Tainted Affections

Chapter 7

Sealed Fate

A/N: Sorry it's taken a little bit for me to post the next chapter! This is what happens when friends get you into a new game… *sigh* Sorries! I will try to be more diligent in writing *bows*

Disclaimer: Me no own Inuyasha ,

A fire burned in her throat, spreading through her body. It hurt badly. Kagome was caught on the verge of consciousness, but never quite crossed the line. Her body ached, much the way it would had she been hit by a car. It seemed like ages before she gained consciousness, but by then, she wished she hadn't. The pain grew too great for her to handle, and she began whimpering.

That was when she noted the presence beside her. She opened her eyes, expecting it to be Aiko. Kagome was shocked to see Naraku leaning against the wall by her bed.

Naraku had stayed by her bedside through the time she shad lost consciousness. After he had marked her, he didn't know what to expect. No youkai or hanyou alike had ever dared to mark a ningen let alone a miko. The mating process was rigorous already without having a mortal woman go through it. Already Kagome was in terrible agony- and this was only the beginning. Her pure blood was likely attempting to reject the venom transferred from him to her.

He shouldn't be caring as much as he did. He had taken the woman for sheer pleasure. But somehow… he cared more than he'd like to let on. This event had complicated things. He shouldn't have allowed himself to loose control. Now, should she survive, she would be bound to him for as long as they lived. He had much to think on.

When he noticed the quiet sounds of pain coming from the girl beside him, he turned to her. She was looking in slight shock at him. She had tears forming in her eyes, giving them a misty look. She turned her head again to look straight up, raising her hands to grip the sides of her face, fingertips sinking into her hair. The tears were falling down, slipping between her hands and cheeks. She was clenching her teeth as she cried in her pain.

She couldn't take the aching in her body. Her body wouldn't listen to her. She didn't want to show her pain to the hanyou beside her, but couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. She wanted it to stop. How could she make it go away?

Her hands released her face as she haphazardly wiped at the wetness coming from her closed eyes, only succeeding at smearing it rather than drying her face. Her hands remained over her eyes as her body shook with repressed sobs.

What seemed like hours passed, though in reality not even been an hour. The burning pain had ebbed to a dull ache. Not bothering to even attempt to wipe at her face, she turned to Naraku, looking for an explanation.

"What is happening to me?" she asked, her voice wavering.

Naraku silently debated how he was going to answer her. A moment later he answered simply, "I claimed you."

Kagome looked blankly at him. She was confused. What did he mean by 'he claimed her'? She asked as much.

"When we mated, I laid my mark of claim on you." He pointed at a spot on his neck. Frowning, she touched the same spot on her neck and a wave of pain shot through her. She cringed at the unexpected sensation and removed her hand. Inside, Kagome was panicking. What did it all mean? As if reading her thoughts, Naraku elaborated, "When a youkai or hanyou mates, they mark their partner. It's a way of binding them to one another. When the mating is consensual, the partner will place their mark as well."

"What happens when the partner is ningen?" she asked, almost not wanting an answer.

"I'm not sure. It's never happened before. Even should a youkai mate a ningen, they never place their mark on them. To do so is taboo. The marking process is dangerous enough between youkai, let alone it being done to a ningen.

"The demon, usually a male, initiates by biting the other's neck- a common mark placement. When they bite, a venom of sorts is released into the wound. This is what makes it different from simply being a flesh wound. The venom is the reason why mating is a difficult process. More often then not a couple will not mark each other.

"Marking a mate is not the only way to bind each other however. There are also ceremonies youkai attend in order to make their mating 'official'. The process of marking is simply the traditional way to bind- and the most powerful. To mark is permanent. It cannot be undone."

Kagome took in the information. The added information only fueled her panic. What was she going to do? What was going to happen now? How was she going to face Inuyasha? In a moment's weakness and lust, she had ruined everything. She should never have come to this place. Kagome had tempted a devil and was going to pay for it.

