The Palace of Wolves
Heat- a time when females generally become more passive and ready for male suitors. Not a huge problem at all for yokai in sync with the demons inside them. A problem for demons who are not in sync with their demons( or, their inner emotions and needs).
Marked One- A marking given to a Daiyokai or yokai by their mate's venom. It usually takes the form of markings inherited by birth. It gives a mated pair the ability to feel each other's emotions and, in intensely close relationships, the ability to speak telepathically or even, read their mate's thoughts. It also gives them the ability to communicate over long distances.
Daiyokai- a royal blooded yokai- Sesshomaru and Inu No Taisho are a good example. Known for being much stronger than their yokai counterparts ; usually having bright markings on their skin, and a coat color of black, white, or red. Only able to eat the flesh and blood of other demons, as well as humans.
Italics mean a character's thoughts
"blah"- means a character's dialogue.
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Sesshomaru, a tiny ball of white light, zipped through the trees. The silver moonlight filtering through black branches as he fled for his life, fled for his pride, his titles. For everything he had.
Behind this tiny ball scores of demons followed, bending trees, smashing through rocks. Shrieking their angry voices to the heavens and scattering birds to the winds in fear.
Normally Sesshomaru would have been more than happy to engage them. In fact, had been doing so these last few days. But it had wasted more time than he'd thought, more precious time than he had. The change had taken ahold of his body so fast; making him weak. Hungry. Tired.
Vulnerable.
Rin was in the hanyou's human village; Jaken, in the Foo-Dog Palace. Ah-Un, comfortably safe in the stables of the palace with plenty of food and water.
It had been about five years since the defeat of Naraku.
And it had been about five hundred years since Sesshomaru had taken a demon- or demoness- to his bed. Triggering the response his body was having now.
Causing a transformation in him he'd never thought possible if he hadn't heard it from his mother's own lips. He'd been fighting these damn hoards for days. He should've fled, should have believed her, should not have wasted his time on them.
But he did. And now he was out of time.
He paused and leaned against a tree, golden eyes unfocused. His normally sixty inches of beautiful silver locks sweaty and tangled at the ends.
The first week will be the transformation. The last week, your yokai will be in heat. You must stay in the Palace. I forbid you from leaving.
Sesshomaru panted as he remembered her words and his own.
I will not. I will stay at the outpost. No yokai will catch my scent there. And I'll not provide you or anyone else with heirs to the Foo-Dog Palace, mother. Not in this life.
Ignoring the high-pitched whining noise in his ears and the huge gash in his side where he'd been struck.
We shall see. But remember, if you come back with a belly full of bastards…
Sesshomaru's clawed hand pressed tight over the wound as it tried to close.
It'll take but one blow to rid you of them.
Remembering the wicked way Inukimi's claws had glittered in the light. And remembering the odd way he'd felt afterwords, the heat and anger that had rushed through his chest for no reason. Why should he be angry?
There would be no pups. No bastards, no nothing. He'd come home empty as he always did and gloat. And she would be relieved, assured that she could sit on the Palace throne for a few more hundred years.
You needn't threaten me with something that will never occur.
Yet it had left him angry. Hell, he was still angry. It was part of the reason he'd fled, rather than stay locked in the Palace for this transformation. Tended to by Inukimi's servants and cooed over and fawned over and probably paired with one of the last remaining cousins of their ruined Foo-Dog line.
Weak. That's what they were. He would never lower himself to be mated to them.
He'd rather be mated to those monsters behind him. At least they weren't sniveling cowards. But the idea of being pregnant, of carrying a pup, made him want to die.
Never. Never. It will never happen.
Fuck.
All he had to do was hide. Then, everything would be back to normal. He felt more blood leaving him and felt quite dizzy.
For some reason his healing had been slower than usual too. Busy ruining the rest of his body. Bright blue blood was pulsing out of it with every beat of his heart. Him! The Lord of the West! It was so unacceptable to be this weak.
Sesshomaru gazed up at the peak of the mountain wistfully. There was an outpost there at the very top. So far from everything, so cold, the air so thin that no one could catch his scent. He needed to get there. He would be safe.
He looked back at his enemies with venom, and his lip raised to show a deadly canine.
And when I am myself again… You will be dust.
There was a challenging roar as they caught his scent again. Followed by a few more in different directions, and two from straight ahead. They were trying to cut him off. Sesshomaru gritted blood-stained teeth. He'd not been the hunted one since he was a pup… and he didn't like the role one bit.
He transformed again into that light, speeding off.
There was another yokai speeding through the forest that night. A wolf demon named Koga. Hair as black as night and eyes the glittering, unmerciful blue of a winter lake. He was following the horde of demons with some interest; having ditched Ginta and Hakkaku some time ago. They were decent enough in a fight, but this was far too many for them, and he didn't want them getting hurt.
He could take care of this lot just fine; he'd spend the last five years without his shards.
The last five years pushing himself to his utter limits.
There was quite the variety of demons; centipede people like Mistress Centipede, giants, and of course the usual array of grossly large but entirely stupid demonic animals that Koga and the other wolves of his tribe often fed on. Non sentient.
He leapt on the first from behind, kicking its ugly pig-head clean from its wide shoulders. Red blood spurted from the body in two pulses before the gigantic creature came down, tearing another tree down with it. He climbed atop its large, purple, steaming corpse and waited for an assault from the others.
That was how they usually acted anyway.
Imagine his surprise when a few turned for a moment, only to keep pursuing whatever they were tracking. Now that he was a bit closer, he could smell it too. It was familiar, lemony and icy and sharp… but there was something about it that seemed to pull at him.
Making the blood in his veins a bit hotter than usual.
