The Lord of the West lies still in his bedchambers. It was a quite ungodly hour, but somehow he could not get to the land of slumber. No, he knew exactly why. He knew why his blood felt heated and his pulse quickened, his heart pounding in his ears. Kagome, yes, it was most certainly Kagome. This was far from a rare occurrence, for you see the demon noble had planned to make the little tenshi his mate for many moons now. She was perfect, so very perfect, the only female worthy of his acknowledgment and tomorrow, she would finally be his. He had spent the better part of a year preparing for her arrival and that day, just before he retired he had checked to see that everything was to his liking.

His own room had been rearranged so it would be more inviting to the future female resident. His huge futon was pushed up into the corner of the wall and adorned with the finest silks and furs in all the land. His own dresser and wardrobe were now accompanied by a smaller, more feminine pair of wooden box closets. The far left corner of the room held an inviting fire place that was situated in front of a large fur rug and two lush, lavish arm chairs where they would sit and converse. He knew she was a scholar and had already decided that it would be nice to have a more intellectual conversation with someone, for the extent of his recent social life had been minimal. On the other wall a few black throw pillows lay strewn around. He wanted every possible comfort available for her, since he had had personal experience seeing how the half-breed treated her. It was to say the least an absolutely vile display. His precious, fragile mate was made to travel an immense distance each day and was still expected to serve the boy like a bitch attending to her pup's needs. He would show her how much real demon respected and cherished their mates. Never would she have to labor all day. Never would she have to be the alpha in the family. That was his job, his job to protect her and the pups and provide for all of his packs needs. This had always been the proper role of any male, and he very much intended to keep it as such. Her main duty would be to mother his pups. Many times he caught himself fantasizing of those pups. They would need to have at least twenty just for the security of their lands. There was no need to rush, though. They would have the rest of existence to compensate for their slow start.

Since so very many of his days were spent in his study, he had had hundreds of silk pillows in all colors and designs arranged in the corner of the room nearest to his desk so that his mate would be able to be with him at all times. There would never be a reason for her to leave his side. Each day she would dress him, dine with him, converse with him, walk with him and accompany him to his bedchambers at night. He would have to time for no other female and he would make sure she sought after none other than himself. She would need to learn that he was alpha and she was to be his bitch, which meant following and obeying his every command. He had also bought some lavender and jasmine candles to place in the corner of the study that was now designated to her. They were very soothing, and he would make sure his mate never felt anything other than happy and serene. They paled, though, in comparison to her own scent which was some unearthly blend of sakura blossoms, jasmine and fresh spring rain. It was like an aphrodisiac, it intoxicated him.

He had had the room across the hall from his own redecorated into a large nursery for the pups his bitch was bound to bare him. The walls had been painted as a mural by one of the finest artists in all of Japan. They depicted an open grassy field with long blades of different grasses swaying in the wind under a blue starlight sky. On the far wall was a down-scaled painting of himself in true form towering protectively over his intended mate. The left side of the room was lined with ten individual cradles, each made of dark mahogany wood that was situated low to the ground in a small square-like figure. A fine hand had-woven blanket each depicting a separate nature scene adorned each bed along with a small, white silk pillow. The opposite wall held an unusually large storage table which he had already taken the liberty to have filled with clothes, basins and other essentials. In the back corner was a large rocking chair situated alongside of a small child-sized futon with deep navy sheets and silk pillows. He had hand-picked many of the finest toys in the west for his future pups and they now rested in a large wooden toy chest with paws carved into the sides. On top of the chest sat a few choice books that he intended to have read to the pups once they were old enough, for no pup of his would grow up to be ignorant. Yes, he could see her now, sitting in the rocking chair with their first born heir singing softly while he lie across the hall listening, waiting for her to come an accompany him to bed for the evening. He had seen her sitting with the little kitsune on many a night. It seemed that she acted as his foster mother, and from what he saw she was fiercely protective. This pleased him greatly for he knew his pups would be safe with her.

