Help! My world is upside down!

First of all I would like to apologize for the delay, I would have liked to post this chapter earlier but somehow the plot didn’t want to cooperate, several lines keep mixing and I struggle to keep the one I first intended to follow. Sometimes I just need to take some days off, forget about the story, and try again when my mind is fresher.

I would also like to thank all of you for your encouragement, some of you began reading the story since I began to write it, some of you when the story was half through, and some of you are new. Thank you all for your kind words; they were the fuel that kept me writing and struggling (they still are). Forgive me if I don’t thank you individually, I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out.

Thank you also to the ones that read the story but leave no reviews, I’m glad to see so many entries to the story in AFF. I’m so glad you are enjoying the story, as always feedback is welcome.

And now, enjoy this chapter.


Chap 19. The beast awakens again

She opened her eyes and saw two crimson orbs staring right back; a hard chest had her pressed against a wall, enabling her to breathe comfortably.

“Did you enjoy that whelp’s kiss?” Though huskier, she could tell that it was Sesshomaru’s voice that spoke those words, and as she felt his breath on her neck she couldn’t stop the shiver from running down her spine. “Do his kisses make you feel the way mine do?”

Before she could answer, his lips crashed on hers and his tongue demanded entrance into her wet cave. His hands went behind her head, bringing her even closer to him, if that was possible. She tasted divine; she was his, and he didn’t share. He would erase the scent of the half breed from his female.

When he released her, she could tell the kiss had come from anger, not love, and she would not let him make her the target of his frustrations, so she did the only thing she could do to make him stop, she slapped him.

“What was that for? I won’t let you use me to vent your frustrations! Do I have to remind you of your fiancée? I don’t think she would like it if she found out you go around kissing the first female that crosses your path!”

Now, that did it, until she said those words he had been surprised by her audacity, even approved of the fact that she faced him so bravely, but he wouldn’t let her call him unfaithful or let her believe he was using her.

The moment she turned around to leave the frustrated male behind to go to her bedroom, a strong arm caught her by the wrist, stopping her movement. A snarl froze any complaint that might come from her mouth. She turned around to find an enraged Sesshomaru snarling at her viciously. If she had been scared of him a few days ago in his office, this, in comparison, was much worse. His crimson eyes and pointed fangs practically screamed danger. Would the same tactic work this time? Would he calm down if she acted submissive and soothed his beast, or should she fight him? Before she could decide which would be the wisest decision, a clawed hand viciously grabbed her by her neck. Stinging pain shot through her body as his claws pierced her soft skin. The decision was made for her as she could not move now even if she wanted to.

Kagome watched, eyes splayed wide open, as Sesshomaru’s face became close enough to almost touch her own, the vibrations of his snarl reverberated in her ear as his lips grazed the shell of her ear. She began to shake in fear; he was going to tear her to pieces, and she didn’t even know why!

“Don’t turn your back on me. Ever. Again” His voice demanded, deeper and huskier than his usual tone. His hand around her neck pressed into her throat, making it even harder for her to breathe. Why was she not behaving? Why wasn’t she submitting? It wasn’t long before he felt her go limp in his tight grasp.

“Let her go! Now!”

Sesshomaru turned around to face two enraged Tai youkai. He snarled in recognition at both of them.

“Stay away! She is mine!”

Toga took a step forward.

“Let her go! She will die if you don’t”

Sesshomaru frowned and glanced at the girl. Her face was taking a bluish tint and he released his grasp on her neck. A thud resounded throughout the room as Kagome’s unresponsive body hit the floor.

Shoja was instantly by her side feeling for a pulse.

“It is very faint, but she will live.” Shoja looked at his son worriedly.

“Sesshomaru, we have to talk about what has just happened.” Toga gave his son a disapproving glance. Sesshomaru stood there, a simple nod was the only signal he had heard the elder demon. His eyes had turned gold again and a frown marred his beautiful face. He kept staring at his bloodied claw, the same one that just a moment ago almost killed someone that meant more to him than his own life.

His eyes widened as the weight of his feelings dawned on him. Why had it been so hard to realize what he felt for her? Kagome, his sweet Kagome. And then his actions came full force, his knees couldn’t hold him or the guilt over his actions anymore. A knot in his chest prevented him from swallowing or breathing properly. He had almost killed her!

