Chapter Eleven

Kagome was in awe of Miho's fearlessness. Even she didn't have the guts to stand up to the great demon lord like that.

Inuyasha's first thoughts included the words 'insane', 'crazy' and 'unbelievable'. To his knowledge, no one, not even their most bitter rivals, had ever physically put their hands on his brother in such a shocking manner. As much as he disliked Sesshomaru, he wouldn't have come close to even thinking that slapping him was a good idea. He doubted that even their own father had laid a punishable hand on him in his youth simply because Sesshomaru never acted out like a normal child would have. Then again, Inuyasha didn't know the younger version of his brother, so there was always a chance that he could be seriously wrong...

Just in case he needed to intervene, Inuyasha gripped the handle of his Tessaiga and waited.

Miroku and Shippo were still crouched down behind the now upturned table for shelter, afraid of what might happen if they so much as breathed too loudly.

Miho was livid by the reality of her situation. Never in her entire life would she have pictured her future turning out like this. She was standing in the middle of a teahouse on the night of her debut, covered in mint tea, surrounded by people she was sure that she had never seen before but felt she knew in some way, and she had just slapped the most beautiful nightmare that her mind had ever conjured up. Everyone around her was in shock, that much was obvious, but she couldn't fathom why it was such a big deal. Women slapped men all the time for less in threatening situations and Miho's particular situation was no different. She did feel threatened, but she also felt deliriously angry at this demon's arrogance and ridiculously calm yet furious demeanor.

It wasn't until a few seconds later that she realized why everyone in the room was acting as if the demon standing in front of her was about to explode.

Sesshomaru said nothing as he slowly turned his head back to its proper place. The sting from Miho's slap clung to his skin and lingered like the bites of a thousand fire ants, but he remained still until the golden hue returned to his eyes. He blinked once, then looked down into the fearless brown orbs of the second most infuriating woman he had ever met…and he growled low in his throat while he raised a clawed hand to the level of his face. Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles.

Kagome responded first from across the room while her husband threw an arm out to stop her before she launched herself at her brother-in-law. "Sesshomaru, don't!"

Miho braced herself for the attack she assumed was coming by steadying her shaking body, but instead of a punch in the face, she cried out in surprise when a gentle hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her forward with ease. She placed her free hand up against Sesshomaru's chest and felt her heart jolt as she gazed up into a pair of glowing amber eyes. Her face flamed when her hand took in the heat of his body through his thick, snowy white armor. "What do you think you're…!" Nothing had prepared her for what happened next.

For the first time in her life, Miho discovered what a real kiss was like…and it was mind blowing. Sesshomaru's mouth sealed over hers and devoured the remainder of her words and stole the very breathe from her lungs. Visions of what could only be described as memories, exploded behind her closed eyes and she drowned in them and the lips that sent her heart into overdrive. Miho's knees gave out beneath her, but she did not fall. Instead, Sesshomaru wrapped a protective arm around her waist and held her against him as if she might disappear…and the young maiko finally understood why.

The memories flooding her brain hovered between thoughts of wolves hunting her down and killing her, to visions of a battered and bloodied demon lying alone against a tree in the forest near her village. One image in particular roused some very unusual emotions of love, which struck a nerve because Miho had never experienced it. Within her mind, she saw herself kneeling before what appeared to be a very dead Sesshomaru.

Rin tuned Jaken out, furious with herself that she was unable to heal Sesshoumaru's wounds. "I…I've…failed you, my lord…forgive me…" She closed her eyes and nearly sobbed. "I'm so stupid!" She leaned herself forward, placed her arms on either side of Sesshoumaru's torso and opened her eyes to study his face. He is so pale… Without thinking, she leaned down and placed her trembling lips against his. Please don't leave me, Lord Sesshoumaru...I love you…

She was not prepared for his response.

Sesshoumaru's eyes popped open, feeling his body strengthening as his sword pulsed at his side. It healed me? His attention left that of his pulsating sword and focused on a beautiful dark haired human whose lips had found his. Rin…?

