InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cold ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter Eight

 

March 12th, 4035

 

Wide, clear skies painted in various purple hues and littered with fat, puffy clouds stretched above the two familiar strangers as they left Kagome’s dome. Smothered behind the blanket of fluff, a charming fireball struggled to share it warmth with the organisms milling below. A subtle downturn tugged at the corners of Sesshomaru’s lips. Comfortable among the pitch black, vastness of space and the artificial environments his ship walls conjured, Rektan 7 felt harshly vibrant to his eyes despite his weeks spent on planet and the many Xaltaric oriented ventures from his temporary refuge.

Even though he would just as soon return to his spacecraft, he could not deny the gentle breeze was a welcome, delicate caress to his skin and the natural, earthy scent of nature an attractive perfume to his nose. Luxuries he often longed for during extended voyages across galaxies. No matter the technology he acquired, the raw essence that was nature had yet to be replicated to his satisfaction.

Contentment growing slowly beneath the picturesque scene, Sesshomaru indulged a glanced at his petite companion as they traveled leisurely towards the nearest teleport. The beautiful female had insisted a trek through the park would be good for them both and maybe a bite to eat on the way back wouldn’t be remiss. Feeling magnanimous and in the mood to stretch his legs, Sesshomaru had agreed with a slight inclination of his silver head.

Such an outing would position him to delve further into the enigma that was this woman as well as an opportunity to reconnoitre a wider range than he’d been able to during his trips from meeting Delr’ik and back to Kagome’s dome. From the moment they’d stepped outdoors, his system began a silent monitoring of their surroundings. The clandestine, low frequency sensor was wide and sweeping, scanning faces and buildings as they passed and analyzing the data it funneled. So far, there’d not been a single trace of the Gilrex, at least not in this solar system. Reports indicated the syndicate were scouring the space around Saratuo, but Sesshomaru was disinclined to lend any significant credence to the information.

The Gilrex were sly, crafty cretin.

He put nothing past anyone.

For all he knew, his enemy walked right next to him.

Even after scanning his escape pod wreckage, tormenting answers from those involved in his attack and running an in-depth analysis on the data he’d compiled he still remained largely in the dark about the cloak they’d used to ambush him initially. Where had it come from?

How did it function?

By what means was it detectable?

Where could he get his hands on one?  

He knew next to nothing and that lack was unsettling.

With such glaring ignorance in play, he could not solely rely on the results his internal system presented concerning detectable threats lurking within his surroundings. His pursuers could very well be utilizing the camouflage device and he would not know it. Until he had thoroughly examined the cloak and developed counter measures to nullify its effects, all incoming reports would be met with heavy skepticism. For now, he would allow the superiority of his canine senses to take priority over internal read outs. Smell, sight, and instinct, his most honed defenses would take up the slack in his tech.

“We can take teleport 7, it’ll put us right outside the park’s entrance.”

The softly spoken suggestion brought him from his musings and drew his considering gaze back to his female companion. Luminous sunlight gleamed against the raven pigtails nestled atop her bust, the shinny strands curled inwardly at the ends, drawing his assessing regard to the subtle, enticing breast bounce her leisurely gait generated. Sapphire gems peeped beneath thick charcoal lashes, their dark crescent seemingly darker in contrast to the gentle pink painting her cheeks. She was aware of his wandering eye, knew where his attention lingered.

A heady scent tickled his nose.

Arousal.

Heat crept down his spine and the delicious pangs of want unfurled in his groin.

He was attracted to this mystery woman. Lured by the silk of her skin, drawn to the intoxicating scent her flesh exuded, entranced with the peaks, curves and bountiful mounds that shaped her feminine figure. Perhaps even more alluring was the realization that he was not alone in this magnetic attraction. She wanted him just as bad he wanted her, of that, he was certain. Quickly nearing the hundredth year marking his birth, Sesshomaru knew much about the opposite sex. Having plundered females across the universe’s wide expanse, sampling beautiful women from one species to another, Sesshomaru had become well versed in the silent articulation the physical form whispered.

Body language.

The unspoken wants and desires that arose unbidden from an individuals subconscious; subtle leaks that helped him discern fact from lie, friend from foe, and a female in lust with his perfected self. The heat between them was unmistakable and even more pertinent, he saw no reason not to indulge their mutual attraction. Far too long had passed since he’d found ease between the thighs of a female.

Something shiny twinkled below her ample bosom.

His eyes dropped then settled on the glinting metal reflecting the suns rays. The heated wave returned, tightening the muscles lining his lower abdomen and redirecting the steady flow in his veins to the slowly hardening member in his pants.  

‘Far too long.’ he reiterated silently as he watched the beckoning shimmer winking from her naval ring.

A low, familiar chime filled his head, abruptly dampening and containing the molten lust pounding in his blood. Though unsuccessful in its extinguishing, it was more than enough to turn his ever sharp mind to business. The teleport melded into view as he granted his right hand man access to a layer within his psyche. Years spent in service to the exacting, silver haired leader had established strict communication etiquette. Whether contact was made virtually or physically, the expectation was the same. Get to the point and get there quickly, for the Xaltaric overlord had little patience for delayed disclosure. If one called upon and retained the Xaltan’s attention, he wanted to know the purpose behind the call immediately, and he wanted to know yesterday. To dawdle before the exalted Xerian was to invite a harsh reprimand at his merciless claws, a fate many that followed him loyally shuddered to contemplate.

With that unwavering precedent firmly in mind, the instant their internal systems connected, Delr’ik launched into the crux of his call without preamble

‘They admit to stealing the pheran,’ came his smooth baritone, ‘but claim it was a theft of opportunity rather than premeditation. A ‘right place at the right time’ situation. Highly unlikely considering--’

‘It is not neutral space.’ Sesshomaru finished.

