He wished he didn't know why it bothered him so much. He wished, gods did he wish, that his foolish, aching heart did not long for this one thing. He wished his beast would learn some control and not desire the impossible.
Sesshoumaru kicked a stone out of his path and frowned. He'd been excited the previous night to learn Kagome and the other one had lessons in the dojo that morning, and though it broke his own strictly controlled schedule he'd changed his plans and gone to practice when he knew they would be there.
But as always with the silly chit, she'd only had words for the healer that was to forever be the bane of his existence. He'd bore it as long as he could, letting her prattle on and on about the other male and even baring the worthless chatter of the rest of the females who had gathered for their lesson and only found the gumption to oggle him.
He'd even taken off his blasted haori to show the slight definition he was beginning to gain across his stomach and arms and shoulders. It had certainly gotten the attention of the rest of the females in the room, but not the one he'd wanted. No, definitely not.
She'd been all but oblivious.
He sneered just thinking about it, his brows beetled down over narrow gold eyes. Sesshoumaru was a prince by birth and by nature, but he'd never considered himself particularly vain before, or wont to chase after anything at all. In fact, he'd never needed to chase anything before since he had only to ask and was given anything he wanted.
Anything, except Kagome. She was his, for as long as he could remember she'd always been his. Almost every memory he had was one he shared with her, whether it be good or bad. He didn't want it any other way. But she'd been oblivious to his scent marking and possessiveness, ignoring it outright and reacting angrily if he tried to interfere with any of her interactions with other males. It was exasperating.
The moment that other little female had come into their lives, it was as if he didn't matter at all anymore. He'd sensed the subtle shift when he'd first watched them interact together all those years ago, as if Kagome had known Izayoi far longer than either child had been alive. And he'd been infuriatingly jealous and yet unable to stem the tides of that relationship no matter what he did.
And it wasn't that he didn't like Izayoi he just wasn't as fond of her as he was of Kagome or the rest of his pack, but he knew she was the reason his chosen female had been returned to them at all. He'd tried to patient with her, to include her because it seemed that's what Kagome wanted but most days, he missed the quiet pleasure of just Kagome for company. Even on days when Izayoi was busy with lessons or healing exams though, Kagome hardly spent time with him unless he asked.
It wasn't that Kagome didn't want to spend time with him, because she did—it was just that their dynamic had changed in a way he'd never thought it would before. He'd always loved her, had considered her the best of little sisters a male could ask for. But the moment Izayoi appeared, the moment both girls woke up the next morning after returning from their adventure with his father, all the brotherly affection he felt for Kagome shifted.
Father had been the first to notice—and he swiftly took Sesshoumaru and they escaped the palace for a year while Sesshoumaru learned to control himself. That has been a stressful, exhausting years as Father all but beat into him the respect one must show all females, but especially a female of interest. And though Sesshoumaru had already understood enough about the actual act of rutting with a female, his father had still endeavored to have that conversation amidst all the lessons about control and patience and courting. And when they'd come back after that year and Sesshoumaru had first set eyes on her, he'd known that she would always be his. It was such a simple matter of fact to him he didn't think to act on it until they were both older. He'd been content to wait for her to notice him as he had first noticed her.
But he hadn't expected her to fall for the healer.
And so here they were, those two chits off doing who knew what with that hare and he was pouting in the gardens like a sulky child.
Well, he wasn't a child. Although this morning had proven distasteful, to say the least, he'd learned there were other females who were interested in him. Maybe he could use them to get what he wanted, flirt and court with one of them to make Kagome turn from the hare to him.
He kicked another stone just as thunder struck and the bottom emptied out of the sky. Another unpleasant event to add to the growing list today. Distantly, he heard laughter—it sounded like Kagome. She always loved to play in the rain, he remembered. They'd often made a game of it as children, since their senses were dampened by the heavy rain and booming thunder, hiding until the other found them.
For a moment, he considered trying to goad her into a round but then he remembered Izayoi and the hare. She would surely want to include them.
Displeased, he closed his eyes and tilted his face back so rain splattered. He was already soaked through and though the cool summer rain soothed his ire, he still itched to destroy something. And so he shifted in one smooth motion and dove into the sky with a howl just barely audible over the next boom of thunder.
o.O.o
Word Count - 988