The Best Laid Plans...

Sesshoumaru continued to watch the miko as she bent and twisted her body into amazing positions. ‘Never have I seen a female contort herself like this, what could she be doing?’ The magic object she had been listening to stopped speaking suddenly and he watched the miko gain her feet. She moved to the object and somehow made it spew out a very shiny looking, round object. ‘Kami above, is she attempting to anger the magic now? Does the onna have a death wish?’ The magic box-like thing didn’t seem angry, but certainly it wouldn’t spit out something if it was calm?

He watched her take another of the round objects and feed it to the mysterious magical item. ‘Ahhh, she is merely feeding it…what could it be eating though?’ He vowed to himself that he would investigate this magic thing she had at a later time; while it didn’t seem angry at the miko, it still had the potential to harm Rin if she got to close.

He continued to watch the miko as she began a strange form of dance, her shoulders and hips undulating as the magic box began to give off a pulse, then a strange form of music. He watched her, mesmerized, for what seemed like forever. When she grabbed the swords and seemed to incorporate them into the dance he watched, entranced. Then she began to practice the basic defensive and offensive moves of a young warrior, and he realized the sun would begin to peak over the horizon soon. She seemed to come to the same conclusion, and began to twist her body again slowly. When she began to pull at the cloth covering her body, he turned and made his way back to his camp, thoughtful.

He could still smell the miko on the light breeze, and sense her aura. When she left the hot springs, he returned to keep silent vigil over her. He saw her shoot a wild boar, and silently cursed to himself. He quickly released his scent, sending the animal to charge in the opposite direction. ‘The miko wishes for death! How could one be so stupid to shoot a wild boar while on the ground? Had I not been here to scare the beast away, she could have ended up as dead as the animal. Stupid miko!’ he silently chastised her, relieved that he had prevented her death. He watched her tend the animal, ensuring its soul reached the afterlife, and then dragged it to the village edge where she met that human. Still angry she had put her life in such danger, he watched as she flirted with the human male and made plans to meet him later in the day to gather herbs. Well, he would make sure Rin secured her place in the miko’s village before that occurred! There was no way he was going to trust that male alone with his miko!

He watched her a few hours longer, as she completed meditation and then began to exercise her powers. The control she was demonstrating was astounding! While it seemed she was merely building up her strength to channel more energy through her body, he could tell that she was able to extend and then retract her powers at will. At one point, her powers extended so far he could feel the brush of them against his body; it seemed to be a powerful caress to his skin, and like when she had killed Naraku, Sesshoumaru felt a strong feeling of peacefulness and serenity washed over him. When she pulled her powers back, he felt a strong sense of loss and grief. This onna, with her magic box and her wish of death, amazed and astounded him to new degrees every time he saw her. When the sun was high above the village the miko began to meditate again, and Sesshoumaru decided now would be the time to retrieve Rin and present her in the village.

Rin, of course, performed her duty well. She latched onto the miko moments after entering the village, and refused to leave her side. Sesshoumaru grinned to himself, noticing the frustration and anger rolling off the human male at Rin’s presence during the herb gathering excursion. Sesshoumaru stayed close by at all times, in case the male became violent in any manner toward the two females of his pack. At this thought, he began to growl softly and silently berated himself: ‘The miko is not marked as pack, and neither is Rin. At this point in time, nobody has a right to claim them as pack, which means that this Sesshoumaru cannot even think of the miko as pack until she bears this Sesshoumaru’s marking!’ While Rin was still young, the miko was old enough to breed, and therefore needed to agree to bear his mark soon. He began to wonder how much Inuyasha had explained to her about Inu customs, and if she would understand the importance of markings or even submission. Soon he would have to find her alone and ask her.

