"I hate lying," Kagome murmured.

The sun was setting, and she was standing on the hillside with Sesshomaru. Amaterasu was sleeping peacefully in her father's arms. Looking at the child, she looked so small compared to the formidable daiyoukai.

"You did not have to. There is still time—" began Sesshomaru, only to be interrupted.

"No!" Kagome looked up at his beloved face, her own scrunched up in anguish. She reached for him, only to let her hand fall back to her side. She shook her head. "I didn't say I regretted my decision." As if she'd ever regret keeping him safe! If the villagers knew what really happened to Eiji, they would blame Sesshomaru and probably want him dead. To protect Sesshomaru, even Amaterasu, Kagome knew she'd do much more than lie.

The villagers were already questioning who 'the silver haired man' was when he'd come to save her father before Eiji murdered him. Sesshomaru looked human, but there were traits that made one doubt, such as his inhuman eyes and the markings gracing his face. Luckily, not many saw him and the ones who had hadn't gotten a good look at him. Still, he was a stranger in these parts and questions were being asked, people talked.

Sesshomaru shifted his tiny burden to the crook of one arm. With his free hand, he clasped the hand she had been about to grab a hold of him with. Surprised he would initiate contact, Kagome met his gaze. It felt like he could see into the depths of her very soul, could see her longing. Though slight, she saw when his emotions entered his eyes, making them sparkle like gems. Because his expression was normally so stoic, she had little trouble deciphering a similar desire etched on his face.

Her heart pounded. As if he could hear the frantic beat, his hand tightened around hers. Bringing her arm up slowly, she watched, transfixed, as he placed a small kiss on her inner wrist.

"Sesshomaru?" she whispered.

"Do you wish for me to remain this night?"

What was he asking? Was she going far out of bounds to think that Sesshomaru was thinking lascivious thoughts? Probably. He must have seen the confusion on her face, for he added, "I would stay if you did not wish to mourn your father's passing alone."

Though slightly disappointed, her heart warmed at his obvious concern. She smiled and cupped his cheek with the hand he still held close to his face. His lids closed. Had he sighed as he nuzzled into her palm? Then she lowered her hand to stroke his daughter's hair.

"You should check up on your other children. I'm sure they are wondering what has happened to you."

His nodded once. "I will return," he promised softly. Then he turned and strode away from her. Soon, he disappeared into the trees. She curled her hand, trapping his warmth, to hold onto that little part of him for as long as she could. When she could no longer feel his aura, she, too, left the hillside, going back home where no one was waiting for her anymore.

One month later…

The day was bright, the afternoon sun beating down on the lone traveler. The woman stopped with a sigh and took out her fast dwindling water supply from her pack and drank. Though her throat was parched, the water was warm and did little to soothe her. Afterwards, she continued down the road, hopeful the next village was not so far away. She was on a mission. Though her brother was often gone for long periods of time, it was unusual for Eiji to be away when he had brought her along on one of his many travels.

Over a month ago, he'd taken her with him after she had begged him not to leave her alone again for so long. She loved her brother and hated to be left behind in their small village while he was off having adventures. Though he was strict, Eiji would sometimes cave and let her accompany him, but then she had sprained her ankle. Since Eiji still wished to travel, hearing about a demon plaguing some village, he'd left her in the village miko's tender care. She had not liked being left alone with strangers, in a place she was unfamiliar with, but had little choice.

She'd waited and waited for him. Her ankle had been healed weeks ago but still he had not returned. For the last week, she had been travelling, going from village to village in hopes of finding him, worried that he was hurt…or worse. Now, she believed she was close. The second village she'd come across had said they had seen him and pointed her in the direction he had gone. She should be close to the next settlement—

With a terrifying roar that startled her terribly, a beast jumped out of the brush and snarled at her. Another came next to the four legged fiend, both baring wickedly sharp teeth at her. At first, she thought the huge creatures were wolves—a scary enough thought, but on closer inspection, realization made her blood freeze in her veins.

These grotesque monsters were no animals. They had six legs each, their body in three segments like an insects, but they had thick fur and muzzles like an animal.

Demons.

The first and bigger youkai took a step towards her, its muzzle opening to make the most inhuman sound imaginable. With a terrified shriek, her body tensed, and she ran. Panting, whimpering and crying pitifully, she tried to outrun the beasts, but they came at her—fast. Looking behind her, unable not to, she saw them bearing down on her. Just then, her foot hit a rock and she went down. A blessing in disguise as one of the youkai jumped her that exact moment, intending to pounce on her. Instead, it sailed over her fallen form.

Trembling, sobbing, she looked before and behind her. Now there was nowhere for her to run, unless she wanted to take a chance and go into the forest, perhaps becoming lost. She was about to get up and charge headlong into the trees anyway when a white blur struck one of the beasts. With a wicked looking blade, the monster's head was sliced clean off. Even as its legs danced in its death throes, her savior—ignoring her prone form—charged the beast behind her, who leapt with a vicious snarl to attack her savior. Making the move seem easy, the man in white cleanly cut the second demon in half.

Staring wide eyed at the tall figure standing just a couple feet away, she could detect not a drop of blood staining his pristine form. With a flick of his blade, swinging the blood off, the stranger sheathed his sword, and turned to walk away. Though thankful for being saved, bewilderment morphed into anger as this man was intent on leaving her in the dirt. Wasn't he going to see if she was alright? Why save her if he was just going to abandon her?!

Scrambling to her feet, her knees still shaky from her fright, she called out to him. "Wait! Don't leave."

He stopped, his long, silver hair becoming motionless at his halt. He turned to look at her over his shoulder. She caught a flash of amber.

"What is it?"

