A/N: I've got a surprise for you! This is both a warning and fangirl squeal. This chapter contains hot demon action. Repeat: adult type touching ahead. So I'll put a little memo right before anything juicy happens, so that anybody who doesn't like to read that stuff and can skip over it and just go to the next chapter. To be honest I never had the self control to pay skip over the smutty bits myself. Besides, the majority of this chapter is mostly just the long awaited (for me anyway) smut. So here it is, the next chapter.

Chapter Seventeen

Well… that was very… straightforward.

I kicked my feet in the slow current of the stream. I had retreated to the little body of water to sulk. I wasn't calling it sulking of course, I was calling it being cruelly abused and abandoned. Was I really such an embarrassment? I supposed so, I was human for one thing. Plus I wasn't any great beauty like Meruinu. My hair was merely shoulder length, and what with the curls it sometimes barely reached that far. I didn't have the same complexion as the pale skinned ladies of this era either, instead I had an olive skin tone, fair to be sure but not the white that was favored. Besides, I was short. For a demon such as Sesshomaru, it must be a blow to his pride. He had said he was going to kill me first chance he got after all. Would he really? I truly didn't know anymore. I was beginning to think I had been more than a bit naïve before. I kicked viciously at a passing fish. I missed the stupid thing of course.

I couldn't believe he had really left me with that woman. And after putting up such a fuss about my being vulnerable without him, I didn't understand him at all. And how long was I supposed to wait here anyway? He didn't even say how long he would be gone! It could be days!

I shoved down the little burst of melancholy that bubbled up in my throat in response to that thought. The man was a jerk, why on earth was I missing him already? I couldn't possibly like it him. He was rude, and conceited and too… too clean! It was just strange how clean he always was! He wore white for Christ's sake!

I rubbed a finger over the mark on my neck. He was handsome if you like tall, strong and pale. But being handsome had never been enough to sway me before. Of course I had always been a sucker for men who had kids. But he was so bad at it! I supposed the fact that he was trying at all attracted me.

I had also never had anyone take care of me before. Maybe I was just developing a crush. Or maybe it was Stockholm syndrome! And I just thought I was starting to like him because I had been stuck with him so long… I scowled, or maybe, I was just a masochist. I glared at the pebbles under to water. Someone cleared their throat behind me. I turned without dropping the glare.

Meruinu cocked a brow at me, "Human, I order you to remove that insolent look at once."

I cocked a brow in return, sneering in unconscious imitation of Sesshomaru, "Demon, do not assume you may order me to do anything. Don't you think that you should be more mindful of me? Considering that you don't know of my place one way or another, it would seem wise for you to heed your own words."

Meruinu bristled, her hair literally standing on end. She hissed at me, "Stupid wench, I'll show you where your place is!" She raised her hand as if to strike me.

All the anger and hurt over the past hour seemed to flow out of me in that moment. I bared my teeth and a snarl escaped my throat. The stupid bitch! How dare she! I completely ignored the fact that the woman in front of me could probably tear me apart in seconds and smacked her hand away.

"Do not touch me! You're supposed to make sure I don't come to harm remember?" I smiled a grim little smile, "I do believe that would include from yourself bitch." I hissed the last word, making sure she knew I meant the insult. She reared back, practically shivering with the need to do me damage. But we both knew what her orders had been and I knew she wasn't about to disobey Sesshomaru. I suppressed a bitter laugh. At this point, I truly doubted Sesshomaru would care, but she didn't need to know that.

"Ah… Kodi-san? Why don't we go back to Kaede's hut?" Miroku asked quietly from the bridge over the water. I slowly drew my glare away from Meruinu and looked at Miroku. I nodded slowly. I might have won this small skirmish, but I was not so foolish as to believe I could win were we to progress to a physical arguement. My human strength was nothing in comparison to her youkai. I followed the monk back to the hut. He didn't say a word to me.

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Sesshomaru was at his home in less than an hour. He had crossed the scent path Meruinu must have been following when she had lost her way. She was correct in that it was quite strong. It must have been the trail he had left when he had followed Naraku back to his castle, so it was no wonder is was still so strong. He had been quite aggravated at the time he had left it.

Sesshomaru spent much too much time placating the snake demon. It seemed that their altercation earlier had not made him amiable to signing the various treaties and trade agreements their vassals had written up. The idiots whinging had finally ended when Sesshomaru had asked rather pointedly if the snake's youkai was not strong enough to heal such a flesh wound. And then he had sneered openly at the bandage still wrapped around the snakes hand. The snake had sulkily signed the scrolls.

