InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Madman ❯ Chapter 17 - Kagome's Gift Part 1 ( Chapter 17 )

Madman

By Rinseternalsoul

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction.

Chapter 17 - Kagome's Gift Part 1

A/N: Hey everybody! Happy New Year to ALL! Thanks for all of your congratulations on my cutie-pie little nephew, as well as the awesome reviews! You guys are the best!

I got this review from my friend Kat, and I just had to share it with you.: Kat's review of chapter 16... 'Lemon is next hmmmmm will he pick the glass out of her and kiss all the boo-boo's, or will the Jewel just expel them for her? Decisions. Decisions. I know which way I'd vote, if it were me. Let's hear it for dog spit!!'

Dear Kat,

Ya gotta love the slobber.

After the horrible battle, they landed on the penthouse patio as lightly as a feather. Kagome peeked around at the lush foliage that made up Sesshomaru's private garden. It was lovely, but she was enjoying the warm heat of his hard chest against her cheek so much that she made little effort to really get a good look. There would be time for that later.

She was nervous. She knew why he brought her here. And she wanted it too. She wanted him like she had never wanted anything in her life. She looked up, and he was watching her with those dazzling golden eyes. Eyes that seemed to envelope her in a lush heat. There was hunger in his eyes, and knowing him as she did, it was a little unnerving to experience the raw intensity of his wanting.

He shifted her, and without missing a beat, keyed in the code that opened the door to his lavish apartment. Kagome barely saw anything of the decor, though she did think that it was a bit cold and needed a woman's touch. Her focus was on his eyes. And lips. They were parted just slightly. Masculine, firm, but oh so soft when caressed against her own. Thoughts of the kiss they previously shared sent heat shooting through her body, tugging fervently at her core.

He took her straight to the master bathroom, where he carefully placed her on the gray marble counter top. Kagome flinched from the cold surface suddenly replacing the warmth of his arms, and Sesshomaru smirked playfully at her obvious discomfort. "Cold Kagome?" he asked, as if he was oblivious to the reasoning behind her squirming displeasure. She retorted with a 'humph', before settling down.

His teasing only lasted briefly, and then he was back to business. "The glass is still embedded in your skin, Kagome. First I will remove it, and then you may shower and cleanse the wounds." He spoke rather distractedly, as he looked at the small cut on her neck, carefully touching the unblemished skin near it with warm, sure fingers. Kagome found that his touch was effecting her in a most delicious way, because she could hardly think of the stinging pain of her wounds due to the burning heat left in the wake of his gentle inspection.

He was so strong. So powerful and formidable. An ancient demon from her past. Yet here he stood, so domesticated. It was such an unbelievable contrast to what she had always believed of him.

How had she ever assumed him to be a heartless, emotionless, monster?

Their trials over the past days had opened her eyes to the truth behind the facade. Here, she was given a cherished glimpse of the Sesshomaru that young Rin had loved. This was the man behind the beast. One who found something, or rather someone that he actually cared for. It was nearly mind boggling to accept that it was she.

Sesshomaru cared for her.

At Hotaka's compound, when he came for her - and she never once doubted that he would - Kagome had nearly staggered beneath the menace rolling off of him in massive waves. She felt his anger, his thirst for vengeance, and his unbridled relief at finding her whole and alive.

It had reminded her so much of Inuyasha.

Yet this was not Inuyasha. This wasn't the young half-demon that had once carried her on his back through the Feudal Era. No. Inuyasha had been just a boy compared to the mature youkai kneeling before her now. Inuyasha had cared for her with the brash enthusiasm of a devoted puppy, but never had he looked at her like this.

Sesshomaru met her eyes, and he held nothing back. He let all of the desire and possessiveness that he felt for her blaze to life in that one steamy look. She was his. He knew that he was lost, and for once in his long, long, life, he did not wish to fight against it. He did not want to deny his feelings for her. He wanted her, as a lover - as a friend. He would protect her and keep her safe. Nothing would ever again threaten her existence.

