A/N: Alright, here we go with the last chapter (yes, I know there was supposed to be another one but I wasn't going to stretch it all out unnecessarily)…finally! I know, I know and I'm really sorry that it took so long to get out but I wanted to make sure that this final battle scene was at least mostly like I wanted it to be. Well, anyway, thank you for your patience and all of your wonderful reviews; they truly do make a huge difference. So, without further ado, I give you chapter 29 of Without a Doubt.

(Backing up a little bit….)

How moronic could the spider actually be? Did the fool not know that the blade was his weapon? What in all of the hells had prompted such a foolish decision? Hm, however it was of no matter to him; the sooner the nuisance was exterminated the sooner he could carry on with other more pleasurable activities. Unsheathing the infamous, dark sword that was known to hang solemnly at his hip, Sesshomaru traced the sharply defined edges with the tip of a razor-like claw. Oh, most assuredly blood would be spilled on this day and the merciless western lord planned on taking every necessary precaution to insure that each bite of cold, steel in the filthy half breed's putrid frame would be the absolute epitome of pain. Quite ready for the commencement of this final battle and the promised end to such a, in his view, trivial rivalry, the silver-haired dog prince lunged forward with grace to be envied by any seasoned warrior.

Crimson eyes tracing the pointed tip of his own glinting blade, Naraku allowed himself a fanged grin. How sweet vengeance truly was. Through all the murderous escapades of his past and even those yet to unfold themselves in the path of his future, the hanyou knew that this kill would be the sweetest, a rare fruit plucked from the bloody vine. Unlike many, Naraku knew the truth; and that truth was simple, death was an art. Any fool could kill but only the best could truly murder. The agonized screams, the crescendo of tearing flesh, the sweet smell of blood flowing unbidden, yes all were individual aspects of such a rewarding skill. And Sesshomaru, oh, Sesshomaru was to be his masterpiece. Dark mind filled with such thoughts even to the most vacant recesses, the hybrid spider threw himself forward against the force of his opponent. Savoring the sweet, musical sound of the metallic clang that rang through the clearing, the half demon tried mightily to force back the blade of his rival with sheer strength alone. Muscles tightly bunched and trembling from the instantaneous exertion, he was momentarily districted by the sight of his livid looking female gaping open mouthed from the sidelines. The bitch would finally be forced to realize his own more shinning credentials as a male.

Well muscled arms, built from years of wielding the familiar utensil of the blade easily held the assault of the western lord's opponent at bay, giving him a fair enough opening of time to clearly distinguish where the hanyou's gaze currently lie. Snarling menacingly at the fact that the halfling took such bold liberties, Sesshomaru gathered the strength that had been collecting at the base of his broad shoulders and shoved the sword of his opponent into a forced, circular, backwards retreat. Seeing the brief window of opportunity thrust so invitingly before him, the dog demon maneuvered his katana in an overconfident sweeping motion, resulting in the slicing of only air and the amusement of one certain arachnid.

Silently going over each possible snide remark in turn, the half breed decided that for just this once he would forego the words and let his smirk speak for him, tearing through the bastard dog's ever so inflated ego like a heated knife. Having gone the span of a few long moments without retaliation or offensive response of any kind, Naraku suddenly jerked himself to the side sloppily tossing his sword skyward, only to be stopped embarrassingly short by a rather peeved demon lord. Tightening his grip on the blade's hilt until his knuckles shown nearly as brightly at the metal point, the hybrid hanyou brought his left foot up on impulse, landing a blow squarely in the center of the regal mutt's firm chest.

Shocked at having been hit in the first place, Sesshomaru stilled for a moment but managed not to stumble. Well, that blow had certainly been unexpected…he would not make the mistake of underestimating the spider's luck again. For yes, that was what it was, simply luck. There was no way a being, a being that used to be a mere human at that, could ever truly measure up to his level of combat. No, it was thoroughly impossible. Throwing his upper frame forward, the western Taiyoukai began showering his rival in a barrage of continuous attacks that could only have been avoided by the most determined of men. Not needing to truly concentrate as he went through the second hand battle motions, Sesshomaru cast a quick glance in the direction of his trembling mate growling lividly as he felt the overpowering waves of distress flowing from her small body. Snapping his slightly elongated fangs at his rival while executing a very expertly timed twisting thrust in the direction of the hanyou, he finally was able to pick of the nearly inaudible sound of flesh tearing under the pressure of steel.

