Inuyasha's POV:

The setting sun warms the back of his neck as he focuses on a new target. His unsuspecting prey swims upstream as his golden eyes study the natural pattern it takes. Before it can get too far he lunges for it with claws barred. The fish stands no chance and it soon joins the pile of its' brethren who have suffered the same fate.

"Wow Inuyasha-sama! Amazing!"

"It's not that great kid." He wipes his sweaty brow with the back of his wet hand and glances up at the rosy-orange sunset. Hopefully with the coming of dusk it won't be so warm. His skin has been feeling prickly and hot all day, but still it feels great to be out and about again.

"It would have taken me m-much longer to collect this m-much."

"Hmpt." He leaps out of the water and pauses to roll the bottom of his hakama back down before rotating his shoulders and cracking his neck. There is still some stiffness here and there, not to mention some soreness all over, but all in all he is faring much better now-a-days.

"Are you feeling okay, M-Master Inuyasha?" He is none too surprised when he looks over to find the ryu staring at him in wide-eyed worried. The young boy was very much against the hanyou coming out to help him gather food but did not put up much of a fight when the forceful male insisted.

Honestly, he has been feeling much better other than the recent bout fever. It has been seven days since they left Khuzaimah's lair in the mountains and his demon side has been doing a fine job of speeding up his recovery. The only visible injury that remains is the one to his shoulder and stomach. He is not back to his former self, but he is getting there. What he really needs now is to recover tessaiga. That will be the true test of what his body can withstand. The more he pushes himself, the sooner his strength will return and then he can give Khuzaimah what he deserves.

"Inuyasha-sama a-are you ready to go back? Your face is looking f-flushed. I would not want you to exert y-yourself."

"You go ahead. I've got something to do."

"A-Ano, L-Lord Sesshomaru ordered me n-not to allow you to go anywhere on your o-own—"

"ALLOW me?!" The boy flinches away from his raised voice, so he does his best to reign in his outrage. "He is not the boss of me! Or you!" He adds in a matter-of-fact snort. It is beyond him why the ryu decided to take his brother's word as absolute or to serve either of them like his new masters. "I do NOT need Sesshomaru's blessing to do anything!" 'The fucking nerve of that bastard. He hasn't shown his face this entire time and he thinks he can give me orders? I know he has been patrolling the area and sticking close by because I can sense his presence, but to what end? What's the point? I don't understand him at all. Just leave already!'

"I-I-I d-did not mean t-to u-upset you, m-my lord."

'Oh great,' He can hardly keep himself from rolling his eyes. 'Now I've gone and scared the brat.' "Look, there's no need to be scared of me or him—" Tatsuya's dubious stare is enough for him to pause and correct himself with a dry chuckle, "Alright, well there's no need to be scared of me and if he tries anything, I'll take care of him."

"…I would not want Lord Inuyasha and L-Lord S-Sesshomaru to fight."

"Ha! Too late for that. We have plenty of times." 'Admittedly not for a while but…if it comes to it, so be it.' "Anyway, take the fish and vegetables and go back without me. I'll be back before you know it."

Tatsuya looks as though he would like to protest again but falls silent with a troubled frown. He knows there is no use arguing with the stubborn Inu when his mind is made up. "H-Hai, my lord."

He watches the younger male wrap up their bounty in a large cloth before hoisting it on his back; nearly toppling himself over in the process. He gives him one more unsure look to which Inuyasha stubbornly crosses his arms; leaving him no choice but to go back to the grotto alone. Once he is sure the other really left, Inuyasha takes off in the direction he assumes Khuzaimah's mountain previously stood. Even though he was unconsciousness when they escaped, he has been feeling tessaiga's faint pulse ever since he has been well enough to move around properly. Sprinting and jumping through the trees is not as easy as it once was, but he disregards his throbbing wounds and pushes himself deeper into the woods. Soon enough his surroundings twist into the vaguely familiar. He remembers walking through this area all those months ago when Tatsuya first came to him with his plea. That one moment changed everything. Inuyasha had known that something was wrong even before that. His gut told him not to go and yet he disregarded his instincts to play hero. And because of his grave mistake, he is stuck in the situation he is in now. Two innocents, who barely got to see the light of day, payed the ultimate price for his recklessness. In his darkest moments, he has blamed Tatsuya and even lashed out at the boy on a few occasions. He has made the boy tremble in fear simply because he can; knowing that all it takes is a murderous look or barking tone.