The whites of his eyes turning a dark blue as his own yokai stirred under tanned skin, howling and writhing. He blinked and pushed the thing down, confused by the reaction in these feral yokai and in himself.
What was going on? They didn't normally react like this except to Daoyokai pup flesh, or the scent of a demon in oncoming heat. He'd smelled it often enough in the females of his pack to know that smell.
This wasn't heat-smell, not yet anyway. But- close? Possible? A smell that indicated it was a possibility, anyhow. Like a promise in the wind.
A most interesting smell. He would find it, he decided.
It definitely wasn't a wolf though, but it was something close.
As he twisted among the trees, using them as leverage to laugh himself through one skull after another, he pondered. The interest getting the better of him as he slowly mowed them down with the painful accuracy of an arrow through the chest.
One by one they fell. So distracted by the smell that they didn't run, didn't turn. Only gave soft noises of surprise and shock when Koga's feet, hard as hooves, found their way through necks and shoulders and legs. Nevertheless, he got a few good slashes. One on his thigh was particularly deep, causing the muscles to shudder.
They were close to the bottom of the mountain. A huge waterfall cascaded down here, ending at a pool about thirty feet wide and four feet deep. Its cold mist filled the air, and coated the ferns and moss that grew around it in file, beautiful dew.
In the middle of the waterfall was a rock that parted the water just slightly.
Koga's blade found its way through the last of the giant's heads. Its hands reaching up and grasping at the place where its head used to be as it staggered and finally fell. Its wretched, stinking blood pouring and killing the grass as it slowly melted. The wolf bouncing away and wrinkling his nose in disgust.
Freezing when he caught that smell again.
Sesshomaru.
This is his smell? Something's not right.
The Foo-Dog was at the edge of the water, hand still pressed tight to his wound. A beautiful blue stain on his otherwise immaculate white-and-red ensemble.
He was as silent as ever. But Koga couldn't help but look at him; he'd only seen the demon lord one other time, and that had been when he was very small.
But he had to admit the other was quite a looker. Even when horribly injured.
His fur and hair was like starlight; smooth and rippling, reflecting only brilliant silver and soft blue. He had curiously thick lashes for a male; lashes that only accented the maroon double-stripes on his cheeks and the crescent moon on his forehead. Yet, the wideness of his shoulders and the lowness of his voice when he caught the wolf looking, and growled, was definitely male.
It was quite the warning. Koga felt the rocks skittering near his feet, felt the power of the yokai near him and the uncomfortable pressure of Sesshomaru's demonic aura crushing him. Trying to force him away.
Stay away. The marks on his cheeks, the pure whiteness of his fur, said. I'm dangerous.
And yet, Koga noticed he didn't draw that acid whip. Or his horrible swords. In fact… it seemed to take all Sesshomaru had just to keep himself standing.
Koga growled softly in response, to show he'd heard. Not in a challenging way but more of a;
Hey. I'm not doing anything wrong.
Kind of way. His eyes going back to those markings.
The marks of those meant to rule their yokai brothers and sisters. No wolf had been born with those markings in decades. And even if they had, they were not a part of the twelve zodiac rulers. The setup for their society was fairly simple; twelve main houses. Four main rulers, and each charged to protect two yokai species other than their own.
Each of the main rulers were Daiyokai; with those beautiful markings, and coats of pure white or pure black.
So much stronger than the average yokai.
For example; Lord Sesshomaru was the great Demon Dog of the West. His and his mother's charges were to protect the pig and sheep yokai that lived inside and around the Foo-Dog Palace.
"I could help you." Koga offered in barely a whisper. He always kept medicine on him; for he always expected to get into scraps. So far he'd been correct in that assumption.
Sesshomaru glared at the wolf yokai incredulously. Half-wanted to kill him but also stunned. Swallowing down vomit that was mostly blood he hissed, " I would rather perish." And gave one last yearning look at the mountains,
I will not make it. This will have to do.
Snarling under his breath, he slipped inside the waterfall.
At least, that's what it looked like at first.
Now that Koga looked at it more carefully, there was the tiniest entrance underneath that rock. About four or five inches, where one part of the water overlapped the other slightly.
He tilted his head, his tail wagging a bit. What a cool little place! And he'd never even known about it all this time. At the very edge of his territory.
Too bad Sesshomaru had claimed it first; it was certainly a cool hideout. He could hear the Foo-Dog inside panting with pain. And Koga jumped about three feet in the air in surprise when he heard a crack of bone. Louder even, than the rush of the water pounding all around him.
There was another low whimper from the Lord of the West.
What on earth? Koga tried to sneak closer to the entrance, only to be met with another growl. This one much more powerful.
This one promised pain. He jumped about ten feet backwards.
"All right, all right. Damn. Well. Guess you're here to stay. But don't expect me to go hunting for you. What the hell is happening to you, anyway? Your smell is what attracted all those damn yokai into my territory."
Koga huffed, laying down at the edge of the pool and crossing his arms behind his head. His tail flicking thoughtfully on the ground, moving the dirt.
He was met with silence.
"Not exactly talkative are ya? Well whatever. I'll figure it out soon enough. Whatever it is, ya can't hide it forever. But at least this is a pretty good spot. Your smell is already fading." He noted. The mist was already hiding that interesting smell; in a few hours, it'd probably be disbursed to the point where most yokai wouldn't be able to pinpoint it to Sesshomaru's exact location.
Koga sniffed again curiously, felt his yokai react again.
So strange.
"You're starting to smell like a woman." He mused, then yelped, dodging a very green, very dangerous whip as he scrambled to his feet and hopped away.
Rubbing his ankle; Sesshomaru'd managed to nick him. It stung like hell.
"Get out of here before I kill you." Sesshomaru whispered. And this time Koga could tell that he meant it. So, he left.
