***To my readers I am pretty sure you guys are the best in the world! Thank you for the positive reviews! The give me the push to write better. ***
Chapter 8
9 Days Missing
Shigeo was pissed. He was in charge, not Tomo. He would not be summoned like a young pup. But that is exactly what the old bastard was doing. Even worse, Shigeo knew he had no choice but to see him.
Holding his head high he walked into Lord Tomo's office and bowed. "Lord Tomo, you summoned me?" It took everything in him not to spit after the words left his mouth. If he was lucky maybe his heart would give out on his mating night. Then he could keep Akemi under his thumb a little longer. He rather liked the thought of being able to take over Lord Tomo's lands also.
Lord Shigeo cleared his throat and glared at him. "I asked you if Lady Akemi was missing and you lied to me. I do not appreciate being lied to, Shigeo. If you had come to me as soon as this had happened I could have already found her. Now I only have five days to find her. Lucky for you I have men that work quickly. We have a small window of opportunity for our plan to work and you have jeopardized that. If I do not get the girl you will be very sorry." His town, for an old man, was surprisingly hard and mean.
For the first time Shigeo felt fear creep up his spine. "I did not want you to worry. I have every intention for our plan to succeed. I know for sure that she is not in the Northern Lands. I have set men around my cousins in the East, they are fairly certain that she is not there. That leaves the West and the South, though I seriously doubt that she could have made it all the way to the South."
Lord Tomo stared at him without speaking for a moment. "You also thought that you would already have her home by now. How is that working for you? If you are sure that she is not in the North or the East then I will have my men scour the West and the South. Now leave. I will be in touch with you soon."
Shigeo wanted to rage at the man for his blatant lack of respect, but knew better. Clenching his teeth, he bowed and backed out of the room. Akemi would be lucky to be alive on her mating night if he had any say in it. The bitch was more trouble than she was worth. With any luck Lord Tomo would help him drag her home soon.
Once she was mated off he would dust his hands of her. He could settle back and enjoy the fruition of his carefully thought out plan.
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Akemi knew she was in it deep. After everything that happened yesterday with Sesshomaru there was no doubt he was determined to mate her. She had let him touch her in a way no other man ever had. And damn her traitorous body, she wanted more.
Unfortunately that was not going to be possible. She had let too much slip yesterday. She had gotten lucky that she had not blurted out something she could not easily explain away. Being around Sesshomaru was starting to get dangerous. But what could she do? He wanted to mate her and she was in his castle. Avoiding him was next to impossible.
Akemi swore to herself that if she made it out of this mess she would never tell another lie in her life. Everything had just snow balled out of proportion. She could not hide who she was for much longer. In five days she would reach her 150th birthday and could take control of her lands. When that happened she was going to need Kouga's help to capture her lands back. Sesshomaru would more than likely learn the truth then. She did not have high hopes for him reacting well to that information.
If she was lucky he would only hate her for lying to him, and more than likely never want to see her again. At worst he may want her head for deceiving him in his own home for over a week. It unnerved her that the thought of him not wanting her anymore hurt her heart. She didn't want to want him. She most certainly did not want to care about him, or care about what he thought of her.
She needed to keep her mind firmly focused on her goal of saving her lands and people. Maybe when everything was said and done Sesshomaru would understand. She hated the thought of him hating her, but she just didn't have a choice. She did not have room in her life for him right now for Sesshomaru, much less all these emotions swirling around in her.
Tearing up, she looked out her window at the rising sun. In a perfect world she could have told him the truth and he would declare he loved her,, and would help her take back her birthright. But this was not a perfect world and she was no longer a child. The world was a harsh unforgiving place. Sesshomaru would not stand for a female lying to him and making him look like a fool. How could he trust her after all the lies? She was smart enough to know he wouldn't. So, it was for the best that Kouga come and take her away.
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she backed away from her window. She did not want to start the day with lies to her maid and fighting at the breakfast table. With her mind made up she quickly got ready for the day.
Once she was dressed she slipped out her room and down the servant's entrance. It was the quickest way through the castle and out to the gardens. This early in the morning most of the staff was getting food prepared and bringing in fresh water. Making it a perfect time to slip out unnoticed.
Akemi wrapped the light shawl tighter around herself and hid her aura until she reached the gardens. Reaching a bench located at the very back, she dropped the shawl and her concealing powers. In that moment she felt so incredibly lost and alone. Tears once again began filling her eyes.
For the first time in a long time she dropped her emotional walls and let go. She cried for the loss of her parents, the horrible things Shigeo had done to her people, the evil plans that had forced her to flee from her home, and most of all for what could never be with Sesshomaru.
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Hana was freaking out. She had went to wake her lady only to find her gone. If Sesshomaru found out that she lost his little wolf, she would be in big trouble. Frantically she searched the room for any clue of where she might have gone.
