Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.

Hey, guys! How's it going? I'm back and I'm going to give you a great chapter! (Hopefully…) It's one of the few remaining chapters so enjoy it!

And on with the story!

I sat up quickly when the air became suddenly filled with a strong energy. My hand instantly reached for anything that could be used as a weapon. Grabbing an unfamiliar sword, I drew it and rolled into a crouched position, ready to fight off anyone.

"Woah, Sora! It's okay!"

His startled voice brought me to reality. My eyes focused on Yuki, and I lowered the sword. He was still in his sleeping robe, but it was off his shoulders and around his waist, exposing his chest. It was easy to tell I had woken up when he was changing. I flushed. If I had woken up only seconds later than I had…

Yuki smiled sweetly at me before walking over to where I was. He knelt on the futon and crawled over to me. Kissing me gently, he took the sword from my hands. He placed it back in its scabbard.

"You are aware of everything around you even when you're sleeping." Yuki said. "That's very good." He kissed me once more before standing, pulling me to my feet as well. "But really there is nothing to worry about. It is only the master. He arrived this morning."

"But his presence was so sudden…" I trailed off.

"I only just lowered the amount of energy I was putting out." Yuki explained. "It was hiding the master's energy before." I nodded in understanding. "Alright, now go get dressed. The master is going to want to meet you."

"Okay." As I approached the door separating my room from Yuki's, I couldn't help but begin to wonder about this master. What if Koga was telling the truth and this master really was trying to add me to his "collection". I shivered, praying it wasn't true, but at the same time hoping it were true so Koga wasn't a lair. I frowned. Why did I care if he was lying now? He'd already lied to me too many times. There was no way he could be telling the truth now.

When I opened the door to my room, I found two women standing there. I hesitated in the doorway as I examined them.

"It's alright!" Yuki called from behind me when he noticed my pause. "They are just servants. They're going to help you dress."

"But I don't need help." I muttered as I stepped into the room. One of the servants closed the door behind me while the other began removing my robe. I felt very uncomfortable as she did so. When the robe slid to the floor, I heard the servant gasp.

"This scar…"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

The servant gently dragged her fingers from my shoulder and in between the very top of my breasts before motioning the rest of the way across my breasts. I looked down. Oh. So, Kagome was wrong. It did scar…

"What happened?" The servant asked as the other woman approached and also let out a gasp. "It appears you were attacked by another demon…"

I sighed. "My alpha accidentally attacked me." I explained, barely louder than a whisper. I diverted my eyes. "He was in a rage and was trying to kill someone. I tried to stop him, but he was so gone that when he realized I was the one before him, he couldn't stop himself."

"Who were you protecting? Another demon?" One servant asked.

The other servant joined in. "An Element?"

"She was protecting me."

I tensed at the voice. No, it couldn't be…

"Lee?" I asked as I turned.

Lee stood just inside my room, the door closed behind her. She was smiling at me, but it wasn't a cold or mocking smile, but a real smile. I stared at her in surprise before returning her smile with an unsure one of my own. I realized then as I stared at her that she was actually very attractive when her face was not contorted with hate. I also took note of her outfit and stance.

She wore a kimono of many layers. The kimono had mostly autumn themed colors such as dark reds, olive greens, and deep browns. Her long, light brown hair was in a ponytail, some bangs left to hang around her face, and beautiful golden hair ornament sat high on her head. Her dark green eyes were full of kindness and joy. The very opposite of what they had once contained. She stood tall with her hands in front of her. Her nails were long and well kept as opposed to when they were short and dirty from work. Her skin was very white and flawless. She apparently did not go out in the sun very often anymore.

"Mistress." The two servants said when they saw her. They both bowed.

My eyes widened. Mistress?

Lee approached me and her face dropped when she saw the scar. "I knew you had been hurt, but I did not know how much damage Master Koga had caused. How could you have lived from this? The bleeding must have been terrible!" She exclaimed.

I noticed I did not have to look up to meet Lee's eyes. Hadn't she always been taller than I?

"Yes, it was very bad." I replied.

"Well, I thank you for saving my life, along with the others'. I will forever be in your debt." Lee said. She looked at something behind me and nodded.

Before I could respond, I felt silk fabric settle on my shoulders as the servants began to dress me. They quickly secured the first layer of kimono with a sash around my waist and I was relieved to finally have something on me. "Thank you." I said to them. They both nodded to me as they continued.

