Strength

ACK! I was supposed to leave the hhouse 10 minutes agao. But ... arrrggghhh . Ok posting with a million thanks for reviewers.

Chapter 29 : Carrying

Inuyasha awoke lonely, but no longer alone. His hand went low on his abdomen, and he sent a surge of Youki to the small fluttering of life within. He was pregnant. Finally he was pregnant again.

A surge of euphoria went through his system. Before the euphoria faded, a conflicting emotion rose in his chest. His mind flashed uncontrollably, to the first time he was pregnant. He could not control it, he could not stop; he began to hyperventilate as all the memories of the fear, the stress and the worry, of the harrowing memories of his first pregnancy reeled though his mind. Every traumatic moment was relived with crushing clarity, once again Inuyasha's arms went around his own body, holding his unborn pups to him, holding himself, trying to keep himself together. Unnoticed his claws sank into the flesh on his sides, blood leaked out.

He did not make a sound, - he could not draw attention to himself – he might be attacked. His body shook, and his eyes were unfocused, he bit his teeth so hard, his gums began to bleed. He began to tremble uncontrollably, the strange sound of the bed shaking filled the silent room. Lost in the depths of panic, the physical pain that shot through the Hanyou, was almost a welcome distraction. It dragged Inuyasha out of the world of his memories of trauma, into his current world of physical agony.

Some half hour later, the cursing and still shivering Hanyou stripped the sheets wet with sweat and blood. He dumped them into a corner of a near by store room, grabbed some random sheets and spread them on the bed. He puncture marks on his sides already healed. He put on fresh clothes and waited for his children to come in. He would not mention the he was pregnant, that would be a decision he would make with his Alpha.

The children bounded in, and the world seemed to right itself as Inuyasha focused on them. When Sesshoumaru walked in, Inuyasha did not quite meet Sesshoumaru's eyes, he blushed a little as Sesshoumaru inhaled deeply and sharply, and his eyes focused on the Hanyou who was pretending to not pay him any attention.

Following their normal routine, Sesshoumaru did not actually have time to speak to Inuyasha alone until after the pups were put to bed. The DaiYoukai was concerned about what he had smelt in their rooms that morning, and he was hoping Inuyasha would explain without him having to ask.

Inuyasha walked into their room a little apprehensively. Sesshoumaru stood by the bed, that he was waiting was clear, but the look on his face was as guarded and impassive as ever. Inuyasha took a deep breathe and faced Sesshoumaru. "Well?" the DaiYoukai asked softly. "What happened this morning?"

"Well.." Inuyasha mimicked, "What we wanted happened." Inuyasha said flatly, when he was met with a blank look on Sesshoumaru's face, did his Alpha really not know? He repeated, "Well... I'm carrying.. of course, what else?"

The words registered slowly in Sesshoumaru, the DaiYouki's eyes opened wide. He sniffed and sniffed again. Sesshoumaru was moving before he registered the move, he pulled Inuyasha close into his arms, burying his head in the Hanyou's hair, he inhaled deeply, and it seemed as if a beaker suddenly broke, and the unique scent of pregnant Inu Youkai filled Sesshoumaru's nose.

Inuyasha never even realised that he had and still did instinctively hide the scent of his pregnancy, until after he consciously told that person he was carrying.

A mix of happiness and pride filled Sesshoumaru, he held Inuyasha closer and expanded his Youki, connecting to the unborn pups, and feelings of rightness and euphoria filled him. Finally, he was doing what he needed to be doing; finally he was doing what he had to do. It was right, it was fulfilling. He needed to do this, as much as the unborn pups needed his energy to survive.

Inuyasha felt a strange mix of feelings, the great sense of relief that washed over him as he felt the pups get stronger, but at the same time, there was a tinge of pain and resentment as the unborn pups relied on a being other then him for their survival. He was not the only one he needed; and as much as it was a relief to be able to rely on Sesshoumaru, to share the burden of his pups safety– it hurt. Inuyasha pushed closer into Sesshoumaru's warmth, he focused on the relief and allowed it to take hold. He let the strengthening of his pups ease the small bite of pain, slowly Inuyasha relaxed against him. He was fiercely glad that he was giving his Alpha something he needed, he could feel Sesshoumaru's joy – and for some strange reason that made Inuyasha happy as well.

Sesshoumaru held Inuyasha close, as they both shared their energy with their pups. The Alpha tightened his grip as he led his mate back to the bed. He sat on the covers and pulled Inuyasha on to his lap, stroking and cooing into the ever twitching ears. It was a deep time of intimacy between mates, feelings of peace was shared and the two mates fell into a deep sleep.

In that moment of fulfilment and sharing, Sesshoumaru forgot the scent of sweat and blood that he had sniffed in the early morning, he forgot the concern that had plagued him, as he like his mate; focused on the care and needs of the unborn pups.

Sesshoumaru awoke as he did in the early mornings. He wanted to stay, wrapped in the warmth of the room. But that would be selfish. The force that drove him to the library every morning was almost a living thing inside the DaiYoukai. A clawed finger gently ran through Inuyasha's messy hair. Sesshoumaru was not built to admit that the emotion that drove him out of the bed early in the mornings, was fear. Not even to himself, would the DaiYoukai admit it. He HAD to go to the library, he had to research, he had to DO something, or he would not be able to manage this. Inuyasha's death was his, Inuyasha would NOT die before Sesshoumaru allowed it, and he was NOT going to allow it. That small tiny part of the DaiYoukai that had awakened when he found out that Tessaiga would not work on Inuyasha, that there was nothing he could kill to 'Save' Inuyasha, prodded the DaiYoukai to action each morning. He just could not sit and wait, he had to do something, and Sesshoumaru did not know what else he could do. Having found the ceremony that helped Inuyasha, the need find more ways to help was what drove the DaiYoukai out of the comfortable bed in the mornings. He did not know what else he could do.

