You guys are *no* help! Well, that's not true. At least you did give me your opinions. Since you were disappointed that it wasn't really a real chapter, I'll try to make it up to you and up-date and finish this chapter today. A lot of people don't want flashbacks and want the story to flow nicely, so I guess that means I'm doing letter B. I didn't necessarily want to re-write what I wrote, but it makes sense this way and one of you said that I can always add/delete what I do and don't like to what I already typed, so I think that's what I'm going to do. Well, I hope you like this! Thank you for sticking with me! ^o^
Disclaimer: I don't own I-Y. Phooey!
Worthy of a Mate
Ch. 2
"Hop on," Inuyasha said from over his shoulder, presenting his back to Kagome.
"You've got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed, looking at him nervously.
"Do you want to delay and get devoured by demons?" He asked exasperatedly.
Kagome shuddered, hugging herself at the thought. "No," she answered tersely, slightly pouting. But I hardly know you either! How am I supposed to know you aren't going to eat me instead of marry or…mate with me? Personally, she didn't know what to believe anymore.
"Come on then, don't take all night! It's not like I'm gonna hurt you or anything."
Still slightly nervous, Kagome pressed her lips together and thought about the pros and cons of the situation. Surely he wouldn't hurt her… if he really intended on marrying her that is. He wouldn't do anything bad… would he?
A wolf or wolf-demon howling in the distance quickly made up her mind. It was dark, which meant nightfall had finally come. Kagome paled. That was not good! She scurried over to Inuyasha and hopped onto his back, circling his waist with her legs. His arms wrapped around her knees and pulled her closer against him, hoisting her up further in the process, causing Kagome's heart to quicken. She gulped. This was most definitely not proper! She wondered what her father would think of the situation and smirked so unlike herself that it nearly shocked her. She gripped Inuyasha's arms and leaned her head on the back of his shoulders. She would do anything to see the look on his face now!
[AN: By the way, at least two people have asked what place in time this story took place. I'd say end of 1700's, early 1800's. Sound fair? ^^]
Kagome nuzzled her face in Inuyasha's thick silvery hair, sighing contentedly. She didn't know what made her so comfortable in his arms, but she liked it. Maybe it was his muscular body that knew could harm her if he didn't get the last word, but it was also the prospect of him protecting her, not wanting her to stay out too late or get injured by other demons. It was nice to feel looked after. It was nice to know that after her father had abused her, whipped her, and threw her to the wolves… that someone still might actually be able to care for her… or at least act as if she was precious and might break. No one had don't that to her since she was ver small and her mother died giving child birth to what would have been her little brother. It was one more thing her father blamed Kagome with, when she couldn't have done anything in the matter to stop her mother's death, or the death of an unborn child.
When Kagome's cold nose brushed against Inuyasha's neck he tensed in a crouching position. He was just about ready to spring up into the air, but once again, his actions froze as Kagome's skin and his made contact. It was an unwritten rule that no one was supposed to ever touch another demons neck. Only those you completely trust, friends from childhood, and sometimes not even then. Usually mates would nuzzle there, and only when seeking pleasure. He could tell why, it was extremely hard to concentrate.
A low growl started in Inuyasha's diaphragm, and slowly rose through his chest and up to his throat. His grip on Kagome's thigh's tightened, pulling her even closer to the warmth of his back, as if the many layers of fabric would disappear if he pressed her hard enough into him. Kagome gasped, halting in her ministrations as if she hadn't even known what she was doing to him, nor that she was absently rubbing his left ear, pleasing him to no end. He growled. The bitch had to know how she was effecting him! It figures too. He had to carry her heat against the small of his back for what would seem like a tantalizingly long period of time. Her scent was so close to him too! He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He could smell wolf-demon, and it was quickly approaching them. He had to get out of there fast. No one would harm his mate! Even if he hadn't had the time to claim her yet.
Without further ado, Inuyasha jumped into the branches of the trees, leaping from one to another at an amazing speed. Kagome squeaked, burying her head on his shoulder. She could feel the powerful movement of his muscles beneath her hands. She could smell his wild scent that was in his hair. Her grip tightened around him as he tried to speed up even more, her legs unconsciously clamping more tightly about him. Again he growled, and Kagome didn't know if they were in danger or if her was mad at her. Given the current situation, she secretly hoped something was following her. Inuyasha could get a little carried away when he was angry. Okay… a lot carried away the crazy brute!
