Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, its characters, or 'Royal Dragon' which this plot is based on.
Summary: Why did life hate her? Kagome's day couldn't get any worse. First, she gets fired from her crappy job, then, she gets kicked out of her apartment and was homeless. But the cherry on top was getting kidnapped and taken to be hunted by demons so she can mate with one of them. Yea…she probably shouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning.
Dammit!
The crazy women had thrown themselves into the river. Inuyasha didn't want a simpering, wilting flower as a mate, but neither did he want a crazy one either. Anyone who threw themselves into a river like that had to have mental problems. It just wasn't normal.
He recalled looking into that woman with the black hair eyes. They were initially filled with fear. Though her gaze had quickly morphed into determination and what he could only describe as hatred. He knew that move had been calculated. She'd assessed the odds and had decided that she stood a better chance within the raging rapids than against him. The woman with blonde hair had followed after her. She only jumped into the river because the black haired one had gone first. She might be slightly crazy, but she was also the only human female that held any interest to him. So she would do…maybe. There was only one way to find out.
He couldn't understand how Kyo had managed to secure the other woman so easily. The only thing that he could think of was that Koga and that other demon had set their sights on one of the other two remaining women just as he had. With two males closely on his heel, he set out after her. There would be many others following closely behind their little group. They didn't have much more than a two or three-minute lead. Inuyasha was only a half a minute ahead of Koga, if that. The stakes were rising by the minute, and Inuyasha felt power flow through him. The woman could run and she could hide, but she wouldn't escape him. Inuyasha smiled. There was no escape. He would go to the ends of the earth if he had to.
He ran for about an hour, until he heard the sound of moaning up ahead. It was the blonde-haired woman. She clung to a log, her body was up on the trunk and her legs were still in the water. If it weren't for the moaning, he might think that she was dead. This wasn't the one he wanted. However, his heart couldn't just leave her there, hanging on for dear life. Although the others weren't far behind him, he leapt forward and onto the wide trunk. It was solid and secure and safe to negotiate. Inuyasha spread his arms to balance himself and moved forward. When close enough, he bent and lifted her. He was mildly surprised when the little thing began to wriggle in his arms. She actually tried to pull away and to escape his grasp.
"Hold still." He growled. He was all out surprised when she didn't listen. "Stop that or I'll throw you back." He meant it. She was costing him precious time. His lead was diminishing by the second.
That worked. On a loud sigh, she slumped against him. "Don't hurt me." She whispered.
Why would he hurt her? Why would any of them hurt her? They should've been briefed on what was happening, so they should've known that none of them would cause harm to any of them.
Inuyasha deposited her on the bank. He could hear heavy footfalls and that alerted him to Koga. The wolf was fast approaching.
Shit!
The wolf tribe leader didn't even look their way. He either assumed, that Inuyasha had already claimed the female or, he didn't want the blonde-haired human. A growl rose up in him. Inuyasha pretended to be interested in the female and pretended to be tending to her, acting as if he had indeed claimed her, thus removing himself as a threat. As Koga tried to pass, he swiped out a leg and tripped him up. The only remaining male in their group, a random animal demon, roared as he spotted the female lying on the ground. She whimpered and tried to scramble to her feet but fell back. The woman was sapped of strength. She closed her eyes and moaned.
"The dark-haired one is mine." Inuyasha growled.
Koga shook his head as he leapt to his feet. "Not on your life, mutt." He growled.
Inuyasha punched Koga in the jaw, and he took a step back and avoided the worst of the blow. The animal demon was gaining ground. He was going to claim the blonde-haired female. If he did that, Koga would be left with no other choice but to go after the one that Inuyasha had his eye on. His mate.
Unacceptable.
His first instinct was to kick Koga, causing him to fly into the other demon as he approached, giving him the upper hand. The problem was that the woman was too close. She was directly behind them and it posed a risk of her getting harmed in the process.
"That woman is mine." Koga snarled. "You may as well give up now. Take this one." His eyes stayed on Inuyasha's.
Inuyasha huffed out a breath. "Fine." His gaze firmly on the downed female. He slumped his shoulders in mock defeat and closed the distance between himself and the woman.
