Chapter 22: Aftermath

TITLE: Cursed Twins

AUTHOR: InuYoukaiAki

DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha and Co.

Author's Note: This is the edited chapter!

Chapter 22: Aftermath

Kagome fidgeted as she watched Sesshoumaru looking at her quietly. She did not really know what to do. She had stiffened the moment he had picked her up and carried her out the room in front of all those youkai. And the fact that they all knew what would happen next made her more nervous. As they neared his chambers, the chambers meant for the lord and lady of the Western Lands, her nervousness increased. How would she go about with this thing?

She watched as Sesshoumaru glided towards her, the look in his eyes freezing her in place. It has an intensity that made her knees melt. He moved around the futon, still looking intently at her. He stopped on her right and bent down gently. She watched helplessly as Sesshoumaru pulled on the different ribbons that secured the flimsy material.

The soft light from the candle intensified his gaze, causing a slight shiver to run through her body. She held her breath as she felt the slight breeze from the window caress her exposed skin. She could not help the blush on her cheeks when she realized that Sesshoumaru had already bared her body to his eyes. Kagome clenched the futon to prevent herself from covering her body. She was now his mate and he has the right to claim her. Not that she would deny him that.

Breathing deeply for courage, she looked into his eyes and saw that it was slightly tinted with red. She knew he was holding back so that he would not scare her. She smiled timidly and reached her hand out to him. She caressed the markings on his face before tracing the crescent moon with the tip of her finger. When she felt the slight rumble from his chest, she felt warmed inside and decided to be bolder.

Kagome swallowed hard before she allowed her hands to caress his exposed chest. Sesshoumaru's muscles tensed at her touch. She loved the warm feel of him. Her hands found their way to his loose sash and pulled. In the dim candlelight, she watched as the material opened to reveal all of him. She wondered how different it was from the hot springs, knowing that they would be doing much more than bathing each other caused her heart to quicken, her breathing to become ragged and her body to warm up all over. She felt a tension in her lower abdomen that she had studied and read about but had only experienced now.

She saw the slight smirk on Sesshoumaru's lips. Kagome knew how sensitive youkai senses are and he could probably hear her quickening pulse and smell her arousal. She felt a tingle of irritation at the thought that he was amused with her reaction to him. Without another thought, she placed her hands against his body and began to gently feel him, removing the white kimono from his body in the process. Her embarrassment vanished as she heard him growl lowly in pleasure as she felt him. It was quite gratifying to realize that her touch could cause this reaction from such a magnificent creature.

Her eyes roamed her mate. His long silver hair was tinted gold by the flickering candlelight. The soft glow of from the candle gave his skin a bronze hue and made the play of shadows much more interesting. It teased her senses and made her want to see and feel more of him. She felt the intensity of her need as she caressed him with both her eyes and her hands.

"Sesshoumaru…" she whispered. She watched as his eyes snapped open and he growled lowly at her before his face descended to claim her lips.

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Whatever he was expecting, it was definitely not this. Sesshoumaru had expected Kagome to be very shy and embarrassed. She was at first, but then something happened. He did not know what it was. But he was undressing her one minute, embarrassment radiating off her in waves and then the next she was the one undressing him and feeling him with a boldness he had not expected from her. But then, when did Kagome do the expected?

He had wanted to go slowly. He knew it was Kagome's first time; the scent of her innocence had nearly driven him mad in some instances when all he wanted was to take her. Sesshoumaru normally would not care for anyone's innocence once he had decided to take her. He would seduce her until the female finally succumbed to him. But Kagome was different. She always was. Her purity and utter trust in him had aroused more than lust in him. He always wanted to keep her safe—to make sure that she was both unharmed and happy.

His eyes closed as he felt her hands caress his chest and back, but not lower. Despite her bold actions, she was still really an innocent one with no experience in any kind of mating. She has responded to him passionately in some occasions but she had done so through instinct alone. The scent of her arousal was making it difficult to maintain his control over his primal instincts.

"Sesshoumaru…" the slight tremulous whisper, laced with need and longing dispelled everything that was running through his mind. All that remained was the need to make her irrevocably his.

