InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Deemed By Fate ❯ Pursuit ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Jade Catseye 
Of demons and angels...
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.09.2004 | Updated On: 09.29.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Work In Progress
Of demons and angels...
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.09.2004 | Updated On: 09.29.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.3K | Visits: 1.6K | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
AN: Hey guys. I know, I know, it has been a couple of months since my last update. Writer’s block was partially to blame, as well as partying, studying, and having surgery. I won’t bore you to death with the details. Thanks for being patient with me and my lack of updates. For those that are waiting for a Til Death Do Us Part update, hehe, that won’t be up until around Christmas time. Big thanks to Dawn Sweetie for editing my chapter and being a big help. Much love to ya and all of my reviewers out there! You guys are the best! Special thanks to Miyuki-Chan5 for correcting my misuse of Japanese yen, which will be fixed when I get a chance. Now, on with the show. Enjoy.
Title: As Deemed By Fate
Rating: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)
Pairing: Inu/Kag
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist. Inu/Kag
Chapter Three: Pursuit
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Pursuit
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‘Ember.’
Inuyasha stared at the curtains where she had just disappeared through, his pulse still racing wildly in his veins from her erotic performance. The enticing smell of wild strawberries dipped in vanilla still lingering heavily in the air, wrapping around his senses and fogging his brain with sweet nothingness. He could still picture the sexy prowess in his mind: the beautiful curves of her body, the cascade of midnight waves that spilled gracefully over her shoulders, the taunting, yet beautiful smile that lit up her entire face, making her seem all the more stunning. But the feature that stuck with him the most were her eyes; the smoky blue-gray eyes that spoke of fire and mystery and mischief, which called to his soul and beckoned to his heart.
He blinked and shook his head at the sudden direction of his thoughts were headed, a solid indicator that his playboy instincts had been triggered. Oddly enough, since they had disappeared completely right after he met Kikyo for the first time. He had wanted no other after her. So why was all of this happening now? ‘What the hell am I thinking? I really need to get out of here before I end up doing something I’ll regret.’
‘Stop lying to yourself,’ a voice echoed mockingly within his head, ‘You know enigmas such as this vixen are just what you’re into.’
‘I’m not into anyone but Kikyo,’ Inuyasha scowled, rationalizing with himself. ‘My womanizing days are over with.’
‘That’s not what Kikyo thinks,’ the voice chuckled darkly. ‘So since she already believes that you’re out seducing women, why don’t you indulge yourself already? It’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. You haven’t exchanged you wedding vows yet. And it has been a long time since you last took a woman.’
Inuyasha could already feel his heart slamming excitedly into his ribs with the familiar anticipation that always accompanied his pleasure-filled excursions. Just thinking about running his fingers along her soft skin and burying his nose within her mass of wavy locks was enough to sent all of his blood rushing to a particular region of his anatomy.
Inuyasha mentally slapped himself, suppressing, with a good deal of effort, the quickly arising emotions and feelings that he had no right to be harboring. ‘Fuck. Something told me it would be a bad idea to come here. I knew I should’ve gone on and went to my condo.’
A hand on his shoulder saved him from further thoughts on the subject that was tearing his conscious apart. He arched a silver eyebrow at the lengthy span of the monk’s grin. “Wasn’t that great?” Miroku gushed excitedly, his mauve colored eyes glazed over with admiration.
“No, that was better than great. That was simply magnificent. I’ve never seen anyone with such grace, such fluidity, like that in my life. And did you see those legs? I’ve never seen such-”
Inuyasha flinched as Sango unleashed her fury, in the form of a fist, to the side of her boyfriend’s face, the impact of her sharp jab driving him out of his chair and onto the floor. “Hell hath no fury,” he muttered.
“I don’t know why I put up with your antics!” Sango hissed, pinning him with an arctic glare that could have iced over even the pits of hell before swiftly, albeit stiffly, walking away without a second glance toward her fallen boyfriend.
“What did I do?” Miroku questioned in complete confusion from his flattened position, wincing at the painful throb that pulsated from the left side of his temple where she had left her mark.
“I guess I’m not the only one not getting any tonight,” Inuyasha smirked, holding out his hand to help the monk to his feet.
Miroku hung his head in defeat as the amber-eyed man pulled him up, the remark clearly hurting him more to the heart than the brutal punishment. “Sometimes not even I understand what goes on in the mind of my dearest beloved,” he said with a heavy hearted sigh. “All I did was comment on the voluptuous features of an amazing dancer.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know, you’re truly dumber than you look, monk. Besides, the wench wasn’t that sexy,” he lied through his teeth, more so for the benefit of his sanity than anything else.
Miroku paused to give him a look illustrating the absolute ludicrousness of the statement for a moment before letting his lips curl up in a knowing smile. “You have the hots for her, don’t you?”
“Keh. Not fucking likely. If you hadn’t noticed already, I have a woman who I’m planning to marry in a matter of weeks.” He scowled at the mischievous sparkle in his friend’s eyes. “What?”
Knowing that confronting his friend’s inner desires would only result in additional bashings across his already battered head, Miroku settled for just shaking his head. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Come. Let us depart to the after party. I’m sure that I will be able to coax Sango out of her mood with the assistance of sultry music and raunchy dance moves.”
“I’m glad you have all of this all figured out in that dirty mind of yours,” Inuyasha retorted in a mild tone, following him as he weaved in and out of the throng of hot bodies crowding the stage, ardently demanding an encore presentation of Ember’s act. Wrinkling his nose in disgust at the liquor induced fools that engulfed the dance floor with their stupidity and stench, Inuyasha sighed in relief when they parted from the intoxicated mass and made their way to the back of the club. He couldn’t believe he had actually been one of those fools back in his earlier years of adulthood.
“Where is this room, anyway?” Inuyasha asked warily as they entered a dark hallway, the only source of lighting in the dimness of the corridor being small, primordial torches evenly spaced out along the side of the walls, each casting a flame as red as fresh blood that flickered dimly against the shadows.
“We’re almost there.” Miroku threw a sly smile over his shoulder. “My, aren’t we in a hurry. Might this quite possibly have something to do with a certain dancer who will be attending?”
“For the last time, no!” he snapped back, grateful for the muted lighting so that the monk couldn’t see the red that stained his cheeks.
‘What the hell?’ He ground his teeth together. ‘I haven’t fucking blushed since kindergarten. I haven’t known the wench for five minutes and she’s already invoking these feelings in me.’ An unsolicited rush of excitement tore through him as they neared a guarded door.
