Blood Stained: Chapter 6: Adjustments

Blood Stained

Chapter 6: Adjustments

Kagome was taking in the sight as Sesshomaru kept dragging her inside his castle. Over the years, he had always been traveling, for his father's heirlooms and more and now for Naraku, that he had barely made use of his castle. Since he had some guards, whom he could trust, he had decided it was the best place for him to keep the Miko until a better solution came along.

Sesshomaru turned his head slightly and saw her mouth slightly open as she observed the landscape around her. Although it was rare to see her so speechless, he appreciated the fact that for once she was quiet.

As soon as they reached the main doors, two guards bowed to Lord Sesshomaru, both being careful not to let any emotions show as they were both surprise by the guest. Kagome's eyes grew wider as she observed the two inuyoukais standing by the doors, a bit impressed by their size. They were nowhere as imposing as Sesshomaru, yet they still didn't make her feel comfortable.

Kagome bit her lip nervously as they entered the castle, casting a few glances around. She probably would have peered at the priceless artifacts, and paintings around if he hadn't sped up, almost dragging her body against the cold floor. When she could finally open her eyes, she found herself standing in a gigantic dinning room.

Sesshomaru finally released her hand and walked ahead of her, allowing her some freedom. Kagome rubbed her sore hand, which had a deep red mark on it, as she remained still in her spot. To be honest, she was simply glad not to be in the same room as Sesshomaru for a while. It almost lessened the suffering he had inflicted upon her.

The peace and quiet didn't last very long since a screeching scream came from the room next door. Kagome turned her head slightly only to see Rin running towards her, a huge smile on her face.

"KAGOME!" she screamed before hugging Kagome's waist.

Kagome gasped at the embrace before a small smile adorned her face, a bit forced, but present nonetheless. After everything that occurred, she had completely forgotten about Rin and that she was traveling with the monster. She hugged back the little girl and tried to put up a strong fade for her. Rin was just a child and she did not need to know the event that transpired between her and Sesshomaru.

Rin most likely held Sesshomaru high in regards and Kagome didn't wish to shatter the dream. Sesshomaru was good to Rin and she could not ruin that. The little girl ultimately released Kagome and backed away slightly, her happiness dancing upon her face.

"Look at you," said Kagome, her voice as joyful as possible, "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you."

Rin blushed slightly before nodding her head. She couldn't believe that Kagome was here! She had already been very excited when Jaken told her they were going to the castle for a few days, since she had only been there a few times, and now this. They hadn't seen Kagome in a long time and Rin always enjoyed her presence.

She loved Sesshomaru-sama and Jaken, but being around Kagome was a bit different and it made her feel happy.

"Are you traveling with us now Kagome?"

Well that's one way to put it, she thought as she recalled the previous suffering she had to go through to get the privilege of traveling with Sesshomaru.

Kagome wasn't sure how to answer Rin since she didn't want to stay with Sesshomaru any longer, yet he had left her short on options. The well no longer worked for her and unless her removed her bracelet, she was stuck in the Feudal Era. This was becoming a very touchy situation and Kagome cringed slightly.

She then proceeded to open her mouth, about to answer, but someone else did.

"Temporarily," said Sesshomaru as he walked into the room. He would not bother himself with the Miko any longer than it was required.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" said Rin, a huge smile on her lips, before slowly walking in his direction.

The Lord nodded at her, his expression never changing. Kagome thought it would put a halt to Rin's good mood, but it didn't seem to faze her. Apparently the little girl was used to Sesshomaru's lack of word, and could see emotions behind his mask. Some part of her deep inside wished she could do the same. Maybe then he would be less of a monster.

Kagome couldn't help watch the two standing beside one and another and if it had been anybody but Sesshomaru, she would have thought of it as a cute sight. NO matter what, she couldn't deny how devoted and protective he was of Rin. It was obvious he considered her like a daughter. Kagome simply wished he could have this kind of respect for every human.

Unexpectedly, the silence of the room was broken by footsteps. Kagome was the first to turn her head to see who was coming and noticed two neko youkai enter the room. One of them ceased in her tracks and stood still while the other one kept going. Her purple eyes were focused on Sesshomaru as she walked toward him before bowing.

"Everything is ready my Lord," she said never once gazing up. Her Lord already appeared to be in a horrible mood and she did not want to cause his exasperation to expand.