His deep voice penetrated her mind before his rude remark did. It caressed her eardrums and made her yearn to hear him speak again, anything.

"You saved me," she murmured, flushing. "Thank you… I-I do not know your name. I'm Chiharu."

Now he turned to face her fully. Her breath caught at his beauty. He wore spiked armor and a strange, white, fur pelt over is right shoulder. Two swords where strapped to his waist, but it was his face that bewitched her. His complexion was so fair, as white as the new falling snow, with a few splashes of color on his cheek bones and forehead. Though the markings were strange to her, it was his golden eyes that were stranger still. Surely, he was too ethereal to be human, but never once did she think him a monster, not like the two demons who had tried to eat her.

"You are safe now. You should be on your way. There is a village nearby straight-ahead." His voice was cool, without inflexion, and yet it did strange things to her heartbeat, made it pound a mile a minute.

Before she could stop him a second time, he was gone, disappearing into the forest. Though he lacked manners, he'd saved her, and he was so gorgeous… A vain woman by heart, Chiharu thought she fell in love with him on sight. Would she ever see him again?

Not half an hour later, she came to the village she had been hoping to find, the same one her savior had mentioned. Perhaps he would be here? Shaking her head, Chiharu forced herself to remember why she was here, to find her brother. Asking around, she was given hope. The villagers remembered a travelling monk, but the news they had for her made her want to cry. No, she did cry, fell down on her knees in the dirt and sobbed. Eiji was dead, killed by a demon. They told her their village miko had found Eiji's body and killed the demon who'd slain him.

After her crying fit, she demanded to know where this miko was. She wanted to talk to her, to know more of what had happened, and part of her wanted to blame this unknown woman for being too late to save her brother. A village woman told her she would most likely find the miko Kagome on the far hillside, and that was where she went, unescorted.

Just as she topped the rise, she froze, her eyes falling on a familiar white form. Standing tall and regal, like a powerful lord, her handsome savior turned to her, as if he knew she was there. Amber impaled her, making her dizzy with his too close gaze. Without realizing it, she took two steps towards him, then she hastened to stand not a few feet away and bowed low. Looking up at him again, her face flushed in pleasure at the sight of him. She murmured, "You're here. I never thought to see you again."

Though his lips parted to answer, a woman's voice filtered towards them, and his gaze shot away from her. Turning to her left, she saw a beautiful woman dressed as a miko, presumably the woman she had come to find, walk towards them. In her arms was a child, a little girl that looked a lot like the male beside her. Envy tightened her heart. Was this man married and had a child with this woman, this priestess? She doubted it, for this child looked nothing like this miko.

"Can I help you?" the miko asked.

The girl hugged the priestess around the neck and shifted closer, eyeing Chiharu as if she didn't trust her. Returning her gaze to the woman she had sought, Chiharu reluctantly pulled her attention away from the beautiful man beside her, only to recall why she was here, the news she had heard, and choked on a sob. Tears glazed her already red and puffy eyes.

"Eiji… He is dead?" she whispered, though she already knew the answer.

Shock filtered across the miko's face, then compassion. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Who are you? I presume you knew him."

Chiharu nodded. "I am Chiharu. He is…was my older brother. I've been looking for him."

The miko looked over Chiharu's shoulder, presumably at the man standing quietly at her back. Walking towards him, Chiharu watched as the child exchanged arms. Brown eyes stared back at her once more.

"Come with me, Chiharu. We'll discuss this at my home." Kagome turned back to her companion. "I'll return later if you plan to stay a while..?"

Nodding his head, he shifted the girl to the crook of one arm, freeing one hand, letting it hang by his hip. "We will be here."

—

Half an hour later, Kagome stepped out of her hut. Her conscience plagued her. While Eiji's sister remained behind, still mourning for her brother, Kagome had offered her lodgings until the woman was ready to return home. Walking purposefully back to the hillside where Sesshomaru waited for her, she masked her pain, the disquiet swirling in her heart. But when she finally stood before Sesshomaru once more, just the sight of his beloved face crumpled her resolve to stand firm under the turmoil brewing within her.

He came to her instantly while Amaterasu was busy chasing after a rabbit. So engrossed in her game of chase, she didn't notice that her father was talking with Kagome.

"Something bothers you," Sesshomaru said without preamble.

He stood close, so close that Kagome was forced to tip her head way back just to meet his gaze, the angle promising to put a crick in her neck.

She wanted to remain quiet, to not tell him her concerns for fear he would misunderstand and presume she had regrets. But she did not wish to lie to him, and though she, also, did not want to speak the truth, she was comforted by the mere fact that he cared about her emotional turmoil, that he had noticed something was off.

"The woman who was here…Chiharu… I'm feeling sorry for the pain she is going through. It's obvious she wasn't aware of her brother's…devious nature." Kagome shook her head, trying to dispel the sight of the woman's tear stained face, to mute the wails from her memory. "I'm not sorry about Eiji's demise. He was evil. He killed my father, tried to kill me, Amaterasu, and even you. Who knows what other devious acts he's committed. It was my decision to keep the truth of what happened here a secret. I don't regret that, at all. But Chiharu…she's innocent in all this."

He seemed to understand. "You have a tender heart, Kagome." Then he stroked the back of her hair. When his large palm cupped the back of her neck, he pulled, bringing her up against his chest. To protect her from his armor, he settled her against his thick, fur pelt.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she put her hands between them to grab a hold of his armor, accepting his embrace. It was the first time he'd held her. Even when her father had passed and she'd been distraught, he hadn't held her, but he had touched her, comforted her. A pat on the head, a squeeze on her shoulder, cupping her cheek. They were getting closer all the time, like they gravitated towards each other, unable to stay away.

