InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pride (In the Name of Love) ❯ Chapter 43

Pride (In the Name of Love) 43 / ??
Written by Jezz-Ra
Warnings - Not all warnings apply to all chapters. Yaoi, Het, Rape, Lemon, Violence, Language, Torture, Angst, Incest, Dark (at times). It's a massive story, folks, it's got a little bit of everything.
Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha, don't make money off it. Wish I did.

Sidestories can be found under my author profile at any of my archive sites.
Archived at - inu.adultfanfiction.net, fanfiction.net, and mediaminer.org ::: Anywhere else, ask!
Questions or Comments? - Email me at megami_no_remon@hotmail.com
Update List - If you wish for new chapters of this story to be e-mailed to you directly, please send me an email and I'll add you to my update list! Chapters will be mailed as soon as they're ready to go! If you are on my update list, I still appreciate reviews at any of the usual sites I post to!

// blah // indicates thoughts.

A/N - Mmm...Bananas Foster Cappuccino...this coming from someone who has been very adamantly outspoken against coffee and all it's brethren... I can't help it...is good...shocked me. Anyway...lol...
------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------

Sesshoumaru blinked rapidly and wrapped his arms around the sobbing, nearly hysterical girl. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Rin in such a state. He held her close until she quieted some. "Rin...what is wrong? What has happened?"
Rin shuddered and buried his face in his chest. "W..w...wolves..."

"Did you have a nightmare of them again?" Sesshoumaru barely repressed a shudder. He knew now how potent and horrifying nightmares could be. He made a mental note to apologize to Rin later. In the past, he hadn't been quite as understanding when Rin would awaken terrified. Surely, he had calmed her down and felt for her terror...but he had thought it somewhat foolish to be frightened of something obviously not real.

He wouldn't make THAT mistake again.

Rin, however, shook her head enthusiastically, looking at Sesshoumaru with sorrowful, terror-stricken eyes and clinging to him as if he were her only chance of survival. "N-no...they are HERE."

Sesshoumaru's eyebrows shot up at that. "Here? There are wolves in my castle, Rin?"Rin nodded and buried her face against him again.

"Tell this Sesshoumaru where you saw these wolves and what they were doing." There was a cold note in Sesshoumaru's voice, an icy coating on his words that promised swift and painful retribution on these wolves for daring to so upset his Rin.

"They...were talking with Lord Inuyasha...I think..."

// Hmm..why ARE there wolves in...ahem...YOUR castle, my pup? What is your brother up to? // Toga thought, curious. // And where DID you ever get the habit of referring to yourself in the third person...surely not from me... //

"This Sesshoumaru will take care of it. Rin, stay with my Lord Father...he will keep you safe."

Rin looked at Sesshoumaru in terror, not wanting him to leave her. Much as she liked Toga and trusted him...this was her personal terror, her deepest of fears...and she couldn't bear the thought of Sesshoumaru not being with her.

Sesshoumaru looked helplessly at her father when Rin refused to move and clung more tightly to him, her fingers latched onto his hair and his mokomoko.

"Easy, child..." Toga murmured soothingly. "I shall go deal with these wolves for you. You can stay with my Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru wavered between frowning and gratitude - he knew Rin needed to be calmed down and his father likely could not accomplish such as he could...but he hated not dealing with what he saw as HIS problem and thus protecting her. But the decision was already out of his hands.

Toga glanced at the girl to make sure she wasn't watching - her head was turned the other way and she didn't appear to be moving any time soon from her place buried against Sesshoumaru - and then got out of the water, wringing out his hair. Sesshoumaru averted his own eyes quickly, feeling a suddenly all-too-familiar burn in his cheeks. After all, Rin had interrupted a rather...delicate...conversation.

Toga wrapped himself in a towel and headed out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

After dressing quickly and strapping on his sword belt, Toga strode down the hallways. It didn't take him long to pick up the scent of wolf. A lone one, it would seem, and in his guest chambers no less.

He figured that if Inuyasha had been speaking to this wolf, he likely WAS genuinely a guest and no threat...and thus he would be polite. Sesshoumaru might not have been as considerate.

The door opened hesitantly a moment later and Kouga blinked, swallowing a bit as his eyes traveled up the powerful inu's form. Inuyasha wasn't much bigger than Kouga was...and Sesshoumaru was tall but graceful and willowy. Toga, even in his still-recovering state, was broader and more physically powerful than either of his boys.

"Greetings, wolf. Do you know who I am?""The Inu no Taisho..." Kouga bowed his head in respect.

Toga nodded. "Indeed. And I am most interested to find out both who you are and why you are here."

Kouga scowled. "Hn...stupid mut--...um....Ahem. Inuyasha invited me and offered me and my pack work. He said that your current castle guard was ... lacking...and he wanted someone watching the walls that he could trust."

Toga's eyebrow arched. "Is that so...you are a friend of my son, then?"

"In...a manner of speaking. Yeah, I suppose I am."

"And you are?""Prince Kouga of the Northern Wolf Tribe."

"Ah, I see." Toga inclined his head. "I have had dealings with your ancestors in days past, though you are a bit young for me to have known. Welcome to my home. It will be an honor to have your pack defending these walls. Be at peace, I bear you no ill will."Kouga breathed a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he was holding. "Thank you, my Lord." Deferring to Toga was strange and the formality came awkwardly to Kouga, but he couldn't deny it was fitting. Toga had a PRESENCE about him that made one simply want to drop to their knees in supplication and fealty. He absolutely radiated strength and confident power.

