The After

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters.

A/N: Story is full of graphic details and adult scenes. Trigger warning. Read at your own risk.

Chapter 4:

Kouga paced back and forth in front of the stone building, eyes locked on the front door he had just been thrown out of. He was boiling with rage. After how much money he spent in this place, after providing it with one of its best slaves, he was thrown out, just because the half-breed mutt was the little brother of the one bastard that outranked him. Kouga snarled and increased his pacing.

"Come on, Kouga," he heard Hiten groan behind him. "There's like, three other whore houses on this street-"

"I don't give a shit!" Kouga snapped, eyes flashing red as they locked on his comrade. "You think it's that simple? That bitch is mine, and that flea-bitten mongrel thinks he can just take her right out from under me? I don't fuckin' think so."

The wolf turned to make his way back inside, but Hiten darted forward and took hold of the male's shoulder, pulling him to a stop.

"If you go in there and try to take her, you're going to get yourself banned," Hiten tried reasoning with him. "She's public property, you can't just go in there and keep her to yourself. The only way you could do that is if-"

"Maybe I will."

Hiten's whole body tensed and he stared wide-eyed at his long-time battle partner. The man looked out of his mind, all heaving shoulders and flared nostrils. Hiten was worried that it would come to this. Kouga had always been obsessed with the woman, though Hiten wasn't entirely sure why. Sure, she was attractive- and it was always interesting to see just how long she'd fight before her body gave in- but there were better, more willing slaves out there for them to drop their money on. What was so special about this one?

"You're talking crazy," Hiten said with a nervous chuckle. "Come on. Let's go get a drink before patrol. You can give Inutrasha latrine duty for snagging your lay."

For a moment, Hiten wasn't sure it would work. The wolf stood there, tail swishing angrily behind him, blue eyes locked on the building that hid the little raven-haired slave from him. Then, his body relaxed and a strange look flashed in his eyes before he smirked and turned away from the building.

"A drink sounds like a great idea."

"Papa! Pick me up!"

Hojo Akitoki's eyes- which were currently focused on the glowing screen before him- closed as he chuckled softly. He lifted a hand to rub at his eyelids before he pushed away from his desk to face the tiny voice coming from behind him.

Isamu Akitoki, now four years old, smiled brightly, small hands reaching out for his father. He was dressed in plain denim jeans and a tiny, white T-shirt, his feet covered with plain rubber sandals. The child was never allowed to leave the confines of their apartment, so it was rare that he ever bothered to put the useless shoes on. Hojo, having a pretty good idea where this was going, shook his head and reached out for the boy. He set him on his lap and spun around once to make him laugh before he faced the argument that he knew was bound to happen. Isamu wrapped his arms around his father's neck and giggled into his shoulder.

"Now, silly boy," Hojo said gently, pulling back to meet his son's bright sapphire eyes. "What are you doing out of bed this late?"

Isamu's smile disappeared, replaced by a guilty tilt of his lips and lowered eyes. Hojo cleared his throat, waiting for a response. Isamu took in a deep breath before he sat up straight, squared his shoulders, and met his father's eyes with a determined furrow of his brow. He had seen the look many times on the tiny boy's face, and each time it nearly broke him. He had seen that look before, on another's face, nearly every day of his own childhood. Isamu behaved so much like his stubborn, wonderful, brave mother- and she would never know. Hojo swallowed, meeting his son's eyes evenly.

"I wanna go with you."

Hojo frowned, his own brow coming down in what he hoped didn't come across as anger, but the protectiveness in his gut was practically painful. He lifted his son off of his lap to stand before him, hands firmly on his shoulders. This wasn't the first time they'd had this argument, but he was hoping that if he was firm enough, it would be the last.

"No."

"But, Papa-" Isamu's face crumbled and his eyes started to water. Hojo gritted his teeth together. He was weak against the sight of the little boy's tears, just as he had been for his wife's- but he couldn't afford to show weakness here. He needed his son to understand.

"Isamu, I said no."

