Chapter Sixteen

"The Hunters, known for their violent crimes have finally been found by the police a week ago after a bomb exploded within their hideout location. The police have confirmed that no members have survived and have yet to conclude any suspects that may have set off this explosion. The situation is still under investigation. The ring leader of the Hunter organization has been named, "Naraku Onigumo", an ex-military solider." The voices of news reporters echoed from every television screen in the hospital. Sighs of relief went around the patient sector. The Hunters who were well known for their evil criminal activities were finally rid of this world.

The distant sound of cheering muffled past her room door. Her eyes remained closed for the past week. Doctors had diagnosed that she had used up too much reiki along with the shock of the poison. His silent figure stood by her side. With no other witness, his finger brushed the side of her cheek. He could feel the flow of his youkai ki through her blood. Sliding his finger down past her neck, it caressed the crescent moon along her shoulder.

The mark alone seemed to heal this one sided love.

It was proof that she was his... for perhaps that moment in time.

Engraving her image in his mind, he would keep the memory forever.

Clawed hands withdrew from her as he stepped one step back. Sensing another presence approach, he heard the door slide open.

Touga walked into the room where his son and daughter were. "I thought I'd better speak to you before she wakes up, Sesshomaru."

Knowing what his father wanted, he remained silent for him to continue.

Touga pinched the bridge of his nose in confusion. "So, what am I going to tell Kagome when she wakes up?"

"The truth," to the extent of what his father knew.

"So... she was dying of poison and you marked her because it could cancel out the poison to save her?" Touga saw his son look at him as if it was obvious. He knew it was the only thing his son could have done to save her, yet a marking was not that simple. It meant that his youkai ki already accepted the individual as their mate. For one's youkai ki to accept someone was not an easy task. There was also the issue of what the mating mark would do to Kagome.

As if his son could read his mind, Sesshomaru said curtly, "She can reject it."

Touga's head spun to look at Sesshomaru. He was beyond lost now. For one, Sesshomaru actually successfully marked Kagome to save her. Secondly, Sesshomaru wouldn't mind allowing Kagome to keep the mark. Another, Sesshomaru would not be able to mate another if he left the mark on Kagome. Lastly, he didn't mind if Kagome rejected the mark?

His son had crushed youkai mating traditions all at once. Massaging the sides of his temples, he mumbled to himself. "Is this all really just to save Kagome?"

With the only thought that could possibly make sense in his mind, Touga blurted out, "Do you love her?"

The stoic expression of his son did not change at his question. Perhaps he was wrong, Touga thought to himself.

"Father, you were able to mark my mother whom you did not love and forcibly unmarked her in order for Izayoi to stay by your side." The chill of his voice left the other cold.

The sting of guilt stabbed at him from the sentence. Touga knew he deserved it, yet he had never heard his son talk about his relationship with Inukimi in such a way. Perhaps his son was warning him that he had no right to question him. Perhaps he was stating the fact that a mark was not as big of a deal. "So what if Kagome decides to keep the mark and you find someone you wish to mate?"

"I will not." Certainty rang clear in his voice.

Touga realized why his son was able to mark Kagome so easily. Sesshomaru had no plans on mating anyone, period. He knew his son never showed interest in another being, except for Kagome. Was he doomed to remain alone for the rest of his life? He had hoped Sesshomaru would find happiness with another.

##

The large house grew quiet in the evening. Blue eyes unconsciously searched for her mother, having not seen her since she was told of the truth behind her birth mother. Knowing that this was not the time to address her mother yet, she remained silent. Following the footsteps of her older brother from behind, she fell into a trance by the sway of his silky hair.

After a week and a half, she woke up from her slumber and fully healed. She almost mistook the white walls that surrounded her at the hospital as the afterlife. A sinking feeling grew within the pit of her stomach. She wondered how she cheated death.

An evil laughter echoed in her mind.

The memory of the events that day disturbed her. It had been scary, she admitted. She came face to face with death. Why was it that in that moment...she wanted to see Sesshomaru one last time? She remembered his arms wrapped around her for what she thought was the last time. In that moment, the uncontrollable fear of dying was lost and forgotten. She felt safe in his embrace. She always felt safe with him.

Why?

Wasn't it strange that she didn't even think of Arata, her husband?

Shaking away from her thoughts, she entered her father's study room. She wanted answers and she knew she would be getting them very soon. He approached her and gave her a big hug, making her feel like a child again. Soon sitting across from him, Kagome watched his expression slowly change into concern.

"Daughter, how are you feeling?" The soft tone relaxed her. She reassured, "I'm all better now."

She could feel the hesitance causing her curiosity to spike even more. Glancing at Sesshomaru, his blank gaze gave her no hints as to what was supposed to happen.

