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The first month of her new life flew by quickly like a dream, but sadly it was not a promising one. What was she expecting? Did she naively believe that things would slowly get better between then given time? Perhaps that's what she'd hoped for but the reality she faced was so different. The lord remained cold and uninterested in her though he ensured that the youkai maids took care of her physical needs like cooking her meals and doing the laundry but otherwise they kept to themselves. She didn't have to guess why that was so; it was obvious to see that they were following Sesshomaru's instructions.
Not once but many times after he had left for an extended period of time they had drawn shyly to her side and had initiated conversation. They'd questioned her about her history with their lord, where she was from among other curious things about her, like her manner of speech, her scent and her vibrant blue eyes. It was at those times that she truly felt relaxed, she would smile, she felt like she was making friends and letting go of Inuyasha seemed plausible. However, those moments were short-lived because he was never gone for long.
When he was around he watched her constantly although he pretended not to do so. He would only speak to her if it was completely unavoidable. His behavior was putting a strain on her mind and heart because her feelings for him slowly grew. Maybe it was the color of his hair and eyes; maybe it was his commanding presence that was so like InuYasha's in so many ways that drew her to him, that made her want him. But… no, it couldn't just be that. For all of InuYasha's positive attributes there really was no comparing him to his brother.
Where InuYasha had been as wild and as utterly untamed as the forest she had found him, Sesshoumaru was like a finely honed blade, cold, clean, and unerringly precise. Where InuYasha had warmed the very core of her being, Sesshoumaru set her ablaze. Kagome bit her lip and shuddered at the comparison, before quickly forcing her thoughts to more benign problems.
There wasn't much to do within Sesshoumaru's home, so passing the time became a chore. She was bored and often times she would walk the property with only her cat for company trying to learn the layout of her new residence. Or sit out under the trees by the river watching the sunlight filtering through spaces, or she would take a swim, but as the season blew colder she couldn't venture out very often.
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Winter's passing was cold and drab, and loneliness had begun to take its toll on her. She had two friends in her new home and sadly neither could speak; a demon cat and a dragon. She found herself talking to them at times anyway to help break up the monotony. Sometimes on the bad days she could swear that when she looked in their faces she could see pity in their eyes for her. It made her want to cry.
The bitter cold months passed and nothing had changed between them, she didn't know how much longer she could endure the isolation. Another summer was upon her and she was alive thankfully, but the loneliness made her yearn for Inuyasha all the more, and despair had started to set in. She had to do something before she went insane.
She had overslept because of restlessness that night and had gone to bed very late, but now she was wide awake. She yawned and stretched welcoming the day. Today would be a good day to start her quest to make friends with Sesshomaru and hence putting an end to the awkwardness and boredom.
Sesshomaru was not in the house but she could feel his overbearing presence on the property. She didn't care if he did not want to see her, she would risk his temper, she needed to be close to someone. She wanted to make idle conversation, break up the repetitiveness, anything other than what she was feeling, anything to make her feel alive. She needed to talk with another intelligent being, to remember what it was like to interact with another soul. And even though she hated to admit it even to herself, Sesshoumaru was all that she had.
It was mid-morning now and the first day of summer, she eased out of bed to perform the morning's ritual of cleansing herself and having breakfast. She was not in the best of moods but that would not deter her from speaking to Sesshomaru. Too much time had already elapsed and their relationship had not improved.
She did away way with her personal hygiene and breakfast quickly and then she thanked the dark haired demoness that had served her the meal and politely informed her that she was going for a walk and would be back shortly, and then took her leave.
Half way to her destination, Michi her cat brushed up against her legs, she had not realized that the kitten had followed her. She purred and curled her limbered body around her legs. Kagome grinned at the cat recognizing that she wanted to be carried; she picked her up and gazed into her soft yellow eyes.
"You really are a lazy cat but I love you," she said affectionately and nuzzled the kitten's face.
Michi licked her face with a roughened tongue and purred louder, Kagome jokingly cringed by the contact and then continued towards the river where she knew Sesshomaru would be. She had easily pinpointed his whereabouts over half an hour ago and curiously he wasn't alone. She put the thought to the back of her mind and pressed on while humming an old song from her childhood days.
