Chapter 6 – Pack
Kagome was terrified. She had ridden to the hospital with Sesshomaru, been ushered into a waiting room as the injured patients were taken into an Intensive Care Unit.
At first, she had only been told that Sesshomaru was in surgery, and then after a few hours a nurse had politely informed her that the patients' family would be joining her soon.
She now sat on the edge of the firmly padded waiting bench waiting to face whoever would come through the doors. It was only a few minutes before she was met by a tall silver-haired demon, mature features, biting golden eyes, and movement that spoke of power, this was Toga Taisho, Chairman of Shikon University and father of both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha.
Her hands shook and she gripped the arms of the chair to hide the motion and thickly swallowed to clear her throat. "Hello, Mr. Taisho." She motioned to the seat across from her as gracefully as she could. "Please join me." She hoped she came of polite and the demon kept his cool gaze on her as he took her offer and settled himself into the offered seat.
She resisted the shiver she felt building as his eyes appraised her for a long moment before he spoke. "You must be Kagome." The baritone of his voice left no room for her to speak so she simply nodded.
"My son speaks highly of you." His comment startled her and he must have seen the question in her eyes. "Sesshomaru and I do not talk often but he informed me of his intention to… court you." The demon took a long draw of air in through his nose before he continued. "And you certainly smell like my son." Kagome blushed and turned away slightly.
His tone thickened slightly at his next words. "So, what happened today my dear? I'm afraid nobody I've talked to so far has all the details."
Kagome turned back to face him and met his gaze honestly. "I don't know." She said quietly, and when the golden gaze continued to pin her in place she elaborated. "Something happened during my tournament event. The air got heavy with youki, it hurt to breathe, moving was so difficult…" She couldn't stop her bodily shiver at the memory. "And then it all stopped, when I stepped down from the event there were already police and emergency personnel filling the stands. When I finally got to Sesshomaru… he… he was… "Her words cut off on a choked sob as she pictured his badly wounded form and remembered how he collapsed into her.
"I see." Toga lightly commented as Kagome quieted her crying. "I was told by the tournament security that Inuyasha lost control and Sesshomaru stopped his outburst." He continued once she was listening again. "That is most unbelievable though, Inuyasha has only lost control of his demon half once, when he was hit by a car as a child. Without a strong catalyst like that, I don't understand how this would have happened." They sat in silence for a moment as Kagome considered his words.
She was about to reply when a nurse quickly stepped into the room and bowed. "Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are out of surgery and treatment, you may see them now." She said in a quiet demure voice.
Toga rose from his chair and Kagome followed suit. The nurse turned and led them from the room. It was a short walk down the hall and through a set of doors that read 'Authorized Personnel Only'.
The hall past the door was lined with doors on either side, nameplates next to each door labeling their inhabitants. The three of them stopped outside of a door and the nurse turned to Toga.
"This is Sesshomarus room, that one is Inuyasha's." She said as she motioned to the door in front of them and the one directly next door.
Toga nodded in understanding and the nurse bowed once more before she turned to walk away. He opened the door and left it wide open behind him. Kagome took the invitation and quickly followed, shutting the door softly behind her. She steeled her nerves before turning around and walking to Sesshomaru's bedside. Her eyes rose slowly from the floor to take in his sleeping form and her heartbeat painfully at the sight. He laid with his eyes closed his hair fanned around him as he took slow shallow breaths, bandages covered what was exposed of his torso and her eyes widened as she took in the bandaged and casted left arm that hung in a sling at his side.
"It's good they were able to re-attach his limb." Toga's voice commented offhandedly, Kagome whipped her vision to where he stood at the end of the bed, medical chart in hand, he was studying the documents carefully.
He nodded his head and looked up to meet her gaze. "It will save him the time of having to regenerate one." He said evenly as if either way it was of little concern.
Kagome realized then just how biologically different Sesshomaru and his father were as demons, their youki allowed even their general healing to far surpass any human capabilities. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized he would recover.