He leaned down and pressed a kiss between the twitching ears, and quietly ghosted out of the room.

And so it went on.

Because of Inuyasha's past experience with pregnancy, he was not willing to have it known that he was pregnant so fast. Sesshoumaru quietly increased the security around his mate, and they both agreed to inform the pups of the pregnancy after a month into the pregnancy and not immediately. The rest of the world would be informed much later.

The night after Sesshoumaru found out about the pregnancy, Inuyasha was surprised – more like shocked – when Sesshoumaru arranged a rather intricate and intimate seduction of his Mate. After Inuyasha put the pups to bed, Sesshoumaru had met his mate, right outside Yuusha's rooms. The DaiYoukai wrapped his arms and moko-moko around his mate, drawing him in close. Inuyasha blinked in surprise, he had prepared himself, to move back into the small guest room, after all they hadn't had sex the night before, and there was no longer a reason for it. What did Sesshoumaru want?

Sesshoumaru kissed Inuyasha's lips gently, and then silently led his unprotesting mate out to the balcony. He put a barrier around them, and took to the air. No words were spoken, as Sesshoumaru, flew them to a nearby woods. Sesshoumaru landed on the tallest tree in the forest. The branches were as wide as a futon, and the DaiYoukai placed his mate carefully on a two pronged branch. There was a small box and some blankets placed on the branches, indicating that this was not an impulsive action on the part of the DaiYoukai. Inuyasha was not sure what the DaiYoukai intended, he felt a little blank and unsure.

Sesshoumaru smiled softly at the younger male, he reached out and ghosted his fingers over Inuyasha's ears and face. He cupped the too serious face gently leaned down and kissed the full lips, once and than twice. Sesshoumaru's fingers ran down from Inuyasha's ears, down his neck, his chest to curl around his sides.

Inuyasha's hands came down on Sesshoumaru's hands stopping the movement. "Why?" he asked in a shaky voice, his eyes were so huge they seemed to fill his face. "We don't need to... you don't need to... I'm already carrying.." Inuyasha said hesitantly.

"Inuyasha, I want to.. I need to.. I love to.. to.. touch you, to hold you... to love you, my mate. Carrying or not, I want to hold your beautiful body, I want to touch my Mate, to feel pleasure with my Mate, to feel ecstasy – together. This has nothing to do with the pups, this is about us, as Mates. I want you Inuyasha, do you not want me?" Sesshoumaru purred in a seductive tone. Maybe it was because of the puppy ears, but Inuyasha was surprisingly responsive and sensitive to words and the tone of voice.

The flushed look on the Hanyou's face, and his panting breaths were the only answer. Sesshoumaru was gentle, exquisitely so. But he was also relentless and demanding, he wanted to see the most needy and erotic look on his mate's face possible. Usually Sesshoumaru enjoyed making his mate come over and over, this time he built it up, he kept Inuyasha on the knife edge of desire for what seemed like hours. Sesshoumaru wrapped a stand of his own hair around the base of Inuyasha's straining and dripping cock, interrupting the critical blood flow, the tension built in the Hanyou without release.

Moko Moko held Inuyasha's hands secure and Sesshoumaru toyed and played with the twisting, aching body. Pre cum flowed freely and Inuyasha keened in need as Sesshoumaru forced his body higher and higher. The more he desired, the more he gave, the more Sesshoumaru wanted. Though he did not beg verbally, strangled and needy noises escaped the Hanyou's lips, golden eyes pooled with deeper and deeper desire. Only when Inuyasha was a gasping mess, shuddering at even the most innocent touch did Sesshoumaru finally claim him, releasing the tormenting strand of hair. Buried deep inside his mate they both came together. Their howls a duet of pleasure in the cool night.

It was a chilly morning, 9 days after the night that Sesshoumaru would always fondly remember, especially since even a mention of it made his mate flustered in an adorable manner. Sesshoumaru thumbed through some more ancient texts, this was an old parchment that someone had delivered from his mother's library.

The DaiYoukai suddenly tensed. His eyes narrowed as he read and re-read the one paragraph, over and over.

"So it is that the act of InuYoukai Submission that allows an Alpha to return to himself is a complete one. Know that for those who choose to save the Alpha, rather than kill the maddened Alpha, that the one choice is all that is given. Once thou hath submitted there is no turning back, if the Alpha once he returns to himself makes his needs clear, all other paths will lead to your madness. Know – if you choose to save your Alpha, your life belongs to the Alpha, denying the Alpha will not be allowed. Thus it may be in your best interest to curb your desire to save a maddened Alpha – or if thou hast saved him, leave the Island and never seek to be in your Alpha's presence, for before him – you will have to submit to him, as your submission was complete."

No, no, no.. this could not be. He could NOT have misunderstood so deeply. Inuyasha had chosen to be his mate, had understood the risk of humiliation Sesshoumaru had taken. He could not have 'forced' Inuyasha to submit to him – in public. It had been his mate's choice! HE HAD GIVEN INUYASHA A CHOICE!

The parchment fluttered to the ground as Sesshoumaru violently pushed away. The aura the surrounded hin, had the librarians and guards cowering in fear, red seeped into the DaiYoukai's eyes, as he stomped out of the library, heading towards the family suite. HE COULD NOT HAVE MESSED UP SO BADLY – AGAIN! NO!

- tbc—

Am late for work have to run, please review.