InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ In Unison ( Chapter 14 )

Title: Into the Fire

Author: Chiaztolite

Rating: NC-17/M for lemon, rape, and violence

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha

 

 

LEMON WARNING: This chapter contains sexual contents and mature subject matter. If you are underage or uncomfortable reading bestiality, please skip this chapter and wait patiently for the next one.

 

TheDisruptiveOnes: Thanks for your respond to my last message. What you wrote in your reply actually made me feel somewhat relieved, because I do want the tiger to seem cold, indifferent, and arrogant. That is what I'm aiming for. Please remember that he was once an immortal, the future leader of this “special” race. I think it makes sense that he still maintains a lot of dignity within him even though he had fallen from grace. I think I will hate him if he is too humble and friendly. You wondered why Shouri thinks it is okay for him to behave that way, and yet gave Sesshoumaru a hard time for acting so indifferent. The reason for that is because Ryoushin is cold to everybody else but her, the little cubs, and his old retainer. Sesshoumaru is trying, but he is not yet successful. And she is still looking for the old version of her brother that she knew 200 years ago. About Ryoushin not being a good enough mate for Shouri, I do somewhat agree with that, at this point at least. He has not done anything significant so far. You are actually looking at this matter from Sesshoumaru and his grandfather's perspective. Just like you, they both think that he is tainted, and he does not deserve her. This is actually ironic because if Ryoushin is not cursed, it would be the other way around. She would be the one who is considered not good enough for him. After reading your reply, I realized I forgot to snip in a little information on Ryoushin and Shouri's relationship. Some chapters ago, when Sesshoumaru just found out that his sister is engaged to the tiger, he did wonder why she was not taken yet although he had been courting her for 5 years. The reason why he did not claim her yet is because he, himself, knows that he does not deserve her and therefore wants to wait until he got his birthrights back. I will somehow put that little bit in this chapter. Lastly, I do not know how you got to the conclusion about Ryoushin fighting Sesshoumaru and ended up as a winner. Did I write anything that makes you believe that is going to happen? I suppose I did… But please rests assure, it is not going to happen, it did not even come across my mind to write that kind of scene. Well, they are scheduled to fight each other towards the end of the sequel (and that will not be happening very soon…), but the reason and the outcome are way different than what you have pictured. And just like you, I am a Sesshoumaru fan, big time. I don't read the manga, but I do skip the TV series and only watch the part where Sesshoumaru is present. Sometimes I hope he will just kill Inuyasha and the gang and take Tessaiga, but maybe that is too mean. I kind of feel “guilty” for ignoring Inuyasha and friends so far in my story, but I'm not sure if I want to give them a big role. Fortunately, you agree with me. Please continue to read this chapter (I'm quite sure you are not underage, I just hope you are not one of those who are not comfortable reading bestiality…). Hopefully you will not hate the tiger even more after you're done reading it. (My GOD that was a long note…)

 

 

Into the Fire

 

Chapter 14: In Unison

 

Sesshoumaru held his arm straight before him, green liquid of poison dripped from the tip of his fingers onto the ground. His eyes narrowed into golden slits as he focused his concentration on a large tree, distanced about10 feet before him. With one simple flick of his wrist, he launched his energy whip and in a blink of an eye, the thick trunk was cut in half. The slice was clean, and if those two pieces were put together again, the join would surely be seamless. After he swayed his first lash, he retracted his whip and it quickly disappeared into the palm of his hand.

“Now you try it…” He said, slightly shifting his head to look to his side.

Shouri was standing not so far from him with arms crossed in front of her bosom. She put on a slightly bored look on her face and rolled her eyes. His way-too-ambitious brother had insisted that they should use the afternoon resting time for some whip training.

“And why do I have to do this…?” She asked him, earning a deep sigh as he forced himself to be more patient with her.

“Because you need to learn to fight the correct way…” He answered, putting an emphasis on the word “correct”, to once again remind her how disagreeable her daggers and poison needles are to him. “This is a part of your heritage, our heritage… Just like I have learnt it from our father, now you will learn it from me.”

She gave him a scowl, yet finally caved in and took her stance, standing in front of a tree next to the one he cut down.

“…Focus your youki on your fingertips…” He said. “And let your energy flow.”

She closed her eyes to do as told and a moment later, a glowing white liquid slowly formed on the tip of her fingers. Sesshoumaru watched in silent amusement as he saw the trickling fluid gradually hardened and turned to ice. When she opened her eyes, she had a long whip formed of uncountable frozen shards flowing from her hand. Her chill energy had produced a different kind of whip than her brother's poisonous ones.

“Aim it at the tree before you…” Sesshoumaru quietly said.

Imitating her brother's earlier demonstration, she flicked her wrist and launched the frozen whip towards the awaiting tree. But it soon lost its course and instead of cutting the trunk into two, it turned around with its razor sharp tip flew directly towards him. He skillfully dodged it, yet could not manage to save a few strands of his hair. He glared at those silver tresses laying on the ground before he shifted his icy gaze at her.

“Were you trying to kill me?” He hissed, while she could only stare back at him with her hand covering her gaping mouth. Her bright emerald eyes twinkled in humor when she lowered her hand and asked him in return,

“Did you see two darts flying at you?”

He arched one eyebrow when he realized she was mocking him about the unfortunate incident, again. And though he was wearing his most annoyed mask on his face, he was somewhat relieved to hear her laughter, to see her smiling face again after some tense moments they had the day before. It seemed that his sister had returned to her happy-self.

“That is not funny.” He glared at her, silencing her giggles at once. “Try it again.”

She sighed in a mock exasperation, yet her arm already moved to give it a second try. She undoubtedly did better this time, managing to cut the tree though her slice was not as clean and smooth as his and her control of the whip was still unstable.

