A/N: Really. Did you honestly think I was going to leave it there? Yeah right. Oh, and sorry this took kind of long. I got caught up in watching Lovely Complex. Fantastic anime. You should all watch it.

P.S. Warning. There is a lemon ahead. With adult type touching. If you don't like that type of thing you shouldn't read it. I was dithering about rather to put it in but enough people asked for it that I decided to go ahead. So here it is.

Chapter Twenty

What was that noise? Like wind, like water, like fire, like the earth moving and growing and shifting. Indescribable, except I was in the middle and it was nothing at all like being in the eye of a tornado. Everything was noise and chaos and constantly changing. Everything except me. I wasn't in pain, at least that was something. But I didn't like this sensation of floating either.

And out of the cacophony I heard a soft, impatient 'tsk' and something bathing my middle, where I knew my gore wound was. I still couldn't feel it though; there was nothing but the sensation of falling.

It wasn't until I landed that I realized I had really been falling. I hurt! There wasn't any of the deep tearing pain I expected from all that had happened to me, but I still felt my ribs and the gash down my front and all the various bruises and cuts. It was only that they were less so; like they had been left alone and healing for a few weeks. I couldn't feel the last fatal wound from Naraku at all. But the landing still hurt.

It's not like I landed on pillows either. The ground was uneven packed dirt. I slitted my eyes open, but couldn't see anything. I grunted as I pushed myself to a sitting position, stretching my hands out in front of me. Dirt walls? I was completely surrounded, earthen wall on all sides, but nothing above me. My eyes were adjusting a bit now and I could see indentations on one side like someone regularly made a habit of climbing up from there. I catalogued all my aches and pains grimly as I contemplated making the climb. Ugh.

It took longer than it should have and when I finally rolled myself out I was gasping like a landed fish and every sore spot on my body was protesting. I turned my head to the side and coughed. Then I blinked. Was that…

"My phone? And my wallet…" I murmured. I was back in the well house. On my side of time. What had happened? I didn't understand.

I gathered up my stuff and stuffed it in my pockets. My phone immediately fell through as the pocket on my right side had been completely ripped off. A sigh and I was pushing open the door, ducking away from the sunshine on my gritty eyes. I heard a gasp but was too busy trying to let my eyes adjust to take notice.

"What are you doing in the well house?!" the voice cracked in the middle and I turned to look at a young boy.

"You look like Kagome," I answered without thinking. I swayed against the doorway.

The boy gaped before turning to the shrine, "Mama!"

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"Goodness, she must have fallen down the well!"

Voices. I wish they'd be quiet. I was so tired.

"How did she climb up with those broken ribs?"

"She'll be fine, her injuries are very minor. The breaks in her ribs are amazing clean. They didn't even have to be set."

"She keeps mumbling about demons though…"

One demon. There's only one. But the thoughts were painful, and I just wanted to sleep.

"Emotional trauma I'm sure. She probably is just having bad dreams. She can stay here until she's rested. After all it was our well she tumbled down."

I wasn't dreaming! It hadn't been a dream. I was… almost sure of it.

"Thank you Mrs. Higurashi. That's very kind of you. Oh, hello Mr. Higurashi."

"What's this? Demon be gone!"

"Grandpa!"

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If it weren't for Kodi, Sesshomaru would be fine. Rin was safe. She had amazingly not been harmed during whatever attack had befallen Kodi. She had been been silent about the whole thing though; quiet, like when she had first started following him. If it weren't for Kodi, everything would be normal. He wouldn't be walking through lands filled with the stench of smoke and metal. He wouldn't be having to comfort Rin on a dayly basis because Kodi was gone. The child had started having nightmares, calling oout for her mother, and upon waking, calling out for Kodi.

Aggravating. Besides all that however, he was enraged. The girl had succeeded in severing the mating bond between them, therefore saving him from death. He could feel the absence keenly. And yet the intensity, the instinctual mine! Mine! MINE! was the same; as ferocious and impassioned as it had been under the influence of the bond.

