Hi, beloved readers! xD

I hope you're faring well. This time I could not be here to update in a week, but I think that nearly fifteen days is not too bad either. So, I hope you like this installment: To tame a demon.

Bold means his inner demon talking.

Italic means he is talking to his inner demon (depends on the context, but you'll get it xD)

Disclaimer: Takahashi owns InuYasha, I own this plot and some of the OC mentioned here.

Warnings: Smut, a bit more descriptive in this chapter and OOCness.

Happy reading!

Mating Policies

VI – To tame a Demon

The moon was slowly vanishing in the sky when Sesshomaru leaned against the threshold, his back bare and full of scratches.

As the lusty fog gradually left his body, he could see everything more clearly. What happened should not have happened. Absolutely not. He did not only break his promise, but he put her in danger as well.

You do not want this… He said back then, and he was right. At least, if she was not so stupidly in love with him, she would have wanted him to be far away from her.

Sesshomaru touched the mark that now graced the junction between his shoulder and neck — his inner demon growled in utter delight. The beast could not have been prouder of Rin — and it took him less than a second to notice he was still bleeding and unable to heal properly.

If he was not mistaken, it would take the end of full moon for him to come back to his usual strength and healing powers. For now, his remaining energy should be focused on protecting her and — as much as the very idea both revolted and disgusted him, his demon was in total agreement with this part of the mating process — having her pupped.

He looked at her sleeping form over his shoulder. Hopefully, she was not pregnant yet. And if it depended on him, she would not be so soon. His demon growled in warning at him. If he decided to back away from his duties as a mate, he would simply not hesitate to take over again.

The mating ceremony was still a fogged occurrence in his mind. He knew what happened; he was there, yet, he was not the one controlling his body. When she buried him inside of her, he lost it all. He saw what took place between them, he saw himself marking her permanently and he saw her marking him, even if he could do absolutely nothing to stop it. He felt the knot taking place when he spilled himself in her.

It was a shame really, but he could not help but get hard all over again as he thought about her body under his and how she responded to his very touch. How she buried her nails deep inside his back as they rode together the waves of a pleasure so supreme he had never experienced before with any other being.

Perhaps it was because of the mark — temporary or not, it messed with both of them —, or because… he set his lips in a straight line, or because he already loved her.

I love you.

As he looked at her sleeping peacefully in the hanare room, her otherwise nude frame covered by his kosode, he realized that he was probably the one to have said those words in her mind. And even if it seemed unlike that he would whisper such tacky confession, it was not akin to his demon to do it without his consent.

…I love you...

When did the human girl become more than a travelling companion to him and instead became the center of his world?

He knelt beside her, his clawed hands touching her delicate face leisurely, as if memorizing her traces before she could wake up.

…I love you…

However, what worried Sesshomaru right now, was not the nature of his feelings for her — he was quite aware he could not run from them anymore, not after he both marked and was marked by her —, but the fact that unison could have created a new life inside of her.

Um, I was wondering Lord Sesshomaru. If I died one day, I was wondering... Would you always remember me?

The more powerful the demon, the harder was the pregnancy and eventually the process of giving birth as well — he heard once or twice how difficult it was already for human females impregnated by human males, what about one knocked up by a daiyokai? He would simply not jeopardize her safety because he needed an heir; because his demon could not control himself and wanted her pupped.

Nothing could ever be worth the cost of Rin's life. Nothing at all!

Pathetic.

Back down, he warned in a low growl. He was simply not hurting her because of baser instincts.

You worry for nothing. Mate is stronger than she looks.

His demon was right in one point: Rin was stronger than any other human he had ever met met. She had overcome so much in her young life. However, he could never know for sure and he was not going to risk her safety… was he?

It does not matter. I am not putting her in danger because of you.

There was a low chuckle, which both angered and stunned Sesshomaru. His inner demon was not too prone to mock him, but sometimes he just resembled his own mother so much.

Good luck keeping away from mate then.

His reply made Sesshomaru growl low in his chest. He knew it not only to be impossible — the mating bond made it hard, painful even, to deny the mate anything —, but also far from what he desired.

Sesshomaru wet his dry lips as she moved in the futon and he got a glimpse of her creamy breast. He was so hard, he ached at the mere thought of her. If not for the low chuckle inside of him, waking him up from his hazy, he would have lost himself to his baser instincts, wake her up and make sweet love to her as he so wished to.

Needed to.

You are a huge hypocritical, Sesshomaru. You can even try, but you cannot keep us away from mate for too long.

And about that his demon was just right. It would pain him very much, but he would try.

This Sesshomaru will not let himself be tamed so easily.