As she approached the river she stopped and gazed at scenery. It had a rock formation with a small drop of about six feet which emptied into a large pool, and she wondered whether or not if the clear water that settled into the basin was a natural formation or an artificial one. Either way it was beautiful.
She snapped out of her musings when she heard mutterings and slowly began to walk again. The nearer she approached the more her curiosity grew; she strained her ears and could only hear unintelligible ramblings. There were too many things crackling inside her head like the breeze, the gushes and gurgles of the river, and fear, yet she could not turn back.
She stopped and took a long deep breath trying to clear her mind before taking another step, but as she got closer the noises became very different. Muffled gasps and moans that appeared to be coming from several meters away assaulted her ears. The gasps and moans got louder with every step that carried her closer to the truth, and a pain stole in her heart. She didn't see them yet, and maybe she should turn back, but she couldn't. Her heart wanted to know, because as much as she had fought it these many months, she was slowly falling in love with the Daiyoukai.
Trembling, she moved from behind a boulder and saw two bodies in motion on the other side of the river, shaded from the sun by lush river plants and giant trees writhing in pleasure. From this angle she saw as Sesshomaru mounted the female from the back, she squealed loudly in delight and he grunted in satisfaction. As she watched tears stung her eyes; her heart and soul felt like it had slowly but painfully parted from her body and floated away, so that her mind and consciousness were separated from her limbs. Michi fell from her hands. She couldn't take it, she couldn't watch anymore. She closed her eyes and ran blindly away from them, never stopping until she reached her bedroom and flopped onto her bed crying hopelessly.
He knew the moment that the priestess had left the house to come in search of him; he was already in the middle of something and he wasn't going to stop just to please her. He was grown and had a right to do whatever he wanted in his own home. Still he had been somewhat surprised and a little anxious by her actions when suddenly she'd fled and the scent of tears had drifted to him on the breeze.
He told himself that he didn't care and had no reason to feel any shame or guilt. The woman being in his life was an obligation and nothing more. And then suddenly the female under him felt the brunt of his driving frustrations, with every stab of his hips, every harsh plunge, every near withdrawal he hammered away the confusion until he was spent.
Later in the day he returned to the house feeling a bit concerned about the priestess after seeing how distraught she had been earlier. The demoness that he had the dalliance with had already left. He tried to open Kagome's door but it was locked, he shrugged and walked away.
Many hours later after she had calmed and could hear herself think again, she went to the window and looked outside, all she could see was the beauty of the land, nature at its best yet it brought her no joy. She shook her head not knowing if she would be able to survive long enough to get back to her time, because in six months she didn't know whether she was coming or going.
She left the window to go get a chair and returned with it a short time later. She placed it at the window and sat to ease the burden of fatigue. With nothing else to do but think, she sat there until it grew darker as night approached and solitude had started to make her sad again. Then, suddenly there was an urgent tap at the door. Her eyes left the window as she slanted her head in that direction.
"Who is it?"She asked softly.
"Lady Kagome it's time for dinner," one of the maids replied.
Kagome hesitated for a moment and then answered. "I am sorry for your troubles but I do not wish for food now."Her voice almost quivered as she had spoken, but she willed away the pain in her tone with a deep breath.
"Okay see you in the morning," the female said from behind the door. After which Kagome heard lithe footsteps as she walked away, and then she turned and faced the window again.
The full moon steadily rose in the sky, she felt even more empty and alone. She sighed deeply when she remembered that on some nights like these Inuyasha's demonic heritage would fade and he would become a handsome dark haired human. Now the pain in her heart from the memories of her dead husband was finally fading and in its place a new ache throbbed. She could not get the image of Sesshomaru having sex with that female out of her head. It was scandalous, and one that she could have lived a thousand more years without seeing, then all of a sudden she remembered her kitten. She gasped; she had dropped her as she'd fled the scene of her anguish.
The chair tipped over from the abruptness of her movements in her haste to find Michi, she ran swiftly from the house out into the darkness. She dashed fifty paces before she heard purring behind her and turned around. She was so relieved that quickly she gathered the kitten close.
