What's A Dragon to Do?

Chapter 22

Masumi opened the door to the hot springs. She laid down her clothes and turned to the spring. She found the girl Sango laying back and her eyes were closed. "I didn't mean to intrude. I will come back later."

Sango opened her eyes and turned her head when she heard Masumi speak. "That's ok. You may join me if you wish."

Masumi didn't really want to get to know this Sango. She could tell that Miroku cared for her. "That's ok I'll just come back later."

Sango sat up and turned fully to stare at the wolf youkai. "Masumi, I really don't mind. Besides we have to talk sooner or later. If Miroku continues our quest we will be traveling companions."

Masumi sighed; low enough that Sango wouldn't hear her. "I will join you then."

Sango scooted over and let Masumi have her seat. "So how do you like being mated?"

"I like Miroku very much. He is so sweet." Masumi sighed and leaned back in the water.

"I don't think I have ever heard the word sweet used to describe Miroku." Sango looked over at Masumi and sighed. "Masumi, I know that you don't like me much but I really did have a good reason to punch Miroku when you arrived."

Masumi sat up and looked at Sango. "What possible reason could you have had to punch him like that. He didn't even touch you."

Sango frowned and lowered her head. She would have to tell Masumi before she heard it from anyone else.

"Miroku and I have traveled together for many years. During the course of our travels we became close. I watched him, as he would continuously grope women in every village that we came too. If he wasn't groping them he was asking them to bear his child. At first it didn't bother me. But as we came closer I realized that he only groped me. Oh sure occasionally he would still grope Kagome but mostly he saved it for me. Then one day he asked me to bear his children and I said yes. We were going to be married after the jewel was complete. Then he met you and now you are his mate. I was angry when he just announced to me that you were his mate. I hold no grudge with you Masumi. I should have realized something like this would happen. I am just glad that it happened before the wedding."

Masumi could tell the affection that Sango held for Miroku by the sound of her voice as she spoke of him, how could Miroku have done that to her. "I guess he did deserve the punch. If it had been me he had done that too he would have gotten more than a punch. And I had better not see him grope any females or ask them to bear his children. Or he will get worse than what you gave him."

"I don't know. Maybe all those beatings I gave him damaged his brain or something. I use to knock him over the head with my Hiraikotsu or my fist. Kagome always told me if I kept doing that he would end up with brain damage. Of course that would explain a lot. Maybe I should have listened to her." Sango reached over and picked up her soap that Kagome had given her and handed it to Masumi. She saw her looking at the strange item with a look of concern on her face.

"It is soap. Kagome brings it back from her home. Try it you will love it." She watched Masumi take the soap and smell it. Then she saw a smile on her face.

"This smells good." Masumi lathered herself and then handed the soap back to Sango. "Tell me Sango, Just how many times have you hit Miroku on the head?"

"I lost count. Lets just say it was a lot. I couldn't very well let him ask every single lady we met to bear his child. He must have a hard head or a love for pain. I don't know which. Well he is yours to correct now. If you ever have need of my Hiraikotsu just say the word and I will let you borrow it." Sango rinsed the soap off her body and leaned back in the hot springs.

"Everything that you have told me is a shock. I had assumed that you were soon to be mated to Kitaro." Masumi shook her head everything is so confusing. Sango blushed and lowered her head so that Masumi couldn't see her.

"No, Kitaro and I just met a couple of days ago."

"And he is already courting you?" Masumi could see Sango's red face and laughed.

"No we are not courting." Sango could feel her face heating up more. By now she probably was as red as a cherry.

"Sango as a slayer you should know the courtship rituals of the inu race." Masumi watched the slayers face get redder at her words.

"I know very little about Inu's. They are very secretive about their mating rituals. My family has tried for years to get information but Lord Sesshoumaru and his father managed to keep the Inu's pretty well guarded and they are very secretive. When I joined Inuyasha's group I was hoping to get some clues from him. But I haven't found him to be particularly open about the rituals. Whenever I ask him about them he just says "Feh" and jumps into a tree. Sometimes I wonder if he even knows the rituals." Sango sighed and shook her head.

Masumi laughed at the look on Sango's face. "Well it's your lucky day. I will tell you about inu courting and mating rituals."

Sango sat straight up and looked at Masumi with wide eyes. Finally she would be able to achieve what her father had said was impossible. "That would be great."

"Mostly their blood beast picks out their mates. The blood beast is able to tell the power or strength of the woman. If she is weak he will fight the inu in his efforts to pursue the woman. The inu may mate her but the blood beast will not mark her. When it is time to mark their mate the blood beast takes over and then he bites them where their shoulder and neck meet, if it is done while mating it does not hurt all that much.

Well when a male inu finds his chosen mate he begins a game with her, Inu's love chasing things and the more their prey runs the more excited they get. They don't want someone who will be easy prey. They want a challenge. They want someone strong who will bare them strong pups. When they are interested in someone they watch over them closely. They may nuzzle or lick your neck. They bring you gifts and they teach you to fight so that you can protect their pups. They constantly touch you so that their scent is on you so that other males will stay away.

They may tease you often of course that all depends on the Inu's personality. I can't imagine Lord Sesshoumaru teasing anyone. Sometimes they may put a courting mark on you. This is done on the neck and the female is not allowed to hide it. If she hides it she hides her affection for him or he could take it to mean that she really doesn't feel anything for him. Inu males expect to be the alpha of the pair and will not tolerate their mate or chosen one to openly disobey them. But what happens behind closed doors is kept there. When they are mating they want to be in control but like I just said behind close doors, who know what really happens. Did that help you any?" Masumi could almost see the thoughts going through Sango's head.

