Hey everyone! Here's the last chapter of Marked. Sorry about the shitty ending :P I made the mistake of not planning out the ending of this story (figures), but hopefully it's not too bad. Anyway's thanks for read :) it truly means a lot to me. I do not own Inuyasha :D
Inuyasha's POV-
When we made it back to the village, most of the humans had migrated to their homes for the night, making slipping into Kaede's hut easy.
"You're back," Miroku stated, leaning casually against the wall with Sango seated next to the fire, stirring a pot of stew. "We figured you'd be chasing her all night," he said, accepting a bowl of stew from Sango while I laid Kagome on the futon.
"Where's the old lady?" I asked, settling myself against the wall closest to Kagome. Sango handed me a bowl of stew, before grabbing her own and sitting next to Miroku.
"One of the neighboring villages needed her assistance, she should be back in a few days. We already told her about Kagome," she explained looking at Kagome and smiling. "What exactly happened, anyway's?" she asked, taking a bite of her stew while Miroku leaned in curiously.
"Well, I would've been chasing her for days if it weren't for Sesshomaru. He stopped her," I told them, shocking Sango while Miroku just lifted an eyebrow.
"Really now? How?" Miroku asked, placing his empty bowl on the floor. Sango on the other hand narrowed her eyes.
"The real question is why?" she stated, also placing her bowl on the floor while she scooped Kirara into her arms.
"He knocked her out. He said if he didn't stop her she would've eventually ran into something that would kill her, which is true.
"A half-demon's mark won't stop a demon that's stronger than me from killing her. In fact, it'd probably just motivate them. That's why I wasn't planning to be with her in that way until after the jewel shards were collected," I confessed, causing Sango's eye brow to shoot up.
"Oh my God, that's why you were rushing us to get the jewel shards. You were just getting impatient!" she exclaimed, smiling while Miroku grinned.
"What! N-no, I just... shut up!" I shouted, turning away so she wouldn't see the small blush that gathered in my cheeks.
"Anyway's, as I was saying before you interrupted me," I grumbled, glaring daggers at the demon slayer. "He said he'd protect my mate as long as I extended the same courtesy to him. He wants me to make sure Rin stays safe.
"If something happens to her, I might as well be the bastard who did it," I finished, replaying the scene in my head.
"It seems Sesshomaru is growing accustom to you, Inuyasha. To entrust Rin to you is a big step for him," Miroku remarked, trying to fight a grin from spreading on his face.
"Tch, whatever you say monk," I scoffed, even though I knew he was right. If Sesshomaru trusted me to protect his future mate, and willing to acknowledge me as his brother, then he's definitely pushing away whatever hatred he felt for me.
"Now we just need to find out why she ran away. I know she was afraid, but I don't know why. She knows Kouga isn't a threat when you're around," Sango said, petting Kirara's head as she thought.
"I don't see how Kouga could have frightened her that much. She's never been one to scare easily. Did something happen before he showed up that might have triggered something?" Miroku asked, eyeing Sango's ass while she tried to ignore him.
"No she seemed fine. I mean, when she came through the well she asked what I knew about Inuyasha biting her and I told her and-" she started but I cut her off.
"Tch, there ya go. She found out she was pledged to some half-demon," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest and looking towards the wall.
"Inuyasha, you can't honestly think that, can you?" she asked, and I could feel her eyes boring into me. "Inuyasha when I told her what it meant she was worried about how you'd feel about it. She didn't know how you'd react.
"In fact, I think she was afraid you wouldn't want to be bound to her in that way!" she insisted, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "You really need to work on this low confidence thing. I know you had a rough past, but Kagome's your future, and she's never thought of you any differently," she said sternly, frowning at me.
"Tch," I grumbled, looking away slightly shocked that she had the balls to say that. "So what happened after you told her about the marking thing?" I asked, effectively changing the topic.
"Well, she showed me her..appearance change, and when she found out you were awake she panicked. She was afraid you'd react badly when you found out what happened. Anyway's, we were walking to the village when she started to panic.
"When I felt Kouga's demonic aura I warned her that he might be angry enough to attack, but he just started screaming. That's when she started to look terrified. She started crying and begging him to understand, and then you two showed up and she ran. I really don't know why," she finished, starring at Kagome while she spoke.
"She was overwhelmed," I concluded, frowning. "She was still probably confused on exactly what happened, and she was worried about how I would take it.
"Her instincts told her that Kouga was stronger than her, and if she was a full demon she would've ran the moment she smelt him, but not only is she not use to having those kind of instincts, but she's also half human.
"As a human, she considered Kouga a close friend. So she wasn't expecting him to yell at her like he did. She expected him to understand, so her human emotions took over, and not only that, but she's in heat, and she's always more emotional around this time of month.
"While demons rely on their instincts to make decisions, humans tend to over think things. Even thought their subconscious knows the right answer, they like to think they know what's better for them," I explained, while Sango glared at me.
"You mean like you when you barge into battle against demons that are stronger then you? Or when you first started going after Kikyo when all she did was try to kill you?" Sango asked while Miroku paled. Glaring at her, I growled slightly before turning away and cursing under my breath.