"I will also attempt to deflect my Sesshoumaru. His ward, Rin, is most distraught at your presence. I will trust you will work it out and I will assist...but my pup is very protective of the girl. The simple fact that you terrify her so nearly validates your slaughter in his mind."

"Look, I know what my wolves did to her...and I apologize. It's not something I can take back, however, and...it wasn't personal. No one has anything against her."

"I am well aware. As I said, I shall attempt to deflect Sesshoumaru. You may wish to steer clear of him for a time, however. I will arrange for you to speak with him in the future after things settle down so this matter can be discussed calmly. Your pack will be performing an important service to us in addition to being under my direct protection in turn, and I shall not have my son behaving inappropriately. So for now, I bid you good day, Prince Kouga."

"My Lord." Kouga bowed and headed back into his room, feeling much relieved despite the fact that the matter wasn't over yet.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Kaaa..." Sairex muttered sleepily. The rap at the door came again. "Fine, fine, I'm up....Nn. Who is it and vhat do you need?""May I come in?"Sairex blinked. "Kaa, of course, my Lord. I'd get da door for you, but I'd probably kill myzelf trying to find it. I'm not very good at being blind just yet."

Toga entered the room and shut the door behind him. "Ah, your mate is not here?"Sairex blushed deeply. "Er...vell, he's not...I mean...he is but....but not...mrr."

The taiyoukai blinked. "Ah. So it's unofficial then. Very well. I needed to speak with you anyhow."

The raven was glad for the subject change. "Of course. Vhat can I do for you?"

"Do you know of a Jormandar?"

The raven frowned, any trace of good humor vanishing from his features. "My lord...ztay avay from dat one. I mean it...no good can come from it."
"Be that as it may, he came here. We fought."Sairex gasped. "Vhat?!"Toga's lips pulled back and a low snarl escaped him at the memory. "He was after my Sesshoumaru and was QUITE put out when he realized he mistook me for him."

"Dan ve ztill have zome time. No vonder he vanted me out of da vay, I could have zensed his damn zpell-vebs." Sairex hissed in frustration. "Vhy vas he after Zezzhoumaru?...""Revenge, most likely. It seems my pup refused his advances during his captivity...with his claws. This Jormandar is quite disfigured and torn." Toga had a smug note of pride in his voice. Sairex smirked slightly at the thought of the arrogant circle-demon and how being rendered TRULY repulsive would anger him.

"It is zafe to assume he vill return. Jormander is a..." Sairex paused, sifting through words in his mind. "Vell...tink of him like a puppet-master. He veaves a complicated veb of magic. It is very zpecific, tailored to one person and one person only. The casting is draining and takes a long time, and if anyting goes wrong, it has to be done over. If da intended target is caught in dis spell-veb, dey lose control of deir body. Jormander can control dem, make dem do vhatever he pleases. Dey vill be conscious, but unable to resist vhen he decides to...pull deir proverbial ztrings."

Toga growled viciously enough that Sairex actually took a step back in alarm, even though he knew it wasn't directed at him. This demon-freak would DARE to try and ... POSSESS his Sesshoumaru? His voice was tight and clipped with rage. "Thank you, Sairex."

"My Lord...do not do anyting foolish. It is unlikely I can revive you again...it took a lot more from me dan I vanted to admit in front of Miroku.""I know. I do not exactly know how much you sacrificed, but I was a soul at the time of your casting. I know it cost you some of yourself. I could see it being consumed. It is not a sacrifice you should have made for me."

"I owe your zons my life and my freedom. I vas more dan villing. Besides, my Lord...dey need you. I am an old bird, despite my good looks. I've lived one hell of a life.""And you're so modest, too. But for that matter, I've had my share of living too, your age hardly makes your life worth any less than mine.""But dey need you. Miroku vants me, but he could have gotten by vithout me had I lost my zoul. Zezzhoumaru needs you especially. You are his only alpha....others care, but he vill never let dem protect him . Dey vill love him, dey can care for him...and he vill cherish it even if it is in zilence...but he vill not...can not....let dem protect him and take care of him, make him feel zafe. And he needs dat too, if he's going to heal properly. But, all is vell regardless. I didn't lose all my zoul."

Toga smiled slightly and then pulled the startled raven into a brief hug. "I know. And I do owe you much, though I believe you might just be slightly crazy.""Only zlightly? I have to try harder, den."
Toga chuckled. "Now rest. I will keep you informed and come to you before I make any rash decisions or run off to take on the entire damn Black Circle myself."

"YOU zhould be resting too. I know how veak you are despite how vell you might hide it. Your body consumed much of itself to exist again, fully fleshed."

"I am painfully aware of that. But I am better than I was already."

"Of course you are. You vill continue to heal rapidly. Now get out of my room, kaa! I have one hell of a headache. Remind me not to devise any damn mind-poisons and let dem be used against me in da future."

"Duly noted. Take care, my friend." Toga smiled and gave the raven a pat on the shoulder before heading out of the room, turning his mind to the task at hand.

Talking Sesshoumaru out of making a wolf-skin rug would be...quite a feat.