I returned my attention to Lee. "Well, I couldn't let Koga kill you." I paused. "Even though you did try to kill me…"

Lee lowered her eyes. "I'm so very sorry. I was just jealous. He treated you so differently. He treated you like he actually cared about you. We were only items…"

I laughed out right at that. She was startled by my sudden laughter and looked at me in shock. I quickly grabbed my necklace and held it out to her.

"What is this?" She asked as she touched it lightly.

"This is something Koga placed on me so he could keep track of me." I responded. "To keep track of his possession. I am no more than an item to him as well." I felt the fang heat up. So, Koga was listening to this.

"But, the way he looked at you…" She paused. "You were more to him than just an item."

"Are you ladies ready?"

"We'll be right out, Saka!" Lee called.

The servants were now brushing my hair. They were pulling it back when Yuki called from the other side of the connecting door, "Are you decent?"

"Yes, come in!" I responded.

Yuki opened the door. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and black pants. His hair neatly pulled back in a high ponytail that came to rest over his shoulder. I noticed a crest over his heart. It was printed in black, and consisted of four diamonds that fit together to make a larger diamond. A thin, crest moon like shape, curved around the outside of the left side of the diamonds, tilted up just slightly.

Yuki smiled as he looked over the kimono I wore. It was different shades dark of blues and purples and occasionally pure white as a contrast. "Lovely." He said as he approached me.

I nodded. "Yes, it's a very extraordinary kimono." I replied as I looked down on it. It was so much of a contrast compared to what I usually wore. I felt odd wearing something so nice when most of the things I wore were dirty within a couple of days. I felt like I was not careful enough to wear a kimono of such beauty. "It's too nice for someone like me to wear." I whispered, my head bowed.

"I wasn't talking about the kimono." He said softly when he reached my side. He placed a knuckle under my chin and raised my face to meet his eyes. "And if anything, it is not great enough to touch your beautiful skin."

I flushed, and he chuckled before placing a kiss on my cheek then he noticed Lee. I was surprised to see her glaring at him. He cleared his throat. "Why, hello, Lee." He said. He almost sounded like he knew he was in trouble.

"Master Hashiro isn't going to be happy when he sees this…" She said as she crossed her arms.

The door opened and Saka walked in. "Right out, huh?" He asked. He leaned against the doorframe his arms crossed over his chest. His hair was braid over his right shoulder today and he wore an outfit similar to the one Yuki had been wearing the day before. The difference was, Saka's was mostly white except for the sash around his waist and the collar, these were black, and instead of sandals, Saka wore black socks. As I examined him, I also noticed now that one of his ears had a black stud.

When Saka's eyes fell on me, he smiled. "Oh, so this is what has been taking so long." He moved from the doorway and walked further into the room. He took my hand. "It was well worth the wait." He said sweetly as he kissed my hand. When his eyes met mine, I quickly looked at Lee. She was still giving Yuki a glare but when she noticed my gaze, she smiled at me.

"Aren't we supposed to be meeting with the master soon?" I asked, trying to escape.

"Oh, yes!" Lee said. "We should probably get moving before he becomes annoyed."

Saka sighed. "The master is always annoyed about something." I could tell by his tone that he and the master didn't always get along…

Lee quickly turned to face him, hands on her hips. "Well, maybe if you did your job and kept all of the Ladies of this castle out of his way, he wouldn't be." Lee responded.

A smirk made its way onto Saka's face. He took a quick step towards her and, with an arm around her waist, pulled her body to his. "You only say that because you enjoy when I do my job." He said huskily, his face very close to hers.

I felt my face heat up as I watched the two. I understood the hidden meaning in his words, and I felt like I was invading their privacy by watching. I turned away, and Yuki, noticing my discomfort, wrapped his arms loosely around my waist.

"Well, unless you plan on doing your job right now, and delaying our arrival even more, I suggest you let go of me." Lee said, coolly.

I heard Saka take a step back. "As you wish, my Lady."

I heard a slap echo through the room, and I quickly spun in Yuki's arms to see. Saka had a deep red mark on his cheek. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Lee. "Don't you ever strike me, again." He said slowly, every word emphasized so it's meaning was understood. Lee quickly drew her hand back again and swung it at him just to spite him.

