Disclaimer: I do not own 'Inuyasha' or any of its characters. Any OC is mine.

A/N: The introduction finishes today, for sure. I had fun writing about other new characters here; they are not the last either.

Lime at the end of this chapter.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Heir

"What's the meaning of this? And the council even gave you the consent to keep up this charade?" a loud voice immediately boomed throughout the hall. It was one of Shou's brothers and Sesshomaru mentally sighed. Obviously, they would not heed his words.

Katashi was seething, how was it even possible? First, they let them come to court and act like they own the place and then he gave him the title of the heir, what was Goro thinking? He had assured them that everything was proceeding as it should. He had guaranteed them that Keiko was to be Sesshomaru's mate and that the heir would be born from their family line. A hanyou as the next leader? Had the elders lost their minds along with Sesshomaru? He demanded answers.

"I think I made things clear, Commander Katashi. My brother Inuyasha had proved his value and since I have not found a suitable mate yet, he meets the requirements to be the heir until one of my own will be born," Sesshomaru coldly replied. This family had really become a burden. "Must I remember everyone here that Inuyasha's Lady Mother was my Father's bonded?"

"You have dozens and dozens of demonesses among which you could choose a suitable mate and provide a true heir and you dismiss the thing?" Katashi asked again outraged. What about Keiko? She was perfect for the position, any son born from the two would be unstoppable.

"I do not like to repeat myself, Commander." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, he did not want to point out publicly that he would never take his niece as mate, but if he insisted. "None of the demonesses at court suites me. When the time will come, I will let you know, until now Inuyasha is to be the heir. He is of our bloodline and you cannot go against it. I do not have to explain myself further, the council had given its consent, this is all that I need," he stated.

"And the opinion of your people does not count? We are the ones that would be ruled by a half-demon, who assures me that he has the potential?" He turned to look at the crowd and was aghast at seeing that fewer people than he thought seemed disgusted by the news.

"The council members are chosen by the people living within these lands too, this means that you trust their judgement. You have trusted them for centuries, it is a little too late to change your idea."

"I trust them when they do not let a half-demon be the heir!" he bellowed.

Toru interrupted him, clearly annoyed by this outburst and lack of trust. It was rare to see him touched by something, but when it did happen, he could bite efficiently. "Are you saying that we are not able to judge who is or is not fit to rule the lands where we live in, Katashi? Or do you approve of us just when what we chose pleases you? Speak clear because these are huge accusations that I do not like, nor my fellow members do."

Katashi backed up, "Of course not, Toru-sama," he bowed low, "I was merely inquiring on the reasons why you have given your consent. It is certainly unusual."

"Do not take me for a fool! Sesshomaru has given you plenty, you are just denying them. Unfortunately for you, Inuyasha is of Toga's bloodline and has every right to be seated where he is now." He then addressed the court, "Before you think you can go against the words of us elders, just remember the hanyou is the son of a bonded pair. By law, he should be at Sesshomaru's place if we want to be meticulous. But since Sesshomaru has been ruling efficiently since his father's death and Inuyasha has not challenged his brother, the least you could do is accept him as heir." He turned to Katashi again, "Do not make your family's position too difficult, you and your brother showed very little respect to your elders today and the ones who protected you and your family for centuries."

Inuyasha was stunned, what was this bunch of crap about him being the rightful ruler? What the hell? As if he ever wanted to rule! He had accepted because he knew that he would never be in Sesshomaru's place.

"Well said, Toru," Minato interjected. "Besides, heir or no heir, Inuyasha is always Toga's son, respect is due anyway. Even when Sesshomaru will have a son, Inuyasha's place in the West will not be discussed. Opposing our or Sesshomaru's decision clearly shows that you are not satisfied with the way we are ruling these lands. And here I thought we have been living just fine," she sighed. "This is not a matter of power, Sesshomaru's ancestors had been placed there because they had proved they could protect the Western lands and, among all of them, his father had been the greatest and the most powerful for more than a millennium! Did you ever doubt the way he led you before? By claiming that his son is not worth you're doing just that."

