{Disclaimer: See chapter one}

Chapter Two: Blood Rites

"Sesshoumaru, can I talk to you for a moment outside?" Kagome asked, tugging on his sleeve a little to get his attention. Sesshoumaru sighed and nodded. When they were in the courtyard, she motioned for him to sit on one of the stone benches beside her.

"You know what I want to talk to you about, don't you?" Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Would you like me to help you?"

Sesshoumaru glared at her for a moment before looking away. "Are you saying I need help?"

"No. Of course not," Kagome lied. If the brothers were as alike as she thought, Sesshoumaru was going to need all the help he could get.

"I just want to help. I know Sango likes you and I want it to be special for her. Can I help?"

Sesshoumaru read right through that little lie. He knew Kagome wanted Sango to be happy, but the part about him not needing help was too much for her to say with a straight face. He could hear her holding back small chuckles as well. But she did want him to keep his pride about the situation, and she could probably give him some ideas that he hadn't thought of. He nodded again and Kagome hugged him happily. Enough time spent with her told him that she did this when she was too happy to say thank you. He patted her back gingerly and she let go.

"Ok, when do you want to ask her?"

"Tonight, if possible."

"Ok. Leave everything to me and the servants. Bring her to the garden on the eastern part of the castle at sundown." Kagome jumped up and dashed for the castle entrance. Before disappearing around the corner, she flashed a smile at Sesshoumaru.

"Oh, and don't worry about Inuyasha. I'll find something to keep him occupied."

********

Sango and Sesshoumaru sat on a blanket in the middle of a field of wild, blue flowers in the eastern garden. 'Kagome has done her work well,' Sesshoumaru thought as he surveyed the blanket's contents. Kagome had chosen two of the most beautiful goblets in his collection, gold with jade stones around the lip. The blanket was one of the cotton ones she always had in her pack. The candle holders were from her time, a beautiful crystal, long and tall with white candles. They even had a scent to them, like the flowers around them, though Sesshoumaru could tell there was something unnatural about it. He glanced at Sango. She seemed more interested in the moon, though her hands were nervously moving from her lap to her sides. Sesshoumaru sighed and returned his gaze to the moon. Neither said a word.

**********

"Those two are hopeless," Kagome whispered as she shook her head. She and Inuyasha were standing in the garden entrance, watching Sango and Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha chuckled softly.

"Not everyone can be the romantic I am." Kagome stared at him, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, right."

He scowled before giving her a knee weakening grin. He was about to say something when Sesshoumaru voice broke his train of thought.

**********

"Sango, are you alright?" Sesshoumaru asked. Sango had become flushed at the sound of his voice, but managed to nod her head weakly. Sesshoumaru sighed and grasped one of her hands. 'Now is as good a time as any.'

"Sango?"

"Yes?" she said, her voice quivering. Sango had no idea why she was so nervous, but knew somehow that whatever Sesshoumaru had to ask her had something to do with it.

"Sango, how do you feel about me?"

Sango blushed. "Well, I trust you."

"I know that. That's not what I meant."

Sango cleared her throat. "I care for you." Sesshoumaru scooted closer to her, nearly knocking down one of Kagome's candles in the process.

"Do you love me?" he asked, his eyes watching hers. Sango looked down shyly, then raised her eyes to meet his.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru. I do."

Sesshoumaru nodded and backed away a little. "Would you like to be my mate?"

Sango blinked stupidly before what he said sunk in. 'He just asked me to be his mate, didn't he? Isn't that a lot like..' Sango tightened her grip on his hand and looked into his eyes. Sesshoumaru's eyes were filled with his emotions, and it was clear that through his calm exterior, he was extremely anxious. Sango watched them thoughtfully. 'He thinks I'm going to say no,' she realized. Sango smiled, catching Sesshoumaru off guard.

"What are you smiling for?"

Sango's smile turned into a full blown grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You think I'm going to say no, don't you?"

"Are you?"

Sango pulled back enough to look into his eyes. "As long as you don't do me like you did Kagome, the answer is yes."

********

Inuyasha winced as Sango's words hit his and Kagome's ears. Before Kagome could blink, he was behind her, holding her against his chest. Kagome looked up at him, then at the two across the field.

"What does she mean by that?" Kagome whispered. Inuyasha shrugged, but seemed to be uneasy.

********

"There is a small test we'll have to do before we start the mating ritual. You have to ingest my blood."

Sango winced. The idea of drinking blood didn't sound good to her.

