-Inuyasha's Home-

Rin was groggy when she woke just before dawn the next day. She and Sesshoumaru had decided to spend one more day visiting his brother. She had thought he would resist staying any longer, but he had strangely agreed without a fuss. He learned about the architecture of the buildings Inuyasha had constructed, and Rin was able to ask Kagome about the future. Karran and Kouryoku were mysteriously absent most of the day, returning only that evening for dinner. By the time dinner was over, Rin was exhausted and only wanted to sleep. She didn't remember much after lying down.

"Sesshoumaru?" she whispered. Her lips felt numb. She turned onto her side with great effort and found his bare hip. She slid her hand across his smooth skin and set her head against his chest.

"Sleep a little longer," he said quietly. "We'll depart after breakfast." He stroked her cheek.

"We'll return on horseback?" she asked. She slid her leg across his thighs, feeling too hot in her under-robe, especially since the window was closed against the nighttime breeze.

"Ah-Un returned for us. We should be home by nightfall." His hand slid to the back of her thigh, dangerously close to the center of her body. She squirmed closer to him, lying her head over his heart. It was racing. It was then that she noticed how quickly he was breathing. Was something wrong? She felt along their connection, trying to discern his mood, and realized that he was aroused-very aroused. The drowsiness was falling away from her mind and she ran her hand down his stomach. To her shock, she found an enormous erection. He hissed, pulling her hand away.

"Sesshoumaru? Are you all right?" she asked, alarmed. She leaned over him on one elbow, looking at the faint outline of his face.

"Just go back to sleep, love."

She smacked his shoulder. "I will not. What happened? Does it hurt?"

"No," he said after some hesitation.

"You're lying," she said with a pout.

Sesshoumaru sighed with frustration. "Yes, it pains me. You...were tired and I was ready. I relieved myself but an hour later, I was ready again. This is the third time."

Rin's jaw dropped. "Why?" He gritted his teeth.

"Because you are you, and I will always want you. Once the ritual was over, I felt such relief." He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "But I have put you through too much these past few days. I lust too much," he whispered.

If demons are the result of human feelings, then what created dog demons?
Unrequited love, Rin. You are the balm that soothes their anguish.

"I did nothing against my will, Sesshoumaru." She cradled his jaw in her hand. "Even though you lust too much," she said with a grin, "I am well used to it."

He began to say something, but she lowered her head and kissed him. He moaned just a little, and the sweet kiss quickly turned into something more intimate. She slid her tongue into his mouth, twirling it around his tongue and sucking on his lower lip. His arms came around her and he pulled her closer. She lay over him, her legs falling to either side of his body. He pushed up the skirt of her under-robe and stroked the head of his cock against her. He sought to enter her but she sat up, not letting him take over. She grasped his hand and led it between her thighs.

"Touch me," she whispered. Sesshoumaru made a sort of strangled sound. He slid his fingers into the seam of her sex, rubbing the cap of nerves with the pad of his longest finger. "Yes," she achingly moaned as she loosened the belt of her under-robe. He knew exactly how to touch her, how to send lightning through her limbs and a rush of wet heat to the juncture of her thighs. He rapidly swirled his finger while his other hand flicked the peak of her breast until her nipple distended. Rin shuddered, her entire body jerking every time he hit just the right spot.

It wasn't enough, though. After tossing her under-robe to the side, she tugged his hand away and walked up his body on her knees until she was straddling his head. He growled and grabbed her hips, pulling her down and forcing her stance apart. He then feasted on her. Rin cried out, bracing her hands behind her on his chest. She couldn't see well, but her eyes devoured the sight of his face between her thighs. She could tell his eyes were open, watching her moan and writhe against his lips and tongue.

"S-suck me," she whispered. He pulled her even closer and latched onto the senstive nub nestled within her folds. He sucked hard, rubbing the pearl of nerves with the tip of his tongue. She threw her head back and came.

