Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.
Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose firmly feeling a strong headache coming on. He swore he read the same letter a thousand times and he still couldn't figure out what it read. His thoughts were completed distracted by the blonde female demon who had been in his study only hours before. He felt very annoyed with himself for losing control of his own actions towards the girl, who his late father obviously considered to be a worthy mate for his eldest son. Perhaps she would be, although her personality seemed to verge on the feisty side, but in time he could possibly alter that. The demon lord inwardly smiled to himself for a moment, thinking of how much he liked it when she blushed. He placed down the annoying parchment he attempted to read and allowed his elbows to rest on the table supporting his chin as he gazed at the far wall thinking back on the proceedings of the last few minutes.
His test had been successful, it was true she was indeed affected by their bond. He had been uncertain before when she didn't come to his study much sooner, but all his doubts vanished the moment she grabbed a hold of him to kiss him. Perhaps she was attempting to control her needs as he did. She was indeed Sarylah's heir and the infant his father told him he would one day mate. Jaken may have found her, but he had been wrong on various subjects before so the demon lord didn't want to take a chance. Although, an unexpected thing did happen during their meeting. The great demon lord had succumbed to the side effects of the bond.
Immediately he discarded the thought, the memory beginning to conjure up some of his deep desires to rid the girl of her innocence so that he might mate her and spill his seed inside of her womb. No, he would not think on such things. His priority now was Naraku. Now that he had finally found his intended there would be nothing else to distract him from his goal of destroying the half demon. Or so he thought.
A knock brought him back to reality. He sensed the demonic aura of Rei-Lin and allowed her to come back into the study.
"What is it?" His voice was ice cold, his eyes still trained on the far wall.
"It's Lady Sahara, My lord." Rei-Lin began giving a slight bow, "I've put her to bed a while ago, since she said she wasn't feeling well, but I wondered if I may ask something, although I know its not my place."
His eyes shifted to the old demoness, but said nothing so she continued.
"I have noticed your scent is fairly strong on her after I came and got her, and wondered if you may have done something that could have brought on her ailment?" She tilted her head, her orange eyes watching him intently.
Sesshomaru shifted his honey colored orbs back to the wall thinking back on his actions wondering what his attendant meant, "No." He stood and faced the old woman. "I would assume that having done nothing may have caused a dramatic shift in her hormones due to the effects of our bond and that her need for physical affection is making her ill." He began to walk past the old woman and opened the door to his study, "You brought her to my chambers?"
Rei-Lin nodded bowing, "Yes, My Lord, just as you commanded."
Sesshomaru left the woman without another word knowing full well what he must do.
Sahara moaned tangling her fingers in Sesshomaru's silver mane as he moved from her mouth to her neck nipping at it with the tip of his fangs. She arched her back exposing her neck completely to him as her head pressed more into the fluffy pillow it rested on,"Please, Lord Sesshomaru."
She could feel his hot breath on the junction of her neck as he lifted his head, but did not look at her face, his eyes trained on a particular spot, "Please what?" His voice was cold masking his desires.
She squeezed her eyes shut worried that she wouldn't be able to speak if she looked at him, but she knew she had to answer, "Please, I need you to mark me as yours." She said in her small shy voice trying to control it from sounding too nervous.
His breath was getting closer to the base of her neck below her left ear, where her neck met with her shoulder, just above her collar bone. She pulled her fingers through is long silver hair smoothing her hands against the naked skin of his back, feeling every slight twitch of his chiseled muscles at her touch. She couldn't open her eyes trying to prepare herself for the painful mark she needed him to make on her skin.
Something wet met with her skin, a sensation she was familiar with erupting through her body, but it didn't last long as he lifted his head away from her once again and she knew he was preparing to come back down on the spot he had just licked to sink in his fangs.
Sahara shot upright opening her eyes to find herself alone in the dimly lit room she had fallen asleep in. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her hair was stuck to her face by her own sweat. She pulled her hair away from her face and tucked the loose pieces behind her pointed ears, catching her breath as she did so. "It had all been a dream." She sighed with relief standing on shaky legs, smoothing out her white kimono that had rode up to her mid thighs in her sleep.
