Chapter 1

Inuyasha hated the corporate solstice party.

On the Likert Scale of Things He Hates—from spider youkai to Miroku using Inuyasha as a sounding board for his latest pickup lines—Inuyasha hated the corporate solstice party so much it was arguably a contender for the top of his comparative scale. Actually, Inuyasha definitely hated this annual waste of his time more than Miroku being the world's biggest asshole; this hatred could easily replace Is your dad a baker, because you're a cutie pie as the most hated thing of things to hate.

Why did he subject himself to this bullshit year after year? Sure, when he started working at the gym he didn't mind the first Winter solstice party he attended, since schmoozing and fucking Kikyou, the gym owner's executive assistant, had been a fun distraction. Yet, every year after that, he found himself playing that game of I'm not gonna fuck Kikyou this year—I mean it! and cringe when he failed miserably at saying no when she sauntered over to him with those hips and that look that had him knowing he'd be having the talk with her in a week's time that no, he's not lookin' for a relationship and you're a nice girl, but this ain't gonna be more than casual sex.

For four embarrassing years in a row.

You'd think a hanyou would learn.

Maybe this year—solstice party number five—he'd finally have the balls to say no to her and mean it.

Maybe fifth time's the charm?

Inuyasha never intended to start anything remotely regular with the owner's EA, but Kikyou seemed to have enough precedence to confidently assume that she and him were an annual solstice party exclusive. She had to have a GPS locater on Inuyasha or something, because every goddamn year she adeptly tracked him down before the end of the night to proposition him for sex. And, to his chagrin, Inuyasha would reliably cave to those fluttering lashes and swishing hips and agree to leave with her, as if the one night with Kikyou could compensate for how lonely he felt the rest of the time.

'Cause that's why Inuyasha hated, loathed, abhorred, detested the solstice time of year: it just emphasized how lonely he was.

Despite how much he loved to hate on the corporate solstice party—his woke employer's inclusive business practice to celebrate demon holidays—Inuyasha, against his better judgment, was drawn to the event like it was a beacon of opportunity, like maybe he'd meet someone other than Kikyou and for once he'd feel less alone. But the party always provided too much booze and had too much skin on display that, when combined, led to Inuyasha making bad decisions that never seemed capable of filling the emptiness inside him as a hanyou without a family and without a place to belong during this stupid fucking time of year that was all about togetherness and love.

And nothing made Inuyasha feel more alone than a group of assholes getting together to fraternize, celebrate being together and going out of their way to find love and/or physical intimacy.

Maybe this would be the year Inuyasha found his mate and finally said good fucking riddance to the numbing ache of loneliness.

Sipping his pint, his narrowed amber eyes leered around the packed bar in a very Grinch-like manner. The people around him were happy, and that made the half-demon feel even more miserable. He leaned his elbow against the bar-top and exhaled heavily, washing down his regret and irritation with a plentiful swig of his wheat beer. His white dog demon ears twitched atop his head, picking up all the noise of a bunch of gym bros and gym bunnies mingling.

When Miroku encouraged Inuyasha to apply to Shikon Fitness with him when the new branch opened, Inuyasha didn't know why he said yes. Maybe he agreed for the same reason he always said yes to his longest and oldest friend, because a) Inuyasha was a pushover and found it much easier on his sanity to acquiesce to Miroku's whims, and because b) Miroku kept things interesting for Inuyasha, not that he'd ever admit it to the lecherous womanizer Inuyasha for some reason called his best friend. Miroku was obscenely gifted at attracting drama and giving Inuyasha plentiful distractions from how shitty his life felt and how lonely he was—especially around solstice. So, for the fifth year in a row, Inuyasha found himself dragged to the corporate party much to his dismay, hopefully and idiotically optimistic about the night despite knowing he was gonna get his hopes up.

The bulk of his drink tickets already gone just over an hour into the night, Inuyasha's ears pivoted like radar to locate Kikyou, ready to make a mad dash in the opposite direction before his cock could have him contemplating otherwise.