The feelings they harbored for each other went without saying, never voiced but heard, and it was dangerous—futile. Kagome wasn't ignorant. She knew demons and humans had relationships, even married—well, mated—but neither of them could cross the line and commit to each other. Why? Sesshomaru was a lord, she knew. While his subjects could do nothing to stop him from being intimate with her, should he make her his mate, his lands would be in an uproar. She was not only human but a miko, a demon's natural-born enemy.

Kagome didn't want to be a mistress, not even his, and she didn't blame him for not taking that step to make her his mate. He had his people to think about, and she understood duty, because she lived with it every day.

Fate was cruel to allow her to fall in love with a man who would never be hers. Though they knew they could never be, Sesshomaru continued to come, bringing his daughter along—a barrier to keep their interactions as innocent and friendly as possible. And she continued to allow him to return, never once telling him to stay away.

She was finally in his arms. It felt too good, made her forget why she was upset, her pain being replaced by excitement. There was no way Sesshomaru couldn't hear the excited beat with his acute hearing, and when he leaned back to look down at her, she blushed, refusing to meet his gaze. She feared her longing was plastered all over her face.

He didn't let her hide.

With a curled finger beneath her chin, he easily forced her face to turn upwards. Childishly, she shut her eyes, denying him still, though she was baffled as to why she was acting so shy—so female. To be a miko was to be unattainable by men. Her sole purpose was defined by her duty, yet Sesshomaru made her realize that she was also a woman with the same desires and dreams as any other. They trod a dangerous line. To cross, or not to cross?

"Look at me, Kagome," Sesshomaru murmured.

She adamantly shook her head, her fingers tightening around his armor. She felt him lean towards her, his breath brushing across her cheek like a warm wind. And still she did not open her eyes. Her throat felt dry, her mind jumbled.

The hand under her chin moved to lie over her heart. Though he wasn't cupping her breast, he was touching it, and her nipple hardened, feeling the warmth of his touch even through two layers of clothing. Her heart skipped a beat, then raced double time, faster than before—if that was even possible.

"Your heart is racing," he breathed next to her ear.

She shivered and bit her bottom lip. Moving his hand once more, he freed her abused flesh with his thumb and stroked it back and forth, as if fascinated. His hair brushed against her nose, tickling her, but then his breath was on her mouth.

"How you tempt me, miko." His voice was so low, she barely heard it.

But then, he kissed her, brushing his mouth against her. Now she opened her eyes, going cross-eyed as she tried to see his face so close to hers. He wasn't looking at her, his own closed. Then he tilted his head to the side, pressing his lips just a little harder against her own and she melted.

His large palm spanned her lower back, keeping her close, while the other burrowed in her hair, tilting her head when he did something unexpected. His tongue touched her bottom lip, licked against the seam of her mouth and she parted them on a gasp. As if it were an invitation, his tongue swept in, tasting her.

So this was kissing, Kagome thought in wonder, following Sesshomaru's lead and mimicking his movements with her own tongue. He made a rough sound in the back of his throat and pressed closer, encouraging her to lose herself in him. She did, helpless against the fever he built inside her so effortlessly.

—

Chiharu couldn't take it, not the emotional turmoil at the news of her brother's death. An image of the man who'd stolen her devotion entered her mind. He'd saved her once, perhaps he'd come to her rescue again? This time, she didn't need saving from a physical attack but a means to turn her pain into pleasure. She just wanted to forget. Though her brother had been a monk, she knew he had not been pure of body, knew he'd occasionally break his vows and sleep with a woman.

She'd found out a few years ago. At first, she'd been shocked, then curiosity had gotten the better of her. She had not yet met the man she would like to marry but she had been curious about intimate relations between men and women. After that first time, Chiharu had been addicted, insatiable when it came to carnal pleasures. Ever discreet, she'd kept her tryst private from Eiji, knew he would not take kindly to his sister's lusty appetite. Though she had loved him—still did—she knew about his hypocritical tendencies.

However, now she thought she'd found the man for her, a beautiful man, tall and muscular, a warrior and savior. She wanted him, her body already becoming hot and moist betwixt her thighs—a familiar ache, yet stronger than ever before. She had no doubt that this man would bring her to heights of ecstasy she'd never been to before. Though she did not know him, not even his name, she felt certain that he was the one.

Sneaking out of the hut even though the miko had not returned, she ventured towards the last place she had seen him. It had completely left her mind that Kagome had planned to return to meet her stranger and probably the reason for her absence. So, it was a complete shock to see the two in each other's arms, embracing. Though they were only kissing, Chiharu viewed their actions as a betrayal. As anger and envy clawed at her innards, she did not realize just how alike her brother she was.

No one had ever stood between her and the man she'd wanted and to see another woman embracing the man she desired filled her with the need for vengeance. Her emotions clouded her mind, her anger consuming her like the fires of hell. Not wishing to see their intimate interlude anymore, she turned away. As she walked, not paying attention to the direction she went, her mind was awhirl with hateful images of those two continuing, of copulating. The thought couldn't be borne!

Impulsively, she returned to the bitch's home and waited, planning on giving the whore a piece of her mind! And so much more.

—

Not twenty minutes later, a flustered Kagome returned home. Sesshomaru's kiss had rocked her, and the only thing that had brought her back to her senses had been Amaterasu's innocent inquiry of their actions. After saying a quick good bye, she'd fled, not knowing how to react after that kiss.

