InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Into the Fire ❯ The Premonition ( Chapter 15 )

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

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. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Into the Fire

He saw her again…

It was the same chamber, though not yet engulfed in dancing flames. She was standing in the middle of the empty room, the long sleeves of her lavender kimono flowed like butterfly wings. Her immaculate creamy skin was clean, free of traces of blood, unlike the last time he saw her. With those beautiful golden eyes she stared into his blue ones, the raven ringlets of her wavy hair framed her lovely face.

“Who are you?” He asked her.

She stood still with her lips sealed, causing him to wonder if she could hear him.

Just then, she smiled…

Chapter 15: The Premonition

When he opened his eyes, the sky outside their haven was still dark. The fire burned still in the corner, providing warmth to the two slumbering creatures. He smiled when he saw Shouri curled up in his arms, still in a deep, peaceful sleep with her silver hair tousled and spread on top of the thick white cloak. The bare skin of her back was pressed against his naked chest, her posterior was spooned against his lower body. He tightened his arms around her warm, fragrant body before he leaned over to lay a gentle kiss on her cheek. He felt so guilty for dreaming about this mysterious dark haired beauty when he already had Shouri in his arms.

Shouri, his beautiful Shouri, who stirred when she felt his lips brushing her skin, who moaned softly when his exploring hands found her breasts. He savored those soft weights nestled within his palms, his mouth traveled lower to her shoulder, spreading loving kisses on her silky skin. She stirred again when he started kneading those beautiful mounds, her eyes slowly fluttered open just when she felt his hardness prodding her posterior.

“…What are you doing…?” Though there was a hint of protest in her tone, her husky voice proved that she was aroused by his ministrations.

“…I am loving you…” He whispered, his voice was just as husky. His nose was nuzzling the crook of her neck, causing her to moan in delight.

She turned around to face him, the palm of her hands moved to cup his face before she leaned over and touched her lips to his. He pulled her body closer and rested his hand on the deep curve of her waist as he deepened their kiss. When he finally released her, she smiled at him, her face looked positively radiant with happiness.

“Good morning, my mate…” She whispered, her fingers were playing with the spun-gold curls on his forehead.

“It is barely dawn…” He murmured in her ear before he gave her another kiss. He turned her to lie on her back and rolled over to trap her body with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing, molding their body together. Her hands were exploring his back, stroking the strong, rippling muscles she found there. His heavy breathing felt warm and tingling against her skin, his touches and ministrations awakened all her senses. He nudged her legs open with his knees, the sensation of his swollen member rubbing against her center caused her to gasp in a mixture of astonishment and delight.

“…Oh my…” She whispered, staring into his darkened eyes teasingly. “…Did you not get enough last night?”

He chuckled before he lowered his head to nuzzle her smooth cheek, his lips were kissing her lovingly.

“Let me tell you something, my sweet…” He purred into her ear as his response, his arms snaked underneath her to cage her body within his embrace. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, causing the female to arch her back to offer herself to him. “If this mating ritual is done right, I would not let you out of my chamber for five or six days… That is how we, the holy tigers, do it…”

She closed her eyes and smile, her mind recalled so many stories she heard from those female servants back at the palace, who giggles bashfully whenever they talked about the burning desire of male youkais after the first mating ritual. But this mate of hers was just insatiable…

She put her hands on his shoulder and rolled him over until his back was pressed against the hard ground, reversing their position. She was now hovering on top of him, her hands were pinning his chest down, limiting his movements. A little stunned, he stared into her glittering eyes, watching those juicy lips that slowly curled into a seductive grin. She positioned herself so that her body was straddling him, each of her shapely thighs was pressed against his waist. He could feel the moist gathering in her center, the intoxicating scent of her arousal enticed him. She lowered her head to purr into his ear, her voice as smooth as a piece of finely weaved silk,

“…Well then…” She paused to nibble on the tender flesh of his earlobe. “Let me make it up to you…”

With the tip of her tongue she grazed his skin, her mouth traced his jaw line down to the hollow of his throat before she found those two small wounds on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Gently, she sucked on those round mating marks, her tongue probed and teased the sensitive skin around them, causing him to moan in pleasure. Her velvety hair poured over him like a waterfall, her sweet scent enveloped him like a sheer cloud of dream.

She rose to kneel between his legs, her hands were massaging his sculpted chest, trailing a path down to his navel. As she teased his skin with her fingers, she let her eyes roamed over his body, traveling lower to the erect stem of his masculinity. Her green eyes glittered when she remembered how thick he felt inside her, his girth was so punishing yet she could not get enough of him. The vivid memory of their previous lovemaking awakened her passion once more, her own sensuality guided her to rub the palm of her hand against his burning loins. She curled her fingers around his shaft, yet he was exceedingly thick that her slender digits could not reach around him. His hips jolted upwards, a sharp cry escaped his mouth when he felt her gentle grip on his aching member. Instinctively, he thrust himself against her warm caress, creating delicious frictions that sent waves of pleasure to course through him.

She lowered her head so that her lips could reach his ear. Still gripping his pulsating malehood, she purred into his ear with her sultry voice,

“…Teach me…” The tip of her tongue teased his earlobe, almost driving him out of sanity. “…Teach me how to give you pleasure…”

He gave out a throaty moan when he felt her fingers tightening around him, his head was dizzy with ecstasy it took him moments to fully comprehend her words. His hand reached out to guide hers, moving her hand up and down his hardened length, teaching her the rhythm as old as mankind. She stroked him slowly, from the base to his engorged tip, savoring the heat she cradled in her hand. He felt so hot, smooth and slick at the same time, she could feel the strong throbbing of his veins within her palm. Sensing his need, she increased her pace, running her hand up and down his length, causing him to cry out her name.

Her eyes were fixed on his face while her hand did its work, massaging him so gently, earning breathless moans from his parted lips, his eyes shut tight as he savored her delicious ministrations. She watched his face that was brimming with intensity, and she knew that she had given him pleasure. Yet, as she recalled the way he loved her the night before, the way he had tasted her, she knew she wanted to do more. And just like what he did, she wanted to taste him too…

Through his half-lidded eyes he saw her slowly lowering her head and he realized what she was going to do. Propping his upper body on his elbows, he called out to her,

“…Shouri...You do not have to…”

He did not even have the chance to complete his words when she pressed her lips against his furnace hot member. The moment he felt the tip of her tongue grazing the head of his erection, a guttural cry threw his head back, once again pressing his body on the ground. Impulsively, he thrust upwards, lifting his hips off the mossy ground, driving himself deeper into the moist cavern of her mouth, into the depth of her throat. The sudden movement caused the female to startle, her breathing grew slightly labored as she struggled to accommodate his hot, thick flesh. She pinned his lower body to restrain his jolting hips, rendering him motionless so that she could adapt to the size she cradled in her mouth.