He nodded before pointing at Kagome who suddenly felt her heartbeat increase. Great! What did they want with her now? Both youkais walked in her direction, each of them grabbing one of her arms. Anger flared in Kagome's eyes as she tried to fight free. As her expression changed, she didn't think of Rin who was nearby and witnessing the situation.

"Kagome? Are you going to be okay?" asked Rin rather troubled. Sesshomaru-sama would never do anything to hurt Kagome would he?

"The Miko is being escorted to her chambers where she will be cleaned," said Sesshomaru, attempting to remove any concerns his ward might have.

His words also seemed to ease Kagome as well. She could have kept fighting but she had been dying for a bath since the second after their encounter. She could already feel the hot water against her skin and she sighed softly, wanting that relief. Deciding it was for the best, Kagome let the youkais drag her to the room without much of a struggle.

Sesshomaru watched her leave, his glare very intense. At least she wouldn't be in his way for a while,and afterwards, she would be dressed more properly. It was undignified for her to be in his presence in such inappropriate clothing. In addition, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder where she had found such strange clothes; he had never seen anything of the sort before.

He stared down at Rin whose smile at still not re-appeared. Apparently his words had not helped her much. He would need to have a little talk with the Miko; he could not let her worry his ward like this with her tantrums.

-B-

A warm bath.

A small smile adorned Kagome's lips as she stood beside the bath, still dressed in her ragged clothes. Never had water look so appealing to her before. Slowly, she lifted her shirt above her head, feeling the cool air on her bruised skin. As goose bumps appeared on her pale flesh, she hurried to remove the rest of her clothing. Slowly she dipped herself in the water, feet first, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

She could finally feel some of the pain from her abused womanhood ease away. Kagome was glad to finally be clean of the blood that stained her lower body as delight filled her she rested her head on the edge of the bath, not caring that the position was uncomfortable.

Never did Kagome think she could relax in his castle, but apparently the soothing feeling was too much for even her to ignore. There wasn't one part of her body that wasn't sore. Even though she was washing herself though, she didn't feel clean, but it wasn't something she wanted to worry about right away since the feeling of dirtiness would probably never disappear.

Before she realized it, her eyes were closed as she felt a drowsiness overwhelming her. She would have probably felt asleep if it hadn't been for the person who slammed the door closed. Kagome immediately jumped, breaking out of her trance, before turning her head and recognizing the two neko youkais from earlier.

Why were they here? Hadn't she followed their instructions like she had been asked?

Both of them were holding bathing supplies as they walked towards her. The one with purple eyes came right behind her, putting down what she was holding. Kagome was feeling quite uncomfortable and tried to move forward slightly but the youkai stopped her by putting her hand on her shoulders, securing her in place.

Quickly she dipped a cloth in the water and started to rub Kagome's back not caring that was being rough. The young Miko couldn't help but stiffen at the touch. She did not appreciate the stranger's actions especially after the event that had recently occurred and tried to wriggle free. Her private space was being invaded and she didn't enjoy it.

"I can do it myself," she said, her voice not as loud as she had hoped.

"Sesshomaru-sama's orders," were her only words, as she kept her harsh treatment going.

Of course.

Kagome sighed heavily, as she tried to let herself de-stress, but it was nearly impossible. She had so foolishly believed that she could hope for a nice quiet bath by herself. Obviously Sesshomaru could not even give her that one little quiet moment. She closed her eyes again, trying to escape in her own little world.

All the depression and pain was heavy on her shoulders and Kagome was feeling sick of suffering so much all the time. She decided to try to see the positive side of things; at least they weren't hurting her. Although, it didn't stop her from feeling as if she had no control over herself and her life.

The neko youkai washed Kagome's whole body, never once being careful of her more sensitive human skin. She didn't dislike humans but she did not like them either. They could be alive or dead and it did not make a difference for her. Her only duty was to do what Sesshomaru-sama had ordered.

She turned Kagome around, and proceeded to clean her front area, which made Kagome blush against her will. When Kagome felt her going too down, she stopped her by putting her hand on her wrist, wincing in advance.

"I- I'll take care of that," she said, her voice unsure.

She was already hurt enough and she didn't need this youkai to make it worst with her rough care. The female stared at her for a few seconds before dropping the cloth. Kagome sighed before grabbing it and cleaning her lower area very softly. She couldn't prevent herself from flinching as she pressed against some sore spots. Every strike of pain only reminded her of her hatred for Sesshomaru.

Once she was done, she put the cloth away and moved to the middle of the bath. Slowly, she dunked her head under the water, wetting her hair. Although the water was warm, she enjoyed the feeling of it against her heated cheeks and found herself wishing she could remain under water forever. It was a peaceful feeling that she was desperately longing for.