Sango listened to Masumi and then thought about Kitaro. He must be courting her. But why would he keep something like that from me. Oh wait till I get my hands on him.

"Thanks Masumi for all the information. I have to go and talk to someone." She got out of the hot spring and dressed and all but ran from the room.

Masumi watched Sango quickly leave. She hoped that she didn't give Kitaro away. But Sango did have a right to know if an Inu-youkai was courting her. She rinsed off and got dressed and then went to the garden.

Sango looked in the dojo, the dinning room, the study but she couldn't find Kitaro anywhere. She finally talked a servant into helping her find him, after a few wrong turns she finally came to his office. She knocked on his door and waited for him to answer her. It didn't take long.

Kitaro was shocked that Sango actually came to his study. He could smell that she was angry about something. He rose to greet her as she came into the room.

"Have you decided to start your duties early?" Sango smiled at him.

"Like that will happen." She walked to him till she was standing right in front of Kitaro. "I just heard some interesting information, about Inu courtship rites. Is there something that you would like to tell me?"

Kitaro thought that Sango had known about Inu courtship. She is a slayer after all. If any human knew of their courtship rituals it would have been her. Apparently he was wrong.

"Yes I am courting you."

"How can you court me? Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't it take two people to court." Sango felt her face heating up again and bowed it so that Kitaro couldn't see.

Kitaro watched as she hid her face from him. He put his claw under her chin and raised her head.

"Our courtship has already begun."

"Don't I have any say so in this?" Sango glared at Kitaro and waited for his answer.

"Of course you do. But I must warn you my beast has chosen you and it will claim you as our mate soon. It has waited seven hundred years to find you and it will not let you go." Kitaro leaned down to her neck and growled lowly as he nuzzled at her neck.

Sango almost melted at his feet when she heard the light growl. Then she remembered that she was angry with him. She jumped away from him. "Will you stop doing that? I can't think straight when you do that."

Kitaro laughed and leaned up against his desk. "All the more reason to keep doing it then."

Sango blew her hair out of her eyes and then glared at Kitaro. "You have a lot of nerve. I am not ready to court you. My last courtship just ended and I am not ready to enter another one so soon."

Kitaro walked up to Sango and took her into his arms. He leaned his head down until his forehead rested on hers. "Your last courtship was not meant to be. I will have you as my mate. Listen to what your heart tells you not your head and you will come to the same conclusion."

Sango was having trouble remembering why she was mad at him. She could almost swear that he confused her on purpose. Maybe that was his game. Keep her so confused that she didn't know what was happening. She wouldn't let him get away with it if she could help it. She would do fine as long as he didn't nuzzle her neck. "Will you please refrain from touching me like that? We just met a couple of days ago. You can't possibly want me for your mate."

Kitaro refused to turn her loose and leaned his head down so that he could whisper in her ear. "My beast knew the minute he saw you that you were going to be our mate. Fight us all you want but remember we will win in the end." He could feel the shivers going through her body as he spoke to her. He brought his tongue out and ran it along the edge of her ear and smiled when he heard her gasp. He kissed his way down her jaw until he came to her mouth. He ran his tongue along her lips and when she moaned he moved his tongue inside to find hers. He moved his tongue along hers urging her to play with him. When he felt her tongue moving against his it was his turn to moan. He pulled her tighter to him being careful of his armor and molded her to his body. She fit his body like she belonged there. That was another reason he knew they were meant to be together.

Sango couldn't believe that he was kissing her. None of Miroku's kisses had ever made her feel this needy. She never wanted it to end. But then she remembered that she didn't want to be courted. But as the kiss continued she forgot why.

Kitaro broke the kiss and moved his lips down to her throat. He felt his teeth growing slightly longer and moved to her neck and licked at it. He could smell her arousal and bit back a groan. He didn't want to mate her in his office. When he felt her body shudder again he lightly bit into her neck and marked her with his courting mark. He licked up the small amount of blood that spilled out of the wound and moved his mouth back to hers. She was gasping for air and he thrust his tongue into her open mouth.

She felt something hard grinding into her stomach about the same time she felt the stinging pain in her neck. She had a pretty good idea what happened to her neck but she didn't know what was hurting her stomach. His armor must be digging into her. She broke the kiss and smiled at Kitaro. "Sorry but your armor is digging into my stomach."

Kitaro couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry Sango but that wasn't my armor." He watched her as she looked down his body and when it dawned on her what it was he saw her face turn bright red.

Sango heard Kitaro tell her that it wasn't his armor and before she could stop herself she looked down and saw that it really wasn't his armor. She felt her face heating up, "Oh." She quickly backed away from him and then turned and ran out of the room.

Kitaro went to chase after her but it was a little hard to walk. Not to mention that he couldn't very well walk around the palace like that. So he returned to his desk and tried to think of something besides Sango until his body was decent. But he couldn't think of anything but her. Then he started thinking about everything he could make her do tomorrow and that just made his body harder. What he needed was a cold bath but his rooms were in another wing and he still wasn't presentable enough to walk around the palace. He stood up and removed his armor and decided that if he carried in front of him till he got to his rooms he would be fine.

Kitaro finally made it to his room and luckily he didn't run into someone who wanted to talk to him. His room was at the far end of the hall and he could see the forest from his window. There must be a stream cold enough out there to help me. He jumped from his balcony and took off running fast enough to make the Northern Lord jealous and soon found a lake that would serve his needs. He quickly undressed and dove into the water. He stayed in the frigid water for a long while until his body cooled. He stood up and finally got back on the shore. If he got that turned on just by kissing her what would happen when they actually mated. It would be interesting to find out. Besides after today his beast was telling him he couldn't wait much longer to claim his bitch. And he agreed with him. If he could help it there would be no more cold dips in the lake to soothe his body.