Relieved as he headed back that no other yokai seemed to have invaded his territory after Sesshomaru. There were a few wandering around, confused and dazed, but he managed to chase them off.
By the time he returned to the den, he was greeted by everyone. They were nervous; he usually wasn't gone for this long. He was greeted in the usual way; gentle nuzzles to his cheeks and shoulders, and shoulder pats and tail-flicks.
"Koga! Glad you're back."
"We were worried, man! You took care of all of them though. Damn! I wonder what the hell they were tracking!"
Wolves were generally a touchy breed- it was normal to have about twenty or thirty different smells on him from his pack members at a time.
A few of the yearling pups came up to him as well, and he leaned down, ruffling their fur with a smirk.
"Hello kiddos. I'm back." He picked up a red one, about three years old, smiling a little at the mother as he scratched her ears. Walking deeper into the caves. Eager for a long rest as his ankle still stung from Sesshomaru's acid. And his thigh still ached from that scratch.
The red pup fell asleep against his shoulder almost instantly. Still in her wolf form; most wolf pups could go back and forth after the first year.
He smiled in a bittersweet way and licked her pointed ear with a rough tongue.
His own pups would be about this age by now, if any of them had lived.
If Ayame had lived.
"She's beautiful. You'll have to keep her far away from the men when she comes of age." He teased to Yuki as he handed her her daughter, who blushed. " Thank you, Prince Koga."
Ginta and Hakakku hugged him tightly, " We missed you, Koga!" and he stood still for a minute before pushing them off as they blubbered. "All right, that's enough. I'm fine okay ! Sheesh. I wouldn't'a gone after em if I didn't know I could win. What do ya think I did all that training for?"
The caves were actually more intricate than most yokai realized. There were three main entrances; underground, a vast network of caves. Many leading to dead ends or shafts that led into underground caves. Meant to keep strangers from invading.
So far, it had worked.
Anytime they'd been attached, they'd just lured their attackers deeper and deeper into the caves. And none of them had survived the journey.
For the save caves were one of the first things that the pups learned after birth.
Koga had three other main cave networks, just like this, that the tribe moved to seasonally to keep up with game.
There was storage for food, rooms for the yokai, feasting rooms, meeting rooms, medicine rooms, restrooms… Everything a yokai could ever ask for. Lit by oil lamps about every five to ten feet depending on the length of the cave.
Soon enough they came to another fork in the caves. The two wolves gave Koga another hug before going off to the right with a soft, " Bye Koga! Night! See ya tomorrow!"
While the prince banked off to the left. Moving the second door he came to and them closing it behind him. It was one of the few rooms that actually had a door- most, just had curtains. But he'd found that he liked the quiet sometimes.
He also liked the privacy of not being teased after a mating session with Ayame.
She had been more of a screamer than he'd realized.
He stretched and sighed, lighting the lamp near the door. Orange light illuminating his room. There was a bed; a table and chairs for meetings. A second, couch-like bed for Ginka and Hakakku whenever they got drunk and couldn't be trusted to navigate the caves safely. A second, much smaller room for all of his medicines and poultices. He'd gotten pretty good at them, and now was trusted as the second-in-line healer in the pack whenever things went wrong.
He slipped off his leg protectors, and the bandaging that kept his feet from getting too scratched up. Hanging up his armor and sword on the wall and pulling the tie from his ponytail in order to attempt to brush it.
Grabbing an old comb off of the built- in shelving( which was really just some very creative claywork among the roots that laced through part of his den). It was a pretty thing he'd stolen some time ago; tortoiseshell maybe? He wasn't sure, but it did the job better than his claws.
Thinking mildly of Sessshomaru's hair as he did so. How the hell did he keep his hair so nice all the time? He must groom it constantly. Koga's hair wasn't even half as long, yet got matted and tangled every single day.
He wondered vaguely if Sesshomaru had ever mated. Or taken a mate for more than a one-night stand. It didn't seem possible. He was too far away, too cold.
What was happening to that dog demon anyway? His nose was never wrong. And it was something painful, and bloody.
And utterly unique.
He'd decided not to tell them. The other members in his pack didn't have as good of a nose as he did, so they probably wouldn't find him. Anyway, he felt… strangely protective of the whole situation. He was the one who'd found Sesshomaru after all.
Whatever was happening to him, Koga wanted to be the first to know.
Koga curled up under an enormous, soft bear pelt. One of the many gifts he'd gotten Ayame when he courted her. And as much as he hated to admit it… He was glad he'd run into the demon lord.
It was the first interesting thing that had happened to him in some time.
He blew out the lamp, thinking in the darkness as he pulled the pelt over his shoulder.
Koga could have any female in the pack that he wanted. Hell, he could probably get away with more than one but for some reason, he just hadn't been interested. It wasn't like they were bad candidates. Many were beautiful, and quite smart; good cooks, good with tools, good hunters. Any of them would be a good mate for him, and he was starting to get some pressure from the elders to bloody well find someone and settle down.
But…
Koga closed his eyes tighter and gritted his teeth just a bit. He didn't want to go through the same thing he had with Ayame again. He didn't know if he could take another few years like that.
Years and years of terrible, bloody miscarriages that ripped them both apart. He just didn't understand it. They were both perfectly healthy. And yet there seemed to be something in his blood that didn't agree with her.
Something wrong in him that tore her apart from the inside out.
It had been after the last one that she'd contracted pneumonia. And despite the effort of him and every other healer she'd passed three years ago.
He should have been over it by now. But he wasn't.
Koga fell into an uneasy sleep and rose as the sun did. Starting a border patrol at dawn and a hunt afterwords; bringing three of his fastest with him. He didn't know why, but he wanted to hurry through his morning tasks so he could have some time to himself in the afternoon.