Faster than I could see, Saka caught Lee's wrist and slammed her against the closest wall, pinning her with his body. His eyes were furious but they also held a different kind of fire…

"Yuk, could you please inform the master that Lee and I will be a little late?" Saka said, but I knew it was not a question.

Yuki nodded. "Yes, I will do that." He paused. "Not here, please."

Saka let out a dry laugh. "Don't worry. It won't be here…" He said as his eyes narrowed once again on Lee. She had on a cool face as she stared at him calmly, almost looking bored, but I could sense her excitement.

Yuki sighed and moved me toward the door, the servants quickly following us. "Wait, the lady needs to have her hair done." One of the servants said as we walked down the hall.

Yuki shook his head. "No, I prefer it down, and I believe the master will as well."

Both servants stopped at the same time and bowed before we moved past them. As we moved down the hall toward the master, his energy became increasingly overwhelming. I jumped when Koga's necklace let out a loud crackle. I stopped and stared down at it. Yuki turned as well. Purple lightning jumped from the necklace as it crackled and snapped.

"Koga is refusing to let his energy be dominated by the master's and forced from the necklace." Yuki said, slowly. "Koga, the master's energy is stronger than yours. You know this, yet you still fight."

"Because I know the danger she is in!" Came Koga's angry reply. "I will not let you have her!"

Yuki's hand shot out quickly and moved over the necklace. His energy engulfed the necklace. When he pulled his hand away, Koga's energy was no longer pulsing through the necklace.

"There." Yuki said. "Now, let's go see the master." He held out his arm, and I linked my arm with his as he led me down the hallway.

Yuki tapped softly on the study door as I stood patiently behind him, hands folded in front of me as I had seen Lee do. "Come in." A kind voice said from inside.

Yuki slid the door open, but his back blocked my view of the inside. "Master Hashiro, welcome home!" Yuki said warmly.

"Thank you, Yuki." Hashiro responded. "It's nice to be back. It is growing very cold outside of the castle walls." The rustle of paper. "Now, what is it that you need?"

Yuki took a quick sidestep, leaving me in the open. I bowed immediately, my hands resting on my thighs as I did so.

I heard Lord Hashiro stand suddenly. When I straightened, I once again founded my hands folded in front of me. I looked up to take my first look at Master Hashiro. He was a very tall and well build demon with tan skin. His hair was a deep green and pulled over his shoulder in a loose ponytail. His happy, narrow eyes were a deep golden color. Hashiro smiled at me, his teeth standing out against his tan skin. "Come in! Come in!" I stepped into the room and heard Yuki close the door after he had entered as well. "Hello, you must be Misora." He said sweetly. "My name is Hashiro. Welcome to my home."

I bowed my head at him. "And I thank you for allowing me to come here. I have been through some troubles lately and had no where else to go." I said.

Hashiro nodded and a sparkle caught my eye. I glanced at his forehead. Something had just sparkled from there. I stared for a second more before shaking my head. Nothing was going to be on his forehead.

Hashiro didn't notice my stare. "Troubles with your pack leader, Koga?" He asked.

I nodded. "He banished me from the pack after I killed a demon that tried to kidnap myself and another female from my pack." I explained. I examined his expression. Would he respond with the same way that Yuki had when hearing this information?

Hashiro's face changed from happy to concerned but it didn't seem to be for the demon. "Well, if you were only defending yourself then there was no reason for you to be punished." He told me, frowning.

I nodded, preferring not to explain that I wasn't defending myself, that I had killed the demon in anger. I didn't want this kind demon to think that I was a thoughtless killer.

Yuki cut in then. "There is another problem concerning Koga, Master Hashiro." Hashiro's attention was immediately on him. Yuki continued. "He has placed a kubikazari senryou on her." I recognized that name. It was the name for the necklace Koga had placed on me.

Lord Hashiro frowned. "That must be removed." He said seriously.

"Immediately." Yuki agreed.

I touched the necklace. It was alternating quickly between being cold and warm. Koga was trying to get through still. I wrapped my hand around it. My actions were left unnoticed as the men discussed means of removing the necklace. I could hear Koga's desperate voice on and off, but I could not understand what he was saying. I looked up and was surprised to find that the men had not heard Koga. Could it be that only I could hear him at that moment?

