I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. Rumiko Takahashi does.

Deserted 14: Betrayal

Touching down on the island, Inuyasha growled, his eyes focused on two sets of footprints in the sand; one set made their way leisurely through the sparkling grit before disappearing at the cliff face. The other set came from further away; the prints were deeper, left by someone heavier.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, his nose twitching as he took in the scents still lingering on the beach's surface. He could see where Kagome had washed ashore, could make out her hand prints in the sand and her footprints as she left the water's edge. Kneeling down he sniffed again, suppressing the growl that clawed through his chest when he encountered the scent left by an unidentified male. It was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it…

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru's voice pulled him from his thoughts as he stood. Turning to face his brother, Inuyasha answered, the scent finally registering in his head.

"Kagome's scent is here; the other reminds me of the man at the marina; Bangsu… or Bangkok something or other. But why would his scent be here?"

"He's following her," Sesshomaru pointed out. "And it looks like he was in a hurry."

"Oh, Kami…"

Rin's voice pulled the brothers' attention to her. Her face was drawn in worry, her eyes darting from the water's edge to the cliff face and back.

"What is it, Rin?" Sesshomaru could feel the growing panic that surged through their mark. Rin was frightened, but by what remained to be seen.

"You rented the yacht from the marina just north of Kaede's?"

"Yeah… they were the only ones left with a yacht big enough for all of us," Inuyasha replied. "What's wrong, Rin?"

"The marina manager's name was Bankotsu?"

Inuyasha didn't like the panic that lined Rin's words. Why would the marina manager be on this island… and why would he follow them? Inuyasha's eyes jerked forward. He could feel Kagome's terror, his heart hammering loudly in his ears as his body reacted to her emotions.

"We need to get moving… quickly," Inuyasha growled, his eyes darting to Sesshomaru. "I can feel Kagome more clearly now… she's terrified and exhausted. We have to get to her."

Reaching to pick Rin up, Sesshomaru cradled her against his chest, his eyes narrowing on the pathway up the rock wall. "Tell us what you know while we travel, Rin."

They picked their way up the path Kagome had found, Rin's voice shaking as she spoke. "Kagome and Bankotsu dated about a year ago…" Inuyasha snarled, his footsteps stalling midway up the path, his eyes narrowed on Rin.

"What do you mean they dated?" Inuyasha growled. "Kagome hasn't had a relationship in eons… " While the idea of his mate engaged in a relationship with anyone other than himself didn't sit well, Inuyasha knew that she had had at least a few. When he'd met her at the Tavern, Kagome had been single, but he'd never been interested enough to find out why. She was beautiful... he'd always thought so, but his interests had been tied up in women who wanted nothing more from him than a roll in the hay. And he'd been fine with that... until now. Kagome was different. They'd shared no more than a few snide remarks here and there, but he'd found himself comfortable enough with her to share the banter... and the sexual innuendo. But he didn't want her to be casual fling... no, he wanted more than that. He wanted her!

"Because of Bankotsu," Rin continued. "They met at a party about a year and a half ago. Kagome wasn't interested at first, but Bankotsu was persistent. He'd bring her flowers and seemed, to all of us, like the sweetest guy…"

"What do you mean seemed?" Inuyasha snarled, his steps faltering as he turned to eye the female cradled in his half brother's arms.

"Let's keep moving, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru moved forward, his steps forcing his half brother to move ahead of them. Glancing down at Rin, Sesshomaru pushed her hair from her eyes, his touch a soothing gesture meant to encourage her to continue.

"After about six months of chasing her, Bankotsu finally convinced Kagome to go out with him. Everything seemed fine for about six months… Kagome seemed happy. But one night Kagome called me in tears. She said that she'd found text messages from another woman on Bankotsu's cell phone… intimate text messages." Rin paused. Inuyasha could hear her heart beat quicken.

"So she broke up with him and now he's pissed 'cause she's with me?" Inuyasha mumbled as he continued the trek up the cliff face.

"Something like that..." Rin trailed off. She ignored the probing look Sesshomaru sent her, shaking her head in answer to his silent question. "What aren't you telling him?"

"Bankotsu hasn't been around in awhile, but he made sure Kagome knew that he wasn't ready to end their relationship." Rin wasn't telling them the whole story. Sesshomaru could feel her uncertainty... but why would she feel like she couldn't talk to them about Kagome's past?

Inuyasha sped up, Sesshomaru hot on his heels. At the top of the rock wall, Inuyasha caught the first scent of Kagome's blood… just spots here and there where the branches had grazed her skin, and spots on the forest floor where her footsteps had been.

"Kagome hasn't been in a relationship since breaking it off with Bankotsu," Rin continued.

"Until now," Sesshomaru broke in. "Inuyasha, you mated Kagome the night before you went to pick up the yacht, correct? Bankotsu must have scented her on your skin."

"So he thought he'd blow us to hell because of that?" Inuyasha hissed. "He wouldn't have had time to put the explosives on the yacht… we took it once we'd signed all the forms. He had to have done it before we got there to pick it up. There must have been some other reason he wanted that yacht blown up."