"How are we going to do that?" she asked. Sesshoumaru tilted his head for a moment.

"I don't know. I don't suppose you'd care for me to run us through." Sango shook her head earnestly, as Sesshoumaru laughed. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to think of something else."

*******

"Why would he suggest stabbing Sango?" Kagome asked Inuyasha. He shrugged.

"Boy, you're a fountain of information."

Inuyasha ignored her statement, focusing instead on Sesshoumaru. His knew about the test. 'I know its to prove if she wants to be and is strong enough to be his mate, but what I don't know is how he can tell. I've never actually seen the results of this.' Kagome's question rang in his ears suddenly. 'Ran through? Why would Sesshoumaru say he'd run them through? And why DID Sango say something about how he did Kagome? What did he do to Kagome?' The Demon Tournaments resurfaced in his memory. Sango told him afterwards about Sesshoumaru bringing him back to life, stabbing Kagome in the process. If the sword had hurt her, he would have chased after Sesshoumaru and beaten him within an inch of his life. Now what Sesshoumaru did was coming under a new scrutiny. 'Why did Sesshoumaru run us through?' It hit Inuyasha like a ton of bricks. His eyes widened and he unconsciously tightened his arms around Kagome's waist. 'Sesshoumaru was trying to see if Kagome was strong enough to be my mate! If she even WANTED to be my mate!' He scowled suddenly. 'Then what was the result of it? Does she or doesn't she?' He rested his cheek on Kagome's head, ignoring the couple in front of them to breathe in her scent. Kagome, unaware of what was going on behind her, watched the scene in front of her.

*********

"I have an idea," Sesshoumaru whispered as he reached for one of the bottles of wine Kagome had left for them. He pulled out the cork with a clawed finger and filled one of the golden cups with the blood red liquid. Sango watched him curiously as he set the goblet down and slit his wrist.

"This should be fine for you," he told her as his blood dripped into the cup. After a few decent sized drops, he passed the cup to her.

"Drink."

Sango obediently took the goblet by the stem and placed it to her lips. The wine was strong, but sweet, like what she imagined nectar tasted like when she was a child. She couldn't taste Sesshoumaru's blood at all. 'It's not really like I would know it if I tasted it anyway.' She put the cup down, it half full, and gazed at Sesshoumaru expectantly.

"All of it," he told her softly. Sango nodded and lifted the cup again, draining it. After a few moments, she started to feel a little dizzy.

"Sesshoumaru, I don't feel so very well," she whispered. Sesshoumaru gently pulled her into his lap and rubbed his nose against her neck. Sango giggled, reminding him of Rin when she was in one of her goofy moods. Sesshoumaru sniffed her again before laughing. Sango peered up at him, wondering if he had finally snapped.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Sango, don't worry, you're fine. A little tipsy, but fine." Sango sighed in relief.

"I thought for a minute…"

"I know what you thought. It takes three days, remember. I still have to finish."

Sango nodded and leaned her head to the side. 'I'm glad he told me about the mating rituals for dog demons before now, or else I'd be frightened. I wouldn't let him know that, though.'

"Sango, back to the moment, please."

Sango blushed and brushed her hair away from her neck, leaving it exposed.

Sesshoumaru leaned toward it and kissed it gently before allowing one of his fangs to sink into her neck. Sango gasped, but quickly relaxed as Sesshoumaru licked the wound to soothe it, lapping up the little blood that came to the surface. Sango sighed and rested her forehead against his chest, her eyes closed. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her, watching her as she drifted off to sleep. 'In a little while I'll take her to her room and ask Kagome to keep an eye on her for the next few days. I don't think I could take it if she can't handle my blood.' He winced at the thought, then resigned himself to look once again at the sky. A shooting star blazed across the sky and he made a wish.

*********

Inuyasha's watchful ( and proud) gaze left his brother and his mate-to-be to look at the sky. A shooting star blazed across the night as he glanced down at Kagome. Sometime during their watch over Sesshoumaru, she had drifted off to sleep. The only thing that kept her from crumpling to the ground was Inuyasha's arms. Inuyasha blushed and kissed the crown of her head. He glanced at the shooting star and made a wish.

------

Sesshou: This is nothing like me.

SF: You don't know that. After all, love can change anyone.

Inu-chan: Do you really believe that bulls*it?

SF: Shut up Inu-chan. It seems like I tell you that after every chapter. Anyway, I posted two chapters today so push the pretty button.