Though he gave her a brief moment to enjoy her pleasure, Sesshoumaru was quick to roll her onto her back. He took his place between her thighs, growling as he pushed her knees to her shoulders. His long hair tickled the outsides of her thighs, making her shiver. She sighed when he spread the lips of her sex and moaned when he eagerly buried his cock inside her. He hissed again, rearing his head back as he savored the first few deep strokes. His breaths shuddered in and out of his chest. She herself could hardly breathe. Every pump of his hips made the air catch in her throat.

"Rin," he moaned. His strokes quickened. "Rin, I-I can't hold it back." She reached around him, sliding her hands across his back.

"Come inside me," she bade. Sesshoumaru shook his head and grit his teeth. Her fingers inched up to the base of his neck. "You gave me pleasure. Take yours."

"No." He was panting now, beating his cock in and out of her. She wanted to see his climax, though, to feel his body stiffen and hear the hitch in his voice just before it overcame him, so she hastened the conclusion by dragging her fingers down the center of his back. He gasped, freezing over her. She felt the spurt of his seed inside her, and he let out the breath he had been holding. He melted onto her, his hips still bucking against her.

She tried to slide her legs back down, but her knees caught in the bends of his elbows. "Not yet," he grumbled. He moaned again, still spilling inside her.

"Feel better?" she asked him. He nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Not yet," he repeated. He rolled them over. She tried to sit up but he kept her close to his chest. His fingers brushed the base of her neck.

She knew immediately what he would do and curled closer to him, squeezing her thighs against his sides. He slowly pulled his fingers down. She groaned, digging her nails into his shoulders as the heat of arousal flooded her sex. "Sesshoumaru!" she cried out when he reached the base of her spine. She clamped down on him, her canal shuddering and fluttering around his cock. Dizziness overcame her and she pressed her face to the bend of his neck.

In the darkest part of the night, Sesshoumaru took her another two times, ensuring that she'd be exhausted enough to sleep for another few hours. She woke rested and ready for the journey home.

-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands-

Ah-Un's keening cry announced their return. As soon as he touched ground, Rin hopped off the creature's back. Its left head butted her arm and she patted its scaly neck. Jaken ran outside.

"Welcome home, Sesshoumaru-sama! I did as you asked!" he squawked. Rin looked back at Sesshoumaru, who was gracefully descending from Ah-Un.

"Did what?" she asked. Sesshoumaru took her hand and led her toward the castle. "Did what, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she repeated.

"It's a surprise," he answered, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. "But first, I believe Toku wishes to introduce you to someone."

They entered the front door and standing inside the entryway was Toku and a red-haired demon.

"Mother, may I introduce my mate, Ikkatsu," Toku said.

"Y-you're so young!" Ikkatsu blurted out. Then, seeming to realize her manners, she winced and hastily bowed. At first, Rin didn't understand the demon's shock. Ah, right. Toku's human mother should be a very old woman by now.

"It's a perk of being mated to a demon," she said with a wink. "Welcome to the family." She walked up and grasped Ikkatsu's hands. Her eyes went wide. "Your hands are so warm!" She groped at Ikktau's arms and pressed her hands to the demon's face as well.

"Mother," Toku groaned in embarrassment. Rin stepped back, apologizing. "Father, I also have something to tell you," Toku said.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Very well. Jaken, give Rin the tour," he bade.

"I already know this castle well, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said with confusion. Sesshoumaru didn't answer, though. Jaken took her hand and tugged her away. She watched as Sesshoumaru and her son walked down to the kitchen. Ikkatsu followed behind.

"What's he talking about, Jaken-sama?" she asked of the little toadish demon.

"Sesshoumaru-sama asked me to properly furnish the castle," he explained. "Thanks to you, I haven't slept since I arrived." Jaken glared up at her but Rin was too confused to feel sorry.

"Thanks to me?"

They entered the master bedroom. "Oh my..." she breathed. The tatami had been replaced and a new futon with silken sheets and blankets was made up. The clothes cupboard was also new and far larger. A nighttime river scene was painted on the black surface of its doors and drawers. A matching writing desk sat beneath the left window, and a window seat had been built into the right window. The same decorative touches she had seen at Inuyasha's home now adorned the doors and windows of the room, which also held the scent of a vase of flowers sitting atop the writing desk.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "You did all of this yourself, Jaken-sama?"