"Perhaps," Sesshomaru replied. "But why is he here now?"

"Doesn't fuckin' matter; he's following Kagome… I can smell him as clearly as I can smell her. If he touches her, I'll tear his fucking head off!" Inuyasha snarled.

~~~~~00~~~~~

"You see that?" Miroku called out. Raising his hand he pointed toward the cliffs... and the silver heads disappearing over the top and into the tree line. "Don't set down on the beach. Whatever they're following is up there!"

Koga's growl ripped through the air. Shippo had dumped him sideways, forcing him off his back and catching him by his feet nearly five minutes before. He could feel his heart beat in his head, and was certain he resembled an over-ripe tomato wearing a wig.

"You guys done screwing around over there?" Sango called out. "We should be listening to see what's going on down there, but all I hear is you two bickering like school girls!"

"He started it!" Shippo called out, his eyes narrowed as they flicked down to Koga. "I asked him nicely to quit digging his feet into my sides! I ain't no damn horse!"

"Get over it already!" Koga snarled, his current predicament making him less than threatening. "It was a joke!"

"I think it'd be down right hilarious to dump you head first into a school of ravenous sharks... but I haven't acted on it. But hey... if this is all fun and games, by all means, let's play!"

Dropping dangerously low to the ocean's surface, Shippo hovered, the wolf youkai in his grasp flailing wildly when he caught the first tell-tale signs of a sharkfin circling a few yards to his right.

"Shippo."

With a withering sigh, Shippo glanced up at Kirara. The frown on her face and the irritation he could feel coming from her were clear indications that he was crossing some invisible line that would have him treading the lines of celibacy should he not head her silent "Knock it off!"

"Fine... but if he kicks me again, I'm feeding him to the sharks!"

"If he kicks you again, Shippo, I'll make him wait till he's three hundred and ten to mate," Ayame called out. Shaking her head, Ayame smiled prettily down at the male who would soon become her everything. "You don't want that, do you Koga?"

Koga growled halfheartedly before his world righted as he was tossed none-too-gently up and onto Shippo's back once more. Landing with an 'oof', Koga straightened, careful not to dig his feet into Shippo's side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~00000000~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome ignored the throbbing in her legs, her knees pulled tight to her stomach. Her arms were bent at the elbow, shaking under the awkward distribution of her weight. She struggled not to move, refused to give in to the mounting urge to flee

Bankotsu's snarl, and the way it rumbled in the air seemed amplified; she could hear each intake of breath, every exhalation… could almost see the air stir past his lips. Bankotsu's eyes, once a simmering chocolate brown, were instead a bleeding red; in them she saw unbridled hatred. She watched the curl of his fingers, noted the length of his claws, his fingers bunching into a fist then flicking out until she could hear the popping of the joints in his hands.

The flesh on his palms was scarred, the raised white tissue indicating a healed burn. But youkai didn't scar... their demon blood healed their wounds within minutes of the injury. He hadn't had them when they were together, nor could she recall any accident that might've left his skin that badly damaged. She'd kept tabs on the demon after she'd left... more out of precaution than concern; he was dangerous... she'd learned that the night she'd found out he'd been cheating on her

Kagome couldn't remember much of their last night together. She remembered confronting him with the messages left on his cell phone by another woman and the shock she'd felt when he'd struck her, the blow to her cheek knocking her backward and off her feet. She could still hear his words, his usual gentle tone course and filled with anger.

"If I decide I want another bitch to satisfy me where you fail, I'll have one..."

"I won't be yours to be used and thrown aside on a whim, Bankotsu. You don't own me… you never will!"

She'd struggled to get to her feet, but his weight had forced her to the floor, his words dripping like acid from his lips… "You became mine the night you spread your legs for my pleasure! I will use you up and throw you aside as I see fit," he snarled. "You'll always be mine, bitch. Don't ever forget that!"

She couldn't recall how she'd managed to get to her hands and knees that night. She could still feel the searing pain on her shoulder blade where his fangs and claws had torn into her flesh when she pushed away from him; moments later, his tormented scream filled her ears. There was a bright flash of light… then nothing. She didn't know how she'd made her way to Sango and Rin's apartment. But she knew then that her relationship with Bankotsu was over. They were no longer a man and a woman seeking the love of each other. Instead, he'd become the hunter, she the prey. She'd spent months avoiding him… had moved on with her life with the help of her friends…

Kagome screamed when the rock ledge above her gave way, a waterfall of stone pelting her skin as dirt and torn foliage showered around her. Shoving forward and away from her hiding place, Kagome darted forward, his fist in her hair stopping both her scream and her momentum.

Her breath hissed from her chest as she was brought up hard against his chest, his furious growl echoing past her ears, her terror rising tenfold.

"Just where the fuck do you think you're going, bitch!" he spat. Kagome flinched, her stomach rolling in disgust, her fingers tearing into the flesh of his wrist.

