Chapter 4: War Over a Woman

She struggled to get free, anger appearing on Sesshomaru's face as the tentacle pulled her towards someone else, someone he hated and wished to destroy. This was the work of…

"Naraku," he growled out as he glared at the man that now held Kagome in his arms, Kagome still trying to get free of him.

"So we meet again Sesshomaru," he scoffed as he looked down at Kagome. "The miko turned demon. What a surprise." He looked her over as she glared up at him. "My, you seem quite resistant. Whatever happened to Inuyasha?"

"That concerns you not. Release me now." She was angered by him and it showed on her face.

"I cannot do that, Kagome. You see I've been watching you a lot lately, and I grew quite pleased with this current development." He smirked, knowing Sesshomaru would not make a move for fear of harming the demoness in his arms. "You don't know what it means having you turned into a demon."

"You did this to me," she said a bit shocked.

"Sorry to disappoint you but I didn't turn you into a demon. No, someone else did that and for that I thank them." He leaned closer to her ear. "But I admit that I've been watching you and I've wanted you for myself." He nipped her ear causing Sesshomaru to growl at him. "Looks like I've upset the great lord of the west." He laughed out loud. "You didn't really think that I would let you claim her as yours. You should remember what I told you."

Flashback

Sesshomaru stood by the hot springs. It was the day after Kagome had joined his group of travelers. He had wanted a bath to get his mind off of things but it hadn't worked. He still thought about Kagome and everything about her. He just couldn't get her out of his head. She plagued his thoughts when he was awake and asleep. He couldn't get away from her.

He plunged into the warm water, everything about her still flowing through his mind. He knew at this rate he would end up taking her as his own, if she wanted it or not. He knew it was getting close to his mating season. He had not fallen victim to it in the past only because he kept himself locked away under piles of work but now he couldn't. Temptation was before him and it looked really good to him right now. He had actually stolen a peak at her the day before when she went to bathe. He had watched as the water rolled down her curves. He watched as she looked to the sky with closed eyes, watched as her breasts slightly rose and fell as she breathed.

It had aroused him but he hid it well and fled before he acted on the beast within him. He didn't want to do something that both of them would regret. He would contain himself until he had found out how she felt about the whole thing.

From then he vowed never to spy on her as she bathed. He was oblivious to the evil presence that approached him until he resurfaced and looked dead into crimson eyes of the man that had made his life hell.

"What do you want?" He growled out, not dropping his guard now that his enemy was before him.

"Nothing from you." He smirked. "I just came to warn you against getting involved with Kagome. I will be coming for her very soon to make her mine. Just be glad I decided to leave her in your presence for this short while. She is mine and I will not hesitate to kill all those that dare try to take her from me." And he left as swiftly as he had appeared.

End of Flashback

"I remember." He had his hand on the hilt of tokujin. "It doesn't mean I will let you claim her." He drew it in one swift movement, still standing in the same place.

"Too bad. I was so willing to let you keep your life. It looks like I must kill you now." He had tentacles wrap around Kagome so she couldn't move or run as he drew his own katana. But before they could start attacking each other Inuyasha appeared, tetsusaiga at the ready.

"So we have more company. This should be interesting, don't you think Sesshomaru?" Naraku rose an eyebrow at the lord of the west. "The three of us fighting for Kagome."

"Naraku! You bastard!" And Inuyasha charged in head first, not thinking about what could possibly happen. Right when his blade was to come in contact with Naraku he was thrown back by a tentacle.

"Tsk, tsk Inuyasha, running head first into things as usual." Naraku approached him but the dirt was thrown up as Koga landed in the middle of it all, temporarily causing everybody to pause.

"Kagome is my woman," he proclaimed, not knowing the effects it would have on the others, especially Sesshomaru. It was nearing his mating season and he could no longer keep the beast in check. It had wanted Kagome as its own after all.

A roar could be heard as Sesshomaru shifted form. Kagome's eyes widened, knowing exactly what was going on. Something in her told her to get away and run as far and as fast as possible so she purified the tentacle and took off into the forest, Sesshomaru following close behind.

Inuyasha felt it too. It was getting so much closer to his mating season by the minute. His demon counterpart would soon take control of his body and chase after her until she was either mated or until he was killed. He couldn't control the change that he was now going through and a now demon Inuyasha took off after both of them.

Naraku and Koga took off after them to try and get to her first. It was now the demons' mating season and on their menu today was Kagome and they wanted her. All of their eyes were clouded over with lust and the need to mate her but she only thought of running until one of them caught her. She would fight them off as well until one of them proved to be a match for her power.

Sesshomaru could sense his brother gaining on him so he turned and faced off against him. He was still in his true form, poison dripping from his teeth and onto the floor, causing the forest floor to be eaten away at contact. He wouldn't let the half breed beat him, not now or ever.

