What's A Dragon to Do?

Chapter 24

Miroku returned to the palace and went in search of Masumi. He found her sitting under a cherry tree and looking very lonely. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. "I am sorry I was gone so long. The spirit didn't want to leave and it took me longer than I expected."

Masumi smiled at him and leaned back into his arms. "That's ok I had an interesting day today. I got to talk to Sango and she told me a few things that I think would have been better if you had told me but I understand why you didn't. I think I like her."

"You talked to Sango? What did you two talk about?" Miroku was really worried now.

"About your relationship with her and about other things." Masumi could smell the scent of her mate and it told her he was worried.

"I should have told you about our relationship myself. It was my duty and I am sorry that I didn't tell you. I just didn't know what to say." Miroku leaned his head down and laid it on Masumi's.

"Miroku, I wouldn't have gotten angry with you. But I am now your mate and I refuse to be kept in the dark about things. I am upset that you treated Sango in that manner and you had better not even think about doing something like that to me." Masumi felt Miroku relax once again at her words.

"Masumi, I am your mate and I will stay faithful to you. I will stay by your side for the rest of my life." Miroku hugged her to him tighter and lightly kissed her on the top of her head.

"That's good because Sango offered to lend me her Hiraikotsu should I ever need it. Not to mention I could smell other women on you so there is no way that I would not know if you were unfaithful to me. Besides you really don't want to make father mad." Masumi felt Miroku tense up at her last words.

"I will try my best no to give you cause to borrow Sango's Hiraikotsu or do anything to upset your father. An angry father-in-law is the last thing I want and an angry father-in-law that happens to be an Uncle to Kouga even less." Miroku leaned back against the tree and pulled Masumi back with him.

Masumi waited till Miroku got comfortable and then she leaned back against his chest again, "By the way when are you going to meet my family?"

"We must wait till Sesshoumaru comes back and then we have to leave on our quest but I might be able to get Inuyasha to let me go before we leave." Miroku mentally shook himself. Just the thought of meeting her parents scared him to death.

"My parents aren't that bad Miroku. They will love you." Masumi raised his hand to her mouth and laid a light kiss on the back of it.

Miroku had his doubts about that but he wasn't about to voice them to her. "I am filthy after the journey to the village. Are you sure that you don't want to join me in the hot springs?"

Masumi laughed. Miroku was persistent if nothing else. "I will pass thank you. But I will walk with you back to our room and get your clothes ready for dinner." She stood up and waited for Miroku then grabbed his hand and ran to their room.

~Western Palace~

Sango had left Kitaro's office and quickly retired to her room. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. How would she ever face him again? She just knew that he would never let her live that incident down. She stayed in her room waiting for Kitaro to come for her but when time went by and he didn't appear she started to relax. Well it's almost time for dinner so I will get ready and go on down. Kitaro wouldn't do anything in the dining room.

Sango changed kimonos and then decided to take a walk in the garden until dinner was done. She found a path and followed it and came to a koi pond with a small bridge going over it. She walked over and saw the fish swimming around in the water. She sat down on a bench that was beside the pond and just watched the fish. She was lost in her thoughts.

Kitaro returned to the palace and to his room and changed clothes. Then he tracked Sango down in the garden. He found her beside the pond. He walked over to her and moved her hair away from her neck. He bent down and kissed his mark. "Sango you are not allowed to cover the mark with anything and that means your hair also."

Sango all but stopped breathing when she felt his hand on her neck and heard his voice. She didn't even sense him come up behind her. Then his mouth touched her neck and she forgot how to breathe. When she found her voice she turned to him and glared at him.

"Did you have to sneak up on me like that? You scared me half to death."

"I'm sorry Sango. I didn't mean to scare you." He leaned down and placed his arms on the back of the bench and let his hair fall over them both.

Sango squealed when his wet hair touched her. "Your wet." She jumped away from him and glared at him.

Kitaro sighed and stood up. "That's what happens when one is forced to take a cold dip in a lake?"

