InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Assigned Target ❯ Assigned Target ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the assorted characters. I just use them for my own amusement.

 

 

Assigned Target

 

 

The hanyou dangled limp against the crumbling wall, stuck fast by the sharp bone fragment rammed through his shoulder. He snarled under his breath as the youkai's venom spread from the wound and through his veins into the rest of his body, leaving him unable to move without even the dignity of his feet on the ground. To make matters worse, out of the corner of his eye he watched his assigned target ducking into one of the half-destroyed buildings of what was once a prosperous town, gamely dodging the attacks of the enraged centipede youkai. It was only going to be a matter of seconds before the target was killed and the Jewel was gone.

 

The Pack is going to have my fucking head, if I don't die from embarrassment first!

 

His target was faster and more cunning than he expected. She squeezed through a small hole in the building's external wall, scrabbling through the shrubby plants that grew between the cracks in the decaying pavement. He could easily hear the centipede slamming about inside the ruined concrete shell and shrieking with anger. The girl staggered to her feet and ran.

 

Thirty paces, twenty-five paces, twenty... he counted her footfalls as she ran full-tilt towards to him, futilely flexing his claws. He cursed again at his inability to move, knowing she was about to pass within a few feet of him and he couldn't raise a finger to stop her. There was a roar as the centipede smashed through the wall and knocked flying several burnt out vehicles squatting on the cracked pavement. The ground shook with the force of its exit, and the girl... woman... was thrown off her feet to land in a tangled heap at his.

 

He glared down at the mass of wild black hair tumbling in dishevelled curls and waves. She tilted up her head to fix on his face, and for the first time he got a clear look at his target. He caught his breath as the world went still. A heart shaped face with frantic blue eyes assessed him for immediate danger and his mouth went dry when she unintentionally bared her throat, her pulse visibly hammering.

 

Kagome Higurashi. Her dossier didn't do her justice.

 

A roar whipped through, and she braced to run, drawing up her long legs.

 

"Free me, and I can save you from it." He was surprised his vocal cords still worked, although they rasped slightly. She hesitated, looking at his canine ears, the claws tipping his fingers, the long white hair, and the unmistakable Hunter symbol on his jacket, biting her lip in uncertainty. The shrieking was close, much closer. Feigning a calm he didn't feel, he added, “You don't have long to choose."

 

She wavered. The shrieking grew louder and triumphant as the centipede located its prey. Panic on her face, the girl set her jaw, surging upwards. She braced one hand on his uninjured shoulder, curling her free hand around the bone spike. As she started to pull, she slipped and fell hard against him, her face against the bare skin of his neck. For an instant, all he could smell was her scent, feel the heat of her skin as her curves pressed against every inch of him and his body emphatically reacted. They both momentarily froze at the sensation. She slowly pulled back to look him in the eyes, her mouth a mere hairs breath from his. Touching his cheek with the tips of her fingers, she then reached up and tentatively stroked one of his ears.

The moment was gone as the slim hand around the fragment started to glow and he winced as pain shot through him. She was trying her hardest to yank out the centipede's talon but failing in the attempt, and the frustration triggered her purification ability. The smell of burning flesh made him want to retch as the poison boiled out of his veins.

 

Intel was right about the uncontrolled Miko powers. Damn it, this hurts!

 

It still wouldn't move, and the centipede demon would be on them in seconds. With a sound of thwarted distress, Kagome let go with a burst of power. The bone weapon disintegrated with a blast of light. Released, he dropped silently to the ground with the grace of a natural predator, resolutely ignoring the pain in his shoulder. Standing so close that he could hear her heart thumping, he noticed that she only came up to his chin and found that oddly satisfying. He smiled, flashing a fang. She took a half-step back, her eyes wide and wary as she recognised the threat.

 

Smart girl.

 

"I'll be back for you." He left the words somewhere between a promise and a threat and leapt straight for the giant youkai bearing down on them, flexing his claws. "Sankon Tessou!"

 

*

 

She was gone, of course, by the time he walked back, dripping in gore from the centipede's guts. He'd been expecting it, and it had been a good move on her part, but was surprised by the stab of disappointment he'd felt when she hadn't been there.

 

What did you expect? A hero's welcome? You don't even get that from your own people mocked the voice in his head.

 

Still, his mouth tilted up at the corners and his eyes gleamed. Her scent was still on his clothes from where she'd leant against him earlier, and by running she'd moved from target to prey. The thought made his pulse beat faster and the air seem sharper. For a second, his eyes flashed red as he sought her scent.

