A/N: Hi again, thanks for reading and waiting for each chapter. I hereby WARN you that today's chapter contains LEMON content which IS NOT suited for children, if you are a minor… you shouldn't be reading rated M fanfics… and if your put off by LEMON stuff… well you may skip it as well. No harm done.

As always, please read and review, all comments are welcomed and very much appreciated. Remember I use my free time to write this… so… any input, comment, flames… well… flames maybe not but constructive criticism sounds good, so…

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Go to chapter 1.

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CHAPTER 8

Where I belong

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Having her in his arms made it easy for him to pull her up to taste her lips again in a searing kiss, although this time he was the one in control and was sure to angle himself and her in the right position to enjoy them better. Something in the back of his mind tried to deter him from his current path yet, the need to mate with her was clashing against his common sense and ended up sending it flying kilometers away.

Kami-sama…

Those pink colored lips tasted of sake and strawberries and Rin, soft like rose petals except for the tender patches of skin he could clearly feel where she had worried her lower lip between her teeth.

She's mine.

He finished lowering her to the forest floor where he continued to ravish her mouth. Taking advantage of his position over her, he took her hands up and down together by her wrists to rest over the greenery a top her head, this gave him free reign over her body and for a moment his hands decided to enjoy it. At times his brain was working hard to remind him that the woman he was with was all innocent and unknowledgeable, so paying attention outside of his lust infused stupor he noticed her ragged breathing and the way her cheeks were flushed.

Rin…

It would be her first time, he tried to rationalize; a part of him was still trying to fight his urges and stop what he pretended to do, but, another idea won over it and instead he smirked deviously at her.

She's mine to hold, mine to pleasure and so I will, as much as it's physically possible.

The promise worked to ease his conscience and the worry lingering in his brain. The smirk vanished as he moved to rest on his side and allow his other hand the liberty of space to do as he wished with her clothing. She was dressed in many layers, so he had to be practical about it. After a moment of thinking he didn't doubt his next move as he, with his sharp claws cut the sash holding the layers together and resumed to work his way through fabric until he finally touched skin.

Her breath hitched in her throat and a gasp escaped her lips the moment the cool night air caressed her naked side and left breast. Sesshomaru inwardly laughed at her surprise.

"Sesshomaru-sama…" her voice came out like a question but nothing else followed.

She was uncertain about his intentions, Sesshomaru decided and gave no more thought to it, he was not about to stop himself to explain anything, instead he moved his hand towards the other side to free from her garments the rest of her body to have her finally exposed entirely for his pleasure… and hers.

It wasn't long before the same hand wondered over her form to caress and handle her soft globes and then press between his fingers her dusty pink colored nipples. She arched her back at the pressure and moaned when he pulled them softly up, it was all a new experience for the girl and he clearly saw surprise and lust mix together in her eyes. He continued, teasing her with gentle caresses, the rake of his claws along her sides and stomach and then pressing harder with his claws or pinch her already abused mounds. It was working, he could tell by the way she was rubbing her tights together.

Beautiful… my beautiful Rin

He lowered his face to kiss a path from her neck down her throat and then to her left breast, he nibbled the skin around the tip and a moment later got her nipple between teeth, looking up his eyes made contact with hers before he sucked his morsel watching with fascination how her head instantly moved back in pleasure; he attacked her relentlessly and then moved to its twin to apply the same treatment. She whimpered this time heightening his sensations and desire, he continued lavishing her breast with kisses and nips of his sharp canines while his hands moved south again, scrapping gently her skin until he reached her lower undergarments. A quick swish of his claws rid him of the piece of cloth and was quickly replaced by the whole span of his hand cupping her womanhood completely.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she raised her voice as she got halfway up on the strength of her back, her eyes were open now from where she had closed them in her pleasure. "I…" she didn't know what to say or do, her innocence told her to panic yet the desire he could see in her eyes stopped her from saying or doing anything that might jeopardize their time together.

"Lie down Rin" he ordered, "Do not rise again unless I say otherwise"

She did as she was told so Sesshomaru bit and sucked her right breast as a reward. That got her attention back to the sensations inflected by him but not completely. "Close your eyes Rin" he ordered then and she complied; he continued to suck on her right breast while the pressure on her hands a top her head increased as he pushed them farther, restraining her more.

"Aah…" she moaned and shuddered. He smirked again finding this all the more delectable.

