InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Heartless ❯ The West Shore ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters from the anime/manga. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I suppose life would be easier if I made money by writing these stories, but unfortunately, I do not.

 

 

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Special thanks to my wonderful betas Ai Kisugi and Hedanicree for picking this story to pieces and making it a much more bearable read!

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Warning: Lime and lime.

 

 

`Thinking'

“Talking”

Dream or memories

 

 

 

Chapter 7: The West Shore

 

 

 

“Come in.” The door slid open, revealing the expected visitor.

 

“My lady.” The man performed an exaggerated bow to the woman sitting on a cushion by the window, his long staff jingling softly.

 

“Always the gentleman, aren't you, Miroku?” He could hear her chuckle softly under the cloak of her veil.

 

“Only for you, Lady Keiko.”

 

“Oh, come now, as if I don't know you, monk.”

 

“How are you feeling now?” he asked.

 

“Not very well,” she mumbled. “All that smoke … I thought I wouldn't be able to breathe again. It still hurts.”

 

“I'm sorry to hear that.” He bowed his head to look at his feet. He'd never been comfortable around sick people. It did not matter who the person was, he always felt guilty for not being able to help them. Besides, this was Keiko. She had almost died during the fire while trying to save the children that had been trapped in the garden between the shrine and the adjacent barn. He might not agree with everything she had done or with her methods against demons, but he couldn't deny the fact that if it hadn't been her, it would have been someone else. The game had been set already when Keiko had come into the picture. And, if she hadn't come up with the idea of subduing demons instead of purifying them, both sides would have had to endure much more losses. If only the war would end before it was too late.

 

There was just one thing that still bothered him since the beginning. If only he could find his answers … he just needed one chance, just one chance to see it for himself. For several years, Miroku had secretly wished that he had been wrong and that he had made a huge mistake that terrible day he had lost his friend. And now, it became more likely than ever that his wish would become real.

 

Shaking his head once, Miroku turned his thoughts back to the reason he had come to see her. Raising his head, he looked at the priestess' hidden face. “We can't find her anywhere.”

 

Lady Keiko sighed tiredly before gesturing him to sit down. “I know, for she's not here.”

 

Taking the offered seat, the monk turned his head toward the woman. He raised both eyebrows in question. “You think so?”

 

“I know so,” she answered. “This whole attack was just to get the girl. I've been informed that she was last seen leaving the grounds with a soldier, or should I say, a human man dressed like one of our soldiers. Does that mean anything to you, Miroku?”

 

It did. He knew from the beginning who it had been. Just like he knew the girl would be gone even before they searched for her. He also had an idea how his old friend managed to pull it off. He just didn't want to voice his thoughts, fearing that it would lead to other questions he did not want to answer. So, Miroku opted to change the subject instead. “Will you send forces out to look for her?”

 

Keiko shook her head as she answered, “No. There's no point in searching for her. I'm sure she's already beyond our reach.” She paused for a second before adding, “Besides, I believe this will work well for us.”

 

“How come?” asked Miroku, confused. `What is she thinking?'

 

“She'll help us.” At his questioning look, she added, “You know that she's our best chance to capture Inuyasha.” Oh, of course he did know that. He just couldn't stomach the idea. “In order to give us that chance, she has to be close to him — at least for a while.”

 

“I see. How do you know she will do it? Did she tell you that she would?” Kagome wouldn't, would she? What Keiko implied required her to be two-faced, but the young woman wasn't like that. She was too innocent to do such a thing. Besides, fooling Inuyasha with lies required excellent skills in treachery. She wouldn't be able to pull that off even if she tried. But then again, considering the half-demon's weakness for the girl, he couldn't say for sure that he would survive such an ordeal.

 

“No, she didn't, but I know she will,” answered the priestess.

 

`How can Keiko be so sure? Does she know something that I don't?' Just as Miroku opened his mouth to voice that thought, someone knocked at the door before the soldier he knew to be one of Keiko's personal guards entered with one of the last people he ever expected to see. `What?! What is he doing here of all places?!' The monk's eyes widened as he saw the collar ringing the young demon's neck. `Gods! No!' Raising his eyes to his face, he was met with a solemn look in those bright green eyes that normally shone with mischief.

 

“I've brought the demon as you requested, my lady,” said the soldier.

 

“Thank you, you may leave us now.”

 

As the guard stepped out of the room and closed the door, Keiko turned her attention to the young demon. “Hello, little one. It's been so long since we've last met, hasn't it?” After seeing the demon nod in response, she asked, “Did you realize we've been attacked? Who do you think could have done that?”

