AN: Well, well, it's been a minute. Believe it or not, I started writing this story in September 2022 with the intention of just doing a short, five-chapter "side story" to answer the question: what happened in the bedroom between Touga and Inukimi? But work on other fics and original writing delayed this in part—as did the change in story. What started as a "side story" soon became its own full-blown fic. Now let me be clear: I have been DYING to share this almost as much as you guys have been dying to know the answer to THAT question, but I kept discovering new things to write and a better way to present the information, and so I realized I could not start posting…until now.
Thank you for your patience over the years, and for those of you that stuck it out—here is your reward! And so, on this, the eve of the one-year anniversary of the end of My Sanctuary (and just about two years after the release of the chapter that inspired this whole story—Ch. 17), I present to you: Unresolved Feelings!
PS: I had a startling realization one day that most of the Foreigner songs I was listening to applied to this story in one way or another, and so I couldn't resist sharing those lyrics at the start of each chapter. Yay unintentional song fic!
PPS: This story has been betaed by the lovely MooMischief.
NOTE TO NEW READERS: If you have not read My Sanctuary, no worries! You can still enjoy this fic on its own. However, if you plan to read My Sanctuary, it is recommended that you read it first, as this story will eventually contain spoilers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Yashahime.
(Are we done with the notes yet? 😆)
Unresolved Feelings
By LuvinAniManga
Part 1: Understanding Feelings
Chapter 1: The Upstart General
Well, I'm hot blooded
Check it and see
I got a fever of a hundred and three
Come on, baby, do you do more than dance?
I'm hot blooded, I'm hot blooded
You don't have to read my mind
To know what I have in mind
Honey, you oughta know
Now you move so fine
Let me lay it on the line
I wanna know
What you're doin' after the show?
– "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner
Kofun Period, 280th Year (530 CE)
With her latest suitor brought to his knees, Inukimi tossed her light whip around him and flung him off the side of her floating palace. His screams made her eyes roll—if the demon couldn't even fly, how did he think he had any chance of wooing her?—and she returned to the receiving hall inside, where she took up her seat once more on her padded throne. She reclined across the chaise longue, resisting the urge to sigh.
How boring.
With every challenge for her hand, her hopes for a capable husband grew dimmer and dimmer. She didn't care whom she married as long as he fulfilled her one requirement: having the strength to stand up to her. She was not interested in a weak demon. No, her husband would have to defeat her in battle in order to win her hand.
She had already bested all the single males of her court who were currently milling about in the hall, and while at first it had been satisfying to toss them all off her palace steps, she grew more frustrated as time passed, annoyed that so many weaklings served her.
Lately, word had spread of her game to other demon tribes, and when the first non-dog demon appeared, she indulged him in a duel. Since then, her suitor battles had become something of a show at court. Male demons of all formidable shapes and sizes came to prove who was the strongest in the land.
She defeated every single one.
Her court never bothered to whisper, since they could all hear one another anyway, but their predictable, trite concerns slithered into her ears once again.
"Inukimi-sama will never become our ruler at this rate."
"Why did her honored parents insist she marry before assuming the throne?"
"She needs someone to steady her whims."
"But it's not as if she would let her husband rule beside her anyway, so why all this theater?"
"Isn't she being too stubborn?"
"Don't be rude. We should be proud of our lady's strength."
"There's a reason no other demon has been able to conquer the Western Province."
Inukimi said nothing to refute them; she had stated her case long ago, and there was nothing more to say.
Just then, one of her guards entered the room and came to speak with her.
"My lady, there is a demon here claiming to be your betrothed."
"My what?" Inukimi barked, scowling at the guard. The throne room went silent, and all attention turned to the throne. "Who dares make a mockery of me?"
"I did not ask for his name, my lady." She couldn't fault him for that, because she had never cared to know the names of lesser beings anyway, so her guards stopped giving them to her long ago.
Her mood had already soured, and this news only added to it. She was tempted to boot the newcomer out on those grounds alone, but a part of her was curious to know which creature could be so arrogant as to claim a betrothal to her.