Meanwhile, a pair of sapphire eyes was watching them keenly from the top of a tree in a safe distance. The sound of her laughter caused a smile to curve on his lips for it was rare for her to laugh that happily lately. Silently, he watched the siblings trained their whips, cutting large trees here and there like the forest meant nothing. As he observed her smiling face, he recalled what she had told him that morning before they continued their journey on the air.

 

“…Last night,” She started, her somewhat peaceful eyes were watching the rising sun. They were sitting together on the soft grass which was wet with the morning dew, the reddish horizon stretched before them. “My brother said that it is up to me whether I want to spend my affection on him or not…”

He turned to look at her with a slight frown on his forehead.

“Whatever that means?” He asked.

“He knows I am still searching for the same brother I lost 200 years ago…And he was trying to tell me that he cannot give me what I seek…” She softly said, the expression on her face was just as serene as her tone of voice. “He gave me a choice… Take him the way he is, or walk away…” She paused briefly, gave out a chuckle and shook her head,

“How could he call those choices?” She asked. Her voice was so gentle, as if she was talking to no one but herself. “…I have no choice but to love him…”

Sensing that she still had more to say, he kept himself quiet.

“But my heart grieves like I just lost someone precious to me all over again…” He heard her whisper. “At the same time, I gained another… And I hold them both just as dearly…”

She shifted her head to look at him, a rather sad smile was on her face.

“Isn't it ironic?” She asked him. “I lived the past 200 years of my life not knowing anything, while my brother had to suffer the lost of his loved ones… It turned out my memory loss becomes a blessing, somehow…”

 

He jumped off the tall tree and gracefully landed on the ground. Slowly, he approached those two, who stopped their training abruptly when they sensed his presence. Shouri welcomed him with a gentle smile, while the other just stared at him with strangely cold golden eyes. The male inu radiated such a fierce, unfriendly aura that he could taste it in his mouth.

“…There is something I need to check before we move on any further…” He said to her, ignoring the piercing gaze her brother gave him. “I shall leave now, and return before it is time for us to continue the journey.”

Shouri looked at him with a thin frown on her forehead. “Is it very crucial? Why did you not wait until we proceed and we can check on it together?”

He shook his head. “It will be faster to go by myself. I shall not be very long.”

She took one step towards him and laid her hand on his arm. “Then at least let me go with you…”

Though very faint, Ryoushin could hear a growl formed in Sesshoumaru's chest. Even though the youkai lord was silent, he did not bother to conceal his disapproval.

“I do not think that is a good idea.” Ryoushin finally said, a tight chuckle tainted his voice.

With a deeper frown, with a pair of sharp eyes she stared at him. “You consider me a burden?” She asked him, her tone started to sound dangerous. “You think I am incapable of matching your speed that I will slow you down?”

Her accusing words stunned him. He blinked his eyes a few times before he responded,

“…Shouri, that is not what I meant...” He wanted to say more, yet her piercing gaze rendered him speechless. She was being stubborn, he knew it. Having no choice but to relent to her wish, he heaved a deep sigh.

“…Whenever you are ready…” He said at last, before he turned around to return to his own small pack.

Shouri stood still with eyes glued to his back as he walked away. Her keen sense of hearing captured a low grunt from her brother, causing her to shift her gaze to him.

“You still do not like him…” Her low voice said. She did not even need to ask the question, his behavior had explained it all.

“He is an abomination.” He uttered the fact with a flat tone. But as his eyes captured her sullen face, he regretted his words almost instantly. The previously bright emerald eyes turned gloom with sadness. His insensitive words had caused her to lower her head and looked away.

He stood still observing her for a moment. He was not the kind who would take his own words back, or act according to the way other wished it. But more than anything, he hated to be the cause of Shouri's melancholy state. He let out a deep, inaudible sigh, thinking of what he could say to put the smile back on that face again.

“…If it means so much to you…” He started, earning her attention. “…I will at least try to be civil to him…”

When she turned around to reveal her face to him, he knew that he had lit that light within her that made her beamed with delight. She smiled as she took his hand into hers, giving it a little squeeze to show him her happiness and gratitude.

“…Thank you.” She whispered.

“I cannot believe you forced me into this…” He grumbled, though he kept his hand within her hold. “While that tiger…”

“He has a name…” She cut him, staring at his indifferent face with one arched eyebrow. “You may want to start with that…”

He sighed, freeing his hand from hers so that he could wipe his face, hiding his exasperation.

“Fine.” He finally said, though slightly brooding for he was once again forced to do something that was quite unpleasant to him. “What is his name?”

“Ryoushin.”

He almost chuckled at the irony, the meaning of that name was `good mind'.

`Well, if he had that to begin with, he would not have been cursed, would he…'

But he kept his thought to himself, this time.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Two youkais were seen hopping from one tree to the other. The incredible speed of their gracious movements made them look nothing but white and golden blurs to a lesser being's eyes. She followed him closely, proving that her skill was a perfect match for his. Soon enough, he landed on the ground and stood before an enormous stone gate, each side was guarded by a statue of a tiger. They both looked up to observe the ornate carving on the colossal post and lintel structure before them. Those carvings told the long history of the holy tiger race, explaining that it was the entrance to the forbidden territory.

They were both standing still for a long time, silence filled the air as he recalled the memories of his old home and origin. She stepped closer to the gate, staring down the clear path before them, the completely unobstructed trail flanked by massive trees. The tallest, largest trees she had ever seen, the trees of the ancient times...

“…Can we not pass…?” She quietly asked, her hand lifted to point at the clear air before them. He stopped her abruptly, gripping her wrist to prevent her from touching that empty space.

“…Don't…” He said, his voice as low as a whisper. With his hand, he gently forced her to lower her arm.