 

There.

 

It was only after he began stalking her through the shadows that he remembered he had an official reason for hunting her in the first place.

 

*

 

Kagome crouched behind the broken wall, trying her best to control her breathing. She'd known it was dangerous to come here, but this was the only place where some of the rarer plants were known to grow, a remnant of life before the Emergence Wars. She hadn't told anyone she coming; she'd have been tied up for even suggesting it, but the new disease was spreading fast, and she had to do something. No-one else had the same knowledge of herbs and healing in her village, apart from her one-eyed teacher. Her bright yellow backpack was somewhere in the abandoned city; she'd located the plants and the seeds over the course of the day, but had thrown it to safety during the centipede attack. Kagome grimaced; it had been unavoidable, but she would need to go back and collect it.

 

Do I have a target painted on my head? Why do the youkai keep coming after me?

 

And now, to top off everything, there was a Hunter in the vicinity, and her bow was with her bag. At least that was what she assumed he was after seeing his uniform; most humans had never even seen a Hunter, or at least lived to tell the tale… another lesson of the Youkai Return which humanity had quickly learned. She vainly hoped he would consider them somehow even because she had freed him, but his husky threat didn't bode well. And as much as she tried to deny it, she couldn't help the downwards flush of heat curling in the pit of her stomach as she remembered leaning against him and her nipples hardened at the memory. Despite her relative inexperience, she hadn't been oblivious to the way his body had reacted to her, either.

 

Cautiously picking her way past the wall, she ducked into another building. As she slipped silently past a jagged opening, she caught a glimpse of large chunks of dead centipede glistening wetly in the road. Five parallel slash lines were evident all over the remains; she splayed her fingers as wide as she could in imitation and gulped.

 

Something flickered at the very edge of her peripheral vision. After a moment of stillness, she moved in a different direction, cutting through what once might have been a back door and through several rubble-choked streets in a random path. She crouched against a hunk of twisted concrete and metal for several minutes and waited, thankful for the basic training the demon slayers had given her over the last few months, back when the attacks had started.

 

Come on, Kagome, it was nothing...

 

She bit her lip and began to creep back towards the location of her abandoned backpack. Kagome hated this place, the sad, decayed symbol of human power before the Emergence Wars, three generations ago. Tens of thousands had died here, left to rot or be taken by scavengers. She shivered, imagining all too well the lifeless streets running with blood.

 

As if answering her shiver, there was a soft click to her right. Catapulting across the street, diving into a confusing set of dank, crumbling alleyways, she ran until her lungs burned and sweat dripped down her back. Realisation dawned slowly as she stumbled to a walk, and unfamiliar walls surrounded her. Kagome turned around in a complete circle. The alleyways were totally indistinguishable, with no reference points. She was hopelessly lost in the dead city, with a Hunter on her trail. "I'm so screwed," she murmured under her breath.

 

A mocking laugh answered her. Kagome went cold with shock, and darted into the gaping maw of an otherwise intact building. Everything inside was terrifyingly motionless and she backed up towards the wall, keeping her eyes on the jagged entrance, praying she was being paranoid and that there was no-one there. Her pulse thundered in the silence, fear crawling up her spine. Edging further into the shadows, her body collided with something warm and solid. A clawed hand covered her mouth before she could scream, and an arm whipped around her waist, trapping her against a rock-hard body. White hair fluttered into her field of vision, and a dangerously low voice purred next to her ear, "Give me the Shikon-no-Tama, and I might just let you live."

 

*

 

Inuyasha watched as she went from slightly dazed and flushed by his nearness to shock as she absorbed his words. She opened her mouth to speak, her breath warm against his palm. Slowly he lowered his hand to rest against her neck, his claws resting threateningly in the hollows above her fragile collarbone, and waited for her answer.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," she protested.

 

Unreasonably annoyed at her denial, he flexed his claws on her neck and a small red bead welled under each. "Don't lie to me. Give me the Jewel."

 

"I don't... I don't know what you're talking about."

 

She sounds panicky… good. "I can smell it on you." Actually, that was a lie. All he could smell at the moment was the scent of her skin, luminous with sweat after the chase, and the metallic tang of her blood under his claws. There was something about this woman that threw off any reasoning he had. Closing his eyes, he fought the urge to lick the blood off her collarbone.

 

"And I'm telling you I don't know what it is!" He raised his eyebrows at the unexpected petulance in her tone as she continued, "In fact, maybe you could tell me about it, as well as [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 11 15:06:00 2008 ]why I seem to be every youkai's favourite snack right now."

