InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Hour ❯ Cruel Intentions ( Chapter 15 )

Ch. 15

Cruel Intentions...

Sesshomaru cleared his throat, bringing the older man's attention to him. After a few minutes of careful scrutiny, the man asked hesitantly, "Sesshomaru, is that you?"

Sesshomaru nodded his head, going to his uncle's side. The man looked up at him, his expression one of wonder and confusion. Sesshomaru could only wonder at the thoughts running through his uncle's head. It had to be strange waking up after 14 years, completely disoriented.

"My god, you're so much older than when I last saw you...you were merely a child then." Onigumo's voice caught in his throat, his eyes taking on a distant look. Sesshomaru sat on the edge of the bed. "You've been...gone a long time, uncle." Sesshomaru explained. Onigumo shook himself from his distant memories and returned his gaze to his nephew.

"Where have I been?" He closed his eyes briefly. "The last thing I remember is getting on the airplane for a business trip." Sesshomaru nodded. "Yes, but it seems you were kidnapped and brought here to Japan." He stared hard at Onigumo. "I believe you were kept in a drugged state to keep you unaware. A lot has changed in the last 14 years."

"What!?" Onigumo bellowed. Sesshomaru put a hand on his uncle's shoulder, trying to calm him. "I've been...been kidnapped for 14 years?"

Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome. She stood watching them, fidgeting slightly. "Why don't you go down to the restaurant and get some breakfast?" He suggested. Kagome nodded and turned to leave. "And get in touch with Sango and tell her we're leaving as soon as possible." Sesshomaru watched as Kagome left the room, shutting the door softly. He turned back to his uncle.

"We're in danger, uncle." Sesshomaru stated simply. Onigumo looked at him in surprise. Sesshomaru didn't want to dump this all on his uncle, especially with him just waking up from his "coma", but the stakes were even higher now. When Naraku found out that Onigumo was now in Sesshomaru's care, he'd be coming at him full force.

"Why? Sesshomaru, what's going on?" Onigumo sat up straighter, his tone alarmed. Sesshomaru took a deep breath. "It's your son, Naraku"

Onigumo's body seemed to sag all at once. "Nar....aku."

~~~~~~

Kagome tried for what seemed like the twentieth time to get through to Sango's cell phone. When she again got Sango's voicemail, she angrily threw the phone into her purse. She knew it wasn't Sango's fault, after all, how was she supposed to know about the hell she'd been through? She picked at the scrambled eggs and bacon she'd ordered. She wasn't really hungry; she'd only ordered the food to occupy her time. She'd sensed Sesshomaru had wanted some time alone with his uncle when he'd asked her to get something to eat.

She sighed, placing her fork beside the plate of uneaten bacon and eggs. She was too on edge to even force herself to eat. In the space of a few hours, she'd found out that demons really do exist, been kidnapped by a demon and been rescued by a demon. She laughed to herself. Not even in her wildest dreams could she make this stuff up.

Kagome blinked when she heard the ringing of her cell phone. She hurriedly plucked it from her bag.

"Sango?"

"Frank." Came the gruff reply. Kagome's brow knit in confusion momentarily before she realized who it was.

"Oh my god, Frank!" She exclaimed, completely forgetting about her editor and her job. "Where the hell have you been, Kagome? I give you a week off and you disappear!" He said loudly into the phone. Kagome winced, holding the phone a few inches from her ear. She waited until he was finished with his tirade before responding.

"Frank, I'm really sorry, but I've been a little under the weather." She lied, biting her lip. She hated lying to her editor, but the present situation called for it. "What's wrong with you?" He asked suspiciously. Kagome fingered the ringed napkin holder, twisting it around and around through her fingers.

"Well, I've had a bad case of the flu, actually." She said, trying to put a little hoarsness into her voice. She heard Frank "humph" on the other end. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want me to send Shippou over with medicine or anything?" He asked. Kagome almost caved and admitted the whole thing was a lie, touched that he was concerned enough to send somebody to look after her.

"No, that's ok, Frank. I have a friend who lives in my apartment building and she's taking good care of me. I'll probably be as good as new in a couple of days." She said. Frank wished her well and rang off.

Kagome now felt even worse than she'd already been feeling. She'd never lied to Frank before and he'd always been straight with her and now, well, things changed. She rose from her table and made her way to the front lobby. As she waited for the elevator, her phone rang again. She answered, slightly distracted.

"Hello?"

"What's up, got your messages." Sango answered. Kagome closed her eyes, relieved. One less thing she had to worry about.

"Sango, get your ass back to the hotel ASAP. We're outta here."