He has also placed the blame on Sango. It is her fault for pushing him to play savior despite his misgivings. If she had just trusted his judgement and left well enough alone none of this would have ever happened.

And, of course, he has blamed Khuzaimah. In the end, the dragon lord is a sadistic monster for no other reason besides his own sick amusement. Even after all the torture and humiliation, there was no cause for siring pups on him in the first place and then denying them any chance at life. Such an unforgivable act is beyond comprehension.

His heart is filled with nothing but hatred for the dragon lord, so he feels just fine blaming him. However, when those dark periods of despair pass and are pushed back to the far reaches of his mind and the menial tasks of day to day living can take hold, he is left with crippling guilt. What is wrong with him? The kid is just another victim of that bastard's cruelty. Just a child fulfilling the wishes of his mother and trusting his uncle to teach him right from wrong and to shelter and protect him. And Sango is one of his most cherished friends; the closest to true family he will ever have. It is not her fault. As a pack they have always done what they could to help those who are vulnerable. He likely would have gone anyway if Tatsuya continued to beg and sob the way he did during his request.

After all the anger, shame, and guilt, he is left with only himself to blame. Khuzaimah may be the scum of the Earth, but…the blame falls on himself because if he was strong enough, none of it would have ever happened. If he had not let his guard down. If he had only used his head more. There were so many signs. That panther woman even warned him, but he was too headstrong to listen. Too hellbent on being the protector. "Dammit!" As usual, he tries to push those thoughts, and the emotions that come with them, down and focus on what he can do now.

The trees part after a while to reveal stacks of dirt and ruins where tall monuments once stretched up to the heavens. He hates the way he feels himself hesitate before diving straight for where tessaiga is calling for him. He holds his arm out expectantly and after a few tense seconds, the rusty sword rockets out of the ground and into his waiting hand. "Finally." A smirk tugs at his mouth as he fingers the handle. The feeling is indescribable. Already he feels less exposed and powerless. "It has been a while, tessaiga." He backflips into the clearing to face the pile of rubble properly and in an instant the relic transforms into his father's prized fang. "Time to put me and you both to the test. But maybe…not here…" He adds in a mumble as he eyes the rocks again—more specifically what likely lies underneath all of it. 'If I were to use the wind scar here…it would reduce what little is left of them to ash…I'll come back and give you a proper burial after I take care of your father.'

Turning around, he takes aim at the trees instead and shifts into a sturdier stance. His eyes shut for a moment as he draws a steadying breath to calm his frantic heartbeat. His body still feels like it is overheating, and he can feel beads of sweat dripping down his face despite the sun being long gone by now. His shoulders shake with the effort it takes to wield a heavy sword like tessaiga, but he pretends not to feel any of these things when his eyes snap back open. "KAZE NO KIZU!" His wind scar shreds through the forest; destroying everything in its' wake and leaving three long trenches decorating the previously lush terrain. The force sends him rag dolling backwards until his body slams painfully into a tree trunk. "Ungh!" The air is temporarily knocked out of his lungs, but he recovers quickly enough and is more concerned with how he did than taking it easy. 'Che, not bad. But not good either.' In comparison to the true devastation his wind scar can cause, this impromptu deforestation is lack luster. 'It shouldn't have taken so much outa' me to do just this much. I gotta' get much better. And quick.'

"All that fuss for that?" A hiss whispers from the surrounding canopies. He tries to jump to his feet but ends up doubled over due to a frighteningly familiar twinge in the pit of his stomach. His mouth has been inexplicably dry all day and he was feeling inexplicably warm…he has only felt this way one other time. 'But! No! That's impossible! I'm not stuck behind that barrier anymore! I'm away from that fucking creep! No, I must have just overdone it. Yeah, I'm just sick.' His denial proves to be hopeless when that feeling travels beyond just the pit of his stomach. 'No dammit!'