Perhaps I can vent off these frustrations on him. "Very well. Send him in."
She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised that the male who strode in was a dog demon, though he wore his human guise. He carried a shabby sword sheathed at his side, and his long, silver hair swayed from a high ponytail. Black, bushy brows flared like wings over his hard, golden eyes, and forks of blue lightning cut across his cheeks. His armor was of high quality though patched together—trophies, it seemed, from his battles instead of properly commissioned pieces. The only noble aspect to him was his trailing fur cape, which billowed behind him in shimmering silver. Yet despite his ragged appearance, the scent of fresh pine and lake water wafted from him, and he held his head high as if he were a lord.
At least the ruffian had washed.
Inukimi's mood mellowed with curiosity. I thought I had already made my way through the ranks of our best, but I've never seen this one before. Is he arrogant or just confident?
Unlike her other suitors, who tried (and failed) to take her down in the most primal of fashions, he did not advance on her in his true form—though perhaps that was because he had some explaining to do about this supposed betrothal. Regardless, she would fight him in either guise.
If she deemed him worthy.
"Greetings, Inukimi-sama," he said, executing a polite bow.
"Who are you to claim to be my betrothed?" she asked.
"I am General Touga of the Storm Clan." When she said nothing, he peeked up from his bow. "Do you not…remember me?"
Inukimi raised a brow. "Should I?"
"Our fathers were allies on the mainland during the power struggles, at which time they crafted an agreement for our betrothal."
Inukimi frowned. On the mainland? It's been over a millennium since we left and settled here. "I would have been but a child," she said.
"As was I," Touga replied. He smiled. "In fact, I clearly remember asking you to be my wife. Your answer, as I recall, was, 'If you get stronger, I'll consider it.'" Members of the court tittered, to Inukimi's chagrin; admittedly, that did sound like her. "Of course, it was a formality on my part; our fathers orchestrated it."
"And is your father here to act as witness? I'm afraid mine has since passed, and he made no mention of it to me," Inukimi replied. After they had lost their small territory on the mainland, her parents and their court had fled to Japan to restart. She barely remembered anything of her childhood in China.
"Sadly, he too has passed. I lead the Storm Clan now."
"The Storm Clan?" Inukimi echoed, the name suddenly striking a chord. "Not that upstart pack making noise to the south?"
"Then you've heard of me! That's a relief at least," he laughed, his fangs glinting in the candlelight. Inukimi blinked, taken aback. She had never seen such a bright, unguarded smile before. "I was starting to get nervous that you'd throw me out because you didn't know who I was. I've heard the rumors…and then saw they were true as I flew up." His massive brows shot up in a conspiratorial fashion, and then he winked at her.
A bold one, I see. That's not unattractive. His features might be rugged and pleasing, but so were most dog demons'. She would not be distracted by a handsome face.
After all, it was the charming ones who were the most duplicitous.
"Well, you've wasted your time, little general. I have no intention of honoring the promises of the dead. I set my own conditions for marriage."
If he was offended by her nickname, he didn't show it. He had passed the first test.
"So I've heard. Betrothed or not, I've come to ask for the honor of your graceful hand, my lady."
"Oh?" She leaned upon that hand, resting her elbow on the arm of her throne. "And pray tell, little general, why I should deign to even consider a request from a demon of such humble origins."
"Forgive me, Inukimi-sama, but if a demon's origins were of any interest to you, you would not have seen nearly so many suitors."
"And how many suitors do you think I have rebuffed?"
"Hundreds, as I hear it."
Inukimi settled back into her throne. "Three hundred and seventy-nine, to be precise. Of course, those are only the ones I have personally defeated. I did not bother to count those who were not worth my time."
Touga grinned. "A ruler must indeed be strong, and your ladyship's family has proven to be so, dominating so much of the West. I cannot imagine a more perfect demoness to stand by my side."
Inukimi's brows rose. He certainly is impertinent. "So you are here for my land, is that it?" It wasn't a surprise. Of all the demon lords in Japan, she held the most land, consolidated over centuries by her family.