~~~~~~

"So Naraku was behind my kidnapping?" Onigumo asked once Sesshomaru had told him the entire story. Sesshomaru detected the note of hurt in the older man's voice. His own son had betrayed him that had to be a horrible feeling.

"And my brother, did he have something to do with his death, also?" Onigumo asked. Sesshomaru looked away, his gaze guarded. "The doctors ruled it as death by natural causes, but..." He let the sentence trail off, not needing to fill in the rest. Onigumo nodded his head sadly.

"I'm sorry to have to lay this all on you, uncle, but--"

Onigumo held up a hand. "It's alright, Sesshomaru. It had to be done." With an entirely changed demeanor, Onigumo asked Sesshomaru for a change of clothes. "If we're going back to the states, I'm going back exactly as I left."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel proud at his uncle's attitude. He went to his room for a change of clothes and returned shortly.

"Do I have time for a shower?" Onigumo inquired, rising carefully from the bed. He moved like a person who hadn't used their body in a long time, which was certainly the case. "I feel like I have layer upon layer of grime on me." He said in disgust. Sesshomaru nodded. "I haven't called the airline yet, so you've got time to clean yourself up."

Onigumo made his way slowly to the bathroom. He stopped in the doorway.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." He said quietly before shutting the door. Sesshomaru looked down, feeling touched by his uncle's gratitude.

"I'm back." Kagome called out, entering the room. Sesshomaru looked up, clearing his throat and regaining his composure. She looked around. "Everything ok with your uncle?" She inquired. Sesshomaru nodded. "He seemed to take everything well enough, but..." He frowned.

"What?" Kagome asked, picking up on his hesitation. Sesshomaru shrugged lightly. "I wonder what happened to him in the facility."

Kagome gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "Well, when I found him, he was hooked up to all these different kinds of machines and they were pumping some kind of liquid into him." Kagome nodded in understanding. "Do you think there might be some side effects?"

Sesshomaru glanced towards the bathroom. "I don't know. Only time will tell."

~~~~~~

Sesshomaru leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Now that they were finally on their way back to states, he felt he could breath a little easier. He knew once they touched down in New York he would have to plan his next move. At the moment, he had no idea what he was going to do.

He cracked one eye open, stealing a glance at Onigumo, who was sitting in the aisle across from him slumbering peacefully. He couldn't help the frown that settled on his features.

Was Onigumo really ok? He couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong with his uncle, but he had no proof. For now, at least, his uncle seemed perfectly fine despite being in a drugged coma for almost 14 years.

"You know, you use more muscles to frown than you would for a smile."

Sesshomaru slid his gaze to Kagome, who was peeking her head over the seat in front of him. He rolled his eyes, not commenting. Kagome nodded to the empty seat next to him. "Want some company?"

Despite his aching muscles and desperate need for sleep, Sesshomaru shrugged his shoulders and gave a little nod. Kagome climbed over the sleeping form that was Sango and plopped down next to Sesshomaru.

"You look tired." She noted.

"I feel like shit." He responded. Kagome gave a little laugh. "I know what you mean. After this morning..." The words faded into silence and the two shifted uncomfortably. After a few moments of silence, Kagome decided to speak up.

"What exactly did happen?" She asked cautiously, not sure if Sesshomaru would answer. She risked a quick glance, noticing how his smooth features suddenly tightened. Finally, he spoke.

"What happened last night is something that has happened to me every single night since I was a child and will happen to me every night from now on." He sighed, not even having the strength to be angry about it anymore. When he was little, he used to think he was being punished by God for killing his mother, not understanding that she'd died during his birth of complications rather than anything he himself might have done. From then on, every time he'd go through his demon transformation he'd feel incredible guilt and anger.

"My family, or at least my paternal family, was cursed many years ago by a priestess seeking vengeance for a wrong done to her by a member of my family. She vowed that any living Iakouy and any Iakouy thereafter would suffer the burden of changing into a half demon, a dog demon to be exact, at the exact moment when night met morning." He related the age-old tale with little feeling, his tone that of someone explaining a manual of some sort.

"Midnight." Kagome said quietly. Sesshomaru nodded. "The transformation lasts only until sunrise and then it's all over, only to start again the following night."

Kagome took a deep breath. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the whole thing. It was just so unbelievable and sounded like something that only happened in the movies. Such was not the case, however.

"Wow," She said in a whisper. "That's some family secret." Sesshomaru couldn't help the small smile that briefly lit his lips, a smile Kagome did not miss.

"Oh my god, I think hell has frozen over!" She joked, clapping a hand over her mouth. Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow at her. "What? You didn't think I smiled?" He asked. Kagome shrugged. "I was starting to think you were born with a permanent scowl on your face."

He looked away, causing Kagome to regret what she'd said. "I didn't mean anything by it, I was just--"

"It's fine." He interrupted, once again closing his eyes. Kagome sighed and let her head fall back against the seat. Would she ever get anywhere with this man?