"Hey dog!" This time the hiss is more of an agitated snarl than a whisper; reminding him that he is not alone. He looks up in time to watch the figure spring from the shadows, landing just a few feet away from where he is trying to get his bearings. The stranger has obnoxious red hair, shimmering orange eyes, and twin tails that dance behind her—wait. He recognizes this feline. She is the leader of those panthers who kept launching attacks against Khuzaimah. The ones he so desperately needed his assistance with.

"You! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I've been scouting this area ever since Khuzaimah's lair came down. I am waiting for him to come back. I came rushing over when I smelled something strange, but I never expected it to be you. And in such a state, no less. Disgusting."

'Maybe she knows something about his whereabouts since she's been watching the place.' He plants tessaiga firmly in the ground and uses it to straighten himself to salvage some sense of dignity. When he speaks, he sounds a little out of breath, but he hopes she thinks it is because of unleashing his sword's attack and nothing else. "Where did Khuzaimah go? Do you know what happened to him?"

"You think I'd be here if I did?! Stupid dog."

"Shut your trap and think a little! Where would he go?!"

"I should be asking you that. I thought for sure he must be back here with all those gross smells you're giving off. Looks like he decided to keep you after all. Man, his standards have really reached an all-time low."

"What?!" He snaps as she turns her nose up in contempt. "You knew what that sick bastard was about?!"

"I told you; you would meet your end messing with the likes of Khuzaimah."

"You—! If you knew something back then why didn't you say it more clearly?!"

"Oh, quit your barking already. I would never trust anyone who would willingly work with him. Especially not after how he dumped me. Now if you excuse me, he owes me some new kits." She twirls on the spot; totally unbothered by the low growl emanating from his throat. All of a sudden the scarlet fur on her twin tails stands on edge for a second before she relaxes and throws him a wide Cheshire grin. "Looks like you'll be busy enough anyway. Have fun half-breed."

"What—?" She slinks back off into the shadows before he can get another word in edgewise. When he takes a step forward to follow her, he doubles over again from the knot tightening in his stomach. At this point, he can hardly move and tessaiga is the only reason he is still on his feet. "It's no good…What am I supposed to do now?" Maybe Tatsuya will come looking for him. The worrisome dragon did have his reservations about him going out on his own and he knew where the Inu was headed. Even though it would be embarrassing to have to rely on the young boy when he is like this, he does not have much of a choice at this point. And unfortunately, the child has seen him at lower points than this. 'How pathetic…'

His thoughts are abruptly interrupted by the ground vibrating underneath his feet. Looking up through his hair, he notices the leaves on the trees shaking in a steady rhythm. Boom! Boom! Boom! 'What the hell is that?' Boom! Boom! Boom! 'Whatever it is it's getting closer.' Boom! Boom! Boom! An ogre-like demon stomps his way from deep in the woods and into the large clearing. The giant towers well above the tallest trees and wears nothing but a filthy loincloth. He takes note that the heavy club he is wielding is almost the same size as him before turning his scowl to his drooling face. "Lose something over here, big ugly?"

"Ugly?! Grrr!" The thundering oni is by no means fast, but with Inuyasha currently too dizzy and feverish to stand straight it is impossible to avoid his big meaty fist. He grunts as he grabs him too tightly and pulls him level to his snarling face. "Mmm, you smell good. Hanyou belong to Okram."

"What?!" It has been centuries since he has had to seriously worry about someone eating him and it is not even the night of the new moon. "Put me down, yah' freak!"

"Okram no freak. No be scared. You and Okram have fun." 'What?' The air rushes out of his lungs when the giant squeezes him harder. Although it feels like his back is about to break in two, he has a feeling he is not actually trying to hurt him just yet. That does not stop him from balking when the less than gentle giant reaches for him with his free hand.

"Make way."

'Sesshomaru?' Sure enough when he looks down and behind the massive oni he finds the Lord of the West staring at them with an ominous glower.