Shoja took Kagome in his arms and carried her to her room. Her face seemed a bit pale and the punctures in her neck were bleeding; she had yet to recover from the assault. He left behind Toga and a very ashamed Sesshomaru. Perhaps he needed such a drastic situation, needed to feel the pain of almost losing her to realize what he felt for Kagome. He looked at the limp body in his arms and sighed, his old bones were tired of the way youngsters chose to do things these days. Why did they have to be so hard-headed and intense?

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“What you did was unforgivable! Youkai laws delegate that I get retribution!”

Sesshomaru stood up in time to see his grandfather walk upstairs with an unconscious Kagome in his arms. With pain filled eyes, he focused on his father. He was challenging him. Yes, according to youkai laws he had the right to do so; it was all he could do to muster up the awareness of what was happening to offer up a nod of understanding.

“To the dojo. Now!”

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“Shoja-saaamaaaaaa!!! Shoja-saaaamaaaaaaa!!!”

Jaken came running into the room that currently held the elder demon and the unconscious female, only to be instantly hushed by Shoja.

“You will wake her up, Jaken. Be quiet!”

Jaken bowed.

“Excuse this lowly servant Shoja-sama. Toga-sama and Sesshomaru-sama are fighting in the dojo!”

“Good, that’s how it should be. Laws state that when someone harms a pack member, one of the eldest can ask for retribution.” Shoja had a hard look on his face.

“But, Shoja-sama, Toga-sama is attacking Sesshomaru-sama and he is not fighting back! Sesshomaru-sama is badly injured!” Shoja frowned. Sesshomaru had the right to defend himself, why was he holding back? Was he feeling repentant of his past action?

Jaken squeaked when Shoja unexpectedly stood up.

“Take care of her, Jaken.”

He demanded harshly as he rushed to the dojo.

When he arrived, Shoja saw his son panting and punching mercilessly at his grandson’s stomach. Sesshomaru bent over, blood spilling from his now crimson stained lips, and lay limp on the floor.

“Enough, son.” Toga raised his head and his red eyes focused on his father’s golden ones.

Toga dropped his fighting stance. Shoja approached his son and patted him on the shoulder.

“I know Sesshomaru is hard-headed, but I think he learned his lesson.” Toga simply nodded, his eyes had returned to their normal golden color.

“I never hit him this hard before. Not even when I trained him.”

“I suppose it’s hard for you, but if you hadn’t asked for retribution I would have and the end result would have been the same.”

“I’m not so sure. I barely noticed he wasn’t fighting back, but I’m sure you would have. I let wrath take over me.”

Both males walked out the dojo, leaving a bleeding Sesshomaru on the floor to care for his wounds.

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It was early in the morning when Sesshomaru recovered consciousness. He was lying on the floor where he had fainted the night before but someone had covered him with a blanket. His muscles were sore, and he noticed that his wounds were mostly healed. He stood up and carefully walked to the dojo’s entrance, biting back a groan from the protesting of his aching body.

He remembered how he mistreated Kagome. He couldn’t believe he had done this to her! Jealousy had eaten at him after seeing her kissing the half-breed. A sudden desire to see how she was doing pulled tugged at him, and he rushed to the main house, his sore body now the least of his worries as he rushed down the hall.

He halted at the main door. If his father and grandfather were awake they wouldn’t let him in. According to their laws, he wouldn’t be able to see her for a month, but he wanted to apologize to her for his actions right now. He needed to tell her how he felt. She had to know; he needed her forgiveness.

With anguish crushing his chest, he walked around the outskirts of the house until he was under her bedroom window before he jumped, bursting open the closed window and into her room.

The loud noise woke her up with a start, and before she could react or anyone in the house made it into her room, he took her in his arms and leapt out of the room the same way he came.

Kagome tried to scream, but the injury to her throat from earlier had robbed her of her voice, so she punched her captor on the hard chest; her effort earning her nothing but sore hands. Sesshomaru made himself comfortable in a tree, his grasp on Kagome still strong as he seated himself on a sturdy branch, clutching a wiggling Kagome carefully in his lap.

“Let go of me!” She whispered, straining what little bit of voice she had. The amber eyes twinkled in amusement, and fear spiked in the ona in his arms.

“Are you sure little one?” He purred.

Kagome looked down and paled; they were probably ten feet above the ground; if he dropped her now, she would end up seriously hurt. She looked back up at Sesshomaru and gulped. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she fought them back. She put a hard face on and decided that she would fight him with all her might.

