InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Youkai and the Exterminator ❯ Chapter Nineteen ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter Nineteen

 

 

There were, he decided, certain benefits to not living in the woods like a wild creature. Inuyasha sighed in pure pleasure as he sank deep into the steaming water. The bathing tub was deep enough that he could lean all the way back until the water came up to just under his chin.

 

Normally, he would have been a little too proud to admit how good it really felt. Such luxuries were for pampered pets, not him, but he had to level with himself right about now.

 

It felt pretty damn good.

 

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he stared through the rising steam at the door. However good a little soak in some hot water felt, he wasn't going to put up with anything else. The gaggle of females that had half led, half dragged him in here had been hell-bent on staying in the room.

 

He snorted in disgust, and then had to cough as a bit of water went up his nose. Stupid girls, wanted to treat him like some kind of pet! They'd been genuinely distressed that no, he wasn't going to let them bathe him, no, they couldn't take turns washing his hair, and no, damn it, nobody got to play with the ears!

 

Annoyed, he sank deeper into the water, thankful that he'd at least managed to run them out with some mild growling so he could undress and soak in peace. It was humiliating, what the hell was he to these people anyway, a fucking toy? He would have thought his little demonstration with Yasuke would have put that right out of their minds.

 

Still, he thought, scratching absently behind his ear with a claw, those girls didn't look at him quite like he'd expected either. Instead they seemed disappointed about something.

 

He'd managed to wedge the door shut by sticking Tessaiga into the wall behind the catch. It gouged up the wood quite a bit, but what the hell did he care? As long as it meant he'd have his privacy until he was damned good and ready to get out of this water.

 

Of course they'd managed to dump a bunch of flowery smelling crap into it before he could stop them. He was going to stink to high hell, no doubt about it. At least tonight he wouldn't smell too much like a hanyou, unless it was a hanyou covered in perfume.

 

Head lolling back against the rim of the tub, he stretched out his legs in contentment. Just a few more minutes of this and he'd be all ready to get out. He'd get dressed, go find something to eat, and be perfectly happy to curl up in his own room. Funny, how he'd gotten over the idea of not sleeping here. He guessed if Sesshomaru really wanted to start shit he didn't need to do it by sneaking up on him. In fact, other than their friendly little exchange earlier, the bastard hadn't so much as said boo to him.

 

For that matter, did his brother talk to anyone? It seemed like they were either properly respectful or a little intimidated by their so-called lord of the fortress. Inuyasha scowled, not really surprised that his brother didn't even warm to his own people.

 

How did Sango put up with that? Inuyasha himself had never exchanged more than a few words with his brother without having to go for his sword. Then again, this time a knowing smirk creased his face, maybe Sango didn't talk to Sesshomaru at all, words not being necessary for whatever attraction they mutually felt.

 

He stretched, time to get out of the water and stop wallowing around like someone's lapdog. He stood up, reaching for the drying cloth that had been so inconsiderately hung up out of his reach.

 

There was the sound of a scuffle, a muted curse, and to Inuyasha's horror the door was forcibly wrenched open. He stared right at Makiko; he was standing up stark ass naked in the bath when the woman entered his privacy without so much as a polite knock.

 

“Are you finished yet?” she asked briskly, before reaching towards the towel as if she'd hand it to him.

 

He fell back with a huge splash and water surged over the rim of the tub. Makiko gave him an icy glare, water sparkling on her face.

 

“You are a most graceless creature, Inuyasha,” she said in a disapproving tone.

 

“What?” he sputtered, full of outrage. “You just barged in on me!” That was low, he thought, sullenly snorting bubbles and hot water out of his nose. Woman should have some kind of decency to warn a guy before invading his bath!

 

She fixed him with a look that had dropped many full blood youkai in their tracks. “I beg your pardon. Most youkai are not shy about nudity. I assure you there's nothing that I haven't seen before.”

 

Embarrassed and not wanting to show it, he growled at her until she narrowed her eyes, grabbed up the now wet toweling and gave him a precise snap right to the tip of his left ear. It hurt and he yelled before bringing both hands up to protect his head.

 

“Stop that yowling,” she ordered, her tone stern but a grin starting to shine in her eyes.

 

He sunk deep into the tub, the water came right up under his nose and he watched her with suspicious yellow eyes. Makiko ignored the offended hanyou while she tidied up the room, leaving a bundle of something soft on the table while she picked up his haori. He realized she was making off with his clothes and ventured a protest.