Spying the chest at the end of the bed she threw it open. She nearly collapsed in relief when she saw her lady's things were still in her chest. Thank Kami, lady Kimi had not run away. That at least was good news. Now all she had to do is figure out where her lady had run off to this morning.
Her first thought was to check the library. She knew that her lady loved to burry herself in there. Maybe she had decided to skip another awkward breakfast and hide out there. Hana quickly made her way to the library, doing her best to avoid conversation with everyone. But today was certainly not her day, because Kyo stepped out in front of her with a large smile on his face.
"Hana good morning! I managed to corner Sesshomaru last night after dinner. Apparently he has decided to announce tomorrow that he is going to send a lady home! That means we can get ride of one of those nit wits. Isn't that just wonderful news?"
Hana was very happy about that news but she did not have time to rejoice in it. She needed to find said maiden before anyone knew she had lost her in the first place. Placing a bright smile on her face, Hana tried to act like nothing was wrong. "That is lovely news Kyo! I know that he will choose Lady Kimi. I am sure she will make a wonderful Lady of the West. Now if you will excuse me I need to be somewhere."
Apparently her acting skills were not the best, because Kyo narrowed his eyes at her. "What happened Hana?"
Hana looked at her feet not wanting to answer him. "Nothing."
Kyo had always been too clever for his own good. He knew she was lying and he was wondering why she was. "Hana if you tell me what is wrong I can help you before it gets out of hand."
Sighing, Hana new he was right. Damn the man. "I am not sure where Lady Kimi is."
Kyo blinked at her. Like he could not believe the words that had just come from her mouth. "You lost her? How could you lose her?"
Hana glared at Kyo. "I did not lose her on purpose. She was quiet after dinner last night, but I assumed it was because of how mean the other ladies were to her. I swear I tucked her into bed and she stayed there all night. A few minutes ago I went to wake her and found her missing. Her covers were still warm and her things are all still there."
Kyo weighed the information for a minute before saying anything. "Ok. She obviously did not run away because she did not take anything with her. Not that she could make it out of the castle walls unnoticed. Maybe she just wanted to have some time for herself this morning? Where would she go if she wanted peace?"
"I was about to check the library. She loves it in there. The only other place she spends a lot of time in is the gardens."
Kyo nodded. "Go check the library and I will make a run through the gardens. If I find her I will send her to you. If we don't find her we meet back here in ten minutes."
Agreeing, Hana set off toward the library. With any luck one of them would find her and no one else would have to know about this.
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Lady Aimi had been on her way to breakfast when she spotted Hana. Why was Lady Kimi's maid in a corner talking so intently to Kyo? Curious she paused just close enough to hear their conversation. What she heard pissed her off.
"He will choose Lady Kimi. I am sure she will make a wonderful Lady of the West. Now if you will excuse me I need to be somewhere."
How dare that bitch steal Sesshomaru from her. She was the perfect match for Sesshomaru, not the little wolf. She could give him full blooded Inu pups. She had been trained since birth for a position such as this.
The little bitch was about to get a lesson in what happens when you messed with what was hers. Time to get herself a lovely wolf pelt.
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Kyo was more than a little worried. He knew that things had not been the easiest for the the little wolf. She had been through more than any person should have to, but she was also strong. She could thrive here and make Sesshomaru Happy. Of that, Kyo was sure. She just needed to stay strong a little longer.
It bothered him though, that she had felt the need to slip out on her own. He was sure she was safe inside of the castle walls, but he didn't want her to feel like she had to hide things. What was weighing so heavily on her mind that she felt the need to?
Making his way through the gardens, Kyo moved quietly and with his senses on high alert. He was nearing the back of the garden when he heard a woman sobbing. He felt his chest tighten. He could smell that it was Lady Kimi. Poor little wolf. He never could stand the tears of a woman.
Peaking around the edge of a bush, he saw her collapsed on one of the stone benches. Her face was buried in her arms and she sounded like her world had just ended. For a moment he thought about comforting her, but knew it was not his place. Perhaps he should inform his lord of the situation and let him comfort Lady Kimi? It would allow them to become closer and for her to see another side of his lord. Deciding that was the best way to go, he slowly backed away, and returned to the castle.
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Akemi felt slightly better after she had purged the sadness. Sometimes a body just needed a good cry. Slumping down on the bench, she willed her breathing to even out. Using the edge of her kimono she blotted at the tear stains on her face. She would need to slip back inside and wash her face before breakfast.
As much as she would like to skip it she had promised Rin she would be there. She refused to break that promise and be any more of a liar then he already was. Steeling her back bone she sat up tall. She was strong. She would keep her promise to Rin, and she would deal with those two bitches for a little while longer.