She finally came back to the surface, a sad expression on her face. She could feel the tears threatening to fall and she was doing her best to contain them because she didn't want to cry in front of them.

Deciding she was done, one of the youkai grabbed the towel while the other one pulled her out of the water, as if she couldn't do it herself, like she was a helpless little child. Still, soon enough Kagome found herself wrapped in a blanket and being dragged towards the bedroom.

On the bed, there was a kimono spread out, ready for her to wear. It was a silk kimono with a geometric pattern composed of tiny petals and fluffy clouds. The cream color surface was decorated with smooth orange mist, which accompanied well with the camellias and plum blossoms of orange and silver color. The obi was a silver color with strike of golden orange, almost transparent.

Kagome grabbed the fabric delicately in between her fingers, enjoying the smoothness, but in a way, it only made her realize how different they were form her own clothes. She looked around, noticing her old clothes were gone.

She sighed heavily; she had never been one to go with the feudal era fashion. Although, she had to admit, the kimono looked divine. It was probably due to the fact that she wasn't used to such piece of art. Kagome bite her bottom lip completely swallowed in her own mind. Since she could not feel auras, she failed to notice the two youkais approaching her.

Kagome jumped slightly when she felt them removing her towel to which she tried to hold on. After being ripped away from her clothes so violently the previous night, she wanted to remain covered. Didn't these people have any kind of modesty?

She didn't quite enjoy being naked in front of them, yet they had no problem with dealing with her nude body. They obviously ignored her small struggles as they grabbed the kimono and started to dress her. Kagome let her anger show on her face, but she didn't stop them. After all, it wasn't doing much to struggle, and at least they weren't hurting her.

A few seconds late she was dressed and one of them was already brushing her hair. She tied up her hair in a bun, almost on top of her head, with a golden ribbon. The hairstyle was finished with a small tiny white blossoms bouquet, right beside the bun. When they finally backed away from her, Kagome felt like she could breathe again. They had been literally suffocating her.

Kagome walked away from them and closer to the mirror. From afar she stared at her reflection, almost not recognizing her own self. She wasn't sure if she liked the change or not. This was not Kagome. This was someone whom Sesshomaru took against their will and he was now trying to transform. As if she wasn't good enough to be by his side even though he had forced her in that position.

She was from the future and she liked the clothes from her own time. This was too conventional, too feudal era and not enough Kagome-like. Kagome hoped they hadn't destroyed her clothes and she would be able to recover them. At the worst, she probably had a spare uniform in her yellow bag. The kimono was going to do for the moment since she did not intend to walk around naked.

Kagome would have probably appreciated the kimono more if it hadn't came from Sesshomaru. It did look amazingly beautiful, but she didn't want to enjoy it because of its like to that monster. It was from him and thus, she disliked it. She stared at herself one more time before glancing away. She needed to find Sesshomaru and know what happened to her bag to allow her to retrieve her things.

She turned around to face the two youkais. "Where can I find Sesshomaru?" she inquired, her voice slightly unsure. What if Sesshomaru had told them to keep her lock in this room?

They both seemed slightly shocked at her disrespect towards the Lord, but they quickly recovered. "Sesshomaru-sama is in the dining area my Lady."

It took a few seconds for Kagome to understand that the lady they were referring to was herself. Why were they addressing her with such respect? Then she realized it was because Sesshomaru mated her. She stuttered for a few seconds, a bit confused before nodding.

"Thank you."

In all honesty, she had expected Sesshomaru to tell them she wasn't worth their respect and that they should treat her as if she was nothing. Especially after the way they acted when they were bathing her, she believed they really despised her. Perhaps it was just that most youkais were rude by nature. It wouldn't be that surprising.

Kagome slowly left the room, trying to remember how to get back to the dining area. They had been dragging her almost the whole way, causing her to not pay attention to where she had been going. Good thing for her that most of the castle, -so far- was one long hall. She assumed if she kept going down, she would eventually land somewhere near Sesshomaru. At least she hoped so.

She pinched her lips together as she increased her pace feeling a certain nervousness filled her heart. Nonetheless, for the first time in the last couple of days, she felt clean. It was as if she had washed off all the bad and evil off her body. Of course, there were still some pains, but she could deal with them.

Once again, the tears threatened, though it was probably something that would take time to cease and Kagome held them back; if she could prevent it, she wouldn't cry in front of Sesshomaru again. The last thing that bastard deserved was her tears.

