One Lord, Two Roles

Chapter One: His Claim

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the cover photo. I only made the plot and a few characters. Enjoy the next book of One Miko, Two Lives!

Sesshomaru was in awe as he watched is beautiful mate breast feed their son. He, the Western Lord, and once cold-hearted killer, had a son. While he watched the bonding moment in front of him, he couldn't help but think over all the changes that had happened in the past six years since the death of Naraku.

Rin spent the first couple of years with them, learning from Kagome once her tutors could no longer help her, however, when she turned 12 it was time for her to leave the Western castle. She moved to their own village to study under the old Miko with Inuyasha as her guardian. Her goal was to become a healer. She might not be a Miko, but she would find a way to help others and save lives like her parents did. As she studied, she also spent a great deal of time interacting with other humans. This was something she was sorely missing from spending most of her life with him. She had matured into a beautiful woman and now was 15 years old. She was of age in this time. Every time Sesshomaru thought about it he wanted to murder every male that ever spoke to her or looked at her. In his mind no one would ever be good enough for his daughter and from what he'd heard, Rin had many suiters. He was thankful Inuyasha was keeping them away. Not that he'd ever thank the half-demon.

With her training and travel time without Sesshomaru there to help it was impossible for her to come back to visit often so him and Kagome would come for a visit once a week. They never missed a week. Not once in the past three years, until now with the birth of their son. How was it possible to start this life with his son while he was stuck getting ready to let go of his first?

At least he had Shippo. He never thought he'd say that; Shippo being his reliable pup. The boy was doing well in kit school, he even stopped causing trouble after his first year. Being around so many older and wiser demons he looked up to seemed to shape him into a respectful young demon. Kagome was always hard on herself for not being able to do more for him, but the truth of the matter was she took over his care at a later age. He'd been through a huge trauma, and they were always on the road and trying to live. There wasn't time for a strict routine and a chance to teach him anything extra. She was a wonderful mom, even if she had a hard time seeing it sometimes looking back.

It wasn't just his pups that changed. The silver haired Lord noticed some changes in his lovely mate as well. Kagome's hair had changed a bit, it was longer, and her blue highlights were more visible in the moon light. She also grew out her bangs after trying to cut them herself. While Sesshomaru and his close staff found it difficult not to smirk every time they saw her, Kagome did not have the same reaction. It was currently a mess from waking up, once again by their pup, she still looked perfect to him. Her tired face looked happy as her half open eyes watched their son greedily drink from her breast.

Part of him felt a small bit of jealousness for the love she showed the pup. He knew it was silly, it was just a change that would take some time. There was another interesting change him and Kagome noticed. While they both felt Rin and Shippo were theirs, something about having a pup from the very beginning was different. While Rin didn't remember her family before Sesshomaru she did remember having a whole village abandon her, her own death, and not knowing how to belong. With Shippo he did remember his parents, he knew what it was like to be loved and have it all torn apart. He knew what it was like to be on his own and find love again.

They agreed on making sure Rin and Shippo knew they weren't being replaced or loved any less now. Rin would always be their first daughter, even though they weren't related by blood, and Shippo would be their first son. He was still closer to Kagome than him, but Sesshomaru still teased him as a father would. He'd always refer to Shippo as his pup even though Shippo would glare at him and yell "kit." It was one of the many things that showed their bond. Sesshomaru knew it wouldn't change with the birth of their son, he just hoped Shippo felt the same way. This fear was something new to Sesshomaru. Once Kagome accepted him, he didn't expect to fear rejection again.

The Western Lord walked towards the balcony. As he peered out at the stars and moon, he guessed they had a few more hours until daybreak. Thankfully, he didn't need as much sleep as his human mate did but sleeping with her for so long caused him to miss it. Just the time to rest and not think about things was nice. Hell, the last time he had 6 hours of sleep was almost four months ago.