Rising to her feet, Akemi straightened her clothes. She took one more cleansing breath and prayed for the strength not to kill anyone during breakfast. Following the path back to the castle she started to relax. She really did love walking in these gardens. They could be so peaceful and calming. But she had to admit the private ones were the best. She wished she had Rin's green thumb. Growing up in the North It often stayed too cool for many of the flowers that grew here.
With her mind on flowers she never saw the blow that came at her.
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Sesshomaru had been in an excellent mood until his second in command had given him the news about Lady Kimi. His chest constricted painfully. He did not like the thought of his little wolf hurting. If anyone in his castle had caused her to cry he would kill them.
No one was going to get away with hurting what was his. His beast was growling inside, rattling his cage. Silencing him, he stormed out of his office to find Kimi.
By the time he had made it to the gardens, Sesshomaru had managed to reign in most of his temper. He did not want to scare his little wolf. No, he had every intention of soothing her and figuring out the root of her sadness.
He was half way through the garden when he smelled blood. The beast finally broke free from it cage.
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Akemi gasped as pain tore through her right shoulder. Her kimono was sliced open, and blood ran down her arm. Whirling away from her attacker she saw a flash of dark hair. What the hell?
Taking a defensive position she waited for her attacker to come at her again. She could not have been more shocked to see that it was Lady Aimi. What the hell was the woman thinking? And what the hell had she done to warrant an attack?
When Lady Aimi came at her again with claws bared, Akemi was ready. She dodged the attack and countered with her own. She racked her claws down Aimi's back, dolling out some serious damage. Take that you bitch.
Lady Aimi staggered and growled menacingly. "I will kill you! You cannot have Sesshomaru! He is mine!" Then she slung some kind of purple goop at her.
Akemi barely dodged the attack. The goop was apparently acid that took out a bed of flowers. The pain in her shoulder was starting to worsen causing her to panic. Deciding she could not take the risk of another blow, she began to maneuver her opponent into a position where she could use her own powers. Using a series of ice sickles, she maneuvered Aimi where she wanted her. Before the bitch new what happened, Akemi sent a wall of ice at her freezing her in place.
Akemi waited for a moment to make sure her opponent could not get free, before she let her muscles relax. Clutching her injured shoulder she moved to stand in front of Lady Aimi. The ice from her attack had frozen the bitch all the way up to her nose. She had been tempted to freeze her completely solid. Lucky for her, Akemi did not want her death on her own conscious.
Stopping to stare Aimi straight in the eye, she whispered to her, "He would never be yours. You are a cold heartless bitch, and now you look the part. Enjoy the garden. It is quite lovely this morning."
Smiling at her own joke, she started to stagger out of the garden. Between blood loss and pain her head was starting to swim. Just when she felt like she was going to fall, an enraged Sesshomaru appeared before her.
He caught her up in his arms, and held her bridal style close to his chest. He let out a fierce roar at Lady Aimi. It was a clear warning from his beast that she was in serious trouble. Satisfied with the fact lady Aimi had been warned and was not going anywhere he turned his full attention toward her. His beast needed to know she was whole and alive.
Akemi was shocked to see that his eyes were red. Staying still, she let him nuzzle her face and neck. He breathed in her scent deeply and it seemed to calm him. When his eyes went to just a red ring around them, she knew he was coming back to himself. He whimpered when he saw her shoulder and gentled his hold on her.
His beast obviously did not like seeing her hurt. Something about that warmed her heart. Knowing she was safe, Akemi laid her head on his shoulder and let him carry her back to the castle. Hopefully he was going to take her to the infirmary. She could really use a numbing salve until her youkai healing kicked in. Closing her eyes she let herself slide under, she knew Sesshomaru would keep her safe.
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Kyo was running for the garden after the castle was shaken with Sesshomaru's fierce roar. He had not heard Sesshomaru sound like that since Naraku. His mind was racing at all the possibilities that could have happened. Had someone hurt Lady Kimi?
The sight that greeted Kyo could have knocked him off his feet. Sesshomaru was holding a bleeding and unconscious Kimi against his chest. But what really floored him was that Sesshomaru's eyes were ringed with red. It looked like he was barely keeping his beast in check.
Sesshomaru let out a low growl when the entryway to the castle became blocked. Quickly Kyo began ushering the castles occupants away from their agitated lord, and back into the castle. The last thing they needed was for Sesshomaru's beast to lash out at one of his guards or servants. Kyo knew he had to handle this situation delicately.
"Lord Sesshomaru, take Lady Kimi to your rooms and I will send a healer for her." Kyo held his breath as he waited for his lord's reaction.
Sesshomaru growled his assent and moved past the crowd of onlookers. Kyo's breath came out with a whoosh. Well there was one catastrophe averted. Now all he needed to do was figure out what the hell had happened in the gardens.
