InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stronger ❯ Breathe With Me ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter Seven- Breathe with Me




single word, that solitary syllable, murmured low, just before his lips crashed down on he own, shook her as nothing else could. One part of her, the strong-willed, independent female, was offended, annoyed that anyone would dare claim her, like she was a damn piece of furniture! Another part, the side of her that was purely, sensuously female, murmured in reply I know.

her warring sides of her were both abruptly silenced as his lips left her own to blaze a trail across her cheeks, over her eyelids and across her temple to nibble delicately on her ear. Pure sensation jolted through her system, curling languidly in the pit of her stomach before sinking lower. A small, low moan of bliss was torn unwilling from her throat as her arms came up to wrap around his neck, drawing him closer till he was flush against her. Rin shivered at the contact, her heart thudding a rapid tattoo against her breast bone as his heat seemed to sear straight through her.


'Mine. Mine, mine, mine .' The words beat a steady tattoo in Sesshomaru's head as he nipped and licked his was across her frame, nudging aside the collar of her kimono in an attempt to reach more of her smooth, fragrant skin. A sudden spike in her scent and suddenly she was there with him, threading her hands through his hair and pulling his lips up to meet hers as she licked his lips, nudging the seam slightly as she begged for entrance, which he happily provided. Her tongue curled about his own, teasing and taunting him with her flavor as her breaths became more and more ragged. His hand raked over her curves even as the more rational side of his brain kicked in. 'Not here.' Rin deserved better than to be taken on the floor like some maid or concubine.
slightly, he put a hand under her knees and swept her up into his embrace, her deep brown hair spilling over her back and down his arm. Opening the hidden door in the paneling, he swept her through his outer chambers and straight to his private quarters, reluctantly placing her on her feet before him. Quickly, not offering her time to mull it over, he pulled her against him, trailing kisses along her jaw.

small mmmph was heard as Rin protested his lips leaving hers to trace her mouth. Sesshomaru smirked at her response, only to gasp as pure sensation rocked through him when Rin used the opportunity to catch his earlobe between her teeth, soothing the small bite with her tongue before tracing the shell of his ear with her tongue and lips. Tangling her fingers in his hair once more, she scratched her nails lightly along his scalp, smiling to herself as she caught his pleasure at the edge of her mind. He wanted her, she knew it to be fact. She loved him, had always loved him - this was also fact. Sure the love had changed over the years, evolving from that of a child to an adolescent crush, but now she was a woman grown. And he had chosen her...

vague thoughts were abruptly derailed when he placed his hand on the belt of her kimono. "Rin," he whispered breathily in her ear, the sound strained and needy. "Last chance."
pulled back and stared up at him. His eyes, a pure, untainted gold, stared down at her, at that moment expressing more love and need then she could have ever hoped for. Her consciousness brushed lightly against his, reaffirming what she had seen in his eyes. Tenderly she reached up, brushing back wayward bangs that had fallen down into his eyes.

giving her a chance for further consideration, Sesshomaru drug a claw through the belt of her kimono, delicate threads snapping as he severed the cloth, allowing her kimono to fall open, not completely but the edges parted further, allowing him enticing glimpses of her cleavage and smooth, flat belly.
Inu rose, the unspoken demands of the demon pounding frantically as Sesshomaru pushed Rin back towards the bed. Rin's fingers continued their ministrations, tracing from his scalp to his neck, down his chest, tracing the opening of his kimono and tugging the edges a bit further apart allowing her to touch more skin. She traced a trail down to the ties of his hakama, leaving scorching imprints in her wake and tugged at his belt, using nimble fingers to quickly un do the knots, even as he was drawing her kimono off of her shoulders, running lips and tongue and teeth over the skin he revealed, using ever sense to discover her taste and scent.
hakama bottoms fell to the floor as her kimono reached her upper arms and he was unable to continue removing the offending garment unless she quit fumbling with the ties of his haori top. Stilling her fingers, he swiped his claws through the offending material, letting the haori fall in unheeded shreds as he leaned closer to her, suddenly desperate for skin-to-skin contact.
lowered her arms, letting the garment fall to the floor, her sensitized skin relishing the feel of cool silk sliding over her back and down the curves of her buttocks and legs.
was beautiful, Sesshomaru thought absently. Her loose hair waved down her back, caressing creamy hips and firm, generous breasts. Her skin was tanned from being in the sun, but that small defiance to propriety made her that much more attractive to Sesshomaru. Her eyes, darkening from a cinnamon to a velvety chocolate color, looked him up and down again, her scent spiking as she did so. Fear tinged it noticeably as she stared at his manhood.
knew he was well-endowed and also knew that the first time would be painful. And while Rin was not entirely ignorant of such things, she had never - to his knowledge - seen a man nude, and probably didn't know what to expect. Reaching out he gently traced her cheek, causing her eyes to rise and meet his own.
Inu pounded furiously at him, demanding that he claim his mate. However, Sesshomaru held it at bay. "We'll go slow." He promised. Gently, he pushed her down onto the futon and then lay down next to her, rather than blanketing her with his own body as he would have liked.
spent the next while exploring each other, letting Rin become acquainted with the male form and more specifically his form. As she grew bolder and more confident, she progressed from shy, tentative touches to bolder strokes with her fingers. When she leaned forward and placed that first tentative kiss to his collar bone, Sesshomaru groaned aloud, willing himself not to just flip her over and drive into her. Immediately she stopped and looked at him, wide-eyed and wondering if she'd done something wrong.

