Firebrand

~*~Dun dun dun dun!!! O sashiburi da ne, minna san! ^_^ Betcha you all thought I'm gone for good didn't you? Well, it's not all my fault. As most of you already know, AFN has been having problems for a looonnngggg time, so that's majorly one of the reasons why I haven't been updating. I just checked back recently and saw that AFN's back online and running smoothly. So now hopefully I can update regularly *crosses fingers*.

My, but I missed answering everyone's reviews!

to chanda: Hey, hope you're not too mad regarding my absence. And I hope you'll still make good on your promise of reading, and hopefully reviewing too? *insert puppy eyes here* LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to Niji: Hi, and thanx for reviewing! *hug* Nope, I promise not to do anything of the sort to Kagome for your peace of mind. ^_^ I have something else in mind, you know. *wink* As to your request, I'll start on that in this chappy okay? LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to Larissa: I love your name, I really do. I love you more for reading and reviewing my story! *hug* And I am soo flattered. First I was like Kathleen Woodiwiss, now I'm like Johanna Lindsey (I happen to like Johanna). What next I wonder? ^_^ Thanx a lot for the review. LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to jess: OMG, I'm back!!! ^_^ Hope you'll have lots of time to write a longer review now, jess. LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to LC: This chappy should give you some clues. ^_^ And yep, this story is fun but not as fun as writing it for you guys. So keep reading and reviewing okay? LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to Shizuka Kaze: Thanx so much for the rec! *hug* Sorry to have kept you waiting for sooo long. ^_^ Answers to your questions: nope, Kagome will not destroy her room this time around. ^_^ The wedding night's going to be really something, I promise. hehehe. As for the delightful Rin in this story, I honestly don't know why I portray her the way she is. It's just something that tickles my fancy, you know? Sort of like innocence mixed with meddlesomeness and of course, a dash of hilarity and voila! You have my Rin. ^_^ There, I hope you'll read and review again! LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to Scented Candles: You reviewed. Wow, scented candles reviewed me! ^_^ I'm glad you like the story. Coming from you, I appreciate it a lot. And I think I have all the credit I need right here with my readers and reviewers still with me after all this time. No one else is more important. ^_^ Hope you'll review again! LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to amhor56: I love your review! *hug* And I have a new word to add to my vocabulary, thanx to you. 'Incredi-freaken-delicious'. I love it. ^_^ Thanx for reviewing, and hope you'll continue reading. LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to MIjA: Are you the same mija who also reviewed my other story? Anyway, thanx for the review! *hug* Hope you'll R&R again! LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to mel: Here's the update for you, and here's the hug for your review *hug*. Thanx a lot! LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to BirdieBlythe: Hiya! *waves* I feel more honored receiving your reviews. ^_^ Rin's one of my fave charas in my story too. And nope, Rin doesn't really know anything. That's the honest truth. Rin is just... Rin. ^_^ Innocent/ignorant/insert your description here. ^_^ Come back again okay? LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to Silver: Thanx for the review! *hug* Here's the 'pre-wedding jitters' chappy you've been waiting for. ^_^ LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to animepunk93: Thanx for reviewing! *hug* And a bigger thanx for pointing out my mistake. I actually like it when someone notices and cares enough to tell me. ^_^ I'll try to edit that okay? LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to Rawben: Sorry for the long wait. ^_^ Hope you're not too mad. Anyway, here's the next chappy for you. LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to katt_jam: I feel so loved by your 'glomping'. ^_^ Here's a *hug* in return. And apparently, another cliffy for you. hehehe. LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to moine: thanx for R&R! *hug* Hope you're still hooked after all this time. ^_^ LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to foxy_lady: You've got me blushing with the compliments. ^_^ Thanx! *hug* LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to inu-chan: Yes, and I love you too for reviewing! *hug* LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to kari: I'm planning on finishing, don't worry. ^_^ Thanx for the review! LOVE YA LOTS!!!

to !??!: Cool name. ^_^ Here's the update for you. LOVE YA LOTS!!!

