to his old self.

A jerk.

An asshole.

Kagome could feel her eyes brimming with unshed tears, once again. Why were there tears? She had moved on, hadn't she? She knew she already overcome this emotions. Then what were these for? Those thoughts were circling her mind as she roughly wiped the single tear that escaped her eye with the back of her palm. When was the last time that she cried for the love that was never hers? She let a lifeless laugh escaped her lips. That happened four years ago, and she said to herself then that she would not let anyone make her cry again. But here she was, silently crying over nothing and it was all because of the same situation with the same person involved, Sesshoumaru. She released all the tension she was feeling in a forceful huff before she shifted from her position, climbing her way out of the bed, Kagome was about to go in the bathroom to cool herself, when she heard a faint knock on her door.

Kagome glanced at the digital clock on her bedside table. It read nine o'clock in the evening. She had slept for five hours! So, that's why she felt recharged a little bit. She turned and headed for the door without even putting a robe to cover her nightgown. She didn't want to entertain anyone at this moment but she didn't want to be rude at whoever was behind her door, patiently waiting for her to open up. She turned on her heel and sported toward her bedroom door, grabbing the knob and twisting it, she pulled the panel open and was faced by the least person that she wanted to see. Shimizu.

Shimizu's hand froze in mid air as the door panel of Kagome's bedroom slowly opened and she saw her hiding inside the dimly lit room. A smile graced her lips, as she pulled her hand back and hold the tray of food for Kagome. She gently coughed and tilting her head to the tray of food in her hands.

Kagome snapped from her thoughts, opening the door wider and gestured for her unlikely visitor to come inside. Switching the lights on as she passed by the switch on the wall, she continued to pace until she was beside her bed. She gestured for Shimizu to put the tray on her bedside table and offered her a seat on the divan that was placed near her bed. "You didn't have to do this." She said as she sat on her bed.

Shimizu shrugged, "It was nothing, really. I want to know if you are okay, so I asked your mother if I could bring you food, since you skip dinner." She shifted in her seat before she started again, "I want to apologize for the sudden information. I wasn't informed that you didn't know anything about that matter." She said with such calmness as she looked straight into Kagome's eyes. She didn't want to do this but, the thought of the Taisho's having an issue about it made her do it. She didn't want them to have ill feelings towards her while she was in this family, besides, she really want to be Kagome's friend. In fact, she thought that if not for that incident, they might be starting a friendship right now. She just knew this recently from what happened that Kagome was the Taisho's precious gem. If one would hurt her, all would be glowering over you. And she didn't want to be the one on the receiving end of the Taisho's wrath.

"You don't have to worry yourself over me. I am okay. It's not your fault, so don't burden yourself of the things that doesn't concern you, Shimizu." Kagome said as warm smile spread over her lips. She shifted from her position on the bed and reached for the tray of food that Shimizu has prepared for her. She thanked her for the meal before snapping her chopsticks apart and started to dig in. Her mother must have prepared this, she knew that for a fact. And she was glad that it was her favorite.

"Lady Izayoi cooked that misono especially for you." Shimizu spoke as she watched Kagome eating the dinner that she prepared.

Kagome paused for a while, a frown slowly making its way on her forehead as she chewed on the piece of meat in her mouth. "Shimizu," she said staring straight into the other woman's eyes. "You don't call your mother-in-law Lady Izayoi. You can call her Mom, just like we do."

Shimizu cleared her throat before speaking. "Don't misunderstand me Kagome, I am used to calling the Lord and Lady Taisho as such and I don't see anything wrong with that." she darted her eyes on the carpeted floor of Kagome's room. She was right. She was too polite and to formal to call her in-laws as such, but she could not do anything about it. It seemed that everything she did in order to get close to them only raises the wall that they weren't aware they've built around themselves. Though Touga and Izayoi were warm and welcoming towards her, Inuyasha was overly polite and civil to the point of rudeness. Not that she minded, because they've just seen each other, but still, they were her husband's family. And being Sesshoumaru's wife, she wanted to be respected by his younger brother.