The child bit down on his bottom lip and his tiny chest heaved as he tried to contain his frustration. Hojo shook his head and looked away. He knew how much it hurt the child when he was gone, but he couldn't risk anything happening to the last piece of good in his life. After losing Kagome the day the Wall fell, he had felt like the luckiest man in the world upon finding his son. After seeing the horrors that had overtaken the city, for his child to be relatively safe and unharmed- he would never risk putting him in danger again.

In this apartment, away from the attention of the demons that now ruled their world, Isamu was safe. Hojo was promised protection, but he knew that only went so far where the demons and his child were concerned. Sure, in the building, which was home to several of the humans deemed useful to Naraku's projects, they were safe. But the moment Hojo tried to take Isamu outside into the world that was nothing but bloodshed and violence; he knew his son wasn't safe. The only thing keeping Hojo from being murdered or eaten was the collar around his neck, marking him as a doctor under Naraku's command. Hojo was necessary for the experiments Naraku conducted on the unfortunate group of humans that were used for breeding the next generation of soldiers.

There were four other doctors that Hojo knew of, all specializing in different aspects of human health- all being held against their will in situations similar to Hojo's. Naraku promised the safety of their loved ones, so long as they complied with the sick, twisted projects that made them enemies to their own kind.

Hojo was haunted by the things he was forced to do, but he did it all for Isamu. So that Isamu could live. He had heard from Inuyasha the awful things that had been done during the first wave of attacks. The children that had been sacrificed for the "New World" Naraku wished to create. Hojo was again reminded of how lucky he was that he managed to get to Isamu before anything could happen to him- though the same couldn't be said for his mother-in-law, who had died protecting the child. At the thought of the fallen woman, Hojo sighed, his shoulders slumping.

"It isn't safe, Isamu," Hojo said softly, bringing his gaze back to his son. "You know that."

"I don't want to stay here," Isamu said with a whimper. "I always have to stay here!"

"And you always will!" Hojo snapped, getting to his feet. Isamu jumped, taking a step back from the anger that his father rarely displayed, and never before towards him. Hojo sighed, bringing his hands up to rub over his face. "Son, I'll explain it to you when you're older, but for now- just trust me. I'm doing this for your own good."

Isamu lowered his head and balled his tiny fists at his sides before nodding in agreement. Hojo felt the weight of the world press down on his shoulders at the sight of his son. He lowered himself to one knee, reaching out to wrap his arms around the tiny, fragile body of his only child. In a different world, Isamu could run outside anytime he wanted, he could have friends to play with, he could see the sun. But in this world, the child was doomed to a lifetime of locked doors and isolation. He wouldn't know companionship outside his relationship with his father and godfather- and Hojo was terrified of whatever fate would befall him once he was old enough to be considered useful to Naraku.

He may be alive, but this... this isn't living.

Hojo pulled away to press a kiss to Isamu's forehead before he pressed it against his own. Isamu opened his big blue eyes, eyes that belonged to his mother rather than his father, and met his stare. He gave a tiny smile before he reached out to wrap himself around his father for a bit longer before they were separated again.

"I know, Papa," Isamu sighed. "I just wish you didn't have to go."

Hojo's heart clenched and he squeezed his son just a bit tighter.

"Me too."

Kagome felt weaker than she could ever remember feeling once her tears had stopped. She was lying on her back, Inuyasha tucked against her side, his head on her shoulder. Her fingers ran through his cropped hair lazily as she stared up at the ceiling through swollen eyes. She felt Inuyasha breathe in deeply at her shoulder, no doubt taking in her scent to reassure himself that it was truly her. She could understand the need to do so. It was why she found herself rubbing the velvety tips of his ears every so often.

"I can't believe you're really here," she heard him whisper against her skin. "I thought..."

Kagome pulled back a bit to look down at him when he didn't continue speaking. Slowly, he turned his head to look up at her, his golden eyes haunted. Kagome said nothing, waiting for him to go on.

"I searched that whole house, Gome," he said brokenly. "There was so much blood and... I could smell what had happened..."