 

He growled and yanked her even closer. The curve of her hips fit perfectly into his, and both of them shuddered at the contact. "Don't shout at me, bitch."

 

"Don't call me a bitch! My name is Kagome. Ka-go-me!"

 

"I know."

 

She went still as she registered the possible import of his bald statement. "What do you mean you...?"

 

"Shut up."

 

She glared him. He tightened the arm around her waist, and she subsided. "The Shikon-no-Tama is something that you have no right to, human. It's a youkai treasure, and we can smell it. I know you have it, and so does every youkai within a twenty mile radius. Just give it to me and they'll leave you alone." The woman in his arms shifted restlessly, but said nothing. He gritted his teeth as she inadvertently rubbed against his chest and thighs, setting off his already over-sensitised nerves. His claws grew slightly longer, the blood thumping in his head. "And as for why you're a snack, I assume it's because of the Jewel you've stolen, although..." he leant forward and slowly licked a long trail up the exposed side of her neck "...there could be other reasons, I guess."

 

Kagome opened and closed her mouth. Her eyes went wide in shock, before she closed them and tilted her head back against his shoulder, shivering as she exposed more of her skin to him. "This is the point where you're supposed to be scared, bitch." He'd meant it to come out as a threat, but instead his voice was low and husky, and he caught himself burying his face in her neck, scraping his elongated fangs carefully across skin that felt soft as silk under his mouth. The hand menacing her jugular dropped, and began to trace paths from her shoulder down to her opposite hip, sliding feather-light over the swell of her breasts. His brain managed to re-engage itself when she whimpered quietly.

 

Fuck. Just because youkai females won't have you doesn't mean you should molest your prey before... He shied away from finishing that sentence in his head. You're better than that. Instead he took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. He hovered on the brink of apologising to the woman he would most likely eviscerate within the hour, and gritted his teeth instead.

 

"What do you want with me?" Her voice was a soft, tremulous thread of confusion, and he had to fight for control as his imagination provided some unexpected and very graphic images of the dark-haired woman writhing naked beneath him.

 

"I just want the Shikon Jewel, OK?" Both of them noticed the frayed edge of his voice, and the lack of conviction. "I have orders..."

 

She turned to face him within the circle of his arms (when did I loosen my grip?), so close that her breath puffed against his skin. He cupped her hips and pulled her none too gently against him again, missing the heat of her body. This time, she met his arousal full on. After a slightly shocked look, she shifted her stance so his erection could rest more easily against her belly. Without thinking through the possible consequences, he ground his hips slowly against her and she arched her back, making the contact more intense. By now both of them were panting.

 

"I don't have it. I swear." It took a while before she could speak.

 

"I know you do..." The anger at her continuous denial finally cleared the fog of desire clouding his judgement… but only for a moment.

 

"Just search me. Then you'll know I'm not lying." It wasn't the look of clear-eyed appeal that shocked him, it was when she started unbuttoning her shirt, and he closed his eyes to futilely stop himself from sinking back into the haze she seemed to cause without any effort.

 

*

 

"Search me. Then you'll know I'm not lying."

 

It was the returning anger in his face that had goaded Kagome to throw down her challenge. He was beautiful; she'd not realised quite how much when she'd assessed him before, when he was still pinned to the wall, despite the electricity that sparked down her nerves whenever he touched her. He was slender, although his entire body was solid muscle; she'd been in enough physical contact to realise that. His long hair was almost silver rather than white, making her nearly cry with the need to slide her fingers into it. His canine ears flickered and Kagome suddenly realised she was desperate. She desperately wanted to prove she wasn't carrying some stolen youkai gem so he wouldn't be angry, and she desperately wanted his mouth on her again, his claws on her body. Dimly she realised she'd forgotten to be desperate for survival somewhere between his hands and her arousal, but couldn't focus on it. Gulping as she looked into the face of the youkai towering over her, she knew that she was playing with fire. But somehow, with her skin burning from the erotic movements of his hips, she couldn't bring herself to quite care.

 

He's not going to make this easy. I'm going to have to...

 

Slowly, her fingers made her way to her shirt, and she started unbuttoning it from the bottom hem. He closed his eyes briefly, looking torn. Kagome blushed, and concentrated on her fastenings; the silence was absolute apart from their ragged breathing. Then, finally, as the fabric fell open, his hands pulled hers away from her clothes.

