CHAPTER 21: MATE
(Sesshomaru)
He stood there for only a moment before he leapt forward, sinking his fangs deep into her skin. She moaned and her blood filled his mouth. The pure ecstasy of owning her sent a violent shiver from his scalp to his toes. It was no longer a question of if or when. From this point on, she belonged to him.
She whimpered and his jaws released. He tenderly lapped up the blood dripping from the wound, sealing it with his tongue. Lifting his head, he looked into her eyes and saw happiness and love in them.
Sesshomaru kissed his mate deeply and drew back with a yip. He'd felt tiny fangs graze his tongue and grinned crookedly. Reaching behind her head he gripped the nape of her neck. Gently he guided his mate until her lips touched the skin right below his jaw. He didn't have to explain further. He felt two sharp pricks: her teeth piercing his skin. Following his example she licked his wound clean. She tasted him longer than was necessary and the beast within him scrambled to get free once more. Something that was both a moan and a growl came from his throat and he pushed his mate to the ground bending over her. Sesshomaru leaned in and nuzzled Kimiko's neck whispering,
"Submit. My Tenshi, My mate, My love."
(Kimiko)
Whimpering she bared her neck again. Smiling at her, he began planting tiny kisses from her earlobe to her collar bone.
"Mine." Her mate whispered.
Heat began warming her middle and she found herself holding his face in her hands, guiding his lips back to hers. She kissed him with such intensity she became dizzy. His chest vibrated emitting a low purring sound. Their kissing changed tempo and became more urgent. His hands roamed the length of her body and she felt her clothing slide away. The cool night air felt good against her burning skin.
(Sesshomaru)
Sesshomaru broke their kiss and pulled up to his knees. Golden eyes took in every inch of the intoxicating creature beneath him. His breath unsteady, he untied his sash and removed his armor. Slipping the kimono from his shoulders, he watched as her gaze slid over his chest, devouring him with her eyes. Her exposed, milky body glimmered with otherworld light and he could contain his fire no longer. He had to have her: had to possess her; not just because he could. He wanted her by his side now, and always.
Moving gently Sesshomaru took care not to hurt the little Tenshi until slowly her cries of pain turned to moans of pleasure. There under the stars Sesshomaru took his mate.
(Kimiko)
Crying out she closed her eyes against the sting. She could tell he'd done his best not to hurt her and it melted her heart.
"You belong to me." He whispered.
"I belong to you." She agreed. Harder and harder he kissed her. The tension grew and she gasped as she willingly became his mate.
When her breath slowed somewhat he released her. She collapsed to the side, shaking. In the light of the full moon she saw an evil grin spread across his face before he gently lifted her from the ground. Sesshomaru cradled her in his arms and purred softly in her ear, nuzzling it with his nose. A hum of satisfaction escaped her throat before she could stop it.
He carried her over to sit against a tree and held her in his lap. With her mate's strong arms around her and her face buried in his fur, Kimiko drifted to sleep.
(Sesshomaru)
That was far from the last time Sesshomaru claimed his mate that night. Just when he'd thought he was through, the scent of her hair or a soft sigh would ignite his fire again. Finally, exhausted, his little Tenshi laughed and told him she needed rest. He smirked but acquiesced.
He watched the woman, curled up in his arms, smile sweetly in her sleep. Minute by minute he felt their bond grow. Their breathing fell into tandem. Her sensations became his sensations and he grinned. A deep calm rolled off his mate and into his soul. He pulled her close. His Kimiko. It was as if he couldn't be near enough to her. The need to protect her nearly overwhelmed him.
So this was what his father wanted for him. All the bitterness he held for the Inu Youkai melted away. It was not weakness but happiness that Tashio desired for his son. Looking down at the half-human woman pressed against his chest Sesshomaru sighed.
When dawn broke across the eastern sky he opened his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping. Contemplating his near future, Sesshomaru came to some important decisions. This Lord of the Western Lands had no desire whatsoever to leave his mate's side…ever. Where he went, she'd go too. He wondered idly if this happened with every mating. Is this what the council had planned all along?
"Hnnn."
If so, they were fools. Still, he was looking forward to presenting her at court. She was magnificent. Sesshomaru felt stabs of anticipation when thinking of getting his mate with child. It was possible she was already pupped. It thrilled him. His offspring would be the most powerful beings on earth. He was more than prepared to do whatever it took to make that happen.
(Kimiko)
He was staring at her again, she felt it. She kept her eyes closed and hummed at the vibrations coming from him. All her senses seemed to increase as the night went on: hearing, smell,... touch. It was as though her sense of how he felt was magnified as well. Pride, loyalty, protectiveness, joy, love and something mischievous that she found delicious, poured from his aura and into her heart.
She didn't know what her mother felt about the pairing but she imagined a beautiful smiling face congratulating her. Kimiko's mind drifted to other things: her father. She would send a messenger to him or perhaps her mate would take her to visit him. Would he recognize her? She smiled thinking of Rin. The girl would positively burst when she found out.
A wicked thought passed through her mind when she thought of that Jaken and the demoness' that had made her life difficult. She'd have a long discussion with them. She was now The Lady of the Western Lands. It was a powerful title, that much she knew but she didn't care. She'd never wanted any of that. She had the only part that mattered wrapped around her. Kimiko couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with the Demon Lord who took her as his mate.
Epilogue:
(Sesshomaru)
A pack of youngsters chased each other through tall grass and over sand dunes. Their mother smiled, calling out for them to be careful. Three males and two females, each with yellow eyes, silver hair and full moons on their foreheads, raced through the surf. Sesshomaru watched over his pups. They were everything a father could wish… and he wanted more. His gaze shifted….. Kimiko…..she was so beautiful. Her laugh sounded in his ears and her scent drifted across the beach. Her silver hair twisted, caught by the sea breeze, and blew wildly around her head, exposing her long neck. He growled. The fire in his middle flared to life. She turned toward him; a sly look on her face.
Green eyes met gold and they smiled. It was time to go home.