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.
Inuyasha deposited Kagome on the ground next to the fire. It was the second time she had tried to run away in the last hour. When was this woman going to learn? He threw a couple of logs onto the embers and set to work gutting the rabbit he had just captured. It was small, but it'll be enough to quell the worst of her hunger.
"I don't know why you insist on bringing me back every time. I don't want to be here. I don't want you. Don't you get that?" Her words were sharp, her eyes refused to meet his.
"I don't get why you won't listen to me when I tell you that it doesn't matter if you escape or not. I'll find you no matter how far you go." With one easy move, he pulled the skin from the carcass.
Kagome made a noise of disgust. "That's revolting. I hope you don't expect me to actually eat that."
"Actually, I do. "I'm sure you don't normally eat stuff like this, but being out here in the forest, this is the best I could do. So if you don't want to starve, I suggest you shut up and appreciate that I even got this for you." Using a selected branch, he pushed it through the carcass and began to cook the meat over the fire.
"I didn't ask you to get me anything." Her voice had lost its venom.
"You said you were hungry."
"If I had known you were going to savagely kill a poor woodland creature like this, I would've kept my mouth shut." She finally lifted her eyes. Wow, her eyes were just as beautiful as he thought. A lovely milk chocolate brown. They sure were melting his bones from just staring into them. There were a few leaves in her hair and smudges of dirt on her face. Her dress was streaked. All of the females had been covered in mud that first time they had spotted them. A clever attempt at masking their scents.
"Well, I certainly wasn't going to let you starve. Despite what you think of me, I wouldn't let a poor woman who couldn't fend for herself starve."
"When you put it that way… I suppose I should thank you."
Inuyasha felt himself frown. "Are you going to try and run away again?"
She pulled her shoulders back and turned those chocolate-colored eyes on him. They narrowed, and her mouth pursed. "I'll never give up. I also need to warn you, that should you decide to rape me, I'll kill you. I might need to wait until you're sleeping but know that I'll come for you. I'll end you. It might take a week or a month but it'll happen."
Inuyasha didn't doubt it for a second. That same determination and hatred shone in her eyes. This was the same spirit that had attracted him to her. He couldn't help but to smile at her. All that spirit, all that fire inside one woman. Who'd ever thought?
"That's funny to you?" She growled, making him laugh harder. This woman actually growled at him. She had the fierceness as any demon ever would. Oh yea, he surely liked this woman indeed.
He shook his head. "You got spunk. I like you."
"The feeling isn't mutual."
He chuckled some more. "Next time you decide to stab me, make sure you do it on the new moon. I lose my demonic powers that night and it'll be easier to kill me then."
She clenched her jaw and swallowed hard but not before he saw her grimace. So, the thought of actually killing him didn't appeal to her. Thank God for small favors. He wasn't sure where this talk of rape had come from. If she was afraid of him forcing himself on her, it would account for her level of fear. Maybe throwing herself into the river wasn't so crazy after all. Why did she think he would rape her? That idiot Jaken was supposed to send someone to explain things to them. And from what him and the other demon leaders had discussed, the women they brought here were living a not so good life, and no one would really miss them if they went missing.
"It was my understanding that you women needed saving. That your life was difficult."
Inuyasha could scent her surge of adrenaline. He could smell the anger roll off of her in waves. Her head snapped up and her frame became tense. "My life has got nothing to do with you. What do you mean you were told that I needed saving? What the hell is this?"
"Weren't you told about our species and why you're here?"
This made her even angrier. She jumped to her feet. "You are the biggest asshole I've ever met in my whole entire life. Yes, I was told in minute detail why I am here. Why do you think I keep on trying to escape?"
That didn't make sense. If it was explained to them on why they were here, then she shouldn't be this angry, this afraid. Sure, Inuyasha had expected some weariness and uncertainty. Who wouldn't? Getting brought to some foreign land and being hunted by creatures one has only dreamed and read in books. However, he didn't think that she would be weary to this level.
"Please sit down."
