Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters.

Chapter 9

The staggering shift in youkai power around her made the miko feel dizzy. It had come to such a sudden and complete halt that she almost missed the moment her power rushed deep inside her, hiding in the abyss it had once filled to the brim.

At that moment, she felt utterly and completely vulnerable. Her power was the base to her strength and composure. Nights of the new moon were the nights she loathed.

It was clockwork, really. The new moon would enter the night sky, her magic would recede, and her abdomen would cramp up until the morning of the third day, and for three days she would feel her power slowly creep back into her skin. I sometimes hate being a woman. Momentarily, she seethed at her predicament. That was until she really got a good look at the hanyou before her.

Black hair, human ears, and violet eyes. His fangs weren't poking out. And the power of the youkai, as she had noticed before, was no longer lashing out at her. The words "convince me" vibrated throughout the office.

"Inuyasha?" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. But their positions made it possible for him to hear her still, even though he lacked his supernatural senses.

He used to fucking hate the nights of the new moon. But that was when he had been a childish idiot. When he had thought being a hanyou made him less of a being. Growing up into adulthood, he would be damned if he allowed his human nights to falter him.

He smiled gently, his blunt teeth touching his bottom lip. "In the flesh." Came his response.

His voice was gentler, and didn't have an underling bite to it. Kagome raised her hand and, with her delicate fingertips, she traced his lips.

With a smirk, the human Inuyasha captured her fingers with his teeth and nibbled on the soft digits.

Kagome gasped and watched as his lips sealed over her fingers and sucked on them, using his tongue to stroke her skin. Her breath came out in a rush and she bit onto her tongue.

"This is your human night?" It was a question meant to help steady herself against the sudden heat spreading through her body. His tongue and teeth were delicious torture to her.

Keeping his eyes on hers, Inuyasha nodded, and released her fingers, only to latch on to her inner wrist. His tongue swept against the curve of it before his mouth sealed over her skin and she felt him sucking against her pulse.

"Oh," she breathed out in half response and half feeling.

"You know," he paused and a dark look filled his violet eyes, "you should be attempting to convince me."

And then he bit her wrist, harder than she expected. It hurt, but by the god it felt so damn good, too.

Inuyasha replaced his mouth with his fingers, and they tightened around her like a hungry viper.

Kagome's pulse picked up. But not out of excitement. Fear was ruling over, even if deep down she wanted him to rough her up a bit. But this was a different situation. She didn't have her magic to pull at for strength. And even if he didn't have his demon strength, he was still much stronger than she was. The bulging muscles hidden beneath his long sleeved grey button up was enough proof of that.

"Inuyasha," she warned, in a voice she was accustomed to using in predicaments as this. He didn't know she was helpless, and she was planning on using that to her advantage. But he would never hurt you. The thought brushed through her mind and she mentally calmed herself.

Eyes widening just the slightest, the former hanyou smirked and relaxed his grip on her. "I'm sorry," he said softly, the dark shade leaving his eyes, "I only thought you liked it rough. No playing right now?"

She let out a breath she unknowingly had been holding and shook her head, strays of her black hair caressing her cheeks. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just a little jumpy right now. And-" And what? She really didn't know what to add.

Her mind was whirling. Emotions building and reaching a crescendo she didn't know had been locked inside her until that moment. She wanted Inuyasha to want to be with her. Did Kagome really want him to be convinced into staying with her? Did he really need convincing?

Suddenly, and unlike her, she felt a tear trickle down her left cheek. Her fingertips searched for it on her skin and she traced the wet line up to her eye. Pulling her hand back, she stared at her fingertips and sighed heavily. Rejection. That's what she was feeling.

Who wanted to try to convince anyone to stay with them?

"Kagome?" Inuyasha felt like an ass. For what reason? He had no idea, to be honest. But fuck, he was a sucker for a woman's tears. And coming from the strongest miko he knew? He must've done something wrong.

I thought this is what she wanted. His thought saddened him. Wasn't it what she wanted? Didn't she want him? Didn't she say just that? He sure as hell wanted her. Yes, hearing about his brother...it had infuriated him. But when she had proposed to him to mark her, he knew she had wanted him just as much. He knew, deep down, she hadn't asked that from Sesshomaru. And knowing that had been enough to sedate his inner demon. And thank god the new moon had cast it's never ending shadow upon the city when it had, or his demon would have claimed her in another instant.

