Disclaimer: I do not own the show in whole or in part only the ideas for the plot are mine and some of the unique characters.

Enjoy chapter 26

Chapter 26:

Kagome flipped Susuki on to her back with a defeated sigh before leaning over the fox demon, "Every morning? Really?"

"Today is important!" Susuki said hurriedly, "Today is the day where Sayuki interacts with the pack!"

"I have to be there don't I?"

"Yes! If this was real Sesshomaru would have to see how she interacts with her beta as well as her pack, if one was established before mating."

"Which is rare," Kagome continued as she help Susuki to her feet, "I know."

"The morning meal is prepared, and unfortunately you might have to give up your seat."

"Only if she passes the first test." Kagome replied, "I doubt she will. She hasn't done well in any of the tasks she's been given."

"We know. We are also aware that it is thanks to you that things are still running smoothly."

"Do I get to be a bitch today?" Kagome asked and smiled at Susuki's confused look, which disappeared soon.

"You are one every day," Susuki stated confidently and Kagome raised her eyebrow, "The best one Sesshomaru has witnessed since his own mother." Kagome laughed now, she should have figured Susuki would think she was talking about being a female Inu.

"Well I better be a better one today."

They walked into the great hall and Kagome took her seat despite the glares she was receiving from the other Lords. She glanced at Sesshomaru and to most she'd understand that he didn't seem to be showing anything, but she had spent every day with him except for during the time he had to judge the potential mate or the day he took her out. She knew that right now he was relaxed.

It was unfair and she realised this but Sesshomaru spent the most time with her and most of his affections were focused on her since he was only allowed to see her. He would hide in his study where she had taken to spending her days and he would talk with her, and he'd open up to her.

She smiled at the demon and bowed her head in greeting which he returned. Then Sayuki entered looking around at the full table shocked. She had eaten her meals with just Sesshomaru and the lords and she always sat right next to the lord, but her spot was taken.

"You are in my seat, human." Sayuki spat and Kagome looked as if she wasn't being talked to, amusing Sesshomaru and pissing off Sayuki even more, "I am talking to you!" She went to grab Kagome but her hand was swatted away.

Kagome turned to face the Inu demon and raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You must be mistaken. My name is not 'human' and as my inferior I demand proper respect from you. You may call me Alpha, Milday, Lady Kagome, or Miko-sama. Would you care to repeat what you said?"

"I will not call you any of those names, you are not better than me, and as your future Alpha you must listen to me."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and allowed her powers to come to the surface, "The spot is not guaranteed to be yours and I will not respect anyone who does not earn it. I can complete the simplest tasks that have been asked of you but you cannot do it yourself. In skills and in power I am far more fitted to be Alpha. You will submit."

Sesshomaru watched in hidden awe as Kagome responded instinctually to the challenge his respect grew for her then, and even more so as the Inu females head bowed slightly off centered baring her neck.

"Still far too defiant," Kagome quipped and the demoness fully exposed her neck, "Now you may take a seat."

Sayuki sat where Kagome had indicated and bowed her head to her again, "Thank you Milady for accepting me to your table."

The meal continued peacefully and soon the party moved outside where Sayuki had the chance to interact with each of the pack members in turn. Sango was the first to test the demoness' patience which was a very short interaction the minute Sayuki knew that Sango was a demon slayer. The Inu female screamed and hid behind Sesshomaru who did not look happy about the assault on his ears.

Miroku received a similar reaction except that Kagome interfered before she could reach Sesshomaru again, "My lord is annoyed with the noise coming from your mouth," Sesshomaru smirked as Kagome referred to him as 'her lord' and how she put an emphasis on the word 'my', "Stop this instant or your day with the pack will be ended early."

Sayuki nodded weakly against the miko that was holding her and turned around to apologise not only to the demons that she caused discomfort to but to the humans who caused the reaction. Kagome released her when it seems that she was calm.

Shippo was next to be introduced to Masami and Kagome watched calmly sure that everything would be fine from her on out, "A fox demon, a human, a miko, a monk, and a demon slayer what kind of pack is this," Kagome and Sesshomaru both twitched with annoyance at what the woman was saying, "How disgusting that he has a fox demon in his pack first before an Inu. Foxes are disgusting." Kagome almost attacked the woman except that Sesshomaru's hand was firmly holding her own and preventing her from moving, "The minute I am his mate you, that disgusting human brat, and the rest of you will be gone."

Now Sesshomaru released her, wanting to be the one that ended her pitiful life. Kagome was in front of him in an instant and he stopped his attack. She allowed her anger and power grow enough that everyone turned to look at her.

"The pack has been established before your arrival. They must accept you and you do not have a choice in if they stay or go. This day has been cut short I will not subject my children or my pack to you any longer," Kagome growled surprising every demon in the clearing. She walked forward and took the children away flaring her aura before leaving the party completely, letting everyone know just how upset she was.

"This Sesshomaru will see you tomorrow for another outing."

By time Sesshomaru had walked into the castle the kids were safely in their rooms playing under Jaken's supervision and Kagome was in the study still very pissed off. He walked into the study and found her standing behind his desk looking out over the hills and forest; he was sure she saw nothing through her anger.

Before he knew what he was doing Sesshomaru was directly behind her resting his chin on her head as his claws moved through her hair. He growled softly and breathed in deeply, all of his actions seemed to relax her slightly. He then wrapped his aura and power around her, expecting her to react violently toward it. Slowly she relaxed against him, closing her eyes she breathed in deeply and Sesshomaru let a small smile escape him.

