The miko was an intriguing creature. She'd captured more of his attention than any of the others he'd lain with, the lingering sensation of her mouth around his cock being proof enough.

Rutting had never been about pleasure, other than the relief that came with release, and he'd never repeated a partner.

Until now.

The effects of her little show hadn't worn off, and he was tempted to ask for another round but immediately squashed the idea. The Killing Perfection never asked for anything. He either took or ignored, so if she wished for more, it would be at her behest.

He smirked as he leaned back against the spring. The miko was proving to be more impulsive than even he thought possible. She'd always been the first to throw herself in harm's way when another was threatened, but other than her blocked reiki, he had yet to determine how their current arrangement benefited her.

"Why did you allow this to go beyond This One's initial offer?" he asked, unable to stifle his curiosity.

Colour stained her cheeks, and she forced out a chuckle as she played with her hair. "You'll think it's stupid," she replied.

"Unless it is to make my brother jealous, I see no reason to think as such."

Her scent soured again, more than it had before, blue eyes turning stormy. "Do you really think I'm capable of that?"

He'd like to think not, but he'd seen firsthand what humans were willing to do to fulfil their selfish endeavours. "You have claimed to love him."

She stared at him, gaze full of judgement, but seemed to find something different than what he'd originally asked, her shoulders relaxing. "There are different kinds of love."

"According to humans," he stated.

The miko firmly shook her head. "To everyone. Your father's love for your mother differed from what he felt for Izayoi. Even within the different types—romantic, familial, parental, friendship—it changes from person to person."

A frown furrowed his brow. "You would die for him."

She didn't deny it but smiled softly. "Of course. Just like you would die for Rin." He pursed his lips, willing the argument to form, but his ward's disappearance had disrupted his schedule and thoughts, so he knew the woman spoke the truth.

She chuckled knowingly, raising her chin in a way that stirred his blood in a way it shouldn't. "See? You may feel it in different ways or at different intensities, but you still feel something."

"You feel too much," he countered.

Her smile didn't falter. If anything, it grew. "Maybe. But maybe that's what makes me so special."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "You are human," he said.

The tilt of her smile changed, and at the next inhale, he caught a whiff of caramel. "I caught your attention, didn't I?" She was proud of this fact, and while he enjoyed the vision of her preening, 'special' was not a word he'd use to describe her.

"You are a convenience, miko. Nothing more." He expected her to wilt, but she raised her arms above her head, stretching gracefully. The movement had water lapping against her breasts, his eyes zeroing in on the exposed flesh.

"Then isn't it convenient that you're less of an asshole than you were when I first met you?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Or I wouldn't have even considered it in the first place." The sugary aroma of her scent belied her carefree attitude, but the thought was lost as she got to her feet.

She stretched again, turning around and bending over the edge of the spring, and Sesshoumaru pounced, pinning her against the earth. His body ached—ached for more than what she'd already given, and he growled in her ear. "You did that on purpose."

"Yes."

"Because you want this."

"Yes." Her need was potent, more so than usual, and she pressed herself against him, rubbing, arching, whimpering.

If he'd been a lesser demon, it would've already been over. But he'd discovered in his sessions with the miko that he enjoyed savouring, and this time would be no exception.

He gripped her hips, keeping her in place as he slid his erection through her folds, coating himself in her arousal. She moaned, as he hoped she would, fingers digging into the dirt for purchase.

Their scents mingled, a heady combination of forest and floral, and he leaned over her, dragging his tongue up her spine. Her flesh was already flushed from the spring, and it would be so easy to take her, to snap his hips forward, yet he paused.

Paused until she was writhing beneath him, pleas growing in volume and desperation until reiki crackled up his arm. Marks turned jagged, though they had likely been that way already, and he lifted her off the ground, claws biting into her skin as he surged forward.

It couldn't be slow—he would lose what was left of his sanity if he tried—but it wasn't what she wanted either, her cry quickly dissolving into a moan, and he thrust forward again. Her muscles clenched around him, a hiss escaping through his teeth, and she took as much as he gave, burying her face against the ground.

There would be consequences to their actions, but heat clouded his vision, and he continued to move. She enticed him with every little sound she made, with every slight movement of her hips, and he buried himself to the hilt each time.

She clawed at the ground but didn't fight back, and reiki teased his skin, flowing in tandem with the waves they were creating in the spring. They were alone, he'd made sure of it, but the way her power pulled at his made it hard to focus on anything except her.

She bucked as he adjusted the angle, and a vulgar curse cut through the silence as release coursed through her. She cried out, pressing back against him, and he growled. "I am not finished."

Her body clenched, leaving him gasping, but he didn't let her up. She was panting but kept herself from collapsing. "I know. Just give me a second."

He leaned over her, youki darkening to something much more dangerous. "You told me females were capable of this more than once," he said. "You never wished for a reprieve before."

She forced out another chuckle, eyes glinting over her shoulder. "You were never inside me before." The words hung between them, desire pooling in his gut, and he shoved her back onto the ground, pounding into her with abandon.

Her cry was startled but not unwanted, and he wrapped one hand around her neck, keeping her in place as he sought his own release. This was what he was used to. This was familiar. He didn't require any build-up, any wayward thoughts of attempting to please the other party involved.

Rutting was about his own satisfaction, as fleeting as it was. The fewer demands she made, the less of an impact she would have. But the scent of caramel had saliva pooling in his mouth, and he had the insane desire to taste her again.

Gritting his teeth, he increases his already gruelling pace, forcing himself to focus on the heat pulsing through his body instead of the way she was writhing on the ground. Squeezing his eyes shut as she clenched again, crying out as another orgasm hit her.

He continued to thrust until he felt himself on the brink, then yanked himself out of her and fisted himself until the familiar wave of pleasure rushed through him. His release hit the back of her thighs and the small of her back, and he shuddered at the strength of it, leaning over her, one hand on the bank.

He could hear her ragged breathing, though she was trying to control it. "Did you just—" She sucked in a breath, body still shaking. "Did you just finish on my back?"

Sesshoumaru frowned, immediately on edge. Was this another human nuance he'd missed? He's never stuck around long enough to care when he finished, as long as it didn't result in pupping his partner. Senses reeling, he grappled for a response, suddenly at a loss for words.

She shifted slightly, then patted his hand. "It's fine. Just ask next time."

He pulled away from her as he nodded stiffly, and she sank back into the spring, using the tepid waters to wash away the evidence of their coupling. He quickly did the same, still frowning as they dressed in silence.

She smiled at him, though it seemed off somehow. "Hopefully the others have found something in our absence," she said, heading back toward the rest of the pack.

"Hnn." He could say nothing else, the glow of the aftermath of what they'd done quickly dissipating. Had he erred in some way?