Kagome resumed eating her dinner when she accidentally noticed something on her shoulder. She narrowed her eyes to focus on the thing that caught her attention as Kagome continues to eating her dinner with gusto. What seemed like a bite mark was faintly visible on Kagome's shoulder that was barely hidden by the thin strap of her flimsy nightgown. She stood from her seat and stepped closer to Kagome reaching her outstretched hand to the junction between Kagome's neck and shoulder when the door busted open and in, came Inuyasha.

"What are you doing, Shimizu?" came Inuyasha's firm, low voice. A glare set on her direction.

As if she was burnt, Shimizu retracted her outstretched hand and held it on her chest, her raven orbs stilled and was met by Kagome's sapphire ones, who snapped her head up at the sound of her brother's voice. Inuyasha started his way towards them and stopped in front of a stunned Shimizu. With his voice, still low, he spoke Shimizu's name that made her tilt her head to his direction.

"I-I wasn't d-doing anything..." Her eyes mirrored anxiety and confusion.

Inuyasha glared at her, towering over her little form as she forced her eyes to meet his.

Seeing her brother's dangerous stance, she decided to interfere. "Inuyasha, stop that. She wasn't doing anything to me, you're scaring her." Kagome put her plate on the night table and stood from her position on her bed. She stepped between her brother and Shimizu, facing Inuyasha. "Stop it." she said as she firmly held her brother's hand that was now both curled on fists. He was not the type to fight a woman as she didn't want to suffer from another headache that she just had and Inuyasha was just making it worse. "Thank you for the dinner, Shimizu. Please, forgive his attitude." She said looking over her shoulder.

"He was angry at me. And I haven't had a clue as to why he was that way." She said without taking her eyes off of Inuyasha. "But I can forgive him, if only for you Kagome." Her eyes then went to the youngest Taisho. Shimizu spoke so calmly, though she was shaking inside. She feared this man that was unfortunately Kagome's brother, because he always made her feel unwanted. "I think it's time for me to leave the two of you alone." She said before turning on her heel and head towards the door. She took one last glance over her shoulder before she pulled the door closed behind her.

"What was that all about, Inuyasha?" Kagome raised a questioning brow on her brother.

"Nothing," Inuyasha said as he darted his eyes over Kagome's shoulder. He gently shook her hands from his fists and let his palms relaxed on his side.

"Okay then, tell me why you acted like that in front of Shimizu?"

Inuyasha let a pregnant pause passed before he spoke with gritted teeth. "I know that you are hurt, but please Kagome! You could not just act like you're best friends with that woman. Remember that she was Sesshoumaru's wife, hear that? His wife!" the anger in his voice surfaced with such intensity as he thought that his sister was just nonchalant about the whole issue. His hands found its way to her shoulders and gently shook it as he tried to stare into her sapphire orbs. "He was the reason why you're like this. And I loathe him…to the pit of my stomach, if not only for the twins."

Kagome gently shrugged his hands from her shoulders and turned against him. "I was hurt…I am hurting still." She said as her voice cracked and tears started to well in her eyes. She filled her lungs with air before she spoke again. "But, it won't change a thing, Inuyasha. I can't change the fact that he married a human, when he so despise me all this time!" her pent up emotion filled her as she harshly turned to face her brother once again. Tears were rolling nonstop on her cheeks as she held her clasped hands on her chest.

Seeing her hurtful reaction, Inuyasha stepped closer and enveloped his sister in his arms. Kagome held on to him tightly as she poured out her hurt filled tears on her brother's shoulder.

"I want to have a life, Inuyasha. I want to be free." She said as she let her tears flow down her cheeks.

"I'll get you out of here. You will have your life back, whatever it takes. I'll give you your life back, Kagome." He said as he held her closer.

- II -

Shimizu was all alone, once again in their bedroom. She could not believe that Sesshoumaru has been working even at this hour! She let a forceful sigh came out from her lips and sat on the bed. She has to do something about their set up. He could not just act like he always did while she received all the cold shoulders and glares from his family. An idea formed in her mind. A smirk graced her lips as she ran the plan on her mind. She would try to charm her husband once again. Shimizu got herself out of the bed and went inside the bathroom. If Sesshoumaru won't come to her, she would be the one to come to him, and she would make sure that he would not resist her.