He told himself it was because of possession. The girl had been his, and once something belonged to him the ownership was irrevocable by none other than him. He had simply… grown accustomed to her. He was a demon after all, Taiyoukai, and this Sesshomaru did not have feelings for humans.

He found the old man easily enough, using every predatory, tracking technique he had ever learned. He didn't want the old man alerted to his arrival after all. He was likely to run away if he was warned. It would have been the wise thing for the human to do. Sesshomaru did plan to kill him if he didn't or couldn't do what he wanted after all. He waited in the shadows until the opportune moment. The old man's back was turned.

He pounced. The old man's cackle was enraging, but Sesshomaru shoved the anger down to join the icy ball in his chest that he had become so familiar with. The element of surprise had been taken away, and Sesshomaru didn't bother to try and attack the human again. It didn't seem like he was going to run, and besides, it was beneath him.

"Where is she?" asked Sesshomaru, the words measured and restrained as ever.

"Where is who?" the human answered.

Sesshomaru stiffened, "The girl, the human girl. The woman you mated me to, the human Kodi, who you took from the battlefield moments after she had died. I smelled your stench on the very spot her body had fallen. Where is she?"

"Oh. That girl. Er…"

Sesshomaru allowed a small snarl to curl his lips.

"Well, she died you know."

The ice in his chest grew a little harder, "Not everything need stay dead, as you well know, sword maker."

The human smiled, "Why do you want to know anyway? She's served her purpose, now she's gone. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I choose when she has served her purpose ningen!"

"Hmmph, listen to you! No respect!" he cackled again. "I'll ask again; why do you want her?" He frowned, "You aren't planning on killing her for that little bit of spirit she showed you, are you?

Sesshomaru snarled outright.

"Well, she's out of your reach anyway. Back in her time, fine and dandy. Well, except for a little bruising. I can't fix everything you know. Not to mention everyone telling her that you're just a figment of her imagination, but it's probably better that way. She'll forget and go on."

Sesshomaru's hand twitched and the old swordsman smiled, "Right?"

"Human, this Sesshomaru will only say this once. You will bring the girl back. You will return the spell that allows her to share my lifespan. You will do so now. And then, you will never interfere with this Sesshomaru's life again."

"Can't be done."

"Then you will die," Sesshomaru answered without inflection.

"I can't just bring her from the future boy. That's not how this works. She's not anywhere near the well and I doubt she'll be allowed near it anytime soon. I was able to lure her there before, but it was grueling work, and won't work a second time besides. Humans develop an immunity to that type of influence rather quickly. She's out of my reach."

Sesshomaru cocked his head, "Were she to somehow come through the well however, you would be able to bespell her again?"

"Not without her willing it. She already rejected you after all and I try to spell bond you again it won't work. So, you have to somehow get her here and then get her to agree to the spell. Otherwise I can't help you. Now let an old man get some rest will you? And get off my lawn, you'll shed all over the place!"

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I was sleeping again. I had been doing a lot of that lately. I had a sneaking suspicion it was due to the teas Mrs. Higurashi kept shoving down my throat. In between assurances that "all that demon nonsense was just a dream and would be forgotten soon."Never mind that I was starting to believe it. I hadn't seen Kagome yet after all, and I would think she would've come back to see her family right away.

My sleep wasn't peaceful. The aches and pains from my ribs and everything was fading but there was other pain to make me restless. My whole body had been stinging since I found myself on this side of the well. It felt like someone had ripped duct tape off of every inch of me and the top layer of skin that was supposed to be there wasn't. And besides, there were all those dreams about him.

So tonight, I was tossing and turning, in that place between sleep and consciousness. And my dreams were turning sinister. Someone was watching me. I could the eyes in the shadows, glowing like a cats. I fought my way to awake faster than ever before when I felt the hand slip over my mouth. Then I bit the hand.