"No." He answered her unspoken question. "Keep going." Returning the favor, he placed a kiss on her collar bone, trailing his mouth along it and nuzzling her neck before continuing onward to nibble the other collar bone. Reaching out, he grasped her ribcage and trace his hands downward towards her hips, brushing his thumbs along the sides of her breasts and running them over her diaphragm and stomach, ending as her grasped her hips and brought her closer to him, allowing her back to arch invitingly and bring the tip of her breast closer to his mouth.
moaned as his lips made contact and he took her nipple between his lips, licking gently and kneading the other breast with his hand. Reaching out, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer arching into his mouth.
moaned as his lips made contact and he took her nipple between them, licking gently and kneading the other breast with his hand. Reaching out, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer arching into his mouth. His hand gently caressed her ribs, the flat of her stomach and then her abdomen before brushing her womanhood. Unconsciously, Rin parted her thighs a little, her hips nudging into his hand. Smiling slightly against her breast, Sesshomaru brushed her womanhood again, this time deliberately letting a claw graze the sensitive bundle of nerves her knew to be there, grinning a little wider when he heard Rin's breath hitch in her throat. Repeating the gesture, he deepened the stroke, a claw gently parting the lips and brushing the opening beneath.
gasped and arched her hips, her legs parting further, barely realizing that Sesshomaru had grasped on of her hands within his own as was gently guiding it between them. She froze however, when her fingertips brushed the head of his erection.

"Shhhhits okay." Sesshomaru murmured gently against her breast
eyed the top of his head warily.
if sensing her hesitation, Sesshomaru released her breast and raised his head to hers, brushing his lips against her own reassuringly and murmuring encouragement to her. Biting her lower lip slightly, she ran her tongue over the small abuse and, quickly, before she had a chance to change her mind, reached out and rasped his shaft in the palm of her hand, wrapping her fingers around it and running her thumb over the head. Soft, she decided. Slightly spongy, but beneath that was pure steel.
shuddered, his breath catching on the inhale, and Rin froze, afraid she had hurt him.

"Oh Kami Rin, you have no idea how good that feels." Sesshomaru groaned, burying his face in her hair and reaching down to stroke her center. The contact of his finger against her core was enough to make Rin gasp, and her grip on him tightened unconsciously.
slightly, a little impatient with his new mate's innocence, Sesshomaru grasped the hand wrapping around his manhood in his own and guided her into a rhythm, showing her how to apply pressure, to stroke, and squeeze and teaching her all the things that pleased him most, even as he continued toying with the small treasure between her folds. As Rin grew more bold, he pleasured her more, rubbing and stroking, varying pressures and speeds until she was panting slightly, her hips arching into his hand, unconsciously begging for release.
he plunged a finger into her core, being careful not to injure her with his claw. Rin, almost beyond coherent thought, gasped and arched violently against him, her hips rocking against his palm, never losing her grip on his manhood, though her actions had ceased.
was probably for the best, Sesshomaru reflected wryly, seeing as how he was nearly ready to come himself. Rolling over so that he was on top of her, perched between her thighs, he pulled his finger out of her center, he brows furrowing over her cinnamon eyes, which were glazed and wanting.
leaned down and, as gently as he could, kissed the corner of her mouth. "Are you ready?" He asked softly, holding his breath. If she consented, he would claim her as his mate. If she refused He wasn't sure what he'd do. He knew he could never hurt her, she was too vital, too important to him for that, but he knew, even if he couldn't consciously acknowledge it, that for him, this was it. There would never be another.
's eyes opened fully and she smiled, all the love he could ever hope for and then some shining out of her eyes.

