Theo visited the insane asylum to speak with the warden.
"I want to marry Inuyasha. However, he's stubborn and refuses. So, I want you to imprison him here until he consents to marry me," Theo stated with a fierce tone.
He then tossed a small sack of gold coins to the warden, one of which rolled out. Picking it up, the warden examined the coin with a malevolent glint in his eye.
"You wish for me to imprison him without justification, keeping him here indefinitely until he consents to marriage? It's vile. I absolutely love it," the warden remarked wickedly.
Theo, having concluded his nefarious deal, left the asylum with Miroku and made their way to Inuyasha's cottage. On arrival, he observed the back door ajar. He entered, hoping to find Inuyasha but came up empty-handed. Exiting the cottage, he seized Miroku by the collar, hurling him into a mound of snow.
"He'll return eventually. You're to remain here until he does. Understood?" Theo ordered sternly.
Upon Theo's departure, Miroku, in a fit of frustration, struck the cottage wall, resulting in him being engulfed by a cascade of snow covered from head to toe.
Back at the castle, Inuyasha was in evident discomfort, his skin slick with sweat. Koga was at his side, trying to alleviate his distress with a damp cloth, noting his rising fever.
"We need to cool him down, bathe him, and provide some relief from this heat," Scott observed. He rang a bell, and shortly after, a knock echoed. Hojo answered it.
"You summoned?" Peter inquired.
"Ready a bath for Inuyasha, and be swift about it. Time is critical," Scott responded.
A couple of minutes later, another knock sounded. Aiden, upon opening the door, was taken aback by the flurry of activity. However, he simply shrugged, allowing the servants to rush in and set up a bathing tub. Once filled, the attendants left the room with a bow.
Koga began to undress Inuyasha, and Scott approached to help. However, he was met with a fierce warning growl from Koga and chose to step back. Once Inuyasha was undressed, Koga cradled him and moved toward the tub.
Inuyasha's groan of pain prompted Koga to comfort him with soothing words and a gentle nuzzle. Placing Inuyasha into the water, Koga then directed Scott and the others to leave the room for privacy.
While the pack members complied, Scott hesitated, seemingly unwilling to leave. Koga, sensing this reluctance, turned his focus back to Inuyasha. With care, he cleaned the young man, relieved to find his temperature slightly reduced after the bath.
Exiting the tub, Koga seated Inuyasha in a chair to dry him off. Once dry, Koga dressed Inuyasha, lifted him once more in a bridal carry, and laid him on the bed, covering him with blankets. He then placed a cool cloth on Inuyasha's forehead before joining him in bed. They soon drifted into a peaceful sleep, with Koga holding Inuyasha close.
Forty-eight hours later...
Inuyasha woke up surrounded by his packmates, his heart warming at the realization of how cherished he was. As he sat up, he noticed Scott, sound asleep in a nearby chair.
The sight made Inuyasha chuckle - Scott looked endearing in slumber. Such thoughts caused his cheeks to flush, and he slapped himself softly, hoping to regain his focus. Unfortunately, his movement stirred Koga.
"How are you feeling, pup? Any better?" Koga asked with evident concern.
Inuyasha nodded in response.
"Good. You had me worried," Koga remarked, and Inuyasha's cheeks tinted red again. Koga affectionately patted Inuyasha's head, evoking a purr-like growl from him. This noise roused the others on the bed, and they all sat up, exchanging nuzzles and affectionate licks.
Scott was the last to stir, and upon witnessing the heartwarming display, he couldn't suppress a smile. It reminded him of the mornings with his family when they greeted each other similarly. Clearing his throat to gain attention, which startled a few, he spoke, "I'm glad to see you better, Inuyasha. Especially Koga, he seemed the most concerned."
The mention made Koga blush, while Inuyasha looked on with a mix of astonishment and intrigue. Trying to brush it off, Koga admitted, "Can you blame me? I've always seen you as my own, Inuyasha. I've felt connected to you since you were young."
Ginta interrupted, "Enough with the sentimentality. I'm famished. We've been in bed for 48 hours without food!"
Inuyasha, in disbelief, turned to Scott for confirmation, who simply nodded. Just then, their stomachs chorused in hunger pangs, prompting laughter all around. They were about to head to the dining room when they realized two things: they were all unclothed, and none knew the dining room's location.
