Author's note: Had a spurt today.

Disclaimer: InuYasha and Co. are property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Sweetest Capture

By Lixia42

Chapter 4 – Naraku's Ruse

The first thing he felt was warmth. A lazy, comforting warmth that circled around him playfully. The warmth of basking in something new to him, something wonderful and lovely...

And then he saw her, floating in the air surrounded by swirling pink tendrils of power, her hair flared out delightfully and long lashes kissing her cheeks in innocence. She radiated such power! Naraku felt a strong shock as he realized that the only thing left intact in the office was probably the girl herself.

Out of the corner of his eye he discerned the bloody prone forms of Kouga and Sesshoumaru. Striding over to them, he observed the faint traces of a pink magic slowly receding from their bodies.

"Isshin," he snapped to a demon behind him, "get Sesshoumaru and Kouga attention. It seems they are still alive." Naraku didn't even look at Isshin as he turned his back upon his two fallen comrades.

"Yes, my prince," Isshin submitted, bowing low before going about his task. He was a human looking demon, were it not for his sharp claws and strange yin-yan markings on his shoulders and hands. Then again, the strange cold glitter in his eyes was a tell-tale sign.

"Come," he murmured to three other demon companions as they joined their magic. Concentrating on Kouga and Sesshoumaru, two great choking gasps were heard as both of them were surrounded by rudimentary healing magic. They subsided again as the magic pervaded them. Isshin felt the tug on his magic but continued on, determined to carry out his lord's orders. Weak from magic usage, when the process was finished he swayed but caught himself before he fell.

"My lord," he addressed respectfully, "our magic has healed them only to the point that they will live. However, in order to fully recover, they need the attention of one with healing magic."

"Yes," murmured Naraku. He was gazing avidly at Kagome. He reached out a hand and gently touched the pink bubble of magic around Kagome. In a whirl almost too fast to see, all the magic flew back into Kagome. Her unconscious body gave a short gasp and arched as the influx of the immense power in her returned.

Naraku caught her carefully as she slowly fell, buoyed up a little by a last remaining vestige of magic. He cradled her to him, one hand brushing her cheek curiously. He smelled her scent as well...it was so delightful, it held some of the warmth he had sensed before emanating from her.

Isshin was startled. He had never before seen his prince act this way, showing care and regard to any being in public. Let along a human, and a woman at that! Given that the woman was tremendously beautiful, though, Isshin could see where his lord was tempted. But the great Prince Naraku, carrying a human himself! It was a task that he had never seen Naraku perform before, usually deeming it too lowly for royalty.

"My lord?" Isshin ventured tentatively. He could see his lord tenderly touching the human's cheek, bending his head closer over her to better catch the scent waftingoff of her.

"Let us leave, Isshin," he commanded, still softly cradling Kagome's body. "Transport the two injured to Felta in my furthest cottage, she will care for them."

"Not to your castle?" Isshin asked confusedly, adding a hasty "m'lord?" when Naraku shot a glare at him.

'You dare question your lord?" he said icily. It wasn't a question. Naraku seemed to be in a sadistic mood though, as he observed Isshin's respectful silence. "Explain yourself," he lashed out, voice dripping with venom and the promise of punishment even as his eyes helda glitter of amusement.

"My prince, it is just that the castle healing capabilities would be more efficient, that is what this lowly one thought." Isshin was sweating slightly. He hadn't meant to get himself into this trouble.

Naraku chuckled. "Leave us," he commanded to the other demons, "and follow my orders." He watched silently as the demons joined magic once again in a circle around the bodies of Kouga and Sesshoumaru, chanting under their breath as they transported themselves to Felta.

Turning his attention to Isshin, Naraku smiled a fanged smile. Silently, quickly, so that it appeared out of thin air, a large chair was summoned by Naraku."What reason do you think I would have to not want Sesshoumaru and Kouga to recover quickly? Come, be honest!" he scoffed as he eased into the chair, carefully adjusting the delightful bundle in his arms.

Isshin thought carefully. His lord was extremely powerful, as shown by his magic. No words, no movements were needed; his lord had only to command with his mind and his magic would follow. And his lord was greatly skilled at controlling his mind. He was treading on dangerous ground with his lord in such a dangerous mood as well.

"Perhaps," he started tentatively, "perhaps my lord wishes to have an advantage over them so that his dealings with them follows my lord's wishes more closely?"

Naraku smiled. "And do I need an advantage to get the maximum gain for me when I deal with them, powerful demons though they are?"

"No, m'lord," Isshin said. "My lord is powerful enough to not need an advantage."

