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Chapter 4 Confused Burning

In all honesty, Inuyasha was glad Sango heard him and not Kagome. She was a lot more level-headed.

"I'll explain later with everyone else."

He said softly.

"Including why I been gone for nearly two days."

She nodded and gathered the herbs she collected, and went into the hut. Inuyasha sighed. This was going to be super tough. Since the other night, something in him changed. He has been more level-headed. He was still confused as hell, but he was dealing pretty well. His attitude was always defensive and angry when confronted or cornered, but he grew up in one day and some hours. Even Sesshomaru changed in his own way. He was still a bastard, but he was a lot more subdued. He guessed it had a lot to do with the mating mark. Inuyasha sighed again and rubbed his face. He was exhausted, but he had to do this. Inuyasha looked over at his mate.

"Listen, I know you hate humans… but I need you to come with me into the hut. I get anxious if you're not in my view if I didn't purposely leave you to hunt or gather things you need. Now, you're my responsibility, my mate, and you're carrying our child. You're not to your full strength, and I can't protect you if you are out here."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but pout. It was incredibly uncharacteristic of him, but dammit, he was annoyed, and he had to listen to his Alpha. At least he wasn't using the force command on him. That would be painful. Obviously, he didn't know of its existence yet, and Sesshomaru was not going to tell him about it either if he could help it.

"Fine."

Inuyasha leads the way to the hut pulling back the flaps with Sesshomaru behind him. Everyone looked at them in a mix of surprise and fear, excluding Sango. Shippo was ready to pounce, but he held back with the looming threat of the demon lord behind Inuyasha.

"INUYASHA, SIT, BOY!"

Kagome was fuming. He squeaked and smelled danger, backing to the corner. The moment Inuyasha hit the ground with a crack, something in Sesshomaru snapped, and he saw red. His fingers were instantly wrapped around Kagome's neck, squeezing.

"You do not treat my mate like some mangy mutt!"

If Kagome were able to gasp in shock, she would. She clawed at the fingers that were in an iron lock around her neck, feeling poison sizzle at her skin. The pain was excruciating. She couldn't scream or breathe.

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

Miroku and Sango shouted in unison. Sesshomaru was powerful. They didn't think they could stop him. Inuyasha was quick to recover used to her childish behavior.

"Sesshomaru! I order you to put her down now!"

Sesshomaru screamed in the heat of the moment. Instantly he dropped her, his own body falling into a crumpled heap as he screamed and gripped his mark. It hurt! Inuyasha was by his side in an instant confused.

"Sesshomaru!"

The taller man was panting heavily and sweating. He felt thoroughly humiliated. However, he still apologized as much as it pained him to do so.

"I'm sorry I was out of line."

Sesshomaru straightened up, the pain dulling to nothing. The whole pack was in shock, including Inuyasha though a little less so.

"What just happened?"

Kagome took in gulps of air and slowly sat up. Her eyes were full of hurt. Inuyasha didn't even glance at her. She was the one who got hurt. She was the one who got attacked. So, why was he catering to Sesshomaru? The last time she checked, they hated each other. And what was this about, mate? She heard the Daiyoukai loud and clear that Inuyasha was his mate.

"I can't disobey a direct order from my Alpha. The pain ties back to how things happened."

She heard what Sesshomaru said and didn't understand what had happened. She saw the look of understanding on Inuyasha's face and remorse. What the hell was going on? She was angry and in pain and so lost. She started to sob.

"What the hell is going on, Inuyasha? What does he mean, mate? Why are you tending to him? I'm the one hurt by that monster's hands!" she screamed. Inuyasha's eyes flashed red. He didn't care what she did to him. But she would not insult his mate.

"He's not a monster. He is my mate."

Miroku, carefully watching, decided it was time for him to step in before things got worse. It was already tense, and he was also anxious to know what had happened.

"Let's just all calm down. Kagome, why don't you let Sango tend to your wound while Inuyasha explains if he wants to."

"That's what the hell I damn came for!"

His gruff side had shown up after all.

"Damn, wench is always sitting me and treating like a fucking a Dog before I could even get a word out."

He was angry in his own right. Being sit in front of his mate hurt his pride. As Alpha, he was supposed to be strong and always be able to protect Sesshomaru from harm. He never really overthought how Kagome treated him up until that moment. It was Humiliating. That did not mean he wanted her killed.

Turmoil consumed him over what happened to Sesshomaru again. He caused him pain. That thought in itself was conflicting. He still had to deal with the trauma his brother put him through before all of this even occurred. He just hoped he didn't hurt their child.

"Sess, is the baby, okay?" he asked tentatively. Sesshomaru nodded.

