Passions, Chapter 25

"Honestly Sesshomaru, you are worse than your father. At least the human wench he brought home respected him." The words were whispered venomously as Inu Kimi's upper lip twitched. It was unheard of for a demon of her son's caliber to be disobeyed so blatantly by a mere mortal. The girl had been given specific orders to accompany the servants down the halls in order to begin her training. If she was soon to be Lady of the lands, she had to be taught to act like one, but the stubborn girl wouldn't even come out. Each and every day, she defied them, remaining locked in the godforsaken room. She only took food and water, but otherwise, she refused to come out.

"The only reason I've not killed her is simply because you asked me not to. It would be a shame if she were to have an accident though."

Thus far, Sesshomaru had been ignoring his mother. He stood outside one of the Sky Castle's many balconies, observing as Rin and Jaken ran around one another in the gardens. This way, they were all safe. All wolves that wanted revenge would never be able to reach them- unless they sprouted wings of course. For now, things were calm. However, the moment Inu Kimi mentioned an accident, the Daiyoukai's cut towards her.

Her patience was wearing thin, but it was expected. She was never a patient person to begin with.

Like Mother, Like Son.

"All the while you've been gone, she's been cooped up in there. It's been nearly a week. Surely you can smell the scent of salt pouring from the room. I never knew humans could cry literal rivers. You never did tell me what happened." She took her seat at the very edge of her bed, undoing the intricate ties that held her hair together.

"I got rid of the Northern Wolf Tribe." It was more so complicated than that, but it was the jist of it.

"I am assuming because of that mortal woman.' She snorted faintly, "It was bound to happen sooner or later. They were an inferior race of demons. I am certain some hyped up revenge plan is in order. Will you kill the rest?"

His mother had a point. More than likely they were planning an organized attack against him. It was best to hit them hard, and hit them while they were still planning it.

Kagome wouldn't like it though, she wouldn't. She had a special affinity for life. She saw the good in everyone, including him. The Wolf Prince was a close friend of hers, a closer friend than he thought. However, she could not keep them all waiting. Wordlessly, he turned pacing passed Inu Kimi as he headed out of her room.

Xx

Before he even got near the sliding doors, Kagome felt Sesshomaru's presence. Finally, he returned, but it didn't make much of a difference. She didn't want to see him. She simply wanted to go back and bury Koga's dead kin.

She wanted to bury Koga.

She and Sesshomaru left them sprawled all over the mountain like some sort of warning to anyone that opposed them. The mere thought of it brought fresh tears to her eyes again. She wanted to forget all of this, forget that she ever met him. So many lives had been lost because of his rage, his rage over her being kidnapped.

This was all her fault.

If she hadn't been reckless and simply stayed away from Sesshomaru, none of this would have occurred, at least she thought.

Each and every night, she dreamed about them, dreamed about them dying- the scenes playing over and over in her mind until she awoke with a jolt, her entire body covered in sweat.

How could she had been apart of something so cruel?

Sesshomaru's silhouette behind the sliding doors captured her attention. She couldn't help glaring, sitting up on the grand bed provided for her. She didn't want to see him, she didn't. She especially did not want to be in the same room with him. The moment the door slid back, she made it her business to just storm right by him. She didn't know where she was going, but she just wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

Things did not quite play out how she imagined.

Sesshomaru wordlessly grabbed the upper part of her arm and more or less threw her towards the bed. She landed flat on her back, but the moment she sat up again, she realized that Sesshomaru had closed the door behind him.

"No!" She spat, knowing of what he intended. She pressed herself towards the edge of the bed before climbing out, "You are not going to touch me, not ever again!"

She expected him to remain silent, and he did. Whenever he was hell-bent on something, there was no talking him out of it. He did not except excuses.

She shoved him, as hard as she could once he got nearer, but she should have known that it wouldn't work. It was like pushing a brick wall. He easily caught one of her wrists, but she slapped him, hard, as hard as she could, and for the first time, he seemed…stunned.

He didn't move.

Her azure eyes were widened into gaping orifices as she stared at him.

Oh kami…she hit him…she actually hit him.