The delivery route and predetermined destination lay deep within Xaltaric friendly territory. A galaxy teeming with allies that manned pit stop planets and refueling space stations servicing only his syndicate while rejecting others with the ruthless hostility Sesshomaru mandated per their prearranged agreements. The Foxling risked much traveling anywhere near that star system. One that would have paid off for the miniature organization had he in fact perished.

‘That fact alone calls their explanation into question, however, it is their suspicious behavior leading up to the assassination attempt and the omission of those abnormal activities in their denial that give them away. They knew well before the hit took place, weeks, maybe even months before.’

Delr’ik opened several displays all at once, arranging the grainy videos, still shots and eye witness reports in neat rows. A black and white video rose to the forefront within Sesshomaru’s mind’s eye. In the low quality reel, a sleek ship coasted the vacuum of space between Saratuo and its primary moon. Speeding up the film, Delr’ik explained its significance.

‘They set up a scout a month prior and left it hovering within Saratuo’s orbit.’

Bright light bloomed and the ship burst into motion, thundering from the camera’s eye in a fraction of a second.

‘It disengaged abruptly to trail your ship a handful of hours before the attack.’

A different screen took the videos place. This one a readout mapping a pinging signal from a Foxling ship to their command center light-years away.

‘They waited and communicated with a nearby compound. We were unable to discern the contents of their conversations, but their signal puts their location just beyond your ships detection.’

More video, this one, he recognized as originating from the surveillance system lining his ship. While the recording quality was leagues above the previous film, the dust and pulsating light marking explosions made it difficult to see. The recording paused, and a crimson circle appeared just behind his ship. It zoomed several times, outlining the scouting vessel from earlier.

‘It sat and observed the ensuing fire fight, then left to avoid the impending explosion of your ship.’

The motion picture retreated, and a photo stack took center stage. Delr’ik shifted the pictures one after another as he spoke.

‘Two weeks before that, however, a fleet of their quickest space cruisers were enroute to the missing shipment’s first drop off.’

Several angles of the fleet in question passed, each shot from different allies charged with monitoring and ensuring his shipments safe passage. Footage and photos from various pit stop planets and space stations documented and tracked their progress throughout the star system.

‘These sightings were reported, but either the Foxling or the Gilrex scattered their correspondence, delaying the information up until a week ago.’

More pictures depicting the stalking and subsequent attack.

‘Days prior to the ambush, they skirted the detection rage of the shipment crew and lay in wait. Once you and the Gilrex were engaged in combat, they made their move. At each interval, they planned their moves quite carefully. This was, in no way, shape or form, an opportunistic grab.’

Sesshomaru had never even entertained the notion that it had been but having his assumptions confirmed in such unmitigated detail amplified the quiet fury he’d been harboring for weeks.

‘I am not in a forgiving mood, Delr’ik.’

Not that he ever was.

Amusement hummed over the line.

‘It is not often that you are, Xaltan,’ Delr’ik chuckled, ‘Their punishment, sir?’

Amber eyes narrowed.

‘Their Lieutenants, show them to the red rooms stationed on Gri and ensure the clientele receive their money’s worth of entertainment. I will deal personally with their leader. As for their subordinates, they are to be eliminated immediately upon sight, no exceptions. Liquidate their assets, dismantle their fleet ports and reduce their pathetic compounds to ruble. The Foxlings are finished, I want their eradication complete within six months time.’

Finished with his vengeful dictates and stood before teleport 7, Sesshomaru reached out to place his hand on the payment scanner. Unlike the time she’d placed a gentle hand to his fevered forehead, his perception was uninhibited by painful radiation and he sensed her move long before he felt her touch. She gripped his hand with her softer one, halting its descent. The benign contact felt charged against his flesh, as though some unseen energy had clashed with his aura. It was both arousing and peculiar. A sensation he’d never experience from any species he had come across in his extended life, aside from his own people and even so, it felt nothing like youkai energy. As suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.

“Is that a good idea? If there’s people after you, won’t they be monitoring your accounts? They’ll be able to track your movements and pinpoint your location based on your electronic footprints.”

Intrigued with the spark, he brushed aside her hold and paid their fare.

There was no longer a need for the caution he’d exuded upon his haggard arrival. At the time, he hadn’t known the depths with which betrayal ran in his ambush, if his system had been compromised during the attack or the scope such a breach would entail. He’d left nothing to chance in his battered position, but in the weeks it’d taken him to heal, he’d thoroughly, meticulously analyzed, inspected and strengthened his safeguards only to repeat the process over and over again, until he deemed himself secure. By now, the Gilrex knew he lived, and if they were still unaware, once punishment for the Foxling began, they would put the pieces together and come for him. With his healing nearing completion, he welcomed their renewed pursuance of his death. He would enjoy their slaughter with the great relish his savage inner self exuded in the midst of bloodshed.

“My time spent healing has not been fruitless, I’ve long since secured and reinforced my systems. Any electronic interactions I initiate are buried beneath the impenetrable depth of encryption,” he informed her, retrieving his hand from the metal pad, “I assure you, a security breech now is as close to impossible as you can imagine.”

Internally, he opened a sensory program to record that spark from earlier should it return. He wanted to know what it was, what its composition consisted of and if it was anything like his own canine energy. Under the guise of ushering her through the portal, he placed a strong palm to the attractive dip in her spine, high enough to satisfy propriety but low enough to be interpreted as suggestive.

She didn’t object to his handling and the heated gleam in her sapphire orbs left him little doubt to the reason behind her silent acceptance. He sent her his own smoldering glance even as he monitored the program’s readout for a hint of that energy spike.