I pushed a small amount of my energy into the necklace to strengthen the bond. It was just enough. Koga's deep voice filled my head. "Misora!" He shouted. I smiled when I heard his voice but quickly stopped, startled. The sound of his voice shouldn't have had such an effect on me.

The men still didn't seem to hear Koga. Odd.

I heard Koga let out a small crazed laugh. "I thought they had removed the necklace." He said weakly.

"No, but they want to." I replied softly so Yuki and Hashiro wouldn't hear me.

"Leave that place, Sora." Koga begged. "As soon as you have the chance, get out!"

"But this place is nothing like you describe. I have met Lord Hashiro. He is a very kind hearted demon from what I've seen." I whispered into the necklace. "And even if I wanted to leave, where would I go, Koga? Back to you, where I was coldly kicked out of the den? How do I know that I will not be kicked out the same way again if I return?" Lord Hashiro's eyes moved to me then. They stared at me questioningly, wondering what I was doing. Then his golden eyes moved to my closed fist and narrowed.

"I know what I've told you about Yuki and Hashiro doesn't seem to be true, but you have to listen to me. I've seen this happen before and I refuse to let it happen again." Koga replied.

Hashiro took a step toward me.

"They are going to try and slowly make you fall in love with Hashiro. He makes himself a woman's image of a 'perfect man'."

Hashiro was now taking large strides across the room. For every one he took forward, I took one back.

"He's going to try and make you believe that you are weak and that the only safe place in the world is his castle, and that the only people you can trust are the people within his castle walls and himself."

My back hit the wall of the study. I was trapped.

"He will then make you think you are the only one for him, and he will prove it to you over and over to make you believe it until he finds something better."

Hashiro stood less than a foot away from me now. He was putting off so much heat, I felt like I couldn't breath.

"And what does he do when he finds something better?" I whispered, noticing I sounded scared. Hashiro's hand reached out and opened my fist.

My necklace fell from my hand as Koga replied; "He abandons them in his castle and they wander. Even then, they are not allowed to leave." Koga's voice filled the room, and I noticed now that Yuki and Hashiro could hear him as well. "They are left to die within the castle walls."

I raised my eyes slowly to meet Hashiro's. They were half lidded as they stared down at me. He did not look amused. Suddenly, there was spike in Hashiro's energy. It suddenly became overpowering. I felt my energy instantly surrender and no longer could I move. The room became filled with wind. Papers from Hashiro's desk circulated the room. I looked at Yuki, wanting to see his reaction to all of this. He was tense, his hands fisted at his sides. He refused to meet my gaze, preferring to stare at the wall I was against instead, his lips pressed together. He looked like he wanted to do something, but knew he couldn't.

Strong hands on my shoulders brought my eyes back to Hashiro. His eyes were now a red color and his hair flew around him angrily. A glint caught my eye and I noticed on his forehead were four diamond shaped green gems. They all formed a larger diamond, just like the crest on Yuki's shirt. I felt Hashiro's claws grow against my shoulders, but they did not puncture my skin. Hashiro's energy traveled through me and into the claw.

Suddenly, my necklace began to spark like it had in the hall, the lightning crackling loudly. I could feel Koga's energy fighting Hashiro's, but the fang limited Koga's energy, and it didn't take long for Hashiro's energy to overpower Koga's. I was surprised when Hashiro's energy continued to increase, even after Koga's had been pushed from the necklace. The necklace grew warmer and warmer as Hashiro forced his energy into the fang. Finally, it was just too much for the fang and it burst into thousands of tiny, metal shards.

I closed my eyes tight the moment the claw shattered, waiting for the shards to cut into my neck and chest, but a strong gust of wind flew through the room just in time to move the pieces away from Hashiro and I. I wrapped my arms around my head instinctively when the wind whipped my hair violently around my face. The wind was gone as quickly as it had come.

When I finally opened my eyes, the room was calm. I slowly dropped my arms as Yuki ran to me, a panicked look on his face. He pushed himself between Hashiro and I, and placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you alright?" He asked quickly. I nodded and he pulled me into a tight hug, rocking us gently. I could feel his pounding heart through my fingertips that were pressed against his chest, pinned in between our bodies. Had he been afraid for me?