After a few minutes, Kagome reached the end of the hall, and she slowly poked her head through, looking around. A small smile came across her lips as she recognized the area. At least she had managed to not get lost. Quickly enough, she reached the dining area where she found Sesshomaru sitting down.

"Do you require food?" he asked, his voice as cold as usually.

Kagome slowly walked toward the table, sitting on the complete opposite side.

"Yes," she said her voice firm. She had shown enough of her weak side to him and from now on would stop. Unless her nervousness didn't allow her to be calm and collected.

Sesshomaru raised his head and peered at the Miko sitting in front of him. She could actually appear presentable when she was dressed in the proper clothing. "This Sesshomaru realizes you can look acceptable when you are being provided with decent clothes."

Kagome bit her tongue, cursing him in his mind. She was not his little doll to dress up and change as he pleased. "This is only temporary. Once I retrieve my bag, I will change into my own clothes," said Kagome before crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"That will be impossible. The content of your bag has already been filter and such indecent clothing has been thrown out."

His words echoed through her mind as a rage began to stir up within.

"You went through my bag?" she asked, her anger growing stronger by the second.

Who did he think he was? He had no right to go through her stuff and decide what could be kept or not! She hated him for who he was, or rather whom he thought he was. She might be seen as his property because she bore his mark, but she wasn't about to allow him to rule her life.

Sesshomaru rubbed the side of his head; he could already feel a headache coming. They had found many unusual objects in her bag, which he would inquire about later. Now, she seemed too angry to think straight and he would not deal with her just yet. And did she really need to yell in that screeching voice every time?

"Some food will be brought for you and Rin," announced Sesshomaru, completely ignoring her question and dismissing her as a worthless being. He looked at her one more time before leaving her alone at the table.

Kagome was fuming as she watched him leave. Obviously, Sesshomaru thought too highly of himself if he believed he could just walk out on her like that! She asked him a question damn it and she wanted an answer! So far, he had only seen a weaker side of her because of the previous events, but she would show him she was different.

"Kagome! Are you eating with Rin?"

Kagome turned her head slightly, spotting the little girl coming in her direction. She put her best smile on before answering. "It seems I am."

The little girl's smile grew wider as she took a seat beside her. "Rin always hunts for her food, always eats alone! Rin hopes Kagome will stay with us forever!"

Kagome's smile appeared increasingly fake as the words sank in. For the little girl's sake, she wanted to seem happy, but as the reality of things wrapped around her, it was becoming a much harder task.

With the way things were going, she might very well be stuck there forever, with him, with that monster. It wasn't as if Inuyasha would come and rescue hers and after what he had done, she wasn't sure she wanted to see him. Kagome closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to reassure herself. No words of encouragement came to her mind.

She ignored the increased heartbeat of her heart and she ignored the sharp pain going through her muscles of her body. She pushed aside the fact that she felt broken inside. Sometimes, she had to prevent her body from shaking when she recalled the previous interaction between her and Sesshomaru.

Would there always be a scar in her heart? Would she ever be free of the pain?

When would she be Kagome again?

-B-

Sango was walking behind both Miroku and Inuyasha, her mind wandering. Inuyasha had told them what transpired between Kagome and Sesshomaru, yet she couldn't help but feel as if some details had been left out. When Inuyasha had explained how Sesshomaru had raped and mated Kagome, she had been able to hear the guilt in his voice.

She knew the guilt she heard wasn't about what happened to Kagome, since it had been out of his control. What the normal Inuyasha would have felt was anger not guilt. She had pressed on the issue, asking if he was sure nothing else happened, but he had quickly dismissed her, saying nothing else had occurred. Sango had kept silent, as they set out on their journey to find Kagome, but now it was bothering her to no end.

Sango had felt some blame and pain when she had heard what happened. She should have gone with Kagome to the hot springs and then she could have protected her. She couldn't even imagine how Kagome had felt, lying there helplessly as a beast savaged her and took possession of her body. Tears came to her eyes as she wished she had been there for the woman she considered her own sister.

Even now, as they were traveling, Inuyasha wasn't his usual self. His ears were pressed against his head and he had this pitiful look on, like a dog that had done something wrong. Determined, Sango walked faster to catch up to him. Too bad she couldn't sit him like Kagome could since that would have gotten the answers out of him faster, but she had other ways.

"Inuyasha!"

