Without A Doubt

by XXemzyXX

COMPLETE Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, always gets what he wants. But what happens when he wants a certain futuristic miko and sparks are only flying in one direction...or are they?

25. Chapter 25

A/N: Alright, here's the next chapter. This one was a bit spontaneous as it wasn't wholly thought out, it just sort of came out of me as I was sitting there. Thanks again for all of your reviews and support!

With Sesshomaru and Kagome:

Throwing the heavy wooden doors to his chambers open in a huffy bout of strength, the normally pristine and emotionless lord threw himself into a well cushioned chair positioned in the corner of the spacious room. Letting his ever perfect posture slip somewhat, Sesshomaru brought his long, dangerously clawed fingers to his temples and began to massage them with a strength that would have made a normal man cringe. Amber eyes closed to the world around him, the dog prince listened carefully, finding the steady inhalations of his little female to be a calming melody. Her sweet, earthy scent filled his nose, leading to the ending of his futile massaging technique; much taller than even most demon males, he leaned his stiff neck backwards over the top ridge of his seat, searching for some sort of relief from the aching.

Being a demon, the western lord barely ever suffered from such human maladies, yet when he did they always tended to hit him with an unexpected force. Not surprisingly, he had almost always ended the days of his social gatherings, which were indeed few and far between, with at least some semblance of the horrid beat that kept pulsing away in his silky, silver cranium. Letting out a noise between a growl and a sigh that was barely identifiable even to his own pointed ears, he added this as what seemed to be the millionth reason for him to dislike social gatherings. True, he had never been a social butterfly to begin with but this was becoming ridiculous. What did these sorry excuse for demons expect him to discuss, the tailoring of his hakama?

The only person he had seemed to able to hold a conversation with other than his now deceased mother in his years as a pup seemed to be the young woman child that lay across the room sleeping soundly. What was it about her that made him let his guard down? Why did he trust her as he did? Although he still had no exact answers to these questions, it bothered him much less than when his initial attraction had begun. It had been in those long hours of mental combat between his instinctual and logical sides in which he had allowed himself to discuss with himself the possibility of taking the girl as a mate. Once he had set his mind to the affirmative, he was quite certain she would accept him; after all, an inu youkai always got his female.

At that moment, said female stirred, rolling over gracefully so that her beautifully serene face was pointed in his direction. An unguarded smile crossed his thin lips as he looked at her with all of the adoration and admiration that he knew he would always be incapable of vocally expressing to her. That was just one of the many reasons why he planned to spoil her with everything she wished for and more. Even though he knew that it was not in her nature to demand material things it didn't mean that he didn't enjoy giving them to her. She was after all his female. She was the best, and she should know it.

Sesshomaru knew from experience that his duties as a lord could be quite time consuming, but planned to have her by his side every second of the day nonetheless. It was her place and as such where she would stay. Perhaps once the years came along he might let her leave him for a matter of minutes to play some form of childish game with their pups, but he knew that he would always need her close to him. Now that his demon side had decided to bond itself to her, it would never be possible for her to go that far away from him without the both of them feeling the effects of the union tugging at their souls. No, she would never be far from him.

Mind drifting back to the aforementioned subject of pups the seemingly all powerful and much feared lord of the western lands flashed a sharp toothed smirk to no one in particular. Of course the actual impregnation part would be enjoyable, but contrary popular belief he did actually want to be a father. As far fetched as it had seemed to him at one point in his long life, he was oddly enough looking forward to it. Perhaps it was simply because of his love for Kagome and his wish to have something such as a child bonding them together or perhaps Rin had finally gotten to him with all her years of childish antics; however either way he was eagerly anticipating it. Of course he had already felt the slight hint of jealousy that came along with realization that she would not have as much time to be attentive to him, but he had quickly assured himself that that was what nannies were for. Although…it might be hard to convince Kagome to leave their pups in the care of another. After how he had seen her acting with the kit that wasn't even her blood son, he was more than certain she would be a bit protective of any pups they had, not saying that he would be much better. Already the thought of any of his future daughters finding a mate made the hair on his neck raise in fairly tangible tension. It was however his demonic side that was most pleased with her motherly instincts; it had identified her right away as an exceptional maternal candidate.

Seeing his mate's stirring form, Sesshomaru decided that it would best for her to wake up to his surrounding presence and thus erected himself to his full height once again. His headache greatly dissipated, he took several long strides toward the lavishly decorated futon and scooped her still partially unaware form into his strong arms, relishing the comfort her presence created within him and the warmth that radiated from her. Using one muscular arm to cradle her, he swung a chair, the identical companion of the one he had been sitting upon only moments early so that it was facing the rippled glass windows placed into the stone wall. Actually the glass had been a new addition, only having been invented several years ago; usually, he refused to buy into mortal inventions but this had been an exception seeing as he very often liked to gaze out upon the scenery of his lands. Amber eyes cast towards the night sky that could be so clearly examined from his current position, Sesshomaru waited upon the awakening of his Kagome, not wishing to rush her in the slightest.

Kagome who clutched tightly to the new source of warmth her body had found, yawned cutely and squinted her eyes open, only shut them again as she took in the shadowed surrounding of the fire-lit room flicking against the cold stone walls and the lightly breathing form of her future mate, holding her tightly while resting calmly above her. As another unstoppable yawn escaped her plump lips, she had the distinct realization that she seemed to be sleeping an awful lot lately. Ha, for years traveling in this era she had begged her companions for a few extra hours of sleep and now she seemed to be getting more than even she needed. It was that thought that brought back to her the very acute memory of her dream and the spider hanyou's cutting remarks.

She had killed Inuyasha, abandoned her friends…left behind everything she had once stood for, how could she expect anyone to love her now? Even she hated herself; it wasn't supposed to happen this way, things were supposed to be different. Sure, she had always know deep in heart that she and Inuyasha would never be together romantically, but never had she once considered the possibility of losing him as her best friend. And even then, she never would have ventured to think that it might be her fault. Watering eyes fully open now, the miko of the future looked up at the regal countenance of lord Sesshomaru and gazed into his honeyed amber eyes. It was the love shining there, love she had once thought him incapable of possessing, that was her undoing as she broke into tears, silently sobbing into his shoulder. It was too much; the fact that he would eventually realize that she wasn't near good enough for him and abandon her tore her apart. Honestly, she didn't think that she could live with it. Beside that she had most likely broken the heart of the one demon who had claimed to love her all along, poor Koga. The last thing she had seen was him walking away from the arena before she had lost conscious thought. Great, just another person to add to the growing list of people she'd hurt. It was only hearing the ever collected voice of the man she so desperately wished could return her feelings that she came back to reality even for the briefest time, "Koi, what is it that causes you such tears?"

