Staring at the barren stone surrounding himself, Sesshomaru felt himself scowl. Irritation had swelled within the man. For Nazoki to think that a simple illusion could betray him. Or that she could just run off into the forest at such a voracious time. It was clear that if this season had not approached she would not have behaved in such a manner. Though all sound around the man was muffled, with his superior senses he could still hear her barely-there footsteps. Before he could even extend his aura to destroy the fake world before him, the strangest thing happened. The ring on his finger pulsated. It sounded as though it was a heartbeat, and Sesshomaru proceeded forward in the direction of the vixen. With no effort on his part, the illusion flickered from his sight, revealing the real world. Soon the two seemed to be sharing his senses, and he chose real over fake. The ring apparently had a controlling effect on kitsune abilities. Though the stone world Nazoki had created tried to push its way back Sesshomaru could see through it.
'Mate.' A voice within his head commanded. Still annoyed, Sesshomaru ignored his beast. This was no time for such ridiculous thoughts. Nazoki's ring started to burn, and time seemed to skip. Irritation drove the man, and he allowed his body to act on its own. Quickly reaching out, he gripped an arm; Nazoki's. The woman gasped, as he turned her around and glared down at her.
"You are too weak to best me." Calmly stating the truth, the Lord held her in place. Without warning, Nazoki tried to pull away from him, yet he simply tightened his grip.
"Let me go." She pleaded, still struggling to back away from the man. Black flames consumed the woman, and to Sesshomaru's surprise, it actually burned. But not enough to sway him.
"You are to entertain Rin." The man commanded, but Nazoki shook her head.
"I have, for weeks. Though I enjoy her company, I must complete my task." The mention of her goal only furthered the man's irritation. It was obvious that she was trying to find a mate. Yet for her to disobey him in the process was unacceptable. Sesshomaru's beast seemed to writhe inside of him, trying to claw its way out.
"Not now." The lord growled at both of the parties opposing him. The flames surrounding Nazoki increased in intensity, growing almost unbearable. Clenching his teeth, Sesshomaru did not even attempt to hide the fact that it was almost overwhelming. Nazoki's eyes started to glow bright green, and all form of expression fell from her face. For a lesser demon to be able to fight him so effortlessly was unexpected. The fact that the ring had conditioned him towards fire flickered through his mind, and he wondered what this would have been like before he had received it.
"Return to the group." Sesshomaru sternly commanded through clenched teeth. Nazoki seemed to gaze up at him, and shook her head.
"A week. I have one week..." The woman murmured, and he squinted his eyes. Why the hell was she so bent on mating? It did not make sense, but managed to aggravate the man to no end. What she wanted was obvious. When she pulled away again, Sesshomaru had enough. Control was quickly slipping away, and it showed. Though he fought to contain himself, his beast, the fact that the flames were growing tedious seemed to call his true self out. A nearly inaudible pant escaped him, and Nazoki stepped back. Sesshomaru's gaze lowered, and when he refocused his eyes on her, they were undeniably red. His grip painfully tightened, and his nails pierced her skin. Gasping, Nazoki grabbed his arm. She shoved her own claws into his flesh, and flames jumped into his wounds. She tried to force him to let her go, but he smiled.
There was not a single expression more terrifying then his smile. A low growl escaped the man, and as the vixen attempted to free herself, his own aura interrupted her flames. What appeared to be blue lightening seemed to be suppressing her defensive fire. Overwhelmed, Nazoki fought to keep her composure as the man pushed towards her. Still smirking, Sesshomaru carelessly entered her flames, and captured her lips. Nazoki froze, before retracting her nails, and pushing against his chest. The more she fought, the worse his steely grip became, yet she continued to back away. Muffled protests escaped her, only to fall upon dead ears.
Locked inside of his own mind, Sesshomaru tried to force his way back out. From the looks of things, this wasn't going anywhere he wanted to be. Nazoki was obviously horrified, and though she had opposed him, he had previously told her he would not harm her. Her flames had grown indigo, and panic had taken the woman.
Shoved against a tree, Nazoki tried to stop Sesshomaru as he worked his leg between hers. His claws once again tightened, and she cried out in a combination of fear, pain, and forced ecstasy.
'Is it not a satisfactory sound?' The beast mused, and Sesshomaru felt himself scowl.
