In His Arms

All previous disclaimers apply.

“Miko,” Tsubasa turned his voice into a seductive purr, “Miko, I have come for you.”

“You have exactly three seconds to get out of my sight,” Kagome quickly turned around and put her loose robe on, tying it at the waist before she turned around, “You are young,” her voice was deep and low in warning, her eyes were narrowed, “You may think something that is not true. I do not want to hurt you.”

“Of course you don’t,” Tsubasa’s smile never fell. He continued to approach her, “You know I only want to take you far away from here. I want to take you to the North where you can be my Lady and someday rule the Northern lands with me. You don’t have to stay with Old Man Sesshomaru. You can come with me. It will be incredible, Miko. With you by my side, nothing will stop us.”

“Old man?” Kagome scoffed in disbelief, “I should kill you for insulting my lord. I have given you much more time than you deserve, Heir of the North. Get out of my room now.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have a young, virile yokai as your lord, my coy one?” He moved so fast Kagome didn’t have time to react before he had her pressed up against the wall. She growled from deep in the back of her throat as he ground against her. She was actually pleased at the sound she was able to produce. It seemed something of Sesshomaru had rubbed off on her at least. And it wasn’t the only thing. She could feel her temper rising hot and fast inside. How dare this insolent, sniveling weakling put his hands on her?

“You will remove your hands,” Kagome gave one last warning as he ran his hands freely down her front, “Or I will remove them for you.”

“You’re pupped,” he sneered, “No worries, My Lady. When we get to the North, we will remove them from you belly. You won’t be forced to bring more inu-bastards into the world. I swear it to you now.”

“Now you go too far, Heir of the North!” She screamed, bringing her hand up, focusing her spiritual energy on it, and swiping it down his face. She was satisfied when he pulled away with a scream of pain, angry marks oozing dark red blood down his face and neck where she had dug her fingers into his skin and burned it away with her spiritual powers, “I can forgive you calling my lord an old man. You are young and foolish. I can even forgive your assumptions on my character, though I can’t imagine how you can even speak with your mouth so full of arrogance. But, you have threatened my pups and that I can not forgive!”

“You bitch!” Tsubasa screamed, setting a hand to his bleeding face and lashing out with the other. She hadn’t expected him to lash out so quickly and was surprised when his hand stuck her hard enough to snap her head back. She growled again, but it became more of a scream of rage. He screamed over her, “I would have given you everything. Now I think I’ll just kill you!”

“You could try,” Kagome smiled wickedly. He ran toward her screaming in rage and she was surprised at her own reaction when she merely laughed when he was held at bay by the aura of her power alone. She knew how things had to be done and, despite the fact that she would have liked to kill him herself, she knew she had to wait for Sesshomaru. He would have felt her power flare and come running. Right on schedule he burst into the room.

“Kagome!” he cried as he threw the door open, the Dragon Lord and the Eagle Lord right behind him. She could see it in his eyes that he put together what had happened and allowed her power to calm as he strode across the room and, with a growl, wrapped his hand around the young eagle’s throat. In the blink of an eye, he had the young heir half way up the wall.

“I hope that you have another son, Ozora!” he called back to the Eagle Lord, “This one’s life belongs to me now!”

“Father!” Tsubasa cried, pumping his legs in an effort to find purchase, “Please, help me!”

“You were warned, boy,” Ozora looked away, pain and grief flashing across his face. Through her anger, Kagome was able to see his face and swallowed around a lump in her throat. Tears burned behind her eyes when the Eagle Lord’s voice broke as he turned his back to the scene, “You have broken ancient law. I can do no more for you.”

“How do we know he touched her?” The Dragon Lord asked calmly, leaning against the doorframe. Both Sesshomaru and Kagome just glared at him and he lifted his hands in submission.

“Father!” Tsubasa cried again. Kagome felt her breath hitch when Ozora flinched and she could see that he was trying hard not to show his pain. It was hard to breathe suddenly. She knew what it was like to lose a child. She didn’t think that she could be the cause of such heartbreak in another.

“My Lord, please wait!” Kagome set a hand to Sesshomaru’s shoulder just as he was about to drive his claws into Tsubasa’s heart, “Please, my Lord,” she stood on her tiptoes so that she could speak lowly in his ear in a voice only they could hear. There were still rules to be obeyed, after all. Stupid as they were, she had to keep her opinions low to show that she still respected him as her Lord. She saw his eyes flash in appreciation to her before she leaned in closer, “He is young. He is brash. He is arrogant. Perhaps he deserves death, but . . . the Northern Lord . . . he . . . and his mate . . .”

“You have a gentle heart,” he murmured, his voice little more than a growl, “I want to kill him. Ancient law demands it. My beast demands it. He struck you.”

“He is disgraced, my Lord. He will never be a taiyokai now. Please . . . Look at his father.”
Sesshomaru took a moment, considered, “If it is what you wish, my love,” His voice took on a menacing, authoritative tone as he looked back at Tsubasa, “You have struck my intended mate. You deserve death. But, death does not only punish you. I will not have innocents hurt because of your crime. But, your life is mine, Tsubasa, make no mistake. You will leave now. You will never set foot on my lands again or your life is forfeit. As it is, you will never be a Lord. Do you understand?”

Tsubasa nodded, his eyes wide, and Sesshomaru drove his claws into the flesh of the young eagle’s belly, “You are addressing a Lord!”

“Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!” Tsubasa screamed when Sesshomaru twisted his claws.