"Ow! Damn it! Be quiet Kodi! This isn't my fault."

I cut off mid yell and gasped, "Inuyasha!"

"You made me bleed!"

"It is you! Hah! I knew it wasn't a dream! Is Kagome back too?" I grinned gleefully and bounced on the the bed. Inuyasha scowled, "No, and it's all that stupid bastard's fault!"

"What?"

"Your fucking mate stole Kagome and said he wouldn't give her back until I brought you through the well. And she won't purify him because she's too soft."

"Watch your language," I replied automatically. I frowned, "Why would he do that?"

"He probably wants to kill you."

WHAT!?"

"Be quiet! It's amazing you haven't woken everyone up as it is!"

"Crap. Now, that I think about it, Sesshomaru did say something about killing me when this was all over. Um…"

Inuyasha huffed, "Well, let's go!"

"Um…"

He growled, picked me up over my screeched protests, threw me over his shoulder and bounded out the window.

We were through the yard and down the well quicker than I could punch Inuyasha in the back.

We tumbled into the moonlit meadow.

"Ow! You punched me right in my side. Damn it! Stupid wench!"

I sat up from where he dropped me and kicked him in the knee. He fell over, "Dumb dog! There wasn't nearly that much jostling when Sesshomaru carried me! You did that on purpose! I should have puked all over your stupid butt!" I pressed a hand to the insistent ache in my side, "Ow, my ribs!"

I heard a snarl, a screech and the roar of displaced air before I changed my tune.

Inuyasha yelped as he dove to catch Kagome. Her fearful shout had transformed mid breath to scolding, "You didn't have to transform while I was so close! You pushed me twenty feet!"

I looked up at the great white dog above me and came to a quick conclusion. I dove for the well, "Ack! Don't let him eat me! I don't want to die by digestion!"

Sesshomaru's advance stopped abruptly, he shuddered once, twice, and then began to shrink back. I stared into his now humanoid glare, "I am not going to eat you." I heard a snicker and saw Miroku cover his lips as he stepped out of the trees, followed closely by Sango. I frowned. Honestly, how did he make that dirty?

…Oh. I flushed.

He stalked up to me and crouched. I flinched as he ducked his head and sniffed, reddening more when I heard Kagome giggle. Damn it! Sesshomaru was going to kill me and they were just going to watch? Some friends!

Sesshomaru snapped his head around at the sound and glared at them, "Leave."

No one moved. Kagome pouted, "But I want to watch! I didn't let you kidnap me just to miss out on the good part!"

I gaped at her. What was this? An alternate reality?

Sesshomaru snarled and surprised a squeak from me as he scooped me up (Carefully. I was amazed not to feel a twinge of protest from my healing injuries.) and flew into the forest.

"Um…"

"Silence ningen. This Sesshomaru is furious."

"What did I do now?" I grumbled. Fear of instant death receding a bit. This was starting to look like he was going to monologue first. It was difficult to say rather I would prefer outright death. We landed abruptly.

Sesshomaru didn't even allow my body to catch up to the sudden stop before he began to tear into me, "You deliberately disobeyed me!"

I shifted, "Can you put me down now?"

"No! You removed the bond when I told you not to!"

"No, you told me not to take off your mark. Why can't you put me down?"

"I do not care to. The choice of words is beside the point! Not only did you remove the mating, but then you left!"

"Uh, hello! I died!" I answered. Then I jerked in surprise and glared up at him, "Don't you dare turn into a giant mutt when you're carrying me!"

"This Sesshomaru is not going to transform," he answered stiffly. I stared at him doubtfully. His eyes were red all the way through and his face was significantly more jagged. His whole body had stiffened on my last retort. He clenched his teeth and drew his sword. I gulped and yelped as he swung it. My hands flew up to cover my head.

Sesshomaru growled, "I wasn't attacking you."

"Well then stop swinging sharp things at me you psycho!" I screeched.

"I was healing the worst of your injuries," he answered tightly.