The whole mess had taken an hour longer than he had been planning on. His youkai was practically pacing with the need to return to it's mate. Surely she would be fine for a few hours? Good lord, what was he thinking? The girl was practically a beacon for danger.

Sesshomaru ripped a piece of meat with his teeth, a growl of annoyance over being detained here escaping him. He was still stuck waiting for Ayame to finish the formal tea that was required after business. His lip twitched up. Ridiculous. He was Sesshomaru, Lord of the western lands. He was stuck nowhere and with no one he didn't want to be. He stood without preamble.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Where are you going old friend?" Ayame grinned and hiccoughed. The snake had been imbibing in the sake since before signing the papers. Sesshomaru suspected he made him nervous. All such emotions were vacant from the snake now, including any self-preservation. Sesshomaru snarled when the snake tugged on his sleeve, "Come on puppy! Aren't you going to finish eating?" The snake smiled blearily up at him. A tight smile curved Sesshomaru's lips and Ayame's eyes widened and he squeaked. Poison hissed from the dog demon's claws. The papers were signed, they could not be retracted. He whipped out his hand sunk his poison into the snakes still bandaged fingers.

Idiot. He would take the time to teach the fool a lesson and then he would return.

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"Oh come on, it must've been like having sex with a machine!" I exclaimed in exasperation, ignoring the horrified squeak that came from Kagome. She and Sango had long since fallen into flushed silence. We were all lounging in the hot springs. When I had returned from the river Kagome had taken on look at my tight face and dragged the girls off to the healing bath. It was just too bad Meruinu had to come. Although she seemed to get along just fine with everyone else. She had even deigned to soak her feet in the water, but declared actual submersion was frivolous and unadvisable is she was to act as a guard at the same time. What could I say? Kagome had a gift.

"A what?" the demoness asked in confusion. Unfortunetaly, we had also somehow started talking about the female's past intimacy with a certain taiyoukai. Rin had been the one to bring it up. She had been hanging on my arm as I relaxed in the water and it seemed that from the shelter of my protection she felt safe enough to ask about "the naked game with Sesshomaru-sama." Either that or her curiosity outranked her hesitance. And it had somehow generated into this. It wasn't my fault, Meruinu had shot me an entirely too smug look as she had dodged the girl's question.

"You know! All seriousness, no fun, simply reach the goal and then it's over!" I explained.

Meruinu replied stiffly, "I can assure you it was quite satisfactory."

"Ha. He's a cold fish and you know it. I bet you anything he left you wanting."

A tinge of pink washed over the woman's face, but she remained silent. I nodded, "I knew it. He's too frigid to be hot in bed."

Sango seemed to be choking.

I crossed my arms, "Besides, don't you think he's a little effeminate? What with the hair and how clean he always is?"

"You really have a thing about his white clothes always being clean don't you?" Kagome asked in between horrified giggles.

"It's unnatural! And don't change the subject. Sesshomaru is gay isn't he? Or more likely, asexual." I cocked my head to the side and gazed speculatively off into space. I smiled, "Maybe he's a eunuch."

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Sango gasped.

"Yes him."

"No! Ah… He's…"

"He's what? Narcissistic? I know."

"My Lord Sesshomaru," Meruinu bowed her head. I took this to be agreement. I opened my mouth to continue when I felt a hand firmly clap over my mouth. A claw pressed into the sensitive skin below my ear, not hard enough to break the skin but enough to be a warning. A red and white sleeve trailed in the water. I squealed beneath his hand and desperately tried to sink beneath the surface. He switched his hold from my mouth to my ribs and hauled me out of the water.

"I'm not wearing any clothes!" I wailed.

"Um, Sesshomaru-sama, maybe-," Kagome tried. I noticed she didn't stand up. I supposed I couldn't blame her she was naked as well. Rin paddled unconcernedly around the pool. Sango seemed to have gone catatonic.

"You will stay out of this Miko! My mate and I have some things to straighten out!" Sesshomaru snarled in answer. Meruinu gasped and nearly fell into the water. She caught herself in time however, and simply gaped at us. I thought I saw her mouth the word mate.

"Let me go you stupid dog!" I yelped as lifted me and strode into the woods. At least he had wrapped his fur around me so my important bits were covered. He shifted me so that I was strewn over his shoulder. "Aagh! Put me down!" I ripped my dizzy eyes away from the view of his back and behind beat my fists again'st his waist.

"Perhaps you would prefer the shoulder with the spikes?" Sesshomaru asked, bouncing me once for emphasis. I gasped, the force of the bounce forcing all the air out of my lungs.

"You jerk!" I squeaked.

"Hnn." He walked for a minute more and then dumped me on the grass. We were in a field of tall grass and I scrambled to keep his pelt covering me. The grass was higher than my head in my half sitting position.

