You Belong to Me

By: Xhibit B

Chapter Five – The First Strike

.i do not own inuyasha.

It had been days since Sesshomaru had come to comfort Mai after the horrible almost dinner with her parents and things had been quiet. When Mai had woken the following morning, she'd noticed that she was resting in her bed, alone. Kiara had informed her that after several hours of sitting in the gardens, Sesshomaru had brought her back to her bedchamber and left her to sleep before slipping out of the castle to return to where he'd left Jaken and Ah-Un. When he visited again several days later, Mai could smell the scent of battle lingering on his skin. He'd told her that there had been several demons that wished to test their might against him and had failed in the end. Mai had felt the corners of her lips curl upwards into a small smile before she led him to the gardens again. They'd sat and talked for hours once more, and once more Mai awoke alone in her bedchamber.

It wasn't until a week later that, that the first signs of her Father going against her wishes had been noticed. Sesshomaru had arrived at the castle the evening before to spend time with Mai, and had been coaxed into remaining over night after having just a bit too much demon's wine with the demoness. When he woke the following morning, it had taken some time for him to remember what had transpired the night before, until it hit him full force. Mai's nude body beside him had aided in those memories. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips at the thought. It had been… rather satisfying. He could still taste her on his tongue.

.youbelongtome.

Sesshomaru quietly followed behind Mai as she led him back to her bedchamber. Kiara had been instructed to leave them be for the evening, which she obliged without question. Mai wanted them to be alone without any interruption, and he'd found himself wanting the same. The demon's wine he'd consumed had managed to awaken certain urges and he quickly (and happily) found himself wishing to act on them. Though he was usually one to exercise extraordinary self-control, tonight was not a night he would be able to. She was just far too tempting to him in his inebriated state of mind.

The moment the door of the bedchamber closed behind them and the servant walked away, he'd felt her lips against his; strong, nimble fingers grasping the lapels of his haori. His left hand had found purchase on the small of her back, the right burying itself in her loose, silver tresses, pulling her ever closer, all while taking small steps back towards the bed. He'd felt it when the backs of her knees hit the edge, alerting him he didn't need to go any further. At some point, she'd released his clothing, fingers trailing from his chest, up to his shoulders before finally finding themselves embedded in the mass of silver hair he sported.

At another, his hand had left her back and found the knot in her obi, releasing it easily enough with a slice of his claw. She had made a slightly disgruntled noise at the sound of the fabric ripping, but chose to ignore it in the end, her mind far too muddled by desire to care as much as she should. It was one of her favourites, after all. But, she'd worry about it later.

His mouth moved from her own as he lowered her to the bed, down her neck, leaving behind angry, red marks in their wake before reaching her collarbone as he parted the silk fabric of her kimono, leaving her bare for him to see. The small, encouraging sighs from her drove him to keep going. He nipped at her collar before moving to kiss between the valley of her breast, down her toned belly to the start of her hips before reversing. Once he reached her breast, his mouth moved to take the hardened, pink bud of her nipple into his mouth. He only vaguely notices how her grip on his hair tightens just a bit, accompanied by the acceleration of her heartrate. His tongue circled the rosy bud in languid circles while his right hand rose to cup the other. He massaged and kneaded the flesh, evoking soft sounds from the woman beneath him as he teased and licked at her other nipple.

Mai gasped when she felt Sesshomaru ground into her, his mouth moving from one breast to the other to give them equal attention. Her soft pleas for more didn't go unnoticed. Moments later, his mouth moved from her breast, back down her toned stomach, to her hips. His teeth grazed over her skin before he continued to her centre. His tongue ran over the length of her slit once, his forearms wrapping tightly around her thighs to hold her in place. Spreading her thighs, he delved deeper, tasting every inch of her sensitive, pink folds. His tongue rolled over her clit, eliciting pleasure filled sounds of encouragement from the demoness beneath him. Her fingers that remained in his hair tightened their grip, her free hand coming to her mouth. She bit into her knuckles, not hard enough to make them bleed, but enough to leave small marks of evidence behind.

"Sesshomaru."

Her voice is but a small whisper, her stomach muscles clenching as she writhed beneath him. There's a low, guttural sound that escapes the daiyokai lord as his tongue continues to languidly stroke her sensitive core. He continues, bringing her just to the edge of her rope before he pulls away at the last second, moving to kiss her. She could taste herself on his lips.

"Sesshomaru, please."

She needn't say more. He knew exactly what it was that she wanted. The sash that held his hakama at his waist was easily removed, allowing the clothing to fall. His rigid member sprang forth from it's fabric prison as Mai pulled him back to her. Lips interlocked, he gently settled between her legs, waiting for her approval to continue. It came with the slightest movement from her.

"Mai…" Sesshomaru growled as he grasped both her wrist and held them above her head. He lowered himself so that his hardness rested on her burning heat.

"I love you…" he whispered to her.

"I love you, too…" she whispered in return.

