Birth Rite chapter 23

" I can't. What if I take to much? I can't risk your life Miroku. I can't." Kagome breathed, her weakness barely leaving her the strength for speech. " What of Sango...?"

Sango turned her head toward them, her hands still busy searching. " If you don't start making yourself better this instant Kagome, I swear to God that when we get out of this, I'll kick your ass into next Sunday! "

Sango growled. " You're my sister, my pack. If you won't take from Miroku, you'll take from me!" Moving to crawl back toward them, Sango was stopped by the wave of Miroku's hand. Smiling at his determination, and knowing that Miroku often got what he wanted, she turned her attention back to finding the others.

Swearing under his breath , Miroku reached between them using his claw to create an open wound at the base of his neck.

" We'll both die of blood loss if you don't feed, Kagome. I won't let you die. Inuyasha needs you, I need you. Damn it Kagome, we LOVE you...all of us. Feed DAMN IT!"

His blood smelled so sweet, its metallic scent calling to her need. " I will see things, Miroku, know things I shouldn't. " She hesitated, her eyes trying to bring him into focus.

" If you're worried about seeing intimate details of my life...don't be. You might be impressed. "

He was joking, she could hear it in the softness of his voice, and she smiled when he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

" You're saliva will heal the wound. Don't worry for me Kagome, I trust you."

She smiled, her head falling forward, her tongue touching his wound just before her mouth closed over him. His blood was like a shock wave to her system, foreign and powerful, his own mate mark burning bright against her closed eyes. She'd only taken blood from Inuyasha, and to be in this position with another male was awkward, and uncomfortable.

Memories surged past her, images of hands stroking warm flesh. She heard hushed words of love whisper past her ears, words that were said to Sango- Miroku's words.

She saw the moment Miroku had marked Sango as his own, heard their declarations of love as one by one Miroku's most recent memories flooded her mind.

She could feel his heart flutter, could hear his blood slowing. She pulled away from him, her body still needing more, yet knowing if she took it from him- he'd die.

" You need more. I can hear it in the slow beat of your heart. " Miroku whispered, his body trying to recover.

" Find the others Miroku. We have to find the others. " Kagome whispered, her hand reaching to cup his cheek. " Thank you." she murmured before turning and moving away from him and searching again for Inuyasha and the others.

They moved through the debris, each searching for someone, anyone.

Miroku laughed suddenly, his hands uncovering the dirty white of Sesshomaru's shirt. An angry growl resonated around them as Sesshomaru moved, his body bringing Rin's up with him.

Something stirring to the left caught Kagome's attention, and she smiled when Shippo and Kirara made their way through the dirt, their bodies closer to the rocks at the side of the cave.

Kagome dug frantically. Where was Inuyasha! Distantly she could hear Miroku telling Sessomaru the details of her blood loss. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Sango cradling Rin's head in her lap, Sesshomaru busy checking her for new injuries. Miroku was kneeling beside them. Shippo and Kirara were digging further back in the cave, and she smiled softly despite her fear.

A wave of nausea surged through her, and Kagome fell forward, her blurred vision and lack of strength causing her to misjudge the distance between her hand and the debris she was digging through. Her gasp of surprise echoed around them when someone caught her. Her vision swirled, spots of black and white fighting for dominance. She felt herself drawn up against a rigid chest, and her emotions broke. Sessomaru's body was hard and unforgiving, though the care he handled her with belied a tenderness which he rarely displayed publicly.

Kagome allowed him to hold her, felt him press her head against his shoulder as he rocked her gently. Sessomaru frowned, her sobs wracking through his body, her tears wetting his chest through the dirty white shirt he wore.

" I can't find him...Sess. I can't find Inuyasha..." Kagome sobbed, her fist twisting into the front of his shirt. " I can't find him."

" He's here, Kagome. He's strong, and we will find him. But first you need to feed again. You are still weak." Sessomaru murmured, his hand reaching to push her hair from her face, his eyes narrowing at just how pale she was.

" There's no time!" Kagome hissed, her hands raising to push herself away from his hold. " He could be running out of air! We have to..."

She gasped when Sesshomaru pulled her up by her arms to look into her tear filled eyes.

" You will feed, and you will do it now. You are no good to Inuyasha half dead. Miroku and the others are still searching. A few moments to feed will hardly make a difference when others are already looking for him."

" But." Kagome snapped her mouth shut at the glare she received from her eldest brother. Sessomaru was right. Inuyasha could be hurt, and she needed to be strong for the both of them.

" I will see..." Kagome stuttered before being cut off by a less than friendly growl.

" I care not what you see. I have nothing to be ashamed of. " Sesshomaru growled, his hand pushing hers toward his exposed throat, his claw opening a shallow cut in his skin.

Closing her eyes, Kagome listened to the steady beat of Sesshomaru's heart. Opening her mouth, she closed it over his flesh, felt his shoulders stiffen at the brush of her teeth against his skin. Metallic warmth flooded her mouth, coating her tongue before falling down her throat and into her blood starved body. His power surged through her, and she could feel her energy beginning to build.

His memories raged through her mind; images of the club, visuals of Rin's blushing face beneath the stairway - heated feelings, private moments. His memories shifted until Kagome could see him standing before Rin, his hands carefully undoing the buttons of her dress, Rin's face looking up at him filled with unconditional love; Rin's clothing slid from her shoulders.

Brief images replayed through Kagome's mind: hesitant caresses amid more experienced touches; dark brown hair splashed with a mix of silver- like darkened land brushed with the rays of a silver moon, both blending and receding, and meeting again in a silent dance.