“It is the gateway to the Mountain of Gods…” He told her, his eyes were glued to the scene before them. “The barrier starts here, and it goes around the forest like a ring. Those who do not have the pass cannot enter…”

She looked at the gate with her curious green eyes. Unlike all the barriers she had seen before, this one radiated no aura whatsoever. There was no slightest hint to indicate its dangerous presence.

To prove his words, he picked up a good, solid twig from the ground, and carefully fed it into the space between those stone pillars. Her eyes widened as the tip of the branch caused small ripples to appear on the previously invisible surface, as if he had just thrown a pebble into a still pool of water. In a split second, like a piece of wax aflame, the twig melted and turned into fuming liquid that dripped continuously onto the ground.

“…So the barrier stands still…” He muttered, trashing the distorted twig to the side. “…Even after 300 years…”

“Is this what you wanted to check?” She asked him.

“I had wondered if it had somehow weakened since the sudden change of a ruler… But now I see that the Gods will not allow it…” He gazed at her and smiled.

“Worry not.” He said to assure her. “We will just use the other way…”

Just then, he looked up to the sky and noticed the dark clouds above them. The air smelled heavily moist with wind and water, a sign that a storm would arrive, soon.

“…Come,” He said, taking her hand into his, guiding her away from the gate. “We must return quickly.”

Not even three steps from the stone gate, the sky started to fall upon them. The cold weather of the mountain had turned most of the water into ice, sharp shards of frozen rain that showered them like countless small darts. He pulled her body closer to his so that he could shield her from the storm. They sped up their pace while trying to find a safe place for a shelter, a place to wait until the downpour subsided.

 

Moments later, they finally found a place suitable for a temporary shelter. It was barely a cave, nothing but a shallow concave on a wall of rocks. The small void was just enough for the two of them, but it provided them warmth nevertheless. The floor of the cave was covered in as thick tapestry of green moss that felt so soft on their feet. She looked up to the weeping sky, the scenery outside their safe haven was no more than a complete blur due to the heavy shower.

“What an unfortunate weather…” He said, suddenly appeared so close behind her. “But we will get a lot of this from now on, since we are getting very close to the mountain…”

She sighed inwardly, her eyes were still fixed on those beads of ice that fell down from the sky.

`…How sad it was to grow up in a gloomy place like this…' She thought, comparing the dim, misty mountain to her own lands, where the winter was mild and the summer filled the air with the scent of warm grass. There was nothing like racing through a vast meadow under the summer sun, so fast that she felt her body floated over the lush grass. She could still taste the intangible pleasure of lying underneath the full summer moon, bathing herself in its mysterious silver rays, surrounded by thousands of fireflies that shone her body with their green lanterns.

“The rest of the pack is going to worry about us…” She muttered, still fixing her eyes on those beads of falling rain.

“We would not be able to move on in this weather anyway…” He said. “Your brother would surely guess that we have to shelter somewhere until the frozen rain subsides.”

`…My brother…' She thought as she recalled their brief conversation before she left with this tiger.

“Shin-ai…” She called him softly, giving him a glance over her shoulder to reveal her profile to him. “…Do you dislike my brother?”

A sour smile was curved on his lips when he remembered what the cold youkai lord said to him that morning on the riverbank.

`…I do not trust you…' Sesshoumaru had said.

“He is a younger version of your grandfather…” Ryoushin finally answered. “The same dignity and pride… And just like your grandfather, he scorned me for being an abomination. Not that I can blame him…” He paused briefly to sigh before he continued. “...I do not hate him…But no matter what I do, it will not change the way he regards me, not until I get this curse defeated… That is just the way things are.”

She looked up to the sky, sighing inwardly, her head shook slightly. She knew he was right. She could force her brother to act civil towards Ryoushin, yet she could not change his true opinion towards this tiger.

When she turned around, she saw the blazing fire in the back corner of the cave, the fire that he had created out of practically nothing. She smiled, his skill with fire proved to be quite convenient in such times.

From the corner of her vision, she caught him observing her. The flickering fire had caused his blue orbs to sparkle, they glimmered like two sapphires under the sun. Feeling awkward and abashed all of a sudden, she tried to shift his attention to her hair. Her slightly quivering fingers moved to comb her wet tresses, freeing her hair of those unwanted tangles. Beads of water clung to her porcelain skin, while more droplets dripped from her hair onto the ground. With a faintly scalded cheek she stared at him, noticing that he had not shifted his eyes off of her.

“…What?” She finally asked him.

He just smiled and shook his head. Slowly, he took a few steps closer to her and brushed those wet silver bangs away from her forehead.

“…I just realized that the last time we were left alone together was five years ago…” He softly said. “…Do you remember? It was the night you found me in the forest…”

She smiled at the memory. When his fingers slid downwards to graze her damp cheek, she closed her eyes to savor his touch. She knew her face blushed, though whether it was because of the chill air or the heat of his presence, she could not tell.

“You are cold…” He said, taking her body into his arms as he rubbed her cheek with his own to share his warmth. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeats, bathing herself with his flame. His lips were kissing the top of her head, his nose inhaled the sweet fragrance of her hair. Little by little, she raised her chin, as if asking to be kissed. He welcomed the gesture, the tip of his tongue lazily traced the contour of her lips. She gasped when she felt his mouth closing on hers, her trembling fingers twisted themselves in his golden tresses. He tasted like fire, heating her cold lips with each of his gentle caress. His hands were encircling her slim waist, trapping her, mashing their wet body together in a passionate embrace.

When he released her, she could not keep her head from falling forward, her cheek was pressed against his shoulder. With her arms she clung to him, desperately trying to keep herself on her feet.

“…My knees feel so weak…” She murmured, so soft that it was almost inaudible even to his ears.

Again, he kissed the top of her head, his arms tightened around her.

“I have you in my arms…” He whispered in her ear as he ran his fingers through her silky mane. “…I will not let go.”

