Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, its characters, or the plot 'Dragon King,' which this fic is based on.
Summary: He shouldn't have agreed to this. He despised humans, and the last thing he wanted to do was mate with one. However, with the success of the previous year, Sesshomaru has no choice but to compete in this year's forage. Especially if he wants to have heirs. So he'll choose a mate. He'll just treat this like any business transaction he's ever done. No emotions involved. That should be easy. Right?
Rin had made it to Inuyasha's suite and knocked on the door. When she didn't hear anything, she knocked a second time. He said that she can come by any time. But maybe coming so late at night wasn't a good idea. She was just considering leaving when Inuyasha opened the door.
His hair was mussed and his eyes were heavy with sleep. Maybe she should've come by later. "Rin?"
"You said that I can come over anytime, but its obvious that you were sleeping. I'll just—" She was ready to turn around, until Inuyasha gently grabbed her arm and guided her inside.
"I meant what I said earlier, Rin. No matter what time, we'll be here for you. Now come in." Inuyasha led her inside and led her towards the living room and to sit down on the couch.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome said, coming out rubbing her eyes, removing any bits of sleep. "Oh Rin." She said, surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"
Rin looked down, sadness crossing her face. She thought she would've been done crying before she got here, but a fresh new wave of tears poured down her cheeks.
"Oh Rin." Kagome said sympathetically, as she quickly made her way to sit next to her and pulled her in close for a hug.
"You had your talk with Sesshomaru I'm assuming?" Inuyasha asked her.
Rin nodded, moving away from Kagome's hold. "You were right." She wiped her face of tears. "It didn't go well. He wants me packed and gone by morning."
"No." Kagome said, not believing it.
"Yes. I told him how I felt and that I was in love with him. I laid my heart out to him and yet he turned me down."
"If Sesshomaru said he's sending you away, then chances are he'll do just that. He's so damned stubborn."
"Look who's talking." Kagome gave a laugh. "Okay so he's being an idiot. I hope you haven't given up."
Rin pulled a face. "I'm tempted. He said a couple of things…" The lump came back, clogging her throat and making her eyes sting. No crying. Not anymore.
"I'm not sure that there's much we can do." Inuyasha told her, with regret.
"Call Eryx." Kagome said.
"What?" Inuyasha looked at his mate like she was crazy. "Are you crazy? What's he going to do?"
"Eryx is Sesshomaru's advisor. Maybe he can talk some sense into him." Kagome said.
"No!" Both Inuyasha and Rin said, in unison.
"Just because Eryx is his advisor, doesn't mean he'll listen to him. Hell half the time, anything that guy suggests, Sesshomaru turns it down."
"We have to do something!" Kagome pleaded with her husband. "Sesshomaru will be making a huge mistake if he sends Rin home."
Inuyasha pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a sigh. "I swear woman. I'm not sure that Eryx can convince Sesshomaru. Though, he might be able to think of something to help…even if some of his advice doesn't always work out. Still remember the time when he—"
"Um, hello, can we get back on the subject at hand, please." Kagome interrupted his musings.
"Right." Inuyasha stated, then turning to Rin. "The question is, what do you want to do? Do you want to try and make this work, or do you want to go home?"
Rin's eyes began to swell with tears.
Kagome released an angry breath. "Of course she wants to stay, Inuyasha."
Rin nodded, she had to work hard not to cry anymore. Her nose burned, her eyes stung and her throat was starting to hurt. She sucked in a few deep breaths. From the times she talked to Eryx, he had always been so sweet. He would help her, she was sure of it. Rin looked Inuyasha in the eyes. "I think Eryx would be the best person."
He nodded. He walked to Kagome and kissed her on the brow and looked at her with such tenderness that Rin felt her own pain so much more acutely. "Go on back to sleep, I'll be back later." He walked towards Rin, giving her a small smile. "Come on."
"Thank you, Inuyasha." Rin said.
"Good luck, Rin." Kagome gave her an excited smile, her thumb up.
