Six: Desperate Housewife Takes on Two Men

Kagome went to work extra early the next morning. She knew she looked like shit due to stress and lack of sleep and she wished she didn't care but she did. Luckily, there was the fridge that was always full to the brim of her favorite discontinued coffee. Kagome might have overindulged a little, as when it was ten minutes past the bell and Inuyasha still hadn't showed his crazy fucking face, her hands were shaking and she wanted nothing more than to leap out of her chair, hunt him down, and show him exactly how she was feeling.

That little bastard had gone too far and obviously hadn't put any thought into his actions. Now it was hitting him and he was scared, too afraid to even face her. That was probably the first wise decision he had made since they'd been acquainted.

But he was here. In the school. She could feel it.

Without Inuyasha there, the rest of the class were all model students. Instead of staring out the window or discreetly trying to text, they actively participated in the lessons. It was enough of a shock that she was almost distracted from thinking about why she was so boiling mad. Almost.

Even though she wasn't at her best, Kagome still had enough going on that when she sidled up to Kōga as the kids were filing out for their lunch break, he audibly gulped.

"Can I see you for a moment, Mr. Ookami? Alone."

His tail was actually wagging.

"Yes, Mrs. Higurashi! Is this about the quiz? Did I disappoint you?"

Kagome smiled at him graciously and put one of her hands on his shoulder. "No, you did very well. I just had a little question and if you had an answer it would really help me out quite a bit."

There were beads of sweat on his upper lip. Maybe the hand was a little much.

"Anything!"

"Your missing classmate, Mr. Taisho. Do you know where he could be?"

And just like that, all motion ceased and his expression was blank. "No. I'm sorry, but no." She could tell it was a refusal to say more and not a genuine lack of knowledge.

"I know he's here, Kōga," she said, through with pretense. "Now tell me where he is before I go to his home and cause some serious damage."

"Oh gods, Mrs. Higurashi, whatever you do, don't go there!"

"Then tell me!"

For a second, it seemed like the wolf was going to spill everything, but then he glanced at the door, paled, and shook his head, avoiding her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Higurashi, but I can't."

He scurried out.

Kagome wanted to scream. She almost did. Instead, she just kicked a leg of her priceless desk, cursing when it did not at all relieve her anger but instead just made her big toe throb.

"Mrs. Higurashi?"

She froze. Oh fuck, but she hoped this student in particular hadn't witnessed her tiny temper tantrum.

"Yes, Miss Shikon? How can I help you?"

In keeping with her usual behavior, Kikyo's big dark eyes were fixed on the floor, tracing the swooping floral design in the Persian rug that took up the majority of the classroom.

"Inuyasha's in his clubhouse."

"Clubhouse?" She pictured a treehouse nestled in one of the massive ancient oaks on the school's green. "Where's that?"

"He has a…special room. In the basement of our class building. That's where he goes when he's upset."

"Building eleven has a basement?" The only stairs in this building that she had seen went up and there were no elevators.

The girl nodded, a silky thread of hair slipping free from her ponytail to caress her face.

"He has his own private door. Go to the cleaning closet in the boy's bathroom. It's behind the mops."

Kagome was already on her way there when she paused. "Why are you telling me this?" All the others kept their mouths shut, too scared or loyal to Inuyasha to tell her what she needed to know. She doubted Kōga would have told her anything unless she got it out of him using means she would prefer to save for her husband.

For the first time, Kikyo smiled. Her cheeks even blushed the palest rose. It was an almost surreal sight.

"Because it's what you want and what he wants and so it's what I want. I might be his fiancée, but you're the only one who can handle him."

Smiling at the girl, Kagome gave into impulse and kissed her on the cheek, feeling the girl's face grow warmer even in that split second of contact.

"If you're lying to me," she murmured, "I'll make you regret it."

With how angry she was, it only took less than a minute to find the stupid secret passage to the stupid secret basement and storm inside the stupid secret clubhouse where she proceeded to yell so loud that nothing secret would ever survive in the atmosphere again.

"Inuyasha!" she shrieked.

