The soft rustle of the tent flap stirred Sesshoumaru from his restless sleep. Silence followed, compelling him to turn, golden eyes widening at the vision before him.
There, standing just inside the room, was Kagome. She wore only the red and white haori he had sent her, her obsidian locks adorned with the blue ribbon he had specially commissioned. The sight was hauntingly familiar, yet his thoughts dissolved as she began to move toward him.
Her hips swayed with a mesmerizing rhythm, the dim candlelight caressing her exposed cleavage. Her stormy blue eyes held a seductive gleam, enchanting him, each step casting a spell over his senses.
With a swift motion, he removed his blanket and stood at the foot of his bed, his naked form taut with anticipation. He moved forward, eager to meet her halfway, but hesitated when her oceanic gaze drifted past him. Confusion flickered across his face as she continued on, gliding by him as if he were a phantom.
Sesshoumaru turned, his eyes tracing her path, and what he saw left him breathless. Standing next to his bed was the wolf prince, Kouga. His roguish face held a ridiculous fanged grin and muscular arms were open wide, welcoming the small priestess into his embrace, and she willingly melted into him.
He didn't want to see this, to watch as the wolf prince put his filthy hands all over Kagome. Sesshoumaru tried to move, but his feet felt like they were rooted to the ground, leaving him frozen in place, forced to witness this revolting scene.
Kagome's delicate hands guided Kouga's face down to meet hers, their lips colliding in a kiss filled with passion and desire. Sesshoumaru's heart clenched, a whimper escaping the back of his throat as he watched. The wolf's hands wandered down her waist until they found the tie holding the haori in place. With a single tug, the silk loosened and fell away, revealing her tan skin, illuminated by the flickering candlelight.
Every moment was a torment, each touch a dagger to his soul. The sight of Kagome, bare and vulnerable in another's arms, was driving Sesshoumaru to the brink of madness. Just when he thought this nightmare could not get any worse, he was proven wrong.
"Inuyasha." The name was a low growl, seething through Sesshoumaru's clenched fangs. It was all he could do as he watched the nude Kagome settle atop his half-brother's lap. Inuyasha's clawed fingers traced the line of her wide hips, dipping down to roughly grab her round, perfect ass.
Sesshoumaru's fury and helplessness surged, his vision blurred with red. The sound of Kagome's voice moaning her pleasure from another male's hands and mouth, each intimate touch between her and Inuyasha was like a fresh wound to his heart.
Suddenly, Kagome shoved Inuyasha's chest, sending the half-breed's upper body falling back onto the bed. She lifted herself and crawled over him, her hips wiggling seductively with every movement, a teasing dance that left Sesshoumaru breathless.
As Inuyasha faded away like the wolf before him, another figure took his place. Lounging naked on Sesshoumaru's bed was someone he had not expected to see: General Katsu. The older dog demon curled a clawed finger towards Kagome, urging her to come closer. She happily obliged, a giggle escaping her lips as he pinned her beneath his large body.
"A powerful bitch like you deserves a real Alpha, one that will treat you well," Katsu murmured, his long blonde hair tumbling over his shoulders as he nuzzled and kissed her neck. "Give you strong, healthy pups." His large clawed hand grabbed a full breast, pinching a pert nipple between his fingers. "Fuck you until you pass out from pleasure. I can give you all of this and more."
Kagome's laughter rang out, a sweet, tantalizing sound that echoed in Sesshoumaru's mind. He stood, paralyzed, as Katsu's hands roamed her body, his kisses trailing down her collarbone. The sight of his trusted general lavishing Kagome with such attention was an unbearable torment.
Kagome's hands tangled in Katsu's hair, pulling him closer as she arched into his touch. Her eyes, half-lidded with desire, met Sesshoumaru's for a fleeting moment, and he swore he saw a glimmer of something—was it a plea, a challenge, or merely an illusion born of his fevered mind?
Sesshoumaru tried to speak, to call out to her, but no sound came. He was a prisoner in his own body, condemned to watch as another claimed what was rightfully his. His beast roared within, desperate to break free, to reclaim their mate, but Sesshoumaru was powerless, bound by some unseen force.
Katsu's hand traveled lower, sliding down between her thighs. "Tell me, Kagome," he whispered against her skin, "do you want this? Do you want me to make you mine?"
Sesshoumaru's heart pounded in his chest, a wild, erratic rhythm that echoed in his ears. The air crackled with tension, the scent of their desire mingling with the oppressive weight of his own helpless rage. He could feel the walls closing in, the very fabric of reality warping around him.
Just as Katsu's lips hovered above Kagome's, about to claim her in a kiss, the world around Sesshoumaru began to shatter. The edges of his vision darkened, and the dreamscape dissolved into chaos. He gasped, feeling as if he were being torn apart, every nerve ending aflame.
And then, with a jolt, he was awake, the remnants of the dream clinging to him like a shroud. Sesshoumaru sat up in his bed, his chest heaving, sweat glistening on his skin. The tent was silent only for a moment before a male's voice was calling out to him.
*************************************************************************************8
"Lord Sessoumaru!"
Crimson-hazed eyes snapped open wide before narrowing, pinpointing the source of the disturbance. Katsu's stressed expression shifted to confusion at the sight of his lord breathing heavily, a feral look in his eyes. "My Lord?"