Inuyasha led Rin towards the hallways, making their way to Eryx's suite. "I know your nervous. But if it's any consolation, Sesshomaru will come around." He glanced at her. "I've been watching the two of you. Don't give up on him. If you really do love him then fight for him. I know he feels something for you…I know it. The way he looks at you. The way he treats you. Eryx will help you, although I'm a little worried about it. He's wise and has been a great advisor to my brother, but if given the opportunity, I'm sure he'll do whatever it took to mess with him. Just be careful what you let him talk you into."
"I'm sure we'll think of something that doesn't involve us getting into a deep situation. It won't be too bad."
Inuyasha stopped abruptly and rapped on a door. He knocked again almost immediately, this time harder.
"Okay, okay, keep your shirt on." Eryx yawned as he opened the door, he was rubbing the back of his neck. He was also only wearing a pair of loose pants that showed a nice V on his hips.
Rin blushed looking away.
"Master Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Eryx asked, his voice a bit croaky.
"I need you to help Rin." Inuyasha told him.
"No disrespect Master, but could this not wait until morning?"
"This matter can't wait.
"Alright, come in." Eryx said, stepping back to allow them both inside.
Once both inside, they sat in his lounge area, with Eryx sitting across from the both of them. "So what is this dire emergency that couldn't wait until morning?"
"We're sorry to barge in here so early in the morning." Rin told him.
"Wait, Rin?" He asked, just now realizing that she was here. "Oh no! If Lord Sesshomaru finds out you're here, he'll have my head. Literally."
Rin swallowed hard. She pressed her lips together and tried not to cry for the tenth time that within the past ten minutes. When she thought about it, when was the last time she cried? Hell, she couldn't even remember. She didn't think she cried after her family died. She was just in a state of shock. Even when she was being abused by Mr. Walnut she never shed a tear. When she was sleeping in parks, not even a sob. However, this was the only time she felt like she needed to let go. It was amazing to her that after all the things she went through in the past, the fact that the one man she loved had rejected her, she bawls like a baby.
Allowing her body to just act on its own, her eyes filled and her throat constricted as new tears poured down her face like a waterfall.
"The situation has to deal with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha stated.
"Oh no! What did he do?" Eryx asked her, concerned. "Do I need to knock some sense into my Lord?"
Rin choked out a laugh, shaking her head. A tear or two escaped so she quickly wiped them away.
"Do you need a minute?" Inuyasha asked her.
Rin shook her head. "No, it's ok." She started to tell Eryx everything from beginning to end. He listened intently, however, it was only when she got to the part where Sesshomaru basically kicked her out that he reacted.
"My Lord is known to be ruthless, but this crosses the line."
"No shit." Inuyasha commented.
"He clearly doesn't know what he has in a woman like you?" Eryx looked very upset about this sudden news. He shook his head. "Any unmated man in the Western lands would give their life to be with a woman like you and he just casually throws you away. I don't get it."
"He's a stubborn asshole." Inuyasha added in. "I think the fact that he feels like he doesn't need love is making him stubborn."
"What about the fact that I'm human?" Rin asked. She remembered that it was noted that he didn't care much for humans. Maybe this was another reason why he let her go.
"You being a human has nothing to do with it. He may dislike certain humans, but I can guarantee that you are the one human who he clearly has feelings for." Eryx said.
"After what he did, I doubt he has any feelings for me. That could be it, too." She sniffed, fighting those damned tears all over again. "I should never have tried to trick him into falling in love with me. It was wrong and—"
"You can't trick someone into falling in love with you." Eryx smiled, softly. "It's not possible. You felt something between the two of you right from the start. Probably even before you met again, am I right?"
Rin couldn't help but smile back, knowing that he was right.
"Now we have to decide what the we're going to do about this. I take it you don't want to leave if you're here?" He raised his brows. "You love my idiot Lord." He let out a sigh. "I swear, he may be an intelligent man, but when it comes to situations like this, he can be such a dumbass. Must be if he'd do this to a beautiful woman such as yourself." Eryx winked at Rin and she had to laugh. Somehow he made her feel more relaxed about this whole thing.
"I want to at least give it one more shot. I'm not sure how, but I can't just leave things like this. I'm sure he has feelings for me. I just wish he would admit it already."
"Knowing my brother, he doesn't normally act like this. Though this is the first time he's acted this strongly around a woman before."