"Yes."

"It will hurt the first time." He cautioned her, somehow wanting to warn her of what was to come.

"I know." She nodded.
between them, he positioned himself at her entrance, nudging open her honeyed petals with his straining length. Trustingly, she wrapped her legs around his waist, lifting the cradle of her hips up to his in surrender.
to bear it any longer, Sesshomaru groaned and drove himself into her, taking her in one swift thrust. Her heat enveloped him securely as he sunk his fangs into the juncture of her neck and shoulder, marking her as his even as his mind registering shock at the stinging sensation on his own neck.
had bit him. Completely without instruction or prompting, she had claimed him as surely as he had claimed her. Disbelief coursed through him even as his body urged him to fully claim her as his. Pulling his fangs out of her skin, he lapped gently at the wound he had created, savoring the taste of her on his tongue, her exotic flavor which seemed to sing of deep woods and hidden pools in the forest. Of magic.
who had followed his lead and had pulled her teeth out of his neck, lapping at the small wound she had caused, abruptly froze.

"Oh my goodness" She breathed, horrified at herself. "Sesshomaru, I am so sorry"
couldn't help the smile that claimed his features. He knew she must be in discomfort, both from the taking of her virginity and from the marking, but nonetheless, she was apologizing to him for causing him discomfort. His mate was indeed a treasure, beyond compare of any other he had ever heard about. Experimentally he rocked his hips against hers, the friction nearly making him moan in ecstasy.
responded by returning his thrust, causing something deep within him to shudder and without further hesitation, he thrust against her, setting a rhythm as old as time, and as new as a baby's first breath.
an instant that seemed to last her entire life, Rin's world changed. The earth rocked, the air sizzled, and he body was no longer her own. She burned, needed, ached for him. There was no Rin without Sesshomaru, and no Sesshomaru without Rin. She looked into his eyes even as she brushed his mind with her own and knew that the feeling was not one sided; everything she thought and felt was right there in his mind, reflected back at her and bare to her gaze.

'You belong to me, no other.' The words were in her head, the bond so new, yet so familiar and strong that it was terrifying.
friction of her against him was beyond compare. Mine. Mine, mine, mine The Inu growled out in time with his thrusts. This was his mate, his breath, his life and heart. No other would do, because this one was his.


stray ray of sunlight was what woke her that morning, Rin would later decide. Flinching, she attempted to roll over and pull a pillow over her head, only to be stopped halfway through her roll by a weight around her waist, another thrown over her leg.

'Huh...?'
also awakened the curious soreness between her thighs, muscles strained by unfamiliar stretching. Awareness flooded back to her, and her eyes snapped open, leaving her staring at the ceiling as the memories flooded her.
silk. Whispered promises. Light and shadow and a sense of being so full she felt she would burst. Golden eyes hovering over her and silky white hair around her. Warmth surrounding her and filling her till there was nothing else.

her head to the side, Rin sucked in a quick gasp at the sight of Sesshomaru lying next to her. Sleep softened his features, making him look far younger than he was. His normally perfect hair was anything but, and wisps of silvery bangs fell across his forehead, obscuring the indigo crescent, brushing across the magenta stripes. The weight Rin felt was his arm around her waist, holding her securely to him, his leg draped over her thigh accomplishing the same goal.

'Beautiful....' Rin thought, reaching out and brushing heavy silver bangs away from his forehead. She had gotten as far as placing the tip of her forefinger against the tip of his crescent when his amber eyes snapped open, honing in on her with none of the usual sleep-induced fuzziness. Sesshomaru studied her intently, looking for any sign of embarrassment, shame or fear, and was pleased when he found none.
morning." He said, a small smile lifting a corner of his mouth.
smiled back. "Morning Sesshomaru."
his smile to widen a fraction, Sesshomaru tightened his hold, intending to pull her in for a kiss when a sharp rapping sounded upon his door. Annoyed, Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder to tell the intruder to leave him when the door was unceremoniously shoved open and Jaken strode through, rifling through a stack of papers clutched between his paws.

