Mark

"I thought every now and then about escape. We were two years into the marriage and things were just getting worse. It seems like at times I couldn't go more than a few days without upsetting him." She took a sip of the tea, cupping it in both hands as swallowed. "There were bruises over bruises at times."

"Your powers did not defend you," Sesshoumaru said after several more minutes of silence passed in the small apartment. As old as he was, it was no surprise that he had tangled with his fair share of Mikos and Monks; at least, before the treaty had been passed. He knew in most cases, almost like yōki, that the power reacted instinctively in danger, with or without summoning.

Slowly, she shook her head and then setting her cup down on the table, pulled the scoop neck of her sweater down further and exposed the top of her left breast. Touching her fingers to it gently and pulling on a little bit of her purity, a scar began to form. It was vicious and crescent shaped with mottled, twisted skin. "My mating mark," she said quietly, watching him.

His eyes narrowed and he snarled; darting back to meet her look, he frowned. "That is not the right place for such a mark; nor should it be so scared," he growled, unable to help himself as he wished once more for Touzuko's neck.

"He put it over my heart because that's where my power stems from. My purity rises with my emotions and his mark negated that; it allowed him to force my powers into submission. He let it the scar form because it pleased him. I made him wait after the our marriage until I graduated college. It was revenge." She let her fingers drop and watched as her own skin slowly sunk down once more to pale white with only a trace of the actual scar still visible. "Unfortunately, that was not the most painful thing I experienced at his hands."

o.O.o

Word Count: 338