"It could be just instinctual mating behavior and nothing to do with emotions." Rin countered.
Eryx shook his head. "I would have to disagree. Since you've arrived, Lord Sesshomaru has been acting unusual then normal. I had to reschedule a few meetings because he was with you during certain days. And I must say, that trip to the human world with you…let's jut say he hasn't spent that much money on you in years."
Rin didn't know what to think of Eryx's words. Could him and Inuyasha be right? Could he really have feelings for Rin? If so, why make her go home?
"Anyway, what should she do, Eryx?" Inuyasha asked him.
"First off, we're going back to his chambers to collect Rin's things. She can stay here with me. I'll protect her for the time being."
Inuyasha raised a brow. "Here? Wouldn't she be better off staying with me and Kagome?"
"No offense, Master Inuyasha, but from what you told me from our last meeting, it would be wise that she stays with me." Eryx said, giving Inuyasha a knowing look. "Besides, being with me would be the last place he would think to look."
Inuyasha looked away, knowing what Eryx was talking about. "Alright, she'll stay here."
"Good." Eryx then turned to Rin. "Now, the whole protector thing won't last for very long. Once our men become aware of the situation, they'll start to become restless, this is especially true of the higher-ranking ones. They'll start to demand a chance to win you. They'll start challenging one another. Testosterone levels will go through the roof and sporadic fights will start to break out throughout the castle. This can be dangerous for our human inhabitants. Hell, it's dangerous for everyone."
"How long will we have?"
"A few days tops."
Rin pushed out a breath through her nose. "I don't think a few days will be enough." She pictured the look on Sesshomaru's face, the resolve in his eyes.
"I understand your concerns, Rin. Especially since your month for being in this realm is almost up. However, it'll buy us some time to come up with another plan."
She nodded. "Okay. If you're sure."
"Good!" Eryx rose to his feet. "Let's do this." He held out a hand and helped her up. She felt really tired all of a sudden. "Besides," he gave her hand a quick squeeze and grinned. "you might decide after living with me that it's me you want instead of him."
Rin could see that he was only joking. "You might fall in love with me instead. Shit…" he laughed, "that would serve my Lord right. He would go insane. He might kill me but it would be worth it." Then he became serious. "Wait just a minute, something like that might actually work."
"What do you mean?" She could hear the caution in her voice.
"You and me." Eryx looked deep in thought.
"Um…I'm sorry but—"
"Don't even think about it, Eryx." Inuyasha cut in, with a low growl.
"No, no, I'm not suggesting that she and I get together. Not for real anyway." He frowned, looking back towards Rin. "I know you love Lord Sesshomaru and besides, I would never move in on his future mate. Despite how sexy you are." He gave her another wink. "I'm suggesting that I fake win you to make him jealous."
Rin laughed, sounding nervous. "I'm not sure that whatever it is you have in mind is a good idea."
"No, actually it might work." Inuyasha said. "Sesshomaru needs a swift kick in the ass and Eryx winning you would give him the wakeup call he needs."
"I don't know…" She shook her head, sounding unsure. "Isn't it risky? He might end up hating me."
"If my brother loves you, he'll go over the edge. He won't be able to help himself."
"Then you can come clean immediately at that point and get him to admit his feelings in the heat of the moment." Eryx looked excited. "It'll work."
"So how would you win me exactly?"
"I would need to go head-to-head with the highest-ranking unmated demon." Eryx didn't look worried.
"I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Are you sure you can win?" Honestly, looking at him, Rin didn't think that Eryx was the fighting type. She knew demons were strong in general, but if he wasn't a soldier, she thought he wouldn't stand a chance up against them.
Eryx grinned. "Don't let the fact that I'm just his advisor fool you. I'm actually quite strong. Even managed to take Inuyasha down a few times in the past."
"Key term, past." Inuyasha said.
"Anyway, it'll be fine. From what I looked into, all the elite warriors all have mates or intended mates. The only three I would have to worry about are Eoin, Koen and Coy. I can beat others easily. Nothing will go wrong, trust me. Lord Sesshomaru will go crazy, then you'll know for sure that he's in love with you. You can both declare your undying love for one another and live happily ever after."