Spotting Hana, Kyo motioned her to him. "Hana, I need you to send a healer to Lord Sesshomaru's room for Lady Kimi. She looked like she was attacked. Tell the healer to be careful, Sesshomaru is on the edge."
Hana nodded wide eyed, and took off. Kyo hollered out for Yukio to follow him. He wanted to see just what had happened in the garden. Following the scent of blood he walked down the main pathway. Yukio trailed behind him watching his back as he scoped out the different pathways. It was not long before they found out exactly what happened.
The center of the garden looked like a war had been ragged. Half of it was frozen and the other looked like acid had eaten it away. Rin was going to be very unhappy when she saw this. Off to the side left side was lady Aimi encased in ice, just the top half of her head was sticking out allowing her to breath.
His first thought was, holy shit. How in the hell was he supposed to get her out of that? And honestly he thought she deserved to stay stuck in her ice prison. The ice would eventually melt away after all.
Yukio started snickering behind him. "Kyo I know she has to be taken into custody, but how do we carry an ice block inside? Do you think if we hit it with a hammer it will crack?"
Kyo let his own laughter tumble out. It was hard to remember just how serious this situation was when the villain looked like an ice cube. "I will go find a hammer. You can keep an eye on this ice cold bitch."
Yukio's laughter followed him all the way to the castle.
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Akemi woke slowly. Keeping her eyes closed, she took stock of her body. She could wiggle her toes and fingers, so that had to be good. Her shoulder definitely hurt, but not nearly as bad as it had earlier.
Next she assessed her surroundings. She could feel soft blankets covering her. The bed beneath her was as soft as a cloud. She also found she was incredibly warm. Particularly on her left side. It was almost like someone had placed warm bricks next to her.
Fluttering her eyes open, she began to take in the room. She immediately knew this was not her room. Everything was done in reds and golds. It was also much larger than her own room. Something moving next to her shifted her attention from the room to the person that was in bed next to her.
Of course it was Sesshomaru. He was what was radiating all the warmth next to her. And he apparently was sleeping deeply, with her body nestled closely to his own. His nose was even buried in her hair. That took the option of moving off the table. She really did not want to wake him. He looked so peaceful she just wanted to watch him.
So, maybe that sounded a little creepy. But honestly this was a moment she would probably never get again. She wanted to remember every second of it for the rest of her life.
As if sensing she was looking at him, Sesshomaru began to wake up. Gold eyes opened and met blue. She felt a brief moment of relief when she saw that the red was completely gone from his eyes.
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Sesshomaru had always been an extremely light sleeper. When he heard Kimi's heart rate pick up and felt her eyes on him, his body came to attention. In more ways than one. He really liked the feeling of his woman next to him.
Opening his eyes he stared into her big blue ones. She was so beautiful it almost made his heart stop. Reaching out he gently tucked her hair behind her ear. Her eyes widened a bit at the action, but she didn't say anything. It made some of the worry he had been carrying since this morning ease.
"I am sorry beyond words you were hurt in my home little one. The healer came in and treated your shoulder. She said in a few days you will be as good as new. Can you tell me what precisely happened this morning?" As much as he hated it his voice held his worry in it. Kyo had said she was sobbing when he found her, and that unsettled him almost as much as seeing her hurt had.
Touched at his worry Akemi tucked her left hand into his much larger one. "I was missing my home this morning and went outside to sit in the gardens. When I felt better I went to go back to the castle, but I was not paying attention to my surroundings. Out of nowhere Lady Aimi attacked me. I managed to fend her off and freeze her before she could hurt me worse. Then the next thing I knew you were scooping me up and everything went black."
Sesshomaru wanted to rip Lady Aimi apart. He knew the bitch would be trouble, but he never thought that she would have gone that far. To attack and try to kill one of the other winners was to earn yourself a death sentence. If she had a problem then she should have issued a formal challenge.
"She will be taken care of. If you would like to call for blood rites you may. I know that you don't like to kill if you do not have to though. If you agree then I will send her back to her family in shame." He really would take great pleasure in doing so.
Akemi smiled at his thoughtfulness and surprised him by snuggling closer to him. "Thank you Lord Sesshomaru." Closing her eyes she let herself fall back to sleep. Healing was an energy draining business. Plus she did not mind the fact that Sesshomaru had felt the need to tuck her into his own bed to ensure she was safe and well taken care of. It made her tingle with happiness, or maybe that was the medicine...
Sesshomaru practically purred in pleasure. He really liked her cuddling up next to him. He wished that they could stay here like this all day, but he knew they could not. He needed to go deal with Lady Aimi. Then again maybe he could spend a few more minutes with her. There really was no rush, Kyo could handle things for a bit.
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***Bet you did not see that coming! Like I said I got a lot of stuff happening and coming to fruition so stay tuned!***