Dread washed over her frame, a small tremble racing up and down her back. She blinked, and before she knew it, she was flat against the bed, Sesshomaru's fingers laced with her own- her wrists pinned above her head.

"L-Let go!" She squirmed, or attempted to, but Sesshomaru wasn't moving, not anytime soon.

"You may defy my mother," It was easy keeping her hands pinned with one of her own while his opposing hand familiarized himself with the satin skin of her thigh and hips, right underneath her skirt, "But you will bend to my will, if no one else's."

"Take me home, take me home!" She screamed, still writhing and squirming underneath him.

"No.' Was his simple answer, his lips falling against her own.

Kagome couldn't breathe. She felt sick, sick and conflicted. In his absence, she missed him, her body missed him, it ached for him even…but after what happened, she just…she couldn't. She was so lost in her pleas of no that it barely registered to her that she was already undressed. Hot tears poured down her cheeks, broken sobs immediately ceasing the moment his tongue ran up one of her womanhood's folds.

"Sesshomaru!" She gasped out, more and more tears fogging her vision. She squeezed his hand tightly, attempting to sink her nails down into his skin, "D-Don't….A-Ah…" Her body was giving in, giving into the lust and desired that the Daiyoukai could only fill her with. Her thighs trembled, her toes beginning to curl as she did so.

He knew this was her weakness, he knew it, and he was using it against her.

It was nearly like that for the next week or so- him arriving and taking her over and over until she was a crying, hiccupping mess- her heart hammering in her chest.

Her friend's murderer was her lover, and there was no changing that.

There was no changing him.

Xx

"Oh, you've finally left your room, human." Inu Kimi drawled out, spotting the Kagome from the door way. She was in the library, her hands ghosting over her former mate's many battle manuals and recordings. It wasn't often that she did as such, but she was more so curious of how and why her mate, and even her son, were so attached to mortals. She guessed that clues would be found in his most personal journals, but she did not seem to be having luck. It was then that she spotted Kagome apprehensively standing in the doorway.

She was dressed just to the demoness' liking in an elaborate and brilliantly colored kimono. She did indeed look as a proper Lady should, "…It took some coaxing to get you out of there. Did he use his tongue?" She nonchalantly asked, slipping one of the journals back into its proper place, "If he is like his father, I know he did."

Kagome blinked, once or twice before her entire face flushed red, "….E-Excuse me?!"

"Don't play ignorant, mortal." Her golden irises slid over in the younger girl's direction, "I assume you are ready to start your training?"

"'It's Kagome." She grimaced. The only reason she was outside of her room was the simple fact that Sesshomaru couldn't do to her as he pleased while she was learning. He understood just as much as she did how important it was for her to learn how to behave his society. "What will the training consist of?"

"Well, we've spoken to our advisors. They concluded that this all…this all is a mess…" She faked a weary sigh, slinking her way over to her future daughter in law. She waved her hand dismissively as if silently commanding her to follow.

Kagome did just that, being sure to remain behind her as they stalked through the grand halls. Servants scurried this way and throat- mortal just as she was. It was a shock initially, but she supposed that even the lowliest of demons had human slaves. It was almost like the natural order of things. She wondered then if the wolf tribe possessed any mortal slaves. She assumed they didn't, not under Koga's watch at least. She left such an impression on him that he even went against randomly attacking humans. She sighed gently. Koga. She already missed him, "A m-mess?"

"Indeed a mess. Do not stutter. Mean what you say." Inu Kimi retorted before rounding one of the corners. This time, the end of the hall seemed to lead out into a grand opening, one that overlooked more and more clouds. It truly was a floating land mass, high above the heavens. How it got up there, one could only wonder. "Do you think your child, a mere half-breed, will inherit these lands? Do not be a fool. Your child will be accepted here among his subjects, that is until his full blooded brother or sister heir arrives. Your human life span is so short. You will be gone soon in a blink of time compared to us demons. Once your corpse has rotted away, then we can proceed on to how things should be."

"What do you mean how they should be?!" Kagome was mortified, "Y-You talk as if I am dead already! I am carrying Sesshomaru's heir and he or she will own all of this, they will!" At least…at least she thought they would. She felt light-headed all of a sudden.