She smiled against the warm skin of his throat. For a little while longer they stayed in each other's embrace, until he felt her whole body shuddered from the cold. He raised her chin and looked at her with a deep frown.

“We have to get you out of those wet clothes.” He said, his hands already moved to take off his white cloak for her to change into. Though a little damp, the thick cloak was considerably drier than her soaked garments. Once she accepted his offer, he turned to the fire, unwilling to plunder her honor and privacy.

Shouri clutched the cloak close to her body and moved towards the other end of the cave. She could feel her cheeks blush furiously. She was by no means familiar with such situations where she had to undress in the presence of a male, no matter who he was. The fact that he had his back to her only did little to ease her discomfort.

Her quivering fingers started to loosen the deep indigo obi tied around her waist, followed by her pale blue kimono. As quickly as she could, she wrapped the white cloth around her body, making some adjustments here and there so that it concealed her skin appropriately. When she returned to him, he was poking the fire with a twig he found laying on the mossy ground. A smile was on his face as soon as he laid his eyes on her. He had always loved to see her in white, for the color never failed to accentuate her striking beauty. It was unfortunate that more often than not, she wore blue for it was the royal color of the east.

Taking her place on the ground, she snuggled close to him so that she too, could warm him with her presence. He wrapped his arm around her, letting her head to rest on his hard chest as he silently tended the fire. Their close distance to each other allowed him to breathe in her enticing scent. His cloak which she was wearing had caused her distinctively alluring fragrance to mix with his masculine one. When he lowered his head to lay a kiss on her cheek, he could smell himself on her as if he had claimed her as his. He gazed at her with darkened eyes that contained a stronger fire, and when she returned his stare, her feminine intuition could sense his need. The pink shade that had left her face for a moment returned to scald her smooth cheeks, but now she knew for certain that it was him that caused the flush on her skin. Her fingers shifted, wanting to touch those black stripes on his cheekbone. Yet when their tips finally grazed him in the slightest contact, it was him who shut his eyes tight as if her fingers were in flames, it was him who let out a breathless moan.

Not even aware of the arousing effect she had on him, with a complete trust and innocent curiosity, she slid her fingers lower to explore the sides of his neck. Her lips followed, smearing butterfly kisses on the smooth plane of his throat, tearing another gasp from his mouth. His heavy breathing filled her ears, his scent was flavored with passion. Drowned in his reactions, she moved her body closer to his. Her breasts were pressed against his heaving chest, her claws were raking at his back. With her fangs, she lightly nipped at his flesh as she lovingly nuzzled the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Her tender gesture of affection almost cost him his self control. He strived to fight the urge to throw her on the mossy ground, to pin her body down and make love to her over and over again. He was hanging from the cliff of self control by a thin strand of willpower, fighting to defeat the desire of his flesh as she so trustingly continued her exploration.

Not willing to put her honor on the line, he pushed her body away from him. With a few sharp intake of fresh air, he tried to calm his pounding heart. Yet the look he saw on her face did not give him a chance to relish his triumph, for her expression was a cross between shame and rejected. Feeling unwanted, she moved away from him. She pulled her knees up to her chest, wishing that she could disappear by concealing herself that way.

“…Shouri…” With his gentlest voice he called her name, with the palm of his hand he tried to cup her face. She pushed his hand away, her head lowered, refusing to even look at him.

“…Do you regret your decision because I am not one of your kind?” She asked, her tone was more gloomy than infuriated. “Do you wish you have asked a holy tigress to be your mate instead?”

He covered his eyes with the back of his hand when he realized the reason for her disappointment. He reached for her shoulder and pulled her into his arms. With a slight rage, she resisted at first, yet her struggles gradually ceased and she surrendered in his embrace.

“…You know that is not the reason why…” He whispered, his mouth against the silkiness of her hair. She remained quiet, burying her face in his chest as he held her tight. “In my current state I have nothing to offer you, not even a place to call `home'… I am no one but a wanderer, a cursed one…”

Still, she remained silent, motionless. He hooked his index finger underneath her chin so that she would raise her chin to stare into his eyes. She was so beautiful his heart ached just by looking at her.

“And I promised your grandfather I will not take you as my mate before this curse is defeated.” He continued, still holding her chin in his fingers. “I would not want to violate his trust…”

She did not even bother to wait for him to finish his words when she shifted her body upwards to close his mouth with hers. He let out a throaty moan as she initiated their kiss, something that she rarely did. She wanted to let him know that the curse did not matter for her, she loved him despite that. With a tenderness that caused his heart to ache, she tugged on his lower lip, hoping that he could feel her love through the amorous kiss. Soon enough he took control, crushing her mouth with such passion, all but bruising her lips. She parted her mouth for him to plunder her sweetness, her taste was like the sweetest wine of the Gods.

His hands moved to roam over her still-clothed body, sliding up and down her sides before settling on the tender mounds of her breasts. She could not stop herself from gasping at the new taste of pleasure, she almost cried out when his fingers started to massage the soft weights he cradled in his hands. He released her lips to trail kisses down her throat, leaving fire in its wake. With her mouth free to let out soft whimpers, she slipped her hands inside his wet kimono, running her fingers over his damp skin, massaging his muscled chest just the way he did her.

The intoxicating scent of an aroused female overpowered him, awakening his beast that answered her call. He pushed her shoulder to lay her on her back, his lips were still suckling the tender flesh of her neck. Stopping to moan her name over and over again, he whispered in her ear, his voice sounded hoarse with emotion.

“…Shouri…” His breath felt warm on her skin, even the sound of her name aroused her. “…If only I could make you mine right now…”

With her breathing just as ragged as his, she cupped his face, shifting her head a little so that she could nibble on his ear.