‘Six months,’ Sesshomaru reiterated, returning to his virtual conversation, ‘and their entire operation is to be dismantled, every member executed. I want their entire cartel wiped from existence.’

He would make an example of those greedy, opportunistic Vulpes. That such a imbecilic, pitiful group would risk his wrath and move to profit from his demise even before they’d received confirmation he no longer breathed highlighted a new dynamic he’d been unaware of. In the years following his brutal takeover of the Xaltaric empire, he had become soft, had become a being that was to be tested and trifled with by even the weakest among him, those unfit to tread the ground upon which he walked. The ruthless precedent he’d set was beginning to fade. The underground world that had once trembled in his mighty presence, that tiptoed and kowtowed to avoid his ire, had grown audacious and daring. No longer reluctant to incur his wrath.Confident enough to believe they possessed the strength and strategic intellect to execute him. Had he been a creature inclined to laugh he would have.

Fools.

He would disabused them that ludicrous notion and rehash his heartless nature for those that had forgotten, starting with the Foxling.

‘Of course Xaltan. It will be as you command.’

Delr’ik dropped the line.

Satisfied that his orders were to be carried out, Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the female next to him as they step from the metal teleport.

“This is it.” she chirped, leading him through the open gate nestled between shiny black metal fencing.

The park beyond was heavily vegetated, beautifully manicured and irritatingly lively. Among its lush, aquamarine fields and gently swaying, salmon hued trees, small youngling squealed with laughter as they chased each other to and fro beneath their parental unit’s amused regard. A few children, spawned from various species, were playing hide and go seek together, their little bodies pathetically concealed among coral bushes and holographic playground equipment. Two arthropod parents sat on a nearby bench, their red shells shinny, tentacle like mouths slithering as they spoke and chortled.

The noise grated on his nerves.

“There’s a lake down the hover trail,” she told him, gesturing to a dirt path off to the side, “that’s where I usually go. Its really pretty and quiet.”

She set off for the path. Discontent around the yelling and shrill sounds, Sesshomaru followed without complaint. Half way through the blue forest, she shot a glance his way.

“You alright?” she questioned over her shoulder.

The crystal’s radiation had long since cleared and the combined, lingering effects of pheran and a recent pain inhibitor ensured any discomfort was minimal at best.

A slight nod was her answer.

She gave him a quick, assessing once over, then turn and resumed their trek to the aforementioned lake, leaving the boisterous playground noise behind. He watched her as she bounced excitedly towards the glittering pool, zooming his scanner for a hint of power. Not a single inflection passed his scope. No charged air, no electrifying aura, nothing.

At the water’s edge, she turned to face his stony regard, smile radiant.

“What do you think?” she asked, gesturing to their secluded spot, “Nice huh?”

Golden orbs roamed the tree shrouded water, wordlessly conceding the lilac depths coupled with the azure vegetation lent the sunny area a very serene image.

It was tranquil.

Quiet and still.

An environment more aligned with his preferences than the chaos they’d passed upon entering the park. Pink movement fluttered across his peripheral, drawing his gaze. Pigtails gleaming, Kagome trudged to the water’s edge, paused a moment, then stepped in. Lavender liquid parted, and shimmering rainbow colored stepping crystals rose beneath her feet as she crossed water. He followed her petite form at a sedate pace, indulging himself a long, thorough study of the plump buttocks encased in white fabric.  

Settling on a spot shaded by thick hanging branches from a far reaching tree, she paused again. Connecting to the lake’s computer he surmised. Holographic seating materialized a few paces from them, confirming his suspicion. A white, nearly translucent patio swing formed, its tan sun blocker curving over the head rest. Kagome took a seat, before raising a silent brow, a nonverbal invitation. He settled himself next to her, his proximity less than proper. The flush returned to her cheeks but she uttered not a word of protest to his invasion of her personal space. The seating began a lulling sway and a comfortable hush bloomed between them, both content to enjoy the peace nature offered, and the slow sexual tension their nearness bred. Nanonites crawled away from her feet, deconstructing her sandals. The rainbow hued footing followed, leaving her bare toes to skim across the softly rippling water.

“This is so nice,” she sighed after a while, “I can’t remember the last time I had a day off to just relax and breathe.”

Sesshomaru leaned back against his head rest.

He knew not the meaning of a ‘day off’. A ‘workaholic’ he’d heard his men whisper when describing their Xaltan. Today would be no different. There were mysteries to be solved, an attractive female to pump for information. Rest held little interest for him. There’d be time enough to rest when he was dead.

“Five years,” she huffed, “five years I’ve worked at Rizek and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve had a day off.”

Sharp golden orbs cut in her direction. Seizing the opportunity to delve into her mind, he asked, “And for how many more years do you plan to waste waiting tables?”

Her lips pursed in offense, but relaxed just as quickly. Even she could not defend her hardworking job to nowhere.

“Until I can find something better,” she admitted, “or save enough money to put myself through educational programming, whichever comes first.”

She reached up to toy with the pigtail curled just below her left breast.

“I’ll probably get something quick, a skill set and certificate, though, honestly, I’d love to attend Fine Arts programming.”

She hadn’t done anything art related since he’d been at her home.

“Painter?” he questioned.

“A little of everything, sketching, drawing, painting, sculpting and a bit of pottery here and there,” she smiled sheepishly, “I haven’t really had the time for any of it since the summer. When the programming term started this year, my brother enrolled in the district soccer team and let me tell ya, its not cheap. New equipment, mandatory physicals, uniforms, cleats and admissions fees, I had to pick up more hours at work to keep up. Who wants to paint after a twelve hour shift?”

