Title: Instinct

Author: kajamiku

Fandom: InuYasha

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, InuYasha doesn't belong to me

Pairing: Sesshomaru x Kagome

Rating: NC-17

Summary: How much of an encounter is instinct and how much is free will?

Chapter One - Instinct

Kagome fell to the ground by a river, panting heavily and wincing at the pain even that small movement caused her. One of her hands clutched her side, trying to stop the blood flow beneath the material she had used as a bandage. Great, just great, she thought scanning the area to make sure she had escaped properly and nothing had followed. This must have been that sorceress's plan, to isolate me from everyone else…She took another look around her. Well, she did her job well enough.

Whatever that large blast of purple energy had done to her, besides making a gaping hole in her side, it began to happen then. A sharp pain racked through her, shooting from her damaged side up and across her chest. A small wounded gasp escaped her, as she doubled over in pain. She clutched herself, shrinking into a small ball as the agonising twinges tortured her body. But just as soon as it had come, it disappeared and she was left wondering and shivering on the grass.

Once she was sure it was over, she cautiously moved to sit up again, moving slowly and carefully. Then she placed her free hand on the ground in front of her, and her eyes widened at what she saw. Her hands seemed to lengthen before her eyes, the fingers becoming longer and the nails changing into a sharp point. She saw the markings appear on her wrists, but didn't quite believe it. Kagome closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying not to panic as a strange tingling sensation, combined with a feeling of being stretched, consumed her body.

She released a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, her eyes finally opening as the feeling dissipated. She winced at the sight of her transformed hand, knowing it hadn't just been a moment of madness.

Kagome clambered to her feet awkwardly, before realising that her wound didn't hurt anymore. Somehow she knew it had been healed, even if she could smell the blood on the bandages. Wait, she thought as another moment of fear possessed her, since when could I smell blood like this? She stumbled over to the river, falling to her knees there and peering into the water with a sense of both amazement and worry.

Her ears were tall and pointed, both hands possessing claws and markings, her face had markings as well, and she was obviously taller since her clothes didn't quite fit as well as they had before. She had to remove her shoes straight away because her feet had changed. She had sharp fangs in her mouth as well, the canines longer than they had been before.

Kagome spent the next few moments running her hands over the differences in her strange new body. She admired the markings, of which she found more on her upper thighs and her sides. She stood to try out her claws on a nearby tree, first making small cuts, and then slicing the entire tree down with one blow. She backed off in astonishment, staring at her clawed hands.

So this was that old woman's intention… was it so Inuyasha wouldn't recognise me…? That had to be it. The old woman made sure to separate her from everyone, and now she was a demon to be hated by her group. But did the woman expect them to fight? If she told her friends, they would know it was her… right? Either way, she couldn't stay here, Kagome's new senses could feel all sorts of demons nearby, and she could also feel something menacing watching her. She wished she had a change of clothing, but the best she could do was clean up a little in the river before she set off.

She took to a random direction, allowing her instincts to guide her, and kept her nose to the air, trying to sense out Inuyasha and the others. The thought occurred to her that she might not recognise their scents… but she reasoned that there wouldn't be many half demons and humans travelling together and in that case she could simply use that to find them.

She hadn't gotten far when something completely alien almost threw her to the ground. A large wave of heat flew over her, making her skin break out into goose pimples, and she shivered until it passed, her entire body reacting to it. It was overwhelming, a sensation much like that of being plunged into warm water, but harsher as if that water had an inexorably strong current.

Kagome felt light-headed as her eyes sought through the trees for the cause, and she felt her body moving towards the presence that created it, even as the human part of her brain screamed at it to stop.

She reached a clearing, a place that was ominously hidden in the middle of the forest, and came to a halt just outside of it, near the tree-line. Her new demon senses had already located the origins of the feeling that had assaulted her earlier, and she found her eyes pinned on one Lord of the Western Lands. He was sitting near the middle of the clearing, in among the long grass, and there was no sign of his usual travelling companions. He was staring at the rapidly darkening sky, and his eyes seemed both unfathomable and dark. Kagome had never seen him look so beautiful. Her new senses allowed her to see him on a whole new level, and on that level he was completely breathtaking.