He shook his head. "Inutaisho helped bring in a couple of craftsmen. Heh," he laughed, "they were almost too nervous to complete the job, being in a demon castle and all." He went back into the hallway. "Let's move on."

"There's more?" she said with amazement.

Jaken took her through the other rooms of the castle. Though some changes were small, a simple cleaning and the replacement of old tatami had livened many of the rooms. The garden in the center of the castle had also received a good weeding and the replacement of a few dying plants. Last on the tour was the kitchen. Rin squealed with joy upon entering.

The simple pots she had used for decades had been replaced, and the dining table was significantly larger and longer, able to accomodate many more family members. Most importantly, the stove had been replaced with a larger, safer one. Freshly chopped wood sat in a nearby basket, ready to be used.

Sesshoumaru stood from where he had been sitting at the table with Toku and Ikkatsu. Rin ran to him, smiling. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She wrapped her arms around him. He patted her back and Rin heard Jaken loudly clear his throat.

"And you too, Jaken-sama. And...where is Inutaisho?" she asked, noticing that she hadn't yet seen her oldest son.

"He went to retrieve his Yokiri," Toku explained. Rin gasped with delight and made little hops on the balls of her feet, literally buzzing with excitement.

"I guess I should make a big dinner!" she said, smiling up at Sesshoumaru. Jaken made a happy noise of approval at the idea of a big meal.

"I've never eaten a meal prepared by a human," Ikkatsu said. "What's it like?" she asked Toku.

Toku looked at Ikkatsu with a half-smile. "You'll wish you had a bigger stomach," he teased. Sesshoumaru squeezed Rin's shoulder and through their connection, she felt waves of love and contentment flowing from him.

Me too, Sesshoumaru-sama.

-The Border of the Western and Eastern Lands-

Inutaisho paced back and forth along the banks of the pool where he and Yokiri had first met. He recalled with a smile how he had fallen into it and lost his sword. Of course, he fished it out later-after they finished kissing.

He was almost too anxious to bear it. Yokiri had expressed how closely she was watched, even when her father was away. Would she be able to escape her guards? Would she not arrive at all that night? If she were caught, would she be punished? And why hadn't he thought to go and fetch her directly from her father's castle?

He glanced at the blanket he had laid out over the lush grass of the clearing. He had also brought along a bottle of fresh salve and a roll of gauze. He couldn't wait until they arrived at his home. He would mark her when she arrived.

A familiar demon energy drifted into the clearing. He turned east. She made it! He heard a rustling and saw movement between the trees where the moonlight penetrated the canopy. A figure appeared at the edge of the clearing, wearing a black hooded cloak. From her height and the width of her shoulders, he knew it was his mate.

"Yokiri!" Inutaisho called. She pushed back her hood, smiling. Her ethereal wings flapped once behind her and then settled against her back. She closed the distance between them, calling his name before throwing herself into his arms. He clutched her to his chest. The relief of being together again was heady.

"I've never seen you wear black before," he commented. "It suits you." He grinned when she only clutched him tighter. "You escaped unnoticed?" he asked, speaking softly into her ear. She nodded, and he wondered if she was unable to speak. "Even unnoticed, I think your guards would know where you went once they discovered your absence."

"They would not enter my chambers. I'll not be found missing until morning," she said in a wobbly voice. She pulled back. "We'll be safe in your home, right?" He assured her they would and she hugged him close again. "I'm so elated!" she whispered. "I can finally be with you."

"Sooner than you think," he said.

She pulled back. "What do you mean?" she asked. He nodded toward the blanket. She didn't seem to understand at first, but comprehension quickly dawned on her. "H-here? Now? I-I'm not ready for that! I-I thought that we would d-do that when we arrived at your home!"