Kagome flinched, turning her head to look at the wall instead. She felt Inuyasha shift, and then he was holding himself up on his hands so that he could look down at her. She looked up at him reluctantly, pain building in her throat from the effort of keeping the tears at bay. Her life these past two years had been constant pain, day in and day out, but today was more than she thought she was capable of handling. She wasn't sure if she could relive the worst day of her life. She didn't want to, but she knew that Inuyasha needed to get this off of his chest.

"...I could smell it," he finally choked out. "Death. It was in that room. And your body was gone. I just thought..."

Kagome squeezed her eyes shut at the horrid memory. She bit down on her bottom lip, not wanting to think about it, but knowing she had to tell Inuyasha what had happened. Maybe then some of his guilt would be lifted. She took in a shaky breath, looking up at the ceiling once more before finding her voice.

"That day..." she began, her voice hoarse from her tears. "That day... after you called..." She swallowed again, struggling to get the words out. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. "Kouga found me..."

*Flashback*

Kagome took in short, shallow breaths.

Her body, throbbing in pain from head to toe, was unable to move. She could feel the blood pooling between her legs, and from the many deep cuts and bites all over her body. She was dizzy, darkness creeping in from the edges of her vision. She couldn't breathe in any deeper, she was positive her ribs were broken.

"Damn," she heard the monster say against her neck, his body was still curled around her- still inside of her- even as she lay dying. "Looks like I broke you. Took longer than I thought, though. You still have some fight in you."

She wanted to rip his eyes out when he chuckled. She felt his tongue brush against her shoulder, and the action was almost affectionate- it made her want to vomit. She tried to shift away from his touch, but she was overcome by a stabbing pain that made it impossible to breathe. She felt liquid build up in her throat and suddenly she was choking. She could do nothing but try to force the liquid from her throat and mouth, her chest burning with the effort of getting air in. Her eyelids were too heavy to keep open. She didn't even want to fight anymore. She just wanted the pain to end.

"Oh, no," she heard him tut as he slipped away from her. "You don't get to die just yet."

She heard a rustle of clothing, and then she was being lifted gently into his arms. Her head tilted back, still choking on what she assumed was her own blood. She could just barely make out the walls of her home blurring by her as he moved. Tears poured from her eyes. She could feel nothing but the overwhelming need to breathe- not the wind or the sun on her bare body. After a few more moments, she couldn't even hear anything but the sound of her heartbeat drumming in her ears. She accepted it. After what that beast had done to her, all she wanted to do was die...

Air.

Sweet, sweet air.

She gulped it in, coughing painfully a few times before she relaxed back onto whatever it was she was lying on. Her eyes opened, and after blinking a few times her vision cleared and she looked around her in confusion. She quickly realized she couldn't move her head, so she looked around as far as she was able. She didn't recognize the bare, concrete walls, or the irritating fluorescent lighting. There was an annoying beeping noise coming from somewhere behind her, and it occurred to her that she might be hooked up to a heart monitor. It took a moment for the memories of the horror she had lived to return to her, and when they did, she heard the beeping pick up speed. Then, a shadow appeared at her side and she took in a sharp gasp and the beeping tripped up, as though her heart had stopped for a moment.

"There you are," she heard the wolf chuckle, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Thought I lost you there for a minute."

Kagome felt the hot tears pouring down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak but the male shushed her, putting a fingertip to her lips to silence her. Her bottom lip trembled and she closed her eyes tightly, wishing she could move but was unable to do so. Her entire body was immobile, whether she was drugged, or just that weak after her ordeal, she didn't know.

"You held up well," she heard him say, running his clawed hand down her cheek gently. "I honestly took all humans to be weak and pathetic but you... you surprised me, blue eyes."

Kagome's eyes snapped open and she glared at the male above her. Her lip twitched with the urge to snarl at him, and it made him smile.

"Now, now," he said as though he were chastising a child. "Don't be angry with me. I saved your life after all."

