I started adding in the thoughts of people's inner beasts in this chapter. Little side relationships start up.


Chapter 55

Rapunzel poked her head through the ceiling accompanied by two dragon heads. "Aww! Look at everybody bonding, Bob." She said after listening to them talk for a while. "I need a basket of bread and carrots, and could you guys pass me a thing of water."

"Sure, Rapunzel." Ah-Un hissed at Damien for no reason other than pure dislike. "Hate you too, Bob." He replied calmly as he collected the food and drink she asked for.

He walked over to the ceiling hatch and put the handle of the basket in one of Ah-Un's mouths. Ah-Un made a hasty retreat back up as Damien handed a jug of water to Rapunzel. "He's gotten kind of big."

"And he's far from being fully grown. Isn't that amazing?" she disappeared back up top with Bob following.

"Sure it is." He muttered. 'Hope that thing isn't moving back in here.'

"Did she always have those giant lizards?"

"Yes and they are a dragon."

"We have a dragon? Wow! It's amazing what you never notice."

"Idiots, he's messing with you. They came with the tall guy over there." Freya said calmly eating her food. 'Hope these people don't stay long.'

The rest of the dinner went well. Afterwards, Jack showed Rin where to stay and Rapunzel did the same for Jaken and Sesshomaru.


With Rapunzel

"I hope you're okay with Jack showing your daughter where to sleep."

"Hn." 'Should have known she wasn't joking about that 'daughter' thing' Sesshomaru thought tiredly. Rapunzel opened a door down the hall from the kids.

"This should be the guest room." She sighed when she looked in the room to see it had been converted into one big closet with little bit of everyone's clothes. "I'm sorry. The little ones seem to have taken over this room. You can stay upstairs with Damien and I. In fact that might be better. They make a lot of noise, whether it be day or night."

Rapunzel said her thoughts aloud as she closed the door and started heading to the next floor up. "I hope you don't mind staying in a woman's room."

"A Woman's Room!" Jaken screeched. "What an insult? Milord, will not stay in such meager accom-" His tirade was interrupted when Rapunzel picked.

"I don't believe we have been properly introduced." She held him close and looked him directly, unblinkingly in the eye. "My name is Rapunzel and I am the owner of this establishment. I make sure private quarters are kept up and relations stay friendly." She was now glaring down at the poor, small imp. "I don't take insults kindly. Any unpleasant guests will be forcibly punished and removed from the premises. Do I make myself clear?"

The now thoroughly scared imp nodded his head vigorously in fear and spouted many, many apologies. "I'm glad we've come to an understanding." Rapunzel smiled again like nothing happened and continued to show them to the rooms.

'She handles people like any alpha female would. Very diplomatic in the way of humans and demons.' Sesshomaru thought as Rapunzel went on talking about how Bob was still small enough to be comfortable in her room and their old room.

Once they were upstairs she led them down the hall past the business-related rooms, past the common rooms, and also past Damien's personal room. Sesshomaru knew when they past that certain room. It was the only room in the place to smell distinctly male.

'Why are his chambers so close to hers?'

It had been a while since his beast had enough control to speak to him, so the sudden voice was slightly surprising. 'They live together and this cave is only but so large.'

'Our future lady should not be closer to any male than she is to us.'

Even though Sesshomaru agreed he knew there was next to nothing he could do about her living arrangements. If he even hints about enforcing his will upon her it will lead to questioning, defiance, and a fight.

'I do not wish to fight with her at the moment. Her health is more of a concern and the living situation will be rectified once we ask her to live full time in our home.'

His inner beast released a pleased growl in his mind.

"Brother Fluffy? Are you listening?" Rapunzel was touching his arm lightly squeezing. They were now standing in front of someone's bedroom.

"Hn." By the smell of it this belonged to one of her children and the way it was colored he could guess it was the cat's room.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes knowing he probably had not heard a word she had said in the last few minutes. 'Men never listen.'

"Anyway, I said this is Kitten's room, across the hall is Pup's room, and next door is Krystal's room. Pup and Krystal actually use their rooms every once in a while, so you should stay in this one for the time being."

"A feline's room! A female feline's room! Are you trying to insult milord!?" Jaken screeched having momentarily forgotten the little talk they just had.

He started another little rant which quickly seemed to irritate the shit out of Rapunzel. Halfway through his sentence Jaken was suddenly in mid-air in her bone crushing grip. "You know I believe Jaken should have his own special room just for him."

"Let go of me you half-breed! You Abomination!" Jaken yelled as he waved around his staff of two head wildly. If Rapunzel wasn't pissed before she was now. Even Sesshomaru was having thoughts of killing the damn toad.

Rapunzel's short but sharp nails dug deeply into Jaken skull as she began to speak in a low eerie voice to no one in particular. "I wonder how long it's been since I've heard that one." Her thin veil of a calm visage broke into a sickening grin that could scare death into submission.

The look on her face at that moment was one of an insane murderer, but her back was now to Sesshomaru so he could only guess by her eerie tone what her expression looked like. Jaken continued to flail around with his staff still in hand, his only means of defense.

"You won't be needing this for the time being." Rapunzel ripped the staff from Jaken's small claws and tossed it at Sesshomaru. "Brother Fluffy, would you be so kind as to put that somewhere safe? It would be such a big help. We wouldn't want someone to get hurt, now would we Jaken?" She lifted him so he could properly see her expression and the lie in the words she just said.

"NO, M'AM! That would of course be terrible if anyone in your wonderful home were to be harmed! Don't you agree milord!?" the little toad asked maybe just a bit desperately.