Quickly squelching the feeling, Inuyasha forced thoughts of her out of his head, and instead concentrated on Kikyo and how much he loved her despite her biased misconceptions about his whereabouts and activities. This was the woman he planned on living out the rest of his life with. Did he really want to jeopardize his happy future by bending to the will of barely constrained desires that had just happened to be evoked by some random stripper, however beautiful she might be?
Seeing the indecisiveness that played on the other man’s face, Miroku suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. “Inuyasha,” he began, his face set in dead seriousness, “if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, just say so and we can finish out the rest of your party at my place.”
“Don’t be stupid. I’ve waited long enough for my gifts,” Inuyasha said brushing past him and nodded to the guard, who grunted in acknowledgement and moved aside so they could enter. ‘This has got to be a test. She‘s just a distraction. As long as I remain true to Kikyo, I should be fine,’ he told himself, mentally hardening his resolve while keeping his outward façade friendly, well, as friendly as he ever got, as he greeted coworkers and acquaintances who weren’t intoxicated to the point of incoherency.
‘Besides, who knows what shit she’s picked up from sleeping around like the tramp that she is,’ he mused, the damper his predicament had put him in gradually lifting with the mental reassurance.
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Kagome gritted her teeth in both expectancy and annoyance as she and other dancers approached the door that led the VIP room, her grip on the platter of cake in her hands tightening unconsciously. Unnecessary drama was the last thing that she needed in her life right now. It was bad enough she had Mizuki biting at her heels every time she turned around. The woman would definitely get an A for persistence. ‘Thank God she’s not working the after party with tonight. I’m really not in the mood to put up with her bullshit.’
She would be so happy when her shift ended and she could home to her nice, warm bed. All she had to do was put up with thirty more minutes of drunk and semi-drunk characters and their foolish antics, which for the most part wouldn’t be troublesome since the bouncers would step in if things got out of hand. The real problem was a certain silver haired someone who looked as though he thought he was God’s gift to women.
Her heartbeat increased in tempo as she remembered the way he had looked at her, his amber eyes, alit with a smoldering fire that spoke of unbridled passion and a yearning that had stirred feelings that had resided long dormant within her. He’d even had the nerve to put his hands on her. And what pissed her off even more was how, albeit it had taken place all of ten minutes ago, she still felt the heat from his fingers on her hip where they had lingered, the nerves beneath the skin still tingling.
“Kagome, you ok?”
Blinking at the sound of her name, Kagome snapped out of her stupor and refocused her sights on the girl in front of her donning a concerned expression on her face. “Yeah, Naomi?”
“Are you ok? You look a little pale,” she said, her forehead creased with worry lines.
Smiling at the other woman, she shook her head. “I’m just waiting for the clock to strike one so I can go home.”
Naomi chuckled. “Aren’t we all? Well, as long as you’re ok. Hiten would be furious if he found his favorite dancer passed out from too much exertion. See you at the party.” She shot her another grin before prancing ahead of her with the rest of the women.
“Favorite?” Kagome frowned. Why did everybody think that just because she was friends with Hiten that he favored her over everyone else? No wonder only a select few of the women here liked her.
“All right, ladies,” the bouncer at the door said, his bored tone the result of repeating the same phrase every night. “You know the deal. If there is any kind of unwanted physical contact, signal for one of the guards and they’ll handle the situation appropriately.”
‘This isn’t any different than any other night,’ she reassured her hammering heart as they filed into the room one by one, herself being last since she carried the cake, which meant inevitably that she would have to give the birthday boy the customary kiss on the cheek. Her face burned in mortification at the notion. ‘How could I have forgotten about the kiss? And why am I making such a big deal over it? I’ve done it to a lot of guys who were even more obnoxious and uglier than this guy. So why am I so nervous?’
“You ok, Ember?” the bouncer asked before she entered, his hard brown eyes taking in her flushed countenance through his dark shades, with the slightest fragment of worry tingeing the defining edges of his frown.
“I’m good Kenji, thanks,” Kagome assured him, plastering on a smile and stepping through the threshold of the room.
The VIP room, dubbed the Red Room for its color scheme and decorum, was by far the plushest and most luxuriant room in the entire club, save for Hiten’s office which was above all, as it should be. The sitting area was decked out in velvet cushioned seats imported from Europe, silken curtains were drawn over the large multi-pained windows handcrafted by an Italian artisan, crystal chandeliers hung overhead, their multiple dimensions creating a dappled colored effect splaying on the wine-red walls.
On the other side of the room was a small, polished dance floor and stage where the DJ stood playing low music through the diminutive amplifiers on either side of his station, his head bent low in concentration. It was an ideal setting for a small, private party among the social elites with all of the exquisiteness and money that went into everything.
An ironic smile tugged at Kagome’s lips. ‘Rich people. They’re all the same. Full of shit and don’t care about anyone else other than themselves. ’
“Make way everybody. The cake is here.”
Cursing the random person that just had to open their mouth, Kagome repressed the blush that threatened to engulf her face in flames when all eyes turned to her and forced her smile back into place as the dancers made a path for her that lead to the table where he sat. Her mouth went dry when as his piercing, gold eyes connected with her own, an instant spark of recognition flickering within them before they iced over with a coldness that sent a shiver crawling down her spine.
Schooling her features so they wouldn’t betray the surprise and alarm that was sent rocketing through her at the abhorrence, clearly directed toward her, flickering in his golden depths, Kagome composed herself and started down the makeshift path to his table. She directed her attention to the flames dancing to inaudible music atop the candles on the cake, tendrils of smoke curling and dissipating into the air as a distraction.
‘Why does it look as though he hates me? Just a few minutes ago he was flirting with me. Did I do something wrong? Or am I imagining things?’ Hesitant at first, she lifted her gaze and again was subject to a hard, frosted glare, the amber eyes that once greeted her with a burning inner fire that spoke of unspoken desires were now cold as an artic winter.
Unconsciously shuddering at the aloof display of loathing shining brightly back at her out of golden eyes, she trained her own on the cake instead, only looking up to meet his gaze as she placed it in front of him. ‘Wait, why am I lowering my head like I’m ashamed of what I am? If anything, I should be the one glaring at him since he is the one who wants to come on to me one minute and give me the cold shoulder the next.’ Indignant anger flared within her with renewed vigor, a sense of self worth mixed with both a contingence of confidence and fire fueling her desire the kick the crap out of the guy.
Vaguely hearing people singing happy birthday in the background and seeing the lights dim, she raised her gaze to meet unfriendly orbs peering back at her through silver bangs.
Kagome glared hard back at him with all the intensity she could summon, ignoring the insistent nudge from one of her coworkers at her blatant show of disrespect to the VIP and almost smirked in triumph at his surprised expression.