The next morning, hours before dawn broke the horizon, Sesshoumaru found the miko sneaking out of her hut in the village, and again making her way to the same clearing he had watched her in the previous morning. He watched her again as she listened to the magic box and contorted her body in the strange fashion she had done before. He assumed this to be a daily routine, as she began to strip out of her clothing a little while before the sun would rise into the morning sky. He did not turn away this time as she stripped and sunk her body into the hot springs, then began to wash herself. Her body was delightful; full hips, small waist, and firm, round breasts. He felt his body respond to the call of hers, and visualized what her body would look like ripe with pups. As she made her way out of the hot springs, he mentally chastised himself, ‘This Sesshoumaru will not think of a human onna in this fashion! Even if she is a resourceful, amazing onna who contains a great deal of power.’

She again began to hunt, and he again had to release his scent to protect her from the animal potentially charging and killing her. ‘Enough, now I will speak with her about bearing my pack’s mark. At the very least she will see the logic of bearing this Sesshoumaru’s scent to prevent being killed by a wild animal.’ After she prayed over the corpse of the animal, he walked behind her and slowly released his aura. He felt her tense, then relax slightly when she recognized him.

“Sesshoumaru. I was wondering if you were still in the area.”

“Miko, do you wish for death? Do you not realize that the beasts you kill each day could turn and charge you, killing you before you could move? Why do you not position yourself in a tree and shoot from there?” he asked, upset that she didn’t seem worried at the mention of death.

“Why would you care if I live or die, Sesshoumaru?” she asked quietly. She stood, and he moved to stand behind her. Her scent, despite being contaminated by the scent of the animal’s blood, was divine. Sesshoumaru found himself thinking back to the way her body had twisted, and the extent of control over her powers she exhibited the day before. The image of her growing large with his pups came up to the front of his mind’s eye, as he lowered his head to the back of her neck and practically purred in contentment.

“Miko,” he said softly, his voice silky against the back of her neck “What has my erstwhile brother explained to you about Inu customs?”

She gulped. ‘Where did this come from?’ she thought to herself. All thoughts of the village and Toshiro fled her mind; Sesshoumaru’s voice, that silky purr, brought shivers to her spine and she felt her body immediately begin to feel arousal. ‘Woah…this is Sesshoumaru, calm down girl. Oh wow, he has a sexy voice! He’s so close; I need to calm down before he senses the effect he’s having on me. Ugh, hormones! Oh, he asked me something…he’s waiting for me to answer…’ her thoughts rambled off as she stuttered out, “Um, not…not much. I know to display my neck as a show of submission, so that I don’t get killed.” There had been more, Inuyasha had explained this to her in case she ever got caught unawares when his demon side came to the front, but her thoughts were so focused on Sesshoumaru at the moment that her mind was drawing a complete blank.

“Hn,” he said. Then, so soft she would have sworn it was in her mind had the warm caress of his breath not been on her neck: “Show me.”

She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the right slowly. Her hair fell from her shoulder, baring her neck to him. Her eyes flew open a second later and her breath caught in a gasp as his tongue trailed up her neck, from collarbone to just behind her ear. He stroked behind her ear with his nose softly, then spoke gently, “Once you display submission to your alpha, he will either show denial by ripping open your throat, or he will show acceptance, by a nip on your ear, like so.” He grasped the bottom of her ear with his teeth gently, and then soothed the area with his mouth. He slowly moved his body so he stood in front of her, his mouth still at her ear and whispered, “To ask forgiveness from your alpha, you must show submission first. Then raise your lips and kiss the underside of his jaw. This is very important; failure to seek forgiveness properly can easily cause a very slow and painful death. Show me how you would ask forgiveness now, miko.” He pulled himself up to his full height and focused his eyes on a tree behind her, leaving her to figure out the best way to do as he described.

Kagome closed her eyes again and drew a shaky breath. She slowly stood on her tip-toes and barely managed to lightly brush her lips on his neck, as close as she could get to his jawbone. His skin was satin smooth and very warm under her lips. She opened her eyes as her heels came back down to meet the ground and she looked up at his face and waited for his response.