With a low growl, Sesshoumaru claimed her lips. His mind screamed at him to take her. But he maintained relative control over his instincts. He knew he would have to hurt her but he would wait in pleasurable torture until she was ready. When he felt his skin touch her warm soft body, he could not help but think how right her body felt against him. And when he heard her moan her pleasure and respond hungrily to him, he could not help but feel gratified that he could cause her this kind of pleasure. He could not believe that such a small fragile body could respond to him with passionate abandon.

He trailed kisses down her collarbone, down to her breasts, relishing the way she arched her body to him. He felt her quiver in anticipation as he went lower still and found her most sensitive spot. He felt proud as she called out to him as her need increased. And when she called out to him hoarsely in a pleading tone, he knew it was time.

Poising himself above her, he looked into her flushed face and confused eyes. He knew she was overwhelmed by everything she was experiencing, but he could also see clearly that there was a slight fear in her blue orbs which were now darker than the usual.

He hesitated. Sesshoumaru knew that any female could accommodate him and yet, he had never actually taken a human before. And she was a very small human, not to mention a virgin.

The battle of whether she was ready or not was still raging in his mind when he felt her caress the side of his face. He opened his eyes and saw that she was smiling softly at him.

"Don't worry," she whispered and pulled him down to her.

He nodded and completed the act. With a growl of pleasure, he bit down his lips to let the blood flow before biting down the soft flesh of her right upper breast. She gave a soft cry, from the invasion or the bite, he was not sure. All he was aware of was her warmth enveloping him, clenching him tighter that he wanted to move against her to rid of the ache on his abdomen. Sesshoumaru could taste her sweet blood that seemed to build up the pleasure he was feeling.

Sesshoumaru stayed still so as to let Kagome adjust to him while he tended to the mark he made on her. He licked the twin scars made by his fangs and watched as it healed instantly, leaving only small red scars. He looked into her face and saw that her eyes were closed tightly and her jaw clenched. It took a few minutes before the tension left her body and she was able to open her eyes. Then she moved against him and all thoughts fled from him as he felt the pressure building up inside him.

He let go of his control and gave himself to a dance as old as time itself with the woman who had responded to him completely.

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Outside in the banquet, InuTaisho and the other guests heard the tell-tale howl of conquest which caused the walls of the castle to vibrate. It was evident in the long drawn out howl of Sesshoumaru and Kagome's screaming of Sesshoumaru's name that both had been satisfied and that the final ritual of the mating ceremony had been successfully done.

InuTaisho smiled and looked around. He could see Kikyou and Sango blushing furiously in a corner while Inuyasha had suspicious red tints on his cheeks. The other taiyoukai in the hall mostly wore envious and lecherous smirks in their faces. The sounds they heard were concrete evidences of the couple's mutual pleasure. And it was very rare that Sesshoumaru exhibits a lack of control such as that, further emphasizing the intensity of what happened inside.

The former lord of the Western Lands looked at the breaking of dawn outside. The sun slowly peaked at the horizon, displaying a beautiful play of orange, violet, yellow and pink hues. He smiled at the guests. "I suggest we rest," he said at the room at large. "It seems like they would not be joining us for a while."

There was a chorus of amused agreements before the guests dispersed to their assigned chambers.

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Sesshoumaru awoke with the sun shining down on his face. He opened his eyes and glanced outside. Judging by the position of the sun, it was nearing luncheon. He looked down at the female snuggled to his right side. There was a smile on her lips as she wriggled a little closer to him. He surveyed her and looked for the distinct changes in her that would be caused by his blood mixing with hers.

The most obvious change was the two slivers of silver highlights in her hair on the opposite side of her face. There were also magenta markings at her wrists, ankles, thighs and arms. And on her upper right breast was a crescent mark identical to the one on his forehead. He traced the crescent mark and felt her move restlessly. Her eyes slowly opened to reveal that her clear blue eyes now had amber lining around her pupils.

"Good morning," Kagome whispered hoarsely as she smiled up at him.