Sesshomaru had heard the noise and came outside to investigate; he stopped when he saw that she was alright. He watched while she rocked the kitten lovingly not knowing yet that he was there. He couldn't put into words what he felt gazing at her bathed in the moon's glow. She made him feel things that he did not want to feel or should feel. She was human and had been Inuyasha's woman, all of which was vexing to him.
She took a step unaware that he stood on the porch hidden in the shadows, but as she got closer she halted. She froze. Not yet grasping full control over her emotions she had wanted to avoid him at all cost; and for him to just stand there and stare at her like nothing had happened disturbed her greatly. She felt nauseated and her hands trembled as she gazed at his beautiful face; she placed Michi back on the ground in fear that she might actually drop her. No sooner had she done that the unwanted images of him pounding into an unnamed female flooded her mind. Her fingers bended form a tight knot with how much jealousy she felt. She took a deep cleansing breath silently; she had to get away from him. She had to shut out those images somehow.
Despite how frustrated he was he could see that the priestess was genuinely hurt by what she had seen, but he would not empathize with her, she had no right to be spying on him. She needed to learn her place; he had to set some boundaries.
She crossed the steps leading onto the patio determined to move pass him silently, then suddenly he grabbed her arm and spun her around roughly. His lips parted and she turned away, she didn't want to hear anything that he had to say right now.
He drew nearer; she swallowed thickly and he whispered by her ear. "You should mind your own business," he said calmly, menacingly, "you are a guest in my home and my affairs do not concern you."
She was stunned, of all the things that he could have said to her why that? It's not like she had gone out of her way to spy on him. All she'd wanted at the time was someone to talk to. How dare he imply that she was a stalker? She jerked her head away from him and stared. She saw a cruel, spiteful adversary and forgot about the calmness that she was trying to invite into her spirit, and she despised him anew. How could he say such things to her after all that she had been through?
She raised her hand, angry at him and determined to strike that arrogant spiteful look off his face. He caught her wrist in such a malicious hold that she cried out from the pain of it. He stared at her with cold hostility, and her body quivered, she lowered her head to hide from him the emotions that might betray her true feelings. She didn't hate him; she was falling in love with him and was jealous and confused.
She looked up again, her eyes flashing with fire as the painful grip had not lessened and he was much too close. She couldn't breathe, she was still so very wary of him, frightened of the feelings she harbored for him. She had to make him let her go and run, but she couldn't move just yet.
He leaned in again, his hands upon her shoulders, he laughed, mocking her. "Priestess, did you enjoy what you saw while you spied on me?"
Startled only a moment, humiliated by his words she forgot the fear that had crippled her as she watched his face, and before she could stop herself the words just tumbled right out.
"Why would I care what you do with your time and whores, I am relieved and elated that it wasn't me, you are nothing but a low life dog!"
He fell upon her in an instant. The next thing that she knew his fingers were tearing through her hair. In wild panic she raged against him, fear filled her, suddenly he let go of her hair, shredded the kimono from her body and was all over her. She stifled a cry of distress and surprise.
His fingertips and claws burned as it touched her naked flesh, she gasped as currents flowed throughout her body. What was happening? She didn't know, but this was not what she wanted. She had felt his passion before, but he had never been brutal, and now he ravaged her body with harsh bites and hurried licks, gazed at her with burning desire but with hatred as well. She twisted against the strength of his arms, but had no hopes of escape; his grip was like cast iron.
His mouth fell onto hers with cruelty, she gasped out loud, she felt his fang ripped into and tore her lips, she screamed with pain, her mouth enveloped with blood she spat it out. Her eyes ballooned at the gulp he made as he swallowed it. He was frightening her, she didn't want to but she had to stop him now. Her fingers sizzled and she brought it swiftly with a slap to his chest and burned him, she could smell roasting flesh, he stared at her in surprise and pushed away suddenly. His face an angry mask, his teeth clenched; with her new found freedom she ran away from him to her bedroom and locked the door.
She knew that wouldn't be enough to stop him if he chose to retaliate, but she was hoping that she had burned some sense into him. But as she stood in the room leaning against the door, panting harshly, fearful and jittery she heard when he slammed his own room door. She slid down the length of hers in relief. She would not get any sleep tonight.
Michi - Pathway