InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ It Must Be Destiny ❯ Chapter 17

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

Chapter 17

Inusouta sighed forlornly as he sat outside under Goshinboku with Amber. It was after sunset, so all three Higurashi offspring had transformed, much to the American girl's delight. Now, she was sitting on a bench next to a black-eared hanyou that she was trying her best to refrain from dwelling on.

Without much luck. The longer he sat there, twitching those irresistible ears, the more she wanted rub them, caress them, kiss them, kiss him…

(“What did you want?”) she asked, determined to not think about how she loved his soft lips on hers.

Golden eyes looked at her. (“To talk. We have not been able to be alone all day.”)

She rolled her eyes. (“You're talking like royalty again.”)

He shrugged, glancing down at the blue stripes on his arms, wondering yet again what they meant. (“So I have been informed frequently.”)

The full moon shone beautifully overhead, bathing them both in silver light. (“What… did you want to talk about?”) she asked softly.

(“Why… why you left the stuffed dog I got you. I want to know why you left him behind.”)

Amber glanced at him in surprise. (“I… I thought… that…”)

(“Were you expecting something else?”)

(“No,”) she replied, shaking her head. Her sapphire eyes drifted back up to the moon. (“I… suppose… I left him… because…”) …I didn't want to be reminded of you. I wanted to forget you. (“Because I… didn't think about it. I forgot… he was sitting on the bed.”)

(“Liar.”)

She scowled.( “Who are you to say I'm a liar?”)

(“You left me a note, sitting under the dog. Obviously, you did not forget him.”)

Oh… right. I forgot about that. (“I'm… too old… for stuffed animals,”) she said weakly.

(“Hardly. You still have that beat-up old fox your obaasan gave you.”)

(“That's different! That's all I have to remind me of her!”)

(“And you did not want anything to remind you of me?”)

Bingo! Give the hanyou a prize! (“I never said that.”)

(“Your actions did.”)

She stood up and bowed stiffly to him.( “Gomen nasai. That… was not my intention.”) Nowyou're a liar…

(“Did you still want him?”) Golden eyes appeared in front of her- Inusouta had swept to his feet and now stood a scant few inches away from her.

Pain flickered in her heart. As a reminder… of you… and how I wanted to be with you… (“I… I suppose… if you still have him.”)

(“Of course. He has remained on your bed, awaiting your return.”)

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. (“Really…”) she murmured. (“And… what made him think that I would return?”)

Broad shoulders shrugged. (“Instinct.”)

(“Arrogant little puppy, isn't he…”)

White fangs gleamed as he grinned. (“You have no idea…”)

Suddenly, she realized he was no longer talking about the stuffed dog, but rather the bad dog it represented- the handsome hanyou standing in front of her. She licked her lips nervously. Gold eyes caught the movement and stared, mesmerized. (“I… should probably… go back home…”)

Gently he captured her hands and pulled her closer, until they were nearly touching. (“You are home. You are staying here tonight.”) And the night after, and the night after…

She shook her head. (“I have off work tomorrow, but still… if my manager needs me I should be close by. I should go back to my apartment.”)

(“Then I will simply have to accompany you.”)

Memories of her erotic dreams flashed across her mind. Her face flushed with more than just embarrassment at those thoughts. (“No! I mean, there's no need. It's a perfectly safe neighborhood. Very quiet.”)

She could have sworn she saw him sniff the air delicately. (“I think… I would prefer… to take you to your apartment. Since you… no longer wish to stay here.”)

She shook her head, harder this time. (“No, I said. I don't need your protection.”)

(“Be quiet and let me protect you,”) he murmured as he lowered his head to capture her lips in a searing kiss.

The voice in her head gave a high-pitched yowl in delight. Thank you thank you thank you…

Stop that! We… we need to go home! I can't stay here, under the same roof as him… I'll only end up in his bed.

And what's so wrong with that? You can't tell me you wouldn't die to be in his bed… underneath him… feeling his body hot and aroused against yours…

KNOCK THAT OFF…

Using every ounce of willpower, Amber pulled away from the kiss, wishing to God she didn't have to. (“I… I have to go now. I'll come back tomorrow, okay? To… to talk to your parents.”)

His eyes burned as they gazed down at her. (“If you're leaving, I'm coming with you.”)

(“Why?”)

(“Because I want to.”)

Oh, well, that explains everything… Bloody hell. He is really hard up to get laid, isn't he?

She mentally sighed. So it would seem. I would guess that it doesn't matter if it's me he wants to pounce on… I'm just the most convenient. Must be the full moon.

(“Too bad,”) she said stiffly. (“I'm going home. Tell your neesans I said goodbye.”) With a swish of her long gold hair, she picked up her purse, turned and walked away, giving him an excellent view of her gorgeous legs, bare underneath that short blue skirt.

His sharp gaze caught something odd on her ankles- something he was almost certain hadn't been there earlier that day, when he had picked her up from her apartment.

Twin lavender stripes on each ankle. Thicker, perhaps only a half inch across and less than an inch of separation between them, on the inside of the ankle, they curved around, growing to points just before they touched the protruding ankle bone. Were they some sort of new style that he wasn't aware of?