She brought her feet up, tucking them under her in the seat.

“I’d love to make a living creating commissioned art,” she susurrated wistfully, “ It was always my dream when I was young…”

Dark brows furrowed a beat later. She looked confused, her sapphire depths swimming with uncertainty, as though questioning the validity of her own statement. The perplexing moment passed seconds later, and she turned curious eyes to his.

“What about you? Was owning a successful business your childhood dream?”

The pup he’d once been had never had any such desire. Trivial employ was low hanging fruit, a repugnant standard satisfactory to the incompetent and weak. There was only one pursuit his young mind had deemed worthy, one befitting his station, and that was of power.

Of far reaching dominion.

Dominance to wipe the stain of powerlessness from his childhood. Still to this day, it was a driving, gnawing hunger he sought to sate. A festering wound he was determined to soothe.

“I held no affinity for one profession over another. From the time I was ambulatory, attaining power by any means necessary has been the only goal worthy of my attention. Pursuing that ambition has led to the acquisition and expansion of my company, it is naught but an unplanned symptom arising from that core motive.”

Her head tilted at his words.

“Attaining power,” she repeated questioningly, “That’s an…oddly broad goal and certainly not what I expected.”

“It is a common ambition on Xer, expected, and revered.”

Essential one could even say. His homeworld was not one for the feeble and fragile. He had experienced and learned that truth early and harshly.

“On this plane of existence,” he said to both her and himself, “strength, influence, wealth and the ability to obtain them is paramount. The strong persevere and the weak kneel at their feet. There is no in between.”

She scowled.

“That’s some arrogant superiority complex you’re stewing in,” she scoffed, “if that’s the ideology you grew up with on your planet, then I feel sorry for you. There’s more to life than who’s strong or weak and sure money and status is nice if you can get either one but that’s a side dish of life, not the main course.”

She shifted closer, an earnest twinkle in her eyes.

“Life’s about cherishing those close to you, regardless of their strengths and weaknesses. Its about enjoying your time here, however long that is, and living in the moment not just surviving. Endless fighting and engaging in ridiculous power struggles when the universe is big enough for everyone to live peacefully is not living, you’re missing out on the point of being alive.”

“You are woefully naive.”

“And you’re unnecessarily cruel.”

His lip curled, a savage gleam lighting his amber depths. She had no clue how deep or how far his heartless disposition extended. And he could only surmise that the barest glimpse into the brutality upon which he thrived would draw more than a disapproving frown. The rush of rending flesh, the methodical almost hypnotic dance that encompassed battle was a euphoria she couldn’t begin to understand. One he would not relinquish for even one cosmic quadrant to find harmony.

Peace.

He sneered internally.

What need had he for peace?

“Might makes right is a barbaric practice that has no place in civilized society.” she griped.

“Yet it is not a concept exclusive to Xer,” he countered, “I’ve travelled a great deal of the civilized universe, Enforced numerous galaxies and countless planets you will never hear of, and on every world, the hierarchy is the same.”

Weeding the inferior from the elite was an ingrained mentality necessary on Xer, and yet a far crucial mindset when navigating the vast, so called ‘civilized’ cosmos. One that could not fight nor defend was useless, a disposable weight to be discarded quickly and efficiently. The universe was an endless void filled to the brim with creatures that rivaled him in savagery. Entire species and civilizations that lived only to visit pain, death and chaos to any cosmic quadrant unmarred by their twisted desires. Compromising one’s safety and wasting energy coddling weaklings fostered vulnerabilities a warrior could ill afford.

“The puissant thrive and the powerless yield. What you label barbarism is merely the natural evolution essential to a republics construction. A coalition of weaklings will only find themselves cannibalized by their betters and exploited by their enemies. That is the inescapable truth governing the reality in which you and I live. Those that lack strength and fortitude are best served beneath the control and mandate of a greater influence in a symbiotic structure that in turn establishes order and ensures societal survival is maintained.”

She seemed uncomfortable as she digested his words, a touch of wariness filling her own eyes before she looked away from the hardness in his. It amused him, her discomfort with his harsh, cutthroat reality. Considering the female seemed to reside on the fragile end of the spectrum denoting strength, he could understand her illogical attachment to fictitious, nonsensical notions. It was a coping mechanism for inadequacy he’d seen time and again; an attempt to hide behind unrealistic fairytale ideals rather than accepting limitations.

“I supposed there’s a bit of truth to that,” she conceded huffily, brushing imaginary lint from her shorts, “we have a police force and military for a reason, but I don’t agree that just because an individual isn’t freakishly strong or freakishly rich they should be made to live beneath the boot of pompous egotists. That’s not a life anyone should have to live, regardless of strength.”

She frowned at him.

“And I think you’re viewing the strong vs weak dynamic with a perception that’s excessively callous,” she continued, “sure, not everyone is cut out to fight a war or join the Intergalactic Enforcement coalition, or become millionaires but their life and contributions have worth. The fuel stations littered across space are run and maintained by ‘weaklings’ and yet they’re vital to any cosmic traveller and that includes the all powerful Enforcers and Enforce types that look down on them. Without them, you’d get nowhere fast. The underpaid telecommunication staff that transmit messages across unfathomable distances are just as important as the battalions of blaster wielding soldiers receiving it.”

He raised a brow.

“Its a symbiotic relationship,” she agreed, “but its a mutually beneficial one that has equal advantages for both parties involved. You can hardly revere one side while disdaining the other.”

“Their contributions are substantial, their existence is not. As easily as they fill those positions, they can just as easily be replaced by another.”

Her lips pursed and an exasperated breath passed between her lips.