"Well, my lady, I thought it would be much easier—and far more pleasurable—to wed you for it rather than take it by force."
Inukimi burst out laughing. "A declaration of war wrapped up in a proposal? Oh, that is amusing indeed, little general. So you intend to rule my land one way or another, is that it?"
"I intend to rule all of Japan, my lady."
Members of her court gasped, and Inukimi's eyes glinted in delight, her purple-painted lips curling into a genuine smile. "Is that so? How…ambitious."
"It is rather, isn't it?" Touga answered with a disarming smile. "Since I ventured from the mainland last century, I've been fighting nonstop and managed to consolidate Saikaidou. We've made inroads into Iyu-no-futana-shima and expect to have it under our control in the next few decades before we turn our attention to Hondo. But when I heard the rumors about the ruler of Hondo's western provinces seeking a husband, I decided to try a different recourse in the hopes that I could give my poor self a break from battle."
"Make no mistake, little general: a marriage with me would most certainly be a battle. Just of a different sort," Inukimi answered. "I intend only to submit to the strongest demon, for that is who shall sire my heir."
Touga's lips curved up into a wicked smirk. He inclined his head and lowered his arm in a seemingly innocent gesture towards the sash at his waist holding his armor together. "This little general looks forward to that task, Inukimi-sama."
His innuendo did not go unnoticed.
"The insolence!" a court member cried.
"How dare he speak to Inukimi-sama that way!" another lamented.
But Inukimi waved off their protests, biting back a smile. Most demons grew irritated by her refusal to use their names. Some ignored her condescension. But this one dared to throw her own nicknames back at her.
She liked that. She liked that very much.
"Very well, little general. You may have the honor of fighting for my hand. We will commence at midnight, when the moon is high." She stood up, motioning for an attendant. "Serve this one some refreshment while he waits. Let it not be said that I gave myself an unfair advantage."
"My lady!" Touga called out as she walked away. She paused, only the slightest turn of her head indicating that she was listening to him. "Will you promise me something?"
"Why should I promise you anything?" she rebuked.
Touga carried on as if she had not spoken. "Promise me that when I win, you will call me by my name."
"Hmph," she answered, striding out of the throne room.
When a servant led Touga to the royal guards' training grounds that night, he was pleased to find it ringed by dozens of dog demon courtiers. He had every intention of winning this fight, and he wanted witnesses.
As he waited for Inukimi to appear, he overheard the murmurs circling around the nobles. Many degraded him as a scruffy, common cur, not fit to wed their lady. But others grudgingly admired his campaign in the south.
Of course, their opinions did not matter. Only Inukimi's did, and from what he could gather in these conversations, it was rather rare—though not unheard of—for her to delay a fight to a time of her choosing.
Apparently, he had impressed her, and as such, she was honoring him with a proper duel—and a chance for the whole court to witness the strength of her potential consort.
Did she really not know who I was though? Nobles were a tricky lot, often lying through their teeth, and yet Inukimi seemed too brutally honest for such deception. The realization only brought back the hurt that had welled up during their meeting, though he'd tried not to show it at the time. After all, it was her words to him as a pup when he "proposed" that changed the entire course of his life.
He hadn't been interested in his father's continual machinations of war or trying to keep together a kingdom in the face of stronger opponents. He had just wanted to test out his fledgling, demonic powers and have fun.
Then he had met the daughter of the Moon Clan with whom his father wished to ally. Even at the young age of a century, he'd been smitten with her wit and grace.
She…had been less impressed. But given that she hadn't refused his proposal flat out, he found a new goal: to get stronger and ask for her hand once more. Her family fled to the islands not long after, but Touga never forgot her, and he swore that after he had made a name for himself in China, he would follow her to the islands and show her just how strong a demon he had become.
He had spent the last century amassing his own lands to showcase his strength to her, but when he heard that she was dueling any demon who came to ask for her hand, he realized that her non-answer to his proposal had been just that: an open invitation but not an acceptance. So he tracked down the location of her palace, hoping he would not be too late. He expected to have to prove himself.
He had not expected to be totally forgotten.