"M'lord! Sess- Sesshomaru! Please!" The vixen could be heard, breathlessly pleading for him to stop. She dug her claws into his shoulder, and the man halted for a second. Just as she thought it was over, he slowly inched towards her collarbone. Fangs sank into her, and her head snapped back at the sensation; gasping. As she was about to scream, the man pulled his nails from her arm, and his hand clamped down over her mouth; muffling the sound. When her voice had died down and nothing but a whimper remained, he continued. Wrapping his fingers in her curls, Sesshomaru snatched her head to the side, exposing her neck. Alarmed, Nazoki shoved against the man, he seemed to be made of iron, almost completely unfazed by her. A burst of energy and flame shot against him, almost forcing him back, but he endured the blow. The leg between hers moved up, causing the woman to cease squirming; as it would only work against her at that point. The same shot of energy tried to push him away, but the second time it had less of an effect. It was obvious that he was about to claim her; to mark her. At a time like this, that was the last thing she wanted. The vixen gripped his collar, and with a brittle voice, tried to reason with him.
"Don't- Please don't... M'lord, please... Please..." Defeat seemed to have taken her, and her voice broke. Though it had no effect on his beast, Sesshomaru was undeniably grieved.
'She has accepted us.' The beast grinned, referring to the lack of opposition from the kitsune.
'You will not trap this Sesshomaru within himself. Do as I say; stay in your cage!' The lord hissed back, fighting to regain himself.
His breath was on her neck, and just as fangs scraped against her skin, he froze in place. Sesshomaru gazed at Nazoki. Despite the hand on his collar, her other arm limply hung by her side. Her face was messily concealed by dark curls. The woman's flames had died down, leaving nothing but an icy blue smoldering aura around her. A soft sniffle broke the lord's train of thought, and he released her hair; stepping away. Nazoki did not move as her hand fell from his shirt. Unable to think of anything to say to her, Sesshomaru shifted his gaze. A moment passed, and the vixen raised a hand to her face. Her shoulders jumped as if she was silently crying, and the lord knew she was. He could smell the salt water.
She murmured a small thanks, probably for listening to her, yet Sesshomaru saw no need for such a thing. If anything, it made more sense for her to attack him.
"Why do you thank me, this Sesshomaru? Did I not just injure you?"
Nazoki peered up at him, barely pushing her hair out of her face. The lord's eyes wandered from the dark bite mark on her chest, to the smeared blood on her forehead and under her eyes.
"I- I should not have spoken to you in such a manner... I was at fault..." Softly spoken apologies followed her claim, and Sesshomaru averted his eyes. The fact that she was trying to take the blame for his own mistake did not make him feel any better about it. Still unsure of how to proceed, the man took a step towards Nazoki. A tiny gasp escaped her as she visibly pressed herself into the tree, and her eyes widened. Obviously, the vixen expected him to hurt her. Pausing, Sesshomaru tried to think of the best way to approach. He slowly moved back towards the woman, and she stared up at him fearfully.
"That was not my intention." Though his voice was a mere undertone, Nazoki heard him clearly. Sesshomaru reached towards her, and she cringed. Ignoring the reaction, he wiped a bit of blood from her lips. His fang must have grazed her... Nazoki seemed hesitant to allow the man to touch her again, yet did not oppose him. Leaning towards her, Sesshomaru placed his lips to the puncture wound on her chest. He slid his tongue over her skin, sterilizing her injury. Her heart pounded against his lips, and her chest tightened. The vixen uneasily shifted her gaze, as the man's warm tongue danced against her. She did not know how to react, especially when his thumb firmly slid under her left eye; wiping away the moisture. To Nazoki's surprise he did not stop there, he moved his lips to her neck, and gently offered a light kiss. His hand slid into her hair again and his grip tightened, but he was not rough.
"Do not be afraid..." The man murmured, before placing another soft kiss on her jaw. Leaving it at that, Sesshomaru pulled away, and turned back towards the group. Nazoki watched the man leave, and slowly followed. Of course, she kept a large distance between them, and when they returned to the group, she laid down on the opposite side of the clearing.
'Weak' Sesshomaru's beast insulted. The man scowled and laid down in his previous spot, ignoring the accusation.