Next chapter up already!! That is very new, but I'm on holiday at the moment and my beta has been kind enough to find time in her very busy life to help me out!! So here is the next installment of the story!

Thanks to those of have already read this story and en extra helping of thanks to those who have reviewed!!

I do not really, well ok I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters!

It had been two weeks since Sesshomaru's statement and Kagome had been wondering around in a cloud of bliss. She had slowly but surely fallen in love with the seemingly cold and harsh Taiyoukai, who had proven he was anything but that in reality. His past had only made him unable to trust others with his heart and emotions.

But it seems as if she had finally made a breakthrough. Her initial fear of what would happen after Naraku's defeat had faded into happy daydreams of what it would be like. Just her, Sesshomaru and of course Rin. The others were well on their way to finally achieving their own lives. She could see the love between Miroku and Sango. Sango had even told her about their promise to marry once Naraku was defeated and Miroku didn't need to worry about his wind tunnel killing him and his family. She had of course been ecstatic for her friend.

After the long years of travel and fight, Shippo had grown much. He was no longer her cute cuddly little son, but a tall proud young man. He would venture off by himself to find his special person.

And Inuyasha, well who could say. She had gotten past the need to be his dream; even to knowing he had one after she was gone. The night when she had run into Sesshomaru, the night she had decided that she would give Inuyasha something to make him feel wanted and loved in the form he was, had killed off any concern for him.

It had been heart shattering that as they were undressing each other the softly whispered word to leave his mouth had been Kikyo's name. Like a ton of bricks she had come to realize that the words he spoke of loving her had been only that. Words. He could and would never love her, but was willing to use her to feel as if he could still have Kikyo. She had at first felt like a whore. Used and dirty. This had given way to anger until she realized that she had set herself up for it. Finally she had settled on despair. No one would ever love her, for she was stuck here. Stuck here till Naraku was destroyed and the Shikon no Tama gone.

But then came Sesshomaru! It hadn't been fairy-tales and sunshine with him. But he had helped her find herself, find the Miko she wanted to be and the women she was. In the process she had found someone worthy of her love.

His hate towards humans had at first led her to believe it was a useless sentiment she carried, but the increasingly soft looks he would send her way when he thought she couldn't see, had allowed her to hope. A hope that burst into a flame as he declared her his.

And as if that was a match to a fuse, the end of her quest was coming to an end. All the shards were now accounted for and Kagura had slipped them the location of Naraku's castle. Soon it would be the final fight and then the rest of her life with the Taiyoukai. At least she thought that it was.

But even if that wasn't his plan, she wanted something of his, something to remember him and what he had done for her. And for that, she was willing to again open herself to the possibility of rejection. She was going to give him her most precious possessions. Her heart and her body.

This was why she was waiting near the hot spring. She had told the others that she felt the need to meditate, to prepare for the battle. Inuyasha had just scoffed and told her that she couldn't fight anyway and she just needed to point out to him where the jewel was. Years ago, the comment would have hurt, would have broken her self-image. But now his opinion no longer mattered.

"You should not let your guard down like this Kagome."

The sound of her name on his lips sending shivers down her back.

"Knew you were there, long before you arrived. ... We are heading for Naraku... Kagura told us where he is."

Biting her bottom lip she moved slowly towards him. He only watched her, but his eyes were darkening, rimming themselves in rings of red.

"It is the reason this Sesshomaru is here. He would stand at your side that day."

By now she was standing nearly nose-to-nose with him. Her hand slowly lifted to trace the marks on his cheeks. His eyes stayed focused on her as he leaned into the caress. Slowly her fingers made their way to his lips, gliding over them.

"So soft." The words whispered on his mouth as she brushed her lips to his. Gently, slowly, softly.

His arms came up and wrapped around her. He leaned into the kiss, taking it further while at the same time trying to hold back.

If she took this any further his beast would be out to play and she would not have much choice in the direction the play would go.

"Kagome...you need to stop." He couldn't believe his own voice sounded so breathless. The depth of his voice, was sending shivers down her spine, which was sending his beast into a frenzy to get out. His arms instinctively tightened around her, pulling her closer to his body, letting her feel what she had done to him.

"Look at me Kagome. If you continue I won't be able to hold back."

Her eyes opened slightly, tilting up to look at him. They widened slightly as she saw the nearly complete red that filled them. They then slowly lowered to half lidded and a small sultry smile appeared on her pouty lips.

"What if I don't want you to hold back?"

It was all the information he needed to know. He let go and in doing so merged with his beast. If it had been any other situation but this, he might have been surprised to share this dual existence with the beast. But he was getting too lost in the feel of her hands running down his chest to care. The last thing he took note of was a growl, warning off all other creature from drawing near.

As the sun started to peek its way over the trees, Sesshomaru was still admiring the sleeping and naked form wrapped around him.

She had been insatiable, giving him and his beast a run for their money. His fingers were running over her body, exploring all the marks he had left upon her person, but always they would return to the one right by the junction to shoulder and neck. He rubbed the mark over and over again. A single thought running through his head. She was now irrevocably his. The Hanyou would know as would that imbecile of a wolf that continually ranted on about how she was his. He could now remove any and all offending body parts of that particular being if he should so much as touch this Sesshomaru's mate.

He hadn't meant to mate her yet, and definitely not on the forest floor. Worse he had done it without asking her permission. But he was not sorry. In fact the beast purred in contentment at what it had done. It had waited long enough to mark that which was his.

A slight breeze across the creamy but naked flesh, caused goose bumps to form. She slowly stirred, burying herself closer to his person.

"About time you woke up. Jaken is not far from here."

At the name of his toady retainer, she was up and running for the hot spring.

A chuckle escaped him as he watched the girl run around in nothing but her hair and his mark.

Ah, what a satisfying sight. He slowly dressed himself as he watched with pleasure as she groomed herself.

Not long after she was dressed, the slimy green Youkai appeared. He stank of fear and blood instantly filling them with trepidation.

"My Lord, the Lord of the South is making his way towards your castle. His spies tried to take it in the night, but this humble servant and your guards were watchful enough to beat them off. "

He wheezed as he tried to catch his breath.

"One we captured and after much persuasion he told us who sent him. My Lord he is coming to kill your ward and take your place!"

With this, out of breath and exhausted, he fell unconscious to the ground.