#

Hazy, chocolate eyes fluttered open just to close afterwards with a small hiss. The sun hit the mirror in the room and reached her orbs with a blinding reflection.

Slowly, she placed her hand on her face and opened her eyes once again. She took her time to get used to the illuminated space and sit down on the futon.

It took Rin little time to realize she was in the hanare room, not in the onsen anymore. The mere remembrance set her whole face in flames — not to mention the rest of her body. She did not know how much she slept, but it was quite clear it was a new day.

Flashes from the last day resurfaced in her mind. Of her Lord in denial, of them in those sensual moments, of her resolution and ultimately… she gulped, of their mating. Subconsciously, her hand shot to the junction between her shoulder and neck, but before she could touch the permanent mark, a low growl made her freeze.

"Oh, good morning, Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered with a blush. Somehow, she did not expect to find him in the same room once she woke up. Usually, she was always alone; he always left early for his duties of the day. It was a surprise then, to find him not only in the same space, but sitting next to the shōji doors, his upper body nude and his back turned to her.

A gasp left her lips as she noticed the scratches not healed gracing his otherwise perfect skin.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

There was no answer from his part as he continued to stare at nothing. He straightened his back as her light steps approached him. He did not need to look at her to know she was outstretching her hand to touch him, to check if he was well.

"This Sesshomaru is fine," he replied to her unspoken question, still unable to face her. Her scent assaulted his nostrils and he could not help but hum in approval. There was something unique about her usually sweet scent mixed with his that nearly made him lose it all.

He closed his still golden eyes before they could get red — lust filled red — and hissed to himself, inside his mind, to his insatiable demon that wanted more of her.

Stay still.

Rin blinked at his words. But she was still — if not stilled in place, at least she was not moving, not so fast at least. Anyways, why did he want her to stay still? Why did he want her to stay away when he was clearly hurt?

She outstretched her hand once again, completely ignoring his warning, only to have her wrist snatched away and her body placed under his in a movement that had her seeing black for a second.

With eyes almost thoroughly dominated by red, Sesshomaru stared at her before closing his lids.

Stay still.

She gasped.

"B-But… You are not healing, Sesshomaru-sama!" Her voice was filled with worry. Hands trapped between one of his, she tried to break free and touch him.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, realization finally sinking into him. She thought that his words were directed to her, when, in fact, he was ordering his beast to remain calm; to stay where it belonged, under his strict control.

Last night — the permanent mark, the mating — only happened because he lost control of his inner demon. If not, Rin would still be only his wife and mainly — if not sadly, because he could find little reason to regret it — a virgin. And there lay the great irony of it all. He had taken her — had pleasured her — in almost every fashion he could think of before burying himself inside of her.

His finger traced slowly her plump lower lip, still bruised from his harsh treatment the night before. Her breath caught; her leg subconsciously slid over his, bringing his body closer to hers. The sweet, spicy scent of her arousal overwhelmed his senses and he could not fight a delighted growl.

"…Maru-sama?"

His eyes returned to hers, his thumb stopped on her lip, caressing it slowly. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I will not hurt you again."

With that, he let go of her and sat back against the wall. Even with his open scratches he did not hiss. He returned to his contemplative state of before, deciding how to fix his mistake.

To this point, he did not find a solution.

Rather: his demon was utterly displeased he was trying to fix something that was absolutely not fixable. There was no reason to fix something it did not consider a mistake.

In less than a minute, Rin was again in front of him, stroking his markings lovingly. Without noticing, he leaned into her touch with almost a purr of happiness.

It was ridiculous. He was ridiculous.

A great demon such as himself dominated — thoroughly, and happily so — by a ningen woman. If one of his enemies saw him closing his eyes as she scratched behind his ear and invaded his personal space so easily, they would label him as a domestic lap dog. And honestly, when was he better than one when near Rin?

As her warm lips slid on face, till they reached his own lips, and her scent made him drunk, so strongly she smelled of happiness, he placed both hands around her arms and drove her slightly apart.

"Stop it, Rin."

Eyes widened, she stared at him with both surprise and worry. He could simply not understand why she was worried about him when her life could very well be in danger.

"But you are hurt, Sesshomaru-sama."

"These are nothing…"

It was all he could reply. In fact, those scratches were nothing, even though the fact he could not — and decided not to — heal slightly bothered him. Nonetheless, he was aware that his demon was saving energy in case anything happened to his mate.

Right now, even though his rational side tried to fight it, his top concern was Rin's safety. After the long mating ceremony and so much exchanged, he would die to protect her.

Rin was his priority.

Those scratches — and that still bleeding mark in his neck — were nothing but a show of possession. He would wear it with pride.

To his demon, they were a trophy. It only showed how much of a good lover he was. To him, they were the symbol of how low he had fallen — of how much he had hurt her last night.