The use of his loving little pet name for her only caused her to sob more fully, knowing that one day he would be calling another woman by such a name. Telling herself that it would be best to be honest with him so that she could enjoy the little time that she did have left, if any after he heard how pathetic she was. "You'll leave m-me…e-everyone knows y-your too g-good for m-me," whispering the last phrase she added, "Everyone is." Turning her head from the silver haired demon she waited for his mocking laughter knowing that it would come eventually, but not decided upon whether she wished it to be sooner or later.

Frustration filled him as he looked down at the woman he so desperately wished would understand him. She didn't understand his feelings for her and yet he did not think himself strong enough to voice them. Pushing back his anger at her unknowing nature, he tried to think what could have possibly made her so blind to such deep feelings as the one he held before the answer hit him square in the face. Inuyasha. Naraku. Those others, they'd all told her how unworthy she was, constantly comparing her to the disgusting clay bitch and discrediting her for the most minor flaw. Not wanting to scare her for he knew that she would be jumpy at the moment, he had to literally gulp back a snarl that ended up coming out as more of a strangled cough. Trying to explain his feelings without totally revealing them he said, "Kagome, you are the only female that shall ever have this Sesshomaru in such a way. You have the word of lord of the west and simply the word of this Sesshomaru as a demon that he will bed no other, such a thing will be reserved only for you. This Sesshomaru wishes you to remain at his side through the course of eternity. Feelings," he began the statement shakily looking into her sapphire orbs in silent prayer for understanding, "….feelings will never be lost between us, to such this Sesshomaru vows. You are the female this Sesshomaru wishes to bare his pups and raise his family with." Reverting out of his normal third person tense he added a quiet, "I promise,' hoping that he did not seem too weak to the girl now. No, he was anything but weak. It was simply that he had a soft spot in his frozen heart for this one female.

Kagome, who had sensed the sincerity in his voice had thrown out all thoughts of the evil half breed spider's words and put her mind to imagining Sesshomaru as a little boy, running around and causing trouble all over the palace. Smiling brightly she realized that he must have been quite a handful. But, yet, a part of her wondered if he tried to put on such an indifferent front even as a child. Why would he? However, it was hard to imagine him running around without a care in the world…although, it was a very amusing mental picture. Wondering what any pups that the two of them had would look like, she secretly hoped that they would take on the handsome traits of their father, not knowing that at the same moment he was wishing that their pups would appear more like their mother. Working up the courage to ask him what she had been wondering since she had first come to the palace moon with him she gulped and said, "What was your childhood like?" Yet, she made sure to add a quick, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Sesshomaru looked down at female in his arms and debated upon whether or not to share with her his life story. True, it was nothing horribly gruesome or terribly saddening but it still caused him pain; it was only the knowledge that she was the female that he wished to live out the rest of his days with that pushed him to finally agree to her rather spontaneous request, much to both of their shock. "Hm, as you wish Koi. This Sesshomaru is assuming that you know of demon life spans, their period of endurance being much longer than that of a mere mortal being; it was about 2000 years into the reign of this Sesshomaru's sire, Inu no Tashio, when he came across the demoness that would mother this Sesshomaru. It is said that he was foolish enough to be enthralled by her beauty at first sight, such beauty as is clear in this Sesshomaru's distant memories. As the information has been recorded, the once wild lord of the West was finally tamed by the gentle presence of the female inu that would soon become his mate. Nearly a century after their formal mating and the completion of their what would seem to have been brief courtship, this Sesshomaru was birthed. Although this Sesshomaru does not wish to detail his whole childhood at present, it is acceptable for you to assume that the first few decades of life were spent by the side of a coddling mother and fawning servants. It was only at the mark of first century that father spared much more than a moment for his son. For the next several centuries training was completed and laws were learned, leaving little time for anything else. Only approximately a decade remained in this Sesshomaru's period as his father's understudy when mother took ill. Despite the efforts of many healers both human and demon, it was not long before she passed unto to next realm, leaving this Sesshomaru and his father behind. It was only a year, what would be an eye blink for a demon that he found the mother of Inuyasha. As this Sesshomaru has informed you before, it is completely unacceptable for an inu male to take another mate even after the death of a previous one. Even the most sinful of inu youkai do not bed any other bitch once they have taken a mate. The disgusting female clung to father like a leech, practically begging him to take her as his mate, and it took not long before the fool caved, bringing dishonor to the west that this Sesshomaru has had to battle since his lordship. By the time the hanyou was born, the title of lord should have belonged to this Sesshomaru, at a partial rate in the very least. However, father knew the feelings this Sesshomaru held towards his whore and feared that my coming into power would result in harm to the filthy human. How foolish he was to think that this Sesshomaru would even for a moment waste the energy it would have taken to rid the world of her marring presence. Eventually, he died in battle against a dragon youkai, hoping to protect the mother of his precious half breed son Inuyasha. It was then that this Sesshomaru sent the pair of them, the hanyou and his mother to live in the village by the well; although they and many other mortals saw it as an act of arrogance and complete inability to accept them, this Sesshomaru sent them away only for their safety. Staying at a demonic court would have only resulted in pain for both of them and despite the dislike this Sesshomaru housed for them, they were still blood. Supposing you know the story of how the mutt's life continued after that point it is only reasonable to say that my own ventures were nothing notable. Most of the years were spent defending the honor of the west and trying to obtain a certain amount of pull in demon society. Rin became this Sesshomaru's ward several months after your own arrival in the era and by that time we had already encountered one another." Sighing deeply as he finished the much shortened tale of his existence, he waited upon the young woman's response.

Barely able to close her mouth, the miko from the future decided that was most likely the greatest number of word's this demon would ever coherently use. What was more, he trusted her enough to tell her of his past despite the obvious distress it caused him. Snuggling further into his haori, she looked up at him for a moment and smiled, silently thanking him for sharing such a thing with her.

Needing to change the subject due to his own awkwardness throughout the entire situation, the western lord cleared his throat and asked his Kagome, "Do you feel well enough to continue with the mating ceremony tomorrow, or do you wish for another day to rest. Either will be acceptable."

Although she was feeling much better than she had been for the past several days, Kagome decided that it would be best if she waited an extra day, just to make sure that she could enjoy the whole ceremony as much as possible. "I'd like to wait a day if that's okay."

Having expected such an answer, Sesshomaru simply nodded and moved onto his next question, knowing the answer to this one as well. "Would you like to bathe Kagome?" Her eager nod was all he needed before he gently lifted her off of his lap and into his arms. Carrying the girl into the white marble bathroom, he was pleased to see that the tub was filled to the brim with steaming water as he had requested earlier that day; though, his earlier line of thought had been brought about under different circumstances with definite hints of his untimely arousal. Sharking his silver head, he tossed away both his inner and outer haori shirts before turning to the small female that was currently gazing longingly at the tin bathing basin. Although he could have quite easily become 'excited' at the opportunity to see his female once again in an undressed state, he decided that this was most certainly not the time to be acting like a bitch in heat, thus walking forward and gently disrobing his female, all the while admiringly inspecting each of her perfect feminine features. When they were finally both disrobed he picked her up once again before stepping over the high sides of the tub and slowly sinking both of their nude bodies into the steaming water.