"Good," Naraku said, stroking Kagome's hair, taking a lock and caressing his cheek with it. "Consider again my reasons."

Isshin thought hard. It had to do something with the girl, didn't it? The prince's behavior was extremely erratic in terms of what was happening now. If the girl was the only intact being left in the office, with everything else destroyed, the power must of stemmed from her. That was a lot of power.

"If Sesshoumaru and Kouga were hurt, then they must have either tried to capture or hurt milady," he started out, "seeing how her magic was protecting her."

Naraku's amusement grew as he could literally see Isshin's trrain of thought. "Yes," he said encouragingly. "And would I want them to capture or hurt milady?"

"No, m'lord," Isshin bowed. "Milady is for m'lord only."

Naraku smiled delightedly as he bent down and brushed his lips against Kagome's cheek. "Right you are about that last one," he said softly, gathering Kagome closer to him. "She is mine," he murmured. "To capture," he said, using his magic to bring chains around her delicate wrists, "or to hurt." With the last phrase he jerked a lock of her hair lightly, making her give a slight whimper before he soothed her by stroking her hair.

Naraku turned to Isshin and regarded him expressionlessly. He said finally, "You have always served me well Isshin, and I believe your motives are in my interests. In the future, I ask that you not question my orders when the reasons behind them are not immediately discernible."

Isshin was shocked. The fact that his lord had asked him to not question his reasons was highly unusually. It was still a command, but the phrasing spoke much of how he considered Isshin.

"I thank you, m'lord," he murmured gratefully, glad that his years of service had merited something to the prince.

With a curt nod, Naraku acknowledged his allegiance. "Then it is time to leave. I am glad that you serve your lord so." Naraku disappeared, chair and all as his magic bore him away to his castle. Isshin was surprised.

"I'll never get over how powerful my lord really is, magic without sound or voiced command," he said aloud, shaking his head admiringly. With a muttered incantation, Isshin followed his prince in a slight whirl of orange colored magic.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

He had arrived at the castle. Immediately he set Kagome down upon his bed, arranging the folds of the bed tenderly around her. He backed off of the bed and walked across his room to an extremely large window to think. He shed his outer clothing until he was wearing nothing but a pair of black pants. Clothes were so constricting.

He would have to be gentle with this girl. Though he wanted her greatly, her purity, her great power, her body...he couldn't just take her as Sesshoumaru and Kouga had obviously tried to do. He had to show her that unlike them, he was refined. He was in control of his emotions. He had to let her come willingly to him while also not letting his assertions of power halt. He would bow to no one, no matter how delightful they were.

Kagome felt cold. She had felt warm earlier and all of a sudden a cold sensation came all around her body. She curled up into a ball, trying to get warm but her body heat kept on getting sucked away. Becoming increasingly conscious, she cracked an eyes open and gasped.

She was in a magnificent room, on a magnificent bed. The room was enormous and extravagant, with black marble floors and silver trimming everywhere. The bed was a large mass of black silk with gauzy silvery drapes around the top. The silk explained what woke her up. It had an odd chill to it, seeming to suck away all her warmth.

Kagome turned her head and received a shock. A huge window, more of a glass wall, outlined the most perfect physique she had ever seen. There stood a man, profile chiseled as he gazed off into the mass of forests underneath the high room, his chest bare and muscles evident as he moved slightly. His dark hair was long and strangely unfeminine, a strong shoulder peeking out from amidst the mass of black. He was beautiful.

Naraku felt the girl watching him and he smiled. Turning his head towards her, both were stunned for a moment. Eyes locked and held for a long moment; her eyes, such deep silvery blue, wide with that delightful innocence she seemed to possess, staring into his smoldering dark eyes, dark with feelings almost tortured...he wanted her so badly.

He was unsettled when he felt the jolt of want. He would have to keep a tighter reign on his control to make these urges bide their time, and to actually let them surface and express themselves was unforgivable. His knew what his eyes had held. He didn't want to scare her just yet. He would play gently for now.

He noticed her shivering. "Come here," he commanded softly.

Slowly obeying him, almost as if in a trance, Kagome slowly stood up from the bed. Naraku loved how she looked, dark hair a tumble around her white flowing dress, white for the pure innocence that shone from her eyes. She walked to him, tentatively stopping in front of him.

"What is your name?" he asked, using the back of his hand to just barely brush her cheek. She shivered at the light touch, her body for so long isolated from male contact until recently. But this man...he seemed so dream like. The whole situation felt like a dream, like she was acting through a haze of unreality.

Naraku smiled gently. His aura was surrounding her invisibly, he could see how her eyes fluttered as her actions became slurred. Whether she knew it or not, and it seemed the latter, she was coming under his control.

