Her Destiny

A velvety black canvas painted the sky. You could not see the stars as the full moon shone brightly. It illuminated the ground with its bright light as you could still see like it was dusk out. But there was something different about the moon this night. It has a red tint, and it seemed larger than normal, as it glowed brightly from high above.

You could see the youkai moving around the forest looking for prey. They were hunting by the light of the full moon and Koga’s pack was no different.

They finally found a cave to hide in for the rest of the night as the wounded wolves recovered from their failed attempt in getting the ningen onna.

They were deep within a cave as the fires were going to keep them warm for the night. It was slowly getting cold at night and soon winter will be upon them. With winter approaching it meant that they will not be able to hunt for much longer.

Koga was sitting in front of the fire. His blue orbs were fixed on the flames in front of him as he contemplated what he had to do. His eyes never left the flickering colors of the flame as he battled with his inner self on what to do.

Koga’s responsibilities to his pack were first and foremost. He had to see to his packs needs, and with the winter months approaching he knew they could not stay in the Western Lands for long.

This land was known for its harsh winters and the wild life will move somewhere else to sustain them during this time of year. He will have to leave the area and go south were the winter was not as bad as in the west.

He knew that his current pack was not prepared for the harsh winter as his original clan had been. For months now they have been gathering food and they were storing it to make sure that their clan survived the winter that was coming.

The elders of the clan have foretold of a harsh winter coming this year and they were ready for it. Deep within their den they found an underground cave that was much cooler than the normal one they occupied. This allowed them to store the food they needed without it spoiling on them.

Their females prepared the meat for storage and then placed it down in the lower caves before winter. They will hunt for as long as they could until the animals headed south for the winter. Then they would use the food they gathered until the warmth returned to the earth.

Koga was not oblivious to this. He knew that unless he gave up on the girl and started storing food for the winter that his remaining pack will starve come winter. But he couldn’t come to terms with leaving without the onna. He wanted her, he craved her, he wanted to ravish her body, and then more than anything he wanted her dead for what she did to him.

Being rejected in front of all the other ruling lords of the land did not sit well with him. He was used to getting what he wanted and when the onna refused to be his mate his anger got the better of him. He challenged her and lost that fight to a mire onna. He knew she was powerful, that’s what drew him to her in the first place. But his current pack was oblivious to all of this.

They all thought that she placed a spell on him that caused him to lose that fight. They never knew that she was that powerful. If he had been fighting with a clear head that wench never would have defeated him.

Now he was exiled from his home and was told never to return to these lands. A wolf on their own will be ensured their death, but his loyal pack members refused to let him suffer his fate alone. They broke off from the main clan to come to him in his time of need.

He had to find a way to get the onna before he was forced to back off for the winter. He has a responsibility to his pack and he will meet that responsibility. He figured that he could afford another week in this area before they have to leave and go to another area where his pack could still hunt to provide for them.

Koga was deep in thought when a howl came from the entrance to the cave. His guards were calling for him to come quickly as he raced to the entrance to see what was going on.

When he got there his guards approached him as one of them said, “Koga the youkai are leaving the area very quickly.”

Koga was shocked to hear that youkai were leaving the area. Whatever it was it must be dangerous. He walked out of the cave as he looked around the area and sniffed the air.

He looked off toward the western castle and noticed the powerful aura that was coming from there. The power was so great that it was lighting up the night sky like it was daylight.

Soon it faded as he started to see the hordes of youkai running away from something. They were all manner of youkai, big and small, strong and weak, as he scented their fear while they raced by. He spread his youki around the area warning those approaching to not get close to his pack.

In the past his aura was enough to deter the weaker youkai from getting close to him or his pack, but this time his efforts were for not, whatever they feared was greater than any threat he exhibited at the moment.

Many large youkai ran into them as the wolves tried to get out of their way. Koga, upset that these idiots were not scarred of him, grabbed the next youkai that came close to where he was standing.

He grabbed a rabbit youkai, as he held it by its neck and said, “Why are all of you running? What is it that you all fear?”

The rabbit youkai, normally very weak against any other youkai, became a thing possessed as he screamed, “Let me go you idiot! Its coming this way and it will kill us all unless we leave this area. Release me now!”

The rabbit youkai finding strength in his fear actually bit into Koga’s arm as he was released from his hold. Landing on his feet the youkai moved with speed as he raced in the other direction, following all those who were leaving the area.

Koga had no idea what was coming as he opened his senses to see if he could detect what was heading their way. His senses caught the hint of magic approaching their location as they saw a pink purifying cloud coming through the dense forest.

Fear stopped Koga’s pack from moving away from the purifying cloud as they all stood there and watched. Terror was clearly seen in their eyes as they watched the pink cloud came closer to their location.

The pink cloud came within five feet of where his pack was standing before it stopped and disappeared. All of the wolves breathed a collective sigh of relief as they saw the pink cloud go away. They had no idea why it stopped coming towards them but they were grateful nonetheless.

Ginta being closest to Koga asked, “Koga where did that pink cloud come from?”

Koga was about to answer when they saw a blue cloud come in right after the pink one, it came within four feet of his pack and then it too disappeared.

Koga had no idea what was going on but he did know one thing. That purifying cloud was made by a powerful miko and the aura that he felt earlier meant that Sesshoumaru has finally mated that ningen wench. That will make it more difficult to take the onna away from Sesshoumaru, as his blood will now protect her.

Koga turned to go back into the cave when he saw the look that his pack had on their features. He saw the question that they all had burning in their eyes. He sighed as he tried to explain what he knew, “There must be a powerful miko around here that is protecting the western castle. The first cloud, the pink one, was a purifying cloud and the second one, the blue one, looked like a healing cloud.

“I have no idea why they were both sent out, but judging how fast the second cloud came in after the first, it looks like it was not done on purpose. The miko must have realized that she was hurting youkai in the area and projected the healing cloud so she could correct her error.

“Lord Inutaisho is protecting his castle because it looks like Sesshoumaru has finally mated that ningen onna. I saw a brief flare of power just before the youkai started running away from this area. This aura can only be sensed once the mating ritual is complete. The ritual will weaken Sesshoumaru immensely, if he formed a life bond with the bitch. Inutaisho will go to any length to protect his son until he recovers from the mating ritual.

“This only means that it will be harder to take the wench away from Sesshoumaru because he will be protecting her more than ever. We will have to sit back and observe what is going on and wait for the opportunity to strike. This onna cannot be allowed to live and have control over these lands. That will spell trouble for the rest of the youkai who live here.”

His pack, finally understanding what happened, went back into the cave to contemplate their next move. They will keep watch over the youkai lord’s castle for a while and if they see an opportunity then they will strike and take the girl.

---oOo---

Off in the distance a lone youkai was traveling from his hidden retreat in the northern most mountains. His armies, having finally left his sanctuary in small groups to prevent anyone from detecting their moments, were moving to their designated location in the west.

He left behind, only those too old or to weak to fight and females with pups. Anyone that could fight was moving towards the west right now. He has no inhibition about letting females fight in his army. They were just as good as the men and were ruthless in what they did. He often used them as spies because they were able to penetrate the enemy’s strong hold a lot easier than the males.

His generals knew the area they were to congregate. He found this hidden location just inside the western lord’s territory. He setup concealment spells and barriers to prevent anyone from stumbling into his new headquarters. It was easy to defend and he has been moving supplies there for a while now.