I will just have to do my utmost to cement myself in her memory this time.
She certainly hadn't changed from his. Yes, she was mature now and even more beautiful with her placid smile and voice like velvet. But her arrogance was still matched by only…well, his.
That could either make them quite compatible or be their undoing. Still, he had hope that other parts of their personalities would fit together in the classic yin-yang spirit.
As the doors to the field opened, a smile slid onto Touga's face. Inukimi had changed out her royal robes for more practical gear similar to his own: a hankimono with the sleeves tied around the forearms and hakama tied around the shins.
Truly, she was beautiful no matter what she wore. The outfit gave him a better idea of her body shape than her sumptuous robes had, and with any luck, he would one day soon see what lay underneath. The thought had him grinning in anticipation.
He bowed as she approached. "Greetings, Inukimi-sama."
She nodded. "Shall we proceed?"
Apparently, she's not one to let grass grow under her feet. "Certainly. I'll defer to you, my lady, on the weapons of choice."
Her brows rose, and she sent him a demeaning smirk. "If you need a weapon to defeat me, then you are not as powerful as I thought."
"Hand-to-hand combat it is," Touga answered, moving to untie the sword at his waist.
"Don't bother," she said, holding up a hand. "I wouldn't want to have to pick up after you when I send you flying."
Touga chuckled, leaving his sword where it was. "My lady, I hope your prowess matches your words."
"Then why don't we find out?" she asked, and suddenly she darted towards him, punching him right in the center of his breastplate. She knocked the breath out of him, and he sailed through the air until he crashed into the wall enclosing the yard. Cracks fanned out from his point of impact, but the partition didn't collapse.
He had barely taken a breath when Inukimi dashed right up to him, punching his chest again. He broke through the other side of the wall, tumbling over the stones of the outer courtyard. He would have rolled right off the edge of the platform had he not dug his claws into the foundation to slow himself down.
"Oh good. Had I flung you off this early, I would have been disappointed in my overestimation of your skills," Inukimi said from across the courtyard. Even so, she ran over to him.
"Iron reaver soul stealer!" Touga gasped out, flinging his claws haphazardly in her direction. Blades of energy flew from his fingers, missing her completely—but at least they made her dodge. She leapt into the air, giving him a moment to get back to his feet. He looked up to the sky and found her zooming back towards him like a meteor, her foot extended and aiming for his face.
Touga rolled out of the way, and Inukimi whipped past him and over the edge of the platform. He ran back towards the hole in the wall, where curious members of the court had gathered for a peek at the show.
Apparently, if she tosses me off the ledge, that's it. I have to stay away from it.
He made it just back inside the arena when he sensed her energy coming straight for him. Attuned now, he spun around and caught her fist before it slammed into his spine. The force of her punch still sent them sliding halfway across the arena.
She tried to pull free, but his hands were like a vise against hers. Only the faintest pucker in her brow belied her irritation.
She's relentless. I need a way to knock her off-balance. But she was so well-guarded, he couldn't find an opening.
So he'd make one.
He yanked her closer, sliding his fingers from her hand to grasp her sleeve just above the elbow. Then he took hold of the baggy fabric at her shoulder and leaned into her.
"No hesitation. I like that," he murmured into her ear, slipping his right leg in between hers and sweeping it around her left one, knocking her onto her back. He kept a hold on her, ready to pin her beneath him, but that same leg he had just disarmed swung up and kicked him in the side, sending him tumbling across the arena.
He rolled onto his back only to find Inukimi flying towards him, her claws glowing green and steaming. That can't be good.
"Iron reaver soul stealer!" he cried out, swiping his claws through the air. She cut through the slashes of energy with her claws, but the action gave him enough time to leap to his feet and jump back as she landed right where he had been lying.
"Is that the only attack you have? It's not bad, but I've seen better," she said as he landed on the other side of the arena.
"Is that so?" he asked, eyeing the still-green glow around her hand.
