She waited for the light to fade, for the seal to slide back into place, but he continued to stare at her, his power fluttering around the room as her name hung between them.

She never expected it to be that easy—old magics never were—but maybe that one connection was all she needed. She offered her hand again, and he finally took it, allowing her to pull him off the floor. He towered over her, hands reaching for her face and then thinking better of it.

"It cannot be you," he whispered, still wary. Claws flexed at his sides, but his eyes never left hers, and that tiny spark of hope that had never dwindled, even in the depths of her cell, ignited.

She reached up, tracing the marks on his face. He'd always been so beautiful, even back then, and though her mission had been rescuing Souta, she'd be lying if she said she never noticed him. She'd never dared dream of being this close to him. Even in her most vivid dreams, there was still a barrier between them, her hands never quite making contact—but now…

Now he was here.

Now she was here.

And he wasn't pulling away.

"Who am I?" she asked again, pressing her body against him. Her robe still hung from her shoulders, body exposed, skin still buzzing from his pelt rubbing against her. It had been something, but it hadn't been enough. She needed to know everything she'd been feeling, everything she'd been ignoring, was real.

She needed him.

Her name was barely a whisper before she pulled him down, claiming his mouth. Sparks ran down her legs as one hand pressed into the small of her back, his growl electrifying the heat in her stomach. She went up on tiptoe, meeting each wave of his power with one of her own.

She needed him, but she wasn't about to let him think he was in control.

Not yet.

He owed her for the way she'd been treated.

He wouldn't see it that way—it was the will of the fae to ensure they had the better part of the bargain—but if he was going to take, so was she. She'd take him for all he was worth.

Digging her nails into his shoulders, she tried to climb him, every cell of her body calling out to his. Without releasing her mouth, he lifted her off the ground, claws piercing her flesh as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He couldn't hide his reaction, erection pressed against her core as she rolled her hips. She tore her mouth away, chest heaving, arms clamped around his neck in the slight chance he might push her away. But the ferocity had returned to his eyes, and his mouth latched onto her shoulder. Her head fell back, legs tightening around his waist, and she moaned his name.

The drag of his fangs increased, tongue following to soothe the abused flesh. "Kagome. My Kagome."

She moaned again, nodding fervently. "Yours." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she pulled him closer. "I've always been yours." It wasn't just his power that responded; magic rose up from the floor, colours bursting through the window and quickly followed by ivy.

They fell onto the bed, the delicious pressure disappearing as he loomed above her. She willed him to touch her, close to begging, but he brought each wrist to his lips, tongue sliding across the pinpricks from earlier. "You didn't hurt me," she said.

His eyes closed as his mouth moved down her arm. "I wanted to."

Kagome shook her head. "Not me. Never me." He nodded, and she pulled her arms out of her sleeves, running her fingers through his hair. His mouth sought out every inch of her, tongue swirling around a nipple before taking the plump flesh into his mouth. She arched off the bed, heat shooting through her when she came back down and a finger pushed inside her.

She hadn't seen him trim his claws, but as he bit down on her nipple, the pad of his finger found what it was looking for, and she quivered. "I have always wondered what you would sound like," he said, moving to the other breast. "It has haunted my dreams."

"I'm not a dream," she reassured him. She was so close, but as much as she wanted to scream for him to do more, she knew this wasn't for her.

"You have been," he said, and she could feel the tension in his shoulders. "For so long." His finger moved again, her legs squirming as his thumb pushed against the bundle of nerves at the top of her opening, and she ground herself against it, needing the friction.

"Look at me and tell me I'm not real," she commanded. He bristled at her tone, but there was life in his eyes when he looked up at her, a second finger sliding inside as he claimed her mouth. Kagome gripped his shoulders, tendrils of reiki teasing his skin.

He kept her grounded even as their melded powers electrified her skin, and she could feel him holding back. He was still worried, still on guard, and she wanted none of it.

"If you think I might disappear—" She sat up, reaching between them to grip him through his clothes. "—then do something about it."

He thrust his fingers deeper, finding that particular spot again and again, spreading her legs wider as he watched her facial expressions. The heat was intoxicating, but it wasn't enough, and she voiced as much, begging as she writhed against the bed.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "You would not survive."

She stilled, chest heaving as she stared up at him. His marks had turned jagged, barely any amber left between dilated pupils and the crimson from the beast within.

Forbidden.

Enticing.

And still worried for her.

It was no wonder she'd never been afraid of him.

Bracing herself on one hand, she sat up further, pressing her mouth against the crook of his neck. "Try me."

She knew the moment her words sunk in, a growl ripped from his throat as his clothes were torn from his body. She reached for him again, but he pressed her into the bed, uncaring of the red marks his claws left behind on her thighs. The pain only heightened the pleasure, and she crooned his name.