Kagome pulled away then.

" You need more." It wasn't a statement Sessomaru expected her to argue with, but his head, and hers jerked up when Inuyasha's soft moan erupted somewhere to their left.

" Inuyasha!" She was gone from Sessomaru's embrace in a scurry of limbs, her hands tearing through the dirt and rock holding Inuyasha prisoner.

In seconds Miroku and Sesshomaru were at her side. She nearly became hysterical when Sesshomaru reached through the soil bringing Inuyasha up with him, his hand curled around the front of Inuyasha's shirt.

Inuyasha coughed softly as his body was drug, none to gently, from the impromptu grave he'd found himself in.

His first thought was of Kagome, and in an instant he pushed away from Sesshomaru and was on his feet, his head slamming into the rock ceiling above them. " Kagome!"

" We have to find..." Inuyasha started, his heart stopping in his chest when his nose filled with the lingering scent of Kagome's blood.

" Inuyasha!"

He stumbled backward when something pushed into his embrace, arms wrapping themselves securely around his neck, soft lips pressed hard against his own.

It only took a moment for his body to recognize hers. His arms closed around his mate, crushing her body to his. He kissed her in return, his tongue delving deep into the sweet recesses of her mouth.

Pulling away from her, Inuyasha tried desperately to speak between the kisses that were being scattered over his face and mouth.

" I thought ...you were..gone. Naraku? How did you?"

" She can explain the details later. Right now Kagome needs to feed again. "

Sessomaru's voice came from behind them, and Inuyasha found himself rather confused, until he remembered the scent of her blood.

" Again..."

" What happened?" Inuyasha growled, his eyes searching his mate's body, a growl escaping him when his eyes pinpointed the sealed wound at her throat. That was a mortal injury. She could have died!

" Who did this to you?" Inuyasha hissed, his hand raising to trace the damage done to her once flawless neck and arms. .

Kagome hesitated knowing he'd be angry when she told him.

" WHO Kagome!"

" It was the only way I could get away from Naraku. I led him away from the caves, then scattered some energy so he'd be hunting for me while I returned here. I had to find you...I had to. " Kagome whispered, her ears ringing from the startled gasps and angry growls resonating around her.

" You did this to yourself? Kagome, you could have died! How could you be so stupid?" Inuyasha hissed, the other members of their pack circling them.

" I would rather have died, then to have lived even a moment without you...without all of you." Kagome whispered, her eyes filling with tears. " It was worth the risk. I could have bled to death, but I'd have died right here with my family. But I found Miroku, and he closed the wound. He and Sessomaru gave me their blood. I feel better. I'll be all right. Now that I have you back, I'll be all right!"

Inuyasha pulled her close, his head falling to her shoulder, his nose buried in the comforting scent of her hair. He shivered when her tongue caressed his skin, and unconsciously moved his head to the side to allow her the access she needed. He knew he should be angry, jealous even that his mate had taken sustenance from other males, but those males were pack. Oddly enough he was all right with that, as long as it never had to happen again.

He shuddered when her teeth sank into him, his body surging with excitement although this was hardly the time or the place for a quick roll in the hay.

He wasn't expecting it when she jerked away from him, her breath hissing through clenched teeth. Her aura spiked, and his eyes widened at the sheer power that radiated within it.

" He knows. He's coming back!"

Her voice had a far-off quality to it, and Inuyasha could feel his inner demon rising in response to hers.

" Lets get out of here. We have some unfinished business to deal with." Kagome hissed smiling gently when she felt her pack's excitement rising. She could feel the moment Miroku, Sango and even Rin shifted, Shippo and Kirara following shortly after. She turned slightly, her aura beginning to sizzle as her energy built.

They could hear the Earth around them groaning in response to her fury, and from somewhere deep within, she conjured a barrier to protect them from anymore falling debris. Something foreign whispered through her mind, and her body responded instantly, ancient instinct guiding her power.

Closing her eyes, Kagome redirected her building energy toward the back of the cave, and with a resounding crash they watched the Earth in front of them shatter.

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I am sorry this took so long to post. I had planned to put it up Christmas morning, but unexpected company derailed that intention, and then I decided to add to it though I didn't have the time to add each extra piece I wanted. After that it has been so busy that today is all I have had to even glance at the computer. This chapter has not been edited since the changes I made , so please forgive the mistakes. I wanted to revise it, but life got in the way, and is still in the way so I am posting it as it is. I'll try to edit all later since I promised to post it so long ago and didn't get it done. Please forgive me? Hopefully there aren't to many mistakes.

Thanks to all who reviewed! I just through read each one and am thrilled to still have you with me, though I have noticed I am missing a lot of others. I hope you are all well, and that I will get to hear from you all soon. Believe it or not- I DO notice when you're gone.

Anywho- I will be starting the next chapter soon, as well as starting a new story though I expect it will be awhile before I start posting it. I need to finish this one first as I barely have time for it. I don't think there'll be many more chapters left on Birth Rite though. I am beginning to feel like it has been drawn out far to long, and the loss of many of my other reviewers continues to worry me. I am thrilled though that so many of you are still with me. It aways amazes me that you all stick with me even though my updates are more erratic than ever. Favs and author alerts are way up as well, but it seems that even though those are climbing, the reviews are dropping and I am unsure why.

Anyway- hope you enjoy, and please, don't hesitate to let me know. I'd LOVE to hear from you all again..

Neisha