Naraku was sitting in a dark corner of his living room with one leg bent and an arm laying across it. He was awaiting company and he would have to do his best to hide his rage. After all, it would be a shame to scare his prey before she became entangled in his web. His eyes narrowed as he heard his front door open and then close; the steady sound of heels meeting the hard floor resounded around him.
"Kagome," he said the moment she stepped into his living room. "I trust you've been well."
Kagome merely raised a brow – silently asking why he was sitting on the ground. "I can't say that I have. I'm guessing you wanted something if you called me over. What is it?"
The corner of Naraku's lip curved upwards into the faintest of smiles. He got up and walked over stand a couple feet in front of his favorite pet. "Amusing, I had thought that you were done with that dog and yet I can just barely detect his scent on you. Why is that?"
"I'm staying with him for a week."
His eyes narrowed dangerously on a section of her hair. Reaching out he – rather gently – pulled a strand of silver hair that was mixed in with hers. "This belongs to him, I presume" he was holding the strand of silver hair out to her.
"Yes," she took it, and pocketed it as if she were going to return it to its owner.
"I must admit Kagome, this is an interesting turn of events. I wonder why he would ask you to live with him? It is of no importance to me. Study him; eavesdrop on him and tell me everything and anything that happens. Understood?"
"His father is staying also and he can actually tell when I am lying. I imagine what you are asking me to do might be a little difficult."
"Elaborate," he drew out, almost sounding bored.
"Sesshoumaru's father Touga the Inu no Taisho is also staying at his sons residence along with his wife, adoptive daughter and myself. Apparently they think me to be dishonest and want to meet and observe me before coming to a definite conclusion. In another odd turn of events, it would seem that I am his mate. I do not know who he screwed with to be punished so severely but there it is. And I can't just go flaunting my wonderful character because if someone were to question me and Touga was around I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of it because like I said, he knows when I am lying. How he knows is beyond me but there you have it."
"Are you…"
"Yes, I am," Kagome answered immediately, interrupting him.
Naraku chuckled darkly and then placed one hand onto the small of her back – pulling her closer to his body – and his other hand to gently caress her face. "You are turning out to be much more valuable than I had originally thought, mate of my enemy."
Kagome remained unmoving. "I don't like being talked about like I'm your property."
"And yet you are. Never forget that it was I who saved you so it is now I who owns you. You belong to me." Roughly he kissed her lips with his; bruising her, tasting her.
She undid the buttons of his shirt as he pulled down her dress. It wasn't something she ever wanted to do but at the same time she didn't mind it. She was used to having her body used by Naraku. He lifted her up and tore her panties off – wrapping her legs around his waist he pushed her against a wall and roughly entered her body.
She moaned and dug her nails into his pale skin. "Sesshoumaru," she said breathy. "Will not be pleased if he found out."
He smirked and quickly pounded into her body. He only wanted release, not the prolonged act of 'love making' and he found that there was something deeply satisfying in fucking a willing woman that is desperately wanted by the youkai he detests above all others. "It is good that you know how to affectively hide such things then."
Soon enough he came inside her and kissed her lips once more before putting her down. With her thumb, Kagome wiped the corner of her mouth and quickly got dressed. "If you're finished with me here, I'm going to go back. Apparently, I need to cease avoiding Touga."
"Pity that I wasn't the one to find you first. Hearing you scream – I imagine – would have been orgasmic all on its own. Go and keep your phone on. And never forget to whom and where you belong."
Kagome left and headed back to the house. She found it mildly amusing that Naraku thought she belonged to him or with him; whichever. She had always thought that the act of 'belonging' didn't suit her. The sun belonged with the sky and the moon with the stars. But she didn't seem to fit with anyone, anything or any place. She was simply unattainable. Not because she was too pretty or too smart or anything like that; no, Kagome wasn't that vain. But because she believed she was too fucked up and broken.
When she arrived to the house she breathed in and let out a long sigh. Ever since Rin spoke, both Touga and Izayoi kept praising and thanking her. It made her feel… Uncomfortable. She didn't like the feeling of being thanked so sincerely. Luckily, it wasn't the overbearing parents of the sympathy sucking mute girl who she first saw, it was Sesshoumaru.