This was the area that he was going to stage his attack from. From this area he will gain control over the west. He will bring about Inutaisho fall from the western canines, and finally get what was promised to his clan all those centuries ago. Shinto, his father, would be proud of all his careful planning to bring about the demise of the western lord.

Jakyoku was traveling under his own power. Yes he could have made the journey on his youkai cloud or in his orb form but the enemy would easily detect his movements. Everything he has planned up to this point was planned with stealth in mind. No one was to know what he was doing until it was too late to stop him.

He stopped on top of a tall tree as he looked off to the west. The night was just too quiet for his liking. He looked up at the full moon that was shinning brightly overhead and noticed that the moon had a red glow to it. He thought this strange and he seemed to remember reading something about it but he couldn’t remember what it was.

He shrugged it off as being of no importance and continued on his way. At his current pace he will reach the western lands in three days time. He had to go to the western castle and see if he could get in contact with his spies. He has many spies there that are keeping an eye on what is going on. He was not leaving anything to chance as he made the final preparations to attack the west.

Jakyoku was leaping across the sky, his darkened silhouette was the only thing that you could see against the full moon, when he noticed a surge of power coming from the west.

He landed on a tree branch as he looked to the west to see what it was. The power was strong enough to light up the night sky, as it surged forward. A growl left his throat when he finally realized what it was. Sesshoumaru must have mated with the miko. That power surge could only be achieved, during the height of passion, while performing the mating ritual.

Now he knew that the miko was mated to Sesshoumaru. His angered peaked knowing that he was not her first, but no matter. He may not be her first but once he kills her mate she will be his.

An evil smile came across his features as he thought, ‘The life bond of the mating ritual is not complete until he pups her. Even though she is bonded to Sesshoumaru their life bond is not complete until she marks her male. Once this is done the mating will be irreversible, she will never be able to accept another mate, ever. Mating season is rapidly approaching and soon she will go into heat. If I can get to her before she goes into heat then I can tie her to me for all eternity.’

Yes, yes this thought pleased him very much. Sesshoumaru might have mated her this night but he will be the one that will have the life bond with her.

Then another evil thought came into his mind as he pondered, ‘If I can get my hands on both the miko and Inutaisho mate then the Western Lord and his son will be forced to come and meet me. When they come it will be the end of their rule.’

This was a night of revelations for Jakyoku. In the space of just one night he has come up with the perfect plan to end the western lord’s life along with his son’s. The miko will be his life mate and the mate of Inutaisho will die a slow and painful death.

Now that his plans were coming together he continued on his journey. He will have to stop when dawn approached. He didn’t want to be seen as he traveled so he opted to travel at night and rest during the day. He continued racing toward the west, soon he will have his miko and he will be the new ruler of the west.

---oOo---

It took Jakyoku the three days he estimated to reach his destination. Jakyoku was currently standing on top of a hill looking down at the western castle. It was late at night and the only thing that you could see around the area was the guards patrolling the castle grounds.

Jakyoku immediately noticed the barriers and wards that were placed around the castle. They were very powerful and it will require a huge amount of his youki to break through them. So invading the castle was out of the question. He pondered what to do until dawn approached. He opted to stay in the area so he could observe what was going on down below. He also needed to send a message to his spies so they could come and see him to give their report.

He moved from the top of the hill down into the forest. He chose a tree that was tall but provided cover, so he could observe what was going on down in the western castle. He was a good distance away from the castle but his keen eyes sight allowed him to see even from this great distance. He hid his aura and scent as he settled down to watch the activities down below.

It didn’t take long after the sun rose over the horizon for the castle to come to life. He saw several of his spies roaming around the gardens as he took out a medallion from his haori. He held it in his hand and concentrated on the piece of medal, activating his spell to call his spies to him.

---oOo---

Down in the gardens the workers were already starting on their duties for the day. One worker in particular, a black inu youkai, felt something warm within the folds of his haori. He looked around the area, making sure no one noticed what he was doing, and pulled the string that was hanging around his neck out of his haori.

The medallion that was hanging on the string was glowing a bright red and he knew what that meant. He quickly put it back into the folds of his haori as he sought out his companion. His companion was another black inu youkai that was working close to him as he made his way toward his location.

The Inu kept his eyes opened, looking for any threats, as he made his way toward his friend. Once he got close to him he whispered, “Bakeru we have received a message from our lord. He wants to see us as soon as possible. He must be close by because his medallion was glowing brightly a few moments ago.”

Bakeru stopped what he was doing as he turned to his partner and said, “Then, Marude, we have to go to him. We have to find the right time to sneak away from here. We can’t take the chance of someone seeing us leave.”

Both Inu’s agreed as they set about to pick the best time for them to leave the area. They figured that it will take them a few hours to get the work done in the gardens. Then they were left alone to do whatever they desired until late in the afternoon. That would be the perfect opportunity to leave the area and see their lord. An evil gleam came to their eyes, soon the western canines will fall and Lord Jakyoku will take his rightful place as lord to these lands.

They both returned to work so they could quickly get done and then go see Lord Jakyoku to inform him of what was going on around the castle. They knew that their lord was not going to be happy when he learned that the three female spies that were with them were dead.

---oOo---

Jakyoku stayed in his tree as he was observing the activities of the inhabitance of the castle. He noticed when one of his spies pulled the medallion from his robes and looked at it. His spy now knew that he was in the area, all he had to do was wait until they could come to him. He knew that they could not leave right away, it will blow their cover within the western castle and he still needed his spies to be there.

He was only sitting in his tree for a short time when he noticed two ningen females walking out of the castle. One was dressed as a youkai slayer but the other one held power and was dressed in a simple hakama and fighting gi.

Curious to know who these two wenches were he followed them. He moved within the confines of the trees as they approached a training field. He moved as close as possible so he could get a better look at them. He said an incantation to enhance his eyesight so he could clearly see what these females looked like.

The one that caught his eye was the female dressed in the fighting gi. When she finally turned toward the forest he got his first good look at her. His breath hitched when he viewed her beauty. She was perfect. She had a beautiful figure and beautiful blue eyes. He has never seen eyes like those before. Her hair, he could tell, was long and black as night with a hint of blue. She had it pinned up in a bun so he really couldn’t tell how long it actually was but if he had to guess it was long and wavy.

Her voice when she spoke was beautiful it was soft and velvety. When she laughed her bell like tones were soft, pleasing to his youkai ears, her skin looked to be smooth and silky to the touch. Her aura is what surprised him. It was black as night with a hint of white around the edge, meaning she was almost to the height of her powers.

He finally realized who he was spying on, it was his mate to be. He has heard of her but he didn’t know what she looked like. ‘Yes, she will make a wonderful mate. She is the most beautiful creature that I have ever seen. I was right in my desires to have her. Now all I have to do is come up with a plan to get her. Once she is in my grasp she will never leave my side. She will be mine for all eternity.’ Jakyoku thought as he watched her spar with the slayer.

Jakyoku watched as his miko trained. He had a thought as he reached into the folds of his haori and pulled out the whistle that the kuro miko gave him. He wondered briefly if the thing will really work on the miko.