Walking into the main room of the home she now lived alone at, she forgot all about her guest until a palm connected with her cheek with a loud smack. The blow snapped her head to the side, making her neck crack painfully, and she stumbled. Her shoulder hit the wall and she almost fell but stiffened her knees at the last second to remain standing. Turning swiftly, she ducked under another attack to her face on reflex, her body honed to fighting. Using her elbow, she knocked the breath out of her attacker with a well-placed jab to the stomach.

Her assailant fell. Grabbing an arrow from the quiver on her back, she straddled the wheezing form on the floor and held the sharp point to her attacker's neck. At first, Kagome couldn't identify the person beneath her who coughed and groaned in pain, but when the woman turned to look up at her with unveiled hatred, recognition struck.

"Chiharu..? What—why did you attack me?"

"You bitch," Chiharu said through clenched teeth.

As if Kagome were a man, Chiharu struck a painful blow between Kagome's thighs with her knee. With a pain filled gasp, she toppled over, surprised by the unexpected attack, never once thinking anyone would strike a woman so, or that it would be so painful. However, even as she fell off the other woman, she got back to her knees, gritting her teeth against the pain, even as Chiharu scrambled to her feet.

The obviously enraged woman picked up her discarded arrow, her arm flying wide and aimed at her face. Reacting instinctively, Kagome fell to the ground and rolled. Kicking out with her foot, she snapped Chiharu's knee out of place. With a strangled cry, she fell, clutching her dislocated knee. Confused, feeling almost remorseful even though she'd only been defending herself, Kagome knelt beside Chiharu.

"Chiharu? What is the meaning of this?" she demanded again.

Brown eyes snapped open to glare at Kagome with such hate it took her breath away.

"You… I will never forgive you!"

Thinking she was talking about Eiji, Kagome stiffened, believing Chiharu had somehow found out that she'd lied about her brother's death.

"I—I'm so…sorry. I didn't… I…"

"Lies! He's the only man I have loved, and you dare take him away from me?"

"No! It wasn't like that. Eiji, he tried to kill me. I had no choice… I didn't mean to lie."

Surprise widened Chiharu's eyes. "W-what are you talking about?"

Confused, Kagome asked, "Isn't that what this is about? Because Sesshomaru and I killed your brother?"

"You killed my…" Anger stole the surprise from Chiharu's face. "You filthy whore! You and that…that bastard murdered my brother?" Her eyes shut as if she were in pain. Then she whispered brokenly, "I finally learn his name, the name of the man I love and yet he…" Her eyes opened to impale Kagome, as if she were trying to kill her with one glance. "I was only going to scar you, to make you undesirable to—Sesshomaru was his name? I curse you!" she screamed the last. "Even if it takes my life, I swear vengeance on you! Your heart will become cold as my brother, now dead. No longer will the sun warm your face. You will only know winter, only night. Unable to be with another without taking his life, as you stole Eiji's!"

Kagome felt reiki emanate from the woman, but it was dark and twisted. Shocked, one thought shot through her mind. There was no doubt. Chiharu was a miko, too, but her negative feelings corrupted her energy into that of a dark miko. How had she not known Eiji's sister was a priestess, too? She hadn't felt a spark of pure light from the woman, no aura to indicate that she was nothing more than a normal human. Somehow, the evil in Chiharu's heart, her resentment and anger, gave her words strength, but at a price.

The curse struck Kagome's chest, burrowed past flesh and bone—though it left no physical wound other than a painful burn mark—straight to her heart. Falling back with a cry, Kagome held her hands over the burn even as she felt her heart turn colder and colder, the blood pumping through her veins slowing down. Then it stopped along with the beat of her heart. Though her heart ceased to function, Kagome was not dead. Though the change happened quickly, the pain was excruciating.

Her body burned but not from fire but from a cold that sank deep inside the very center of her being. It grew, going outward, spreading throughout her body. She was cold, so cold, until numbness took over. She was uncertain how long she lay there, unable to move, her body numb and useless. But then, she sucked in a swift breath, and the numbness receded. Though she did not feel that burning chill, she felt different.

Sitting up, she stared down at herself, patting her body, reaffirming that she was in fact alive. One hand flew to cover her heart, but no matter how hard she pressed, she could not feel it beat. Feeling panic, she placed two fingers where the major artery at her throat should be—nothing. She sat there, frozen in shock. Her eyes caught movement. Staring at the area before her, she saw a puff of smoke.

No—not smoke but fog. Though her heart did not beat, air continued to flow through her lungs with every breath she took, but it came out as fog when she exhaled—as if it were winter, her breath turning chill in the cold season. What happened to her? Lifting her hands to her face, they were pale, much paler than she remembered, as were her arms. A low chuckle brought her attention back to her guest.

"Now…you will be alone…as you had condemned me…by taking Eiji. An endless cycle of death…to everyone you meet…" Chiharu said. Then she coughed roughly once, then became still. Eyes wide open, the color dulled, becoming as lifeless as her body.

—

He ran faster than most eyes could see, swifter even than the wind. His senses were on high alert, ever searching, seeking the one who had fled. Sesshomaru had left the hillside of Kagome's village after their unexpected kiss, taking his pup with him. He'd stayed away a whole week, needing time to think, time away from the object of his desire. It mattered little to him that she was a human priestess, but he could not have her, regardless. He knew this, she knew it, too. Neither tried to test the line that had to be drawn—at least not until he'd had a taste from her sweet lips.

It had been climactic, a revelation. Until he was certain how to proceed, whether to continue seeing the miko or cease contact, he stayed away. His feelings confused him, defied logic. His brain said he was acting foolishly, his heart told him he loved her, and in the end, his feelings overcame logic. He missed her. That was all that mattered. Why couldn't things remain as they had been just because of one kiss? At least, that was what he told himself, but when he'd come to visit, Kagome was nowhere to be seen.