His hips snapped forward, nearly lifting her off the bed, and all sound stilled as he leaned forward. She almost cried at the sight, magenta stripes slashed across alabaster skin. One pair cut across his shoulders, and as she looked lower, body clenching at the sight of where they were connected, two sets rose high over his hips.

She traced the lines of his stomach, eventually reaching the hidden marks. Her imagination had run wild with the possibilities, but never enough to fill in the blanks so she could draw him. "You're so beautiful." She swore he swelled within her, her gasp turning into a moan as he pulled back, revealing another set of stripes.

They disappeared again as he pushed forward, never quite dislodging himself, and Kagome soon forgot why she was so interested in what was happening on the outside with all the sensations he was creating on the inside.

She rolled her body, taking him deeper, and caught a glimpse of elongated claws before they pierced the bedding. Her moans echoed off the walls as the last vestiges of insecurity shattered. All that mattered was him—them—and she wanted everything he was willing to give her.

Appealing to his instincts, she raised her arms above her head, keeping her wrists together as she rolled her body again. One of his hands grabbed her leg, draping it over his hip, and she barely managed to lock her ankles together before he slammed into her.

She tried to keep as still as possible, letting him dominate her, but he wouldn't have it, youki following his hands as they roamed her body. He thrived on her response, movements erratic every time she made a noise. It was gratifying to know she wasn't the only one affected, to know that after all this, she still had some power over him.

Each thrust pushed her closer to the edge, though she wasn't sure which edge it was. They'd been on the verge of something, neither allowing the other too close, no matter how scarce their interactions had been lately.

She hadn't wanted to look too closely at why she was starving for his attention. Shippou had said nothing, along with Bokuseno, but the old tree youkai knew more than he was letting on—including why she'd been accepting of being brought back to this world in the first place.

She'd tried to forget—oh, how she'd tried—but the paintings on her wall proved how futile that had been. One look from Shippou, and she'd been ready to jump back into it. One look from him, and she'd been prepared to jump him, and only his memory loss had prevented her from doing so sooner.

He was stubborn, but so was she, and as soon as she'd realized there was something else going on, she knew she wouldn't be returning to her mundane life anytime soon. Time flowed differently here, so it might've only been a day since she left, but she'd fix him before she went back.

She'd never forgive herself if she didn't.

It wasn't just him; it was the entirety of Meikyuu. She had to bring the power back—bring the life back. The residents were suffering, even if they didn't know it, and Sesshoumaru had been too distracted to do anything about it himself. But that in itself told her someone was behind it.

Even at his most arrogant, his kingdom came first. Her acceptance of his conditions to find Souta had been a lark, but his interest in her progress had only spiked when she'd started involving its inhabitants.

Or so she'd thought.

And if stealing Souta had been to whisk him away from what was perceived as an abusive situation, she had him pegged as a completely different person.

A new angle had a low moan escaping her lips, and she looked up to find him staring at her intently. Her stomach did flips as his pupils dilated, his hand travelling up her body. His skin was hot against hers, trailing lines of fire as he found a breast, rolling a nipple between his fingers. Kagome covered his hand with her own, arching into the touch.

He eventually leaned close, fingers intertwining with hers, and she smiled up at him, skin flush with desire. She was barely holding on, but she refused to go without him, power building as it slid up his spine.

"You will not escape me today," he whispered. He was so deep that all she could do was shake her head, focusing instead on the pleasure coursing through her body. She bit her lip, muscles clenching around him as she breathed his name.

Every time she did, he became more feral, and Kagome found she preferred him that way. The stoic king was lovely to look at, and probably level-headed when it came to ruling Meikyuu, but she wanted him unhinged.

She reached up, brushing the stripes on his face before pulling him down. She had no fangs, but she tugged at his bottom lip, nails digging into his hands. She could feel his hesitation, claws biting into her skin, but she slanted her head, thighs tightening on either side of his hips. She wanted his release, wanted him to let go, and her head was spinning with the effort it took to hold herself back.

He yanked his mouth away, burying his face against her neck, and she crooned in his ear, begging for more. His body jerked, taking her even deeper, and Kagome cried out, power turning to lightning as her body seized. She was worried she'd left him behind, but there was an untamed growl in her ear before his power pressed down on her, prolonging her release.

Kagome was left gasping, sweat covering her skin as she tried to catch her breath. He was still leaning over her, most of his body pressing hers into the bed, and she nuzzled the side of his face. She would've tugged at his ear if she'd been able to raise her head off the bed. As it was, he placed a kiss in the crook of her neck, only pulling back enough to stare her in the eyes. "You are still here."

Her expression softened. "I'm still here." Power became electrified, colours exploding, and Kagome offered him a seductive smirk. "And I'm not tired."

Sesshoumaru leaned back enough to roll them, claws digging into her hips. "I do not plan on sleeping." She wanted to tell him that that was a good thing, but she was already having trouble focusing, youki following his tongue up her body. Hands now free, she dragged them against his scalp.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Your Highness."