I eyed him doubtfully before hesitantly poking myself in the ribs. Huh. Well…

"Thanks," I muttered, peeking down my shirt to see that although the slash was still on my chest, the edges weren't as red and angry looking. Sesshomaru was watching me.

"What?"

"You are hereby forbidden to die."

I rolled my eyes, "Ridiculous. You're the one who dragged me back to kill me!"

Sesshomaru's mouth actually dropped open. "I am not going to kill you!"

"… You're not?"

"…No," he sighed.

"Well you don't have to sound so wistful about it," I muttered darkly. "So, what? You had me kidnapped and brought to you so you could… yell at me?"

"Hnn."

"Yes?"

"I suppose that is correct."

"Okay. Are you done yelling now?"

"For the time being."

"Great. Take me back."

His nearly tranquil face transformed into a snarl faster than I could blink, "No!"

I waited for him to elaborate, and when he didn't do so I sighed, "I don't understand."

Sesshomaru deliberated for moment, "This Sesshomaru does not give up what is his."

I raised a brow, "Sesshomaru, you don't like me. You couldn't wait for me to be gone remember?"

He growled.

"Don't growl at me! It's true!"

Sesshomaru set me down and turned away, pacing a few steps. "I am not… adverse to your presence."

This time I was the one who growled. I stomped over to him and poked him in the chest.

"What does that even mean?! Ow," I rubbed my finger. Crap it was like poking a cement wall. I balled up my fist and punched him (lightly, I wasn't trying to hurt myself) instead.

He grabbed my hand and turned it palm side up, uncurling my fingers and inspecting the injured digit. I gulped.

"It means… That is, this Sesshomaru, when you…died," he seemed to be choking on his words. He released me and spun away again. I watched as he shuddered and the tips of his ears actually popped out from beneath his hair lined with fine fur. He jerked his head around and glared at me so suddenly I jumped.

"Do you see!? Do you see what you have done to me!?"

"Um…"

"This Sesshomaru does not feel rage! And certainly not on account of a ningen! A ningen woman! I do not guilt, or feel happy," he said the word like it tasted bad. "I am not pleasant, or caring! And you came and suddenly I'm shouting, and buying dolls, and… and smiling."

I wrinkled my nose. "When?" I mouthed. He ignored me.

"This Sesshomaru does not feel need, or want, or… devotion," Sesshomaru hissed. I swallowed thickly. Oh.

His eyes flickered over me and murmured, seemingly to himself, "It seems I am truly my father's son." He straightened and with all the coolness of the day I met him, "I'm going to keep you Mate. Do you understand?"

I was frozen for a moment before I jerked and nodded sharply. He raised his brow imperiously. I cleared my throat and answered, "Y-yes, I do. I mean, I think so."

"Do you?" he asked, his voice a rumble in the shadows. The trees filtered silver light over his hair. And suddenly I realized I was cold. It had to be midnight at least. He had set me down in a pool of moonlight and I wondered if the white of my nightgown glowed with the same ethereal quality as his yukata. "Show me Kodi. Show me that you understand."

I stared at him in confusion, which turned into hesitation. He growled and suddenly he was right there. His hand cupped the back of my head, tilting it up so I stared straight into his eyes.

"Show me! This Sesshomaru… I need you to show me you understand."

Was he begging? I… didn't know what to do! …I was scared to understand. What if I was wrong?

"Say my name again," I blurted. He snarled into my face."Please? I need to hear it."

He eyed me. His fingers shifting on the nape of my neck, and I suppressed a shudder. He sighed and lowered his head so his lips were at my ear.

"Kodi," his breath fanned over my neck. "Show me."

I shivered a sigh and nodded, my decision made. If I was wrong… I reached up and placed my hands very gently on his neck, just below his ear lobes. I allowed my fingers to sink into the supple thickness of the hair on his nape. It was so very much like fur.