By breakfast time, the three wolf demons brought back as many demon boars and deer as they could carry for his hungry pack. Koga carrying one over each shoulder; laughing as the littler ones tried to jump up and rip off pieces.
"Hey, Hey! Let 'em cook first. I promise you'll all be fed, okay?"He said as he handed them off to a few females, who started cutting them apart expertly. Arms and legs- them, cutting them down the middle to drain their blood and helping to hoist them into a nearby tree.
"Thanks. You know we'd fall apart without ya."He muttered as he passed, letting his fingers brush slightly along all three of their shoulders as he walked past. The three females smiled back, " Damn right, Prince." Their tails wagging slightly at the praise.
"Oi. I'm goin' out for a bit. I'll be back before dinner." He called to the other wolves, who gave a few nods and waves to show that they'd heard.
He'd been better about recognizing their roles, thanks to Ayame. There was really no more 'women's work' and men's work now. There was simply work. And whatever you were better at, you did.
He left in a whirl of wind. When the shards had first been taken, he'd been so incredibly painfully slow. But now, he was actually as fast as he'd been before the shards, if not more so. Not that it had been easy.
As he left, he snagged a deer leg. It was still hot; its dark blue demon fur stained with blood.
He knew the only thing Daiyokai ate was other yokai; and, their blood. So, why not bring Sesshomaru a snack? Maybe it'd make him slightly less likely to kill him.
Maybe it curb his foul temper a bit.
Doubtful. But it was worth a shot.
His tail wagged a little at the thought. Why did he care? He didn't know. But it was something that kept him occupied, something that stopped him thinking about everything he'd lost. And so he was grateful.
Sesshomaru was an excellent distraction.
When he arrived, he knew Sesshomaru could sense him as another hostile growl ripped out of the waterfall. Shaking the ground a bit, and sending little shockwaves up Koga's feet. His tail tucking between his legs for a minute before he found his courage.
"Yeah yeah. Got it. I'm not coming in, all right? I just brought you some food. Prolly gonna leave you some medicine too, though you probably don't need it. You Daiyokai heal hella fast."
He saw a single, yellow eye in that crack between the water for a minute, and his breath caught in his throat. It was glittering like acid. Like fire. Framed in white, and those beautiful maroon stripes on his cheek.
"Go away, wolf filth."
Sesshomaru was angry. Furious even. He felt the press of his demonic aura and it felt like he couldn't breath for a moment. Though… he had a feeling it wasn't just at Koga, but at whatever was happening. His scent was still strange, and he smelled like he was in quite some pain.
He could just barely smell the scent of sweat and blood. Some fresh, and some old.
"Hey. I'm heading out. Promise." Koga held up his arms, showing he meant no harm, and was met with a hissing growl.
He knew he was playing a dangerous game. Yet… He knew Sesshomaru was too hurt to harm him. At least, right now.
Because if he could, he would have killed Koga already. At least, that's the way he saw it. That eye soon moved away from the gap, much to Koga's dismay.
He left the food and medicine there.
The next day, he found it both items destroyed, and rolled his eyes.
For being a demon lord, Sesshomaru could act very much like a pup throwing a tantrum sometimes.
Over the next few days, the Foo-Dog was curiously silent. Sleeping usually when Koga approached and not waking if he was very quiet which was odd. Usually, Sesshomaru could detect him from miles away; it was part of the reason he'd never run into him.
Now though, he seemed too hurt to bother. Or perhaps he just didn't see Koga as much of a threat. Either way.
He noted that after a few more repeats of the initial reaction to food, the demon lord soon started taking the gifts. At first he thought that Sesshomaru was just flinging them into the forest, but he never seemed to be able to find them. Not even bones.
It was fascinating. He was a fascinating, dangerous creature and Koga was utterly perplexed by his actions.
And intrigued. Finally, something to hold on to. And that smell from before? It was still there, Changing a bit more everyday. Koga often found himself resting at the rim of that water on his back, looking up at the clouds and daydreaming. Seeing how long Sesshomaru would tolerate his presence before getting that acid whip out again.
He had several marks on his feet and thighs now, but he was getting faster.
Koga felt strangely at peace when he was playing with fire. Sesshomaru's smell was faintly comforting as well as alluring. It made his yokai want to bubble to the surface and sometimes, made his blood run south which was strange as well.
Whenever the occasional yokai found Sesshomaru's scent, he immediately attacked them. Tracking them and stopping them well before they got anywhere near the waterfall.
Even a few male wolf yokai had come sniffing, and he'd had to gently redirect them. It was strange. And when he fought, sometimes he could see he glint of a yellow eye as Sesshomaru watched.
It wasn't just dumb yokai that came, unfortunately. Smart ones came too- ones that were bigger, stronger than Koga by quite some measure. A dragon yokai in his human form. A bear yokai.
But unfortunately for them they were not fast. And they were not smart.
And Koga was actually quite the fighter. Using his speed and his environment rather than brute strength against his enemy. Cornered one too many times to run away and for some weird reason.. he didn't want to. Especially when Sesshomaru was watching, or even when he wasn't.
Maybe he was showing off a bit, though he didn't know why.
It was dark now.
There were always more in the dark. In fact, Koga had taken to sleeping near the pool from midnight to about four am, when they seemed to appear from nowhere. Sesshomaru's whip kept them at bay when he wasn't around, but… lately he'd noted that Sesshomaru didn't seem to be fighting off the stronger ones.
As if he wanted them to come inside.
As if he wanted to be found.
It was bizarre behavior.
