A/N: And here is chapter twenty-six. I was so honored for all the lovely reviews! All of them made my day(s) and I will, of course, respond to all of your comments and questions. As to one of my guest's comments, I cannot reply to you by PM, like I usually do, so I will do it here. Thank you for my comment and rest assured, Chiharu is angry with Sesshōmaru. She is not planning to just roll over and show him her soft underbelly. She's furious.
I do want to make one thing clear. Both Chiharu and Sesshōmaru are fully in their rights to find someone else. Except for the bond, they have no real relationship to speak of and any jealousy any of them might feel is not warranted. Either way, Sesshōmaru's rather petty reaction will not mean the end for their very difficult gathering. It just, like I might have mentioned(:O), takes a while.

I estimate this story will have forty chapters. I will admit they will come together before that though. Anyway enjoy this new, although slightly shorter, chapter.

Inuyasha belongs not to me!

o.O.o

Chapter Twenty-Six, Obsessed

Thick malevolent clouds curled together above his head and the wind was chill against his skin. He was becoming obsessed. He knew it was the logical explanation as he peered through the thick branches high up amidst the foliage. The girl was deeply asleep, as was his Hanyō brother. How the boy could be so careless and not stand guard when he and his companions made camp in the more dangerous parts of the Northern Forest was beyond him.

The resurrected humans who called themselves the Shichinintai were far away. The three men left had fled after a rather massive fight (which broke out just as he'd left the Miko and her sister to reconsile). They had escaped into the depths of Mount Hakurei and for that the yōkai (or part yōkai) could not follow.

Whatever Naruku was planing, he was certainly difficult to track down this way. Sesshōmaru had long ago understood that he used the barrier around St Hakurei to stay out of his (and begrudgingly Inuyasha's) reach. It annoyed Sesshōmaru more than liked to admit.

Yet, Naraku was only Sesshōmaru's first priority. Inuyasha did not— could not— see Naraku and his minions. Inuyasha and the Miko's sister hadn't been on speaking terms (courtesy of Sesshōmaru) and they had moved away from the sacred mountain to investigate stories of a Yōkai that influenced women living on the marshlands.
A foolish thing to do, as far as Sesshōmaru was concerned. He did not see why his brother's group involved themselves in other people's business so much. His Miko, who had an unnatural amount of patience for everyone except for him, was rather crafty. She and the Hōshi where the ones finding out it was Naraku's evil Jaki that revived the Salamander-yōkai from a painting.

She was killed by Inuyasha using his Wind Scar.

The Miko and her sister still didn't talk to each other. Inuyasha seemed to have enough sense to stay out of their way most of the time. That or his barely-dressed female would use her demeaning command to 'sit' him. It happened far more often after the loud-mouthed little chit found out about a discretion even he could see had been nothing more but a stupid, ill-overthought decision. His Miko was certainly transparent enough to be obvious about any attraction she might have felt towards his Half-brother.

At least that had been obvious when he dropped the metaphorical bomb.

He peered back at his Miko again. She had eased on her side, knees drawn up and cheek leaning on her upper arm. She seemed to be comfortable and her neck was exposed. A part of him wanted to see if her pale flesh was still as soft as it looked. His initial plan to stay away from her had failed brilliantly. He was inexplicably drawn to the blaze in her eyes.

At first it had been the same blaze which made him torn between annoyance and approval. His claws had more than one itched to dismember her limb for limb, and yet, every time he had restrained his murderous urges. Because he had been slightly curious what she would do with her life. He wanted to know if his power would make a stronger Hanyō. Of course, she wasn't exactly like a Hanyō, but in his vision it still counted.

Truth to be told, he hadn't really expected to be drawn in by a human.

The campsite his brother had found was well secluded and a safe distance away from the yōkai invested northern border. Yet, that didn't mean it was safe enough for Inuyasha to doze off on the guarding job. He might not have any interest in the Shikon shards the Miko carried, several other, lesser yōkai did. The girl stretched onto her back and her eyelids fluttered. There was something about her that had started to appeal to him. Perhaps it was the motherly way she acted around the kit. Then again, all three women acted motherly over the small fox boy.