He would take her as his mate.

Thoughts of his father briefly tickled his memory, and for once, Sesshomaru allowed the humor of the situation to fill him. He had denied every single youkai female whom had ever sought his mark. He turned away scores of luscious, powerful, demon females for reasons that he could hardly even remember, but he would not turn away Kagome. A human woman. Indeed, his father would have been proud.

No. In truth, his father would simply have empathized, for the old dog had never really meant to fall in love with a mortal. It had been by mere chance that Izayoi had found his father wounded and recovering from battle in her family's vast orchard. And it had been Fate who entwined the dog demon general and human hime in a saga of love and loss. His father never had a chance to walk away. He had been willingly trapped in the arms of his human lover as easily as Kagome had confiscated Sesshomaru's own heart.

His heart?

Hai. It was true. His heart was alive and it beat only for her.

Kagome observed him watching her, as his large, strong, hands moved slowly over her ankle, up her slender calf and softly behind her slightly bent knee. She could have exploded with the heat of his glance, but his touch was burning her alive. He had saved her. Not only from a Madman, but also from herself. She had been so lost these past years. So alone. No one understood her, because no one had been there, in the past, facing terrifying enemies with swords and arrows. No one here in this time, could ever truly accept all of her, because there would always be a part hidden. A huge part that would forever be secreted away like a dirty thought.

But not with him.

Sesshomaru, Shuusaka, the demon lord turned business tycoon, had also been there. He had lived the past with her. He had fought with sword and jaki to protect vast lands that once were covered in lush meadows and thick forests. He knew that youkai were real. He was one.

The thought of sharing a life with someone who knew it all was heart warming and exciting. To lay in bed at night and talk about the old times, to speak of the Shikon not as a silly trinket of fairytales, but as a real object of power, was nearly enough to push her to love.

But it wasn't enough.

Kagome could never love someone just for that.

She would need loyalty in an honorable man. She would need excitement, and peace. She would need a heat that stirred her body to sinful heights. She would need to know that he cared for her above all others.

All of those things she had in front of her. All of those things that she longed for in a lover, a partner, a husband, were all packaged in one beautifully dangerous daiyoukai.

Inuyasha's brother.

But he was more. He was Sesshomaru. He wanted her. He protected her, and she trusted him like she trusted no other since the day she left the Feudal Era for good. Inuyasha had absolutely nothing to do with her feelings for Sesshomaru. She was sure of it now, where she had been skeptical before. She wanted him for who he was, not who his brother had been.

Could she love him?

Maybe the question was really 'do I already love him'?

Kagome smiled warmly, and the love that she knew was there shone brightly in her eyes. Yes. She did love him. Somehow, someway, through running, and fighting, and saving the world, Kagome had fallen in love with Sesshomaru. A deadly demon lord from an age long past. Her heart couldn't be denied, and it was beating at the moment for one being and one being only.

"Sesshomaru..." Kagome spoke his name softly.

At the sound of her whispered summons, he looked up from his kneeling position on the black marble floor. She was so lovely. Her mass of wavy black hair was tousled and sprinkled with bits of white plaster. There was a large black smudge covering her right cheek and just a bit of her tiny nose. Several dots of dark, dried blood stained her left cheek and the side of her slender neck, and she was still charged with tingling miko energy, as her body tried to heal its wounds and wind down after such a powerful overload.

She had been through more in her short lifetime than most humans ever experienced, yet it only added to her strengths. Her eyes spoke of innocence and wisdom. Together it made for an alluring temptation to the daiyoukai.

She was a strong miko. Her power was beyond compare in the mortal realm, and enough to strike fear in most all who dwell within the immortal realm. He was quiet aware of what caused the destruction of the abominations created by Hotaka. The pods had been decimated with purification power. He could smell her strength all through the air. It had surprised him briefly, to find that the miko had already wreaked havoc on Hotaka's plans, but only briefly. She always did have a way of surprising him.