She didn't budge. Kagome folded her arms across her chest. "Are you going to make me?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "You're tired and cold. It would do you some good if you sat down, but if you would prefer to stand, that's fine by me." He sucked in a deep breath. "Since you obviously weren't briefed fully, I'll explain things to you. Demons have been around for centuries, however, after twenty years ago, certain demon females either migrated to the human realm or couldn't conceive. For those that can, they only bore sons. Leaders of territories, including me and my brother, decided to issue the foraging in which demons bring selected females into our territory and we select one to be our mates in order to bare our children."
For fuck's sake, by the way she was looking at him, he could see that this was news to her.
"So what? You decided to abduct a few women so that you could rape and impregnate them? Well, I have it on good authority that sex between our species doesn't work."
"I can tell you that certainly isn't true. I for one am the product of a demon and a human, and I turned out fine. In fact, I know others who turned out just fine." Of course, there were some failures, but he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that to scare her even more.
"It might've worked for your parents, but it won't work for me. I've seen first how vicious you demons are and I wouldn't dare become involved with someone like you." Her voice quivered. Although he could still scent anger, her fear was back. "You'll hurt me, tear me apart, and I would never survive it."
"Woman, I swear to you that I won't hurt you or touch you without your consent. You have my word."
"I don't believe you." She said, brokenly.
When he got back to the castle, he was going to have a good talk with that idiot Jaken. The damned imp had said he sent two demons to tend to the women. It seemed that those demons had done a poor job of briefing these women, but also scared them into believing that they were going to hurt them.
"I could've taken you a dozen times by now." He growled, unable to keep the emotion from his voice. She didn't flinch and his respect for her grew. "I could fuck you right now and there's not a damn thing you could do about it."
Kagome gasped and took a step back. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear.
"I told you that I'm not going to touch you and I won't. Now sit down!" He couldn't help the commanding edge that crept into his voice.
She did as he said.
"Like I mentioned earlier, demons have existed for centuries. Some have migrated and stayed in the human realm, you most likely have passed them on the street without even knowing. After experiencing the foraging for the first time, I can understand why you're scared. It would've been easier if you were approached instead of just kidnapping you. But from what was explained to me, this was how it was done hundreds of years ago, and it obviously worked back then." He turned the stick and the hare sizzled its flesh was becoming a beautiful golden color. The meat was nearly ready.
"So that's it?" Kagome mumbled. "Because demons needed heirs, this gave you the right to do this to us?"
"We've been left with very little options. It was either take human females or we'd eventually die out."
"This is wrong. You can't go around kidnapping women."
"It's not ideal."
"Not ideal?" She huffed out a breath. "You didn't stop to think that the women you brought here weren't going to go for this. That we didn't want to be mated to demons and impregnated by you. God, you truly are demons."
Inuyasha had to suppress a smile. She sure was a feisty woman. He didn't interact with humans a lot, but he had a feeling that the one before him was rare.
"We figured you women were the right choice." He went on saying. "We proceeded by handpicking the females. It was important that we choose unmated, healthy women who we thought needed help. That this could be a mutually beneficial relationship."
Kagome stood back up, putting her hands on her hips and scowled at him. "Like hell. You could help me by taking me back right now."
"Like I said earlier. I was told that you needed our help just as much as we needed yours. Am I wrong?"
Her jaw was clenched, her hands flew to her hips. "Just because I'm homeless and jobless right now doesn't mean you had any right to take me away from my life, my home. Not that I had a home." Her bottom lip quivered. "It's irrelevant." She choked out, sounding wounded.
Oh shit, the woman was going to cry. Something inside him clenched. "I'm sorry." His voice was rough. "I'm sorry you didn't have a home and that this happened to you." What the hell was he saying? He'd rarely apologized, if ever. Then again, he did say that he would protect her. And trying to assure her that he wasn't going to hurt her was the first thing he needed to do.
"Sorry isn't going to help, is it?" A single tear rolled down her cheek.