It pleased him greatly that she seemed to be much less shy about displaying her beautiful figure to his hungry eyes. Perhaps all she had needed was time. Sensing the tension that had built from the past day's events, Sesshomaru lifted his clawed hands, hands that were known as being infamously merciless killing tools, and lightly started to massage the knots out of the muscles in the girls back. After sitting himself up a bit more, he began to apply a bit more pressure to certain areas and was rewarded with a pleased moan from the woman he was currently pampering. Once he had worked her shoulders and neck thoroughly, he moved his large hands down her back, slowly working his way to the base of her spine before working the tops of her arms.

Despite her one outburst, Kagome had been successful in keeping herself silent, that was until she felt his calloused fingers reach around her and gently pinch and knead the stressed tendons in the back of her calves, eventually continuing his way down to the bottoms her feet, at that point having been practically hunched over her. After he finished, he brought her smaller hands into his and gently applied pressure to her palms, completing the most wonderful, and one of the only massages the priestess had ever had in her life. It was only when she twisted herself to return the favor that she saw the male behind her shake his head and point her body forward once more. It was that exact moment that she was about to ask him what in the world he was doing that she felt the gentle caress of a washcloth ghosting over her back and was once again lost in the relaxing sensations.

Smiling to himself as her body loosened itself even more within his grasp he decided that he quite liked tending to his mate. After taking his time to clean every area of her body thoroughly he tossed his cloth away and reached a long, toned arm for the lightly lavender scented herbal hair mix that he so often used. Pouring a healthy portion into his palms, he made sure to work up a thick lather before tenderly threading his claws through her mass of midnight back hair. Being sure to use extra care not to prick her with the lethal tips, he slowly worked the foam into her hair, massaging her scalp for a lengthy period of time before whispering to her to close her eyes, tilting her head backward and thoroughly washing away all traces of the formerly present solution.

Noticing the wrinkles starting to appear on the youthful miko's delicate skin, he stood once again and stepped out of the tub, carrying her with him. Placing the dazed girl on her feet, he dabbed her gently dry with a fluffy white cloth before quickly shaking the water from himself, unable to control the instinctual inu action. Donning his own white robe, he gave her a smaller more feminine version of the covering and waited until it was carefully placed upon her before scooping her up once more and walking her back to the futon where a servant had left a tray full of ripe fruit for their evening meal.

Knowing that Kagome was already half asleep, he sat himself at the head of the mattress, propping his back against a conveniently placed wall and situating her littler personage between his well formed thighs. Using his claws to carefully peel some the morsels that were left for them, he gently shook his intended mate and nodded towards the food in front of her before pressing a juicy slice of peach to her soft lips. He was quite pleased as she accepted his offering trustingly, not even bothering to open her deep blue orbs to inspect the food for herself. Although it was most likely unknown to the girl, it was a great sign of trust between inu youkai to accept food from the hand of another, especially food that hadn't been previously inspected by the recipient. As his demon purred in content at the young woman's willingness to allow his protection and care, Sesshomaru slowly worked his way through all of the colorful, sweet tasting fruits, occasionally popping a slice or two into his own open mouth.

Setting the silver serving platter on the cold stone floor, the dog lord slowly turned himself that he was now situated comfortably on his side with his female's small back pressed firmly against his defined masculine chest. As he rested his chin atop the crown of her head, he took his sweet time to savor the wonderful scent that rolled off of her. Wondering how he gone from the merciless demon lord of the west to a cuddling mate he simply gave a mental shrug. It wasn't as if anyone else would receive such affections from him so it truly didn't matter. Perhaps she was more a sense of strength than weakness as he had originally thought. True, his father's foolish attraction to that mortal woman had been his downfall but this was different. While he was absolutely sure that his father felt nothing as deep as love for the mother of his younger half brother, it was different between Kagome and him. He really did love the girl and if that meant that he ended up having to give his life for her then that was simply would be what it came down to. Unlike many men, Sesshomaru had been around long enough to know that honest, true love is a gift that one receives only once in a lifetime and he by no means meant to give that up, not for anything. Closing his amber orbs, he pulled his Kagome tighter to him, wrapping a possessive arm around her flat stomach before drifting off into a very contented sleep.

Perhaps it was the extra hours of rest she had gotten the day before, but for some odd reason Kagome found herself to be the first one awake the next morning. Feeling the need to stretch her cramped legs, she slid out of the loosened arms of the western lord and paced over the window, looking out at the lush green of the land below her. She remembered perfectly well the sorrow she had been wallowing in while sitting in the arms of her lord last night and also quite vividly, too much for her taste, remembered the reasons why. However, it was certainly not sadness or grief that hung over her this morning, no, most certainly not. Maybe it was the built up tension or maybe it was the fact that everything seemed to be spiraling out of control but Kagome finally gave into her teenage tendencies and got angry, making for a very un-Kagome like attitude. What in hells name did she do to deserve this? First she had been dragged down some magical well and thrown into some grand adventure that she had never wished for, then she had been nearly killed innumerable times and now she was supposed to feel bad about all of the crap that happened to everyone else? Well, screw that! Didn't she deserve a break, a little pity, even maybe a chance to be normal just for a full week? No, apparently someone up there hated her and found some sort of twisted amusement in messing around with every aspect of her so called life.

Although he had never been a very heavy sleeper, partly due to his ever present demonic awareness and partly due to his refusal to admit to himself that one such as he even needed rest to begin with; years earlier he had experimented in the lengths of time he could properly function without rest but the present didn't seem to provide time for such ventures. It was only when he cleared his head and reached for his mate wanting to feel the warmth of her pressed against him, that he came to the abrupt realization that she was no longer in the bed with him. A snarl spilt from his slightly parted lips as his clawed fingers felt only the cold material of dyed silken sheets between them. Not even thinking about his nearly bipolar attitude change he sprung up from his position eyes tinted with the faint pink hues of his demonic blood yet still decidedly amber for the moment. Had he not informed her not to leave his bed until he had given his permission? What had the damnable bitch been thinking? Also escaping his mind was the fact that the miko most likely had no knowledge of what such a gesture meant. In short, when a female leaves the nesting area without the consent of her mate it is one of the most obvious ways to challenge his dominance; saying in a way that she was not satisfied by his presence and has thus taken to searching for a more suitable male. Though the lord knew rationally that this wasn't the case with his bitch, he simply couldn't help his instinctual response. Only further aggravating him was the fact that she had so openly shown her trust and submission the previous night. Did the female think this to be a game? Did she not take his proposal seriously?

Intending to find out for himself, Sesshomaru stealthy followed the scent of his chosen mate, eventually finding himself only a few paces away, gazing out the tall rippled glass window that they had sat before the prior evening. This was what she had left his side for, a ridiculous window? Trying to hold back the frustration that had been building within from all of the events of the past week he bit out in a very snappish, clipped tone, "What do you think yourself to be doing onna?"