He'd asked the villagers, and they'd told him a disquieting tale. The day after he'd left, two dead bodies had been found in the miko's home. The woman everyone came to learn was the recently deceased monk's younger sister, Chiharu's death was inconclusive, for there were no wounds or signs to indicate why she had died. But there had also been one of the village men, a farmer. His demise brought fear amongst the village, for his body had been as cold as ice, as if he'd been left out in the snow to perish, but it was still summer, still warm.

There was talk of a demon as the culprit, though no one had seen any sign of one, and most unsettling of all was that Kagome was missing. Many feared the demon had taken her. They thought it was some sort of ice or snow demon, not only because of the corpse but the snow and ice not yet melted in the hut upon the bodies' discovery.

Acting swiftly, Sesshomaru returned Amaterasu to his castle, then returned that same day, searching for signs of the miko in hopes that he was not too late, that she yet lived. And if the demon had killed her? Then he'd hunt down the vermin, kill him painfully, slowly, and give Kagome a proper funeral pyre so that she could rest—if there was a body to recover. Revenge wouldn't take away the pain he'd surely feel if Kagome were dead, but it was a start.

A few days into his search, he found her. There was no mistaking that telling, chilling aura—a yuki-onna. Surely this was the vile creature he sought. He found her standing in the moonlight, in a clearing with her back to him. Hair as white as his own fell freely down her back, but what confused him were her clothing, because she was dressed in the style that miko favored. Had she stolen Kagome's clothes then? Was that why he also caught her familiar scent upon the demon before him?

"I was wondering if I would ever see you again," a familiar voice drifted towards him on the still air.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Face me," he commanded softly.

Her white head shook negatively. "You shouldn't be here. You need to leave."

"What I need is answers."

She didn't answer him.

"Why did you leave…Kagome?" He uttered the name hesitantly, uncertain if it was she or some trick.

Instead of answering him, she said, "Surely you can sense what has changed."

"Knowledge does not always bring understanding. Make me understand."

She was silent for so long, he thought she would ignore him again. But then she spoke so softly he had to strain his hearing to make out the words. "If I tell you…would you do something for me?"

Now he was the one to hesitate. "If it is within my power."

She nodded.

"Chiharu, the monk Eiji's sister, saw us together when we were…" She paused as if she were embarrassed at the memory, or at least of speaking it aloud. "She attacked me in a jealous rage when I returned home. At first, I thought she was angry because she'd somehow learned the truth of her brother's death, and I accidently spoke of it. She cursed me and it took her life."

Sesshomaru waited for her to say more, but she did not. However, he didn't need her to as connections formed in his mind. He uttered them when she could not, just to make sure he had it right.

"The curse. It transformed you into a yuki-onna."

She nodded silently again.

Kagome didn't need to elaborate for him to understand what that meant, for he already knew. A yuki-onna was a demon of winter, capable of turning a light snowfall into a blizzard in seconds. The cold and ice were at her command but for a price. Her touch was lethal to humans and low ranking demons, killing them almost instantly with the chill that flowed through her veins. That accounted for the dead villager.

Staring at her back, Sesshomaru knew that was not all. Somehow, Kagome had retained her reiki. She was no longer human, not a half-demon, yet somehow she held within her small body the powers of a yuki-onna and miko. While he marveled at this impossibility made possible, there was no mistaking how her altered circumstances upset her. He understood why. A priestess made into a demon. A woman who was supposed to protect her fellow humans had killed an innocent man. How crushing it must be for her.

Though he could not read her mind, he knew her and understood. She was like him, dedicated to her duty, and what was more? Kagome valued life. Failure, dejection, horror, sadness. They radiated off her in waves.

"You promised to do something for me…" she murmured, breaking him out of his thoughts.

His throat had gone tight at the pain he heard in her voice, and yet he also detected hope. Instead of reassuring him, the latter emotion made him uneasy.

"What will you ask of me?" Did he even want to know?

"I cannot take my own life… I need you to kill me."

Surely he hadn't heard correctly? His heart stuttered. He clenched his fists.

"No."

"You promised me!" she wailed, finally turning to face him.

Desperation filled a face as white as snow, much paler than she'd ever been. Blue veins stood out in stark relief upon her face and her eyes were no longer the dark brown he was accustomed to seeing. Bright blue eyes stared back at him, glowing and beautiful. Even when her face was etched with tragedy, even though her features were slightly altered, and the pain in his chest grew the longer he stared into her inhuman eyes, Kagome was beautiful. What was more, she was still the woman who'd captured his heart.

"You ask what I cannot do," he answered in a low voice, trying to speak past the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Don't give me that crap. I know you can. You could kill me instantly without even drawing your blade. I'd let you. I'd—"

"Enough!" he said loudly, interrupting her. He didn't want to hear this from her—never her.

"I'm an abomination! I can't touch someone without killing them. You must kill me, Sesshomaru, please."

Kagome took a step towards him as she beseeched him to end her life. Gritting his fangs, he flashed to her. Though she was now a youkai herself, she had not expected his sudden movement, and he easily grabbed her shoulders before shaking her almost roughly.

"Listen to yourself. Have you lost your mind?! How can you ask that of me?" he demanded. Did she really think it was so simple? To end her life? He couldn't, wouldn't! Didn't she realize how important she was to him? How much he cared? How much he loved her?

Fear clouded her blue eyes and she yanked out of his hold, stumbling back a few steps.

"Don't touch me!"

Feeling at a loss, he took a step towards her. "Kagome…"

"Weren't you listening? I could kill you with just one touch! I've killed more than that one man in my home by merely placing a hand on their flesh. I don't want to kill you, too. Not you, Sesshomaru. I—I couldn't live with myself if I killed you, too," she said the last on a small sob.