 

“I-inu-y-yasha,” said the demon with difficulty.

 

“That's what I thought,” murmured Keiko. Ignoring the young one's discomfort, she continued, “I know of only one man who is crazy enough to do such a thing, and as a human to top it all! You know what? This reminds me that he's half-human.”

 

Eyes widening, Miroku had to exert inhuman control to keep his terrified gaze from turning to the woman sitting next to him. His heart skipped a beat upon hearing the rest of her words.

 

“Come to think of it, every half-demon is known to have a time when they turn human, isn't that right? Do you know when our beloved Inuyasha turns human, Shippo?”

 

This had been what Miroku had feared for the last several years. Once being close to Inuyasha, he and Sango knew of his weakness. Although they had drifted apart, he still had enough respect for his old friend to keep the man's secret. Besides, he believed that it wouldn't be fair to the half-demon to be cornered in his vulnerable state. For such a proud person, it would be worse than death, and Miroku had never wished for the demon's death.

 

The young demon, who had once considered him an older brother, clenched his teeth in order to keep the word from coming out of his mouth. Unfortunately, the spell he'd been bound with was too strong for someone so young. Even worse was that fox demons were not known for their strength. `No. Say, no.'

 

“Y-yes.”

 

Hearing that word from Shippo's quivering voice, the monk closed his eyes, waiting for the dreaded question.

 

“Good. Tell me, Shippo. When does he become human?” asked Keiko.

 

“N-n-no …”

 

Feeling the young demon's resistance to the spell, Miroku opened his eyes to see his face. The strain he put on himself not to answer the given command could be seen with the naked eye. Miroku shook his head and clenched his fists.

 

So close to getting the valuable information, Keiko pushed the fox demon into talking. “When, Shippo?”

 

“The n-night o-of t-the …” With a great deal of effort, Shippo put his hands to his head, and with an agonizing cry, the boy fell to his knees. “… t-the n- …” With an ear splitting shriek, he crashed his head against the floor and passed out.

 

Feeling somewhat relieved that Shippo wouldn't be able to tell anything for the time being, the monk knelt in front of the unconscious boy and checked his pulse.

 

“Poor child, I shouldn't have forced him so much.” Keiko's voice was laced with pity. Sighing, she stood up. “Well, I guess I'll be leaving now.”

 

Miroku looked up in surprise before asking, “Leaving? To where?”

 

“I need to go check on the barriers, as usual.”

 

“Now? Don't you want to wait for the boy to come to?”

 

“No, this is more important. The boy will still be here when I come back, won't he?”

 

`I don't understand. Checking on the villages is more important than learning Inuyasha's time of weakness?' “But you're sick and tired,” he insisted. “You know you don't have to do it yourself. I can do it for you.”

 

“No.” The woman's response was followed with violent coughs that shook her whole body. After a few seconds, Lady Keiko was finally able to talk again. “On second thought, you can help me out.”

 

Coming to his feet, Miroku nodded. “Okay. I'll start with our village. I need to check on the children, too.”

 

The priestess shook her head, causing the skirts of her white veil to dance around her shoulders. “No. I'll check that village and check on your children while I'm there. You take care of the other villages.”

 

Miroku tilted his head to one side, as if seeing her from a different angle would help him better understand her motives. “Why do you want to go there yourself?”

 

The woman chuckled over his curiosity before explaining. Her voice was soft with unhidden sorrow. “You know I lived in that village for a long time. It's a special place to me. I want to make sure that it is protected properly.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

“I see you're back, asshole.” Still hovering over Kagome as if to hide her from the gaze of the newcomer, Inuyasha sounded irritated.

 

Rolling his eyes, the white clad figure answered sarcastically, “I'm glad to hear that at least your eyes work well, Inuyasha.”

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Inuyasha asked before he added mockingly, “Came to check on your little brother? I'm touched.”

 

“Do not flatter yourself, half-breed.”

 

Obviously not willing to deal with the man's disdainful attitude, Inuyasha snapped in a rather loud voice, “Will you just tell me why the fuck you're here or not, Sesshoumaru?” The continuous twitching of his ears indicated his lack of patience.

 

“I thought I smelled something.” Sesshoumaru made a show of sniffing the air before looking from Inuyasha to the girl and then back at the half-demon. “And, I see I wasn't wrong.”

 

“What of it?”

 

Was there something wrong with her eyes or was that a blush on Inuyasha's face? `Why is he blushing? Just what did the man imply? What could he have smelled?' Her musings were cut short by the angry voice of the angel of death, as she chose to refer to him.