It was impressive. It must have taken an enormous charge of purity to abolish so many youkai pods at once. It was a moment of pride for him, as it only served to prove her worth as his mate. She may not be youkai, but his little miko could wipe the floor with most anyone - except himself, of course.

She was smiling at him, and even through the layer of dirt and grime left from battle, he still found her to be a most beautiful female he remembered having ever seen.

And her skin was so... soft.

He held her gaze. Her full, pink lips still shaped into a small mew, as the last syllable of his name lingered. With near worshipful care his thumbs caressed her fragile ankle, and silently he marveled at how delicate his miko was. Such a small frame for such immense strength; strength of character, strength of spirit, and strength of power. He had been a fool to once think her a mere weak mortal. She was so much more.

His beast rumbled with contentment. His baser self was more than satisfied with their choice of mate. It grew anxious to meld with her; ready to stake its claim. They were one in their desires, and Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to tangle his limbs with hers until she lay breathless and exhausted from their joining.

He shifted, growing uncomfortable with his rising ardor. Even through the offensive odors of battle lingering on them both, he could smell her growing desire. It was heady to his senses, like a drug that beckoned him to lose himself forever in her soft heat.

Careful of his claws, he traced her leg, gently caressing the smooth flesh of her calf before lightly tracing the underside of her knee. He watched her face closely, tuned completely to the sounds of her breath becoming shorter and more erratic. When his hand touched her bare thigh her eyes darkened to the color of deepest midnight, and her scent spiked, flooding his senses with her arousal.

She flinched when he accidentally brushed a jagged piece of glass, still horribly embedded in her lovely flesh. Sesshomaru immediately looked away from her eyes to focus on the offensive shard. He searched then, for more of the same, and found numerous points of injury from the same such glass. His eyes narrowed at the sight of such abuse to his chosen mate's tender flesh, and a surge of feelings like he'd never experienced before spilled through him. He never, ever, wanted to see her hurt again.

Kagome bit her lip when Sesshomaru plucked the first piece of glass from her thigh. It hurt much worse coming out than it had going in. She supposed that was due to the adrenaline rush at the time. A rush that was long gone now. She felt the sting of his razor sharp claws, as he carefully extracted yet another piece. After the sixth chunk of pink glass, Kagome was beginning to wonder if Sesshomaru could knock her out so that she didn't have to feel anymore. Ouch. But then he stood up, and moved so very close. He easily slipped between her knees to get a better angle in order to remove the tiny piece of glass still embedded in her neck.

His hips rubbed against her bare thighs, and it made her womanly center achy. She shifted, but the movement only caused her to brush against the hardness of his arousal. She gasped. Obviously he was as affected by their close proximity as she was. The ache became a deep throbbing that left her feeling wet and needy. She needed him to touch her there. She was sure that it would ease her distress.

What would it feel like for him to touch her petals?

What would his fingers feel like slipping through her wetness?

What would he look like as he took her?

Kagome was surprised at her wanton train of thought. There was nothing pure in her mind concerning Sesshomaru at the moment. All images consisted of panting, sweating and tasting. She had only been with one man, and that was a sad, desperate attempt to ground herself at a time when she thought that she was going insane. She did not regret it though, because she cared deeply for Rishou, and she always would. He just was not the one that she was meant for.

Just as Inuyasha had not been.

It was strange, how Fate brought her to Sesshomaru. A former human hating demon, and a mortal girl born to house the Shikon no Tama and destined to protect mankind. Had they not lived through the trials they had, both in the past and with General Hotaka, neither would have found the other in the end.

She winced when he plucked the final piece from her neck, but then sighed when he leaned down to sooth the pain with his mouth. Languorously he lapped at the small abrasion, sending chill-bumps over Kagome's flesh. He smelled delicious, and already the stinging pain from the cut in her neck was easing. Definitely an added bonus. His heat was mingling with her own, and his hard body pressed closer. Propriety took a back seat, and Kagome slipped her arms around his neck then tightened her thighs around his hips. She smiled when he rumbled his approval.