Instead of answering, she shot a whip of light out from her fingertips. The sudden long-range attack took him by surprise, and he wasn't able to move out of the way in time before it slashed across his breastplate, shearing it in two. A stinging across his breast made him suck in a breath, and his eyes widened as blood stained the front of his hankimono. He fingered the neat slice in his robe, making sure that his insides weren't about to spill out. A bright red stripe burned across his skin, but only bits of blood welled up along it.
Damn. Another hair's breadth and she would have opened a hole in my chest. The realization made him grin. She really is as strong as the rumors say.
Inukimi stared at him with open curiosity. A hint of amusement tickled her voice. "What, do you find pleasure in pain?"
"Honestly, yes. It turns me on."
Inukimi froze, her self-satisfied features falling slack for a moment—just the amount of hesitation he needed.
He flew forward and punched her in the gut, sending her flying through the arena until she crashed into the palace doors, which collapsed on top of her.
Touga stilled, a clash of emotions keeping him rooted to the spot. She had been fighting him so well, he hadn't hesitated to treat her like any other opponent, but now his protective instincts were kicking in.
Was that too much? Shouldn't I go easy on her? No, I cannot take this woman lightly again, or she'll toss me out. A punch for a punch, after all—and I still owe her another. But I'm hurting the woman who will bear my children one day….
With a start, he realized he already viewed her as his, and their fight wasn't even decided yet.
There's no question then. I must win.
But given how the dust was settling, perhaps he already had.
Just then, the pile of debris erupted, showering the onlookers with splinters. Inukimi stood up, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. She glared at him, indignation blazing in her golden eyes.
Then she grinned.
"Finally."
Suddenly, she was back on his side of the arena, a fury of flying kicks and claws. He matched her move for move, keeping her from landing a single blow.
"Sharp reflexes," she noted.
Her words distracted him just enough that she slipped past his guard and kicked him square in the chest, sending him sliding back on his feet, clouds of dirt ballooning in his wake. He grunted but didn't fall. She nodded. "Thrice now, and I still didn't hear anything crack. Solid bones."
He shook off the pain and flipped into the air, using the dust as a cover to extend a leg and bring it down on her. But she caught his ankle above her head, though doing so made the ground crack beneath her. He landed on his free foot, ready to pull his leg back, but she ran her other hand down his calf, feeling the contours of his leg. Touga froze in shock and sucked in a breath. When she reached his thigh and squeezed—so deliciously yet terrifyingly close to his balls—a flash of heat pulsed at the base of his spine.
Now he wanted this demoness beneath him in the worst way. She couldn't tease him like that and expect to escape unscathed.
Inukimi smirked, and he wondered if she could smell his growing arousal. "Good musculature—at least in the arms and legs. I'd have to check the torso to be quite sure."
She dropped his leg and slashed at his chest again. The rest of his broken armor fell off him, as did the sash holding it together. His hankimono slipped open, revealing his chest and the tips of six blue markings that curved along his ribs.
Inukimi put a finger to her lip in mock thought. "Yes, I suppose that would do."
Touga couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of him. "My lady, if you wanted me to strip, you need only have asked." He tossed away his top, revealing the extent of the jagged blue stripes crawling up his arms and chest. "Though I can't help but feel like a stud you're looking over to purchase."
Inukimi huffed, looking away from him. Was it his imagination, or was there a hint of pink on her cheeks? "At least you're aware of your position."
Touga clicked his tongue. "Now that just won't do."
Just then, he dashed behind Inukimi, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders to grip her neck. He ran his thumb along her throat, and she shivered. He smirked. "Hmm, long and slender. Good for an alpha to grip." He nipped at the back of her neck, making sure she felt his teeth.
"Ergh!" Inukimi growled, trying to break free. He shifted his grip to hold her tighter—the hand on her neck moving down and cupping her breast. She hissed, and Touga couldn't help but give it a squeeze.
"Another area perfectly suited for gripping, although I suppose what's most important is that they're large enough to feed our future children," he remarked. His other arm roamed around her belly, dipping dangerously near the junction of her thighs. "Hmm," he mused. "Your hips might be a little narrow for childbearing, but I would need a better view—"
Inukimi huffed, stomping on his instep and promptly elbowing him in the gut, which still smarted from where she had repeatedly nailed him earlier. The air left him in a whoosh, and he stumbled back a couple steps, clutching his middle.