Already quite angry, Kagome whipped her head around at the sound of the tightly controlled voice behind her and glowered at the demon that had disturbed her thoughts. For once in her life Kagome decided to let loose some completely undirected yet well deserved anger at the first person that came her way. Unfortunately, that just happened to be Sesshomaru. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm looking out the window, you have a problem oh mighty one?"

Momentarily taken aback at the normally pleasant girl's heated tone, the lord made the mistake of letting his own very easily ignited temper fly in return. Taking large strides forward until he was towering directly above her, he glared down at her. "Bitch, you will not take that tone with this Sesshomaru. Furthermore, if this Sesshomaru were to have a problem with any action you ever find yourself in the midst of, you will cease and desist at once, is that understood?"

"Oh! I understand perfectly Lord Sesshomaru. You want me to be some trained little girl that sits stays and rolls over every time you give the word! Well, I've got some news for you buddy; I'm not the dog here! If I feel like standing and looking out the Kami forsaken window, I'll sure as hell get up and do it!" Turning away from the much taller demon behind her, she played the childish game of ignoring his presence completely until he finally gripped her shoulders, using an excessive amount of force, and spun her around so that she was staring up at his light pink eyes and clearly displayed snapping fangs which were probably meant to be intimidating.

Hating to be ignored in the first place and sick of playing her silly games Sesshomaru took action and soon locked eyes with the woman who had dared to speak to him in such a disrespectful manner. "This Sesshomaru has fought constantly to keep you by his side and this is your display of gratitude? Unacceptable! You will adore me like a female is supposed to adore their mate. Despite any misgivings or ill thought out notions you might have girl, this Sesshomaru is in control of you. You will do as told."

"Fighting for me? Fighting for me? No, Sesshomaru, I think you've been fighting for you and that over inflated ego of yours. Maybe if you really had wished for my protection and happiness as much as you claim to you might have asked me how I felt about things instead of pulling out your stupid sword and swinging around like some little boy! You only think you're fighting for me, that is what you've convinced yourself, but you and I both know that you're fighting for you and your damn pride! If it was anything else you would have at least told me you cared about me, damn it! And as far as my adoration and obedience go, I plan on doing as I please thank you very much."

"You dare to question the honor of this Sesshomaru? What right have you, onna? It is not this Sesshomaru that is of gallivanting with a different male every day."

Feeling the sting of his words slice through her like a cold knife, she raised her hand and left fly a punch. No, not a slap like one might expect from a young female but a full fledged punch cutting the demon lord's lip on his own pointed fang and causing a thin trail of blood to crease the corner of his mouth. In an angered undertone the miko drew her face nearer to that of the offender and spoke in a tone that would have given even Sesshomaru at his best a challenge. "You bastard. You are exactly like your brother; no, you're worse. At least Inuyasha never accused me of being a whore. Over four years he said many, many things to me and I probably shouldn't have let him get away with half of them, but even he knew better than to imply that I was a whore. Do you think that I enjoy all of the twisted attention? Do you really think that little of me, Sesshomaru? You know absolutely nothing about me."

Still stunned from the rather forceful blow he had received from his chosen mate, it took a few moments to finally respond to her harsh words. Before he replied verbally he did as his temper and instincts both demanded and backhanded the woman, snapping her head to the side and spreading several bloody claw marks over her face. Never before in all his life had he been treated like that. Not even when he was a child had anyone dared to speak to him in such a manner, and he quite quickly decided that he detested it. Snarling in a voice rough enough so as to be hard to understand he growled, "This Sesshomaru knows everything, bitch. It is you that knows nothing. This Sesshomaru has vowed to you his complete faithfulness and you, onna, place repayment in the fact that you are taken away from this Sesshomaru's grasp every other minute by some ill mannered suitor. This Sesshomaru will not allow it! You are mine! My female! My woman! My mate! Mother to my pups! My bitch! Not some idiot wolf, lunatic spider or worthless mutt! Mine! This Sesshomaru will not stand for your running about with any other! If it is necessary to chain you to the wall of our chamber, it will be done. This Sesshomaru does not plan to share you onna. Mine, you are mine!"

Already feeling the swelling from the hard impact to her left cheek, Kagome swallowed the small amount of blood that lingered in her mouth before matching the angry inu word for word. "Mine? Mine? That's all I've been hearing from everyone for the past week! First no one wanted me, now I seem to be the property of half the Japanese nation! You know what, I am mine! I am my own woman! You don't own me, Sesshomaru! You never have and you never will!" Noticing how his hand rose at his side she continued, "That's right Sesshomaru, hit me again! It's worked so well all of the other times you've done it! You know, I thought you had more honor than that. You tell me that I have to stay with you, but is this what you'll do every time you don't get your way? Are you just going to haul off and hit me? What gives you the right?"

Now, in his almost completely primal state, the lord of the west slammed his female against the cold stone of the hard wall and placed his visible fangs directly at her eyes level, an instinctual attempt to show his dominance to the bitch he had chosen. "You are mine bitch because this Sesshomaru says so. Do not think to question what you are told. It is relevant what any other has told you for you are, have been and will always this Sesshomaru's female. As for the right to hit you girl, this Sesshomaru has a right as your mate to keep you in line, in the place that is best for you. Submit, bitch."

"You're not my mate Sesshomaru and I'm pretty sure you never will be! I'm going home to my time where I can just be normal for once. So, get your stupid claws off of me!"

Making a point of digging his 'stupid claws' into her tense shoulders he lifted her much to her annoyance and wrapped her legs around his waist despite her physical and verbal protest. Her defiance, however angering, had aroused him in both his rational and demonic personas. He had always loved that the girl thought for herself as so many females were afraid or even incapable of doing, yet she would have to learn that all arguments would stop once he laid down his demands. Bending his neck he latched his elongated teeth onto the soft underside of her throat and growled menacingly until she stilled in his arms. Letting the flesh finally slide out from between his lethal teeth, he locked eyes with her, making sure that he had her full attention. "You will not leave this Sesshomaru, not now and not ever. Do you want to back to your home and find some nice little human boy to mate with? Is that what you wish for? You are in need of a man not a boy Kagome and this Sesshomaru is a man. You are mine. It is your place to stay by my side and I intend to keep you there bitch. As for not becoming this Sesshomaru's mate, it is no longer a concern of mine whether you wish or do not wish it to occur for it will happen either way. Either way you will be mine. This Sesshomaru is quite sure time will wear away your unfounded anger and help you to see reason."

Speechless at the fact that he would actually take her choice away from her, she looked into his hardened eyes and whispered, "You would force me to be your mate?"