All activity in the room came to a stop. The place was filled with Sengoku students, most of whom she didn't even recognize. The kids all seemed stunned, even Inuyasha. However, it only took a moment before shock morphed into something she didn't think she liked one bit.

"Get out," he said.

At first, she thought he was talking to her and was about to scream at him until she lost her voice, but then he pushed away the girl in his lap and everyone got what he was trying to say. The room emptied quickly, and then it was just the two of them.

Now that they were alone, she wasn't sure what she wanted to say. It was like just seeing his face had zapped away all that negative energy and left something…else...in its place.

To give herself time to think, she studied her surroundings. The room was large and dark, decorated with tapestries depicting ancient sadistic and erotic scenes. There were plenty of silk floor cushions and some sections were separated by thick velvet curtains. It was almost like some kind of orientalism-obsessed Victorian brothel.

Knowing him, that was exactly what it was.

Kagome sat down across from Inuyasha at the round table littered with cash and cards and playing chips. Apparently, he had been in the middle of a game, and judging by what was left of it, the stakes had gotten pretty high. If she grabbed what was on the table, she could buy a house in an upper-middle class suburb.

She crossed her arms to stop herself from having sticky fingers. His golden eyes were fixated on her plumped up chest and she rolled her eyes.

"Sorry to stop you from holding court, but you owe me."

He frowned. "Figures you'd just wanna talk about that. Mention my name to whatever place you choose to get a new window and I'll cover it. Send me the bill for your divorce lawyer, while you're at it. I'll make sure that bastard never sees a dime of your money." He smirked. "Or his own."

"Shut up," she sneered, exhausted by his behavior. "You're lucky I don't include an emotional distress tax."

"You've had me distressed in all sorts of ways since I was twelve. It's only fair."

"Blame your parents for not supervising your internet use."

"It was all worth it since I got to see Kamiko come last night. I even got to make it happen." He leaned back in his chair, looking so proud she wanted to punch him.

It wasn't part of the plan, but she shot forward and grabbed him by the ear, taking him by surprise and tugging him so hard that they were eye-to-eye and partially on the table.

"If you ever do anything that fucking stupid again," she hissed, "I won't just expose you, I will fucking murder you. Stay. Away. From Hojo."

Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and she winced. The touch was gentle, but it hurt all the same. She had tried to cover what Hojo had done to her by wearing long sleeves, but the bruise had crept up and was now visible on her hand.

"Who did this to you? Was it Hiten? Did he come by your house?"

His voice matched his expression. Pained earnestness. She couldn't lie to him.

"It wasn't him. Hiten didn't do it."

He dropped her hand and bared his fangs, shoulders raised and fists clenched, ready to lash out.

"It was him, then. It was that fucking bastard. He hurt you. I'll kill him."

"Inuyasha," she said, grabbing his hand. "Just calm down. Hojo was very understandably upset given an incident like that. It was very traumatic and he's already under so much stress－"

He pulled away from her. "I didn't even do anything to that stupid fuck! All I did was make him be honest for once."

"Hojo isn't the one in the wrong here, Inuyasha, you are. Do you even know that what you did was wrong? So, so incredibly wrong and horrible? He was right not to get involved. He knows I would be upset and never forgive myself if I had to watch him get hurt because of me again. He's disfigured and handicapped because of me, Inuyasha. Because he loves me. He's already proved himself. Now it's my turn to take care of him."

"He's been exploiting the one thing he did for you for too damn long!"

"Hojo means more than anything to me!" she yelled back. "More than anything and anyone. He is my love, my husband, my entire world. And nothing you do will stop me from feeling that way."

"For a marriage to work, that feeling can't belong to just one party, Kagome. It has to be mutual."

How suddenly calm he was threw her off. She snorted. "And what would you know about marriage? You're a teenager."

"And what do you know? Your marriage is a fucking joke."

"Ugh!" she growled in frustration. "You are so stupid! I need to get out of here. You make me so angry that I get all hot and want to scream!"

