A/N: Thanks for all the reviews so far (: this story will have action and fast-developing love, which I'm sure some of my readers will appreciate. Normally I take my time with love, but not so much with this story (;

DISCLAIMER: All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

Empty Threats

By MissKatt

Exposing the Existence

"AH! Touga!" A lady cried while flinging herself at the male, her long skirts shuffling around her. She hugged him tightly to her person, closing her eyes as she inhaled his whiskey tinged musk.

"Izayoi, I have missed you," He replied, nuzzling her hair. "How do you fair?"

"Well! What about y'all? I haven't heard any word from y'all in months! S'not fair!" She scolded as she pulled away from him. She was going to continue on about how she died a little each day when the postman did not deliver her a letter, but squealed when she saw her son walk into the living room of her house. "Inuyasha!" All anger forgotten, she gathered her boy into her arms.

Inuyasha's cheeks turned pink at the embarrassment, especially when Sesshoumaru made a small sound in the back of his throat in humor. "Ma," He groaned and pulled away from her. "I'm a grown man, yah can't just treat me like a kid."

She pursed her lips together and then glanced at Touga when her son brushed off her loving affection. "I blame yah for this," She replied before turning back to her son and step-son. "Are y'all hungry?" When the two shook their heads, she sighed. "I should've known. Y'all never eat because of that demon trait in y'all."

"Speaking of demons, I have to speak to you about something." Touga stated before casting a look back at his sons. "Can you two give us a moment?"

Inuyasha went to protest, but Izayoi spoke up. "I do need a few things from the market. Could yah be a dear and get 'em for me?"

His mother's pout could not be ignored. "Sure," He answered, defeated. He watched as she scribbled a few words down on a parchment and then held out his hand for it. When she went to hand him a couple coins, he shook his head. "We got it. See yah later." He said, leaving the house with his brother.

Izayoi waited until the two left before looking at her husband. "What did yah want to talk about?"

He removed his hat and dropped it onto the table before sinking into a chair. He rubbed his face with his calloused hand and let his disguise drop before looking over at her with bright amber eyes. "I have received word that that spider demon was here."

She stiffened. "That half-demon?" She whispered. "What could he want with this here small town?"

He shrugged. "I am not sure. But as you know, he has been trying to expose demon existence. It is not the right time in the world to reveal our presence; the time is close, but it's not upon us yet. If he reveals us, I fear the consequences will be devastating to our kind."

She looked down at her hands and frowned. "I see," She clenched them into fists. "What do yah plan to do?"

"I plan to take him down while we are here. The boys don't know yet, but I will tell them soon enough." He stared at her and took in the details of her aging face. She was not old in the least bit; barely reached her forties a few months before. Again, the idea of marking her nagged at him, but he feared the repercussions. He had not heard of any demon marking a human female before, so he did not know what would come of it. If she gained markings like his own, and she could not hide them like he and his sons could, what would happen to her? The towns people would avoid her like the plague, might even call her a witch. He couldn't allow that to happen to her, nor could he take her on the road with him.

She looked up at him with her soft brown eyes. "Yer puttin' yerself in danger again." She breathed and felt her eyes swell with unshed tears. "Yah finally come home to me and this is what I'm greeted with?"

He felt his chest tighten with guilt. He had been so unfair to her. He rose from his chair and made his way over to her before kneeling down in front of her. He grasped one of her hands in his and pressed his lips to the top of it. "I am sorry, Izayoi, but I must. Do not worry, nothing will come between us." He murmured before resting his head on her lap.

She nodded meekly before running her fingers through his silver hair. "I hope not. Will yah at least be stayin' for a while?"

He let himself relax with her touch, the tension leaving his shoulders as she rubbed them.
"Until we defeat him," He responded honestly. "But, we were already spotted at the saloon."

Izayoi gasped a little. "What? By who?"

"A saloon girl. If I heard correctly, her friend called her Kagome."

"I know her. Would yah like me to go and talk to her?" She asked seriously.

"Perhaps it would be wise." He replied. "I fear Sesshoumaru quite offended her. His coldness will get us in trouble one day."

She sighed softly and ran her hand through his silky hair once more. "I will speak to her for yah."

"Thank you, my wife."

"I would rather yah say mate."

He frowned and raised his eyes to look at her. "You know why I cannot."

She rolled her eyes. "Yah can take me along with the boys! I won't be gettin' in yer way!"

"Izayoi," he said sternly. "There is too much risk in what we do. I will not let any harm come to you."

"It is not much better bein' stuck here without y'all. Yer my family, my life, and yet y'all are never here. How do yah think that makes me feel, Touga?" She shot back.

"Please, Izayoi," he begged. "I do not wish to fight about this."

She frowned, but allowed herself to nod. "Alright. I will drop it for now." She sighed contently when his lips caressed hers with the love he held for her.

"Allow me to show you how much I missed you." It was not a question or a plea.

She quickly forgot about her previous anger when he swooped her up in his arms and carried her off to their bedroom.

