Chapter 27

An explosion of power had the entire village of edo trembling in fear. Some assumed it to be an earth quake, others the anger of the gods. In reality it was the Western Lord, grieving the loss of his mate. He knelt beside her body, cupping her cold cheek. His teeth were bared in a silent snarl, his heart broken.

"You foolish woman!" The moment they stepped out of the well, Naraku attacked. It was so quick they barely had time to prepare for it. Titan hadn't even sensed it, but Kagome had. She pushed Titan out of the way, and was struck by a tentacle. It gouged through her chest, leaving a gaping hole and she had died instantly.

Her sacrifice had broken the spell. Titan exploded back into Sesshomaru, his power surging and in search of the soon to be dead spider. Naraku had hurt what belonged to Sesshomaru and that was a crime punishable by death.

The rest of the group made it into the clearing, InuYasha knowing his brother's power anywhere. They froze at the scene. Sango let out a sob, turning into Miroku's chest to cry for her sister. Kikyou didn't hide the smugness she felt at her copy being killed.

"What did you do?" InuYasha's head was bowed, Tessaiga being held limply in his hand. His mind automatically assumed the worst of his brother. He had lost Kagome as a partner, but now Sesshomaru had taken her from him in a far worse way. "I'll kill you, ya bastard."

InuYasha raised his sword and attacked. Sesshomaru didn't even look at him, simply reaching out to grab his brother by the neck and throw him into the forest. Sesshomaru was in no mood for InuYasha and his immaturity.

"You promised me eternity, Koneko." Sesshomaru purred, gently scooping up the dead miko. He growled in anger when he didn't get a response. The foolish woman should have never put herself in harm's way. "I will hold you to that." He turned to the others, meeting the gazes of everyone there. "Come to mother's shiro. Things will be explained then."

He didn't give them a chance to ask questions before he enveloped himself into his orb. His goal was to head to the cave he slept in while mating season was upon the lands. The air was just starting to turn cold, and soon winter would be upon them. It didn't feel like it had been that long.

With a snarl Sesshomaru turned from the cave. His swords were not there. That was where he had left them after his mother turned him into Titan. He looked down to Kagome's limp body and snarled again. If he didn't find his swords soon, he would lose Kagome forever. That wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't allow it.

The only other place it could be is his mothers shiro. He had planned to take kagome there so she could rest, but now he was going for another reason all together. Once more in his orb, he took off, heading for where he hoped his swords were. If not, then he would demand his mother's meidou necklace. Kagome would not be lost to him.

Landing in the courtyard, Sesshomaru rushed to his mother, not saying anything as both Satori and Wakanda looked at him with wide eyes. He didn't need to say anything for them to see the desperation in his gaze.

"Lay her down son. Wakanda. Get his swords." Everyone did as Satori said. Sesshomaru moved over to a cushion, and laid Kagome upon it. His hands trailed over her face, feeling her skin going colder.

"Here." Wakanda handed him Tenseiga, just as Satori pulled off her necklace and set it over Kagome's neck. She looked at Sesshomaru with a small sad smile. She hoped her secret was safe. She had no problem telling them what she had hidden. But that would only work if her stone bent to her will.

"I will explain more later, Sesshomaru, but right now, you need to cut the demons twice. Two separate souls are being taken as we speak." Satori watched as Sesshomaru's eyes widened in realization. With a protective growl, he lifted his sword, seeing the damned demons trying to take the soul of Kagome and their pup.

He cut through them with a vengeance that had the god of hell shivering.

Dropping his sword, he knelt near Kagome, watching as her wound healed and stitched together. "I cannot smell the pup." Sesshomaru said not turn to look at his mother, but instead focused on his mate instead. Satori placed two fingers to Kagome's head, and the smell of their pup overwhelmed Sesshomaru.

His eyes bled red, and he breathed in deeply. The smell of death still lingered, but it was slowly fading away. He heard the moment Kagome's heart began to beat once more, along with the faint rapid heartbeat of the child Kagome was growing. He swallowed away the lump that had formed in his throat.

Kagome groaned, scrunching her face as she began to wake from the slumber she had been under. Blinking rapidly, she looked around, taking in her surroundings. Her face paled as memories flooded her. She had died. She knew she had died, and yet she was breathing once more.

"Koneko." Sesshomaru growled, pressing his lips against hers. His kiss was deep and fierce, and she could feel every bit of emotion he felt. Her death had scarred him. He would see her unresponsive form for the rest of their life. Pulling away, he pressed his forehead against her. "You will be punished for being so foolish."