Figuring this would be as good a time as any to bestow him with the mandatory kiss, Kagome reluctantly leaned in promptly to plant a peck on his cheek, one that would go quickly so she could get it over with. What she hadn’t anticipated was for him to tilt his head towards her at the last minute, the inclination subsequently followed by a jolt of electricity as their lips made contact. Shock registered in her brain before anything else, that and the fact that she’d never imagined that one so cold as him would have lips that felt so soft, so warm and blissful, so….wrong.
She broke away quickly, her eyes a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. ‘What the hell just happened?’ Her gaze sought out the man before her for confirmation that what just transpired was not just some lapse in her sanity.
Her heart sank when she saw the accusing glint in his eyes and the condescending sneer that curled at the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t know this place had whores in employ here,” he snickered in a low tone so that only she could hear.
Coldness spilled over her soul at his malicious words. Choking back the tears she refused to show to the cold hearted fiend in front of her, Kagome gritted her teeth against the impulse to run out of the room and away from the imbecile of a man that insulted her in the worst kind of way.
Upon finishing the last note of the song, the floor lights surrounding the dance floor suddenly sparked to life, bathing the polished wood in a soft glow that beckoned to all, which was soon followed by the thunderous music that emanated from the amplifiers. Taking their cue, the dancers took hold of the nearest male and persuaded them with perfected suggestive gestures and flirty comments to accompany them to the dance floor.
Kagome yelped when she was abruptly propelled back by a flock of dancers whom all wanted to dance with the golden eyed god. Squelching the jealousy that flared within her at the sight of women practically throwing themselves at him, Kagome let out a growl of pent up irritation before turning on her heels and exiting through the door. ‘I am not staying here any longer. Hiten will get over me leaving a little earlier than normal, considering I was verbally assaulted by that asshole back there.’
Marching out of the room without so much as a word to anyone else, Kagome made her way to the back dressing room. ‘Of all the stupid, moronic imbeciles I’ve met in my life, he definitely takes the cake.’
It took her no time flat to reach her destination, and took even less time to get out of her skimpy getup and into the sweats she came in wearing. In too bad a mood to remember to remove her makeup, she threw all of her belongings into her duffel bag and checked to make sure she had everything. Hooking her bag strap over one shoulder, Kagome picked up keys from the vanity table and exited the room. ‘I will be so glad when I go home and am able to put this horrible day behind me,’ she thought with a sigh, some the anger she had been feeling beginning to ebb away at the notion of climbing into bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
With this in mind, she quickly departed by way of the side exit so she wouldn’t run into anybody who would question why she was leaving so early or wasn’t clocking out. Hiten would surely be understanding in regards to her plight, he always was. A slight smile curved at her lips. What would she do without her wonderful boss and friend? More importantly, where would she be without him? Why couldn’t more men be like him?
‘Like that jerk off back there,’ she mused wryly. ‘What woman in her right mind would want to date someone as arrogant and indecisive as him? One minute he’s flirting, the next he’s hurling insults in my face and calling me a whore. So what if he’s got a smile to die for. And hair I’d kill for. And the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen in my life.’
Red etched itself onto her cheeks at the memory of the way he had looked at her when she had performed, as if she was the only person that mattered in the world. “I bet he’s used that look to lure unsuspecting women into his bed,” she scoffed lightly, readjusting the strap on her shoulder.
“I know an unsuspecting woman I’d like to lure into my bed or any other place that’s suitable for what I want to do to you,” a deep voiced man said behind her, his footsteps echoing her own.
A spike of fear wedged its way into her heart. Mentally berating herself for letting her guard slip, Kagome ignored the idiot behind her and kept on en route for home. She had dealt with many of the common scum lurking around the city whenever she walked home from work. An adverse yet unavoidable scenario since she lacked both adequate driving skills and a car. It wasn’t so bad when she had Suki or Mizuki to accompany her to her street. It looked as though tonight was going to be one of those nights.
“Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore somebody when they’re talking to you?” he questioned her, his gait quickening.
Kagome, in reaction, also picked up the pace, her eyes darting up the street for anybody who could get this guy off of her back. Out of all times, why did tonight have to be the night where there was no sign of life anywhere? Any other time, the city would be crawling with people ready to get their party on. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it was a Thursday night. A wave of relief washed away the onslaught of overpowering fear as she spotted two men deep in conversation not fifteen yards ahead of her. “Excuse me!” she yelled, flailing her arms in the air to get their attention just in case the guy behind her tried anything funny.
The two men glanced up at the plea that broke the silent monotony of the early morning. “Something wrong, miss?” the taller of the two spoke up first, his face obscured by shadows that was created by the light of streetlamp shining just behind them.
She turned around and pointed to the still approaching figure of her stalker walking almost leisurely up the sidewalk toward her. “That guy keeps harassing me and I think he might be a rapist.”
“Well, what do you want us to do about it?” the other guy commented, underlying tones of satisfaction and enjoyment apparent in his voice.
Kagome froze, the air in her lungs dissipating completely.
“You know, a woman as pretty as yourself shouldn’t wander the streets by herself at night,” the taller man said, taking a step toward her. “You never know what kinds of sickos are out here lurking in the shadows, just waiting for someone like you to show up.”
‘Oh God.’ She backed up as her stalker nodded to the other two men before turning to her, the nakedness of his lust evident in his hooded gaze. ‘They’re in this together.’
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“Get the fuck off of me!” Inuyasha snapped and pushed the stripper from his lap.
“What the hell is your problem?” she retorted acidly as she rose from her position on the floor where he had so generously dumped her.
“You are. Where did Ember go?” he demanded harshly, his eyes scanning the crowd but finding neither hide nor hair of the fiery temptress that captured his attention from the beginning. And whom he had been a total ass to.
Her lips drew into a thin line. “It seems as though that little slut got to you as well. Why am I not surprised?”
His hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist so fast she was momentarily knocked off balance and would’ve fallen for the second time that night to the ground if it hadn’t been for his vice-like grip holding her in place. Letting out a sharp gasp of pain, she turned her livid gaze to him to curse him out. Then she saw his eyes, the fire burning in his golden depths enough to make her heart quiver in alarm, all of her previous boldness abandoning her where she stood.
With a growl, Inuyasha tightened his grip on her wrist, ready to break it if need be, and resisted the urge to smirk at the utter terror shining in her brown orbs. “If I ever hear you call her by that name again, I will personally make sure you are never hired in this city, no all of Japan, ever again. Is this understood?”
She nodded her head vigorously for lack of anything better to say, gulping a lungful of air when he released her wrist and walked away, her hands shaking from the encounter.