"There are hot springs at the palace. Why in the world would you take a bath in a cold lake?" Sango looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"You didn't leave me much choice. It was either the lake or to hunt you down and have my way with you. I know you are not ready for that quite yet so I chose the lake." He smirked when he saw her face getting red again. She really was too easy to tease.

Sango felt her face heating up at his words. After spending all that time with Miroku she should have known better than to walk right into that one. "I am glad then that you chose the lake. But there are other ways to deal with problems such as that without the cold water."

Kitaro walked up to her and smiled. "Why Sango are you offering your services?"

Sango gasped at the nerve of the demon in front of her. "I am not."

"Well it must be the lake then because I refuse to take care of matters by myself when I have a woman who is fully capable of helping me deal with my problem." Kitaro's grin got bigger when Sango just shook her head.

"Well why didn't you go to her then?" Sango would beat him at his own game.

"But Sango you didn't want to help me or you wouldn't have run away." Kitaro was determined to win this battle of words. "Or maybe you were scared that you would attack my body and that is why you ran."

Sango walked closer to Kitaro and smiled up at him. "Oh you guessed it. I ran because I wanted you so much that I was afraid of what I might do to you." Sango placed her hands behind his neck and stood on her toes so that she could reach his neck. "I might have done something like this." She leaned closer to him and lowered her lips to his neck. She ran her lips and tongue along his neck and almost giggled when she heard him make a sound that resembled a purr. She kissed her way from one side of his neck to the other. She ran her teeth along his throat followed by her tongue. When she felt the hardness against her stomach again she stepped back from him and smiled at him.

Kitaro couldn't help but get aroused when Sango started kissing his neck. He knew she felt it when she withdrew from him. He reached out to grab her and she dodged him and he watched her run into the palace. He took a deep breath and then turned back to the forest to visit his lake.

~Western Palace Dungeon~

Jaken paced along his small cell. Why are they keeping me in here? I didn't do anything but protect my lord from the human girl. She was always causing trouble. He was glad that she was dead and could no longer bother his lord. He would not regret what he had done to the kitsune and the human.

~Western Lands~

Ah and Un flew into the night with both children on their backs. They listened as they talked about their adventure in the orb and just shook their heads at them. Children were such strange creatures. They saw the palace come into view and when they got close enough to land they landed in a spot in the garden where they wouldn't hurt any of the flowers that Rin liked. He could hear a few guards heading toward them but until he saw his master's brother or the general no one was getting close to the kids.

~Western Palace~

Kitaro returned from his cold swim to find the palace in an uproar. It seemed to be centered in the gardens. He ran to the garden to find Lord Sesshoumaru's dragon with Rin and a kitsune on his back. He also found many of his soldiers standing out of the dragon's way and a few of them had smoke rolling off them. "What is going on?"

Sango turned when she heard his voice. "This dragon is refusing to turn Rin and Shippou loose."

Kitaro walked up to Ah and Un and when they dropped a paper at his feet he picked it up. He read his lords instructions and turned to find a servant to fetch the items he needed. Then he turned back to the dragon.

"Will you release the children to me?" Ah and Un nodded their heads and lifted the children off their back and set them in the generals arms.

Kitaro turned and handed the children to Sango and then when the servant brought the supplies he tied them to Ah Un's saddle. He stood back and watched the dragon fly off again. Maybe I should follow them and find out what is going on.

"Sango stay with the children I am going to follow the dragon to see where Lord Sesshoumaru is." Rin wiggled out of Sango's arms and ran to Kitaro.

"Kitaro, Lord Sesshoumaru would not like to be interrupted. He is at a very big meeting and doesn't wish to be disturbed. That is why he sent Shippou and I back to the palace." Shippou to jumped away from Sango and joined Rin.

"That is true. Besides he said that you had to protect us now and how can you do that if you are chasing Ah Un. I am sure that Lord Sesshoumaru wouldn't like to hear that you neglected his orders."