 

“Are you really as idiotic as you seem to be? What do you think you're doing here, out in the open, you baka?!”

 

Seemingly not affected by the blatant show of anger, Inuyasha turned his head away from the man with a smirk plastered on his face. “Keh! So you were looking out for your little brother after all.”

 

“I just don't want you to get yourself killed before I kill you,” retorted Sesshoumaru.

 

When the half-demon only snorted in reply, the angel of death continued, “Stop fooling around like a mindless pup and go back to the castle now. You might have forgotten but you have responsibilities. Do not make me remind you again, if you don't want one more hole in your body.” With that, the angel turned his back to the couple and slowly walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

 

Once the man was out of sight, the irritated half-demon shook his head and mumbled something under his breath that sounded like `bastard.'

 

Still not knowing what to make of this rather unusual and unexpected meeting, Kagome turned to look at his agitated face. “Was that really your brother?” she asked.

 

Snorting, the hanyou turned to look at her. “Half-brother,” he corrected. “Some say he is. I say he is just a mother-f- ...” Still continuing to voice his carefully chosen names for his half-brother, Inuyasha let her climb onto his back. He took off in the direction they had last seen the dog demon.

 

 

~*~

 

 

“Sango.”

 

At the sound of her husband entering the room, the slayer looked up from her place on the futon. Her right hand froze in the air, holding a needle, while the other held her armor on her knees. “What is it, Miroku?”

 

Closing the door behind him, he walked toward where his wife was seated and stopped in front of her. “I'm leaving to check on the barriers for Keiko. While I'm gone, I need you to do two things for me.”

 

Curiosity apparent on her face, Sango wasted no time in voicing her question, “What do you want me to do?”

 

“Shippo is here.”

 

“What?!” the woman practically yelled.

 

“Shush, Sango, he obviously got in among a group of hostages but was found out soon after.”

 

Shaking her head, the slayer looked out the window. “Stupid child, what was he thinking?”

 

“It doesn't matter now. He probably deserved what he got for his stupidity,” muttered Miroku before adding in a grim voice, “I would let him learn his lesson for a while, but Keiko tried to make him talk today.”

 

Hearing that, Sango turned sharply to face him, her eyes wide with fear.

 

Nodding at her to indicated she had heard him correctly, Miroku continued, “You must hide Shippo. Don't try to take him out of the castle; it is too dangerous for you. Just, find someplace where no one will find him.”

 

“Okay,” said Sango before asking, “What else?”

 

“I need you to go to the village.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

On the horizon, Kagome could see a white, rocky mountain that stood in stark contrast against the green forest they were traveling through — or over, to be exact. He had been jumping nonstop from tree to tree for the last hour. Even though the woman enjoyed it a lot, she was beginning to wonder if he ever tired.

 

Her question was answered a few minutes later when Inuyasha landed on the ground next to the river. Its channel had cut the only clearing they had come upon in the thick forest. He knelt down to let her feet touch the ground. After she climbed down and was sure that she could stand on her own, she let his neck go. Without even a glance in her direction, he immediately stood up and made his way toward the river.

 

For a few seconds, Kagome stayed where he had left her, watching his back with her mouth agape. After that rather unexpected and unforgettable moment they had shared before his brother intruded, the half-demon was back to ignoring her. She clenched her fists in anger. What was his problem? He was confusing her with his behavior. She gasped when an unwelcome, but rather logical thought struck her. `Perhaps, he forgets that I'm not her in those times when we are intimate and he acts cold when he remembers.'

 

Crossing her arms, Kagome walked away from the half-demon. She watched the leaves being crashed under her feet as she mulled over questions she didn't have an answer for. `Okay, maybe that's how it is, but then, I should feel angry at him for playing with me like that. Oh gods, why am I not angry? Why does it make me sad to know that he sees someone else when he looks at me?'

 

The young woman came out of her musings at the sound of footsteps coming toward her. She raised her head, expecting to see Inuyasha, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, all she saw were trees — everywhere. `I must have walked into the forest without realizing it. Now, how do I go back?' Every direction looked the same. `The river! We were near the river.'

 

She held her breath to listen to the sound of the river, but jumped in fright when she heard loud footsteps instead. “Inuyasha?” Kagome hoped against hope that it was him making that much noise. However, she knew that it was not possible. She had been around him enough to know that none of his movements, including his footfalls, made noise.

 

She squeaked when two trees fell to the ground with a loud crash. To her horror, an incredibly ugly oni stepped in front of her. Frozen in fear, she could not move, or think, for two long seconds. She looked up to see the creature's snake-like head hovering over her. The only difference between it and a giant snake was the short legs it stood on and the two long arms, each supporting three fingers that looked disturbingly like its poisonous tail.