He continued to watch her train until they finished. He saw his little miko sit down on the ground as she crossed her legs for meditation. The slayer went back to the castle after the training, this was his chance. His little miko was alone on the training field.

He got up on his perch as he took out the whistle. He held it by the string that was attached to it as he started to spin it in a circle. Slowly at first and then with more speed he spun the whistle around.

He looked in the direction of the miko and noticed that she was standing on her feet and was looking in his direction. She took a few steps towards him and then stop. He was confused on why she stopped. He doubled his efforts in order to get her to come to him.

He saw her aura flare and the next thing he knew the whistle he was holding was destroyed. He cursed under his breath as he saw her collapse to the ground. Not even a second later he saw her mate come racing out of the castle as he reached the miko. He grabbed her in his arms as he picked her up and looked around the area. His aura was filled with rage as he scanned the area for intruders, when Sesshoumaru found nothing he headed back into the castle with his mate.

Jakyoku breathed a sigh of relief when Sesshoumaru didn’t detect him. ‘That damn bitch is powerful enough to resist the calling of the whistle. Hell! She was powerful enough to destroy it. I have no doubt that if I was further away from her she would have destroyed it with ease. She will not be easy to capture. I have to find a way to subdue her powers or I will have one hell of a fight on my hands.’

Jakyoku knew he could not leave the area until he talked with his spies. So he moved from his current location to await their arrival. He needed answers and they were the only one’s that could provide it for him.

It wasn’t until late in the afternoon when Jakyoku’s spies were able to locate their lord.

Marude and Bakeru quickly finished what was required of them as they sneaked out of the castle grounds to look for their lord. They both knew that they will be able to get back in through the castle’s barriers because all the servants have been given special amulets that will allow them to reenter the barriers. The only downside to this was that they could not give them to anyone else. It was perfectly matched to their youkai and if anyone else were to use the amulet, then the barrier that the miko set up will purify them, and they could not bring anyone else into the barrier with them.

They finally found their lord as they approached and kneeled before him, waiting to be given permission to speak.

Jakyoku looked at his spies and noticed right away that there were three missing. He growled as he asked, “Where are the wenches that are suppose to be with you? Do they think that it is beneath them to not come when I summon them?”

Marude was the one to answer his lord’s questions as he said, “I’m sorry to inform you my lord that the three wenches are dead.”

“Dead??” Asked Jakyoku in shock as he continued, “How did they die?”

Marude was uncomfortable being under his lord’s direct stares. It could mean his life if his lord got mad enough but he answered his question as best he could. “The miko of the castle killed them when they challenged her and told her to leave.” He then proceeded to tell their lord how they met their demise.

‘Stupid bitches! They deserved what they got for disobeying my orders. They were not supposed to seduce Sesshoumaru, they were supposed to keep an eye on him and make sure that he wouldn’t go after the ningen onna.’ Jakyoku thought as he brought his attention back to the one’s that were kneeling in front of him. “Tell me of the ningen onna, is there a time where we can attack and get her?”

His spies told him everything he wanted to know about the ningen onna. Including that she will be leaving in four days time to go with the lady of the castle to the villages. They were usually surrounded by a small group of soldiers that went with them incase of any trouble.

Now this little bit of information he could use. The onna leaving the castle to go into the villages with Inutaisho’s mate was the perfect opportunity to strike against the western lord. He wanted the location of the village they were to be visiting but his spies told him that information was kept secret until the Lady of the Lands started traveling. It was for her safety and the onna’s that it was kept a secret.

Jakyoku understood this and told his spies to go back to the castle. Soon the western lord will fall and he will be the new lord of the lands.

His spies obeyed without question and left him to go back to the castle.

Jakyoku got that evil gleam in his eyes again as he thought of the perfect plan to get the onna and Inutaisho’s mate. He turned and left the area as he went back to meet his men. They should be arriving at the staging area by now. It was time to start his conquest of the western lands.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru’s mind was slowly coming out of its foggy state. An image of what happened the night before was slowly making itself know to him. The night of his mating with his lovely mate was making his heartbeat a little faster as he remembered everything they did and the passion that they shared.

The scent of night blooming Jasmine assaulted his senses as it soothed his body. She was close but he didn’t know where his lovely mate was located at the moment. He felt warm at the moment and didn’t want to move. He was laying on something very soft and wondered when their futon got this soft. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing them to come into focus.

When his vision was finally clear, he noticed that they were still in the house that his parents provided him for his mating. He moved and noticed that his tail was wrapped tightly around his body. He felt his member being held very tightly and it was wedged in between something that was very soft, warm, and vaguely familiar. He remembered that he was laying on something very soft as he raised his head to see what was underneath him.

To his surprise he was laying on top of his mate. She was tucked under him, being protected by his body, as he kept warm against the chilly night air. He furrowed his eyebrows together deep in thought as he tried to remember what happened last night. Finally his brain started to work as he recalled the previous night’s encounters after he gave her his blood.

The youkai souls in Kagome’s body reacted with his blood and were forcing their way out of Kagome’s body to take control. He remembered his mate fighting against them but with her being weakened in their mating, she was losing the fight. He stepped in and subdued the souls, making them retreat back into her body. She collapsed unconscious in his arms as he laid her down on their shared bed. He covered her so she was protected and warm for the night. But he also wanted to know if the youkai souls got free again while they were sleeping.

But another distressing thought came to his mind. His little miko attacked him and he was burned with her holy powers last night. He looked at his arms and noticed no marks at all. ‘She must have healed my wounds after I fell asleep last night.’ He thought as he decided to check on his mate.

He moved just a little, to have enough room so he could move the hair away from her face. His angel was still asleep and she looked more beautiful than she did the night before. He noticed that she received his crescent moon. It was on her forehead and her blue teardrop was in the middle of it. The star that was under the teardrop was directly underneath it. The crescent moon she had on her right ear, that his father gave her, was now gone.

His mate was still asleep as he moved off her. Kagome started to shiver as soon as his warmth left her, so he moved his tail over her body to keep her warm.

Sesshoumaru sat up in bed and stretched. He was still tired and worn out from the night’s activities but he has recovered some of his strength. It took a lot out of him to mate Kagome last night. She was powerful and the youkai souls within her were not making things easy on them. When they broke lose and tried to take over Kagome’s body, he had to subdue her powers in order to make them obey his commands. He hoped now that the souls will settle down and leave his lovely mate in peace.

He shook his head to clear his mind as he started to pick up the scent of blood. Alarmed that he might have hurt his mate during their joining he looked for her injuries. He gently rolled Kagome over on her back as he looked for her wounds. He found none but he did find blood on her thighs. She bleed after he took her and now had dried blood on her thighs. It didn’t appear that she was still bleeding and for this he was thankful. But he needed to get her cleaned up.

Sesshoumaru leaned over and picked Kagome up in his arms. He cradled her limp body against his chest as he slowly made his way into the bathing chambers. The hot springs will soothe their tired muscles and allowed them to heal the rest of the way.

He went over to the wash area and got a wet cloth to clean Kagome of the blood she had on her. Once he was done with that he walked over to the hot springs and went in. He found his favorite rock as he sat down and placed his mate on his lap and held her.

He submerged the both of them until only their heads were just above the soothing warm water. They stayed there for a while as their muscles uncoil and they relaxed from their mating.