His upper lip curled in a silent snarl. "And yet you believe it would be easier for me to kill you instead?"

Her face crumpled and she buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking as she cried as if her heart was breaking.

Sesshomaru was instantly remorseful.

"Miko," he whispered, before enfolding her in his arms.

She struggled instantly, trying to get away. She was stronger than she had been as a human, but he was stronger still and held her securely.

"Let me go, Sesshomaru. Oh God! Don't touch my skin!"

To prove a point, he did just that by cupping her cheek as he had so many times in the past. She flinched, jerking her head to the side, but he cupped her jaw and made her look up at him. Yes, her flesh was cold as ice, but it did not hurt him. What was more, he did not turn to ice and die. She stared up at him fearfully, but when he continued to live without her sapping his warmth, confusion took over.

"I…I don't understand…" she whispered.

"I'm not human either," he reminded her. "Your touch does not repel me. It will not kill me."

Tears fell from her eyes, turning to ice. "Oh, thank God!" she sobbed.

Sesshomaru tenderly wiped away the salted ice with his thumb. "There is more you should know, Kagome."

She sniffed. "What's that?"

"Though I cannot break the curse set upon you, a yuki-onna can control her touch so that she does not harm anyone."

She clutched at his armor, stepping closer and begged, "How? Tell me how, Sesshomaru."

"It is part of their power, your power." He cupped the back of her head. "Allow me to show you how."

When he settled his mouth over hers, Kagome didn't fight him. She stiffened, probably still fearful she'd harm him, but he wouldn't allow her fears to rule her. He forced her mouth open. Her tongue was as cold as the rest of her, but her taste was the same as he remembered. After long seconds of hesitation, he finally coaxed her to reciprocate, to duel her tongue with his in an erotic dance that enflamed his blood.

His heart raced, but hers remained unmoving. Placing his hand over her heart, he cupped her breast and squeezed gently. And there is was, barely heard. One, fragile beat, then silence. With a pained gasp, she broke the kiss and placed her hand over his.

When Sesshomaru exhaled after the kiss was broken, his breath came out in a white fog like Kagome's.

"W…hat was that just now..?"

He made a circular motion with his hand on her breast, causing her to gasp in pleasure. Another stuttering beat fluttered against his hand before it stopped. He leaned down to whisper heatedly in her ear.

"Do you not remember the beat of your own heart, miko?"

"I thought it was dead…" she confessed, a telling remark.

"Allow me to show you how alive you are," he replied huskily.

Sesshomaru didn't give her the chance to respond but tilted her head back by pulling on the back of her hair. He ravished the side of her neck with tantalizing kisses, licks, and gentle suctions of his mouth until Kagome was left clinging to him. Her small hands gripped his head, keeping him in place, while her erotic little moans told him all he needed to know—that she was enjoying his attentions.

Her arousal was unmistakable. Using the tip of one fang, he gently scraped the sharp point against her sluggish pulse, encouraging it to race faster, for her heart to pick up its pace. With his hands on her breasts, fondling and squeezing the plump flesh through her clothing, he could feel her heart fluttering, trying to beat. He heard the fragile beat amongst Kagome's whimpers.

All too soon, he drew back, looking into Kagome's flushed face and dazed eyes.

"I-It's beating," she whispered in awe. Then she grimaced. "But it's slightly painful. I didn't notice when you were…" She halted and blushed scarlet, embarrassment coming off of her in waves.

He chuckled, brushing the pads of two fingers down her hot cheek. "Do you trust me?"

She stared up at him for a few seconds before nodding. "With my life."

"Stay where you are," he instructed, even as he took a couple steps back.

Confusion entered her eyes but she did as he instructed. Without hurrying, Sesshomaru gripped the pummels of his two swords at his left hip and removed them from his obi, before settling them on the ground near his feet. Placing his fur pelt next to his swords, his hands went to the clasps holding his armor in place. When that, too, was removed and set down, Kagome finally spoke.

"Ah…Sesshomaru? What… ah, what are you doing?" she asked hesitantly.

He didn't answer her. Instead, he held her blue eyed gaze and untucked his haori from his hakama. His outer garment fell on the pile with a whisper of silk before he effortlessly shrugged out of the last layer, uncovering his chest to Kagome's rapt gaze. Standing half exposed without a care, he flashed a fang in a small masculine grin of satisfaction as she devoured him with her eyes. With her new demonic vision, the night's shadows could not hide his flesh from her gaze, he knew. Her appreciation of his body heightened his awareness of her as a woman.

He could take her, ravish her until they were both covered in sweat and spent. And he would. Her heart was still sluggishly beating, as if just the sight of his bare chest affected her. He had to have her—now. His worries and afflicted emotions withered and died, leaving nothing but his desire to make her his.

He held out his hand to her, palm up. "Come to me," he beckoned in a low, husky timbre.

Kagome cupped her hands and held them to her breast, becoming skittish at his command. Surely she knew what he was asking of her, tempting her to do. Desire and shyness warred within her. He could see it clearly in her face and body language.

"Sesshomaru, I don't think—"

"Stop thinking. Come to me now, Kagome. Take my hand," he commanded, tempted.

She swallowed thickly, but she did take three, small steps forward and reached for his hand slowly. He didn't rush her, didn't lose patience with her, and merely waited for her compliance. When her tiny hand rested atop his, he tightened his fingers around it, trapping her. Pulling, he dragged her closer. To put her more at ease, sensing her agitation, he placed one then both of her hands on his chest.