‘Where the hell did she run off to so quick?’ he thought, his mounting frustration irking him to no end.
“Is something wrong, Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha cast a frown in the direction of the monk, his irritation piquing at the goofy grin on his face, which was doubtlessly due to the woman that sat on his lap, planting little kisses along his neckline, stopping to blush once realizing they had an audience. “I’m going out for some fresh air. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Shrugging, Miroku turned his attention back to his girlfriend. “Don’t get lost. You still have to open your presents and eat cake.”
Rolling his eyes at the infatuated couple, Inuyasha walked toward the nearest exit and bypassed the bouncer standing erect at the door, his thoughts for the zillionth time that night turning to the smoky eyed goddess. It was strange, that out of all of the beautiful women that surrounded him, each possessing a certain hint of experience and lust in their eyes that he used to appreciate in his wild years, he had chosen the one woman who, through all the outer sex appeal, exuded an aura of innocence and purity, which made him feel even guiltier for calling her a whore.
He inwardly winced, recalling how cruel he had been to her while she had only been trying to do her job. He never meant to take it as far as to demean her with derisive name calling. The cold shoulder had been a means as to distance him from her, to discourage any adulterous feelings for her and it had worked up until the kiss. The feeling of her soft lips upon his had lit his blood afire with desire and it had taken all of his will power and then some to for him not to do something he would undoubtedly regret. It had taken an inconceivable amount of self control and intransigence to push aside the desires she had evoked and maintain his pretense of an asshole.
Spotting an exit up ahead that was partially open, and naturally assuming she had darted outside for whatever reason, Inuyasha hesitated for only a split second before heading out.
‘Was she in that much of a hurry to get away from me?’ he thought grimly, stepping through the threshold into the chilly night air, his eyes scouring the empty streets in vain for the runaway dancer.
“Damn,” he cursed, dragging a hand through his thick, silvery locks as the guilt he felt for treating the woman like trash escalated a notch. “Why the hell do I care so much about her feelings? It wasn’t even that serious.” The lie did nothing to silence the mental rebuking of his conscience.
A familiar twinge pricked his senses, urging him to do something that he had vowed to Kikyo he wouldn’t revert back to at any cost whatsoever. It was something that always accompanied his atypical stress related bouts driving, him to take out his frustrations by means of succumbing to a habit that was unquestionably shortening his life span. Or so said the banners and ads for the deterrence of the product in hopes of swaying the masses from purchasing something that was harmful to their health with percentages of death. But then again, he was never one to believe a bunch of falsified statistics.
Inuyasha began searching for the spare cigarette he always kept hidden within the recesses of his wallet just in case of emergencies such as this one. He had given up smoking with the help of Kikyo in the early stages of their relationship, since she absolutely detested anything that involved the depreciation of the body: smoking, the consumption of alcohol, and digestion of junk food. It had been hard at first to adjust to Kikyo’s predetermined way of living, but he had done it, although halfheartedly, for her sake.
Locating the cigarette, he popped it in his mouth and proceeded to look for a match when a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The cigarette dropped from his mouth and the blood in his veins turned to ice, the threat of impending disaster making his heart cease beating for a second. Suddenly the chilling effect disappeared as quickly as it had come, in its stead being replaced by something primal, a rage so powerful that his hands shook with anticipation, the urge to maim overriding everything else.
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Kagome didn’t have time to think as the two flunkies speedily flanked her, each grabbing an arm and a leg on opposite sides before yanking her to the ground. She choked on a scream as her head came into contact with the pavement, the impact producing blinding pain in the back of her skull and dizziness that had her temporarily out of commission as her vision swirled with a myriad of colors and bright lights.
Coming back to reality as she felt her shirt being ripped and pulled away by burly hands, she bucked and squirmed and screamed in an attempt to save herself from being raped by a gang of thugs, only to have a fist propelled into her stomach, the blow effectively curbing any resistance she had previously been putting forth.
Tears of defenselessness, anger, and humiliation gathered in her eyes. How could this have happened? What did she do to deserve such an ill fated end? Refusing to give in, she pushed through the terrible throbbing in her stomach and the fragmented pain in her skull and thrashed with all of the might she had left. Caught off guard by her sudden outpouring of energy, her knee struck the shorter man in the groin. A surge of hope sparked within her as his eyes dilated, his grip on her limbs loosening significantly.
Using the slack to her advantage before the man recovered, Kagome yanked her hand out of his hold and swung it around to hit the other man on her opposite side. The thug howled in pain as her nails raked across his face. Instead of letting her go to hold his face where she had slashed at his cheek like she had assumed he would do, he abandoned her leg only to take hold of her free wrist. Fully prepared to kick the hell out of the stalker standing with an amused grin inches away from her legs, she gasped, her body stilling as she felt the pointed edge of something sharp dig into the flesh of her side.
The short man, having recuperated from being kneed in the crotch, grinned maniacally as he prodded her side deeper with the knife in his hand.
“Better not try to pull that stunt again, little girl,” the stalker said, his smile sinister as he crouched down with eyes shining in lust and hands wandering up the length of her legs. Tear filled eyes widened in fear as his hands reached for the waistband of her sweatpants and slowly began to tug them downwards, revealing the smooth, creamy expanse of her thighs.
“Now be a good little girl and maybe we won’t shred your face and leave your innards lying on the sidewalk when we’re done with you.”
Whimpering, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and tried to mentally detach herself from her surroundings, working against the painful throb in her head, reassuring herself that this was all some terrible nightmare that she would soon wake up from and find herself safe and warm inside of her home. Hundreds of what ifs and alternate circumstances ran through her mind, all of them geared toward the simple fact that had she not been hired as an exotic dancer, this would not be happening right now. Oh how she wished she could turn back the hands of time.
Just as she felt his fingers begin to pull her lacy underwear, they were snatched away. She yelped as the knife that had been jammed into her side disappeared, along with the vice grip hold on her wrists from the man above her fallen form. Kagome opened her watery eyes in confusion in time to see three dark blobs, presumably the rapists, one lying motionless on the sidewalk beside her, the others launching themselves at a white blob.
‘Is that…an angel?’
Baffled, disoriented, and ready to give in to the darkness that was beginning to creep into her vision and coaxing her into a dreamless state of unconsciousness, Kagome lifted her head to watch as her angel single-handedly brought the men down in two quick movements that she could barely follow. Unable to endure the pounding in her skull any longer, she laid her head back down, knowing that the threat of being raped had passed. The last thing her mind consciously took note of being the flash of amber eyes that connected with her own before she fell into a dark abyss.