My eyes followed Hashiro as he moved across the room gracefully, almost gliding over the floor. He sat down at his desk and looked up to meet my gaze. His eyes were still hard but had regained their golden color. His handsome face was cold and angry. I could feel his powerful energy still pulsing. A warning. We continued to stare at each other, one daring the other to look away first.

"You destroyed my necklace." I said angrily as I continued to glare at him. I moved from Yuki's arms and took a step towards Hashiro. I heard Yuki whisper my name, trying to get me to stop in my advances, but I ignored him and took another step.

Hashiro placed his elbows on his desk and rested his chin on his intertwined fingers as he gave me a cool look. "He was manipulating your mind. I did you a favor by destroying it." He responded.

I reached up and grabbed the bare leather string that rested around my neck. I threw it down on his desk, but he did not look at it, his eyes still focused on mine. "That necklace meant a great deal to me." I told him angrily.

"Even though it was given to you by someone who so coldly kicked you out of your own home?" I hesitated, and he noticed. "Ah, so now you remember what he did to you. So, did that necklace really mean so much to you, or were you just used to its weight around your neck?" His eyes suddenly softened and they were once again sweet and kind. "If it really meant that much to you, I'll have a replacement made." He said, an apologetic smile on his face.

I shook my head. "You cannot replace that necklace." I replied, still angry. "It will never have the same meaning to me that the original had." I turned my back on Hashiro and looked at Yuki. "Could you please take me back to my room, Yuki?" I asked.

Yuki stared at me with a shocked expression. Apparently, very few disrespected Lord Hashiro with such a gesture. Yuki stared me for a moment before letting his expression drop and nodding. "Of course."

Lord Hashiro said nothing as we left the room, but I could feel his angry eyes on my back. I felt triumphant as I left Hashiro's study. I had come out on top this time. I was sure Hashiro realized now that I was strong. I was not like most female demons who listened to stronger males without question. Sorry Hashiro, but I'm used to standing up for myself.

Yuki opened my door, and I stepped in, a large grin on my face. I turned to him. "Thank you, Yuki." I said happily.

I expected Yuki to leave then, but instead he stepped into my room and closed the door behind him. His eyes looked tired. I quickly moved to him and placed my hands on his cheeks.

"What's the matter, Yuki?" I asked, instantly concerned.

Yuki closed his eyes slowly and placed his hands on mine. "You turned your back on my Lord." His light eyes opened halfway to look at me. "He is angry. I can feel his energy pulsing still." I nodded. I could feel Hashiro's energy as well. Yuki suddenly pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. "I'll be surprised if Hashiro let's your action slide." He whispered.

I frowned. "He deserved any disrespect I showed him." I said

"Even so. His pride will not let him forget your disrespect." Yuki responded, pulling back slightly. "Our lord is very—"

"Since when was he my lord?" I demanded, backing up so my hands were resting on his forearms.

Yuki frowned at me then closed his eyes and sighed sadly. "When you entered the castle grounds you became his." He said, not meeting my eyes.

My eyes widened then narrowed at him. I could feel my fangs growing as I glared at Yuki, my demon blood slowly pushing back my human blood as my anger rose. "Koga was right, wasn't he, Yuki?" I growled. "You brought me here for your lord to collect! You betrayed me!" I noticed Yuki flinch.

"You don't understand." He whispered softly.

I felt my right arm pulse strongly. I looked down at it, perplexed. A purple glow surrounded my lower arm. I stared at it for a moment before I remembered. It was the jewel shard! My demon blood's momentary dominance must have activated it. I concentrated as I pushed more of my demonic energy into it and as I did so, the shard's glow became stronger.

Yuki felt the increase in my energy, but did not seem to know what was causing it. "Sora?"

I glared up at him, knowing my eyes were glowing red from my demon blood's dominance. He took a quick step back. I felt Yuki's energy give in to mine, he did not want to challenge me, but when I pressed against Hashiro's energy, he forced mine back. His energy continued to increase until the atmosphere of the room was so heavy with his power I was forced to surrender.

Even being far from Hashiro's study, his energy was still so strong. My eyes widened as this realization hit me.

How strong was Hashiro?

Hello everyone! I finally updated! Well, anyway, I know I didn't tell you what type of demon Lord Hashiro is, and yes, I know, the characters keep changing. Almost everything in my story is there for a reason; just go with it until you know why.

Thanks for reading!

Please review!