Inuyasha reached for a bell on the bedside table, but Scott was quicker and rang it. Shortly after, there was a knock, and Scott opened the door to Peter.
"You rang?"
"We need clothes tailored for them," Scott directed, pointing to the humanoid werewolves.
Peter nodded and left, returning in five minutes with a coat rack to take their measurements. The werewolves, unbothered by their nudity due to their customary lack of clothing, lined up. After their sizes were taken, the coat rack departed.
An hour and a half later, the coatrack returned with the tailored clothes. They examined the garments with curiosity and some confusion, but with a nod from Inuyasha, they accepted them, thanking the coat rack.
The coatrack bowed and exited. Fortunately, having observed Inuyasha dress over the years, the pack knew how to don the garments.
Koga received a blue kimono, silk boxers, and matching pants.
Ginta was given green attire to match.
Hojo's ensemble was in pink.
Hakkaku wore yellow.
Aiden was dressed in orange.
And Ethan's outfit was black.
After a ten-minute effort and only a minor struggle, the group was dressed. Scott then led them to the dining room. As it was 7:50 am, breakfast was just ten minutes away. Once in the dining room, they seated themselves, with Inuyasha at the center. To his right sat Scott and to his left was Koga, with the other five facing them.
Twenty minutes into their wait, sounds emerged from the kitchen, signaling that breakfast was almost ready. Soon, doors swung open to reveal a sumptuous spread: steak, sunny-side-up and scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages in links and patties, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, hash browns, fried potatoes, a variety of fruits including berries and melons, and drinks such as milk and orange juice.
Notably, there were raw ribeye steaks for Hojo, Ethan, Aiden, Ginta, and Hakkaku, as they had informed Scott of their preference for uncooked meat.
Conversations flowed easily during breakfast, and after about an hour of eating and chatting, they moved to the living room to relax. Gathering close to the fireplace, they enjoyed each other's company in a contented silence.
About twenty minutes later, Scott announced flirtatiously, "I have a surprise for you, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha's ears perked up, his attention now fully on Scott. Curiously, he rose and approached him, asking, "What is the surprise?"
Scott replied with a teasing smirk, "Let me show you."
Hearing this, the others chimed in, "Can we come too?"
Inuyasha looked to Scott for confirmation, who nodded in agreement. They followed Scott, and after walking for about twenty minutes, they arrived at an imposing set of doors. Scott instructed Inuyasha to close his eyes. Guiding him by the hand, Scott led him into the room's center, telling him to remain there with eyes still shut.
Moments later, after Scott had adjusted the curtains, he announced, "NOW."
Upon opening his eyes, Inuyasha was left in awe by the vast collection of books before him. "It's amazing! I've never seen so many books in my life," he exclaimed.
"Do you like it?" Scott inquired.
Inuyasha nodded vigorously.
"Then it's yours," Scott declared.
Overwhelmed, Inuyasha ran over to Scott, embracing him in a heartfelt hug. Later, the group changed into warmer clothes for an outdoor picnic. Afterward, Scott took Inuyasha on a leisurely stroll around the grounds, where they chanced upon some birds and spent time feeding them.
Inuyasha:
"There's something sweet,
And almost kind.
But he was mean and he was course
and unrefined.
And now he's dear, and so unsure.
I wonder why I didn't see it there before."
Scott:
"He glanced this way,
I thought I saw,
And when we to touched he didn't,
shudder at my paw.
No it can't be, I'll just ignore,
But then he's never looked at me
that way before."
Inuyasha:
"New and a bit alarming.
Who'd have ever thought that this could be?
True, that he's no Prince Charming,
But there's something in him that I,
Simply didn't see."
Chris: "Well, who'd have thought?"
Victoria: "Well, bless my soul"
Peter: "Well, who'd have known?"
Victoria: "Well, who indeed?"
Chris:
"And who'd have guessed,
They'd come together on their own?"
Victoria: "It's so peculiar. Wait and see"
Chris and Peter: "We'll wait and see"
All three:
"A few days more,
There may be something there that,
Wasn't there before."
Peter
"Perhaps, there's something there that,
Wasn't there before."
Victoria:
"There may be something there that,
Wasn't there before."