Looking towards his momentarily motionless opponent, Sesshomaru took a moment to assess the damage he had wrought. Hm, unfortunately it was only a barely countable scratch, several inches in length that ran in a slanted diagonal line down from the corner of the fool's crimson eye. However, the scent and sight of his competitor's blood did something to excite him as it had so often done before; it was just that this time it was different. Being a predator he was obviously usually attracted by the scent of sweet blood on the air, no matter the breed from which it flowed but this hanyou was different. Instead of enticing him into a lulled state of more passive aggression, the foul mixed fragrance made his own demonic fluids pump all the more wildly through his veins in disgust. Not truly wanting to but knowing that it was customary to do such in the case of a very serious bout of combat, the western dog licked a few small drops of dirty, black blood away from the tip of his blade, showing his opponent that he planned to show no mercy whatsoever. Oh, good Kami, he had never tasted anything so awful and had to fight with every ounce of his strength to keep himself from gagging in the middle of their newly founded battle arena.

Not phased in the least, the half breed curled his exceptionally lengthy tongue from his mouth, licking away much of his own darkened sustenance as he carefully watched the inu lord do the same. Laughing as to make light of his own frustrating predicament, Naraku quickly flicked his katana into a fighting position once again and started a pattern of awfully wide, misjudged swings. The very moment he was about to take a quick break from his aggressive offensive tirade, he saw the very edge of his own blade slice clearly across the dog demon's white silk haori, exposing his now slightly nicked flesh to a very haughty set of ruby orbs. Said orbs traveling back and forth quickly, he was pleased to see that he had at least managed to even the score a bit for now both sword tips where painted with the preserving, vital red fluid of life.

Relatively sickened by the scent of his own powerful, pure blood fusing with the aroma which reeked of foul halfling liquid, Sesshomaru was quick drop his toned body down into a crouching position, a very old distraction technique. Once he was fairly sure that he had thrown the thoughts of the hanyou off balance enough for his attack to succeed, the inu twisted his lower body around in an uncomfortable, speedy maneuver, hoping to strike his moronic rival directly across the chest and end the whole ridiculous escapade quickly.

Although he had not been born a demon or trained formally as warrior as the inu lord of the west had most certainly been, Naraku knew when something was going to happen. In fact, he had always accounted his exceptional battle instincts to make up for the fact that he was lacking in the area of customary mastery. His mental alarms began to go off left and right the moment he saw his rival lower his position. Logical mind pushing him to bring his own blade overhead in a quick, traditional counter, he was surprised and exceptionally relieved to find that he had instead twisted in a very uncomfortable position, taking the now obvious blow, coming into contact with only the flattened side of the infamous sword. Still clearly able to feel what he suspected to be the slight splintering of his ribs, the hanyou decided that if he had indeed believed in Kamis now would have been the time to be thanking them. Risking a swift glance downward, he was relieved to see that there was very little blood flowing his chest although he could already imagine the yellowish purple bruising he was going to be temporarily branded with; that was just too close a call for his liking.

Mentally ranting, Sesshomaru withdrew his blade and instantly began another shower of poorly aimed swipes. Usually, each and every one of his movements during battle was completely precise and accurately calculated, yet this was different; the damn hanyou was just too frustrating for him to focus fully on his task. Pointed, demonic ears ringing with the intolerant internal barking of his caged blood beast, the dog prince ground his pointed teeth together harshly and waited for the manufactured arachnid to make the next move. However, he was met with only momentary confusion as he watched the devilish look that flashed across his opponent's face before the raven haired hellion tossed his blade away in an unexpected gesture.

Wanting to simply shut her shinning sapphire eyes tightly and block out every possible aspect of the battle in front of her, the futuristic miko was mortified to find out that such an act seemed to be just next to physically impossible for her at the moment. Even if her rational mind was panicking and urging her to shield herself from such a disturbing visage, Kagome was quite sure that she could not. She had to know, she just had to. Feeling the familiar lurking emotion of plain uselessness creep into the corners of her mind once again, she bit her bottom lip. This was her fault. This was completely about her and yet there was nothing she could do; even if she could somehow help Sesshomaru win the battle, she was certain that he wouldn't let her. Him and his stupid demon pride. Now, though, was not the time for such thoughts. The man, or demon more over, that she loved so deeply was currently fighting for his life. It was all the battles she had seen Inuyasha fight all over again….only this time, it was worse.

Watching as his sword cut through the air gracefully, Naraku smirked as it planted itself blade down in a standing position several yards away from his current location. Now it was time for him to bring this conflict into his own realm of expertise. Subconsciously scolding himself for not simply jumping to such a form of offensive status early in the duel, the spider decided that now was not the best time to lose focus. Every ounce of available energy concentrated into forming the familiar, tangible tentacle extensions of himself that had had become so masterful with over the years, the only slightly delayed sensation of such appendages sprouting was a much welcomed feeling. Content to sit back and watch the show for the moment at hand, Naraku was once again quite pleased that his little friends seemed to have a very twisted, demented mind of their own.