 

"I'll do it. How do I know you won't just hide it in the clothes you take off?" His voice was in that low, husky register that made her knees go weak, and she obediently let go. He reached forward, and Kagome felt her heart almost stop, but instead of her shirt, he pulled off the scarf around her neck. He carefully ran the fabric through his fingers before dropping it to the floor. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 11 12:43:00 2008 ]"It's not there," his voice was a whisper of sound.

 

For a moment he seemed unsure, and simply looked at her. Kagome almost screamed with frustration and reached for his wrist. His eyes narrowed, and he twitched, but allowed her to pull up his hand and place it against her chest. His thumb moved, stroking her instantly-puckered nipple through her bra. Almost dizzy with surging arousal, Kagome whispered, "You need to look everywhere, or you'll never believe me."

 

With a sudden motion, he knelt at her feet and Kagome whimpered at the loss of his hand. Instead, he bent her knee and pulled off her shoe, throwing it behind him. He hooked his fingers into the top of her long stocking and pulled it off; she gingerly put her bare foot back down on the cold floor. The youkai started gently running his claws up and down her bare leg, each sweeping pass starting at the fragile bones of her ankle, up past her calf, over the back of her knee, and up the tender skin of her thigh. She put her hands on his shoulders to hold herself up as the maddening caresses moved closer to her inner thigh, and heard him laugh softly. With each sweep, Kagome unconsciously shifted, trying to move his touch higher up her leg and closer to her centre of sensation until his claw tips touched the very edges of her underwear. She sucked in her breath in anticipation, but instead, he moved to the other leg, pulling off her shoe and stocking, and then running his claws over and over until her knees were trembling. He leant forward and ran his tongue up the inside of her thigh to the barrier of her panties, then inhaled slightly and shuddered as she whimpered, her fingers tightening on his shoulders. His fangs scraped the inside of her thigh, and his claws slid under the elastic, resting on the bare skin of her hip.

 

"What do you think?" Her voice was a thin whisper of sound

 

"It's not there either." His voice wasn't much more than a rumble.

 

"Where now?"

 

Golden eyes (or were they red just then?) searched hers. He reached up and with one claw sliced open her skirt, tossing the fluttering remnant over his shoulder and then yanked her shirt down her arms and off. Kagome blushed at being unclothed apart from her underwear, unnerved by the predatory look in his eyes. He blinked and gave his head a shake before he pulled off his heavy jacket and threw it on the floor.

 

"Sit down."

 

Kagome sat as her knees gave out. The youkai crawled behind her, pulling off his shirt and dropping it next to her. His claws trailed over her back, slicing off her bra to join the rest of her ruined clothes. Kagome shivered with anticipation as his careful exploration moved to the sides of her body, each caressing pass coming closer and closer to the curves of her breasts until she was whimpering in frustration.

 

"Please..."

 

"Please what?"

 

"Just please."

 

He laughed quietly, and his hands slipped round to the front, sliding across her bare breasts for the first time. She gasped and arched into his hands, waves of sparks running from her breasts through her stomach straight to her groin. There was an answering growl from the youkai before she felt his mouth against the back of her neck and along her shoulders, nibbling delicately with his lips and fangs and then running his tongue over the sensitised skin. He cupped and moulded her breasts until she was squirming; when his fingers finally flicked her hardened nipples, she cried out from the sensation.

 

Pressing against her naked back, his skin was almost too hot as his clothed erection pushed against the curve of her bottom. The heat pooled between her thighs; Kagome caught one of his hands and pushed it down between her legs in silent appeal. When he curled his claws safely out of the way and began to rub her cleft through her panties, the resulting sensations shook both of them as she rocked against his palm. The harsh, guttural breathing in her ear and the way his tongue swirled up the side of her neck distracted her, until she dimly registered his growl of frustration just before his claws slashed away the thin material and left her naked in his arms.

 

In a swift movement, he pulled the blushing woman over backwards onto their discarded clothing and then straddled her thighs. His hands immediately covered her breasts while his tongue swept over the puncture wounds left by his claws. When his mouth fastened on a pert nipple, she arched helplessly into him. Laving wet trails whilst she buried her hands in his hair, he first flinched when slender fingers lightly stroked his ears, and then almost purred with contentment, licking her breasts with the same rhythm. Slowly moving his hand downwards so that she couldn't mistake his intentions, he slid his knuckle into her wet folds. Kagome whimpered and tried to open her thighs in encouragement. He brushed insistently against her sensitive nub and she cried out, her legs shaking as light exploded behind her eyes. Smiling against her skin, he licked and nuzzled his way down to her belly and traced each hipbone with his tongue.