It couldn't solely been that.

It certainty hadn't been her surprised face, when his dark aura had brushed against the shimmering bluish reiki that surrounded her. She was a novice. He could tell immediately when her reiki didn't respond to his youki that she was indeed a novice. And she was clean. Definitely a new one.

He hadn't really bothered with her back then.

The girl (in that aspect the Miko sister's were similar) refused to let him intimidate her simply because he had a problem with her opinion. She was wrong about that though. He didn't care about her opinions. He didn't care at all.

Yet, he was fascinated. Her ability to focus and control her reiki and later combined with his youki had strengthened and he caught himself watching her more and more. He started to summon her with increasing regularity. He awaited her scent, warm and pleasing, and listened to her voice as she talked and laughed. He caught himself gazing at her, amber eyes tracing the pale flesh of the column of her neck and following the delicate contours of her face.

I cannot become—

The Miko stirred, her eyelids fluttering again and he watched as she slowly sat up straight and brushed her dark hair out of her face. Inuyasha's white ears twitched and Sesshōmaru watched the way his golden eyes began their usual perusal of the girl. He observed his brother carefully. He had seen desire in the boy's golden orbs before, but that was not what he saw now. Sesshōmaru supposed he saw the girl as nothing more than a friend.

"What are you—"

"I need to find a bathroom." She mumbled, her cheeks reddening and her mouth pressing in an embarrassed line. His half-brother waved his hand as if to say; 'well, go ahead, get your arse moving' and she slung a quiver and bow over her shoulder.

"Don't go off too far," he warned her and straightened. Apparently he was aware that it was not wise for him to sleep on the job. As she moved down the path, Sesshōmaru cracked his knuckles and followed her. She wasn't aware of him yet. He watched the girl make her way towards a lazy stream near a grove of lemon trees. She crouched down on the stony bank, washed her wrists in whatever ritual it was for and drank deeply.

She had tamed her hair up into a high pony tail and her shoulders had locked together. His eyes were drawn to the elegant curve of her neck and massaged her fingers over her neck. Sesshōmaru pushed his silver hair over his shoulder.

"I know your there, you know?" She suddenly whispered and Sesshōmaru felt his eyes widen.

He hadn't meant for her to sense him, but he stepped out of the shadows anyway. "Miko,"

Her eyes were far more hostile than usual and he felt the fur of his mokomoko stand on end. The reiki normally so dormant in her system, swelled and made his skin tingle. She was not best pleased to see him and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, scowling dat him. "Didn't you do enough?"

"Your sister is a rather jealous creature." He remarked, knowing that it would anger her. He was somewhat impressed she didn't bite.

"Yes," she answered stiffly, "I know more jealous creatures. I'm looking at one right now."

"You think this Sesshōmaru was jealous?" He asked her lowly, quirking a haughty pale brow. Her scowl deepened.

"You act like it. I don't think you have any reason to."

He cocked his head to the side. He felt the beginnings of anger call at him. "I do not have to explain myself to you, Miko."

She grunted, her right foot beginning to tap impatiently. No longer a novice, his little Miko had more than once proven that she was worthy in combat. The girl certainly was not on his level of skill, but he shouldn't expect any female to be at his level.

"Of course you don't." She replied sarcastically. "You do not have to explain yourself you me, but you have no reason and no place to tell on my secrets either."

"This one was under the impression you wanted honesty in your relationship."

She sniffed. "You are an arrogant—" she fell silent for a moment as if searching for a word to describe him and then deflated. "Why am I even trying?"

"Hn,"

She shook her head in what must have been exasperation and he felt his eyes narrow. "It's just exhausting. I'm always arguing with you and I'm always trying to explain things to you, but you just—"

"I just?" He asked, his voice sounding a bit amused. He was not.