Looking around, wishing he felt drunker, Inuyasha considered mingling with his colleagues and those from the other branches of the company. After all, it was less likely he'd meet a woman, let alone his mate, as a wallflower—or perhaps barflower was the more appropriate term given Inuyasha hadn't moved after heading straight for the bar once he collected the five drink tickets generously provided by corporate. He contemplated fraternization over another sip of his beer, his feet growing figurative roots where he stood between two barstools. Seeing that the corporate party wasn't just for his and Miroku's branch of the gym, but all three locations, the seasonal party was a wider cesspool of buff, arguably attractive, fitness-forward people coming together to toast the upcoming solstice, get absolutely wasted, and throw caution to the wind with whoever was available and willing.

This year's solstice party had been booked at a local pub, and Inuyasha's nose shriveled with revulsion at the alcohol-induced and gag-worthy flirtations happening around him both at the bar and on the dancefloor. Inuyasha tipped his head back and drained the rest of his beer. He felt two more drink tickets in his pocket and Inuyasha contemplated using them both at the same time to drown his misery. He regretted letting Miroku drag him out to this. Again. Maybe next year he'd learn his damn lesson.

Inuyasha was one of the few personal trainers at Shikon Fitness who wasn't an airheaded gym bro, and that's probably what made him a bit of an attraction to the opposite sex. He could hear the nearby females swooning and it just made him scoff into his empty pint glass before he lowered it from his lips.

It was probably the novelty of being a hanyou that got their panties in a twist. Girls liked to ooze over his muscles and squeal about his ears. The way most women objectified him, Inuyasha felt like a square on a sexually exotic bingo card, like women were more interested in him as a conquest, attracted to his unusualness rather than him as an actual person. It was exhausting, and Inuyasha just wanted to pretend he wasn't being stared at by at least a dozen pair of eyes hoping to lure The Novelty over for a conversation. So he closed himself off, hoping he looked disinterested and unapproachable. One of the gym admins once told Inuyasha his fuck off vibes gave him a mysterious allure, acting as more of an attractant than a repellant, which, when it came to women, Inuyasha would never fucking understand.

Maybe that's why he gravitated to fucking Kikyou at the corporate party year after year. At least she seemed more interested in his cock than his ears or his hanyou heritage.

It wouldn't be the first time Inuyasha found himself lamenting his lack of a steady relationship. He couldn't deny the appeal of having a regular warm body to crawl into bed with at night, to make love to in the morning, ideally with the windows open while it was snowing—which was something he'd always liked and didn't really know why. Brushing elbows with strangers and colleagues at the bar, drink ticket in hand, Inuyasha thought it wouldn't be the worst thing to have a girlfriend, like having someone just for him, who loved him for him, would chip away the ice that had covered his three-sizes too small heart.

And to think somewhere out there was his mate. Inuyasha would settle for a girlfriend, but to find his mate? Shit, that would be too good to be true. It seemed surreal and fantastical that there existed this perfect person out there who would complement him and compensate for his flaws. Someone the universe had made just for him in the same way he was made for them. To have and to hold and yadda yadda yadda. It was a fucking dream. His mate would melt his frozen, desiccated heart, not just crack through the frostiness he wore like armor.

A new, full pint in hand, his fingers circled the last drink ticket in his pocket. Inuyasha leaned against the bar with a sigh. What started as a sip turned into a full, throat-bobbing swig and then his pint was already a quarter gone. Thinking he needed to slow down, he lowered his drink, only to freeze when his gaze connected with beautiful brown eyes across the room. When the owner of those brown eyes—a gorgeous black-haired female with kissably full lips—snapped her eyes away from Inuyasha, a blush lit up her face in a way that made Inuyasha smirk. His eyes still on her, he took another gulp of beer. For a reason Inuyasha couldn't explain, he found himself tracking her across the room. The woman scurried away to link arms with a petite brunette and the two women joined a small circle of gym bros who looked like upside-down isosceles triangles.

