InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For the Honour of My Family ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

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

Sesshomaru cast a quick glance at the healer's abode and fought back the urge to sigh. His brother remained in Shinsei's dwelling with those ningens Inuyasha claimed to be his friends. With only Shinsei and NatsuMaru there to really protect him. He was pretty much leaving Inuyasha alone to deal with them when the news finally came out . . . and he didn't want to. His instincts were screaming at him for it.

`But he wishes for me to not be there . . . why? Why does he choose to do this alone?'

To that, he had no answer. He just knew that his brother wished to face the ningens alone on this, with only NatsuMaru and Shinsei there to protect him. There wasn't anything for it, though. He had to trust in them to keep Inuyasha safe.

Sesshomaru whirled around and began to walk towards the study, where Jaken claimed Myouga to be. He wasn't going to be idle while he waited for his brother to finish talking with the ningens. He needed some answers himself and Myouga was going to be the one to give them to him. There was one thing he intended to do first before he began his conversation with the old flea. It would surprise his brother but then Sesshomaru didn't really care. He'd marked Inuyasha as his mate and, as mates, they needed to be in the same bedchambers at night. His parents had shared the same bedchambers when his mother had been alive, and his father had shared his bedchambers with Izayoi when they'd been alive. There wasn't any reason for he and Inuyasha not to share the same room. Not anymore, anyway.

As he walked, Sesshomaru came upon a female servant dutifully scrubbing away at the floors. The moment he saw her, he quickly relayed the command of moving Inuyasha from his current bedchambers into Sesshomaru's room. He didn't care who knew. They'd find out before too much longer.

Once that task had been completed, Sesshomaru continued on to his study, his form tall and proud with purpose. It wouldn't be much longer now . . .

Finally, Sesshomaru reached his study and entered. Sitting on the desk, stinking of fear, was Myouga. Sesshomaru allowed himself a tiny smirk as he approached.

“You wished to see me, Lord Sesshomaru?” the flea squeaked.

“Hai,” Sesshomaru nodded. “I did. You're rather difficult to locate when one needs you, old flea. Why does that not surprise me?”

“Are you implying that I would abandon Master Inuyasha in his time of need?” Myouga cried out, bouncing up and down in indignation. Sesshomaru spared him a bored glance.

“Why would I need to imply such a thing? You've already proven that time and time again,” he drawled. “However, that is not the reason why I have brought you here, old man. There is another matter . . . a far more pressing matter . . . that I need to discuss with you.”

Myouga paused in his bouncing and tilted his tiny head up to look at Sesshomaru. Curiosity lit his eyes but he still remained wary of the youkai lord. Sesshomaru couldn't say he blamed him. He'd never really been fond of the old flea and had never understood why his father had kept the flea as his retainer . . . aside from the flea's ability to draw out poisons from the blood, that was.

“Another matter you wish to discuss with me? And what, pray tell, is that, Lord Sesshomaru?” he inquired, finally sitting down upon the desk.

“It has come to my attention that a male hanyou once bore another male some pups. I wish to know who that hanyou was and who had sired the pups. And do not refer me to Shinsei. He was not willing to delve such information to me.”

“He must have told you something,” the old flea replied, trying to lead Sesshomaru a little. The daiyoukai narrowed his eyes.

“Hai. He did. As to how that came about, you will find out soon enough. In the meantime, you will tell me everything you know about this hanyou and the sire of his pups. Now.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Myouga bowed, a tiny sigh of resignation escaping him. “I shall try my best to recall everything . . . it did happen a long time ago, after all.”

“That I am aware of, as I am aware of the legends that have come from this . . . little miracle.”

“Yes . . . it is because of this hanyou that the legends behind male-born children have arisen . . .” the old flea paused in his musings. “And, if I recall correctly, it was a male kitsune hanyou that had given birth to the pups . . . a miracle in and of itself. No one had been expecting such a thing to happen, least of all your father and grandfather.”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at this. His father and grandfather had been involved? Suddenly, Shinsei's odd behaviour when it came to discussing male pregnancies became clear. Granted, it was only a theory in his mind but it still made sense. He decided to test that theory.

“Father was the sire of those pups . . . wasn't he?”

Another sigh escaped Myouga.

“Indeed he was. The kitsune happened to be the only male child of a member of your grandfather's court. He was considerably younger than your father but no one paid any attention to that fact, even after things had gotten . . . friendly . . . between them. Then the two eventually bedded together, the day before the kitsune hanyou . . . the very day that your father impregnated the male.”

“So that's how Shinsei knew,” Sesshomaru murmured, feeling a bit smug with this newfound knowledge.

“Hai,” the flea nodded. “It was the first male pregnancy outside of any frog, toad, and spider youkai society. No one knew that it was possible for your father to end the hanyou's pregnancy at that time, however. That came later, as more male hanyous became impregnated. However, given your father's . . . odd tendencies, he never would have killed any child that he had a hand in creating.”