"Nowhere with you," she hissed, forcing her elbow into his ribs. His grip loosened on her hair. In her haste to get away, Kagome found that instead of moving forward as she had hoped, she was headed down, the ground rushing to meet her face. Bankotsu's claws tore into her hip, ripping the fabric of her Levi's painfully away from her skin. She felt the rush of the breeze brush over the clean patch of exposed flesh, and the bruising force of the ground in the tender skin of her palms and knees.

"You almost had me fooled! I lost your scent back there; using the mud of the spring was smart… but I could hear the pounding of your heart a mile away!"

Kagome laughed, a bitter sound that sounded far calmer than she felt. "Maybe you should have done the same… I could smell your stench long before I saw you!"

Kagome saw stars when he ripped her head back, exposing the long column of her throat, his snarl mere centimeters from the tender lobe of her ear. Her skin crawled where his body rubbed along hers, and she nearly vomited when she felt his arousal pressing firmly against her ass.

"So it's true…" Bankotsu's words were barely recognizable, but Kagome knew he was staring at her mate mark.

"You mated that fucking Dog from the marina!"

"My mate will be here any sec-" Kagome choked on her words, her head falling forward when Bankotsu released her hair, his fingers closing around her throat. Her eyes watered and her vision blurred as he squeezed.

"Youre mate is in a million pieces at the bottom of the sea, bitch! How you survived the explosion is beyond me, but I'll be more than happy to correct it."

"You… blew… up…"

Air surged through her lungs when Bankotsu loosened his grip and she wondered why he'd bother listening to anything she had to say. He would kill her… that she knew with a certainty that iced her blood. What he didn't know was that she'd kill herself long before she'd let him violate her. No one would ever touch what she'd given Inuyasha freely… no one!

"You blew the yacht up because I mated someone?!" she hissed. "You're pathetic!"

Her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets when his grip locked once again around her neck. The edges of her vision were beginning to turn black, and she beckoned that darkness to consume her, silently screaming the only name that offered her any peace… Inuyasha!

"Stupid bitch," Bankotsu snarled, his grasp on her neck loosening mere seconds before the black void could consume her. "I didn't blow the yacht up because of you. I was blowing it up for the insurance money… but then that Dog came in carrying your whoring scent on him! I blew the yacht early when I found out you were on it; I wanted to see it for myself."

"Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be on your precious ship celebrating your failure?"

His hand between her shoulder blades sent horror careening through her blood, the force of his weight pushing her upper body forward. She winced as her face slammed into the ground. Her lip split open, fresh blood coated her teeth and tongue as his grip returned to the back of her pants, his weight pinning her beneath him as he fumbled with the front closure of his jeans.

A growl ripped through the air and Bankotsu stilled behind her. She couldn't hear very well with her head pressed into the ground, but she knew someone had found her... and that someone felt like Inuyasha. Happiness surged through her heart, tampered only by the rage that surged through her mark. Shame quickly followed; she could only imagine what this looked like: down on her hands and knees and dressed in only her bra and torn Levis, Bankotsu pressed intimately against what didn't belong to him. Surely Inuyasha knew what was happening... he had to believe she was more than a wanton whore! But his next words seared through her heart, crushing her hopes.

"Couldn't wait to take him back, huh Kagome?" Inuyasha snarled. All he could see was Bankotsu kneeling behind her, pants half undone, Kagome's clothes barely clinging to her curves. The area was coated in Bankotsu's arousal; Inuyasha's mind was a clouded haze that left him rooted to the forest floor, his demon strangely silent.

Taking advantage of Bankotsu's distraction, Kagome reared up, her elbow connecting with the side of his face, her fingernails carving a trail across his shoulder. His scream of pain echoed around her as she scurried back and then to her feet, but she barely heard it through the anger that swirled around her.

It was Sesshomaru who picked Bankotsu's stunned body up off of the ground. She could only stare back at the reddened gaze of her mate, her heart tripping painfully over his words.

"I swore once that I wouldn't be any man's whore... especially his," Kagome hissed, her eyes flicking over to Bankotsu and back to Inuyasha. The back of her skull ached where Bankotsu had caught her. Her hip stung where his claws had torn into her skin and she could feel bruises forming on her neck from his fingers.

Rin rushed toward her and Kagome winced when the petite female pushed her fingers through her hair, no doubt checking for injuries. Kagome refused to look at her wounds, refused to acknowledge the damage Bankotsu had done to her body... or the damage Inuyasha had just done to her heart.

"I was a fool to believe in you... in us. I thought you were different... we were different. I was wrong... apparently I'm no better than a whore in your eyes, too."

Catching sight of Rin's tearful gaze, Kagome moved toward the spring and away from the only man who'd ever touched her heart.

A/N:

A big thanks to psycochick32 for taking the time to edit this for and for bouncing ideas back and forth with me! You're a sweetheart!

I am sooooo very sorry about the wait on this. Time has been nearly impossible to find lately, and so many things in my life have derailed every attempt I made for this chapter. I hope no one has given up on the story, or on me... I have missed hearing from you all!

Please let me know what you think- I'm dying to know how many of you are still reading and what you're thinking so far! I know it's a cliffy... again, but hey, lol, at least I posted.

* Ducks the many flying projectiles headed my way *

Neisha