 

Kagome opened her mouth to scream when she saw one of those hideous arms coming toward her chest with incredible speed. Before it could strike, she found herself in the air, with a rather angry `Dammit' echoing in her ears.

 

Turning her head to the right, Kagome saw Inuyasha's face. His lips were pulled up in a snarl that showed both of his fangs; his eyes burned with fury. Landing a safe distance away from the oni, he put her down and whirled to face her. His angry eyes drilled holes into her frightened orbs. “Stupid, bitch! What the hell did you think you were doing wondering away like that?!”

 

She wanted to snap back at him for that comment, she really did. However, he was already gone before she could open her mouth. Her eyes wide, she watched him jump toward the oni with his right hand clasping his sheathed sword. Half-way through the air, he drove his sword forward. To her surprise, the normally thin, rusty looking weapon turned into a giant blade almost the size of its bearer. When he was about to crash into the creature's scaled body, he turned in the air and landed on one knee a few feet away from the oni. His head was bent down, letting his bangs hide his face. His right arm, along with his sword, was parallel to the ground.

 

She did not understand what caused the creature to shriek when Inuyasha flew over its head. About two seconds after he landed, it became clear, though. She gasped when she saw the arm that tried to strike her split from the oni's shoulder and fall to the ground. `H-how did he do that? Just how fast can this guy be? I didn't even see him strike!'

 

Enraged over the loss of its limb, the snake-like creature raised its enormous tail to deliver a deadly strike. The half-demon stood up and turned to his enemy. His sword was raised, ready to meet the blow. Everything about Inuyasha screamed confidence. However, it turned out that the creature had a plan that her demon did not anticipate. It sent its tail toward the girl instead and shouted to its surprised enemy, “Whatss will you do nowss, half-breedss?!”

 

Kagome was so surprised to hear it talk, she didn't even realize the danger she was in. First, she looked at Inuyasha when she heard his cry of `Dammit!' to see him jump in her direction. Then, she turned her head to look at the creature and saw the tail with poisonous spikes coming at her.

 

She knew she did not have enough time to get out of the way, but the girl tried anyway. Without thinking, she closed her eyes, and praying for a miracle, Kagome threw herself to the left. She screamed when she felt the force of the impact throw her uncontrollably. Seconds later, her body connected with the ground abruptly. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the poisonous appendage that would be her end hovering over her, but was met with a rather peaceful view of the sky. Disoriented from the impact and the fall, Kagome sat up and saw the creature walking away from her. As she rose to her feet, she realized that it was headed for an unconscious Inuyasha, who was laying on a fallen tree. `Gods, it was him that threw me, wasn't it? Not the oni. He must have taken the blow that was meant for me!'

 

Seeing the oni getting closer to the unconscious, and thus defenseless half-demon, fear rose up in her heart — fear for the man that saved her life by risking his own. Hidden beneath the fear, she could feel another emotion boiling and rising to the surface: anger. That creature obviously had no honor, going after someone who was currently unable to protect himself. And, it was after her half-demon, no less. `How dare it even think of touching him?' She clenched her fists at her sides as her anger gave her the courage she did not know she possessed. `Oh, no, you won't!'

 

Bending down, Kagome picked up the first thing she laid her hands on, which happened to be a fist-sized rock. Standing up, she shouted at the oni, “Hey! This way, you over-grown worm!” She then threw the rock at the back of its head with all the power she could muster.

 

She knew that the rock would not harm the thick-scaled monster, but it served its purpose by taking the oni's attention away from the half-demon and putting it on her. `O-okay, now what?' Well, who said she had a plan? Although, she wished she had, seeing the monster coming in her way. `What else? Run, stupid!' Turning around, Kagome sprinted into the thick forest, without waiting to see the creature's next move. She did not need to see it, though, for she could hear its loud steps coming after her — fast.

 

Kagome ran amongst the trees as fast as her legs let her, trying not to trip on the tree roots. She was lucky at first. She managed to jump over the roots and change direction at the right times, thus avoiding the oni's attempts to strike her. Her luck did not last long, though, because she fell to the ground after her foot came in contact with a rather large root.

 

She rolled onto her back and saw the oni hovering over her; its tail was raised in the air, ready for the finishing blow. She closed her eyes, not wanting the poisonous tail to be the last thing she would see in this world, only for the image to be replaced by the image of Inuyasha with the affectionate look on his face that always took her breath away.

 

“Don't you dare lay a hand on her!”