"You make it sound so easy." Rin said.
"It will be easy. Worst case scenario, my Lord will pretend to be indifferent, in which case we'll just have to try harder to drive him insane."
"I guess that will work. But if I'm going to be staying here…where will I sleep?"
Eryx gave a small chuckle. "Don't worry, Rin. You can sleep in my room and I'll sleep on the couch. I promise not to try anything." He touched a hand to his chest. "What do you say?"
"Can I think about it?"
"You don't have much time." Inuyasha told her. "Knowing my brother, he'll expect you gone real soon. We'll have to act fast in case of the worse."
"Master Inuyasha is right. I know this will work. I want my Lord to be happy, and I believe that you'll definitely make him happy. It would be my utmost honor to have you as my queen." He gave a slight bow. "Let me win you. I assure you, nothing will go wrong."
Rin thought for a moment and then shook her head. "Alright…I'll do it."
-0-0-0-0-0-
The following day…
"Are you sure about this?" Rin asked, as they made their way down the hall. She felt sick with nervous tension. Her stomach churned so badly that she hadn't been able to eat breakfast.
"Trust me Lady Rin, this will work out." Eryx reassured her.
"You don't have to call me Lady. Rin is just fine."
"After this works, I have to address you with the proper title. It would be disrespectful of me to address you so informally." He added with a smile. "Besides, it does have a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
Just then, Eoin rounded the corner, he was one of the higher-ranking warriors she had met at a couple of functions. His eyes roamed her body and heated as they did. He approached them, sniffing at her once he got closer. Rin grabbed Eryx's arm and stepped in closer to him.
He sniffed at her again and Eryx growled. "That's fucking rude." He said.
"Sorry!" He had the good grace to look sheepish. "I can't help it, you have a delectable scent. I heard that you were available since Lord Sesshomaru renounced you."
A sharp pain sliced through her heart.
Eryx stepped forward. "We're headed to the great hall. Move out of the way."
Eoin grinned. "I'm on my way there as well. I think that all of the elite warriors will attend." He glanced back at Rin. "I certainly hope that Coy loses. I'm next in line and I'd love a chance to fight for you." His eyes narrowed in on hers.
"I wouldn't hold my breath." Eryx pushed past him and they continued to walk. Rin kept her arm looped through his.
As they continued on, more and more demons seemed to enter the hallway, moving in the same direction. They all smiled at her and winked. Some of them openly ogled her. The sniffing noises were ridiculous. Oh God, this was a mistake!
"I'm not so sure about this anymore." She whispered.
"It'll be fine. The highest ranking warrior will challenge me, that would be Coy. If not him, then Eoin. I'm not worried." He looked completely relaxed.
"If you say so." Rin prayed for the hundredth time that Sesshomaru would be there, that he would swoop in and put a stop to the whole thing. In her mind's eye he would take her into his arms and that would be that. No fighting. No chaos. No heartbreak. There was a fat chance of that happening though, this was real life. A girl could live in hope though.
"You need to stay far away from the fighting. Stand on the side." They entered the hall, and Rin gasped at how many big, muscled demons were in attendance. They all turned to look at her. In that moment, she wanted to run far away.
Eryx pointed to the side, away from where he planned to fight. "Stand over there. It shouldn't take more than five minutes for me to defeat Coy." He gave her a cocky grin.
"Eryx." Someone growled out. "Looks like you and I are going head-to-head." The deep voice sounded from somewhere in the crowd.
Eryx stiffened. He clenched his fists, his eyes going to her. She registered shock and something else, something that looked very much like panic. "Dammit!" He whispered.
"Oh damn indeed." A huge demon shoved his way between all the warriors. "Let's get to it. Every second we stand here and chit chat is a second wasted. I can't wait to get to know my woman."
"Damn you!" Eryx growled. "Rin will never be yours."
The demon, who she recognized, threw his head back and laughed. "I beg to differ." Despite having just laughed, he looked angry, he also looked really upset. She could guess what, or who, had put him in this mood.