Koga sighed, sitting with a pained grunt at the edge of the pool and dipping his sword in the clear water to clean it. He had scratch and bites marks all over him, as well as a slash on his forearm from the sword of the bear yokai that had been the most recent visitor.
Koga muttered, " You know, you're lucky I'm here saving you against all these damn yokai, Sesshomaru. Even though there's hardly any particles around, they still seem to be tracking you. And you're not exactly driving them away, either-"
He paused when he heard an odd sound from the Foo-Dog. Something he'd only ever heard from Ayame, and only during very certain times.
It was like… a very gentle low growl. The wolf and dog equivalent of a cat purr. It sent shivers all up his tanned skin, and his blood was suddenly heavy in his veins. He froze. Glancing up.
There was that same eye from before. But this time, the whites of Sesshomaru's eyes were blood-red, while the iris's were filled with a dark blue.
It was Sesshomaru's yokai at the wheel now; Sesshomaru's demon controlling his mind and body.
.
That smell. Her eyelashes seemed thicker than before, the curve of her jaw gentler. Thinner eyebrows. And the general frame of her seemed smaller too. And all the sudden, he understood the smell.
Sesshomaru had transformed into a female.
A female halfway through a very light heat.
That was why.
Koga staggered backwards. Sheathing his sword in shock and forcing his yokai back down with some effort. Damn. Well, that explained a lot. Why she hadn't been fighting them off.
She hadn't wanted to. That was no longer the goal.
Koga's mind was racing. How the hell was this possible? He didn't know Daiyokai could just.. like, do that? And moreover, why the hell was she in a heat? That was usually a wolf thing, unless.
Well. He paused, thinking it over. Hadn't he been told of some pretty weird reactions in Daiyokai if they hadn't taken anyone to bed? He wouldn't put it past Sesshomaru, the ice king, to 'forget' to take a mate. He didn't seem like the mating type. Or even the touching type. It was hard to imagine him being intimate with anyone.
Maybe his yokai had taken matters into her own hands.
Koga sighed. Well. He couldn't very well let Sesshomaru get taken by some damn wayward yokai. He didn't really know him, but he didn't think anyone of his rank deserved that.
Even if he had been whipped a few times.
Now, he understood the fear he'd seen in Sesshomaru's eyes. He knew why Koga wanted to be near, even if the wolf didn't.
He heard her move and closed his eyes, " Uh-uh! You stay away, vile temptress!" drawing his sword and pointing it at her as he felt her come closer. Closing his eyes and waiting for the whip, or worse. Not even looking at her for fear of his yokai taking over.
Koga couldn't let that happen. Because if he did, his yokai would probably lose.
And everyone knew that if you weren't a worthy mate for a Daiyokai, you were eaten.
He preferred life.
He felt something hot and wet draw its way up his leg. Over the claw marks that had ripped through him earlier. In his surprise he forgot to close his eyes.
Watching as Sesshomaru's tongue drew along his dirtied, bloody claw marks. Fascinated as the skin was instantly repaired. Healthy, clean scabs replacing the raggedly torn skin and the mess of blood and dirt underneath.
"You have a surprising amount of restraint. For a filthy wolf cur." Said the not-Sesshomaru, and he felt her nose near his neck as she sniffed his skin. His heart was racing a million miles an hour and he was terrified.
Would she rip out his throat?
Something about his smell seemed to please her, though. He felt a little warm huff of approval from her.
" Perhaps you'll do."
Golden eyes looking over at the glint of sun that was rising over the mountains with disapproval.
This wolf was going to have to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow evening was the correct time for this wolf to become hers, or dinner. Either one. Not tonight.
She was gone in an instant, back inside the cave. Leaving a baffled and slightly aroused wolf outside in the dirt. Terrified.
He was back far too late to the wolf tribe. The other were growing worried; they did not understand where he had been, and so late. Covered in scratches and bites.
But he'd been careless and stupid, and had forgotten to bathe before returning.
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"Koga!"
Ginka said sleepily, hugging his wolf brother. " Oh, man. Where are you? You've been gone more and more often, we-"
He paused, smelling Koga's leg with interest.
"Hey. Hey! Get off." Koga said, grumpily. Nudging the other wolf away. Dark circles under his eyes as he tried to process everything. No wonder he was so interested in her.
Maybe it'd be best if he just stayed the hell away, let some other weak yokai claim her.
But… his stomach knotted slightly. It'd only be a few more days. A few more days, and Sesshomaru'd be back to his old horrible self.
Problem was… he wasn't sure if he could trust himself around her now that he'd figured it out.
" Well, no wonder!" Ginka said, laughing softly, his tail wagging, " You found a girl! No wonder you've been gone all the time!"
Koga clamped a hand over Ginka's mouth. "Shush! Wouldja! Doesn't anyone around here know how to keep a secret?" Ginka muttered something unintelligible behind Koga's hand before giving it a lick. Koga let go, wiping his hand on his pelt in disgust.
" I ain't seein' nobody. I'm just protecting a female until her heat is over. That's all." Ginka raised a brow, crossing his arms in disbelief.
"Uh huh."
"That's all! Okay!" Koga snarled, his own tail bristling a little. " Nothing happened!"
The other wolf said softly, " Can I at least tell Hakakku? And a few of the runners? They're all really worried about you, Koga. If you die, well. It's not exactly like we've got a lot of other good options."
Koga's tail went down a bit, and he sighed. Ginka was probably right… they needed to know. They'd feel better about his weird hours, and he'd be able to stop coming up with stupid excuses all the time.
" Fine. But… remember, nothing's gonna happen. All right?" He muttered, heading back to bed. He sighed when he returned. It was so cool, so quiet.
He missed her. And he missed coming home to someone.
He debated going, he really did.