AND TO YOU READING THIS: 5986 hits. Wow. Never in my wildest imagination did I imagine to have this many hits, especially after the long hiatus this story has been on. You guys continue to amaze me with your support. I feel sooo loved. ^_^ And my fingers hurt after answering all those reviews! I think that's the most number of reviews I answered for this story. Arigato for that everyone!!! I hope you guys are still out there and sticking with me 'till the end. ;)

Here's the next installment for your viewing pleasure. Happy reading and please spare some time to review okay? ^_^

MISSED YA GUYS!!! LOVE YA LOTS!!! mwaah!~*~

Firebrand
FaTaLfURy

Chapter Nine — Proposal


As soon as the door shut behind the royal couple, Kagome doubled her efforts to escape Inuyasha. She bit; she kicked and pulled at his hair, but to no avail. He managed to maneuver them back to the bed amidst a string of curses. They fell and there he straddled her.

"Get off me!"

She continued to struggle and squirm beneath him, in hopes of dislodging him. Only something else happened.

"Christ,"

He muttered.

At his groan and the obvious evidence of his desire nudging at her belly, she stilled like all the breath was taken out of her.

He then grappled her hands together and lifted them above her head as he eased off her a little.

"The things you do to me, witch,"

"What!? I'm doing nothing to you! And I'm not a witch! Unhand me this instant or I will—"

"Or you'll what? Scream? My dear, I'm sure half the castle can hear you by now. And I doubt if anyone will come to your rescue,"

She wanted to hit him.

"Why you—"

He freed his other hand to wag a finger in her face.

"Careful, careful. You wouldn't want to say something rude to your future husband, do you?"

"I will not have you for my husband! I am going home! I will never ever marry you even if you were the last man to ever walk on God's green earth! Do you hear me?"

He moved like lightning, his hand was on her jaw before she knew it. He applied pressure, but not enough to hurt her.

"Now you listen to me, you spoiled brat. You are going to have ME for a husband, and there's nothing you can do about it. We're getting married today, and that's that,"

She stared up at him, aghast.

"How can you say that? How can you want to marry me now, when just this morning you vowed to do the opposite? Just let me go home,"

He can see the tears she was valiantly fighting back. He let go of her chin but didn't get off her.

"I can't let you go back. I'm sorry,"

"I don't understand! Why? What changed? You're still engaged to someone else! What about Lady Winters?"

"Kikyou's of no concern now. You are the one who's going to be my wife, not her,"

"But why?"

Inuyasha gritted his teeth at the girl's persistence.

"Because she's married. That's why,"

That shut her up.

He was about to roll away from her when her quiet voice reached him.

“So what does that make me?”

He was at a loss. He didn’t know what to say to her. In truth, he didn’t even know the answer to her question.

“Will you please get off of me now?”

Inuyasha was quick to do her bidding. As soon as he lifted himself away from her, she walked to stand by the window, her back to him.

He sighed. He was about to leave the room when she spoke.

“Tell me the real reason why you want to marry me,”

He was stopped by her calm voice. He turned around to look at her.

Inuyasha was warring against himself, whether to tell her the truth or lie. He decided it would be best if he gave her another reason, and not the whole truth.

“Because I want to. Is that not enough a good reason?”

She whirled around suddenly, angry eyes staring back at him.

“You didn’t want to this morning! Don’t you remember what you told me? Should I repeat them for you?”

He flinched at her words, wishing to hell that morning never happened.

Wait… shouldn’t he be regretting everything that happened?

Pulling away from his thoughts, he focused on the problem at hand. He walked over to where she was and looked her straight in the eye when he told her his answer.

“I remember. And I am sorry. But the sore truth is: I want you. I still do. And that’s enough reason for me to marry you,”

‘But you don’t love me!’