Inuyasha felt mesmerized by her. She was a lovely creature with heart-shaped, pink lips and an expressive face with thick lashes, lush cheekbones, and wide, illuminated eyes the colour of coffee with a dash of cream. The woman had long, black hair that reminded Inuyasha of the ocean at night. Maybe it was the waviness to it, the appeal of its darkness shining blue in the barlight, the allure of her frequently tucking it around a slender ear in a gesture of discomfort. His fingers twitched into a fist with the desire to sink his fingers into those locks. Her slim, dark eyebrows were furrowed over those caffeinated eyes and she mumbled something to a slim but fit brunette beside her. When the brunette came away from the remark laughing, the black-haired woman frowned and that frown made Inuyasha's face bloom into a smile.

Maybe it was the displeasure so visible on her face amongst all the cheeriness that had Inuyasha's eyes tracking the woman for the next little while. He wasn't the only one at this party who was miserable, and there was a certain attraction or comradery because of that commonality. Or maybe it was the fact he hadn't been laid in so long and she really was a sensual little thing with a slender waist above rounded hips that flared when she walked in her heeled boots. He had no idea how she squeezed herself into those dark wash jeans but Inuyasha stared at her ass like it was a turkey dinner and he'd been salivating over the scent of it cooking all day. Needless to say, it was a good ass.

Just when Inuyasha thought it was time to let her existence fade away into the crowd, she met his gaze again, and his interest in her reignited.

When she met his eye a third time, it was like his body decided to settle in for the foreseeable future, content to do nothing more than drink his beer and watch this mystery woman flit around the room—or, more realistically, be dragged around the room by her friend. Inuyasha reclined against the bar, leaning his weight into the elbow behind him, his gaze firm on hers. His posture may have made his biceps swell within his red, V-neck t-shirt, the material straining against the broadness of his chest. Did he feel like a jackass flexing his muscles to impress some girl? Absolutely. Did he regret it? Not at all. Especially not when the sight of his muscles had her sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes dipping down like she was taking Inuyasha in before that lovely pink came back to her cheeks. When she realized he caught her checking him out, she quickly averted her eyes, returning her attention to the small brood of gym bros who seemed to know the brunette beside her.

Inuyasha took another sip of his beer and swallowed quickly when the woman locked eyes with him again. Inuyasha didn't know whether to smile at her or throw his arms out in a What the fuck? gesture. She was clearly not engaged in whatever conversation was happening around her, because her eyes darted to him three more times before the brunette locked arms with her and dragged her away. Inuyasha watched the black-haired beauty with the coffee eyes be led to the bar, the two women coming to a pause a few seats down from where Inuyasha stood. She peeked at him over her shoulder and Inuyasha thought Why the fuck not? and shot her half-grin that curled from the right side of his mouth. That had her cheeks pinkening, her eyes widening, and she spun around, clearly flustered. Inuyasha's grin broadened.

Now that she was closer, he was helpless to look away. He couldn't help but watch her interact with her friend. Inuyasha's ears flicked to overhear their conversation and he felt a tightness in his balls at the dulcet, musical cadence of her voice.

"The amount of testosterone in this place is killing me, Sango," the beauty groaned, resting a round cheek in her palm at the same time her elbow crashed into the bar. "I thought I could stomach flirting with meathead gym bros but hoo boy, this is...I don't think this is worth it."

Inuyasha smirked at that.

The brunette chirped a warm laugh. "Some of them are tolerable, Kagome, I promise."

Kagome. Inuyasha ghost-whispered the name on his lips and found himself flushing at the stupidity of the action, washing down his embarrassment with a mouthful of beer. He took another quick, flustered sip when Kagome turned her eyes and locked onto Inuyasha's for a moment. The look on her face was like she knew she'd catch him already staring at her.

"Do you know who that is?" Inuyasha heard her ask her brunette friend, Sango, in a hushed tone.

Sango's hips turned first and her upper body followed as her eyes landed on Inuyasha, who pretended to be looking at something else and certainly not eavesdropping on their conversation.

Kagome gasped and grabbed her friend's shoulders, whipping Sango back around with a curt shout of her name. "Make it more obvious, why don't you?"