He knew the smart thing to do would be to avoid her. Sesshomaru was dangerous. His yokai was even more dangerous. If he didn't watch himself, he'd end up mating her. And then what? Sesshomaru would probably kill him, and the pups. And he preferred not to be dead. As Ginka had said, his pack didn't have a whole lot of other options as leaders. There were the elders of course, but…
The needed him. He had an obligation to his pack. He needed to stop going.
And yet.
There was such an awful hunger in him now.
He couldn't sleep. Koga was too hot, too cold. And unable to get her stupid eyes and voice out of his head.
The wolf needed to know she was okay.
The thought of her taking another yokai to bed making him sick to his stomach.
He knew it made him no better than those wretched non-sentient yokai, and that made him feel worse. If he'd known this was Sesshomaru's ailment he would have stayed the hell away.
He had an obligation to finish what he'd started. To protect her until everything was back to normal. But he also had an obligation not to get murdered.
Was getting laid worth being murdered? His body seemed to think so, and that was frustrating.
He managed to stay away from her for about a day.
But he could not resist her.
Around four in the morning, he ran, silently through the forest.
Surprised when he found her outside the cave for the first time. In her full Foo-Dog form.
And she was terrifying. Bigger than the trees, bigger than the waterfall. Huge red eyes with little electric blue irises. So many backward-hooked teeth. Claws as big as his arm and a huge, snakelike tongue.
Corrosive drool, faintly green, that hissed as if dripped from her mouth.
She'd killed three male yokai, and was currently in the middle of devouring the fourth one. She looked up when he approached.
Throwing her head back and swallowing the rest of the yokai before he heard a soft voice in his head. Her voice.
Fight me.
He barely had time to react. She was upon him, closing the space between them at alarming speed. He took his own wolf form, faster than he ever had before. He was a handsome yokai in his own right, but small.
Far smaller than Sesshomaru. His shoulder barely at her belly. Looking like a yearling or perhaps even a pup.
He slipped between her legs as her jaws went for his neck. Eager to crush. Eager to eat. Clearly, the food he'd brought hadn't been enough to sate her.
She snarled in unpleasant surprise as he went to the other end of the clearing, panting and tensing. She came for him again, this time with her claws.
He yelped and slipped away; getting nicked by her top two claws. As he jumped by her, his teeth scraped along her side. A long line of red from her shoulder to her hip as his canine ripped.
And she gave a surprised bark of pain this time. Jumping away from him and licking the wound before coming at him again with increased vigor.
They crushed trees, cracked rocks. Their claws tearing up grass and bushes and turning the area into a dirty, smoking mess. Sesshomaru's saliva melting the trees and rocks wherever it landed.
He didn't know how long they fought. Only that his legs were shaking from tiredness and that he was beginning to get dizzy. Well, that, and Sesshomaru hadn't landed a full blow on him once.
If she had, he'd be dead, and he knew that. She didn't fight in this form often, and that was also working to his advantage.
Brute strength was her main method in this form. She'd never needed anything else.
But he had an idea. A crazy one. But it might work.
He scooted back, inching his back legs up onto one of the trees and setting his front legs straight. Feeling it bend slightly as she came for him again, all huge teeth and gaping pink maw.
He launched himself at her; the extra bounce from the tree managing to knock her onto her back. He stood above her, his tail wagging in delight. It had worked.
Pinned ya.
His expression said. His pink tongue lolling out from his mouth and his tail wagging furiously. She shoved him off, somehow angrier than before. He scrambled up the rocks, just slow enough to keep her right on his ass. Snapping her teeth as she lunged at him.
He waited. Framing things just right and watching her every step carefully. And when she put her paw on the moss that was just a bit too close to the waterfall, he jumped. Hitting that one shoulder with all of his weight and wincing when she bit his back leg.
It had to work. It had to.
She slipped on the wet moss.
And he fell on top of her in the water. Managing to roll her onto her back once more and pin her down once again. His expression triumphant. Hers, shocked.
Pinned ya again!
He barked once, happily. It was a game, and he was winning ! And that was what mattered. Pausing when he saw a sudden shift in those eyes. She was the one to grab him this time, but gently. Her teeth wrapping around his throat as she moved him outside of the pool by the scruff of his neck.
Transforming back into her human form with a rush of purple wind and a flexing of her demonic aura. Koga did the same, wincing and almost crying out. His leg! Fuck. He was bleeding pretty good from all her bites and scratches, worse than any other yokai he'd fought so far.
For the first time, he was a little worried. It was a lot of blood this time.
He winced when she came closer, holding up his arms defensively. "Look, I won. You can't kill me, its against the rules!" He called out, nervously.
"Oh, you're absolutely correct." He heard her cool voice. Soothing him. Licking that wound in his leg. It itched as it sealed. Her icy claws gently on his arm, bringing it down and setting it gently to his side. He scooted back a bit, watching her warily, but it didn't help.
She closed the gap between them and, so gently, cupped his head. Her claws snaking into his black hair, seeming to support his neck and the column of his spine. He got even more nervous and she murmured, " Shh, shh. It's all right. This will probably hurt, little wolf."
And before he even knew what was happening, her teeth were in his neck.
"Ow! What the-" He went to grab her, tear her off. And abruptly stopped. Fire.
She was setting him on fire from the inside out. At least, that's what it felt like. His hand clenched in midair, the claws digging into the flesh of his palm. His legs kicking as if trying to run away from the pain. She set his head in her lap, holding him relatively still as he arched and screamed.
"You- you marked me…-" He couldn't even speak. His shaking hands going to his head. Feeling wave after wave consume him, and seeing only flashes of white and red.
"I did. You're mine now, Koga." She said gently.
All of the sudden, there was a crack from his spine.