With that, Sesshomaru sank into her. Mai let out a cry of pleasure once she felt him throbbing inside her. He had his lower lip caught between his teeth as he began to thrust into the demoness, relishing in the feeling of her hot, sweet pleasure surrounding his driving need.

Mai began to cry out loudly once Sesshomaru swiveled his hips, corkscrewing into her molten depths. The silver-haired woman's nails raked down Sesshomaru's back, leaving small scratch marks across his skin. She accepted him, again and again, taking him into her slick, wet heat.

"You belong to me…" Sesshomaru said lovingly, accenting each word with a quick, hard thrust.

"Only to you," Mai gasped.

Sesshomaru delved deeper into her with each rhythmic push. Mai moved her hips against his in fine, subtle circling movements, swallowing more of his hard manhood.

"Faster…" Mai pleaded.

Sesshomaru, abiding by her pleas, began to thrust into her as fast and frantic as ever.

Together they bucked, ached and collided into each other in a perfect rhythm. Sesshomaru kept whispering he loved her, that no other man would ever lay hands on her, and that no matter what he did, her father would not tear them apart. Mai listened to his declarations of love and mumbled incoherently once she felt her release fast approaching.

It seemed like a feeling of sheer pleasure worked its way from the bottom of their feet to the tops of their heads. Mai shuddered as inner flesh tightened and pulsated against Sesshomaru's hard shaft.

"Sesshomaru," Mai cried.

She came wildly, exploding in a fiery cataclysmic shudder of wanton passion. Sesshomaru clenched his jaw as let go and shot his hot seed into her. Together they lie tangled in each other's limbs. Mai was gasping brokenly while murmuring 'I love you' against the daiyokai's sweat-slicked chest. Sesshomaru held her close while he tried to control his own breathing. Lying together wrapped in each other's warm embrace, a cozy, peaceful sleep overtook the inuyoukai couple.

.youbelongtome.

He'd slipped from the bed carefully so not to wake her, making his way to the large bathhouse that was connected to her bedchamber. He'd washed in the oversized basin before dressing in his clothing that had been cleaned and placed in the bathhouse while he'd been resting.

Though he'd washed thoroughly, he could still pick-up Mai's sweet scent clinging to his skin slightly. There was the slightest of smiles that pulled at the edges of his lips when he walked into the bedchamber again. Mai was awake and sitting up, her bare back to him as she slowly meandered to her feet. Her head turned the moment that she heard him enter. "Ah, so there you are. Did you enjoy your bath?"

"Hnn," Sesshomaru hummed before he inclined his head to the door that lead to the bathhouse. "Perhaps you should bathe and dress yourself. I shall seek out Kiara and have her request for breakfast to be prepared for you when you are finished. I, however, must take my leave of you for now, but I shall return in a few days."

Mai hummed as she slipped into the silk yukata that had been discarded the night before. She stood, tying the hanhaba obi around her slender waist before making her way over to the silver haired demon Lord. Her delicate hand was placed upon his chest where his bone armor would usually rest before she stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I shall see you when you return, then."

There was a hand placed upon her cheek as gold clashed with gold for only a few, brief minutes before Sesshomaru pulled away again. The pad of his thumb ran across her cheek, "I will see you in a few days. If anything should happen, please send for me immediately. I will return as soon as I am able."

"I thank you, Sesshomaru," Mai said before he pulled away from her and left the bedchamber.

Mai watched with a small smile on her lips as he left her sight before turning to make her way to the bathhouse. The water had been replaced during she and Sesshomaru's conversation and she untied her obi before slipping into the hot water that filled the basin. She dipped under the water, allowing the liquid to soak into her silky, silver locks before she lifted out of the water again. She sighed wistfully. She and Sesshomaru had shared a wonderous night together the previous evening. Just like they had all those years ago, before she'd fallen into her long slumber after the battle with the Panther Tribe. And she looked forward to many more nights like so to come.

.youbelongtome.

After her bath, Mai returned to her bedchamber to dress for the day when Kiara came in to speak with her. She'd been running a comb through her long, silver hair when the cat demoness entered, startled if the look on her face was anything to go by. She placed the comb she'd been holding down, turning to look over at the dark-haired demoness, "Kiara, what's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Milady, the Southern General and his son, they are here," Kiara said worriedly. It was no secret that her mistress harbored deep sated ill feelings for the Southern General and his son. She was afraid that it would end up being yet another altercation, just like when her father had come. "They are requesting an audience with you to discuss plans for the mateship. Apparently, your father has told them that you agreed to the mateship that they arranged for you with the Southern General's son."

Mai almost flipped the vanity table that she'd been sitting at over, her claws digging deep into the wood of the table, leaving puncture marks in her wake. Golden eyes slowly started to bleed a dark red colour, her fangs elongating to slip past her lips. She hissed venomously, "I'll kill him for this."

"Milady," Kiara said timidly. She reached out to touch the older demoness but quickly retracted her hand when Mai turned to look at her. She only breathed out the breath she didn't know that she was holding when her eyes turned gold again. "Milady, what should I do?"