The dinning room had under gone only minor changes seeing as the only preparation was having a small feminine chair carved of dark wood and placed next to his on the left side. This was of course the customary position for ones bitch and he respected the tradition. He loved her inner fire, her defiance was after all what drew him to her in the first place, but she would have to learn to be subservient to him, especially in the presence of the other lords. Usually being unsubmissive was a trait scorned in any bitch, but this was an exception. He had always viewed the ladies of the royal court as dim and having nothing to offer but a meager amount of beauty. His intended had a mind of her own and was not one to bend easily under any circumstances…the challenge would be a welcome one. He had already long ago, when he decided that she would be his, known that she would never stop thinking for herself but that was just another thing he loved about her.

The lord had hand-picked nearly 500 fine, silk kimonos for his intended mate. She would need to abandon her current attire, for it showed much more of her then he was willing to share with any other. He had also purchased many sleeping kimonos, a silken robe, many silk slippers, a few training outfits and obis in varying colors. If she was to be the lady of the Western lands, she must be dressed as such. Sighing, he knew he would give her anything she asked of him. She was his one true weakness, but for some odd reason this information didn't infuriate him as it usually would. No, she would not be a weakness. She was the strongest female had ever met, the only female to ever face him in battle or look him in the eye. She had proved herself worthy of his heart many times over until it was to such an undeniable point that the lord acted upon the urges. It was all he could do to wait for his forthcoming opportunity.

From his many frequent, unknown visits to the small rag-tag group he had found that his love enjoyed greatly the relaxation brought upon her by hot, cleansing water. With this information he had expanded his own private hot springs. The spring itself was now sectioned. The far left held an enormous tiled pool of gradually deepening ice cold water. The middle held a similar pool, yet this one contained warm water. And the far right held a pool of steaming water. He had taken the liberty to place a giant stained glass window depicting him and his future lover in human form on the east and west walls. The eastern portrait was set in the sunlight and the western was set in the starlight. These two portals to the outside world served to fully light the room and reflected the sun off the shimmering ripples of the crystal clear water. Aside from his usual male bathing essentials he had gotten many lotions and shampoos for his woman. He had also bought many cakes of lightly scented soap and perfumes. It would not do to have her naturally enticing drown out by the obnoxious odor of false life. A large pile of fluffy drying clothes were stacked next to their matching black bathing robes. Yes, he was quite sure that his little mating gift would be well received.

The library in the east wing had always been one of his favorite rooms, for the simple reason that he spent so much of his life there. He knew that his intended could, write and even do mathematics. She was in fact, was the only bitch he knew (and that was quite a considerable amount) that had these abilities. He had sat silently in the upper branches of the god tree and watched her read, very well, to her adopted pup. That would be a great indulgence for the pups of their own. Aside from that, he would be able to keep her occupied through his work without having to suffer constant interruptions. He had brought in a few, nicer futon couches, shams and pillows for the space. His mate would have only the best.

The granite walls had been painted a light off-white color, as was the ceiling. Scattered sakura blossoms blowing in the wind were depicted upon them and matched well with the light colored wooden floor. Everything any woman could ever need had been supplied in abundance, with the exception of a futon for he wanted her with him during the nights. He had already warned all of his male servants to stay away from what was his. Sesshomaru was a very jealous Youkai. She would be allowed no contact with males outside of himself, for he wanted to make it clear to her who she belonged to. Especially, she would have no further relationship with his worthless half-breed brother. It was honestly beyond him as to how she had put up with that over-grown pup as long as she did. Did she not see how superior he was to the runt? He growled darkly, remembering a conversation that he had over heard between his bitch and the slayer. She had said that Inuyasha's dog antics were 'cute'. Had she not seen this Sesshomaru in his true form? Recalling the day in his father's tomb he resigned himself to the fact that she did not seen overly impressed. Her face had only held love and concern for her precious mutt. Someday, someday soon, he would be the object of those affections.