TBC
AN: Hope you liked it. Hopefully the next chapter won’t take as long to get out as this one did, especially since I have a month out of college for break. Anyway, until next time people. Ciao!
AN: Hey guys. I know, I know, it has been a couple of months since my last update. Writer’s block was partially to blame, as well as partying, studying, and having surgery. I won’t bore you to death with the details. Thanks for being patient with me and my lack of updates. For those that are waiting for a Til Death Do Us Part update, hehe, that won’t be up until around Christmas time. Big thanks to Dawn Sweetie for editing my chapter and being a big help. Much love to ya and all of my reviewers out there! You guys are the best! Special thanks to Miyuki-Chan5 for correcting my misuse of Japanese yen, which will be fixed when I get a chance. Now, on with the show. Enjoy.
Title: As Deemed By Fate
Rating: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)
Pairing: Inu/Kag
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic dancer that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist. Inu/Kag
Chapter Three: Pursuit
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Pursuit
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‘Ember.’
Inuyasha stared at the curtains where she had just disappeared through, his pulse still racing wildly in his veins from her erotic performance. The enticing smell of wild strawberries dipped in vanilla still lingering heavily in the air, wrapping around his senses and fogging his brain with sweet nothingness. He could still picture the sexy prowess in his mind: the beautiful curves of her body, the cascade of midnight waves that spilled gracefully over her shoulders, the taunting, yet beautiful smile that lit up her entire face, making her seem all the more stunning. But the feature that stuck with him the most were her eyes; the smoky blue-gray eyes that spoke of fire and mystery and mischief, which called to his soul and beckoned to his heart.
He blinked and shook his head at the sudden direction of his thoughts were headed, a solid indicator that his playboy instincts had been triggered. Oddly enough, since they had disappeared completely right after he met Kikyo for the first time. He had wanted no other after her. So why was all of this happening now? ‘What the hell am I thinking? I really need to get out of here before I end up doing something I’ll regret.’
‘Stop lying to yourself,’ a voice echoed mockingly within his head, ‘You know enigmas such as this vixen are just what you’re into.’
‘I’m not into anyone but Kikyo,’ Inuyasha scowled, rationalizing with himself. ‘My womanizing days are over with.’
‘That’s not what Kikyo thinks,’ the voice chuckled darkly. ‘So since she already believes that you’re out seducing women, why don’t you indulge yourself already? It’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. You haven’t exchanged you wedding vows yet. And it has been a long time since you last took a woman.’
Inuyasha could already feel his heart slamming excitedly into his ribs with the familiar anticipation that always accompanied his pleasure-filled excursions. Just thinking about running his fingers along her soft skin and burying his nose within her mass of wavy locks was enough to sent all of his blood rushing to a particular region of his anatomy.
Inuyasha mentally slapped himself, suppressing, with a good deal of effort, the quickly arising emotions and feelings that he had no right to be harboring. ‘Fuck. Something told me it would be a bad idea to come here. I knew I should’ve gone on and went to my condo.’
A hand on his shoulder saved him from further thoughts on the subject that was tearing his conscious apart. He arched a silver eyebrow at the lengthy span of the monk’s grin. “Wasn’t that great?” Miroku gushed excitedly, his mauve colored eyes glazed over with admiration.
“No, that was better than great. That was simply magnificent. I’ve never seen anyone with such grace, such fluidity, like that in my life. And did you see those legs? I’ve never seen such-”
Inuyasha flinched as Sango unleashed her fury, in the form of a fist, to the side of her boyfriend’s face, the impact of her sharp jab driving him out of his chair and onto the floor. “Hell hath no fury,” he muttered.
“I don’t know why I put up with your antics!” Sango hissed, pinning him with an arctic glare that could have iced over even the pits of hell before swiftly, albeit stiffly, walking away without a second glance toward her fallen boyfriend.
“What did I do?” Miroku questioned in complete confusion from his flattened position, wincing at the painful throb that pulsated from the left side of his temple where she had left her mark.
“I guess I’m not the only one not getting any tonight,” Inuyasha smirked, holding out his hand to help the monk to his feet.
Miroku hung his head in defeat as the amber-eyed man pulled him up, the remark clearly hurting him more to the heart than the brutal punishment. “Sometimes not even I understand what goes on in the mind of my dearest beloved,” he said with a heavy hearted sigh. “All I did was comment on the voluptuous features of an amazing dancer.”
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know, you’re truly dumber than you look, monk. Besides, the wench wasn’t that sexy,” he lied through his teeth, more so for the benefit of his sanity than anything else.
Miroku paused to give him a look illustrating the absolute ludicrousness of the statement for a moment before letting his lips curl up in a knowing smile. “You have the hots for her, don’t you?”
“Keh. Not fucking likely. If you hadn’t noticed already, I have a woman who I’m planning to marry in a matter of weeks.” He scowled at the mischievous sparkle in his friend’s eyes. “What?”
Knowing that confronting his friend’s inner desires would only result in additional bashings across his already battered head, Miroku settled for just shaking his head. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Come. Let us depart to the after party. I’m sure that I will be able to coax Sango out of her mood with the assistance of sultry music and raunchy dance moves.”
“I’m glad you have all of this all figured out in that dirty mind of yours,” Inuyasha retorted in a mild tone, following him as he weaved in and out of the throng of hot bodies crowding the stage, ardently demanding an encore presentation of Ember’s act. Wrinkling his nose in disgust at the liquor induced fools that engulfed the dance floor with their stupidity and stench, Inuyasha sighed in relief when they parted from the intoxicated mass and made their way to the back of the club. He couldn’t believe he had actually been one of those fools back in his earlier years of adulthood.
“Where is this room, anyway?” Inuyasha asked warily as they entered a dark hallway, the only source of lighting in the dimness of the corridor being small, primordial torches evenly spaced out along the side of the walls, each casting a flame as red as fresh blood that flickered dimly against the shadows.
“We’re almost there.” Miroku threw a sly smile over his shoulder. “My, aren’t we in a hurry. Might this quite possibly have something to do with a certain dancer who will be attending?”
“For the last time, no!” he snapped back, grateful for the muted lighting so that the monk couldn’t see the red that stained his cheeks.
‘What the hell?’ He ground his teeth together. ‘I haven’t fucking blushed since kindergarten. I haven’t known the wench for five minutes and she’s already invoking these feelings in me.’ An unsolicited rush of excitement tore through him as they neared a guarded door.
Quickly squelching the feeling, Inuyasha forced thoughts of her out of his head, and instead concentrated on Kikyo and how much he loved her despite her biased misconceptions about his whereabouts and activities. This was the woman he planned on living out the rest of his life with. Did he really want to jeopardize his happy future by bending to the will of barely constrained desires that had just happened to be evoked by some random stripper, however beautiful she might be?