"Believe me, we'll have more privacy here than there," he said, rolling his eyes."My parents and my brother and his mate are there, not to mention an eavesdropping toad. I know already how well sound travels in that place, and I'll not wait even an hour longer to mark you as my own." He nearly growled the last, already growing hard at the thought of scratching his nails down her back, right between the roots of her wings.

Yokiri's eyes flicked down to the swelling mass between them, her mouth gaping. "I-I haven't bathed yet," she evaded. "I would like to bathe at your home first." Inutaisho smiled at the blush on her cheeks and nodded to his other side, where the freshwater pond sat.

"I would be eager to bathe you...personally." He grinned at her flustered look.

"I'm..." She worried her lower lip and hid her gaze from him. "I'm shy t-to take off my clothes." Inutaisho couldn't help but laugh. Yokiri rightfully looked horrified. She tried to pull away from him but he gathered her against him and laid a kiss on her forehead.

"I had hoped to avoid telling you, but I have already seen you without your clothes," he confessed.

She looked dubious. "When?"

"The first day we met. I watched you bathing." Her lips fell ajar. "You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen," he rumbled, pulling her against his erection. Her cheeks were such a brilliant shade of red and she blinked as though hoping the motion would spontaneously produce the right comeback. She was adorable.

"Come," he coaxed, leading her to the pool. "You'll soon forget your shyness." She thankfully followed without further protest. At the shore of the pool, he removed his sword and boots. Yokiri remained silent as she discarded her own weapons and her cloak.

When he pulled her into his arms, he could hear her heart racing. Or perhaps it was his own. He had wanted her so badly for so long. He almost asked her if his own cheeks were red with excitement, but instead, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Yokiri was both overjoyed and scared to death. She felt as high as the clouds whenever she was with Inutaisho, but she worried that their first time would fall flat, that her hopes would be shot down by her father, and that Inutaisho's parents would not be there to support them. He assured her they would, but Yokiri had heard so many things about his father...

"Mm, I can hear you thinking, love," Inutaisho said against her mouth. "I must not be doing very well at distracting you."

"It's just that-" she started to say, but he covered her mouth with his own, silencing her as he took her lips in a kiss that made her toes curl and her womb clench. His hands were everywhere and she gasped when he briefly strayed between her thighs. She moaned when he pinched her nipple, and each tug made her body jump.

"There we go," he purred. He pushed at the shoulders of her dress, and she shrieked when it dropped off her body. She caught the top of it in her hands, but Inutaisho batted it away from her grasp. She tried to cover herself, but he slinked his arms around her and she had to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

"Take my clothes off," he said in a gravelly voice. She shivered, and he rubbed his hands down her arms, smoothing away her goose bumps. They continued to kiss and she squeezed one hand between them. Untying his haori was short work, and as she pushed it off his shoulders, she couldn't believe the sensation of his bare chest against hers, or the pleasure she'd receive simply from gripping his muscled shoulders. He didn't release her, though, only dropping one arm at a time to shrug out of his haori.

His hands cupped her backside. She squirmed as he squeezed and pulled at the globes of her rear. "I love your soft ass," he whispered. She couldn't help a little squeak, disbelieving how much she enjoyed the sinful things he said. Her face became so hot that she thought she might faint. "The hakama, too, love."

"Inutaisho," she breathed as she pulled at the ties over his hips. "This-is really happening." She knew she sounded stupid, but she had to say it out loud.

"Yes. I can barely stand," he said with a laugh. That made her smile. She pushed his hakama down and they dropped with a soft thump. Inutaisho then stepped back from her, still holding her hands. "I want to look at you," he said. "And I want you to look at me."

Yokiri's lips fell ajar. By the gods... He's beautiful. She almost couldn't describe it. His skin was smooth-flawless. His proportions were almost godly in their perfection and symmetry. Daring herself to look right at what was about to enter her body, she stared at the twitching member that hung between his thighs. It wasn't as intimidating as she had thought, but to know that soon, a part of him would be inside her...

