Kagome tried to shift her laying position only to be held in place by a strong arm across her chest. Opening her eyes groggily she looked back over her shoulder to find Sesshomaru staring quietly at her. She stared at him quietly for a few moments until her situation finally hit her, she was in Sesshomaru's room, in his bed, in his arms. She tried to pull herself away from him only to have him hold her in place once again.
"Cease your frantic movement Miko, or are you so inclined to tear your stitches and once again bleed on this Sesshomaru." Kagome stilled as she noticed the throbbing in her hand and leg. Memories of earlier that day came to the forefront of her mind, it was hard to believe a week ago she would have killed to be in this position with InuYasha, but she knew now that all her wishing was for not. She'd tried so hard to make InuYasha love her, but he never saw her, only Kikyo, she'd only ever be the next best thing, to him she'd just be a copy. Tears welled in her eyes and she began to sob.
Sesshomaru stilled at the miko crying, he had no idea what had caused it. He'd merely mentioned she'd tear her stitches and suddenly she was crying, what confused him more is he didn't smell pain, he smelled depression. Sesshomaru wasn't sure how to comfort a crying human woman, never in his life had he needed to, he thought back to the village, seeing Rin comforting the crying miko. Carefully he began stroking her hair as well as growling inaudibly causing his chest to vibrate softly, which was done by inuyoukai to sooth upset pups.
Kagome's breath caught as Sesshomaru softly stroked her head, the soft vibrations emitting from his chest made her feel warm and safe, soon her tears had ceased to fall and a sense of peace had fallen over her. Kagome shyly looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru, who stopped vibrating and looked at her thoughtfully. There was a sudden knock at the door and Kagome jumped, burying herself in the blankets.
"My Lord," The voice from the other side of the door said, "there is a hanyou here with two humans claiming to be in search of the Lady Miko. What shall I tell them?" Sesshomaru looked to Kagome who's eyes where staring back at him with a mix of horror, confusion, anger, and hurt. Sighing Sesshomaru spoke,
"Take the hanyou and his group to my study." Looking back down the miko's eyes no longer met his.
"As you wish, My Lord." Sesshomaru listened for the servant to walk away before sliding his hand under her chin and making her gaze meet his once more.
"You must speak with him Miko, he must know you were taken at your own accord and not stolen away." Kagome sighed, she knew he was right, but she still didn't want to see InuYasha.
"He'll try to take me back with him, he always drags me back with him, he doesn't listen to reason." Sesshomaru growled, whether at her antics not to go or the words she spoke, she wasn't sure, but either way his face held the features of repulsion. "Fine, I'll go talk to him.
"Sighing loudly Kagome rolled her head back onto her pillow, it was then she noticed she had been laying on Sesshomaru's arm.
Sesshomaru was displeased to hear that idiotic hanyou was the type to force his pack mates into things they didn't want to. He watched as the miko rolled her head back revealing her neck to him, he was sure she had no clue what it was she was doing or what it meant to inuyoukai. Still it was an offer of submission, carefully he leaned down and stuck his lips to the crook of her neck, she shuddered under his lips but made no indication of moving.
"Do you wish to stay here? Stay and become part of my pack?" Sesshomaru asked, his lips brushing the miko's skin as he spoke. She was quiet a few moments then answered softly,
"If I can." Sesshomaru licked the skin of her neck and stabbed a single fang into her neck, the Miko cried out in pain as he forced a small bit of his youki into her neck, her reiki tried at first to fight the invasion but then relented and instead engulfed the youki, absorbing it, and blending with it. Pulling away he watched as she shook as if lightning was coursing through her body. Finally she settled her breathing was labored slightly, but she didn't seem to be in any pain.