Kagome screamed at him inside her mind, but she didn’t have the voice–or the courage—to say it.

“What about Lady Kikyou?”

Inuyasha raked his hand through his hair in frustration.

“What about her? I told you that she already got married. And obviously not to me. She chose her life; now I’m choosing mine,”

“And you don’t care? I thought you loved her! I don’t understand. We don’t even have anything! I don’t know what to believe anymore!”

She was in his arms before she knew it, his lips crashing down on hers hard. He kissed her thoroughly and passionately that she had no choice but to succumb to the heat flaring between them.

When it seemed as though both of their breaths have been robbed from their bodies, he ended it reluctantly.

“That’s what we have, Kagome. Even you cannot deny that the passion between us is incredible,”

Her head still in the clouds, she tried to make the seductive fog flooding her senses dissipate.

“No…”

Inuyasha smiled knowingly, his seductive grin doing things to her she never thought imaginable.

“Say yes, Kagome,”

She shook her head. His powers of persuasion were melting her.

“I… no,”

His head lowered to hers once again, his lips a heartbeat away.

“Say yes to me, Kagome,”

Kagome didn’t know where she got the strength to look away from his hypnotic gaze and resist the obvious temptation of his kiss, but she did. She managed to push him away and stepped back a bit to maintain distance between them.

“I can’t say yes! Because that would be living a life I vowed I would never have. We will have passion, yes. But that will fade. When I’m old and gray, I doubt if you’ll want me still. I can’t live like that. Can you?”

“Yes! Goddamn it, yes! I would rather have passion than have nothing at all!”

Kagome’s heart broke. At that moment, all she wanted to do was cry until no more tears came.

She would have his lust, his passion.

But never his heart.

“Not for me, Your Grace. Not for me. That kind of union will never be enough for me,”

The duke was at the end of his tether. The chit was asking for something that he couldn’t give, for it already belonged to someone else.

‘Kikyou…’

“Damn it, Kagome! I am offering you everything. Lands, titles, more wealth than what you’re accustomed to, a passion that’s unsurpassed by anything! What more do you want from me?”

She wanted to strike back, to tell him that what he offered wasn’t what she wanted. Nor needed.

That if he offered her his love, she wouldn’t hesitate to trade everything she has just so she could have it.

But some things were better left unspoken. So she only shook her head.

“I’ve already made my decision. I refuse to live a farce of a marriage just to your wounded pride can be pacified by Lady Winters’ desertion. I am not her substitute,”

Kagome forced a smile to her lips as she extended her hand out to him.

“So I guess this is where our acquaintance ends. I suppose I should say thank you and that I’m glad to have met you… but forgive me if I don’t. Good luck, Your Grace,”

Inuyasha stared dumbfounded at the hand that was proffered to him.

She would shake his hand as though he was just someone she knew, as though the night they shared didn’t transpire…

‘Damn it all!’

He took hold of her hand, but instead of shaking it, he used it so that she lost her balance and fell upon him. And there he claimed her lips once again. This time, there was no tenderness in his kiss. He sought to dominate, to conquer until she submitted and gave in to him, and to punish as well.

Kagome fought him, pushing him away. When that didn’t work, she started tugging on his hair. But Inuyasha caught both of her hands in one of his and held it as he ravaged her lips.

She tried to bite him— twice— but to no avail. He would not be deterred from his goal.

Until he felt something wet upon his cheeks. He ended the kiss to look at her.

She was standing still, her hand still held in his powerful grip, her body rigid. She stopped fighting him, but neither did she respond. Her eyes were closed, but he could see the tears that continued to spill out of them.

His heart wrenched at the sight, and guilt tore at him. He let go of her hands to enfold her in his arms.

“I’m sorry. God! Forgive me, Kagome. I didn’t mean to hurt you,”


Inuyasha breathed in her hair, and the scent of jasmine came to him. He knew that her scent would then be indelibly stamped in his mind. Forever.