"Sounds like I'm doing a little more than angering you, Kagome." His eyes were a glowing gold and she found herself going completely still, hypnotically drawn in. "Sounds like you're angry 'cause I make you horny and you haven't gotten fucked in too damn long."

"You wish." It was a lame reply, but it was all she had.

Then he was on top of her on one of the overstuffed floor pillows and her legs were spread. Kagome arched her back and pressed into him like the whore she was, the whore she had always been. Her skirt had ridden up so that it was around her waist and she could feel the heat of his big hard cock through his clothes, imagined how if he unzipped his trousers then all that stood between them and bliss was the flimsy pink mesh lace of her panties. This was what she had wanted last night. Kagome had recognized him the second his eyes met her own and she had wanted him on top of her more than she could remember ever wanting anything else.

"I can smell it, Kagome," he murmured, lips tickling her ear. "Hear it, too. Your heart beats faster every time you look at me. Did you know that? I can smell how your pussy gets all wet whenever we touch. We have this room all to ourselves. I can take care of you here and now, Kagome. Make you come until you pass out. Bring you pleasure with my hands, my tongue, my cock. No one has to know. You can call all the shots, tell me what to do, order me around."

His words and his breath ghosting across her cheek and his warmth and his smell and his everything were sending electric sparks all across her body. Her nipples hardened against his chest and her breath came in a gasp and left in a whine, that small movement making her pussy gush. Her nipples were so hard and sensitive that she knew she could reach orgasm just by having him suck on them, something that only happened when she was especially aroused.

Would it really be so wrong?

He was a legal adult. And it wasn't like they would be the only teacher-student pair at this school. He wanted her, and there was obviously a part of her that wanted him. Her own husband didn't want her. And he was right, she hadn't been really touched in so long…

His lips pressed small, sweet kisses across her cheekbone and her breath was coming in soft pants. She knew that the second his mouth was on hers, the fight was over and she would be completely consumed.

Then they were separated.

Kagome blinked up at him blearily. She had been a split second from wrapping her legs around him and telling him to fuck her until she begged for him to stop.

"Why'd you st－"

"What the fuck is it, Miroku!?" he rasped out.

The boy, uncharacteristically timid, appeared from beyond one of the curtains.

"Uh, sorry, Inuyasha, but someone's looking for Kagome."

"Tell 'em to fuck off!"

"It's Hiten."

Kagome immediately shot up. Shitfuckdamn, not him again. She shoved the half-demon off of her and scrambled to her feet.

"Give me the money by the time school is over," she said, hating herself for how her voice wobbled like her knees and how red she knew her face was.

"Are you seriously going to meet up with that asshole?" Inuyasha asked, doggedly at her heels.

"If I don't, bad things will happen."

"You don't have to bother with him, Kagome! Let me take care of him."

"I'm not going to let a child fight my battles. Leave me alone, Inuyasha."

"You can't grind on me and then call me a child!"

She made it to the classroom faster than he did and shut the door behind her, glaring at him before she did so he would get the picture and just leave her alone.

"Good, you're here."

She could feel the nearly invisible hair on her arms stand up at the familiar voice. Before she could respond, the door slammed open and the room gained a half-demon.

"And you, too," Hiten sneered.

Inuyasha stood in front of her protectively and crossed his arms. "Kagome isn't gonna be alone with you ever again."

Hiten laughed. "Fuck, Kagome, you've really fucked with this kid's head and you haven't even fucked him yet!" Something about her face made him pause and he quirked a brow. "Shit, or have you?"

"I have more integrity than that, Hiten. Gods!" She felt her cheeks pinken anew at how very close she had been to throwing away her supposed integrity.

"I made a decision."

"...And you needed to tell me because…?"

"I decided I'm going to give you those things you wanted. You know, the stuff you dumped me over in the first place."

The private shoots. The scenarios he had written for his own personal gratification, things that he had fooled her into thinking were being distributed and would add to her income when in reality he kept for himself to jerk off to. They were among the darkest films of her career, things he'd had to drug her up extra for.

"How do I know you don't have copies of the files?"

