The first thing Sesshomaru did once he landed was look at Shippo's wounds to determine the extent of his injuries. Finding the kit whole, and his wounds nearly healed, he surveyed the small blood soaked clearing and the carnage around Shippo.
He had felt the large burst of yoki Shippo had first emitted and had delayed his arrival. The kit knew not to do something so foolish in enemy territory. So, he had stayed back and allowed the kit to reap what he sowed. Some lessons needed to be carved into bone.
However, the second he felt the two new, near nonexistent auras appear, and then the rapid disappearance of all the other youkai around Shippo, he raced to the kit's side. He had not, however, expected to find this. Nor did he expect the burst of joy he felt in his heart.
"You have returned, little brother," he said, studying Inuyasha. Learning what he could with the information his eyes and nose told him. While his nose told him, his brother stood before him, his eyes saw a full-blooded demon. His scent was not that of a half-breed, either, not completely. He had grown, too. Still shorter than he, but taller nonetheless.
"Yeah, took us a long-ass time to get back, but we made it."
"You have much to tell," Sesshomaru said, narrowing his eyes. His words an order more than a request.
"After I get patched up?" Shippo said, limping his way over to his side.
"Your wounds have closed. The bleeding stopped," Sesshomaru said, not taking his eyes off Inuyasha. "You will clean up the mess your carelessness created before washing away the shame of your battle."
"Yes, sir," the kit mumbled.
"When did the two of you get all chummy?" Inuyasha asked.
Sesshomaru ignored the question, he walked closer to his brother and tried to get a closer look at the female huddling behind Inuyasha's back. However, he could smell her. And yet, instead of asking how the miko could still be alive—the words he had meant to say—what came out of his mouth was, "You mated the miko." Disappointment coloring each of his words.
Other scents clouded around the miko, but Inuyasha's mated scent overpowered all the others. He was not disappointed that Inuyasha mated a human, he had long past done away such petty views, but that the miko had mated Inuyasha. She could have done much better than his brother.
And the anger he expertly concealed… He understood why he felt the emotion and accepted it. He just had to make sure he didn't lash out and take his anger out on the couple in front of him. He had known they would be together… He had known from the start. It didn't stop the rage, though.
"Ah." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head. "There's a story to that."
Sesshomaru moved closer and sniffed, drew back sharply, then leaned forward again and inhaled deeply. His eyes immediately bled-red.
"I can explain!" Inuyasha shouted when Sesshomaru snarled, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him up against a tree.
"Have you not learned from our father's mistake?!" Out of the corner of his eye, Sesshomaru saw another female appear. Her scent identifying her as Inuyasha's second mate.
"It's not like that!" Kagome shouted, but the surprisingly white-haired miko did not come any closer to him—did not try to stop him like she had done many times in the past.
"He's mine, not hers!" Inuyasha's other mate said, rushing forward to help, but Sesshomaru held the female back easily with his yoki.
"I didn't take her as my mate," Inuyasha rasped, trying to break his grip. "But, I had to mark her as mine."
"As did I," the second mate said. Both she and Kagome moved as close as they could to give Inuyasha their support.
Releasing Inuyasha, after slamming his brother against the tree one last time, Sesshomaru said, "You will remove your claims from her immediately."
"We can't," Inuyasha said, rubbing his throat. "My mate, Akinlana, and I agreed to this. It's for Kagome's protection."
"Protection she no longer needs," Sesshomaru informed him. "You are home, and thus under my rule. What she needs, and what type of protection she requires is the decision of her alpha. Me."
Dismissing the foolish couple, Sesshomaru focused his attention on the miko. And he was… displeased with what he saw. Holding out his hand, he beckoned her forward. "Come, miko."
Kagome stared at Sesshomaru's hand like it was a snake about to strike, and, in the first time in decades, looked at Inuyasha for help—for him to rescue her. But the dratted dog only motioned her forward with his hands, and mouthing the words 'move your ass' when she didn't comply.
"Miko."
Kagome stood frozen, her body refusing to get any closer than it already was to the great demon. And he was great, there was no arguing that point. She could taste and feel the oppressing strength of Sesshomaru's power. It saturated everything—marked everything and everyone that stood around him. It made Kagome realize how utterly stupid she'd been in the past for standing up to him, and how lenient he'd been for her ignorance, and her arrogance in assuming they were equal in anyway.
"Miko," Sesshomaru said again, his tone less than pleased by her lack of movement.
Kagome remembered once getting angry that Inuyasha's brother didn't show her respect by calling, or remembering, her name. Now… Now she was happy he didn't know it.
"I do not wish to come to you," Kagome said, proud that her voice held firm.
Elegantly shaped brows lifted. "Afraid of me, are you?"
"No." She wasn't afraid, she was terrified. She'd always believed Sesshomaru was as cold as the ice prince Inuyasha named him to be, but that was far from the truth. There was a raging inferno within the Daiyokai. She could see it churning inside him. Bright, angry, and hot. She didn't want that savage beast hiding within him anywhere near her.
"Come," Sesshomaru commanded, flashing his large fangs.
With no help from Akinlana, Shippo, or Inuyasha, and knowing she wouldn't make it very far if she ran, Kagome forced her feet to take the necessary steps to stand in front of the tall demon.
She stared at his chest, and gave herself a small pat on the shoulder when she didn't flinch as Sesshomaru's sharply clawed hand grabbed her chin. He tilted her face up, forcing her to look up at him.
Kagome gulped as he moved his hand from her chin down to her throat, applying pressure under her jaw until her head turned, and her neck was completely bare to his gaze. Her panic rose as he leaned in so close that she could feel the heat of his breath against her skin.
"The stench of your shame has corrupted hers," Sesshomaru told Inuyasha.
"Is that why she smells so…dark?" Shippo said next to Inuyasha and Akinlana.
Kagome fidgeted as Sesshomaru's yoki poked at her. She knew he could feel it—the shield under her skin that she'd layered within herself after he had freaked out about Inuyasha's mating scent. She didn't want him to discover the brand her old lover/nightmare had seared into her soul.
"No…there is something else." Sesshomaru turned her head to face him again. "Drop your shield."
Kagome refused, even as the wild yoki in the Dai aggressively tried to force her compliance.
"I don't know you," Kagome said, trying to push Sesshomaru's hand away. "We were allies once, but Naraku is dead, which means our alliance is, too. You say you're our alpha, but I haven't—"
"Kagome!" Inuyasha hissed. "Shut the fuck up, and do as he says."
"No." Kagome glared at Inuyasha, trying to tell him without words that doing so would be a bad idea, and why. Thankfully, they'd been together so long that that was enough to convey her message. Inuyasha wisely shut his mouth.
"Still more bravery than sense, little human," Sesshomaru said, releasing her from his grip.
Kagome backed up immediately, putting as much distance she could between them without insulting the Dai. However, she didn't move fast enough. Sesshomaru grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side, and didn't let go.
"Come. We will leave this place."
Kagome tried to dig her heels in, but her pitiful attempt was nothing. Sesshomaru merely dragged her along.
Why was he doing this?