Kagome paced the gardens that night. There was no doubt about it Sesshoumaru had saved her. She knew that she would have and a miserable life with Koga and his wolves. But she was worried. She couldn't help but to wonder if Sesshoumaru would face consequences for intervening for her. As she walked on she could feel him it seemed that he was trailing her, but staying just out of sight. "You can come out," she called to him. She was actually glad that he had saved her and had been trying to think of a way to properly thank him. Without a word he appeared at her side. They walked on a little ways in companionable silence while Kagome tried to steel her resolve. "Thank you," she suddenly blurted out. "You have saved my life twice now, and I would like to properly repay you."
"No repayment is due. I always," he began but was stopped in his tracks when Kagome dropped her robe revealing that she was wearing nothing beneath it.
"I own but one thing that you have not given me, and I would like to offer it to you now," she said in such a quiet voice that without his demonic hearing he would have never heard her.
Sesshoumaru tenuously reached out a shaking hand and traced the gentle curve of her breast. This was the moment he had been craving since the first day he found her, and noticed as he gathered her to his body how perfectly she fit against him. But it was wrong. Suddenly he withdrew from her as though he had been burned. "No," he said his conviction strengthening as he went on "you have remained pure, and you will be so for your mate when you find one. I will not taint you." With that said he leapt to his balcony and disappeared into his private haven.
Kagome even through a pang of rejection felt slightly relieved. He was right she did want to go to her mating bed untouched, and in this moment she felt more respect for Sesshoumaru than ever before.
Koga was furious. She had offered herself to him. She had completely denied him, but had thrown herself at Sesshoumaru like some kind of a common slut. The more he thought about it the angrier he became, after all if he really thought about it she had done the same thing to him with Inuyasha since she met him. It was in that moment that he decided to take the plan a step further than even he and Jaken had planned.
The next couple of days Kagome and Sesshoumaru spent in peace. They saw little of Koga and spent even more time together than normal doing everything from sparring to the mundane like working. Kagome had never been happier, it was true that she still did not have the love that her human side craved, but she had a companionship like none she had never experienced before. Funny how one knock on the door could send that happiness down a spiral that it could never recover from.
It was the middle of the day when Sesshoumaru rose and announced "the Eastern Lord is here." Kagome followed him to the door and was surprised to see that the Lord was accompanied by a much younger demoness. "Lord Sesshoumaru," the Lord greeted "it is an honor to see you again. This," he went on as he motioned to the demoness next to him "is Mila. She is your gift for your generous treaty. We do not of course expect you to mate her, but she is yours to bed for the night."
Kagome's world began to swim as she looked at the demoness. She was lovely with violet eyes and hair that cascaded in ringlets to match them. This could not be happening she reasoned. There was no way that Sesshoumaru would bed some random concubine. Then the rational side of her mind kicked in. He could not deny the Lord. To do so would mean certain war, and the death of innocents. It was in that moment that she had an epiphany, she loved him. Some where, in all the time that she had spent with the cold demon she had fallen deeply in love with him. She had learned to decipher his feelings through his eyes, and things that others could not see in him she could. That was why she felt so at home here and safe in his charge. She also decided that he loved her; he showered her with gifts, and went completely insane with jealousy if anyone so much as hugged her. So that meant that there was no way that he would go through with this, right? She still bore the mark of his intended that had to be a way out without insult. His next words though shattered a piece of her. "Thank you for your gracious gift," he said with a slight bow.
In Sesshoumaru's mind this was the answer to his problems. One rut with this demoness would put all impure thoughts of his ward out of his mind; after all it had been more than twenty years since he allowed himself to satisfy his carnal desires. This would answer all of his problems. Then why did the look on his ward's face give him pause? Of course, he reasoned she would fear that this demoness would threaten her place in his pack. She would see in the morning when he sent this whore packing that her fears were unfounded, Kagome's place as alpha female of the west was well established, this creature before them could not change that. He admired the way that even given her fears Kagome managed to hold herself with grace.
Suddenly the other Lord's attention was turned to her and she tried her best to offer him her undivided attention. "You must be Lady Kagome, protector of the Shikon jewel," he beamed at her. "I would like to offer you this as a small token of our gratitude," he said while holding out a simple yet elegant bracelet to her.
"Thank you," she replied as she held out her hand to allow the Lord to place the bracelet on her wrist. After it was in place she said "now if you will please excuse me I need to go and meditate to purify the jewel."
Sesshoumaru watched her take her leave knowing that her excuse was a lie. In all the time he had been around her she had never had to concentrate to purify the jewel. Her innate goodness even in demon form was enough to do the job. She was upset, but come morning she would feel better, and so would he.