Author's Note: I am beginning to wonder if my story is abnormally long for this site. Perhaps I should split it up...
As Mina walked, she suddenly caught Sesshomaru's scent on the air. She was surprised, since her sense of smell was not usually this strong. He was far away, but even so, she picked up speed. Her worries seemed to faint as her excitement grew. She couldn't wait to see him again.
His scent was growing stronger, too quickly for the speed she was at. That meant he was moving toward her. Why? She didn't see a reason for it. Then again, he usually did not wait for her. Perhaps he was growing impatient and wanted to leave.
She jumped over a large fallen tree and her heart suddenly fluttered madly. She looked up to find Sesshomaru standing a few feet away, leaning against a tree. He watched her, his face showing nothing. Without realizing it, Mina smiled brightly at the sight of him. She quickly moved toward him, stopping just a few feet away.
"My Lord!" she exclaimed happily.
Sesshomaru stared down at her, a strange look to his eyes, "You have returned earlier than I expected."
"I had no need to linger," she smiled, and twirled around in a circle, "Do you like the yukata I have chosen?"
His eyes moved over her body, "It seems inappropriate for our travels."
She pouted up at him, not noticing how he stared at the mark on her neck. "But Lord Sesshomaru, it is made of a light and strong material, so it will not tear or hinder me in battle or during travel."
"Then yes, it is nice."
She smiled again, moving forward and taking hold of his sleeve, "Where shall we go now, my lord?"
He looked down at her, staying silent for a moment before leading her through the forest. They walked slowly, and Mina enjoyed the quiet forest. She tried to pay attention to where she was walking, but couldn't stop herself from gazing up at Sesshomaru. Even though she had left for just a few months, it had felt like years and going out alone so soon afterward had gripped her heart with loneliness. It felt as though she had been away from him for much longer than she had been.
She was reminded of the mark, and blushed at the thought. The urge to question it was strong, but her anxieties were stronger. There was no need to rush the question. He probably hadn't told her for a reason. Or perhaps he just expected her to know.
Sesshomaru knew that Mina was staring at him. She was so lovely, and he hadn't expected her to return looking even lovelier than before. With her hair up, the mark was in full view. This pleased him much more than it should have, but he couldn't help it. It was a constant reminder that she belonged to him.
He had worried unnecessarily about her when she had traveled alone to the human village. He knew that with his mark, demons would flee, but there was always a possibility that it would attract the few that were insane enough to wish to fight him. Now that his scent was on her, he feared that she would be used against him. It was a strong possibility, and he dreaded the day it happened.
She had an unsettling control over him, one that he was not used to and very uncomfortable with. And yet at the same time, he couldn't imagine himself without her. He would rather have that small lack of control than lose Minako. He had made his decision a long time ago, but he had yet to come to terms with it.
Some days he wished Minako were a full youkai. Then he could mate with her without any second thoughts. And then again, he was afraid that if she were any different, she would lose what made her special. Most days, he didn't even remember that she was a hanyou. It just didn't come to mind so much anymore. At least she wasn't full human; having Rin follow him around was fine, but mating with a human would be completely inappropriate.
There was a possibility that he would lose respect by mating with a hanyou. He would have to try harder to keep his reputation. Then again, it did not take much effort to gain the one he had now. He did not have to explain himself to anyone that may question his choice of Minako or reason for deciding to mate with her. Although the decision wasn't even final yet.
"Lord Sesshomaru," she said softly, drawing him from his thoughts.
He glanced down at her. She was staring up at him, her lilac eyes shining as the sun lit up her face and reflected off of her black hair. He stopped, the mark burning a hole into his mind. She was so lovely, and he wanted to take her in that moment. The mark called to him, tempting him to complete the process of mating. But he was a powerful lord, so he ignored the feeling, regaining that small bit of control that he had lost.
"What is it, Minako?"
She glanced down at her hand, which he had unknowingly taken at some point during the walk back to the castle. His heart raced as he wondered how he could have possibly lost that much control. He had not even realized that they were holding hands, let alone the fact that he had initiated it. He wanted to pull her in and kiss her, take her body for his own right there on the forest floor. At the same time, he want to push her away and leave to the safety of the past, where he did not know this girl who sent chills through his body.
She looked away from him, her cheeks pink with embarrassment as she quietly replied, "Nothing, my lord."
And so he did nothing. He continued to hold her hand, now aware of the feeling as they continued on. Mina's hand seemed small and delicate, much like the rest of her. He wanted to cradle her close to him, lose himself in her scent. He could only imagine how much worse this madness would be had he marked her during the season. He wanted to tell himself that he regretted the mark, but in truth he knew that he wouldn't have it any other way. She bore his mark, a sign that she belonged to him, and it protected her when he was not there. He only wished that he did not lose his mind to it.
But so long as he put off completing the process, the calling would only grow stronger until it overpowered him.
Mina's heart felt like it was about to claw its way out of her chest the moment Sesshomaru held her hand. It wasn't a commanding grab, so it could not have been because she was walking too slow. She began to question it, but decided against it. Whatever reason he had, she enjoyed the moment. She didn't care to think of why he would do it, and instead decided to fool herself with romantic thoughts.
That is what she wanted, after all.
Just a few moments before the castle came into view, Sesshomaru let go of her hand and picked up speed, walking ahead of her. She lifted her yukata and scampered after him. He stopped, and she caught up. The barrier that hid the land that his castle stood on wavered. Sesshomaru took her hand and she was suddenly flying through the barrier, Sesshomaru's white pelt beneath them.
Even though logically she knew that Sesshomaru would not let her fall, she found her heart beating faster out of fear. She wrapped her arms tightly around Sesshomaru, her body pressed firmly against his as she held on for dear life. She felt his body tense at her touch, and felt a little bad for making him uncomfortable, but he did not push her away or yell at her. She took that to mean that he understood her fears and would allow her this small comfort.
They arrived back at the castle much faster than they would have by foot. Once inside, Mina noticed that the youkai were staring at her. She felt uncomfortable, but no one else seemed to notice and she wondered if it was all in her mind. Was it because of the mark? They could clearly see it on her neck, and she recalled that Inu Yasha said that her scent had changed.
Someone must have informed Rin and Jaken of their return because the two were waiting by the stairs. Rin ran forward to greet Minako, and marveled at the new yukata and shoes. She complimented her outfit and the new hairstyle, which showed off the "pretty moon" on her neck.
Mina blushed, glancing up at Sesshomaru. He did not seem to notice the conversation as he walked off with Jaken, speaking business as she could only assume.
Rin was excited about her friend's return, and dragged Mina off to play with her. Sesshomaru disappeared with Jaken, who was glad to be away from babysitting the little human.
It almost seemed as though life was returning to normal, but Minako could sense that there was a chance in the air. Something was different, a dark cloud looming overhead.
If only she knew what it meant.