"Hrm?" Okram glances up at the night sky as if expecting it to explain itself before turning his hulking body around to face the demonic man less than a third his size. "Ooooh another pretty puppy for Okram? Is Okram's lucky day!"

Even with the forest spinning and his face hot with fever, he can see the way his brother's eyebrows pinch in annoyance. "Move."

"No worry pretty puppy, Okram take good care—urk! AAARGH!"

"Oof!" Inuyasha drops to the ground with a hard thud as a streak of yellow-green light tears through the night. He looks up in time to watch the unlucky youkai disintegrate in a mass of blood and molting flesh right before his very eyes. His head jerks up as the callous lord proceeds to casually step over the rotting corpse and stalk towards him.

Sesshomaru's POV:

After making short work of the nuisance, he rounds on his little brother laying half-propped against a tree. He looks completely out of it; his eyes are unfocused, cheeks flushed, skin slick with sweat, and Sesshomaru can hear his heart pounding away in his chest. His youkai has been acting restless lately, so he had a sneaking suspicion about this being a possibility but If there was any doubt it has vanished in the face of his irresistible scent. The full-blooded demon had assumed that it would be revolting, much like he has come to hate his sibling's natural scent, but on the contrary…it is painfully…enticing. 'Enticing? To a second-rate lowlife, perhaps, but to This Sesshomaru? Laughable.' There is nothing funny, however, about the nauseatingly sweet fragrance wafting up his eloquent nose. When he speaks, there is a slight, barely noticeable hitch to his voice which only further adds to his displeasure. "What do you think you're doing?" The fact that he decides to blatantly ignore him to stagger unsteadily to his feet only adds fuel to his agitation. His scrutinizing scowl takes in his stiff movements as he reaches for tessaiga and uses his body weight to uproot it. It takes him several misses to put the sword back in its' scabbard. "Fool. You thought it sensible to retrieve tessaiga in such a state?"

"What state? I'm fine!" Even now his protests come out between labored pants. 'Is he that much of stubborn mule or simply an unsuspecting imbecile? Either is very likely and equally inexcusable.' The probability that his otouto has no idea that his presence is likely sending any demon in the near vicinity into a frenzy is the tipping point for his fragile patience. Before the other can blink he yanks him by haori and slams him up against the tree. "Ow! What the—?! Let go!" It does not surprise him that he tries to struggle despite his condition, but he quickly quashes his efforts by pressing his muscular frame onto his slimmer one. Trapped between the tree and his unmoving body, Sesshomaru feels him grow taut. "G-Get o-off." His protest comes out in a shaky whimper and looking down at his flushed face stirs something deep in the usually dispassionate daiyoukai.

'Tch.' He stopped breathing awhile ago, but even holding his breath at this stage seems fruitless since the first signs of arousal are already stirring below his waist. 'This foul stench…this unabashed wantonness; it is disgraceful. How can he have father's blood coursing through his veins? How dare he, a filthy hanyou, try and tempt me?' The sigh passes over his cold lips and ghosts over his canine ear; making it twitch anxiously against his mouth. '...This is ridiculous.'

"Ah—itai, hey!" Inuyasha's indignant howls fall on deaf ears as he spins on his heels and drags him along. "Let go, dammit! Ugh!" He can hardly stay on his feet and his useless struggles has him tripping and tumbling every few steps. Part of him is aware he should take it easy on him considering he is still recovering, yet the daiyoukai's rationality is quickly waning. Soon he spots the spring close to their makeshift camp and with a jerk of his arm he tosses the panting Inu forward. He just barely avoids tumbling into the crystal-clear water and pushes himself up onto his hands and knees to glare at the other. "Sesshomaru you bastard! Enough already! What the hell is the matter with you?!"