He leaned down to run his nose along her cheek and Kagome squeezed her eyes shut. She shuddered at the feel of his breath on her skin. He was being so deceptively gentle with her, and it made her sick. This monster had broken her body, violated it in the worst way possible, and now he was treating her as though they were lovers. Anger burned through her veins, making her entire body hot with rage. Why her? Why did he do this to her? Had she done something in a past life to deserve this? She was a good wife and mother, she cared about everyone, she had never done anything to hurt anyone so why? Her body trembled with the overwhelming injustice of it all.

"You owe me a life debt, blue eyes," he whispered against her ear, his tongue flicking out to pull the lobe into his mouth for a gentle nip. Kagome grit her teeth so hard she was certain they would crack soon. "And I know the perfect way for you to repay it."

He pulled back a bit to look down into her face. Kagome glared for all she was worth at the male, hoping he could see just how much she hated him. He simply smirked, his crystal blue eyes as cold as ice.

"I'll let you heal," he said his left hand coming to cup her cheek. "And once you're healthy again, you'll be put to work in one of the pleasure houses." Kagome's eyes widened, not sure what a pleasure house was, but knowing it did not bode well for her. "And then you can service me, and anyone else that I bring- I'm sure there will be countless demons looking for some fun with a female with some fight in her. And trust me, you have plenty of it."

He leaned forward then, pressing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. Kagome whimpered, tears of anger dripping down into hair because she could do nothing but accept it in her immoble state. It felt like an eternity before he finally pulled away, biting down on her bottom lip as he did. Kagome winced at the stab of pain, and she could taste more blood when he released her abused flesh.

"But know this," he said, and his gentle grip on her face turned bruising. "No matter how many demon cocks you take, you're mine. Understand? You'll always be mine. My Blue Eyes."

Kagome stared up into the crazed eyes of her captor, fear overriding her anger, and she wished, for the hundredth time that day, that she could die.

*End Flashback*

She was surprisingly calm after she finished telling Inuyasha what had happened to her. It was almost disappointing. With how distraught she became every time she thought about her ordeal, she had expected to be a blubbering mess when she finally came around to telling someone about it. But no, she didn't even shed another tear. She just felt, empty. Like talking about it, having someone else know her burden, lifted a fraction of the pain away. She was still filled with anger and the thirst for revenge for what had been done to her, for the slavery she had been forced into, but now she was able to gather her wits and think clearly for a moment without the fog of agony filling her mind.

"So there was death," Kagome continued, her eyes moving to look up into Inuyasha's eyes above her. "I should have died in that room. But he didn't let me."

Inuyasha's face was a mix of anger and sorrow. He pulled away, sitting against the headboard with his head in his hands. Kagome shifted so that she could sit beside him, her hands coming to wrap around herself. They sat in silence for the longest time before Inuyasha finally spoke.

"Hojo is never going to forgive me," he said softly.

Kagome's heart stuttered in her chest. She looked up at him through wide eyes, her breath coming in short and panicked. Is, she thought as her body started to tremble. He said is. Like he's still... Like he could be...

"H-Hojo?" she whispered. Inuyasha looked up at her, his ears drooping as he met her stare.

"I told him you were dead," Inuyasha explained. "I honestly thought you were. If it hadn't been for Isamu, I don't think he would have survived-"

Kagome lifted a hand to stop him, her brows furrowed in confusion that was quickly becoming something that felt like a combination of excitement and horror. Her breathing became even more uneven and her hands were not only shaking, but sweating profusely. She must have misunderstood. There's no way Inuyasha could be saying what she thought he was saying. It was impossible. None of the humans survived. None but the slaves. None but people like her.

"I-Isa..." Kagome couldn't even bring herself to say the name. "My s-son. He's...?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened with realization and his ears perked up. He reached out to grab her hands in his own, giving her a small smile. Kagome felt more tears well up in her eyes and she fought to control her breathing but she couldn't. It was obvious now, what he was going to tell her, but she needed him to say it. Her heart was racing in her chest as she waited for him to say something. Anything.

"They're alive, Kagome," Inuyasha told her gently, and she took in a sharp breath. "They're both alive."

Alive.