Kagome's pregnancy was horrible. She was always sick and could never sleep so he'd sit with her doing whatever he could to help. Once their pup was born it had been worse. He was up every 15mins it felt like. He had to check on him, make sure he was still breathing, and no one had taken him.

A tiny burp brought him back to the present. His son had his fill of milk for the time being, and Kagome had already burped him. He rushed over to take their sweet pup from Kagome and kissed him on his mark before setting him in the bassinet.

Kagome smiled at her mate's thoughtfulness. She was so lucky to have him in her life. When he tuned back around, Kagome called out to him quiet enough not to wake their little one. "Sess?"

"Hn?" He was looking back at the little silver haired pup with a blue crescent moon on his forehead. Every time he looked at the pup, he couldn't believe him, and Kagome made something so perfect. What shocked the West and him the most were his eyes. He was the first pup born from both the House of the Moon and the Crescent Moon Clan that didn't have gold eyes. Instead, he had dark blue. Kagome had feared Sesshomaru would hate her for it, but he didn't. He loved being able to see a part of his mate in their son. It was just a sign that things were changing, and Kagome was a huge part of that.

"Sesshomaru, he'll be fine. Come here please." She waited until she had his full attention to bring up her issue. If she didn't, he'd stand there watching their pup sleep all night if she let him. "We need to come up with a name. It's been days and we can't keep calling him "pup" or "son."

"Hmm." Was all he offered as an indication that he'd herd her and was thinking about her request. Their pup had a strong, yet confusing aura. They had no idea what kind of powers he'd have or if he'd have a bit of both parents in him. Just that he'd have power... One thing he was positive about was this: their son would either be great and follow every rule, or he'd make his already long life seem even longer. Either way, his son would be great, and no one would dare challenge the West. Not with him, Lord Sesshomaru, his mate, Lady Kagome, and their son...

"Hideyoshi."

Kagome broke into a huge grin. "Hideyoshi. I love it. Excellent, outstanding, and respectable. It's perfect."

Sesshomaru crawled into bed to hold Kagome once again while he listened to little Hideyoshi's breathing. He leaned down to kiss the crown of Kagome's head as he whispered, "thank you. You did well, Kagome."

Her breathing evened out until it slowly matched their son's. The dark circles under her eyes made his heart swell with pride as he laid them back all the way. She was a human, and the Western Lady, yet she was always up with their pup no matter how many times or what time it was. He offered to get her a wet nurse, but Kagome was adamant about doing it all herself. At first, he thought she was just being stubborn until she broke down crying. He remembered how defeated she sounded as she tried to explain all the sleepless nights, sore breasts, wishing for a nap, it was all gone so fast. By the time she got used to it their pup would be in his own room and he'd keep growing. She still hurt over Shippo going away to school and not coming back often.

He could understand where Kagome was coming from and supported Kagome in this. Sesshomaru sighed as he closed his eyes. It would be a long day...

Shippo would be coming home from kit school, Inuyasha was brining Ri and Kaede from their village and were also due today. Then, they had the South coming; this including his mother, stepfather (as Kagome loved to refer to him as), and his half-brother. Thankfully, they wouldn't be here until night. His youngest brother wasn't nearly as wild as Inuyasha, but he was quite annoying.

Shaking all those thoughts from his head, the Daiyokai Lord closed his eyes to let sleep claim him before their pup woke up. Again. He only had one last thought before sleep took him, 'Hideyoshi.'

The Western couple were startled from their slumber when two bodies rushed into their bedroom. Sesshomaru's blood ran cold when the known auras skipped past their sleeping parents to see the little pup, who was now awake and extremely scared. In an instant the crying started. While Kagome was sitting in bed trying to figure out what was happening, Sesshomaru's beast only recognized one thing; his pup was crying, but not his normal cry he'd heard before. No, this was the cry of a terrified pup crying for his mother or father to help him.