Would he truly be rejected so blatantly by his people, even while being Inu Kimi's grandson and Sesshomaru's son?

Inu Kimi seemed unfazed by the girl's ourbust, "In the meantime, we will treat you as though you are demonic royalty, you and your child, but you must be ready. It is tradition for mates to already complete their matrimony before the child arrives…so that leaves you…what, only a few months?"

"A few months until what exactly?" Kagome inquired, her brows furrowing.

"Until you assume my position, of course." Inu Kimi knew that it was going to happen eventually, but she did not realize that she would be giving up her role to a human brat.

"…WHAT?!" Kagome blurted out, much to Inu Kimi's dismay. She simply thought beforehand that she would just be learning proper etiquette and education on demonic customs. She didn't think she'd be assuming anyone's duty, but she should have known. Being mated to Sesshomaru meant that she would virtually be Queen, second only to him.

It all dawned at her at once. She had only a few months to be fit for a role that Inu Kimi more than likely trained all her life for. Heck, maybe centuries for. Her mouth fell agape, but she swallowed as hard as she could. "I won't sweat it. I won't sweat it. It'll…It'll just be like cramming for a midterm!"

"….What in the Meido's name is a midterm?" Inu Kimi asked, her slender brow lifting, "And a proper Kouhi does not say…sweat it. You are not allowed to perspire."

Xx

"…All…dead. Every last one of them…I shouldn't have told him where they were, I shouldn't have." Inuyasha's ears grew flat against his head. That night, he was seated around all of his friends, a camp fire in the middle of them.

"Inuyasha, it couldn't have been helped. If anything, Sesshomaru was going to find them anyway. He wasn't going to stop searching whether you helped him or not…" Miroku gently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Miroku's right. This isn't your fault. Sesshomaru was blood thirsty, and it made him do…what he did." Sango added. She only hoped that Kagome was alright. More than likely, she witnessed the slaughter of them all- something not even a well trained warrior could stomach.

"…We should eventually go to put the dead to rest. Maybe give them proper burials? "Kikyo offered, managing a weak smile, "As mortals, I've learned that it is…difficult getting involved in demon affairs. We do not understand their customs. We cannot truly be sure what drove such a massacre, but we can help ferry the dead to peace. Hopefully, we can give them honorable burials."

"Did Koga survive?" Shippo asked, his head tilting. he had been silent thus far, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. It wasn't often that Inuyasha was down about anything, but the small kit supposed that this time...things with Koga had to have been bad, really bad.

Inuyasha's lips pursed then. Slowly, he shook his head. Koga was a dick, he was. He was a jerk. He was a jackass, but he didn't deserve to die as he did…His entire tribe didn't deserve to be wiped out, blotted from the face of the earth as if they really never existed.

Xx

"Alright human-"

"Kagome." She countered, leering holes in Inu Kimi's back. They were outside on the training grounds, for reasons unknown to her as of present.

Inu Kimi could not help snorting softly, "Alright, we attempted to compile a list of things that you may be good at. Thus far, I've counted zero, but, Sesshomaru says that you are the reincarnation of a shrine maiden, a priestess- a strong one no less…We will use that to our advantage. He also states that you know a bit of archery.

She swore that she couldn't stomach much more of Sesshomaru's mother. The lady was insane, crazy! Crazy and rude. "I am good at things! And, I am a priestess, a darn good one too!" Abruptly, she blinked. What do you mean advantage?" This time, it was time for Kagome to quirk her brow.

"Well, we have to present the people with something, don't we?" She took a glance back over her shoulder at the other woman, "We will merely…alter the truth a bit. You do not have to be the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo…no…we need someone better, someone…more grand and appealing..."

Kagome's brow twitched, "…Where are you getting at?"

"Inu Kimi gently tapped her own chin as if she was lost in thought. Soon, she began to pace languidly around her, "You may, or may not know, the there is only one mortal that some demons truly fear. Mmmh…yes..yes, this will be perfect. You will be Lady Kagome, the reincarnation of the great priestess Midoriko…"