Inuyasha snarled, his mind not focusing properly. Why did this human have to smell so appetizing? Why did she have to do just the right things to get his attention? And why did she have to be on his back right now? He would give anything to be able to swing her around, bringing the heat of her closer to him, closer to the swell of his pants. He growled again. She was slowly driving him insane with the need of her, the want of her. He couldn't concentrate on the smells around him, he could only concentrate on her. It was stupid. If he wasn't careful, he might get them both killed.
Inuyasha stopped on a thick tree branch, his grip sliding up the backside of her rear. She stiffened automatically and he cursed mentally in his head. He waited for her blow-up, and sure enough, it came instantly.
"Inuyasha! What do you think you're doing?!? I—"
He growled threateningly before his clawed hands continued on their way up to the small of her back. She froze, her ranting efficiently trailing off, and it was then that he grasped the puffy skirt at its hem and pulled with all his might, effectively tearing it off. He smirked, pleased with himself. When Kagome began to yell again however, his smirk turned quickly into a scowl.
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?!" She hissed loudly in his ear. "This is my most expensive gown!!!"
He shrugged, but grinned secretly, glad that she had at least tried to impress him. If it wasn't such an enormous thing to wear, he might have given her credit for it. "It's too big, I can't run without it getting caught up in my legs," he stated matter-of-factly. It was true… but there was also another reason, and he wasn't going to tell if she wasn't going to ask.
"Oh."
He smirked. Mission accomplished. He could feel her warmth better this way, her scent overwhelming his abilities. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.
Kagome blinked a couple of times, her legs feeling the cool chill of the night now that she was only in her… Her eyes widened at the realization before she shouted, "I'm only in my undergarments!!"
Inuyasha winced at the outrageous heights her voice could reach to, his ears flattening to the top of his head. "Shuddup, will you?" He growled. "My ears are sensitive you know. You're lucky you're wearing anything at all!" And with the way she was effecting him, he meant it.
Kagome paled, deciding to shut up just this once. She wanted to get to wherever they were going, to his mother even, so long as they weren't alone and he wouldn't get to do whatever he so pleased.
She hoped.
Inuyasha took off once again, running, leaping, and soaring through the air. Now that she had gotten used to it, she wasn't so terrified anymore. She liked the feel of the breeze whipping through her hair. She liked knowing that they didn't have to have a conversation, which meant she could keep to her thoughts and not have to worry about offending him or making him angry again. When he stopped for the second time that night, Kagome's heart started to rapidly pick up speed once again. Now what?
Gently, Inuyasha set her down on the branch of the tree, then turned to face her. He was looking at her seriously this time, with no trace of anger in his gaze. "Stay here," he commanded, lightly this time. "I'll be right back."
Confused, Kagome could only nod her head and oblige. Inuyasha jumped down from the branch and stood on guard, causing her brows to furrow. What was going on? Then she heard the brush across the way scuttle about as a gray wolf came into view. It looked at Inuyasha with hunger in its eyes, licking its lips as foam and saliva began to collect at its snout and dribble to the earthen floor. She heard Inuyasha snort.
"You really think you have a chance to beat me?" he asked egotistically, flexing his claws.
Kagome could only stare, captivated in the moment.
The wolf's eyes darted over Inuyasha's shoulder and briefly made eye contact with Kagome. She gasped, backing up along the branch until her body was pressed firmly against the trunk of the tree. Her heart was beating at an alarmingly fast rate, and she briefly wondered if this was how he intended on getting rid of her. Didn't he say that he didn't want a human for a mate? Didn't he say he would never like her?
The wolf leapt in slow motion, and all Kagome could do was stare helplessly into its bright orange eyes, her reflection mirrored there. She brought a hand to her throat, her chest heaving for air as a thought registered in her mind that it needn't do so. Not if she was going to be torn apart and eaten by the wolf.
A streak of red and white appeared in her vision at the last second as a voice registered in her mind. "Oh no you don't! She's mine!" He growled.
Inuyasha growled.