She wasn't too experienced when it came to sex, but Kagome prided herself as a quick study. And one good thing about having had sex with a really close friend was that she never felt embarrassed to ask questions. Rishou was a little wild, but he was a patient and kind lover. He had taken the time to show her things, and for that she was grateful. At least now, with Sesshomaru, she wouldn't be totally clueless. After all, he was nearly a thousand years old, give or take a century, so he must have been with many amazing women in his long lifetime.

On second thought.... that wasn't very comforting.

Would he compare her?

Sesshomaru was thoroughly enjoying the delightfully delicate and slightly salty taste of the skin just behind Kagome's ear, when he felt the shift. It was barely discernible, but he felt her stiffen, and if that had not been enough to catch his notice then the spike of unease in her scent gave her away.

Reluctantly he pulled his lips from her skin, stopping a breath away to blow softly against the moist flesh, and enjoying the shiver that she made, before nuzzling his way back to her cheek, where he asked in a husky baritone, "What concerns you, Kagome?"

The previous shiver grew into a full-blown shudder, as his deep voice brushed so sensuously against her ear. For a moment there, Kagome nearly forgot all of her reservations. That voice was magic, working its way into her body with a direct course straight to her core. She moaned, and shifted her hips, shamelessly rubbing the achy spot against his eager manhood.

Sesshomaru stilled with a short gasp and a low growl. If she were to do that one more time, he may not be able to stop himself from ravishing her right there upon his bathroom counter top. While that was a perfectly intriguing position with many future possibilities, he would much prefer their first time to take place somewhere more comfortable. Like his bed.

Gods. He wanted to be inside of her.

With a strength that tested his control beyond any moment before it, Sesshomaru pulled away. He tipped her chin up and kissed her slowly. A meeting of lips with promises of pleasures to come. Then he drew back to ask once more, "Tell me, Kagome. What do you suddenly fear?"

No way could Kagome tell him that she was worried she might not measure up to his past lovers. So, Kagome said the first thing that came to mind. "It's just... well, that I'm so dirty." She even wrinkled her nose for good measure.

He seemed to consider her words, and she wondered if he could tell whether she was lying or not. Thankfully, he didn't question her further. Heck, she was filthy, after all.

Sesshomaru stepped back, nodding with a sly grin. "Then I will leave you to take care of the problem."

The door clicked behind him and the room seemed to grow in proportion to the absence of his staggering presence.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his comment, but opted to keep her mouth shut. Her heart was currently beating a pounding rhythm that she tried to soothe by placing her hand over her chest. It didn't work. She took a deep breath, and counted to ten before slowly letting it go. That was a little better.

He was just so... so.... Magnificent.

Oh he had his quirks. His cup runneth over with arrogance, and he could be a complete jerk, but what he lacked in social skills, he made up for on the Hot-o-meter. Whew.

After hopping off the counter, Kagome turned to the wall length mirror over the double sinks, and immediately wished that she had instead grabbed one of the fluffy white towels with gold trim, and dove directly into the shower. She looked a mess! There was debris in her hair. Debris! Something, black... or was it green... was smeared on her face and nose. Her arms were bruised and she was covered in tiny bleeding wounds. How he could possibly have found her desirable, she had no idea.

With a shake of her head, Kagome set to work. She quickly stepped into the massive shower, and ignoring the renewed sting of her many lacerations, she began scrubbing away the grime.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome emerged from the master bathroom wearing a thick black bathrobe that swallowed her small stature, but felt dreamy against her skin. It also smelled scrumptiously like Sesshomaru. She stopped to tug the collar up before inhaling deeply with a smile. He smelled so nice. Like a lush forest at night, just after a fresh spring rain. And distinctly male. A dark, powerful, and wholly masculine smell.

