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I do not own Inuyasha, the characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. Similarly, I do not receive any financial benefit from this story, just the pleasure of knowing people enjoy it.

Thank you to Fawn Eyed Girl and Neutronstarchild for your help in writing this chapter, I appreciate it so so so much.

If you would like to be kept up to date with spoilers and other works in progress, come find me on tumblr, same username! I am hoping to get back to a bi-weekly schedule if life cooperates lol.

I typically try and update on Fridays, but I realized that we are at the one-year anniversary of Guardian going live, and I wanted to post this chapter in honor of that milestone. Hold on to your hats, it picks up from here!

Chapter 37

It hadn't taken Koga and his clan long to prepare accommodations for Kagome and Inuyasha. By the time Jinenji and Rin had cleared Kagome to leave the medical unit, everything was in place, and Inuyasha had inspected it to make sure it was secure. He trusted the wolves but… after everything that had happened in the previous 24 hours, he wasn't taking any chances.

Kagome had jumped out of the medical bed as soon as she had heard she was free to go, only to tumble into Inuyasha's arms the moment she tried to take a step.

"Don't say a word…" Kagome hissed as she stood, waiting for her legs to stop shaking.

"I wasn't going to," Inuyasha promised, his hand-winding around her waist as he bent down to sweep her into his arms.

"Inuyasha!" she squeaked, laughing. "I can walk on my own."

"Maybe I just want to hold you; did you think of that?" he countered, an eyebrow-raising as he smirked at her.

"Well, who am I to say no to that?" Kagome responded as she lay her head against his shoulder.

"Besides," Inuyasha smirked, "I can get us there faster so we can be alone."

"And yet you aren't moving," Kagome grinned and wound her arms around his neck as she spoke.

He carried her carefully through the ward, but the moment they reached the open air Inuyasha took off running and Kagome let out a loud whoop of laughter as the wind rushed over her face. A small part of her felt odd, feeling so happy after everything she had gone through, but she was there, with Inuyasha; her friends were safe, and for the rest of the day, she didn't want to think about everything outside the walls of the compound. She just wanted to be a girl, spending time with her boyf… well no, he was kind of her fiancé now, wasn't he? She tucked her head against his shoulder, her nose gently nuzzling his neck as his hands tightened around her. The tip of her tongue darted out to trace his jaw and she felt, more than heard, his growl as he increased his speed.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha groaned as she nipped at his skin.

"Mmm," she hummed, enjoying the salty taste of his skin. She needed to be closer to him, to feel him surrounding her.

Inuyasha skidded to a stop, his eyes glittering as Kagome lifted her head before capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

"You keep that up and I'm not going to let you rest when we get to our rooms," he growled.

"So keep it up; got it."

"Kagome…"

"Inuyasha…" Deep brown eyes met gold before Kagome raised a hand and cupped his face, gently drawing his lips down to hers. She felt him relax into the kiss, his arms shifting to bring her closer to his body.

With a groan, Inuyasha pulled himself away, even as his gaze heated when he looked at the precious woman in his arms. Every fiber in his being wanted nothing more than to escape into the warmth and love her lips promised, but now that he knew what the mating ceremony would entail, he wanted to make sure she was rested for it. He shook his head to clear the lust as best he could and started to run towards the cottage they had been given. He knew he would need to thank the wolf at some point; they were separated enough that they wouldn't need to worry about sensitive ears, but still protected from anything that could make its way into the compound. After Kagome had the chance to rest the…

His brain short-circuited as Kagome scratched her nails against the base of an ear and all the blood rushed south. He felt her lips curl against him at his sharp intake of breath.

If she was trying to seduce him, she was doing a fucking fantastic job, but her health came first.

She always came first.

Ok, thinking about her coming was not helping his control any. His eyes nearly crossed as Kagome's nails teased his ear again and he growled low, bouncing her slightly in his arms in warning. Kagome's hand slowly slid from his ear, her fingers trailing down his cheek before sliding back around his neck.

She was fucking dangerous…

And she was his.

The cottage came into sight and he pushed himself to move faster, wanting to get her inside and in bed before he gave in to the need that she was building in hi…

No, he needed to get her inside to let her rest. He could wait.