His tail starting to lengthen as if it was being dragged from his form by the Gods themselves. The color changing from brown to a fierce, midnight black as dark as his hair. He would have cried out again if he'd been able, but that first one had ripped his throat.
His hands kneaded her, desperate for some kind of relief.
Sesshomaru watched with muted interest. The tail seeming to please her.
Other things were happening. Bruises appeared on his cheeks, taking form. Becoming two, beautiful dark blue stripes. One per cheek.
Others appeared on his wrists, his ankles, his ribs. His hips. All that same beautiful dark blue. The teeth in his mouth became sharper, larger. And about a thousand times stronger. Changing with the pulse of his heartbeat. Even his claws were changed; suddenly becoming clearer and glassier, and a tad longer too. More hooked.
Similar to Sesshomaru's.
A blue crescent moon appeared on his chest; low, just under the place where his two collarbones joined. Sesshomaru had marked him as a mate. Now, he could take no other; the pain would be too great.
He had no other option than Sesshomaru.
It was a sacred mark. A marked shared from one yokai to another. Reserved mostly for mates, lovers. Bonding them not only physically but also spiritually.
A mark that could not be removed.
Even now, he was vaguely aware of Sesshomaru's consciousness. Her pain; her interest and happiness in his transformation. Her thrill in finding such a wonderful mate; one that protected her from others, even when he didn't know about her heat.
Even when there was no obvious prize for him.
The final change was in his own aura; usually fleeting it was suddenly stronger. She felt the change, and there was a tiny pleased smile on her face. So, there was some worthy blood in the wolves after all.
When it was over, he wanted to pass out. Begged to. But for some reason he was still awake. And could feel her claws gently in his hair, combing it back.
He looked at his own wrist in disbelief. Tracing the mark gently with his claw. Even that tiny movement exhausting.
"What a beautiful Daiyokai you are, wolf." She whispered, and he felt her nuzzle his temple. That same low purr in her throat as she picked him up. Carrying him with his torso leaning against hers and his legs thrown over one of her arms.
" I'm not, I'm not…" He whispered in quiet wonder and fear.
"You are. I thought you were. I smelled it in you." She said, her voice a sweet, chilly drink of water on a hot afternoon. He didn't want it to be soothing but it was.
He looked back at the clearing. All ripped up, dirt and twisted trees. And realized with a kind of far-off alarm that she was not carrying him back to the wolf tribe. But back into her cave.
"Wait." He whispered, an arm reaching out. Wincing and drawing it back with pain. Even his bones hurt.
" It's all right. I'm going to take care of you. My beautiful, smart wolf." She assured him. And he passed out in her arms as she made her way into the cave.
She let him sleep as long as she could, but the urges were nagging at her. They needed to get to it before her heat was over. And she wasn't going to let this opportunity go.
Koga was woken from an uneasy sleep by very gentle, very soft kisses.
He smiled just a little, tail flicking contentedly. Ayame? She woke him up like that, sometimes. The taste was a little different than he remembered though.
Koga opened his eyes. His soft expression turning to alarm when he saw Sesshomaru's vast, red and blue eyes. Like a broken sunrise.
She was so beautiful, and her smell was all around. Choking him. Her face and markings so striking in the low moonlight. The way her hair curled into her collarbones and over her tiny shoulders and between those small, cute breasts.
"Wait-wait-" He said, sitting up, his heart racing once more. Sesshomaru wouldn't want this! He had to get out of here! He felt her hand gently on his cheek and trembled. Weird. She was actually warm.
He didn't like how tender she was being. "You gotta let me go. Please. I don't wanna hurt you." He murmured, giving a desperate glance at the gap between that wall of water. She smiled, and moved slightly. And he flushed when he felt the weight of her hips right up against his. And was embarrassed to feel that rush of blood that he couldn't exactly hide at the moment.
" You're not going to hurt me." She whispered, leaning down. He laid flat to try and get away, jumping nearly out of his skin when he felt her mouth on the mark. Flushing when he felt a weird jolt and his yokai jump in his skin.
"Wait-"
"No." She said, simply. And bit down gently on the mark. And the whites of Koga's eyes filled with blue.
But he'd be lying if he said he didn't remember anything.
He remembered the beauty of her. How the moonlight shone on that lily white skin and those pretty maroon stripes. Remembered tracing them with his claws.
Remembered her taste in his mouth and the way she scratched all the way down his back.
Remembered the pulsing warmth of her around him.
Remembered her expression when his warmth spread through her, filling her from the inside out. It seemed to be more than usual; and so powerful he felt totally drained afterwards. His arms bent as he cupped her skull, and her legs delicately over his back and new tail.
When he was himself, the deed was done. And he'd be lying if he said he never wanted it to happen again.
"Damn you." He whispered angrily, and she smiled, leaning up to kiss him. His anger slowly fading as he began to kiss back. Feeling her wrists so gently wrapped around the back of his neck. Her silver hair spread on the pelts below them like a spilled jug of mercury while his hung in that damp ponytail. The bangs tickling her forehead and that blue crescent mark.
They could not have been more different; him, a black mirror to reflect her beautiful light. Dark, tanned skin to her snow. A wolf and a dog. But…
As angry as he was, how scared, he was also strangely elated.
He pressed their foreheads together, giving a long sigh. She was still purring faintly, and it was contagious.
"When Sesshomaru kills me, it'll be your fault." He muttered, and she smirked, " That's not going to happen. Promise."
"Uh huh. Sure." He huffed, raising a brow. She hummed, " You can't kill your marked one. Your yokai prevents it. I chose you, and I won't let that happen." She traced the mark on his chest with her claw gently.
He shivered at her touch. It had been a long time. Also he was quite a bit fuzzier than her, so her touches seemed to reach farther.