"The baby is strong. It will survive." He said lightly.

That's where Sango was confused and would like to be cleared up if possible. She was pretty familiar with Demon mating. But she had never heard of a male able to get pregnant.

"Alright, everyone, gather around. I will tell you what happened."

Everyone gathered in a circle to listen to the recollection. And so, he began to explain, leaving out some parts. They didn't need to know the full details. He explained the mark about him being an alpha and Sesshomaru an omega, a rare male that could carry children.

"So, you're happy you slept with your brother and knocked him up?"

Kagome hissed in disgust, her nose wrinkled and her face slightly green.

"Demon mating is not the same as human couplings. It's best to breed with Kin to keep the line pure and strong. There will be no deformities." Sesshomaru counteracted in a calm tone. Inside he was slightly irritated by that human wench's ignorance. This is why he hated humans. They were so narrow-minded and inferior. The stupidity they possessed was a disease that spread like wildfire. No matter how logical the explanation was. Their emotions seemed to twist into their beliefs, usually ending in disgust, hate, or both.

Kagome blanched.

"It's disgusting."

"Shut the fuck up!"

Inuyasha interrupted. It was his turn to be annoyed. He thought he loved Kagome, but a part of him knew she wouldn't accept this. It was difficult enough to talk about, to begin with. He was already ashamed and embarrassed by his behavior and what he did. And here she was, rubbing in that he was disgusting for taking his brother as a mate even though it wasn't intentional. He was incredibly pissed. Dealing with the situation at hand was already putting a lot of strain and stress on my mental. To have her mock him and ridicule him while claiming to love him and care about him was really like a big fucked up joke.

"Keh, you can shove a sock in it, stupid wrench. I don't give a fuck what you think or how you feel. It's happened, and I'm going to take care of my mate and my child! I knew this would be a shock to everyone, but I hoped that you would take it well, but you're just a selfish bitch who doesn't care about anyone or anything but yourself. And so, help me if you sit me again, I will not stop Sesshomaru from killing you, I swear it."

His voice was ice and hit her like a cold arrow through her heart.

He was serious.

Kagome felt her jaw drop, the rest of his pack in shock. They couldn't believe he stood up to her for real. He allowed her to bully him and push him for way too long, and this was what it took for him to wake up. He would be a father, and he had to protect his family no matter what, even from his friends. Miroku decided to break the silence, and he happily clasped his friend's shoulder, earning a warning glare from Sesshomaru, which he tried to ignore. He smiled.

"I'm happy for you, my friend whatever the circumstances may have been, you are now are a father, and I guess practically married," he laughed softly.

"Yes, Inuyasha as a demon slayer, I've studied and know lots about demon tradition but not everything. This has been quite a learning experience. I'm certain that things may not have been planned this way, but I'm happy for you."

Sango chimed in.

"Me too,"

Shippo said, coming from the corner where he jumped on Inuyasha's shoulder with a grin.

"Though I still think Sesshomaru is kind of scary, he whispered into the dog demon ears"

He chuckled and lightly tapped Shippo on the head. "

He's harmless...Er, for the most part."

Sesshomaru didn't like that they were talking about him so casually and sulked in the corner, unable to do anything about it. He didn't want to attack and risk being chastised again.

"Inuyasha," a soft yet sturdy voice intervened. One that he forgot was there, one that was silent the whole time in the far corner of the room. In her lap was Kirara curled up in a ball of fluff.

"Kaede..."

He whispered.

If there was anyone whose response he truly cared about, it was Kaede. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but she was like a second mother to him.

"Come here, child."

The group parted and allowed him to walk past them to her. He reached in front of her and sat in front of her. With a touch against his neck, the beads he had on shattered. He had no idea she could do that.

"Ye is free."

Sesshomaru could feel the sentimental emotions loud and clear from his mate. He seemed like he was on the verge of crying, but instead, he joked.

"If I knew this was gonna happen, I would have mated Sesshomaru sooner."

"Not funny."

Miroku sighed at the bad joke.

Sesshomaru didn't know why but he slid closer to Inuyasha for comfort. Kagome looked ready to protest, but her mouth snapped closed after one look from Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha looked at his group and spoke once more.

"I want to make this important that this cannot get out. Naraku is still out there."