He nodded. "How are you feeling?" he asked, genuinely worried. He could not forget her soft cries when he had finally made her his own.

Sesshoumaru watched as she stretched leisurely. "Pretty sore, but good," she said with a soft purr at the end. She suddenly blushed as the memories of the events rushed back with a vengeance. Kagome averted her eyes as she blushed more and more, the red hue spreading down to her neck.

He could not help his amusement and he felt his chest rumble in a silent chuckle at her discomfort and embarrassment. He knew she could feel this but did not mind. He looked down to see her smiling up at him shyly, her small hand resting against his chest. It was such a small appendage but it brought back the pleasure it gave him moments before.

"Come, the newly mated must make an appearance," he said to cover the perplexing feelings he was having as he looked at her with such a warm smile on her beautiful face.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," she said shyly. She began to stand up with the blanket with difficulty. She smiled sheepishly at him. "Could I, ah, ask for Hitomi's help? I wasn't joking when I said I was sore."

Sesshoumaru nodded and put on a robe to fetch his mate's lady-in-waiting.

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Kagome had put on the flimsy robe from the ceremony the night before to await Hitomi when the shoji door slid open slowly. Her eyes strayed to the door and were met by a blushing Sango, a leering Kimiko, a composed Kikyou and a smiling Hitomi. She could not help but blush as the memories of the event a few moments ago came back to her. She averted her eyes from their knowing looks and busied herself with the silver highlights on her hair.

Her eyes widened as she looked at the sliver of silver hair she was twirling around her fingers as she finally noticed the different color. "My hair has silver highlights," she said with awe and confusion, trying to absorb the realization. She looked up at Kimiko who had flounced inside and sat beside her on the futon.

"And that's not the only thing that's different with you," Kimiko said, smiling softly. She took her hand and turned her wrists to reveal the magenta markings that she had overlooked while absently putting on the kimono.

"Oh," she quietly gasped out as she stared at the foreign markings. "Do I also have markings on my face?"

Kikyou walked over and smiled. "No," she said simply. "But there are other marks on your body. And there is a slight difference in your eyes."

Sango approached, her embarrassment vanishing. "I wonder where your mating mark is," she said curiously. "Usually, mating marks are placed on the junction between the right shoulder and neck. But I don't see it. Where did Sesshoumaru place his mating mark?"

"You mean these markings are not the mating mark?" Kagome asked. "And what's different with my eyes?"

"Your usually clear blue eyes have amber linings around the pupil," Hitomi said fondly. "I think your eyesight improved greatly. It would be nowhere near the eyesight of a youkai but it would be far sharper than the ordinary human. Same goes with your other senses. And yes, the mating mark is different from the magenta markings on your body."

Kagome did an experimental sniff. She grinned. "Hey, you're right," she said happily. "But I'm not turning into a youkai, am I?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course not," Kikyou said. "But since Sesshoumaru's ki and yours had merged and he had given you a small amount of his blood, some of his markings are now visible in your body. And some of his youkai abilities are now given to you."

"So, where is your mating mark?" Kimiko asked with a glint in her eyes.

She looked up curiously at their expecting expressions. "Er… I don't know…" she trailed off. "How does a youkai place a mating mark on his mate?" She thought back hard, thinking back to a time when Sesshoumaru placed something on her. Kagome ended up looking more confused since Sesshoumaru's hands had been all over her. It was really difficult to think back to a very specific part where he could have placed the mating mark, whatever it is.

Sango sighed exasperatedly. "I think you were not listening to one of our lessons about youkai," she began reprimanding.

Kagome smiled sheepishly. "Maybe I was distracted, hehe," she said.

"A youkai marks his mate by biting into her flesh and drinking her blood," Sango said. "And he allows his blood to mix with hers through the bite. So, the mark would probably look like the crescent moon on his forehead."

Kagome reddened as she thought of where Sesshoumaru bit her. She took a peak at her upper right breast. And there it was, the crescent mark. She blushed and let the others look at the mating mark.