Seeing the indecisiveness that played on the other man’s face, Miroku suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. “Inuyasha,” he began, his face set in dead seriousness, “if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, just say so and we can finish out the rest of your party at my place.”
“Don’t be stupid. I’ve waited long enough for my gifts,” Inuyasha said brushing past him and nodded to the guard, who grunted in acknowledgement and moved aside so they could enter. ‘This has got to be a test. She‘s just a distraction. As long as I remain true to Kikyo, I should be fine,’ he told himself, mentally hardening his resolve while keeping his outward façade friendly, well, as friendly as he ever got, as he greeted coworkers and acquaintances who weren’t intoxicated to the point of incoherency.
‘Besides, who knows what shit she’s picked up from sleeping around like the tramp that she is,’ he mused, the damper his predicament had put him in gradually lifting with the mental reassurance.
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Kagome gritted her teeth in both expectancy and annoyance as she and other dancers approached the door that led the VIP room, her grip on the platter of cake in her hands tightening unconsciously. Unnecessary drama was the last thing that she needed in her life right now. It was bad enough she had Mizuki biting at her heels every time she turned around. The woman would definitely get an A for persistence. ‘Thank God she’s not working the after party with tonight. I’m really not in the mood to put up with her bullshit.’
She would be so happy when her shift ended and she could home to her nice, warm bed. All she had to do was put up with thirty more minutes of drunk and semi-drunk characters and their foolish antics, which for the most part wouldn’t be troublesome since the bouncers would step in if things got out of hand. The real problem was a certain silver haired someone who looked as though he thought he was God’s gift to women.
Her heartbeat increased in tempo as she remembered the way he had looked at her, his amber eyes, alit with a smoldering fire that spoke of unbridled passion and a yearning that had stirred feelings that had resided long dormant within her. He’d even had the nerve to put his hands on her. And what pissed her off even more was how, albeit it had taken place all of ten minutes ago, she still felt the heat from his fingers on her hip where they had lingered, the nerves beneath the skin still tingling.
“Kagome, you ok?”
Blinking at the sound of her name, Kagome snapped out of her stupor and refocused her sights on the girl in front of her donning a concerned expression on her face. “Yeah, Naomi?”
“Are you ok? You look a little pale,” she said, her forehead creased with worry lines.
Smiling at the other woman, she shook her head. “I’m just waiting for the clock to strike one so I can go home.”
Naomi chuckled. “Aren’t we all? Well, as long as you’re ok. Hiten would be furious if he found his favorite dancer passed out from too much exertion. See you at the party.” She shot her another grin before prancing ahead of her with the rest of the women.
“Favorite?” Kagome frowned. Why did everybody think that just because she was friends with Hiten that he favored her over everyone else? No wonder only a select few of the women here liked her.
“All right, ladies,” the bouncer at the door said, his bored tone the result of repeating the same phrase every night. “You know the deal. If there is any kind of unwanted physical contact, signal for one of the guards and they’ll handle the situation appropriately.”
‘This isn’t any different than any other night,’ she reassured her hammering heart as they filed into the room one by one, herself being last since she carried the cake, which meant inevitably that she would have to give the birthday boy the customary kiss on the cheek. Her face burned in mortification at the notion. ‘How could I have forgotten about the kiss? And why am I making such a big deal over it? I’ve done it to a lot of guys who were even more obnoxious and uglier than this guy. So why am I so nervous?’
“You ok, Ember?” the bouncer asked before she entered, his hard brown eyes taking in her flushed countenance through his dark shades, with the slightest fragment of worry tingeing the defining edges of his frown.
“I’m good Kenji, thanks,” Kagome assured him, plastering on a smile and stepping through the threshold of the room.
The VIP room, dubbed the Red Room for its color scheme and decorum, was by far the plushest and most luxuriant room in the entire club, save for Hiten’s office which was above all, as it should be. The sitting area was decked out in velvet cushioned seats imported from Europe, silken curtains were drawn over the large multi-pained windows handcrafted by an Italian artisan, crystal chandeliers hung overhead, their multiple dimensions creating a dappled colored effect splaying on the wine-red walls.
On the other side of the room was a small, polished dance floor and stage where the DJ stood playing low music through the diminutive amplifiers on either side of his station, his head bent low in concentration. It was an ideal setting for a small, private party among the social elites with all of the exquisiteness and money that went into everything.
An ironic smile tugged at Kagome’s lips. ‘Rich people. They’re all the same. Full of shit and don’t care about anyone else other than themselves. ’
“Make way everybody. The cake is here.”
Cursing the random person that just had to open their mouth, Kagome repressed the blush that threatened to engulf her face in flames when all eyes turned to her and forced her smile back into place as the dancers made a path for her that lead to the table where he sat. Her mouth went dry when as his piercing, gold eyes connected with her own, an instant spark of recognition flickering within them before they iced over with a coldness that sent a shiver crawling down her spine.
Schooling her features so they wouldn’t betray the surprise and alarm that was sent rocketing through her at the abhorrence, clearly directed toward her, flickering in his golden depths, Kagome composed herself and started down the makeshift path to his table. She directed her attention to the flames dancing to inaudible music atop the candles on the cake, tendrils of smoke curling and dissipating into the air as a distraction.
‘Why does it look as though he hates me? Just a few minutes ago he was flirting with me. Did I do something wrong? Or am I imagining things?’ Hesitant at first, she lifted her gaze and again was subject to a hard, frosted glare, the amber eyes that once greeted her with a burning inner fire that spoke of unspoken desires were now cold as an artic winter.
Unconsciously shuddering at the aloof display of loathing shining brightly back at her out of golden eyes, she trained her own on the cake instead, only looking up to meet his gaze as she placed it in front of him. ‘Wait, why am I lowering my head like I’m ashamed of what I am? If anything, I should be the one glaring at him since he is the one who wants to come on to me one minute and give me the cold shoulder the next.’ Indignant anger flared within her with renewed vigor, a sense of self worth mixed with both a contingence of confidence and fire fueling her desire the kick the crap out of the guy.
Vaguely hearing people singing happy birthday in the background and seeing the lights dim, she raised her gaze to meet unfriendly orbs peering back at her through silver bangs.
Kagome glared hard back at him with all the intensity she could summon, ignoring the insistent nudge from one of her coworkers at her blatant show of disrespect to the VIP and almost smirked in triumph at his surprised expression.
