Chapter 40

Before Miku could once again explain what was happening and before Sango could try to reason with her niece for a second time, the tension that filled the room began to lessen when Sesshomaru suddenly appeared behind his mate and was whispering in her ear. While Sango and Miroku had no idea what was being side, Kagome smile and leaned into her mates arms as she heard her brothers whispered words.

"Let him go love, you do not really mean to harm him."

"He challenged our mate ship…" Rin whispered back in a fierce filled voice.

"He is hurting…let him go."

"I…I…"Rin whispered in confusion as she began to return to reason.

Finally noticing that she would not attack him for his actions, Sesshomaru quickly took hold of her hand and pulled it back, freeing the young Taijiya from her hold. Before he could fall on the floor, he was caught by the same dragoness that he had attacked and gently given over to his sister who at first looked over his sallow gashes before she began to fume at his stupidity and hit him for his foolishness.

Kohaku however paid no mind to his sister's words as he watched Sesshomaru gently calm his mate and get her to see reason. It was then and only than that he finally realized that he had never had a chance. Even when she was human she had never been meant for him. 'Rin…I'm sorry. I've been foolish.'

As she felt her mates' aura completely surround her and sooth her ire Rin began to realize where she was and what she had been doing. After she had calmed enough and only after her mate had forced her hand to release Kohaku's throat, she stared wide eyed at the rest of her pack before finally landing and locking eyes with Kohaku's. Before he could even try to tell her that it was all right, that he had been asking for what she had done, Rin took a step back from her family and her pack as guilt filled her. Before anyone could say a word and before her mate could keep her from running off, Rin eyes watered as she whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Before Sesshomaru or Kagome could say a word, they all were forced to watch as she not only ran from them but covered herself in shadows and her power so that they would be unable to follow after her. While Miku let out a long sigh she couldn't help but whimper, "And she was doing so well too…"

"Well? Well with what?" Koga asked in a confused filled voice.

"She's new to her power, to her instincts and new in the ways of mate ships, at this point anything that over whelms her will cause her to lose control." Ayame stated in an understanding tone of voice.

"Our kind, we, the females are the strongest in any mate ship. It was the first queen of the East that had made it so that none of her daughter would ever be treated as she had been before she had taken to her humanoid from." Miku explained.

"Why the hell would you want weak males?" Koga asked in a confused filled voice.

But before his mate could growl him, all eyes turned to the enraged dragoness as she growled out, "There are other ways for males to prove their strengths. Where they lack in power, they make up for in the ability to quickly calm us and balance us. They are what helps us keep balanced and to keep us from ever being trapped in our beast and animalistic form for good."

"I suppose I should go after her." Kagome stated in a worried filled voice.

"If you'll tend to the pup, I'll go after my mate." Sesshomaru growled out as he stormed off in search of his dragoness.

"Just what the hell were you thinking Kohaku, she could have killed you. Don't you remember anything that Otu-san taught you?" Sango's worried, angry, and stress filled voice was heard as she yelled at her brother.

Ignoring his sisters words, Kohaku stood up and faced the dragoness that had gently placed him by his sisters side, Kohaku cleared his throat and said, "If you would allow me to, I have an idea of where she was going to put you at, I would like it if you allowed me to apologize and give me the honor of showing you to your room."

"If it is all the same to you, I would much rather rest in the forest. I will not enter the castle again until my mistress has arrived." Miku answered in a guarded voice.

After offering the dragoness a letter that was sealed, Kagome offered her a small smile as she said, "While I do hope that you will forgive me for the way I acted when we first met this seal will allow you to come and go as if you were a member of my family. You will be left alone I promise you."

After taking the letter and offering the hanyou miko a low bow Miku replied, "Thank you, and I harbor no anger in your actions. I only wish that my mistress had been born with a mother as kind hearted and caring as yourself."

After watching the dragoness take her leave, the wolf prince turned to his miko friend and growled out, "Just what kind of freakish pack are you running here?"

"It is unique not freakish." Kagome growled out as she turned to face Sango and Kohaku with a small smile on her face and said, "Everything has been arranged, we'll leave in the morning, the whole pack is moving. Koga and Ayame will be staying to aid Anki's mother with the Western lands until we return."

"So are we moving to the Western lands from here on out?" Sango asked in a confused filled voice.

Inuyasha turned to face his mate before she nodded her head as she turned to Ayame and motioned for her and Koga to follow her while Inuyasha spoke with Miroku and Sango. While she was sure that they would have questions for her, Inuyasha had made a good argument and had thus convinced her that it would be best for them not to let too many people know that she knew about what was to happen because she was from the future and had already learned about the majors events that had yet to happen. While she cared for Koga and Ayame, they would be safe in the area they were living in, the mountains that they had turned to their home for the most part was a place that not many lived at to being with so the area was safe from the history books.