"Be silent." He can see his lips working already to form a retort, but he does not manage to get the words out before the daiyoukai is on him; pressing him to the ground with his body. It has been awhile since he has indulged in his more carnal desires and he cannot believe it is Inuyasha of all people who is provoking his youkai this way. It has to be because of their new bond. It must be. If he does not take matters into his own hands, demons will continue to come after him. But does he truly want to disgrace himself by claiming Inuyasha in such a way? As if answering his unvoiced question, his youkai growls out in longing once again. 'Lord Sesshomaru tempted by a filthy hanyou? I have already been reduced to saving him, how much lower will he drag me?…Curse you Inuyasha.' "I cannot leave you alone for a single moment it seems."

"Get off—" His words are lost to the dirt as he swiftly turns him over onto his stomach. "Will yah' get off me already?!" He spits as soon as he is able to push his head up. Unbeknownst to him, all his wriggling and growling is only serving to entice his alpha more. The sound of his erratic heartbeat combined with his intoxicating scent is almost too much to handle. Inuyasha immediately grows stiff when Sesshomaru yanks his simple obi from around his middle. His strong fingers ghost over his lithe waist for a moment before he latches onto them and pulls him back into his own hips. He obviously feels the hardness on his bottom, and he grinds into him; causing his ears to flatten into his silver hair. "Sesshomaru…" All the bark has left his voice which is now barely above a whisper as he quivers on his hands and knees. "W-What are you doing?" The male in question pays no heed to his question and instead regards the fading scars on his back with cool disinterest. Despite his quick recovery, he is still much thinner than he has ever been in the past. His smaller body shudders under his touch as he traces the deep claw marks down his back to his pert bottom. As he scrutinizes the damage done to his body, he inadvertently thinks of the one responsible. Just how many times did that cowardly dragon use him? Did Inuyasha fight? Or did he freeze up like he is now? Why does the very idea boil his blood so much? He does not care. It has nothing to do with him! "Seriously Sesshomaru wha—mmph!" His words are cut short as he clamps a large hand over his mouth.

"I told you to be silent." He uses his firm grip to yank the hanyou's head backward when he tries to shake his mouth free. 'The fool is obviously in no condition to be left alone. This wretched scent will only draw more and more cretins to him. Can I not leave him to his own devices for even a moment? I must claim him at least once to rid myself of yet another burden he has caused. Just once. Out of necessity. That is all.' His eyes flash red in the moonlight for a split second and in the next instant he unties his own sash to free his hard sex. Once again, he grabs hold of his boyish hips with his free hand and pulls him back until he dives into the valley between his cheeks. Instinctively, Inuyasha lurches forward and tries to pull away but the daiyoukai halts those efforts by thrusting forward and burying himself deep inside his wanton body.

"Mmm! Mmph! Mmm! Mm!" Even though his heat cycle has naturally prepared his body, the older Inu still has to brute force his way pass the constricting ring working to keep him out. The usually stoic lord sucks in a breath at the feeling and removes the hand he had clasped over his mouth to get a tighter grip on his waist. "A-Ah, hah ungh shit—ah!" His vulgar cries are enough to drive him wild. The cries quickly turn into whimpers and moans of pleasure when he starts to move against him. All pretense of trying to struggle free is forgotten as his alpha provides him with what his wanton body so desperately needs. It is not long before he is pushing back to meet his vigorous passion. The slap of skin on skin echoes around the forest as they rut into the night. Time has no concept as the Western lord indulges in his most carnal desires; it appears to last forever but also feels entirely too soon when Inuyasha's groans become more intense. "Ungh—ah, ah S-Sesshomaru!" His voice hitches and body tenses around him as he reaches his peak. After spilling his lusts, his trembling arms nearly give out but Sesshomaru pulls him back to meet his passionate movements. It does not take him long to reach his own climax and spill his seed into his mate with a breathy grunt. The pleasure is so overwhelming, unlike anything he has felt in a long time or maybe ever. Is this what it feels like to claim a mate for his own? The sheer intensity renders the usually composed male breathless as he sinks his claws into the flesh underneath them. The trickle of blood spilling over his fingers hardly registers in his pleasure induced daze. By the time he gets a hold of himself, he is laying on top of Inuyasha who has finally collapsed under the weight of his muscular body. His otouto is once again gasping for air and it looks like he is struggling to remain conscious. A battle he is quickly losing based on his drooping eyelids.