 

Kagome was writhing with new and unbelievable sensations, when it stopped. The youkai kneeling over her had gone still, his hair over his face, his arms shaking. She opened her mouth to call his name, and then realised with some embarrassment that he'd never told her. Puzzling briefly on how to catch his attention, she gingerly tugged on his hair. He flung back his head in a swirl of silver, and she gasped at the nightmarish eyes of red and blue lacking any trace of gold. His fangs were longer, and violent red slashes ran down his cheeks as he snarled and snapped warningly at her fingers. She froze, fear trickling into the scent of her arousal. He went back to sniffing a particular spot just above her left hip and running his claws over her clear, unmarked skin. Pausing again, the signs of inner conflict clearly visible, he growled softly in what sounded like confusion.

 

Kagome swallowed hard and gathered her courage. Scooting down until she was fully under him, she reached up to caress his shoulders, never taking her eyes from his face. He snapped at her fingers again, but it was a half-hearted gesture. His skin was soft and fevered, hot and damp under her hands, laid over muscles that felt like iron. He closed his vivid eyes, sucking in a breath as she explored his arms and chest, tracing the tendons and following the curves of his rib cage. When her short nails reached his nipples and gently scratched over the sensitive flesh, he shuddered, making a low whining sound. Emboldened, Kagome moved with more confidence as he shivered and moaned, until he watched her with heavy-lidded, now-golden eyes. Feeling much braver, she leant up on her elbows and kissed his chest, sliding her tongue over his skin and savouring the taste, before fastening her mouth around his nipple. He groaned and cupped the back of her head, encouraging her to linger. Kagome shifted her weight onto one elbow until she could reach the knot securing his loose trousers.

 

She ran her fingers around the waistband, already slung low on his hips, tracing the firm muscles and soft skin disappearing beneath the thick material. Before she could lose her nerve, she slipped her hand inside his trousers, plunging her fingertips into short hair. The youkai made a sound between a growl and purr, which grew in intensity when her shaking hand wrapped around his long, hard length. She bit her lip in concentration, hesitantly moving her hand backwards and forwards until he began to thrust into her hand. Growing in confidence and fascinated at his response, she took over the rhythm, sliding along the hot, soft skin, her palm quickly becoming slick and wet while he made high-pitched noises in the back of his throat. He started moving faster and quicker, his breathing harsh. Before she could bring him to what she felt sure would be the same level of pleasure as he had previously to her, he abruptly pushed her flat, seized both of her hands and roughly pinned them on either side of her head. Her own eyes wide with shock at his quick movements, she noted with relief that his were still golden, even though his cheeks remained harshly striped.

 

"Not yet." The words were almost unintelligible.

 

He let go of her hands and crawled back down her body, trailing his tongue over her damp skin until he dropped between her legs and took a long, wicked lick. Kagome gasped and twisted under him, almost unable to bear the sensations, especially when he used his fingers to hold open her slick folds, the combination of the cold air and his hot breath making her shudder. His tongue brushed against her most sensitive nub and she almost screamed, pushing her hips upward in a wordless plea for more. In response, he alternately sucked gently and tenderly licked until her entire body convulsed in a thrashing orgasm that momentarily made her forget how to breathe. As she gasped and quivered with the aftershocks, his half smile caused her heart to stop again.

 

As he pulled off his loose trousers and knelt between her thighs, the youkai admired the flushed young woman framed by his rumpled uniform jacket, her dark hair tumbling wildly around her face. Kagome reached for his erection, stroking his hard length again before he groaned and firmly moved her hand away. She nervously licked her lips at what was about to happen, forcing her trembling legs to relax as he settled into position. His velvety tip nudged at her entrance, and they both gasped; exhaling a steadying breath, he pushed his hips forward, and suddenly, he was completely inside her.

 

Kagome winced, but his penetration wasn't as painful as expected. He paused as her body accommodated his invasion, until she rocked her hips in invitation. As he started to thrust, she whimpered at the sensations, completely overwhelmed. Gripping his muscled arms as he moved inside and over her, sparking trails of electricity tingled over her entire body. She could hear herself making small, animalistic noises, but couldn't seem to do anything about them and didn't really care.

 

He moved faster, droplets of sweat beading on his skin. Abruptly rearing upright onto his knees, he hooked her legs over his arms and gripped her hips to give himself greater access; she arched up, gasping, fumbling for his wrists to anchor herself against his powerful thrusts. His face was drawn, his fangs bared in a snarl, and he was the most beautiful thing Kagome had ever seen, even when his eyes burned red. She pushed herself up on her hands and kissed him on the lips for the first time. His entire body tensed up before he shouted his release, and collapsed on top of her.