 

“Put that fucking down!”

 

“It's dirty. I left you something fresh to wear. Don't make me come back in here to dress you as well.”

 

The nerve of the woman! Angry, he leaned over the edge of the tub so he could grab at the dry towels she'd left him. “Just leave me alone, I'm sick of you people trying to get at me while I'm in here. You think I had that sword stuck in the door by mistake? Don't you get that I didn't want to be bothered?”

 

Gods give her patience. Makiko closed her eyes and tried not to laugh at the ridiculous young hanyou. “Inuyasha, I'm not trying to `get at you'. Believe me, I have more important things on my mind that peeking at a wet half-demon who's overly shy.”

 

He managed to wind the towels around himself to preserve his dignity and clambered out of the water. Makiko frowned at the still livid looking scratches on his chest and sighed.

 

“Do those still hurt? I have more salve if you need it.”

 

She had taken a half a step towards the hanyou, reaching to touch him when he jumped away from her as if she intended to attack him under the guise of helping him. Her mouth thinned with annoyance at his antics. “Did you pick up that misplaced sense of modesty from living among humans for too long?”

 

Sullenly, he turned away, dropping a cloth over his head and starting to rub his hair dry. “If I did, it's not my fault. It's not like I had any choice about living among humans.”

 

She blinked a bit at the bitterness in his tone. Jano was right, she thought, feeling a bit sad. He truly despises us. And I have no one to blame for that but his own brother. Certainly, Sesshomaru-sama was a stern lord, very prickly about such things as youkai honor and dignity, but nothing really could excuse the way he'd treated his younger brother.

 

“I apologize, hanyou-sama,” she said at last, getting a startled look out of the young man. “I should have realized that you would take offense to my entering without your permission.”

 

“S'okay,” he muttered. Maybe he shouldn't have acted like she was one of Naraku's incarnations charging in here to eat him. She was just doing what she thought was her duty, treating him with more kindness than he probably deserved, and also trying to spare him from his own stupidity with her advice. Makiko wasn't Sesshomaru, she wasn't his enemy either and he could suddenly see himself from her perspective and it embarrassed him more than her walking in on his naked butt.

 

Makiko smiled a little at his softened tone and held up his clothes. “I'm still taking these. You might think you're impressive because you whipped the snot out of Yasuke, but let me tell you, I'm not that easy to intimidate.”

 

He grinned at that, boyishly almost, damp hair falling in his eyes. “Take `em. They're dirty as hell. As long as I get them back, I'm not going to throw any fits about wearing something else.”

 

She nodded briskly and left him to get dressed in private. “If you need assistance, just call out. I have half dozen young ladies wanting to help you. At least let them brush out your hair or something, I can't deal with the disappointment.”

 

He flushed again. Damn woman always had to get the last word. She was almost as bad as Kagome.

 

Almost.

 

oOo

 

Makiko smiled to herself as she left the hanyou alone, handing over her burden of dirty firerat fur to a reverent maid. Such a temper, she was quite glad that Sesshomaru-sama never took on like that. If nothing else, she could count on her lord to always be cool and calm, logical, even about the most trying or exacerbating affairs. It was good to have some sense of continuity when the world kept trying to tilt.

 

The sound of desperately running feet caught her attention as soon as she stepped back out into the passage. A young boy ran right up to her, bending over and panting like he'd already run over half the fortress in search of her. “Yuki, what is it?”

 

He gasped, trying to get enough air in his lungs to speak. “Makiko, you have to come. Hisuni-sama. Got angry. Hit Kohaku. Sango-sama attacked him. He struck her. I think Sesshomaru-sama is going to kill him!”

 

Makiko felt the blood rush out of her face and followed Yuki's example by breaking into a run of her own. So much for calm, cool, logical demon lords.

 

Hisuni was a fool!

 

oOo

 

Jano was pissed. Actually, he'd passed pissed several hours before and was now approaching fury. “All you idiots had to do,” he said grimly. “All you had to do was keep an eye on them. How did you let this happen?”

 

Shiou looked sheepish, Haru just looked scared. “Sorry, Jano-san,” Shiou said at last, looking anywhere but at the bodyguard. “She slipped away in the crowd, we were watching the monk.”

 

“Oh,” Jano sneered. “And what was the monk doing that you found so endlessly fascinating?”

 

The guards grinned at each other. “You know that new girl who just started in the kitchens? The one with the pretty red hair?”