He would simply not hurt her anymore.

"…Maru…" Her soft voice brought him from his inner world. "Sesshomaru-sama?"

He looked at her, as if giving her permission to speak. Even though he did not notice before, he could see how close she was now; her warm breath caressing his face, her nose touching his own.

"Make love to me," she whispered against his lips, not really ashamed of her forwardness anymore. To her, it was a torture to stay away from his body, from his lips and from his hands.

I cannot, he would have answered, if not for having his mouth snatched in a powerful kiss that had him breathing harshly against her own mouth, her tongue slithering inside and touching his own; her legs straddling his lean hips. Without his consent, his traitorous hands traveled to her waist, guiding her in her movements as she pushed against his chest and made him lay down on the floor.

He did not know what overcame him, for he was absolutely not used to have a female dominating him, but he complied to her wishes. Soon, she was riding him slowly, but deeply. Her nails on his chest, buried in his flesh as she rode the waves of her own pleasure. When she clenched around him and moaned his name in that sinful abbreviation he more than adored now, he could not help but spill himself inside of her as well.

Sesshomaru threw his head back and howled.

#

"But we should—

Hideki's words were interrupted in the meeting room as soon as another howl were heard by everyone in the Compound.

Michiko narrowed her eyes; her throat was still sore and marked by InuKimi's merciless grip from the night before. Said woman was still smirking as she sat comfortably in her son's zabuton; themosthonored place in the Council.

"We should send Lady Kaoru back to her lands," she suggested in her smooth tone. This time, no smirk compromised her words. "Hopefully, Lady Rin already bears the heir of the Western Lands." Even though she was delighted, she was awfully sad for Michiko, after all she lost so soon.

Cruel Sesshomaru… Tsk, he could have let people believe the arriving girl at least had a chance. Instead, three days prior to the end of the full moon, he mated his human wife. To be honest, InuKimi did not think it was a premeditated choice — if he had a choice in this. It was clear the girl drove him mad to the point his demon dominated him and took away his choices.

Tsk… Tsk… His inner demon was proving to be smarter than his owner.

"We cannot!" Michiko sounded offended. If not for having her little secret discovered by her sister-in-law last night, she would have opposed more firmly to InuKimi's suggestion.

The mere idea of the Western Lands having as a future Lord a worthless half-breed, a filthy hanyō, drove her sick beyond belief. To be fair, she would be angry if another demoness that not her bright Lady Kaoru were to carry the heir and the future of her family.

"We should not stop so low as to accept a hanyō as the future ruler of the West."

There was silence in the room for a moment. InuKimi lazily shifted her attention to Michiko, daring her to speak another word. A small smirk took over her features as the woman pressed her lips firmly into a straight line.

"We have already discussed this matter, Michiko-sama," Hiraku spoke in a smooth voice. "It is all fruitless now. Sesshomaru-sama is mated and I highly doubt he would disregard any offspring his union with Rin-sama may bring."

No one spoke, neither to agree, nor to disagree with him. Hiraku took it upon himself to coordinate the Council in the absence of his Lord — and the clear impossibility to let it fall under Lady InuKimi or Lady Michiko's hands, given the fact how emotionally attached both were to the topic. A tired sigh — for none had slept since the howl indicated their Lord had mated the night before; everyone worried about the borders and the safety of their Lord in case of a sudden invasion — left his lips.

"Lady Kaoru came here with a single purpose," Hiraku started, in fully agreement with their Lady, "that is now out of reach."

Michiko bit her bottom lip in anger as all Elders agreed with that wretched old. She hated Hiraku and how he was always so prone to agree with InuKimi so much. If not for being weaker, she would hit the demoness till she forgot her own name.

Sadly, she has always been far more skilled with politics, instead of a sword — or her own claws for that matter. And she would hit her dear sister-in-law where it hurt the most.

"It is clear his ward will never have the necessary skills of a daiyokai's mate."

"We agreed to let InuKimi-sama train her. If our Lady says she can train the girl properly, we should have more faith in her." Another Elder spoke, making Michiko stare at him icily.

"I do agree with you," Hideki started, catching everyone off guard. Mainly his own mate. He held her hand between his and looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, as if telling her to stay quiet. "However, we should at least wait till the end of the full moon. We simply cannot risk opening our gates to let her leave, not allow anyone to just leave the Compound to escort Lady Kaoru."

InuKimi smirked at his clever words. It did not take long for the whole Council agree with him and take up in his suggestion. As much as she hated the idea of letting Lady Kaoru stay in her son's domain, she could not say Hideki was wrong. She had to agree with him.