“So I've noted,” Sesshomaru murmured, his mind going to his older half-brother, Ryu, and to Inuyasha. He couldn't say that it surprised him to hear that he had at least one other sibling out there. Not with the way his father liked to get around. The fact that this sibling had been created with another male . . . now that surprised him.

“Was there anything else you wished to know, Lord Sesshomaru?”

“Hai,” he nodded. “There is. Where can I find this sibling?”

“Siblings,” Myouga corrected, “and that I do not know. In an effort to protect them, your father took them somewhere where he believed them to be safe. Your grandfather might know but other than that . . . the secret of their whereabouts has been buried with your father.”

“I see . . .”

Sesshomaru fell silent at that moment, slowly digesting everything Myouga had told him. Everything made sense, of course, from how everything had happened to Shinsei's knowledge on the matter. However, now that he thought about what Shinsei knew and the fact that he'd had Inuyasha go see the old healer about the boy's pregnancy, there were still a few things that baffled him . . . like Inuyasha's sullen and subdued behaviour after he'd been informed of his pregnancy when Sesshomaru had expected him to be quite angry about it. It didn't sit right with Sesshomaru.

`It's almost like he knew . . .'

The daiyoukai's eyes narrowed at that thought. In a way, it shouldn't have surprised him that his brother had known all along. Even though he was of half inuyoukai blood, Inuyasha would still be aware of the changes that his body went through. He might ignore a severe injury but he was still aware that he had that injury. Something, though, still didn't sit quite right with him.

“Who else knew of this tryst between my father and the kitsune hanyou?”

“Pardon?”

Myouga blinked at the sudden question. Apparently, he, too, had become lost in thought.

“Who else knew of this tryst between my father and the kitsune hanyou?” Sesshomaru growled, causing Myouga to “eep” and cower before him.

“Just your grandfather,” the flea whimpered. “Beyond that, I really couldn't say.”

“My mother knew,” came the quiet response. “She was the one who told me that it was possible.”

Sesshomaru turned his head to see Inuyasha standing in the doorway to his study, the boy's expression still somber, his golden eyes reflecting sadness. Without waiting for Sesshomaru to invite him in, Inuyasha entered the room and towards the desk, sitting in front of Sesshomaru once he reached it. He then let out a heavy sigh.

“Your mother knew?” Sesshomaru inquired, leaning forward, his curiosity piqued once more. This he had to hear.

“Hai,” Inuyasha nodded. “She knew. She said that Father told her and your mother about the male kitsune hanyou and the children that he'd had with him. After she'd told me about that, she'd warned me about ever getting involved with another male . . . that it wouldn't be pleasant for me to go through the same thing that the kitsune had gone through. She told me that I had to protect myself from those who might try to use me just for the sake of breeding . . . she didn't want for me to go through something like that . . .”

With another heavy sigh, Inuyasha placed his arms on Sesshomaru's desk and rested his chin upon them.

“I thought you knew . . . after that first night you came to me . . . I'd forgotten how close it was to the new moon . . . I didn't even think . . . and now . . .”

“Inuyasha?”

“My friends aren't happy with what I've told them,” he continued, sitting back up and keeping his head lowered. “At least, Kagome and Miroku aren't happy with me . . . Sango was so quiet about everything . . . I've never seen them so angry before . . . but they don't understand . . . they'll never understand . . . they've always had someone there for them . . .”

Golden eyes rose to meet his.

“They don't understand what it's like to want someone's attention, someone whom you truly admire and want to be like . . . I'd have done anything . . . I'd still do anything . . . just to have your affections, aniki . . . but if you don't want me around because of this, I'll understand.”

A low growl escaped Sesshomaru at those words. There was no way he was going to cast his brother out after something like this. Not after he'd marked the boy as his. Inuyasha blinked at his growl and instinctively backed away, his hand going to his Tetsusaiga. Before Inuyasha had a chance to draw it, Sesshomaru leapt over his desk and pounced on the boy.

“You're not going anywhere, otouto,” he stated, effectively pinning the boy underneath. “You are not leaving me. Not now. Not ever. You are mine. No one else's.”

Inuyasha's eyes widened at that declaration, his breath hitching in his chest. Sesshomaru leaned down, stopping within a breath's distance from his brother's face.

“You are mine,” he whispered. “No one else's.”

“But . . .”

“No buts, Inuyasha. I have marked you. You are mine. No one else can have you. I will kill any who try to take you away from me.”

Before Inuyasha could reply, Sesshomaru gave him a bruising and demanding kiss. Still surprised, the boy opened his mouth to protest, much like he had that first night they'd coupled. And, much like the night they had mated, the protest died within an instant, Sesshomaru's lips silencing him . . .

* * *

The rest of the day remained uneventful, in Sesshomaru's opinion. Sure, the ningens kept giving him dirty looks as they sat down for the evening meal, but then he'd grown accustomed to such looks from ningens. As long as they kept themselves in check, he could ignore them. That's how he'd been, how he would always be. If no one liked it, it was that person's problem. Not Sesshomaru's.