He shrugged. "You just have to trust me. Trust that I want you more than I want those old things."

"I can't trust you now, Hiten. Not after everything. And I never should have in the first place, but I was young and scared and stupid."

"Look, Kagome. I know I've been a bad guy." He sighed. "But I'm trying, okay? Things… Things haven't been good since you left. I had to move in with my brother and he gave me a fresh start. I was getting too old to keep living so fast, anyway. Honestly, I didn't even know this was your gig now. Please, let me just make this up to you."

Kagome studied him. He seemed sincere, but more than that, he was sober. She hadn't realized before, but he was much changed from the last time she saw him, back when they were making movies together. He lacked energy, his posture was poor, and he had lost some of the muscle that made him seem fit to the point of almost being frightening.

"Bring them to me on flash drives after school. You know where I'll be."

Hiten glared at Inuyasha. "And will your dog be there too?"

"There's no way in hell I'm leaving Kagome alone with you!"

"Go to lunch, Inuyasha. I can handle myself."

"No." His chin was set in that stubborn way, dimpling just the slightest bit. She was startled by how much she wanted to kiss him there.

"You're already on my bad side from what you did yesterday, so I suggest you leave me alone before you stay there forever."

He rolled his eyes and didn't move.

"Today. After school," she reiterated to Hiten. "And don't think I don't remember how many of them there were. I remember everything."

Hiten kissed the inside of her wrist, just as he had the first time they met when she had thought him her savior.

"I'll see ya then, Kagome."

When he left, she exhaled a big breath she hadn't known she'd been holding since he had touched her. Of course she was leery of him and his reasons for being at Sengoku, but she wanted to believe what he was saying was true. He had been such a good guy to her－when he wasn't being a bad guy. Maybe he really was trying to get his life together, just like her.

Kagome sighed and sat down at her desk. There wasn't enough time for her to run to the teacher's building and get lunch. It looked like she was just going to have that half-finished bag of pretzels in her purse and coffee for lunch.

"You should go over to the lunchroom and get food while you still can, Inuyasha."

He just sat at his desk and glared at her. "I lost my appetite."

"Look, I'm sorry I was mean to you in front of Hiten, but I'd rather be a bitch than see you get hurt, okay?" How in the hell had she wound up apologizing to him?

"That fucker can't touch me. I'm stronger than him and anyone else who thinks they can cause you pain and just go on living."

"Stop being so dramatic!" Thinking about what he had done last night and the berserker mode he'd entered the last time he and Hiten had crossed paths made her feel upset in ways she couldn't even name.

"Look, Kagome, I'm worried about you. I'm serious! I don't think it was a coincidence that these attacks on you started when Hiten came back into your life. First that pot almost caving your skull in and then a shooter I couldn't track aiming for your heart."

"I still don't know why you think that person was trying to shoot me. You must have more people that hate you than I do."

"This is serious, Kagome! Hiten wants to kill you."

"Inuyasha, if Hiten wanted to kill me, he would do it with his bare hands and he would enjoy every second of it. If he really wanted me dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Just don't meet with him alone, okay? I need to be there and make sure you're safe."

"I was handling myself against Hiten when you were still in elementary school. Okay? I lived with him for an entire year. I saw him snort a mountain of cocaine the size of a La-Z-Boy in two hours. I've seen him beat his best friends almost to the point of death. I've fucked him countless times and I know him inside and out. I'll be fine."

Face pinched in worry, Inuyasha came over to her desk and leaned in close.

"There's something off about him. He's planning something."

Kagome patted his cheek. "It's cute that you're worried for me, but I can handle myself."

Inuyasha scowled. "What is he giving you?"

"Videos. Photos. Things I don't want anyone to see. Once I get them, I'm going to destroy them." This was not the time for her career to have a resurgence.

His eyes widened. "Are these never-before-seen Kamiko scenes?"

"Yeah." The word came out clipped and she was suddenly angry. It was always Kamiko with him. "Hundreds of fantasies he'd written and starred in with me. But he never sold them or uploaded them. They were just for him. The bastard didn't even pay me. It was some dark kink, too. And no, you can't see them."