His beast took over. He rushed forward and growled at Rin and Shippo while he grabbed his pup. His Pup knew he was with his father now but could tell how upset he was. His crying turned into whimpering. Noticing the fear his son was in, Sesshomaru offered their pup to Kagome, who took him in a heartbeat. Sesshomaru stood between his mate and son and older children while Kagome calmed Hideyoshi down.

"Shh, it's okay Baby. Mommy's here." Kagome held him to her chest so he could feel her heartbeat. "There you go, everything's okay." She rocked him slightly until his crying died down. Once he was content, Hideyoshi whined in inu asking for his Daddy to pick him up. He wanted to hear from his alpha too.

Once he was in Sesshomaru's arms he yipped and whined at his dad, curious about not only what was going on, but who was here.

Sesshomaru answered him back in inu explaining that they were pack before he spoke so everyone could understand. "These are your pack siblings. They will not harm you." He kept his eyes on Hideyoshi to show full trust in the others around him for his son.

Shippo's voice was full of shame as he whispered "We're sorry. We didn't mean to frighten him. We were too excited to see him and should have waited." They really messed up. For how excited they were to see their little brother, they scared him and enraged their father. Shippo hoped they'd be forgiven for this.

"Shippo-"

"No Mate, it is fine. Hideyoshi will be unable to recognize anyone who is not a full blood pack member for another month or so." Sesshomaru couldn't let Kagome handle this. Shippo was shaking in fear. The eyes were clear as day, "I just lost my dad." If Kagome calmed the situation down it would hurt Shippo and his relationship.

Kagome also noticed the shadow that fell over her oldest son. She wasn't sure if Sesshomaru was up to handling the situation. His beast was out and clearly upset. Having him step up and respond to Shippo showed how important their bond was to him. "Rin, Shippo, I'm so glad to see you! This is your little brother, Hideyoshi." She loved watching their eyes light up as Sesshomaru held the small pup up a bit for them to see.

"Hideyoshi! Hello, Ri- I mean, I am your sister, Rin."

"Hey Hideyoshi. I'm Shippo, your big brother. When you're older I'll teach you all the cool tricks."

Kagome and Sesshomaru shared a look. They'd need to keep an eye on them when Hideyoshi was older. They weren't ready to handle another troublemaker already. Inuyasha, Shippo, and another one all causing trouble under one roof? No.

"If you both sit on the futon you can hold him. Only if you want to." Kagome didn't want either of them to feel forced.

Instantly both teens rushed to sit on the futon, hoping they'd be first to hold their baby brother. Rin happened to be closer to Sesshomaru, so he offered him to her first. The Western Lord stood extremely close and on edge. He was ready to respond without any notice if anything happened in Rin's arms. Sesshomaru was so irritated he couldn't even glare at Kagome when she giggled at him.

'Relax, he's going to be fine.' He didn't respond to her reassuring comment so he could watch every movement Rin made while holding his pup.

Sesshomaru thought his heart stopped when Kagome put her hand up to tell him not to interfere when Rin asked if Shippo wanted his turn. He stood still while everything inside him screamed to save his pup from being dropped as Rin gently handed Hideyoshi to Shippo. His mate would be the death of him. Her or their son. Hell, Rin dating may be the end of him... He had no idea what would kill him, but he knew it would be his family.

Sesshomaru once again ignored Kagome's, and now Rin's, laughing as he moved closed to the kit now holding his son. What surprised him was Shippo's maturity while holding him. He slowly, so not to scare him, let some of his aura rise so Hideyoshi could start to recognize him and feel safe. Hideyoshi matched his aura to show Shippo who he was as well. While Shippo didn't need that, it was impressive that a pup so young, under a week, was able to do something so advance.