Kagome blinked stupidly for a few seconds, her mind not processing what had just happened. It was as she looked at the aftermath that she understood what he had done. He was crouched with his back toward the wolf-demon, a wide smirk across his face and his hand outstretched, blood dripping from his claws. The wolf was lying on its side below the branch Kagome presently occupied. His side flank was opened in a large gash, blood still seeping out onto the ground. Its ribcage wasn't moving. It was dead.
"Feh. Stupid wolf."
Inuyasha rose to his feet, licking his claws clean of the blood, a hint of scarlet in his eye. It vanished as he gazed at Kagome. He leapt up into the tree and held out his hand. "Come on, we're almost there."
Kagome stared stupidly for a second, and then nodded her head. She placed her hand in his and lifted it over his shoulder as he turned around, gently wrapping the arm around his neck. Kagome blushed at the contact, her heart—which had finally calmed down when she saw that the danger was over—picked up speed once again. The words, She's mine! She's mine! She's mine! Kept echoing inside her head. Did he mean that? Was she his to love and cherish, or was she his to do whatever he wanted with, then discard her or eat her for himself?
Kagome numbly hopped up onto his back once again, not paying attention as Inuyasha pulled her closer once again. He took off, and she was barely aware of it, her mind not concentrating on more than one thing. When he came to a halt, Kagome then realized that they had arrived to their destination. It was a relatively large clearing that Kagome was secretly happy about. She could see the opalescent moon above their heads, along with the many twinkling stars. She wouldn't have to live without sunshine after all! She slowly lowered herself off of Inuyasha, not noticing the way Inuyasha's hands tightened onto her as a half growl, half moan issued from his lips. Kagome was to preoccupied with the sight around her. She giggled, gazing up at the stars as if everything would be more than alright. She didn't know that she had a lust-crazed demon on her hands though.
"So thins is it?" She asked, turning to him and offering a huge smile.
He gulped. At least she would be happy here. Then again… she didn't know where they were sleeping that night. He nodded. "Uh huh."
Her smile widened. He wasn't so bad. "Where is everyone else?"
He shrugged. "Sleeping, hunting, mating…" She blushed, but he ignored it. "Everyone here are either outcasts, they had been too injured for battle at one point it time and after they healed they decided to stay, they are humans with mates that came here for refuge, or are the product of that. They have their own territory and deserve to be respected. They know humans can't smell the changes, but you need to be careful until you learn everything. No snooping around, okay?" He was glaring at her sternly, as if she were a child, and she hated it. She glared back, but here his seemed to harden. "I mean it. If you happen to come upon a mating ceremony, demon blood won't hesitate to rip you apart. I don't want a dead mate on my hands, you got it? Then I'd have to go rip him apart. It's a gruesome cycle, and I don't want to start one. Got it?"
Kagome huffed, looking away from him and crossing her arms. "Yes, your highness."
He lifted a brow in amusement. "Your highness? Never heard of him."
She scowled.
"Come. It's time for bed. We will officially become mates tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?!?" She shouted, outraged that he would assume so much and scared that everything was going too quickly.
He was on her in an instant. "Pipe down, wench," he hissed, grabbing her upper arm in a bruising grip as his eyes darted to certain locations. "You don't want to wake everyone up, now do you?"
"But—"
The look he sent her made her shiver. He was angry… again… all because of one little word.
"Do I need to punish you to get you to obey?" He growled dangerously in her ear.
She gulped. Oh no… no more beatings. If he saw… She closed her eyes painfully and pressed her lips together. "No…" she breathed, hoping that she wouldn't start to cry. Why was it that after so many years of getting hurt from her father and never crying once, she was acting like a baby all over again and crying at the first sign of trouble? Was it because she was disappointing him? Was it because he was yelling at her because of something she did? Whatever it was, she didn't like it.
"Good. Now come on." He grabbed her wrist with his other hand and finally let go of her upper arm, leading her to the right and back into the forest.
"Hey!" She cried, glancing at the expanse of sky she had been longing to see. "I thought—"
He sighed, and she could just picture him rolling his eyes. "We're here."