"Kagome," she whispered softly. She watched, eyes large as he took her hands in his and with a kiss left them to rest gently against his chest. It was so warm, almost hot! And he wasn't even wearing a shirt, how could he be so warm? Her mind refused to function as she slowly felt the texture of his hest, the hard muscles that worked as he shifted slightly.

"A beautiful name," he murmured, not breaking eye contact. "Don't be shy, Kagome, I won't hurt you."

Yet, he added mentally. He liked his games, after all.

He loved how her name rolled off of his tongue. It was like he could taste her every time he said her same. "Kagome," he whispered again, gently touching his hands to her elbows. "Are you cold, my sweet?"

She shook her head, but suddenly a violent shiver overtook her. Yes, she was cold. He laughed softly and gently folded her into an embrace. Oh, how her body was so warm, trembling slightly against him...he clamped down on his control again.

Kagome tensed a bit at first. Was he going to try to do something, like Kouga? She relaxed slowly, though, as she felt that his embrace was loose and not forceful. He would not be crushing her to his will. She felt safe as she felt the heat from his body seep into her, warming her so that her trembling ceased.

She rested her head against his chest, nestling her face into the crook of his neck as her breathing became slower and slower. Naraku nearly clenched her to him as he felt her breath play across his neck, her body flush against him and her scent surrounding him even as his aura did her. He would have to do intensive training to really control himself, he thought. She was just too tempting to have his control taken for granted. He would have to be careful.

"I am the prince of this land," he murmured to her. "I am your ruler, and you are my subject, "he went on, catching a lock of her hair on her back and playing lightly with it. "but you may call me Naraku," he added, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"What will you do with me, Naraku?" Kagome whispered, raising her head to look at him. How he loved that particular shade of blue, shining so innocently up at him! And the way she said his name...he would hear it later in different circumstances, he was sure of that...

Control, he snapped mentally at himself.

"You are my guest, and will stay with me indefinitely, but of course," he said to her. Turning dark eyes to her, he pleaded almost boyishly, "You will, won't you?" He aura, invisible, surged around her, in a frenzy of power. Her own power stayed dormant, as she couldn't detect any danger to herself. Only a delicious warm feeling, she felt so warm and safe...

"Yes," she whispered before she had spoken at all. In fact, she barely realized that she'd spoken; it was wiped gently from her memory. He turned a breathtaking grin on her before he kissed her chastely, lips lingering at the softness of her mouth, and the promise of something sweet behind those soft pink lips. But he was in control. She wasn't scared, she would give in to him willingly. And then he would really have his fun.

"To bed, then, honored guest," he said courteously, gently disengaging her and leading her back with one clasped hand to the enormously magnificent bed, all black silk. She stopped, tugging on his hand as something filtered through to her hazy mind.

"Together?" she whispered confusedly, hesitation in her eyes. Was she mistaen when she thought she could trust him...? His aura once again surged around her and she relaxed. No, he wouldn't take advantage of her. She was safe with him...

"No worries, your wishes will be respected," he said to her. Cupping her face in his hands, he gazed into those enchanting blue eyes and said, "Trust me, Kagome. Trust me?" He smiled inwardly at his acting skills. That he, a prince, would ask something of a girl! But this was no ordinary girl...no human...he would discover her secret and have her for himself.

"Alright," she whispered. He let go of her hand and gently pushed her towards the bed. She understood and slowly slid into the bed underneath the silk sheets. So cold, she thought.

Naraku had gone over to the window and drawn a curtain. The room was suddenly blanketed in blackness, enshrouded in impenetrable darkness. Kagome was suddenly afraid. "Naraku?" she called out softly. She felt him moving to her, steps solid and reassuring.

"I'm here, love," he whispered. She felt him slide into bed behind her, his arms coming around to encircle her waist as he pressed her back to his chest. "Sleep well, my lovely," he murmured to her, letting her silky black hair caress his cheek.

Kagome slowly relaxed, feeling warm from his body, the silk sheets no longer so unforgiving and cold. And Naraku's actions weren't forcing her to do anything. He had been nothing but gentle, and though commanding he had said he was a prince.

Kagome's dazed mind fell into slumber as the comforts of Naraku's heat and body made her feel safe. She could trust him. He had said so. The whole situation was unreal, but the one constant was that she was saved from Kouga by this wonderfully alluring man who would pretect her and seemed to cherish her, treating he so gently...

Kagome didn't realize until later that Naraku's eyes had held a tinge of red and his claws had elongated against her stomach menacingly before she had fallen asleep.