“I won’t hurt you Kagome, this I promise.” His voice sounded unsteady to Kagome’s ears compared to the tone she was used to hearing from him.

“What do you want Sesshomaru?”

The tall demon sat on the branch as easily as he would on the most comfortable armchair and settled her on his lap with his arms around her waist keeping her close. On instinct she put her hands on his chest trying to keep him as far from her as she could.

“I just want to talk to you.”

She narrowed her eyes and scolded him.

“And you couldn’t just wait until I woke up and meet me downstairs?”

He began to play with her hair, and nuzzling her cheek, and he was starting to freak her out with his sudden affections.

“I’m not allowed to approach you for a month, but I couldn’t wait that long to tell you…”

“Put her down Sesshomaru. It’s an order. You overdid it this time, son.”

The couple on the tree branch looked down to see a seething Toga screaming at them, or rather at the disobedient overgrown pup that dared defy him and the laws.

“Not until she hears what I have to tell her.”

“If you don’t put her down now, I will make sure that you don’t see her again. I will take her away, so you can never harm her in any way ever again.”

Kagome noticed a change in the demon holding her; he began trembling and snarling. She did her best to try and stop Toga’s ranting, but her voice was too soft due to her damaged throat for the older demon to hear, so she tried her best to sooth Sesshomaru.

“Toga son, look at Sesshomaru. He is about to change into his true form once again. His youkai is fighting him hard for the girl.”

“I see.” Toga had to fight the urge to pull his son from the tree branch, put him across his lap and spank him as if he was punishing a little pup that had misbehaved. He looked up at the young couple. Kagome was caressing Sesshomaru, and he was purring and nuzzling her neck. “All right Sesshomaru, I’ll give you some time to explain yourself if Kagome agrees to listen to you.”

Sesshomaru was soon recovering his senses; his inu was in control once more. His intended was safe in his arms, and he could hear his father telling him he could talk to his sweet Kagome. He looked at the beauty in his arms with concern written all over his visage, and his eyes traveled down to her neck which was wrapped completely in bandages.

Kagome looked at the demon holding her and was surprised to see the look of concern and regret marring his always stoic features. She then knew he would never harm her on purpose and that what had happened the night before had been for some other reason. She was now ready to listen to him.

“Kagome, I’m sorry. I’m very ashamed of my actions last night. I should have never attacked you. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I only ask of you that you listen to me, I would like to explain to you-”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“I will listen to what you have to tell me.”

It was then Sesshomaru did the last thing anyone expected of him, he gave her a genuine smile. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her face reddened because he looked even more beautiful when he smiled.

He held her in his arms and shot down from the tree, nodding to his father and grandfather in acknowledgement.

“Thank you father for giving me this chance.”

“Don’t thank me, thank her. If you harm her in any way…”

“That won’t happen again. Now, if you will excuse me I’ll take her inside and give her something for her throat.”

He walked back to the main house with a still blushing Kagome in his arms. She couldn’t help but wonder who the real Sesshomaru was- the enraged beast from the previous night that almost killed her, the calmed stoic and regal demon that she was used to seeing at work, or the sweet man that had taken care of her in the swimming pool, smiling in a way that made her blush, and evoked a pool of warmth in her nether regions.

They left behind two very stunned demons.

“Did your son just crack a smile?”

“I thought it was a rather big smile.”

Shoja began to laugh, tears ran down his face, and Toga turned to stare at him with amusement written all over his face.

“What is so funny, father?”

Shoja recovered his breath, tears still lingering in his eyes.

“Our little one is really powerful if she can make the lord of ice melt like this.”

Toga turned back to see his son disappear inside the house with the girl in his arms and frowned.

“He is behaving like a youkai courting another youkai, but he forgets she is human and knows nothing of our customs.”

“What do you mean?” Shoja recovered his serious face

“He wants her. What we saw last night was his way of telling her he wanted her. If Kagome had been youkai, she would have understood and dealt with the situation in the way she had been schooled in as a pup, but she treated him as she would a human male being possessive.”

“Well, he is better now. Perhaps he will make his intentions known to her. Let’s hope everything goes well, or we will have a very ugly situation on our hands.”

Both males began their way back towards the house. They would have to go to work today because their young one had a lot of mending to do.