Inuyasha couldn't help smirking at that, his teeth clinking the rim of his pint.

"Do you mean Mr. Silver Hair, Doggy Ears with the Fuck-Me-They're-Gorgeous Amber Eyes over there?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, although a grin did crawl up one side of his mouth over the description of his eye colour.

Kagome groaned, a blush on her cheeks as she sipped her newly acquired beverage. It looked like ginger-ale. "He keeps staring at me."

"Maybe 'cause you're a babe?"

Definitely 'cause you're a babe, Inuyasha seconded.

"Sango..."

"What? Why don't you go say hello, Kagome? He's cute."

Inuyasha stifled his smirk with another sip of beer.

"He's—"

Handsome?

Sexy?

You wanna take me home and unwrap me like a solstice present?

"—kinda intense and—" Her eyes skipped back to him and Inuyasha pretended not to notice— "super frowny. I'm picking up some asshole vibes or something, Sango." Her eyebrows furrowed as she peeked at him again. "Why else would such a good-looking guy be all by himself at the bar?"

Sango laughed. "Mr. Serious Stare is definitely broody, but he's sexy. Maybe he's waiting for you to come say hi, which you super should, by the way. I bet he's even sexier up close."

Kagome huffed at that, taking a large swig of her drink. "And get blasted away from the heat of his glower up close? Yeah, I'll pass thanks."

Sango linked arms with Kagome and the women turned from the bar. "Those ears? I think he's a hanyou, Kagome. I heard a rumour that all demons are crazy good lovers. I bet he's a sex fiend. You should definitely go talk to him and find out."

He heard Kagome snort a gagging laugh before chancing a quick look at Inuyasha over her shoulder—which he once again pretended not to notice. Her eyes skimming him up and down quickly, she blushed to the point it covered her whole face. "He is handsome, that's for sure. But...I dunno, Sango...do you think—?"

The two women moved too far away for Inuyasha to hear the rest, which left him disappointed. He liked the fact that Kagome found him attractive. It also surprised him a little that his fuck off face apparently worked for once since, Kagome seemed intent to keep her distance. Maybe he should take that as a cue to approach her.

Despite the eagerness he felt to follow her and introduce himself, to hear the musical brightness of her voice again, Inuyasha kept his feet firmly where he stood. After all, he didn't hear what came after that But... and that could have been the crucial argument to encourage or deter him from making a move. Inuyasha decided it was safer to keep his distance.

At least for now.

Although she was further away from him now, Inuyasha liked that Kagome kept looking back at him periodically. The last time their eyes met, she even offered him a polite, blushing little smile that had Inuyasha's own lips curling up to return the gesture. He couldn't deny he was drawn to her, and he felt his heart kick up a notch with the presumption that she could be drawn to him too. It was like he and Kagome were tethered regardless how much Sango zipped Kagome around the room to mingle with various crowds and circles of people. His eyes were incapable of looking away from Kagome as he smoldered in his attraction to her. The heat flickered up his spine, sitting heavily in his chest like encouragement, like motivation to approach her and see where this attraction led them, especially as the word mate started circling in the back of his mind.

He was always told he'd know when he found his mate. When he asked how he'd know, he was just told, you'll know!

Did Inuyasha feel this magnetic pull towards Kagome because she could be his mate? Was this response to her him knowing? This inability to move on from her now that he knew she existed? This deep-seated fire expanding from the inside that had his feet itching to get closer? This possessive urge to snatch her away from the gym bros who blatantly ogled her tits?

Or, was he just jumping to conclusions? The lonely hanyou, so desperate for love and companionship he'd assume the first woman with a lingering, appetizing attraction to him could be his mate.

When Miroku announced over the sound system that the games were about to start, with Team Beer Pong up first, Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of a bunch of grown-ass adults playing college kid drinking games. Miroku encouraged people to sign up to play, explaining that pairs would be randomly matched to encourage fraternization between the different branches of the gym, and to ensure equal distribution of talent. "After all," Miroku chimed into the microphone, "what says Happy Solstice better than drinking with newfound friends?"