Sesshoumaru was sitting there rubbing Kagome’s back in small circles. He was purring which soothed her in her sleep. Kagome whimpered as she tried to move closer to him. She was hurting this much Sesshoumaru could tell. He brought her closer to his body as he held her in his arms, offering her comfort in her time of need. Soon Sesshoumaru felt when his little mate was starting to wake up.

Kagome was hurting. Every part of her body hurt. She figured that she used muscles that she didn’t even know existed as her body was coming awake from its slumber. She especially noticed that her greatest discomfort was in her lower regions. It hurt the most and she couldn’t remember why.

Kagome’s mind was slowly processing all of this information as she continued to wake up from her mating. She slowly opened her eyes as she took in her surroundings. She observed that she was in the bathing chambers, in particular the hot springs. The very warm water was soothing her tender muscles.

She moved her legs and right away she felt a sharp pain that was in her womanhood. She gasped as she stilled in the water. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to go away, while she was breathing heavily. Her breathing became ragged, she was sore, she never knew that mating with Sesshoumaru would hurt so much. But then again while they were mating she didn’t feel any pain at all, just blissful pleasure.

Kagome felt arms tighten around her as she slowly opened her eyes and saw a pair of golden ones looking at her with concern. She raised her hand up out of the water as she caressed his cheek and said, “I’m alright Sesshoumaru, I’m just a little sore from last night. I never knew that mating with you caused pain.”

Sesshoumaru watched his mate with concern. He could feel her pain through their shared link. When she looked up at him she had a beautiful smile on her face. He heard her words but was not convinced that she was fine. He had to hurt her during their mating he had no choice in it. “Please forgive this Sesshoumaru for hurting you last night. But there is no way to break your barrier and not cause you pain.”

Kagome knew that her mate was aware of the pain she was experiencing. She smiled as she said, “I forgive you koibito. There is no easy way to break a hymen and not cause pain. It’s just something that I have to get used to. Last night was wonderful, I didn’t feel any pain at all when we mated, only this morning. So it’s to be expected.”

Sesshoumaru nuzzled his mate on her neck as he felt her relax against his body. He wanted to take her again but he will wait until she was feeling better. He didn’t want to cause her any more discomforts.

Sesshoumaru shifted as he said, “Koiishi, there are a few things that I must tell you before we head back to the main castle. First, when we approach my parents you are not to leave my side.” He saw the look in his mate’s eyes. She was about to protest what he said, as he quickly continued with his explanation before she interrupted.

“It is tradition that as the heir of our clan I must present my new mate to the alpha of our pack. When he gives his consent then you may approach him. This is done out of respect for my fathers position and not because I don’t want you to go to him. His scent will be the only scent that I will allow on your person. My inner Inu recognizes him as our alpha and will not be angered by his scent lingering on you.

“As the beta for the pack I am required to leave my fathers home and start my own pack, now that I am mated.” At this statement he saw the panic in his mate’s eyes. He could smell the scent of her tears as she said, “Please Sesshoumaru, I don’t want to leave your home. I understand that this is required of you, but is there a way that we can stay? I don’t want to lose the only father that has truly treated me like a daughter.”

Kagome’s tears continued to flow as she cried her heart out. She didn’t want to leave her Otou-san. For most of her life she has grown up without a father. Her true father had beaten and abused her early in her young life. She came here to this era and found a father figure that loved her as a daughter. She didn’t want to leave this place and this is what she was afraid of. That with her mating they will take her away from the people she has grown to love.

Sesshoumaru was clearly upset as he saw his mate crying. He didn’t know what to do, she really didn’t want to leave his home. If the truth were known he didn’t want to leave his home either. He wanted to stay close to his mother.

He sat up as he held onto his mate and tried to offer her some comfort. The only thing that he could do was talk to his father and see if it was allowed for him to stay with Kagome. If he said no then he had no choice but to take his mate and leave. He knew she will be hurting but she will eventually come to terms with it.

But right now he has to assuage the pain she was feeling as he said, “Mate, please don’t cry. I will speak to my father to see if we can stay but if he denies my request then we will have to leave. This is the best that I can offer you my aiyoku, the decision is his to make.”

Kagome nodded her understanding and curled her body into Sesshoumaru’s, as she held on tight. She was not happy with the prospect of leaving Sesshoumaru’s home. But she understood tradition and if Sesshoumaru was forced to leave his home then she will have to go with him. It was the part of herself that she gave up when she mated Sesshoumaru. To always stand by his side and be supportive to his needs. She may not want to leave but she knew that there was a time when they will have to leave to make their own way in this world.

Sesshoumaru needed to get her mind off of the situation at hand as he turned to her and asked, “How do you feel mate?”

Kagome sighed, she noticed the change in subject, he was trying to get her mind off leaving his home as she answered, “I feel better now. I don’t feel as sore as I did before. Another like last night and I won’t be able to walk for a week.”

Sesshoumaru chuckled at her declaration as he lifted her out of the hot springs and made his way over to the edge. They needed to get dry and dressed. It was now time to go back to the castle and meet up with his parents.

He gently put Kagome on her feet as she wavered for just a second before standing on her own. He dried her and then wrapped her in a warm robe before he turned and did the same. They both walked out of the bathing chambers as they went to get dressed.

Kagome picked out a red kimono with a red hakama. She found a golden obi to go along with it and a white juban. There was a dragon going down her right leg as it curled around the bottom of her kimono.

Sesshoumaru chose a white hakama along with a red haori. He wore his favorite sash with it as he tucked his swords in at his side. When he was done dressing he looked for his mate and noticed that she was standing in front of the mirror as she looked at her reflection. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he asked, “What’s wrong Koiishi?”

When Kagome stepped in front of the mirror to fix her hair it was the first time that she saw her new marking. She now had a crescent moon on her forehead as it encircled her teardrop and the star was underneath the both of them.

When she heard her mates question she turned in his grasp as she looked up at him. She moved his bangs away from his forehead as she saw that he too had a new mark. Sesshoumaru now sported the star she wore underneath his crescent moon. She stared at him in awe and said, “You now have my star on your forehead like I have your crescent moon.”

Sesshoumaru lifted his head as he looked in the mirror. It was true he had the star that Kagome carried. He turned to his mate and said, “The crescent moon on your forehead signifies that you are the next lady of these lands. Since I’m the heir to the lands your markings will match mine. The star signifies that we are the protectors of the lands.”

Kagome understood what he was saying as she got busy fixing her hair before they left to see his parents. She was nervous about going back. She did miss them but this time when she went back she was mated to their son.

When Kagome was done fixing her hair Sesshoumaru walked over to her and brought her into his embrace. He kissed her passionately never wanting to let go of those wonderful lips. He released her for lack of air as he kissed the crescent moon on her forehead. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he guided her out of their room and toward the castle.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Ayashiko were making their way down to the dining hall when they felt the youki of their eldest close to the castle. They both smiled at each other as they walked toward the main doors and awaited their son’s return along with his new mate.

Sesshoumaru had his arm and tail wrapped, possessively, around Kagome’s waist as they headed back toward the castle. Along the way they picked up an escort as the castle guards surrounded them while they made their way toward the castle.

At Sesshoumaru’s first growls of warning the guards spread out even more to make sure they gave Sesshoumaru the distance he desired with his new mate. They all knew that he will be very protective of his mate for a while, until everyone in the castle understood that she was his mate, and hands off.