Koga looked up ahead and began to move. He so easily assumed that he had won. That was the wolf's biggest mistake. At the last moment, Inuyasha lashed out, hitting him on the trachea. He put every ounce of strength he had into the action. He heard the pipe smash and Koga gripped his neck. His face turning red, his eyes bugged from his skull. Inuyasha raced to meet the remaining demon who threw himself at him, a roar on his lips. He head-butted him, though the animal demon managed to knee Inuyasha in the stomach, winding him for a second. A very short second. The bastard would be sorry.
The animal demon reeled backwards, clutching his face. His nose had taken the brunt of the assault. Blood ran down his face and between his fingers. Inuyasha punched him again and again, within seconds, he was a crumpled heap on the floor. He certainly wouldn't be getting up any time soon. Inuyasha managed to knock him out for a good while.
Koga was down on one knee. His face was pale. His lips were a light shade of blue. They matched the color of his eyes. "The others are a few minutes behind." Inuyasha could hear the footfalls. Could hear the grunts and growls. There was a large group approaching. "You still have time to claim her." He glanced at the woman who was just a few feet away from Koga. Her eyes were wide but she was still in the same place they had left her. He didn't particularly want Koga to claim this one, or any other for that matter. It wouldn't take him long to recover fully though, at this stage of the game, Koga was his biggest adversary. They both had their sights set on the same woman. If he wanted to secure the black-haired one, his best hope was to take Koga out of the game. And to do that, he needed to divert his sights on the woman before them. "Take her." He kept his eyes on the demon who hadn't moved a muscle.
"Don't come near me." Her voice shook.
"Do it." Inuyasha growled as he ran downriver.
There was no time to see what Koga would do. He could claim the blonde-haired one, since he had time to put his scent on her. He might even be well enough to fight if a dispute broke out.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Luckily, there was no one up ahead. The way the valley was designed, the best route to travel was the one he was taking right now. Inuyasha could taste victory. He could feel it in every pore.
The woman he wanted was close. Very close. It was dusk by the time he caught her scent and fully dark when he caught up to her. He had managed to put a few more minutes between himself and the rest of the demons, the sound of their approach becoming more distant. Good, it gave him time to catch up to her before the others did. From the scent he picked up, it was very interesting, nothing he's ever smelt before. It wasn't unappealing, lightly floral with citrus undertones. It reminded him of a fresh summer's night, or a field full of wildflowers. Wild, yes, she had a wildness about her, it intrigued him.
Inuyasha was surprised at the speed at which she was moving. He knew that humans were weak and slow compared to demons. Although this one was small, she had spirit and determination, he respected that. Moving quickly and quietly, he closed the distance between them. At one point, she stopped, her whole body tense. The black-haired woman cocked her head to the side, making him stop in his tracks. What was she doing? It was a very long few seconds before she continued on the path. The others weren't far behind, so he needed to act quickly, and he needed to mark her with his scent. A sense of urgency rose up in him and he picked up speed. In one quick motion, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. The woman cried out in shock.
"You're mine." He growled. Although that wasn't quite true. Not yet at least. The tiny woman in his arms wriggled and kicked. She reminded him of a little wildcat with her spitting and clawing.
"Easy." He said, as he wrapped a second arm around her.
There was no reason for her to be freaking out. He wasn't going to hurt her. Though he didn't know how to calm and comfort a woman, what the hell was he supposed to do? He sucked in a deep breath. Then again, she was a human and unfamiliar with their ways. Even though the women they brought here were briefed, he was sure they still didn't understand what was happening to them. So he needed to try and have understanding for her disposition.
Inuyasha turned her around as they arrived at a large tree. It wasn't easy because she was squirming and kicking. Her small foot connected with his shin a couple of times making her wince. He pushed her up against its massive trunk. Her face was a mask of fury and her eyes burned bright. "Let me go." She shoved at his chest with one hand. "You have no right." Using the same hand, she balled up her fist and pummeled him. Her attempts at harming him barely registered. He could easily use his claws and shred her to pieces.