“…Then take me…” She whispered huskily. “…Make me yours…”

His answer was nothing but intelligible moans, yet his hands had already moved to loosen the cloak wrapped around her body. She squeezed her eyes tight as he gradually untied all the knots that kept the cloth together, slowly undressing her for the very first time. She could feel the cold night air grazing her naked skin when he revealed her body to the night. She kept her eyes shut, her fingers clutched the cloak beneath her so tight her knuckles turned white, she could feel her whole body blushed from her shyness.

When he completely bared her skin, he could feel his heart skipped a beat. The sight of her beauty took his breath away, for to him, she was perfect from head to toe. Her frame was slim yet she had all the luscious, feminine curves every female should possess. He heaved an inaudible sigh, sensing the knot within his stomach grew taut, his desire fully awakened that it was almost too painful to bear.

Her skin was as smooth as the finest porcelain, a perfect match for her hair, her glorious silver hair that spread beneath her body. A few locks of hair flowed along her torso, concealing her breasts from his view. His fingers shifted to brush those strands away, uncovering those beautiful, roundly shaped mounds which rosy peaks hardened beneath his sizzling gaze. His eyes sparkled in amusement when he found the mark she bore on the left part of her body. It was a crimson tattoo of delicate swirls resembling scarlet flames that started from the underside of her left breast, cascading down the left side of her belly and hip until it disappeared between her closed thighs.

Bashfully, she opened her eyes only to find him observing that magenta tattoo on her body. Propping her upper body on her elbows, she stared at him with obvious lack of confidence. Her soft, timid voice asked,

“…Is it unpleasant to look at…?”

“On the contrary…” He said, returning her stare with eyes that were darkened with desire. The insignia was so sensual he could not wait to trace it with his mouth, the mental picture he just created stirred the flaming passion within him.

Her body tensed when she saw him moving closer, slowly approaching her with the grace of a beautiful animal. Shy, yet could not take her eyes off of him, she waited with her body still supported by her elbows. He pushed her to once again lie on the moss-covered ground, the soft pad of his thumb grazing her collarbone. She squeezed her eyes shut, her body grew even more tense when he leaned forward to lay a kiss on her forehead. His lips did not leave her, but traveled down to her eyes, her cheek before finally closing on her lips.

She felt his hands on her nude skin, gliding over her ribcage before resting themselves on the deep curve on each side of her waist. Every single touch caused her to shiver uncontrollably, forcing her to bit her lower lip to prevent herself from sobbing. She heard his deep sigh and found him stopping his ministrations, his hand was now on her cheek. He must had sensed her fear and apprehension.

“…Open your eyes…” He gently commanded. Reluctantly, ever so slowly, she complied, staring into those deep blue orbs that seemed to look into her very soul. “…It is me…” He whispered, rubbing her cheek affectionately. “…You have no reason to fear me…”

She was deeply moved by his effort to calm her, yet her heart was pounding so hard it was beyond all soothing. Unlike him, she was a stranger to all sorts of sexual encounter. She shifted uncomfortably on the cave floor while he hovered over her, his body supported by one strong arm. Sensing the fear in her scent, still, he spoke softly, his thumb grazing the hollow of her throat.

“…We do not have to do this…” He assured her, telling her that he would never force her into submission.

“…But I want to…” She whispered, her hand lifted to rub his chest, her touch felt like feather on his skin. “…I do...”

Proving her stubbornness, she pulled his head down so that their lips met. He was stiff for a moment, yet she was kissing him with such passion he could not resist her. Slowly, for he did not want to scare her, his hand started to explore her body, from her rounded shoulder to those juicy arms of hers. He moaned into her mouth when his fingers tasted her ripened fruits of desire for the first time, their size and shape felt so right within his palms. His gentle touch tore her lips away from his, she gasped and whimpered, almost cried out as her back arched, trying to get more of his gentle caress. With painful tenderness he kneaded those succulent breasts, his thumbs moved in circular motions over their erect buds, pinching, teasing them until she screamed with want.

Soon his face was buried in the valley of her breasts, the tip of his tongue licked her hot skin, tasting the sweet perspiration formed there. His mouth closed on one nipple, lapping, suckling the rose colored bud while her fingers twisted themselves in his hair, pressing his head down as if she could not get enough of him. With his tongue he teased her, with his teeth he gently nibbled on the taut peak, causing her body to writhe underneath him. His hands had moved lower to graze the sensual flare of her hips, down to her clamped thighs that concealed the core of her femininity. His coaxing fingers rub the plump mound underneath her navel, silently pleading her to open her center for him to explore. Slowly, so slowly, she parted her legs, just enough to allow him to slip his fingers in between to feel the heat there. He felt her body shuddered at his first touch on her moist nether lips, the tip of her claws were digging into his shoulder.

He lifted his face off of her breast to look at her, observing the expression on her face to make sure that it was pleasure, and only pleasure that she was feeling. Her eyes closed, her cherry lips slightly parted to release continuous gasps and moans. Wanting to gaze more at her lovely blushed face, he shifted his body upwards so that one more time, he was hovering over her. His fingers were still between her thighs, parting those plump lips there to find the untouched treasure hidden beneath her folds. His name was on her lips when the tip of his index finger found the swollen bundle of nerves, already moist with her dew. She whimpered uncontrollably as he rubbed the sensitive pearl, teasing and pinching until she was wet with her desire.

His hot mouth was now on her left breast, suckling on her nipple like a starving cub before it shifted lower to kiss the tattoo on the underside of the heaving mound. Bringing his imagination into reality, with his lips and tongue he traced the swirls all the way down to her jutting hipbone, following the crimson path until it ended just at the top of her inner thigh. Her legs were still parted, allowing him to gaze at the lovely secret there. With his middle and index fingers he parted her folds, slowly slipping one digit into her moist tunnel which had never been ravaged by any male before.

