In the Woods

Kagome screamed in panic and struggled against the youkai that had grabbed her by the neck. She almost recgonized the presence but was not quite sure as of yet. The figured stepped from the shadows and took her with him, lo and beyond, her capture was none other than Sesshomaru.

"Quite,woman," Sesshomaru growled with the most emotion then Kagome was used to hearing in his voice. "You are going to listen, woman, and do exactly as I say or I will kill both you and Inu-Yasha."

Fear flooded through Kagome. What did Sesshomaru want with her? The human girl wanted nothing more than for Sesshomaru to let her go and for herself to run back to Kaede's village. This did not seem to be Sesshomaru's plan however, Kagome waited with fear and curiosity for Sesshomaru to ask what it is he wanted.

"What do you want from me, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked refusing to allow any fear to escape in her voice.
"You will go to Naraku's palace," Sesshomaru did not ask but ordered: "You will get and bring to me Kagura heart from where he hides it."
"And if I don't" Kagome demanded, in her mind she was curious about what Sesshomaru wanted with Kagura's heart.
"I will kill you and my worthless brother," Sesshomaru replied bluntly. "And your friends as well."
"That is?" Kagome asked. "I get Kagura's heart or you kill me and my friends? Inu-Ysha would never let you kill us."
"If you do this for me," Seshomaru proposed. "I will cease to attack the whelp."

That proposition caught Kagome completely offguard. Whatever his motives for wanting this, Sesshomaru was willing to pay a fairly high price for what he asked. Before Kagome could either refuse or accept Sesshomaru's terms, Inu-Yasha, Sango and Miroku ran up to the pair, Inu-Yasha looked furious, Sango and Miroku… They looked a bit startled. Sesshomaru took that moment to let go of Kagome and was ready to turn around. Inu-Yasha stepped forward to confront his brother but just as he did, he sniffed a perculiar scent in the air. It took him a moment to realize what is was but when he did, Inu-Yasha doubled over and looked asugh ugh he was about to be sick.

The smell was coming form Sesshomaru, he was covered in it, Inu-Yasha's face turned a sickly green and he was certain that he was about to lose his dinner. The scent was that of his brother mating… With Kagura. Inu-Yasha was horrified and disgusted all at once, why had Sesshomaru mated with Kagura? The thought of it was revolting to the hanyou, and he was even further disgusted when he came to picture it in his mind. Inu-Yasha forced himself to stand up right but ended up rather quickly, leaning against a tree. Sesshomaru slipped away into the woods, not really caring about his brother's reaction to his actions. Sango and Miroku looked at each other, then at the retreating Sesshomaru, then at Inu-Yasha, and again back at each other. The pair shruggged, they had no idea what was going on at all. Kagome rubbed Inu-Yasha's shoulders and eventually asked him what had made him feel so sick.

"My brother," Inu-Yasha responded with disgust."
"What about him?" Kagome looked rather confused at that response, afterall Inu-Yasha had never responded that way before.
"He mated with Kagura," saying it only made Inu-Yasha sicker and he nearily wretched right then and there, but no the hanyou held in his food.
"He WHAT?!" Kagome, Sango and Miroku all exclaimed in unison.
"I was not expecting that," Kagome shook her head in surprise.
"I suppose it is not that unexpected," Miroku interjected wile strocking his chin. "She is a rather beautiful woman."

Sango gave Miroku a look but did not hit him for what he send was true. They were both demons and as unexpected as it was, Sesshomaru and Kagura were not so unalike. Kagome blinked and shook her head some more as she continued to rub poor, sick Inu-Yasha's back. Kagome now understood why Sesshomaru wanted Kagura's heart, he obviously wanted to keep her rather than leave her with Naraku. It was strange to think of Sesshomaru loving or atleast caring about anyone other than himself or perhaps Rin. Why Kagura? Kagome could not figure that out but then again, youkai worked in a whole different way than humans, maybe there was something about her he liked. 'Or maybe he just wants her because of Naaraku.' Kagome could not help but feel sorry for Kagura, it really was not her fault that she did what he did, Naraku owned her very life. Would Sesshomaru be any better?

* * *

Sesshomaru was certain as he made his way back to camp that the whelp's woman would to as she had been told. There was no way that he, Sesshomaru, was going to be bothered hunting down Naraku's palace himself, lust was not worth all that effort. This had nothing to do with love, that concept was far beyond Sesshomaru, this was simply a matter of spite, possession and lust. A chance to show Naraku that he was not a youkai to be meddled with. Despite what he thought and said Sesshomaru had a nawing feeling in the bit of his stomach, something that demaded he keep Kagura for all of time, it must have been lust, but at the same time, that ache rouse into his heart as well. The Wind Witch would be his, if only until he could figure out just but this effect she had on him was.

A frown formed on Sesshomaru's face when he entered his camp, Rin and Jaken were there but Kagura was gone. The Wind Witch had left after he, Sesshmaru had specifically ordered her not to leave. Woman…The Lord of the Western Land felt anger boil in his stomach, she had ignored him, she had disobeyed him, a female was never to disobey her mate…? When had he started thinking of Kagura as his mate? Sesshomaru shook that was not important at the moment, now he would have to actually track down Kagura and take her back. Woman… She just could not be made to listen. She would now though, he would find her, take her, claim her, Kagura would never run away again. Certainly not to Naraku. Not to the creature that raped her, broke her. Never to him. Once she had nothing left to fear from Naraku, Kagura would be his. Without a word to either Jaken or Rin, Sesshomaru departed again in search of Kagura. He could still feel her tears on his shoulder. He had to have her. He had to.

* * *

Without any other option Kagome and the gang set off in search of Naraku. The possibilty that Sesshomaru would leave Inu-Yasha alone if they did this for him was too good to pass up. Sango and Miroku walked together a bit back from the rest of the group. Neither of them spoke or set what they were thinking but both knew that there were greater dangers doing this than facing Sesshomaru. It seemed to both of them in their own minds that the real reason they were going after Naraku and Kagura's heart was because Kagome did not like to see another suffer, this mission was just an excuse to help the Wind Witch.

To be continued

Do forgive me for the long wait and short update. I will have another chapter up soon…. This I am sure of. I would have continued this chapter but I want a pair particular scenes in the same chapter so ya….. Next chapter will have another lemon so keep your pants on if that's what you are waiting for….


Arty aka ouchthathurt