"It is decided then," Hiraku bowed his head slightly. "Lady Kaoru leaves in the next two days."

Everyone rose to their feet in silence. InuKimi gracefully let everyone leave before walking towards the shōji doors. Even if she lost the battle in that morning, she had already won the great war. Such finding made her smirk in victory.

"Why did you stay quiet?" A familiar voice made her turn around to face her sister-in-law.

"Are you feeling better, dear?" She feigned innocence in Michiko's collapse last night. "I do hope—

"Stop it!"

Her outburst made InuKimi chuckle lightly.

"I thought you understood that we may choke in our words when we speak too much." She approached the demoness in firm, even if slow, steps. "If I were not clear, please do tell me, I certainly won't mind teaching you such a lesson twice."

With a smirk, she left a very stunned — not to mention angry — Michiko behind.

#

A low and unhappy growl left Sesshomaru's lips as he stared at Rin laying in the futon, her back nude to his appreciation.

He ran a clawed hand over her sensible skin and marveled at how she shuddered at the smallest of touches.

The word and feeling of the day was frustration. He was beyond frustrated with his lack of control. He spent the last part of the morning pleasuring his mate. Needless to mention her pleasure was his pleasure.

When she was too tired to ride him — and he discovered something about him he did not know of, it is, he loved to be ridden by her, to be dominated by her, because he enjoyed more than should be appropriate watching her taking her pleasure and controlling his own — he took it upon himself to pleasure her with his mouth and hands, till she ran out of voice and ability to cry out his name in that alluring voice of hers.

Now he concentrated on running his tongue all over her back, healing her from the scratches he imprinted on her soft and otherwise fair skin.

"Sesshomaru-sama…?"

"Yes, Rin," he acknowledged her need to speak and stopped kissing her shoulders. He did place a kiss on her mark though. It made her moan and rub her bottom shamelessly against him in need of more contact.

Sesshomaru growled, his fangs slightly elongated. Yet, he continued to shower her mark with soothing kisses.

"Do you regret mating me?"

The question came out of nowhere, she knew that, but she was also painfully aware of his hate towards humans. It did not matter he did say before she was different, that he saved her countless times, it would never change her nature, her species. She was human. Period.

Ironic, because the day before she was sure she was different and prior days, she was sure he was capable of love.

A human will never be worthy of this Sesshomaru.

Back then, her mind clouded by lust, it seemed clear such rule did not apply to her, but now… It was so ridiculous and so weak of her to be having second thoughts now, she knew — she knew it so well, it hurt —, but Rin had to ask, had to pour her mind out before it was too late.

He stopped kissing her mark and stared at her messed hair for a quite long time.

Did he?

The beast inside of him growled in warning, ready to take place. He had better choose his next words carefully. It would simply not do to hurt his mate's feelings.

Her scent was suddenly overwhelmed. There was doubt, there was fear. And there lay the great irony in his life. He wanted to be feared, he adored it even, but not when it came from Rin. Not when she never showed such feeling for him before.

He thought back about her question.

Do you regret mating me?

Did he?

Did he, really?

No.

The answer was crystal clear. He did not regret mating her. Never. Not even in a billion years, which was much more than he would survive, he was sure.

Instead of a proper answer — as she both wanted and deserved —, he kissed his mark on the junction of her shoulder and neck. A purple crescent moon graced her skin and different from his own mark, it was fully healed. He had already caused her pain enough, it would simply not do to leave her bleeding and scarred.

His nose inhaled her scent and he reveled in knowing the fear was gone, even though there was still some anxiety left. He turned her to face him, golden focused on cinnamon orbs, in an intense and meaningful stare. Fingers pressed slightly to her cheeks, caressing her warm skin and lips hovered not even millimeters apart from hers; the need to kiss her almost overpowering.

Sesshomaru could see so much admiration and faith and love and every good emotion in her orbs, he felt weak. His fingers trembled in contact with her cheekbones. He lowered himself and bestowed upon her the briefest of the kisses.

The sweetest even.

Rin's hands moved to his nude chest, drawing patterns on the firm skin, slithering to the neck, avoiding purposely the bleeding mark, and entwining the fingers in his silken hair.

When he tried to pry her lips open to slither his tongue inside and deepen the kiss, she prevented him by turning her face to the side; her eyes closed.

"Do you?"

And with that, she broke the entire magic.

He ran his nose in the extension of her face and neck, not at all pleased with the doubt resurfacing in her scent. He grabbed her chin and the demon inside of him rebelled when she hissed in slight discomfort. Yet, he paid it no mind, as he wanted her to be looking at him when the next words slipped past his lips.

Stubborn, she closed her eyes. Her heartrate picked, and the blood flowed quicker in her veins. She was nervous, there was no denying to that.