Suddenly the sounds of roars and grunts reached his ears. Dammit. The demons were close. Too close for comfort. He didn't have long to claim this woman for his own or lose her. He needed to act now and fast. Her hair was matted with twigs and leaves, her skin and clothing covered in mud and grime. She snarled at him, teeth bared as she continued to hit at his chest, this time with an open hand. The woman grimaced.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Inuyasha pushed himself up against her, pinning her against the tree. If she wasn't careful, she was going to hurt herself. He took ahold of the hand that continued to beat at him. Her other hand held firmly onto a stick of some kind. She would probably try and beat him with that next. His focus moved to her lips. They were surprisingly full and lush. The color of just picked, ripe raspberries.
"Don't you dare!" She yelled. Her voice shrill and high pitched. It made him want to cover his ears. Instead, he killed two birds with one stone, namely, he closed his mouth over hers, swallowing whatever else it was she was about to say.
Her eyes widened in surprise. Her entire body tensed up even more. At first, she tried to pull away, to turn her head from him. Then she made a moaning noise that ignited something inside of him. Her body seemed to melt and mold to his. His shaft grew long, hard and ready. What the hell was happening to him? How was this even possible? Surely not. His tongue rolled against hers and it was his turn to moan. So decadent…so divine. For a second, he was tempted to lift her dress and take her right there. His free hand curled around her leg and then moved up. His long, deft fingers squeezed her ass, pulling her up and more firmly against him. His… his… shaft rubbed up against her core and all of her nerve endings came alive and completely against her will. His… part was long and thick.
"Woman." He growled against her lips. "Mine." He murmured as he took back her mouth.
That one word jolted her back. What the hell was she doing? She was letting this horrible demon kiss and rub up against her. This disgusting creature had caught her and therefore decided that she was his possession, to do with as he pleased. Here she was acting like she was enjoying it when it disgusted her. Yes, disgusted her. She tried to clear her muffled brain. Her plan. Yes! Lull him into thinking she was a wilting flower. That's why she kissed him back. It was the only reason. One thing was for sure, she was definitely not a wilting flower. Not at all and he could forget about doing what he wanted to her. She wasn't done fighting. Not by a long shot!
Kagome repositioned her handmade spear and with a quick jerk of the wrist, she plunged it into his back and bit down on his tongue. That would serve the asshole right for thinking he could rape her and take advantage of her. The demon in front of her pulled away on a loud snarl. The sound was a mix of confusion, anger and… hurt. Like she'd hurt his feelings somehow. Good. It served him right.
Kagome kicked him in the shin for good measure and slipped out from between the tree and his massive body. Without looking back or thinking, she ran just about as fast as her legs would carry her. It didn't matter that her legs hurt, that she couldn't see a damn thing, she just ran, praying that the riverbank was free from debris. There were crashing, banging and snarling noises coming from behind her. There were also numerous footfalls. Was there more than one of them back there? She prayed not. It wasn't like she could take them all on, but she at least stood somewhat of a chance against one. If there were more of those goons back there, she was done for.
Someone grabbed her by her shoulders and jerked her back. She screamed and elbowed him hard. It almost felt like her elbow cracked from the sheer force of the blow. The guy behind her didn't so much as grunt or make a sound. He secured an arm around her and pulled her up against him.
"I said to let me go." She squirmed. "Do you want me to stab you again? Is that it?"
"I thought I smelled blood." This guy's voice was different from the one that had kissed her. When she turned her head, she noticed this demon had blue eyes and black hair tied into a high ponytail. He looked like he was a wolf.
The demon holding her pulled her closer. "I was too focused on your scent to take much notice." He chuckled. "So you stabbed Inuyasha, huh?" He chuckled even harder. He rubbed himself against her back. There was the telltale bulge poking into her.
"Stop that." She was irritated to find that her voice shook slightly. Kagome was more afraid than she'd ever been in her whole life. "You have no right to touch me like this. Let me go." She fought hard. Using every ounce of strength, she had to try and free herself from his ironclad grip. She kicked and squirmed. Even though her heels hurt, she felt satisfaction when one of her kicks hit home.
"The name's Koga, and I'm claiming you as mine."