Her touch was cold, very cold, but the contact of winter was not enough to turn his flesh to ice or stop his heart as it would—as it had—a ningen. Showing her it was alright to touch and explore without hurting him, he dragged her palms across his pecs, down his chest, over his nipples to his abdomen, then back up again.

Almost as if she were in a trance, she took the lead, and mapped his bared flesh. One nail scraped over his nipple, making him groan low and deep in longing. The erection in his hakama swelled further still—for her, only her.

Fearfully, she yanked her hands back and took a small step back. Her eyes shot up to his face. "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you..?"

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her to him again. Making sure she was watching, he kissed first one, then her other inner wrist, lapping at her pulse with his tongue, feeling his heart skip a beat when hers did. He placed her right hand over his rapidly beating heart.

"Feel how quickly my heart races from your touch. It is not pain but pleasure I feel when your hands are upon me." His voice was pure seduction.

Her lips parted. Wanting to feel them on him, he cupped the back of her head and brought her forward. Murmuring what he wanted from her, he felt her do just that. Her lips were as chilled as the rest of her, but it set a fire in his blood. Her tongue teased his nipple and Sesshomaru tossed his head back, the air in his lungs whooshing out of him. She was barely touching him, and yet he was this aroused.

Needing more, he tugged her haori out of her hakama. When he pushed the fabric off her shoulders, she stopped her erotic play to look up at him. Kagome didn't stop him when he discarded the inner garment. Her breasts were bound by a white cloth, wound around her. He fingered it meaningfully.

"Let me," he whispered to her intimately.

She gave a tentative nod. He didn't wait for her to become shy and change her mind. Using speed, he quickly unwound the binding and let it fall at their feet. Lush breasts were revealed. Her flesh was as white as snow, her veins standing out in stark relief. Though she had lost what little color she'd had as a human, her nipples were a light pink—beautiful. However, she crossed her arms, embarrassed. She looked away.

Using his greater size, he lowered her to the ground with gentle but insistent hands and hovered over her. Taking her wrists, he pinned then near either shoulder, baring her to his gaze.

"Never hide from me, Kagome. You are so beautiful—mine."

With that uttered, Sesshomaru bent, leaned closer until he mimicked her earlier action, his tongue grazing over a nipple. It hardened in seconds, becoming erect from the blood that rushed faster through her veins.

"Your heart is racing," he murmured. Another lick, then a swirl of his tongue. She gasped, back arching, thrusting her breasts towards him for more.

"Because of what you're doing to me," she said in a desperate tone of voice.

"I have only just begun," he warned silkily.

He suckled her like a pup, pulling on her trapped nipple and lashing it with his tongue. Kagome went wild. Hands in his hair, she arched into his mouth, making small cries that were like music to his ears but also pained him when his balls tightened in reaction. It was physically painful to hold back, to not yank the last bit of their clothing out of the way and make them one, but he had to make this good for her.

Kagome's body was still cold, her heart trying to beat. He gave her his own body heat, warming her, while his wandering hands and mouth heated her from the inside out. Switching breasts, he gave her neglected nipple the same attention as the other, while his fingers pinched and rolled her abandoned nipple.

Her arousal grew. Looking at her face, he finally saw that her cheeks were flushed with color. Beneath his hands, she was warm, and he could hear her heart racing as fast as his own. Now, he needed her wetter, to get her ready for his invasion. Tugging on her hakama, they slid down her thighs. He had to release her breast to yank them completely off her.

Kagome blinked up at him dazedly. His right hand glided up her calf, over her knee, and down the outside of her thigh. Her breath shuddered. Running his hand back to her knee, he used both hands to spread them wide and settled between them. His claws brushed against her inner thigh gently. She trembled. His fingers brushed her secret lips next, parted them. He found her wet and heat radiating from her woman's flesh. Now it was his turn to shudder in desire. He gnashed his teeth, forcing control on himself lest he hurt her. Kagome was undoubtedly a virgin. He had to be careful.

He placed his free hand by her shoulder, supporting himself even as he crowded over her. Leaning down, he brushed her ear with his lips and whispered, "You're so wet."

She squirmed under him. "Is… Is that bad?" she asked.

He chuckled at her naivety, finding it adorable even as his shaft pulsed, aching to be encased inside her moist depths. "You're perfect," he assured her, before nipping at the lobe of her ear.

At the same time, his thumb found her nub and he pressed. She arched her hips. He made a circular motion with his thumb, stimulating her. Kagome's nails bit into his shoulders, her new claws digging deep, but the small bite of pain only enflamed him more, bringing him closer to the edge.

"Please, faster, Sesshomaru," she begged helplessly, her hips moving into his hand almost desperately.

"Do you ache, Kagome?" he asked huskily. He pinched her clitoris, basked in her elated cry. "Do you need more?"

"Yes," she cried, clawing at him. "More!"

He gave it to her by pushing his middle finger inside her, never once stopping the circular motion of his thumb, keeping her on the edge of pleasure. He tested her by adding a second finger, then stretched her by adding a third.

"That hurts…" she whimpered.

In apology, he went back to suckling her breasts, making her ride the waves of pleasure and pain. He was sorry to hurt her, but he had to prepare her for something so much bigger than his fingers. He was sure to keep his thrusts shallow so as not to accidently break her barrier with his claws. He would never dishonor her by being a brute and taking her virginity with his fingers. He'd do things right and take her with his shaft that clamored at him to finish things.

Kagome's groans of pain returned to ones of pleasure. He suckled her breasts strongly, rubbed at her clit, drawing her closer and closer to release. He could smell how close she was, feel it in her trembling muscles and hear it in her escalating cries. In minutes, he had her screaming her first orgasm.