*~~~Empty Threats~~~*

"What are we doing?" Inuyasha asked, leaning against the shop's wall next to his brother as he took a hit of his cigarette.

"You know exactly what we are doing," The demon replied from his perch on the porch. "We are looking for him and his companions." He had been surprised when his father had told them of the real reason for their visit to the town a few days ago, but accepted the job they had to do without question. They had been trying to take the half-demon down for a long while now.

"Yeah, but in broad daylight? Shouldn't we be hidin' out somewhere and doing it?" He questioned, exhaling a puff of smoke.

Sesshoumaru folded his arms across his chest as he waited for his father to finish up his business inside. "Apparently Father has enlisted some help for us while we are here. Our posters are gone; that is why no one knows who we are."

"'Cept the Sheriff." He replied.

"As long as we avoid him, it will be fine." He answered and then glanced at each person who walked by, studying their faces. "Whatever spell they are using to conceal their demon lineage is quite effective."

Inuyasha shrugged. "That, or they just aren't outside today."

Green eyes slanted over at his brother. "Do you even know the severity of the situation, Half-breed?"

Inuyasha lifted his booted foot and put out the cigarette on the bottom of it. "Yeah, bad stuff will happen, right?"

"Try a mass murdering spree. Fear and panic will spread far, no one will trust anyone or believe each other. It will eventually kill off both humans and demons alike." He replied.

The youngest bandit frowned. "Is it that bad to be what we are?"

"No," Sesshoumaru instantly replied. "Humans just do not understand our existence. They will think we are the epitome of evil, that we are here to kill off humanity."

"Idiots." He grumbled.

"Indeed." He replied and tensed when he heard both his and Inuyasha's name being called. He looked up and saw a woman in a dark green dress heading their way. He took in the cleavage she bore from the cut of her dress and the way he could see the riding pants through the slits in her skirts when they twisted. She wore black gloves and a green hat, her torso constricted tightly by a black corset.

The Harlot.

"Mr. Sesshoumaru, Mr. Inuyasha! I'm sure glad I finally found y'all!" Kagome beamed, smiling at them.

He glared hard at her. "Keep your voice down; and do not address me so familiarly in public." Was she trying to draw attention to them?

Her smile faltered. "O-of course, sorry," She murmured before pulling out the small bag of coins from her purse. ""Ere, I jus' wanted to give this back to y'all."

He lifted a brow, noticing the familiar leather pouch. "I believe you were given that for the tab."

"Oh, yes, I was. But it was jus' entirely too much." Kagome replied and held out the bag to him. She frowned when he didn't take it. "I don't need this."

"Did you not say you had some sort of debt? Perhaps you should just take the money and forget you saw us." He answered, looking away from her.

She huffed and put her free hand on her hip. "Look 'ere, Mr. Sesshoumaru, I don't need y'all's pity money-"

"I care not about your pit-"

"Or hush money," She continued, glaring at him when he cut her off. "Yah don't know me at all. I will do what I want, and not yer money nor yer threats are gonna stop me from doin' so."

Emerald flashed gold as he pushed off the wall and stalked towards her, a growl rumbling in his throat when she continued to stand tall in front of him. "Do not test my patience; it wanes thin."

"Then take yer money, Bandit." She replied hotly, pushing the bag into his chest. "And pay yer tab right next time."

As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. His eyes widened slightly in surprise when she turned sharply, hand raised to strike him, but quickly caught the offending hand in his other one. Now that he had both wrists captive, he pushed her back against the wooden pillar forcefully.

"Oi, Sessh, don't get out of hand. Let her go, people are startin' to look." Inuyasha stated, glancing at the people who were looking openly at the two.

Ignoring his brother momentarily, he lowered his mouth to her ear. "Do not order me around, Harlot. You will find that you do not like the repercussions."

Kagome felt her heart hammer in her chest from the sheer strength of the man in front of her. Her stomach tickled with a sudden desire as she felt his hot breath in her ear. Surely, there was something wrong with her. This man was threatening her and yet she couldn't help but feel a jolt of want. "Oh, don't be too sure of yerself." She replied defiantly.

He pulled away from her slightly, looking down into her stubborn eyes. Was she trying to engage him after his threat? "Do you wish for death then?"

"It can't be worse than the Hell I already be livin' in." She muttered and began to tug her wrists free from his grasp.

Sesshoumaru allowed her to free herself before looking at her with a new found curiosity. "You should be proud to have the life you have been given." He retorted, thinking of the countless people they had killed and had seen be killed, as well as the girl who had died in his arms.

She scoffed as she brushed off invisible dirt from her skirts. "My life was forced upon me, nothing is my own." She said stiffly and then gave a small curtsy. "I'll be takin' my leave. Good day, gents."

The two watched her leave before Inuyasha turned back to his brother, studying his scrutinizing gaze. "Are you interested in her?"

Emerald blinked once as he tore his eyes away from her retreating form. "Of course not. Do not insinuate such preposterous things."

"Mhm, sure…" The half-demon replied, a small grin on his face as he looked back to where the girl had disappeared.

A/N: thanks for reading!