"What are you doing Sessho!?" I asked once I felt I was as covered as I was going to be.

He stared down at me impassively, "It seems that you have some misconceptions about this Sesshomaru little mate."

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Authors Memo: This is it kiddies. Anybody with weak constitutions should just stop here and wait for the next chapter. Everybody else, grab some popcorn and your Sessho plushies and enjoy.

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I gasped as the fur suddenly tightened around me, the lower half twisting around my hips and thighs and the top ripping away from my fingers where I held it up to cover my breasts.

"Hnn," Sesshomaru crouched before me, his hand whipping out with the speed of a snake, wrapping around the back of my neck and jerking me forward so I was inches from my face. The orange light from the setting sun filtered over us. I shivered as he breathed against my lips. He shifted so his lips brushed my ear.

"This Sesshomaru will not tolerate such misconceptions," he breathed. He licked the tendon in my throat and then bit down gently, holding me in place.

I felt the pelt rub against inner thighs and gasped into his hair.

"I don't even have to touch you with my hand," he growled around my throat. The fur slid against the crease where my abdomen met my leg, "And I can make you beg."

He released my throat and licked along my collar bone. My head dropped back as he bit at the vein that ran across my chest. He rested his hand lightly under my breast, "I don't have to touch you." He lifted his mouth from my throat and glared down at me. I stared blearily up at him, desperately trying to keep my breathing even and away from anything resembling panting.

"But if I do touch you…" he slid his hand up so it completely engulfed my breast and I took a moment out of my confused pleasure to feel embarrassed over how much of his hand was left empty. Then I became too distracted to think of something so unimportant. He flicked his thumb over the tip before cupping me and plumping me upward. He lowered his head and laved me with a firm swipe of his tongue. I cried out.

"I can make you scream," He growled. The vibrations played over the sensitive skin he was playing with, making me shudder. He bit down on the underside of my breast.

"Oh god! W-wait!" I wriggled and raised my hands to press against his shoulders. He growled and nipped a bit harder. I yelped as his pelt suddenly whipped my arms behind the small of my back and held them there. I fell to the grass and arched my back to keep my weight off my arms, inadvertently pushing myself closer to Sesshomaru mouth. He smiled.

What the hell was going on? I jerked as he nipped at a rather sensitive spot. "S-Sesshomaru, c'mon, what are you doing?"

"I should think that would be quite obvious."

"For goodness sake, you're being ridicu- Ah! Get your fur out of there!" I squealed as the pelt took the opportunity to shove itself between my legs. The ticklish fur slid against places made much too sensitive from current activities. I stifled a moan.

"The fur? Of course," He sat back on his heels and lifted me up, jerking my knees apart so I straddled his lap. I fell forward against his chest and grunted. Holy crap! What the hell was that?!

"Is this frigid little Koi? I can assure you this Sesshomaru is solely interested in females. Nor am I castrated," He grasped my hips and nudged me against his pelvis. No, he definitely wasn't castrated. I was starting to think he was monstrously proportioned however. I gave up my pursuit for decorum and panted in time to the forced roll of my hips. My breath was fanning the tight muscles of his shoulder. He started to push me faster and grunted as I bit him in retaliation. Any hesitance I had felt before was fading fast as I began to reciprocate.

"Let my hands go," I rasped.

"No."

"Please! I want… I want to touch you."

"No," he added a grind at the end of the thrust and I whimpered against his throat.

I was so close! He wasn't touching me anywhere but my hip, and cloth separated us everywhere in between but I was burning. I squeezed his thighs with my own and he had to work a little harder to roll me against him. I was close, I just needed something more. He wouldn't let my arms free to touch him…

I arched my neck up to look at him. I had no doubt I was flushed and sweaty. He was as pale as ever, no sign of exertion on his skin. But his eyes were red as burning coals.

"At least kiss me," I press my lips to the underside of his jaw and tentatively licked. He grunted.

"This is meant to be a punishment, a lesson. Besides, kissing is a human practice," he growled, and snarled when I bit his earlobe. I didn't have much experience at this and was mostly mimicking what he had done to me earlier. It seemed to be working. He was practically shoving me over him now.

"Please," I breathed into his ear, stretching up as far as I could without losing any contact below.

His hand tightened on my hip for a moment before flying up and grasping my hair. He jerked my head back and stared down at me, his eyes wild flames burning in the gathering darkness. The rhythm he had sustained with his hand faltered for a moment, but I caught it again and rocked slowly over him. Our faces were less than an inch apart as our breath mingled.

"Please," I sighed against his lips. His eyes narrowed and he swayed closer. I licked my lips and I watched him shudder.