"Minato-sama, I would never," Katashi tried to say.

"Yes, you would, you are doing it!" Toru spoke again. "Sesshomaru has assured everyone that Inuyasha is powerful enough, you all have seen your ruler in battle, saw his strength; if his brother is able to keep up with him I think it's proof enough. You will see him in action soon, with your own brother. If you wish to challenge him, do it properly, not with just words!"

Inuyasha smirked, could he even have the legit possibility to kick not one but two asses from that family?

Toru addressed him directly, "Inuyasha, do you wish to retaliate against his words in a challenge?"

Inuyasha kept his facade as calm as possible, while Sesshomaru sent him a dark glare that meant more than a thousand words, "I am not touched in the least by his accusations, Toru-sama." It's not like it was the first time he heard something like that, nor the last, "However, if the Commander thinks that confronting his brother will not be enough to prove my strength..." he trailed off. This elder could be the first wolf-demon he could learn to like, it didn't matter if he stunk like any other of his kind.

"Well?" Toru pressed Katashi.

"I do not wish to challenge," Toru fixed him with beady eyes, "Inuyasha-sama." The words tasted so sour in his mouth.

"Very well," Sesshomaru finally spoke again. "Toru-sama, Minato-sama," he inclined his head in acknowledgement. They returned his gesture. "Someone else wishes to voice his thoughts? Or should we postpone any other claim to the aftermath of the challenge?" he asked the court.

At that moment a tall and slender figure stepped forward. He was a tall dog-demon that lacked the mokomoko that graciously covered his sister's shoulders, his hair, a blond so pale that could almost be mistaken for white, was held in a low ponytail. Golden eyes gleamed with disdain and malice, lavender marks on his cheek, the same colour as the crescent moon on his forehead.

Noboru had finally approached them, no one could deny the resemblance with his sister.

Sesshomaru let Jaken do his job, "Lord Noboru, esteemed brother of Kimi-sama, mother of Sesshomaru-sama," Jaken explained to the couple that had yet to meet him. Inuyasha's eyes suddenly gleamed. It was about time he showed his face!

His posture already implied his being obnoxious. He was so predictable that Inuyasha wanted to snort.

"I only wish to remark how very similar to your father you became every day, nephew," Noboru said; like Tsubasa earlier he did not bother to acknowledge the half-demon and his miko mate.

Before Sesshomaru even thought of answering the dog demon, his mother interrupted him. "Brother, this is something that makes me really proud. After all, my late mate was of incredible strength and beauty, knowing that my son resembles him in those aspects fills my heart." She brought her hand to her left breast for emphasis.

"Always so melodramatic," both Sesshomaru and Noboru thought.

"Of course, dear sister. You should be very proud of a son who is following Toga in every step," he jibed.

"Oh, he is not the only one," Kimi said again, her hand shifted to cover her mouth while she slightly laughed. "Did you not notice how beautiful Kagome-sama is? Inuyasha has clearly good taste as his father," she pointed out and Sesshomaru would have laughed wholeheartedly if he was even able to because she had just forced him to acknowledge both Inuyasha and Kagome. His brother was not so amused, however, if the scowl that currently marred his face was a clear sign.

Maybe his mother had intended to taunt her brother, let him know that she wasn't in the slightest touched by his gibe, but she still didn't know his brother as he did. Pointing out loud Inuyasha's mate's beauty in front of a room full of unmated demons wasn't something he would have ever appreciated; especially in front of Kimi's conniving brother.

Noboru turned to the human to observe her better for the first time and he had to admit that for a human she was a beauty. He leered at her; maybe she could be good for a lay, but nothing else. A growl interrupted him and he turned to her mate, the hanyou son of Toga. He smirked, maybe he could play with him a little bit. "Of course, of course. Inuyasha," he inclined just enough his head, "your mate is a sight for sore eyes, just like your mother was. You really have your father's taste in women."

