"You said you didn't believe in fate," she whispered.
"I do not," he confirmed.
"Then why?" It made no sense. She hadn't attacked him or even used her power during their first encounter, so why had he followed her? "You were attacked after I ran off, weren't you?"
A sigh ruffled her hair, and he sat back, lips pursed. "The first frost was imminent. I assumed that he would be vulnerable."
"And you felt safe with me."
Sesshoumaru rested his elbow atop one bent knee. "I only meant to find a place to stay while I healed."
"But you weren't healing," she blurted, a look of concern crossing her face as she put her hands on his chest. "Not like you're supposed to—something was blocking your powers."
"A failsafe," he said, his other hand covering hers, "in the off chance I managed to find him. He thought to dispose of me while I was injured."
He'd probably spent weeks staving off blood loss and exhaustion, finally collapsing on their doorstep as a last resort. She squeezed his fingers. "Could anyone else have found it?"
"I cannot say. But few of those with reiki would offer up their power to heal someone who had previously been a threat."
Kagome chuckled. "You didn't actually do anything to me."
"You were still afraid," he argued. "I could scent your fear all the way back to the cottage. It is how I found you."
"And then you stayed."
He released her hand to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, drawing her closer to press his lips to her forehead. "And then I stayed."