She bucked her hips upward when she felt the penetration, her mouth moaning his name over and over again as he carefully worked his finger in and out of her. His forehead frowned with concern when he realized how tight she was, worried that he might hurt her. But desperate to give her pleasure, he continued his ministrations.

Through her half-lidded eyes she observed him, his body was kneeling between her creamy thighs. Her legs were trembling with ecstasy, her breasts heaved and fell with every ragged breath she took. She could feel his hand parting her even wider, causing her to raise her upper body just slightly so that she could see what he was doing. With a frown, she observed him lowering his head little by little, his eyes were fixed on her sex.

“…Ryoushin…” She called out in alarm when she realized what he was about to do. “…What…”

His tongue silenced her, replacing all words with a guttural cry that threw her head backwards. Her immediate reaction was to push his head away for the pleasure he gave her was too intense to bear. Swiftly, he trapped her wrist within his hand, ignoring her cries as he kept torturing her with the tip of his tongue. Her body bucked and trashed almost violently when his lips closed on the swollen bud to imitate the sucking movements he did to her nipples, her throaty moans filled the small cave. Once he freed her wrist, he pinned her jolting hips down, pressing her body against the ground. Her hand that was about to shove him away was now on the back of his head, pushing him down, her fingers running wildly through his hair.

He took his time, loving her that way in a slow, maddening pace that ripped incoherent screams out of her mouth. She tried to thrust herself against him, begging him to increase his pace, yet he rendered her in the most helpless position with her hips held down. Fully aware of her needs yet not willing to grant her release so soon, he licked her slowly, lapping her dew that tasted so sweet in his mouth. With his tongue he prodded her opening, slipping the soft, moist flesh inside her before he slid it in and out of her weeping passage.

She was so ready for him, he knew it. He climbed up her body to touch his lips to hers, letting her taste the sweetness of her own nectar in his mouth. With an urgency that frightened her, she loosened his kimono, desperately wanting to touch his flesh. He raised his body to help her undress him. He was now straddling her waist, towering over her with his knees on the ground so that he did not have to rest his weight on her.

Her hands moved to roam his naked skin, to rake his back, to stroke those rippling muscles of his chest and abdomen. When her trembling fingers touched the sash that tied his hakama together, she stopped with sudden shyness. Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to find him staring at her with such desire that made her feel so wanted. His eyes were no longer the color of sapphire, but glowing amber adorned with tiny freckles of sparkling black diamonds. Those eyes gazed down upon her, his fingers touched her flushed cheek as he waited for her decision. With her hands still holding his sash, she bit her lower lip, knowing that if she wanted him to stop, this was her chance. The ball was on her court, all she had to do was not pull the sash open.

But as she had her eyes on this male above her, she knew she loved him. If she was destined to belong to someone in this world, it would be him. A tender smile was on her lips when she reached up to touch his face.

Him, and only him.

With one hand she pulled the sash loose. He tilted his head to lay a fervent kiss on the palm of her hand that touched his cheek. He laced their fingers together, pinning her hand on each side of her head as he lowered himself to lap beads of tears that suddenly appeared on the corner of her eyes. She did not know why she cried, she thought as she sobbed quietly, letting him kiss all her tears away. When their lips finally met, he let her hands go so that she could caress him, pull him closer into her embrace as if she was afraid to loose him.

He slipped his hands underneath her body to hold her tight as he moaned her name against her lips over and over again. She whimpered in protest when he lifted himself off of her to take a few steps back. Their eyes met as he stood before her, his hand was on the waist of his hakama. His burning eyes roamed over her nude body, her hair spread underneath her, not even one strand concealed her beauty. The magenta markings on her body were like God's works of art, adorning her immaculate skin that glowed under the flickering fire, causing ripples of desire to course through him.

With a pair of passionate eyes, she watched him slid his hakama downwards, until that last piece of garment pooled around his ankles. She could feel her mouth dry when she gazed upon his bare skin, drinking the sight of his masculine beauty. When her eyes traveled lower to the growing strength between his thighs, she felt tingling within the center of her aching desire. Instinctively, she closed her parted legs, the pink blush on her cheek grew deeper as she wondered how he was going to fit it inside her. With unhurried movements he approached her. Though shy, she could not take her eyes off of him. His body was strong and sculpted, lean yet well muscled, fanning the passion within her. His tanned skin looked like field of gold under the glowing flame.

He dropped to his hands and knees like a beautiful animal he was, crawling towards her until he hovered on top of her, careful not to let their skin touched. Their eyes did not leave each other's when he lowered his hips, rubbing himself against her, coating his erect length with her honey. The sensation of his heated malehood prodding her entrance was just too intense that she had to shut her eyes tight, her hands were running up and down his arms. For a moment he stayed outside her, stroking her tenderly, reluctant to enter her moist passage. As if sensing his doubt, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her mouth spread kisses on his throat.

“…Take me…Claim me…Make me yours…” She sobbed. “…As long as it's you…”

His eyes hardened and he gritted his teeth. A low groan escaped him as he pushed the tip of his hardened shaft into her, slowly and tenderly as not to scare or hurt her. She squeezed her eyes tighter as he stretched her for the first time, whimpering as he sank himself inch by inch into her virgin tunnel that was almost too tight for him. He had to exert all the strength within him to remain gentle, her tightness gripped him like a vise, tempting him to plunge into her with all he had. When he felt her barrier, he paused to slip his hands beneath her back, embracing her tightly as he thrust deeper into her, burying himself to the hilt. She let out a sharp cry when he broke her, fully sheathing himself inside of her. She clung to him desperately, pressing her face against the junction of his neck, sobbing quietly. Smearing butterfly kisses on her forehead, he stopped to let her adjust to his size, to the new penetration she had never felt before.