She has spent half an hour in the tub when she decided that it was enough and get out of bath. Walking on the tiled floor with only a towel draping her petite form, Shimizu went out of the bathroom and entered their room once again. She was about to head to her vanity when she heard the door opened and saw her husband's reflection on the mirror. His face was stoic as usual, but the way he looked at her made her feel that he was angry about something. And she suspected that her name would be involve, one way or another.

"What have you done?" Sesshoumaru asked her in a dangerously low tone.

He was in his bedroom on the west wing when his keen sense of smell had caught the scent of Kagome's tears across his room. He immediately went outside to see if she was okay when he saw Shimizu walking down the hall, away from Kagome's bedroom. He walked across the hallway and grabbed the knob of her door when his nose twitched at the smell of the hanyou's scent lingering on her bedroom. Then, he knew that Inuyasha was inside.

"What are you talking about?" She asked still facing her vanity mirror.

Sesshoumaru took a step closer before he spoke again; this time with such firmness that Shimizu felt all the hair on her body stood on one end. "You very well know what I'm talking about."

"I honestly didn't know, Sesshoumaru!" She harshly turned to face him, but was surprised that she almost bumped into his chest. 'Damn demon speed.' She mentally cursed.

"You will tell me what exactly happened the time you were inside Kagome's room." Sesshoumaru told her as his hand found its way to her elbow, clutching her arm that she have to struggle just trying to be free from his hold.

'I thought so. It was all about Kagome, once again.' Shimizu's thought went on. "I didn't do anything." She said once she found her voice as she tried to get away from his vice grip on her elbow. A moment passed before she added, "Why is it that all of you thinks that I have done something on your precious Kagome, when I have even done nothing!" her voice raised a fraction as she winced when she felt Sesshoumaru's hold tightening. She hissed as he tightened his hold on her. He was just standing there, holding her still and not making any move. "I have done no harm to her, I swear Sesshoumaru. Believe me, please." She was on the verge of tears, but she would not let it fall. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

The sound of her pleading voice made him loosen his hold on her elbow. His eyes darted to stare on her dark pools and saw the pain that he caused. He freed her arm and pulled his hand away. He turned on his heel to walk away from her, when he felt her hand grabbed his. He stopped at the boldness of her action. Shimizu had never done such a thing, as she played the role of his submissive wife. And before he could do anything, Shimizu was quick to poise herself in front of him.

"What are you planning to do?" He asked in a low, cold voice.

Shimizu swallowed the lump that was starting to form in her throat as she clutched on her chest for dear life. "I am going to redeem my position as your wife." She said defiantly and before he could move from his position she let the towel that draped her body flow down the carpeted floor.

She stood there, naked in front of him as she defiantly raised her chin to meet his amber eyes.

He stared back at her.

For a moment they went into a staring contest before Sesshoumaru released a frustrated sigh.

"Get yourself together, Shimizu." He coldly said before heading towards the door as he passed her by.

That was it? All her efforts to get her husband back went down the drain in a matter of seconds! He barely glanced at her and she was offering herself to him! Dammit! She could feel her whole body shaking. The tears that she prevented to fall earlier freely flowed down her cheeks as she get down and took the towel from the carpeted floor, only to throw it at her reflection on her vanity mirror. She was hurt and embarrassed. She felt angry as she gritted her teeth and clutched her palms into fists. How dare he? He made her feel and looked like trash! She harshly turned to the direction of her vanity mirror and with hurried steps she walked as she kept on staring at her own reflection. She swiped her vanity of all the bottled perfumes and accessories from the desk. She grabbed a bottle and throws it at her reflection on the mirror. She just stared at the pieces of the broken glass scattered on her desk and some on the floor, the pricey liquid mixed with blood from her hand as she gripped on a broken glass dripped down on the carpet. Shaking her head vigorously as she faced herself in the mirror, Shimizu couldn't help it as her thoughts went to the time when his siblings arrived. That was the time when all of these things started to happen.

Kagome's photo on his bedroom…

Her reaction about his current status…

The west wing of the manor…

She wanted some answers and she would get it. She would find a way. She heaved a deep sigh. With dark eyes bleeding red from rage and tears, Shimizu spoke a word that summed up all her suspicions.

The faint mark on her shoulder…

His anger towards her…

"Kagome…"

A/N: Review, ne? (Because your insights always make my day!) Thanks for those who reviewed the last chapter! Good morning everyone! :D