Double shit. Tears didn't normally affect him, but it was paining him to see her cry. "I swear to you that I won't hurt you or force you to do anything you don't want to do." He rose to his feet. "I'll look after you. None of the demons will harm the women they won today. Neither will they force them. It goes against the rules of the foraging."
"That's bullshit!" She shouted. "I saw that big guy climb on top of Pia."
"Kyo was putting his scent on her. He wasn't hurting her."
"You might not consider rape as harming but us humans do. What the hell is putting his scent on her?" Although her eyes were still watery, she looked mad. "It's wrong and disgusting." She narrowed her eyes and growled the words.
"Kyo might've touched her briefly, but it was so he could put his scent on her. He would've kissed her as well, but that's all. Why the hell do you keep speaking of rape and force? Where did you get this crazy idea?" He had a notion but he wanted to hear it from her.
She chewed on her bottom lip. "You seriously don't plan on raping and impregnating me? Why am I here then? You just told me that demons were nearly dying out and that you needed heirs. What's this all about?"
"I'll admit, there are some demons who don't have honor and would commit horrendous crimes. However, there are others who live by honor and I can guarantee that the ones who took part in the forage would never force a woman to do anything she didn't want to do. I'm sorry that you were abducted, and had to go through this. But I won you, which means that you're under my protection. I hope that you'll get to know me and that you'll give me a chance. This could be mutually beneficial for both of us."
Her mouth fell open in a gape.
"I also hope that if things work out, that eventually you'll agree to be my mate and carry my children. This will be your choice though. I won't force any of it on you." What the hell was he saying? It was her choice, but she didn't need to know that. Inuyasha needed to keep some leverage in this situation. It seemed that he couldn't keep his mouth shut because he continued to say. "In the long run, should you decide that you wish to go home, I'll take you back. You have my word."
"You'll take me back?" She didn't sound like she believed him. Not even one little bit. "I'm never going to agree to this whole marriage and children thing so you might as well take me back right now."
"Only if you give this a shot. Get to know me."
"No need. I know enough." She shook her head.
"A couple of weeks." He blurted. "You would be under my protection. Safe, warm, a roof over your head." What the hell was he saying. He didn't have time. Inuyasha needed to get her to agree in being his mate, otherwise Sesshomaru was going to tear him a new asshole.
"I'm not some hooker that you can bribe with things in return for." She let the sentence die.
"I didn't say that you were." He said, anger rising within him. "I'm offering you food and shelter while you're in our lands. You'll get these things regardless of whether we have sex or not." Kagome didn't look like she believed him. He reached over and offered the cooked rabbit to her, stick side. "It's hot but it should be really good."
Although she shook her head, he could see how she eyed the meat greedily. She licked her lips.
"Don't be stubborn. Take it." He pushed the stick further forward.
"Maybe just a small taste."
She accepted the cooked rabbit and once she took a nibble of it. It actually wasn't bad. She took another nibble, then another. "It's good." She gave him the ghost of a smile.
Inuyasha gave a small one in return. Well, this was off to a good start. It might be small, but at least it was something. Maybe this could actually work between them. It was a start. Kagome took another bite of the succulent roast. If it weren't so damned hot, she'd wolf the thing down. Wait a minute, he had gone to the trouble to catch the thing and prepare it for her, the least she could do was offer him a taste. She might not quite trust him, but from this act alone, he might be a nice guy after all. Although, Kagome wasn't so sure that nice was the right word. No, nice wasn't the right word.
"Do you want a piece?" She glanced at him.
He shook his head, scratching a spot behind his ear. "I'll be fine until we get back. You eat. I got it for you."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. You go ahead."
She nodded. The gesture was sweet. After all the running and fighting earlier, he had to be hungry. She guessed this was what he meant by protecting her. He was putting his needs second and hers first. But just because he did this, she still wasn't going to come to this agreement.
"I've given it some thought, and a couple of weeks isn't going to change my mind. You seem like an okay guy…but it's not going to work, I'm sorry." She shook her head and tried to pretend that she understood his predicament. She – sort of – did but it was no excuse to kidnap people. To hunt them like animals.