In that moment, the pain decided to make itself noticed once more- tenfold. It was unlike any pain she felt before. The fiery aches she had experienced before seemed like a paper cut to her now. Her body tensed before she curled up on her side and let out a blood-curdling scream. Her vocalization scratched at her throat and made the sound break. Tears poured from her eyes once more and soon she lost consciousness.

Naraku's gaze was locked on the miko. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He couldn't simply let her suffer this way. Had it been any other, he would have relished in the agony he had caused- but not her. His demon had claimed her for a reason.

He left the room and went to find a solution. There had to be something out there to ease this process. Naraku headed down one of the many hallways. There was only one being that would know how to rectify this. He would find the answer- at all cost.

He had Kanna show him where the demon was that would know the answer. When he got the location, he dispatched one of his clones to confront the youkai.

There was a demon that was widely known for his vast knowledge. If there were anyone that would have the answer… it was Totosai.

Totosai was forging a sword when he sensed a demonic presence. Putting his hammer aside, he greeted his visitor. Knowing full well that said visitor was none other than the evil hanyou, he wasn't entirely receptive.

"Naraku. What brings you to my domain?" he asked in his gruff voice.

Naraku silently sneered at the old youkai. "I am in need of your service, Totosai-san."

"Hmmm…" Totosai hesitated. "What is it that I could provide that would be of use to you, Naraku? If you're looking for me to make a sword for you, you would be wasting your time. My forging skills are not going to be wielded for the likes of you."

Naraku inwardly snarled at the old man's insolence. Keeping a pleasant air about him he instead replied with a chuckle. "I have no need for your armory skills. What I seek is information."

Totosai regarded him warily. "What is it that you wish to know?"

Naraku smirked behind his baboon pelt. "In the case of a youkai mating, what can be done with the pain the partner goes through? Is there some remedy?"

Totosai looked baffled at him. Did he say a youkai mating? Perhaps he had bedded the wind sorceress. He thought for a few seconds, going through his inventory of information. "In the event of a strenuous mating process, it is best to make your partner drink a special tonic. This should ease the pain. Who is it that you are mating with?"

Naraku couldn't give the specifics. Instead he replied by saying: "A ningen"

Totosai's eyes bulged out farther than normal though he kept silent. He quickly turned and fished a small vial from his inventory. He had received it centuries ago. He never had a reason to use it, yet he gave it to this evil being. World threat or no, the ningen involved in this didn't deserve to suffer as much as she likely was going to.

"This is the tonic of which I spoke of. It should be enough to help her through this. Have the poor girl talk a drop every hour for three days. This should be sufficient. Have her take it with herbal tea. She must keep fluids in her else she will dehydrate."

Naraku held the small intricately designed vial in the palm of his hand. It was smaller than his thumb. He nodded to the old youkai and headed back to his palace. The real Naraku took the tonic from his clone and destroyed him. He made his way back to Kagome where he would attempt to wake her.

The task was harder than he had expected it to be. When she finally woke up, she looked like hell. Her cheeks were dangerously flushed and clammy, her eyes slightly glazed over. He had prepared the tea for her previously. Naraku took her head in his hands, tilted it back and pulled down on her chin to make her open her mouth. He then took out the vial and tilted it so that a drop of the tonic went onto her tongue. Placing the tea in her hand, he allowed Kagome to drink the slightly cooled tea. Immediately after she finished, she collapsed back onto the bed, going into a deep slumber.

As she lay unconscious, Naraku noted the drastic changes. Before her breathing had been labored and harsh, her body had thrashed in response to the pain she had felt. Now, her breathing was amazingly relaxed. Her thrashing had stopped and in its stead, she had partially curled as she breathed deeply in relief.

Naraku felt relieved in a way. The miko was no longer suffering. He would have to wait and see how this would all play out. He took his former position against the wall, waiting to wake her in an hour so that he could repeat the process.

A/N: OK! Another chapter DONE! Please be sure to write a review and let me know what you think! I am always open to suggestions and constructive criticism. If you just want to tell me it was good, do that too! Nothing is better to me than to hear from all of you! 3