Looking down at the girl he growled at his own weakness and set her on her own feet before once again delving into his own thoughts. Could he truly make her become his mate? Could he honestly force himself upon her? Would he even be able to go through with it? No. The answer was no. He knew it would kill him to do so, yet he had no intentions of losing her. Looking at her distraught, now anger free eyes he was able to get a little bit of a hold onto his demonic temperament and roughly grabbed the young woman child, sitting himself in the armchair they had occupied the previous night and bring her crashing down into his lap. Closing his amber eyes the lord of the west took a deep, calming breath that he only days ago would have thought himself incapable of and tried his best to speak in an even tone. "No, Kagome. This Sesshomaru would not force himself upon you. However, if you think that it is my intention to let you leave you are sorely mistaken. As I said, you are mine and as such you shall stay with this Sesshomaru."

Feeling all of the adrenaline that had fueled her during their heated argument drain from her system, Kagome sighed and slumped back against the demon she was still rather furious with. Sure, it helped that he said he wouldn't force himself on her but he still didn't get it. If he wasn't so damn pushy about it she would have gladly given herself to him, yet she knew that in some manner it was simply his nature to act in such a way. Opening her mouth she spoke, the exhaustion from such hours of inactivity and then their sudden row clear in her voice. "Do you really think that I'm such an unreliable whore? Is that what you've always thought, Sesshomaru?"

Not knowing exactly how to backpedal his was around the topic, the lord of the west decided he would once again have to suck up his pride for the little onna. Of course he didn't truly think her to an adulteress but the more primitive part of him still had the insecurity of centuries instilled possessiveness. It was obvious that he wouldn't have chosen her to be his life long companion if he wasn't nearly one hundred percent sure that she would be faithful to him, but what did such a young mortal girl know of inu youkai instincts? Could he really just come out and say that any time she was around another male it made him jealous as all hell? Kami, even seeing her talk to that depraved little toad retainer of his made the hair on the back of his neck bristle. Perhaps some of the reason lie in his rather recent finding of such deep feelings and his uncertainty that they were returned. "This Sesshomaru thinks no such thing. It is simply…challenging for this Sesshomaru to defuse his instinctual…concerns."

Not really knowing he meant by such 'instinctual concerns', Kagome decided that she would just drop it for now. What she really needed at the moment was a chance to talk with her mom about all of this, a chance to see what the woman who had raised her thought. Deciding to let Sesshomaru know that she still wished to return home she said, "Sesshomaru, I do still want to go home for a bit." Feeling him tense underneath her she added, "Just to talk to my mother about some things."

Although her admission of reasoning eased his mind a little bit, uncertainty still filled him. Would she come back if she left him? Well, he would not take that chance. "That is acceptable, mate, but this Sesshomaru shall accompany you."

Not really having the will or energy to fight about it Kagome simply nodded and stood, wanting to get away from this era as soon as possible. Sesshomaru seemed to understand and informed her in a few short words that he was going to inform their guests of their departure and assure them of their return in several days. Although she had some doubts about the return, Kagome nodded and waited patiently until he returned to her side, scooping her up without a word and launching them from the balcony, his demonic energy cloud beneath his feet.

The actual journey to the village she had become so familiar with was short and ended as suddenly as it began as they dropped to the ground right outside the perimeter of the village. Eyes turned longingly to the roughly formed houses she knew her friends to be in, she cast a quick glance at Sesshomaru before walking straight towards them, never turning her head to see if he had chosen to follow her.

An annoyed growl rang forth from his throat as he saw the direction the girl was headed in. He had always hated these little towns; the fear he smelled as he walked through them was nearly suffocating and he was never one to have much patience for the bumbling fools that tried to speak with him. It was only to keep an eye on his intended mate that he followed into the village, wishing desperately to cover his nose from the reeking scent of human sweat and cowardice. Maintaining his composure as he had trained himself to do over the centuries, he was only a few steps behind his female when he noticed her breaking into a swift jog. For a moment he thought she was trying to escape him, but upon closer inspection he realized that she was darting towards a certain orange kit who was speeding in her direction. Before long the two met, the young kit leaping into the girl's arms and burrowing his head into the side of her neck.

The action caused a momentary flare of jealousy within his being which he quickly countered with the reasoning that the kit was far too young to be a rival for the girl's affections. Stepping closer he listened to child's incessant babbling. "Kagome-mama! I thought you left me! Where were you? Where's dumb Inuyasha? He didn't hurt you did he? Are you okay? What's scary Sesshomaru doing standing behind you? Do Sango and Miroku know you're here? Are you-"

The breathless rampage was soon cut short by the voice of said monk who was being trailed closely by the demon slayer Sango. Although their presence seemed a bit unnecessary to the western lord, he decided that he would tolerate it for a few moments at least. Tuning himself back into the conversation he listened as the purple garbed monk spoke. "We do now Shippo-chan. We are all very interested as to where you have been the past week Kagome-sama. Please, do tell."

Gulping and turning away from her friends the miko from the future answered, "I've been with Sesshomaru." Despite the surprised gasps of her former companions she continued, "We've been…um…" What could she honestly tell them, that she was practically head over heels in love with the seemingly emotionless lord that had tried to kill them all numerous times? Something told her that that wouldn't go over very well. It wasn't as if she could say that she'd been kidnapped and unwillingly held at western palace for that was not exactly true. Even if she had been given little choice in the matter of going, she had given her word that she would stay with him for at least a moon cycle. Oh Kami this was going to be harder than she had thought.

Sesshomaru, seeing the bout of indecision his intended mate was suffering from decided that it was his duty as her male to reply for her. "Kagome is going to become the mate of this Sesshomaru and lady of the Western Lands." A part of him was a bit saddened that she hadn't had enough pride in him as a male, a worthy male, to come out and directly explain the situation. Mentally reassuring himself that it mattered little at the present moment and that she would surely learn to be proud of their union, he turned his attention to the stunned faces of her shard collecting companions.

Sango, who was as usual one of the first to regain her composure, suddenly marched up to the demon lord and growled fiercely at him in what he personally thought was a very good imitation of angered feline youkai, too good perhaps. Redirecting his gaze a bit he saw a miniature fire cat baring her tiny teeth in his direction. Simply scoffing the cat's foolishness he drew his attention back to the female that seemed to be her mistress as the girl began to speak. "Did you force Kagome to go with you jackass? What did you do to her? What did you do to Inuyasha? Why the hell do you even want Kagome; don't you remember trying to kill her?"

Ignoring the sudden urge to snap the unruly female's neck, he decided that he would answer her last two questions. The first was something that Kagome would have to deal with. Although it would hurt him more than he let on, it was her choice whether she told them the truth behind their relationship and he would respect that. "Slayer, this Sesshomaru would advise that you do not wander so close to his person. As for my half brother, he has perished in battle. The boy is now in hell with the clay priestess. This Sesshomaru is also aware of trying to exterminate you, the monk and the half breed but it is impossible that he would have harmed his Kagome. She is a very worthy female."

