Disclaimer- I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

The Taiyoukai's Discovery

She curled her hand into the silver silk of his hair as something in her dream caused her pain. The once serene face scrunched up and a pair of rosy lips parted in agitation. A rush of breath against his pale neck caused Sesshomaru to look down upon the miko now wrapped up in his arm and tail. She had grown tired during the flight and had nearly fallen when she let sleep claim her, so he had lifter against his chest. She was beautiful and brought a sense of calm to the taiyoukai. Calmness was something he had not experienced from another being in along time and he enjoyed the feeling of peace. He did not like seeing the look of pain gracing her features, so he did what came naturally to a male inuyoukai. He leaned his face down against the miko's face and nuzzled his nose into her cheek. Sesshomaru issued a small low growl in the deepest part of his throat and let it rumble into his chest and vibrate around the slumbering miko. He offered her the comfort an inuyoukai offered to an agitated mate. Hoping she would be comforted and her sleep would not plague her with nightmares anymore.

Kagome felt something warm and soft rub against her check and felt a vibrating hum surround her body. She did not understand why but she felt safe and protected in that moment and her nightmare disappeared on a puff of air not even leaving a wisp of the pain behind. Snuggling deeper into the muscled chest of the taiyoukai, she gripped his hoari and settled into a deep peaceful sleep.

Inuyasha watched his brothers youkai respond to Kagome's fear and offer her comfort. He felt his bond with Kagome slip further through his fingers. Sango noticed Inuyasha's form slump forward and knew he had noticed what she had about Kagome and Sesshomaru. She knew Kagome had no idea what was going on between the two brothers or that she was the center of the issue. She would have to have a chat with Kagome about youkai and their mating rituals.

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Kenshin sat to the right of the little puzzle known as Rin. Jaken sat to Rin's left. Rin sat in Sesshomaru's chair at the head of the table. Whenever the lord was absent, the staff treated Rin as if she was an extension of him. As if she was his pup. Kenshin found this interesting. She was human any youkai could clearly tell she was human and yet every youkai servant treated her like an inu princess. Just today he had observed Rin being asked what she wished to have on the menu for the next week, she had been fitted for the best silk kimono's, she had been asked her opinion on several matters pertaining to the household and now here she sat in Sesshomaru-sama's seat at the head of the table. Kenshin had now defiantly seen everything there was to see in life. A house full of youkai bowing and willing serving a human female was a great oddity in this world of war and dominance.

After her afternoon meal, Kenshin escorted Rin into Sesshomaru's personal study where an ancient youkai waited for the girl. Katsu, was a gnarled battle hardened warrior who had served under the great Inutashio. When he had become too old to do battle with "young insolent pups" Sesshomaru had given him the honor of being the general in charge of protecting the palace. After Rin had come to stay in the palace, Katsu had become her tutor. He taught Rin everything she needed to know to protect herself and live amongst youkai for the rest of her days. Rin had become fond of the old youkai just as he had grown to love the little girl. Where he once been full of dread about tutoring her, he now was full of delight and looked forward to their time together every day.

"Katsu-sama! Rin is here!" She burst into the room and flashed a brilliant smile at the old inu.

Smiling down into her beaming face, Katsu corrected her grammar. "Katsu-sama, I am here." Rin tried to give the youkai her best puppy eyes. Katsu smiled at the little girl and shook his head at her.

"Your innocent puppy eyes do not work on me child. Save them for Sesshomaru. That pup seems to buy every innocent look you give him. I do not." Rin knew her looks would not work on the older inu but it never hurt to keep trying.

With a sigh, Rin settled at the desk and picked up her quill "Yes Katsu-sama." Rin bent her head to her work and began her studies in earnest.

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When Rin finally raised her head from her scrolls, the palace was buzzing with activity. Every youkai was scurrying about trying to set everything to rights. Rin watched the work from her desk and grew excited if the servants were rushing around that meant Sessshomaru-sama had been spotted and was on his way home! She glanced towards Katsu and looked at him imploringly. She was begging to be done with her work so she could greet her lord.

Glancing at the girl, Katsu sighed "I will release you for the day child only because Sesshomaru enjoys seeing you on his return. Tomorrow you will make up the time you have lost today. Understood?"

Rin nodded her head enthusiastically and ran from the study into the great hall. She stopped at the top of the great stairs and waited for Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru saw Rin waiting for him at the top of the stairs. Leaning down next to Kagome's ear, he whispered into the delicate shell. "Kagome it is time to wake up. We have arrived."

Kagome yawned and stretched. "How long did I sleep?"

"Only two hours. The trip was not long." Sesshomaru let the miko down onto the cloud and she moved to stand slightly behind him to his left. Sesshomaru noted her sign of acceptance of his higher station then hers and felt a sense of pride rise in his chest for the miko. He was disturbed by this feeling and all of the other feelings he had for the miko.

Stepping from his youkai cloud, Sesshomaru walked towards the gathering of youkai on the stairs. He only made three steps before a little whirlwind wrapped herself around his legs and squeezed until she could not squeeze anymore. Looking down, Sesshomaru noticed the deep grin on Rin's face and felt a sense of homecoming. While his youkai recognized Kagome as his mate, it also recognized Rin as his pup and felt protective towards the child. Rin's eyes glanced past Sesshomaru's legs and noticed the strange people standing behind him. She noticed the hanyou, the exterminator, the monk, the fire neko, and the kitsune but what caught her rapt attention was the miko clothed in the colors of the Western Lord. Smiling widely the girl ran to the miko and stood before her.

"Hello Rin is Rin. You are Kagome. Rin remembers you." Rin smiled at Kagome.