 

Gasping, Kagome opened her eyes, and her heart stopped beating for a second. Inuyasha stood right in front of her with his knees bent slightly and his giant sword between him and the poisonous stinger. Putting his left hand to the flat side of his weapon, he pushed the creature back with a grunt, causing it to fly a distance away.

 

“You just signed your death warrant, bastard,” he mumbled.

 

The woman stood up on shaky legs, all the while wondering what he was doing raising his sword to the air. His hands covered its handle tightly. While she watched in confusion, he brought the sword down to the ground as if he was chopping unseen wood in front of him.

 

“Wind scar!” he yelled.

 

Her eyes flew wide open when she saw the blinding lights coming out from where the sword hit the ground, and she stumbled back a few steps as the ground shook with a thunderous noise that echoed through the forest. As the light settled down, the oni was nowhere to be seen. However, she could see three long and deep gashes on the ground, starting at the point the sword hit.

 

While her eyes were glued to the gashes he somehow made with his sword, Inuyasha sheathed the now normal looking weapon and turned to her. He rushed to her side and started frantically checking her for injuries. “Are you okay?” he asked.

 

Smiling over his concern, she nodded her head slowly. “Yeah, I'm fine.”

 

Obviously not confident with her answer, he held her cheeks with both hands and raised her head to look at her face. “Are you sure? You don't hurt anywhere, do you?” To her surprise and amusement, he sniffed her.

 

She smiled at his antics before remembering that he was the one the snake hit, not her. “I'm perfectly fine. What about you? That was a nasty hit you took!”

 

Inuyasha shook his head, indicating that he was fine. “Keh! That was nothing.” Then, he kissed her forehead and hugged her to his chest, earning a gasp from the young woman, before whispering in her ear, “I'm glad you're not hurt.”

 

Sighing in content, Kagome hugged him back. Much sooner than she would have liked, he let her go and cleared his throat. “Let's go, wench. We don't have all day.”

 

“Wench?! You, you jerk!”

 

She tried to kick him, but he jumped back, avoiding the blow. “Come on, I said we didn't have all day.” With that, he caught her around her waist and threw her over his shoulder. The young woman shrieked in surprise before her captor jumped high in the air.

 

 

~*~

 

 

It turned out that the white mountain Kagome had seen before was where they were headed. As they got closer, she realized that the mountain, at least on the side she saw, was made of a huge rock that formed a smooth cliff that resembled a skyscraper. It was so high and sharp, it seemed impossible to reach its top without flying. When they reached its base, she realized that the wall the mountain formed in front of them wasn't perfectly smooth. She could see step-like dents far from each other.

 

Telling her to hold on tight, the half demon started jumping from one step to the other, causing her heart to leap into her throat every time he took to the air. When they finally reached the top of the mountain, he let her off his back.

 

“Lord Inuyasha! You're back!”

 

They both turned to see a young man dressed in elegant armor. He looked handsome with his perfect face supporting a pleasant smile and his long black hair falling down his shoulders freely. His grey eyes shone in excitement as he approached the couple. `He must be a demon.'

 

“Of course I'm back. What were you expecting, brat?” asked the half-demon irritably.

 

She gasped as the young man bowed to Inuyasha. With his gruff and occasionally playful attitude, it was easy to forget that he was a lord, a general. It seemed to her that he was a well-respected one, too.

 

Not waiting for the young man to stand up, the lord started walking past him. “So, anything happened while I was gone?”

 

The young demon stood up and ran after his lord while explaining that everything was all right and that he had not encountered anything unusual during his shift.

 

Kagome ran to catch up with their fast pace. She could see that the top of the mountain was covered with greenery. However, unlike the wild forest they had traveled through, this place looked more like a garden, with trees and flowers placed in symmetry on both sides of a pathway, which Inuyasha seemed to be heading to.

 

They walked down the path and came to the steps that led them to the side of the mountain. The young demon left their company, saying that he could not leave his spot until his shift was over. As they descended the steps, the trees on the right gave way to a clearing, and she could see the side of a giant structure that resembled a castle. Unlike the traditional Japanese castles, this structure was made of stone. Its back side was carved into the large mountain it was laying against. With its countless towers and enormous size, it looked both beautiful and menacing at the same time.

 

They traveled down the steps, which took them to the front gates. The gates looked out to a cliff that overlooked the sea, with a small grassy plain between the entryway and the cliff's edge. She gasped at the magnificent view. Now, she could see that this castle was located on top of a stone mountain that was impossible to climb by humans from any side. `How very convenient and beautiful.' They were so high up that it felt as if she was flying over the ocean without wings.