Rin felt the body beneath hers stir. Frightened, she broke the kiss and stared into honey colored eyes that were very much alive and she nearly jumped as a strong arm hooked around her waist and pulled her closer. "Rin…" A husky voice whispered before a pair of soft, yet demanding lips took hold of her own.

Miho clung hard to the front of Sesshomaru's robes as his tongue skimmed her bottom lip to taste as a new wave of visions caught her.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, who might this beautiful woman be at your side?" Lord Sakuya's voice echoed into Rin's ears, but she was too focused on the wolf to take notice.

Sesshoumaru squeezed his mates hand gently to catch her attention. Rin turned her head slightly and was instantly caught by his stare. "Rin…I would like to introduce to you the newest member of my Guard, the wolf demon tribe leader, Lord Sakuya…Lord Sakuya, this is my chosen mate, Lady Rin."

The young woman felt her knees buckle beneath her but caught herself upright in an instant as the words left her love's beautiful mouth. He called me…lady? Her eyes widened as she gazed up at her lord, then turned her attention back to the other wolf demon lord, unaware of all of the other stares she was receiving from all of the other occupants of the room.

Lord Sakuya fixed her with a powerful, yet soft stare and bowed low at the hips and reached for her hand.

Rin allowed him to pull her to him while he lifted her hand to his lips and place a kiss upon her knuckles. "My Lady, it is an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please forgive my furry friend, as he is unaccustomed to the sight of humans."

Miho's mind skipped through several more memories that included discovering the body of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's sister, Ura, and the night that changed the fate of the soul within her own body.

"A human is unworthy of becoming the wife and mate of a powerful demon such as Lord Sesshoumaru." He lunged forward and wrapped a powerful arm around the delicate human woman who was close to collapsing on the floor. Careful not the remove his poisoned dagger, and kept his hand steady at the hilt and twisted with great force.

Rin's chocolate brown eyes welled up with new tears and she could do nothing except allow them to flow freely. Clenching her teeth together to keep her screams from escaping, she dug her nails into the demon's arms as hard as she could to at least make him feel some of the pain that she was experiencing now.

Lord Sakuya was unfazed. Feeling rather smug about his deed, he made an effort to provoke her while Rin suffered. "I am well aware of the fact that I am going to die after this, but I could not allow such filth to live at the side of the most powerful demon lord of this era."

Rin's eyes widened again as the pain became unbearable. "Wha…why…?" She gasped through her pain and then could no longer keep herself on her own feet. Rin's knees gave out beneath her and she went down, Lord Sakuya going with her.

Her head swam with the scent of her own blood filling the air and she wanted to vomit once she noticed that her whole lower half was drenched with it, and the bleeding refused to stop. Rin's body was growing weaker by the moment and she was unable to do anything about it with the silver dagger sheathed within her stomach.

The wolf demon on top of her just kept smiling, while his eyes continued to glow with crimson hatred. "In case you were wondering, it was I that had eliminated Lord Sesshoumaru's sister. Transforming before she came to me was enough to catch her off guard and it was almost too easy to kill the wench with my claws…playing with her desires made it too easy."

Rin gagged on her own hatred for the male sitting on her legs. Gathering her strength, she lashed a weakened hand out and punched him as hard as she could on the left side of his face. "That is for Ura!" Her head was reeling, but she didn't care. At that moment, she saw blood in her eyes and her arm swung back to deliver another weak blow. She contacted his nose this time, which sent the wolf demon whirling backwards, cursing her name. "And that is a personal gift…from me!" She coughed and gagged once again, this time on the blood that bubbled in the back of her burning throat.

Lord Sakuya reset his broken nose and stared down at the bleeding human at his feet. His mouth broke into another gut wrenching smile that made Rin sick. "Were you aware that you are pregnant, my Lady?" Laughing viciously, he leaned down and yanked his dagger from her stomach. "Or better yet, were?"

Rin could not believe it. "You're lying!"