Inuyasha clenched his jaw and Kagome squeezed his arm; she did not like Noboru's gaze either but they could not show so much, he must remain calm. Not that he hadn't already given himself away, everyone could see his foul mood at the sole mention of both his mother and mate's name. Inuyasha glared at him and then replied, "I thank you Noboru," he did not bother with any formalities either, "but I like to think that this is not the only trait I inherited from my father, as Kimi-sama has so graciously pointed out."

"Naturally, Inuyasha," she answered, "We all have seen what Toga's blood is able to accomplish." She smiled at both the hanyou and her brother.

"Of course, of course," Noboru repeated, "I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do... You and your son," this time the growl came from his sister and her son, "after all, is he not of Toga's blood too?" he addressed the court. "How lucky we are, not only have we gotten an heir today, but one who is able to continue this powerful bloodline." He smiled widely, inclined his head a little bit again and returned to his place.

Inuyasha was seething, Kagome clutching desperately her son to her chest; the fucker just dared to threaten his son and put him at the centre of the attention, what they had been trying to avoid at all costs the whole evening. Sesshomaru and Kimi weren't happy either, which surprised Inuyasha.

Jaken seeing the rage in his Lord's eyes took the chance to end the meeting as soon as silence settled. "Lords and Ladies, we thank you again for your presence here at Inuyasha-sama's accession. You will all have the opportunity to get acquainted with him or his mate during the next week." He stepped aside and gave time to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha and Kagome, followed by the guards, to leave the room. They weren't even out of earshot that the murmurs began; apparently, the court had a lot to speak.

When they reached their chambers Inuyasha let out the anger he had so well contained.

"That fucker! Who does he think he is? Leering at my mate? Making insinuations about my mother? He even threatened my son! He practically shouted to everyone that my son is a danger to the West!" He was pacing back and forth the whole common room. "That's it! I'm gonna kill him. If he thinks I'll let him walk these lands while he makes such threats..." he clenched his fist so tight he made them bleed.

Kagome passed Muteki to Sesshomaru and approached him, a hand grabbing his arm, "Koibito, calm down, we are both here safe, you shouldn't let him get on your nerves. He was purposely playing with you, he wanted you to get riled up and made a wrong move. He has no chance against you and Sesshomaru and he knows it. He is trying to kick you out in other ways."

"Listen to your mate, Inuyasha. He will not accomplish anything. Do you think I will let him get to your pup or mate?" Sesshomaru asked him.

Inuyasha was trying so hard to regain lucidity, but it was damn difficult. He had always been touchy when it came to Kagome, but now... Noboru had threatened his son too. He crashed Kagome into his arms, hid his face in her hair and inhaled the scent that always calmed him. For a moment he saw red just thinking about the implications of what the bastard said, but feeling her body against his helped him regain some rationality. They stayed like that for some minutes, forgetting they weren't even alone and the other demons in the room let them. "I don't want you near him," he finally managed to say, his voice still strained. He addresses his guards, "I don't want him to approach her, if you ever see him trying to speak to her or that nasty insect for the record, you let them know they are not welcomed... in a way or another." He pinned them with his glare until they didn't nod and said, "Yes, my Lord."

He turned to Sesshomaru who was still waiting for his answer. "Sesshomaru, I appreciated the way you defended us back there. But you must understand my situation, my mate and son are more important than anything else. I want the guarantee he won't do anything to them."

"You have my word, little brother," he said firmly. "I may be also right in thinking that my mother will also keep her eyes on Noboru. She did not appreciate the threat on your pup, that is saying a lot."