Taking a step back Sesshomaru was able to take in Shippo. Something seemed different. It could be seeing him back here with a pup in his arms that allowed Sesshomaru to truly see the growth. He appeared to be 19 in human years with his new tail. Having two tails at such a young age was impressive; although no one knew how old he truly was since his parents died. Then, thinking about how he was doing in school proved the young kit had drive and would be ready to leave soon. What worried him was the strange bond Shippo and his mate held on to.

Shippo was top of his class at Kit School, and he was enjoying his time there, but the separation was difficult for them. The school had strict rules about family time. They only allowed their students to come home every three months at most, and it could only be for a few days. As much as Kagome hated it, their reasoning was sound; it kept them dependent on their own skills instead of getting lost in the pack. This was the first time Shippo had come by and wasn't hugging Kagome from the moment he got here.

The Western Lord didn't have long to dwell on that when the smell of urine hit his nose. Kagome had changed him every time so far so Sesshomaru rushed forward to steal his son before she could take him again. Once his intentions were clear, Kagome spoke up. "Um Sess? Do you want me to handle that? You've never changed him before... I really don't mind."

Sesshomaru heard the nervous energy his mate was holding and couldn't believe her. "Mate, do you feel This One is incapable of caring for his own pup?" He growled

How dare she. Rin is fully grown; did she forget that? He thought to himself as he started walking towards the nursery again.

"What? No! It's not that at all. It's just, well there are things you need to watch when you have boys."

"This Sesshomaru can handle it." His tone was his old 'I'm better than everyone' which caused Kagome to keep her mouth shut.

Sesshomaru couldn't believe his mate thought he was such a fool. How hard could it be to change his own son? Truly, he went to war, he died! Women.

Taking off the mini kimono (that he'd never admit made his son look adorable) and looked at the cloth covering Hideyoshi. It was straight forward. Clearly, you'd take off the old covering, clean him, and put the new one on. What was she worried about?

He took off the cloth covering, lifting his little legs and threw it in their little bin for the maid to handle later. As he turned to grab the wet cloth to clean his pup, he made sure to keep one clawed hand on Hideyoshi's stomach, so he didn't fall. Simple.

Once his pup was clean Sesshomaru grabbed a new cloth and lifted his little legs up once again. Right when his little legs hit the fresh cloth under his bottom it happened. Pee came shooting out at him, running from his chest, down his royal kimono. If Sesshomaru was Kagome's height it would have hit him in the face.

He was completely stunned. He kept looking between his kimono and son. Looking back at his smiling son he finally spoke. "Did you just mark your father?"

When he heard Kagome laughing from the doorway there was no doubt in his mind that she saw. He picked up Hideyoshi, completely bare, and held him at an arm's length from his body. When he reached Kagome bent over, he saw their son's little white tail with a dark blue tip wagging in joy. "Take him." Sesshomaru demanded. When Kagome took their pup, both happy, he left to go bathe. Sesshomaru made it three steps from the door before he heard his traitor of a mate speaking to their son.

"That was so funny. I told your father he should wait until I could help him, but no. He knows everything. (giggle) Hopefully you don't get his know-it-all attitude."

Sesshomaru growled again. Great, now his son and mate were against him. He knew Shippo, and Gods forbid Inuyasha ever found out, would laugh at his misfortune. He signed as he went the long way to their bathing chambers. At least he had Little Rin. She would always have his back.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" That same sweet voice called out to him from behind.

He turned to look at her, "hn."

"Are you o-" Rin stopped speaking with her mouth hanging open when she saw the pee that ran down the Western Lord's kimono. A small snort escaped her before she quickly covered her nose and mouth with her hands. Rin was shaking from the attempt to keep herself from laughing at him, she couldn't believe her mighty, perfect Lord had been peed on.

Sesshomaru glared down at his little girl (who wasn't so little anymore). She abandoned him too. Turning away with as much dignity as he had, Sesshomaru went to the springs without any stops. Somehow, he started the day being the most feared demon in Japan to the laughing stalk of the entire castle.

Pups. His beast reasoned.

Indeed.