He didn't want it to be that way. He wanted to be himself. In total control of his actions. And he wanted to please her the way she deserved to be pleased.

Something about the woman called to him in more ways than one. His demon responded to her, his body, his entire self yearned for her in a way he never imagined. The demon, he could still feel in the back of his mind clawing at his thoughts, wanted to claim the miko with such vigorous desire. And the human wanted to adore her and worship her entirely. The hanyou? Wanted both.

Suddenly, he understood. In that moment, eyes widening and standing before the miko who captivated him, he knew what he needed to do.

"Kagome, I have to go." He grabbed her hand, the one stained with her tear, and he kissed her palm. "I want you, Kagome. Very much. But I need to speak to my brother." The words stung him. But purely on an animalistic level. He needed to find answers. What about her called to him? And what about him called to her? Didn't anyone else - Sesshomaru and Kagome - not find it peculiar how they were seeming to act so strangely together?

And, most importantly, could the brothers come to terms with sharing a woman? And was it what Kagome really wanted?

"I promise I'm coming back. Before my human night is over." Inuyasha didn't hesitate, he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled the side of her neck where his mark still lingered. Inhaling, he clung to the scent that was solely hers. "Go home. I'll meet you there."

With that, he let her go and hunted his brother down.

What he didn't see was the look on the miko's face. But Shippo was going to notice. And hell would rain down on them. The miko sighed heavily and, with dejection, she grabbed her cell phone from her desk and made her way out of the office. A different emotion taking over suddenly and with vengeance.

It was so easy for him, wasn't it? So easy for both of them to leave her when clearly she wanted them. But no. The Takagi brothers were truly something else.

Longer and powerful strides carried her to the elevator that would take her directly to the waiting kitsune. As the silver doors closed in front of her, her large brown eyes narrowed.

Fuck them.

Sesshomaru was pacing his wide office. It was unlike him to have such high frustration. And no matter how much he attempted to shake it off, he couldn't. He had lost control with Miss Higurashi and it was driving him insane. Even though it had been such a minimal amount of control, it was still eating away at him.

He spun on his heel, his silver hair whipping around him in a formidable arc. It was a powerful movement, and it was at that moment the younger Takagi brother strolled into the office.

"Inuyasha," the elder brother greeted absentmindedly, and he looked as if he were going to continue his pacing. That was until he got a good look at the human before him.

Then guilt. Absolute guilt struck him. Not that he showed it on his face, but seeing the human Inuyasha reminded him of something that had slipped his mind in the commotion of Kagome: ever since childhood, Sesshomaru had been there on Inuyasha's human night. Even when his younger brother had gotten over the anger and self loathing for being a "weak" human, Sesshomaru made sure to always be there. It was a tradition. One he had seemed to have forgotten about.

Clearing his throat and straightening his shoulders in his stoic way, the youkai nodded at his brother and chose his words carefully, "I understand if tonight you would rather not be among my presence."

Inuyasha, always so animated, halted his step forward and eyed Sesshomaru before rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Don't give me that horseshit. We need to talk."

Quirking a brow, the inu-youkai asked, "About?" Silently he was pleased that his brother was still...his brother. Inconspicuously, he took a deep breath and noted the strong scent of Kagome on Inuyasha.

No anger rose at the realization. No frustration. Hope was actually blossoming. Maybe Inuyasha will consider this logically. Maybe he would see the benefit of both of them sharing the woman. Maybe...

Inuyasha moved to stand before his brother. Looking at each other, violet eyes meeting gold, the strength of their brotherhood could be felt in the space around them. A brotherhood that ran deeper than the seduction of a miko. But said miko offered something to them - a deeper connection. A physical being that would connect brother to brother.

Inuyasha's smirk pulled a mirroring reaction from Sesshomaru. "About how we're planning on sharing."

A/N: Well, I know you hate me. But oh my goodness! Thank you all so much for the love! Now. I have a serious question to ask: how many of you wonderful readers want a threesome here? I've never written one, but for you all? I would make it my mission! Review and let me know!