 

Jano sighed, rubbing his face. Fools surrounded him, and not all of them were sitting in front of him. “I gather she slapped him.”

 

Shiou sniggered, elbowing Haru in the ribs and getting a queasy smile in return. “I'll say she did. Flattened him, I thought she might have fractured the poor lad. He's a tough one for a human, got right up like it didn't even hurt!”

 

“I'm glad you're impressed,” Jano said dryly. “I hope it was worth it, after all, your lack of attention has resulted in your lord having to discipline a fellow clanlord. You think this isn't going to have ramifications in the court? I know Hisuni is far from popular...”

 

“And a bloody idiot,” Haru muttered.

 

Jano glared at him. “What happened was exactly what I wanted you to prevent,” he shouted at last, getting wide-eyed stares from both his men. Jano paced back and forth, tugging on the back of his hair, something he only did when extremely agitated. Humans, it seemed he couldn't keep them out of trouble.

 

This was as much his fault as Shiou or Haru's. He had maneuvered Yasuke into a challenge he couldn't win, causing Hisuni to be so humiliated by his son's defeat that he quite completely lost his good senses. Well, there wasn't much he could do about it now. He should have expected some kind of reaction out of the proud clanlord. You didn't step on his dignity without expecting an inuyoukai lord to take offense.

 

Seriously though, he'd thought any retaliation would have been leveled at Inuyasha. Not Kagome, not Kohaku. And sure as fuck not Sango!

 

oOo

 

Hisuni had frozen when he'd heard the deadly tone of Sesshomaru's voice. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled the rumors that had been circulating through the fortress. He had paid them no mind, finding them vulgar and disturbing. They said that for some reason Sesshomaru-sama favored a certain female, a human female.

 

How revolting, he'd thought.

 

Now he stared into the icy countenance of an extremely angry daiyoukai and wondered if he'd live to regret his mistakes. He managed to hold his ground as Sesshomaru approached, slow and deliberate as death itself, without the merciful ease of passing that death could bring. Still, he was lord of his clan, hardly expendable, especially not over the trifling matter of a mere human plaything.

 

“My lord,” he said evenly, wondering what Sesshomaru would say now that the entire fortress was watching them.

 

Sesshomaru's face never changed expression. Swift as lightning, his hand had raised and struck Hisuni a vicious blow. The clanlord's head rocked backward from the force and his ears rang. Purely by will, he held himself on his feet, not raising his eyes above the toes of his lord.

 

“Explain yourself, Hisuni,” the soft cold voice hissed.

 

Explain himself? And where did he start? Did he explain to the dark and chill inuyoukai that his temper had no other outlet than to strike human women?

 

Hisuni flushed, swallowed hard and slowly bent himself in a bow. “I apologize, my lord. My temper is off from the events of the evening. I was insulted and moved without thinking.”

 

“I understand your pride is injured, Hisuni-sama,” Sesshomaru murmured, no trace of anger or emotion in his voice. “One does understand how my brother can move even a civilized creature to the brink of irrationality.”

 

Was it even remotely possible that Sesshomaru was going to be lenient? Hisuni glanced up in spite of himself, hoping for a sign how truly angered his lord might be. It was a mistake. As soon as he raised his chin far enough to meet Sesshomaru's eyes, a cold hand grasped his neck. Hisuni winced, feeling sharp claws prick his skin. A slow burning sensation started where the tips of those razor sharp points broke his skin.

 

“However, understanding as I might be of your feelings,” Sesshomaru whispered, a hint of fury starting to touch his voice. “I would indeed hardly be able to call myself an inuyoukai if I allowed you to assault my mate and live.”

 

Mate? Kagome jerked in surprise, still cradling the injured Kohaku against her chest. The girl's head twisted to look at Sango, her lips opening soundlessly as she mouthed the word to her friend. Mate?

 

Sango sat perfectly still, kneeling next to Kagome with her hands clasped primly in her lap as if the proceedings were a mild form of entertainment. Inside her head, the words were echoing around in her mind like waves crashing upon a soundless beach. They washed over her, filling her body with a gentle thrill and unexpected joy.

 

Hisuni's feelings at hearing those words couldn't have been more to the opposite, his chest contracted in dread as the poison seeped deeper into his tissues. A thin mist of green was enveloping his face, eating at the smooth skin of his cheeks and his eyes began to burn.