"Go wait on the side." Eryx instructed. "I've got this." She could see the doubt in his eyes. He gave her a casual wink but he wasn't fooling anyone. He was afraid. What the hell had she just agreed to?
-0-0-0-0-0-
Sesshomaru read the note that Rin left and quickly crumpled up the piece of paper. Words that meant nothing. He snarled as he threw the paper in the garbage. Fuck it! His advisor of all people was going to fight for his woman. He was going to try and win and claim her. There was only one way this was possible…Rin had to have agreed. Screw it though! Screw her! He didn't give a fuck.
She would've been perfect as his mate. His queen. Fucking perfect, but she couldn't agree to some simple terms. No! She'd agreed knowing full well that she couldn't keep them. The woman had no honor. She was just as dishonest as most of them, not to be trusted. He should've known from the start that this was a mistake. He should've never taken part in this damn forage. He despised humans. They were good for nothing creatures and he must've been out of his mind to think that he would be able to procreate with one. Even if that certain human elicited feelings he's never experienced before…
No. Forget it! If she couldn't agree to his terms, then it was obvious that she wasn't the woman for him.
He picked up the diamond earrings and necklace he gave her. She'd probably thought that he bought them as a symbol of his feelings or maybe as a warning to others that she was his. Well, it couldn't be further from the truth. He'd wanted to show her off. She needed to look decent as the future queen. Needed to look the part. That was all. He tossed the jewelry into the bin along with her pathetic note. Good riddance. Good fucking riddance. He wished Eryx luck!
Sesshomaru punched the wall, a chunk of gravel came loose and clattered at his feet. His fledgling, piece of excuse for an advisor could have her. He punched again and another piece of wall crashed down, smaller bits went flying. Fuck them both, they deserved each other. Conniving and scheming behind his back. In fact, he was going to exile them. They could live in the far corner of these lands. That way he wouldn't have to see them ever again.
The thought of seeing Eryx with Rin had bile rising in his throat. Of course it did, they were traitors. The thought of her belly swollen with Eryx's child had adrenaline coursing through his veins. Sesshomaru hit down with both fists on a nearby table as it shattered into several pieces. He forced himself to calm down by breathing deeply. He would exile them. Out of sight, out of mind.
Maybe he should go to one of the nearest brothels within demon world. He would go and slake his needs with another woman. Hell, he might even go to the human realm when the other demons went and pick out a woman there. The only reason sex had been so good with Rin was because he hadn't been with a woman for so long. It was a mistake and one he wouldn't make again.
Next year, there was another forage. He'd take a female then. Or better yet, he can work something out with the ruler of the Eastern lands. As much as he despised that demon, he understood that he had a daughter that has yet to be mated off. In hindsight, the woman who Jiro's soldier sent home would've been perfect. So what if she wanted prestige and material things. Those were items he could easily give. No emotional bullshit. His future mate would keep his dick warm and give him heirs. That's all he needed.
He growled as he pictured Eryx fighting with Eoin, he almost hoped that the other demon would win. That would foil their plans. Fuck! He lashed out at the wall, the hole growing bigger as rubble fell to the floor.
A sudden knock sounded at the door, causing his heart rate to speed up. Maybe it was Rin. Maybe she was here to…it didn't matter, he would just send her away. He didn't need her anymore.
He yanked the door open, the hinges nearly ripping out of the wall. "If you—" He stopped short. It was a human woman…but it wasn't Rin.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Rin gasped as Aric hit Eryx in the face. Even from where she was standing, she heard a crack as his nose broke. Blood gushed down his face and chest. He punched back but Aric deflected the blow. They'd been fighting for a couple of minutes. It was amazing how slowly time could go.
Aric feigned a right hook and as Eryx stepped to the left, to avoid the punch, he gave a left jab into Eryx's ribs. Rin couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard another crack. Eryx staggered back a step or two before regaining his balance. The next few blows were superficial, both of them looked evenly matched.
"Thank you."
Rin nearly jumped out of her skin. She clasped her chest for a second before realizing that it was Rue who had spoken.