Back to the hand on her sex he moved his fingers expertly to torture her. His fingers danced over her flesh to tease her opening and sensitive nerve bundle outside, she was more than ready so as he quickly entered her with one digit he moved it around to look for her most erogenous spots. It was rather easy, he thought, as he moved up in circles he heard her pants become open moans and screams of unleashed passion; she was sensitive and expressive in her enjoyment.

"You are mine Rin" he spoke against her ear. Breasts forgotten he moved to suck and bite on the side of her throat at the juncture between shoulder and neck. "Be mine Rin" he continued and felt as her back arched higher from the ground trying to move her hips against his hand. She was extremely close.

"Let it go Rin" he whispered "come for me" it wasn't like she would even understand what his words meant, he rationalized, but the timber in his voice and the force of his command did the job anyway; she orgasmed around his fingers as she screamed his name for all the forest to hear.

"Rin" he called and felt her tense with the last waves of her orgasm.

After a while her breathing calmed down and he let go of her hands, which she moved down to search for his face. Opening her eyes she took a moment to focus them on him, he tried to think of a way to show her warmth but failed, as any idea seemed insufficient or stupid. He had never been good at expressing his emotions appropriately as his father had been… or stupidly like his idiotic half brother. The question he wanted most to ask got stuck in his throat, trapped between who he was supposed to be and who he feared to become.

"I'll always be yours, Sesshomaru-sama"

Surprised, he lifted his eyebrows almost unperceptively but he was sure the girl had caught it as she smiled tenderly with affection. He could see it, her love shining in her eyes, covering her in a glow of pleased joy. She really loved him, he thought, she had in deed loved him.

"Rin"

It was a promise he realized, she had promised him her life from the very beginning, by following him everywhere and taking pains and difficulties for him all those years ago, by accepting his will and placing his comfort and lifestyle over her own desires or dreams, she had from the very beginning, given herself to him. How long had he had her heart trapped between his claws? How much longer would have passed before he realized this truth…?

Changing his position again he placed himself between her legs and instinctively she followed his movements to rest her hip at the right angle, raising her knees to a better high, probably to later wrap them around his waist.

"This will hurt"

He solemnly voiced and she merely smiled brightly at him.

Not wishing to give her any more pain than necessary he went back to treating her body with ministrations from his hands and mouth, soon enough she was panting beneath him again. He wasted no time to prepare her to what was to come by inserting a finger and then two into her moist cavern; she was following his pace in no time to match the thrusts of his hands.

Without her noticing he opened his clothes and discarded his armor and swords, no one would dare bother them in the forest, human or demon, so he saw to her comfort rather than safety. She was too enthralled in the pleasure he was bestowing upon her to notice anything else anyway and he took advantage of her trust in him and her abandonment to finally push himself into her with one swift movement.

She let go of a cry that escaped her lips in surprise, and then hissed at the pain but no tears fell from her eyes.

"I will never hurt you again, Rin"

He promised and she smiled as she nodded. She knew, he would never knowingly hurt her, he had been selfish in the past but that was it, the past, he knew of her feelings now and he was no longer interested in avoiding them or running away from them, he had her in his arms and that was the only thing he wanted then, tomorrow and forever.

Sesshomaru remained immobile inside her for a couple minutes allowing her time to adjust to his size and for the pain to subside. Long enough it seemed when the young girl began moving on her own and it was proof enough for him to start moving also, taking his member out only to push it into her once more. Each time he covered himself to the hilt he felt electricity running up his spine, the temperature rising higher, the pressure in his loins making him slam into her faster. Rin wrapped her arms around his neck trying to hold herself and keep with the rhythm of his thrusts, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist, whimpers and moans was all she could get out pass her lips.

Incapable of containing himself any longer Sesshomaru bit down on her neck once more, on the patch of skin he had been sucking on before. His sharp canines broke the skin and elicited a cry of ecstasy from the helpless girl who came clamping down on his manhood provoking his own release. The demon still pounded a few more times into her while his seed shoot inside her womb and pleasure evaporated all thoughts from his mind.

*****************************END OF LEMON SCENE*********************************

"Se… Sesshomaru-sama?" Rin called him as he repositioned them to rest over the forest floor. Wrapping her in his arms and covering both their naked bodies with their kimonos and haori.

"Hn" Sesshomaru answered as he felt his eyes close in sleep.