Lord, there are several correspondences that need to be taken care of today and-" Jaken froze at the heavy scent of coupling that hung in the air. Seeming to realize that he had made a mistake, he hastily backpedaled towards the door, scenting the air as he went.
female was still in the room....it wasn't Mitsuki...he looked up, catching the full force of Sesshomaru's glare. A tuft of mussed black hair was visible over his lord's shoulder, and Sesshomaru himself was trying to protect the embarrassed female from Jaken's gaze.
Sesshomaru growled.
Rin's annoyed face appeared over Sesshomaru's shoulder, her visage flushed with embarrassment. "Jaken!" She said, "Scat!"
a surprised squawk, Jaken backpedaled right out the door, leaving a flurry of papers in his wake.

Sesshomaru turned to Rin. "I could have dealt with him."
Rin looked up at him. "Maybe, but he's gone."
running screaming down the hallway." Sesshomaru grumbled, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck, nibbling on the mark there.
live." Rim murmured, tilting her head to give him better access. Sesshomaru promptly moved further down her body, nibbling and kissing his way to her cleavage.
Rin admonished, "We have to get up."
spared a glance at the timepiece. "Meetings don't begin for two hours."
breakfast begins in an hour, and I need to bathe and change."
Sesshomaru reluctantly let her up. He lay there watching as Rin gathered up her fallen kimono, sliding it over smooth, pale skin. Reaching up, she pulled her hair out of her way, the early morning sun catching stray strands and sending gold and red sparks off. Giving him one last shy smile, she slipped from the room.
was fuming . All of her hard work, all the planning and preparations, for <i>nothing</i>, because that little half-tamed tramp had lured Sesshomaru to her bed. Admittedly, it wouldn't have been such an awful thing if he'd merely slept with her - a man had needs, just as a woman did, didn't he? - but he had marked her, had actually claimed that upstart little whore as a mate!

had started flying first thing in the morning because that bumbling little toad had walked in on them in bed. Alina herself had found out from Lady Ayame in the bath. The female wolf had been laughing with one of her ladies, saying it was "about time." Alina had been upset enough to make sure her bath was finished and she was gone by the time Rin would appear, and had retreated to her room, hoping it wasn't true.
course it was, and it had been revealed at breakfast, when Rin and Sesshomaru had appeared. Nothing seemed amiss at first - their mannerisms towards one another hadn't changed much - but Alina's small hope had been rebuked when she caught their scents. Twining, clinging, co-mingled, they had smelt so deeply of one another that Alina had nearly been sick.
a false smile on her face, Alina had immediately begun thinking. Rin was marked and undoubtedly changed too. It was more than apparent in the way she walked, the instinctive light-footed, silent grace so natural to youkai was now hers as well, along with who-knew-what else. The stronger the youkai blood, the stronger the sharing of powers.

'He should have been mine!' Alina raved to herself. 'I am strong, the sharing would have been powerful, our children even more so.' What was the matter with him? Mated to a human, he got no powers in return, and their children would be hanyou.

'She only human...only...human ...'
chewed her lower lip, the beginnings of an idea turning through her mind.
day had passed in a blur, meetings and meals and playing hostess taking their toll. Sakura and Ino had cornered her in the kitchen earlier, babbling their congratulations that she and Sesshomaru were now mates. Sesshomaru had been right; once Jaken had left the room, word had spread like wildfire and by the time breakfast was over, it seemed that the whole fortress was alerted that their Lord had taken a mate.
all the bustle, the meetings and congratulations, the dire glares from Lady Alina and the arranging for her things to be moved to Sesshomaru's room, Rin was perfectly content to walk through the gardens, looking at the flowers and thinking of nothing in particular.
small thought tickled at the back of her brain though. 'What about Lady Alina?'

'What about her?' She groused.

'She's jealous. She's bound to try something.'

'Bullshit.' Rin retorted, 'He's chosen me, she can't have him anymore..'

'How do you know? Many youkai take more than one mate...don't deer youkai have herds of females?'

'I would never tolerate him having more than one! He knows that. So just shut up!'

'...Yeah, he knows that. Right...?'

'...Right?'

Rin turned a corner with a disgusted sigh. If she was holding conversations with herself, she was going insane. Of course Sesshomaru would be faithful to her. She had been with him practically her entire life.
isn't nearly a fraction of his.'
been faithful and unwavering in her loyalty,

'Can you say the same for him? He's been screwing the maids as long as you can remember.'
wasn't mated prior to mating her,

'He's been courting Lady Alina for the past week, ne? Walks in the garden, holding hands, whispered promises... You even saw them kissing remember?'