The tone of her voice surprised Inuyasha, who quickly turned his head in her direction. He had been completely absorbed in his thoughts, that he hadn't noticed her coming up to him. In his mind, he had been thinking about ways to apologizing to Kagome and how to make it up to her. There was no doubt that a lot of sitting would be involved and he was ready to take it.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone angry.

He didn't need Sango asking him if nothing else happened again. He had this bad feeling she knew but she wanted a confession out of him. He couldn't do that. The only way they would ever know the truth was if Kagome decided to share. Deep inside, he hoped she would keep that between them; he didn't need the others butting in their business.

"Did something happen between you and Kagome?" she asked, eyeing him from the corner of her eyes.

She was aware that Kagome was basically the only one who could get answers out of him, but it was worth a try. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

"I told you already, NO!" Why couldn't she just give it up already?

A flare of red ran across Sango's eyes before she walked ahead of Inuyasha, visibly pissed off. He was lying straight to her face and she could tell. One thing did agonized her though; if Inuyasha was lying about it, that meant he did something bad. Kagome had already been hurt enough when Inuyasha had found her and Sango wished deep inside he hadn't made things worst.

If she found out from Kagome that he hurt her, he would have hell to pay and she wouldn't go easy on him just because they were friends.

-B-

Kami she needed to get out of there.

The place, the scent, the sights, everything was driving her insane. Everything in this place belonged to him and she was sick of having his image burnt in her mind. Why was the victim always the one plague with the memories and the pain? Why was she the only one injured by the whole thing? It was unfair.

Sesshomaru said he didn't wish for it, but he provoked it and he forced her by his side. She would have gladly left, gone on her own far away from him. If she was still there, it meant he wanted her there, no matter what lies he provided her with. Although the bastard never answered why he couldn't tell her the truth.

Kagome sighed heavily as she pressed her head against a tree, trying to forget about her sorrow. Earlier, Rin and her had collected some flowers and when Rin had left for her bedtime, Kagome had remained outside in the little garden, trying to enjoy the chilly night by herself. She would have confronted Sesshomaru but apparently, he was avoiding her and since she didn't know the castle, it was hard for her to seek him.

Plus, she wasn't sure if she was ready to face him alone. It was true that even if people were present they were under his orders, yet it still made her feel a tad bit safer than being completely alone with him. Thus, for lack of better option, Kagome had decided it was better for her to stay outside, enjoy the stars and the coolness of the night against her skin. The kimono was protecting her enough that she was not freezing yet not too warm either. She sighed heavily, the sadness heavily showing on her face.

Nothing in the past few days was something she had expected and planned for. She was mated to the youkai who raped her and on top of that, he had taken away her powers and everything else she held dear. Kagome had never felt so powerless of her whole life.

She had no pride, no will, no strength, no pureness and no powers. Had she hit the bottom so quickly?

While she was drowning herself within her sorrow, the realization that she couldn't go back home descended on her, fully this time. If Sesshomaru had his way and never removed the bracelet, she would never see her family again. She would be stuck in the feudal era for the rest of her life, attached to a youkai who would do nothing but abuse her.

Her mother wouldn't worry for her while since she had just came back from her time, but after a while… what if her family thought she died?

Kagome pinched her lips together, the distress taking hold of her heart; maybe Inuyasha would go see them? He was far from being her favorite person right now, but he was the only one who could go through the well. Maybe he would inform them of her current situation. They would probably be heart broken, but at least they would know she was alive.

Although was it better that they thought her dead, than stuck into a hell she could not escape?

She bit her bottom lips, the tears right on the edge of falling.

Her mother would never hug her again.

And one lonely tear fell down her cheek.

She wouldn't hear her grandfather's stories again, even though by now she knew them by heart. She wouldn't annoy and pick on her little brother anymore, nor would she see him grow up to be a man. Kagome brought her hand to her heart and clenched the silk fabric of her kimono. It felt as if her heart was engulfed into darkness and it was slowly being swallowed.

Kagome was helpless. She couldn't even stop herself from drowning into her own suffering.

She wasn't even conscious of the tears staining her cheeks as memories of her family flooded her mind. Kagome despised Sesshomaru for taking everything away from her. The bastard didn't even look like he cared that he completely destroyed her. On top of that, he had been disgusted with her ever since he had raped her. She was relieved that he didn't try to touch her again, but she couldn't help but wonder why.

To be so confused didn't make the situation any easier.

What kind of need pushed him to rape and mate her and then removed any desire he had towards her? She had to admit it did not make any sense, but it didn't lessen the hatred she had for him. How could she ever forgive such actions?