"Name your price."

"You'd have better luck with Hiten."

Kagome was antsy and distracted for the rest of the day. The last thing she wanted was for Inuyasha to be more involved than he already was, but she was dreading having to see Hiten again. Seeing him made her feel like the last few years had been nothing more than a dream. That any minute she'd have to go in for makeup and greet her inevitably ugly, older co-star(s) with a smile and be Kamiko for a few draining hours. When the time came for everyone to pack up and go home, she was surprised and a little hurt when Inuyasha went with the rest of the students. All that time protesting the need for a guard dog and here she was wishing for that angry little puppy.

Hiten was waiting for her outside the gym, already in her spot. She scowled at the charming smile on his face.

"Just give it to me and we can jump straight to being coworkers that never see each other except when we absolutely have to."

"Not so fast. I wanna talk to you. The way things ended between us…it was awful, Kagome. Can we please have just one night of conversation before we go our separate ways? I need the closure."

"That's too much to ask of me." Inuyasha had been right. Hiten was up to something more.

His eyes turned hard. "You would do well to remember that I have massive amounts of dirt on you. I could accidentally leave something out for my brother to find and I think I know him well enough to know that Manten would not appreciate a teacher with your sort of past being so close to his most precious students."

"Fine. Let's talk." She was mad as hell. If that picture of the two of them together wasn't enough to deter Hiten anymore, she was out of options.

"Great!" he beamed. "I'll come over to your place tonight. Make me the usual."

It took everything to keep herself from crying in front of him. Hiten's "usual" was three well-done T-bone steaks, three fully loaded baked potatoes, and an entire chocolate cake. The meal was always followed by more drugs and some very rough scripted sex.

"My husband is going to be home. Let's just go to a restaurant and talk there, okay? Please, Hiten."

"I'll make sure Hojo is stuck at work. Fuck with his car a little, make sure it won't start."

Hojo had been plagued with car problems early on in their marriage. Now she knew why.

Hiten obviously wanted one last night with her. If that was what it was going to take to get those files back, she'd do it. She'd hate herself forever, but she'd do it.

She pecked him on the cheek. "See you in an hour."

O\o/O

The knife she used to trim the steaks glinted in the candlelight in a way she found too appealing. Kagome knew there was no chance for someone like her against an ancient demon that could electrocute people without even touching them, but she supposed a little fantasizing never hurt anyone.

True to his word, Hiten had made it so Hojo was extra delayed at the office. Her husband had called her just a few minutes ago.

"It's the strangest thing! The car was fine for the past few years, and it started up with the same old problems again. It's crazy!"

"Oh no," Kagome monotoned. "Will you be coming back by Uber?"

"Nah, I might as well use the opportunity to finish up some paperwork at the office. I'm sorry, Kagome. This was the first time in a while that I wasn't the last one in the office. I wanted to get our wine-and-whine session out of the way."

She unclenched her jaw and forced her voice to be sweet. "That's fine. I get it. We both do what we have to do."

"Glad you understand. Don't wait up."

"That idiot doesn't know how good he's got it," a familiar voice purred into her ear.

Kagome yelped in surprise. She hadn't even heard him come in.

"Hiten, what the hell! You know not to sneak up and scare me like that!" Thank the gods Hojo had hung up already.

He grabbed her phone and put it in his pocket. "You won't be needing that tonight." His arms were around her and he was nuzzling her neck. "Smells good."

"It's not done yet. Go and sit at the table."

"When did you go all suburban mom?"

Her heart hurt at that. "Just let me finish up."

When she served the food, his eyes devoured her even more greedily than he devoured the meat on his plate. She had nothing for herself, her stomach too full of dread for her to even consider adding such a heavy dish to the mix. In under fifteen minutes, he was done, a muted belch relaying his compliments to the chef.

"You probably know why I wanted to see you so bad, Kagome. It's not hard to guess."

