Sesshoumaru loathed each villager who'd come to see him after his return. Each request was valid and needed to be addressed, but he needed to check on the miko.
It had been over a month since he'd seen her, as a trade agreement with the phoenix clan to the north had required his direct involvement, and as much as he'd wanted to, it would've been inappropriate to take her with him.
Their meetings, regardless of how often they'd been interrupted by Jaken, were a private affair and something the other lords would not understand. It would also involve him divulging the reason behind why they'd started, and it was not a weakness he was about to reveal.
He had lucked out it had been the miko who'd discovered the den in the first place; her compassionate nature allowed him to take advantage of her desire to heal, welcoming him with open arms even if it interfered with her schedule.
Sesshoumaru snorted. He had been the only one to have a schedule, the miko quickly dissolving it to keep the wraiths of his past from sinking their claws into him.
It was more than just her scent; waking in her arms, her body pressed against his, gave him a sense of contentment and completion that he had never known before, and each time he was forced to sleep without her, he woke more exhausted than when he'd first shut his eyes.
The number of shredded pillows he'd had to replace due to being unable to pull her closer had been more than he was willing to admit.
Sending the final villagers on their way, he went in search of her, lingering only a moment outside her room as her scent was stale. She'd spent more time in the springs than her assigned room, his search eventually landing him in front of a pair of ornate doors, his brows raising as he slid it open to find the miko asleep in his bed.