Kagome felt nothing for a fraction of a second before she was overcome with pure emotion that robbed her of her senses. Blinding happiness that her family was alive; Incredible injustice that she had been kept from them for so long; Blind rage at the one who had brought her here; and finally disgust of the worst kind at what she had been through, knowing she was too tainted to be anywhere near them now. She was damaged beyond repair; used by countless demons as a toy for their pleasure. How could she face them? How could she ever meet her husband's eyes? How could she ever hold her son- her pure, clean, perfect son- after she had been covered in so much filth, touched by such disgusting creatures? She was toxic now.

She could vaguely feel Inuyasha's arms around her; hear his voice though it sounded muffled to her addled senses. She wasn't sure if she was speaking, but she could feel her body heaving with sobs, though she hadn't realized when they started. Emotions she didn't think she could feel anymore were filling her to the brim and it was chipping away at what sanity she had left.

All this time. All this time, suffering, thinking that she had survived without them, and they were alive. Her husband and her son...

Memories of what had happened between her and Shippou earlier that day assaulted her and before she could calm herself, Kagome was bent over the edge of the bed she sat on and was heaving violently. Oh gods. What have I done?

"Kagome, it's alright," she heard Inuyasha say. "I'll find a way to get you out of here and I'll take you straight to them-"

"No."

"W-what?"
Kagome wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand before sitting up, her shoulders hunched and her head hanging in defeat. She shook her head and let out a short, bitter laugh. She balled her hands into fists, digging her knuckles into her thighs as she sat there. Inuyasha reached out to touch her arm and she tensed.

"There's no getting out of here, Yash," she whispered. "Slaves can't just go free. And even if I could, how could I ever bring myself to face them?"

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked angrily, giving her shoulders a shake. "Kagome, Hojo misses you so much! And Isamu, all he's ever wanted is to meet you-"

"I can't!" she shouted, jerking herself away from him.

Inuyasha watched in confusion as Kagome folded in on herself, wrapping her arms around her shaking body. She shook her head and let the hot tears fall down her cheeks. She let out a sob and brought her eyes to meet her companion's.

"I'm tainted, Yash," she whispered. "I can't... I can't be with them now. I'm no good." Inuyasha looked like he wanted to protest, but she raised a hand and gave him a sad smile. "It's true. And even if I wasn't, even if I had never been touched by the bastards that come in here, there's only one way to get a slave out of servitude, and I can't..."

"Why the hell not?" the hanyou snapped. "Don't give me that crap about being 'tainted!' You can't help what happened to you! You didn't have a choice! This is your husband we're talking about! Your son! He is the most loving person I have ever met, Kagome. And he's so brave and stubborn- won't give anyone a choice about who he decides is his friend. He's you, Kagome. All the best parts of you are in that little boy, and he deserves the chance to have his mom!"

Kagome was sobbing loudly now, though she held a hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence herself. Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her shoulders and nuzzled his nose into her hair, trying to block out the stench of males that clung to her. Kagome was shaking her head, mumbling into his chest as she clung to the front of his uniform.

"...can't do it..." she sobbed, voice muffled against his body."...only way is if I..."

She couldn't even bring herself to say it. She swallowed and shook her head, trying to destroy the thought before it finished in her mind. Her friend pulled away from her to meet her eyes. She chewed on her lip as those golden orbs searched hers.

"If you what?"

"Inuyasha, there's no point-"

"Tell me!"

Kagome let out another dry laugh and tilted her head just enough to peak at him from behind her dark curls. She met his golden eyes, saw the determined fire there and she felt the overwhelming urge to laugh again. She wasn't sure why. There was nothing funny about the situation. The laws in this society were barbaric at best, and she knew that it was purposely so. What human-hating demon would ever do what was necessary to free a slave? Aside from Shippou, she was certain such demons couldn't possibly exist. She had seen too many, been abused at their hands for too long, to believe otherwise. She let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding before she finally spoke.

"The only way to free a slave... is for a demon to mate them..."