He growled in protest when once again he realized that she had had him helpless. She draped herself over his lower body as she continued to pleasure him, her own feminine intuition taught her to make love to him with her mouth. Her head dipped repeatedly, pulling on the full length of his cock, her lips tightened and then released as her tongue circled the tip of his organ. Her slick tongue danced over the bulging knob as she sucked him in a slow, steady rhythm, the groans of a fully aroused male filled her ears. Her hand massaged the base of his shaft as she savor the salty sweet taste of his skin, the dull part of her fangs grazed his sensitive member.

She released his length from the warm sheath of her mouth, only to shift her lips lower to the pair of globes underneath his erect stem. She ran her tongue over them, mouthing them and feeling them tenderly with her teeth. Like a child mesmerized by a new toy, she continued her delicious torture, teasing the male organ until he cried out in desperation. Once again she sheathed him in her mouth, sucking and licking at the darkened and shuddering cock, tasting the salty moisture that had gathered at the tip.

He raised his upper body, supporting himself on his elbows to watch her. The sight of her silver head bobbing up and down his length, the sight of her cherry lips wrapped snugly around his thickness almost pushed him over the edge. It did not take her long to make him cry out for her in such fervent desire, to make him beg for her to stop the blissful torment she inflicted upon him, such torment that made his body shuddered with urgent need. She could not help but smile inwardly when she heard his desperate pleas. He had always been stronger, faster… Even in their previous lovemaking, he had the total control over her. But this time, she felt that she hold a power over him, the sound of his urgency and desperation caused her heart to swell with pride.

The divine sensation of her warm mouth suckling on his bursting malehood, her fingers that were gently cradling the soft weights underneath the base of his erection almost triggered his passion to spew forth. His carnal needs urged him to seize her body, wanting to throw her smaller frame on the ground and rest his weight on top of her, needing to be inside her slick, warm passage, to feel her gasping underneath him as he pierce her, thrust against her.

His hands reached out to lay a grip on her shoulders, ready to pull her up and punish her for those agonizing torment. Yet, with the strength and fierceness that left him baffled, she pushed his body back on the ground. Her fiery eyes stared at him, trapping him within her fervent gaze, her lips curled up to form a sensual, seductive grin as she pulled herself up to kneel over his body. Her hands were pinning him down to once again render him helpless, the blatant desire in her glowing emerald orbs held him captive.

She positioned herself on top of him, her tight channel that was fragrant with her dripping essence was just inches above his twitching pole. He was anxious to thrust upwards and bury himself within her heavenly passage, yet she was holding him down, limiting his movements. His amber eyes watched her lowering herself, letting him pierce her depth ever so slowly, causing him to release a throaty moan with every inch of flesh that disappeared into her body. They both sighed in a complete bliss when she finally swallowed his entire length.

She sealed her eyes tight, relishing the thick, heated flesh that speared her, stretched her, filled her completely. She could feel him squirmed underneath her, wanting to rock against her, wanting to ram himself deeper into her furnace. Sensing his urgent desire, she tightened her inner muscles to massage him, torturing him the way she knew he liked it, the tight clamp of her walls caused him to gasp aloud, just like a helpless prey. When she heard his heavy breathing, his harsh groans, her eyes fluttered open. His gleaming amber eyes were staring at her ravenously, as if he was to devour her whole. Again, she threw him that seductive grin of hers, enticing him, challenging him to throw her on the ground, alas her hands and thighs were trapping him that he was unable to move.

She started to rock against him, setting her own pace, grinding herself against his loins. Her hands that were holding his arms down slid to his shoulders to support her body as she rode him in a gradually increased rhythm, her eyes closed to savor the decadent pleasure. Again and again she impaled herself upon him, feeling his shaft grew thicker inside of her, whimpering as she felt the heat building within her core. Now that her hands were no longer pinning him down, he raised his body so that his face was now before her breasts, her magnificent breasts adorned with the crimson tattoo that seemed to gleam with a thin film of perspiration. His eyes were watching her, mesmerized by her face that was brimming with intense pleasure. He wrapped her legs around his waist to mash their bodies together, his hands encircled her waist, lifting her, helping her to bounce up and down his length.

When he felt her tempo increased, when he felt her walls tightening around him, he took one rosy nipples into his mouth. Hungrily, as if trying to quench his pent up desire for her, he sucked on the taut peak while his hand was kneading her other breast, molding the soft yet luscious mound into the shape of his hand. She threw her head back, raspy moans and whimpers escaped her parted lips as she rocked against him more and more urgently. Her fingers twisted themselves within his tousled golden locks, pressing his face against her heaving breasts, letting him sate his thirst for her rosy buds.

The delicious sensation of his shaft rubbing against her inner walls was too much to bear, it overwhelmed her that her body fell onto his, her face was buried within the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her to pull her tighter into his embrace, his lips were murmuring endearments into her ears, encouraging her to reach her completion. Her body that was slick with perspiration rode him shamelessly, her arms clung to him desperately as her cries grew louder. He felt her stiffened, her inner walls tightening around him, tantalizing him to release his seed inside of her. When the jarring explosions of her climax finally hit her, she let out a cry, an indecent cry, before she closed her mouth on the mating mark on his neck, jabbing her fangs to reopen the wounds. Those marks had become the most sensitive spot on their bodies, connecting them, allowing them to feel what each other was feeling. She dipped her fangs deep into his flesh, the sharp sensation of pleasure washed over him, her walls were clamping his hard member, almost costing him his self control.

Not even giving her time to descend from her climax, he threw her on the ground. He pulled himself out of her, only to drive his cock that was glistening with her dew back into her wet tunnel, his movement was completely animal. Her walls were still sensitive from their latest lovemaking, his eagerness earned a breathless gasp from the now-helpless female. Her parted legs were thrown over his arms, giving him unlimited access to ram his unsatisfied member in and out of her weeping passage. His urgent, unfulfilled desire did not allow him for a slow, tender lovemaking. With a complete abandon, he slammed his pelvis against her, driving himself harder and deeper into her womb. The sound of their wet bodies slamming against each other, the sound of his grunts and moans that were mixed with her guttural cries filled the small cave, only adding more fuel to his already burning passion.