After a moment, he went in for another kiss.
She tasted so wonderful. Lemony but also very faintly sweet. He started marking her with his smell- gently rubbing his cheek along hers, the line of her jaw. Placing more kisses on her and even a playful nip on her neck. Blinking when he saw quite a few bruises blossoming on her skin.
"Oops. Sorry."
She was taller than him, even in this form. So reaching her neck was pretty easy. She shook her head, " Do not apologize. I wanted them." He relaxed just a little. Shifting his hips to gently pull out of her before wiping her clean and pulling her to his chest.
"What are you even doing. Are you crazy. You should've just mated some other Foo-Dog." He muttered in her ear. She tucked her head under his chin and curled her arms up to his chest.
" No. Our line is weak without the Inu No Taisho. We needed to go back to the source of all dogs." She murmured back, playing with a strand of his black hair and curling it around her finger. He looked down at her in surprise, fighting off sleep.
The source of all dogs.
So. Getting stuck in his territory had not been an accident.
" You're horribly manipulative, you know that?" He whispered, rubbing an eye. She just scooted closer to him and murmured, " Get some sleep, wolf. I'm nowhere near done with you."
And unfoutunately, she wasn't. When he tried to remember the next few days, he only remembered the times he'd come up for air. Going out of the cave to hunt for them or take a piss. Other than that, he was pretty sure they spent the next two days going at it like rabbits.
He tried to stop it, but his attempts were futile. And some terrible part of him knew that he didn't want to stop. He wanted Sesshomaru as a mate. He was strong and powerful, the Lord of the Western lands. But honestly? He didn't really care about the money and land.
No…
What fascinated him the most was the idea of Sesshomaru as his mate. Curling up together. Hunting together. Perhaps someday, seeing the ice king carrying his pup around. Was it even possible? He could barely picture it, but he still wanted to see it.
A stupid fantasy, but one nevertheless that he was attached to. He wanted to find the yokai beneath the ice. Surely, there was someone still down there in those icy depths.
That last day, she was unusually quiet. Not going after him like usual, just contentedly bundled in the furs close by the fire. Occasionally, he saw flickers of Sesshomaru's eyes- that catlike yellow. And it thrilled and terrified him.
She was looking out that little slit into the night. Meanwhile, Koga was looking forward to catching up on some much- needed sleep.
"You've been quiet today."
"It's the last day of my heat. It's ended early." She said softly, a very small smile on her face. He stretched a bit, not missing the pinch of his armor around his shoulders. " Mm. So I'll be murdered tomorrow. Good to know."
The Foo-Dog sent him an amused glance. " No. You're just going to be busy convincing her to stay." Her arm crossing over her abdomen before saying very quietly, " You'll have to take care of us, Koga. I'm your dame now." Wrapping her long, fluffy tail over her feet in quiet contentment.
He paused mid-stretch. His arms and legs curling back as he whispered, " You're… " trailing off in shock and surprise. He knew yokai could detect it early, though. Far earlier than they could.
Dame was a slang term in candid culture for a high-ranking female, a wife, or the mother of someone's pups, depending on context.
But he was pretty sure he knew the context of that sentence.
He scooted closer, hesitating for a moment before looking up at her for permission. When she nodded, he moved a part of the pelt, sniffing lightly along her abdomen.
There was something different. Faintly breadlike, the smell of fresh milk. He'd smelled it before with Ayame. But hers had always had the tainted smell of blood… like something was wrong.
He didn't smell that now.
"Is-is it okay? Are you gonna be able to carry it to term?" He whispered, touching the skin lightly with his claws. The tremor in his voice clear. She tilted her head a bit at his anxiety and assured him, " We're both strong Daiyokai. You're a strong sire. I smell no defects. The pup will be fine."
She saw his reaction and murmured, " You had a mate before who- was not carrying properly." It wasn't really even a question, and he flinched a bit.
"It is because of the Daiyokai blood in you. The potential. Some yokai cannot carry a Daiyokai child; it's difficult for them. But I am one, so there will be little issue."
His eyes widened. No wonder… no wonder. Poor Ayame. If he'd been a regular wolf everything would have been fine.
Then again, I'd be dead. He thought sarcastically, There was no way Sesshomaru would have taken him as a mate if she hadn't smelled that potential in his blood. She would have killed him without a thought.
Koga wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his cheek very gently against her abdomen. His claws tight in the pelt and nearly poking through the thick leather. She petted his dark hair and purred slightly as he whispered, "Fuck…" under his breath. A tear streaking down before he wiped it away hastily.
"I'll take care of all of you. I promise. I promise." He whispered, hugging her a bit tighter. She sighed and said softly, " You will have to protect them against their mother." And he looked up, not understanding.
"Sesshomaru will try to drink the poison. You cannot let her return to the Foo-Dog Palace, not for that first month. Call upon the right of the marked one, or even the right of the sire if you have to. She cannot ignore the laws of our kind. But she will do everything she can to forget this ever happened. She is…" Her yokai paused before admitting, "Damaged. You will need to be patient. And teach her how to love."
Koga's expression hardened. Yes, he would protect them against everything. Even their own mother. He could not let a perfectly healthy pup meet the same fate his others had.
" I promise. The pup won't be harmed." He whispered. His blue eyes as hard as the drifting glaciers, as cold as an artic sea.
He would not let Sesshomaru hurt their baby.
Sesshomaru's yokai purred, "Good." And rubbed his shoulders gently until he relaxed. They fell asleep in each other's arms.
And the next morning, Sesshomaru woke in the arms of a black wolf.
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Hello to everyone !
This is just a random pairing that popped into my head. Please drop me a review if you like it to let me know if I should keep going with the story! Thanks !