It seemed to take only a few seconds before he realised she was there, but when he did, his nostrils flared and he took a deep breath mixed in with her scent. His expression changed rapidly, and he reached out a hand towards her, making a sound deep in his throat, a kind of half moan, half growl.

She wanted to take a step back, had almost done it, but at the oddly alluring sound and his reaching towards her, her body froze. He looked so wanton. So alone.

Kagome suddenly found herself standing before him, but she couldn't even remember the steps she took to get there. Her body was fixed by his gaze, which seemed cloudy, and the gold was deeper and darker than she had ever seen it before. But it wasn't that he commanded her there, in fact when he found her before him he reached out and grabbed her wrist to try and compel her to stay, his expression silently imploring.

Kagome allowed herself to be pulled to the ground; she did not protest when Sesshomaru pulled her close to his body, nor when he pressed his face against her neck. Her human mind was too lost in demon sensations to voice much of anything, and her body seemed to have taken control of the situation in her mind's absence.

Sesshomaru growled against her skin, brushing his teeth lightly over the flesh, and she couldn't stop herself from shivering. That action alone caused such a flare of heat in her body, she almost couldn't believe it. When she felt a clawed hand sneaking over her thigh, seeming to caress the markings he surely couldn't see, she knew that this was not a normal circumstance. In a normal circumstance she would have pulled away. In a normal circumstance she would have screamed bloody murder and slapped and kicked until she got away. This was not a normal circumstance.

She felt his impatient hands tearing at her clothing, and when he pressed against her again she realised that he wasn't wearing his armour. He wore only a simple kimono, and his swords lay on the ground a few metres away.

Sesshomaru did not take his time removing their clothing, and they were pressing skin against skin before Kagome even realised it. He nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, and then moved down, cupping one breast in his clawed hand, the thumb caressing her nipple, while he took the other into his mouth. Up until this point Kagome had been responding little, but at this new sensation she arched into his mouth, gasping and not caring that she was acting as wanton as he had seemed before. She laced her hands into his soft silver hair as his attentions shifted and in the back of her mind she knew she was being rough on the silky strands, but his lavish and currently roaming attentions were not to be taken lightly and she couldn't bring herself to much care. Sesshomaru, at least, didn't seem to mind in the slightest, and he continued with renewed fervour until Kagome's flesh was heated and flushed.

He had moved down, and Kagome could feel the bite marks on her thighs singing as his attentions moved once more. But her thoughts were torn from thoughts of the bites in favour of the sharp flash that threw her entire body as she felt his tongue probe her in places she hadn't thought he would. Her back arched again, and one of Sesshomaru's hands pressed against her lower back, supporting her as she writhed to his touch.

Then his face was before her, his golden eyes, darkened further with lust and passion, bore down on her and she moaned when he kissed her, tasting herself on his tongue. Kagome's arms encircled his neck, and she pressed herself against him, enjoying the small pleasured growl he allowed at the action. He pressed himself between her legs, and she could feel his erection throbbing against her inner thigh.

Her skin felt unbearably hot, sensitive to the slightest touch, and her eyes were having trouble staying open with the assault of new feelings and pleasures. She felt Sesshomaru press open-mouthed kisses over her neck and collarbone, his mouth seeming a pleasant relief for the skin it touched. She knew it was a distraction when he kissed her mouth again, but when he slid himself inside her, she knew no pain. She only felt another wave of shuddering want for him, and she bit his tongue lightly while it paused in its exploration of her mouth.

Seeing that what he was doing seemed to cause nothing painful, he seemed to see fit to allow himself to let go of his control. He had been careful before, even with his heat upon him, he could sense her virginity and though it had threatened to topple him with its beauty, he had refused to give in to instinct too quickly. Now, however, he allowed himself full reign. He knew that she wrapped her legs about his hips after the first few thrusts, but it was just some fleeting thought; in this moment it was all about himself and the pleasure he could get from the female beneath him.