That night, Scott was taking a bath, contemplating how to woo Inuyasha further.
"How about dancing and gallant music?" Chris suggested.
"That's perfect," Scott responded.
So, Chris left to inform the rest of the servants about the plan. They all agreed that it was a splendid idea. Immediately, they began preparing finger foods and arranging for dress clothes to be tailored for Inuyasha and the guests.
An hour later, everyone was elegantly dressed and ready: Koga in black, Ginta in brown, Hojo in white, Hakkaku in purple, Aiden in gray, Inuyasha in striking gold kimono, and Ethan in pink.
Scott stood out, donning a royal blue tailored waistcoat with gold accents over a white ruffled shirt, paired with dark blue trousers, a bright yellow cravat, and black dress shoes.
All of them followed Chris to the ballroom, where they noticed Scott already waiting at the doors. He took Inuyasha's hand and leaned down to whisper, "You look amazing."
Blushing, Inuyasha didn't reply.
Then, they all entered the ballroom. Scott and Inuyasha shared the first dance, and soon after, everyone else joined in. After about an hour of dancing, they all proceeded to the dining room for snacks and refreshments.
Once they were re-energized, music resumed in the ballroom, prompting them to continue dancing. Eventually, the others sat on the floor, making way for Inuyasha and Scott to have the dance floor all to themselves.
Victoria's voice sung out into the elegant ballroom as Scotts twirled Inuyasha in his arms. A smile wide across both of their faces while they held each other's eyes.
"Tale as old as time,
True as it can be,
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends,
Unexpectedly."
"Just a little change,
Small to say the least,
Both a little scared,
Neither one prepared,
Beauty and the beast."
"Ever just the same,
Ever a surprise,
Ever as before,
And ever just as sure,
As the sun will rise, woah."
"Ever just the same, oh,
And ever a surprise, yeah,
Ever as before,
And ever just the same,
As the sun will rise,
Oh-oh-ooh."
"Tale as old as time, a-a-ay,
Tune as old as song, oh,
Bitter-sweet and strange,
Finding you can change,
Learning you were wrong, woah."
"Certain as the sun,
Rising in the east,
Tale as old as time,
Song as old as rhyme,
Beauty and the Beast."
After the song ends, Scott leads Inuyasha out to the balcony for a quiet chat.
"Are you happy here with me?" Scott inquires curiously.
Inuyasha glances at Scott and nods, but Scott can sense there's something amiss. "What's troubling you?" Scott asks with concern.
"Everything is wonderful here, and I love it. But I genuinely miss my life back home. It wasn't all bad. I want to go home now," Inuyasha admits with a touch of sadness.
"If that's what you desire, then I won't stand in your way. You're released from your contract," Scott declares, a weight heavy on his heart.
Inuyasha, taken aback, "What?"
"You're free. And take this with you, so you'll always have a piece of me," Scott says as he hands Inuyasha a magical mirror. "Whenever you wish to see me, ask this mirror, and it will show my reflection."
"Thank you, Scott. This means so much. I'll treasure it always," Inuyasha replies.
Inuyasha then departs from the ballroom to gather some belongings for his journey home. As he's leaving, the pack spots him, and Koga approaches.
"What's going on, pup? Where are you headed?" Koga questions.
"I'm going home. Scott released me from our agreement," Inuyasha reveals.
Koga, with a hint of sadness, says, "Are you certain? You seemed truly joyful here, happier than I've seen you in ages."
"Yes, I'm sure. This isn't where I belong."
Accepting the decision, Koga gestures to the pack, signaling them to follow him, and they do. As Inuyasha and his pack leave, Peter walks over to Scott.
"I always knew you had it in you," he begins.
"I let him go," Scott interrupts.
"Why?" Peter asks, bewildered.
"Because I love him. I needed to prioritize his happiness," Scott reveals.
Peter relays the news to the staff, who are equally stunned that their master has, for the first time, prioritized someone else's needs.
"The spell should be broken then!" Chris exclaims with hope.
"But that's not enough. His love must be reciprocated. Still, it might not be too late," Victoria interjects with a somber tone.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and his pack are in his room, collecting the items he's amassed during his stay at the castle. Together, they leave the bedroom, make their way down the corridor, through the grand foyer, and out of the castle.