"Rin…" His deep, husky, and much warmer than he wanted, and she expected, voice forced her to open her lids, "this Sesshomaru does not recognize the word regret."

That.

Such confession — sweet and loving confession —, had her heart beating even quickly and the scent of love and adoration filled his nostrils, coupled with another smell that had him growling in delight.

His mouth took hers in an overpowering fashion, breaking past her opened lips and letting their tongues to caress the other slowly. Uncertain fingers moved from his hair to his mark, touching it almost fearfully. Even bleeding, Sesshomaru could not help the pleasurable feeling that got a grip of his entire being, making him shudder. Back stiffened, he broke apart and looked at her, eyes almost taken by red.

She gasped when fingers manipulated her nipples slowly, lightly, waking up her body to the pleasures to come. His lips followed shortly behind, his skilled tongue licking the skin of her jaw and neck, his teeth biting playfully her mark, till he got a hold of her earlobe.

Rin moaned and held onto his back for dear life. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head when his mokomoko caressed her legs and pried them apart for him to settle in and rub his hardened length against her very much sensible and wet core.

Lips captured hers lightly as he breathed out against her mouth.

"On fours, mate."

A shudder was her only response, he continued to grind against her, earning a few — and shamelessly, if he might add — moans in response.

"This Sesshomaru wants you on all fours now."

#

"I am leaving," Kaoru said to herself as another howl echoed in the Compound. "I am leaving right now."

After what she witnessed last night and what she heard for the majority of that morning, she could not stay in the Western Lands a minute longer.

She even cried — and she could begin to tell how pathetic and terribly she felt at the idea of crying for a man she felt nothing about. Except that she did.

It was not love, it was not jealousy then. It was just a greedy feeling that took root in her heart when she saw how much the Lord cared for his wife. Mate. It was such a shame that in that very moment she wanted to be in the girl's place.

She wanted to be her.

Wanted to be Rin.

To be human.

Her entire life consisted of cast-iron certainty. She knew she was born to be the Lady of the West, to give birth to the next ruler of both the Western and Southern Lands and now… Now, she was left with the bitter taste of incertitude.

What was she to him? What was she supposed to do with her life? If she was not the next Lady of the West, what was she then?

When she came to the Western Lands — no, even before; it was something she knew from heart, from the tender time of childhood — she knew she was to mate the great Lord. She had been trained for that her entire life. She had learned everything about mating policies and how to be a proper mate to Lord Sesshomaru. She had learned everything that there was to learn about him. About his desires, about his ruthlessness in killing, about his taste in woman — so she could be everything he wanted her to be — and about that human child that followed him with both his two-headed dragon and the little imp.

She learned all that because she was as his as much as he was hers.

Yet…

What she saw yesterday was no simple copulation. It was so much than that. He loved her — he loved that human.

A ningen woman that could give him no full-blooded heirs, that even with her now extended lifespan would eventually die before him and undoubtedly break his heart.

Kaoru cried because everything she had learned about him till that time was all wrong. And she cried because not because she lost him — she had never had him in the first place —, but for she knew she would never be awarded with such love.

And Kaoru's heart broke at the possibility of never being loved. She had learned so much about him and about what he may have wanted of her, she forgot to learn about herself.

"I am leaving," she said once again as she tossed everything she had inside a small bag she brought with herself.

"You cannot leave, Kaoru-sama!" Michiko interjected, entering the chamber. "You still have to—

"I am leaving all the same," she cut the older lady off; eyes red from crying.

With her heart aching for the scene before her, Michiko approached her daughter and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. She tried to soothe the girl, but it did not seem to work.

Slowly, she walked to a small zabuton and sat on it, forcing the girl to lay down on the tatami and place her head upon her lap. Even if she did not cry — for both knew how much the smell of tears irritated their sensible noses —, there was no mistake in how lost she felt.

As Michiko caressed her, running the back of her clawed hands on her cheeks, Kaoru felt the first tears leaving her orbs without consent. She had never had a mother and she did not know such a care with her father and ruler of the Southern Lands. He never had enough time for her and love and care were something she grew up without.

Only now, having seen it bestowed to the human girl and being held by the older demoness, she felt how much she wanted — needed — to be properly loved.

"There is no need to cry, Kaoru-sama…" she ran her fingers through the silver hair slowly, lovingly. As a mother would to any child in pain. "I will help you, I will help you," she whispered into her hair.

There was silence for a moment as the girl tried to quieten her crying and her quick heart. Her father always saw it as a weakness. Her crying, it is. Her ability to feel other's emotions and to feel sorry for them.

He hated with a passion her inability to rule over others and to stay away from them and not meddle into their problems, taking it over herself to help whomever she could.