"Doesn't feel nice to be objectified, does it?" Touga wheezed.
She snarled and spun around, aiming a kick straight for his groin. His heart lurched, and he snapped his legs shut, catching her before she could make the hit. Relief washed over him. He had no doubt she would have made that hurt.
To cover his panic, he feigned lightheartedness. "Careful there, my lady. Are you trying to devalue your stud?"
"What use are such parts to me when I won't be using them?" she answered, trying to pull her leg free.
Touga laughed. "My lady, I admire your confidence. But overconfidence can be an undesirable asset."
"I have every right to be this confident," Inukimi rebuked, her glare daring him to disagree.
Touga bowed his head. "A woman with your strength and beauty certainly does."
Inukimi faltered, her eyes widening, and that's when he let go. She fell back, and he lunged towards her, but she caught herself on her hands and brought her legs up in a double roundhouse-kick. He lifted his chin to dodge her kicks, then snatched the second ankle that passed. She pulled her hands off the ground, and his arm dipped as he adjusted to carrying all her weight. But as she hung from his grip, she swung her hips and curled her body back towards him, reaching out and snagging his sword from its sheath.
She slashed at him as she swung back, and to dodge it, he had to let her go. She used her momentum to flip back onto her feet and point his own sword at him.
"Oh, we've moved onto weapons, have we? I'm honored," Touga said. "I thought I wasn't good enough for you to merit their use. But I'd like my sword back."
He then executed a classic if somewhat dirty battlefield move: reaching down and flinging dirt into the eyes of his opponent.
Inukimi cried out and tried to wave the dust out of her eyes. Touga sped forward and whacked her hand, making her drop his sword. He snatched it before it hit the ground and swung it at her, but she flipped backwards and out of his reach. She landed beside one of her guards and yanked his naginata away from him. When she turned back towards Touga, her eyes were red with demonic energy.
Inukimi ran at him and swung the polearm. Touga blocked it, and the clang of steel on steel reverberated throughout the arena as they traded blows, twirling around each other and eventually into the air. Each crack was like a heartbeat, thumping faster and faster in anticipation of the final blow.
Touga panted, this battle having proven far longer—and more invigorating—than he anticipated. But it was time to end this.
The next time he met Inukimi blade-for-blade, he pushed off her and slid back through the air like a breeze. He took a deep breath, sensing the wind blowing at his back and rushing towards his opponent.
He hadn't yet perfected this technique—hadn't even settled on a final name yet—but with every battle, he grew closer.
He brought his sword over his head and slashed downwards. "Wind Fang!"
An arc of lightning-like energy soared on the back of the gale towards Inukimi. She raised her naginata to block it, but the polearm snapped in half, and the Wind Fang tore across her body. A pained gasp escaped Inukimi's lips as the attack flung her back down into the arena, cracking the very foundation of the palace.
Touga shot down to her impact site like a falling star. He had to pin her down—Inukimi had proven on more than one occasion just how much stamina she possessed.
He swept the dust away with his fur cape to reveal her body. Her robe was slashed open, a crimson wound glaring angrily from the creamy expanse of her belly up through the valley of her breasts. Touga's eyes reddened at the sight.
My bitch.
He flipped her over more roughly than necessary, his growl mirroring her pained grunt as he straddled her and pinned her arms behind her back. She tried to buck him off, somewhat feebly, and he leaned over her body, the extra weight stilling her.
Touga—and the entire court, for that matter—held their collective breaths as they waited for a verdict or a renewed attack.
Inukimi murmured something into the stones.
Touga leaned over, his breath hot against her pointed ear. It twitched as he muttered in a guttural voice, "What was that, Inukimi-sama? I didn't quite hear you. Perhaps if you called my name."
Inukimi growled, the vibration in her chest ticking his and sending a jolt of pleasure straight to his cock.
"Come now," he snapped, nipping her ear. She tensed at the sensation, her hackles raising beneath his chin. "I know you remember what it is."
