To hell with them all.
Times were changing and all too damn fast for his taste.
His eyes scanned the room and landed on his stupid half-brother, who was making a fool of himself again, drinking with his human make friends. A monk, a fox, and a wolf. Though he wasn't sure, he could say the wolf was Iuyasha's friend. Then his glided to a group of slayers, ridiculous. Monk, demons, slayers all in one room with demons?
His eyes then glided to his mother, who stood stoic and cold much like himself, but she was scanning, searching, planning. His father was just there to have fun. Fun.
This was not fun.
His mother was all but planning his mating. Nagging and nagging and forbidding any wars. His father wasn't much better. His mother threw bitched at him left and right. Strong breeds, big breasts, con women. Not that any of them were fooling him. Was this the best? Was this all that was left?
He snorted at the thought.
His father kept sliding in that he could always choose a human. As if he would ever. They were dirty, uneducated, boring, weak, useless creatures in his eyes, even with their advances. Advance, they did but they did it so damn slowly.
His brother was by far the worse; he actually tried to introduce him to a half-breed cat! He should have killed him right there and then.
But even with all their nagging, the women themselves were worse.
Proud he was, vain he was not. Women shamelessly threw themselves at him, and most had very loose intentions and even looser morals. Whores all of them.
The few who were seemingly still innocent were being thrown at him with a price tag. Fuck that. If he wanted something, he took it. He didn't need land, or gold, or more allies.
He didn't need a mate at all.
But they were not going to stop, and as firstborn, he did want to be the first to have a son, but Inuyasha was sniffing so far up his human's ass it was surprising he was still unmated.
Inuyasha didnt give a shit about tradition; apparently, no one did anymore. Not even Miko's.
These damn gatherings were getting old and a waste of time.
Sesshomaru sipped the demon sake and looked around the room. Too bad he couldn't find a mate that would piss them all off. Mate her just to spite them all.
He heard laughter, then felt an intense feeling of embarrassment coming from the same direction as the laughed, and he knew who it was.
The local Miko, the one sister to Kikyo. The one he actually thought his brother would end up with.
He walked a little way to see what all the fussy was about. His eyes landed on her. Her face was bright red, and she was surrounded by women. Odd.
She was a strange Miko, ahead of her time. She was well traveled for her age. Miko's had long ago given up the law about not being married, just another change of time that would end up being their undoing. But she was still unwed. Of course, she was like him, always refusing everyone who came her way, and with no mother or father to force her, she could deny them, she had nothing but herself to offer, and she didn't seek lands or power; she didn't need them either. She was the Shikon Miko, after all. She needed no one; he needed no one.
But know what little he did, she wanted someone. Just as many waited with wonder at who he would choose, he wondered who she would choose.
She was either picky or stupid. Maybe she did want to end up like the old Miko hags.
The was one real group missing from this event. Demon and Mikos still didn't trust one another; even his father was skeptical and kept his distance. His mother swore they all needed to be burned alive.
His brother liked only the two but still had fits of jealous rage anytime the wolf tried to make a move on the one known as Kagome.
Sesshomaru smirked; he wondered what his brother would do if he pulled that with her.
Wait a minute.
Her eyes met his, and she mouthed, 'help me.'
This would prove entertaining. He made his way over.
The women swooned; she did not.
"Lord Sesshomaru, what a surprise," she said awkwardly, clearly not surprised.
"Indeed," He was surprised by what he was considering. His eyes locked on her.
"Can I introduce you?" Kagome asked,
"No," He said,
"See, I knew she wasn't close with him!"
Kagome blushed. "I never said I was close to you!" She said in almost a panic.
"And what is your idea of close," He asked the women.
"We just asked to be introduced, and she seemed unwilling though we have seen you two speak many times before."
Another jumped in. "We tease that she wanted you all for herself, the naughty Miko," They laughed before another spoke.
This must have been when she decided to ask for help.
His eyes glided to her, then to his mother, who was watching intensely, then to his brother, who was glaring dagger, then to the wolf who looked worried, and last but not least to his father, who he could not read which meant he was trying to hide his emotion and thoughts.
Perfect.
"Now that that's out of the way," One pushed forward, "I am-
"Not interested," He said. "Miko, come,"
They looked offended, "You would rather talk with her than choose your future mate!"
Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her away from the group of eight women because all hell was about to break loose.
He wasn't sure whose reaction he wanted to see the most. Hers or everyone else. Enough wasting time.
"Foolish woman, she is my future mate,"
Kagome gasped, and he pulled her close to keep her out of harm's way; after all she had no idea she was part of his little plan.
A wicked smile crossed his face as the world lost its damn mind, and he wondered but for a moment if he had lost his.