Figuring this would be as good a time as any to bestow him with the mandatory kiss, Kagome reluctantly leaned in promptly to plant a peck on his cheek, one that would go quickly so she could get it over with. What she hadn’t anticipated was for him to tilt his head towards her at the last minute, the inclination subsequently followed by a jolt of electricity as their lips made contact. Shock registered in her brain before anything else, that and the fact that she’d never imagined that one so cold as him would have lips that felt so soft, so warm and blissful, so….wrong.
She broke away quickly, her eyes a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. ‘What the hell just happened?’ Her gaze sought out the man before her for confirmation that what just transpired was not just some lapse in her sanity.
Her heart sank when she saw the accusing glint in his eyes and the condescending sneer that curled at the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t know this place had whores in employ here,” he snickered in a low tone so that only she could hear.
Coldness spilled over her soul at his malicious words. Choking back the tears she refused to show to the cold hearted fiend in front of her, Kagome gritted her teeth against the impulse to run out of the room and away from the imbecile of a man that insulted her in the worst kind of way.
Upon finishing the last note of the song, the floor lights surrounding the dance floor suddenly sparked to life, bathing the polished wood in a soft glow that beckoned to all, which was soon followed by the thunderous music that emanated from the amplifiers. Taking their cue, the dancers took hold of the nearest male and persuaded them with perfected suggestive gestures and flirty comments to accompany them to the dance floor.
Kagome yelped when she was abruptly propelled back by a flock of dancers whom all wanted to dance with the golden eyed god. Squelching the jealousy that flared within her at the sight of women practically throwing themselves at him, Kagome let out a growl of pent up irritation before turning on her heels and exiting through the door. ‘I am not staying here any longer. Hiten will get over me leaving a little earlier than normal, considering I was verbally assaulted by that asshole back there.’
Marching out of the room without so much as a word to anyone else, Kagome made her way to the back dressing room. ‘Of all the stupid, moronic imbeciles I’ve met in my life, he definitely takes the cake.’
It took her no time flat to reach her destination, and took even less time to get out of her skimpy getup and into the sweats she came in wearing. In too bad a mood to remember to remove her makeup, she threw all of her belongings into her duffel bag and checked to make sure she had everything. Hooking her bag strap over one shoulder, Kagome picked up keys from the vanity table and exited the room. ‘I will be so glad when I go home and am able to put this horrible day behind me,’ she thought with a sigh, some the anger she had been feeling beginning to ebb away at the notion of climbing into bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
With this in mind, she quickly departed by way of the side exit so she wouldn’t run into anybody who would question why she was leaving so early or wasn’t clocking out. Hiten would surely be understanding in regards to her plight, he always was. A slight smile curved at her lips. What would she do without her wonderful boss and friend? More importantly, where would she be without him? Why couldn’t more men be like him?
‘Like that jerk off back there,’ she mused wryly. ‘What woman in her right mind would want to date someone as arrogant and indecisive as him? One minute he’s flirting, the next he’s hurling insults in my face and calling me a whore. So what if he’s got a smile to die for. And hair I’d kill for. And the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen in my life.’
Red etched itself onto her cheeks at the memory of the way he had looked at her when she had performed, as if she was the only person that mattered in the world. “I bet he’s used that look to lure unsuspecting women into his bed,” she scoffed lightly, readjusting the strap on her shoulder.
“I know an unsuspecting woman I’d like to lure into my bed or any other place that’s suitable for what I want to do to you,” a deep voiced man said behind her, his footsteps echoing her own.
A spike of fear wedged its way into her heart. Mentally berating herself for letting her guard slip, Kagome ignored the idiot behind her and kept on en route for home. She had dealt with many of the common scum lurking around the city whenever she walked home from work. An adverse yet unavoidable scenario since she lacked both adequate driving skills and a car. It wasn’t so bad when she had Suki or Mizuki to accompany her to her street. It looked as though tonight was going to be one of those nights.
“Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore somebody when they’re talking to you?” he questioned her, his gait quickening.
Kagome, in reaction, also picked up the pace, her eyes darting up the street for anybody who could get this guy off of her back. Out of all times, why did tonight have to be the night where there was no sign of life anywhere? Any other time, the city would be crawling with people ready to get their party on. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that it was a Thursday night. A wave of relief washed away the onslaught of overpowering fear as she spotted two men deep in conversation not fifteen yards ahead of her. “Excuse me!” she yelled, flailing her arms in the air to get their attention just in case the guy behind her tried anything funny.
The two men glanced up at the plea that broke the silent monotony of the early morning. “Something wrong, miss?” the taller of the two spoke up first, his face obscured by shadows that was created by the light of streetlamp shining just behind them.
She turned around and pointed to the still approaching figure of her stalker walking almost leisurely up the sidewalk toward her. “That guy keeps harassing me and I think he might be a rapist.”
“Well, what do you want us to do about it?” the other guy commented, underlying tones of satisfaction and enjoyment apparent in his voice.
Kagome froze, the air in her lungs dissipating completely.
“You know, a woman as pretty as yourself shouldn’t wander the streets by herself at night,” the taller man said, taking a step toward her. “You never know what kinds of sickos are out here lurking in the shadows, just waiting for someone like you to show up.”
‘Oh God.’ She backed up as her stalker nodded to the other two men before turning to her, the nakedness of his lust evident in his hooded gaze. ‘They’re in this together.’
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“Get the fuck off of me!” Inuyasha snapped and pushed the stripper from his lap.
“What the hell is your problem?” she retorted acidly as she rose from her position on the floor where he had so generously dumped her.
“You are. Where did Ember go?” he demanded harshly, his eyes scanning the crowd but finding neither hide nor hair of the fiery temptress that captured his attention from the beginning. And whom he had been a total ass to.
Her lips drew into a thin line. “It seems as though that little slut got to you as well. Why am I not surprised?”
His hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist so fast she was momentarily knocked off balance and would’ve fallen for the second time that night to the ground if it hadn’t been for his vice-like grip holding her in place. Letting out a sharp gasp of pain, she turned her livid gaze to him to curse him out. Then she saw his eyes, the fire burning in his golden depths enough to make her heart quiver in alarm, all of her previous boldness abandoning her where she stood.
With a growl, Inuyasha tightened his grip on her wrist, ready to break it if need be, and resisted the urge to smirk at the utter terror shining in her brown orbs. “If I ever hear you call her by that name again, I will personally make sure you are never hired in this city, no all of Japan, ever again. Is this understood?”
She nodded her head vigorously for lack of anything better to say, gulping a lungful of air when he released her wrist and walked away, her hands shaking from the encounter.
‘Where the hell did she run off to so quick?’ he thought, his mounting frustration irking him to no end.
“Is something wrong, Inuyasha?”