Kagome was becoming nervous as they made their way up the main stairs to the castle. She saw the great doors open and noticed her Otou-san and Oka-san coming out of the castle. Her heart leaped with joy when she saw them. She was about to go to them when her mate held her back and a low growl escaped his lips. She understood his warning as she stayed by his side, head down, until she was officially presented to them as his mate.

Inutaisho noticed immediately the tensing of his pup’s arms and tail as a low growl escaped Sesshoumaru’s chest. It was a warning to his mate to keep her distance from them. He was trying to teach her but he knew his little one all too well. He could feel the excitement of her wanting to come to him and his mate, but she had to learn her place.

They waited until Sesshoumaru stopped just a short distance away as he released his mate from his grasp. When he made to move forward his mate stayed where he put her and didn’t try to come forward. He was proud of her for doing this. He knew how much she wanted to greet his parents but he had to introduce her first.

Sesshoumaru approached his father as he stopped right in front of him. Inutaisho, when he saw his son stop in front of him, stepped forward and put his crescent moon against his sons. Their markings glowed for a short minute as a new bond was established with his son. This was required because Sesshoumaru was now mated and a new connection was needed to replace the one he gave his pup at birth.

When he pulled away from his pup his crescent moon was a little darker now, signifying he was mated. He waited until Sesshoumaru went to his mother and did the same thing to establish his connection with her.

Once this was done Sesshoumaru took a step away from his parents and went to stand by his mate. He stood to his full height as he said, “Father, mother, I want to present your new daughter, my life mate, Kagome.”

Kagome still had her head down as she felt the gentle nudge from her mate. She took a step forward as she bowed deeply to her Otou-san and Oka-san. She had to wait until she was called before she could move towards them, wanting Sesshoumaru to be proud of her.

Inutaisho saw as his little one came closer to him, she bowed deeply to them as she straightens and then waited patiently. He smiled as he said, “Kagome.” He watched with curious eyes as he opened his arms to her.

Kagome saw the invitation as she looked over her shoulder at her mate. When she saw Sesshoumaru nod his approval she turned and jumped the short distance into her Otou-sans arms.

Inutaisho closed his arms around his little one once she was in his embrace. He missed her as he held her in his arms. He moved his clawed hand under her chin as he lifted her head up and touched his crescent moon against hers. Their markings glowed brightly before it faded away. He released his little one from his embrace as he let her go to his mate.

Ayashiko was waiting patiently for her mate to finish. When he finally let go of Kagome her pup flew into her arms and hugged her fiercely. She missed her pup. It was good to have her in her arms once again. They hugged for a few minutes when she heard Kagome say, “I’ve missed you mama.”

Ayashiko heart filled with joy as she pulled Kagome away from her chest and put her crescent moon against her pups. Again their markings glowed brightly before it subsided. She pulled Kagome away from her as she said, “I have missed you too. Now, how about we all get something to eat?”

Kagome smiled brightly at her mother as she took a step away from her. She heard Sesshoumaru’s growl as she moved again to his side. A proprietary arm came around her waist as Sesshoumaru tucked her against his side. They all turned and walked into the castle wanting to go to the dinning hall to eat their breakfast.

Kagome was just happy to be home once again. She was wondering where Sango was when she looked straight in front of her. She stopped in mid step when she saw the painting hanging on the wall. She paled when she recognized the painting and wondered where they got it. She thought that she hidden her work so no one could find them.

Sesshoumaru looked down at his mate when she stopped walking. He noticed where she was staring and took in how pale she looked. He looked up in the direction that caught her interest when his eyes went wide. There on the wall in front of them was a family portrait.

He released his mate as he walked towards the painting to get a better look at it. He took in the beauty of the art work and wondered where his mother got this painting. It was the best portrait he has ever seen of his family and what made him even happier was that his mate was included in the painting. When he looked at his portrait his eyes went wide. He was smiling in this portrait. No one has ever seen him smile before and he wondered who painted this picture.

He turned, as he looked at his mother and asked, “Mother, where did you get this portrait?”

Ayashiko stopped walking toward the dinning hall when she sensed her pup’s distress. As she looked over her shoulder, she noticed that Kagome stopped in mid step when she saw the family portrait. She saw how pale her pup looked and thought that she should have asked her if she could have the painting first before she placed it on the wall.

She turned towards her son when she heard his question as she asked, “Why Sesshoumaru? Do you not like the portrait? I believe that it’s the best portrait of my family that I have ever been given.”

Sesshoumaru was beside himself as he said, “No mother, the portrait is beautiful and deemed worthy to hang in such a high place of honor. I like the portrait very much, I just wanted to ask the artist how they captured my smile, because the picture portrays me with one.”

Ayashiko smiled as she turned her eyes towards Kagome and said, “Ask your mate. She is the artist behind the portrait.”

Stunned at what he was told Sesshoumaru turned toward his mate. Kagome was just standing there with her head down. She didn’t move or speak as he walked back to her. When he stopped in front of her, he scented her sadness and regret as he heard her say in a low and soft voice, “I’m sorry Sesshoumaru, no one was to see that painting. I’m sorry if I have embarrassed you.”

Taken aback by the statement that left his mates lips he walked forward and embraced her. He could feel her relax in his hold as he said, “You didn’t embarrass me Koiishi, I love the portrait, it is a great work of art and there is no better place for it than to hang in a place of honor. I just wanted to know how you got my smile.”

Kagome sighed as she said, “It took me weeks to paint that portrait. I had to observe each member of this family until I saw the exact expression I wanted in my painting. For Lady
Ayashiko I wanted an expression that said elegance and grace. For Lord Inutaisho I wanted an expression that said strength and compassion. For your brother I wanted an expression that displayed his playfulness.

But you were the hardest one to paint. I wanted an expression that was the true you. Not the mask that you hide behind. It took me weeks of observing you before I finally saw you smile. You were in the gardens and you smelled a strange white flower when I saw you smile like that. You got a twinkle in your eyes that I have never seen before. That was the expression that I was waiting for to finish my portrait of the people I now call my family. But what I don’t understand is how did you find my painting?” Kagome turned her blue eyes toward her mother as she waited for a reply.

Ayashiko was touched at how her pup made this beautiful portrait. She heard her pups question as she answered, “Sango and I went into your room to gather your things to put them in your new bedchambers. I spotted them behind the clothes box and pulled them out. I found all of your paintings and picked the very best ones to hang in the castle.”

Kagome’s eyes opened wide with shock as she said, “You framed some more of my paintings?”

Ayashiko chuckled as she said, “Yes I did. I will show you later where they hang. You have a beautiful talent my Musume. You should not hide it. I was very touched when I saw this painting but you failed in one thing. You were not included in the painting. That was the only thing that was missing to make it complete.”

Ayashiko saw the expression on her pups face as she continued, “I asked Semi if he could add you to your painting. He agreed and the next day this is what he gave me. He was able to mimic your brush strokes and added you to the portrait. I put it here in the main hall to allow everyone to see my family. I’m very proud of this painting and I hope that you will allow me keep it there.”

Kagome bowed her head. She didn’t know what to think. All her life she was told that she was not good enough and that her paintings were trash. But she continued to paint because it relaxed her. She took a deep breath as she let it out and said, “Yes Oka-san you may keep the painting if you wish.”

