Chapter 11

Sesshomaru stiffened. It was early morning. The taijiya and her husband had been treating Kagome day and night for the past three days. He could smell a difference in the Miko's scent. It was cleaner, untainted. The issue at the moment wasn't her scent, rather the way she was squirming against him and stroking his pelt. He had gotten accustomed to the nearness of her body over the week of her sickness, but this...attention...was more than he had anticipated. She wriggled again, nestling tighter in against him. His heart rate quickened. During her illness she had laid against him in a loose state of unconsciousness, this...snuggling...was different entirely. This felt disrespectful, too intimate, too affectionate...too good. Sesshomaru's beast stirred and growled within him as the small woman stretched and yawned, her eyes slowly opening to look around. When her eyes met his, he held her gaze. Her cheeks colored prettily when she realized he was holding her. This woman was maddening.

"Mmmm...what did I miss?" Her voice was like music to his ears. She sounded strong, whole again.

"You have been unconscious for days." Her eyes widened, "Days?" She responded incredulously.

"Hnn." He watched her brows pull together as she tried to remember anything through the hazy fog of fever in her memory.

"What happened? The last thing I remember was Koga, and you flung me..."

"You were ill." He replied simply, not wanting to overtax her with conversation. She bit her lip, failing to hide a smile.

"How did Miroku and Sango get here?"

Sesshomaru scowled, "The wolf went for them." He should have taken care of her himself. He should have studied more about humans before taking her into his pack. Now that the humans were here, would she decide she had made a mistake in going with him? Her eyes strayed back to her friends and she smiled, blushing softly. Sesshomaru gazed at her, fighting the urge to tighten the grip of his arm draped across her waist. The early morning light shone softly across her face, highlighting the angles of her cheeks, the curve of her throat, the fullness of her lips. Sesshomaru swallowed the urge to lean down and nuzzle his nose into her throat. That type of attention was only deemed acceptable during courtship. And while he certainly wouldn't be averse to beginning a courtship with this unusual Ningen, he doubted very strongly if she would reciprocate. Kagome's eyes were still on her friends, her fingers starting to trace back and forth in his fur. He held in a groan and tilted his head back, eyes closed, enjoying the effect her attentions were having. He should stop her. He should inform her just how sensitive a yokai's pelt is and how intimate an act she was performing, but he wouldn't. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted to enjoy it.

Kagome's weight shifted against him, and she suddenly grabbed a handful of his pelt in each hand, inhaling suddenly and sharply. Sesshomaru's shot open and he turned every sense to her. Was she hurt? Her scent was a mixture of elation and surprise, she turned to look at him fully, "The wind scar?"

"Hnn." Didn't she remember the fight? Sesshomaru remembered his own elation when Tessaiga finally accepted his mastery and transformed for him. He had been able to use his father's fang as it had been intended, to protect someone of personal importance. That was what the Inu no Taisho had wanted from him to attain Tessaiga in the first place. Perhaps that was the whole reason the fang had finally accepted him. He now had someone to protect.

"But how..." the Miko's head turned quickly back to the mayhem behind the sleeping twin-tail, causing her hair to drop into her face. Without thinking, Sesshomaru reached out and brushed it behind her ear. "You were attacked. I retaliated." Kagome's audible swallow and bright blush made him inwardly curse his brash actions. If he wished her to ever entertain his affection he needed to stop acting so inappropriately now. He kept forgetting himself when she was near.

"It listened to you?" Her voice pulled him from his reverie.

"Hnn."

"But how?"

"I think I can shed some light on that." The Monk's eyes sought his approval, he nodded almost imperceptibly, and the man sat beside them with a smile.

Kagome squealed with delight and threw both arms around him, Sesshomaru stifled the urge to growl. Now this male's scent would be on her. "Oh, Miroku! I've missed you all so much!" He chastised himself if the conversation between the monk and his mate were anything to go by, this man was like a brother to the Miko. Of course, she would act so familiarly with her prior traveling companion. The monk's awkward laugh and swiftness to depart from her grip set the daiyokai more at ease. He was respectful. As he should be in the presence of one such as himself.