Instead of immediately disentangling himself as he would with any of his other conquests from the past, he brushes the pale locks away from the hanyou's sweaty neck. By now the mark between his shoulder and neck has changed from whatever it was before into a crescent moon; officially marking him as his. His gold eyes narrow as the image of the one who originally claimed him assaults his mind.

"That's right Sesshomaru. Your little brother is my bitch now."

'Tch.' His brow pinches in disgust as the ryu's words echo in his head. Inuyasha moans lightly in discomfort as his exploring fingers suddenly close around the back of his neck. It matters not how little he thinks of his half-breed half-brother. That dragon—nor anybody else for that matter, will ever be allowed to use him this way again. Whether either of them likes it or not—

He belongs to him now.

Inuyasha's POV:

(four days later)

"If I m-may say, you are looking much b-better Inuyasha-sama."

"Hah?" The long-haired male had been sitting with his legs crisscrossed and his arms folded in his large sleeves. He lifts his head from the wall and opens his eyes to find Tatsuya's bright green ones observing him per usual. It would be unnerving if he were not so accustomed to it. "What do yah' mean?"

"Oh!" They grow even bigger in the face of his natural scowl. "E-Excuse my insolence! I just c-could not help but n-notice Inuyasha-sama was able to sleep through the whole night with no p-problems. A-And you also look well this morning." It is true that his heat has finally subsided and allowed him a peaceful night for once. The last three days were as tortuous as the first time he went through his forced heat cycle. All he did was sleep, eat, sweat, yearn, and…well there was one thing that was not as tortuous but just as humiliating. His face grows hot as he recalls all his steamy encounters with a very unlikely partner. "Y-Your onisama must think so as well." The kid continues, "Since he did not come by this morning." 'Damn the kid for bringing him up…' Before the first light of day, his body would wake him up to a flurry of overwhelming sensations. He would be thrown into full wakefulness with a heaving gasp for air and his skin would feel like it was on fire or as if someone was laying hot coals him. The incessant ache in the pit of his stomach combined with his painful arousal was always enough to immobilize him. All he could do was lay there and whine in discomfort. He never suffered for long because Sesshomaru would suddenly appear from the shadows, kick a sleeping Tatsuya out of the cave, and satiate his lusts for hours on end. It did not feel real. But it did not matter. All that mattered was that he was giving his body what it needed. Now that the lust filled cloud has lifted and he can think clearly, he is feeling confused, angry, and embarrassed. What the hell is wrong with his body? Why the heck is he still going through this without Khuzaimah's influence? He is only a half-demon, so none of this should be happening in the first place. And surely if he was a full demon, he would be an Alpha or at least a beta—not an omega. Heat or no heat, the idea of Sesshomaru touching him that way should make him sick. And it does! And it pisses him off that it happened at all. Even worse he barely made a move to stop him.

Suddenly the little cavern feels a little too warm and he knows it is due to his face currently burning several shades of crimson. 'What is with him anyway? He should feel just as grossed out so why…' Surely, his out of character actions were not for his sake. 'There is no way that he cared about my suffering.' That is an absolute impossibility. 'And he would never lower himself for a lowly hanyou.' So then what could it be? It cannot be because he wanted to…that is simply crazy. 'The jerk can hardly stand the sight and smell of me! Ugh!' Just thinking about it is giving him a headache. It is all so confusing. How is he supposed to face him now?

"I-Inuyasha-sama, are you r-ready to go, my lord?" Tatsuya has already snuffed the fire and gathered the remainder of their supplies. Apparently after "taking care of" his needs last night, Sesshomaru directed the slave-boy to be ready to set out by mid-morning. By the way the whelp is fidgeting from foot to foot, it is clear he has no intentions of finding out what happens if they try his patience by being late. 'Ugh…what do I do? What is he going to do? Do we just pretend that none of that happened?' "Inuyasha-sama?"