"Naraku?" Using Sesshomaru's shoulder, Kagome pulled herself up into a sitting position. She smiled at Satori and Wakanda and then turned her gaze back to Sesshomaru. She could already tell it will be awhile before he lets her out of his sight. Looking at him closely, it registered that he was in his humanoid form. "The spell? Its broken?"

"Naraku vanished the moment this one return to all of my glory." He smirked at Kagome's raised eyebrow to his arrogance. So far, she still seemed to be the woman he had fallen for. "As for the spell, you broke it Koneko."

Kagome opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Satori stepped forward. "The spell was cast so Sesshomaru could find himself a mate. I wanted him to have love, but I knew in his current arrogant and all mighty state that he wouldn't find anyone to love him. So, I had Wakanda to cast the spell to humble him a bit."

"Though I don't think it humbled him that much." Wakanda scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Anyway, for the spell to be broken, he had to fall in love and be loved in return. If he didn't, he would have been stuck as Titan for the rest of his short mortal inu life."

Kagome turned back to Sesshomaru, raising her hands to cup his cheeks. Her fingers ran over his crest, and he purred at her touch. "You love me?" His eyes said all she needed to know. She knew he wasn't one that would be overly verbal with his feelings, but he wouldn't hesitate to show her. She was okay with that, and told him so by pressing her lips to his.

He pulled away after a few minutes, pushing to his feet and scooping Kagome up. "There is more you do not know, though I do not have all the answers to that either." Sesshomaru sent a glare to his mother, then looked back to kagome. "First, you will bath. This Sesshomaru cannot stand seeing you covered in your own blood. Then we will settle for dinner and the rest will be explained."

They all knew not to argue with him, so, satori and Wakanda ordered the servants to prepare dinner. And Sesshomaru took Kagome to his rooms. He had a private bathing sauna there. It wasn't as grand as the one at his home in the West, but it would work for now.

Gently he set Kagome to her feet, slowly undressing her of her bloodied and torn garments. They would have to be thrown away, but he would provide her with anything she ever needed or wanted. She wouldn't have to worry about anything after today. He would take care of it all.

Quickly undressing himself, he guided her into the warm water. Siting her in his lap, they remained silent as he washed away her blood. He didn't want to think about her death, about the pain that filled him at the realization that she would no longer be by his side.

His movements had frozen as he fell deep into thought, and Kagome turned to look at him. She could see the torment in his eyes and she spun in his lap, straddling him. The movement broke him free of his thoughts and he looked at her. "I'm okay. I'm right here in your lap, so try not to think about what happened." She smiled at his growl, running a finger down his pointed ear. "Your back in your normal form now. I know you won't let anything touch me from here on out."

He purred, his arms wrapping around his waist. "You are correct, my little mate. This Sesshomaru will not let harm come to you or our family. Any who dare to try will suffer by my claws." She chuckled, laying her head on his shoulder, her face buried into his neck. "Koneko. I am not sure how it happened," he paused as she sat up. Placing a hand over her stomach, he met her gaze. "You carry."

Shock filled her face, and then fear. Both of her hands snapped to her belly over his. "Is it okay? I died, was i-"

"Shh." He kissed her lips gently, face tormented for a moment as he thought about the death of his family. "You are both fine." That was what he was going to have to keep telling himself. At least until it didn't bring him so much pain to see her dead. He didn't know if there would ever be a time that he could think on this day and not hurt.

Kagome calmed immediately, relaxing. She smirked suddenly, looking at Sesshomaru with mischievousness. "So, you're not sure how this happened?" Sesshomaru just looked at her, not liking the tone she was using. "Didn't your mother ever teach you about the birds and the bees? You see, when two adults-"

Sesshomaru grabbed her lips, glaring at her. "The curse, Miko. That is why this one is unsure of how it happened."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Think about. Anytime I was hurt in the dream world it happened in real life." She saw him look at her neck where the scar of his claw narks would always remain. "Plus there was that time where you could smell that I was fertile, and then all the times while we were stuck in my time and you were human."

"Hn. And yet, you did nothing to stop to the creation of life." He saw the fear that formed on her face suddenly, and he soothed it by rubbing his thumb over her belly. "Do not think this one is not content with my heir. I simply wonder why?"

"I didn't actually know that I would end up pregnant. I guess I thought the curse wouldn't let it happen as well." she leaned against him once more, her face in his neck. "I didn't plan to get pregnant. Naraku is still out there and having a baby with him around isn't the best idea. But what's happened has happened, and I love our baby already."

"Perfect little mate." Sesshomaru held kagome to him, taking the feel of her heart beating against his and using it to settle his thoughts. She wasn't officially his mate yet, but she would be very soon. When that happened, nothing would take her away from him. His family would be protected at all cost.