He allowed me to pull him down a few inches but I had to raise myself the rest of the way. He seemed to grow impatient with how long I was taking and jerked me up against. And suddenly we were inches apart, our breaths mingling, and I was nervous as hell. But the way he had said my name… I tilted my head.

******************************************************************

Sesshomaru was shocked. He hadn't expected this. He had been expecting the girl to- to kiss him, or make some advance on his person, to show she understood in her own, human way. And yet she tilted her head and bared her neck to him. So submissive, so trusting. He smiled slowly, so canine. The girl was catering to his instincts, and although he would have been satisfied with her kiss, he couldn't deny this was more than… pleasing.

He snatched her up and plunged his head into the curve of her shoulder. He licked her once, twice and then sank his teeth into her neck. It wasn't hard enough to bruise, but certainly hard enough to hold her attention. She mumbled a protest.

"Shh," he hissed around the bite. He released her and growled into her ear, "That's a good girrrrl."

****************************************************************************

I muffled a moan at the shivers his growl sent skating over my skin. "Sessho?" I whispered.

"Hnn," he hummed in answer, licking inside the shell of my ear. I twitched.

"Sessho, will y-you kiss me now? Oh!" I jerked as he bit my earlobe, tugging until it slipped out of his lips. His hand slid down the outside of my hip and I realized that he had somehow maneuvered us so that my back was against a tree. He stilled for a moment and I spent an agonized second thinking that he was changing his mind. Instead when he lifted his head he was smiling. And I nearly swooned. This smile was not like the horrifying display of evil intent he had shown the first day I had met him. Instead it was hungry. The markings on his cheeks were roughened and his eyes were narrowed and blazed with dark, red flames.

He lowered his lips to mine, so softly, brushing them over my own. He didn't advance any further. He just continued his maddening teasing. Brush, brush, brush, and catching my bottom lip between his own, but holding everything else back. Until I grew impatient and caught his lower lip between my teeth. He snarled and I heard a crack as his hand flew from where it was playing on my waist to the tree behind me. I let his lip go and made to back away, afraid I had gone too far.

He wouldn't allow it and followed my retreat, his lips catching mine in the scorching kiss he had only hinted at before. Wet and hot and teeth, and him forcing his way past my lips until I suckled on his tongue and oh! his hand running down my leg and catching me behind the knee, lifting, fitting us together just right. He hitched me up higher and I gasped into his mouth. He froze.

I whimpered in denial at his sudden stillness. He swiped the roof of my mouth one more time and withdrew despite my protests, letting my lip pop from between his own as he drew back. I whimpered a tormented "Why?"

"This is not the place. Don't let go."

"What?" I asked and groaned as he took to the air. He hadn't changed our position as he had leapt and the sensation of flight while our bodies were so intertwined was… interesting. By the time we landed, what felt like hours later but was really only twenty minutes, I was panting and trying frantically to hide it. After all I didn't want to be the only one out of breath.

He tried to capture my lips again as soon as we landed, but was forestalled by me looking around. He settled for chewing on my neck instead.

"Where are we?" I asked, arching against a particularly savage nip. He suckled the skin as if in apology. We seemed to have landed in the courtyard of a traditional Japanese style estate, just outside open shobi doors. I could see what looked like a luxuriously padded futon piled with blankets and bolsters inside. I was proven correct as Sesshomaru whisked me inside tumbling us down onto the cushions.

"My home," he murmured above the curve of my breast. His play seemed to be moving lower and I was struggling to pay attention. My head lolled on a pillow but jerked up at his words. His mouth was dislodged from where he was suckling a bruise on my chest.

"But you said you wouldn't ever take me here!" I wriggled beneath him, earning a strangled growl. "I don't understand!"

He pulled himself up and over me, so that he could meet my eyes. He grinned, "I thought you said you did understand? Little ningen, didn't you say you understood? Did you lie to this Sesshomaru little mate?"

"Um… no?" I scooted a little from beneath him. He was sort of looming. Quick as thought, his hand slid up under my nightgown and… wriggled. I shrieked.