“Good. Get out of my sight. Ozora, if you wish to leave the Gathering for the year no one will think less of you.” Sesshomaru dropped the boy and looked down dispassionately when he lay moaning on the ground.
Kagome kept her eyes appropriately lowered when Ozora approached to help his son up. He stopped just in front of her, “I apologize for my son, Lady of the West,” he said quietly, “And I thank you for his life. We did our best with him, but it never reached him. Despite it all, it would have broken his mother to lose him, so I thank you for my mate, as well. I know you could have killed him yourself. The tales of your power and compassion are not exaggerated.”

“Remove your son, now, Ozora, before I am forced to rethink my decision to let him live.” Sesshomaru growled menacingly as he moved away from Tsubasa to Kagome’s side and lifted her face with two of his fingers to examine the bruise that was blossoming on her cheek.

Kagome could only see one thing as Ozora helped his son to his feet and they made their way slowly toward the door. That one thing was Sesshomaru. Once he was satisfied with his examination, he caught her gaze and did not look away from her eyes as the Lord of the North almost dragged his son out of the room. The Dragon could see what was on their minds as they both stood, chests heaving with emotion, and closed the door as soon as Tsubasa and Ozora were through. There was nearly a minute of silence before Kagome trusted herself enough to speak around the emotion in her throat.

“You called me your intended mate,” she murmured quietly.

“And so you are,” Sesshomaru’s voice was just as quiet.

“You called me your love.”

Sesshomaru’s voice hitched when he answered, “And so you are.”

In less than a second they were in each other’s arms, mouths melding and straining. Kagome buried her hands in Sesshomaru’s long white hair as he picked her up from the ground in his enthusiasm.

“Take me,” she almost sobbed in relief and love when they pulled apart and he looked into her eyes, “Make me yours forever.”

“Yes,” Sesshomaru growled, letting loose his grip on his beast to feel the passion without restrain, “Yes.” He laid her down on the floor, not bothering with a futon, and sliced her thin robe open with his claws. Even in the state where his beast was mostly in control he realized that while she might be willing, she was not ready for him to enter her body. He made a sound of gratification when she nearly came off the floor as he travelled down her body and began lapping at her with the flat of his tongue. She grabbed his hair in her hands and pulled roughly, knowing no matter how hard it would never bother him and in this state he could very well enjoy it. He growled from deep in his throat to let her know that he was pleased with her boldness. The vibration from his voice pulled her over the edge, surprising her with the swiftness with which it had come, and she came with a scream.

Too quickly for thought she was turned over, pulled up to her hands and knees. So, this was how a dog mated. She smirked in satisfaction and anticipation as he growled in frustration when he couldn’t get his formal robes off in his haste to join with her.

“My Lord,” she purred from deep in her throat, needing him, and what she knew was to come, more that she thought possible, “Let me help you.” She couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her throat when she realized that in her haste to be with him, she couldn’t seem to keep her hands steady enough to remove his robes either. Sesshomaru’s growl had a teasing tone to it when she giggled. He pulled her to him and they battled once more with their tongues. In a burst of concentration she couldn’t place the origin of she untied his robes as they continued to war for dominance. When he was finally free he kissed her once more and turned her around. She made a small mewling sound from the back of her throat when he put his hand to her back, having her bend over so that she was on her hands and knees again. His hands travelled down her body and she couldn’t help the moan that came when his hands brushed her nipples on his way down.

“Sesshomaru,” she maoned, pushing herself back toward him as he knelt behind her, “Please.”

“As you wish, my love.” He didn’t even try to stop the possessive howl that came from deep in his chest as he entered her. His beast knew that they were finally claiming the mate that they had been yearning for and for once both parts of Sesshomaru were in accordance. He pumped into her, knowing neither of them would last long, too many emotions were running through them. She was sobbing with them as he curled himself around her, nuzzling the juncture between her neck and her shoulder where he intended to mark her. He felt her quick intake of breath as she climaxed, too overcome to scream, and bit down until he tasted the sweet, coppery flavor of her blood in his mouth. The flavor, and the fact that he had finally taken her as his own, was too much to bear and he came with a grunt.

Suddenly exhausted, he rolled to the side, cradling her in his arms as she turned around in his embrace to look him in the eyes. She smiled softly and placed a kiss to the juncture mirroring the one he had just marked on her body. He nodded at the question in her eyes and couldn’t breathe, the trance was so great as she bit down hard enough to draw his blood into her mouth. After she had swallowed, he couldn’t help but laugh when she began to lap at the small wound, intending to soothe it. When she had finally pulled back, he treated her to the same, soothing the mark he had made with his saliva. He watched it fade from an angry red to a calm almost silver sheen. He knew by evening his would look the same and no person or demon alive would ever mistake what they were to each other again.

“Sleep, love,” he murmured, “Tonight at the formal dinner I introduce you to the Gathering as my mate.”

“Hmm,” she made a sound of ascent from the back of her throat, “Good. Sesshomaru, what happens to the other concubines now?”

“Usually they would be kept on in case I required them.”

“And if you require them I’ll purify you on principle,” she was nearly asleep, but giggled a little when he chuckled, “But, I don’t want to throw them out either. Most of them know no other life. They’re my friends, my sisters. I couldn’t abandon them like that.”

“They will serve in a new capacity,” he murmured into her hair, “A Lady needs companions.”

“You mean like ladies in waiting?”

“Yes.”

“It’s perfect. Thank you.” He felt it as she fell asleep and held her closer. She was his mate. The fact pleased him more than he would ever be able to express. He placed one final kiss to her forehead and allowed himself to slip into a light, easy sleep. When he awoke was soon enough to deal with the tedium and annoyance of the rest of the Gathering. For the moment he was content and that was all that mattered.