Inuyasha attacked but he dodged gracefully, pinning Inuyasha to the floor. He growled in his face, poison falling just a little to the right of his head. He stood no match against the dog and it showed as he slowly lost consciousness at the sheer pressure that was being applied to his body. It all blackened for him and Sesshomaru took off again, picking up Kagome's scent. It didn't help that she was in heat, in fact it fueled the lust in his very being, feeding the beast that he had suppressed for so long.

Naraku and Koga faced each other. Both had to earn the right to mate her but they would not back down. They had so much to do and right now it would have to all wait until one of them came out as the victor.

They circled each other, neither wanting to give up. Naraku glared at Koga and Koga growled low in his throat as a warning. But both were trapped by the need to mate the dog demon known as Kagome, the only dog demon of the purity clan. Neither was going to back down now.

Koga leapt forward with his attack but Naraku deflected it and forced him back. Neither paid attention to the giant white dog that passed just twenty yards away. They were too caught up in their battle. One would attack and the other would deflect before attacking themselves. It was an ongoing pattern until Koga faltered and Naraku drove his tentacles through the wolf demon's abdomen. He lost the haze in his eyes before succumbing to the dark. He was unconscious and Naraku left him for dead before taking off again.

Kagome continued to run, sensing two of the demons still after her. She would not give up, however, even as she began to tire. She just continued to run and never looked back, even as the giant white dog came out behind her and into the clearing, Naraku several miles behind.

He shifted into his humanoid form before he trapped Kagome against a tree. Her eyes were hazed over due to the call of mating season. It told her to run but looking into his pink tinted amber eyes she couldn't. She knew they were familiar and that familiar-ness told her not to run. She just stared into his eyes, both of them returning to normal.

"Sesshomaru."

"Kagome." And he hugged her to him and she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she mumbled into his shoulder. "Just don't leave me again."

"I won't." And he nuzzled her neck, right where he would put his mating mark. "You never answered my question."

"I will Sesshomaru," she whispered and he nodded.

"I cannot perform the whole ritual here but I can still mark you so no other can touch you. Do you want me to do this now?" He looked her in the eye and saw that she was scared but wanted to remain with him.

"Yes, before Naraku comes again." He nodded.

"This will hurt." And he sank his fangs into her neck where the neck and shoulder met. She winced but did not cry out in pain, which made him proud of her. He licked the wound and it healed, leaving bite marks to show that she was already taken. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's fine." She smiled at him. "It is all apart of custom." She hugged him. "I don't regret this Sesshomaru."

"Neither do I." And he kissed her forehead.

"But I do," Naraku growled as he came into the clearing to see them in an embrace. "I have to kill you now Sesshomaru." He approached but couldn't get much farther because of the barrier Kagome had conjured up. "You can try to protect him all you want but he will die." And he made an attempt to break the barrier only to find that he couldn't.

"It's not any ordinary barrier, Naraku," Kagome spat out. "It is my barrier, made from demon ki and the ki of my miko blood. You cannot break it." She smirked, knowing it was completely true. "Try as you might, it isn't coming down unless I want it to come down."

"You really are clever Kagome, but that still won't save Sesshomaru." His eyes narrowed on Sesshomaru. "Just wait. I'll kill him and make you my mate."

"Like hell you will. I would rather die than be your mate." She glared at him before shifting to her true form of the great winged dog. She just took to the air, barrier still around her and a grin on her face. "And thank you again for your part of the Shikon no tama!" They were gone.

He was angered. She had tricked him and now had most of the jewel in her possession. He was not only a great deal weaker but also losing the battle. She only had two more shards to get and those resided with the wolf he left for dead. No doubt she would go to retrieve those.

"I am no fool, Kagome. I will regain what you took from me and have you as my own. Just you wait." And he took off for his fortress.

Kagome landed by Koga's unconscious form and knelt by him in her humanoid form. She looked at his face before going back to his legs.

"I'm sorry, Koga, but you have something I need." She extracted the jewel shards from his legs and fused them with the rest of the jewel to see that it was now complete. "I'll repay you some how." And she stood again before taking off with Sesshomaru.

"You have the jewel now. What will you do with it now?" He looked down at her but she didn't seem to notice. She just held the jewel in one hand and held onto one of his hands with the other. He didn't mind, his hand closing around hers.

"Return it where it came from. I'm going to absorb it in hopes of not letting another being get a hold of it. It can cause a lot of damage in the wrong hands. I cannot have that. I am its rightful guardian. It is my duty to make sure no one gets their hands on it." He nodded as she held the jewel over her heart. "I care not for the power it could grant."

"You are wise koishi," he whispered in her ear. "You are also very brave."

"I have to be." She kept walking as her body slowly pulled the jewel into it. "It will be safe in my heart, where no body can reach it. Should I die then the jewel will fade from all existence and it will cease to exist."

"You are surprising, Kagome." And he stopped just as the jewel finished entering her heart. He turned her around and kissed her, her not resisting. She accepted him and all he had to offer her.

Author's Corner:

This concludes another chapter and I hope you enjoyed it!