Kagome turned around and started rubbing his ears, slowly moving up and down them. Once he was relaxed Kagome stopped and pulled herself away and went to sit in her normal spot. Sesshomaru sat across from her and waited for her to speak, "I wonder if they all are going to be like that."

"Even worse."

"This is going to be a long five months, unless there is some way to speed things up."

"The only way to do that would be to disqualify for something they did wrong."

"They would have to break courting rules," Kagome said and thought back to the first week and a half of Masami's week so far nothing has been done wrong, just badly, "what are rules that will get them instantly disqualified?"

"Destroying the castle in any way, laying with another male during the courting, attacking pack, insulting this Sesshomaru, or attacking one of the other girls, stealing from this Sesshomaru."

"There are a lot right?" Sesshomaru nodded, "Well we just have to catch her doing something."

There was a knock at the door suddenly and Sesshomaru moved to his desk before allowing entrance, he had smelled one of his servants and he had smelled blood yet he was not expecting one of his maids to walk in bloodied from head to toe.

"Mina!" Kagome shot up from her seat to where the maid was, "What happened?"

"Sayuki found out that things from the house have been going missing, it is only recent but she got fairly upset and insisted that it was your fault. I argued that it was not you, but I should have just come straight here."

"I will handle this," Kagome said gently, "First let us see the healer."

"You have to go now though!" Mina insisted, "My sister commented that a few of the servants have seen her stealing and she turned on her!"

Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru who was already standing and walking out the door before she could ask him to do anything, "Sesshomaru-sama will handle it, let us go now."

"Susuki, go and search the room Sayuki is staying in. She's suspected of stealing," Sesshomaru didn't wait for a response as he hurried down to the commotion. He had been too preoccupied to notice the disturbance, or he just brushed it off as something small.

Sesshomaru stepped into the conflict and grabbed Sayuki's wrist, she turned to scream at him but was startled when she saw him, "Milord your servants-"

"Milord!" Susuki cried out as she bounded down the stairs, "The missing items were in her bedroom along with this jewel shard." Susuki opened the box that it was in. Sesshomaru's eyes turned towards the demoness, she had not only stolen from his house but stolen an object hidden in his personal halls. The jewel shard he had taken from Kohaku's back, and he had a suspicion what she was going to use it for.

"You have stolen from this Sesshomaru and broken one of the courting laws. Return home you no longer have a chance of becoming this one's mate." Sesshomaru cast her hand aside and walked away at the same time as Kagome came rushing down the stairs.

She glanced quickly at Sesshomaru and continued on when he nodded. She rushed to the other maid's side and started helping her up when she felt Sayuki's powers raising, Kagome supported the demon and turned to face the demoness as the woman let one of her attacks go.

Instantly guards had her and were dragging her to the dungeon. Sesshomaru turned around to look at the miko who was staring at him in mild surprise, "You did not have to jump in front of the attack."

"Hn"

"Do not kill her, please." Kagome pleaded and he sent her a quick look.

"Hn."

"Thank you milord," Kagome ordered some of the servants a head to help prepare another bed.

"Lady Kagome," Kagome turned and looked at the guard that was speaking to her. She did not recognise him and assumed he did not work or Sesshomaru, "My name is general Daku. Please allow me to carry her for you."

Kagome smiled at the demon general, "Thank you General Daku, but the servants of this house are under my care, I could not ask someone to carry my burden for me. I have done it before and I will not do it again."

"That is noble of you Milady, but your clothes will get ruined."

"I am use to that," Kagome said with a smile, "Clothes are not as important as a person. You see where my hand is?" Daku nodded, "It is preventing her most serious wound from bleeding as she walks forward. The walking is keeping her conscious at the moment, falling asleep now would kill her. I am also currently healing her to the best I can."

"How-" he looked down at the hand that she had mentioned and saw it glowing, "You're a miko!"

"Yes I am," Kagome said grinning, "I cannot heal her completely but I can make sure she makes it to someone who can. Mikos and demons are opposite, but they are similar. Both are slightly different from humans. Together demons and mikos make a whole, we balance each other. You kill the occasional miko that wishes you harm for no apparent reason and I kill those demons that attack me for no reason. Mikos cannot exist without demons and demons cannot exist without mikos."

"That is very interesting," Daku said staring at the miko in awe, "and what of demons who promise their service to evil?"

"Like every other being all you need to do is ask and you shall be forgiven. Are you in service to evil?" Daku nodded, "Well your actions show who you really are. What sort of evil are you into?"

"I am helping to dethrone a powerful lord, and then I am supposed to help kill him," Kagome hid her surprise; she had not thought they would kill Sesshomaru, "and who orders you to do so?"

"A half demon by the name of Naraku."

"Are you just under his service or are you one of his creations?"

"Merely under his service."

"If you wish it you can be free."

"How?"

"He gave you a jewel shard as payment, correct?" Daku nodded, "give it to me and he cannot reach you. Sesshomaru will not die; you can save your life and other lives if you walk away now. Naraku will lose eventually."

"You are saying that you can save us?"

"I can save those who want it."

"Please my brother and I never wanted to get involved with him, but he said he could end our mother's pain all we had to do is work for him."

"He ended her pain by killing her," Kagome said sadly and Daku nodded, "if you want it come and find me again."

;\/;

"A miko will not help. All we can do is keep going with what Naraku commands."

"What if she is the miko Naraku was talking about?" Daku said, "Then she does have the power to save us!"

"If she cannot we will die."

"We will die anyway."

"Alright here is my shard," a leather pouch was thrust into Daku's hand and he lifted his own from his neck.

End.

Thank you and I'm so so sorry