"You really don't care for any other living being, than you will always be alone." She whispered, the glow of holy energy around her fade. "I can't do this anymore. I don't really know what you want from me. I suppose it is just some misplaced feeling of ownership you feel, but I can't do this anymore."

"You cannot—"

"I can't," she muttered, twisting the end of her hair around her fingers. With a resolute huff, she turned away from the stream and slumped down on a moggy log to sit on. Wriggling her toes in her sandals she clasped her hands together in her lap. "Whatever there was between us, it's over."

I-I. ⌡. Γ┐

Chiharu had noticed him almost the moment she woke up. She had stirred awake from a stiffness unique to having lain in one position for too long. The fire was still alive and the pan she'd used to heat some water lay next to the charred stones. She'd felt his eyes on her and had not been sure what she should do. At first, she wanted to turn over onto her stomach and try to fall asleep again — ignoring him altogether — but as his eyes remained fixed on her, she started to feel cramped and uncomfortable in her tight sleeping bag. How long would Sesshōmaru keep watching her.

In the end, she thought it was wiser to just venture away from their campsite. She didn't want Inuyasha to have kittens. She certainly didn't want the Daiyōkai to push his buttons and have Kagome sit Inuyasha to the other end of the world. Crouching down by the river, she thought about what she should say and in the end she decided to just go with the flow.

She felt the suffocating force of his power press against her form from all angles. It never failed to make her tingle and feel frightened. Her own power rose to the surface in answer, but it never seemed to deter him. He thought he could do whatever he wanted. Well, as far as she was concerned his power did not entitle him to be an arsehole to everyone.

More importantly, she didn't want him to lord over her anymore. The fact that she had started to feel unconsciously attracted to him, had bypassed her. It had only hit her when she'd noticed the scent of another woman on him and she'd realised that what they had, a shared link and a weird attraction, was not enough. She would always remain a human at heart and she couldn't stand his cold aloof ways.

"Whatever there was between us, it's over." She decided finally. She watched his eyes flicker in recognition. He understood the meaning flawlessly and her fingers curled tightly into the mossy bark of the log she was sitting on.

"Over."

"Yes," she nodded, "you were right before. I have no right to ask explanations on your whereabouts, but you do have no right to stick your nose in my business either."

"You think you can order me around?"

"I can decide to not want anything else to do with you." She snapped annoyed. "This mark is merely an inconvenience for the both of us. That's the reason why you are drawn to me and I suppose it is why I've been so tolerant with your whims."

It was not the right thing to say. She probably should have let him make the decision. When pushed right, he might have done it. Now, his golden eyes narrowed and he rounded on her, snatching her left wrist in a steely grasp and pulled her close. "No one tells me what to do."

"Are you saying that I cannot decide for myself if I want you around me or not?"

"It does not matter what you want." He snapped.

"So you want me then?" She asked annoyed. "You want this human female, who you have called unworthy or have called similar terms on more than one occasion, to be yours?"

"If I were to wish that you would have no choice than to honour it."

She snorted rudely. His youki expanded, his hand tightening around her wrist, but for once, she would not back down. "Well then. Are you planning on fucking me?" She asked coldly and she felt a stab of satisfaction run through her when his eyes widened at her crude words. Inuyasha's choice of speech was rubbing of on her.

"Is that what you want?"

"Since when do you care what I want? I just want some clarity."

He stepped back, his hand falling away from her wrist. "I have no interest in your body."

"Great," she told him sweetly, "than that matter is settled."

He leveled her with a penetrating stare and she swept her hair over her shoulder. She didn't even think he was aware of his curiosity towards her person. The mark, a link between to living creatures, alerting one to the other's existence. She didn't think he held any sort of real interest in her, but the mark drew him in. She shook her head to clear her mind and stalked away from him. Sesshōmaru watched her go with a frown, but she didn't look back.

He could simply return to whatever woman he was seeing. She wouldn't stop him…

To be continued…