“You are just absolutely determined to lord over us peons,” she accused, half joking half annoyed, “and weather that’s a consequence of your upbringing on Xer or an ingrained character flaw wrapped up in your personality is anyone’s guess but with your reasoning and interpretation of reality, I can see how someone of your temperament would crave an ‘elevated’ position in life.”

Placing an elbow along the backrest, she laid her cheek against her fist.

“Considering your current success, I’d say you’ve reached that pinnacle already.”

His expression following that pronouncement was mildly merciless.

“There is more to be gained before I am satisfied.”

“Like?”

“Fostering influence within connecting cosmic sectors,” he listed casually, “pharmaceutical marketing and distribution to undeveloped and war torn worlds, mapping and conquering unexplored recesses of space, aligning trading posts and routes to areas currently inaccessible. There are many avenues that await my pursuit, the universe is a vast place teeming with potential, my reach is but a pebbled within that mass.”

“Normally I’d say you’re incredibly ambitious, but considering what you’ve amassed already and your underlying motivations, greedy is a more appropriate description.You’re excessively greedy.”

He didn’t blink.

“I do not deny it.”

Kagome laughed.

“Most people don’t proudly own up to such a glaring vice.”

His lips curled, tall form shifting closer.

“I am not most people.”

Dull pink crept into her cheeks, and her lush body drifted subtly towards his.

“Oh?”

Disinclined to elaborate, he closed the small gap between them instead. Their mouths met with an exploratory whisper, fusing in a slow melding he felt deep in his groin. They kissed, soft suction that filled their quiet seat on the lake with the unmistakable sounds of sexual intimacy. Plush, warm, moist, her tender lips suffused his veins with molten lust. Blazing need erupted, its sudden rush and intensity taking him by surprise. He reached for her, sliding an arm around her curved waist, and hauling her flush against his body. Plump breasts cushioned his hard pecs, their heat searing beneath the clothing that separated their bare flesh. She mewled approval into his lips as she circled his neck and threaded questing fingertips through the silky stands at his nape. Such benign contact that held the charge he’d felt earlier. Turned on, he parted her lips with an aggressive sweep of his tongue, caressing the moist depths beyond. Sensation swamped his senses, reminiscent to the pounding rush Pheran produced, but deeper, more potent in a way he’d never encountered.

Pleasure infused tendrils skated across his nerve endings, urging a pounding tension to collect in his abdomen.

Along the fringes lining his psyche, the beast stirred.

A growl left his throat, and his grip tightened, mashing her body tighter to his while devouring a mouth that tasted like paradise. Another heatwave blasted his flesh, fizzling and crackling against his youkai aura. Smoldering, carnal fervor flared, spreading, engulfing his body in blazing desire. Blood rushed to his cock, the abrupt shift leaving him light headed and wanting. He returned her burgeoning energy with his own volatile pulse, slathering his tongue to hers when the ensuing catalyst clashed between them. She pulled back, shuddering, breath heaving inches from his lips. Velvety fingertips smoothed over his jagged magenta stripes, the touch sending an aching throb to his hardened sex. His fingers flexed, muscles tensing as he contemplated ravaging her mouth again. His lust glazed mind hungered for more, urging him to lean in for another taste.

He felt intoxicated.

High, drunk and horny all at once.

Just as he dipped his head to take her mouth again, her eyes opened.

Sliver orbs ensnared his own, the glowing spheres glinting like molten metal, shinning brighter than the brightest moon. Trapped within her hypnotic gaze, a haze built in his mind. Arousal, painful in its intensity swept through him.

The loud beeping of his system sounded far away to his ears.

‘Potential threat detected,’ the computer warned, ‘An unknown energy has entered your system.’

His brain was sluggish to respond, barely able to comprehend the alert. An analytic program began reflexively, scanning and re-scanning the invading energy and comparing it to other known substances he’d encountered. Her lips ghosted over his, taking his attention from the readings and swarming his senses in pulsating desire. He braced himself, struggling to resist the burning need to join more than their lips, only to be saved from his internal conflict when she unfolded from his embrace.

Eyes closed, fingers clenched in the soft fabric of his shirt, she drew a shaky breath. He watched her, curious and aching, contemplating how much she’d object if he spread her thighs and gave her what they both wanted. What they both knew was soon to happen.

Her dark lashes rose and the haunting glow was gone.

‘Energy retracted. Threat no longer detected.’

She leaned forward, sliding her hands over the hard muscles of his chest. Nose to nose, glinting sapphire orbs met incandescent amber.

“We should go.” she murmured.

Sesshomaru declined to answer, using the ensuing silence to compose his raging emotions.

xxxxxx

Beneath the soft cyan florescent dangling above their dinner table, Kagome stole a glance at her companion for what felt like the hundredth time. He was staring at her, unabashedly analyzing her with the twinkling emerald light shifting inside hardened, shrewd gold. She nixed the conspicuous peek she’d intended, and instead leveled a not so subtle glare. In response to or despite her scowl, his pupil contract and a subtle flash, much like a camera winked.

She turned back to her food.

Annoyed.

He could scan all he wanted, she doubted his invasive probing would produce the answers he sought, though It wouldn’t be lack of trying on his part. He was as nosy and dogged in his perusal as any canine she’d ever encountered and while she preferred not to be examined like some sort of scientific anomaly, and resented the unsolicited scrutiny, she couldn’t fault him for it. Her…‘alien’ qualities were disconcerting to experience, even for her and she was the one exhibiting the strange side effects. There was an avalanche of things she didn’t know about herself and in many cases, she was as new to her body’s unique quirks as he was. The flare their kiss ignited on the lake conjured was one. She’d never felt such a potent quickening in her blood before. The flow had been like a raging river, swallowing her whole and dragging her downstream at breakneck speed.