"I'm glad he will be alright." Kagome said softly as she turned back to Sesshomaru and pulled one of the nearby chairs closer to the side of the hospital bed. She settled into it and gingerly reached for his right hand that wasn't covered in any bandages.
"You intend to wait for him to awaken." Togas words weren't a question but Kagome smiled and replied. "Yes, if that is acceptable?" She mimicked the way Sesshomaru often spoke. Toga hadn't spoken any further on her relationship with Sesshomaru or whether he accepted it, or even her for that matter, but he hadn't objected to her being there either which had to be worth something.
The mature silver-haired demon nodded once to her, his eyes gleaming with something she didn't understand as he spoke. "I will return tomorrow morning." He said once more in his even baritone before he nodded his head to her and turned to leave.
"Thank you." She called lightly after him.
The door shut softly behind him and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She had been on edge the entire time she was around him and she was exhausted after the tightness of her muscles finally left her. She gripped Sesshomaru's hand softly and leaned forward, careful not to move his arm too much as she laid her head on the bed next to their hands. It only took a few seconds for her to fall into a light sleep.
Toga shut the door softly behind him, he was pleased with his first son's choice of female. She was soft-spoken and honest, not to mention pleasantly plush with the figure of a woman. He cleared his throat lightly and made his way next door to his second sons' room.
When he stepped inside, he wasn't surprised to see that the room was empty, Kikyo, Inuyasha's choice of female had never shown concern for his wellbeing in the entire time they had been courting, though she was always present at social events.
He made his way to his son's bedside and again he felt pride in Sesshomaru, several thin pricks along the Hanyou's neck along with a few scratches and bruises. Sesshomaru had protected the boy from himself, and at a great cost that he paid in pain, yet somehow, he had resisted the urge to kill the brat.
Aged gold took in his youngest sons form more carefully, the bruising around his neck was odd and didn't appear to be from any attack of Sesshomarus. In fact, it resembled a necklace around the Hanyou's neck, the darkest part of the bruise was over his right collarbone and it didn't take anything more for Toga to connect the dots. His spawn had been used; some sort of artifact forced his youki to go out of control.
He growled low in frustration, whoever dared to use his child in such a way would pay with their life. He gave the Hanyou one last look over before he turned to leave the hospital. Neither of his sons would wake tonight, giving him plenty of time to look into the incident further and hunt down anyone who was involved.
He stopped as he finally reached the parking garage, an idea striking him with internal force. There was a surefire way to prevent this in the future, he would make Inuyasha a sword from his own fang, it would have enough power to prevent any other items from drawing his youki out against his will.
Nodding in satisfaction he entered the black luxury car that pulled to a stop in front of him. "To Shikon University please." He told the driver.
The best swordsmith he knew worked at the university as a welding instructor, hopefully, the old demon would agree to his request.
Sesshomaru awoke silently, he could smell the chemicals around him and covering his body, he was in a hospital, apparently as a patient. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to recall his last memory.
It came to him slowly, the two sports tournaments, Kagome's figure in her archery clothing, Inuyasha's outburst, and that was where his memory thinned. He tried to move his left hand to wipe his brow but the limb felt stiff and immobile.
He finally opened his eyes and was shocked to see the cast covering his arm from shoulder to hand, he tried instead to move his right hand and was met with a soft mewling sound and a rustle of fabric.
His eyes shifted to his right and his chest warmed at the sight that greeted him. Kagome had her upper body curled against his hip on the bed, her hand firmly grasping his even while she slept. He stopped all attempts at moving and settled back against the pillow behind him, she looked exhausted and uncomfortable. She was still dressed in her archery uniform, so it must have not been long since he had fallen unconscious.
Sesshomaru glanced to the window, rays of weak sunlight were barely bridging the horizon, it was early morning. He looked back to Kagome and his heart chest swelled with even more emotion. She had stayed with him all night, the soft hint of smoked cherry wood in the room told him she had probably met his father as well.