Her blue eyes scanned the room. A window was to her right and a wardrobe was placed on the other side of the room behind her. The door to the room laid to her left, opposite of the small window. Next to the door rested a shelf where armor and two swords resided. Across the room from that, a balcony door was open letting in a cool breeze and she moved around the large bed to it. Was this always open? She thought as she moved out on the stone structure that over looked a vast garden. It was very quiet outside, but peaceful. The sky was growing dark, but there was a dark violet hue in the distance before her. Her eyes trailed down into the garden. Various flowers of different colors and shapes grew in a half circle, which was bordered by thick medium sized trees blocking the garden from the rest of the land Sesshomaru's palace rested on. The fragrance reached her nose and she relaxed sinking on to the railing of the balcony. She closed her eyes enjoying the smell of the garden. Another scent reached her nose, over powering the other smells, a flower she recognized. When she opened her eyes, there, standing against the castle closest to the balcony across from where she sat on the thick railing, was a sakura tree. It's pink blossoms resting in full bloom on it's branches.
"You taste very lovely. And you smell of sakura petals. I enjoy it." His words echoed through her mind causing her to stand up quickly thinking she had actually heard him, but she was still alone.
Relieved, she turned back to the cherry blossoms her thoughts running over the time spent in his study, "Well that would explain his fondness of the smell of sakura petals, if the tree is right outside his room." Her hand flew to her mouth at the realization that suddenly hit her. She had forgotten Rei-Lin had placed her in his bedroom. What would happen if he came in here?
Her thoughts trailed back to the dream she had just woken from that had consisted of him and a heat immediately rushed to her cheeks. Why had she dreamt of such things? Her body knew, in fact, it had begun to crave him once again. To feel his touch, to have his hand tangled in her hair, to be pressed into him like she had been earlier that day. She wanted to be kissed by him again.
"No, no, no, no!" She shook her head turning back and entering the room, "I refuse to dwell on that any longer!" She told herself firmly sitting on the bed.
"Dwell on what?" Sahara popped back up, her face burning up as she turned to her intruder. Why, oh why, did he have to come to his room now? I thought he didn't sleep. She groaned to herself.
Sesshomaru stood in front of the door. He had apparently entered when she had been lost in her thoughts. He watched her, his emotionless orbs glowing in the dimness of the room. He was obviously waiting for her to answer.
"I-I just had a weird dream." She confessed turning her face to the bed so she wouldn't have to look at those beautiful honey colored eyes that bore into her. Hoping he couldn't see the embarrassment that covered her face.
He didn't reply, instead he moved over to a small table that Sahara hadn't noticed on the right side of the bed below the window. Her eyes followed his movements as he bent down, took a small, slender looking rod and brought it to the tip of a candle that immediately sprung up with a flame that lit the room. Now there was no hiding her face from him.
"Will Rei-Lin return?" She asked sitting back on the bed with her back turned to him.
He didn't answer her. She heard him move around the bed and she glanced up to see him open the wardrobe and remove his hoari. She immediately looked away focusing on her hands so she wouldn't have a reason to look at his strong, handsome body. Again, the odd sensation began to fill her senses and she pinched her finger. Pain would distract her from the longing, right? Wrong.
He was standing before her in an instant and grabbed her wrist pulling her up to her feet. "You need to change." Her confused blue eyes met his cold ones and she feared she would throw herself at him.
"Alright." She turned out of his grip towards the wardrobe, "Rei-Lin put my sleeping yukata in here, right?" She opened the door to find his hoari lying on the floor of the wooden structure and sure enough a light blue thin robe hung neatly above it. But as she reached for it she realized he was still there, still watching her. "Um... I could use some privacy."
She heard him move hoping he was going out on to the balcony, but instead he was behind her as close as he could possibly be. Oh no! She thought her head spinning at his closeness. She reached out for the door of the wardrobe to steady herself, but his hand grabbed hers and spun her around to face him.
"Lord Sesshomaru, please. I can't-" Her eyes lowering, feeling extremely dizzy.
"You are trying too hard." He growled pressing her against his bare chest. She closed her eyes trying to picture herself somewhere else but to no avail. Her body had control of her thoughts and they were focused on his steady breathing and the feeling of his warm skin against her cheek. Thankfully the dizzy haze was lifting at the touch.
His clawed hand still held hers, but his other hand made easy work of the obi tied securely behind her back. Her body tensed as the obi fell away from her and the robes it had kept together came apart. She blinked unable to move. The skin contact was calming to her and before she knew it she was relaxing against him.
Satisfied that she was content, he released her hand and brought his hands up to her shoulders. She barely flinched at the contact, instead her eyes slowly closed and she pressed herself against him. He slid the sleeves of her kimono from her arms and allowed it to fall to the ground. She shivered at the cool air touching her bare skin, bringing her hands up to press against his massive chest, blinking furiously as she attempted to pull away from him, only to be shoved back into his embrace.