 

“My lord,” Hisuni gasped, twitching. It was far too late to fight; he should have run when he first saw his lord approach. Only it was already too late even then.

 

Sesshomaru allowed himself a cool smile of pleasure at Hisuni's pain. The poison could work quickly or slow; it depended entirely upon his mood. And his mood dictated that Hisuni should suffer extensively. He wouldn't waste his time beating the man; he had no need to prove his superiority in such a way.

 

A physical conflict would imply that Hisuni stood a chance and that would be an error. His own people knew him better than that. No, he would stand here until the clanlord's flesh dissolved, spilt from his bones like rendered wax or tallow. Hisuni's screams would grace this courtyard as nothing such had done since his father's day, his grandfather's day even.

 

“My lord?” A voice soft and sweet distracted Sesshomaru from his torture of Hisuni. Sango had stood and moved closer to him, her eyes cast low as she approached, her fingers reaching out to barely touch his sleeve.

 

She didn't know why she felt moved to do this; something tickled at the back of her mind. Her father's voice, stern and yet warm as he instructed herself and the others in the nature of youkai. They love nothing more than causing pain. Slow torture of an enemy is preferable under almost any circumstances. You can't expect them to pity. You can't expect anything other than the cruelty of a monster.

 

“I must apologize, my lord. I attacked Hisuni-sama and he was justified in striking back.”

 

Sesshomaru honestly didn't understand why she'd said it. He'd seen the entire thing, watched Hisuni dangle Kohaku like a rag from his claws, and seen Sango's heartbreaking fury as she tried to defend her brother. He had respect for her abilities, he knew she was an exterminator, and under other circumstances he wouldn't have minded letting her take on a proud youkai like Hisuni for no other reason than the pure pleasure of watching her graceful skill.

 

However, this was his domain, his people, and if anyone thought to dare strike his mate, he would answer to no one but the lord of the West and pay for his action with his pain and his life.

 

Hisuni whimpered, going blind now, his eyes had stopped burning to become numb. The scorched smell of sulfur filled his mouth and nose, choking him. He knew because he had seen Sesshomaru's fury before that this could go on for hours. The corrosive nature of Sesshomaru's poison youki would eventually leave him nothing more than a wet mess to be cleaned away by the household staff.

 

Sango's hand brushed Sesshomaru once again. He didn't react, focused on his victim. It would not do to be merciful now, it would not be right, it would not be proper. Couldn't she understand that much? Her hand wandered over his arm, trembling slightly at feeling the pure demon aura he was putting out. He wouldn't have expected her to touch him like that, a human would be terrified of what she felt, horrified maybe even.

 

He did not want her touching him now.

 

Her head leaned slowly against his back, feeling the taut, rigid muscles contract, the power within that set them apart. “Please,” she whispered. She would do anything to not see this, couldn't bear to see her gentle lover revealed as a cold and murderous monster. She knew what he really was, in her heart she'd never denied it.

 

Oh please, she thought, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Understand me, Sesshomaru. Hear what I'm asking because it's not for Hisuni. It's for me.

 

Something inside him moved, a blossoming of understanding. It made no sense to a demon psyche, but he was starting to understand her a little more all the time. His father had once asked him something like this, laid a choice before him. Mercy or the drawn blade. Vengeance, justified or not. Compassion, laid aside or not.

 

It's easy to be merciful when mercy is deserved. Much more difficult when it's not. His father said this and he'd thought he'd understood it then.

 

So be it. He was not moved by mercy, he rather enjoyed the idea of twisting a bit more agony out of Hisuni. Such a proud fool.

 

However, his mate did not wish to see this and his mate's wishes had become imperative to him. Sesshomaru slowly retracted his youki, letting the fire wash back into him. His hand opened and Hisuni fell limply to his knees. The clanlord's throat and face were a mess, blood oozing from the many ruptures the poison had inflicted. His eyes wept red tears and Sesshomaru was hardly able to contain the contempt he was feeling when he looked down at Hisuni's ravaged face.

 

“You will apologize to her,” he ordered coldly. There, he'd given Hisuni a chance to claim back his life. He would apologize to the woman he'd struck, the one who'd asked for his mercy and spared a demon's life.

 

“I apologize, mistress,” Hisuni whispered. His voice was gone rough with the effects of Sesshomaru's poison, but he would live. His body would heal and he'd carry the scars to remind him of his lord's anger, but he'd live.