'Shut up!' Rin screamed to her doubting self. Walking faster, she turned another corner and headed towards the forest where she could be alone. It wouldn't do to have Ino or Lei come upon her when she was so worked up. Nor Sesshomaru...

'But he did all of that for her, and what did you get?'

'He kissed me,' Rin protested.
he was done screaming at you.'
I tell you to shut up?'
was abruptly distracted from her dire thoughts by a noise nearby. Soft growls and whimpers, low moans and sighs drifted through the air, lingering on the breeze. Parting the foliage carefully, she peered into the clearing.
bodies, entwined. Pale skin, silvery and luminescent in the fading sunlight. Slivery-white and pale pink strands whorled and danced together, the late afternoon light ricocheting off them, sending sparks of silver and pale gold flying.

'Oh...'
cries of ecstasy; Alina's head tilted back, eyes shut tight, throat swallowing convulsively as her mouth formed a silent "O" of rapture. Magenta stripes, just visible through the tangle of hair; Sesshomaru's face buried in the crook of her neck. Rin's keener hearing could discern his own heady pants as he surged in and out of her.

'Oh Kami...'
Rin backed away, a trembling hand rising to stifle the gasp that she choked on. Nausea, disgust and betrayal all washed through her, leaving her with the vague feeling that none of this was real. Unwillingly, her foot took another step back, responding to her desire to be away from the whole situation.

Snap .
froze as a small twig snapped under her foot. <i>'Stupid, stupid, stupid.'</i> She berated herself as the couple on the ground froze. She had been training in stealth for six or more years, and now her instructions fled her?
stood swiftly, somehow pulling on his hakama bottoms as he stood and glared in her direction.
yourself." He commanded icily.
Rin stepped forward and stood before her Lord, shaking in fear and disgust.
strode through the garden paths, following Rin's scent. He had been trying to find a moment alone with her all day, but had failed thus far. When she wasn't in meetings, she was in the kitchen overseeing the preparation of the next meal, in the laundry sorting linens or doing some other chore that was the duty of the lady of the house. He had wanted to speak with her privately, wish her the best of luck with the lord.
his secret heart of hearts, he desperately wished Rin had chosen him. He had cared for her for years, treating her as he would a sister. He had loved and adored her, protected and cared for her. He had taught her and chastised her, had tended her hurts and listened to her childish fantasies. Her sweet nature, her fire and spirit, her very being had drawn him. However, he had to admit that he had always taken great care to never show her how he truly felt. What good would it have done to tell her that he loved her, that he wanted her for a mate, when she saw no other than Sesshomaru, and had never seen any other as anything other than a friend? He had known for years that she held feelings for Sesshomaru, even if he had only recently learned that he returned her affections, and it would not have done to force a decision on an unprepared child, would have in fact caused a drastic change in the relationship he had come to treasure so much. And he refused to be the recipient of only half her heart...
squared his shoulders and shoved his unwanted thought aside. He was a big enough person to respect his friend's decision, and he respected Sesshomaru as a person and commander - he would not abuse their Rin.
this in mind, he strode onward, following Rin's scent.

are you doing here?" Sesshomaru growled, putting a wealth of menace into that simple phrase.
is my home, my Lord. I was under the impression that I could go where I wanted."
were you spying on me?"
was not my intention to spy . You are my mate , your affairs are my affairs." Rin was still in shock, but now a wary bitterness was beginning to creep into her voice. How dare he?
stained Sesshomaru's normally golden irises. "You filthy little human." He roared. "I may have taken you to my bed, but it was never my intention to mark you as my mate!" He took a vicious swipe at the air between them, close enough to Rin's nose for her to feel the passage of claws through air.
rose in the back of Rin's throat. She was going to be sick, she knew it. All those sweet words, all those wondrous sensations, lies? She had been used? The world titled wildly on its axis; she felt as if all of her greatest fears were coming to life before her very eyes. Tears swam in her vision, blurring the scene in front of her
are nothing more than a whore! A useless toy only suitable for providing occasional pleasure. And even that merit is dubious." Sesshomaru added that last little bit with derisive sniff. "Now," He continued, sneering at her, "return to your chambers until I call for you." With that last, snide comment, he very deliberately turned his back towards her.
fled.

off to the side, Alina smirked. It had gone perfectly. Though, for a minute, lying with him on the ground, she hadn't cared one way or another if Rin caught them, or even saw them at all. The sensations she had been experiencing had been amazing, better than anything else she had felt prior. Just for a second she had wondered wildly if being with Sesshomaru would be half as good...