"What are you doing?" Her voice came from within his chest as he held her close with one arm and reached for her sleeping yukata with the other.
"You will worsen it." He said pulling the yukata over her shoulders. "Put your arms through the sleeves."
Sahara did as he ordered without removing her body from the warmth of his skin. Why is this so calming? She wondered pulling away from him so she could fold the garment together. She turned from him to grab the small white sash that tied around the yukata. "Can you tie this for me, please?" She asked pulling the sash around her waist handing him the ends behind her.
He took either side of the sash brushing his hands against hers briefly before he began tying the knot behind her back. Once finished, she turned back to him a slight blush adorning her cheeks. "Thank you."
Sesshomaru turned away from her and headed back over to the bed. Sahara closed the wardrobe and leaned against it. Her head felt heavy, but the longing sensations were at ease now. Was it because of his actions? Because he held her against his bare chest and kept touching her? Her face started heating up again as she realized what had really transpired. He saw her naked, well, not completely but she was certain what he didn't see he had to have felt with her body pressed against him. Her mind was reeling now and she couldn't look at him once again.
"Sahara." His voice was firm snapping her out of her worries and forcing her to look at him. He was laying on the bed watching her, "Come."
She hesitantly pushed herself away from the wooden structure slowly walking towards the opposite side of the bed and sat down a good foot away from him. "When you said that I was "worsening it", does that mean that you...?"
He leaned over to his left and blew out the candle he had lit. Sahara's vision adjusted to the sudden darkness in an instant with the help of the bright moonlight seeping in through the window. Sesshomaru turned on to his back and stared at the ceiling, closing his eyes, his body melding into the comforts of the bed. Obviously he wasn't going to answer her question, but she wasn't too keen on sleeping with him. Especially after the dream she had about him.
"You should rest."
"I'm not tired." She replied quickly, turning to look at the still open balcony door.
She didn't feel the bed move but his breath was hot on her left ear in an instant, "What is it?"
She jumped on to her feet, spinning around in one swift motion so that she was looking at him, his emotionless gold eyes trained on her, "Stop doing that!" She folded her arms across her breasts that weren't being completely hidden from his sight as the material of the yukata was thin, "I thought you didn't sleep like humans do." Sahara interrogated.
"I don't." His voice was still calm and cold as usual.
"So, what are you doing?" She pointed at him still laying on the bed, half naked.
He sat up staring at her, golden eyes never giving away what he was thinking, "You were talking in your sleep."
Now her cheeks were burning furiously as if that was reason enough to be attempting to sleep with her. What could I have been saying in my sleep? A variety of phrases came to mind, his name being one of them, but her heart quickened at one phrase she would never forget saying in her dream and she hoped beyond hope that it wasn't the one she had said, "mark me as yours."
If the room hadn't been so dark she would have swore he smiled slightly, but the room was dark and she couldn't see his face completely, only his bright, emotionless golden eyes that never left her and the crescent moon mark on his forehead. "What had you been dreaming about, Sahara?"
Was he teasing her? Her blonde bangs fell into her eyes as she lowered her head in an attempt to hide her face from him, "I don't know. I've forgotten." She lied.
Immediately as the words left her mouth, he was standing before her, his index finger and thumb finding a familiar place on her chin forcing her to look into his golden pools. "Don't lie to me. You will do well not to forget that I can tell when I'm being lied to." She stared almost fearful into his eyes. Her mother promised her to a man who she couldn't lie to. Great.
Sesshomaru's breath was on her face again and she could smell his scent intoxicating her now. "I can't tell you." She murmured afraid he would make her tell him regardless. Her mind was starting to be reminded of the time he last grabbed her like this and he had lowered his mouth to her neck. The feeling, arousal as he called it, started to burn up inside her again.
"Oh?"
She was trembling now her eyes about to glaze over, if she gave in to her body's desires maybe she could hide within herself. She allowed her eyes to explore his face. His two magenta strips on each of his cheeks that pointed in to his nose, the crescent moon mark that adorned his forehead, and his beautiful honey colored eyes that she could not stray away from. She realized she needed him to kiss her now more than ever before. Her lips parted slightly whilst her hands reached up to cup his face resulting in him narrowing his eyes at her, "I need you to." She whispered, "Please."