He tilted his hips, slightly shifting the angle of his thrust, driving straightly to the highly sensitive spot he found deep inside of her the night before, causing her to let out screams of pleasure. His tongue could not reach it, his fingers barely grazed it, yet with his engorged length, he did not fail to bring her to a new level of ecstasy. He let her legs rested on his shoulders while his hands slipped underneath her buttocks to lift her hips slightly, to move her back and forth, matching the wild pumping of his loins. His male pride soared when he saw her threw her head backwards, her back arched like a bow, her lips screaming his name repeatedly, begging him to take her harder, faster.

Then he felt her hands roaming his chest, her claws scraping him, scarring his skin. He stared into her emerald eyes that were darkened with passion, and he heard her whispered,

“…Please…” She mewled between her cries and whimpers. “…I want you to take me from the rear…”

His forehead burrowed at her request, yet soon enough he scooped her and positioned her body so that her front was pressed against the ground. Just when he was about to draped himself over her, when he was ready to take her in the tiger's traditional mating position, she glanced over her shoulder, one of her arms was pushing him away.

“Please…” She whimpered again. “Please…Not like this…”

She raised herself on her hands and knees, her posterior high in the air, silently offering her body to him. He gripped her hips tight, his eyes were fixed on her plump nether lips, her weeping sex. When she glanced at him, she saw him on his knees, positioning himself behind her, his masculine organ erect and ready to resheath itself within her cavern. Her hand reached backwards to clutch the engorged shaft, her fingers gently worked his length before she guided him to enter her.

With one powerful thrust, he buried himself to the hilt, sealing her posterior with his pelvis. The movement took her breath away, her body shuddered as she tried to steady herself, to support herself with her already weakened arms. His hands were encircling her waist, keeping her still as he moved his hips back and forth, pumping her, pulling himself out only to plunge back in with a force stronger than the previous thrust. With his knees he nudged her legs to part wider, his hands slid forward to cup her breasts, fingers pinching the hardened buds.

She could feel him so deep inside of her, driving in and out of her in increased tempo, his strength overwhelmed her. She moved with him, matching the furious pounding of his loins, meeting his every thrust. Soon enough her arms failed her, she would have collapsed on the ground had it not been for his arms supporting her.

His breathing became harsher, grating, as his hips jerked harder, faster. His hand shifted, easing his fingers lower to the spot where their bodies joined to touch the wet, dewy pearl hidden beneath her folds. The moment the soft pad of his middle finger grazed the swollen nub, she felt the taut string within her snapped. She threw her head back and screamed her release, triggering his climax. His hips jerked sharply as he continued his pounding, chasing his own climax, his own shattering pinnacle. He delivered his hard final thrusts, his lengthened fangs delved into the nape of her neck, reopening the wounds there. And when she felt him marking her for the second time, the surge of pleasure was greater than before, the waves washed over her that with one last cry, her body collapsed on the floor. She could still feel him jerking against her posterior, and just a few seconds later, his staff burst, coating her wall, flooding her womb with his frothy seed.

Panting and exhausted, yet fully sated, he collapsed onto her, pressing their bodies together in a gentle, loving embrace. He was still buried deep within her, reluctant to leave the warm cavern that sheathed him. His body quivered slightly, reminiscent of their passionate lovemaking. He rolled her over so that she lay on her back, a low groan escaped his lips when he unplugged her, emptied her. She ran her fingers through his wet tresses, her lips laid a kiss on his forehead as he rested his cheek against the softness of her breasts.

“…I wish we could stay here forever and keep doing this…” She heard his raspy whisper. “But we may have to return to the camp soon…”

She smiled and shifted her gaze towards the mouth of the cave, suddenly realized that the sun had started to rise, painting the previously dark sky with shades of orange and fuchsia. He propped his body on both elbows so that he could capture her mouth in a long, chaste kiss. And though with a heavy heart, he rose to gather their scattered clothing.

“We shall find a spring where we can bathe…” She told him as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of her kimono he held out behind her. He lowered his head to brush his lips against the tender skin of her shoulder before he wrapped the silk around her body. She felt the delicious tingling that made her chuckle when his mouth shifted to the round marks on the nape of her neck, the tip of his tongue probed the sensitive skin around them. A smile appeared on his face when he inhaled her new scent. Her pure, innocent smell of apple blossom had mixed with his masculine scent, shifting her fragrance into something more spiced and pungent, intoxicating, yet sweet still.

“But I like my scent all over you…” He murmured against her fragrant skin, tightening his arms around her, never wanting to let go.

“…My brothers will smell it… They will find out…” She whispered as she drowned herself in his affection. He spun her around so that she faced him, his eyebrows arched when he gazed into her eyes.

“Beloved…” He said. “Your brother is the youkai lord of the western lands, and your cousin is the heir to your grandfather's. We can soak ourselves in water for weeks and they will still be able to recognize the shift in your scent.”

She grinned when she heard his words, her hand rose to lovingly graze the black stripes on his cheekbone.

“I know...But we shall not flaunt it before them…” She replied, the sweet grin on her face grew wider. “Shin-ai… I know that you are strong. But facing both of my brothers at the same time…?” She shook her head. “I do not want you to get hurt, you know… I kind of like you.”

He returned her grin and laid a kiss on the tip of her nose before he started putting on his own clothing. Her soft gaze scanned the cave. The small, shabby cave that had become her most cherished place… Her eyes saddened when she whispered,

“…It feels sad to leave, somehow…”

“We can always return.” He said, suddenly standing behind her, his arms around her shoulders. “After this battle is over, I will take you here, if you wish to…”

She spun around in his arms and smiled at him, her mate. Her hand reached out for his, lacing their fingers together.

“Then it's a promise…” She said before she pulled him out into the open air.

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

The sun had risen, the morning had arrived, yet the members of the pack remained inside the cave they spent the night in, trying to chase the chill away by gathering around the fire. All but one… Under a big tree that was wet with beads of water, reminiscent of the rain the night before, a youkai lord was standing still with his eyes staring at the sea of trees before him. He was undoubtedly waiting for his little sister who was gone the whole night long, the fact that the tiger was with her only left him troubled even more.