"The Tessaiga only worked for InuYasha when he declared that he would use it to protect you, remember?" Could that have been true? Sesshomaru thought about it, recalling the first time InuYasha had used the sword, cutting his own arm off in the process. He couldn't hear the conversation the Hanyo had had with the woman at that time. "Sesshomaru-sama, while twice as strong as InuYasha, was never any friend to humans. However, in using Tessaiga to protect you, it finally saw something of its creator in him and came to his aid." Miroku cast a glance at the daiyokai, "Would you agree with my assessment, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Hnn." The monk was acquiescent, but Sesshomaru was growing frustrated with the continued proximity he shared with Kagome. He leaned up, wrapping his arm around her waist again, this time holding her tightly like he had wanted to do before. Possessively. His eyes trained on the monk with intent. He leaned against the tree again, this time pulling her with him. Her scent blossomed in response, tinged with a sweet hint of embarrassment. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. I don't remember it. Were you hurt?"

Sesshomaru scowled. If she didn't remember why would she ask about his injury? He didn't want to admit he had been less than perfect. "Minutely."

Kagome's brows raised in concern, "Where?"

Sesshomaru schooled his features into submission and tried to sound disinterested. "Hnn. My back. I had abandoned my armor for your comfort."

The scent of salt alerted him to her tears a moment before she turned, throwing her arms around him in an unexpected embrace. Sesshomaru knew his mask fell, he was completely aware of the shock and emotion in his face. At the moment, however, he didn't care who saw. She was nuzzling his throat with her nose, her hands wrapped thickly in his long silver hair. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama, thank you." Her voice was thick with emotion, his beast was quick to respond and a deep rumbling filled Sesshomaru's chest. Without any thought he tightened his grip, pulling her body tighter to his. She tipped forward as he gathered her to himself, she put up no fight, she angled into his embrace. He turned his own face into the column of her throat, running his nose against her soft skin. Her scent enveloped him from this position. It overwhelmed every aspect of his senses. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to run his tongue across her skin, feel her lips against his own, he wanted to nip her flesh. The monk cleared his throat, snapping him back to reality and Kagome pushed herself away from him suddenly, her face bright red.

"I'm sorry, I just can't believe you went through so much trouble on my account. I'm such a bother to everyone."

Sesshomaru felt like he couldn't breathe. His beast was fighting against his strong resolve. He had to get away from this woman. He released her, standing to his feet, and without any explanation, he all but ran through the meadow towards the woods. As soon as he was in the shadow of the trees he dropped to his knees, gasping for air. He felt weak. What on earth was happening to him? This had never happened to him before. His body ached for her. His heart raced in his chest. He tilted his head back, allowing the sun to dapple his face through the canopy of the treetops. He had heard enough stories about the mating pull to know what this was. His beast had attached itself to her. This Ningen woman was his intended mate. The desire of his heart. He hadn't expected it to be this forceful. He hadn't expected it to hurt. He panted, thinking back through his experiences with the Miko. She had always intrigued him. Her powers setting her above the rest of the humans. He, however, would never have been around her enough to form this attachment of his half-brother had not been killed. He felt a smile play at his lips. He felt different somehow. Complete. He had always been content to drift through life, running his kingdom, traveling and exploring. He had never been too concerned with finding his other half. But now that he had, he craved her. His yoki rippled and roared inside him, demanding freedom to transform and claim her. He strengthened his resolve. She was human. She needed the opportunity to choose him too. He swallowed. The fresh air clearing his senses and his mind. He stood. Renewed in his intentions. A week ago his feelings were a nuisance to be ignored, now they were his purpose. He turned back towards the meadow, seeing the Miko happily hugging all of her friends and laughing with them. They would go to the cave to retrieve Rin. Perhaps spend a night there so the Miko could refresh herself in the hot springs. Then he would court her properly and rest assured, she would choose him. Sesshomaru never failed.