After a moment of silence a "Hn" was all that was heard from the stoic demon lord.

"He didn't say yes ̴" She said in a sing-song voice followed by evil laughter.

"Milord please save me!" Jaken called as Rapunzel dragged him down the hall leaving Sesshomaru to get settled in his temporary room.

'The fool never should have insulted her. Hope she does not intend on killing him. I have grown accustomed to his company.'


With Jack

"You can stay in the spare bedroom over here if you want." Jack said as Rapunzel led Sesshomaru and Jaken to their rooms.

"Oh. It doesn't really matter where I stay. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you anymore than I already have. Anything available is fine with me." Rin smiled at her new friend kindly.

Jack blushed. 'She's really nice and not spoiled, unlike most girls here.' He led her out of the dining room and back to his rooms. He stopped in front of the door across the hall from where he usually stays. "If you look in the closet there might be some outfits that fit you, and the bathroom is down the hall if you want to take a bath. Just call if you need anything. I'm right across the hall."

"Thank you. I guess a bath sounds nice." She bowed slightly in gratitude and blushed. "Could you possibly show me which door?"

"Yeah sure but you should pick out some clean clothing first." He walked past her to a door on the other side of the room. It was a spacious walk-in closet, like Lily's. "Come on. I bet you can find something you like in here." Jack grabbed her hand and dragged her inside.

This closet, unlike Lily's, was significantly larger and had more lights on the ceiling. "I always find something interesting when I come in here."

"Jack?" Rin called.

"Yeah?" he answered not looking back as he searched through a group of clothes.

"Um… could you… uh… let go of me please?"

"Huh?" He looked down and noticed he was still holding her hand. "Oh sorry." He let go.


With Kouga

Kouga sat on Freya's bed in an apparent starring contest with Freya and Krystal (who had apparently woken up earlier than expected). He was supposed to sleep in the extra bedroom, like Rapunzel suggested, but these two decided they wanted to 'get to know him' first. Can't sleep with a stranger nearby.

"So are you two going to talk or what?" Kouga asked finally breaking the silence. It was kind of unnerving.

"Why are you here?" Freya asked after a moment.

"The cat brought me here along with the mutt and his friends."

"The cat, as you so kindly called her, is my little sister. Watch how you speak of her." She really had mellowed out since dinner and she was also still half-asleep. "Why are you still here?"

"I am taking Jack to train with me and my pack."

There was more silence for a moment.

"Why are you wearing a skirt and crop-top?" Freya asked poking his exposed belly. Kouga growled as he grabbed her intruding hand.

"Don't touch me like you know me."

"Sorry, force of habit. Whenever I wear a crop-top, Krystal touches me the way she's touch you right now. Must have rubbed off on me." His eyes widened and he quickly looked down to find Krystal with both paws on his stomach.

She looked up at him nonchalantly and said: "Your belly is showing." As if he didn't already know.

"Get off me!"

"Your belly is still showing."

"My stomach is always showing! Get off!" He repeated. Instead of doing as told her paws started rubbing up and down.

"Warm.": was all she said.

"If you want her to stop you have to put on a shirt. She's weird like that. I blame the drugs." Freya got up off the bed and motioned for Kouga to do the same. "You can borrow some of mine for the time being. Come on."

Kouga followed her out of her bedroom and into the spare bedroom across the hall. He expected Krystal to be following them but she had went back to sleep on Freya's bed as soon as they left. Freya opened a huge trunk full of clothes. "There should be something big enough for you."

"I do not wear women's clothing." He said with a frown.

"I figured as much." She got on her knees in front of it and started looking. "Don't worry. This trunk is full of nothing but men's clothing. I rarely wear women's clothing myself."

Kouga was listen to her talk but could help to notice how good this girl looked when she was bent over like that. He had to physically swallow the growl that threatened to come up. 'Female. Strong Female.'

Freya had to dig a little deeper which made her ass rise higher, even shake a little. 'She offering. Take her! Now!'

Kouga was actually thinking about seducing her. She was beautiful and used to dealing with children…

"Why not?" He hadn't meant to say it aloud.

"It feels more comfortable to me." Freya's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Women's clothing does not allow as much movement as men's clothing."

'What am I thinking!? I'm leaving in the morning. I can't do that to her.'

'Quick rut. That all.'

'I'm not fucking her!'

As Kouga argued with his inner beast Freya was successful in finally finding a shirt for him. "It took some work, but I found one. I hope you're okay with green." She turned to face him and saw that the whites of his eyes were tinted pink and he was staring at a certain spot.

Freya got up and walked behind him to get an idea of what he was staring at. 'Is this what happens when demons are talking to their beasts? They just zone-out.' She peaked over his shoulder at the spot he was staring at. Her widened in surprise and a fierce blush took over her expression.

'Was he staring at my ass?' Freya honestly didn't know what to do. It had been years since anyone looked at her that way. "Um… Kouga?" She reached out to touch his arm but hesitated. 'He said not to touch him.'

He did not seem like he noticed she had moved or anything else. "Kouga!" she called again.

He seemed to snap out of his thoughts second time around. "Yeah I'm listening." Kouga jerked his head toward the sound of Freya's voice.

She was so caught up in her musing she had not realized how close she was to his face. Her blush intensified if at all possible, and she quickly moved away. "Sorry!" she muttered looking anywhere but at him.

Her sudden shift in personality, from kind and helpful to almost shy and awkward, was really strange to him. "Are you alright?" Kouga reach out to place an innocent hand on her shoulder. He felt her shiver before she moved away from his touch. Her scent suddenly reached his nose with a hint of…

'Is she aroused?!'