Leather boots poised of the balls of slender demonic feet, Sesshomaru leapt unhesitating into the air above him, dodging and weaving his way around the seemingly countless army of slimy, discolored tentacles that were being shot aggressively in his direction. Between leaping over and ducking under the rapidly multiplying appendages, the western lord was having a most difficult time wrapping his adrenaline driven mind around any possible solution to his problem whatsoever. Natural grace failing him for a brief moment as he managed to stumble sideways the slightest bit, Sesshomaru concentrated, making his physical response secondary and bringing his train of thought boldly to the frontlines of his mind. Amber eyes flicking toward the form of his assailant, he analyzed the situation. Well, from what he was able to gather visually the things were sprouting directly from the hybrid's spine, pushing through the taught flesh of his back and emerging unbidden. Pulling forth a burst of speed, the inu positioned himself behind his opponent for a few seconds of unhindered observation to get a better look. Hm, his quick inspection had only served to reaffirm his belief in his previous thesis. Now, what he needed to do was find a way to slash that particular section of flesh, hopefully sealing away all of the troublesome appendages.

Chuckling mindlessly at the antics of the feared Taiyoukai fumbling before him, Naraku gave his direct attention to the little priestess that was currently looking on with horror. Feeling that he had more than enough extensions of himself to keep the dog demon busy, the dark spider slowly shot a pair of his outgrowths in the girl's direction. Managing to wrap one tightly around her petite waist before she even had a proper chance to flee, he gave her a promising squeeze, raising the other limb to softly caress her cheek with the slimy underside. Not all completely commanded, the spider had to chuckle at the demonic extensions fondness for the girl. Never in all his years, demon or human, had he found a female that he responded so well to. Grinning as his more instinctual, lecherous limbs began to slide up and slowly wrap themselves around the miko's pert, young breasts, he was suddenly drawn out of his brief euphoria as a certain pesky dog demon severed away his now crumbling tentacles.

Fueled by the anger the half breed's forbidden caress had managed to spark within him, Sesshomaru shot his hand towards the dark blade that had been forged several years before from the tooth of one of Naraku's own avatars. Only then did it occur to him why his beloved blade was not nearly as effective with the hanyou, his own dark aura either simply repelled the lesser one or absorbed it into its mass. Cursing himself for having been so oblivious to the matter before, the western lord let go of the well handled hilt and leapt out of the path of another swiftly moving limb. Glancing to both sides to take an inventory of his possible resources, Sesshomaru grimaced. Well, it looked like he was going to have to use one of his own natural abilities, but what would affect the hanyou most? Tightening his fisted hands in an instinctually aggravated response, the dog youkai felt the prick of his own lethal claws within his sensitive palms. Gazing downward for a moment, he realized that that was it! That was exactly what he needed to do! His toxins! There was no way the hanyou could be immune to such powerful poisons flowing through his veins!

By this time quite distracted from the conflict in front of him, the half spider demon was currently lost in his own thoughts of all of the ways in which he wished to claim the little miko before the night was through. Oh, their joining would be glorious….well, at least for him. He was well aware that he was a very rough, sadistic lover and knew it would take the gentle little creature awhile before she got used to his tendencies in bed. However, she would have to learn quickly as she was now the only female that he could ever take. His own inner demonic energies circling and pulsing as the beast within him attempted to break free, outraged at the fact that another male had the gall to even think he could be separated from his intended female.

Leaping over the raven haired arachnid in an exceptionally risky maneuver, Sesshomaru let his birth poisons come to the tips of his claws and slashed the glowing razors over the vulnerable spine of the enemy. Stepping back for a moment to take a look at the fruits of his labor, he heard a very distinct hissing sound coming from the tightly shut mouth of the hanyou before him. Amber eyes smoldering with a certain satisfaction as he watched the material of the other male's deep purple haori singe away and turn into dust, he actually let a small smile cross his face at the burn like scarring pattern that was quickly decorating the pale flesh. True, he was well aware that such a liberal dose would serve only to keep the things from emerging and not have the capability of spreading fatally while so occupied, but it suited his momentary purposes nonetheless.

White hot pain blinding him momentarily, Naraku violently threw his head from side to side to distract himself from the sizzling mass that had once been the smooth, flawless skin of his. Not helping the matter in the least, his sensitive nose was picking up the unmistakable fumes of fried skin. Fast realizing that he would no longer be able to use his favored tentacles as a form of offense or even defense, the more than slightly panicked hanyou managed, with a great deal of intense effort accompanied by immeasurable pain, to produce one last slinking limb that covered no more than five feet before it too disintegrated in a mass of gray ash. Aware that the toxins that had been forced into his system by the stubborn mutt were not nearly enough to cause him any serious harm as long as they were occupied, the hybrid growled. Yes, as much as he loathed the damnable inu, he had to give him credit; the dog had the mind of a villain. In fact, there had even been a time at which he wished to join forces with the notable western lord. That however, failed miserably seeing as the youkai noble was far too much of an independent thinker. Hm, no, he liked his minions much more mindless and willing than he could ever hope to find the demon before him.