Touga cleared his throat and wondered where to start the story from. Recalling the day his own father had passed down this piece of of knowledge, he repeated the story, "In ancient times when the world was created, the Kamis appointed four youkai clans to be the guardians of the Earth. They were known as the Four Lords. The Four Lords observed for centuries as the land was consumed with only hatred between youkai and humans. Humans were envious of the youkai for their strength and immortal-like lifespan. The youkai were envious of humans for their community and love for life. The Four Lords pondered on ways to have the two race learn to live in peace. Over decades of hatred between the two races, it slowly evolved. The youkai blood had slowly disappeared and adapted. It became unusual for a youkai to wield supernatural power and grew to have an even lifespan as long as a human's. Likewise, humans grew intelligent and wise equal to a youkai. The world was able to live in peace through this way. A balance."

Kagome remembered the stories her mother told her about how youkai and humans used to live in the feudal era. She just didn't understand why her father was explaining an old children's story to her.

"However, the Four Lords were still appointed as the guardians of the Earth. It became their law that their youkai blood must remain pure. Thus, they remained with immense powers and immortal-like lifespans." Touga said cautiously, "Kagome, the Taisho house is a direct line to the Inu clan... one of the Four Lords."

Her brows scrunched in deep concentration as her hand rested on her chin. Replaying every detail she could remember from her childhood, she knew that her father was extremely powerful. Her reiki always recognized his youkai ki to be completely different than all the other youkai she had come across. For her father to be a direct line to the Four Lords...didn't surprise her too much. It probably made more sense now.

So her father had the same strength and lifespan as youkai once did in the feudal era.

He watched her absorb the information he provided so far. It seems she understood. Knowing his daughter was a wise one, he continued to the point he needed to make. "To ensure that the Four Lords consist of a pure blood line that is passed on, there is a mating ritual that is performed. The Four Lords mark their mate with a fuse of their youkai ki and poison. However, Sesshomaru's mother was the last pure blooded youkai left. I believe such traditions of the Four Lord has finally come to a halt by this generation. Still...throughout history, there had never been a mark made upon someone who was human."

Blue eyes refocused her attention towards her father. Like a puzzle piece, she tried to figure out where the conversation was headed.

"I was the first to break the traditions and marked your mother." Touga saw a flicker of understanding within her eyes. Pride swelled within his heart at the sight of his daughter catching on quickly. "It didn't take long for your mother and I to realize that the mark prolongs her life to an equal lifespan as mine."

Within the Taisho house, he would not have to worry about either of his sons dying before him. Yet, the daughter he raised and had come to love dearly did not carry his blood. His heart always carried a bit of sorrow at the knowledge that his daughter would grow old and die before him. It was this sorrow that was selfishly pleased when he saw Sesshomaru mark her.

"Naraku's miasma had spread too far within your blood stream. The only thing that could have saved you was if Sesshomaru marked you with a fuse of his youkai ki and poison to cancel out the miasma." Touga prayed she would keep the mark.

What?

Her mind grew blank. Her fingers instantly covered the crescent moon that she woke up to find near her shoulder. She had wondered why she was still alive. She knew the miasma had spread too far for the doctors to heal her. So it had been Sesshomaru who saved her? Her gaze lowered, slowly realizing what the mark meant.

As if Touga read her mind, he said, "With the mark you'll have the same lifespan as the Taisho house."

Placing a hand over her forehead, she whispered, "Wait."

Her mind couldn't catch up to the truth she was being told. If her lifespan was now as long as a youkai of the Four Lords, then what of her husband? She would remain the same as she watched him grow old and die. What of all her friends and Shippo? Unless, Sesshomaru just marked her temporarily to save her life. No, that didn't make sense. Her father wouldn't have explained what the mark was in the first place if it was temporary.

"The mark is yours, Kagome." She looked up at her brother in shock. Did he really not want a mate in the future?

A sensation of needles prickled through her veins; Dread.

Wait.

Blue eyes widened in shock.

Her lips fell speechless.

This mark was a mating mark.

Her breath hitched at the sentence that raced through her mind.

Sesshomaru marked her as his mate.

"It is your decision."

A flood of confusion overwhelmed her mind. No longer able to recognize any of the emotions that rushed through her body, she pushed them all away. She heard him say that she could remove the mark if she wanted. Abruptly standing up, she said, "Let me think about it" before she walked out of the study. She didn't understand anyone at the moment. Nothing was making sense.

Her hand clenched over the heat exuding from the crescent moon mark. Her thoughts grew wild as her imagination painted a picture of his teeth biting into her as his lips ran across her skin. Her heart pounded faster as the hold around her chest tightened. Her mind continued to tease her by flashing images of his tongue trailing over the wound he caused in a small apology. She must have forgotten how to breathe causing her to struggle for air.

What was happening to her?