His garden had always been beautiful and serene, but knowing how his pet loved the tender blossoms he had had many thousands of blossoms brought to the virgin earth. In his mind's eye he saw the two of them walking together after a quiet dinner, conversing about the world and its charms. He would show her how a true goddess lived, for that was her status, that of a heavenly goddess. Yes, it was clear, even to himself that he was in irrevocable and undeniable love with the tenshi. Though he knew he would have to be stern with her, not show her how she affected him. Things like this ensured that he would always maintain dominance which was a high priority to him, along with being faithful. That word really hit home with the demon lord. He could still see clearly his mother's tear-stained face when the news of his father taking a new, mortal mate came to her. She was never the same. It frustrated him to no end how his father would preach inuyoukai beliefs to him, yet completely abandon them when it came to his own affairs. Long ago he had vowed to have no other once his mate had been chosen. No whore, servant, concubine, prostitute or servant would be good enough for him. Only his beautiful tenshi would do.

Considering that she would need to appear at his side during all public appearances, he had traded some crops to the nearby village for a fair amount of high quality jewelry. None of the accessories were large or gaudy, though. He wished for no hindrance to distract him from the natural radiance that was her. Even if she was a mortal, she was divine. No, she was not a mortal, but a powerful miko, and from all his research on the subject he had learned that there was a large difference between a miko and a priestess. While a priestess was gifted with holy power, a true miko had a holy soul. That was another thing that separated her from his half-brother's dead bitch. She was a miko, while the other wench had only been a priestess. Their combined power would produce incredibly strong pups, and their joining would provide her with a life span equal to his own. Even in the next life she would still be his. The one and only thing that bothered him about their coupling was the fact that traditionally an inuyoukai male was to ask the father of his chosen mate for the rights of courtship. But, seeing as he had never seen any sign of a father he would not have that opportunity.

Like all of the other lord's mates, she would wear his collar as well as his mark. A sign to all demons that she was taken, but instead of making a new one he had rummaged through box after box of family heirlooms to find the one that was given to his mother. It was exactly how had remembered it to be, a thick black leather with small crimson and sapphire gems spaced evenly around the outside. A silverfish-blue crescent moon, the family insignia, dangled from a small silver hook in the front. He knew she would look just as exquisite as his own mother with it fastened about her graceful, elegant neck for eternity.

Being a Youkai, he had no idea what human women ate so he had bought some of everything just to be safe. An assortment of yellow, green and red apples, black berries, raspberries, blueberries, red currant, citrus, flour, sugar, drinking water, wines, rums, brandy, pork, chicken, fish, rabbit, beef, all sorts of spices, tomatoes, carrots, beans, cucumber, heads of lettuce and much more was stocked in the kitchen cupboards. He made a mental note to ask her what she preferred for her meals. She would need to be strong and healthy in order to bare him powerful pups.

When he wasn't working, he spent much time in his personal dojo. Thinking ahead he had expanded it so that he would have a space to teach his mate some defense tactics. It was true that she was very powerful, but she would need much more than raw power alone to stand strong against Youkai of this level. They would be able to spar and train together instead of in intervals. She would learn from the best, himself of course.

All the weapons he had owned were suited for the use of men, so he had had special arrangements made for female weapons for his tenshi. The first was bow, which he already knew she was proficient with, that was carved from the slender bow of a cherry-wood tree and enforced with a thick, hand-woven sting. The arrows that accompanied the instrument were also made of cherry-wood and have rare metal heads that would easily pierce any target. He had a sword sized for her; a golden hilt accentuated with gems was attached to a thin, feminine blade. A set of two small twin daggers were with the rest. A black velvet pouch held light-weight throwing stars so she could use them and exert less effort in the process. The lord was confidant that she would be a quick study. Besides, it would be another excuse to see her fire without having to punish her for the offence.

Ah, her long, silky, waist-length raven hair had often called to him. For many moons he had longed to tangle in around his strong hands in the heat of passion. Ivory brushes, combs made of Youkai bone, rinses and other assorted thing were laid out upon her wardrobe shelving. He wanted to make sure those silky locks never, even for a moment, lost their luster. No, he could not live with that on his conscious.

With his last mental review completed, he slipped off into an anxious slumber.

That's all for now…I need at least 3 reviews before I add another chapter. What should happen when Sesshomaru goes to place his claim?