Back and forth he paced the ground, his mind was busy considering if he should go and search for her. Just then, she appeared, advancing from beyond the trees with the male tiger on her side. He stood still waiting, ready to greet them with his usual cold demeanor. They were a few feet away, cool morning breeze blew and carried her scent to him…

His golden eyes widened, his nostrils flared. One sniff, just one sniff was all he needed to realize what had happened. With the speed befitted only for a taiyoukai, the Lord of the Western Lands, he lunged at the approaching tiger, his strong arm launched to grip the neck of the insolent creature, pushing him with such a force they both flew towards a large tree.

“…Nii-sama…!!” Shouri screamed in what could be defined as a cross of shock and fright. Both of her hands rose to cover her mouth as she watched her brother pinned her new mate by the throat, crushing him against the bark of the tree. She had expected him to be angry, and perhaps even furious, but his current reaction was beyond belief.

“…You…lowly…animal…” She heard him hissed in fury, saw him tightening his hold, looking determined enough to break the tiger's neck with his bare hand. Her legs moved on their own, running as swift as she could towards the two males under the tree, her lips still calling her brother, begging him to stop.

Ryoushin stared into the fiery golden eyes of the infuriated youkai lord, his own expression remained calm and unwavering. The inuyoukai was clutching his throat with a remarkable strength, yet he kept his arms on each side of his body, unwilling to flinch under that intense amber glare, unwilling to beg for mercy.

Not even one second later, Shouri was on their side, her hands clung onto her brother's arm, trying to get him to release his grip.

“…Nii-sama…” Her low, tense voice called him. “…You promised…!”

Without even shifting his glare off of Ryoushin's cool blue eyes, he growled in response,

“This creature does not even deserve it… I shall treat him like the lowest trash on earth and it will still be too good for him…”

“Nii-sama!” Shouri's voice grew louder, sharper. Her grip on him tightened, almost forcing him to lower his arm. “…Are you trying to turn me into a widow?”

He ignored her words completely, fixing his eyes on the face that remained calm before him, tempted to crush the neck he clutched in his hand.

“…How dare you shame her innocence…” He hissed, narrowing his eyes into two golden slits as his hateful words flowed. “…You cursed creature…I should have had your head lopped off the moment I laid my eyes on you…”

That was all the scorn Ryoushin could take. His hand rose to lay a tight clutch on Sesshoumaru's wrist, matching the youkai lord's strength he felt choking his throat. Using his feet, he sprung high in the air, freeing himself from the grip before he landed on the ground a few feet behind the other male. In a blink of an eye, Sesshoumaru turned around on his heels with Toukijin already unsheathed and ready to draw blood. He let out a low, dangerous growl, which was answered with a roar from his opponent. The roar of a tiger…

Sensing the two males were just a hair breadth away to engage in a life and death brawl, Shouri threw herself before her mate, her hands struggled to push him back. His eyes that were now in a deep shade of amber were glaring straight at the male inu, paying not the slightest heed to her presence. His fangs bared, his claws lengthened, a definite sign that he was ready to fight.

“…Shin-ai…” Shouri found her voice slightly quivered when she whispered to him, gaining his attention as his fiery eyes slowly shifted and fixed on her. “…Please…Don't…” With a low voice she pleaded him.

He stared at her for quite a while, as if battling his inner self and after some tense moments, he finally shortened his claws. Pushing her body aside, he turned around and walked away, leaving her standing there with her eyes glued to his back.

She heaved a deep sigh, clutching her hands closed to her chest, trying to stop them from trembling. When she turned around, her brother was already standing behind her, waiting for her to face him. As she gazed at his hardened face, she knew the worst was yet to come. But instead of barking at her right away, he kept his mouth shut, only his hand moved to put Toukijin back into its sheath. She stared at him grimly, waiting for him to open those sealed lips, waiting for him to scorn her.

But nothing came, only the sound of the breeze.

She could not take it any longer, the silence was just too much to bear. She would rather have him yell at her than having him stare at her with those cold, emotionless eyes as if she was one of his enemies.

“…If you want to blame someone you may blame me…” She said, keeping her voice calm and composed. She saw his eyes narrowed as his reaction to what she said. She inhaled deeply and delivered her next set of words, “…I wanted it to happen…I wanted him to claim me…”

A deep burrow formed in his forehead when he heard her confession. He took one step towards her, his eyes bore into hers.

“…Let me get this straight…” He spoke slowly, yet his tone was dangerous. “…Are you telling me that you gave yourself to him…?”

She winced. For a moment she stood there, lowering her head, unable to utter even one word. Yet it was a very simple, straightforward question, and she knew the answer so well like the back of her hand.

“…Yes…” She finally said.

She heard him sighed, but that was not a good sign.

“Do you even realize what he is…?” He hissed, taking one more steps towards her. “…He is an abomination, the cursed one, an outcast, the one who sinned…”

“Stop it…”

“You don't even know if you could get rid of his blasted curse…” He continued. “How could you do such a stupid thing? Degrading yourself like that…”

“…Nii-sama, I love him…”

Sesshoumaru snorted in revulsion when he heard those three words from her lips again. Three times had he heard her uttering those emotional words, putting the full youkai blood running in her veins to shame. He turned his face away in utter disgust, his back was now facing her.

“Again with that worthless emotion of yours…” He hissed under his breath, yet loud enough for her to hear. “How many times do I have to tell you that creatures like us have no use for such stupidity…”

Her eyes were glued to his back, a pair of eyes that contained only grief and misery, all due to his words that condemned her.

`But I love you too…' She whispered inwardly, feeling moist started to gather in her emerald orbs. `Do you think that is stupid too…?'

“I see that you think how I feel about him is worthless, and you even called me stupid…” She said, trying to keep the cool in her voice. “…So do you think our mother is stupid too for loving father so much that she died from losing him?”

“Do not bring our mother into this conversation…” He hissed in return, slightly shifting his head to glance over his shoulder, revealing only his profile to her. “At least she chose to love an honorable ruler, a respectable lord of the west…But you chose to give yourself to that degradation, bringing humiliation to our race… So willingly you surrendered yourself, just like a lowly whore…”

Her head snapped when his spiteful words reached her ears. Her eyes stared at him in disbelief.

“…I am not a whore…” She muttered in a choked voice.

He gave out a mocking chuckle and shook his head. “You sure smell like one…” He said. The scent of the tiger on her caused his nose to wrinkle in disgust.