He sighed as he closed his eyes again, he would wait for her to awaken on her own, for now, he was content just to enjoy her warmth and the luscious scent of jasmine that washed over him.
But his thoughts wouldn't let him rest so easily now that he was awake, the more he thought back on Inuyasha's outburst the more of his memory came back. There was the overwhelming rage he felt when he realized the Hanyou's youki was burdening his female. His mind's eye swirled with the image of Inuyasha's half-crazed form lying under him in the grip of his claws. Golden eyes flashed open as a sharp his of pain from his left shoulder accompanied the memory. He had lost an arm, temporarily, this explained the cast at his side.
He racked his mind for more information, the rosary the Hanyou had been wearing, he had never seen it before but the scent on it was familiar. He shook his head lightly in disdain, his memory was too fractured to accurately recall the small detail. The image of Kagome standing before him with open arms in the bloodied haze of his memory distracted him from the nagging lost details. She had accepted him even in his youki driven form covered in blood, missing a limb, she had still held her arms wide for him to come to her.
She really was stronger than even she herself believed. He felt a surge of respect and admiration for the woman lying at his side, he would do everything in his power to ensure he would keep the privilege of claiming her as his. He had not seen the end of her archery event and he felt slightly guilty, he hoped his and Inuyasha's actions hadn't caused her any trouble.
As the sun rose higher, shining its rays through the window Sesshomaru could detect the sound of his father approaching in the hallway, the cadence of his steps something Sesshomaru would recognize for eternity.
Much as he hated to, he gently removed his hand from Kagome's and moved it to her shoulder, rousing her from her sleep. "Kagome." He called; his voice rasped slightly.
He cleared his throat and tried once again. "Kagome, it's morning." He succeeded in sounding much more normal, though the scratch in his tone wasn't completely gone.
The young woman roused slightly and her eyes slid open slightly blinking sleepily a few times. Sesshomaru tried desperately to burn the image into his memory. He only had a few moments to do so before Kagome suddenly sat upright and stared at him with wide eyes.
"Good morning." She spoke after a small pause and a blush crept across her cheeks. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." She explained and tried to smooth out the bed sheet where she had been resting.
Sesshomaru shook his head and used his hand on her shoulder to pull her against his chest in a one-armed hug. "Do not apologize, your presence is always welcome." He spoke as he nuzzled the top of her head and took in a deep breath, filling his nose with her scent.
He felt her nod against him and released her from his hold. He was truly pleased when she smiled an earnest smile and slid her hand back into his. "I'm really glad to see you awake." She didn't use any words of concern but he knew she had been afraid for him.
"My father will be here soon." He warned her as the steps that caught his attention drew to a stop right outside of his door. He smiled as she straightened herself and attempted to comb her messy hair with her fingers as the door to his room slid open.
His father stepped in holding a few small folders in his hand, he closed the door and stepped to the side of the bed where his casted arm lay. "You recover quickly my son." He spoke in a proud tone and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his father's praise.
"When can I be discharged?" Sesshomaru asked, wanting only facts from his father.
The older demon smiled down at his son. "Around noon as long as you pass the doctor's evaluation." He motioned to Sesshomarus cast.
Mature golden eyes moved from him to Kagome and Sesshomaru grew tense as his father addressed his female. "It appears this event may have something to do with you, my dear." Sesshomarus eyes widened at the endearing term but kept his mouth firmly closed to see how she would respond.
Kagome turned from settling her appearance and faced his father with quiet confidence and obvious confusion in her eyes. "I don't know how that's possible; I barely know Inuyasha…" She put her hand to her chin in an expression of thinking.
His father cleared his throat to get her attention once more. "The police believe you may have been the target of this incident; nothing has been confirmed. The school would like to offer you a short leave of absence while the police conduct their investigation." He paused then and handed the folders he had brought with him over Sesshomarus body to Kagome. "Those are a list of police provided housing, you won't be able to return to your dorm until Monday next week. My apologies." When he finished Kagome looked utterly stunned, the emotions flashing across her eyes ranged from confusion to shock, to embarrassment.