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed, scratching the back of his neck, "I think I can say that about her, she's is your mother after all," he smirked at last and Sesshomaru glared at him. "Oi! By the way, what was all that crap about me being where you are?" he inquired. Sesshomaru stiffened, he had hoped he would have forgotten that part. Not that he deemed Inuyasha to be a threat to him, but still. "You don't think I'd try to take your place, do you? Because I'm not in the least interested in this crappy business, you know." He peeked at the guards and then continued, considering it safe to speak in front of them, "I'm doing this just for you, I didn't even want to be your heir at first, why should I want to be you?" he snorted.

"No, Inuyasha, I do no fear such a thing. The law states that every first son or daughter of a bonded pair has the first claim over other children outside of it. Toru was saying that, even if you are technically the second son, you should have been rightfully the ruler not me because your parents were bonded and mine obviously not. Usually, this should count even if you are only a half-demon, but since you were just a pup back then and then you never claimed your place as an adult, I automatically substituted you. My position is now consolidated, but you cannot be denied the place of the next leader, should I never provide an heir myself," Sesshomaru formally explained.

"Yeah, yeah, better like that," he waved off. "Don't you dare die on me, because I have no intentions of being the ruler here. I think I will already have my hands full with all these fuckers."

Kichiro and Osamu laughed at that but promptly stopped as soon as Sesshomaru shot them a glare.

"So, tomorrow...what should I expect from the First Commander?" Inuyasha asked, now more relaxed. He had quietly taken a seat on a comfy cushion, Kagome in his lap, still encaged in his tight embrace; Muteki was sleeping in his uncle's arms unfazed by the previous discussions. "What will I be doing?"

"If you allow me, Inuyasha-sama," Osama interjected, "the First Commander Katsuro has always been fair and a man of honour. I think you two will get along, he seemed quite interested in you this evening."

Sesshomaru turned to him and seemed to suddenly remember something because then he asked the guard, "Osamu, you have known him for quite some time, have you not?"

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. We started training together as pups, then he decided to enter the army and I continued as a guard," he offered.

"Hn, and how has your relationship been since then?"

Osamu was trying to see where this was going. Did Sesshomaru suddenly doubt Katsuro's loyalty? "Well, in the beginning, we had little time to devote to personal relationships. Then he started travelling a lot because of the huge amount of enemies we were dealing with when your father was still alive and First Commander Daisuke had died. Then he became First Commander himself and only when he started leading the guards too, we reconnect. It is not always easy to find trustworthy friends when training, my Lord," he told him honestly. "Everyone is so focused on reaching the highest rank that often acts on his own or even tries to gain advantage with unconventional means. When you find one, you keep him close, or in mine and Katsuro's case, if you have known someone all your life, you know you can trust him."

Sesshomaru had stiffened halfway to Osamu's speech, "And do these, hn, unconventional means happen a lot?"

"Not since the First Commander Katsuro had gained the title, Sesshomaru-sama," Kichiro explained. "Being young and having experienced some of it himself, he has personally chosen the new trainers to make sure they were fit to do such job and he has been giving them precise instructions in order to avoid unpleasant situations. With the First Commander Daisuke, since demons were trained in a completely different way when he was young, most of the time this kind of thing went unnoticed."

Sesshomaru nodded, "It does him justice." He then addressed Osamu again, "Is it true to assume you have been close friends since then?" Osamu nodded. "Very well, can you tell us what were his thoughts regarding my father's situation before he died?"

"This is it then. He wishes to understand if he can trust him with the new Lord."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. Katsuro had been surprised at the beginning, like everyone else. However, when it became clear that Toga-sama and Inuyasha-sama's Lady Mother shared a true bond he was among the ones who supported his decision. Katsuro has never been the vocal type, but I assumed your father knew very well where his loyalty resided since they were in close contact due to his position as the First in command in the army. He would have never opposed such a bond," he told him with confidence.

Inuyasha pinned him with another hard glare before asking, "Are you completely sure Osamu?"