"Why are you so good?" she asked in a whisper, so low if not for Michiko's supernatural hearing, she would not understand her words. "Why are you so good to me?"

There was no answer from Michiko's part. For a moment, she both hated and regretted having brought her own daughter to the Compound when Sesshomaru had already married that girl.

However, she hated even more the ningen woman who made it impossible for her to be closer to her beloved daughter. Hated so much she would do just anything — even if it involved losing her own head in the process — to keep Sesshomaru away from his mate.

"How could anyone be anything but good to you, darling?"

If to have her daughter happy and closer — living in her own Lands, not in the cold South where she met no love — she had to kill the ningen woman, Michiko would gladly do it.

#

Rin was in paradise with his touch, moaning and gasping openly each time he came in contact with her skin. However, she was irritated to no end. He had yet to take her and she could no longer take the sweet torture he was forcing upon her body any longer.

She even tried to dominate him, futilely, of course, for this time he wanted to show her he was in charge and there was nothing she could do to demote him from such action. Nor to make him go faster.

All she wanted was for him to bury himself inside of her to the hilt. Her mate, lover, seemed to have other ideas in mind. Instead of placing her on all fours as he said he would take her — and the mere thought had her gasping and shuddering in supreme pleasure, for the intensity of it all —, he had her sitting in front of him as he lavished her entire frame with light touches and kisses that avoided at all costs her most needed areas.

Against all odds, Sesshomaru smirked against her shoulder. He was so very pleased with himself and her impatience, he could not help but surprise her and press a clawed finger against her sweet button.

"M-Maru!"

He moved it slowly, in circles, delineating the outlines of her clit, but never touching her as deeply as she wanted — needed. It was more than a simply desire, it was a craving she had that could not be fulfilled by any other than the Lord himself.

The mokomoko previously caressing her ankles joined in his efforts to bring her the utmost pleasure and moved upwards, towards her hips and then the waistline, till they reached her round breasts and encircled them.

At her moan, he smirked again.

He would make love to her leisurely, sweetly, and when he was done, he would make sure to leave her speechless.

Clawed fingers entwined in her raven hair, directing her mouth to his, kissing her in the same manner he touched her, slowly but surely. His tongue delved into the secrets of hers, changing the tempo just to learn which pace she liked better. His hand down there stopped his movements as he concentrated on bringing her pleasure with only his kiss.

Sesshomaru knew it would not be enough to bring her to her first orgasm, but he wanted to see how much he could turn her own with that. If her heady scent was of any indication.

A gasp left his lips as she gripped onto his hardness and slithered her hand over it in a fashion that had him kissing her with renewed enthusiasm. She smiled against his mouth, thinking that she had finally melted his control. However, it was short lived, for soon he broke apart and took her lobe between his teeth and directed her hand to her own core.

Hmmmm

He moaned against her ear, as he moved his hand over hers, dictating the rhythm he wanted her to follow. Soon, both hands moved to her breasts, stroking the pearls between his claws with the utmost care, not really keen on breaking the skin there.

She threw her head back and moaned, but stopped doing what he wanted, too much caught in the cloud of sensual pleasure filling her entire being. He growled against her ear and bit a little bit forcefully on her mark, causing her to cry out loud and bury her nails on his arms, drawing blood.

If he felt any pain, there was no indication of that. On the contrary, his hardness twitched against her back. When he spoke, his voice came out brokenly, as he did his best to control himself.

"This Sesshomaru wants you to pleasure yourself now, Rin."

As she did nothing, he pinched her nipples to the point in which she gasped from both slight pain and overwhelming pleasure.

"Now, Rin!"

She blushed beautifully at his order, not very much sure to comply to it. For the lack of better term, she was suddenly shy. It was not like she had never pleasured herself — she did, and in fact she did it in the night of their wedding, when he refused to take her —, however, it was quite different to have to do it in front of him.

When he lapped at her mark, she shuddered and touched herself. She began with light strokes, getting used to her own fingers — and not his as she so wished — and moving her hips against her hand in a comfortable and pleasurable cadence.

Eyes closed, she could not help but smirk as his arousal twitched against her back; proof of how much he was enjoying the show. She could not be prouder of herself when one of his hands left her round hips — her breasts were now caressed by the heavenly mokomoko and she honestly doubted she would be able to think of this demon organ differently now she had learned how much pleasure it could bring her — and grabbed onto his shaft firmly.

Rin moaned.

Slowly, both touched themselves in the same rhythm. Kissed in the same tempo. Tongues entwining in the very matching cadence as fingers moved to bring the greatest pleasure.