Kagome's eyes were extremely heavy, as they got puffier and redder. She knew sleep wanted to claim her, but she didn't want to, she was afraid of the darkness of the night, of the dream world. Her dreams were filled with his touch and darkness and it was world where she did not want to go. As more tears fell, Kagome struggled to remain awake; each tear took a bit of her energy away. She softly wiped her cheek, before drying her hand on her kimono.

For now, she would need to stay in the castle. Not because she wanted to, but because everywhere she went, there was at least two youkais following her. If she had her powers, then she would have been able to plan some sort of escape, but currently, there was nothing she could do. She would find a way to leave, but she would need to plan it carefully.

Kagome brought her knees against her chest, and softly rocked herself, a gesture that reminded her of what her mother used to do. Now that she was alone, for the first time in a while, it was easier to break down. Nobody would see her pain through the darkness of the night.

Everything that happened in the last few days was taking hold of her fragile body, and once again she needed to let the steam out before she exploded. She wouldn't do it in front of people, but now since she was as alone as she could be, she allowed herself this privilege.

Every sob broke her heart and every tear shattered the pieces.

It would be so until there was nothing left.

-B-

Never had anyone annoyed him that much.

Sesshomaru was in his own chambers, yet he could smell the tears and pain coming from her and he cursed her. He rubbed his head softly, hoping she would be done moping soon as it was ticking him off. Never had he seen someone in her situation be so broken for such a long length of time.

On top of that if she finally gave up on fighting, it would make it a bit easier on him and his headaches. The faster she cooperated, then perhaps the faster she would be out of his life permanently. Also, she was mostly to blame for the entire dilemma. She was the one who had entire his life and had complicated everything for him. To add to everything his ward liked her company. At least the Miko had the decency to act decently in front of Rin.

Another reason behind his annoyance was the mating. It seemed the only way to break their bond was to kill her, but he could not do that. It was not as if it would bother him to end the Miko's life, but he wasn't sure of the repercussion. He did share the trait of hot headed with his brother and he usually weighted his decision, and thought them through.

Sesshomaru held little interest in the jewel, but, Naraku could prove to be an annoying threat and she might be the key to getting rid of him. Although, perhaps once her duty was done, it would be easier to get rid of her without having any doubts. If he could put up with her for a few days, surely he could handle a few more weeks. He didn't even need to be by her side.

It was then decided. Until he knew if it was safe for the Miko to be gone from this world, he would not kill her, which led to the problem of making sure she didn't annoy him.

The only positive thing that sort of came out of it, was that she was a human and easy to control. If it had been an unwanted youkai mating, he would have still been able to control her, but it would have been more of a pain, since must females could be real bitches, especially when they obtained titles from a mating.

The young Miko did have a fighting spirit, but at the moment she had nothing but words to back it up. Maybe he could find a way to permanently shut her up before she destroyed his sensitive ears. Sesshomaru lay back in his seat, all his thoughts going through his mind. He had made sure his room was as far as possible from hers since he did not need to smell her disgusting scent during the night. He was already forced to tolerate it during the day and that was enough.

Everything about her irked all of his senses. She was extremely displeasing to his sensitive nose.

Sesshomaru made his decisions fairly quickly when it came to her. He had decided to stay a few weeks to make sure everything was under control. Afterwards, he would leave the Miko at his castle, while he left to travel once again. He had a feeling she would not be happy about that, but it wasn't her decision to make. Also, if he stayed in her company any longer, he would end her life.

As he thought about her little outbursts, he couldn't help but wonder why she thought females had such power and had a right to voice their opinion in such a manner. Obviously she hadn't been raised right, or perhaps she had no parents to teach her how to behave.

Maybe it was his half-brother's influence.

Inuyasha.

He would have to watch out for him and his temper. He knew his half-brother and he had a feeling he was hunting for Kagome now, which would only bring more trouble. He had probably realized how foolish his actions had been and he would be seeking the Miko's forgiveness. Sesshomaru did not intend to let him anywhere near Kagome. Plus, he was almost certain that at the moment, the Miko did not desire to see Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru stood up and walked toward his window and stared into his garden. He could see Kagome's sleeping form, pressed against a tree. Foolish woman. It was a good thing the nights weren't cold yet, or she would freeze to death out there. If she wanted to sleep uncomfortable, outside, he wouldn't be the one to bring her inside.

She might be his mate but it was against his choice, which meant he didn't care for her in any way.

She would never mean anything to him.

-B-