"Don't sneak up on a person like that." Rin felt irritated. She was watching Eryx fight for what looked like his life and all because of this woman. Okay, that wasn't entirely true. She'd known deep down that there were risks going into this but still, Rue was a piece of work. She couldn't help but dislike the woman even more. Then she realized what she had said and that she had a shit-eating grin on her face. "Thank you for what?"
"For whatever you did to cause Sesshomaru to kick your ass to the curb."
Rin decided to ignore her bitchy comments. She was clearly here to wipe Rin's nose in it. She was probably one of those women who enjoyed watching others suffer. Well, she wouldn't give her the satisfaction. She turned her attention back to the fight.
Eryx snarled, as he pulled Aric into a chokehold and kneed the man in the stomach, one, two, three times before he managed to break free. Rin couldn't help notice that Eryx was more bloodied up. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his nose looked horrible. Aric had a split lip, but other than that, he was in good shape.
"I went to go and speak with Sesshomaru." Rue sounded like she was on top of the world.
Rin continued to watch the fight, trying hard to ignore the other woman. It didn't matter that her blood felt like it had iced up in her veins, that the air in her lungs had frozen.
"Yup." From the corner of her vision, she could see how Rue rocked back on her heels. "I asked him to give us a chance. I really think I would look damn fine on his arm. We're perfect for one another."
This woman was full of shit. She was probably lying. No, she was definitely lying.
Aric punched Eryx and he went flying backwards. Rin gasped and stepped forward. He sprang to his feet but staggered badly before shaking his head, his stance weaker.
"He gave me this list of terms." Rue gave a laugh.
No! Please let this not be happening. Her whole body went cold. Her heart seemed to stop beating for a second or two. It hurt so much that she struggled to breathe.
"No romance, no love, just fucking and I have to produce children for him." She laughed again, sounding so full of it. "I told him that it was the perfect set-up. It's what I want too, so…" She paused. "It looks like I'm staying. I'm getting not just a royal but the royal. The king of all the demons within this land. It doesn't hurt that he's ridiculously hot. That he can kiss like nobody's business." Rue gave Rin a shoulder bump. "You would know though wouldn't you?" Then she made a groaning noise. Rin tried to block out her voice but it didn't work. "He can fuck like a mad man possessed. You know that as well, I guess." This time she didn't even feel the shoulder bump.
The other woman continued to talk but Rin couldn't hear her anymore, she didn't want to. She felt numb, yet at the same time, her heart beat out of her chest. Rin stepped forward. "Stop!" She shouted. She couldn't stand to see Eryx being beaten any longer because at this point, he was being beaten. The tables had turned, Aric had taken over the fight and seemed to be toying with him. It was a lost cause. This whole thing was a lost cause. Poor Eryx was getting hurt for nothing.
"Stop it!" She screamed louder, as Aric punched Eryx in the mouth.
Streaks of blood and saliva went flying. No! Some teeth went flying as well. Rin bolted from the side and ran towards the fighting pair. She screamed for them to stop but no one listened. Aric pummeled Eryx until he fell to his knees, then he gripped him around the throat. His face and chest were covered in blood.
"Stop!" She pounded her fists on Aric's back. "Let him go, you big bully. What the hell is wrong with you?" She pounded him a second time.
"Do you concede?" Aric snarled. Rin watched in horror as his hand gripped Eryx's neck tighter, choking noises escaping his throat. One eye was swollen shut but the other widened.
"Leave him alone." She tried to pull him away from Eryx, but the other demon wouldn't budge. "He gives up, you jerk."
"Do you concede?" Aric asked again, his eyes on Eryx.
"Yes, he does!" Rin screamed. "Just do it, Eryx, please. Concede. It's over. Please just do as I say." It felt like forever but eventually, Eryx gave a small nod of the head.
Aric released him and Eryx slumped forward, Rin dropping down on her knees next to him. The demon was lying on his side, badly messed up. She should never have agreed to this. Sesshomaru was the biggest asshole alive. He deserved someone like Rue. "I'm so sorry." Dammit, she was crying again. Rin wiped away the tears. "We need to call someone. A paramedic…a doctor…someone."
"I would've had him." Eryx croaked. He tried to smile but his cracked lip started to bleed. She noticed that a couple of his teeth were missing.