"Shouldn't you be at work?"
Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "Where were you?"
Kagome shrugged and walked up the stairs with Sesshoumaru following. "Just went to visit a friend. Where's everyone else?"
"They'll be back. They took Rin shopping. Speaking of which, care to tell me how you got her to speak?"
Kagome threw herself onto Sesshoumaru's bed and clutched the pillow. She thought back to Rin and how she had met her by chance a long time ago. She was much younger than she was now and it was no wonder that Rin wouldn't remember her. It was foolish to say anything to that girl but for some reason Kagome felt compelled to remind that girl that she was somebody. That she had once belonged to a wonderful family.
"I don't know," Kagome answered. "She just did."
"I'm sure," he sounded obviously skeptical; he sat down on a corner of the bed.
Kagome rolled over to lay on her back. "So find anything interesting in my background check?"
"No, it was surprisingly ordinary."
"You don't say?" she laughed, lightly. "What were you expecting to find, exactly? Just curious."
Sesshoumaru shrugged. "I imagined that I would find at least a criminal charge; given your personality. So imagine my surprise when according to your background check that you are seemingly a well-rounded adult with a good and loving family?"
"I'm sorry to disappoint."
"How is your family? I hear you have a younger brother."
"Oh you mean my precious little brother Kagewaki? He's in good health. He's been rather cranky lately though. Apparently he's in some silly little spat with a longtime aquitance. And my parents are enjoying the childless life."
"I'm sure my family would enjoy meeting them; invite them over."
Kagome got up and walked to stand in front of Sesshoumaru. "We're not on good terms. I'm sure they would enjoy them but I would not." Leaning down, she gave him a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I'd appreciate it, if you never mentioned them again," she said barely above a whisper.
Her eyes met his and for the slightest of moments, Sesshoumaru thought he had seen regret flash through her eyes. But it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "I'd do anything for you, Kagome," he declared as if he were declaring a war.
She stood up straight and then turned to leave. "You don't know me well enough to say that; you'll regret it." She left the room, needing to put some distance between them. Going downstairs she thought it would be nice to sit in the backyard. Sesshoumaru had quite the impressive backyard. It was large and had a few cherry blossom trees.
She sat on a bench that was located directly under a tree. Closing her eyes she breathed in the scent of the fresh cut grass and was brought back to a time where she could only dream about such things. She cleared her mind and became acutely aware of all that was around her. She could feel the leaves that fell to the ground or wings of birds flying from branch to branch. It was as if she had a built in radar that could detect anything and everything. It would charge the air around her and allow her to intimately know her surroundings.
Without even looking or opening her eyes, she could tell she had company. "Touga," she said without opening her eyes. "It's not very polite to attempt sneaking up on a young lady."
"How could you know I'm here with your eyes closed?"
"Probably the same way someone can be looking directly at another person but not really see them," she opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "Now what do you want? Sesshoumaru is upstairs."
He chuckled and sat next to her. "It would seem that every time I encounter you, at least three more questions arise. Care to tell me what you're doing out here?"
"No," Kagome immediately answered. "Care to tell me why you're gracing me with your company?"
"Promise me something, will you?"
"Promises, hearts and the human spirit are all so easily broken. I'll make a promise with you, Touga but I assure you that I will break it along with your sons heart. Be a good dad and erase me from his life. I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable."
"And now I have even more questions. What happened to you, Kagome? Such a young girl shouldn't be as broken as you."
Kagome smiled, slyly. "Perhaps horrible things were done to me so it's a horrible person I've become? Or maybe I'm just preternaturally hateful."
"What you did for Rin is something I can never thank you enough for. I don't believe you to be hateful or horrible," Touga stood. "As the new Lady of the West I hope you will promise to always ask if you need help with anything. Along with my son I too will be more than willing to assist you."
Kagome wore a passive expression as Touga smiled at her and left. Lady of the West? Kagome found that humorous. To be the Western Lands 'lady' entailed that she belonged to its Lord and that she belonged there. Neither, being true. And in just a few more days, she'll be gone and out of their lives.