Ayashiko was happy that she could keep the painting but she saw the sadness that crossed her pups eyes as she stepped towards her and asked, “Kagome what’s wrong?”

Kagome deeply sighed as she said, “All my life I have been told that my painting were not good enough to put up on the walls. Now you tell me that they are a work of art. I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

Sesshoumaru hugged his mate closer to his body as he said, “Kagome, your painting is beautiful and whoever told you that, didn’t have an eye for beautiful works of art. I hope that you will continue to paint like this. I would love to see more of your work.”

Kagome felt her heart lift just a little as she agreed with her mate. They then turned and went into the dinning hall to eat their meal.

Once everyone was done eating Ayashiko showed Kagome and Sesshoumaru to their new room. They all went to the western section of the castle as Ayashiko stopped in front of a door, she turned to her pups and said, “Sango and I redid this room with both of you in mind. I hope that you like what we have done to it.”

She opened the door as they all walked into the room.

Kagome’s breath hitched when she saw the room. It was beautiful, when she walked into the room she noticed all of her paintings hanging on the wall. They have been beautifully framed. She looked around the room and saw the Sakura tree that was painted on one of the walls as its branches extended over the walls and ceiling.

Then she looked over to the fireplace and saw the painting that was hanging over it. It was another portrait of her and Sesshoumaru. It was beautifully done and they looked so happy together.

The excitement of the mating from the previous day, coming home, seeing her painting hanging in the main entrance to the castle, and seeing this beautiful room, took its toll on Kagome as she fainted.

Sesshoumaru was watching his mate as her breathing became labored. She was paling even more as he saw her looking around the room. It was beautifully done with his mate in mind and he knew that she liked the room. When she looked at the portrait hanging over the fireplace he saw her eyes roll back into her head as she started to fall.

Sesshoumaru rushed forward as he grabbed his mate before she hit the floor. He held her tightly in his arms as he checked her to see what was wrong. To him she just seemed to be asleep.

Ayashiko quickly came over to her son as she looked at Kagome. She turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru as she said, “It looks like we have overwhelmed Kagome, and she just fainted. Sochi lay her down so she can rest, she will be fine.”

Sesshoumaru placed his mate on their bed as he looked at her, he was worried about her but she seemed to be resting comfortably for right now.

Sesshoumaru stood as he sighed and turned his attention toward his father. He had to ask this question before Kagome woke up. He knew that part of her upset was the fact that they might have to leave his fathers home. “Father, I need to speak with you in private.”

Inutaisho raised an elegant eyebrow at his son’s words, as he nodded his agreement. They left his son’s room, leaving Kagome to rest, as they walked toward his study. Once they were both inside with the door closed Sesshoumaru addressed his father. “Father, I know that tradition dictates that a mated male must leave the den to start his own pack. I need to know if this is what you want me to do. Part of Kagome’s upset is the thought of leaving Gengetsujou. I promised her that I would speak with you on this matter.”

Inutaisho was stunned by his son’s words. ‘Kagome is upset about leaving Gengetsujou? No wonder she fainted in her room.’ He looked up at his son and said, “It is never my wish to send my pups away. I don’t care if you are mated or not, nor do I care about tradition. If your wish is to stay here with your mate then I welcome you with open arms. I prefer for you to stay and help me rule.”

Sesshoumaru was happy to hear this, now he could tell his mate that they will be staying here with his father and she doesn’t have to worry anymore.

Inutaisho noticed that his son relaxed after he said they could stay. In truth he didn’t want his pups to leave. His mate would be saddened if they were to leave his castle. But now that they are staying, there were other pressing issues that they needed to discuss.

“Sesshoumaru, I have received word from my spies that Jakyoku is moving towards the west. He is planning an all out attack against us and we need to come up with a plan to defend the west. I don’t want anything to happen to your mother or Kagome.” Inutaisho said with a strained voice. They needed to start soon on a defense before Jakyoku attacked.

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father as they spent the rest of the day planning the defense of the west.

---oOo---

Ayashiko stayed with Kagome for the whole day. Sango was with her youngest so he was well protected. She sat by Kagome’s side and waited for her pup to awaken. She tried several times now to wake her but her pup would not wake up. As far as she could tell Kagome was just overwhelmed with everything that happened and she sensed that her pup has not recovered from her mating. She was still very weak and wondered just how intense their mating was.

Ayashiko sensed her eldest coming towards the room as she turned and faced the door. She was not disappointed when her son came through the door and saw her sitting next to Kagome. His surprise was evident on his features as he walked into the room to stand by her side.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru spent the entire day with his father planning the defense of the Western Lands. He will protect his mate and his father’s lands against this Jakyoku. He has no idea why this insect wanted the Western Lands but he was determined not to let him have it. But even though they were planning the defense of the west, his mind was still on his mate who still seemed to be asleep in their chambers.

When they were finally done for the day, he left his father to check on his mate. To his surprise he caught his mother’s scent by his mate as he reached his chambers and opened the door. There sitting next to his mate was his mother as she kept Kagome company.

He walked into the room as he came to stand next to her and asked, “Mother, what are you doing here? Is Kagome all right?”

Ayashiko did not miss the worried tones to his voice, she smiled as she stood and replied, “Kagome, is fine Socio, she has been asleep all day. I have tried to wake her but she won’t wake up.”

Sesshoumaru looked at his mate with concern, she should have woken up already. He stepped towards the bed as he sat next to his mate and moved the hair away from her face.

He was about to try and wake his mate when he heard his mother say, “Sesshoumaru, I will send a servant up with a tray for the both of you. Please try and wake Kagome so she can eat. Then rest, I feel that your mating was very intense and this is part of why Kagome has not awakened yet. But I feel that she should be back to normal by morning.”

Sesshoumaru agreed with his mother as he saw her walking out of their room. Once she left he leaned down and picked his mate up in his arms as he rested her body in his lap. Wrapping his arms around her small form, he brought her closer to his chest as he purred. He rubbed his cheek against hers, trying to wake her.

Kagome was in the land of dreams when she felt that someone was trying to wake her. She was tired and didn’t want to wake up at the moment as she snuggled deeper into the warmth she was feeling. She was happy there and she wanted to stay. But the person that was trying to wake her was not giving up as she whined.

Slowly Kagome’s mind started to work as it brought forth her consciousness and allowed her to awaken. She was tired as she slowly opened her eyes and let them come into focus. Her mate was holding her as she yipped, “Mate I’m tired, I want to sleep.”

Finally Sesshoumaru got his mate to awaken from her sleep. When he heard her request he purred, “Mate must eat. You are still weak from our mating and you have been asleep for most of the day.”

Kagome was surprised to hear this. She didn’t know that she has been sleeping all day. She yawned as she snuggled deeper into her mates embrace. She was getting ready to go back to sleep when she heard a knock on the door.

Sesshoumaru was having a hard time with his mate. She didn’t want to wake up and preferred to be sleeping. He couldn’t let her sleep until she ate the evening meal. She has already missed the afternoon meal and he could not let her miss the evening meal as well. He was about to make her sit up when he heard a knock on the door as he turned and said, “Come in.”

Katsuki was standing outside the door as she took a deep breath and knocked. She was instructed to bring the evening meal up to Sesshoumaru and his mate. There was nothing that she wouldn’t do for the young miko. So there she stood waiting to be allowed into the room. Then she heard the young master say, “Come in.”