Kagome smiled down at the girl. "Hello Rin." Shippo came forward to clutch at Kagome's leg much as Rin had clutched at Sesshomaru's leg and glanced at the girl.

"Rin this is Shippo. Would you like to play together?" Kagome hoped the girl was as sweet as she looked.

With an enthusiastic nod, the young girls smiled, grabbed the kitsune's paw and drug him off to parts unknown to play with dragons and maidens in distress. Ah Un was always up for a game of rescue.

Sesshomaru turned to the miko "She will run him around the palace tirelessly for the next several hours."

"That's okay. Shippo doesn't get to play with other children much it will be good for him." Kagome reassured Sesshomaru with a slight smile.

"Very well. Come I will show you to your rooms." Sesshomaru lead the way into the great hall and then into his private wing. Standing in the corridor a person could look down the hall and stare at the door to Sesshoamaru's room. Each side of the hall was lined with doors.

Sesshomaru stopped at the door farthest from his. "This will be your room Inuyasha. The monk is across from you." Sesshomaru walked to the next set of doors. He motioned to the door on the left "The exterminator will sleep here. The kitsune will sleep in the room next to Rin's room."

Sesshomaru motioned to the door across from Rin's door and to the left of his own door "Kagome will sleep here." Inuyasha seethed and stepped up to his brother.

"Sesshomaru! You will not separate me from Kagome. My room should be closer to hers so that I can protect her. You will not put her next to you. She is mine to protect." Inuyasha watched as his brothers eyes began to bleed red and realized his mistake. Sesshoamru's youkai was angered at his instance that Kagome belonged to him instead of Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was not going to back down, however; this was not one of Inuyasha's best decisions. Kagome watched as Sesshomaru threw Inuyasha down the hall and began to walk towards him. Kagome saw the red tint to Sesshomaru's eyes and knew his youkai would take over soon.

"Sesshomaru! Please don't hurt Inuyasha." Through the red haze clouding his mind Sesshomaru's youkai heard it's mate call out to it in desperation. She was pleading with him to spare the hanyou. He would not. The annoying runt needed to die for interfering with his treatment of his mate. The smell of salt hit Sesshomaru's delicate nose and stopped him in his tracks. His youkai instantly responded to its mate's distress and returned to her side.

Leaning down, Sesshomaru once again nuzzled his nose against Kagome's neck. Sesshoamru began nuzzling her neck when she continued to cry and growling deep within his throat. Kagome flung her arms around the youkai and leaned into him. She needed his support and reassurance he would not harm Inuyasha.

Inuyasha made yet another mistake and began to approach the pair. Sesshomaru let a vicious growl escape his throat. It was a clear warning for the hanyou not to come any closer to the taiyoukai and the miko. Sango recognized the growl for what it was and grabbed the hanyou's arm.

"Inuyasha, you know what is going on. It is not a good idea to interfere right now. He is still enraged. You have to let him calm down. I suggest we all go to our rooms and clean up after our travels." Sango pushed the hanyou and the monk towards their rooms and then entered her own room.

Sesshomaru placed his arm around Kagome's waist and lifted her feet off the ground. He pushed open the door to her room and carried her into the velvety darkness. Sesshomaru let her slid down his body until her feet touched the floor and yet he still did not release her. She raised her face to his and looked at him with deep watery pools of blue. Sesshomaru knew his life and soul was lost in that moment to the strange little miko of the Shikon no Tama. He knew instantly what his youkai had been trying to tell him. Kagome was his ideal mate. His youkai accepted her now he only had to accept her and make her accept him.

Kagome watched as his eyes softened into liquid gold and he lowered his head towards her. She was confused and felt a deep crimson blush rush up her cheeks.

She jumped when his cool petal soft lips made gentle contact with hers. She was too shocked to become angered or to respond to him. She merely stood there and allowed him to continue to kiss her. She gasped into his mouth when he pulled her to lean on his chest and her body became flush with his. Sesshomaru took the opportunity given to him and caressed the inside of her mouth with his tongue. She was absolutely the most intoxicating, fiery, pure taste Sesshomaru had tasted for many centuries. Her taste alone made him crazy. He was close to losing his cool demeanor and taking the miko as his mate even against her will if the need be. However, he knew she would never accept him if he forced her, so he settled for simply enjoying what she was allowing.

Brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges flashed behind Kagome's eyes, her breath came in short little gasps, and her heart felt like it would soar from her chest in the next moment. She could not push him from her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss even more. Sesshomaru growled deep in his throat at her acceptance of him and he leaned down into her even more. His hair fell over his shoulders and wrapped both of them in a silken screen. She felt like she was surrounded by him, like he was part of her. She never wanted this to end but it had to. He could not go on like this without fulfilling the desire of his youkai to mate with the miko.

Raising his head, Sesshomaru looked down into the cloudy blue eyes of his companion. His voice was like rough gravel when he spoke "Kagome you have a tiring day. Rest now and I will have a servant bring you dinner later." Kagome felt a deep sense of loss when he pulled from her.

She wondered if she had done anything to anger him. Her fears where relieved when he placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose and then trailed a long graceful finger along the bridge of her nose. Kagome watched him go with a dreamy look on her face. Sesshomaru had given her her first true kiss. She had been kissed before but never like that never so deeply. She had never been made to feel fragile and accepted especially by Inuyasha.

Kagome drew in a deep breathe of air. She had kissed Sesshomaru but she loved Inuyasha. How could she do that? How could she betray her heart and one true love? Kagome flung herself down on the futon and soon fell into a restless sleep plagued by her sense of guilt. She had betrayed Inuyasha.

Authors Note

Well here it is chapter 9. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you to all of my readers who review. Please continue to do so!

Lady Morganna