And she’d been more than willing to drown beneath its tugging current.

When they touched, when they shared burning heat and lustful tongues, the culminating storm was electrifying.

She wasn’t sure if that inferno was all her or a symptom of his alien qualities acting as a catalyst for hers. She wasn’t the only that was different. There was a humming power intrinsic to him, a magnetism that cloaked his body like delicious honey. It was no more tangible than her cuei but she felt its presences blaring across her flesh all the same. He oozed an aura her girly parts and apparently her cuei loved.

And while her mind was on the topic, her skyrocketing levels was yet another puzzle to unravel. She looked down at her hands. There was a quiet pulse in them, a heartbeat that had nothing to do with the organ thrumming inside chest. Her fingertips tingled and buzzed, her skin felt hypersensitive and caressed by the softest satin invisible to her eyes. The amount of cuei coursing through her veins was astronomical. She was brimming with the mysterious energy, every nerve ending saturated beyond capacity. Swimming in low frequency bliss she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Her whole body just felt…good.

It was an amazing sensation.

A heightened state she’d never experienced to this extent.

Sexual need had always stirred her obscure energy, and considering the explosive nature denoting the attraction between them, perhaps it made sense that it was feeding her cuei to dangerous levels.

Shoveling another mouthful in, Kagome chewed slowly, focusing on the bursting flavor rather than her desire to look at her companion.

She had her own questions about him, her own curiosity as to how and why he’d stoked her energy to such heightened peaks with the simple meeting of lips. Lust was a conduit for it, but it took more than heated osculation to raise it half of what it was now. He wanted to know what what she was and what that meant, and she wanted to the know the same about him.

What was he contributing to the friction between them.

Reaching for her glass, she contemplated verbalizing her burgeoning curiosity and as she sipped her wine, she discarded it.

For the moment, he’d left his questions to silence, seemingly content to quietly analyze her with suspicious eyes and anatomizing technology. She had no intention of filling in the blanks for him with the little she knew and she wasn’t in the mood to open herself to an interrogation over dinner.

 

Like him, she’d hold her questions.

Talking about situations she couldn’t explain only intensified his relentless probing. She remembered quite well the litany of questions following her proclamation about the holes in her memory, the tireless questioning that rose subsequently. Discussing her cuei would go over as well as explaining that her fractured memories only began as a ten year old girl. They’d merely serve to make her appear more suspicious, her answers increasingly suspect.

Attraction aside, there time together was limited. Once he was fully healed, probably days away from that realization, he’d have no reason to remain in her abode.

He’d go back to his life and she to hers.

There was little reason to share anything other than passing niceties.

Reassured by her own logic, Kagome returned to her food, pointedly ignoring the fierce scrutiny radiating from across the table. She was twirling rhit around her fork when the fine hairs at her nape stood on end. Her raven head lifted with a snap and suddenly alert blue orbs met dangerously frigid amber.

A moment of awareness bloomed between them, instinctual recognition ignited and they moved as one. Kagome dove from her seat as the electronic, environmental window next to them exploded. Blistering heat, a spray of metal and howling wind washed over her. Screams erupted, diners scattered and an alarm blared over head.

Adrenaline crashing through her veins, Kagome rolled across the plush carpet before gaining her feet in a low crouch.

Sucking in harsh breaths, the raven haired waitress kicked her system into motion.

Nanonites spilled into her open palm, growing in weight as they formed the item she dreaded using. She strained to see through the ruble, peering into the cloudy debris and wrapping her fingers around the heavy steel of her pulse gun as she searched the charred opening. A shadowy figure stood outlined among the dust. Who or what it was, she couldn’t be sure, but knew, she really didn’t want to stick around and find out.

She glanced quickly around the smoky room, desperate for an exit that wouldn’t leave her exposed to the infiltrators. Spying a back door at the far end, she tensed to make a run for it, only to be stopped in place by a strong manacle circling her upper arm. She startled, whipping around and raising her pistol simultaneously.

Sesshomaru’s hawkish gaze halted her shot, while his glowing, shifting tattoos lowered her gun. Momentarily entranced, Kagome watched as the bright glyphs crawled over his flesh. Gracefully curved charcoal lines and fluffy white fur expanded and morphed. The snarling canine came to life, snaking up and over the chiseled planes of his face. Shinny, armor emerged from the etched ink. It spread rapidly, covering his tanned skin in metallic plating and miniature spiked rows. The headpiece swept over his visage with a hiss. Constructed in smooth curves and sharp skewers that ran down his nape, the gleaming helmet left his eyes and nose partially obscured by a thin, transparent shield.

Tinted an almost silvery blue, the see through film gave his crimson tinted eyes a hellish luminance.

Tearing her gaze from his eerie slited ones, her befuddled focus moved to the chest plate and matching bottoms contoured to his body. Larger than the previous, sharp points lined his shoulders and from those intimidating displays, the metal armor consumed the balance of his arms like a second skin, halting just at his knuckles.

Gone were his dull fingernails.

Razor sharp claws, radiating an arresting lime light, took their place.

Eyes narrowed, he brought up his own pulse pistol and pulled her up from her crouch. Stunned and stumbling, she followed meekly as he corralled her towards the restaurant’s kitchens.

They were swept up in the fleeing crush and washed along the panicked flood. She was jarred this way and that, bumping into trilling and barking alien diners alike. She felt like the ball on a ping pong table, hit one way, only to bounce back the other. It was enough to bring her back to reality.

Alert and thrown back into survival mode, Kagome tightened her grip on her own pistol, and searched the throng for the originators of the explosion. She could scarcely see through the frightened crush, spraying sprinklers and flashing lights. If not for the danger present, she would have given into the urge to slap her hands over her ears. The alarm’s screeching blare coupled with the panicked shouts slammed painfully against her eardrums and left her head ringing. It was hard to form a coherent thought.