Kitaro knew that he couldn't follow the dragon after hearing the kitsune. Beside who knew how long he would be gone and as long as his lord was safe he could take care of himself. He looked around him and found a dragon youkai servant and motioned for her to come forward.

"What is your name?" The dragon bowed to him before she answered.

"I am Nichie, master Kitaro."

"Well Nichie you are the children's new nanny. You will be responsible for their welfare until the Lord returns." Kitaro watched as she bowed to him again and took the children by the hand and led them into the palace. When they were out of sight he turned around to look for Sango and caught a glimpse of her walking into the palace.

He walked slowly back to the palace and entered the dining room to find dinner just being served. He sat down beside Sango and listened as she and Masumi talked.

Sango waited till Kitaro took a drink of sake then she ran her finger along his thigh.

Kitaro felt her finger on his thigh and when he tried to swallow the sake he choked. When he could breath again he turned to look at Sango and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is there something that you would like to tell me Sango?" Sango put a finger against her head as if she was in heavy thought before she answered him.

"No I don't think there is." Sango resumed eating and this time it was her turn to choke.

Kitaro kept his hands on the table but stealthily moved his tail around Sango's waist making sure that it wasn't visible from the table and ran the tip of it up and down her leg.

"It must be catching. Are you ok Sango?" He gently patted her on the back and smiled at her when she glared at him.

"I am fine thank you." She looked across the table and could see the laughter shinning in Masumi's eyes and clear confusion on Miroku's face. So she thought this was funny. Well she would find some way to get even with her. And she knew just the thing. "This is not funny Masumi."

"I don't know I think it is very funny." Masumi couldn't help but laugh at the pair across from her. They obviously found each other attractive or else her nose was lying to her.

Miroku looked from Masumi to Sango and when Sango lowered her head and turned so that she could talk to Kitaro he saw what looked like a small wound on her neck. "Did you harm yourself training today Sango?"

Sango turned a questioning eye to Miroku. And when he pointed to her neck she knew what he was talking about. "No I didn't harm myself." She could have said more but she kept her mouth shut.

Masumi saw the mark and smirked at Sango. Then she turned to Miroku, "Miroku that is how Inu-youkai's mark the one they want to court."

Miroku looked at Sango in shock and was angry when Kitaro smiled at him. So he marked her but it is a courting mark and not a mating mark. He just shook his head. He couldn't get mad if Sango had found someone to care for her. He may not like it but he had no choice but to stand by her choice.

"Congratulations on your courtship." He raised his cup of sake and toasted the couple.

When Masumi saw her mate drinking heavily she decided that it was time to retire to their room and with the help of a male servant she got Miroku there with no trouble. She undressed him and then herself and climbed into bed. She cuddled up to him and whispered

"One day you will love me like you did her." With that said she snuggled up to him and fell asleep.

Kitaro watched the monk being carried out of the room and then turned to Sango.

"Would you care to walk with me in the garden?" Sango faked a yawn and turned to the general.

"Maybe some other time. I am really tired right now. I am going to bed." He watched her stand and turn to leave him but he wasn't going to let her get away that easily.

"Let me walk you to your room." He caught her hand before she could get away from him and when he was standing next to her he wrapped his tail around her waist. He then led her out of the dining room and down the hall to her room. When they reached her room he picked her up and pulled her to his chest and took her mouth with his. He felt Sango run her hands through his hair and heard the little sounds coming from her. Then he felt her touch his ears and he broke the kiss and tried to catch his breath. He sat her down and pulled her against him and leaned against the door to her room. "Are you sure your not ready to mate yet?"

Sango shook her head no and leaned her head down to Kitaro's chest. "I wish I could but I am just not ready yet." She quickly leaned up and kissed him on the cheek and then hurried into her room.

Kitaro sighed heavily when her door shut behind her leaving him alone in the hall. He would have to return to the lake before he could retire for the night. He had never had so many cold baths in his life. If she didn't change her mind soon his body might become permanently frozen from the waters of the lake. With one last mournful look at her door he left the palace.