Inuyasha, however, wasn't coping very well with the dirty looks that his friends were sending Sesshomaru's way. He kept fidgeting and pushing his food around, his face having become extremely pale. His hands trembled slightly, though Sesshomaru knew that Inuyasha was trying his best to not let it show. Sesshomaru saw it and knew the cause for his brother's nervousness. Apparently more had been said than a simple display of anger over the current situation, and it wouldn't be much longer before Inuyasha snapped and lost his temper. He didn't want to subject the boy to the tension any longer than necessary, though. It wasn't fair to Inuyasha nor the pup growing inside of him.

“Inuyasha . . .”

“Yes?”

Golden eyes darted to him, displaying a strange mix of emotions. It caught Sesshomaru by surprise to see such intensity in those eyes but he quickly hid it. He'd find out the cause of those emotions later. Right now, his brother needed to be away from him and the ningens . . . before things were said, things that could never be taken back.

“You're looking tired,” he murmured, reaching out to caress an ivory cheek. “How about you get some rest? One of the servants will see you back to your room . . .”

“I'm . . .” came the protest but it died quickly the moment Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha. His brother then nodded in quiet resignation. “Very well then.”

Inuyasha rose to his feet and quickly exited the dining hall, a servant close on his heels. Another servant gathered up the boy's uneaten food and followed behind the first two. Once they were gone and out of Sesshomaru's hearing range, he leveled his gaze on the ningens.

“If you have something to say, you may now say it. I know that you know about Inuyasha's condition,” he stated, folding his arms, his eyes flashing. He knew they were angry. So was he.

For several moments, the room remained silent. So silent, in fact, that Sesshomaru felt that he could have heard a drop of water hitting the floor in the kitchens. Finally, the miko ventured to say something.

“Yes . . . we know . . .”

“And it displeases you.”

“It isn't that it displeases us,” the monk began. “It's just that . . .”

“It's a shock,” the miko finished. “A relationship between siblings and his pregnancy . . .”

“Is not uncommon in youkai society. In fact, it's sometimes encouraged,” a smooth voice interjected. Once again, all heads turned to NatsuMaru.

“It isn't uncommon in some human societies, either,” the miko stated. “At least not the relationships between siblings. But it's proven that constant marriages like that are not the best way to keep the family bloodline pure, so to speak.”

“Ah, but youkai society isn't anything like ningen society,” NatsuMaru smiled. “Constant mating of siblings doesn't occur in every generation, especially in inuyoukai clans. We're smart enough to realize that we need to breed with other bloodlines in order to maintain our strength and our powers. And we inuyoukai are actually a rather observant species. Even if we haven't made the mistake ourselves, we can learn and do learn from the mistakes of others.”

“Inuyasha isn't that observant,” the kitsune, who'd been very quiet up until this point, pointed out. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at this, as did NatsuMaru.

“On the contrary, Inuyasha is very observant,” NatsuMaru said. “You only see what he allows you to see . . . what he feels that you want to see. Just because he hasn't conformed to what you think he should be doesn't mean he's stupid or unobservant. Quite the contrary, in fact. I wouldn't be surprised if he knows all of your strengths and all of your weaknesses. Including yours, Lord Sesshomaru.”

To that, Sesshomaru smirked.

“Hai. I'm sure he does as well.” His gaze then went back to the ningens. They still appeared to be upset about something. NatsuMaru's words didn't appear to have appeased them. Sesshomaru had a hunch as to what it was, too. Correction . . . he knew what it was. The miko still loved his brother, and the monk and slayer knew as much. It wasn't so much that his brother was expecting a pup that had been sired by Sesshomaru as it was she had wanted to be the one to be in a relationship with the boy. Something Sesshomaru wouldn't have allowed in any situation. There was also the matter of Naraku and the Shikon jewel but Sesshomaru would deal with that when the time came. Which would be soon. News of his brother's pregnancy would travel, no doubt eventually reaching Naraku. The dark hanyou wouldn't be able to resist getting his hands on his brother then.

`Another reason for me to keep Inuyasha here . . . I can't let Naraku get a hold of him.'

“You still wish for Inuyasha to travel with you,” he murmured, bringing the ningens' gazes back to him. “You'd have him choose between you or me . . . something that would tear him apart from the inside out . . .”

“We still don't trust you or your intentions,” the slayer finally said, her tone soft. “You took Inuyasha against his will, supposedly for the purpose of training him . . .”

“Of which, Lord Sesshomaru was sincere,” NatsuMaru replied. “Inuyasha has been attending his studies diligently and without an escort since I've arrived here. His instructors have told me of his improvements. And I've been training him as well.”

“So Inuyasha's told us,” the female warrior responded. “However, now that he's pregnant . . .”

“He's made Inuyasha a target for Naraku once more,” the miko said. “Once he leaves here . . .”

“Inuyasha will not be leaving here,” Sesshomaru stated, his tone firm and cold. He rose to his feet. “I will not allow him to leave. Not now. Not with him expecting a pup. I will kill anyone who dares to try to harm my mate and my child. Anyone.”