She looked up when movement caught her eye, and her breath completely left her body. Standing just across the room was Sesshomaru, wearing a pair of baggy, white silk lounge pants with swirls and slashes of black painted onto one hip and thigh. They were slung low on his hips and gathered at the waist, where a loose bow held them in place. Kagome experienced a great urge to unwrap him, like a present.

His chest was bare. And oh my, what a chest he had. He was tall and covered in lean, toned, muscle. Each movement was a wondrous play of brawn beneath tightly stretched skin. His chest was chiseled, and his abdomen would even make Brad Pitt cry in shame. His arms were long, ending with big hands and strong fingers tipped with deadly claws. His hips narrow. His thighs bulging with lean toned muscle.

Kagome found it hard to breathe. She nearly dropped the brush that she held in her hand.

He was gorgeous.

When she finally pulled her eyes away from feasting on the sight of all that bare flesh, Kagome saw his deeply amused, yet extremely heated, expression.

"Do you like what you see, Kagome?"

Kagome could have kicked herself, but she couldn't help it, his words just had that sort of reaction. She took another look. Woah. That was one beautiful man.

He had obviously taken the opportunity, while she was bathing, to grab a shower himself, because his skin still held a thin sheen of moisture and his pearlescent hair hung damp, silvery with wetness, down to the middle of his shoulder blades.

His chuckle brought her eyes back up to his, while a blush swept over her face and neck, compounding her embarrassment, because at her age she shouldn't blush so easily. Quickly, she looked away in a fatal attempt to hide her flustered face.

She was a vision. All wrapped up in his bathrobe and blushing like a new bride. Which she was, in a sense. He would take her as his tonight, and by youkai measure, she would belong to him forever, until death parted them in this life, only to rejoin them once more in the next.

He tossed the towel in his hands to the side, and crossed the room. She refused to look at him, and it annoyed him somewhat. He wanted to see her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes.

He took the brush, which she had nearly dropped earlier, but now held with a death grip. "Come, Kagome. Let me brush your hair."

Kagome glanced up at him with surprise, never expecting the great Lord Sesshomaru to ask to brush her hair. He met her question with more of that disturbing masculine amusement, but also a quiet confidence that she knew she could always trust. Kagome smiled and released her hold on the silver crafted brush.

She allowed him to guide her back into his bedroom, where his massive bed lay in wait. She felt just a little panic, as any inexperienced young woman would, when faced with their ravishment at the hands of a stunning centuries old youkai.

Sesshomaru helped her up, and then crawled around behind her with the sensual grace only held by that of a large predator. Kneeling behind her, knees spread to get close, Sesshomaru took a moment to inhale deeply of her damp hair. Her scent was fresh and calling to him.

*Lemon Warning Starts Here

Despite the growing interest of his cock, he vowed to take his seduction slow. He did not wish to frighten her, and he wanted this moment to burn in her memory for the rest of their immortal lives. Slowly, he pulled his brush through her long hair.

Kagome was sure that she was in Heaven. It felt so good to be with him like this. She felt secure, comfortable, and cared for. The gentle rhythmic brushing eased her tension, and at last she began to relax. Her eyes closed, and she focused on the sounds of his breathing, and the touch of his fingers as they brushed her scalp and neck.

Once Kagome relaxed, Sesshomaru leaned forward, purposefully rubbing his body against her, to place the brush down on the nightstand. He then slid the dimmer switch next to his bed to a more comfortable setting, and settled back to continue his exploration of Kagome's tender sweetness. From behind her, he pulled her hair to the side, and bent low, brushing his lips over the smooth curve of her collarbone. He nibbled at her shoulder, before licking and tasting a path back up to the curve of her neck.

He pulled the neckline of the robe aside, baring more of her luscious skin to his hot kisses. He suckled and nuzzled his way up to her slender jaw, then he nipped along the outline of contoured bone, lightly, playfully, careful not to break her skin with his fangs. She moaned sweetly, and it caused his heart to beat a little faster, a little harder.