Kagome smiled to herself; she heard his breathing turn ragged as he slowed. She knew it had nothing to do with the run, and everything to do with her, and the thought thrilled her even as liquid heat coursed through her body. When they slowed to a stop, she knew the moment Inuyasha could smell how much she wanted him: the low purr as his claws traced gentle patterns over her thigh. He shifted her closer to his shoulder to open the door, and she took advantage of the new position, lifting her hands to his cheeks to hold him close while she teased his lips with soft kisses, pulling away just as he started to respond, then softly kissing him again. The purr turned deeper and she molded her mouth to his, her tongue sweeping against the seam of his mouth. As his lips parted, she traced the edge of his fangs, earning another deep growl as he stumbled through the door and dropped back against the wall.

"Kagome," Inuyasha groaned, and the sound sent a shiver of delight through her, only to let out a whimper of her own as he pulled his lips away and laid his forehead against hers. When she shifted to try to kiss him again, he slowly lowered her to stand before him, his breathing ragged.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice was soft, torn between desire and hurt.

"We shouldn… we can't right now Kagome." His voice was deep, almost a growl, and it helped to push away the hurt.

"I thought you… we…" She took a deep shuddering breath and continued, "I thought we could… after what we had talked about..."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said lovingly, a hand raising to her cheek as he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, "I told you: I want that more than anything, but I want you to be better first. I… I nearly lost you today, and you could barely walk when we left the infirmary."

"I nearly lost you today too," Kagome whispered, burying her face against his chest as her arms wrapped around his waist. "In the apartment, I saw fear for the first time in your eyes; I could see the terror and hopelessness in them, even as everything else faded away, and then I came to and saw that… thing… look like it was going to electrocute you and I just…" Her grip on him tightened.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha stroked her hair, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

"It feels like part of me is missing, reaching out for you. When I was asleep, unconscious, whatever, I knew that I was whole, that we were whole." Her voice was muffled, but he could hear every word. "When I feel drained when I feel like I can't face anything, you are there; I can feel you around me, helping me. I told you I want to grow old with you, I want to share every moment we can with each other."

"That's not why I am hesitating, Kagome," Inuyasha's hand tightened against her hair, pulling her closer to him. "It will take a lot of energy and… I…" His voice broke off as Kagome shifted her head to stop his lips with hers.

"Then you will lend me some of yours."

"We couldn't use anything," he groaned against her. "It's the wrong time in your cycle; you need to know that there's a chance… but for it to work…"

"And I'm ok with that, and whatever happens, happens. As long as I am with you."

Inuyasha felt the last of his hesitation crumble at her words. Gently he lifted her back into his arms, moving quickly through the rooms to lower her to kneel on the bed, his eyes never leaving hers. He lifted one of her hands to place a soft kiss on each finger before turning her palm up and placing his lips against it. At Kagome's soft intake of breath, he moved up her arm, stopping at her elbow to tease the soft flesh on the inside, smiling as Kagome began to squirm before him. He continued the path up to the thin strap of the tank top she had worn to bed the night before, only to ignore Kagome's soft groan and begin the process again with her other hand.

"Inuyasha…" she moaned, trying to capture his hand to draw him close, only for him to pull out of her reach.

"Not this time," he purred, his tongue teasing the edge of the strap. "This time I want to worship you, show you what you mean to me."

Molten gold met chocolate, and Kagome felt herself melt even more at the heat in his gaze. Inuyasha nuzzled the side of her neck and she let her head fall back, offering him more access, which he quickly took, nibbling the juncture of her neck and shoulder. His hands trailed up her hips, stopping to slide under the hem of her shirt, his claws gently stroking her skin, sending rivers of sensation coursing through her. He slowly raised her shirt, pausing to worship the skin as it was revealed with his hands, his tongue busy against her throat, making her whimper and press closer to him.

The back of his thumb brushed against the underside of her breast and her breath caught, causing him to chuckle against her skin. His wicked tongue left her neck, sliding down to tease her collarbone, and lifting away when he looked down to watch her chest be revealed as he drew her shirt up.

"So fucking gorgeous." The growl in his voice had molten heat pooling between Kagome's legs, and she watched, mesmerized, as he licked his lips, anticipation dancing in his eyes. When his mouth encircled her nipple, her back arched with a cry. She barely registered him pulling the shirt off of her as her arms fell back to circle his neck, holding him against her as he teased one nipple and then the other, his groans of pleasure sending vibrations of heat through her.