She nodded. "I figured you didn't actually want to clear the air. I'll give you one last night, Hiten, but that's it."

The demon blinked at her and laughed. "One night? Is that what you think I want? To fuck a whore I've already used up? No, Kagome. That's what you want."

The option of the knife was seeming as attractive as it was certain death. "Then what the fuck are you even here for, Hiten? Did you miss my cooking that much?"

"What I missed is Kamiko."

She felt the blood drain from her face.

"I know you miss her, too, Kagome. If you're being honest, you want back in. You want to fuck and get fucked with every willing demon and human I put you in a room with. And now is a perfect time for a comeback. Maybe I'm just getting old, but you look just as good as you did a decade ago, maybe even better. And think of the fucking money we'd make!"

"As kind and considerate as you've been to me so far tonight, Hiten, I'm going to have to turn down your offer." Her voice was hard and icy, just the way she felt inside. "I have no reason to return to that life."

"No reason?" he laughed. "Babe, I know that Krueger-esque castrato you insist on keeping around has never once made you come. That's your reason right there." Hiten lunged over the table, knocking plates and flatware out of the way and pulled her to him, covering her mouth before she could even scream. "You can't hide how much your body is crying out for a good fucking no matter how much you try."

His hands were in her shirt and all the tears she had kept back for days flooded out. How could she want something so much from someone she hated so much? Confusion rushed through her combined with fiery lust as one hand plucked at her nipple and the other dipped below her skirt to cup her pussy over her panties.

"Gods, Hiten, please don't! I can't take it…"

The demon pressed a hard kiss to her jaw. "You don't get a say, bitch. Here's what's going to happen: you're going to be a good girl and come back to my apartment all smiles. If you don't, I will drag you back, and you won't be conscious. I'm sick of your fucking mouth. No good unless it's got a dick in it."

She tried to scream again and his hand went back to her mouth, claws cutting into her cheeks.

"Fuck, do you really gotta make things difficult? Fine. I can give you a limp to match your husband's. You don't need to walk to star in gangbangs."

"Do it!" she spat. "I don't care. Hojo and I can have matching canes. I'm not letting you control me again. I'd rather die!"

Seemingly surprised, he let go of her, giving her the freedom to get away if she chose. But when she saw him smile, the feeling in her gut got so much worse, and she stayed paralyzed right where she was: the lap of the person who had tried to kill her before and would undoubtedly try and finish the job tonight.

"And what about the kid?" Her heart stopped. "Yeah, your wannabe white knight. You wouldn't mind if I tore those cute little ears right out of his head?"

"Don't you dare." The venom in her voice shocked the both of them. "I mean it, Hiten."

"Then I guess you're coming back with me. No more games, no more lies. No more pretending to be a nice little wife. Your place is with me. It's time to become Kamiko and stay that way."

The tears fell faster. Kamiko was the nightmare she had lived for years and finally thought herself free of. What other options did she have? Kamiko had ruled her life from the very first moment she sprung forth. If she told anyone, Hiten would expose her, and if he exposed her, she would lose everything. Her career, her husband, her life. There would be no point in living if she lost it all. But was a life as Kamiko even worth living?

"Don't cry, Kagome."

At first, she thought she was hearing things. Then, she thought she was seeing things. After all, it made absolutely no sense for Inuyasha to be there, yet there he was. Her heart beat a little faster as she wondered why her desperate and distraught mind would conjure him of all people.

"Where the fuck did you come from, you little twerp?" Hiten sneered.

"There's a giant hole in their living room wall covered with cardboard. It's not like it's hard."

"I don't care. Get the fuck out of here before I end you." The grown demon tried to get up, but Kagome fixed him with a glare and put her hands on his shoulders, temporarily grateful she was in his lap as long as that stopped him from trying to hurt her student.

"I don't think you want to murder your business partner. Not until we start making money, at least."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I want to produce."

"Produce?" He looked at Kagome. "He knows about you?"

"I know you made some inquiries about me," Inuyasha said, stepping over the chaos of the ruined plates on the floor and taking a seat at the table. "You know who I am. What I'm worth."