He didn't need to say anymore. Everyone knew the implications of that. If he found out that Sesshomaru was carrying, he could very well use the child against them somehow or, even worse, try to kill it. Kaede spoke up again. "What will ye do?" "I decided that I'm going to live with Sesshomaru. It's much safer to raise our child in the castle than here." Honestly, if Inuyasha had a choice and their child's safety wasn't an issue, he would happily stay with his friends. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He dreaded returning to that castle. He remembered very little when he and his mother stayed there briefly. Despite mating Sesshomaru, he was still a filthy Hanyou, and he knew prejudice. He lived and breathed it daily. The demon lord himself was surprised at hearing that they would be going back to his castle. He thought he was doomed to stay here with his mate friends and wouldn't have a say. But he was delighted to know that they would be returning to his lands. Again, he felt sorrow and apprehension fill him up. Each time he felt these emotions, he realized he wasn't the only one making sacrifices. Inuyasha was too. He was living up to his part and took responsibility for his action. Something he wouldn't think Inuyasha would do. He expected him to throw a temper, be violent and childish or even run away. Because that's just what he did, but still, he was extremely calm and level-headed.

When the conversation was finished, it was past dinner. Sesshomaru was starving again. It seemed the humans made food. It wasn't that he couldn't eat it. He preferred his meat raw, and it was better for him as a Demon. A bowl was shoved in his face. He looked up, realizing it was lost in his thoughts, and saw it was that blasted perverted Monk sporting another red mark on his face. He witnessed it happen several times already while here. This man was a masochist or something. Before he could speak, Inuyasha interrupted. "He won't eat that. I'm going to go hunt our food now." Shippo chipped up, "But Inuyasha, you always eat food with us!" Shippo was sad that Inuyasha was leaving. He didn't understand much, but he knew of demon mating and rituals. He knew that Inuyasha was now the protector. The Alpha of Sesshomaru, like his father, was for his mother before they died. If Inuyasha left, no one would be here to protect him, and it didn't seem like he would be taking him along. He loved Kagome. She was like a mom to him. She was kind to him, gave him cuddles, kissed him goodnight, read him stories from her world, and brought all kinds of yummy snacks back. But he knew that she couldn't protect him. None of these humans could the way Inuyasha could. He couldn't help but get angry, tears slid down his cheeks as a result, and he bolted out of the hut.

"I hate you, Inuyasha!" Inuyasha was stunned and confused.

"What the hell did I do to that little brat!" He was bristling, his old self showing.

"Perhaps Shippo isn't taking it well that you're leaving," Sango said. "After all, he's just a child, and he's pretty attached to you."

"HUH?! Attached to me? Why?"

Inuyasha was genuinely confused as to why Shippo was so attached to him. He couldn't remember doing anything special that impacted his life in such away. He racked his mind trying to think of anything that could point to him being someone Shippo looked up to. He assumed he loved Kagome more because she spoiled and coddled him all the time. Inuyasha was not good at analyzing personality traits or the secrets of why they are the way they are. He barely knew why he was the way he was. He just was. Inuyasha was brought out of his musings catching the last bit of what Sango was saying.

"…you protect him, and he loves you like a parent."

That caught Inuyasha off guard as he nearly stumbled while getting up. Shippo loved him like a father? And that made him wonder if he was even father material. There was a child on the way that he created with his brother. Was he going to be a good father to it? All he thought about instinctively was being able to protect his mate and child, but it never really occurred to him if he would be a great father. He never got to meet his dad and the thought of his children never being able to meet him sent a deep ache in his chest. His father died protecting him and his mother. It was a noble sacrifice, but it left Inuyasha without a paternal figure, the only person who really could have raised and guided him. His mother already had a short life, and he was a half-demon. He didn't have a fighting chance when you let that sink in as much as he loved his mother with all his heart. It was sheer luck that he survived all these years. All those thoughts lingered on his mind and created an inner turmoil he was having a hard time pushing away. Sesshomaru crossed his mind as being older than him. A fresh wave of emotions assaulted his senses—sadness, betrayal, and anger.

Sesshomaru had no clue what his mate was thinking, but he felt a torrent of emotions upon him. Somehow, the little fox kit triggered various feelings: uncertainty, anger, and sadness? Sesshomaru studied his mate, and his eyes were far off. Suddenly without warning, he stood up.

"I'm going to find Shippo. It's dark, and I still have to hunt."

With that, he was gone, not giving Sesshomaru a chance to determine what was ailing his Alpha. Sesshomaru wanted to sigh, but his face and body language remained indifferent. It was unbecoming of a demon lord to show his emotions, especially in front of a bunch of weak humans. They had seen enough, and his pride was already immensely hurt. He was ready to leave this stench-infested village with the smells of mortality, decay, and poor hygiene. Despite his feelings of disgust, he patiently waited for his mate to return with his meal and the fox child so that they may be on their way. He felt a little anxious, but his mater left his scent on him to keep him calm.