“Why are you doing this? I never did anything to you! I wasn’t responsible for what happened. Why won’t you believe me?”

“I believe you, Kagome. I know you’re not the one who planned this. I’m sorry for blaming you. I—“

“Then let me go! Let me go home. Let me forget about all of this, and let me live my life. The one that I’m supposed to have,”

‘Live your life… a life without me,’

He crushed her to him more fervently.

“I can’t let you go, Kagome. I WON’T let you go. I’m sorry,”

She pushed him away from her.

“Sorry? Can you hear yourself? Do you know what you’re saying? Do you think that just because of what happened last night, it already gave you the right to rule over me? Well I’m sorry to burst your bubble, Your Grace, but it does not! You’re wrong! I am not yours. I will never be yours. I belong to myself, and only I can dictate what I will and will not do. Last night didn’t change anything; I could have other men do what you did, and I will still belong to me. I will still be free,”

Inuyasha’s blood boiled at the thought of other men touching her.

“Damn if they will! YOU ARE MINE!!! Do you hear me? You—all of you—are mine. I will never let another man touch you,”

His outburst stunned them both. He was puzzled by his reactions and her even more so. He didn’t love her, and yet…

“Please… just let me go,”

Kagome pleaded. It was the only way she could think of that he would finally be able to set her free. Free of England… and free of him.

Inuyasha closed his eyes at her plea. She left him with no other choice.

“And what about the child?”

His question took her by surprise, to say the least. Kagome’s eyes flew upward to meet the duke’s piercing gaze, her face stricken.

“What… What child?”

Inuyasha stared at her thoughtfully.

‘So I was right. She did not expect herself to conceive. I must use it to my advantage,’

He became the ruthless aristocrat everyone knew he was— to his future wife, no less.

‘It’s for her own good,’

He kept telling himself to subdue the remorse he was feeling by what he was about to do.

“The child that you may be carrying at this very moment. Yours and mine. The child we made together. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought that far ahead, Kagome?”

It came out as a taunt, although he hadn’t meant for it to be so.

Kagome’s head was reeling.

‘Oh God, please don’t let it be true,’

Her hand automatically went to her stomach. It was flat, with no signs of a babe growing inside her.

Her child.

His.

Theirs.

It was still too much for her to take in. But first things first.

“There is no child,”

Kagome told Inuyasha in a voice she hoped held conviction.

His eyebrows rose at the tremor in her voice.

“How can you be sure?”

She was being cornered, and they both knew it. But she kept on fighting still, not liking it one bit.

“I am sure. There will be no child,”

Inuyasha smiled sardonically in the face of her bravado.

“You’re that unwilling to marry me that you’d rather have a child out of wedlock and raise it by yourself? Pardon me, but—“

Her control snapped, along with her temper.

“Yes! I would raise my child as my own, without any help from you! Mine, Your Grace. Never yours. We won’t need you!”

His ducal mien in place, the only sign of his anger was the muscle jumping on his jaw. Inuyasha closed the distance between them in just three strides and loomed over her as his hands clamped over her shoulders to shake her.

“You might not need me, Kagome, but my son will. And it is my child, Kagome. You can never erase that fact. And no son of mine will be raised without knowing me as his father. No other man will have that right!”

He let go of her, albeit gently, when all he wanted to do was shake her until her teeth rattled. He took a step away from her lest he be tempted to do just that.

“I’m not asking for your permission. You ought to realize that by now. You aren’t going home. Not now, not ever. You’re going to stay here in England, as my wife and as the Duchess of Windshire like your grandfather wanted. Get that through your stubborn head!”

With that, Inuyasha turned on his heels to leave. He slammed the door shut to his bride’s tears.

~*~Thoughts? Complaints? You can leave them all in your review. ^_^ Thanx so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed every minute. I'm looking forward to writing the next chappy and reading everyone's reviews. Ja ne! ^_^~*~