She felt a sharp pang in her heart when she heard him, the pain caught her breath away. “…How could you say such a thing to me…?” She heard herself whisper, anger and anguish collided within her.

“…How could you…?” She tried to keep her voice from trembling, yet the quiver soon spread through her entire existence like maggots upon a wound. “…Only six days since we reunited after 200 years apart and here you are right now, calling me `whore' ?” Anger rose within her tone and her whole body, causing her cheek to flame red. “What do you even know about me?!” She almost shouted.

He threw her a sarcastic laugh before he turned around to face her, staring straight into her with those golden circles that were so cold that her heart shivered.

“What do you know about me?” He retuned her question, his indifferent glare stabbed her in the heart. “You had dared judging this Sesshoumaru for being so indifferent, dared questioning the motives for my actions… You said it yourself, wench, only six days since we reunited after 200 years apart… And you had dared behaving towards me with all liberties of manner… Do you think you know me so well to act that way?”

She looked at him, almost bleak-eyed. It took her those six days to finally realized, to finally see this male before her for the first time, to finally recognize the root of it all. It was not the 200 years that separated them, it was not her grandfather that erased her memory, it was not the fact that he had changed… It was his heart that pushed hers away, his ambition to be the strongest that caused him to deny himself all sorts of emotion, including the ones that she offered him so willingly.

In the back of her mind, a single shard of memory sparked. Somewhere, sometime, he had said it, he had promised.

`…You will not loose me, Shouri…'

`Liar…' She hissed inwardly.

Perhaps she had known all along, perhaps she needed one last slap on her cheek to realize that the young pup she used to call `nii-sama' had died, she had already lost him from the start. Because there was no way the male standing before her could be her brother. She could not even recognize his eyes anymore, those eyes that were so cold and contained no emotion whatsoever.

`I am a fool after all…' She sighed, her eyes shut tight.

“…No…” She finally answered his question as she shook her head slowly. “…I do not…”

His cold silence was the only response to her words, his eyes lingered on her for a few moments longer before he turned around on his heels and left. Her eyes widened as she watched him started to walk away, leaving her like he always had. Taking one step forward, her lips parted to call out to him. Her raised voice rang loud in the air,

“…Why are you turning your back on me?!” She shouted, almost desperately. “Why do you always have to leave?”

He halted his steps, still keeping his back to her, concealing his face from her view.

“…I am here…” He heard her again, her voice lowered, grew faint, laced with the slightest hint of sobs. “I am right here…”

Still, he refused to face her. Tears started to well up within her eyes, blurring her vision. Her mind wondered the reason why he had searched for her in the first place. Was it to condemn her, or was it to inflict new wounds in her heart, she would never knew. His silent back provided no answer to those questions. She did not even realize when her lips parted to voice her mind,

“Why did you even come for me…? Why did you even bother…?”

Silence filled the air between them, heavy and suffocating. When he finally turned around, he stared at her with narrowed eyes. And with a chuckle that sent chill down her spine, he spoke,

“Rest assure… I am going to make this so much easier for you…”

Just when his words ended, came a sound of approaching steps, yet they both did not even look away, golden eyes were still bore into emerald ones. In silence, he turned around and walked away, just when Yuusou came near.

“…What is going on?” She could hear her cousin asked, yet had no strength within her to explain. All she could do was standing like a mute, frozen statue, watching her brother walk away. And when he passed the eastern prince, he said, loud and clear enough for her to hear.

“…Your sister is a whore.”

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

Two pairs of emerald orbs widened as they heard the words of the youkai lord, those words that were spoken with true coldness. Shouri felt her heart sank when she understood what he had meant, when she understood that her brother had disowned her.

She let her head drooped as two drops of tears trickled down her cheeks, not even care when they fell onto her silk blue kimono. Through her blurred vision she saw a pair of boots before her, indicating that Yuusou was standing in front of her, watching her. His nose that captured the shift in her scent, as well as the wind that carried their angry words to his ears had explained everything that happened. With one angry movement she wiped those tears away from her face, with a voice laced with fury she said,

“For once, will you save your lecture to yourself?” She turned around to conceal her tear-streaked face. Deep in her heart, she knew that she was being unfair by taking all her anger and frustration out on him. “I know I brought this on myself, alright? So for once, don't say `I told you so'…”

Yuusou heaved a deep sigh, his eyes were glued on her back. He knew she had been scolded enough yet still, he could not hold his tongue.

“That was a very stupid move, Shouri…” He said, though still keeping his tone gentle. “You promised grandfather… You and Ryoushin did. Both of you promised to wait until his curse is defeated.”

Shouri kept her mouth shut, the thought of her grandfather filled her mind. Already, she could imagine how furious he would be when he discovered that his only granddaughter had been taken on the floor of a cave, not to mention without a proper ceremony. Her hand rose to wipe her exhausted face.

`I did behave shamelessly, didn't I…?' She sighed inwardly.

Yuusou had his eyes glued on her, secretly thankful that he had decided to kill the spying butterfly before their grandfather found out what happened. He could not even imagine what sort of actions the Lord of the Eastern Lands would take in response to the situation. Soon enough, their ears could capture brewing noises of activities around the camp, signaling that the pack was almost ready to leave.

“We shall discuss this later…” He said, his fingers beckoned her to follow him back to the camping ground. “It is about time to leave…”

When she followed her cousin, she could already see her brother from afar, standing tall, aiming his gaze at no particular scene surrounding him. When she drew near, he did not shift his eyes to gaze at her, the expression on his face remained cold and unwavering. She could not deny that her heart wanted to go to him, to settle their dispute once and for all, yet her own pride forbade her to do so. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, her heart suffered in both sorrow and anger whenever she recalled those cruel words he threw at her. She bit her lips and moved away from him, not even looking back, once again widening the crack existed between them…

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

Ryoushin knew that his mate had been melancholy. She did not say anything about what happened after he left, yet he saw it all in her eyes, her expressive green eyes. What happened between the siblings was apparent to everyone. The youkai lord had been treating her coldly since morning, turning his back to her most of the time, not even paying the slightest heed to her presence. She matched his pride in every way, ignoring his existence just like he did her.

He observed her sitting by the riverbank, detaching herself from the rest of the pack, contemplating on her reflection on the crystal clear stream. Her slender arms were holding her knees up to her chest, her shoulders crouched low, her long silver tresses spread around her, covering the ground. He remained a few feet behind her, standing underneath a tree as he watched her stirred. With one graceful movement, she rose to her feet and turned around, her steps halted when she saw him there, still observing her. Her lips slowly curled into a gentle smile as she approached him.