Inuyasha shook his head, his eyes bore into her with such intensity that she had to look away. It was a good thing that the flames within the fire were so pretty. She'd look at those instead. Flicking, licking and curling, in that beautiful golden color. It was mesmerizing.
"I'm afraid…" His voice boomed, making her jump. "That you staying for a few weeks isn't going to cut it. We'll spend time together and get to know one another, intimately."
What the fuck!
"Uh no, no way! You said that you wouldn't touch me against my will."
"No." He growled, making her flinch. "How many times do I have to keep telling you that I won't force you?"
"Well then…" She choked out a strangled sounding laugh. "There won't be any intimacy." She huffed out a breath. "Anyway, I'm a human, you're a demon. Your junk won't fit in my very little…" She couldn't say trunk because a trunk was big. "Glove compartment." She finally blurted. She didn't want to talk about this. Why had she brought it up?
Inuyasha's mouth twitched. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. She was reminded of their kiss. Their very hot, very quick, very dirty kiss. What was she saying? He had mauled her. Since when was being mauled by a demon sexy or hot? Never. Not ever. She was such a damn liar. She was sick in the head. The kiss had been hot. That's it, she suffered from momentary insanity. It was the mountain air that was affecting her. That and a serious lack of sleep.
Inuyasha couldn't believe she uttered those words. He wouldn't fit? The comment nearly had him laughing, however, he didn't dare laugh in her face. He could obviously tell that she was starting to get scared and he realized this could be of the reasons why she was freaking out about mating with him. This was obviously the work of the demons who briefed the women. Seems like there was another matter that needed to be addressed.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Kagome asked him. "You certainly were able to explain yourself before." She said, looking at him.
When Inuyasha turned those golden eyes on her, she took an intake of breath. "If you're curious, then yes, we demons are much bigger than a human male. Much bigger."
Kagome gulped. Suddenly the rabbit wasn't so delicious anymore. It dried up in her mouth as though she suddenly had a mouthful of sand. "However, I can assure you that no matter how tight your glove compartment is, I'll fit. It'd be tight at first, but it'll work. Of that there's no doubt." He cleared his throat. "Very little doubt." He didn't sound so sure anymore.
Her mouth fell open for the second time. She couldn't seem to close it or to make her mind work. He hadn't just said that. No way! His smile widened. Shit, it transformed his face. He actually looked pretty cute when he smiled. No! Dammit Kagome, stop this! He was still a demon. She couldn't trust him, she reminded herself.
"Um…" She made a squeaking noise because her throat was tight. "Even if you did manage to shove it in there"—she cleared her throat— "you would rip me to pieces. We don't have your healing capabilities. That demon, Orrin, mentioned that you heal quickly. He also made it very clear that we wouldn't survive sex with how vicious you are and I'm inclined to believe him."
His eyes darkened and his jaw tightened. "Orrin." He growled. "That bastard told all of you that you wouldn't survive being taken by a demon?"
Kagome nodded. "Most of your kind are obviously bigger than us humans. Plus, you just admitted that your… man part is much bigger than a human's so…"
Of all the demons that were sent to talk to these women about the foraging, that damned Jaken had sent Orrin to do the job. When Sesshomaru reluctantly administered the foraging, not all demons were for the idea. Like his brother, there were a good number of demons who didn't like the idea of mating with human females and thought the act was disgraceful to their kind. Orrin was among those demons. Damn. Surely Jaken should've known that Orrin disliked humans. Clearly, the demon imp had no idea, otherwise he was sure that Sesshomaru would've berated him for it.
"I can't believe Orrin was the one that spoke to you women." He muttered, angrily. "When the foraging was issued a few demons were against the idea, and he was one of them. He despises humans and wants nothing to do with them."
"Yeah, he certainly made that clear." Kagome muttered.
"Just because he's one of the ones who doesn't like humans, there are others who actually approved of the foraging. In fact, most demons travel to the human world just to pick up a human woman and take home for the night."