 

She came out of her musings as she felt him take her arm and lead her inside. As soon as they passed through the gates, a yellow blur crashed into Inuyasha's chest. Upon closer look, she saw that it was a small, rather cute kitten.

 

“Hi, Kirara.” Patting the cat's head, who was now perched on his shoulder, Inuyasha turned to face his companion. “This is Kirara,” he introduced. “She's a cat demon.”

 

After looking at Kagome's smiling face for a second, the cat jumped into her waiting arms. “Oh! How cute!”

 

Smirking, he turned his back to her and started walking toward the stone building. “Cute? You should see her when she's transformed.”

 

With Kirara in her arms, they passed through a well-kept garden and the larger gate of the stone, palace-like building. On the way, she saw demons of all kind, all of them watching her wearily, especially the women. They looked at her with distaste. Kagome glanced at him, but before she could ask, he told her that they could sense the spiritual power she possessed. It made them uneasy because they did not know her. Despite the odd looks she received, she felt safe and strangely proud to see that everyone bowed to her companion when he passed them.

 

When they finally got inside after a long walk through the large garden, they were greeted by an old woman in priestess clothes. He introduced the old woman as Lady Nobuko, a priestess and one of his advisers, and sent Kagome with her to his quarters to rest. He told her that he had business to attend to and that he would see her there shortly.

 

Nodding, she watched him leave down the stairs that led to god-only-knew which part of the huge structure. Only when he was out of her sight did she turn to face the woman she was left with, only to see a knowing smile on her face that gave a wise air.

 

“Shall we?” the old woman asked.

 

Kagome nodded and proceeded to follow her to Inuyasha's quarters, which turned out to be located at the top of one of the many towers she had seen from outside. When they reached the top after a long climb, the priestess opened the door and let her enter first. She idly wondered how such an old woman managed to live in a place with so many stairs, but her thoughts came to an abrupt halt at the sight that met her eyes. The room was ... spectacular. The walls, the floors, the curtains, the giant bed in the middle of the room — everything was garbed in red with silver and gold patterns.

 

“How do you like it?” asked Nobuko.

 

Kagome turned back to the old priestess to let her know her fascination, but instead of an old woman, her eyes fell on an elegantly dressed, white-haired young woman that stood by the door. The last thing she saw before darkness took her was the woman's disturbingly white eyes.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Kagome opened her eyes to the feeling of something wet on her face, only to see two red eyes looking at her from a few inches above. It turned out that it was Kirara's way of helping her awaken by licking her cheeks.

 

Smiling at the small cat demon, she turned her head to her right to see the owner of the shadow that blocked the sunlight from her eyes. The woman with white eyes was staring at her from where she sat next to her. Before Kagome could ask who she was, the woman started talking in a soft voice that contradicted her frightening appearance.

 

“I'm so sorry. It's my fault that you fainted. I was being careless.”

 

Sitting up, Kagome tried to avoid looking her in the eyes. “I don't understand. H-how?”

 

“Don't worry. It happens even to the best of us when we are exposed to a mind-reader's powers the first time.”

 

Hearing another voice, Kagome turned to the old woman who was sitting by the fire, pouring a green liquid into a small cup. “Mind-reader?”

 

It was the white-eyed woman that answered her question this time. “Yes. I'm Hiromi. I came here hoping to see Lord Inuyasha, but instead, I found you, young lady.”

 

Kagome turned her head once again in the other direction as she sensed the old woman approaching her. Extending to her the cup she had been filling with that strange substance, she asked Kagome to drink it. The girl from the future scrunched up her face at the foul smell that filled her nostrils.

 

The old woman chuckled at her facial expression. “I know it smells bad, but what medicine doesn't? Drink it. It will help you regain your strength.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Kagome raised the cup to her mouth and let the disgusting liquid flow down her throat in one big gulp. She laid back, coughing as the liquid burned her throat. Looking from one woman to the other, she asked how long she had been out. She gasped as Lady Nobuko told her that she had been out for almost all afternoon.

 

“Where is Inuyasha?” she asked. `Did he just leave me here alone with these two women all day? I don't even know them! I thought he had said he would meet me here!'

 

The old woman smiled at the panic in her voice. “Lord Inuyasha came to check on you but had to leave since he had a lot to attend to.”

 

Chuckling, the mind-reader joined the old woman's attempts to help Kagome relax. “I'm really glad you're up. He already lashed out at me for being careless. I don't know what he would do if he were to see you still out cold the next time he came.”