Shippou paced back and forth down on the main floor of the pleasure house. His blood was boiling in rage. He was tired of Kouga acting as though he owned this place. As if he owned her. Why wouldn't Kagome just accept him? He had done all that he could to be perfect for her. He had fallen for the tiny human so easily, and all he wanted was for her to love him in return. He could help her; heal her. There were many nights that he dreamt of the beautiful children they would make if they were only given the chance to do so. It was all he could think of at this point. His desire to be around her, to have the scent of her- free of the monsters that frequented this place- laced with his own scent; it nearly drove him mad.

She had been through so much, he could see that in the haunted look in her beautiful eyes, but she was still alive, still fighting every encounter with a soul of steel. She deserved so much more than the life of a slave. He wished every night that the demons had never broken the barrier and invaded, but at the same time, as sickening as it was, he knew that if it had never happened then he never would have met her- and he would never wish that she hadn't come into his life. He believed that everything happened for a reason, and perhaps all of the chaos since the Wall fell was because he and Kagome were meant to be together.

He looked over at the stairs that led up to the private rooms. He knew that some hanyou had taken Kagome up there some time ago, and his heart twisted at the thought of what he could be doing to her at that very moment. His slanted eyes scanned the room, quickly locking onto the guards that were casually walking around, keeping an eye on the customers and the girls that worked the floor. He knew that if he was quick, he could camouflage himself and get past them all with a little bit of fox magic. It was just a matter of him being able to handle the half-dog that was with Kagome that could prove to be a problem. He doubted that a half-demon could overpower him, but he didn't want to take any chances on what the male was capable of doing to Kagome before he could get her away from him. He was certain he could pay off the guards should the need to dispose of the other male arise, but his interference was pointless if he could not get Kagome to agree to his proposal.

I'll have to make her see, he thought to himself, letting his powers work their magic on those around him, making them temporarily forget that he had even been there. Being with me is what's best for her. I can free her. I can save her.

Letting his magic surround him, the air around him shifted, hiding his form entirely, and he slipped stealthily up the stairs, using his nose to sniff out the woman that filled his thoughts night and day.

"M-mate?" Inuyasha repeated, his eyes wide in horror. "A demon?"

"Yes," Kagome confirmed, looking away in disgust. "That's the only way. Aside from death. It almost assures that I will never be free of this place."

"How did you find this out?" Inuyasha asked, reaching out to hold her shoulder, his brows furrowed in suspicion.

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door slamming open. She jumped, whirling around, half-expecting Kouga to be the one barging in. She was more than surprised to find the lithe form of Shippou standing in the doorway, tails snapping angrily and teeth bared. His glowing green eyes shined like a predator's as they locked on Inuyasha and his hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Get away from her!" the young male snarled.

"Shippou!" Kagome gasped, getting onto her feet, eyes wide and hands up in alarm. "Don't-"

"Who the fuck are you?" Inuyasha demanded, quickly getting off the bed and pushing Kagome to stand behind him.

She put a hand on his arm, peeking around him at the fox before them, worried that the ruckus would attract the guards. If they found out a client had snuck in here, she knew that she would be held responsible for them missing out on money that a double appointment could have made. They'd not only beat her, but she'd be forced onto the main floor to make up for the cost. She wasn't sure which was worse; the thought of enduring another whipping at the hands of the owner, or being left to fend for herself on the main floor for the amount of time it took to pay off the debt. She wasn't sure she could handle a punishment today. Not after all that had already happened.

"Please," she begged, stepping in front of Inuyasha and putting her hands on his chest. "Please keep it down. They'll come- I'll be punished if I cause any trouble-"

"Kagome, who the hell is this?!" Shippou demanded, shutting the door behind him and quickly making his way toward the two.

Kagome spun around, holding her hands out to shield her friend from Shippou. She was thankful that he had closed the door, but she knew that would only block out some of the noise. She was surrounded by demons- she knew one of them would pick up on the chaos if they weren't careful. She met Shippou's eyes, silently pleading for him to calm down while she reached a hand out behind her to grasp onto Inuyasha's. The fox's steps faltered before he came to a stop and watched the familiarity between them with fear in his eyes.

"Is he... Do you... Is he why you won't mate me?" Shippou asked softly, taking a slow step back.