"Kagome..." Her name whispered off of his tongue in praise. She was everything that he could hope for.

Her name on his lips, spoken with such longing and reverence made her blood boil in her veins. She burned with the need to feel him. To touch him. She reached up, and back, to thread her hands through his damp hair, tracing the pointed shell of his ear, and causing him to thrum in delight. The deep inner rumble from his chest was primordial, reminding her that he was not human, but so much more.

With Sesshomaru's help the knot to her robe fell loose, and her breath hitched, as he slowly pushed it from her shoulder. He took the time to brush his fingers against each newly exposed expanse of flesh with the utmost interest and care. Then he moved to nudge the robe from her other shoulder, but just before it fell, he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips that burned her very soul. His lips, that were completely masculine, warm and inviting, melded with her own. It began as a gentle kiss that fast became sensual and insistent. He nipped at her lower lip, and sucked it lightly. A small moan escaped her just before he slipped his tongue into her mouth and transformed the kiss into a sultry play on all of her senses.

She was so distracted by his searching, teasing tongue that she hardly noticed the moment when her robe fell completely from her shoulders to pool around her waist. Kagome was oblivious to anything but Sesshomaru and his glorious kiss, until large, warm, hands began to slide luxuriously up the contours of her stomach. They smoothed over the expanse of her ribcage, to trace a single line, with a feather-like touch, over the tender round curve at the bottom of each breast.

Then those hands closed fully over her breasts, and Kagome was lost.

She leaned back into him, watching through heavy eyelids and thick, dark, lashes, as he began to gently tug, and pinch her hard, tawny nipples. It was an exquisite form of torture that left her gasping for breath and making all sorts of naughty little noises.

Sesshomaru rolled her thick nipples between his thumb and forefingers, enjoying the feel of them nearly as much as he was enjoying the delightful sounds that she was making. Her breasts were not overly large, but round and supple, fitting nicely in the palm of his hands. He rubbed said palm against said nipples and growled hungrily against her neck. She was the forbidden fruit, and he was soon to eat his fill.

Kagome arched, instinctively rubbing her body against his, seeking, searching, for a cure that would bring relief to the throbbing fire building low in her belly. Already she could feel her juices slipping in a thin stream down the inside of her thigh. God she was hot for him. She wanted to become a part of him and never let go.

Sesshomaru groaned as she rubbed her firm little ass against his aching erection. She was ready for him, wanting the joining nearly as much as himself. But his precious miko would have to wait. He had craved this moment for far too long to sway from the agenda now.

He would ease her suffering, though. It would be his pleasure, in fact.

With one last teasing pull to those incredibly appetizing nipples, Sesshomaru moved his languorous kisses to the opposite shoulder, before beginning a new trail all the way up. Skillfully he made his way over the sculpted slope, while his fingers traced a wickedly fiery path over her trembling stomach, downward - temporarily stopping to tease the rim of her navel - then lower, until the tips of his claws brushed against her tiny patch of dark springy curls.

His golden eyes, now darkened to amber, watched his progress through narrow, lusty, slits in his eyes. His heart was nearly pounding right out of his chest as he eagerly moved lower toward his goal. When he touched her dripping wetness, he groaned deeply in appreciation, sliding his eyes closed, and savoring the feel of her slick folds. So wet. He enjoyed the hitch in her breath that preceded several sulky little moans that made his previously hard shaft even harder.

He ground it against her ass, and dipped his finger between her folds.

Her clit was swollen and sensitive to his touch. She shuddered with sensation when he carefully slid the pad of his middle finger over it with firm pressure. Sesshomaru was amazed at her sensitivity to his touch. He'd barely caressed the bud and already she had nearly come loose. "Your body weeps for me," he breathed against her skin, before drawing her in for another long, highly enthusiastic, meeting of lips.