Inuyasha swallowed audibly when he saw Kagome and Sango approach the queue of people to sign up to play. With a draining swallow of his beer, Inuyasha wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and approached Miroku.

Inuyasha's black-haired friend with the sweet-talking lips that landed him in trouble more often than not was standing in a circle of gym bunnies. The gym trainer by day, corporate social committee co-lead by night, and shameless dickhead all the time was Inuyasha's oldest friend, and Inuyasha knew Miroku was up to no good before Inuyasha got close enough to overhear the conversation. The hanyou rolled his eyes with vicarious pain as he approached just in time to hear Miroku's schmoozy baritone exclaim, "Would any of you fine women happen to be a campfire? Because you, ladies, are hot and I would definitely like s'more."

Watching the women exchange looks and then flee, Inuyasha did nothing to hide his laughter as he cuffed Miroku on the shoulder. "Fuck, that was terrible," Inuyasha sneered. "That shit never actually works, does it?"

Miroku spun on his heel to greet the half-demon with open arms and a broad, cheeky smile. "Inuyasha! My favourite bar dweller! And here I thought I wouldn't see you for the remainder of tonight's festivities." He chuckled, resting his own hand on Inuyasha's shoulder in greeting.

Inuyasha shrugged off the man's hand with a sound of displeasure in the back of his throat. "You gotta quit with those god-awful pickup lines, Miroku. They're never gonna fuckin' work."

"Nonsense, Inuyasha. I'm confident that kind of remark will be well-received by a woman who appreciates a man looking to make an impression."

"An impression," Inuyasha deadpanned.

Miroku nodded and motioned to the room around them. "Do you see how many other men are in this room with us? The competition is high, my friend! One needs to stand out to the ladyfolk if one plans to score, as they say." He waved his hand dismissively. "But what brings you away from the kegs, my liquor-enthralled comrade?"

His vexation had Inuyasha sucking his teeth and flicking his eyes up at the ceiling before he motioned to Kagome with his chin. "You know her?" It took Miroku a second to understand to whom Inuyasha gestured. Once his sight landed on Kagome, Miroku's indigo eyes lit up mischievously and Inuyasha added, "Apparently her name's Kagome. I've never seen her before, so she's either someone's plus one or she's from one of the other branches."

"She is a lovely specimen," Miroku admitted, turning back to Inuyasha, "but I am rather partial to brunettes, as you know."

Inuyasha snorted, sticking his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. "I'm askin' you about her, pervert, 'cause you seem to have a runnin' list of all the pretty girls at work so I figured you'd know 'er."

Miroku nodded his head like for some reason he was humbled by the remark. "Unfortunately, I do not. I do, however, know the glorious ray of sunshine with her. That's Sango Taijiya, my social committee co-lead from the south branch."

"You slept with her?"

"Sango? Lord no, but a man can dream," Miroku lamented with a hand on his chest. "Why? You planning to proposition both women for some solstice three-way shenanigans? Mind if I cut in as a willing fourth?"

Inuyasha's lip curled in a repelled grimace. "No, idiot, I'm just tryin' to figure out if she hates you for any reason, which would therefore make her and her friend hate me by association."

Miroku scoffed a laugh. "Other than some mild flirting, we are but two ships passing in corporate waters. You want me to introduce you?"

Inuyasha's teeth worried his bottom lip when he turned to find Kagome staring at him again. She rose from signing up for the game, extending the pen to Sango who was now signing up. Their eyes connected briefly before Kagome turned back to her friend, that adorable pink on her cheeks again.

"Nah," Inuyasha said finally, turning back to Miroku with a stern eagerness in his eye, "but I'm gonna ask a favour of you, Miroku, and I'll give you my last drink ticket to sweeten the deal."

Miroku, who could never say no to free drink tickets, grinned broadly at his friend, clasping him on the shoulder again. "I'm all ears, my friend," he answered keenly.

Inuyasha's eyes lingered on Kagome's ass as he leaned into his friend and said in his ear, "If I were to sign up for your stupid game, you think you can rig who my randomly assigned partner turns out to be?"