 

Hearing that, Kagome couldn't help the small smile forming on her lips. Feeling strangely drowsy and knowing that he would come sooner if she slept, the girl let her eyes close slowly.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Holding her hand tightly, he led her deeper into the forest. She was irritated that he would not say where he was taking her, but she was too excited to be with him to get angry. But she had to know ...

 

“Inuyasha! At least tell me where we're going!”

 

He stopped abruptly and turned to look at her, his eyes shining with barely hidden excitement. Letting her hand go, he hesitated for a second before answering, “To our new home.”

 

“O-our new h-home?”

 

He nodded and took a step toward her. She retreated a step and found her back plastered against a tree. He took another step forward and raised his hand to her face, caressing her cheek with his knuckles. Then, he whispered, “Yes, our home.” Never breaking the eye contact, he slowly bent his head down and captured her lips in a soft kiss.

 

Kagome moaned aloud at the feel of his hot lips on hers, giving him the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth. Her head began to spin when she felt him explore her mouth with his tongue and invite hers into a sinful dance. It was unbearable. She wanted more and she did not have the patience to wait for it. Clenching onto his collar, she forced his chest down to hers, while she pressed her hips up to his.

 

Growling, he held the back of her head with the hand that had been caressing her face in order to deepen the kiss, while his other hand slid her skirt up and took a hold of her bottom. Never breaking the kiss, he slid his hand along her thigh, down to the back of her knee, and raised her leg to rest on his hip. She gasped when she felt him thrust his hips toward hers, letting her feel the bulge beneath his hakama. Still holding onto his collar, she thrust back, earning a moan mixed with a growl for her attempts.

 

The things he made her feel… She felt dizzy from the intensity of her emotions. Everywhere he touched burned for more. How did he manage to make her feel like that? `Who cares? Just, please don't stop. I need … more.'

 

As if hearing her thoughts, the hand that had been holding her leg on his hip slowly came up her thigh, letting her feel his long claws on her shivering skin. He slid one finger in her panties and caressed her overly heated core, causing her to whimper in need and increase her already strong hold on his collar.

 

Inuyasha caressed her again, emitting another moan from the light-headed woman. She whimpered again when he held his finger back and she felt him smirk against her lips. Not having the patience to participate in his game, she growled angrily before thrusting her hips against his with all the power she had. The motion caused both of them to fall on the ground with him lying on his back as she straddled his hips.

 

Breaking off the kiss, she looked at his surprised eyes before smirking in a very Inuyasha-like manner. Never taking her eyes off of his, she took a hold of the edges of his haori and inner shirt and spread them apart in one fluid movement. He gasped, feeling her hands on the naked skin of his chest. Unable to resist the temptation, Kagome bent down and started kissing his quivering chest, her hands traveling down his abs to take a hold of the strings that held his hakama closed. He growled as she kissed one of his nipples, and she answered him by rocking her hips against his erection.

 

Before she was done with the strings of his hakama, he rolled them over and trapped her under his body. Taking her hands off of his hakama, he held them over her head and captured her lips in a hungry kiss. His hips danced over hers, back and forth to create a delicious friction that maddened her. Panting, he broke the kiss, giving her access to much needed air. Locking his burning gaze with hers, he took one clawed hand and proceeded to slowly cut a straight line through her clothes, starting with the neckline of her shirt and ending with the hem of her skirt. He smirked at her as if to say, `This is how it is done.'

 

Letting her hands go, he started kissing her exposed skin from her neck to her belly, leaving a scolded trail everywhere his lips touched. By the time he reached her belly, Kagome was having trouble breathing. Her moans grew louder and louder as he approached the one place that needed his touch the most. As he traveled down her body, lower and lower, she had to accept that she had lost the fight for dominance. Needing some semblance of control over him as much as she needed something to hold on to, she latched her fingers onto his ears and began rubbing softly. The half-demon emitted a growl that vibrated through her whole body. After placing his hands on her hips, he raised his eyes to look at her face before dipping his head down. She cried out his name as she felt the unbelievable softness of his wet tongue on her over-heated core.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Kagome woke up panting, only to see Lady Nobuko smiling at her. She blushed deeply, remembering the dream she just had. `It felt so real. Gods, what is he doing to me? I'm having wet dreams about him now?! I've never felt this frustrated in my life!'

 

“How are you feeling, child?” asked the old priestess.

 

“Oh, I'm much better, thanks.”

 

The woman looked at her skeptically before standing up. “Well, one would think otherwise, seeing how you have difficulty breathing.”