For her at least.

The male dragging her along appeared unaffected.

He was composed and at ease as he plowed through the chaotic crowd, tossing aside those in his way and pulling her with him.

They burst through the kitchen’s double doors and sped through. She’d barely felt the oven’s heat before they slammed out the rear exit. They spilled out into a stairwell and down several flights. Kagome struggled to keep up as they descended, making a concerted effort not to trip over her own two feet.

At the stairs end, two gunmetal doors held shut by thick bars.

Releasing his hold, Sesshomaru dashed forward. Fluid and quick, the silvery alien kicked the emergency entryway from their hinges.

He was reaching for her quicker than it took her surprise at his strength and speed to dissipate. He tugged her out the makeshift archway, before reversing course almost immediately. Kagome’s head spun as Sesshomaru gripped her waist and whipped her back into the stairwell’s ruined door frame as a brief hail of bullets rained across the door way. They sounded metallic, unlike the whine from a blaster.

The spray ended abruptly.

Long seconds of silence stretched out and softly approaching footsteps echoed.  

From the shelter his body created, Kagome moved slightly closer to the door’s edge and looked down the dimly lit alley.

She squinted, trying to make out the advancing shifting figures.

Another round of warning shots sent her back into cover. Her heart was pounding, palms sweating, but even in her frightened state, she could tell it wasn’t anyone she recognized.

Maybe they weren’t here for her.

The people that hunted her used pulse weapons and certainly didn’t blow up places where she might be in the direct line of fire.

“Friends of yours?” she questioned accusingly, finger on the trigger.

“Doubtful.” he replied back, though how he arrived at his conclusion she had no idea.

Perhaps he knew distinguishing characteristics about his pursuers just as she did. Who ever they were after, him or her, didn’t really matter at the moment.

His armored arm tightened around her waist.

Kagome squealed as he launched them through the doorway and skyward. Her stomach dropped as came to a brief standstill before hitting a wind current and shuttling away from the shootout. She closed her eyes against the shifting gravity. Sharp pings rang out, the unmistakable sound of bullets hitting his metal covered back echoing in her ears. It lasted mere seconds and then, only the whistle of passing wind filled the silence. He didn’t seemed bothered by the shots to his spine but she couldn’t be sure. She would have to see for herself.

Disoriented and concerned, she opened her eyes, hoping to set her world to rights.

Building rooftops and willowy clouds filled her curious regard.

They were up scarily high, well past a hovercar’s driving height. Terrified all over again, she reached for the nearest anchor; his neck. The shiny metal spikes nicked her skin as she circled his nape and pressed closer to the safety his form represented.

“Holy crap!” she couldn’t help squealing.

As if drawn by some unseen force, she looked down, wanting and dreading to see the ground below only to be taken aback by his lower limbs. Gone were his long, muscular extremities. A white haze, fluffy and wispy like a cloud had taken their place. A hover board or jet boots she’d expected…this…she didn’t even know what this was.

‘My, my, isn’t he full of surprises?’

“Neat trick,” Kagome huffed aloud, “A bit of warning would be appreciated next time!”

Not expecting a response and certainly not shocked when she received none, Kagome focused on covering their tail. She wasn’t sure if he was the only one that could perform that ‘neat trick’ and if he wasn’t, he could hardly fight with hands full. Securing one arm around his neck, she craned her head until she could see past one meaty shoulder. The spikes were a bit in the way, but she could see enough to make out any pursuers should they pop into sight.

Her eyes shifted restlessly, gun at the ready as they coasted the sky.

It was a long, quiet journey home, made even longer by Sesshomaru’s evasive maneuvering. Avoiding high population areas and looping around different routes, took them far from her apartment before he guided them back to her neighborhood.

She watched until she was certain no one followed.

It was well beyond dark when they reached her house. As they stepped through the door, her gun disintegrated, and his armor retracted.

Kagome sighed, closed her eyes and sagged against the tightly shut portal at her back, wanting to bask in the relative safety it provided. It’d been a while since something like that had happened.

Certainly not since her mother’s passing.

She drew air through her nose, held it, then released it in a quiet but shaky stream. Repeating the calming measure a few more times, Kagome willed the tension from her body.

“You have enemies as well.”

It was a statement, not a question.

She looked over at the male seated on her couch. His shirt was missing and in his hands he held antiseptic and a clean cloth. The band aid attached to oblique was dark with blood. Latching on to the distraction his injury created, Kagome filled a basin from the sink and moved to help. Taking a seat next to him and setting the water on the table, she reached for the adhesive’s edge. His tattoos were aglow and radiating low heat.

“Something like that,” she conceded, gently removing the band aid, “They want something from me…I think.”

Golden eyes narrowed.

“You think?”

She shrugged.

Reaching for the cloth in her basin, she rung out excess moisture then mopped the blood from the holes in his side. It was hardly as bad as it looked. For all the bright crimson smeared to his flesh, the blood was more show than anything. His glinting glare was more troublesome.

“Yeah, I think. Memory gaps, remember?”

His regard was unwavering, unsympathetic and sharp.

“Amnesia aside, I would be remiss to believe you have not formed a supposition about their pursuit. Do I give the impression as one so derelict?” he mocked.

Unfortunately not. He was a thorough, nosy house guest.

Kagome frowned.

“How should I know what they want?” she spat flippantly, “They’re not exactly talkative when they show up if you haven’t noticed.”