As Kagome noticed the sudden change in her friends faces at the news of the hanyou, she felt a great wave of guilt wash over her once more. Could she really tell them that it was her fault that their leader was dead? And for that matter, why hadn't Sesshomaru just let them know that she had stayed with him willingly. Noticing the reserved yet a bit hurt look in his eyes she decided that she would come to his defense as he had done so many times for her. "Guys, Sesshomaru didn't force me to go anywhere; I agreed to stay with him. He wouldn't do that to me."

"What are you talking about Kagome," the irate slayer screamed. "This creep is a killer! He's going to turn around and stab you in the back with those nasty poisonous claws of his! What were you thinking going with him? You don't have to lie for him Kagome. We're here to protect you from the asshole now." Nimble fingers gripping the end of her youkai bone weapon, the last slayer was thoroughly surprised as a very angry Kagome blocked her path to the lord. Never had the two really fought, but to Sango it looked like that was about to change.

"Sango! I know what I'm talking about! Sesshomaru wouldn't do that to me, okay? He's not going to stab me in the back or the front or even the side alright! I trust him! You don't need to protect me from him and I am NOT lying for him! Since when I have lied for anybody? Maybe we should be a little more focused on the fact that Inuyasha is gone than the fact that I've been spending some time with Sesshomaru!"

Chest swelling with pride at his female's quick defense of his character he took a step forward and wrapped his arms possessively around the girl's waist and nuzzled her neck, all the while glaring at the small group in front of them. If his mate insisted upon having such annoying mortal friends, they would at least have to learn how to show them proper respect. The next voice to permeate the air belonged to the priest and sounded much more calm than that of the slayer. "Indeed Kagome-sama. I am sorry for your loss." A lecherous gleam came into his violet eyes as he smoothly added, "Perhaps some of the devastation would be taken away if were to bare my child."

There was barely even a second between the time in which the words came out of Miroku's mouth and the time in which the snarl sounded from Sesshomaru. Pushing Kagome behind his larger form, he stepped up to the monk, his gaze directed downward as he towered over him. "Do not dare to proposition this Sesshomaru's female. The only pups she will be bearing will be sired from this Sesshomaru's seed. The female is mine. Is this Sesshomaru understood boy?" Normally, he would have ripped out the throat of anyone who dared to speak such bold words, yet in this instance he wasn't sure that his Kagome would truly appreciate his actions and thus contained himself. Drawing the girl to him once more, he waited for the frightened nod of the monk before he let his defense drop somewhat.

Kagome turned her head away from her friends, burying it in the white silk of the western lord's haori. She really needed to get out of here and talk to her mom. She had known that her friends wouldn't understand everything right away; it would take them some time to accept things. Besides, she was a sort of angry that they didn't even seem to care about Inuyasha's death. Sure he was a bit rough around the edges but he had been there for all of them when they needed him. Looking at her former companions, Kagome sighed. "Um, you guys, I need to go back home for a while." Directing her gaze to the little kit that was now standing at her feet she promised, "I'll be back though." She probably would have waited for a goodbye by Sesshomaru simply took off toward the well that she had indicated to him earlier.

Honestly, she wasn't even sure if the well would even let him pass through. Did she really want it to? Kami, she didn't know. Looking up at her silver haired lord, she nodded towards the well and explained, "Sesshomaru, I'm not sure that the well is going to let you through. I mean, the only person that was ever able to get through it with me was Inuyasha. I think we have to be connected some how for it to work." Pausing and waiting for a growling outburst, she was surprised to see the lord nod his head before smashing his thin lips against her own in a highly possessive kiss leaping into the well at the same time. The familiar blue light surrounded them and Kagome thought to herself, 'Well, I guess that's one way to be connected.' Before long she felt them stabilize on her side of the well. Turning to the dog lord as he launched them over the rim she said, "That worked."

Sesshomaru however barely understood her words due the overpowering stench that filtered up to his nose, nearly making his knees go weak. Snatching the girl to him once again, he buried his sensitive nose in the midnight tresses that adorned her head, desperately inhaling her heavenly scent in hopes of blocking out the million unpleasant ones. The moment she understood his actions, he knew for she relaxed in his arms and proceeded to rub her soft raven hair against his pale cheek in a comforting gesture. Eventually, he became accustomed to the smells of this new world and pulled away from her slightly, letting her lead him through the well house doors and out into the open. It was the most amazing sight he had ever seen in his long life. There were great metal beasts running along smoothed rock roads, incredibly architecturally endowed homes or what he guessed to be homes in organized lines and to his surprise, he couldn't catch the scent of a demon anywhere. Had humans truly come this far without the aid of demons? Where was his future self? He knew that he could not have perished yet, but where in Kami's name was he? The lord probably would have simply stood in the clipped grass, observing the world around him but he was pulled into one of the strange housing units, one which he deduced belonged to the girl's family.

Glad to be home, Kagome didn't really notice the demon lord's curious ponderings. Grasping the metal handle, she pulled open the door and was hit was a cool blast of air from the AC. Opening her mouth to call to her mother, she was suddenly tackled to the ground by a pint sized blur she knew to be her bother. Grabbing him back she laughed and smiled at him before asking, "How are you doing there? Staying out of trouble for once?"

"I'm always in trouble, Sis. Why are you home so early? Whose this? Where is Inuyasha? Do you think he'll play some more video games with me! He's sooo cool!" Not waiting for an answer, Souta lifted himself off of his older sister and walked up to the infamous Sesshomaru, making a sudden grab for the demon's fluffy tail and running the soft fur through his fingers. "Wow! This almost as cool as Inuyasha's ears! Do you have ears too? Why do you look like Inuyasha? Are you a half demon? Do you know where Inuyasha is? Do you want to play with me?"

Gulping as she noticed the quite agitated look on the demon lord's face, Kagome pulled her brother away from him and answered. "Souta, this is Inuyasha's older brother Sesshomaru. No, he doesn't have ears like Inuyasha and he isn't a half demon, he's a full dog demon." Remembering a certain bit of knowledge she acquired from her mother before leaving the previous week she smiled. Actually she had been pretty sure that she wouldn't be back in time for it to matter but life was funny that way. Besides, this way she would get to avoid the topic of Inuyasha's current location as she was not quite ready to let her brother know of his hero's death yet. "Hey Souta, it's Saturday isn't it? Aren't you going on a camping trip with your friend Mike?"

"Yeah, he should be here in a minute but I don't really want to go now! I want to stay here with you and Inuyasha's brother!"

"Uh," she said scratching her head, "Don't you get out of school for the next week though since you're going with him?"

"Oh yeah! Sorry Sis, I'm not staying here and having to go to stupid school just to see you…" At that moment a car horn could be heard blowing from the front yard and Kagome's mother emerged from the kitchen wearing a flowered apron. Ignoring her guest for the moment she gave her son his backpack that held clothing and snacks and kissed him goodbye before watching him run out the door. As soon as the car had driven out of sight, she closed the door once again, and dusted her hands across her apron.