Kagome was nearly insane with pleasure. His mouth was on her lips, then her wrist, kissing and licking the tips of her fingers, while one hand wreaked havoc on the center of her feminine flower. She grasped his hard thigh in her free hand, alternately digging her small nails into the hard, muscled, flesh, and tracing a lazy pattern over the light dusting of hairs covering his skin.

Sesshomaru grinned into her hair as he nuzzled his newly discovered favorite spot behind her ear. She was so close. All it would take....

"Oh! Ahhhnnnn....!" Kagome shook with the wave of her first climax and Sesshomaru chuckled softly with male satisfaction.

"Beautiful," he praised. She was passionate. A very enthusiastic lover. Not surprising really, considering the willful enthusiasm with which she met all things.

And she was his.

He dipped a finger deep into her slick heat, and his cock twitched with anticipation. She was tight. Tight and unbelievably hot.

***Lemon Paused Here (muahahaha!)

Sesshomaru was near panting with the restraint needed to keep from tossing her face first into the plush linens and fucking her senseless. Not that he didn't intend to do that anyway, but he was not ready just yet. It was during this luminous, yet painful moment that a loud, and highly unwelcome voice thoroughly and completely rained on his parade.

That cretin wolf.

"Sesshomaru! You God Dammed Son-of-a-Bitch! Open this FUCKING door before I bust it down! I know you've got Kagome in there!"

If she hadn't known, beyond a shadow of doubt, that Sesshomaru would never hurt her, Kagome might have been scared after hearing the sinister growl that tore from the daiyoukai's throat. His jaki spiked, causing her purity to pulse in response, which obviously snapped some sense back into her lover. She felt the angry surge of jaki once again return to him and breathed a sigh of relief that, unfortunately, didn't last.

"Stay," he snapped.

Kagome's eyes went narrow and her lips tightened with anger. Sesshomaru immediately felt her temper flare and realized his mistake. His miko was not one to be ordered. He ignored the fool bellowing madly outside of his penthouse door, and calmed himself. Then he tried again. "Kagome, it would pain me if you were to leave my bed. I have dreamed of having you here for far too long. Allow me to kill the baka wolf, then I will return to you with haste."

He was so serious when he said it that Kagome realized he really was serious. "Sesshomaru. Please don't kill Kouga. He has been a valuable friend in the past. He's saved me from certain death several times. Besides, he did help rescue me from Hotaka's compound. Well, until you knocked him out anyway. Please? For me?"

He knew from the beginning that she was going to be trouble. He recalled thinking just that when he first spotted her wearing that shapely little black dress at the human burial site. Damn.

Through clenched teeth he gave his word, "This Shuusaka will refrain from killing the wolf."

"Thank-you, my love."

He had been moving to slide from the bed when her words hit home. He turned back to her with surprise, and she met his look with a brilliant smile and complete honesty in her big blue eyes. She loved him? Was he dreaming?

She nodded curtly, and the adoring smile on her face told him the truth. She did. She loved him. He felt his heart soar. It was a similar feeling to that of leaping from the highest mountain peak to fly over a lush valley below. Amazing. He wanted to howl it to the world.

But first.

The wolf.

That insolent, mangy, excuse for a canine would be the first to become acquainted with Kagome's penuriously mated status.

The hard way, if at all possible.

Taisho Shuusaka stalked through his home with menace on his mind. He forced the poison not to spill from his claws, but it took a great effort. It would, after all, be a shame to ruin the rugs.

When he slammed the door open to face the nuisance - come to torment him during what could be the most amazing moment of his life - Sesshomaru smirked at the sight that greeted him. He had assumed that the thickness of the door was what muffled Kouga's usually excruciatingly loud shouts, but in fact, it was the after-effects of a broken snout.

Apparently he was back for more.

"Wolf," Sesshomaru barked with venom.