The untruth was no more palatable than her others, she could tell by the subtle downward twitch to his charcoal brows. She’d tried to make the statement sound cavalier, to project a nonchalance as someone who viewed tonight’s high handed violence as commonplace when, in all honesty, she was disturbed by the craven bombing and gun heavy visit at dinner. It had always been predictable, with very little variation. They showed up, a demand she come with them was made, they’d trade pot shots when she refused before she found a way to give them the slip. It was a scary exchange, but one she was familiar with.

But this…carelessly lethal aggression…

She’d never been confronted by such a display before and could only be thankful for Sota’s absence during it. That blast had been close enough to singe her eyelashes.

“I haven’t the foggiest clue why they’re chasing after me.”she lied as she slapped his new band aid on none to gently and smoothed the sticky outline to his skin.

If her rough treatment hurt, she certainly couldn’t tell. He didn’t so much as wince.

“You labor beneath the mistaken impression I lack the ability to discern fact from fiction.” he taunted.

Her own dark brows lowered in annoyance.

“Not at all,” she refuted, unconcerned that he’d called her lie,“I just don’t see the need to share every facet of my life with you. I’m no stranger to danger, that’s all you need to know. Considering your own track record, you’re hardly in a position to complain. You’ve got your secrets and I have mine. Mutual respect of that concept is more valuable than interrogation sessions that aren’t going anywhere.”

He didn’t respond, merely watched as she tossed the rag in the water and replaced the left over medical supplies back inside the kit. Once she was finished and good and ready to do so, she turned her attention back to the silver haired bloodhound.

“We should be safe here,” she assured him, pushing her bangs from her forehead, “It’s equipped with an information disperser, it’ll scramble our computer system signal all over the planet.”

That little piece of tech had cost her a very pretty penny and it hurt her pockets to have to activate it. The data chips it used to function were so damn expensive to replace, but she didn’t have a choice. This was the closest encounter she’d had in a while, and even though her home wasn’t a five story mansion and her job wasn’t the best, she didn’t want to have to pick up and leave again just because she hadn’t taken the situation serious enough. No, fuck the money. The disperser stayed on.

They’d be safe here for now.

In the mean time, tonight’s excitement had bumped security maintenance up to immediately rather than eventually. She’d love to know how in the hell they found her in the first place.

She’d been careful, her and Sota.

More than careful.

But clearly, it wasn’t enough.

She’d have to search their most recent activities for missteps, analyze her software and see where the holes in her defenses lay.

xxxxxx

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Found my flash drive so it’s all good, though I had to change this chapter up because of last chapter, but I’m getting back on track now. The glossary will be attached to each chapter from here on out so be sure to check it for new words each chapter. Please review, I love hearing from you guys.

Update: Re-wrote this chapter as of 2/17/2019. Before I post another chapter, I want to fix the existing ones, so this is as far as I’ve gotten. Moving on to chapter 9.

Laters

~Sessakag

xxxxxx

Glossary

 

 

Antiseptic Tonic: Cleans wounds and kill majority of germs.

Azerai: A bright red planet currently being evacuated due to its dying sun.

Azeraic: An individual who was a citizen of Azerai.

Betr: A two headed reptilian creature from the planet Tarthrix.

Brakon: The equivalent of bacon.  

Cuei: A type of energy to be explained later in the story.

Curerator: A container with a strong concentration of healing nano that promote the body’s natural healing capabilities and fight infection. Can be applied to most species without adverse reaction.

Foxlings Cartel: A small, cartel with a strong influence in a number of key parts of the Teriaus galaxy.

Gartuan: A grasshopper looking creature with several limbs and soft bones. It changes colors when distressed or in pain.

Gilrex Cartel: A major cartel that dabbles mostly in drug sales, prostitution and weapon deals. The cartel is a major rival of the Xaltaric Cartel.

Glurtak: Xerian insult.

Heedrix: Winged, moth like alien from the planet Qtax.

Krists: A snack almost like caramel popcorn.

Laengs: Red eggs

Pain Inhibitors: A tonic that reduced the body’s ability to feel pain due to injury or illness.

Pernix and Xin: Currency accepted in most of the known universe with Pernix equivalent to dollars and Xin the same as coins.

Phantox: Turkey type meat

Pheran: An, highly addictive illegal drug that induces a strong high, stimulating adrenaline and heightening senses. It leaves behind a relaxing euphoria when leaving the blood stream.

Rayn: Blue salad dressing with the texture of ranch.

Red Rooms: An illegal service that provides the customer with live murder/torture, allowing the viewer to dictate the actions taking place.

Rektan 7: A highly popular, wealthy and advanced planet home to thousand upon thousands of species.

Rhit: Akin to spaghetti noodles.

Rizek: A popular bar/restaurant near one of the major check in stations on Rektan 7.

Saratuo: A blue/green planet with a series of pink rings of average wealth and technological advances.

Sark lettuce: Orange, crisp vegetation with the consistency of lettuce.

Slaxton: A androgynous, often times short creature with a big head, black eyes and gray skin.

Skyway: Equivalent of a freeway or highway. It is a transparent road high in the sky with a gravity system that keeps vehicles in place and make crashing less likely.

Thermal/Heat Regulating Band Aid: Band aid that comes in multiple sizes. It senses the best temperature for each step of the healing process, changing its temperature from cold, to reduce swelling, bleeding and inflammation, to hot, to reduce aches and pains and any temperature in between.

Wurmulix: An alien with a vertical mouth full of mini tentacles called feelers.

Xaltan: A term applied to the leader of the Xaltaric Cartel.

Xaltaric Cartel: A major cartel specializing in drug sells, weapon deals, and prostitution.

Xer: A wealth planet of significant technological advancement.

Xerian: A individual who is a citizen of the planet Xer.