 

Sesshomaru said nothing, simply turned and walked away, heading back to his study. He'd only spared his attention to the earlier event in the courtyard out of a sense of curiosity and slight worry that his brother really was about to embarrass the bloodline. Either by losing or winning, he couldn't predict Inuyasha.

 

It struck him suddenly as he slowly walked up the wide stone staircase. His brother had also been in the grip of anger, justified as his own, and been turned aside by a plea for mercy.

 

How laughable, the irony twisted his smile. He was sure his father would have been amused at the sight of them.

 

Sango breathed in a deep sigh of relief when Sesshomaru...her mate...chose to leave Hisuni bleeding and damaged rather than a sticky corpse. He did it for her and her alone, she was absolutely sure. In spite of the bizarre events, she thought suddenly that she had never been so sure about anyone or anything in her entire life. He was not a monster, he was youkai and that difference meant everything.

 

oOo

 

Makiko leaned forward, carefully examining Kohaku's eyes. Satisfied, she dabbed a bit of healing salve on the boy's cut lip and smiled at Sango. “He's fine, I don't think Hisuni hurt him, just bounced him against the wall more than anything.”

 

Sango was relieved. Seeing her brother dangled like that, his face turning red from the pressure on his throat, had truly terrified her. She didn't think she could find the words to express her gratitude that he was going to be fine. Luckily, Makiko didn't seem to need words and just patted her on the arm as she left the room.

 

“He can stay here in the infirmary tonight if you like. That way there'll be someone checking in on him, but I think he's just a little shaken.”

 

“Thank you,” Sango murmured, settling herself on the edge of Kohaku's bed. She fixed her brother with a stern look. “You have any idea how lucky you are? He could have really hurt you, Kohaku.”

 

The boy smiled, a twinkle in his eye despite his injury. “I know, but I wasn't going to let him hurt Kagome.”

 

“Chivalry is not dead,” Kagome grinned, having accompanied the siblings to the infirmary. She was still shocked that Sesshomaru had openly called Sango his mate. She knew that her friend was head over heels in love with Inuyasha's older brother, but she hadn't any idea that Sesshomaru felt anything similar. In fact, she'd been dreading the day that it was made clear he didn't care at all for her, realizing that it would devastate Sango.

 

Sango chuckled at Kagome's comment and grabbed her friend by the arm. “Let's let him get some rest. I'm starving and there's supposed to be a feast going on.”

 

oOo

 

Miroku leaned on his elbow, watching youkai moving around him and completely ignoring his presence. It didn't offend him; it gave him a chance to look around while he processed the interesting events of the evening. So far, it seemed to be the sons of Inutaisho in the lead, hapless challenger youkai nothing. He tapped his fingers restlessly as he sat, noting that the softly murmuring crowds of inuyoukai seemed neither upset nor surprised by the near death experience of one of their own.

 

Makiko had shown up to take control of the situation with an air of calm efficiency. She directed Hisuni's companions to remove him immediately, indicating that she had no patience left for him in bleeding all over the clean courtyard. Then she'd fussed over Kohaku, ignoring the boy's protests that he was fine so she could whisk him off to the infirmary, Sango and Kagome following anxiously behind.

 

That left a monk to his own devices. A few moments earlier Jano had shown up to drag away the friendly guards, Shiou and Haru, with a thinly veiled anger. Miroku wasn't quite sure what had put the tall bodyguard out of sorts, but he managed to gather that the guards were there to prevent what had happened.

 

Amused, Miroku was content to watch as servants began setting up for a feast. He'd asked around, finding out that the full moon was usually a time for the fortress' population to relax and gather. There might be some music later and he had to confess he was a little curious about how dog demons entertained themselves when they weren't trying to kill each other.

 

He rubbed his cheek absently. The young lady had definitely told him how he, a human, was not supposed to entertain himself. Well, that couldn't be helped, even if he'd found a lady who was agreeable to experiment with a non-demon lover, he had a feeling that the unpleasant scene had reinforced their opinions regarding leaving humans strictly alone.

 

In any case, Miroku was getting hungry. He decided to wander over to where young demons were starting to set up tables and bringing tasty smelling concoctions out for the hungry masses.

 

A heavy hand dropped onto his shoulder and startled him; Miroku actually brought his staff up in self-defense when he was roughly turned around to face another demon. He blinked in surprise. “Inuyasha?”

 

“Yeah, it's me. Or what's left of me in any case.” The hanyou was dressed elegantly for the first time he'd ever seen him.