"Completely, Inuyasha-sama. You could trust him with your life. When Sesshomaru-sama informed him that he specifically wanted Kichiro and me to be your personal guards he understood his reasons. He even asked both of us if we had clear in mind the importance of this duty. He knew Sesshomaru-sama wanted trustworthy guards and that we would have to be always available and ready." He bowed low along with Kichiro. "We are deeply honoured to be considered worthy of your trust."

"Very well then, I think the matter is settled. Inuyasha, Kagome, I will return to my chambers now. We will discuss your responsibilities for tomorrow first thing in the morning." He returned the pup to the mother and then left.

Kagome finally looked up at Inuyasha and said, "It has been an interesting long day, has it not?"

That night, when Muteki was deeply asleep in his crib, Kagome started noticing Inuyasha's behaviour was off. It didn't take long to understand that Noboru's threat had irked him a lot and that he wouldn't calm down so soon.

He had been extremely clingy while she was feeding their son and didn't let her out of his sight even when she went to take a bath, although Kagome had specifically required some alone time.

The way his eyes roamed all over her body, the hunger she was in them, made her understand that the only way he would find some peace - since he clearly couldn't get rid of the threat - was to re-stake his claim on her, scent-marking her, become one with her.

And Kagome gladly offered herself to him.

In the beginning, Inuyasha was passionate but tender. He slowly removed all of her clothes, kissing, licking and nibbling every inch of her skin as it was revealed to his hungry eyes.

His attentions made her sigh and moan, soon enough she felt a wetness pooling between her legs and the room filled with the smell of her spicy arousal.

When even the last of her garments was on the floor, he didn't waste any time heading towards the source of her sweet nectar. Spreading her legs he inhaled deeply: he loved the way his own smell lingered strongly around her as it should be.

However, it wasn't enough, it didn't seem enough right now and he would have the whole night to fix it.

He gave a tentative lick on her labia and enjoyed the moan he almost immediately elicited. His tongue worked expertly on her and Kagome felt every muscle in her body relax, embracing the pleasure he was giving her. His fingers joined the movement, a fang nipped her clit and her mouth opened in a silent plea to never stop.

When she came back to him, she opened her passion-veiled eyes and looked at him. His gaze had never left her, he hadn't missed even one of the expressions of pleasure that had appeared on her face. Inuyasha was the only one who had the right to see her in the throes of passion, the only one who could elicit such a response from her and wanted to admire her beauty while her lips moved to form his name as a moan and her hands clung to him for support.

When Inuyasha finally entered her he made it in this position, because he still wanted to see her face while he pleasured her, wanted her to see the face of the one who would have made her come again and again that night.

He didn't talk, he didn't need to, the passion and the love Kagome could see in his gaze spoke more than enough and she smiled, linking her arms behind his neck and meeting his thrusts with the bucking of her hips.

Their lovemaking became much rougher with time, Inuyasha felt every worry and stress ebbing away as her warm sheat welcomed and enveloped him. Nothing else outside them existed: they were together, she was the nearest he could ever hope, a part of him.

Kagome felt like a fire burning inside her due both to his movements and his unspoken words; this wasn't like the other times he had been rough and hard. Maybe this had started as something his inner demon commanded him, to assert his claim on her, but right now Inuyasha was seeking comfort in her being so close to him.

The whole night they went on like this, Inuyasha changing every time the pace of his movements and their positions, but every time he made sure he could see her, be enraptured by the way she reached heaven and pushed him towards the peak of pleasure.

Sometime later, while Inuyasha pulled her into an embrace, even though they were both sweaty and flushed, he whispered into her ear sweet nothings to lull her into a dreamless sleep.

"Sleep well, wench. I'll be guarding over you both," he promised, "I love you."

"I know, dog boy, we have nothing to fear as long as you are next to us." Kagome pecked him on his cheek then just before she let sleep reclaim her said, "I love you too."

A/N:

See you soon for a close encounter with First Commander Katsuro; we will learn more about him.

Thank you for reading.

Opinions are always welcomed.