Hi all! I know I am so so very late with this and I can't even find the words to apologize. But here is this cjapter, and I'm finishing up another one to hopefully be uploaded tonight. My Muse isn't exactly treating me well, as a lot of things have been going on in my life lately and I'm not quite sure how these next few months are gonna turn out. So updates may take a while and for that I apologize again.

As usual I do not own Inuyasha or the characters affiliated. I make no money from this, unfortunately.

XVI

For days they traveled, taking it as easy on themselves as they could, to conserve strength for Naraku. There was no doubt that Shiori was right, the vile half demon would be coming after them soon enough. But something else was bothering Kagome.

She decided to discuss it with Sesshomaru when they made camp. Towards night fall they finally did, setting up in record time. After dinner had been started Kagome walked over to Sesshomaru where he sat beneath a tree.

"I need to speak with you alone." she whispered. Concern flitted across his face before he stood and followed her, nodding to Miroku. They walked only six feet away, so as to keep an eye on the campsite.

"What is it, Kagome?" he asked finally when it seemed she wouldn't speak. She jumped; she'd been so distracted trying to sense around.

"Why haven't we heard anything from Inuyasha? You know as well as I do that he'd have come barging into camp, weapon drawn by now." she said urgently, sending waves of reiki out again trying to see if she could sense him. Sesshomaru stiffened.

"He has not been near at all." he said quietly and Kagome nodded.

"Exactly." she deadpanned. He studied her face, her small nose and flawless ivory skin beneath midnight hair, and long dark eyelashes fluttering against bright hazel. They shone with not worry, but suspicion.

"Do you think he's up to something?" he asked eyebrow raised. She shook her head.

"No, he's a Trottel. A moron. Kikyo, however, is not." she said grimly. "And we know that she occasionally helps Naraku."

"Then she will die." he stated simply. Kagome chuckled, looking into his rich golden eyes.

"I think her stolen life will solve itself." she said absentmindedly, studying him. He certainly was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

He had said she was ethereal, but really Kagome felt it was the other way around. With his silver hair and bright golden eyes, he looked almost otherworldly, especially bathed in moonlight. She smiled, leaning up on her tip toes to kiss him.

It certainly wasn't what he was expecting, a kiss right after such disturbing thoughts? Ah, but she was strange, a trail of thought all her own. He smiled briefly, quickly pulling her closer and kissing her back.

"How did I get so lucky...?" Kagome asked her self, unwittingly out loud. She started when Sesshomaru chuckled. He played with a lock of her hair, focusing on it for a minute and getting his thoughts in order before looking in her eyes again.

"I am the lucky one. You have shown me companionship is a strength, not a weakness. For your friends will be by your side. Being with you has... it has made quite a change in me. You've turned my life upside down, Kagome." he said, rubbing her nose with his and kissing her. Her arms flew around his neck as she fervently returned his kiss.

"I love you, Sesshomaru." she said breaking the kiss and resting her forehead against his.

"I love you too, Kagome." he said, kissing her again, walking her backwards until her back brushed a tree, his hands on her hips.

He kissed his way to her neck, nosing her haori out of his way. Down to her collar bone and across to the other side, slowly tapering down to the swell of her chest. Her breath hitched and she moaned, her fingers digging into his shoulder.

"Sesshomaru..." she groaned as his mouth found her nipple. He hummed around it in question pulling another moan from her lips.

Her hand found its way to his hair, fingers scratching against his scalp. He switched his attention to her other breast, his hand coming up to pinch the nipple had just released. His other hand hitched her leg up to his hip, his hand slowly stroking up the back of her thigh to cup her ass.

Her inexperienced hands roamed his chest, opening his haori to feel the taut muscles beneath. He released her nipple, hand moving to lift her other leg and wrap them around his hips before he kissed her again. She gasped when she felt his erection trapped against her, twitching against her clit through two layers of cloth. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Kagome... I want to mate you, tonight if you'll let me. But we'll have to brew some tea." he flexed his hips the friction making them both moan. She moved against him, pulling back slightly to look at him.

"Why tea?" she asked, voice seductive and needy. He groaned, pulling her closer by her hips and grinding against her.

"A magic bark, to ensure we live through the blood bond, hopefully." he said, catching her attention. Instantly her gaze went from dazed and lusty to fully alert.

"Hopefully? Blood bond?" she demanded. He squeezed his eyes shut. Right, he'd been so swept up in everything that happened he forgot to explain it to her. Damnit.

"I would like to have forever with you, Kagome. And I love you for exactly who you are, as you know. But...being human, being mortal, means you won't have as many years as I will. I don't want to lose you, under any circumstances." he said, kissing her.

"The blood bond ensures you will have my lifetime. It is a full and true mating bond. However, as you are an incredibly powerful Miko and I am a daiyoukai, there is no knowing what will happen when we do the blood bond-if, rather, you agree to it. My mother went to an old family friend. A demon tree, Bokuseno. He is ancient and incredibly wise. He gave her some of his bark and said to brew a tea. But it's never been done before. Hence the 'hopefully'."

She stared at him for a long while, digesting all this new information. Part of her wanted to be angry at him for not telling her sooner. But another part of her, whispered that he'd been trying to figure out a way to do it with as little risk as possible.

He wanted a plan before he approached her with the subject. It made her love him all the more. She cupped his cheeks, pulling him in for another kiss.

"Let's go brew that tea then, shall we?" she asked, unwinding her legs from his hips. He stared at her.

"You're willing to do this, knowing the risk?" he asked. She clicked her tongue.

"When will you learn that I'm always willing to go the distance?" she huffed, hands on her hips. He chuckled at himself.

"You're right, I'm sorry." he said kissing her again. He took her hand, walking back to the camp.

Kagome went about preparing the tea after getting the pouch from her intended. Sesshomaru informed the other three that they'd be on their own for a few hours. Naoshi and Miroku of course got lecherous grins, but Sango took care of the both of them. Her boomerang landed heavily on Mirokus head, and her fist on Naoshi.

"Somehow I knew this would be a useful spot to sit." she said casually, smiling over at Kagome and Sesshomaru in turn.

They both smiled back, snickering quietly. While the tea brewed, Kagome gathered five stones, approximately the size of her fist. She handed two to Sesshomaru and set one between them, before infusing her reiki into the two stones she still held.

Following suit, Sesshomaru infused his youki into his two rocks. The others watched in fascination. Together they infused the last rock and Kagome nodded in satisfaction.

"15 feet away from the camp, all the way around." she told Sesshomaru who nodded and they both walked opposite ways.

About five minutes later they walked back into camp. The kettle sounded so Sango hoisted it off the fire right as they walked back into the circle of light cast by the flames. With a blast of youki and reiki a barrier was formed around the camp. Satisfied, Kagome took a seat, taking the cup Sango handed her with an assuring smile and a light squeeze on her arm. She handed Sesshomaru his cup as well with a smile.

They both drank, rather quickly by the looks on their faces, trying to hide that the tea was in fact extremely hot. Seems in their hurry to consummate, they'd forgotten liquids over a fire do actually hurt. Sango covered her mouth with her hand and turned her face behind Mirokus shoulder to hide her laughter.

Naoshi however, was not so kind. His laughter was so loud it startled the birds from their nests, as they took off in flight. Kagome blushed heavily, praying it just looked like the fires warmth had an affect. Sesshomaru sat stoic as ever but for the slight twitch in his eye. Miroku joined in Naoshis laughter, which only seemed to fuel Sango's as well.