Katsuki opened the door as she went towards the young master and placed the tray of food next to the futon on the small table there. She bowed deeply to Sesshoumaru as she looked at the young miko. She smiled and said, “You will have a rough time with her young master, she is stubborn and making her eat is a chore. But if you have a hard time making her eat just send her my way, I will ensure that she eats.” With that Katsuki left the happy couple alone as she walked out of the room.

Sesshoumaru smiled after Katsuki left. She knew his mate all too well and he was grateful for the help in getting Kagome to eat her meals. He reached over and uncovered the tray with Kagome’s food. He took some food as he tried to wake his mate once more.

Kagome fell asleep again and she was happy. But all too soon that same person was trying to wake her as she slowly opened her tired eyes. She smelled something good as her stomach started to growl from being empty. She noticed that her mate was offering her some food and she sighed. She will not be able to sleep until she ate so she took the food that was offered as she chewed.

Sesshoumaru sat there and feed his mate until she had her fill. When she was done he put what remained of her food aside, undressed her, and then placed her on the futon for the night. He then sat down and ate his share of the food. When he was done he heard a soft knock on the door and he knew who it was. He took the tray with him as he opened the door and handed it to Katsuki. She smiled at him as she took the tray and left, noticing that the tray was a lot lighter than before, as she made her way back down to the kitchen. She knew that they both have eaten and she was happy.

Sesshoumaru closed the door and turned his attention to the fireplace. The night was chilly as he lit the fire with just a thought. The flames came to life as it warmed the room, making it comfortable.

He stripped his clothes off as he got into bed. He pulled his mate closer to his body while he held her tightly in his arms. He gave a sigh of relief as he took in her scent. It was a mixture of night blooming jasmine and his distinct musk. She smelled heavenly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep with his mate tucked into his body.

---oOo---

Inutaisho and Ayashiko were going up to retire for the night. They were worried about their pups as they stopped in front of their door. They noticed the barrier that was placed there not allowing anyone into the room. They heard their gentle breathing as they smiled and continued to their room. They were all right as there was a peaceful aura coming from their bedchambers.

Inutaisho told his mate that he was allowing Sesshoumaru to stay with his mate. Ayashiko was happy to hear this, now she didn’t have to worry about them being on their own. She has planned out what she and Kagome were going to be doing as she started to train her in her duties as the next lady of the lands.

They went to bed that night content to have all of their pups back home once again. Something still bothered Ayashiko as she settled down next to her mate for the night, she will have to ask her son if Kagome went into heat while they were gone. She had a hunch that she didn’t and will have to be on guard for when she did go into heat. Sesshoumaru will be unstoppable when she did and anyone caught near her will be killed as a threat to his mate and his bond with her.

---oOo---

Kagome was getting back to her old routine. Her mate told her that they will not have to leave the western castle or her new family. His father agreed and requested that they stay and help him rule the west.

She was very happy to hear this news. They spent the day before letting her recover from her mating as she and Ayashiko walked around the garden. They were no longer in bloom but the area was still very peaceful.

Kagome finally met up with Sango and she was surprised at where she has been. It appears that they were letting Sango go into the villages to get supplies for the castle before winter came in.

But the strangest part was the way that Sango was acting. Kagome never questioned her when Ayashiko was with them but as soon as she left to go tend to some business, Sango then had her full attention.

“Sango what’s wrong? I can tell that something is bothering you since I came back.” Kagome asked as she eyed her friend. Something was definitely bugging her and she was going to find out what it was.

Sango became irritated, she hated when Kagome read her so well. She really didn’t want to talk about it because she can handle the situation by herself. But her problem was proving to be a pest and not even beating him to a bloody pulp has deterred his plans or his intentions.

She looked at Kagome through the corner of her eye and noticed that she was not going to back down from this. Sango sighed heavily knowing that she was not going to get away from not telling her friend. She turned towards Kagome while she held Kirara in her lap, petting her fur, as she said, “There is nothing wrong Kagome, I guess I just miss my family.”

Kagome was not buying what Sango told her. She knew that there was something else that she was not telling her and it was upsetting her. “No Sango that’s not it. Don’t try to lie to me. I know when something is bothering you and its not you missing your family. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Sango lowered her head as she started to explain, “Well, Lady Ayashiko has delegated that I go into the surrounding villages and buy supplies for the castle and other things that they will need for the winter. They want to make sure that they have enough food to provide for everyone in case something goes wrong. Well in one of the villages I met this monk. He has taken a fancy to me and he won’t take no for an answer.”

Kagome’s eyes went wide as she smiled and asked, “Is he handsome? Do you like him in any way?”

Sango’s left eyebrow twitched, as she yelled, “NO! I don’t like the bastard. He is a letch! All he wants to do is grope my ass and when I hit him he just smiles at me saying, ‘it was worth the pain.’ I have even knocked him unconscious a couple of times but he keeps coming back. I don’t know how to get rid of this guy and he is getting on my nerves.”

Kagome couldn’t help but giggle as she said, “Sango, I think you have finally meet your match. If he is this persistent and a lecher on top of everything you have told me, then I think he has it bad for you. Any lecher will go on to the next woman and continue on his way. This person continues to come after you and only you. He is persistent because he wants you as his wife and he is not one to give up that easily. I bet that if you gave him the chance he can prove to you that he will be a good husband. What is his name anyway?”

Sango shook her head as she was listening to Kagome speak. ‘There is no way that lecher has any feeling for me. I have seen him go up to every woman in town and asked them if they will bear his child. But come to think of it, he never asked me if I wanted to bear his child. He will just always look at me with those deep violet eyes of his that somehow fascinate me. Wait! Where did that thought come from? I’m not interested in that lecher!’

Sango lifted her head, she heard the last question Kagome asked as she said, “His name is Miroku. He is a monk, has strong spiritual powers, and he travels from village to village offering his services.”

Kagome raised an eyebrow as she said, “My Sango, you know a lot about this monk for someone that doesn’t have any interest in him.”

Sango blushed a furious red as she went after Kagome for her comment. Kagome laughed as Sango chased her around the area trying to get her. They played like that until Ayashiko came back and asked what was going on and no one said a word. She had a feeling that this was not over, as she saw the look in Sango eyes that said when she got Kagome it was going to be painful.

Ayashiko smiled, she turned with both girls in tow, as they went back towards the castle. She got an idea in her mind as she said, “You know if you two really want to fight you should spar with each other tomorrow. That way you will both be even and the winner will win this argument.”

Both girls looked at each other as they smiled. It has been a long time since they sparred and that will settle their argument. They both made plans to do a little training in the morning so they could settle this. Sango agreed to the training as a gleam came to her eyes. She will win against Kagome this time, since Kagome doesn’t know that she has been training with Lady Ayashiko.

As they were approaching the castle Ayashiko turned to her pup and said, “Kagome, in two days time we will go to the villages around the area. I make it a point to visit and let them know that we are here to protect them. It makes them feel good that we care and I want you to come with me. It’s about time that they know who the new Lady of the Land is going to be, that way when you go out on your own they will know who you are.”

Kagome was excited about going to the villages with her Oka-san, she was finally getting some freedom from the castle as she looked around this era. She was still curious and wanted to learn as much as possible.