"Well, Kagome, I didn't expect to see you so soon." Smiling she grabbed her only daughter in a rib crushing hug and kissed her on the cheek, happy to know that her Kagome was once again home safely. When she finally pulled away she glanced toward Sesshomaru and smiled charmingly, which he returned with a slight nod. "Oh, Kagome, who is your friend? Is Inuyasha coming? Should I put on some ramen for him?"

Sighing Kagome answered, "Mom, this is Lord Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's older brother. And about Inuyasha…there are some things I sort of need to talk with you about."

"Oh, of course sweetie. Well, Lord Sesshomaru, feel free to make yourself comfortable in the living room. It looks as if my daughter and I have some things to discuss. We'll be just upstairs if you need anything dear."

And just like that the lord of the western lands found himself alone in the oddly decorated house of his mate. Stepping into the room the woman had indicated earlier he used all of his senses for a quick inspection to make sure he was alone, before beginning his examination of the weird furnishings. Walking up to what seemed to be a seating ornament in the middle of the room, Sesshomaru curiously shoved his razor sharp claws through the soft cushioned material that covered the entire object. Finding that the inside was stuffed with some type of foreign, squishy substance, he deemed it safe and regally sat himself down on the thing. As he sunk into the cushions he gave a somewhat disgusted growl. Of course he appreciated comfort but what was the point of some elongated chair that you practically were swallowed into?

Beginning to raise himself, his clawed hand stumbled across a compactly sized black object, covered in what appeared to be buttons marked with different symbols. Sniffing the thing, he decided it was safe and lifted his thin finger to experimentally press the large red button in the corner of the device. Suddenly, a previously unnoticed black box sprang to life with a colored image, causing the lord to jump to his feet and take a defensive stance. Once he was quite sure nobody was coming, he walked up to the box and touched, it wondering how the demon had captured the human souls that were now portrayed to him. It was like the creatures refused to acknowledge him. As much as he growled and snarled, they seemed completely oblivious to his presence. Moving his palm over the screen he growled as he was shocked with what any modern person would have realized to be static electricity. Though in his mind, the damnable thing had just bit him. Baring his fangs at the device he moved away and paced into the corner of the room where another black box was located.

Pressing one of the many buttons that were displayed along the contraption's thin front, the lord literally fell to his stomach, rolling sideways as a cacophony of voices began to screech at him. Regaining his feet, he slammed his fist into the machine thoroughly dismantling it, putting a stop to all of the noise that the thing spewed forth. What was the point of such a thing? Was it some witch's box of indentured souls? Why in the world would his Kagome have such a thing? Deciding that he had done enough of his own exploring and that he would for his mate to acquaint him with her era, he retreated to a bare wall and sat cross legged at its base, leaning his back against it and closing his amber eyes.

Any peace that he might have obtained however was shortly disturbed as he felt a creature rubbing up against him. Cracking one eye open he growled as he looked down only to realize that it was some filthy feline brushing itself against him. Being a canine himself he held an instinctual hate for the breed and for the life of him he couldn't understand why his mate would have one in her home. Growling at the thing only served to further gain its attention and he refused to kill the animal seeing as it seemed to be Kagome's 'pet'. Trying to ignore the thing he only hoped that the girl would finish her conversation soon and come to his side once more.

Meanwhile, Kagome had trailed her mother up the rather steep staircase to the second story of their home and followed her into her own bedroom. Seeing all of her belongings and school books once again gave her a momentary feeling of satisfaction that seemed to die away as suddenly as it had come. Seeing her mother sit herself on the bed in the corner of the room Kagome followed suit and sat for a few awkward moments in silence before simply breaking down in the tears she had so long felt the need to release. As her mother's arms wrapped tightly around she could hear the soft shushing sound she made and her gentle voice as she asked, "What's wrong baby?"

Not even knowing where to start, Kagome began at the very beginning. Telling her mother everything. Everything that had hurt her, everything that had angered her, everything that had made her smile, everything that had made her cry, just everything. When she finally finished her tale, she looked towards her mother for some sort of answer, some sort of support and she was not disappointed. "Kagome, Inuyasha's death wasn't your fault. He died because he loved and he loved because you showed him love. Would you have died for him? Would you have wanted him to think that it was his fault? Wouldn't you have wanted him to carry on and be happy? Kagome, you're only making his death in vain; he wanted you to be happy and for him and for yourself, I think you should try to be."

Feeling a bit better now that she had gotten everything off of her chest and one of the most important people in her life, her mother, seemed to understand her Kagome felt a relieved. Although the guilt still pooled with like a lake, the proverbial water was now shallow enough to stand in where as before she had been practically drowning. A part of her knew that she would never truly get over the self blame she felt for the death of her best friend, yet another part of her understood what her mother was saying to her. Sighing deeply she rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

The older woman sighed as well, trying to fathom all her daughter had been through. She had only been fourteen when she had first started making her journeys to the past and it seemed as if each and every time she had left since then it had become harder and harder to let her go. The knowledge that she had a protector in Inuyasha had eased her worry little. Kagome had told her of the boy's relationship with the dead miko and it made her see him in a whole new light. True, there was once a time where she had fantasized about little puppy eared grandchildren, but she had quickly come to the realization that Inuyasha could never really make Kagome happy. Although it was quite obvious the boy felt at least some love for her little girl, it just wasn't enough for her. Kagome needed a man that would be able to handle her strong opinions and fiery spirit, all the while still being able to see her as the fragile little girl she was. Now, she didn't know much about this Sesshomaru character but she had already resolved to find time to have a private discussion with him. From what she understood mating in the demon world was like marriage and that was a big step. Wondering what her daughter felt for the man she asked, "Kagome honey, do you love him?"

Even though their conversation had been directed at Inuyasha, Kagome knew that it was Sesshomaru that her mother was speaking of. Honestly, yes, she did love him but she didn't know if she wanted to take that risk again. The last time she had offered heart to someone it had been returned in a million tiny pieces. Could she really go through that again with Sesshomaru? Would he actually do that to her? Deciding that her present feeling couldn't be based on an unpredictable future she answered truthfully, "Yes, I think I do."

Kagome's mother smiled at her daughter for a brief moment before she decided that it was time to drop the subject for now and speak on other matters. "Kagome, if you go through with this mating thing I'm guessing you won't be going to back to school, correct?"

Not having thought of that factor, Kagome chewed her bottom lip. Education had always been very important to her, seeing as how she believed in being an independent woman. Even when Inuyasha had been the love of her life she hadn't given up her schooling for him, what made Sesshomaru any different? Answering her own question she retorted mentally, 'well Inuyasha just wanted you around more to help him look for the dumb shards, Sesshomaru wants you around so that he can be near you and protect you.' Nodding in the affirmative, she let her mother know that her assumption was correct. Perhaps though, she could get some sort of home schooling materials and take them back with her to the palace moon. Even though she was giving up her formal schooling, that didn't mean that she was going to give up on her education all together.

Seeing the sad look in her daughter's eyes, Kagome's mother tried to lighten the mood a little bit. "Well, are you at least going to the dance tomorrow night to say goodbye to your friends?"