While he was sure that he would reach her in no time, Sesshomaru knew that his mate would need at least a few moments of silence to herself before he joined her. He could feel her guilt and sadness and while he was sure that she would enjoy his company, he was also certain that it would be best to allow her to calm herself before he appeared. He did not wish to anger her any further since it was clear that she was still easily over whelmed by her emotions and the strength they now held over her.

Just as he had reached the clearing where he had claimed his mate, Sesshomaru froze in place when he came face to face with a rather large, silver dragon. Her eyes were as red as any blazing fire he had ever seen while her claws were as black as the night sky. When the dragoness had done nothing but let out a low soft purr of sadness, Sesshomaru let out a long sigh as he approached his mate and whispered, "You need not worry about the young Taijiya; he has finally seen that he had no reason to hope."

As Rin leaned into his touch, she closed her eyes and let out a low purr once more as she tried to calm herself enough so that she could leave her dragon from.

"You're mother and father are not angry with you. They only wish to ensure that you will be alright." Sesshomaru told her as he continued to pet his mate. "I understand if you wish to stay here the night however it would be best if we returned to the castle. You need your rest if we are to travel so far so quickly tomorrow."

When all she did was push him back toward the castle with her forehead and curled up with her wings wrapping themselves around herself, Rin closed her eyes as she tried to relax. She hadn't meant to harm Kohaku that way; she had been so certain that she had finally gained the control she had trained so hard to achieve. Just as her sadness and worry began to consume her, Rin's head shot up and looked at her mate as he stood before her in his demonic form.

Before she could growl at her mate so that he could leave her alone, she froze and was filled with warmth and love from her mate as he began to lick her scaled neck as he began to settle by her side. Before she realized it, Rin began to slowly fall asleep with her mate at her side not only guarding her but helping her to relax and to stop the guilt that began to weigh heavily in her heart.

As he waited for his mate to fall asleep and as he waited for her form to change so that he would be able to carry her back into the castle and into their shared quarters. Just as he had looked down at his mate, the giant dog demon stopped his low growling when he found that his mate had not only calmed enough to turn back to her human form but had also used his tail to cover herself from the chill of the night air. Just as he was about nudge her with his jaws to make sure that she was well and truly asleep, Sesshomaru bared his fangs at the dragoness that had approached him and his mate as he heard her relived filled voice say, "I suppose that you are indeed the only that would be strong enough to help to balance her."

When he refused to speak with her and continued to growl at her, Miku let out a long sigh and said, "You need never worry of me Lord Sesshomaru; she is my mistress, my first and only friend. I would die to see her live."

"Your word dragon that should anything ever happen to me you will be there to support her and aid her in anything and everything that she would ever be in need of." Sesshomaru demanded as he appeared in his humanoid form with Rin in his arms, wrapped up in his tail.

"You have my word Lord Sesshomaru. I will be her friend, her guardian, her protector, and more should there ever come a time that you will be unable to keep her balance. Though I should warn you, since she is unlike any of our kind and because of the strength of the bond that she shares with you, she will not be saved. She will die the same moment and time that you pass on. She will forever follow you since you are forever more her equal and her soul mate." Miku explained in a sad voice as she turned around so that she could take her leave and return to the room that Rin would have stationed her at.

While the lord of the west had always been one to die protecting what his father had left him it was only now that he truly saw what his father had so long ago wished for him to see. It was easy to die, but it was much harder to live. No matter what happened now, no matter what fate would hand him or throw at him he would fight to live for his mate shared his fate. Should he die she would die because he did not protect her as he should have. Should she die and take him with her it would be because he had failed to protect her. It mattered not that the ways of the dragons were different from the ways of his clan, no, what mattered was that she had not only chosen to be with him but had given up what pack tried to claim her so that she would return to him. He would fight death himself if he must so that he could keep the sleeping female in his arms safe.

After making sure that the dragon would not return to have more words with him, Sesshomaru let out a low growl and began to make his way back toward the castle so that he could lay with his mate in his arms knowing that he would have to be as strong as ever if he hoped to not only protect and defend his mate from the fools that had thought to keep her from him but so that he would have the strength and control he would need to help balance her out. While the feeling that he now carried in his heart just for her was new to him he would not allow it to weaken him when he would be needed by his female so soon. Just as his father had done so long ago, he would hide, mask, and work through his pain so long as it meant that what he truly treasured was protected and safe.

She opened her eyes and could scent in the air of the room that she was not alone, that she was being held by her mate and that dawn was fast approaching. While she was happy of the first two things that had filled her senses the knowledge that she would have to soon face the rest of her pack scared her. What if they wished for her to stay in the east after she had attacked poor Kohaku as she had? What if her mate would be forced to fight with a family he had only just made after she had shown him what his father had tried to get him to see so long ago? Just as she felt the beginnings of a panic overwhelm her, Rin froze and felt her body quickly submit to her mate's fangs as he bit down over her mark before he growled out, "It is much too early for you to be awake yet beloved."

