Kagome stirred slowly, her senses fuzzy as she drifted between sleep and wakefulness. The first thing she noticed was the warmth—a comforting, enveloping heat that chased away the lingering chill from the night before. She snuggled closer into it, her mind still groggy, her body weak but no longer aching. For a moment, she allowed herself to bask in the warmth, the steady rhythm of breathing beside her lulling her into a peaceful calm.

But then reality began to seep in, and Kagome's eyes slowly blinked open. She wasn't lying on the cold cave floor like she had expected. Instead, she was nestled in the embrace of something—someone.

Her heart skipped a beat as her gaze darted up, and she froze.

Sesshoumaru.

He was holding her against his chest, his arm wrapped firmly around her, his mokomoko draped over her like a blanket. The realization hit her like a jolt of electricity. Why am I in his arms?

For a brief moment, panic bubbled up inside her. Her mind raced, her body tense, but she quickly calmed herself. She wasn't in danger. Sesshoumaru wasn't attacking her or doing anything inappropriate. In fact, his expression was as impassive as ever, his eyes closed, his breathing even.

He had been… keeping her warm.

The pieces began to fall into place. The cold, the sickness, the dizziness—her body had been shutting down. Sesshoumaru had intervened, using his body heat to stabilize her, to protect her from the harsh conditions. And now, even as she stirred, he still held her close, his hold gentle but unyielding.

Kagome's cheeks flushed at the realization. This is beyond awkward.

But she wasn't about to let it show. She wasn't going to be the one to crack first, not in this situation, not when she could still feel that strange tension simmering beneath the surface between them.

Carefully, she shifted, trying to extricate herself from Sesshoumaru's grasp without waking him. But as soon as she moved, his arm tightened around her, pinning her in place.

Kagome blinked, her heart skipping a beat. "Sesshoumaru," she murmured softly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm fine now. You can let go."

His eyes opened, glowing amber as they locked onto hers. There was no hint of sleepiness in his gaze, only that familiar, sharp intensity. He watched her in silence for a moment, his grip on her unwavering.

Kagome tried to remain calm, aloof even, though her pulse was racing. She wasn't about to lose this unspoken contest of willpower. She wasn't going to be the first to show embarrassment. "I appreciate what you did," she continued, her voice carefully measured. "But I'm fine now. You can let go."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly, as if considering her words. But instead of releasing her, he leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming, his aura brushing against hers in a way that made her breath catch.

"You are far from fine, miko," he said, his voice low and commanding. "Your body is weak, and you are still vulnerable."

Kagome's brow furrowed, her pride flaring at his words. "I'm not weak. I feel stronger than I did yesterday." And it was true. She felt revitalized, her energy returning in a way that was almost unnatural, considering how ill she had been the day before.

She tried to push herself up again, but Sesshoumaru's grip didn't loosen. Instead, she felt a strange ripple of energy course through her, and a realization dawned on her, sharp and sudden.

His demonic energy… it's intertwined with mine.

Kagome's eyes widened as she turned to face him fully, her body stiffening. "What did you do?"

Sesshoumaru's gaze remained impassive, though there was a glimmer of something dark and possessive in his eyes. "You are under my protection."

His words made her pulse quicken, not out of fear, but out of something else—something primal. But that wasn't what unsettled her. It was the feeling of his demonic energy pulsing through her own, lingering beneath her skin, mingling with her spiritual aura.

He marked me.

It wasn't a full demon's mark, not like the stories she had heard about mates and soul bonds. But it was something more subtle, more insidious. It was a light marking, a sign to others that she was under his protection, just as his ward, Rin, had been. It was a claim—a warning.

Kagome's hands clenched into fists as she glared at him, her voice low and sharp. "I'm not your ward. I'm not some child you need to protect, Sesshoumaru."

His eyes darkened slightly, but his expression remained unreadable. "You are mine to protect, whether you wish it or not."

The possessiveness in his voice sent a rush of heat through her, but Kagome shoved it aside, refusing to let it distract her from the anger bubbling up inside her. She had fought too hard, come too far, to be treated like a helpless child. She wasn't something to be owned or coddled, and she wasn't about to let Sesshoumaru mark her as his possession without a fight.

Kagome pushed herself up, her body bristling with defiance as she got right up in his face, her eyes flashing with anger. "I am not yours, Sesshoumaru," she growled, her voice low and firm. "I don't belong to anyone. And I don't need your protection."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flared, his gaze locking onto hers, his expression tightening just slightly. The air between them grew thick with tension, the unspoken pull between them stronger than ever.

"You misunderstand," he said quietly, though there was a dangerous edge to his voice. "This is not about possession. It is about responsibility. You are mine to protect."

Kagome's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest as she stared up at him, unblinking. She refused to back down, refused to let him intimidate her, even though his words—his presence—were doing something to her that she didn't want to acknowledge.

"I don't need your protection," she repeated, her voice firm, though the heat in her chest made it harder to breathe.

Sesshoumaru leaned in slightly, his breath brushing against her cheek. "Whether you accept it or not, it is done."

Kagome's hands trembled slightly, but she refused to show weakness. Her jaw clenched, and she pushed back against him, closing the already narrow gap between them. "I'm not Rin," she hissed. "I'm not a child. I don't need you deciding what's best for me."

For a brief moment, something shifted in Sesshoumaru's eyes—something dangerous and possessive. His hand reached out, his fingers brushing against the side of her face, trailing down to her neck, where her pulse raced beneath his touch.

"You are correct," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You are not a child. But you are mine."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew he wasn't talking about her being his ward anymore. His words were laced with something darker, something that stirred the fire inside her that she had been trying so hard to suppress.

She hated the way her body reacted to him, the way her skin tingled under his touch, the way his presence made her feel both frustrated and… wanted.

But she wasn't going to give in. She wasn't going to be the one to break first.

With a sharp intake of breath, Kagome pulled away from him, her eyes blazing with defiance. "I don't belong to anyone," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside her. "Not even you."

For a moment, neither of them moved. The tension between them crackled in the air, thick and electric, like a storm on the verge of breaking.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he stood, towering over her, his gaze still locked on hers. "Then prove it."

Kagome blinked, her breath catching in her throat. "Prove what?"

Sesshoumaru's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "Prove that you don't need me."

The challenge in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and for a brief moment, Kagome wasn't sure if she wanted to rise to it or if she wanted to push him further, to see how far he was willing to go.

But one thing was certain: she wasn't going to back down.

She stood, her legs still shaky from her illness but her resolve stronger than ever. "I don't need anyone," she said quietly, but firmly. "Least of all you."

Sesshoumaru's gaze flickered, but he didn't respond. Instead, he turned and walked toward the mouth of the cave, his back to her. "Then keep up, miko."

Kagome's fists clenched at his words, but she didn't respond. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he had rattled her.

As she watched him walk away, a part of her wanted to chase after him, to confront him again, to push him further. But she held herself back, her heart still racing with the fire of their confrontation.

She had won this round.

But something told her that Sesshoumaru wasn't finished with her yet.