“…Are you alright?” He asked as she drew near, his fingers shifted to brush a lock of hair that covered her face, his other hand reached out for hers.

“Um…” She responded softly, her head gave a slight nod. “I am just hungry. I shall go and find something to eat.”

He nodded, giving her hand a squeeze before he released her. Quietly, he watched her walking towards the deep forest, his eyes followed her until she disappeared from his sight.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see her brother resting underneath a tree, his golden eyes were watching Rin playing with his two-headed dragon pet. However, whether or not he really was watching the little girl, or what his thought was, no one could tell. There was no choice for her but to walk pass him if she wanted to enter the woods, and she was not planning to tighten the obi around her waist to quench her hunger just because some stuck-up youkai lord thought that he was the ultimate being in the whole world. She could feel his gaze shifted towards her when she passed him, greeted by a happy squeal from the mischievous human girl. Immediately, Rin ran towards her, tugging on the sleeves of her kimono as she gave the girl a light pat on the head.

“Are you hungry, Rin?” She asked her, responded by a wide grin on the girl's face.

“Nope,” She said, shaking her head. “Jyaken-sama fed me charred fish just moments before.” Then she tilted her head to the side like a curious little bird. “…Shouri-sama, do you want one?”

Shouri gave her a thin smile and more patting on the head. As tempting as that offer might be: eating food prepared by the nasty green imp who called her `witch' in more than one occasion, a piece of burnt fish was not what the female inu wanted to eat.

“No, Rin.” She said. “My palate desires something else… Besides, I am sure your master will not be happy if you give your food to me.”

Shouri's smile slightly widened when she saw questions in the girl's eyes, yet she said nothing more and turned to leave. True to her words, her appetite did not desire the salty taste of fish cooked on an open fire, neither did she desire the food of her own kind: chunky, raw and savory flesh of an animal. She craved for something much more delicate. Something moist, juicy and sweet to please her taste bud at the time.

Yes, that is it… She thought as she went deeper into the forest. Something sweet…

She remembered she had eaten something like that when she was younger, her memory traveled back to the times of youth she spent in the east. There was a tree on the rim of the Forest of No Return, its branches were so packed with dangling fruits that one of them curved to kiss the ground, as if begging to be released from the weights it carried. Out of curiosity, she ate one, and the flavor she tasted back then was nothing like the tangy flesh of a young animal that was only sweetened by its blood. Though the meat of the fruit had a soft, smooth, and curiously pleasing texture, it was almost too sweet for her palate. Later on she learnt that the fruit was called `momo', it was a type of food very popular amongst human.

`What a funny name for a fruit…' She thought as she walked through the trees, her eyes scanned her surrounding, looking for the same kind of tree. Already, her nose smelled the sweet fragrant of its blossoms, which she followed until she stood before a large peach tree. With a pair of big green eyes she stared at those fruits, so ripe and bursting with sweetness, looking more delicious than any delicacy she had ever tasted before. They were hanging high above her, out of her reach, and yet a smile curved on her lips when she realized that she was not without resources.

Soon enough, a white ray of light flashed in the air and in a blink of an eye, she was cradling two peaches in her open palm. She smiled in satisfaction at the mouth-watering fruits before she shifted her gaze to her other hand, the one that was holding the icy energy whip. Now that she was getting very good at controlling her whip, she began to enjoy this part of her `western heritage', as her brother put it.

Using her sharp, elegantly tapered nails as a knife, she sliced trough one peach, carefully picking its reddish skin before putting the piece in her mouth. She closed her eyes as she savored the moist, juicy flesh. When she tried it for the first time, she remembered disliking the extravagant sweetness of the flavor, though she could not remember why. Now that she was eating the same thing, she could not understand her old self, for the nectar that filled her mouth was exactly what she imagined ambrosia of the Gods would taste like.

She sat underneath the tree, surrounded only by the silence and the sweet scent of peach blossoms. She nibbled on those fruits, eating piece by piece until all was gone and her fingers were covered in the sticky nectar. Two peaches did something to quench her hunger, yet as she happily licked her fingers, she knew she wanted more. With a simple flick of her wrist, she launched her whip one more time and a few more of those rounded fruits fell onto her lap. She could not help but grinned when she imagined her brother's reaction if he found out that she had used his acclaimed weapon as a means to harvest peaches.

The forest was quiet, so quiet that she could hear her own heart beating. She picked up another peach from her lap and was just started to peel it when another's heartbeat suddenly reached her ears. Her body that was previously relaxed stiffened in alarm, her back lifted off the tree trunk, her pointy ears twitched. Her eyes scanned her surrounding, focusing her senses to locate the owner of that mysterious heartbeat. She wanted to close her eyes to concentrate on her hearing, yet she knew better than to rid her sight when the enemy's location was unknown. A few minutes passed yet there was no sign of attack, only the pounding of one's heart that kept haunting. It was soft, very soft, almost inaudible. She finally gave in to her intuition and closed her eyes, listening to the steady rhythm that seemed to come from a place not so far away. Her eyes shot open when she realized that it did come from a place so close, it came from inside of her!

She blinked a few times when she reached that conclusion, her trembling hand moved to touch her chest, to feel her own heart, though she knew it was not the source of the extra heartbeat. Her hands now slid lower, resting themselves on top of her belly, feeling the soft thumping with her palms. Though very faint, she could feel it, a little creature was swimming within her, so dim and weak like candlelight in the darkness that she was worried even the slightest move would snuff it out.

She does not know what to feel, though her heart was filled with wonderment. It had not even been one night since they coupled, she did not expect to be impregnated so soon. But when she sensed it, the flutter of life inside her womb, she realized that she was carrying a child, Ryoushin's child, and her lips curled into a gentle smile.

Carefully, in a slow and cautious movement, she rose to her feet, not paying the slightest heed to those peaches that slipped off her lap onto the ground. Her heart started pounding as she started walking towards the riverbank, feeling apprehensive, yet so eager to see her mate, to tell him that he was to become a father…

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

When she returned to the riverbank, she saw her mate with Yuusou, conversing while sitting on the ground by the edge of the stream. Ryoushin rose greet her, a smile appeared on his face when he saw the difference in her expression. Her previously sullen face had turned brighter, her cheeks rosy and glowed with a healthy vigor, her green eyes glimmered with such spirit that he loved so.