---oOo---

So here Kagome was trying to get out of her mates embrace so she could go and train with Sango this morning, all because of a comment she made yesterday about the monk. She knew it was true but Sango was not about to admit to anything.

Finally she got out of Sesshoumaru’s embrace as she got out of bed and dressed. She put on her hakama and fighting gi as she left her room and found Sango there waiting for her. She smiled as they went down to the dining hall to have something to eat before they left the castle. She knew that if she didn’t eat Katsuki will come after her and she knew that she didn’t stand a chance against her.

Once they were done eating they left the castle as they took a deep breath of the morning air. It was cold out this morning as they saw their breath when they exhaled. Both girls went down to the training area as they both got warmed up before their training.

Kagome had a strange feeling that someone was watching them as she scanned the area with her senses. She didn’t pick up anything out of the ordinary as she shrugged it off and pulled her sword out of its sheath to face Sango.

Kagome had to admit that Sango has gotten a lot better since the last time they have trained together. She could go the distance with her but she was still no were near as strong as she was.

The sound of swords clashing was heard all around the castle as they trained. At one point Sango thought that she had Kagome but at the last minute Kagome turned and knocked the swords out of Sango’s hands, while placing her blade up against Sango’s throat. Sango gave a sigh and admitted defeat as she said, “Just you wait Kagome, one day I will beat you and then I will be the one smiling.”

Kagome giggled as she said, “I will wait for that day my tomodachi and when it does happen then I will happily admit defeat to you. As for your monk, if you just ignore him he might go away. He might be coming after you because he can get underneath your skin and knows that you will retaliate. That might be his sole purpose in life, is to bug you.”

Sango never thought of it that way before as she looked up at her friend and said, “Thanks Kagome, I will try what you have suggested. Maybe you are right. He might be doing all of this because he knows that he has my attention when he gropes me. But I give you fair warning, if we meet up with him tomorrow, you better guard your backside or else he will be feeling your ass with that lecherous hand of his.”

Both girls laughed at Sango’s comment as Sango turned to leave. She saw Kagome sitting on the ground as she turned to her and asked, “Kagome, are you not coming back into the castle? You know that Sesshoumaru is going to be looking for you.”

Kagome turned to Sango with a smile on her face, “No, I’m going to mediate for a little while before I go back inside. Sesshoumaru only has one thing on his mind lately and I’m still sore from the other day.” Sango laughed full and hearty as she turned and went inside the castle, leaving Kagome to her meditation.

Kagome closed her eyes as she started to concentrate on the new power that she has gained. She needed to understand how they worked so she could bring them in line with the rest of her powers.

She relaxed as she opened her mind and searched for her new powers making sure that she understood how to handle them, then she turned her attention to the youkai souls that were within her as she got full control over them to make sure that they wouldn’t come out again.

When she lost control over them during her mating she hurt a lot of youkai in the area, including her mate and Otou-san. She healed them, as well as the others that she hurt and that drained her considerably. She didn’t want that to ever happen again.

As Kagome was mediating she heard a whistle in the near distance. She thought that she recognized this whistle from somewhere. It was sweet and pleasant to her ears, it soothed her in a way that she has never been soothed before. Her mind started to get foggy as she felt herself stand and take a couple of steps forward. She stopped as she fought against the spell that someone was casting on her. Her Otou-san showed her how to break this kind of spell as she fought against it.

Kagome’s aura flared as she sent her own attack toward the person that was trying to control her. She felt when she destroyed the whistle before she was released from its influence. She exerted too much energy breaking that spell and it made her very weak, then she silently called, “Help me Sesshoumaru,” before she fell unconscious on the ground.

---oOo---

Sesshoumaru’s breathing started to get faster. He was waking up from his slumber and he felt cold. He noticed that something was missing from his side as he extended his arm looking for his mate. He reached over to pull her against him but when he found nothing but air his eyes snapped open.

He growled as he quickly sat up looking for his mate. Her scent was cold and she has been gone for a long while. He opened his sense trying to find her when he felt her outside with Sango.

He got out of bed as he went to the window to look for Kagome. He found her training with Sango down below in the training field. He couldn’t understand why she was up so early in the morning, he thought that she would want to stay in bed with him.

Irritated at his mate, he turned as he got cleaned up and then dressed. He wanted to know why she was training again. He knew the advantages of training and always being ready for anything that came. He stopped in mid step as he thought, ‘I should not be mad at my mate for wanting to stay up with her training. With her gaining new powers from our mating she will need to train to get them under control again.’ He sighed maybe he should be out there too training with her.

Now that thought brought a smile to his face as he left his room wanting to go see his mate. When he stepped out of his room his father was coming down the hallway as he stopped and said, “Good morning father, where are you going to in such a hurry?”

Inutaisho greeted his son as he said, “I have received an urgent message from our spies about Jakyoku and I want to read it before breakfast, maybe you should come with me so we can find out what they have to say.”

Sesshoumaru agreed with his father as he was following him down to his study. They almost reached the study when Sesshoumaru stopped in mid step. He heard his mate’s call as he growled and vanished, going towards her location.

Inutaisho reached his study and was opening the door when he turned to look at his son. He heard his growls of anger and then disappeared from his side. The only thing that could make his son this angry was that something happened to Kagome. He turned and rushed after his son to see what was going on.

Sesshoumaru arrived next to his mate in seconds. He found her on the ground unconscious as he scooped her up in his arms and held her protectively. His anger grew when he saw how weak she was, knowing that she just fought off a spell of some kind in order for her to be drained this much.

His aura flared around his body letting anyone nearby know that he was pissed. He scanned the area but he found nothing amiss. He turned as he headed towards the castle when he met his father.

Inutaisho became alarmed when he saw that Kagome was unconscious in Sesshoumaru’s arms. He rushed to his son’s side as he asked, “Sesshoumaru, what happened to Kagome?”

Sesshoumaru growled as he said, “She was attacked. Someone was trying to control her again but this time she fought against the spell. She managed to break it but it drained her of her powers. I am going upstairs to put her to bed, she needs to rest at the moment. I will meet you down in your study after I am satisfied that she is all right.”

Inutaisho understood his son’s concern as he saw him turn and go back upstairs. He turned and went to find his mate. Maybe she could stay with Kagome until she recovered from this ordeal and then he had to find his general. He wanted his home secured and he will not tolerate anyone attacking his family. He wanted them protected at all times.

---oOo---

This is the end to another chapter. Hello everyone! Sorry for the long delay in posting the next chapter. But after I posted that last chapter my computer got a virus and it had my only complete copy of this story.

Unfortunately when your computer gets a virus it takes money to put everything back the way you need it and I was low on funds. With the help of some friends I was able to pull my document from my computer and then disinfect it. Now that it’s safe I have put the document in my laptop and that’s where I’m working from until my computer gets fixed.

Sesshoumaru’s over protectiveness of his mate goes to the extreme. When he refuses to back down and give Kagome some freedom, an unexpected person come’s in and teaches him a lesson for his stubbornness.

Jakyoku is on the move as his plans are finally set into motion. Kagome and Ayashiko are attack, can Sesshoumaru and Inutaisho get to them in time before they are taken away from them? You will have to wait for the next chapter in order to find out.

Until the next time!

Ja ne!