"It's nearly dawn, can you not scent it?" Rin asked in a whispered voice as she turned over so that she was still in her mates arms but so that she was now facing him instead of leaning into his chest.

"You will need your rest if you are to travel as fast and with our pack on you to the East."

After a short moment of silence, Rin closed her eyes and whispered, "Are they still my pack? Do they truly not hate me?"

As he wrapped his tail around his mate to hold her in place so that he would be able to quickly calm her should her emotions get to her again, Sesshomaru let out a long sigh and low growl before he answered, "They understand and the foolish Taijiya has finally seen the truth. He will no longer challenge our mate ship nor will he have foolish hopes that you would turn to him."

"What of Kagome-Oka-san and Inuyasha-Otu-san? What of Sango-san and Miroku-san?"

"The female taijiya was most upset with her foolish brother, as for the monk he is only glad that you are safe from your own powers as well as that Kohaku has finally seen that he should move on."

As she closed her eyes and allowed herself to calm with the aid of her mate, Rin let out a long sigh with the breath she had been desperately holding in and whispered, "Well, I suppose I should rest a bit more before we leave. Has everything been taken care of for our absence?"

"It has all been tended to, rest my mate, all will be well and I will not allow any to say or try to upset you." Sesshomaru growled out as he began to let out a low growl that would sooth his mate back into sleep.

Having nothing else to say Rin went back to sleep knowing that her mate would not only keep her safe but that he would always be by her side. While she was sad that she had put him in a situation where he could have been forced to choose between her or their pack, she was happy and overjoyed when he had easily, and without words had stated that she would always come before the rest of the pack. By the time morning came, Rin was well rested, much calmer and felt like she would be able to handle whatever happened. Just as she had moved to stand, she could not help but laugh when she felt her mates hold on her tighten as he growled out, "It is not yet time to leave the den."

"We live not in a den but in a castle, now come love it's time to get up." Rin teased out in a very lady like voice that would have made the King of the East proud.

As he kept his hold over her, he growled, "I will not allow them to keep you."

"You need not worry," Rin whispered as she leaned into his hold, "for I am forever yours."

"The rest of the pack waits." He growled as he allowed her to pull free so that he himself could get ready.

"I know, I can feel them close by, have they always been so close to your quarters?" Rin asked in a confused filled voice as she thought back to her time in the West and came to release that he had never so close to the rest of the castle.

"No, I moved my quarters so that they could be closer to the rest of our pack, come Rin, we must join them." He stated as he began to get his armor on.

As she quietly got dressed Rin made sure to keep the control she had just learned to get while making sure that she would not lose it. Just as they were about to leave their room, Rin stopped her mate and let out a long sigh, as she drew the strength she would need to face her family, from him. Once she was sure that she would be ready to face them all, Rin followed after her mate and waited for him to lead the way. Once they had reached the rest of the group, Rin stayed back and listened to her mother and father speak with her mate while she tried to avoid Sango and Miroku. Just as had been about to storm out to go in search of her friend, Rin froze in place when she heard Sango's worried filled voice say, "You shouldn't leave, you have no reason to."

"I believe I do, if you will excuse me Lady Sango."

"You will not," Miroku's stern voice was heard as he approached the two with Kohaku at his side. "You will not run from this for there is nothing to run from. Kohaku wishes to say something and you must understand Lady Rin that you will always be, no matter what foolishness occurs by members of our pack, our family."

"You must know that we do not hold you responsible for his foolishness." Sango added in a worried filled voice.

Before Rin could say a word, she froze and kept her eyes locked with the male taijiya that she had only just yesterday harmed as she heard him say, "You need not worry Lady Rin, no one will blame you, I was foolish and forgot myself."

"Feh, about time, are we leaving or not?" Inuyasha's amused filled voice was heard growl out as he and his brother approached the group of four.

"The pups and the female Taijiya will be with my mate, the monk and the male Taijiya will go with the dragoness and the neko will follow after yourself and your mate." Sesshomaru growled out as he took hold of his mate and began to make his way toward the back of the castle.

"I hope you had no intention of leaving without advising me so my dear son." Sesshomaru's angry mother was heard as she walked into the room with the wolf mated pair.

"Mother I'm sure you are aware that we are pressed for time." He growled out in anger when he caught the scent of nervousness from the two wolves.

"She plans to join us; she has already given word that the two wolves will care for the west in our joint absence. It has been stated that should we fail to return in three days time the army is to go to retrieve us." The young dragoness that had suddenly appeared stated as she suddenly appeared by her mistress side.

At this Rin let out a long sigh she turned her back to the rest and began to lead the way toward the court yard. The need to speared her wings filled her and she knew that her mate would settle things for they had no time to wait. She had to go and see the rules of the east.