Inuyasha cast a frown in the direction of the monk, his irritation piquing at the goofy grin on his face, which was doubtlessly due to the woman that sat on his lap, planting little kisses along his neckline, stopping to blush once realizing they had an audience. “I’m going out for some fresh air. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Shrugging, Miroku turned his attention back to his girlfriend. “Don’t get lost. You still have to open your presents and eat cake.”
Rolling his eyes at the infatuated couple, Inuyasha walked toward the nearest exit and bypassed the bouncer standing erect at the door, his thoughts for the zillionth time that night turning to the smoky eyed goddess. It was strange, that out of all of the beautiful women that surrounded him, each possessing a certain hint of experience and lust in their eyes that he used to appreciate in his wild years, he had chosen the one woman who, through all the outer sex appeal, exuded an aura of innocence and purity, which made him feel even guiltier for calling her a whore.
He inwardly winced, recalling how cruel he had been to her while she had only been trying to do her job. He never meant to take it as far as to demean her with derisive name calling. The cold shoulder had been a means as to distance him from her, to discourage any adulterous feelings for her and it had worked up until the kiss. The feeling of her soft lips upon his had lit his blood afire with desire and it had taken all of his will power and then some to for him not to do something he would undoubtedly regret. It had taken an inconceivable amount of self control and intransigence to push aside the desires she had evoked and maintain his pretense of an asshole.
Spotting an exit up ahead that was partially open, and naturally assuming she had darted outside for whatever reason, Inuyasha hesitated for only a split second before heading out.
‘Was she in that much of a hurry to get away from me?’ he thought grimly, stepping through the threshold into the chilly night air, his eyes scouring the empty streets in vain for the runaway dancer.
“Damn,” he cursed, dragging a hand through his thick, silvery locks as the guilt he felt for treating the woman like trash escalated a notch. “Why the hell do I care so much about her feelings? It wasn’t even that serious.” The lie did nothing to silence the mental rebuking of his conscience.
A familiar twinge pricked his senses, urging him to do something that he had vowed to Kikyo he wouldn’t revert back to at any cost whatsoever. It was something that always accompanied his atypical stress related bouts driving, him to take out his frustrations by means of succumbing to a habit that was unquestionably shortening his life span. Or so said the banners and ads for the deterrence of the product in hopes of swaying the masses from purchasing something that was harmful to their health with percentages of death. But then again, he was never one to believe a bunch of falsified statistics.
Inuyasha began searching for the spare cigarette he always kept hidden within the recesses of his wallet just in case of emergencies such as this one. He had given up smoking with the help of Kikyo in the early stages of their relationship, since she absolutely detested anything that involved the depreciation of the body: smoking, the consumption of alcohol, and digestion of junk food. It had been hard at first to adjust to Kikyo’s predetermined way of living, but he had done it, although halfheartedly, for her sake.
Locating the cigarette, he popped it in his mouth and proceeded to look for a match when a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The cigarette dropped from his mouth and the blood in his veins turned to ice, the threat of impending disaster making his heart cease beating for a second. Suddenly the chilling effect disappeared as quickly as it had come, in its stead being replaced by something primal, a rage so powerful that his hands shook with anticipation, the urge to maim overriding everything else.
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Kagome didn’t have time to think as the two flunkies speedily flanked her, each grabbing an arm and a leg on opposite sides before yanking her to the ground. She choked on a scream as her head came into contact with the pavement, the impact producing blinding pain in the back of her skull and dizziness that had her temporarily out of commission as her vision swirled with a myriad of colors and bright lights.
Coming back to reality as she felt her shirt being ripped and pulled away by burly hands, she bucked and squirmed and screamed in an attempt to save herself from being raped by a gang of thugs, only to have a fist propelled into her stomach, the blow effectively curbing any resistance she had previously been putting forth.
Tears of defenselessness, anger, and humiliation gathered in her eyes. How could this have happened? What did she do to deserve such an ill fated end? Refusing to give in, she pushed through the terrible throbbing in her stomach and the fragmented pain in her skull and thrashed with all of the might she had left. Caught off guard by her sudden outpouring of energy, her knee struck the shorter man in the groin. A surge of hope sparked within her as his eyes dilated, his grip on her limbs loosening significantly.
Using the slack to her advantage before the man recovered, Kagome yanked her hand out of his hold and swung it around to hit the other man on her opposite side. The thug howled in pain as her nails raked across his face. Instead of letting her go to hold his face where she had slashed at his cheek like she had assumed he would do, he abandoned her leg only to take hold of her free wrist. Fully prepared to kick the hell out of the stalker standing with an amused grin inches away from her legs, she gasped, her body stilling as she felt the pointed edge of something sharp dig into the flesh of her side.
The short man, having recuperated from being kneed in the crotch, grinned maniacally as he prodded her side deeper with the knife in his hand.
“Better not try to pull that stunt again, little girl,” the stalker said, his smile sinister as he crouched down with eyes shining in lust and hands wandering up the length of her legs. Tear filled eyes widened in fear as his hands reached for the waistband of her sweatpants and slowly began to tug them downwards, revealing the smooth, creamy expanse of her thighs.
“Now be a good little girl and maybe we won’t shred your face and leave your innards lying on the sidewalk when we’re done with you.”
Whimpering, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and tried to mentally detach herself from her surroundings, working against the painful throb in her head, reassuring herself that this was all some terrible nightmare that she would soon wake up from and find herself safe and warm inside of her home. Hundreds of what ifs and alternate circumstances ran through her mind, all of them geared toward the simple fact that had she not been hired as an exotic dancer, this would not be happening right now. Oh how she wished she could turn back the hands of time.
Just as she felt his fingers begin to pull her lacy underwear, they were snatched away. She yelped as the knife that had been jammed into her side disappeared, along with the vice grip hold on her wrists from the man above her fallen form. Kagome opened her watery eyes in confusion in time to see three dark blobs, presumably the rapists, one lying motionless on the sidewalk beside her, the others launching themselves at a white blob.
‘Is that…an angel?’
Baffled, disoriented, and ready to give in to the darkness that was beginning to creep into her vision and coaxing her into a dreamless state of unconsciousness, Kagome lifted her head to watch as her angel single-handedly brought the men down in two quick movements that she could barely follow. Unable to endure the pounding in her skull any longer, she laid her head back down, knowing that the threat of being raped had passed. The last thing her mind consciously took note of being the flash of amber eyes that connected with her own before she fell into a dark abyss.
TBC
AN: Hope you liked it. Hopefully the next chapter won’t take as long to get out as this one did, especially since I have a month out of college for break. Anyway, until next time people. Ciao!