Carefully Kagome rolled away from Sesshomaru and realized the throbbing from her leg and hand had dulled. Lifting her hand she pulled the wrappings away from the stitches and saw they were healed slightly more than they should have been, though they had been fresh this morning they looked a few days old. She looked to Sesshomaru who was blatantly staring at her face, slightly wide eyed. He was acting nothing like himself when he cautiously lifted his finger and touched her cheek running it from mid cheek to her jawline the down her neck to her yukata's neck line.
"Amazing." Sesshomaru said not realizing he had even spoken aloud. The miko looked at him like he had grown another head.
"What's amazing?" She asked, making him realize he had spoken aloud. Sesshomaru stood without answering and lifted her from the bed and took her to the large mirror behind his changing screen. He watched as she reached out to touch the mirror, the same marks that ran along his body ran along hers as well only in a soft pink, the same color as her reiki. Rin's pack marks were only slightly darker than her skin and only visible by youkai eyes, but the miko's reiki had blended with his youki causing what should have been nearly invisible marks to become visible to even human eyes.
"What are these? They look the same as yours." She asked as she turned and looked back at him curiously.
"Pack marks, Miko." Sesshomaru said sounding slightly peevish, like she should have obviously known that.
"I have a name you know," Kagome responded tartly, "and how was I supposed to know that? It's not like I've ever dealt with inuyoukai customs." Kagome finished exasperatedly.
"Mi-" He started to say before she interrupted him.
"KA-GO-ME," She said peevishly, if he didn't stop calling her miko she was gonna... well she didn't know what she'd do but he wouldn't like it.
Sesshomaru's lip raised into a slight snarl he didn't like the miko treating him like a petulant pup who couldn't yet speak correctly. However he understood that having marked her as pack it would criticized, if he couldn't keep his packmates happy.
"Kagome," he said letting the taste of her name slip past his lips, "did the petulant hanyou teach you any inuyoukai customs?" He watched as her face fell slightly.
"I don't think he was ever taught any customs to be honest." She said sadly. It then dawned on him that she may actually be correct, their father was deceased and Sesshomaru very well never taught his brother anything to do with his heritage. Sesshomaru moved to sit the miko on his bed and left to retrieve an outfit for her.
Kagome sat on his bed looking over her wounds once more, noticing the pink marks twirled down her legs and around onto her hands. Sesshomaru came back with clothes in his hands and placed them on the bed. He stepped in front of her and slowly began to remove her borrowed yukata, Kagome shuddered as cool air brushed her skin, before Sesshomaru's warm hands rubbed up and down her arms relieving the goose bumps that had risen on her arms. Sesshomaru reached for the kimono, drawing Kagome's eyes to the pristine white fabric, she didn't recognize it as one of hers. Carefully he dressed her and she realized the pattern on her kimono was the same as his but the honeycombing was teal instead of red. The silk was light on her skin and felt as though the fabric floated around her body. She looked closely at the kimono and smiled.
"It's spider youkai silk." Sesshomaru said while the miko looked over her new garments. He watched her smile as she swayed the sleeves in front of her like an amused pup.
"Come, we shouldn't leave the hanyou to his own devices." Sesshomaru picked the miko up and cradled her in his arms, before shifting to open the door. When they exited the room they saw Rin and Shippo playing in the den. The fox cub ran to his mother and looked at her worriedly.
"Mama, are you feeling better? I looked for you earlier but a maid told me you got hurt and Lord Sesshomaru took you to lay down." The fox cub's face looked so sad as he spoke, as if she really was his mother. Sesshomaru supposed if he brought the boy's mother into his pack he may as well welcome the boy into his pack as well. What was one more child in the scheme of his pack, his ward would have a playmate that never had to leave, and the miko would continue to have her son.
"Shippo, we're going to see InuYasha, you stay and play with Rin." Kagome said to her son. He looked slightly disappointed, but he nodded his head.
"When we get back, if you're still up, I'll play with you a bit, alright?" She said, making the boy's face light up happily. With that affirmation, they left the room and made they're way to Sesshomaru's study. Carefully Sesshomaru sat her down and she took his arm for assistance entering the room.