"So? Do you know how many rich fucks I know? Hell, I'm one of 'em. There's a whole horny world out there waiting for Kamiko to come back. We don't need anyone else. Just my brains and these tits."

He grabbed Kagome's breasts so hard she let out a cry of pain and shock.

"But I can get you Blood of Ishtar."

The squeezing stopped.

Hiten shoved her off his lap and stalked towards Inuyasha, getting in his face. "Blood of Ishtar? If you're lying, I'll fucking kill you."

Inuyasha seemed unfazed, maybe even a little bored by the confrontation, but Kagome still trembled in fear. Blood of Ishtar was dangerous, especially when combined with Hiten. It was a sickly-sweet smelling sticky red liquid that turned flavorless and odorless when combined with other liquid. You could also process it and crush it up into a powder, taking it in pill form or snorting it. It was derived from the sap of a flower found only in the deepest, darkest reaches of the Amazon. A couple years ago, a fire combined with commercial deforestation had all but wiped out the supply.

Named after the ancient goddess of war and lust, it inspired both things in those who partook of the drug. It caused intense arousal but also made a person more prone to fits of anger. When Hiten had drugged her and gotten her hooked on it, the lust always overpowered the rage, the anger only showing its face when she was denied the satisfaction she wanted. It wasn't as addictive as other illicit drugs, but it did heighten sensations in such a way that people craved it psychologically. In men, it gave them a crazy amount of stamina and the ability to orgasm multiple times.

In Hiten, it did both those things and also made him beat and/or kill whoever happened to piss him off.

Demons on the whole were less sensitive to the Blood of Ishtar than humans were and so needed much larger doses for it to have the same effect. That combined with it becoming near-extinct in seemingly the only place it was able to grow made it so the drug was nearly impossible to obtain for the past few years. Any dealer claiming to have it was probably lying and the real thing was incredibly expensive.

Inuyasha smirked at the look on Hiten's face, knowing he had him.

"My old man had a plantation in Brazil even before the humans discovered what Ish could do. I've got acres of it over there, a greenhouse with slightly less effective flowers here, and thousands of bottles of sap in storage." He looked at Kagome, eyeing her still hard nipples. "I don't need the stuff. I can go all night and all day just on my own. One of the many positives to having a younger man."

Hiten nodded, lost in daydreams of Blood of Ishtar, practically salivating at the thought of having it again. Quickly, he reeled his enthusiasm back in.

"And what do you want for it?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Kagome wanted to slap him for playing with danger like that.

"I just fucking told you. I wanna produce. I wanna have a hand in everything."

"I know what you said, you little shit. I'm asking what you really want. To fuck Kagome? Be my guest. But you can't pull out of this business deal after you get tired of her."

"I wanna be involved. Pick locations and scripts and co-stars and be there for all of it." Inuyasha shrugged. "I'm bored and I want to try my hand at something other than what my parents left me."

"So you want my job?" Hiten asked, brows raised. "You've got balls, I'll give you that."

"Not exactly. I want to fund things and have control over some creative aspects, but you're still the boss. I won't ask for a paycheck and I won't limit your Blood of Ishtar consumption. Drink it, snort it, sell it, I don't give a fuck. Just one thing: let Kagome keep her dayjob. She's a good teacher. It makes her happy. And she gets to choose who she has sex with. Even if it's you, she can say no."

"Fair enough. As long as she lets Kamiko out to play more than she used to, it's a deal."

"Hiten, you can't actually be considering this," Kagome broke in, finally finding her voice. "He's just a kid!"

The way he looked at her made her flinch back, sure he was going to hit her. But all he did was say, "Do you really think he's 'just a kid', Kagome? Because I get the feeling that you don't. In fact, if Manten hadn't refused to give me any more of my trust, I would have killed your precious little half-boy already." He smiled, imagining a future he was far more fond of. "But things are the way they are, so you're in, kid."