Inukimi took several deep breaths. Finally, she said, "…I concede…Touga of the Storm Clan."
A soft growl resonated in his throat as he slid his nose along her neck. "I look forward to getting to know you better, my wife-to-be." He shifted his pelvis, grinding his stiffening cock along her backside. She hissed. "And I hope the same goes for you."
Their wedding was planned for the next full moon—considered a beneficial sign in her clan. The ceremony took place in full view of the court at the summit of the steps leading up to the Sky Palace.
Inukimi was dressed in a white kimono threaded with pearlescent silk, so that in the bright lunar light, the clouds sewn into her dress glimmered against the fabric. For once, Touga was not bedecked in armor (mostly given the fact that she had broken his during their fight) but rather in a traditional, black wedding outfit. However, her wedding gift to him, which even now decked a stand in what would be their room, was a proper set of armor crafted by the demon blacksmith Totosai—one befitting of not only a general but the Lord of the Western Province. The spiked pauldrons alone would create a massive, fearsome shape on his shoulders.
She rarely gave gifts, but she was excited to see what he thought of it. However, that excitement was overshadowed by more immediate matters.
Inukimi kept a straight face throughout the entire ceremony, even as Touga smiled at her while repeating his vows to remain forever loyal to her. She was under no illusions that he was inexperienced in the matters of carnal pleasure. A man so well-versed in flirtation could only have acquired such skill through much practice. But from tonight onwards, he would find pleasure and relief in only one demoness: her.
Will I be able to satisfy him?
The self-doubt sat like foreign meat in her stomach. In most aspects of life, she could justify her confident air, and even when she had to exaggerate it at times, she did not feel as unsettled as she did now. It was not so much that she wanted to pleasure Touga during their coital arrangements, but knowing that he would inevitably compare her to past lovers—and that she might be found wanting in comparison—rankled her.
She had not remained pure out of some misguided, romantic notion of waiting for "the one" who would complete her. That sort of sentimental drivel was for simpering lovers and mates—or worse, humans. "The one" she had been waiting for was the one who could conquer her, and it was only to him that she would surrender her body.
But the idea that in mere hours—no, minutes?—she would have to engage in such an intimate act made her entire body tense to the point where her hands trembled. She had a difficult enough time revealing her innermost feelings—let alone her skin—to those she had known for centuries. She had met Touga only a handful of days ago (or met again, according to him).
After they exchanged their vows, Touga walked Inukimi down the steps of the palace, parading her past the court, who applauded politely. When they reached the end of the stairway, which dropped off into the sky, they paused, overlooking the moonlit clouds beneath them.
Normally, she charged right into her attacks, but for once, she felt the need to delay, even for a moment. I need to regain my confidence.
She threw him a sidelong look and asked, "How does it feel, General, to be one step closer to your conquest of this land?"
He caught her gaze, and the warmth in his amber eyes scalded her. "It feels as if I have done the impossible, my lady."
She huffed. "I did not think that word was in your vocabulary."
"You misunderstand me, Inukimi-sama. I feel as if I have captured a moonbeam in my hand," he said, squeezing hers. "In such radiant white, you appear to have just descended from the moon itself, and I cannot believe my good fortune."
Inukimi turned away, hating how her cheeks flushed. She was used to the sweet words from courtiers' lips, so why did his affect her so strongly?
"Well, now you must return me to the moon, General."
He blinked at her. "How do you mean?"
Composing herself, Inukimi turned back to her new husband. "Tonight we undertake our first Moon Walk."
"Yes, your councilors mentioned that. Something like our first flight together, I assume?"
No wonder he isn't teasing me. He has no idea. She wondered which of her ministers failed to impart this information on him. "It is a tradition for the Moon Clan that the claiming take place under the moon's light."
His eyes widened. "Is that so? Right here, in front of the whole court? I never would have taken you for an exhibitionist, my lady—though perhaps the way you manhandled me during our fight should have been a clue."
Inukimi's face pinched together in response to his teasing smile. Heat rose up her neck and into her cheeks. "Of course not. They will scent whatever proof they need when we return."
