In His Arms

All previous disclaimers apply.


Author’s Note: Sorry about the delay, all. Thank you for sticking with this. TH


“What’s this here?” Kaida smiled and laughed along with the other concubines as she pushed her hair away from her eyes as they all bathed. Ladies, she reminded herself inwardly. They were no longer concubines. Sesshomaru had mated their beautiful little sister last evening and he would no longer require them. Most lords kept on their concubines even after mating, for most matings were for convenience and namesake only. But, the mating between Kagome and their lord was one of love and passion, they all knew. While they had been happy for Kagome after the announcement was made, they had all been worried as well. Where would they go now? What would they do? Most of them had been in the castle for over a hundred years. They no longer had any other marketable skills beside what they were trained to be. None of them had slept last night. They had stayed together in their gathering chamber, no one saying much, but bracing themselves for when they would have to say goodbye to all they knew and loved.

They had all been surprised and more grateful than they could say when, just after the morning meal, Kagome had gathered them all and told them, her face bright with a smile, that if they so chose they would be allowed to stay in the castle. Sesshomaru would no longer require them in his bed, not that he had for months, but if they wanted it, she wanted them to be her ladies. They were highly trained, knew much more etiquette than she could imagine, and they were her friends. She would not see them put out. And, if they were gone, she would miss them. So, she had taken Etsu and Akina, the two who had worried the most and on whose faces it showed heavily, in her arms and asked them to stay. It wasn’t long before all of them were laughing and crying together, arms around each other. With the tension of an uncertain future gone, they all felt free to drag Kagome into the bathing room when they went and demand the entire story from her. It was where they were still, simply relaxing.

“Hmm, what?” Kagome looked over at Kaida.

“You went far away again,” Hiroko laughed, “And you’re rubbing your mark again. I promise it will not fade, little love.”

Kagome blushed prettily and lowered her hand, “I know it won’t. I just . . .”

“My lady?” Paru called through the door to the bathing room.

“Yes, Paru?”

“Lord Sesshomaru would like you to come to the receiving room right away please.”

She could hear the apprehension in his voice and felt a twinge of fear shoot up her back, “Is there something wrong, Paru?”

“No, Lady, I do not believe so. He told me to tell you not to bother putting on formal clothing.”

“Please tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

She calmed a little. Surely if it was something serious that he needed to discuss with her outside of their bedroom he would have told her to look formal. Perhaps he was going to allow her to speak to Kouga! She got out of the water quickly. She had not seen the wolf at the formal dinner last evening when she had been hoping to speak to him. Sesshomaru knew that they were well acquainted with each other and that he had seen her in much less than a casual kimono. And they were mates now. There was no reason at all for Sesshomaru to feel threatened by Kouga so there was no reason to keep her distanced from him. Her heart jumped into her throat at the idea that the wolf prince might have some news as to what had happened to her son and to her friends.

“Please,” Kagome looked over at Akina, “Help me into my clothing. I have to go now.”

Sensing her hurry, the others gathered around her, helping her to put herself together. Years of dressing and undressing themselves quickly aided in getting her fully dressed and looking appropriate in a matter of just under a couple of minutes.

“Thank you!” She called as she slipped out the door and began running down the hall. She didn’t care what she looked like or whether those for the Gathering considered her unrefined and common to be running so. The idea that she might find out something about her son overruled any desire she had to act proper and foster a good image. As she drew closer to the receiving room she sensed Sesshomaru’s aura, calm and cool, and Kouga’s aura, apprehensive and a little nervous. But, there was one more. She stopped dead in her tracks as the warm aura of flickering reds and oranges washed over her. Flickering like a fire. Beautiful and untamable. The aura was sad. So sad. So unbelieving. But, it was him.

As suddenly as she stopped she ran again, this time faster, tripping over her kimono because she was trying to move in ways faster than the restrictive clothing would allow, all to get to him.

“Shippou!” She cried as she threw the door open.

For a moment her beautiful orange haired boy just looked back at her as if she wasn’t real. He looked different, she noticed. He was taller, thinner. He had a look on his face like none she’d ever seen on him before. It was completely blank. Her heart almost broke as she thought about what must have happened to her baby to still his normally mobile face. She fell to her knees and opened her arms to him, not caring about the tears rolling down her cheeks. His eyes were the same, she could see. Somewhere inside the broken little boy was still her kit, whom she loved more than life. She sobbed when tears began to roll unheeded down his thin face.

“Baby,” she whispered, “Please, come here. Please, let me hold you. I’ve missed you so much.”

And the damn broke, “Ma . . .” he whispered, as if finding his voice again for the first time. Once he realized he could make noise, he did it was a vengeance, “Mama!” His cry could be heard through the castle, she thought. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard.

She caught him in her arms as he threw himself at her. For a moment they simply clung, sobbing against each other. Then, she held him out and looked him over, running her hands over his face, his shoulders, his arms, as if making sure that he was real and before her. When she was satisfied she pulled him back into her arms and rocked. Both whispered nonsense, telling each other how much they loved the other, how much they had been missed. Eventually Kagome sensed Sesshomaru over her. She looked up at him and smiled.

“My love,” she said quietly, standing with Shippou still in her arms, “This is my son.”

Sesshomaru nodded, then allowed his hand to rest at the small of her back, showing her without words that he was pleased she was so happy. Shippou buried his face in the crook of her neck on the opposite side of Sesshomaru’s mark and glanced up shyly at his mother’s mate. Sesshomaru’s expression did not change, but his words pleased both his mate and her son in a way they never expected.

“His aura is strong. He will be a fine son. I will take him as mine as soon as his strength is fully recovered.”

“Good choice,” Kouga smiled at the three.

“Kouga,” Kagome turned to him for the first time since entering the room, “Thank you so much for bringing him back to me. Where did you find him?”

“It’s a long story, Mama,” Shippou whispered.

“We have time, baby,” she whispered back, dropping a kiss to his head as she moved to one of the cushions in the middle of the room, “We have all the time in the world.”

“No we don’t, Mama!” Shippou’s voice was suddenly hysterical and terrified, “We have to do something! Time’s almost up!”