She opened her mouth several times as if to speak but each time her words were soundless. "You will be able to continue your studies online… if falling behind is your concern." His father attempted to placate her obvious discomfort and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to growl in annoyance at his sire for upsetting his female.
Kagome seemed to become more alert at the statement and she smiled and waved a hand in front of her. "Ah… it's unavoidable I guess, just moving on such short notice… and I assume I won't be able to retrieve any of my things…" She was becoming quieter with every statement and Sesshomaru finally decided to speak.
"You may stay with me." He offered as more of a statement than an invitation. Deep pools of blue snapped to meet his gaze and he smiled warmly at her. "If that is acceptable?" He waited patiently for her reply, hoping with every fiber of his being that she wouldn't turn him down.
Kagome was stunned beyond belief. So much had happened since she had awoken at Sesshomarus bedside Toga had appeared so early, she had barely had time to make herself even somewhat presentable. Now she was being labeled a victim and banned from her home, even if only temporary.
Her anxiety had risen to an insurmountable level and she had lost the ability to speak clearly when Sesshomaru offered her the sweetest escape.
"You may stay with me." His words washed over her and she looked to meet his gaze, to confirm his words were true. The honest offer she saw was endearing. "If that is acceptable?" His words had her nodding quickly as she felt small tears of relief fill the corners of her eyes.
She looked to Toga sheepishly but was surprised at the wide smile crossing his features. "I will have your school supplies and personal effects delivered to Sesshomaru's apartment then." He spoke in a light happy tone and Kagome relaxed slightly; he wasn't much different from how he had been the night before.
"Thank you." She spoke up and Toga nodded to her.
"May I speak to my son alone for a moment my dear?" Toga asked pleasantly and Kagome instantly rose from her chair.
She nodded and turned to Sesshomaru. "I'll be right outside." At his slight nod, she turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She resisted the urge to hold her ear to the door, the childish act was rude, but she was desperately curious. She leaned on the wall next to the door to prevent her from acting foolishly and tried to be as patient as possible.
Toga eyed his son with a knowing gaze but decided to voice his opinions regardless. "What are your intentions with her Sesshomaru?" He asked his eldest pup.
The young demon tensed under his gaze before he moved to face Toga as fully as he could in his damaged state. "I wish to have her as my Mate." His son said evenly and Toga eyed him carefully for any hint of misguidance.
He nodded finally and sighed. "She appears completely innocent in this incident. Though it does appear someone from Shikon University was involved in forcing Inuyasha out of control." His tone became aggravated, remembering the security footage he had been watching all night.
"If she is pack, then protect her." His tone was a command and Sesshomaru straightened and nodded, for now, Toga was still the Alpha of their Inuyoukai pack. "You have done well so far…" He commented as he looked down at Sesshomarus casted arm.
He looked back to his son's eyes and smiled a new grin. "Once you are healed you will need to properly introduce her." Sesshomaru frowned but nodded once more and Toga sighed happily.
He turned on his heel and headed for the door, he stopped just before exiting and turned to Sesshomaru once more. "Be gentle with her Sesshomaru, she is worth every ounce of control." He warned him once before he swiftly exited, closing the door behind him with an almost soundless click.
Once in the hallway he immediately noticed Kagome standing nervously next to the door. Toga nodded his head to her. "The doctor will be by soon to release him." He said simply before walking around her towards the exit. He smiled to himself as he heard her re-enter his sons' room.
His thoughts centered back on the incident at hand though, there was work to be done and as chairman, he was responsible for cleaning up this mess and working with police to find the person responsible. His emotions slid back into the box he normally kept them in and much like his oldest son, he stepped out of the hospital the perfect image of a powerful stoic daiyoukai, ready to hunt.
*** Thank you for reading! Sorry, this chapter is a little short, I kind of forgot I started online classes again today, ugh. So, it may be a little longer before the next update, but look forward to some steamy scenes next chapter! As always thank you for any and all reviews, I really appreciate them!