Chapter 23
Kagome woke in a cold, drafty room. The bed she lay on was soft but cold and she sat up, wondering where she was.
She sat up, her body still tired from childbirth and looked around. The room she was in was mostly bare except for the bed she lay in.
There was a presence in the room. Kagome turned slowly and saw Naraku sitting beside the bed, staring at her with red, crazed eyes. He was sitting in a high-backed chair, to all appearances, totally at ease.
"Kagome, finally we are alone. I missed you terribly. You were a very naughty girl, trying to kill me all those years ago. I am wounded." He smirked. He did not sound wounded.
Kagome scowled at him. "You bastard. Why did you kidnap me? Don't you realize that Sesshoumaru will be coming for me?"
Naraku laughed. He looked genuinely delighted. "My dearest, of course he will come for you. I am counting on that. When he arrives, I will destroy him. His feelings for you will be his undoing."
Kagome wanted to rip his face off. How dare he threaten her mate! "Oh, he'll be here and he's going to rip you a new one, you freak!"
Naraku chuckled and clicked his tongue at her. "Now, now, Kagome. That is no way to speak to your future mate."
Kagome tried to get out of the bed but her legs wouldn't work. "You...asshole! I will NEVER consent to be your mate! I'd rather die first!"
Naraku's face slid into a mask of fury. He jumped to his feet and was beside her in an instant. He grabbed her chin and jerked her face upwards to face his. "You will regret that, miko. But HE will not keep me from what I desire!"
Naraku crushed his repulsive lips to hers, his tongue delving into her horrified mouth. With a growl, he shoved her violently back and left her.
Sesshoumaru picked up Kagome's scent. But it was getting difficult with all the snow and wind that blew around him. It was faint and there was no sign that she had struggled against her kidnapper.
The elves were behind him, he knew. He could feel their anger and desperation to find the woman they were supposed to be protecting. But HE would reach her first and HE would be the one to save her. She was his and that was that.
Out of habit, he reached to his side but found no swords. Growling, he called for his best sword...his Tokijin. It, like the Tessaiga, would come when called. It would know that its master needed it.
Yuki and Hiro had left the children with Sango and Miroku. They couldn't believe that Naraku had been so bold as to come to Kouga's house and just take Kagome away. It was bold and very stupid.
Yuki was furious. He knew he should never have left her alone. Something had been bothering him that day...why did he not listen? He prayed that this would not end up being a disaster as it had been with Midoriko. He couldn't bear the thought of sweet, pure little Kagome in the hands of that evil hanyou.
As for Hiro, he too was highly upset. He didn't know how Naraku had come so close to the mansion and NOT be noticed. Ryu was in the control room in the basement. Why hadn't he seen what was happening outside the house? What he DID know was that Ryu was going to get a severe talking to when he got back. This is was unacceptable!
Kouga and Inuyasha followed the elves in Kouga's car, who were following the very furious Sesshoumaru. Neither Kouga nor Inuyasha had believed that Naraku was alive and kicking, hiding out in Tokyo, just waiting for the right moment to kidnap Kagome.
Kouga held his tongue while Inuyasha drove like a maniac through Tokyo. Inuyasha was a good driver, but tended to be slightly on the dangerous side. He swerved in traffic, nearly causing several accidents on this snowy, wintery day.
"Hey, do you think you could slow down? I don't fancy dying because you were being a speed demon in the wrong weather." Kouga glared at Inuyasha, his icy blue eyes never leaving the steering wheel in Inuyasha's steady hands.
"Oi, shut up, yaseokami. I need to concentrate on the road, not your lame-ass excuses to drive like an old woman." He shot a dirty glance at Kouga. "I refuse to drive like an old woman," he finished angrily.
Kouga crossed his powerful arms over his chest. "You drive like an idiot, Inu-koro, and you're going to kill us both if you don't slow down."
Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Look, if I don't hurry, that damn fool brother of mine is going to beat us to the punch. Do you WANT him to win Kagome?" He swerved and blasted the horn at a slow moving car.
"I WANT to get there in one piece, baka," Kouga said reproachfully. "And if you don't slow this piece of rolling metal down, I'll be forced to kick your pathetic hanyou ass."
Inuyasha turned to Kouga and glared furiously at him. "Oh yeah? You and what army? You couldn't beat me if had the Shikon shoved up your ass!"
Kouga said nothing. He would wait until they had gotten out of the car to punch that fool hanyou in the head.
Kagome lay in her cold bed, staring up at the bare ceiling. Damn it was cold in here! Apparently, Naraku liked it cold.
Baka! He would pay dearly for taking her from Sesshoumaru. Even now she could feel Sesshoumaru's youkai searching for her.
She sighed. He would find her and save her, of that she had no doubt.
A/N: sorry so short, guys! with the death of the Pope, I haven't really had a good day. I'm not really religious, but that man was a pure soul and there are so few pure souls in this crazy world. I'm deeply saddened by his death and I can't really write today. Hopefully tomorrow my chapter will be longer.
Also, my new fic is up. It's called Out of the Past. I hope you like it!
ravenskyeblackhawk