He let her walk away, not saying anything. Lowering his head, he glanced at the dark blue lines on his forearms. Memories, dim memories, surfaced, of his Oji-sama Sesshoumaru and the magenta stripes on his face and wrists. Realization dawned.

These… these are my crests, aren't they?

I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out.

Baka! Why didn't you tell me?

If I told you everything, then it wouldn't be nearly as much fun.

What else haven't you told me?

His youkai sighed. Your father… has crests on his face, correct?

Hai. So?

Remember him telling you that they appeared when his youkai chose your mother as his mate?

Inusouta's jaw would've fallen if he hadn't been clenching his teeth. So you are saying…?

That we've found your mate.

Inusouta stared after Amber, even though she was long gone. Shit. And I just let her walk away from me.

Then let's go after her. She's your mate, your equal. You should protect what's yours, right?

Damn straight.

Moving faster than he would've thought possible, he shot to his room and changed into his dark blue haori and hakama and pulled his long black hair back in a queue. As he slipped down the stairs, he paused by the open door to Amber's old room. The stuffed dog was still sitting on the bed, looking rather forlorn.

Inusouta walked into the room, giving the poor creature a sympathetic grin. I know how you feel, my friend. Soon we'll both be with her again. He picked up the little black dog and stuffed him inside his haori as he headed quickly out the door.

.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Amber heaved a huge sigh as she stepped off the bus in front of her apartment complex. Fighting her feelings about Inusouta was quite tiring. All she wanted now was a bath and a good night's sleep.

Silently she rode the elevator to the fifth floor and proceeded to walk delicately down the hall, looking around for anyone lingering. The hall was empty, much to her relief. She didn't feel like dealing with anyone right now. Turning the key in the lock, she entered her apartment.

Immediately she locked the door and slid the chain into place. Certainly it was a safer neighborhood than she had been in, but still… a single woman by herself seemed to invite trouble.

Or bad dogs, the voice snickered.

Ignoring that comment, Amber tossed her purse on the table by the door and slid her shoes off without looking down. Without flicking on a light she turned on her stereo- low, so she wouldn't annoy the neighbors. Then she walked slowly across the middle of the living room and tiredly unbuttoning her blouse, intent on getting in the bathtub.

As she shrugged the blouse off and tossed it on the couch- feeling much too lazy to take it to the bedroom, a strange glimmer from outside her patio door caught her eye.

You're five floors up and there's nothing but open air out there. You're imagining things. No one can see you way up here.

Still, Amber walked slowly over to the patio door, clad only in her light blue skirt and a white lace bra. Armed with the knowledge that she was, indeed, five stories up, she opened the patio and stepped outside into the cool night air.

Her balcony was really extremely private. A wall separated her part of the overhang from her neighbor's, so she felt safe standing out there in only her skirt and bra.

Besides… there's nothing great to see here. I've worn less at the beach.

A low growl caused her to turn slowly to her right. The light of the full moon illuminated her balcony, but the growl seemed to come from the shadow created by the safety wall on the front of the patio.

She turned and leaned over, looking for the source of the growl. Had a cat somehow managed to make its way up here?

A pair of glowing golden eyes met hers, narrowing slightly. “What in all the hells do you think you are doing parading around out here in your underwear?!”

Amber let out a yelp as she stumbled back into her apartment, landing somewhat ungracefully on her butt. The figure followed her, silhouetted by the moonlight at his back. Still… she recognized that voice, even if it had been growling at her.

“I-Inusouta-kun?” she gasped, confused.

At last he stepped out of the moonlight and stared down at her with a mixture of irritation, anger, and extreme possessiveness. His golden eyes roamed over her scantily clad body as if wishing she were wearing a lot less.

She couldn't bring herself to cover herself up. She had never had anyone look at her like that, like she belonged to him and only him. Like he would kill anyone who so much as blinked at her.

“Why… why are you here?” she managed to ask, her sapphire eyes wide. Her pulse quickened under that glowing gaze, and a strange, familiar warmth flowed through her, pooling between her thighs. Trying to stop the sensation, she pressed her thighs tighter together, only to be rewarded with a rush of pleasure that brought a tinge of pink to her cheeks. She only barely managed to hold in a moan.

His nostrils flared slightly, like... well, like a dog scenting a bitch in heat. His ears perked straight up, pointed at her. The gold in his eyes turned molten, shifting from yellow to orange and every color in between the two. “I am here… to protect you,” he said in a low, silky voice that oozed arousal. It made her shiver with need.

“But who will protect me from you?” she quipped, trying to get rid of the sensations he was stirring within her. It didn't work.

He took two steps and scooped her up off the floor as if she weighed no more than a feather. Before she knew it, he had carried her to her bedroom and laid her reverently on the sleeping mat, spreading her golden hair out underneath her. He knelt over her, one knee placed just between hers and his hands bracing himself on either side of her head.

“You do not need protection from me,” he purred, as he lowered his head and claimed her lips.