Inuyasha awoke on the fourth day alone. He should have known that Sesshomaru would do that. The same move he had done when they first met. Even so, it hurt.

Slowly he went to find a stream and wash away the three days work of doing nothing but senselessly mating. The least he could do was come back to his friends not smelling like sweat and another mixed in.

After the wash Inuyasha dressed himself before taking off towards the village. He hoped Kagome wasn't back yet. That would be some awful explaining to do. Hell, he had no idea what to say to the others who watched him chase after Sesshomaru.

"Guess you're done helping him?" Sango pointedly avoided meeting his eye.

"Er...Is Kagome back?" He nervously asked.

"Not yet. Something about an exam that she has to stick around for." Miroku answered.

"So, are you going to tell Kagome?" Sango inquired with a tone that he better.

"Uh..." Inuyasha actually hoped not to.

"Please tell me you didn't mark him." She glared.

"I didn't! I swear!" He sweatdropped at her glare.

"Did he mark you? Let me check." Sango forced the upper half of his robe off, never minding the scream as he struggled.

"Sango! This is hardly the place to do that!" Inuyasha blushed.

"Good. He didn't mark you either." She concluded after searching the obvious places for a mark.

Inuyasha quickly fixed his robes. All the while he felt a sense that he had somehow been violated. Then again this wouldn't be the first time they seen him from his waist up.

"So what are the changes between you and Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked. "It's a bit odd neither of you marked each other."

"I just...I left it up to him if he wanted to. And I honestly have no idea. When I woke up, he was already gone." Inuyasha didn't know what it would be like when they meet again.

"I see. So this was just a phase then? To help him in his most vulnerable moment?"

"I guess? I couldn't just let him get claimed by someone he would rather kill outright."

"He wouldn't be able to kill off whoever marks him. It's against an omega's nature to do so. But it wouldn't surprise me if he found ways around that." Sango observed.

"...Or kill them himself." Inuyasha knew his brother. He would simply handle the situation himself.

"Know what, he probably would." Miroku agreed.

"I hope you plan on telling Kagome." Sango urged. "Something big like that, isn't something to hide. Especially if Sesshomaru slips up again."

"I doubt he would. But I see what you mean. He's got Rin and Kohaku with him. He has to ensure they're somewhere safe before he slips off to hide." Inuyasha had wondered how Sesshomaru was so careless. Perhaps his pack had slowed him down.

Even so, the thought of telling Kagome made him shudder. He would rather fight his brother to the death than that.

And so the next day when Kagome came back, there was nothing but arguments once he came clean. And a whole lot of "sits" that Inuyasha had to endure.

"I'm here, aren't I? Doesn't that count for anything!"

"But you left in the first place to - to mate with your own brother!"

"I couldn't just let some random demon claim him! He's my brother!"

"Oh so it was about you claiming him because you can't see anyone else with him?"

"No! It's more of he would kill whoever claimed him without his consent!"

"And why is that any of your business? If it was a mistake, he can handle himself!"

"Because he's my brother!" Inuyasha yelled.

His answer startled them all. Even Inuyasha was amazed at his own outburst. It admitted to everyone, including himself, that he cared about Sesshomaru.

For a long moment there was an uncomfortable silence.

"I think I understand where he's coming from." Sango spoke up. "Although they might not see eye to eye, and often fight more than not, they are still brothers. And that's not something that can be changed. Even Sesshomaru has shown that he can set aside his despise for Inuyasha on rare occasions because they're brothers."

"Yeah, once a blue moon." Kagome crossed her arms. "But I see what you mean."

She turned to study Inuyasha. Who was staring at the ground. His face distraught. Ears were pulled back.

"So...there's no feelings at towards him?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing like that." Inuyasha's voice was stern when he answered. There was no hesitation. Not even as he raised his gaze towards her.

"...Okay then. But you're not off the hook yet! You're not getting any of the snacks I brought back for you!" She made up her mind.

"What!? That's not fair!" Inuyasha panicked.

"My decision is final. It's either that or I say the word one hundred times." She figured a compromise would do.

"I'll take that then!" He agreed of course.

In the end he left a nice hole in the ground.

xXx

It was three months since the group even thought of Sesshomaru when a group of strange demons surrounded them. They were traveling by the outskirts of another forest in the neverendless search for Naraku. When a group of mixed demons in black armor approached.

The leader was a dog demon. However his hair wasn't white, but black. Eyes blood red. On his back were twin swords. Each member of his pack wielded different weapons. There were six of them total.

"Uh, who are these guys?" Shippo didn't like the look of them.

"They look and smell like trouble." Inuyasha tensed. At his words his friends readied their weapons.

"Wait a minute, you're not the one we're looking for." The leader of the armored group scowled. "From afar, you looked like our target. White hair and everything. But I don't recall him traveling with humans."