 

Miroku whistled softly and did a slow circle of his friend, grinning at the uncomfortable and annoyed expression. Gone was the familiar firerat haori, replaced by delicate silks. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as the monk surveyed him. It wasn't his fault, he'd thought Makiko would have left him something sensible to wear, not this...this...

 

Words failed him. The flowing silk was a deep, shimmering green, it seemed to move like water over Inuyasha's shoulders, glinting with golden silk threads that had been woven into the fine texture. Miroku reflected that Inuyasha couldn't possibly be happy about the fact he was now dressed every bit as regally as his brother. He made a mental note not to mention that fact. The hanyou scowled ferociously as if he could tell what Miroku wasn't going to say.

 

“Don't start,” he muttered.

 

“I didn't say a word,” Miroku murmured. Expert hands had also cared for Inuyasha's hair. It washed over the fine silk in a shimmering smooth mass of silver-white, no longer looking like it had been dragged backwards through the underbrush, matted and tangled from years of neglect.

 

Gone was the ruffian, the wild forest dweller, and in his place was a young lord of his people. He wondered at the fortitude of the demon females who had been assigned the task of straightening out the hanyou.

 

And he could tell that Inuyasha just hated every minute of it. He frankly looked offended to be there at all and ready to start a fight. Figuring it would be a good idea to not comment further on the subject, Miroku nudged the hanyou toward the food. “Hungry? I would think you would be after that fight.”

 

Speaking of the challenge and the resulting ass kicking he'd delivered seemed to perk Inuyasha up. “Fuck yeah, I'm starving. Where's Kagome at anyway?”

 

It was always his first question whenever they'd been separated, even for as brief a time as only an hour. Miroku shook his head in amusement, grinning at the unconscious connection that had been forged between the two.

 

Miroku had to grin as Inuyasha charged for the tables, growling as inuyoukai shot out his way. At least this meant he wouldn't have to wait in line, the monk decided smugly. People cleared out of the way as Inuyasha approached, grabbing up his dinner with a noticeable lack of good manners.

 

Miroku nibbled with more restraint. “So what did you think about what your brother did?”

 

Inuyasha grunted. “Sesshomaru? What did he pull this time? Give that pup hell because he didn't beat my ass to his satisfaction?”

 

Of course, he didn't know. Miroku smiled nastily as he related the conflict that had taken place, detailing how the hanyou's brother had been preparing to torture Hisuni to death and been stopped by a soft plea from Sango.

 

Startled, Inuyasha took a moment to think that over, chewing slowly as they made their way over to a corner. “He said that? He really called her mate in front of everyone?”

 

Nodding, the monk reached over to snag a piece of meat from a table as they passed. The courtyard was starting to fill up and he could hear the sound of a few soft instruments from somewhere. “Yes, that's exactly what he did. I think Sango was as surprised as the rest of us. She looked so shocked that she even seemed to forget about Kohaku.”

 

“Huh.” That seemed to be the only reaction he was going to get out of the half-demon.

 

Miroku was disappointed. “Come on,” he joked. “You can't tell me you aren't a little surprised by it.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “That Sesshomaru would try to torture some asshole to death? Doesn't surprise me a bit.”

 

Annoyed, Miroku bopped the half-demon on the back of the head. “No, that he called Sango mate. Doesn't that surprise you at all?”

 

Inuyasha scratched at his hair. It smelled way too pretty now, made him uncomfortable and his nose was starting to itch. “I guess I shouldn't be surprised,” he mused. “He's been acting weirder than usual ever since they started getting it on. What the hell she sees in him is what I don't get, him being such an icy bastard all the time. Guess there must be something more to it than just screwing.”

 

Crude, but accurate, Miroku thought wryly. “I've been wondering about that,” he murmured. “I thought that she might be taking their affair more seriously than he did, but today's events make me think otherwise.”

 

“None of our fucking business anyway,” Inuyasha grunted. Miroku raised an eyebrow at him and he flushed. “That's really all you ever think about, isn't it?” he accused.

 

“I am a normal, healthy male,” Miroku retorted. “How about yourself?”

 

Oh, they weren't going to have this conversation. “There's nothing wrong with me,” he said, growling softly. “Just because I don't go around trying to jump on every female I meet doesn't mean I don't got the same urges.”

 

Miroku glared at him. “Really, haven't seen much evidence of it. I know something happened between you and Kagome. She turned you down or something?”