Sesshoumaru silently gasped and concentrated on the tree behind her. ‘She does not know what she just offered this Sesshoumaru; she believes that was an acceptable form of asking forgiveness. As tempting as it is to just take her up on that offer, I need to gain her consent to the pack marking first. Perhaps later she will make the same mistake and I can show her exactly what she requested.’ His silent pep talk complete, he quirked his lips in the barest hint of a smile, showing his amusement at these thoughts. “Miko, you must actually kiss my jaw line. To kiss my neck as you did, is to ask me favors; which I’m sure was not your intention. Try again, and do not be afraid to touch this Sesshoumaru’s person while asking forgiveness.”

Kagome’s breathing sped up and she felt a deep flush burn her face and work its way down her body as she realized the implications of her previous attempt. ‘Best not to think about that just now,’ she thought to herself as she drew in a deep, cleansing breath. She again stood on her tip-toes, this time bracing her hands on his shoulders for leverage. She managed to brush her lips along the underside of his jaw this time, her heart beating exceedingly fast. As she moved down from tip-toes, she lightly brushed her hands along his arms, marveling the strength of his muscles flexing under her fingers. She slowly raised her eyes to take in his expression, heat again flushing her features as she noticed his eyes watching her with admiration, and something else which she could not name.

He spoke slowly, his voice holding a slight rasp to it. “To show forgiveness, your alpha will nip the upper area of your ear, like so…” his voice trailed off as he gently nipped the top of her ear, and then slowly soothed the area with his tongue. He then slowly trailed his tongue behind her ear and down her neck, kissing and nipping next to her collarbone. “Then he will nibble on your pack marking in a display of affection and forgiveness.” His voice had grown even raspier, his breathing slightly faster than normal. He again slowly moved his body to stand behind her, and continued to nuzzle her neck and shoulder.

“This brings us to the subject of pack marks. Did you know that there are three possible marks an inu will grant a bitch in his pack? The first mark an inu will bestow on a female in his pack simply states that you are a member of his pack. You will carry his scent, and therefore you are under his protection. All females of a pack will carry this marking when they are of an age to breed. The marking will be placed here,” he said, and lightly nipped her, not at the junction of neck and shoulder, but off to the side a bit. He laved his tongue around the area and kissed it gently. The scent of her arousal was strong in his senses and growing stronger the more he moved his tongue and lips, and the knowledge that he was arousing her brought out a fierce protectiveness within him. He had to mark her, he had to make her his. “I will mark you now in this fashion, as a member of my pack and a being under my protection, only if I have your consent. Miko, will you consent to this marking?”

Kagome’s brain registered that he had asked her a question, but for the life of her she could not make out what he was asking her. Her brain had taken leave, and could only focus on the feelings of his tongue and lips. She managed to stammer out an affirmative answer, barely noticing as his fangs sunk into her skin. Where there should have been pain, there was only a rush of pleasure, a feeling of release so intense she cried out.

Sesshoumaru, upon hearing her answer, quickly sank his fangs into her skin to mark her as pack. Her blood was sweet, the purity and innocence nearly overwhelming him. He heard her cry out, and could smell the arousal radiating from her body come to completion, smothering him with its intensity. The fact that his little miko (‘She is now mine!’ his mind cried out joyfully), human and frail, found completion from a marking astounded him. Usually only demon bitches could find completion during a marking ritual, and even that was rare. From what father had told him, human bitches only felt pain during a marking, and they would whine about it for weeks afterward. Would this miko ever stop astounding him? He pulled his fangs from her neck, soothing the area with his tongue and placing light kisses over it. She was truly his now, a member of his pack. It was no longer wrong to look after her, to care about her. Now, it was his right to do so, and his responsibility to make sure her needs were met.

When her breathing slowed to normal, he spoke again. “The second marking a female can receive is the mating mark. I am sure you have heard of this marking, as it seems to be the only marking humans recognize. The mark is placed close to the pack mark, directly at the junction of neck and shoulder. It is given during the act of mating, and symbolizes the merging of souls. Not all demons will mark a female in this fashion, however, as it also symbolizes the commitment to a monogamous relationship.” He moved his lips to said area, and lightly suckled at her skin for a moment, then brushed his lips at the area.