"I love you…"

"I…"

Before he could say anything his eyes opened as if frightened awake and on instinct he moved to protect the woman beside him, only to find his body halfway covered the human form of the miko/slayer he had been traveling the cursed forest with. Looking down he noticed his white fur covered paws and beside him his wide-eyed companion looking at him, pale, her lips shaking as if she were cold. In a split second the woman pulled him to her in a hug and began crying her heart out. It would be several minutes before she was able to let go of her fierce hold on him and after she did he moved away to inspect her, but contrary to what he thought he would find after another night of nightmares there was a smile on her face.

She actually looked content.

"Thank you…"

She murmured and Sesshomaru internally frowned.

Who?

"Thank you…" she repeated, and this time her eyes were looking upwards to the sky above them. It looked gray as he looked up too, but it was somehow clearer than the previous days. Then he remembered the request she had made before they went to sleep, for a pleasant dream to erase the horrible visions, to be able to remember her lord in a better way instead of whatever terror she had seen in her nightmares. For a moment Sesshomaru doubted the possibility of a miracle or a gift but ended considering a swift murder to the witch who had probably given the young woman a rest and a balm to her sorrow.

Even if she still thought him to be dead.

"Well…" Rin got him out of his thoughts "I think we've slept enough, something tells me we're about to reach the place" she smiled brightly once more and a look of determination filled her expression.

It's time

Together they took again their path up the mountain through the forest. The wolf had to agree with Rin, he could tell the road was at an end, somehow he could remember the markings on the trees and the different scents surrounding the clearing where he met the witch when she decided to cast this curse on him. Making an effort to remember the exact occurrences of their encounter turned out to prove counterproductive, in result to his attempts a strong headache begun at the back of his skull, but he refused to stop trying. He needed to focus on remembering the particular of the curse, to remember her powers and visage, to remember how the earth and foliage looked around the clearing, to prepare for the possible battle to come.

Also, anything to rid his mind of the images plaguing his mind.

Waking up to find himself an animal again was to say the least disappointing but more than his appearance and the lack of power, the moment he had noticed they were back in the cursed forest and under the same situation as before left him with a painful hole inside him he didn't know how to calm or fill. It was as if he had lost something dear, something important yet after he rationalized the memories into the dream it had been, a dream under the control of the witch he felt sick and irritated. It had to be the last time that creature had toyed with his memories and actions.

Now more than ever, he was resolved to take the life of the sorcerer.

There was no way he would ever mate with a human, no matter how… who she was. She was still human, weak, mortal, fragile… despite all affection he could feel for the young woman there was no way he would make that commitment since there was no way she could be of any help to his quest for power, not to mention he didn't need her, or her help. It was out of the question and more than anything, he would never put her into harms way again. She belonged among humans, with her own kind. If she wanted to risk her life, she would do so on her own accord, but he would not be there to condone it or request it of her.

"Sesshomaru-sama…?" Rin called and Sesshomaru lifted his eyes to look at her back turned to him, realizing the possible trap he growled and moved to see what looked to be himself, his old self, tied in vines to trees on the other side of the clearing they had finally reached.

Rin walked into the clearing pulling her sword out of its scabbard and pulling out a vile from her kimono he poured its content over the blade making it glow a brilliant red.

"Witch!" she screamed to the air "Witch! Show yourself!" no one answered and she walked a few more steps into the forest. Sesshomaru could feel the trap setting in and growled higher, louder. "Show yourself you coward!"

The vines moved tighter around the lord's body effectively drawing blood.

"NO!" Rin screamed unable to stop herself. Without another thought the youngster ran towards her lord's body charging her sword against the vines the moment she had them within reach. Sesshomaru ran behind her but he was a few steps from the center of the clearing when more vines shoot from the trees to capture his hind legs and afterwards pull on his front legs lifting him and pulling him back towards the trees.

"Stop!" Rin noticed he was trapped and tried running after her companion to free him but the vines surrounding her lord's body stirred breaking skin and pulling it to reveal the tender skin and muscle beneath it.

"NOOO!"

In a desperate attempt at saving the unconscious body she pulled out a piece of paper with a prayer written on the front which she held tightly in her hands before she murmured a few words to it. The moment the thrown piece of paper touched the vines they coiled and exploded sending the woman flying away some meters and when she looked back up she saw the body falling to the ground.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

The ex demon lord saw her get up before the vines surrounding him pressed on his body drawing a pained howl from him.