Acting quickly, Sesshomaru removed his fingers, yanked at his hakama, and sheathed his thick shaft inside her weeping core in one, powerful lunge. He'd waited for her release, knowing he wouldn't hurt her upon her first taking if she was lost within ecstasy. His patience bore fruit as she came again, her tight core squeezing and pulling at his cock, trying to milk him of his seed before he was ready to give it.

Her hips bucked uncontrollably in the midst of her release, so he held her down firmly with his hands on her hips, pinning her to the ground. Her hands grabbed at his shoulders, nails digging in, and he loved it. Loved watching her lost to the pleasure he gave her even as he fought to control his own.

When Kagome finally quieted and sank boneless beneath him, sweat beaded his brow. Ice blue eyes gazed up at him in wonder, until he gave a tentative thrust. Then her mouth opened on a silent 'oh'.

He pulled back then thrust home again, going slowly, watching her reaction.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked in a guttural voice.

She seemed to think about it for a few seconds, which only tested his control further, making his balls ache with his building seed. "I feel…full, stretched. But it doesn't hurt, not really."

Which meant she wasn't in the moment as she had been before, perhaps in some manner of discomfort because of his size. Sesshomaru vowed to give her pleasure before release claimed him even if it killed him. Though he'd given her the ultimate pleasure twice already, there was no way in hell he was going to leave her behind while he took pleasure in their joining—their first, but not their last. No, she was his—his woman. If she'd take him, he'd ask her to become his mate. She was youkai now. Fate had been cruel to change her species, but he realized fate had also been kind. It had given them a way to be together. He just had to convince her.

"I will make it better for you," he promised on a husky whisper, surging inside her once more, but this time, he swiveled his hips, and ground his pelvis against her swollen clitoris.

She moaned for him—such a beautiful, lusty sound.

Placing a hand on her lower back, he arched her hips into his thrusts, making the angle deeper, sinking just another inch farther inside her moist heat until she'd taken all of him. His thrust were slow and precise, meant to ease her in to things, to not hurt her, but he was also seeking, searching for that one spot that would turn her wild in his arms again.

As he thrust, he made a slight side-to-side motion, spreading her wider, making her accept him more easily, and stroking her inner walls while stimulating himself. He did that a few more times but had to stop or explode too soon. Kagome squirmed and arched into every movement of his body, accepting him, encouraging him with low murmurs of more, faster, deeper, and harder.

He picked up the pace, slamming inside her, hitting the end of her. Her cries were ones of enjoyment, her every movement telling him he'd finally gotten her past discomfort and back into ecstasy. Her sheath was gripping him, pulling on him, and Sesshomaru knew she was on the brink of another orgasm. So close to his own, he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, valiantly staving off his release.

"Come, miko, come now," he commanded gruffly, his voice more growl than human speech. He thrust sharply, once, twice, and finally, her scream of completion—his name—echoed around them.

Placing both hands on either side of her shoulders, he did what he'd been dying to do and pistoned inside her convulsing sheath, slamming inside her only to draw back and do it again and again. Just as her silken walls released there death grip on his cock, he spilled inside her. He was barely aware of Kagome's next cry, another release tightening around his shaft, milking his seed.

With a groan, he slowly fell to his forearms, not wanting to crush her under his weight, but when her small hands pulled at him, he sank on top of her, chest to chest. Pushing his arms under her back, he held her against his heaving chest as they both relearned how to breathe. There was no space separating them, and that's how he wished to stay—with her, always.

Long minutes later, Sesshomaru rolled onto his back and took Kagome with him, letting her drape over his chest. He had one hand in her hair, stroking and smoothing it down her back. He felt her move her chin on his chest to stare up at him. He obligingly looked down at her.

"My heart's beating again," she said in wonder, before worry clouded her eyes. "But will it last? Or will I become like ice again? I can feel the chill inside me, waiting."

"It's your demonic energy, Kagome. Nothing to worry about. You can learn how to control it just as you learned to master your reiki. I'll help you."

"So you'll stay with me?" she asked hesitantly, hopefully.

He cupped the back of her head, becoming serious. "I will always be by your side."

"What do you mean by that?"

Instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. "What do you feel for this Sesshomaru?"

She blushed, her now flowing blood rising to her cheeks. "You know…"

"I'd like to hear it all the same."

"Will it change anything?"

"Yes."

Her voice was full of doubt while his was full of conviction. It seemed to give her the courage she needed to admit her feelings aloud. "I love you, Sesshomaru. For the longest time, I've loved you. I doubt I'll ever stop."

"You must know that I feel the same for you."

"I wanna hear you say it," she said with more confidence than before.

Simply, he said, "I love you." Instead of being happy, Kagome had a sad smile upon her face, puzzling him. "You are displeased?"

"No, of course not! It's just… We've known from the beginning that nothing can come of us, together I mean."

"Things have changed. You have changed."

"Because I'm a demon, a yuki-onna?"

"We both know your humanity made it impossible for me to have you as my mate, but I wanted you then anyway. If I had not been a ruling lord, I would have made you mine without a second's hesitation."

"But I'm still a miko, too."

"A demon and a miko," he mused, but then grinned, flashing a fang. "My subjects will realize I have found the strongest mate, and that is all they care about." He stared at her. "If you could still do your priestess duties, would you stay with me?"

"Is that even possible?" she whispered.

"I am willing to try, to fight for the one I love." He took her hand in his, held it to his heart. "Will you be my mate, Kagome?"

"I should say no…" she said with a grin, which only made him return the facial gesture.

"But you won't," he said with confidence.

"No, I won't," she assured. "Yes, Sesshomaru, I will be your mate."

He dragged her up his body and demanded, "Kiss me."

When she did, it was far from chaste.