'No.' she thrust the traitorous thought aside. Sesshomaru was the best choice of mate, had always been. Young as he was, he was the son of the great Lord Inutaishio. His bloodline was pure and powerful, and Sesshomaru himself had proven himself many times in battle. At a very young age he had been forced to defeat all on-comers and claim the Western Lands for himself lest it fall to another Lord. He had continued to prove his merit time and again as upstarts and weaklings had tried to wrest his title from him. He had played a key role in the defeat of the vicious hanyou Naraku, had built a nearly impenetrable fortress. His only failing in Alina's eyes was allowing that stupid little ningen, Rin, to live and attain maturity. Alina had no particular problem with humans in general, but Rin was a thorn in her side that simply couldn't be ignored.
turned toward her, not dropping his guise, with a weary look on his face. Alina smirked, opened her mouth to congratulate him on a job well done, when a blur of motion appeared on the edge of the clearing. She started to shout a warning, tell him to move, but the blur hit him with all the force of an anger-maddened dragon, coming from his right and slamming him into the nearest tree. Alina winced at the sound of bones cracking.
blur resolved itself into General Uuchia, who held his claws clasped tightly around Kenji's throat, digging them in perilously close to his carotid artery. His mouth was twisted into a snarl, and his eyes bled a blood red. When he spoke, Alina was shocked at the menace in his voice.

"What have you done?"


was enraged. He had trusted, trusted , that Sesshomaru wouldn't hurt Rin. Yet he had passed her not five minutes before as she fled crying, tears running in salty streams down her cheeks and despair clinging to her like a tangible scent. Most likely she hadn't even noticed him; the tears in her eyes would have prevented normal vision and when he had heard someone coming, he had courteously moved off to the side of the path to let them pass. Something about her demeanor had stopped him from following her, instead he had rushed ahead to see what had upset her so and had encountered what he saw before him; Sesshomaru in a state of partial dress with a red demon's rage dissipating from his eyes and Alina standing behind him, hair mussed and kimono thrown on haphazardly, not even properly belted shut, the scent of rutting hanging thick and heavy in the air. Before he had known what had overtaken him he found himself slamming Sesshomaru against the nearest tree with all the force he possessed, claws to his throat and growling like a mad thing.


"What have you done?" He demanded of the demon Lord, fully ready to disembowel him first and ask questions later. He took a deep breath to try and steady himself and froze - despite how this looked, the scent didn't lie, this was not Sesshomaru . His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. If this was not Sesshomaru, then this had been planned; a deliberate plot. But for what purpose?
false Sesshomaru wheezed as his ribs struggled to meet the demands of his lungs need for adequate oxygen to answer.

Alina was there, tugging at Atoki's arm, trying to force him to let go of the false Sesshomaru. Atoki growled, unceremoniously wrenching his arm out of her grasp and shoving her to the side so he could continue his interrogation. The false Sesshomaru growled at the rough handling of the lady and lashed out, catching Atoki across the side of his face in a vicious swipe.
Atoki snapped, sparing her a glance out of the corner of his eye. The disheveled Lady looked up from her place on the ground, her eyes spitting fire and defiance at him. "What is going on?" He demanded. Her eyes hardened and he could immediately tell that she was about to refuse to answer him. Still holding tightly to the false Sesshomaru's neck, he picked him up a bit and slammed his roughly into the bark of the tree. He may not be able to lay a hand directly on her, but he could do nearly anything to her cohort
winced at the sound of ribs cracking. "Now...once more," Atoki growled, stretching for patience he didn't have, "What just happened?"