"If I was a full demon, and I came across a demon that was stronger than me, then yes, I wouldn't barge into battle. And if I was a full demon, I would never have met Kikyo," or Kagome I added mentally, grimacing.
"So being half human makes you a cocky asshole?" she asked, feigning innocence while I shot her a dirty look.
"I believe Inuyasha means that being half human, he doesn't take hard work for granted. His human emotions encourage him to push himself harder to become stronger so he can prove himself. He has a greater sense of accomplishment when he succeeds. Am I right Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, laughing nervously.
"Tch, believe what you want, Monk," I muttered, glaring at him while he grinned sheepishly. "Anyway's, even if she was afraid of Kouga's reaction, he wasn't attacking, so he couldn't have been the only reason she ran away," I concluded, frowning.
"I believe she also may have misunderstood your reaction when you saw her new appearance as anger, maybe even disgust, over the fact she was no longer human. You've always hated being a half demon and have always wanted to become a full demon Perhaps she thought you'd hate her now that she's a half demon," Miroku offered, while I scoffed at the idea.
"There is no way she thought that. I was obviously angry at Kouga because I thought he did something to her!" I said, glaring at the monk.
"I don't know, Inuyasha. She did look pretty crest fallen when you got angry after you saw her. She was already worried about how you would feel about the entire thing, and I don't think that was the reaction she was looking for," Sango muttered, frowning slightly as she starred at the fire.
"So we have to make sure she knows that Inuyasha doesn't mind that she's a half demon and is more than happy to have her marked as his. However, how do we keep her from running away?" Miroku asked, eyes training on me especially while Sango yawned.
"Well, without Kouga around, she'll be a lot less defensive, and in time, she'll get use to her instincts and the new senses that come with them. We're gonna have to lay low for a while until she's comfortable with the changes.
"Our best bet is to try not to freak her out when she wakes up. Once her instincts recognize us as her pack, she'll be comfortable around us all," I told them, shrugging as I removed Tetsusaiga from my hakama and set it in the corner.
"We should probably follow Inuyasha's lead and remove our weapons. She's already use to me, but she was still really freaked out before she ran," Sango suggested, leaning Hiraikotsu and her multiple knives and swords against the wall in the far corner.
Miroku followed suit, leaning his staff in the corner and emptying his robe of all sutras before settling himself next to Sango.
"Inuyasha... you are okay with Kagome being a half demon, right?" Sango asked softly, glancing between Kagome and I.
"Well, yeah. It's not the life I would have chosen for her, she's always going to be treated like shit because she's not human, but she's not a demon either, but if she's okay with it, then I am too.
"I'll do my best to protect her from the shit I went through growing up, but I'm surprisingly happy about this. For the past few months I've been dreading the fact that Kagome would grow old much faster then I will, and I'll lose her.
"Now I don't have to worry about that because she and I will grow old at the same pace," I confessed, smirking slightly at the thought.
"And she looks absolutely ravishable with her new appearance," Miroku commented, making the entire room go silent.
Before I even had a chance to stop myself, a loud possessive growl vibrated through my chest, echoing throughout the hut so loudly the walls seemed to shake.
I faintly heard the villagers wake up, panicking, but I refused to take my eyes off Miroku as I glared at him.
Sango on the other hand, grabbed the pot that was sitting next to the fire and flung it at his head, effectively calming me down and silencing my growl.
"You perverted bastard," she hissed, clenching her fist with a murderous glint in her eyes. "One, you're an asshole, and two, what is your right mind made you think it was a good idea to tell a demon that his mate, whom he just marked, is ravishable?
"Do you want Inuyasha to kill you or are you just that much of an idiot?" she scowled, slamming her fist into his head.
"Sango, Sango please! I did not say I wanted to ravish her, but who am I to deny a woman's beauty?" he said innocently, throwing his hand to his chest in a dramatic gesture.
"You better shut up and quite putting your foot in your mouth before I do it for you, you lecherous monk. You shouldn't even be looking at Kagome that way," I growled viciously, cracking my knuckles.
"Calm yourself, Inuyasha, I meant nothing by it. Kagome, is of course, yours to ravish as you please. I have another women in mind for myself," he stated, groping Sango's ass while she and I blushed brightly.
"S-shut up you damn monk!" I yelled, while Sango slapped him across the face as she scooted away from him. He on the other hand continued grinning like an idiot, obviously proud of himself.
Grumbling to myself, I crossed my arms over my chest in an attempt to calm my racing heart beat. I'd be lying if I said I haven't thought about Kagome in.. that way before, but having Miroku voice it like that, I couldn't help but feel incredibly embarrassed.
Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts aside, and tried to focus on what's going on now. Kagome was still unconscious, but the slight increase in her heartbeat showed she would wake up soon.
Miroku had fallen asleep, still grinning idiotically, while Sango was nodding off, laying on the floor with Kirara at her side.
Rolling my head back against the wall, I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply in an attempt to calm myself. I could feel my body try to lull itself to sleep, but I kept my ears focused on Kagome's breathing in order to keep myself alert.
However, after a few hours, I was just about to give up and fall asleep when her breath hitched. My eyes snapped open and I turned to her, holding my breath as I watched her turn restlessly.