Kouga wasted no time in launching into his rant. "Just because she wants you and not me, it gives you no right to take advantage of her after what happened tonight! She's hurt and she's been through a lot, you pompous prick! You should have taken her to her mother. The poor woman is freaked out. Naoaki's putting forth more effort than I care to witness in soothing her worries." Kouga then tossed a look over his shoulder. "...And I'm stuck with this guy!" Behind him, stood Rishou grinning sheepishly. "Hey man. Uh, we were just worried about Kagome. Is she okay now?"

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his esteemed eyes. This was a most unwelcome development.

Reminding himself again that he had promised not to kill the wolf, Sesshomaru decided to just try and get rid of them. Preferably with a good unhealthy dose of poison, but circumstances as they were, he opted for just getting them to leave. And Fast. His growl sent the human scurrying back several feet before plastering himself against the elevator door. Kouga, however, was not so easily deterred. He made no move to leave.

"You dare interfere with the taking of my mate, boy?" Sesshomaru always enjoyed reminding the wolf that he was a mere pup compared to his own wizened years. It always seemed to rub the cubs fur the wrong way.

Kouga growled low and balled his fists. "Don't fuck with me Sesshomaru. I'm not up for your games tonight! Wait a second... you... you said mate?"

"Correct. Fool." Sesshomaru added for the hell of it.

When her scent grew stronger he nearly sighed with pleasure, but he refused to let the wolf and human male see how much her presence effected him. When she slid beneath his arm and sidled up against him, he nearly forgot how strongly he did not wish to appear weak. However, he caught the pleasant feeling before it manifested into something visible, and contented himself with pulling her slight frame more fully against him.

Back in the bedroom, Kagome figured the chances of their encounter coming off without violence was pretty much slim to none. It was after a rather uncomfortable silence, in which she imagined some pretty nasty visions of a melting Kouga, she decided to get up and make sure that everything was okay. She slipped back on the robe, and joined them at the door, smiling when Sesshomaru pulled her possessively against him.

"Wow Kouga. You should put some ice on that." Kagome said, giving him a look of sympathy for his poor abused nose. Kouga, in response, merely puffed his chest out and chose to pretend that it hadn't hurt. "Phff! It's nothing. I'll be back to my handsome self by tomorrow morning." He then narrowed his eyes angrily before motioning to Sesshomaru. "This guy, however, will be eating pavement if he's forcing you into anything."

Kagome ignored Sesshomaru's dangerous growl, and giggled instead. "Seriously, Kouga, Rishou. Thanks for being concerned. I'm fine. Really. Sesshomaru is not doing anything that..." she looked up over her shoulder, meeting Sesshomaru's knowing gaze, then away with a blush. "... that I don't want him to do."

"See wolf man," Rishou chastised. "I told you she was fine. They just need... some time."

Kagome smiled warmly at him. "Thanks Rishou. Everything's just been... well, I just need some time to gather myself. Please talk to mom for me. Tell her I will be home first thing in the morning. Tell her that I love her, and not to worry."

"Sure Kagome. I know she'll understand. She's one cool onna, your mom." Rishou grinned, ignoring the stab of jealousy that threatened his calm, unconcerned, front. Damn she looked pretty all snuggled up in that black robe. He looked up and found golden eyes boring into him with frightening intensity. Could the guy read minds too? Damn. He hoped not.

"Come on wolf. Let's get the hell out of here."

Kouga forced his hands to unclench. "Fine." He snapped at Rishou, but to Sesshomaru, he left a with a farewell warning. "Hurt her, and I'll be chewing on your bones before you realize what hit you."

Sesshomaru scoffed dispassionately. The wolf was no threat to him and never would be. He tolerated the imbecile and that was where their relationship ended.

A/N: At first I intended to make the lemon one whole chapter. Things happened. Now it's two. After I wrote it, it ended up over ten thousand words. That just seemed too long to throw on you guys at once. Hope you don't mind. And if you do, well, just be happy that I'm posting them both at the same time. No waiting. Ya gotta show me love for that one!