Kagome frowned, tilting her head in confusion when she felt Inuyasha's hand tighten around her own. Her mouth went dry in her panic, knowing that her dog-eared friend's famous temper was about to be ignited if she didn't do something.

"He asked you to mate him?" he asked in a low, deadly tone.

Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to look at Inuyasha, putting her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to calm him. His eyes didn't even meet hers. Instead, he glared daggers at the other male in the room.

"Inuyasha-"

"Has he touched you?"

Kagome's mouth snapped shut. Her eyes lowered to the floor, her hands dropping to her sides, and the atmosphere grew so tense she could hardly breathe. She couldn't lie to him. He knew her too well. She didn't want to speak, but then Inuyasha took her chin in his hand, tilting her head up gently, and she slowly raised her eyes to his. His eyes were molten gold, burning with rage, and she knew that if he let it consume him, he would lose himself. She knew Kikyou used to be able to calm him when his demon rage took over, but her cousin was gone now, and she wasn't sure anything could stop him if he lost control.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered, shaking her head as her eyes filled with tears.

"Did. He," he said through gritted teeth. "Touch. You?"

Kagome could only stare at him. She didn't want to admit that just a few hours ago, she had willingly given herself to the fox demon- even if she had been tricked at the time. She didn't want Inuyasha to know that he was the only demon that had never hurt her physically, and had even admitted to being in love with her. If he wanted to attack every male that had touched her over the years, then he would have to take out half of the demon army, and that just wasn't possible. She couldn't tell him that though. She couldn't bring herself to say a single word as he stared down at her, his body beginning to tremble in rage. Then, she saw his nostrils flare as he breathed in her scent before he was suddenly gone, and she heard Shippou's cry of surprise, which made her whirl around.

Inuyasha was holding the young fox by his throat, his nose sniffing at the male's neck, where his scent was strongest. Immediately, he snarled, and tossed Shippou like a ragdoll back toward the door. Shippou was on his feet, claws out, fangs bared, when Kagome ran toward them.

"Please," she begged again, her voice wet with tears. "Please, be quiet!"

"His smell is all over you!" Inuyasha shouted, turning to face her. "I should gut him right now-!"

"I'd like to see you try, half-breed," Shippou snarled. "I don't know who the fuck you are, but I won't let you touch her again!"

"You think that I-?" Inuyasha's anger disappeared for a moment and was temporarily replaced by shock before his teeth were snapping together and his hair raised like the fur of an angry dog. "I'm not like you! I would never do that to Kagome!"

"Like me?" Shippou was furious now, and Kagome could see blue flames appear from thin air, circling around him. "I would never hurt her! I love her! I won't let you take her away from me!"

"She's married!" Inuyasha snapped. "She isn't yours in the first place!"

"Enough!"

Kagome was furious, and terrified, and she couldn't handle much more of this. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. She needed time to accept the fact that her husband and child were alive. She needed time to figure out a way to get out of here, to get to them. She needed time to process all of this without what was left of her sanity crumbling and leaving her an empty shell, like how most of the women here ended up. She couldn't afford to lose herself now. She had a real chance at getting her family back if she could just have some time to think.

"Kagome, please, I know I can make you happy," she heard Shippou beg from her right.

"She doesn't want you, you mangy fox!" Inuyasha snapped, stepping closer toward him.

"And you think she wants you?" Shippou scoffed.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about!"

"I said enough!"

Kagome's chest was heaving and her eyes were burning and the room was spinning. She stumbled, hands flying to her head in an attempt to get her bearings. She couldn't even think with all the shouting. She knew that she was going to get in trouble if these two kept this up. She was going to be whipped and beaten, and then the owner would leave her at the hands of the guards, and she couldn't handle them today after all of this!

"Someone's coming."

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha whose ears were erect and facing the door. Her eyes darted to the only thing standing between her and a beating and felt her heart plummet. She started to panic, tugging at her hair as she fought to come up with a plan to fix this.

"Get on the bed."

Two pairs of eyes darted toward the young fox in surprised confusion. He was standing with his hands curled into fists, his head lowered so that his bangs were covering his eyes. Kagome could just make out his body trembling and she frowned.