Inuyasha knew who they were talking about.

"You mean Sesshomaru? What do you people want with him?" Kagome had the same idea.

"Oh, so you know of him! Have you seen him lately?" The leader tilted his head.

"No. Not that it's any of your business." Inuyasha glared.

"Haha! It is my business! See, a long time ago his mother betrothed him to my Lord! Well, now it's time he's returned and keep the promise made. Otherwise my Lord Asahi might get antsy and end the promise in bloodshed. Starting with Sesshomaru's immediate family."

What? Is that why Sesshomaru was wandering the lands? Inuyasha always thought it was because he wanted to get stronger than their father. Prove himself to be the better of the two sons of the Inu No Taisho.

"Say, aren't you his brother? I heard he had a half demon brother. Are you him?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Inuyasha snarled.

The pack laughed. The dark haired dog demon stepped forward. In a flash Tessaiga was drawn. The leader paused, staring into Inuyasha's eyes for a long moment. He could see the determination to protect his pack. And the demon understood.

"My name is Kenji. The next time you see Sesshomaru, warn him that we aim to take him home to his betrothed whether he agrees or not. My brother Lord Asahi will not be made a fool forever. If he continues to evade us, warn Sesshomaru that I have been given the order to end the arrangement in bloodshed of anyone who shares his blood."

"Like he gives a damn about me. Not that I would go down without a fight." Inuyasha huffed. "I can take you all on!"

"Inuyasha, now isn't the time to brag." Kagome hissed.

"She's right. We're outnumbered." Sango panicked.

"We've taken on worse. But this isn't exactly our fight." Miroku added.

"I'm sure you can. Even if we die trying, we would be sure to go after his mother first. Then once the deed is done we will come after you and your pack." Kenji promised.

His mother? That was news. Then again Inuyasha shouldn't be surprised. He hardly knew anything anout Sesshomaru's personal life. This was just all too strange.

"See you later, Inuyasha." Kenji smirked as his men dispersed. Once they were gone he too disappeared.

When only their scents lingered Inuyasha sheathed his sword. All the while his mind was reeling. That was a whole lot of information to take in. And it only left him confused.

"What should we do? Should we tell him?" Kagome asked the others.

"He can take care of himself." Inuyasha knew without a doubt.

"They seem kind of ruthless. It wouldn't put it past me if they tried to use Rin against Sesshomaru." Sango frowned.

"Keh! Would like to see them try and get away with that. He's too smart to allow something like that to happen." The hanyou had full confidence.

"Perhaps you're right." The huntress shrugged.

"Hey, isn't the new moon in a couple of nights? Shouldn't we find somewhere safe for that night?" Miroku recalled that the dreaded evening was coming up.

"Yeah. We should find a good enough place to hole up." Inuyasha agreed. He hated that curse.

A few nights later Inuyasha couldn't sleep. Sleep was always difficult during these nights for him. However this night was different. He had a couple of days to mull over that incident with Kenji and his pack. And what his brother said after they mated.

And it clicked in his brain. Inuyasha had left an impression on Sesshomaru's inner demon. Which was why he outright avoided his own arranged marriage. For someone who lived high in the demon society, Sesshomaru showed there was a rebellious streak after all.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked as she sat next to him.

"Just thinking about how I barely know my own brother. To think, he was actually betrothed? Of course bailed, he wouldn't settle for anyone with the standards he has." Inuyasha decided to give into revealing his thoughts.

"Must be something special about you then." She commented.

"Yeah right." Inuyasha glanced at himself. "Like he would ever admit that."

Especially with this curse of being human for one night. He couldn't even wield his sword. In a way it was similar to Sesshomaru with his heat cycle. Only at least Inuyasha had one night in comparison to a whole week of intense hormones and no one to help through it.

Suddenly there was a scream in the night. It was the sound of a young girl. The whole group were alert now.

"Shippo, help me search in the air!" Sango jumped onto Kiarara.

"I'm coming with you!" Inuyasha knew he couldn't help, but he wasn't staying by the camp.

They didn't argue with him as Kagome and Miroku ran on foot towards the sound originally came from while Shippo and Kirara flew above. In the distance flames erupted in the forest. The fire grew high and rapid.

Suddenly Ah-Un flew from the fiery forest. Kohaku pulled the reins to make the beast stop as he turned to the flames. Behind him Rin was just as concerned.

"Rin! Kohaku! Are you okay?" Kagome called out.

"I'm fine! But Jaken and Lord Sesshomaru are in there! A group of demons attacked us! They said they were taking Lord Sesshomaru away!" She cried.

"Shit!" Inuyasha cursed. He debated whether to jump down and race into the forest when suddenly Jaken was tossed out as he screamed.

Miroku caught the imp just as Sesshomaru leaped over the flames. Chasing behind him at his heels was Kenji.