Kagome felt his loss of control as easily as if it had been her own, and the results of it dashed all human thoughts in an instant. In that time it was all a demon's need for completion and the demon she was with was simply a way to achieve it, it was just rutting now.

As his thrusts became more and more violent, faster and probing deeper, they both drew closer to what they needed. Their minds were a whirling storm of sensations and lust, hot and cold at the same time. Their bodies were wreathed in sweat and they were panting from exertion. In the moments approaching their end, Sesshomaru's mouth trailed down to his partner's neck, exploring the skin and searching for the place he wanted. As the moment shook them both, Kagome let out an uncharacteristic and surprisingly loud howl, feeling the vibrations of a similar sound in her partner's body as he found his release. But the sound was muffled, his teeth had already chosen their place by then, the junction between neck and shoulder, and he had sunk them in deep enough to draw blood.

The last racking shudders and sounds died, and Sesshomaru released the female's shoulder, moving up to possess her mouth. Kagome could taste her blood in his mouth, but it wasn't an unpleasant thing. This final bloody kiss lasted for a few moments before the Lord rolled onto his back, taking Kagome with him, and closed his eyes to savour the aftermath of the unexpected event.

It was true, he hadn't expected this at all. He had chosen this place because it was not known to many, and he was almost positive there had been no other compatible demons in this area. He had checked beforehand. He had resolved himself to his usual week's torment, sitting in the place alone and wanting. Then she had appeared. He had just caught the scent when the wind changed, and when he turned the most attractive female was just standing there staring at him, obviously caught in the thrall of his aura now that he was in heat. When he looked at her, however, she looked like she was going to turn and flee, and he knew she was young. Only now he could feel ashamed at how openly he had wanted her, had implored her to stay with him. But with her weight above him, warming his rapidly cooling skin, he didn't really regret it.

Kagome's senses didn't fully return until she began to feel cold and, after only shivering once, the man she was lying on enfolded her in his arms. That was the moment that she realised what had happened. What the hell had she done? She just slept with Inuyasha's brother! The Lord of the frickin' Western Lands! Oh, crap…

He felt the female tense up and frowned, wondering what on earth could be wrong with her. He opened one eye and it just so happened that his, now clear, eyes caught on the clothing he had earlier ripped from her body. The strange clothing was instantly recognisable, and he sat up abruptly hearing the female squeak as she fell backwards. Sesshomaru gripped the female's upper arms and examined her, watching as she squirmed under his gaze. It really was her! The strange priestess who wandered with his brother! But no… this was a demon… a beautiful demon… He frowned again, not happy with the ignorance this presented him with.

"Who are you?" He asked her, and she tensed further.

"Um, Kagome…" She said, and shrank away when the dog demon's expression darkened, vaguely wondering if he was going to kill her.

"How?" He expected her to know what he was talking about, and luckily for Kagome she did, she wasn't sure she wanted to make him any angrier without a weapon or Inuyasha to protect her.

"A sorceress… I mean, we met an old woman and I got injured and separated from the others." She gestured at the wound in her side, which Sesshomaru offhandedly remembered licking earlier. He made an ambiguous sound, and Kagome watched his more open expression disappear. At a vague gesture towards her clothing Kagome stood and went to get dressed, trying to ignore her heated blush and embarrassment.

By the time she was done, Sesshomaru was kneeling on the grass in his kimono again, massaging the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache.

"I will return you to my brother." He decided aloud, standing to return his swords to their rightful places at his side. Kagome nodded, even though his back was to her.

I couldn't help it, she thought half desperately, it was just unfamiliar instincts. And to a degree it was, she could well remember her inability to move away when he pinned her with his eyes. But there was part of her that knew it wasn't wholly true.

It was just instinct, Sesshomaru told himself, there is no reason to worry about such a thing. She was an attractive demon and I was in heat. His attempts to convince himself only went so far. The fact that he had used 'attractive' in relation to the priestess turned demon was a clear indicant of that.

Yes, they both thought as they turned to face each other again, it was just instinct.