Rin doubted a moment before running towards him. But he saw the torture the sorcerer had in mind; he saw it play right in his eyes. The body lying on the ground was not safe when more vines came from behind it to lift it once more and start cutting at it, while he was being attacked as well. Apparently Rin would have to choose whom to save before she lost both of them.

He saw panic fill her eyes and her right hand lost hold of the sword to join the other on her head as she tried to fight the desperation she felt.

"Please!" she fell to the floor and suddenly the pressure on him stopped its increasing intensity. "Please, I beg you… stop" the young girl cried openly to the woods.

In a second he fell to the floor at the same time he saw the figure of his past self disappear into thin air. Rin looked up to see him and tried to get up from her spot to reach to him but she couldn't, the movement was stopped by some unseen force and before he could go to her a cage made of wood and vines grew out of the earth beneath him to capture him once more. Still, this time the cage posed no immediate threat to him and Rin tried to smile at him to reassure him.

Somehow, she seemed calmer.

"Witch" Rin called again, "I've come to see you, to fight you, will you not show yourself?"

"Smart child"

Turning to his side he was face to face with the witch he had come to visit many moons ago. She was dressed as he remembered her, his memory coming back by pieces. Her hair, her eyes, she turned to look down at him and smiled wickedly, he growled in response but didn't move, it could very well mean Rin's demise and he was in no position to threat the sorcerer.

"How did you figure it…?"

"I know him" The sorcerer asked but couldn't finish as Rin answered quickly. The look of determination back on her face, except this time, there was contained anger in the depths of her eyes.

"You look ready to gut me child, that's not a way to treat someone my age"

Rin made a face of disgust and her right hand looked for her lost sword over the ground surrounding her until it was found, then pulling it back on its scabbard.

"I clearly said I came to fight you, I have no intention of treating you any gentler or kinder than polite society would demand of me in this situation"

The old witch seemed entertained by her words and instead of attacking her as Sesshomaru would have expected her to do she grinned and walked closer to the girl.

"You will fight me then?"

"To the death of either of us" Rin answered with severity.

Again the witch grinned and paced this time to the side, glancing back for a moment at Sesshomaru inside his cage.

"What has caused this decision? You are much to young and beautiful to have a suicide wish" The older woman walked around the still sitting Rin, taking advantage of her inability to stand. "Or is it… vengeance"

"Do not toy with me witch, you know very well why I've come here" Now the answer was clear in the way the girl spat her words at the other. She still spared the wolf a look before she faced the woman once more.

"You wish to avenge your demon lord"

Rin's eyes turned to slits and she gritted her teeth. Something in the way she had said that alerted Rin to another possibility for her lord and the ex-youkai noted the turn in her visage. Her previous crisis was gone; she was fierce and ready to kill. A shiver of something vile ran down his spine.

"What have you done to him?!" she yelled, but the witch looked nonchalant and moved her shoulders up as she answered.

"That… I cannot tell"

Rin started moving against her invisible bonds, trying desperately to free herself and launch her sword at her.

"Release me from this spell so I may face you standing on my own two feet or this fight will not be honorable"

The sorcerer laughed this time and waved her hand at herself.

"Will you ask me to fight without my magic as well?"

"No, you may use as much magic as possible or as you wish, all I ask is that you do not make a run for it"

This seemed to capture the witches' interest and she smiled entertained again. Looking at Sesshomaru inside the cage she continued to talk to Rin "I see"

A movement of her hand upwards lifted his companion from the ground making her levitate over the ground in a standing position.

"You, would you die for him?"

The look of determination on her face said it all, but the sorcerer didn't look back at her, instead she continued looking at Sesshomaru inside his cage.

"What good shall that do to you child? Why are you so eager to part this earth in his name?"

A moment of silence followed as Rin thought her answer through. For a split second she had doubted and it had taken her a moment to gather her words to better suit the situation, the ex-youkai knew this would not do either way.

"He gave me life"

She had barely said those words when the sword at her side flew out from its scabbard and turning around it came to point at Rin's heart with it's tip. Sesshomaru growled and barked, not knowing what else to do. The cage grew charged with magic and he couldn't risk hurting Rin if he provoked the witch.

"So you would pay a debt of life with a life"

"Yours or mine" Rin answered hastily.

Pivoting on her heels the sorcerer came to face the young woman again; she took the sword in her hands and after thinking for a moment she walked towards the caged wolf, he saw how Rin's face paled in fear and she shook against the new spell binding her in the air.