Something inside her broke loose. She closed the distance between them, eagerly pressing herself against his naked form and twining her arms around his shoulders. She wanted his lips and moaned when he pressed a hot, delicious kiss to her mouth. He grabbed her rear and hiked her into his arms. Her ankles locked behind him as he carried her into the pool.

They sank into the clear water and, as he had promised, Inutaisho began to bathe her. He briskly rubbed his hands over every inch of her skin, eventually slowing into gentler, more teasing strokes. It was when he bent her back over his arm and sucked her nipple between his lips that she melted completely. He moaned as loudly as she did, and his hands and mouth were greedy on her skin, groping and licking and squeezing.

She had never endured such lust in her life.

"Inutaisho," she moaned. "Take me." She pressed herself close, brushing her lips against his mouth. Water streamed down her back from her wet hair. She opened her eyes, feeling woozy and out of control, whereas Inutaisho seemed to be very much in control, as if he were on a mission to fulfill everything he had fantasized about doing to her. He was so masculine, so sure of every stroke he laid on her skin. "Please take me," she begged. She rubbed herself against his lap, shivering every time the center of her body brushed the hard arousal jutting from his pelvis.

"Yokiri," he growled. He pulled her against him and his hands slid behind and beneath her to align their bodies. He nudged her to sit down and she did so slowly, gasping when the head of his cock touched the lips of her sex. His fingers boldly spread those lips apart. She pushed herself down.

"Unnnhhh," she moaned. They were coming together and it was a sensation far better than she had imagined. She was throbbing, heavy with tingling heat, and craving more.

"I love you," he said. She looked into his eyes.

"I love you too." He lifted her and when she sank down again, he thrust his hips up. She saw it on his face, a little twinge, when the pleasure hit him. "Yes," she whispered. He thrust again. "Yes, yes." Her eyes slid shut as the same pleasure shuddered up her body. She hadn't understood how it could feel so good, but the way he filled her so completely... His hands on her backside, his hips pumping against her, his grunts and sighs with every stab of ecstasy.

"By the gods," he groaned. He upped the pace and water splashed over them as they worked their bodies against each other. She gritted her teeth as the sensations grew sharper. Her wings tensed up, sitting high on her back and slowly spreading out.

Something was happening. She couldn't breathe. Her heart was pounding. She opened her eyes, looking up at the sky as it rocked overhead. This was it. The build-up of all that stimulus, all that kissing and touching and grinding. This was the pinnacle that every creature capable of achieving it yearned to have again and again. Now she understood why.

Inutaisho thought his heart might explode. Yokiri was making little noises that made him want to come right then. She rolled her hips into his thrusts, gripped his shoulders like she would never let go, and the sight of her slick skin-her perfect breasts bouncing inches from his face-made him want to stay in that pool forever.

She was gorgeous. Her face was a study in pleasure and her wings were fanned out behind her like she would take flight at any second. By the gods was he close. He wanted nothing more than to let go, to spill his love into her warm body. He could feel his nails elongating. His body wanted to mark her.

Yokiri gasped, jerking against him. He hissed when she dug her nails into his shoulders and drew blood. Then he felt it. Her innermost muscles shuddered around him, clamping his cock deep inside her. He came. His eyes closed as a burst of hot sensations filled his head and he hugged her to him out of desperation, suspecting that he might lose consciousness. His groans echoed her aching sighs.

She melted onto him, laying her head on his shoulder. He felt something brush his arms and opened his eyes. "Yoki-" he gasped, amazed to see her wings had become tangible. They were like silver-the finest silver he had ever seen. They moved when she breathed, clinking very quietly as her feathers rubbed together. Yokiri made a sleepy noise, as though her lips were numb.

"Felt good," she mumbled, not moving anything but her mouth.

"Yokiri," he growled, his hands shaking. She made a questioning noise. "I can't wait. Not even a second longer."

"Wait for what?" she asked.

"Just hold still," he said. He pressed her head against his shoulder and placed three fingers at the base of her neck. His claws pushed into her skin. She stiffened, breathing in.