"Enter yourself with two fingers, Rin," he muttered against her mouth as he brought his hand to an abrupt stop around his shaft. She groaned in protest, but complied to what she knew to be an order. As she moved her tips deeply inside of her and used the other to touch her clit and he closed the gap between their lips, she gasped and stopped at once.

He growled in displeasure. He was not to be disobeyed.

Only of you touch yourself in time with me, she suggested — more like demanded — in his mind, her lips unmoving against his. She turned her entire body to be facing his, her hand around his, directing him to his neglected hardness.

Her cinnamon eyes locked on his golden ones and she bit her bottom lip in anticipation. She just loved to see him vulnerable like that. He lost no time and wrapped his mouth around one of her nipples, suckling it voraciously.

A moan left her lips as he forced her hand away from him and back to her own aching core.

They both lost themselves in their caresses. To Rin, there was nothing more erotic than watching him pleasuring himself in time with her. To him, there was not more fulfilling than having her increasing the tempo, seeking her own orgasm as he lavished her breasts with so much love and adoration.

From time to time, he would kiss her mouth and her mark and then slowly move back to her mounds and pay them the sweetest worship. In an action that him almost losing it all, she moved closer, her fingers inside herself and rubbed her swollen clit against his shaft.

He growled.

The pleasure was too much intense and he did not want to finish if not inside of her. As his breath became more labored and her whimpers became shorter and more high-pitched, Sesshomaru brought both of them to an unwelcome stop. Not for the first time in the day, he prevented her from reaching paradise and he knew how much she hated when he denied her the utmost pleasure.

Before she could complain, he placed her in his preferred position and eased into her smoothly. The sweetest of sounds left her sore throat at the action, causing him to grow even harder inside of her.

On all fours, Rin threw her head back and moaned. Her was finally inside of her, but in such a deep fashion she could not help but move her hips against his tentatively and tighten around him.

From his position, he could control her movements and watch with satisfaction as she tried to rub her breasts against the futon, in search of more contact and heighten her pleasure. For a moment, he let her, all too lost in his own needs to care how she sought her end.

Hands on her hips, claws buried on her skin — and how he did not care about not hurting her, she did not seem to care either; it seemed to arouse her even more —, he moved against her slowly, easing in and out of her in a pace that had her whimpering and tightening around him in a vicious grip that was driving him into insanity.

If not a great controller of his emotions and his own demon, Sesshomaru would pound her into oblivion, however, he wanted their lovemaking to last as much as he could.

All the while, from her sweet lips poured the much welcomed now Maru, Maru… oh, Maru! in the sultriest of tones. He wanted so bad to taste them, he forced her to move up and moved his mouth against hers in the same rhythm he took her.

When the next wave of orgasm hit them, Rin was so lost in the pleasure his finger, his lips and his hardness inside of her provoked, she sobbed. Not only because she saw blank and went limp against his arms as he emptied himself, but because she was crying.

Stunned, Sesshomaru inclined her face to him, so he could see her better, but she buried her head on his neck, kissing his mark lovingly. This time, he did not growl in delight — did not feel pleasure — but rather felt how much she loved him.

I want to be with you forever, she said in his mind as she clung to him, not too much happy about the possibility of him leaving her — leaving not only her tired and already sore body, but her side as well.

He lapped at her mark, letting her know how he really felt — what che could not put into words, for his own inability and deficiency with feeling and how to pour them out — and slowly detached himself from her body, earning a dissatisfied grunt from both her and his demon.

Before the beast could say anything, he lowered her to the futon and took his place behind her, his hands running the tender skin of her thighs and hips as his mokomoko tightened around her. His mouth hovered around her mark and moved straight to her ear, whispering huskily — and sweetly.

"And so you shall, Rin."

My mate.

#

A sigh of contentment left Rin's lips as she bit into the small pieces of fruit the Lady's maid brought her not even a half hour ago. After their long lovemaking session, both bathed in the onsen of the other night and came back to find their chambers completely cleaned and food set for both of them.

Unware of how hungry she really was, Rin ate everything at her disposal under the watchful eyes of her Lord. It took every fiber of his being to stay away from her and actually let her eat in peace.

When she was finished, he placed her between his legs and started feeding her with the grapes and cherries between slow and passionate, even if brief kisses.

It was very sensual to be in that position while he kissed her already nude shoulders and neck, while running the back of his clawed hands over her clothed arms.

She almost choked with a grape when his claws encircled one of her already hardened nipples over the fabric of the kimono she wore and licked the shell of her ear.

…Hmmmmm…

…Maru…

Rin moaned as she pressed her breasts against his palms.

I want to make love to you again, mate, he whispered inside her mind as he bit into her mark and moved one of his hands inside her kimono. His mokomoko slithered over her legs, bringing them slightly apart for him to touch her exactly where they both needed.