After a long soak Sesshomaru spent a solid two hours "training" as he called it, with Inuyasha. As he was leaving the springs, he happened to hear his brother laughing at "the incident" earlier that morning. Luckily, word seemed to spread quickly so no one spoke about it again unless they were willing to fight their Lord.

Or so he thought...

After beating Inuyasha's ass everyone sat down for a late lunch when the doors slammed open revealing Sesshomaru's nightmare.

"Where's my grandpup?" Kimiko questioned as she glided into the dining hall with her mate following behind.

She didn't bring him? Oh, thank the Kamis.

A few seconds later the headache came running in. "Sessy-Wessy!" Cried the 5-year-old brown haired inu pup.

Sesshomaru cringed when the horrid name reached his ears. He watched his youngest brother run towards him. He thought he'd just annoying him by speaking, but no. Kaito started pulling on his tail when he didn't respond to him.

"Son, leave your brother alone." Osamu ordered.

Sesshomaru nodded in thanks while his mother was holding his son. He was barely able to catch himself from saying "half-brother," but he knew it would destroy his mother and brother as it did Inuyasha.

"Oh Sesshomaru, Kagome, he's perfect. What's this little angel's name?" Kimiko whispered in a blissful daze. She had no idea anything had happened between her boys, too caught up in the little puppy in her arms.

"Hideyoshi." Kagome answered with a proud smile.

"Strong name. May I see him as well?" Osamu questioned.

"Of course!" Kagome was so glad they were getting closer to the Southern Lord. She saw Sesshomaru nod as well, to show he also approved of Kagome's response.

Sesshomaru was struggling to remember why he disliked the demon. He was good for his mother, she seemed extremely happy, but pride wouldn't allow him to admit it. Plus, unlike his mother, Osamu kept their son away from him once he hit a certain level of annoyance.

"It's not just a strong name, kid's got a strong aim and flow too." Inuyasha laughed.

Before anyone was able to ask any questions or Kagome was able to yell at him for bringing up Sesshomaru's "incident" earlier, said half-demon was thrown through the wall behind them. All anyone could see was a blur of silver and red as the two brothers were at it.

The dining room was ruined; the table, wall, dishes, all of it laid broken on the ground. Kagome didn't mind any of that, she didn't even mind that they woke up her son. No, what pissed her off was the family painting she had done for them was ruined. It was on the ground in shreds.

She kissed her son on the head, so he knew mommy wasn't mad at him before making her way over to the brothers. Kimiko called her son to stand behind her and Osamu as well. They all know Kagome had amazing strength and could protect them, but a little pup may run in the way and get hurt by mistake.

Once Kagome knew where everyone was, she let a blast of power hit both males. Sesshomaru was pushed forward but stayed on his feet while Inuyasha landed on his face. "You ruined my family portrait."

Kimiko's laugh broke the tension. "I see you're suffering from lack of sleep." If Sesshomaru was fully rested (not only physically, but mentally as well. He'd been on edge through Kagome's whole pregnancy), then Inuyasha's little comment wouldn't have gotten a rise out of the Western Lord. That's why Kimiko planned to stay for a bit. She hoped he'd relax while she was here. Kagome kept her updated through everything and it was clear her oldest son needed help, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Sessy?"

Sesshomaru cringed that the horrid name being used once again but answered the young pup none the less. "Yes?"

"What did Yassy mean? And why did you get mad?" His little head tilted to the side in a cute childish manor showing his confusion.

Kagome forgot all her anger and frustration when his innocent question caused both brothers to glare at each other again. It was too late to fix her beautiful family artwork, but Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could keep upsetting each other verbally with Kimiko around. She was officially off duty! She had two sons and one daughter. Neither son was named Inuyasha or Sesshomaru. Kagome saw both her holder children standing back to let the brothers do whatever they needed to. Neither of them wanted to get involved.

"Yassy?" He prompted again when neither brother was answering him.