He released his grasp on her chin allowing her to bring herself closer to his face where she pressed her lips to his, but like he had observed earlier, she was very new to this and her shyness was not making it any easier. She wasn't really sure what she was supposed to do. Her hands lowered themselves to settle gently on his bare and obviously strong shoulders.
A growl erupted from deep within his chest and he suddenly grabbed her by her waist and brought her up fully against his body so that she wasn't missing a single detail about his physical being. She moaned pulling her head away so she could breathe, but Sesshomaru's mouth came back down on her deepening the kiss. The claws of his right hand tangled in her hair, while the other hand lowered to the small of her back. His tongue forcing entry into her mouth and explored it hungrily. Bending her slightly backwards, she dug her nails into the skin of his shoulders to support herself.
Sahara's mind was lost in a vast blankness unable to think of anything except the fierceness of his kiss and his hands that pressed into her body like he never wanted to let her go. Sahara was experiencing heavenly bliss for the first time since she had arrived there and she didn't want it to end.
Before she knew it, her back was being pressed into the soft cushion of the mattress and his mouth left hers to look upon her, his eyes still narrowed as they had been before she kissed him. Her heart was racing and she was gasping for air. Her hands slid down his muscled arms stopping at his elbows. Her eyes trailed from his bare, strong chest that hovered above her up to his face where she stared into his emotionless eyes. "Sesshomaru?"
He blinked his eyes slowly before removing himself from atop of her to lay on his side on her right, dragging her over to him so that her back was pressed against his chest. "Go to sleep." Her eyelids drooped, but she wasn't quite ready to sleep yet. She rolled over to face him, her blue eyes locked on his gold ones.
"I have to know." She began steadying her voice to not give away that she was nervous to hear his answer, "The side effects of our bond, you feel it too, don't you? Is that why you have come in here to vanquish the suffering I was experiencing?"
"Vanquish your suffering?" His eyes narrowed at her further.
She took a breath, why couldn't he make this easier? "By the wardrobe when you, um... helped me change." She averted her eyes shyly, "You brought me against you. I think I know what you were doing."
"Do you?" He closed his eyes.
She wasn't sure there was a name for what she thought him to be doing, but regardless she continued, "If you hadn't done that, I think I might have gone out of my mind." She confessed suddenly, although she couldn't place why.
His honey colored eyes reopened causing her to dive into his gaze, "So, since you are full of talk and questions, answer mine. What were you dreaming about?"
Her cheeks became rosey again and she bit her lower lip, but she took a breath and searched his eyes like a trapped prey searches the eyes of it's hunter, "I dreamt of you, Lord Sesshomaru." She answered shyly.
"I see." His hand reached out and gently touched her forehead. She flinched briefly but allowed him to touch her, "Go to sleep." He commanded for the final time as he pressed his thumb against the heart shaped mark on her forehead and she instantly closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber.
Sahara woke to Rei-Lin setting a tray of fruit down on the table next to the bed. She laid on her stomach her hand outreached on the pillow next to her as if she had been holding what ever had been on the pillow close to her. But she couldn't remember what had been there. She blinked to relieve herself of the sleep in her eyes and slowly sat up. Sunlight filled the room drowning it in a bright light. She turned to the demoness who smiled at her, "Did you sleep well, Milady?"
"Yes." Sahara nodded with a smile, but her smile didn't last long before she realized where she was and what had happened last night, "Where is Lord Sesshomaru?"
Rei-Lin turned from her, but Sahara saw the solemn expression cross her face before she turned completely away to grab something from the table. She turned back with the candle in hand, "He has left."
"Left?" Rei-Lin nodded, "Where did he go?"
"It's hard to say." The old woman confessed moving to leave the room, "The Lord never really tells anyone where he goes or when he will return."
"Is that so?" Sahara looked down at the pillow where his head had rested, "When did he leave?"
"A few hours ago, I suppose." She fingered her chin reaching the door, "He always seems to leave at dawn."
The younger demoness got out of bed and headed out on to the balcony, "Well, that explains a lot."
"My lady?"
"Nothing." Sahara forced a smile on her face and turned back to Rei-Lin.
"Very well." Rei-Lin returned the smile, her orange eyes searching Sahara's blue ones, "I will return to fetch you for your bath after you have finished eating." Sahara nodded and Rei-Lin left the room.
Certain Sesshomaru's servant was gone, Sahara turned back to the balcony and stepped on to it, looking up at the sky with determination burning in her eyes. She wasn't going to be kept prisoner in his palace while he was away. She had just as much as a right to leave as he did. Tonight, she decided, she would leave and go back to her village to see her family.