As always - "Parenthesis" are spoken words, italics are thoughts, and AAAAAAA are a scene shift.

Sorry about the whole deleting and reposting of the last chapter but a very important typo was pointed out to me and I did not want to confuse any future readers. My apologies to everyone.

Also, thanks for all of the lovely reviews. I really do appreciate every one of them. We are coming to an end with this story and it was a wonderful experience. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading!

Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha. I make absolutely no money in writing my own fictions roughly based on the original characters and plot.

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He lay there cursing in his mind. He knew Koga hated him. He had seen him as competition for Kagome and the fact that he was a competing breed of canine hadn't helped either. Hell, most of the insults they had thrown at each other were based on their breed. And now, now he had to tell Koga that he had gone and mated a member of his pack without asking permission first.

Rain looked over at her new mate and watched the tension build in him. She knew that Inuyasha and Koga had not seen eye to eye in the past. She had been there when Koga kidnapped Kagome and brought her back to the den. He had heard Koga talk about Kagome plenty enough to know about the odd love triangle between her, Inuyasha, and the long dead priestess. At that thought, she started to doubt herself and their new relationship. Perhaps everything had happened too quickly and he would begin to regret it.

She sighed as her thoughts took her over and missed the look of adoration Inuyasha had thrown her way when he decided that no matter what, she was worth it.

He hopped up to get dressed and helped his new mate as well before placing his arm possessively around her waist to walk away from the spot they had just used for more intimate activities. He figured it was best to just get this over and done with so he could start to really enjoy his mate.

He put his nose to the air in an attempt to decide which direction would be best to take. He caught the scent of that mangy wolf on the breeze and took off with Rain in tow.

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Koga felt him coming long before he appeared. The enormous aura of Lord Sesshomaru could not be missed and from the turmoil that surrounded his aura, the inu lord was NOT in a good mood.

Sesshomaru had arrived at the dojo in record time. He had hoped that someone worthy of a workout would be there to relieve his tension. As he stepped inside he noticed several of the higher ranking soldiers of the North already locked in mock combat as well as the wolf prince Koga watching from the sidelines. He smirked to himself. Perhaps a good spar against multiple opponents would be in order this evening. He did his best thinking while engaged in battle and he really needed to sort through some things at the moment.

Sesshomaru stepped to the center of the mat and waited until someone would also step up to the challenge of sparring with the Killing Perfection himself. He waited until several soldiers had joined him on the mat and nodded in acceptance of the level of challenge. He then turned to the young prince who was watching with interest. "Feel free to join in the battle at any time, wolfling."

Koga knew that Lord Sesshomaru was baiting him but he found he couldn't help himself. A challenge had been issued and he was never one to back down. He gave a curt nod to the inu and joined the many soldiers as another of his opponents.

Watching Sesshomaru battle was like watching an extremely well-choreographed dance of war. Every movement precise and graceful, never a tiny bit of energy wasted. That was how Inuyasha found his half-brother and Koga. He would never admit to anyone but himself but he was jealous of Sesshomaru. Jealous of his perfection and style in battle.

All of the members in the small mock battle were so concentrated on what they were doing that they didn't even see Inuyasha join the battle until his fist made contact with Sesshomaru's stomach. Everything screeched to a halt as the new player suddenly appeared.

Inuyasha smirked at his older brother before turning and addressing Koga. "I hate to break up yer little love fest and all, but we got some important things to talk about." At Koga's very apparent confusion, Inuyasha nodded his head to where Rain stood just inside the doorway.

Koga walked to his cousin to figure out what was going on when he stopped in his tracks halfway there, letting out a large rumbling growl. It couldn't be! It just couldn't! She would NOT have gone and mated that mutt! He stepped a few paces closer before the scent hit him.

Rain watched as Koga stopped and noticed his eyes trained on her shoulder, just above her pulse point. What in the world could he be looking…..oh no. He had seen the mating mark. His head lifted slightly in the air as he took a few sniffs while getting a little closer. She knew he would smell their mating. The smell of Inuyasha within her was extremely fresh and her own scent would be forever laced with that of her new mate.

Koga's eyes began to bleed red as his brain connected the dots. She had been mated and marked and the half-breed's scent was all over her. How dare he take her as a mate without asking permission first? She was his pack and he had been the one to take her in and care for her when her human mother had died.

Sesshomaru stood evaluating the situation until everything clicked. "I see you have finally found some female that would take you as a mate, Inuyasha. I had thought for sure that you had mated to that human priestess that followed you like a lost puppy. Now I see that you were waiting for one of your own to take you."

Both Inuyasha and Koga both growled at the insinuations that Sesshomaru had made. Not only was he degrading the fact that both Inuyasha and his mate were half-breeds but he had spat at the memory of Kagome. The Kagome that Inuyasha had failed to protect. Koga growled for the insult of his kin and the reminder of the newly mated Inuyasha taking her.

Three males stood ready to fight, a wolf and a half demon getting into offensive stances and preparing to attack while one inu demon stood looking as bored as ever. All three had allowed red to seep into their eyes and were a split second from battle.

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Kagome sat straight up in the bed, a long blood-curdling scream bubbling out of her throat before she had a chance to hold it back. She had felt the stabbing pain in her heart and soul. Servants rushed in to see what the disturbance was but could not help the young woman. Her soul mate was letting his beast take over and she was not there to ensure his safety or control.