"Let her go." A deep growl, and a voice she recognized. "Do it now." He snarled, sounding almost like a rapid beast.
The guy holding her, Koga, secured her more tightly with his hands. "Not a chance, you half-breed. This woman's mine, by the time you get here my scent will be on her and there's nothing you can do about it."
Kagome squinted but all she could make out was a silhouette a few feet away from them. It was him. The golden eyed one. For whatever reason she was more afraid of the guy that held her.
"I've already marked her and therefore, she's mine."
"Bullshit." A loud snarl sounded against her ear.
"If you don't believe me, then smell her, you dumb wolf. You're touching what's mine and it's angering me. If it weren't for the woman between us, I would remove your heart with my bare hands."
Nice guy. But it didn't matter, she still felt like she was in more danger with the one holding her, than she would be with the golden eyed one. She was losing her mind. Clearly!
The guy holding her sniffed. He sniffed again, this time repositioning her so that he could sniff at her face. She was tempted to head butt him, to break his nose, but her gut told her not to do it though. The one with the golden eyes sounded like he knew what he was doing. Quite frankly she didn't want either of them to win but it didn't look like there was much chance of that happening.
The one that was holding her sniffed her some more. "For fuck sakes." He growled at last, depositing her on her feet. "You got to her first."
Kagome wobbled and almost fell over. The large shape moved closer and grabbed her by the elbow. It was definitely him, the demon with the golden eyes. The one that had kissed her. He moved surprisingly quick.
"Your woman stabbed you." Koga chuckled. "That's one of the funniest things I've ever—"
The golden eyed demon pulled her behind him. There was a sound of flesh hitting against flesh and an even more sinister cracking noise.
"Owwww!" Koga bellowed. "I didn't realize she was yours."
"Leave, and do it now before I destroy you." His voice was rough yet controlled.
"Fine." Koga huffed.
Shit.
Kagome could hear Koga walking away. Which meant that meant her and the golden eyed man were alone. Alone. She didn't want to be left alone with this guy. He seemed dangerous, even more so than the others. For a second, she was tempted to call out, to tell the other demon to come back, but what good would that do her? None. That's what. No good at all.
The golden eyed demon turned his head toward her and started to make his way to her. "No." She shook her head, backing away. "Don't come near me."
He continued on, ignoring her warning. "My name's Inuyasha. You're mine now to protect and to—"
"Fuck that." It just slipped out. This adorable man before her…wait, what? Adorable? No, she wouldn't think about this guy as adorable.
It didn't matter if he has long silver hair, unique gold eyes and cute, adorable doggy ears that sat upon his head. Getting a closer look at him, he looked to be about six inches taller than her and he didn't actually look all that strong. In fact, he looked almost puny compared to that wolf guy Koga. But Kagome knew that looks were always deceiving, and she knew this demon in front of her was anything but adorable. He was an abductor, a demon fiend and… his grip on her tightened almost to the point of pain.
After that outburst, Kagome cringed, waiting for a blow. Waiting for him to throw her on the ground and have his way with her. There wasn't much fight left in her. Her body ached and she was freezing cold. She'd never been hungrier in her life. They had been given some fruit, cheese and bread that morning, and it was the last time she'd eaten. She pulled in a deep breath. It didn't matter, she would fight anyway.
She was shocked when Inuyasha laughed.
"What's so damned funny?" Kagome questioned him.
He stopped laughing. "You're interesting." He stated. "You may not like it or want it, but I won you fair and square. It's something that you'll have to come to terms with." He released her.
She took a small step back. "If you try and touch me. I'll… I'll hurt you." She finally blurted without much conviction. She may have caught him unawares with her spear the first time around but she kind of got the feeling that it wouldn't happen again. His guard was truly up.
He huffed out a breath. "Yeah, my tongue is already healed. My back"—he groaned— "will take another few minutes. I won't touch you…at least not tonight." He added, like that was some sort of a comfort.
"You won't ever touch me. Do you hear me!"
He flinched from her shrill, his ears lying flat against his head. "Will you stop yelling. I'm right in front of you. You don't need to be so damned loud." He paused. "Weren't you women briefed on what was happening? If so, you should understand that in order for me to properly claim you, I need to touch you."