"That's not good enough"

The witch was a few steps from his cage.

"What do you mean?! Stop playing around!"

"I can see through your pretenses girl" the old woman swung the sword in front of him "do not play around with my time either, I have no patience for halfhearted answer"

"Wha…"

The sword finally hit the cage and it was instantly absorbed by the trees and vines which suddenly sprang thorns made of the sharp blade, long and pointing at him. Sesshomaru had to back off from the walls as centered inside the cage as he could, growling and barking at the witch.

"You're young, yet you've lived enough to know the price that all living creature must pay for walking this world, for experiencing the rays of the morning sun and the gentle light of moonlit nights, the debt that took you so long ago and that took you once more before a year had gone by"

How does she know…

"Even if your life was taken your soul and your heart refused to part this world and the one you traveled with, you lived with so strongly that you held onto your ties here on earth to come back to him"

Sesshomaru fought his desire to look at Rin but couldn't help it as the witch continued to speak. He wanted to see how she reacted.

"The reason why the Tenseiga brought you back to life, was because you desire it more than anything in this world"

The witch started walking back towards Rin.

"The reason why the Midoru stone brought you back to life, was because you wished for nothing more than to be beside him more than anything in this world"

She was closer to her now than she was from Sesshomaru.

"You sensed his desire to have you by his side and wished to come back to him"

Rin was looking at her as if she was under another different spell, one to hold her every thought on the woman speaking in front of her.

"His…"

"Would you die for him, Rin?" The witch asked again.

"Yes" the other answered instantly.

"Why?"

"Because he is the one I love"

The thorns surrounding his cage disappeared and his companion seemed to relax slightly, still looking at the witch with an expression of uncertainty and concern on her eyes. The witch was back to grinning at her.

"That's worth my time"

She lowered the young woman to earth but didn't release her magic hold on her. Rin's sword went back to its place against her left leg.

"Shall we play a little game?"

Rin still looked at the old woman with distrust and spoke coldly at her suggestion. "Witch"

"Yuuki" the witch answered back.

"What…"

"My name, I do not appreciate being called witch… or any other title like that"

There was sadness in her voice for a moment and Sesshomaru was unsure if she was doing that to create an environment of sympathy, but looking at his human companion he could tell she didn't buy it.

"We all have a name child, use mine, I'd rather like to hear it spoken by someone else other than myself after all this years"

After a moment of silence Rin swallowed and decided to do as she requested. Sesshomaru couldn't agree but thinking about it, it wasn't like she had another choice, the old hag was using him as a weakness to control Rin's actions.

"Yuuki" she tried the name once and the witch seemed pleased by the attempt.

"Yes" moving once more she sat down on the grass beside her and instantly Rin's body moved to follow her to the ground. "Now" his cage moved from its place to rest closer to the other two but a nuzzle was placed on his mouth to keep him from emitting any noise "Listen to me child, for I will give you only one opportunity to excel in this, one chance to do what I request"

Upon hearing this Sesshomaru began fighting the magic ties trapping his mouth shut, there was no way he would allow Rin to make a deal with that woman. There was no way that cursed woman was going to force her into more danger than she had already thrown herself in. But he still couldn't say anything…

"You must bring me three items I have hidden through the lands and defeat each task they come with before you come back to this same forest" Rin was listening carefully to every word "You will have 4 moons for each item and no more" Sesshomaru tried moving to charge against the cage but found his body to be immobilized "If you fail to accomplish this, your life force will be mine, no fights"

Sesshomaru managed to hiss and growl but it was as if Rin couldn't hear him.

"And if I succeed"

"I will confine myself to the shrine you visited and will leave this forest alone"

The binds were giving up and he was able to growl louder.

"And… I will give you back your lord"

He felt Rin tense completely and her voice sounded trembling once she was able to speak.

"He's… alive" she managed to say.

"Depends on your concept of the word"

Rin gritted her teeth but didn't react. Sesshomaru felt the magic on him lifting up.

"Wi… Yuuki… san… is he"

"He lives"

"Is… he"

"He is as unharmed" the sorcerer said with a smile "yet I cannot promise more in the future since it will be his decision to put his self in harms way"

Sesshomaru felt mobility come back to his limbs as the hag spoke.

"Do we have a deal?"

The restraints left him finally and he came at the cage with all his strength breaking it the moment Rin answered in a clear voice.

"Deal"