 

“You wish,” the hanyou muttered, looking away. He didn't want to talk about it; it was none of Miroku's business. Damn pervert couldn't get anyone to agree to his own advances, now he was too busy worrying about everyone else.

 

Still, he felt compelled to put Miroku's concerns to rest, if only for the sake of manly pride. “Believe me, she didn't turn me down.”

 

“And why would she?” a soft voice murmured behind them. Inuyasha and Miroku turned around to see an extremely attractive woman advancing on them. Inuyasha's ears perked up in spite of himself, reacting to the pure femininity the youkai was giving off. She stopped, never taking her eyes from his, and slowly extended her hand.

 

“You are Inuyasha-sama, are you not?”

 

“Yeah,” he muttered, wondering just what the hell she wanted. The smell of her seemed oddly familiar and alluring. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You want something, bitch?”

 

Her smile widened for some reason and he almost stepped back. “My name is Hiromi,” she murmured, a soft smile on her lips and a definite twinkle in her eyes.

 

“And I am Miroku,” the monk interjected, smiling his most winning expression at the beautiful youkai woman. “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you...”

 

Ah, she didn't even know he was there. The female was too busy devouring the hanyou with her eyes. It figures, he thought sourly. He might as well just head back to his room and try to sleep. He had no interest in watching Inuyasha turn down gorgeous demon ladies while he sat to the side, forgotten like some old uncle.

 

“Um, please excuse me,” he muttered.

 

Inuyasha barely noticed that the monk was leaving as the female had moved closer, one shapely clawed finger trailing over his shoulder. Hiromi licked her lips, smiling slightly at the half-demon's almost defensive stance.

 

Oh he was going to be fun, she could tell already.

 

“I watched your fight with Yasuke, hanyou-sama,” she murmured. “You have my compliments for your prowess in battle.”

 

“Punk had it coming,” he answered, moving a few inches away from her. Didn't like strange youkai touching him, not even if they were trying to pretend to be friendly. Hiromi followed him, her eyes flicking restlessly over his body. What the hell did she want anyway, come to stare at the half-demon? Didn't get a good enough look when he smacked around Yasuke?

 

Hiromi watched the young hanyou dance away from her, withdrawing with suspicious confusion in his golden eyes. So he was shy, that amused her. Demurely, she dropped her eyes, stroking back her silky hair as she turned her face away from him. “Do I offend you, hanyou-sama?”

 

“Wha...why would you ask that?”

 

She had his attention now, puzzlement in those stunning eyes, and curiosity in the lines of that beautiful face. Hiromi suddenly moved closer, pressing her body into his in a way that he couldn't help but understand.

 

“You keep pulling away the closer I get,” she murmured.

 

Inuyasha didn't have an answer for that, he was too busy worrying about the way his blood was pulsing in his veins. Her scent, he knew it was her scent, warm and rich, delicious. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. It was the scent of a mature, willing inuyoukai female and he could feel his body recognizing something he didn't even know he'd been craving.

 

“Why don't we go somewhere else?” Hiromi's breath tickled in his ear. “I would like to speak with you some more.”

 

Roughly, he pushed her away. “What makes you think I want to talk to you, bitch?” he growled. She was trying to lure him into a trap, he just knew it. No way some full blood bitch was going to make him her fool.

 

Hiromi's eyes widened, but she wasn't about to give up just yet. Slowly, so he wouldn't see her as a threat, she reached out to touch his arm. Inuyasha's eyes had narrowed, but he allowed her to lift his hand. Her breath whispered across his palm and he almost hissed when the tip of her tongue touched him.

 

“What are you doing?” he asked, wondering why she was putting on such an act. Did she think she was fooling him, did she think she was fooling anyone?

 

“I am trying to put you at ease, hanyou-sama. You don't trust me and there's no reason you should, not knowing me. What are you so afraid of?”

 

Inuyasha scowled. “I'm not afraid of anything, not you, not any damn demon in this fortress.” He stared as she continued to fondle his hand, he really should have yanked it back by now, shouldn't he? Instead, he watched as she took his finger and ran it over her lips.

 

“If you're not afraid of me,” she whispered against his claws, “then why do you resist my overtures? Can't you tell that I want you, Inuyasha-sama?”

 

His mouth dropped open, suddenly getting the picture, realizing from her scent and her actions there really wasn't any deception. Damn, she was wearing her intentions right out in the open. Miroku was right, he was pretty damned dense.