"It does not feel as if you were lying," he murmured, his voice nothing but a rumbled filling the room with dark intent. I whimpered as he withdrew his fingers, raising them to his lips. He sniffed and licked delicately. His eyes fluttered shut. When he opened them again, they were shuttered. And I didn't suspect a thing as he fingered the collar of my gown.

"Sesshomaru," I whimpered. Was he playing with me? My hands flitted mindlessly over his stomach and shoulders. Sesshomaru's eyes glinted and the claw at my throat slit my gown down the middle. The hands that played on his stomach (abs of steel!) jerked and flew to cover the newly exposed skin.

"Hey!"

He seized my wrists in his hand and pushed them up over my head, leaving me exposed. His head ducked and latched onto my nipple. I cried out in surprise as he bit. He raised his head and surveyed his handiwork, blowing gently on the tight skin.

"Don't try to hide girl."

He licked the slight pain away before switching over and paying equal homage to my other side. I writhed and arched beneath him.

"Not this again! Let my hands go Sesshomaru!" I cried out in frustration. He released me and my fingers flew to his hair pulling him in tighter. He chuckled darkly and tugged away, despite my protests.

"Sadist!" I hissed. He spent a few moments licking the now minor and nearly healed wound across my torso and I relaxed, only to choke as he slid further down. "Er… wait, don't go down there! Urgh! Sessho, really, it's embarrassing!" He raised his brow arrogantly as I clenched my knees together.

"Girl, you know that my strength is superior to yours, so I suggest you surrender with dignity. Besides," he smiled maliciously. "I should hate to hear afterward that I left you- how did you put it? Oh yes, wanting." I choked on the reminder of my earlier words and in my irritation he managed to shove my knees apart. My hand flew up to cover my eyes, feeling less embarrassed if I didn't see him looking at me. I peeked.

"Sesshomaru! Stop looking!" I moaned piteously. He was just staring! And not at a respectable distance either. He was inches away! He huffed softly and I shuddered as his breath fanned over sensitive parts. The beast did it again, and again, and I realized he was sniffing me, which caused my blush to renew itself with a vengeance. He stopped and my legs flexed weakly over his shoulders. And then he licked me. A quick swipe his tongue, and again, harder. And his hand falling from where he was holding my leg over his shoulder to settle for holding me open in a much more intimate way. It was too much. He wouldn't stop. Just lick, lick, lick, and little growls and nibbles and me squirming all over the bed trying to get away, because the pleasure was quickly becoming too tight and sharp and pointed and good Lord were those fangs I felt? When I shrieked and managed to gain a few inches of space he simply clamped his hand over my stomach and dragged me back, starting the cycle all over.

He seemed to know when I was almost there too, because he would soften his touch until I was whimpering in frustration and then he would start all over again. After a few years of torture my earlier reluctance had vanished and been replaced with desperation. I clamped my hands in his hair and yanked. His head jerked up and he snarled up at me. I blinked down at him in shock.

His eyes were glazed, mindless. And he seemed more dazed then I felt, which was saying something. So I said something, "What the hell Sesshomaru?"

He blinked and his markings faded from the jagged streaks they had been. His eyes narrowed.

"Roll over," he barked. No really, he barked. I sat up, ignoring the insistent throbbing in my belly. I made to move onto my stomach but something caught my eye and diverted my attention. Something big.

"Um…"

"On your stomach mate!" he growled, looming over me.

"Eh…"

"What!?"

"That," I pointed. "Is not going to fit."

He stared at me for a moment and I thought he was going to agree. Maybe he would laugh and admit it was a joke and that he had a smaller one in a drawer somewhere. I cut off my slightly hysterical thoughts with a giggle. His eyes narrowed. His hand shot out, hooked itself around my waist and flipped me over. I squealed.

"Wait! I'm serious! Maybe humans are built differently, or- eeeek!"