Inuyasha's face snapped towards Kaito. "Oi! How many times do I gotta tell you not to call me that?! And the pup over there peed on Sesshomaru."

"I will kill you." Sesshomaru growled out through clenched teeth as Osamu and Kimiko broke down laughing at his misfortune.

"Ew! You mean that little mushy thing marked you and you let him?" Kaito's face was scrunched up while he pointed towards Hideyoshi.

"Enough, Kaito. You did it to me too. Girls are nicer to change than boys. Your mother tried to warn me about it, but I was adamant I could handle it." The Southern Lord hoped offering his own experience would show Sesshomaru they have experiences in common.

"Oh, for fuck sake. Does everyone like being peed on?" Inuyasha let his head fall back down.

That was it. Sesshomaru was going to kill something. He left the dining room to find something that wasn't his brother, since his mate would hate him for it. His mother and stepfather were supposed to help him, yet all they've done so far was enjoy his pain.

As Sesshomaru headed outside to transform and kill something, he almost ran into Akio. The head guard used his demon speed to move towards the wall and lower his head to keep himself alive. He had no idea what pissed his Lord off, but he didn't want to be involved. He was about to past the dining room when Rin came out.

Everything seemed to stop. Standing before him was a beautiful, graceful woman. Her dark hair was up in an elegant bun with flowers that matched her kimono. She went from his waist to now reaching his chest, possibly his chin in height. She still seemed to have a smaller frame, but something about her called to him. She was perfect. The only odd thing about her was her scent... Why was it so familiar?

Rin. Akio's beast was able to put it together without the fear of Sesshomaru to block what they both knew to be true, causing him to stand there in shock. He just watched her walk out of the room. How could this be the same little girl he protected since she came to the West? There was no way, was there? Could he have spent most her life with him, and he never noticed?

Rin giggled when she saw Akio just standing there and not moving. She'd never seen him look so silly in her opinion.

"I'm sorry, Rin-san."

"It's okay, well I'm going to check on the gardens and see what mom's done since I've been gone."

"Ah, may I walk you through the gardens?" It was a bold question. One that could end his life, but the question came out before he even thought about it. When her face showed her shock, Akio couldn't help but feel like he made a mistake.

"That would be nice. Thank you." Her face was pink, but she didn't seem upset. In fact, she seemed to be a little shy if anything.

For her part, Rin was in awe that her father's most loyal and respected guard was offering to walk alone with her. To have her father's respect was no easy feat. They never walked alone when she was a child, so this was different, possibly intimate. He was attractive, always has been, but now he caused her stomach to flutter and her heart to speed up.

When he put his hand on her lower back to gently lead her towards the gardens. As they walked around the ground, they updated each other on their lives and what had happened since they last saw each other. When Rin got to the part of all her suitors Akio tensed up.

"It's been... interesting. I went from being seen as some tag along or the Western Lord's, to my own person. The independence has been great, and I'm learning so much, but all the suitors. I'm so glad I have Inuyasha with me. Some of them didn't take no very well. I never realized how much Mama went through while battling Naraku."

Akio growled as his eyes turned red. No one touches her.

"Akio-san?"

"It seems I owe you another apology. I am unsure of what came over me." He tried to sooth any stress he might have caused her.

"It's okay, really. I um, I didn't accept any of them." She whispered. She had no idea why she told him that, but it was clear that something was starting between them. She wasn't sure what it was, or if they'd have time to talk after tonight, but either way he'd know she was still available.

They spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening enjoying the garden. When it was finally time for Rin to get back to her rooms Akio offered to walk her once again. What they didn't know was the Western Lord was back from his hunt.

