Anika

Chapter 12

"Sesshomaru where is your father?" The demoness asked her pup in an emotionless voice.

"I'm right here Ritza." Touga was suddenly behind his pups. Anika nervously backed away from her brother to hide behind her fathers legs.

"So the rumors are true! You've acquired a weak half breed!" Ritza sneered at the small pup that clung to Touga's leg.

"Anika is not weak and remember your place Ritza!" Touga's voice was that of cold unforgiving ice.

"Sesshomaru take Anika out to the gardens please." Touga spoke softly to his son. Sesshomaru obeyed his father as he picked Anika up who still had the piece of meat hanging out of her mouth.

"What are you doing here?" Touga spoke in a cool soft voice when his pups were out of hearing range.

"Just checking on my pup and to see if the rumors of you letting a disgrace into your lands were true. I knew there was a reason I left you. You always never failed to disappoint me; if it were me who found that thing in my lands I would have put an end to its existence right then and there." Ritza was looking at her nails in mock disinterest. Touga's eyes bled red before he pinned Ritza to the cold hard stone wall with his hand around her throat.

"GET. OUT!" Touga snarled dangerously into Ritza's paled face. Ritza snarled angrily before she disappeared from the castle in fright using her demon speed. Touga was still very angry when he went to find his pups. Anika was playing hard to get with Sesshomaru. Watching his pups play eased Touga's mind and he decided to join in and let out a playful snarl as he lunged at his pups causing them to scatter. Anika gave a victorious yelp as she dive-bombed her father who was currently occupied with Sesshomaru. Turning his head Touga gave Anika a devious smirk as he lunged at her causing her to back pedal her little wings. Touga however was much too quick for the little inexperienced pup and soon had her in a big bear or rather dog hug. When night time came and both pups had their dinner Touga tucked both his pups in bed before he went to his office to work on the paperwork he had been neglecting all day. Touga didn't give much thought to the rumors that Anika was a weak half breed because she was quite strong and half wolf demon and half dragon so there was nothing weak about her except that she was just a pup. Finishing his last letter Touga went to his room to go to sleep. In the morning Touga was surprised to see a not-so-happy Sesshomaru holding a playful Anika.

"Father she is teething again." Sesshomaru held up his soggy mokomoko that looked ragged and with some fur missing. Anika gave a weak apologetic smile and Touga could see tufts of Sesshomaru's mokomoko fur stuck between her little teeth. Chuckling Touga sat up in bed and watched as Sesshomaru's face darkened in anger.

"I remember not so long ago, a pup gnawing on one of my mokomoko tails when he was teething." Touga smirked at his oldest pup's embarrassed pink face.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Sesshomaru dumped Anika in his father's lap and left his room. Anika gave an apologetic look at her father as her wings drooped a little.

"Oh, it's okay pup. Just let me get this fur out from between your teeth." Touga gently pried the fur out of Anika's teeth. Anika gave a happy chirp as she flew out of the room to find her brother. Sesshomaru was moping in his room looking very displeased. Anika timidly crept in and offered him a piece of meat she picked up from the kitchens. Sesshomaru couldn't help but smile at the pup's funny antics.

"You can have it." Sesshomaru picked the pup up and stroked her velvety wings. Anika gobbled up the meat testing out her new set of teeth.

"Its time for breakfast pups." Touga was standing at Sesshomaru's doorway watching them interact.

"Father I think she is ready for solid foods." Sesshomaru looked up at his father.

"So it seems." Touga smiled at Anika. Breakfast was a messy affair unlike before. Anika had meat juices everywhere. Touga had Anika given a bath after breakfast. Touga was glad that Anika was doing so well after all that she had been through.

"Father, can she start training now?" Sesshomaru was biting at the bit to train Anika.

"Yes pup you may train her now but go easy Sesshomaru she looks to up to you for guidance." Touga gave his eldest a stern look.

"Yes father." Sesshomaru was practically beaming with happiness.