“Have you eaten?” He asked her as soon as she drew near.

“Never mind that…” She said, resting her hands on top of his chest, her chin raised to bring her lips closer to his ear. “I have something to tell you…” She whispered.

He looked at her with a slight frown, though the smile was still pasted on his face. She could see the questions in his eyes, she could feel her heart bursting with joy and excitement at the thought of revealing the joyful news to him. She took his hand and laid his palm on top of her belly, letting him feel the child inside of her.

“I am with a child…” She whispered. “…Your child…”

His blue eyes widened, her words caught him by surprise. It was hard for him to believe it, yet his hand that was still pressed against her proved everything she said, for he could feel the quiet, almost unnoticeable stirring within her womb. She watched him, impatient to see his reaction, yet her beaming smile soon froze at the sight of his grim, clouded face. His lips pursed, his forehead frowned, his handsome face was filled more with anxiety than joy.

“Why…” He started to say, yet the rest of his words soon disappeared into the thin air. He swallowed and again, tried to speak. “How…?”

Unable to hide her disappointment at his lack of enthusiasm, she released his hand and let her head drooped, her gaze was glued to the ground. She thought he would be happy, she thought he would want the child.

“…What is wrong?” Yuusou asked, his eyebrows slightly burrowed when he saw both of their gloomy expressions.

Shouri sighed before she turned to look into the green eyes of her cousin, her face was deadpan when she spoke,

“I just told Ryoushin that I am carrying his child…”

There was a small hope in her heart that at least Yuusou would rejoice with her, yet his reaction was more similar to Ryoushin's, grim and clouded. He stared into her eyes in disbelief, causing her to nod to let him know that she was not playing games. Then he bit his lower lip, shaking his head slowly, and Shouri could feel her heart sank a little lower.

“How could this happen…?” Ryoushin sighed as he laid his hand on his forehead, suddenly looking so exhausted. He muttered softly, as if to himself, “…This cannot happen… You cannot be pregnant… It was only last night that we mated…”

Shouri could only look at him, bleak-eyed, heartbroken for his response was far from what she expected it to be.

“It is possible…” Yuusou murmured. “It has been said that when two strong youkais mate, a child can be conceived in a very short period of time…But what a bad time to conceive an offspring…”

“So what is to be done, then…?” The tiger sighed again, moving to pace the ground back and forth, stopping only when he saw Shouri's face that was darkened with fury.

“…'What is to be done'…?” With a voice laced with anger she repeated his words, her fiery emerald eyes bored into his sapphire ones. “Does something need to be done about this? This is not some problem that you need to solve! This is supposed to be a blessing, not a burden!”

Just when she turned around to leave him, he caught her wrist and tried to spin her around to face him. And yet, she growled, baring her fangs at her mate.

“Stay away from me…” She hissed dangerously before she yanked her wrist away from his grip. “You dumb tiger…”

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

After Shouri stomped away in fury, Ryoushin isolated himself, sitting underneath a tree while digesting the news his mate just brought him.

`…I am with a child…' She had said. `Your child…'

Hard to believe, it was. And yet, as he stared at his hand, he could still feel the little creature fluttering inside her, beneath his palm. Not knowing whether to rejoice or curse the unfortunate accident, he decided to distance himself from his mate to think the whole situation through.

It was only natural, he thought, that when two youkais mate, they would conceive an offspring. True, they had not planned it to happen so soon, yet it was only a matter of time until they welcome a child into their small pack. But his heart shrank when he was once again reminded of the reason why they should not have mated in the first place. Now the weight of the curse would drag not only her, but also their child along with him.

“… Thinking about your unborn child?”

His head snapped when he suddenly heard a voice from the other side of the tree. It was Yuusou's voice, the male inu's body was concealed from his view.

“Are you not supposed to be busy reporting this to your grandfather?” He asked in return, turning his head slightly to the side. The corner of his vision could capture the profile of the inu prince, who gave out a soft chuckle as he shook his head.

“Do you think I am clueless about why you are here?” The tiger hissed. “Your grandfather's butterfly has been following us for days…You are here to spy on his behalf, are you not?”

“He did not send me to spy on you, only to make sure that Shouri is safe… And just to let you know, the butterfly is now gone. I killed it.”

“Why?”

Yet the heir to the eastern lands did not answer.

A sour smile slowly spread on Ryoushin's lips. “I know that he does not trust me…” He said. “I know that you do not trust me. But that is fine…” He paused to shift his gaze back towards the trees before him. “For I will protect her no matter what…”

The sound of rustled leaves reached his ears and only a moment later, he saw Yuusou standing before him. Those green eyes, unusually stern and cold, bore into his blue ones.

“…You spoke with such confident…” The inu said, keeping his voice low and calm. “Yet, how can I trust you, a creature who had trapped himself in a curse for 300 years?”

“The curse will disappear soon…” Ryoushin said coldly, not even realized that his fingers had curled into a tight fist. “Once I defeat Seiryuu, the hatred in my heart will vanish, and he…He will vanish too…”

“…Is that what you believe?” Yuusou asked. “You defeat the dragon and your curse will dissipate into thin air?”

Ryoushin did not respond, letting the other male continue,

“Do you not realize that it is your blood thirst ambition that feeds the devil inside of you? He is your biggest enemy, the one you should defeat, and not the dragon…”

Still, he did not utter a word. Yuusou sighed, not even sure that the tiger was listening to him, it was as if he was talking to a deaf.

“…Go away, Ryoushin…” He said, causing the tiger to stare at him, almost in disbelief. “Leave this place, take Shouri with you… Forget about the dragon, forget about your revenge… Only then will your curse be broken…”

Ryoushin's eyes narrowed in response, his tone disgusted when he spoke,

“You are telling me to run away? Again…?” He shook his head in anger. “I have planned this for 300 years… I trained myself in order to defeat him, to get my revenge… And you are telling me to run, just like what I did back then?”

Yuusou stared at the raging tiger, sighing inwardly. Not only that he was deaf, but he was blind as well. He could not even see that his plan for revenge did nothing but strengthen the curse's power over him.

“I will kill the dragon…” Ryoushin growled, raising his tightened fist to the level of his eyes, his previously blue orbs had turned amber, sizzling with hatred. “I swear I will…”

“…What about Shouri?” Yuusou asked. “What about the child?”

Ryoushin rose to his feet, his expression tense, his jaw tightened.