 

Focused on fighting everything, he'd never considered that inuyoukai women might find him in the least bit interesting. Suddenly her movements made sense and he almost blushed when he realized the girls from before had been acting exactly the same way.

 

“Don't you know I'm a half-breed?” he demanded angrily. “I'm half human. Don't tell me that doesn't turn your stomach. I know exactly what pure youkai think of me!”

 

Hiromi grinned, not entirely surprised. Most demons hated hanyou, seeing them as inferior and most of the time they were right. Most hanyou in question didn't carry daiyoukai blood or be the son of one of the most powerful Daimyo to ever rule over the West. He had no clue that his bloodline made all the difference, having dealt only with lower, common monsters and oni.

 

“Let me tell you something about myself,” Hiromi said smoothly. Her fingers continued to stroke his and supposed it was already a victory of sorts that he hadn't pulled away. That meant he was reacting to her, she was halfway to her goal. Now if she could just get him to someplace more private, Hiromi would wager much of that suspicion and reserve would melt away in a flame of waking passion.

 

“My clan is quite ancient, we've been a dominant force in the West for generations. My father fought in battles with yours, my uncle is currently lord of my clan. No one would question either the purity or the nobility of my bloodline. That whelp Yasuke could only wish to have a lineage as distinguished. Undoubtedly, that's why he was rash enough to challenge you. He wished to advance his clan.”

 

“Huh?” The hanyou was delightfully innocent of court maneuverings. “I thought he was just an asshole.”

 

Hiromi had to laugh at that, he was certainly colorful. She wondered if he'd be so inventive in bed. She was counting on it, in any case. She brought his hand up to cup her cheek, slowly sliding his palm down the side of her neck until he was clasping her throat.

 

He couldn't possibly miss the intimacy of the gesture, even if he was unschooled in the arts of courtship. Placing his hand such was a tacit way of signaling her complete submission. It would be an intoxicating arousal in an inuyoukai male. Still, she managed to keep her tone light and unconcerned.

 

“If Yasuke had managed to best you in combat, dear Inuyasha, it would have been a social coup. His father's peers would have had to reexamine his place in court hierarchy. Even by accepting his challenge you managed to enhance his standing.”

 

“What makes you think I give a fuck about that?” he growled, his eyes flashing. “I don't care about your stupid politics or what you damn dogs think about me. He pissed me off, he got what he deserved, end of story. Get it, bitch? I don't care what you people think about anything.”

 

“What do you care about then?” she said, her hand holding his wrist firm. She wouldn't let him pull away. He was stronger than her, but he'd have to get rough with her if he wanted her to let go. She used it as an excuse to pull closer, dropping his hand to her breast.

 

He couldn't deny she was starting to affect him, but he wasn't going to let her think she was scaring him by putting his hand on her body like that. He contracted his fingers, digging the tips of his claws into her soft, delicate clothing until he felt the sharp points break the skin.

 

Her breathing sped up and Hiromi met his eyes, half aroused and half fearful. This hanyou had a reputation for being unpredictable and for a moment Hiromi considered that he might lash out at her.

 

Inuyasha saw nervousness lingering in her eyes and grinned, his fangs glinting. “I care about killing my enemies, bitch. Right now I'm trying to decide if you're one of them. “

 

Hiromi didn't hesitate; she threw herself at him in a calculated move. He'd expected her to cringe away, but his words only encouraged her. Show him she was not an enemy, she could certainly do that. Her arms went around his shoulders before he could back away, her fists found themselves buried in his hair so he couldn't fling her aside when her mouth went after his.

 

His lips parted automatically under hers and Inuyasha couldn't stop her tongue from plundering his with an almost burning intensity. Inuyasha twisted his face away from hers, shocked at the woman's bold attack.

 

“Crazy bitch!”

 

She wasn't going to let go that easily, bearing him backwards until his shoulders hit the cool stone of the wall behind him. He was breathing hard, couldn't quite deny that it was a turn on to be jumped like that. He might not like the bitch, but her body was soft against his, the low growling in her throat definitely getting his attention in more ways than one.

 

“What the hell was that for?” he demanded.

 

“That, Inuyasha-sama, was an appetizer. I believe I'm ready for the full course now.” Hiromi snatched his hand in hers and half dragged the hanyou out of the courtyard, disappearing down a dark passageway with a laugh.