"Get on the bed, now!" he whispered furiously. "Pretend to be occupied. I can hide myself. Just hurry up before they get to her!"

Kagome stared at Shippou for just a fraction of a second before she felt hands on her hips and she was in the air before landing with a small bounce onto her back on the bed she'd woken up on. She took in a breath of surprise when her eyes focused and she saw the conflicted golden eyes of her best friend hovering over her. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt the familiar fear of not having any control over the situation being thrust onto her. She logically knew that this was for her own safety, but she didn't want this. She knew he didn't want this. Her hatred for Naraku and everything he'd done to her world intensified as she felt Inuyasha's breath on her lips as he leaned closer just as someone started fiddling with the lock on the door.

"You have to act as you always do," Shippou's voice came from beside the bed.

Kagome's eyes darted up, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Time seemed to slow down as her mind processed his words though. She had always fought new customers, tooth and nail. The only one she was relatively calm for was Shippou and the guards knew that. If this was to be believable, she'd have to fight Inuyasha- and he'd have to fight back. Kagome shut her eyes tight and swallowed back tears when she felt his hand close around her wrists, the other cupping her jaw- all within the short fraction of a second it took for the guard to unlock her door.

Soft, warm lips crushed hers with a bruising force and Kagome was instinctually fighting for freedom.

She pulled against his large hand, her body writhing desperately in attempt to escape his hold. Her feet were fighting for purchase on the mattress, but Inuyasha rested his legs over hers, effectively pinning her lower half between the bed and his body. Kagome bucked her hips, trying to throw him off, but he was too heavy and too strong. Panic had her heart racing; anger had tears burning her eyes. She growled wildly, like a trapped animal, and she heard Inuyasha grunt as one rough movement freed her face from his. She immediately started shaking her head to avoid getting trapped again, only to feel sharp canines at her throat.

"An' here I thought ye' was havin' pro'lems."

Both bodies tensed and stilled, and Kagome felt Inuyasha pull up from her to look over his shoulder to glare at the large boar demon that stood at the foot of the bed, watching them in amusement. A growl that didn't need to be faked built up in Inuyasha's chest before breaking free from his throat as he jumped up to snap his jaws at the intruder. Kagome stayed still on the bed, watching both warily as tears poured freely down her cheeks. Her wrists were sore, and her lips felt swollen, and she had never felt so disgusted with herself.

"I paid for the whole night!" Inuyasha snarled. The boar raised its humanoid hands to either side of its porcine face in mock surrender.

"Jus' makin' sure all s'well," the demon said with a chortle. "Wouldn' mind watchin' fer a bit now that I'm here."

"I don't do performances."

Kagome's eyes landed on the guard that was watching her hungrily, worried about what he might say to Inuyasha's comment. This particular one, Kai, had sat in on her "sessions" with clients before. He always took amusement in her struggles, and she could practically feel his joy at her screams of protest. She knew he wouldn't take kindly to being told he couldn't watch, but she hoped with every fiber of her being that he wouldn't stay. She couldn't even begin to imagine the damage that would come if she was forced to keep up this charade with Inuyasha. What it would do to the both of them would be crippling. She watched the boar with wary eyes, feeling like the air was getting thinner the longer he stood there glaring at Inuyasha.

"Fine," he growled. "Spoilsport."

And with that, he backed out into the hallway and shut the door, leaving the remaining occupants to themselves. Shippou dropped whatever enchantment he had placed on himself and she heard Inuyasha release a heavy sigh of relief as his body relaxed with the immediate danger now gone.

And Kagome, she promptly fainted.

A.N.: So I've been gone for a while, guys. If any of you read my other story, TOIL, then you know why. For those of you that don't: Depression is a bitch. Couple that with the shithole that has become my life, and well, writing hasn't been on the top of my to-do list. I'm back now, though, and hopefully I can keep on track. I really love the stories I have going now and I know that I can finish them if I can just get my shit together.

Be patient with me folks. Keep reading. Keep updating. Don't give up on me.

All of my love,

Sesshylovr mm