She lay still beneath him, within his embrace. He stretched and filled her divinely, her passage wrapped around him so snugly she could feel every ridge of him, every pulse of his heated flesh. He moaned when he felt her muscles contracting, massaging him, milking him, almost throwing him over the edge. His hands gripped her hips, trying to stop whatever she was doing to him, yet she taunted him still, unaware of the effect she had on him. Breathing heavily, he started to move against her, rocking her in a slow, steady rhythm, earning breathless gasps from her. He raised her hips to allow him for a deeper stab, to bring her to a higher level of pleasure. His body rose and fell between her legs as he made love to her with such intensity he never felt before. Many females had come and gone before her, and he never failed to gain sexual and bodily pleasure from them, but none of them did more than that.

He gazed upon her flushed face beneath him, such a lovely face… Her eyes were closed and her lips were parted, revealing her pearl white fangs as she let out her gasps and moans of ecstasy. She was different. She quenched his emotional thirst, providing him with everything only a mate could give.

“…Move with me…” He whispered in her ear, slightly nibbling on the tender flesh there. “…Soar with me…”

Awkwardly at first, she started to follow his rhythm. Her hips rose upward to meet his downward plunge, matching him thrust for thrust. She could feel him deep inside her, so hot and thick and slippery wet with her juice. He was rocking her tenderly, slowly, too slowly… And she wanted more, more…

She sank her claws in his flesh, digging into his shoulder to silently express her desire. Fully aware of her urgent need, he increased his pace. Jabbing, driving in and out of her a little faster. Only a little, yet she wanted more of him, all of him.

“…What do you want…?” He whispered, his eyes never left her face, his breath felt so hot on her skin. “…Shouri, tell me what you want…”

Her claws sank even deeper as she whimpered.

“…Please…” It was all she could utter with her raspy voice. “…Please…”

Yet with that one simple word, he knew what she wanted. Gripping her hips tightly, he pushed faster, harder, almost slamming himself against her pelvis, tearing screams of pleasure from her. Though his speed had increased, he was still careful not to hurt her, making sure that his dipping shaft stroked her sensitive bud with every thrust. She was very close to completion, he could feel the heat building within her womb, her walls tightened around him, clamping him so hard he thought he was going to burst. When her eyelashes fluttered open, her eyes were glowing red, her fangs lengthened as he delivered those final thrusts. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, her claws raking at his back, her body trashed violently underneath him, all but lifting his weight off of her. Almost frantically, she threw her head to her sides, up and down, crying and sobbing at the same time. Swiftly, he slipped his hand underneath her, preventing the back of her head from slamming against the ground.

One second before the first orgasm of her life, with a fierceness that stunned him, her legs that were on his back pushed him to bury himself inside her, embedding himself to the hilt. Her scarlet eyes glowed, her mouth closed on the juncture of his neck as she sank her fangs into his flesh, drawing blood. At the same time, her tunnel gripped him tight, her inner muscles tried to squeeze his frothing seed desperately. Her fangs jabbed in his neck, her walls clasping him, milking him, the sensation of agony and ecstasy almost threw him over the edge. He groaned her name repeatedly, trying to hold on to the cliff of his sanity. He felt her body shuddered in wild explosions of pleasure, her flooding honey bathed his pulsating cock as he lay stiff on top of her, striving not to loose himself within her passion.

When her waves of orgasm finally subsided, she was still sucking on his blood, feeding on his life giving fluid. He held her still, his breathing ragged, his shivering body was wet with perspiration. Lovingly, she licked those two round wounds she just gave him, cleaning his skin from all traces of blood. He moaned when he felt her gentle ministration on the new mating mark, every lick of her tongue sent ripples of pleasure through his entire existence, causing her to smile against his skin.

With a heavy heart, he pulled himself out of her warm tunnel, causing her to moan softly when he emptied her. He lay his body next to her and wrapped his arms around her, his lips were kissing her damp forehead.

“…Are you sore?” He asked her, his nose was nuzzling her cheek. “Was I too rough?”

She smiled and closed her eyes, basking in the blissful sensation of his affectionate gestures.

“No…” She said before observing the mark she just gave him, her finger rubbed the skin around it. “Was I too rough?” This time, it was her turn to ask. His answer to her question was a chuckle. Lovingly, he continued his tender nuzzling, alas she pushed his head away so that she could look at him. Her fingers brushed the wet locks of golden hair that was pasted on his forehead.

“Why did you not mark me?” She asked, and just then she noticed that he was still hard, his swollen member prodding her thigh. “…And you have not reached completion yet…”

“I have to mark you in the spot that is impossible to reach in that position…” He whispered, his mouth was back on her neck. “…And exactly the time I put my mark on your body, that is when I shall spill my seed into your womb… It is a tradition.”

“…Then, why did you not take me in the position that allows you to mark me…?” She asked with a breathless voice. His tender nuzzling on her neck had stirred her passion, again, which surprised her since they just made love and she just reached her climax. He lifted his face to gaze at her.

“It can be an uncomfortable position…” He said, his knuckles were grazing her smooth cheek. “And it was your first time, I did not want to hurt you…” He stared at her with sad eyes, a slight frown was on his beautiful face.

“…I should not have claimed you here…” He whispered. “You deserve better than this…I should have claimed you in my royal bed, not on the floor of some cave in the depth of a forest…”

She just smiled and kissed his slightly quivered lips, assuring him that she had no regret. Gently, she coaxed his mouth to part before she suckled on his lower lip, her fingers were running up and down his torso, fueling his passion. Groaning in frustration, he climbed on top of her, his hardness between her legs, rubbing itself against her moist nether lips. Knowing that he was ready, so ready, she released his mouth. With a twinkle in her green eyes and a seductive grin on her lips, she looked at him.

“Then make it up to me, tiger…” She whispered. “Claim me properly.”