A second later, Katsu found himself pinned beneath a very pissed off demon lord. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes had bled to crimson, his beast surfacing in a primal display of fury. Fangs bared, claws digging into the ground on either side of Katsu's head.
His hazel eyes widened in fear and bewilderment, his body instinctively freezing under the weight of Sesshoumaru's raw power. The scent of the General's fear was thick in the air, a potent signal that tugged at Sesshoumaru's rational mind. Slowly, the haze of anger began to lift, his beast retreating back into its cage as the demon lord fought for control.
With each deep, calming breath, Sesshoumaru's vision cleared, the red fading back to gold. The snarl that had twisted his lips relaxed, though his chest still heaving.
"Apologies," Sesshoumaru growled as he turned away from Katsu and reached for a yukata. The soft cotton robe slipped over his form, a temporary reprieve from the tension simmering within. "What news do you bring?"
The General bowed, his eyes never leaving Sesshoumaru's, wary of the jagged stripes that still marred his lord's face. "It is Lady Dokugiri. The dragon has finally snapped and has dragged several of the female servants and their young outside of the Southern Palace."
The news struck Sesshoumaru like a bolt of lightning. His eyes narrowed, and he immediately began to gather his battle attire. "What of those who still remain in her council? Surely they would not allow whatever it is she is planning."
"Lord Raika's council has fled and are currently taking refuge in Lord Haruto's war tent. They no longer feel safe under the dragon's rule."
Sesshoumaru's sneer was filled with contempt as he fastened his armor in place. "So the cowards chose to run and leave the innocent behind to die? What does the dragon bitch plan to do?"
The General's expression turned grim, shadows deepening in the flickering candlelight. "She demands an audience with you. For every minute you delay, she spills more blood."
Sesshoumaru's eyes blazed and his hands moved quickly, securing his swords in place. The familiar weight of Tenseiga brought a sense of calm, a reminder of the legacy he bore and the duty he upheld. The relatively new Bakusaiga, with its raw, untamed power, promised swift retribution. Together, they were the embodiment of his strength and resolve.
"Then we waste no time," he declared, pulling his long silver hair and bangs into a high ponytail.
As he exited the tent, the flickering candles cast long shadows over the interior. Tokijin remained behind, shrouded in darkness. Its sinister presence seemed to retreat into the depths of the darkness as the last flames sputtered and died, leaving the space cold and empty.
A blood-curdling scream tore through the night, echoing across the distance between the Eastern and Western camps and the Southern Shiro. The chilling sound propelled Sesshoumaru into action, his demon speed transforming him into a blur as he raced toward the palace entrance.
There, the front of her black skin-tight robe was bathed in the blood of her victims, stood Lady Dokugiri. Her red eyes gleamed with madness, and at her feet lay the bodies of several women and children, their throats slashed, lifeless eyes staring up at the darkening sky. The gruesome sight turned the air heavy with the scent of death.
"You took too long, Lord Sesshoumaru. It's a good thing I brought so many out to play." Dokugiri's voice was a venomous purr as she gestured to the huddle of frightened demons behind her with a bloody blade, casually dropping the body of the girl she had just slain.
Sesshoumaru was no stranger to violence. Blood, carnage, and the horrors of war were nothing new to him. But this… this was the single most disturbing thing he had ever witnessed.
"I grow tired of this game. You playing hard to get, me enjoying the chase." As the demoness spoke, she examined the crimson fluid running down her blade, a twisted smile playing on her lips. "My father is so far gone that the smallest thing could set him off. Leveling this palace and killing those still in it."
Her words, intended to provoke, elicited only a stony silence from Sesshoumaru. Seeing his lack of reaction, Dokugiri's irritation grew, her hysteria pushing her to new heights of audacity.
"Fine. If you won't mate me then maybe we can agree on something else." She stalked closer, her movements predatory, eyes never leaving his. "Instead of a mating contract, I will settle for being the mother of your heir."
Sesshoumaru's lips curled into a sneer. "You think this grotesque display of power and the threat against innocent lives will have this One bending the knee to your demands?" His voice was cold, the fury beneath it like a barely contained inferno.
Dokugiri's expression twisted into a sneer of her own. "You misunderstand, Lord Sesshoumaru. I am not asking. I am telling you what will happen if you refuse. Your precious Priestess, your human pup, your people, all will suffer if you do not comply."
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, the crimson haze of his gaze shifted to the lifeless bodies of the children sprawled out behind Dokugiri. His grip on Tenseiga tightened, the sword pulsing with the need to revive those lost. The mere mention of Kagome and Rin was a spark igniting the volatile tinder of his wrath.
Dokugiri's laughter grated on his ears, unhinged and mocking. "Your time is running out, Lord Sesshoumaru. Make your choice."
His claws twitched, ready to unsheathe Bakusaiga, when the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. An electric energy crackled in the air, a prelude to the imminent clash. Before either demon could react, a streak of pink light pierced the space between them, an arrow embedding itself in the ground with a resounding thud.
A loud shriek followed, accompanied by the smell and sound of burning flesh. Dokugiri recoiled, her skin hissing as the purifying flames licked at her.
Sesshoumaru's gaze shifted skyward, his golden, red-tinged eyes widening in shock.