~~~~~~

The man hesitantly knocked on the heavy oak doors, sensing the foul mood that was brewing inside. His knock was met with silence and he timidly tried again, knocking a bit harder this time.

"What is it?" Came the low reply.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but there is a Mr. Jindei here to see you. He says--"

"Send him in." The voice interrupted. The man quickly scurried away to do his bidding. He found the man exactly where he'd left him, standing in the foyer fidgeting nervously.

"Right this way, Mr. Jindei."

Kouga looked up and nodded, following the lanky man down a hallway to a set of double doors. He got the strangest feeling that those doors were the doors to hell.

The lanky man knocked once and twisted the doorknob, motioning for Kouga to go inside. Kouga hesitantly stepped into the room, immediately finding himself uncomfortable. The room was bathed in darkness, save for one lone desk lamp that did little to alleviate the shadows. He could barely make out the still form sitting behind the desk.

"Sit." Came the command from behind the desk. Kouga immediately sat, his heart beating a mile a minute.

"I apologize for my mood, Mr. Jindei. I've received some...disturbing news that makes me very unhappy." Naraku leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. He was still livid after receiving Inuyasha's phone call. Once again, the pain in his ass that was Sesshomaru had done the unexpected.

Kouga cleared his throat. "Um, that's ok, Mr. Iakouy. We all have our days." Naraku smirked. There was no way the insignificant man sitting before him could possibly begin to understand what he was going through. If he didn't need Kouga, he'd kill him right then and there. He was in a killing kind of mood.

"Yes, well the time has come for you to step up, Mr. Jindei." Naraku announced, all business. Kouga felt his skin turn cold. He knew that was why Naraku had called him, but he wasn't ready. He wasn't ready for whatever it was Naraku was going to do to Kagome. Even if she had bruised his ego, he didn't want to hurt her for anything.

"Mr. Iakouy, I don't know if I can--"

Naraku clucked his tongue. "Now, now, Mr. Jindei. I don't like that kind of talk. It makes me very...annoyed."

Kouga shut his mouth, ashamed that he couldn't even be man enough to say no. With sudden realization, he knew that from the moment he'd met Naraku he'd been sucked in. Now, it was too late. He nodded slowly, sadness weighing him down.

"Good. From what I understand, Kagome should be back in New York later tonight. I want you to contact her under some other pretense, I don't care what for, you can come up with something, just make sure you meet with her."

Kouga listened, his heart seeming to break with every word.

"When you meet up with her, you know what to do, right Mr. Jindei?" Naraku asked coolly. Kouga looked down. "Yes." He whispered. He looked up and his breath caught. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him or maybe he was emotionally stressed, but in that moment he could've sworn that Naraku's eyes glittered like two twin rubies in the darkness.