“The third marking a female can receive, and the rarest marking within a pack, is the alpha bitch marking. Only one female in a pack will carry this marking, and once given, no other female can ever be marked as such in the future. The alpha female is the caretaker of the pack, and the highest ranking a female can receive. She alone can make decisions for the pack in the alpha male’s absence. It is also her responsibility to teach the youngsters of the pack, and to prepare the females for mating when the time comes. The marking is placed between the other two marks, and symbolizes unity and harmony within the pack.” He lightly grazed the area for the marking with his fangs, kissing it and running his tongue in small circles. “While the female has a say in the other two markings, she has no choice in being marked as alpha bitch. It is an honor bestowed upon her, and to even consider refusing the marking is to show dishonor to her entire pack. This marking will not only merge the souls, but also the life forces of the alphas; if one dies, so shall the other.” He silently added to his statement in his head, ‘While I believe you worthy of such an honor, I will not mark you as such until I see you to have the proper teachings of Inu customs. In time, however, you shall become my alpha bitch, miko, have no doubt about that.’

Sesshoumaru, astounded at the implications of his own thoughts, lightly growled. He nipped the lobe of her ear and bent to nuzzle at her marking before backing away from her. His stance rigid, he told her to return to the village as he turned and walked away. When he was far enough away, he sat against the trunk of a tree and began to think about the miko, and the fascination both he and his beast seemed to have with her. He also decided that, as undignified as the action would be, he needed to take care of his body’s reaction to the miko’s release earlier; it was rather painful to walk.

He worked his hand downward and closed his eyes. He remembered watching her body twisting and turning, then peeling the clothing from her body. In his mind, he began to fantasize himself watching her as she teased him. She removed the top portion of clothing while facing him, and then she turned and slowly brought the cloth down her legs. He wondered again what it was she wore under the hakama. He pictured her turning her head and giving him a small smile as she stood tall, then hooking her fingers into that slip of cloth and bending at the waist to pull it down her legs. She moved her legs apart a little, and slowly trailed her hands up her inner thighs as she stood again, her hands trailing up her body as she slowly turned to face him again. He pictured her touching her breasts, her fingers running circles over the tightly puckered nipples, pinching them as she lowered herself to her knees. One hand continued to caress her breasts while the other trailed down her stomach to touch herself. He watched her dip her fingers between her folds, spreading her moisture so he could smell her arousal again. As she inserted a finger into herself she brought her other hand down to rub her clitoris. She worked herself for a few minutes, and then brought the finger from inside her up to her lips.

She gave him a coy smile as she ran her tongue up her finger, then sucked it into her mouth. She lowered herself to her hands and knees, and presented herself to him in the traditional Inu way. He watched as she lowered her chest to the ground and brought her hands back to her core to work herself again. In his mind he saw her bring herself to completion, and felt a tingle down his spine to indicate he was close. He tightened his hand and imagined he had entered her as she was releasing; her muscles tightening around him. He thrust up into his hand three more times, threw his head back and let out a loud gasp as he found his release.

He sat there panting for a few minutes more, and then stood up made his way to the hot springs he had just fantasized her near.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

a/n: I am so sorry it took me so long to get this up! I had a bunch of RL stuff go on around the holidays...then ended up losing my beta due to the non-communciation period.

Thank you very much to PockyThief, my new beta, for you're wonderful work reading over this story for me! :) I don't know what I'd do without a wonderful beta reader!!!

I will be posting responses and thank yous from now on at my livejournal ( http://smurfgirlz.livejournal.com/ ) ...just cause I feel bad teasing readers with long-looking chapters due to long author notes...lol

On that note, I got a few messages while A Single Spark was read only, and want to thank zebbeed for your observation about the charging animals...I hadn't given much thought to that, however it gave me a great excuse to move things along in this chapter...so ty ty ty! :)

Hopefully you'll see a new chapter within the next 2 weeks (ok, so I gotta get off my lazy butt which is outlining another story currently and write more for this one...hehe)

Till then!

~Jenn