"Oh God!" She whispered. "You need help." She glanced at Aric. "Get him help!" She was starting to sound a bit panicked but who could blame her? Everyone just stood around like nothing had happened. "He's hurt."
She turned to Aric who grinned. "He'll be fine. He's a demon, in a few hours you won't even be able to tell that he's been injured."
"I don't care about how he'll be in a few hours, I care about how he is now and he's not great. He's got teeth missing."
"I'm fine." Eryx's voice was already much stronger. He moved to a sitting position and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "My teeth will grow back and my bones will knit. I'm sorry I let you down."
"Thank you for trying." She sucked in a deep breath, waiting for her eyes to fill with tears. Thankfully, it didn't happen. She glanced to the side, seeing Rue smiling broadly. The damn bitch looked so smug.
"Come, woman. I want to show you my chamber…our chamber." Aric gripped her by the upper arm and drew her into a standing position. He tried to put his arm around her but she stepped away.
"Yeah right, as if I'd ever go with you."
She looked back down at Eryx. "I'm going to get my stuff and go back home." There was nothing left for her there. Rue's words kept running through her head. The nerve of Sesshomaru. He couldn't even wait for her to leave before replacing her. He couldn't even put two and two together and realize that what she had done was a ploy to get his attention, to snap him out of whatever it was that was holding him back. Of course, he'd chosen to believe the worst about her.
"I won you, woman. You're coming with me." He gripped her by the arm again and yanked her against him.
"Let go of me!" Rin yelled. Rue was still watching them, that smile still firmly in place. She seemed to be enjoying the show. Rin felt her blood boil inside of her. She clenched her teeth and tried to pull free. "I'm really sorry you had to fight for nothing but I'm not staying." She tried to pull free, but he held on tight.
"You need to give me a month to convince you." He slid his other arm around her.
"No, I can't, I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," Aric growled, "because you're staying. Its best you make peace with that. I'm going to claim you now. I think I've earned a kiss."
"Let her go, Aric." Eryx groaned, as he pulled himself into a standing position. He was nursing an arm, although she suspected that it was his ribs on that side that were the problem.
The other demon laughed, his eyes looking haunted. "What? Are you going to make me?" His jaw tensed as he looked Eryx up and down.
"Don't be an asshole." Eryx said. "She doesn't want you."
"I suppose she wants you and I should just hand her over."
Eryx shook his head. "She wants to go home." He looked at Rin. "Are you sure that's really what you want?"
Rin tried to get out of Aric's hold. "Yes, I need to go and say a few parting words to a certain someone and then I'm out of here."
She'd been wrong about Sesshomaru. The man who she considered her hero was nothing but a villain. She needed to give him a piece of her mind, get some closure in this messed up situation and then she would go home and lick her wounds. The thought angered the hell out of her. Sesshomaru shouldn't have that level of control over her emotions.
"You're coming with me." Not only did Aric hold on tight, but he picked her up and held her against his chest so that they were face to face. "Kiss me."
Rin pulled back, arching her back away from him. "No!" She yelled again. "Let go of me!" She kicked and squirmed. "Let go." She tried one last time. "Don't you dare."
Aric wasn't listening. His eyes blazed, his hold tightened, and his eyes were on her lips.
Rin sighed, then she kicked him square between the legs. He groaned, his eyes rolled back and he dropped her. She tried to stay on her feet, but ended up landing on her ass. She scrambled to her feet and headed towards the doors leading to the hallway.
Next thing, she was out of there and in the hallway heading towards Sesshomaru's office. She didn't care about the one month rule or any of that other stuff. If she protested loud enough, they would have to send her home. She picked up her pace. The thought of seeing Sesshomaru and Rue together was too horrendous to comprehend. She couldn't deal with it, wouldn't. Bile rose in her throat just thinking of how smug Rue would look on Sesshomaru's arm. She'd love every minute of Rin's misery, she was just that kind of person.
BlueMoon Goddess: Oh yeah, Rin's certainly going to give Sesshomaru a piece of her mind...again! And can you believe Rue! What a bitch, huh? Maybe on how I feel, I might update this sooner than my two week period. It depends. But anyway, like I always say, until next time guys!