 

 

*

 

After a few moments, when his breathing had steadied somewhat, Inuyasha carefully disentangled himself from the clinging girl, despite the pleasant sensations of her slim hands tenderly caressing his back as she tried to catch her breath. Grimacing, he used a piece of her destroyed clothing to clean himself off before pulling on his trousers. She was watching him with a dazed expression, her heartbeat still pattering rapidly in his ears. He helped her sit up and dropped his discarded shirt over her head. When her shaking fingers fumbled the ties, he silently took over fastening the garment and then scooped both her and his uniform jacket into his arms. Crossing the room to the corner farthest from the opening, he sat down cross-legged, settling her in his lap and wrapping his jacket around both of them.

 

"Would it be a bad time to ask your name?" Her voice was almost shy.

 

"Inuyasha."

 

"Um... it's nice to meet you, Inuyasha,” she murmured, her cheeks flushing.

 

He smiled despite himself, but said nothing.

 

"I've never heard of a human and a youkai... you know..."

 

"It's not unheard of, although it's rare. My mother was human." Inuyasha cursed himself for giving her the information, whilst at the same time he cuddled her close.

 

"Inuyasha..."

 

"What?"

 

"Is it always like that?"

 

Like you'd know, hanyou. Inuyasha ignored the mocking voice in his head that too often sounded like his pure blood brother. "Which bit exactly?"

 

"Just... when you... you are very passionate... I thought you might bite me." He felt her wriggle self-consciously, and automatically ran his hand down her back in a comforting manner whilst his brain tried to process what she was saying, or rather, not saying. It took some time for his brain to wrest control from his extremely contented body.

 

Oh. That. "Were you scared?"

 

"A little… only once or twice." She seemed ashamed of the confession.

 

"You should have been. You do have the Shikon no Tama, but it's inside you, right above your hip." His face darkened as he remembered the exact moment he thought she'd betrayed him, and was seducing him to conceal the Jewel. He'd wanted so badly to punish her until he realised there were no scars or marks on her skin indicating a surgical insertion, and that knowledge gave him enough strength to fight his darker impulses. [Author ID1: at Thu Dec 11 13:12:00 2008 ]

 

"I didn't know." She went pale beneath the post-coital flush.

 

"Yeah." Somehow he didn't question that it was the truth and continued gently soothing her tension until she laid pliant in his arms.

 

"Inuyasha... what happens now?"

 

"Now? It's coming to dusk, so I suggest you sleep while you can, because it's too dangerous for any human, never mind the carrier of the Shikon Jewel, to be running around loose.”

 

"And tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?" she whispered, tensing up again.

 

He didn't answer and she trembled, fear tainting her warm scent. In lieu of listing off all the mostly-unpleasant things that could happen on the morrow, instead he tucked her bare legs inside the circle of his own and made sure the rest of her was completely covered by his clothing. Then he tightly wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her head. Kagome slowly relaxed against him as her fear turned to resignation and she snuggled into the warmth of his body; eventually, one slender hand slipped up his bare chest and curled around the nape of his neck.

 

He exhaled lightly as he adopted a watchful doze. It's a good question; what are you going to do tomorrow, Inuyasha? The Jewel has to go back to the Pack, either inside her or not, but neither option is going to improve her chances of survival. Or… are you going to disobey orders for the sake of one human girl and risk punishment after you've worked so hard to be accepted? And even then, if you let her go and pretend you couldn't find her, how long is her life expectancy without protection? She didn't ask for the Shikon-no-Tama to be inside her, that much is sure.

 

Inuyasha looked down at the dark-haired young woman. Kagome had fallen asleep, trusting and vulnerable in his arms. With no-one to see, he cradled her closer than he had any right to, memorizing her features and burning them into his memory. He could smell himself all over her, and beneath that heady scent, her natural delicate sweetness that made him lose his senses. A wave of jealous possessiveness swept over him at the thought of anyone else touching her, let alone hurting her… yet wrapped around them both was his uniform, the reason he'd tracked her in the first place, the symbol of his people's power and the basis of the fragile acceptance he enjoyed… until now.

 

Fuck.

 

The hardened Pack Hunter, holding close the assigned target which had shaken his entire world, watched the night shadows creep closer and wished tomorrow would never come.