He dragged his claws down her back, carving his mark into her. "Yes," she moaned. He snarled in triumph, ending the mark at the small of her back.

"Finally," he said. "You're mine. Forever." He watched as her wings faded again, returning to their usual ethereal state. She relaxed in his arms and he was glad for it. He hadn't wanted the marking to hurt too much.

"More," Yokiri said. She lifted her head and he saw her face. His heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sleepy with pleasure. She rubbed her breasts against him and squeezed his cock, still inside of her. He hissed. He was growing hard again.

"Gladly," he rumbled. He kissed her, wondering how long it would be until they made it back home.

-Castle of the Lord of the Western Lands-

Rin made a noise of annoyance. "Where is Inutaisho? Dinner was ready two hours ago."

"It's a good thing you made so much, mother," Toku said. Ikkatsu had fallen asleep on him, passed out from eating too much, and he pat her arm. "I didn't think she'd stop until it was all gone. Inutaisho and his mate would have had none left for themselves, especially since Kouryoku and Karran arrived on Toutousai-sama's cow. I had forgotten how much Karran could eat."

"Shut up, Toku," Karran said with a pout.

"How fascinating, though, that Kouryoku can still access the time well," Rin said from where she sat on Sesshoumaru's lap. "Is it possible for you to take someone with you?"

"Yes," he answered, looking askance at Karran. He then looked to Sesshoumaru. "I would offer to take you to the future for a visit, but I don't think my uncle would allow it." Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru pleadingly.

"Absolutely not," he said bluntly. She frowned and tried to leave him, but he kept her in his lap. She quickly gave up, crossing her arms in disappointment. Toku suddenly stood up, and Ikkatsu slid to the floor without waking. "What is it?" Rin asked.

"Genbu is arriving," Toku said. He sniffed the air again. "With the general."

"Perhaps there is news from the north?" Karran suggested. Rin again tried to stand and Sesshoumaru let her this time.

It wasn't long until Genbu's phoenix demon landed outside. Rin hurried to the porch and slid her feet into her shoes. She would have hopped down to the ground but Sesshoumaru was there to grip her beneath her shoulders and set her down more gently.

"It's perfect timing!" Rin said as she ran up to Genbu. He had turned to assist his friend from the back of the phoenix demon, but the visitor dismounted without his help.

"M-mother," Genbu said, turning around in time to catch her. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then stepped back.

"Toku said your general is with you? I would love to meet him," she said.

"It's a she, mother," Genbu corrected. Rin made a noise of surprise. It was difficult to see this late at night so far from the light of the house. "General Chihaya has been with us-with Toku and me-for the last ten years."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," a female voice said.

"Come inside," Sesshoumaru said. Rin jumped, having not heard him behind her. "Toku has news for you."

"Oh?" Genbu said. Rin felt Sesshoumaru take her arm and she let him lead her back to the house. "It's all right. Come," Genbu said softly to his companion.

Once back inside the kitchen, Rin got a better look at Chihaya. She was rather young-looking, even for a demon. Rin suspected that her own Karran was older than Chihaya. Chihaya stood proud and confident, but Rin could see than she stood rather close to Genbu. She smiled knowingly.

"Genbu!" Karran cried out. She ran to him and threw her arms around her older brother. "I haven't seen you in so long! It's been what, more than a year?" she asked. Genbu frowned, looking as though he had little patience when it came to her. Rin recalled Karran's story of the time she had caught Genbu in the middle of something quite private and could guess the reason why Genbu was uncomfortable around her. Rin had no doubt that Karran had enjoyed teasing him about it.

"Chihaya, I would like to present you to my younger sister, Karran," Genbu said in a flat voice.

"Pleased to make yo-" Chihaya began.

"You have a strange scent," Karran interrupted. "You've got Genbu's smell all over you." She gasped. "Ohhhh... Are you his mate?" Rin's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"I am," Chihaya said. "You have a keen nose, just like the rest of your family. You don't have much tact, though. I think I like you," she said with a smile. Karran had the good sense to look a little contrite.