He groaned and crushed her lips with his, kissing her with a passion that was almost crazy.

“…It has to be done from the rear…” He murmured against her mouth. “…With me in my tiger form…”

She looked at him with her eyebrows arched. `Now that's interesting…' she thought, yet soon she shifted her body to get into her position. He could not help but smiling when he saw her pose, on her hands and knees with her posterior raised, a position that was most natural to her.

“No, no, no, my darling…” He said as he kissed her cheek fondly. “That is how the inus mate…” He whispered, though he could not stop his eyes from peering at the sensual swell of her hips and those two fleshy mounds of her bottom. In that position, nothing could hide her beautiful plump, juicy sex and the smoothness of her buttocks.

`Well, maybe sometime…' He thought as he brushed his lips against her cheek.

“…Just lay on your belly…” He purred into her ear. “…Keep your hips on the ground, bend your knees and part your legs…”

She did as told and lay there like a little cat in heat, her heart was pounding in a slight apprehension, wondering what would happen next. He moved to hover on top of her, his naked chest brushed against the bare skin of her back. He ran his tongue along her shoulder, kissing her while his hand soothingly rubbed her back.

“Just keep your body relaxed…” He whispered, his mouth on the nape of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

A moment later he was in the tiger form, covering her considerably smaller frame with its gold and black furry pelt. She could feel the softness of its fur on her back, its strong front paw was on each side of her shoulder to support its hovering body. The tip of its swollen rod nudged her entrance, causing her to moan blissfully as the fire within her began to awaken. When the tiger started to stroked its twitching length along her hot, aching center, she started to moan uncontrollably. The position she was in limited her movements and the beautiful animal above her was pinning her down with its large body that she could not raised her hips to buck at it. It was so aroused from its unfulfilled desire earlier that it could not afford any time for a slow foreplay. For a few moments it rubbed itself along the slit of her sex to bathe its thick shaft with her dripping essence. Then with one long thrust, it drove into the slick cushion of her passage that was already moist with her dew.

She screamed out when it filled her, its strong hips bucked back and forth against her awaiting posterior, driving deeper and deeper into her. She felt it grew thicker, hotter within her, like the fire itself. With her hand she reached backwards to press its hip closer to her, urging it to increase the pace of its thrust. It followed her guidance, ramming, slamming into her that her breasts swayed and brushed against the white cloak beneath her. Its strength overwhelmed her that she had to hold on to its front paw. Its low, carnal growl filled her ears, matching her own rasping cries. Using her tight inner walls she massaged him, milking him, coaxing him to fulfill his needs along with hers.

She felt its wet, coarse tongue lapping the nape of her neck, the exact spot where she would bear his mark. Knowing that it was almost ready, she brushed her hair out of the way, bearing the back of her neck for it. The tiger kept brushing its tongue against her skin as its thrusts grew more and more urgent. She raised her hips slightly, wanting to get more of it so desperately.

Feeling her own needs rising to such height that it almost shattered her, she begged over and over again for the tiger to finish her. Her pleads were nothing but broken, unintelligible moans and whimpers, yet it did not fail to sense her desire. Just when she felt the spasms coursed through her body, the start of her climax, it stiffened and let out a harsh, throaty roar. Plunging its final thrusts into her, it sank its fangs into the soft flesh of her nape, lifting her to a crushing, shattering completion of her life. She cried out his name, still keeping her body relaxed, submissive as it marked her, drawing blood from the two round wounds it created on her skin. Its fangs were still jabbed within her when she felt its hips delivered one last powerful thrust to spill its seed into her awaiting womb, battering her walls, sending jolts and spasms through her entire body. She felt the heated lava running through her insides, she felt the tiger jerked against her with every burst of its frothing seed.

When all was over and she turned around to lie on her back, still panting with exhaustion, the tiger descended its head down to between her legs. With its sand-paper tongue it lapped the wetness there, cleaning her center off of their combined essence that soaked her, leaking out of her opening. She arched her back to relish its affection, running her fingers between the soft pelt of its head as it slowly climbed up her body and returned to its human form.

He was panting, breathing as heavily as she was, his body was still shivering from the aftermath of their passionate lovemaking. He laid his head on her breasts, resting his cheek against those soft mounds as she embraced him, her fingers tangling themselves in his golden locks. He inhaled deeply, taking notice that her scent had changed, mixing with his own, marking her forever as his.

He smiled. There was a peace there, knowing that they belong to each other.

He pulled her close into his arms, their fingers lacing, her back against his chest, their lower bodies molded together. She sighed blissfully when he licked the mark he gave her, nuzzling her neck lovingly, the feline's gesture of affection.

Outside their warm, comfortable love nest, the storm had not ceased. It provided a thick veil of waterfall that concealed the cave from outsider's view. They listened to the sounds of dripping water as his arms tightened around her to keep her warm, his mouth was on her hair, smiling contently.

“…When I was little…” She whispered so softly. “I watched my mother dying… Her heart that loved my father slowly withered away when she found out she had lost him…”

He said nothing but held her close as he listened to her.

“Then my grandfather made me forget about how she died, yet somehow I could not fully forget…Her love for him had caused her so much pain…and it scares me…” She turned over to face him and ran her index finger along his cheekbone.

“Before I met you I was prepared to be handed over to some male for a treaty… ” She whispered, causing him to smile ever so softly. “I had almost 200 years to prepare myself for that. But then love found me, and I am trapped by it… and I do not ever want to leave…”

He took her fingers and brushed his lips against them, kissing her hand with his eyes closed, wanting to freeze the moment forever. Her face, that smile on her lips, she looked as beautiful as a dream. When she mouthed those three precious words for him, he pulled her close to his heart, cradling her warm body as he lay silently, watching the pouring rain just outside their cave.

`I love you too…'

But he did not dare to say it…

 

 

To Be Continued.