"Good." Naraku hissed.

~~~~~~

"Call me as soon as you get home, ok?" Kagome said, giving Sango a quick hug. Sango nodded, stifling a yawn.

"Sure. Had a blast. Nice to meet you, Mr. Iakouy and you," She said pointing to Sesshomaru. "Could lighten up a little." Before he could respond, Sango ducked inside the cab, giving them a wave before the cab took off. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru.

"Well, I guess I'm next, huh?" She waved over a cab and picked up her carry on. She was surprised when Sesshomaru proceeded to put her luggage along with his own in the back of the cab.

"What are you doing?" She asked, watching him stupidly. Sesshomaru spoke with the driver briefly before motioning her and Onigumo into the cab. She climbed in and once Sesshomaru and Onigumo were inside, they were off.

Onigumo was busy watching the sights; no doubt overwhelmed by getting reacquainted with the city he'd left so long ago.

"Sesshomaru, will you please tell me where we're going?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru turned in the front seat so he was facing her. "We're going to my place." He replied.

"But I thought you couldn't go home because it wasn't safe." Kagome didn't think her place was all that safe either, but she'd definitely choose her apartment over Sesshomaru's.

"Different place. In the mountains." He explained curtly. Kagome was surprised to hear of Sesshomaru's other place. How many places did he have? She sat back in the seat, her body heavy with fatigue. She yawned and closed her eyes. He'd wake her before they got there.

Sesshomaru paid the driver the cab fare and thanked him for helping him with the luggage. He scooped Kagome into his arms gently and made the short walk to the front door. Onigumo held the door open for him and shut it behind him.

"There's three guest bedrooms up here, just take your pick." Sesshomaru said over his shoulder as he led the way up the spiral staircase. He waited while Onigumo chose a room and settled himself in. Sesshomaru then chose the bedroom next to his own for Kagome. He deposited her on the king sized bed, pulling back the sheets and fluffy down comforter.

Kagome moaned softly in her sleep, her face scrunching up briefly before smoothing out into slumberous peacefulness. Sesshomaru bent to remove her shoes and then pulled the blanket up over her. He couldn't help reaching out and brushing strands of her raven tresses from her face.

Even in sleep, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. In this moment, she looked as if she hadn't a care in the world, but Sesshomaru knew that wasn't true. He'd brought her more trouble than one person should ever have in their lifetime. He sighed and walked over to the doorway. He glanced back at her once before flipping off the light switch and closing the door softly. He vowed to find some way to make it up to her.

Kagome felt herself surrounded by warmth and softness. She smiled and snuggled deeper into the comforting cocoon she found herself in. It was good to be home.

Kagome's eyes flew open. She didn't remember going home. In fact, the only thing she remembered from last night was the cab ride. She then remembered Sesshomaru telling her they were going to his place up in the woods.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. She found herself in a beautiful black and ivory themed room. The walls were bone white, trimmed in a glossy black paint. The furniture was made of ivory marble, every piece immaculately polished.

Kagome let out a low whistle. If nothing else, Sesshomaru definitely had taste. Expensive taste by the looks of it. She reluctantly crawled from beneath the cozy bedding and made her way to the hall. The house was quiet and Kagome was sure she was the only person up. As she walked down the spiral stairs, she marveled at the amazingly decorated house.

Everywhere she looked, she spotted some piece of priceless artwork or costly sculpture. Even the house itself was breathtaking. It seemed Sesshomaru favored a sense of openness. There were windows everywhere: sky lights, French doors, bay windows. Sunlight filtered through the house, it's golden rays giving the various rooms natural light.

Kagome found that she had wandered to the far end of the house. There was a solid oak door to her right while the garage lay straight ahead. Kagome's curiosity got the better of her and she quietly opened the door.

Sesshomaru stood in the middle of the large room, bare of anything except a large punching bag, some weightlifting equipment and various weapons hung on the wall.

She watched in rapt attention as Sesshomaru wielded a large sword, moving fluidly through different motions. Classical music filtered through small speakers attached to the wall. His eyes were closed and his face was set in deep concentration.

Kagome felt her cheeks heat up as her eyes traveled down his shirtless well-muscled torso. She could see the fine sheen of sweat on his smooth skin and had to look away. All of a sudden, she felt hot.

'Could it have something to do with the painfully gorgeous man standing before you?' A voice asked sarcastically. Kagome frowned, ignoring the voice. She was about to duck out of the room, when Sesshomaru said, "Sleep well?"

Kagome paused, embarrassed that he'd known she was there the entire time. He opened his eyes and looked at her expectantly. She blushed and nodded.

"Um, yeah, had a great body...sleep! I mean had a great sleep." Kagome mentally kicked herself. Mind outta the gutter, Higurashi!

Sesshomaru gave her a puzzled look before walking towards her. Kagome panicked. Having Sesshomaru so close to her while basically half-naked would only turn her brain to mush. She quickly backed away, creating distance. Sesshomaru continued to give her a weird look.

"Are you feeling alright, Kagome?" He asked, studying her face. Kagome laughed weakly. "Yeah, sure. Just a lightheaded from hunger, I guess." She lied. Sesshomaru nodded in understanding and took her lightly by the arm, leading her to the kitchen. He sat her at the counter and went to the refrigerator.

"What would you like for breakfast?" He asked. Kagome was totally speechless. Had Sesshomaru Iakouy just offered to cook breakfast for her? 'The world must really be coming to an end,' She thought.

Sesshomaru noticed her look of disbelief and brushed it aside. "You really do have to stop assuming things about me." He said, rummaging through the fridge. Kagome immediately felt sorry.

"How about an omelet?" She suggested brightly. Sesshomaru nodded and produced a carton of eggs, cheese and other ingredients. As Kagome made idle chitchat, she suddenly remembered the call she was supposed to have gotten from Sango. Her friend was probably worried when she didn't answer.

"Where are my bags?" Kagome questioned. Sesshomaru looked up from the stove. "They're in the foyer." Kagome slid from her seat and told him she needed to let Sango know she was alright.

Digging through her carryon, she found her cell phone and was surprised to see she had two messages. She expected one to be from Sango, but had no idea who the other would be from. As she listened to the messages, she was slightly startled that Kouga was her second message. She frowned when the messaged was over.

Why did Kouga want to meet her for breakfast? When they'd last seen each other, it hadn't exactly been pleasant. She decided to call him and find out what this was all about.

"Hello?" Came the voice on the other end.

"Hey, Kouga. It's me, Kagome." She responded, her voice guarded.

"It's good to hear your voice, Kagome." Kouga said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Kagome sighed. If this was another one of his attempts at getting back together...

"Look, Kouga, I have no intentions of restarting a relationship, so--"

"No, no, that's not why I called. I just wanted to meet you to show there's no hard feelings. Even though we're no longer together, I'd still like for us to be friends." Kouga said. Kagome hesitated, her heart torn. She was really looking forward to sharing a nice quiet breakfast with Sesshomaru, but she also couldn't just shut Kouga out of her life. He'd been her friend for years before they'd started dating.

"Fine, Kouga. I'll meet you." She relented. Kouga told her where to meet him and they said goodbye. Kagome walked back to the kitchen.

"Everything ok?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome looked down at the floor. "Actually, Sango isn't feeling too well. She thinks she might have caught something while in Japan so I told her I'd be over as soon as I could and take her to the doctor to get checked out." Kagome found the lie spilling easily from her lips.

Sesshomaru glanced at her. "I guess I'm sorry to hear that." He said. "Even though she's not my most favorite person in the world, it never feels good to be sick." Kagome gave him a small smile, guilt eating away at her.

"Yeah, well I'm just gonna go jump in the shower and call a cab..." She started. Sesshomaru waved a hand at her. "Nonsense. You can use my car." He told her. "Take your pick, the keys are hanging by the garage."

Kagome nodded, feeling an overwhelming gratitude towards this man. "How bout a rain check?" She asked before heading upstairs. Sesshomaru gave her a small smile. Even that was enough to send her heart racing.

"I'd like that." He responded.