He got to his feet and extended his hand for a shake, but when Inuyasha reciprocated, the older demon punched him in the stomach instead. Kagome screamed at the impact but Inuyasha didn't make a sound, just slid to the floor. She went to him, kneeling on the hardwood floor and lifting up his shirt, checking to make sure no serious damage was inflicted. Before she could even touch his skin, Hiten grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up, giving her a bruising kiss to the mouth. It wasn't sexual this time, just a message: no matter what or who happens, I own you.

"I'll tell you this before I leave, Inuyasha," Hiten said, thrusting Kagome into one of the chairs. "I'm not an unreasonable man. I can make compromises, like tonight. But if you ever fucking cross me, I will make you watch me fuck your pretty teacher and make her come over and over again, even as I choke her to death. Got it?"

The half-demon growled and she was afraid for a moment that he would lunge for him and get himself hurt. But then he lowered his eyes and nodded and the storm had passed.

"Glad you see it my way. Well, Kagome, guess it's bye for now. I was hoping for a cheap fuck tonight, but now that you're off-limits, I'm gonna have to pay for it. You coming, kid?"

"He's going to help me clean up," Kagome said. The thought of Inuyasha being alone with Hiten, or bonding with Hiten, or out picking girls with Hiten made her feel physically ill.

Hiten chuckled. "I did leave you kinda wet, didn't I? Enjoy."

The door had barely shut behind him before Kagome slapped the boy still on the floor.

"What the hell were you thinking, Inuyasha!? Hiten is dangerous! He could have hurt you. Oh gods, he did hurt you. Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Inuyasha stilled the hands that were worriedly checking him for bruises. "I'm fine, Kagome. As long as you're okay, I'm okay. Did he hurt you before I got here?"

She sniffled, remembering what had just happened. Gods, but her freedom had come to an end. Inuyasha had stepped in and stopped her from being a hopeless slave, but she was still under the thumb of the man she hated most.

"Oh, Inuyasha, thank you for what you did, but you really have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," he murmured, the tips of his fingers gently wiping away the tears that raced down her cheeks. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you ever again. No one will. I'll take care of all of it. Leave it to me. I'll set you free."

This time, she kissed him.

Kagome had been so worked up for so long, tortured by men who either abused or neglected her. In this moment, she chose to end her life of sexual deprivation with someone who genuinely wanted at least her body rather than someone who was paid to want it.

Inuyasha kissed her back eagerly and she lured his tongue out with her own, feeling herself grow wetter when she imagined what she was going to make him do with it tonight. Moaning, she settled herself on his lap, her legs spread wide so she could grind her pussy against the hard cock imprisoned in his jeans. His hands were all over her, cupping her ass, sliding under her shirt, fumbling with her bra, giving up and going back to her ass. He was making little choked noises and panting like a happy puppy. Kagome smiled into the kiss, sucking on his lower lip before pulling away.

"What is it?" he asked with a slight slur, eyes crossing as they opened.

Kagome felt suddenly giddy and she swallowed a giggle. "I want to show you something."

She thought her hands would shake or she'd cry or start thinking of her husband, but when she unbuttoned her blouse, the only thing that occupied her mind was how very much she wanted to feel that hot mouth against her breasts. Feel his sharp fangs brush against her nipples. Have his tongue tease her to the point of insanity. Inuyasha's eyes were comically wide and she laughed again, giving him a quick kiss so he'd know she wasn't laughing at him, not exactly.

Running her fingers over the creamy tops of her breasts shown off by the balconette bra, she looked at him with all the years of lust that had been building up inside her.

"Touch me, Inuyasha," she whispered, voice hoarse with longing. "Suck on my tits. Fuck me like the mad dog I know you are."

Paralyzed, he continued to stare at her, expression frozen to display a desire so acute it was painful. Slowly, too slowly for her liking, his hand came towards her. Her move was pure impatience as she laced her fingers with his, bringing his index finger to her mouth where she ran her tongue from the base to the tip, flicking it before taking it into her mouth. She thought of his cock, of how much she wanted to suck it, to feel it inside her. Inuyasha whimpered.

The key turned in the lock.

"Kagome, are you still up?"