Mai blew another breath, her eyes sliding shut for several minutes before she opened them again. She glanced at Kiara, nodding for her to go back to the main room of the castle. "Please tell the Southern General and his son that I will be there to speak with them shortly. I will finish dressing and set everything straight in a moment. Thank you for informing me Kiara."

"Of course, Milady," Kiara said as she turned to leave, only to stop when Mai spoke again.

"And one more thing, Kiara," Mai said, making the dark-haired demoness glance back at her.

"What is it, milady," Kiara asked.

"Send word to Sesshomaru, have him return as soon as he is able," Mai answered.

"Of course, milady," Kiara said before she disappeared out of the room.

Mai waited until the door clicked shut behind her before she screamed out loud in anger. Her father had said that she would come to regret the decision to not agree to the mateship when he left. And she knew that he'd try something underhanded. But she never thought that he would sink so low as to agree to the mating on her behalf, even after she'd already told him no. She would deal with him later. For now, she had to set the record straight with the demons from the Southern territories.

The demoness quickly finished dressing before leaving her quarters, not bothering to pull her hair into her signature style, instead leaving it to hang down her back in thick waves. Quickly, she made her way through the corridors that led to the throne room. She stopped just outside the doors, the guards pulling them open to allow her entry. When they heard her coming, the Prince and Lord of the Southern Territories glanced up. There was a smile on both their maws at the sight of her, only further angering Mai for what her father had done. He would certainly pay for this once she got her hands on him.

The Southern Lord was a fairly large man. Nowhere near as tall as her father or Sesshomaru, but he was quite stalky and well built. Silver hair was held in a high ponytail in the centre of his head and his golden eyes gleamed with mischief and greed. He, like all other royal Dog Demons, sported the indigo crescent moon in the middle of his forehead with several blue line markings across each cheek.

His son was the spitting image of him, the only real difference being their height. The Prince was much taller than his father, almost the same height as Sesshomaru. The Western Lord was still taller by about five inches, however. They both had wide smiles on their faces at the sight of her, the elder of the Dog Demons opening his arms to hug her as she approached, "Mai, so wonderful to see you. When I'd heard that you were actually alive after that incident all those years ago, I was so filled with joy. And then when your father informed us that you agreed to the mateship between yourself and my son, we didn't waste time coming to start preparing for the ceremony! This is such a joyous occasion; you will make a fine mate for my son!"

Mai cringed as he wrapped her in a bear hug, practically lifting the demoness from the floor with the gesture. She loathed her father even more now because of this. If it hadn't been for him agreeing on her behalf, she wouldn't be in this predicament right now. She was well aware of the horrible temperament that the Southern General and his son possessed. She hoped that they would be understanding when she told them that her father had lied to him; but she wasn't so naïve to believe that it would happen.

She was placed back on her feet, the demoness turning to greet his son kindly before returning her attention to the elder demon. "Come, let us sit and discuss this. I fear that we are not all on the same page and this is father's doing."

"What ever do you mean, Mai," the Southern Lord asked as he and his son followed after the small demoness. "Your father was quite clear when he sent word to us that you had agreed to this mateship. It would benefit both our lands, a union between yourself and my son. So, what could possibly be wrong?"

"That is precisely the problem, Lord Masato," Mai explained. "Father agreed to this mateship on my behalf, after I've declined. He has done this to spite me because I refuse to bend to his wishes. As I am sure you are well aware, my Father and I do not get along. We never have, and after this, we likely never will. I offer my apologies that you have traveled so far under a false pretense, it is meant as no disrespect to you, but I have already chosen a mate for myself."

Over two-hundred years ago, she and Sesshomaru had confirmed that they would enter mateship together after the war with the Panther Tribe was over. However, she had been fatally injured and presumed dead to the outside world until only recently. They'd discussed it the night before and confirmed that they would go through with the ceremony upon the start of the winter season.

"I see," Masato said rubbing his chin. Her father had deceived him, and that was cause for retaliation. He should have known that there had been deceit behind his words when he'd told him that Mai accepted… he would have to deal with the Eastern Lord at some point for this. "I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused you. When your father told me that you had accepted, I was so elated that I did not think about the fact that he could have possibly been lying. I will deal with your father, one way or another. For now, Kazuo and I will be on our way. Thank you for your time, Lady Mai."

"It was good seeing you again, Mai," Kazuo said as he and his father moved to leave. "I am glad that you are alive. And say hello to Sesshomaru for me, the next time that you see him."

Mai's brow shot upward as she watched them leave. That had been relatively easier than she had expected it to be. She knew the Southern Lord and Prince to be very stubborn, leaving a strong dislike for them in the pit of her stomach. But it had also been over two-hundred years since she'd last seen the two of them. That was plenty of time for one to change their ways without her knowing it.

When they were no longer there, she turned to one of the servants that had walked into the room after their departure. She whispered something before leaving the throne room, heading back to her bedchamber. She had a letter to write to her father. This was the first straw in his rebellion towards her because of her refusal to accept the mateship. And she knew that it would only get worse as time progressed. She just hoped that she would have the patients to deal with it, without wanting to strangle her father to death in the process.