Never having known there even was a dance, the thought had never crossed Kagome's mind. Could she really just go out to a school dance for the night and pretend to be normal? Would that even be possible? The idea made her stomach flutter, knowing that a certain part of her had always just wanted a normal life. Even if it was only one night of pretend, she really wanted this. It was only when the voice of what was obviously a very impatient Sesshomaru that had most likely gotten tired of waiting for her cut into her thoughts that she was once again brought back to the tangible world. "Kagome will not be attending."

Even though the young woman's mother would have liked to go over and box the insolent demon's ears she stepped back to see how Kagome would handle the situation and in all honesty what she saw couldn't have made her happier. Her little girl had finally learned how to stand up for herself against Inuya-, well, Inuyasha's brother. Her little girl rose to her feet and marched directly in front of the overly intimidating demon and bit out a quick reply, "And why am I not going?"

Mentally cursing the defiant nature of his female, that he so loved at certain moments, Sesshomaru leaned forward. He would not allow his mate to go to some ridiculous mortal gathering where the eyes of such filthy, lustful, moraless men could rove over the soft curves of her body. No, human males were almost twice as direct about their sexual desires as most demon males and he did not wish for her to be exposed to that. "This Sesshomaru does not wish you to be immersed in a gathering of such moronic mortal creatures."

"Hey, buddy! I am one of those moronic mortal creatures and I'm going whether you like it or not! It's my dance and my decision and you'll just have to get over it!"

Although her words were defensive, Sesshomaru caught the silent pleading undertones that lie within them. Fine, if the event meant that much to her than she would be allowed to go, but only under a certain condition. "Fine mate. You will be permitted to go as long as this Sesshomaru accompanies you."

Scoffing Kagome turned and walked to her closet, "Oh thank you might one!" It only took her a moment of searching through her attire to realize that she had absolutely nothing to wear. Spinning to face her mother in a panic, Kagome yelped, "What am I supposed to wear! Oh Kami, I need to go to the mall!"

Laughing at her daughter's amusing antics, Kagome's mother nodded and looked toward Sesshomaru. "And I'm supposing you'll wish to go with her?" At his curt nod, she left the room indicating for him to follow her. Reaching her own bedroom door she walked to the corner which held her late husband's attire and pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans, a long sleeved black t-shirt and a white collared shirt. Tossing them to the demon behind her she said, "You might want to put those on so you don't attract so much attention. There isn't any way for you to hide those marking on your face is there?"

Trying not to take offence at the uneducated reference to his royal birthing symbols, Sesshomaru shook his head. Even if he wanted to, which he did not, he couldn't make the marks fade. The woman shrugged and left him alone to change into what he found to be the most uncomfortable, constricting garments that he had ever worn. Steeping out of the room, he walked to the bottom of the stairs where he saw his intended mate. All the while, he was clueless as to what this 'mall' actually was, yet just a bit too proud to ask.

As Kagome finished packing up her wallet she smoothed down the short, yet flowing black skirt she had chosen to wear as well as her fitted white long sleeved shirt. Although she had chosen to leave her hair down, she could still see perfectly the godly form of the demon coming down the steps in her direction. Wow, if she had known that he would look this good in modern clothing she might have insisted upon them before. As her mother gave them a quick goodbye, Kagome felt her demonic suitor wrap his arm tightly around her waist. It was only when they were half way out the door that she realized he was trying to keep himself from falling over at all the scents that were hitting him. Kami, if it had been hard for Inuyasha to function in her time she couldn't imagine what it was like for Sesshomaru. Receiving a look that told her he would be fine momentarily, the pair stepped out onto the sidewalk and started in the direction of the Tokyo city mall.

Back in the Feudal Era with Naraku:

Raven hair slicked down to his own forehead, saturated in sweat, the infamous spider hanyou Naraku pounded his large, fisted hand into the already cracked mirror that hung opposite him, effectively smashing the glass into hundreds of tiny specks. The pinching, burning sensation of all the tiny flying shards, piercing his nude skin momentarily took the ache away from the straining erection which he was currently suffering from. He'd had another dream about the girl, only this time it had been even more realistic than he had thought possible. She had come to him, wrapped in a revealing robe with his personal insignia embroidered across it, kneeling at his feet and begging tearfully for forgiveness for her transgressions against him. Although he had know even in the dream that he would instantaneously forgive her, he recalled dragging out the girl's torture, asking her how he knew she would be true to him. At his mention of such reassurance, the lovely miko had reached her tiny hands upward, affectively untying the knot in his hakamas which he was quick to step out of.

It had been only a moment before her small mouth had been on him, massaging him and sucking him deeply. One thing had simply led to another and soon enough she had been underneath him, begging him for more, to pound her faster and harder. Mmm, it had indeed been a delicious dream however there were only two matters that truly bothered him about the whole thing. The first was, of course, that he had accidentally awoken himself before he could spill his seed and gain some relief. The second, more stirring trouble had been that he had distinctly remembered demanding to the girl to declare her love for him. Did he truly wish for her deepest affections that badly? What in hell's name was becoming of him? Shaking his head he realized it wouldn't matter, for soon his little bitch would be at his side day and night.

Growling, he recalled the events of the previous afternoon, seeing the pair jump down the well and disappear from even the sight of his enchanted mirror. After throwing a very eccentric temper tantrum, he had traveled to the well on his own but was unfortunately not able to follow his female no matter what method he seemed to try. How dare that damn inu think he could simply disappear with his bitch? When he finally gave into the idea that he would not be able to follow him, he had spread a minute amount of his demonic energy about the clearing, thus being able to know the exact second the damnable dog returned with his mate.

His quick trip back to his dilapidated manor had been mostly a haze of bloody and useless slaughtering in a vain attempt to keep the creeping thought that his Kagome could be being claimed right now from his mind. True, he could simply kill the inu and reverse his mark. Although it would be terribly painful for the girl, upon the western lord's death it would be possible. However, that was quite beside the point for he wished to be the only male that ever had the privilege of entering her. Stepping out onto the cracked balcony where a crisp, cool rain was falling from the navy skies, Naraku willed the freezing sensation to clear him of his arousal. Bearing his fangs at no one in particular, he promised that he would make the Taiyoukai pay for every agonizing moment of arousal he had gone through, only now he would have to change his plans due to their sudden trip. Flipping his now soaked hair over his bare shoulder, he scoffed angrily and stomped back into the darkened room he had been occupying, all the while his twisted mind thinking of all of the sadistic sexual things he wished to try with his mate. Hm, perhaps he would even make the lord watch; that would show him to keep his filthy dog paws away from what didn't belong to him.

A/N: Okay well, that chapter wasn't even supposed to happen. I honestly have no idea where it came from since it wasn't in the plot that I had originally worked out. I just sort of sat down at the computer at five in the afternoon and didn't end up getting off until midnight. Oh well, I guess that's okay. Anyway here you go and please review for me!