The pain was so intense; it felt like a red hot poker was being stabbed into her over and over with no chance of reprieve from her torture. Trails of tears made their way down her cheeks and dripped onto the bedding. Aisoka burst into the door to find the one who was hurting his little one. The sight that met his eyes was heart breaking. There she sat screaming, crying out for the one who would stop the pain and take it away forever. He had to do something. She was pale, near death, and in so much pain. It was more than he could bear.

In a split second he was across the room with his little one bundled into his arms. The layers of kimono were heavy compared to the small frame that was now Kagome. She had lost so much weight, being unable or unwilling to eat. He held her like a glass doll and let her curl up into his large chest seeking warmth and comfort. Her scream had ended when all of the air in her lungs had been expelled and she now had her face buried into his chest sobbing uncontrollably. The salty smell of her tears stung his nose and pulled on his heart as her shaking made him closer to losing control on his beast. She kept whispering but it was so low that he couldn't hear despite their closeness of person and his youkai hearing.

Finally, she turned her face and rested her cheek against his heart beat and through her sobs and shaking he made out only one word. The only one that he needed to hear. Sesshomaru.

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A large shadow suddenly appeared in the doorway of the dojo as Rain moved to avoid collision. She barely had time to register the quickly approaching aura of the Northern Lord Aisoka before she stepped to the side. Nestled in his arms was a petite raven haired beauty.

Sure, the girl was human but her aura was as overwhelming as Lord Sesshomaru's if not more so. Her soul was so bright to those who could see it and warmth radiated from it to the point that even humans dull senses could feel it. They may not be able to recognize what it was but they could definitely feel it. Demons could feel it as surely as they could the warmth from a blazing fire.

The young human woman looked everything opposite of feeling her. She was pale, sickly so and slightly disheveled as if she had woken from a fitful sleep. Tear tracts made their way down her cheeks and the collar of her most outer kimono was moistened with the salty substance. Her eyes were wide as if seeing something horrible and gruesome.

Kagome took in the scene before her and as soon as it registered a sharp pain stabbed into her soul once again. A whimper slipped past her lips as she ground her teeth together and waited for it to pass. Once it started to subside, she tried to speak but all that same out was a breath that barely made it past her lips.

She took a few deep breaths before trying again. Her whole body shook with the effort it took but she had to stop the males before her. She had to make them see.

With every effort and bit of energy she could muster, one word passed her lips. She knew it would give her away, but the lives of those she cared for were worth it all. Taking in a final deep breath she gave it her all as she screamed the only word that Inuyasha had ever hated.

"SIT!"

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Out of pure reflex, the half-demon jumped out of his nice hanyou shaped hole and started to rant, "Damn it, Kagome! What the hell was that for?!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Inuyasha felt a pang of despair and regret hit him hard. Kagome wasn't here, and from what he knew, she never would be again. His eyes widened as he realized what had happened. The small female that was being held but a giant horse demon had said that hated word and his subjugation beads had responded. There was only one person that those beads would EVER respond to.

His head snapped up and immediately sought her out.

Koga knew this would not end well as he felt Kagome come close. He made eye contact with her briefly as Aisoka had carried her into the dojo. He didn't know what she was planning exactly but it sure wasn't to give herself away. He could see the pain and desperation in her face and knew instantly that the warring of their energies was hurting her. She was a peaceful and loving creature and it tore her heart to see those she loved most ready to kill each other.

AAAAAAAAAAA

As soon as he saw his half-brother fall to the ground at the sharp command issued by the female, something within him broke. In an instant, flashes of scenes from his past flashed through his mind like a tornado. Images of a young miko crying or angry or desperate to save Inuyasha's life danced across his consciousness.

All it took was that one little word forced from her lips to bring about realizations of the female's true identity. He was torn. He had at some point despised the female that he now recognized. She had been an enemy to him and an ally to Inuyasha. She had thwarted his plans and interfered with the fighting brothers on several occasions. She had been…in the way.

He had made peace with the small human woman on some level though. He had assumed until recently that she had been destined for Inuyasha as his mate and world. Apparently he was wrong on that account. He had also assumed her dead at a certain point. He had checked in on his half-brother and his small pack from time to time without Inuyasha even knowing it. The girl and small kitsune had been missing and the small pack had been grieving their assumed losses.

And so, he had honored her memory by deeming himself once again neutral to her and let go of his hate.

Now, was a different story. He knew the brash and raging personality of the demoness he had first met upon arrival and also that it was the same one as the docile human female he had so stupidly dismissed. He remembered the fire that lived in the eyes of the human miko that traveled with Inuyasha. Which was the true personality of this little enigma?

He was torn, whether he would admit it or not. He wanted this female. He wanted her so bad that it hurt deep within his soul. She would be the one to complete him and he had known it for some time on the baser level of his beast. He had refused to admit that this frail looking little bundle would be the one to compliment him in every way. He refused to admit that she held as much power as the Great Demon Lord of the West.

For the first time in his very long life, Sesshomaru was at a loss of what he should do. He wanted to snatch her up, hold her within his comforting embrace once again. He wanted to take her away and lock her up with himself being her only company until she was his in every way.

But what he wanted was not reality. He could not do what he so desired in his heart. The woman was of noble relation, even if not by blood. There were steps to courting that must be followed and he would not shame her as he had already shamed himself. With his mind nor made up he did the one thing he could, and walked away.

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