If he was a lesser man, a lesser demon, he would have scoffed at the irony of it all. Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, the most powerful demon to walk this Earth, not only tamed by a human, but happily so.

Pathetic.

He was pathetic. And in love. He did not know which was worst.

"Then make love to me, Sesshomaru-sama."

Her passionate reply would have him kissing her, instead he growled in warning as his mother neared their chambers and opened the shōji doors, without giving them much of time to dissipate the haze of lust, nor to right themselves for a more proper greeting.

"Mother."

"Son."

Rin even tried to move away from him, but he did not allow. Instead, he continued with her sitting between his legs and his hand still remained inside her kimono, even if he did not tease her heated flesh anymore.

It was a show of possession that would, hopefully, drive the meddlesome Lady away as soon as possible. Ashamed, she tried to break apart once again, only to have him growling in warning against her ear.

She bit her bottom lip, feeling all of sudden a bit unsure.

"Hello, I-InuKimi-sama…"

There was no answer from the demoness as she closed the shōji doors behind herself and walked to them. This time, there was no smirk, nor snarky remarks. There was silence and foremost there was a serious stare as she sniffed the air.

"Get ready, Rin."

"Ready for what?" Sesshomaru asked, tightening his embrace around his mate. He felt tense suddenly.

Once again, there was only silence and there was no need for an answer, for he was painfully aware of what was happening and even more aware that there was little he could do to stop it.

"No."

"You cannot stop it, beloved son."

"Stop what?" Rin asked, trying to free herself from his crushing embrace. Their serious stares made her entire being chilly. She trembled from head to toe. Even if she was unware of the reason, she did not like that feeling not one bit.

"Come, Rin." InuKimi said as she gave her back to the couple and walked to the doors. "It is time to fight for your position as his mate."

"No."

Sesshomaru growled in unison with his inner demon. He was not letting her face anyone. She was still weak — hell, he was weak —, to challenge someone during the mating ceremony was of such a cowardice he could not even begin to tell.

Yet, he knew there was nothing he could to stop it, to prevent it from happenings. The rule was crystal clear: any challenge for the position of mate — be it during the mating ceremony or not — could not be declined.

"Lady Kaoru?" she asked, a bit afraid.

There was only curt a nod as a response.

"She cannot possibly win, mother," Sesshomaru voiced, still holding onto Rin. It was as if he let go of her, she would never be back to him, which could very well be the case, given the situation they found themselves into. "She is not ready."

InuKimi scoffed, a small shadow of her usual smirk back in place.

"Oh, she better be," she looked at both of them over her shoulders. Their conversation was starting to irritate Rin; they talked as if she was not even there. As if she did not exist in the first place. InuKimi's next words, however, caused her to freeze in her mate's arms and widen her cinnamon eyes more than humanly possible. "It is… If she wants to see the pup growing inside her womb."

A/N – Aaaaaaand that's it for today, kids!

As I said before, this is the penultimate chapter of his short fic, so I hope you have enjoyed this story so far. Again, this chapter would have ended very much different, but I decided to go where my imagination led me. Hope it doesn't disappoint xD

It's not a chapter as exciting as the last one, but I wanted to focus it more on Sesshomaru and Rin and write a decent lemon for both of them in this story. Hope it is to your liking.

Now… Make your bets, will Rin face Kaoru in a fight? What will happen? What about Kaoru being Michiko's daughter? When will she learn the truth? Will she take it well? Tell me what you think!

As this story draws near the ending, I want to know what you want me to do about my next story. I have two possibilities: either I update the first chapter before I end Mating Policies or you all wait till December 14 to hear from me again. Time is catching up with me and I have to write a few papers for my Master's classes. So, you decide… The next story is called Ghost of Me, AU and modern time setting. I know the name isn't the best, but I promise to write a good and enjoyable story for you all! xD

Now, up to my thanks… I am absolutely amazed by how this story got so much love and attention. I've never expected it to have almost 100 reviews in five chapters and have so many followers and favorites. And so many reviews for last chapter as well. You guys are amazing! So, my biggest thank you for all of you (Leonhart9, BellaMori, Taraah36, Jcat007, azraelknight, Gwenally, inlovewithademon, ILoveSxS, Emerald lynx, Guest, swagatamalfoy, lady of the West, WildHeart44, Delirium0629, kagomeLove2, Guest, inu demon, Guest, yourfan, Wolflover235, Karrat, Hattaru and XuntitledX) who took your time to leave me kind words and appreciate my work.

Now, would you mind reviewing this chapter for me? I'd love to hear from you.

Take care,

Velvetsins.