 

Kagome blushed even more at that comment. `Does she know about my dream? Did I talk in my sleep?' Hoping against hope that she did not, the girl gave a weak smile and waved both of her hands, which had been clenching the front of her shirt, indicating that the woman was wrong. “I'm perfectly fine! Really!”

 

Chuckling, the old woman walked toward the door before looking at her over her shoulder. “If you're really fine, I have to take my leave now. It's quite late at night. You should rest some more. I'm sure Lord Inuyasha will be back soon.” With that she closed the door behind her, leaving the young woman alone with Kirara, who was blissfully asleep at the foot of her large futon.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Kagome opened her eyes to the sunlight filtering in from the half-closed window. Streching her body, she realized her movements were constricted by something. She turned her head, only to see the face she had missed the day before. He was laying next to her, his arms around her waist, her back to his chest.

 

Smiling, she turned back to face him and couldn't stop her eyes from traveling up and down his naked upper half. On their way up, her eyes landed on a necklace that was made of dark beads and white fangs. `That! Is that the necklace Keiko told me about?' Not wanting to think about the necklace and the things it reminded her, she let her eyes travel up to his face and then to the top of his head. The adorable ears that twitched once in a while provided her the distraction she needed. Well, maybe more than she needed.

 

Mesmerized, she couldn't help herself. She had to do it. Very slowly, Kagome raised her hand and softly touched the little appendages. `So soft ...' Becoming bolder by the second, she started rubbing them to her immense delight.

 

After a few moments, he spoke without opening his eyes, “Aren't you satisfied yet?”

 

`Gods! He was awake?!' Despite the embarrassment she felt at being caught, she smiled at the annoyance in his voice. “No, not yet.”

 

With a loud `Keh!' he made a sudden move and ended up hovering over her. “Well, let's see how we can change that.” He leaned over her as she closed her eyes in anticipation of his lips on hers. She gasped softly when she felt the feathery touch of his lips on the corner of her mouth, then on her jaw, then on the tip of her nose, and then on her cheek.

 

Kagome opened her dilated eyes to see his beautiful face a few inches over hers. His eyes were swirling with a myriad of emotions, making her head spin and taking her deeper and deeper. Without taking his eyes off of hers, he slowly trailed a path on her skin with the tip of his claw. He started at her right ear, continued through her jaw and then her neck, down between the valley of her breasts, and stopped at her belly button. His progression caused the thin yukata she was wearing to slide open, revealing her naked skin.

 

She was panting by now, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. While she watched with half-lidded eyes, he slid down a little, his head hovering over her rapidly raising and falling chest. He left one feather-soft kiss on each hardened nipple, causing her to gasp in unexpected delight. Not heeding her attempts to feel his lips again by raising her chest, he slid down the futon and placed himself between her raised knees. Looking at her half-closed eyes and smirking slightly, he dipped his head down.

 

Kagome held her breath in anticipation of feeling his touch down there, but let it out as she heard him swear instead.

 

“Fuck!”

 

Not understanding what was wrong, she raised her head to see him looking at the door over his shoulder. Not a moment passed before someone knocked on the door.

 

“What, dammit!” yelled Inuyasha.

 

Following his rather rude demand, the deep voice of a man was heard behind the door. “Forgive me, my lord, but Lord Sesshoumaru wants to see you immediately.”

 

“Fucking asshole! Fine! Tell him I'm coming!” he bellowed.

 

Sighing in disappointment, Kagome moved to get up, only to be stopped by his hands on her hips. Sending her a warning look, he turned his attention to where it was only seconds before and gave her a long, slow lick that caused both of them to moan in bliss. She closed her eyes, all her muscles trembling at the feelings he caused. When his next touch did not come as soon as she would have liked, she opened her eyes to see that he was already gone.

 

 

~*~

 

 

An hour later, Kagome was washed up, dressed and ready to face anyone that entered through that door. She shot up when she heard the door slide open, only to see Lady Nobuko come in with her breakfast. Apparently, she could not manage to hide her disappointment, for the woman started chuckling and shaking her head as she prepared the low table for her to eat. The young woman ate in silence, her thoughts fixed on one person, and she drank the foul smelling potion the old woman presented her without objection.

 

As the old woman cleaned the table, the girl walked toward the window and looked down to the garden. Her eyes widened when she saw Inuyasha cross the courtyard. As she watched, he was stopped by a beautiful woman in elegant clothes who, to her immense irritation, was openly flirting with him. She clenched her fists in anger. How dare that woman touch him? When she saw him put his hand on the woman's, who was playing with his collar, Kagome couldn't stand to see more and turned her back to the scene.

 

 

End of Chapter 7