I felt Sesshomaru shiver against my back, "Shh, relax. I... Hell." He froze as instead of heeding his words I stiffened and wriggled. I heard a snarl and his fist landed in the sheets by my head. He shoved and shuddered. I squealed, my elbows collapsing beneath me and my forehead falling against a pillow.

He kept shoving, even through my mewling.

"Sorry. I'll… stop… just a moment. I'll… s-sorry," he panted in time against my neck, his lips brushing my shoulder, my ear, the nape of my neck. Frantic, desperate and shove, growl, shove.

I scrabbled for the bedding, "Sessho!"

"I'll stop. Just…"

"Sesshomaru please-"

"P-promise I'll stop. Sorry…"

"Sesshomaru, if you don't go faster, I'm going to be very angry."

He froze and I nearly screamed in frustration. I felt a smile against my shoulder and at that moment I would have given anything to see what he looked like.

I didn't get a chance. He took me at my word. The world faded until all that was left was the friction. And the feel of slick skin against my back, silver hair falling over my shoulder, making the world turn gray. And shove and sweat and I couldn't hear his growl anymore but I could feel it. Vibrating against the small of my back, my thighs. I burned.

Friction, white hot and scorching as he pushed against me, fast, faster than anything… the pleasure coiled and tightened to a white hot point of heat and seemed to hover there, poised at the peak, before Sesshomaru sank his fangs into my neck, pushing me over the edge. I screamed. And with a snarl Sesshomaru released my neck and quaked against me.

I panted into the pillow, my breaths shuddering out of me in sobs as Sesshomaru eased himself away from me. He gathered me into his arm and position us so he was reclined against the cushions and I was reclined against him. I was still sobbing for breath.

"Shh. Breathe little one. You're okay. Shh," he smoothed my hair away from my eyes, "Breathe Kodi."

"Y-you bit me!" I choked out between pants.

"Hnn."

I worked up the energy to pinch him.

"It was necessary. You removed your mark. That will have to do until I can have the spell replaced. At least it will keep other demons away from you."

"What? We can't put the spell on me again! It puts you too much at risk!"

"Hnn."

"Sesshomaru!"

"Hush."

"But-"

"No. It is not up for discussion. This Sesshomaru is keeping you. Remember?" he growled. I blushed and ducked my head into his chest. I noticed that although his yukata was open, he hadn't removed it so it still covered his arms. I pushed it off the shoulder opposite the arm that I lay against. Sesshomaru grew rigid as the remains of his arm were revealed. I ran my fingers over the skin of his shoulder, tracing my hand down his upper arm until it stopped. I traced the path again and turned my head to kiss the skin beneath my cheek. Sesshomaru relaxed slightly.

"Say that you agree Kodi."

"Hmm? Oh. Are you sure?"

"Girl," he rumbled warningly.

Was I sure? I sighed and Sesshomaru's hand automatically stroked my hair. Of course I was sure. "Fine then."

"Hnn."

I stiffened as the same burning pain I had felt the first day seared my neck again. I howled.

"Damn it! Stupid, bleeding, son of a-"

"Oh good. I see the spell was renewed," a voice cackled from the doors. I shrieked. Sesshomaru snarled and whipped a blanket over me.

"Old man, you overstep your bounds!" he roared.

"Honestly, I was just checking to make sure it worked all right," he grumbled. I heard a growl and then he yelped. "Put those claws away! All right! I'm leaving! No respect!"

A pop and everything was quiet again. I felt a tug on the blanket and tightened my hold.

"Human?"

I grunted.

"Come out. He's gone."

"No."

He hummed and I peeked out, sighing as he gathered me back into the curve of his arm. He shifted and my eyes widened. Was he? Again? I wriggled experimentally and he growled. I frowned. I was kind of sore already. He had been inordinately large after all. Could I go again? So soon? He lay back and lifted me over him, nibbling on the hollow of my throat. My eyes fluttered shut.

Yeah, I definitely could.