Inuyasha pulled away with a growl to tear his t-shirt over his head before dropping to his knees beside Kagome on the bed, pulling her close. The feeling of his heated skin against hers never ceased to take her breath away, and she used one hand to fist his hair, holding him still as her lips claimed his, her other hand stroking his back as he took over the kiss, his tongue dancing with hers until she was panting. He slid one hand down to her waist, dipping below the band of her pants as he slowly began to lower them. He broke away to lift Kagome, quickly drawing her pants and her underwear down to leave her bare before him. The spicy scent of ginger made his eyes cross, and he wanted nothing more than to follow that tantalizing scent to the source, surrounding himself with the scent and taste of Kagome but that needed to wait.

He stood quickly, pulling his own sweatpants down, leaving himself bare before her, the evidence of his need on full display, pulsing with his want for her. Kagome reached out her hand to him, and he was helpless to stop himself from taking it with his left hand, kneeling down again on the bed before her, their bodies almost touching. When Kagome reached out to pull him closer with her other hand, he shook his head, lifting the hand he held to his heart instead.

"Not yet," he whispered, and Kagome nodded, but could not stop herself from running her eyes over him. Inuyasha groaned as the scent of ginger grew stronger, and he could feel himself tighten from the anticipation.

He let his hand fall away from Kagome's, his right hand rising, lingering to tease her nipple with his claw, before placing it over her heart as well.

Kagome's breath caught as she felt the heat rising in her chest under his hand, and felt his skin heating under hers. Her eyes darted up to his, and saw utter love and trust in the solemn gaze.

"The heart is the source of our abilities, the strength of our emotions." Inuyasha's voice broke as he spoke. "It is where your reiki and my yoki originate, and what fuels us, keeps us going. Kagome," his voice turned softer, "you will need to access your reiki, and let it out, all of it."

When Kagome started to pull back, his left hand quickly moved to keep her hand against his chest.

"It will hurt you…" she whispered, fighting down tears.

"No, no it won't, love," he whispered back, his fingers stroking her hand until she relaxed and nodded. He lowered his hand and continued. "This is the bonding, your energy and mine, heart to heart, strength to strength. My heart is yours, in this and every life, bound to you, bound to your soul."

Inuyasha's yoki began to surge, the room around them taking on a golden glow as tendrils of energy began to form around him. As they strengthened, Kagome could see the tendrils merging together to form ribbons, flowing from under her hand to undulate around him. She met Inuyasha's eyes, the same shade as the ribbons, and took a deep breath.

"This… this is…" She bit her lip as heat rose inside of her, and she felt the tempest of her reiki begin to surge around her. Inuyasha mouthed the words to her, and with a small smile, she repeated them, her voice growing steadier with every word. "This is the bonding, your energy and mine, heart to heart, strength to strength. My heart is yours, in this and every life, bound to you, bound to your soul."

The maelstrom of her reiki encircled the pair, silver and black hair swirling around them. Kagome's hand began to glow, and the brightness at the edge of her vision told her Inuyasha's was as well. The storm of her reiki began to ease, the wave of energy taming, flattening out into pale gold ribbons that reached out for Inuyasha's yoki. The heat under her hand intensified, but it wasn't burning her. The two golden ribbons began to unravel, nearly causing Kagome to cry out in alarm, only to merge, becoming one unending river of energy, and Kagome could not tell where hers' ended and Inuyasha's began. She felt her exhaustion fade and the residual pain from her injuries disappear as a surge of strength moved through her.

The energy wound around them, encasing them in a cocoon of gold, as Kagome looked on in wonder. The heat under her hand began to ease as Inuyasha smiled and lifted his hand from her heart, raising her hand from his chest to his lips, and nuzzling her palm. He placed his palm against hers, lacing their fingers together. With a gentle tug, he pulled her against him and wrapped his other arm around her waist, claiming her mouth in a torrid kiss that melted her senses. A wave of love and desire coursed through Kagome and she gasped as she realized that it was Inuyasha's emotions.

"One of the benefits of the bond," he whispered as he nipped her bottom lip; Kagome whimpered at the dual sense of pleasure and need that pulsed through her.