"Yeah, yeah let's go." There is no use putting it off any longer. After securing tessaiga to his side and snatching one of the heavier bundles from him, he follows the child outside. The air is warm and just a bit too stuffy, but the sun's rays do feel nice on his tanned skin. He has most of his weight back now and the color is returning to his warm complexion. The only wounds marring his body now include some claw marks and bruises around his hips, thighs, and waist line but that…has nothing to do with Khuzaimah's actions. Although, physically he feels almost back to normal, he cannot decipher his mental or emotional state. Having to deal with his unpredictable half-sibling is in no way helping his anxiety. No amounts of stalling can slow their steady progression to the western edge of the forests. Much sooner than he would like, he spots his brother standing with his back towards them and staring off somewhere in the distance. Although he does not turn around to acknowledge them, the mere sight of him is enough to make Inuyasha feel even more uneasy.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru we are—"

"Tell me where your master could have gone."

"S-Sumimasen?" The directness of his commanding order combined with him still not sparing them any attention catches the boy off guard and his eyes grow with nervousness.

"Khuzaimah." The daiyoukai's voice turns icy in a way Inuyasha has come to associate with his patience being practically nonexistent. "Where is he?"

"I-I-I d-don't k-kn—"

"Do not test me."

They can all hear his gulp as his legs starts to shake and Inuyasha can feel a frown tugging at his lips. Yes, it is important to get to the bottom of this and the kid probably their best chance of doing so, but lord ass need not be so menacing about it. "But, but I-I really do n-not—"

"Then tell me all of the places he would likely flee to."

"Ano…uh…u-um—!" Whatever answer he is trying to come up with sticks in his throat when he suddenly turns around with a cold glare twisting his immaculate features. Predictably, the little ryu stumbles back to hide behind the nicer of the two brother's leg as Sesshomaru advances on them.

"I suggest you recall something quickly or face the consequences of outliving your usefulness."

"Sesshomaru!" The lord's dour stare flits away from the child to meet matching gold eyes. "You really think that's gonna' help the brat think?! He can hardly talk to you as is."

"I did not ask you anything."

"Feh, as if I care."

His eyes narrow into dangerous slits as Inuyasha crosses his arms and throws him an openly hostile glare. "It would do you well to start caring little brother. If you were not so soft on the 'brat' in the first place, you likely would not find yourself in this situation. So stop wasting my time and stay out of it."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" He looks completely unphased as the Inu hanyou shifts into a fighting stance. His grip on tessaiga is so tight his knuckles start to turn white. "Say that again! I dare yah', you bastard!"

"My lords!" Tatsuya, possibly sensing the danger this argument could bring if allowed to continue, finally pipes up. "I-I think I know of a p-place Khuzaimah-sama c-could be."

A tense and awkward silence follows this confession until Sesshomaru finally tears his eyes away from him and back to the trembling child. "Speak."

"T-There is a w-woman w-who has L-Lord Khuzaimah's f-favor. My lord v-visits her when he can." 'His favor? What kind of a woman would want or have that scum's favor?'

"Where is she?"

"S-She has a home n-nestled deep in o-one of my lord's p-previous t-territories. It is p-perhaps a couple d-days' worth of travel."

"…Go then. Lead the way."

Tatsuya does not need to be told twice and he scurries on ahead, leaving the sons of Inutaisho alone for a few seconds. Sesshomaru locks gazes with him for just a beat and almost just as quickly turns to follow the ryu.

'Che. What? Does he think I'm just gonna roll over and obey his commands like some stupid dog? Yah' got another thing coming idiot. Bonded or not, you ain't and will never be the boss of me. I don't know why I was so worried about facing him earlier. He is pretending like nothing happened and I am just fine doing the same. I have more important things to worry about anyway. Like where I am going to mount that dragon's head when I'm through with him.

Just you wait Khuzaimah.'

A/N: I know the end to this chapter is kind of abrupt, but I have been putting it off for way too long. I had some writer's block (obviously) with this chapter, but hopefully you still enjoyed reading it. As soon as I push through my writer's block, I will work on the next update. Your comments, recommendations, speculations, and criticisms really do help in that regard. It usually sparks my inspiration. Thank you for your honest feedback last chapter.

Stay safe out there.