They stopped in front of a small hill that went above Inuyasha's head by only a foot and a half. The hill had grass and tiny flowers in it, but that wasn't what he had meant, for the hill was a cave, or a den. Inuyasha had to duck his head only an inch to get inside, Kagome had no trouble at all. Once inside Inuyasha could straighten the further in they went. It was dark, but once again, Inuyasha was her eyes. She would be able to see better in the morning. She blindly followed Inuyasha for about ten more steps when he stopped and she bumped into him.
"This is it."
"I can't see a thing," she grumbled.
He gave a low chuckle that sent shivers down her back. She liked this Inuyasha a lot better than the dominating one.
"So… is this my… new home?" She asked hesitantly.
Inuyasha's head snapped in her direction, gazing at her as if to read her expression, hoping it was good enough. Not that he should care or anything. "Yes, so deal with it," he snapped, and instantly regretted his words when he saw the shocked and hurt expression on her face.
"I never said I didn't like it."
"You never said you did either," he shot back.
She looked away from him, not that it mattered. She couldn't see him anyway/ She just didn't want him to see her eyes cloud over with tears. "I'll tell you later… in the morning perhaps, when I can see everything better."
His heart swelled at the sincerity and honesty in her voice. She didn't just say that she liked it, she was going to wait and see if it was the truth. He was starting to like her already, and it made him mad and frustrated with himself.
"Here, get dressed in this for tonight." He tossed her a long red shirt that would undoubtedly reach past her knees. It hit her on the side, the material hanging over her shoulder slightly. She reached for it dumbly, as if trying to find out what it was. "It's just a shirt, but it's better than being uncomfortable all night. That and being in nothing at all."
She suddenly found it hard to swallow. "Will you… will you turn around?"
He snorted, but did as she requested. After all, at least this time she asked.
"You aren't peeking, are you?" She asked shyly.
Oh yes, she was waaaay to innocent. It made him want to turn around and look, just because he knew she would never find out. But he wouldn't lie to her. He could look and touch as much as he wanted to after they finally became mates.
"No."
"Good." Kagome slowly undressed herself, turning her back to him anyway just in case. When she finally pulled the large shirt over her head she sighed with relief. "Okay. You can look now."
He turned around and blushed fiercely at what he saw. She looked like a goddess, with her hair all in disarray from having come on his back through the forest, her eyes large and dilated as she tried to see him, see his face. The shirt hung loosely over her figure, and was slightly crooked, but it did amazing things to his imagination. It looked at though she had just woken up from a long night of heavy love-making. HE gulped at the thought. She was driving him nuts. Boy, his mother knew him better than he gave her credit for.
"Come on, come to bed," he urged softly.
She tensed. "We-we're sharing a… a bed?" She gasped.
"Well, it isn't a bed exactly…"
"We aren't even married yet!" She screeched.
He winced. "What did I tell you about keeping your voice down?! Don't worry, we aren't going to do anything. Just sleep, that's all! Okay?"
She still hesitated, looking slightly queasy and unsure. Finally she nodded her head and stepped forward, reaching out blindly for where he was. He was by her side in an instant, guiding her and lowering her to the bed of hay and grass. It was warmer than she thought it would be, but she liked it none-the-less. She felt him lay beside her and she held her breath, her heart threatening to jump out of her ribcage. She suddenly found it hard to breathe.
An arm came around her and she tensed, forgetting how to breath or even move. His nose nuzzled her ear and a whoosh of air left her lungs. "Just relax, okay? Relax. I won't harm you. Inu-yokai mate for life. You don't have to worry," He growled softly in her ear.
She gulped and nodded her head, slowly forcing her body to loosen up, even though her mind was screaming in protest.
"You see, it's not that bad, right?" He mumbled sleepily, drawing her closer still.
Little did he know that his words were no comfort to her. Kagome kept hearing, 'Inu-youkai mate for life,' and 'We'll be mated tomorrow,' in her head. She didn't know if she could handle so drastic a change. She didn't know what she wanted.
What's going to happen tomorrow, Inuyasha? She thought sleepily. Will you ever be able to care for me? Love me even? What do you expect of me? Slowly she snuggled deeper into the hay, finding comfort there. What will our future bring?
Alright, that is all for now. ^-^ I'll try to up-date the next chapter tomorrow. The more reviews I get, the harder I'll try! ^-^ I might even try for tonight! We'll I hope you enjoyed this! Review please!