"Ah, there she is—my blushing bride," Touga said, reaching out and pinching Inukimi's cheek. She jerked away in shock. Touga pulled back, a flash of hurt shooting across his face before he hid it behind a soft smile. "I meant no disrespect, Inukimi-sama. But it's refreshing to see this side of you."
"What side?"
"Your insecurity."
Inukimi scoffed and turned away. But she couldn't find the words to refute him.
His hands wrapped gently around her upper arms, and she stiffened in his grip. "You do not always have to put on a show of strength, my lady—especially for me," Touga murmured into her ear. His voice made her want to shiver, but she fought it. "I already know the fortitude you possess. You are allowed to be an unwitting virgin tonight. I will happily teach you."
Inukimi's eyes widened, and she tore herself away, spinning around to face him. He stared at his empty hands, as if wondering what had happened.
She huffed, her cheeks still heated in the cool night. "Just because I am…untested does not make me unknowledgeable."
"Untested?" he echoed, his lips twitching in amusement.
"I had thought to make this easy for you tonight, General, and simply submit, but now I see that you need to understand your place. If you want to claim me, you'll have to catch me first."
He blinked, and in the next second, Inukimi stood in her dog demon form, the fog of her transformation dissipating in the wind. She leapt off the steps and into the night sky. One dumbfounded moment later, Touga transformed and flew after her.
She glanced back for her first glimpse of his demonic form. His curling tail drifted behind him like a curtain—or rather, the cape-like appearance his fur took on in his human guise. His mane of fur and the tufts at his paws roiled like the storm clouds of his clan name—the opposite of the smooth bands of fur that wrapped around her shoulders.
Wisps of haze drifted across the moon and stars, and Inukimi soared into one to lose her new husband. But with a wave of his massive tail, he swept the cloud away, exposing her. Inukimi darted forward, but Touga pounced, landing on her back. They tumbled through the sky, the clouds exploding around them, clinging as droplets of dew to their fur.
Touga struggled to get a proper hold on Inukimi as she writhed beneath him, trying to slip away and prolong the game. But he finally clamped his jaws around her fluffy neck, and Inukimi barked as he locked her in place. She stilled beneath him, her skin prickling from the sensation of his sharp teeth grazing her skin. After a few seconds, she moved aside her tail, exposing her entrance to him in a show of submission.
Touga growled, the sound traveling down her neck, and then he was humping her hind leg. Inukimi's red eyes rolled in a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Her thoughts were more instinctual in this form, but animal or not, this was her first time being claimed by a male. Even so, her vulva quivered with the beginnings of arousal as his cock lengthened along her leg.
Then all of the sudden, his member nosed at her entrance. With a grunt, he shoved himself inside, and Inukimi yipped as he filled her. He thrust with the wild abandon of an excited dog, and soon his knot bulged, locking him within her. With a rush of hot semen, she realized it was already over, but he couldn't pull out just yet. He twisted off her back, though he remained locked inside her as they stood end-to-end.
It was awkward to just stand there while she waited for his knot to loosen. She wondered if copulation would be more enjoyable in their human forms. Or perhaps they just needed to learn each other better. She had enjoyed the thrill of the chase, but the act itself had been…lacking. Almost perfunctory. Like any male dog breeding a female.
Not that she could be bred at the moment. She wasn't in heat yet.
So she was surprised when he finally slipped out of her and came around, licking the side of her face and nuzzling her with an affectionate whimper. She licked the underside of his jaw in reply, though she told herself it was only to make sure her scent was on him.
After all, he wasn't the only one to claim a spouse that night. Anyone who dared to covet what was hers would not live to act on those desires.
AN: And there it is—the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed the start to this story. You might have been expecting something different, like, say…the story occurring in the present and picking up in the middle of My Sanctuary…. Alas, to get the answer to THAT question…you're going to have to wait a little longer. ;) This fic became something of a prequel/sequel, so before we get to the goods, we need to see how things got to that point first! So, prepare for a full-length backstory on the complicated relationship between Touga, Inukimi, and Izayoi.