~~~~~~

Kagome glided down the road, enjoying the smooth ride. She'd chosen to take Sesshomaru's black Cadillac Escalade. For some reason, she felt enveloped by him. His scent was strongest in this vehicle, fresh-smelling cologne and something else that was innately his own. The radio was preset to a wonderful classical station that reminded Kagome of earlier that morning. Even now, she blushed at the memory of his perfectly sculpted chest.

"Get a grip, girl." She muttered, turning into the parking lot of the small restaurant she'd agreed to meet Kouga at. She parked and turned off the engine, gathering her purse. She exited the vehicle and made her way inside the restaurant. She immediately spotted Kouga and joined him at the table.

"Hello, Kagome." He greeted, giving her a peck on the cheek. Kagome nodded at him and took a seat. He studied her.

"You look beautiful," He told her, placing a hand on hers. Kagome glared at him. "Damnit, Kouga," She hissed. "I told you on the phone--"

"I know, I know. I was just paying you a compliment." He reassured her. Kagome relaxed and gave him a smile. "Thanks." She said. He returned the smile. "Shall we order something to drink?" He asked. Kagome nodded. "I'll have orange juice."

Kouga nodded and motioned to the waiter. He gave the waiter their drink orders and turned to her. "How have you been?" He asked, accidentally brushing his arm across the table and knocking over a glass of water. The liquid instantly soaked the tablecloth and spilled over into Kagome's lap.

Kagome jumped up, brushing at her pants. "Shit! I'm so sorry, Kagome." Kouga said, a look of embarrassment coloring his face. Kagome waved his apology away. "It's ok, it'll dry. Just let me run to the bathroom really quick." She said, hurrying towards the bathroom.

The waiter returned with their drinks, promising to return with more linen cloths. Kouga's hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with a clear liquid. Could he do it? Could he really do this to Kagome? Naraku's cold face loomed in his thoughts. He either did it or he'd be a dead man.

Before he could stop himself, Kouga poured the vial's contents into Kagome's glass of orange juice. Kagome returned a few seconds later, a bright smile on her face.

"See? All better." She joked. She picked up her glass and raised it to her lips.

"Wait!" Kouga exclaimed. Kagome looked at him questioningly. He looked down at the table then back up at her, hiding his shame. He reached for his own glass.

"How bout a toast?"

"To what?" Kagome asked. Kouga thought for a moment, then said, "The unknown." Kagome gave him a strange look before shaking her head slightly and chuckling.

"Alright then, to the unknown." She agreed, taking a swallow of orange juice.

a/n: got this chap out faster than i thought...hope you all like it and thanks for the reviews...i will try to update regularly, but it's really up to my computer that seems to have a mind of its own...well thanks again and see ya next chap!