"No damned way. No way in hell. No! You're not coming anywhere near me." She then bravely added. "I'll fight you every step of the way."
His jaw tightened, him pinching the bridge of his nose. This woman might've been interesting to him and he did want her, but right now, her attitude was starting to grate on his nerves. "Look, I'm not going to argue with you right now. It's a very long way back to the Western lands and the castle is still ways away, we need to start moving."
Kagome bit down on her lip. It seemed that for right now she was safe. But it certainly didn't help the fact that she was freezing. Damn she wished she had that woolen shawl. Though, it probably wouldn't have been dry anyway. At least she had until morning before he planned on forcing himself on her. She would need to try and escape before then. It was her only way out of this.
His warm hand clasped her arm and she shrieked. "I told you not to touch me!" She yelled, and tried to yank her arm free.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked. "Why are you shaking? Are you so afraid of me that why you're reduced to a quivering mess?"
"You wish, you asshole! I'm shaking because I'm freezing cold." And she was a little afraid of him, okay, a lot afraid. Not that she would ever admit it.
"Well duh your cold." He snorted. "You should've thought about that before jumping into the river like a crazy woman."
"Because I was trying to get away from you, you jerk!" She retorted back.
Inuyasha let out a long breath. "I had planned on us being back at the castle before nightfall. But that's not going to be possibly, is it?"
She shook her head. "My feet hurt and I'm tired. I need to rest." She'd been walking and running for the past few hours, and she really could use some R&R before she did any heavy hiking but more than that, she needed an opportunity to escape. It might not be possible once they arrived at his residence.
"I don't have the ability to transform and fly like most demons. So we'll have to travel by foot." He then paused, taking another look at her. "Your shivering is becoming worse. I'll carry you into the forest so that we can find shelter from the wind."
As much as she detested the thought of him touching her, the idea of being out of the elements was just too appealing. Kagome nodded. "Fine, but don't get any ideas. I'm freezing."
He made a growly noise, leaned over and picked her up, as if she weighed nothing. God, he was really warm, she couldn't help but nestle closer to his chest, helpfully some of that warmth will transfer to her cold bones. "I mean it, don't get any ideas. I'm just really cold." She had to suppress a moan as his warmth seeped into her.
"I wouldn't dare." His chest vibrated as he barked out another chuckle. Then he was moving, big easy strides that ate up the ground like it was nothing. Within no time, he deposited her back on the cold ground.
Although it was much better within the shelter of the trees, it was still cold. Kagome couldn't help but to shiver and shake. She rubbed her hands together and blew into them to try and inject some warmth into the frozen digits. Her dress was still a bit damp. The earth beneath her felt like an ice block.
"Wait here." Inuyasha instructed. "I'll go and get some firewood. We'll have you warmed up in no time."
As much as she loved the sound of that, Kagome couldn't hang around and wait for him.
She made a sound of agreement and pretended to make herself comfortable on the ground.
"Don't try and escape. I'm stronger and faster than you, that you wouldn't make it a mile. My sense of smell is far stronger than the average humans, and I'll easily find you. And don't be foolish enough to throw yourself into the river again either. The rapids only become worse and there's a waterfall up ahead. Your head would be smashed on the rocks below."
Kagome couldn't help but to gasp as she thought of Ocean. "Oh no!" She covered her mouth with both her hands. Her eyes filled with tears. "Poor Ocean. She also jumped into that river with me." She spoke into her hands. She didn't know her very well but the idea of her drowning or worse was just too much.
"The blonde-haired woman is fine." He said, then he turned and walked away.
Her heart stilled. Thank God. Although, just because she survived the rapids and the waterfall didn't mean that she was fine. She couldn't worry about it right now though. Kagome made herself count to sixty before forcing herself to stand up and to hobble in the opposite direction. Escape was probably futile but she had to try and get away. This demon jerk thought that he owned her. Come morning he would want to… Argh! She couldn't think about that. She had to get away, even if her feet hurt and her knee throbbed and her teeth chattered.