“I will protect them…” He growled, his eyes glowed like a pair of torch even underneath the shade of tree. “I will not let anything happen to my mate, or my own child… I will not let anyone harm them…”

“Yes…” Yuusou said, keeping his tone composed. “…But who is going to protect them from you?”

Gradually, the glowing amber eyes of the tiger turned back to blue, those words seemed to have stunned him. His hands curled into tighter fists as he turned around and without any word, walked away, leaving the male inu alone underneath the tree. He wanted to smack himself for his cold demeanor towards Shouri when she told him about the child she conceived. He recalled her disappointment, her angry face, those sad eyes…

He increased the pace of his steps until he was almost running, so eager to see her, desperate to let her know that he too, wanted the child. He did not stop until he saw her, alone by the riverbank, looking lonelier than ever. The dry leaves on the ground rustled with every step that he took, revealing his presence to her. She did not even bother to turn around, only her cold voice greeted him, blatantly showing that he was not welcomed,

“What do you want…?”

Slowly, he approached her, taking his place next to her, wanting to take her into his arms, and yet he knew that she was angry still. He cleared his throat, snatching her attention, causing her to shift those beautiful emerald eyes from the water. They were now staring at him, those eyes, hurt and curious at the same time, waiting to hear what he wanted to say.

“Forgive me…” He spoke softly, and her eyes widened at his words. “…for making you believe that this child is unwanted…”

She kept her lips sealed, and for a moment, there was silence in the air. He watched her as she shifted her eyes back to the flowing body of water before them.

“…It took me by surprise…” He confessed. “And I handled the situation horribly…I…” Suddenly at a loss of word, he shut his mouth, his eyes followed her gaze, observing the water. All he would like to say was that he wanted the child, that he regretted his stupidity earlier, and yet he could not say the words.

`I guess I deserve to be called dumb…' He mused.

Then, he felt her gaze on him, he felt her fingers touching his cheek, turning his face until his eyes bore into hers once more.

“Ryoushin…” She called his name, softy, just the way she always did it. “Do you want this child…?”

“Of course I do!” He answered, his voice sounded harsh with emotion. “How can I not desire my own flesh and blood…?” His eyes drooped to the ground, as if embarrassed. “…Shouri, I was stupid… I…”

All words were left unsaid when she touched her lips to his, claiming his mouth in a tender kiss. Her hands cupped his face, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace as he deepened their kiss.

“…You were stupid…” She whispered against his skin, yet her lips were already curled up to form a gentle smile.

He tightened his hold of her as she curled up in his arms, her head tucked underneath his chin. He cradled her, savoring the feel of her warm and soft body against him, the smile that graced his face suddenly disappeared when Yuusou's words echoed in his mind,

`…Who is going to protect them from you?'

It was those words that caused him to let go of her, that caused him to move her slightly away from him so that he could stare into her eyes. When she noticed the shift in her expression, she frowned,

“…Shin-ai…” She whispered. “What is wrong?”

He forced himself to smile to calm her, his fingers rose to graze her smooth cheek, to touch the magenta stripes there. His other hand shifted to feel the sharp wooden dagger hidden beneath his kimono, the dagger that he had obtained a long time ago, long before he met this female before him.

“There is something that I need to ask of you…” He said softly, his hand slipped underneath his garment to take the dagger out. The sharp, pungent scent of cedarwood filled their senses. It was a small one, its length was only about nine inches, its handle was adorned with beautiful carvings. Shouri stared at the piece of wooden blade confusedly, shifting her eyes back and forth between her mate and the dagger.

“What is this…?” She asked, her fingers were already grazing its elaborate handle.

“I found this dagger many, many years ago…” He told her. “…It was during my wandering days to find the survivors of my race… It is made entirely out of a sacred cedar tree, it is believed to possess holy power to purify evil spirit…”

“Ryoushin…” Though she could not yet understand what he was trying to say, she could already feel her heart shrinking. She did not like the serious tone of his voice, nor did she like his tense expression, his worried eyes…

“If I ever come close to hurt you…or the child…” He continued as he wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the dagger, his hand moved hers to press the tip of the sharp blade onto his chest, right where his heart was. “You will use it to pierce my heart, and purify the evil spirit…Do you hear me?”

The burrow on her forehead deepened as she stared at him, wide-eyed.

“But what will happen to you…?” She asked.

He did not answer, only returned her gaze with hardened eyes and yet, his silence told her everything.

“…Why are you telling me this…?” Her voice sounded frail, and he could see the moist started gathering within her orbs. “Why are you telling me this?”

His gaze softened and he gave her hand a little squeeze, trying to calm her.

“It is nothing but a precaution…” He said, spreading a thin smile on his lips. “Promise me you will do it…”

She shook her head, and shook even harder when he seized her shoulders.

“Promise me…” He insisted, shaking her body slightly.

She stared at him for a long time before she gave him a weak nod, causing the male to sigh in relief. He took the dagger from her hand and slipped it beneath the obi tied around her waist, a hidden place where she could still easily reach for it. She rested her cheek on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, not wanting to think about the dagger, about him dying. As if he understood her melancholy thought, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he brushed his lips on the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. His hand slipped to stroke her belly, feeling their child with the palm of his hand, a smile graced his face when he felt a slight movement.

“…It is amazing…” He whispered against her hair as he rub her in soothing circular motions, causing her to mewled in delight against the fabric of his kimono. He shifted her position so that he could press his ear against her abdomen, his smile widened when his keen sense of hearing captured the low, almost inaudible sound of a heart beating. Shouri ran her fingers through his hair, combing those golden tresses, her heart ached keenly when she watched him trying to catch every move and sound their pup made.

She shifted, her forehead frowned when she heard his soft grunt, when she felt him pressing his ear closer to her belly.

“…What…?” She started asking, yet he hushed her, silencing all her words.

He closed his eyes to concentrate while she squirmed about, impatient to hear what was wrong, impatient to know what caused him to listen in such a careful manner. He could hear it, another heartbeat, just as muted and faint as the first one, but equally real. He kept his eyes sealed tight, listening to those heartbeats, long enough until he was sure that there was not only one, but two sets existed within her womb. When he finally lifted her head off her belly, he stared at her in astonishment, looking very much mesmerized by his discovery.

“Do you know about this…?” He asked her.

“About what…?!” She asked him back, her tone impatient.

“…That we are having twins?”

To Be Continued…