"Is it complete?" she asked in a daze, letting her head tilt as his mouth trailed up to her ear.

"Almost," Inuyasha purred as he caught her earlobe with his teeth. "One last part, one that we will both enjoy."

"And then you're mine," Kagome whispered, her head raising to meet his gaze.

"I always was."

He rushed forward to claim her lips again, using his arm to pull her closer as he lowered her down to the bed, following her down without breaking the kiss. He let his hand slide away from hers to run his claws down her side, swallowing her gasps and small cries with his mouth. He felt her hips buck under his and groaned. He reluctantly released her lips, instantly kissing down her body, pausing to pay homage to the beauty that were her breasts before moving further down, settling himself between her thighs. Kagome shifted beneath him in anticipation, and he found himself looking up to watch her, chest heaving as she gripped the sheets for a moment before he dove in.

The first scrape of his tongue against her made Kagome release a broken cry and her hips bucked unconsciously. Inuyasha growled, and the feeling ran through her, making her mewl as he wrapped one hand around her hips to still her, the other lifting her leg to his shoulder before his fingers trailed down her thigh. He drew her nub into his mouth, teasing it with the flat of his tongue as she whimpered and her upper body thrashed against the bed. She could feel his enjoyment and pleasure, and the dual sensation was almost overwhelming.

Inuyasha knew she was close from the change of her scent, and chuckled darkly, knowing that it would send her over the edge. To his surprise, Kagome's hand fisted in his hair and pulled him back, leaving her on the brink of an orgasm.

"Kagome?"

"I want you inside me," she panted, her eyes glazed as she tugged him up, and Inuyasha was only too happy to comply. Her leg wrapped around his hip as he aligned himself with one hand, surging forward until he was completely sheathed inside of her.

Kagome's eyes fluttered shut at the movement as she whimpered, raising her other leg to hold him close. They lay there for a moment, basking in the sensation of being joined, but more, feeling how it impacted the other, before the heat began to rise between them again and Inuyasha drew his hips out to plunge back into Kagome, relishing every gasp, every sigh, and every whimper.

Kagome was burning, every sense nearly overloaded as he moved within her, pushing her higher, but not over the edge.

"I… I need… oh Kami," she stammered out, her body pulsing as he pushed forward with a hard thrust and he lowered his mount to tease her nipple. She tugged his hair, and when he raised his head, she pulled him up to fuse her mouth to his, her teeth nipping his bottom lip. He growled in response as he slid a hand under her to tilt her hips upward and she let out a broken sob as electricity coursed through her. She buried her face against his neck and felt the muscles of her body begin to quiver, heat shooting through her as his thrusts grew faster and more erratic.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha groaned. Nothing could have prepared him for this: feeling Kagome's orgasm approaching as keenly as he did his own. He knew how close she was, could feel her pleasure merging with his, not knowing where either of them began or ended. She shifted her hips and he was lost, his hips snapping forward with increasing speed as Kagome cried out beneath him, pulling him close as she began to unravel. They hit their peak at the same moment, their cries echoing in the room as the golden ribbons that surrounded them shattered. Gold showered down on them, absorbing into their skin as Inuyasha turned the side and drew Kagome close, never breaking their connection.

As their breathing began to ease, Inuyasha heard Kagome's heartbeat change to match his. A sense of utter peace and completion washed over him, and he had to try and hold back the tears that formed. His eyes shifted to Kagome's face, in awe all over again that this amazing, brilliant, wonderful woman loved him, had chosen him, and wanted to stay by his side. He placed a gentle kiss on her head and smiled as she snuggled closer as she came down off of her high.

Kagome smiled as she cuddled deeper into Inuyasha's arms, feeling safe, loved… whole. She could feel her reiki flowing through her, but now it seemed fuller—richer, almost—and she nearly giggled when she realized that it was now laced with yoki. She opened her eyes, tilting her head back to look at Inuyasha, and gasped. The inner ring of his iris, just against his pupil, was a deep chocolate brown, and she had a suspicion that she would have a golden ring just like it in hers. Her hand rose to stroke his cheek, and Inuyasha pressed his face against it, his eyes closing at the touch.

"Hey, mate," Kagome whispered.

Inuyasha's eyes slid open and he grinned.

"Hey, mate."