Kimiko giggled. "No, after last night, even the other taiyoukai would not dare say that Sesshoumaru is as cold as an icicle," she said, amusement dripping in every syllable. Soon, she was laughing at Kagome's embarrassment.

Hitomi joined in the laughter. "No, Lord Sesshoumaru is definitely not a walking icicle," she said in between laughter.

"We better get you ready," Kikyou said, trying to hide her amusement at Kagome's discomfort. "The guests had been waiting for a while now, but don't worry; they understand that you need your rest."

Kagome turned beet red and glared at the others in the room. "You are not a very good influence on my twin," she declared, much to the others' laughter.

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Sesshoumaru waited until the four ladies had passed by the hot spring he was currently bathing in before he decided to go back to their chambers. They definitely took long enough, probably pestered Kagome for details.

He heard snippets of their conversation as they walked passed to go back to the audience chambers where all the others awaited their appearance. Sesshoumaru was quite amused with the giggles he heard from the four. Their comments on his howl and Kagome's scream had brought about an involuntary chuckle from him. When he was sure that they were already out-of-sight of the indoor hot spring, he had stood up to go back to their chambers.

He had purposely given Kagome time and privacy since he knew she would still be a bit confused with everything that had happened. She is a strong woman but she is also young. Having her friends around her to help her cope with the fast pace of what had happened is something that even he could understand despite his independence.

As he neared the chambers located at the western-most part of the palace, he could hear Kagome humming to herself. He approached a set of shoji doors and briefly admired the plum blossoms adorning the thin screen. The light gave life to a lithe shadow on the translucent screen. He slid open the shoji doors; he saw Kagome in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection critically. Her face was merely a hair's breadth away from the mirror as she inspected her eyes. She was narrowing it and widening it repeatedly in a manner that brought tears to her eyes. He would have laughed at the sight of it if not for the fact that he was not really one to laugh.

After a few moments, she then turned to her wrists. He watched as she traced the magenta markings, as if expecting it to be of a different texture than other parts of her skin. She pursed her lips as she prodded the markings with her blunt fingers and then pinching it.

"Ow," she muttered as the pinch stung.

The young demon lord could not help but smile at the innocent way that she was exploring the changes in herself. He strolled leisurely towards her. Sesshoumaru's amusement increased as he realized that Kagome was now examining the mating mark and that she was too engrossed at what she was doing to notice that he was back in the room with her. He stopped behind her and cleared his throat.

"Eep!" Kagome exclaimed as she jumped up to face him, her right hand clutching at her chest. "You scared me!"

Sesshoumaru merely raised his eyebrow as he surveyed her mate. She was wearing a dark green kimono with small yellow flowers at the bottom and a light green obi. Her hair fell freely on her back in soft waves. She looked simple yet so elegant. The neckline of the kimono was low and open, exposing the mating mark.

"You were examining the markings," he stated flatly as he went to retrieve his garments. He chose his usual white ensemble but with dark green leaves as the design. Without even pausing, he removed his robe and proceeded to dress in front of his mate.

It amused him how she blushed and averted her eyes. Yet, her eyes would stray once in a while to peek at him.

"Uhm, I," Kagome stammered as she twisted the fan in her hand. "I'm just not used to these markings on me. And I wondered if it would feel… er… different…" she trailed off as she gulped nervously.

Sesshoumaru nodded and pretended not to notice Kagome's discomfort. He dressed more slowly. He could feel his body reacting to the way she was looking at him and he could smell her arousal at the sight of him. "The markings are not different from the other parts of your skin except in color," he explained. "It distinguishes you as part of the House of the Moon."

"I thought that was the role of the mating mark," Kagome asked, confusion evident on her beautiful face.

"No," Sesshoumaru answered as he secured the fur pelt. "The mating mark distinguishes you as the mate of the Lord of the Western Lands. It connects us."

"Oh, I see," she said as she nodded, her finger caressing the mark unconsciously.

Sesshoumaru could not help but follow the path of her finger. He wondered if she knew how much that simple action was doing to him. After a few moments of silence, Kagome still caressing the mark with a thoughtful look, it became more evident to Sesshoumaru that she was unaware of what was going on in his mind. He mentally shook himself and cleared his throat. "It is time to make our appearance," he said casually.