minutes later Atoki was still holding the false Sesshomaru - Lady Alina's General Kenji - to the tree, occasionally threatening to snap another bone, growing more and more horrified the more Alina spoke.
had to admit though, for a spur-of-the-moment plot, they had pulled it off with stunning success. By playing on that fact that Rin, as a human, wouldn't be able to smell the difference between the false and true Sesshomaru, she had ordered her general to help her trick Rin into believing that Sesshomaru had been using her. It had begun weeks ago, when Alina first arrived and had started vying for Sesshomaru; the small gestures, the insinuating comments, the coy glances. When Kenji had arrived, she had escalated things simply by letting Rin spot them together, holding hands or kissing, normal parts of the human courtship ritual, thus fostering doubt in Rin.
when Rin had accepted Sesshomaru's mating offer, Alina's plan had fallen through. Rin was supposed to have refused, not knowing whether Sesshomaru was sincere or not in his claim. When she had accepted, Alina had been forced to take drastic measures. She would not resort to simply killing the girl - that would have been far too suspicious. So instead she chose to drive Rin away by letting her catch her mate cheating on her.
soon as she said that last sentence, Atoki cursed. Alina of course, would have no way of knowing that Rin had watched him sneak around with maids for several years, and would not find him cheating on her as far-fetched as one would think. Plus, Sesshomaru, if Hakashi was to be believed, had been avoiding Rin in rejection of the strength of his feelings for her. However, Rin most likely didn't know any of this, she would only see that the man she loved, who had been avoiding her, messing around with the maids, and for all appearances courting Lady Alina was now unfaithful to her, had, in fact, rejected their bond.
felt sick.
Kenji's arm into a painful hold behind his back, Atoki announced that Alina was to walk in front of him to Sesshomaru's study.
you try anything," he warned, "I'll break your general's arm. If you continue, I will behead him."
horrified look passed over Alina's visage. "Try me." He added succinctly.
sat in his study, reading over the finalized trade agreements when a burning sensation coursed through him, radiating outward from the mating mark on his neck. Following closely on its heels was an icy sense of dread that caused Sesshomaru to drop the papers he was holding, lest he tear right through them.
gasped as the burning sensation abruptly intensified to a raging inferno along the mark, so hot he would've sworn he could feel his blood boiling with the heat of it. Yet strangely, he couldn't feel any skin burning, nor could he smell flesh being charred.
skittered erratically up and down his spine, even as the burning continued, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a snap, something he hadn't even been aware of being there disconnecting. The feeling of emptiness left him far more shaken then the burning had, and scrambling madly to find whatever it was that had been lost. Faintly, he felt the tendril of whatever-it-had-been still holding on, but only by the barest thread. Mentally he traced the path it provided, only to be brought up short by a block in his way.

'What..?'
the block, he could barely detect a faint trace of Rin . Suddenly terrified, he tried with all of his will to get past that block and find Rin, only to be brought up short time and again by an immovable wall blocking him.
his eyes snapped open, him not even having been aware of closing them to concentrate as panic seized him, squeezing his chest tight and leaving him fighting for air. The Inu howled it's anguish even as his feet started moving of their own accord, running in an effort to be anywhere, go anywhere, as long as Rin was there. Throwing open the door, he nearly bowled over Atoki, who was standing outside it with a disheveled Lady Alina and...

'What?!'
brought Sesshomaru up short as he came face-to-face with a very beaten and bruised version of...himself. Sesshomaru blinked once in surprise, a vague feeling of wrong penetrating the panic that fogged his mind. Blinking again, he dismissed it - whatever it was, this look-alike standing before him, it could wait till later, he had to find Rin now .
Sesshomaru!" Atoki called. "I have something I need to speak to you ab-"
now, Atoki." Sesshomaru snapped, irritable about the delay. "I need to find Rin."
Lord Sess-"
said not now ." Sesshomaru said as he made an attempt to get past his general, who was firmly blocking his way. "Rin's in trouble." Couldn't Atoki see that Sesshomaru needed to find Rin right away ?
reached out and, without even considering the consequences, snagged the back of Sesshomaru's collar, hauling him up short. Snarling, Sesshomaru rounded on his general crimson beginning to stain his irises. He didn't have time for this; he needed to find Rin now .
's fine!" Atoki said, grappling with a furious Sesshomaru. 'He must really be upset,' Atoki considered wryly. 'Lucky me. If he were any more coherent, I'd be dead by now.'
is most certainly not fine!" Sesshomaru retorted, swiping at Atoki's hand, which sought to restrain him.
is!" Atoki insisted, desperate to calm the Lord down, "She's just very upset right now."
froze, sensing that Atoki was indeed telling the truth. The knowledge did little to calm his rage, but knowing that Rin was not dead or gravely injured helped halt his frenzied flight immensely.
why is that?" He growled, menace lacing each syllable.
what we need to talk about." Atoki replied.