"Like a demon night out?" Kagome asked him.
He lifted a brow. "So you're aware of this?"
Kagome shook her head. "Not necessarily. One of the women who was brought here, Pia, worked in a bar and had mentioned that she's seen demons came in there every so often and leave with a woman."
Inuyasha nodded. "From what others have told me, most have been doing it for years. Some travel to the human realm every weekend, while others only do it every few months. They don't divulge what they are and are very clear that its just sex only. A no-strings-attached affair, no promises of the future, just a night of sex. They don't force themselves on anyone."
"Have you ever gone to the human world for…that?" Kagome asked him. She was curious and wanted to know. Inuyasha wasn't a bad looking guy. In fact, he could walk into a church and probably end up leaving with a woman.
"I've been to the human world a few times. It wasn't as great as others have made it seem. However, I have slept with a few human women over the years, and I was able to fit inside them, easily."
Kagome looked up in shock. "Say what?"
"I said, I was able to fit inside them. It was a bit of a stretch, and it might hurt you for a bit, but I'd be sure you were ready beforehand to take me. I'll use my mouth, my tongue. Women have told me plenty of times of how much they loved my―"
"Stop!" She shouted. "I get the picture." She said, under her breath.
"I'm not going to rush you. Eventually, we'll get to know each other intimately. For now, we can take it slow, one day at a time." He clenched his jaw and gave a small shake of the head, like he hadn't meant to say that.
"I would really prefer it if you took me back to Seattle."
"Not an option. Finish your dinner, and then lay next to me to get some sleep."
"Um… no, I'm good." There was no way she was sleeping near him.
"There are plenty of wild animals within this forest. Plus, it's going to get colder as the night progresses and the fire is eventually going to die out and you'll freeze. If I were you woman, I'd just do what I advise if you want to survive out here."
"My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me, not woman." Why the hell had she said that? He didn't need to know her name. She was still going to escape. Okay, maybe escape wasn't an option at this time. She'd get through the next couple of weeks and then make him take her home.
"Well, Ka-go-me, I suggest you finish eating and not ask any more questions." He commanded.
She ignored him. "Who do you think you are? Just because you kidnapped me and brought me here against my will, doesn't give you the right to order me around like you're the king of England."
He gave her a puzzled look. "Where the hell is this England?"
"It's…" She started to explain but figured what was the point. It would be hard to explain this to him. "Oh never-mind. My point is that you can't boss me around like you own me and some important figure."
"I actually am some important figure." He said, blatantly. "I'm the second son of the late dog demon who was ruler of the Western lands. Which for, makes me a prince. So yeah, I think it does give me the right to boss you around. And since I won you in the forage, I do own you. You're mine to protect. If any other demon tries to take you from me, I'll kill them with these claws of mine." He emphasized by flexing his fingers, the bones cracking in his fingers and his claws shining in the firelight. "You're going to give this a chance and you'll become my mate, that's not a request."
Kagome couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth. The nerve of this bastard! Just because he was a prince, this didn't give him the right to talk to her this way. She was about to give him a piece of her mind. "Look here―"
"No, you look here." Inuyasha growled, cutting her off mid-sentence and causing her to flinch from his harsh tone. "I understand that your scared and you've been through a lot in the past few days, but I won't have you disrespecting me and thinking the worst of me. I told you that I wouldn't hurt you and cause you harm. You need to trust me and believe what I'm telling you, are we clear?"
She gave him a nod in understanding.
"Good." He then picked up her half-eaten rabbit and held it out to her. "Now, if you don't mind…eat your food and then come here to you can sleep."
Kagome took the rabbit from his outstretched hand and finished the rabbit in three more bites. Then she scooted next to Inuyasha and sleep by his side. She wasn't going to take this, but what choice did she have. At the moment she'd just have to abide by what he was saying. It was only for a few weeks. Once those weeks were up, she'd be gone from this place and back home where she belonged. She just needed to hold out until then.