"Quite the contrary, my beautiful Lady. You were indeed carrying Lord Sesshoumaru's child. Its scent was most noticeable once I entered the hallway." Lord Sakuya lifted his dagger to study it. "In fact, I do believe that my dagger just ended its life before it even had a chance to start." He chuckled silently at the look of pure horror on the young woman's face. "I am surprised that you were unaware. Sesshoumaru must have known not moments after he was conceived."

Rin felt her heart clench in agonizing despair. A boy? It was a boy…? "You will die for your actions!" She moved her hands to cover the wound at her stomach and tried desperately to imagine the precious life that had been growing within her womb, but she felt nothing but the rushing blood pushing past her clenched fingers. The pain was indescribable. "You will DIE!" She shrieked her last word and almost past out from the anguish that her heart was filled with knowing that she would never give her mate the son that he must of known she was carrying, as well as the fact that she would be dead before she could see her Lord Sesshoumaru's face one last time.

"I will die for the sake of my race. Humans do not belong in the world of the demons. Nor do half breed children such as the disgrace that you were carrying." His words stung. "You want to know why my wolf companion almost attacked you once you entered the meeting chamber?" He did not give the human a chance to answer. "Because he recognized you from when you were nothing more than a mere child of eight years. He was a member of the same pack that had killed you. Knowing that you were alive…knowing that you were the mate of Sesshoumaru was enough to warrant an attack. You have been dead twice before now…I understand that Sesshoumaru cannot save your life a third time. Is this true?"

Rin's vision clouded over and her hearing was fading rapidly.

Sakuya continued while he stood over the dying woman. "The only way he could possibly have you now is if your soul allows itself to be reincarnated. That can take years…centuries even! Such a pity! I doubt he will wait for you, being the demon lord that he is…but that is no concern of yours now. Enjoy death, my Lady. For I will be joining you shortly."

Rin could only see black at this point. Her vision was completely gone and her body was losing blood faster than she could think. Lord Sesshoumaru…my Lord…I love you…I'm so sorry… She was losing feeling in her legs, and her arms fell from her stomach to the ground on either side of her. So…sorry…

The phantom pain had returned to Miho's stomach in such a way that nearly rendered her unconscious for the umpteenth time that evening, but she held on knowing that if she did faint, she might never wake up again.

Miho felt the tears burning behind her concealed eyes. Even she couldn't deny it to herself anymore once the memories took control of her body. I am Rin…I am…Oh… She pulled her aching lips away from the demon she had been kissing and opened her eyes to allow the wetness to escape. Her dark brown orbs glistened as she took in the image of Sesshomaru's desperation and nothing kept her from repeating the words from her memories. "I…I…" She gulped down the pain and tightness that her throat often felt at the memories she had forgotten but just recalled. "…I love you…Lord Sesshomaru…" She took in a hard breath and closed her eyes tightly as her tears fell freely down her flushed cheeks. For a second, confusion gripped her and she lost the words she was going to say next, but then slowly remembered and let them fall from her mouth as she wept. "I…am Rin, my Lord! What has happened to me?" She lifted her eyes back up to meet her Lord's and she released a soft cry before dropping out of Sesshomaru's lax arms and crumbling to the floor.

Sesshomaru followed her down and drew her into his arms, unable to believe what he was hearing. He had only met this woman by chance earlier on in the day, and now he was in the moment clinging to her with the knowledge that this was Rin's reincarnation…and she knew it! His golden eyes were wide as he held on to the female for dear life. I would have given up everything for this moment!

Nothing and everything made sense to her in that moment. Most of every dream or vision she had ever had that included Sesshomaru's presence had been her memories! But not of her current life, oh no! Those dreams had been of her previous life, but she still had working knowledge of her current one as well. Two lives, she recalled! But in one body!

What has happened to me? Why have been given this new life? Oh, Lord Sesshomaru! Why am I only finding you now? Have I truly gone so far away?

Author's Note: The memories in this chapter came from my other story, A Small Twist of Fate!

OliviaAR