Genbu had covered his face with his palm, softly groaning in embarrassment.

Ikkatsu, apparently having woken from her food coma, rose to stand next to Toku. "It seems that you will be ruling the northern throne on your own, brother," Toku announced. Genbu's eyes went wide.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Not a problem. A change of circumstances," Toku amended. "The demon harassing Ikkatsu and her sister turned out to be the Lord of the Southern Lands. I did not learn this until after I killed him."

"Then-" Genbu looked to his father and then back to Toku. "You are now the Lord of the Southern Lands?"

"Exactly," Toku said with a nod. "And you are the Lord of the Northern Lands-the only lord, as it should be, really." Rin was stunned, and it seemed that most everyone in the room was just as surprised. The silence stretched on for far too long before a new interruption arrived to distract them.

"Our eldest is arriving," Sesshoumaru said. Rin detected a note of satisfaction in his voice. He turned as if he would go farther inside the room and sit among the new pillows that were piled in the corner, but he stopped abruptly. He began to growl and Rin felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"Father?" Genbu said.

"He's not alone," Sesshoumaru snarled. He strode outside with determination.

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin called.

Everyone ran outside. Rin tried to catch up to her mate but Karran held her back. Kouryoku stood in front of her, and though she was able to see past his arm, the night was black and she couldn't see much farther than where the light from the kitchen ended.

"I can't see him," she said, trying to swallow her fear. "I-I can't see!"

"This will help," Ikkatsu said. She produced a ball of fire from her hands and tossed it into the sky. It threw a bright circle of light in all directions and hung above them like a tiny, dim sun. Sesshoumaru was standing beside Inutaisho and a female demon she had never met. It had to be Yokiri. Rin marveled at the demon's beautiful see-through wings. Another was standing opposite Sesshoumaru, but she couldn't see who.

She tried to go closer, but Karran stopped her.

"I need to hear this," she said. She turned, looking at Karran with the stern expression that she had always used on her children. "Let go of me, daughter. Now." Karran blinked, swallowing. She nodded hastily.

Rin walked toward her mate and both Karran and Kouryoku kept up. She didn't venture too close, though. Sesshoumaru wouldn't have liked it. She was able to see who he was talking to, though. She blanched, knowing instantly that it was Fukurou-sama, the Lord of the Eastern Lands-and Yokiri's very angry father.

"This is an outrage, Sesshoumaru," he said. His jet-black hair resembled that of a hawk, and beautiful black feathers highlighted his hairline. He was a handsome demon, though something about his face seemed sinister. Then again, Sesshoumaru's face had that same element. "My scout followed my daughter and reported that your son had defiled her."

"He has not, Father!" Yokiri insisted. "He has only given me what I wanted!"

"He is not your kind!" Fukurou shouted. "Do you not see what Sesshoumaru and his 'family' are? Nothing but half-breeds mixing with and tainting other demons. You will return with me before he can taint you."

"It's too late for that," she said. "I am marked."

Fukurou's eyes flashed. "You...let him mark you?!"

"I am the offended party, Fukurou," Sesshoumaru said, insulting the owl demon the same as he had by dropping the -sama. "You sent your allies, the crow demons, to murder my human mate, probably thinking that she was the human who carried the jewel. You sent them again to harm her and my brother's woman. For this, I should kill you."

Yokiri gasped, long and slow. "Father, you didn't."

The owl demon's face paled. He backed up a step. "It wasn't me. My sister has closer ties to the crow demons than I do. She had told me of a new weapon that she had discovered, that she had sent her minions to retrieve it."

"Your sister is your domain. If you cannot control her, perhaps you should not be the one to rule. Or, perhaps you are lying," Sesshomaru growled. "Perhaps you told her to retrieve the Shikon no Tama."

"W-we are both insulted then. Return my daughter and I shall not trespass any longer."

"Wrong," Sesshmouaru said. "The demonic blood my son carries is superior to your own. You are honored by the attention my son has paid to your daughter, by the promise he has made with the Marking Ceremony. I will not undo it and neither will you."

