Sesshoumaru was hard pressed to keep each and every scathing comment or threat to the wolf, to himself. There was a part of him that was raging that the blasted mutt had moved so quickly and claimed the girl, a part of him that was so well under lock and key that for the most part, it was easy to ignore. Almost.
Not for the first time, his gaze drifted to the female in question and pride filled him at the sight of her belly, swollen with his pups. The beast inside him was itching to claim her, to take her, to mark her. It was pure instinct, and that was well under lock and key as well. There was still so much to consider about her, about the entire situation. Sesshoumaru had never been one to leap before looking and that wasn't going to change now.
The wolf shaped wrench in his plans brought another aspect of clarity to him that he was loath to accept: he didn't like the idea of her with another male, especially in such a romantic notion. She was carrying his pups; she should only want to be with him. And that was instinct speaking again, and just pure canine nature. He didn't like sharing. And he knew very well if he made it clear to her that she wasn't to see anyone while she carried his pups, he would further damage the tenuous strings that held their relationship, if it could be call that, together.
"She's not mad at you, you know," a soft voice said behind him. "Not anymore at least."
Glancing at the woman with the soft brown eyes, Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to brush her off. The best way to the daughter would likely come through the mother. He turned fully to face her and noted how like her daughter she was in build. He plainly towered over her, and like her daughter, she was unfazed by this. "She has yet to acknowledge my presence."
Nodoka smiled slightly, though there was hardness there. She'd had enough of her baby being hurt. "A lack of temper, of anger, doesn't negate a comfortable welcome. You owe her an apology."
There were few, very, very few, who could speak to him as such. It annoyed Sesshoumaru that with the inclusion of the miko in his life, that circle was growing. "I did nothing wrong."
Joining the steel in her eyes was genuine pity. "It's not a matter of right or wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama. Maybe you didn't raise a hand to her, or leave any marks, but there are all kinds of ways to hurt a person. And it's all the more cruel of you, because it was done thoughtlessly."
The implications of those words stilled him, and threatened to unlock the chains that held his self-control, and rage. To calm himself, he looked again at the miko and found himself caught in her eyes as she looked at him. There was such pain in those blue depths, and uncertainty, before it was quickly masked and she turned back to her friend. He remembered the night she had told him about her marriage; that same look had been in her eyes then. Something in him cracked, and humbled, he turned back to face her mother. "I put that there." The words were not a question, but a statement. He knew the truth, as much as he knew himself.
Nodoka nodded, and felt herself relax as understanding echoed subtly in his features. "You did. My baby is forgiving by nature, Sesshoumaru-sama. And she was, is still, learning to trust again. She'll forgive you, if you ask her to." She paused and her eyes landed on Kouga, who she knew was listening as well. "You tripped her up once already, so I'm only going to say this once. If you plan on doing it again, you need to leave. My powers are not as strong as my daughters, barely even a blip on the radar between the two of us. But as I'm sure you're well aware, there are more ways to hurt a man, human or demon, than by purity and I assure you, I'm more than capable."
There wasn't a doubt in Sesshoumaru's mind, as he stared down at her, that this was true. He could see the same steel in her eyes that he'd learned to associate with the miko, the same strength. "You have my word."
o.O.o
Word Count - 743