After a few minutes of tossing and turning, her eyes blinked open, starring blankly at the ceiling. She stayed there for a while starring at nothing, completely unaware of her surroundings.
"Hey," I whispered, smiling softly as she jumped. She sat up and turned around, wide eyed as her ears twitched frantically on her head. "You okay?" I asked, carefully to keep my voice soft.
"What happened to Sesshomaru?" she breathed, glancing around and noticing Sango and Miroku sleeping on the other side of the room for the first time.
"Tch, the bastard didn't mean to threaten you. He was just trying to do me a favor," I explained, blushing slightly.
"Do you a favor?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically while I smirked. She repositioned herself so she was sitting across from me, her tail twitching between her legs showing how uncomfortable she felt, which wiped the smirk off my face.
"Yeah. Why don't we go outside... you know, so we don't wake them up?" I offered, jerking my head towards Sango and Miroku.
She nodded, and we both stood up and headed towards the door. I held the mat open while she walked outside, earning a smile from her despite how confused and nervous she still felt.
We walked for a while in a comfortable silence until we reached the creek. Kagome was the first to sit down, and I quickly follow suit and sat next to her, but at a distance that wouldn't make her any more nervous.
"The reason Sesshomaru knocked you out was because he was protecting you for me. If you kept running, you would eventually have come across a demon that wouldn't hesitate to kill you.
"I know how afraid you were when you ran off, I could feel it, and if you ran across a demon, especially.. uh, smelling the way you do, you wouldn't have been able to protect yourself.
"You didn't have your bow, and you don't know how to fight with your claws yet. I'll have to teach you the basics, if uh, if you want... that is," I muttered, glancing the opposite direction while a small blush formed on my cheeks.
"But Sango said a demon wont attack me because of your mark. She said it warns them not to," she said, and I could feel her confusion growing.
"She's half right. A demon that's weaker than me will know not to attack you, but if you ran into a demon that's stronger than me, my mark won't matter. I'm just a half demon after all," I explained, frowning.
"Anyway's, Sesshomaru promised that he'd protect you whenever he's needed, as long as I protect Rin in return," I finished, looking back at her to see she was starring at the ground with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. When you turned full demon, after you killed the coyote demon I should have subdued you until we could get Tetsusaiga into your hands. If I did, you wouldn't be stuck with me like this..." she whispered, her ears flattening.
Springing to my feet, I jumping in front of her before taking her chin in my hand. Forcing her to look at me, I saw tears rolling down her cheeks while she bit her lip, drawing blood with her fang. She hiccupped slightly, causing my own ears to flatten as I starred at her.
"Kagome.. if anything I'm sorry. I.. I lost control, and claimed you before you could give consent. Hell, I claimed you before you even knew what it was, but I'd be lying if I said I regretted it," I said, grinning sheepishly at her.
"Y-you don't?" she asked, pulling at her hair as she starred into my eyes. Showing her a genuine smile that only she's allowed to see, I watched her eyes widen in shock when she read the truth in my eyes.
"I was going to ask you, once we finished collecting the jewel shards, if you wanted to be with me, and get married. I never planned on marking you, because I didn't know what would happen if I did, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to be with you.
"Marking you is probably the best thing I've done while not in control," I confessed while she let out a choked laugh as tears ran down her face.
"Even if I'm not human anymore?" she asked, smiling as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. Grinning, I cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears with my thumb.
"I don't care if you're a half demon, it just means I have more time with you," I told her, and before I had time to react, she lunged at me, knocking be on my back.
Just as I was able to process what was going on, her lips were on my, kissing me desperately. I smiled into the kiss, pulling her closer before kissing her back and tangling my hands in her hair.
When she pulled away, she was laughing and crying at the same time, but her smile never faded, and she's never looked happier.
Grinning, I propped myself up on my elbows so I could stare at her. She was laying on me, her tail wagging happily in the air while her legs tangled with mine. Miroku may have been crude about it, but she did look beautiful.
She was beautiful as a human too, but now she looked stunning. It's almost as if she was meant to be a half demon. Her ears were perked up happily, and her eyes sparkled brightly thanks to the tears.
Hell, she even looked gorgeous with her cheeks streaked with tears that were accented by the moon reflecting off the creek. I don't think I've ever seen her smile like this before, especially at me.
She laid her head on my chest and sighed, but I could see her smiling. I could feel her happiness radiating off her, enveloping us both as I laid back down, draping my arms over her.
We stayed like that for awhile, watching the sky until sunrise. However, at dawn she rolled off me, stretching her arms and legs as a soft moan escaped her lips.
"We should probably head back," I mumbled, sitting up and smirking at her. She pouted slightly but nodded while I stood up and offered her my hand. She gladly excepted it, allowing me to pull her to her feet.
"The others are probably wondering if you ran off again last night. After we have breakfast I'll have to start teaching you basic skills to use now that you're a half demon. You up for it?" I asked, grinning mischievously while she put a hand on her hip.
"I'm sure I can handle it," she said, smiling at me before pulling at my hand and dragging me back towards Kaede's.