"S-s-superior?" Fukurou yelled. "He is not even a full demon! He is tainted by human blood!" Fukurou was suddenly thrown backwards.

"Father!" Yokiri shouted. She looked at Sesshoumaru, who had tossed the owl demon away with his poison whip. "Stop it!"

Fukurou regained his feet and walked back, holding his side and limping. His mouth was bleeding a little.

"You would take my throne? Is that it?" he asked. Rin looked to Sesshoumaru, worried that he was about to do something that would make his eldest son hate him.

"No, I would not," Sesshoumaru replied evenly. Rin closed her eyes, sighing with relief. "Removing you as the Lord of the Eastern Lands would displease your daughter and therefore displease my son. Instead, you will continue to rule and I shall not pursue the act of war that your crow demons committed upon my family."

"I had not known you to be merciful," Fukurou said.

"Merciful?" Sesshoumaru chuckled. "Upon the birth of his first child, you will pass on your throne to my son. He is the mate of your eldest daughter. Whatever plans you had for succession, consider them changed."

Inutaisho looked at his father, stunned. Fukurou frowned but was silent, and stared at Yokiri for a long moment. Yokiri nodded at him.

"Very well," the owl demon said with a sigh. "You must be very satisfied with yourself, Sesshoumaru," he said. "Once my daughter bears her first child, you and yours will control the entire country."

The Lord of the Western Lands made a soft noise, half-smiling. Jaken ran behind Rin. "Satisfied is one way to describe it," he admitted.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken whispered with amazement. Rin echoed him, rather amazed herself.

"I shall return to my domain before I lose anything else to you," Fukurou said with a mild sneer. He spread his black feathered wings, which Rin hadn't seen tucked against his back. A rush of wind blew against them as he took flight, and his wing beats quickly faded into the night.

Everyone stood there frozen. Sesshoumaru, however, seemed as unfazed as usual. Nonchalantly, he turned and walked toward Rin. She looked at him with a pounding heart and heaving lungs. He pinned her with his eyes, and when they were within arm's reach, he swept her into his arms and carried her toward the house.

Before Rin left earshot, she heard Inutaisho ask, "Is there any food left?"

-The Next Morning-

Jaken lay in the corner of the kitchen, asleep atop the pile of pillows. Rin had warned everyone not to disturb him, else they would find themselves without breakfast. It's about time he got some sleep. She wasn't so sure that any of her rambunctious children could have woken him, anyway. They and their mates were all gathered around the table, fighting for each new dish she set down and talking loudly. If their raucous didn't wake Jaken from his exhaustion, nothing would.

Sesshoumaru sat just outside on the porch, gazing out at the rising sun. Rin blushed when she recalled the night they had shared. She finished spooning out the last dish and set it on the table. Fairly certain that everyone would be able to eat their fill, she went out to the porch and took a seat next to her mate.

She laid her hand over her abdomen, wondering if she would have a girl or a boy this time. Sesshoumaru's arm came around her shoulders, pulling her closer. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Genbu and Toku will leave soon," she commented. "I think Karran will also leave with Kouryoku, and it won't be long until Inutaisho leaves to rule the Eastern Lands."

"Good," Sesshoumaru sighed. "They are too loud." Rin frowned, sad at the thought of her children leaving her again. Sesshoumaru squeezed her closer. "They will visit often. Do not feel sorrow, love."

"The castle will seem empty once they are gone."

"It will not be long until our newest pup is born," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "I plan to take full advantage of you once these noisy children have left." She felt heat suffuse her cheeks.

"Is that so?" she asked. Sesshoumaru leaned down, placing his lips near her ear.

"It is," he whispered.

"How?" she asked quietly. "Tell me what you would do."

"And ruin the surprise? I shall only tell you that it involves a hot spring." Rin shivered, turning her head toward her mate. She closed her eyes, letting him lay a tender kiss on her lips. She heard her children cheering from behind them.

"I look forward to it," she said with a smile.

The End