Kagome nodded and walked gracefully towards him with a smile on her face.

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InuTaisho amused himself with the buzz of conversation around him as he waited for Kagome and Sesshoumaru to appear. Mostly, the conversations were about speculations on Sesshoumaru's howl and Kagome's scream. He observed the four women who were summoned by Sesshoumaru's guard a little before luncheon. They had been giggling and exchanging knowing glances ever since they came back from the couple's chambers.

Youkai are passionate by nature, especially the taiyoukai. They flaunt their sensuality and beauty. They are not embarrassed with the topic or the act of mating. Sesshoumaru had been an oddity among them all. Despite the rumors of his mating prowess circulated by the many female youkai he had bedded discretely, he had been a mystery when it came to this particular topic. Many had commented on his skills but none had been able to successfully say that they had seen evidence that he was pleasured in return. And Sesshoumaru never talked about, nor even insinuated, anything about that particular topic.

With these rumors, the youkai population had concluded that Sesshoumaru was indeed a cold calculated demon that is incapable of feeling but what they heard had contradicted this belief. InuTaisho was glad of that fact. Sesshoumaru losing control was a very good indication of his son's capability to feel. So, the talk of how a human was able to elicit such a reaction from the coldest demon in the land had commenced. Yes, Kagome is one very rare creature and the mystery that surrounded the small yet powerful human female had increased. The taiyoukai court had been curious about her but the events that had happened, especially her ability to make Sesshoumaru lose his famed control, had increased their intrigue.

His musings were cut short by the announcement that the Lord and his new Lady was about to enter the audience chamber. He looked expectantly as the chamber doors opened to reveal Kagome standing with her head raised beside Sesshoumaru. She looked every bit the lady that she was.

As they walked regally towards him, he heard snippets of conversations. His eyes strayed to Kagome's upper right breast which was exposed. His eyes sparkled in amusement, as the evidence of the stray rumor was right before his eyes. It was a little unconventional that the mating mark be placed there. It was usually around the shoulder or neck. He smirked. By this time, all thoughts of Sesshoumaru being cold and unfeeling would be gone.

Finally, the newly mated couple was standing in front of him. Sesshoumaru wore his usual emotionless mask as he looked back defiantly at his amused expression while Kagome's cheeks were pink as she looked down to her mating mark.

"Unconventional," InuTaisho remarked to Sesshoumaru.

"For an unconventional female," Sesshoumaru answered simply, to which InuTaisho had replied with a nod and a smirk.

Kagome peaked up at her mate and smiled at the comment.

"You do realize that she would now be expected to wear garments that would allow the mating mark to be visible," Lord Shitare interjected, his amusement evident.

Sesshoumaru looked at the Lord of the South. "Only in court," he replied tersely.

Lord Onoshi smirked. "I imagine most of the taiyoukai court would then be looking forward to the gatherings," he said in amusement.

"I would be expected to wear clothes like these?" Kagome asked, horrified.

"Of course, dear lady," Lord Kigami said. "When a youkai couple attends affairs with many youkai in attendance, the Lady is expected to show her mating mark. Hiding the mark is like giving permission to the other ladies in attendance to go after your mate."

InuTaisho was surprised to hear a soft growl from Kagome. He looked into her eyes and saw that the amber lining around her pupils briefly turned red before it went back to its molten gold color.

"I don't share what's mine," she said coldly.

He observed Sesshoumaru's reaction and saw the brief flash of surprise in his eyes before he was able to hide it.

"Do not worry, Little One," he pacified Kagome. "Inuyoukai mate for life. We are fiercely loyal and faithful to our mates."

"And we see that you are too," Lord Shitare said. "Sesshoumaru is really lucky to have such a loyal mate."

Kagome bowed regally. "You give me great honor," she said with a smile as she was pacified by InuTaisho's statement.

InuTaisho observed this all with a smile. Indeed, Sesshoumaru is very lucky to have Kagome as mate.

End chapter