Sesshomaru was exhausted. It felt great to hunt and burn off some pent-up energy his beast had. Hopefully, his mother would watch their pup so him and Kagome could get a solid two hours of sleep between each feeding. Maybe she'd even do some of the paperwork for him. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

Sesshomaru was bringing his meat to the kitchen when his world was flipped upside down. Since he was out hunting already, he figured he'd catch something extra for his household. As he always did, the Western Lord kept himself completely hidden. It was the best way to learn what was going on under his own roof. The gossip he heard enraged him. He was betrayed.

"Can you believe Akio-san went behind Lord Sesshomaru's back and took Rin-san to the gardens tonight?"

He couldn't move. His daughter was with Akio all afternoon and night? It wasn't that they were alone that bothered him as much as the fact she's no longer his little girl. She was now of age with an adult male. Sesshomaru would kill him. Replacing Akio would be horrible and time consuming; however, Rin came first. He let lose a blast of his aura that was powerful enough to shake the walls to warn the others to keep their distance. He handed over his kills before heading back towards his "friend" and most "trusted" soldier.

Kagome was playing with Hideyoshi on the bed when the bond between her and her mate started to become overwhelming. The next moment she felt his power rush through the castle. She'd never felt anything like this before. Whatever upset him would be dead.

As she threw on her rob and grabbed their son, she felt his beast struggling to take over. The next thing she knew parts of his thoughts made it through their bond. 'Akio will die... Rin is first.'

The second Kagome heard she knew what was about to happen. "Oh shit." Kagome rushed towards her daughter's room. If they were going to stop two strong males from fighting, she'd need Rin's help. It was the only chance to keep Akio alive while she tried to calm Sesshomaru and his beast down.

Kagome didn't knock for the first time ever before entering Rin's rooms. "Rin! Hurry, your father is going after Akio." From there the two women rushed towards their men. Kimiko ran into them on the way, she took Hideyoshi from Kagome, so he was safe from all the bloodshed.

Akio waited for the Western Lord on the training grounds. He had honor and knew there was no other option but to stand his ground. He had crossed a line when he asked his Lord's daughter to join him on a walk alone. It was the first step to courting someone and he never spoke to her father. He knew Sesshomaru would kill him for this transgression; he was overprotective of her before and now that she was of age it'd only intensify.

He could feel his Lord's beast break to the surface as his aura became wild. Akio was glad he chose a spot so far away to meet Sesshomaru. No one needed to witness this, nor get hurt by mistake. Akio dropped to his knees and bowed his head to show he accepted whatever Rin's father offered him in punishment.

When Sesshomaru walked on the training field to Akio waiting in submission, it did help sooth bit of his anger. It hurt that his old friend and most trusted solder would be near his daughter like that. At least he was honorable enough to accept whatever he had coming. It was a great start, but not enough to save his life.

It was now or never. Akio made sure his voice was strong, yet respectful and hid all his fear. "Sesshomaru-sama."

"You dare come near This Sesshomaru's daughter?" His beast roared while his eyes were completely red.

Akio lifted his head for the first time, his red eyes glowing back as he spoke carefully. "I did not realize it was Rin-san at first. When she walked out of the dining hall, I saw a beautiful woman. It wasn't until she spoke that I realized who she was. She's changed over the years. I do apologize for how I went about this; it wasn't right to request time alone with her before speaking with you. I do not apologize for reaching out, we both know our beast won't let a potential mate go without a fight."

"You wish to fight This One?!"

"I only want a chance to prove myself a worthy mate to Rin-san." There wasn't time for him to say anything else. There wasn't even time to think of anything else as the Western Lord charged forward. He ripped through Akio's chest to hold his beating heart.

"Make one move and This One will end you." Sesshomaru whispered.

Akio was beyond confused and partly in awe. He was trying to keep his breathing slow. This was why Sesshomaru was called the perfect killer. Akio never had a chance to defend himself before Sesshomaru won the fight.

The grip on his heart started to tighten and Akio knew he didn't have much time left.

In the distance he could vaguely hear Lady Kagome screaming Sesshomaru's name. Maybe he'd seen Rin one last time before he died.