Quickly glancing toward the miko, he let out a frustrated, primal snarl at the look of relief that had plastered itself across her face the moment the dog had gotten the upper hand in their feud. Why did she adore the silver haired icicle so? Was it for his title? Was that why she turned him away, to be with a demon that held a high rank in society? Did she not know that he was to soon become the sole ruler of all Japan with her acting as his queen? No, that could simply not be it. The little miko cared far too little for titles and such for her decision to be based off of one. Actually, it was the fact that she had been able to accept and even love a lowly hanyou that had given him hope as to her future feelings for him. If she could so adore the worthless half breed mutt then she could obviously feel such an emotion for him, right? Snarling at his own full circle thoughts, Naraku snapped his teeth agitatedly and sent the dog prince a death glare. Oh, he may have held the little miko's heart now but he was quite sure that he would not be much competition as a dead man.

Livid with the realization that the blasted half breed's last attempt to bait him could have easily ended in pain for his chosen female, Sesshomaru bared his flashing fangs menacingly. Able to feel his blood beast ramming away at the front of his mind, he fought within himself for a moment in an attempt to keep a hold on his rational mind. Never liking to take a back seat to his vastly more instinctual counterpart, the western lord squinted his pink tinted amber eyes in a last ditch effort. 'Mine. Mine. Mine. Hurt our mate. Challenge claim. Mine. Mine. Ours! Ours! Kill, slaughter, KILL!' Head spinning and vision beginning to narrow as he felt himself grasping desperately at the last strands of rationality that he was so closing clinging to slip away, Sesshomaru finally lost himself to his more feral persona.

Taking complete advantage of the inu's momentary state of shocked disbelief, Naraku leapt towards the miko in one effortless bound, having in mind to play with her a bit. Standing stock still for a brief moment and staring at the girl, he inhaled her delicious scent and flashed a deadly fanged smile. Snatching her wrists together in one large, callused hand and slithering the other around her petite waist, he leaned forward and smiled against the soft, heated flesh of her neck. "Mmm, did you miss me little one?" Turning toward the still oblivious lord he chuckled, "It would seem your little guard dog is a bit preoccupied at the moment." Lifting his head and staring directly into the young woman's worried orbs he continued, "You know pet, I may consider sparing him if you promise yourself to me now." Waiting for her answer, he took the time for a mental laugh at what he found to a very humorous joke. Let the dog go? Ha, never. He had seen far too much of his mate and caused far too much trouble to simply be let go.

Cringing away from the touch of Naraku, Kagome flinched at his words before shooting a quick glance in the direction of Sesshomaru. Things weren't looking good. Sure there had been a moment there were she had been totally convinced that her future mate was going to come out victorious, but now judging from the half breed's crackling, black energies she wasn't so sure. Even if he did win he would be badly inured…could she really let Sesshomaru but himself through such pain for her? Was it even worth his suffering? Perhaps if she just gave in now, she shuddered visibly at the thought, he could go back to his life as it was before she became such a burden. Feeling fresh tears prick at the corners of her eyes, she was about to give him a response when she was shortly cut off by a very angry inu demon. Never was she sure, but whether the following toned growls were wordless or held meaning she would never know, all she knew was that he was once again changing.

Finally having come out of his momentary stupor, the Taiyoukai of the west was immediately greeted with the sight of another male, a vile spider hanyou no less, clutching his mate. Blood actually scorching his being, Sesshomaru didn't care anymore. His female was being touched by another male after all he had done to secure her. He had fought off a wolf, a court full of disgusting males and even a member of his own damn pack. No. This was too much. This was it. Letting his inner beast surge forward without restraint, Sesshomaru closed his now glowing crimson eyes as he felt his face begin to lengthen and his back hunch. Snarling as he felt himself shoot up above the ground at a new immeasurable height and his arms drop forward into a second set of supports, the lord of the west watched from inside his own mind as he stood immense, intimidating, feral…as his true self.

Dragging up huge hunks of earth between his massive claws, Sesshomaru allowed his acidic slobber to fall before him, immediately transforming the once springy, green grasses into several blackened crevices. Tongue lolling over the corner of his fanged jaws, he let out an angry bark letting every creature within radius know to flee. Taking a slight step forward as that was all that was needed to cover the now meager distance between the offending male and his bitch, the regal white inu swatted the dark hanyou away with one stroke of his massive paws, all the while cautious not to harm his mate in any way. Satisfied that his rival would be out of commission for at least several moments, the western lord turned his paw to the side and very carefully drug his mate into the protective fortress of his under torso.

Squeaking at the sudden, unwilling motion Kagome soon was able to breathe one again as she found herself placed carefully behind the right paw of the giant inu lord, almost as if he was hiding her away from the crimson eyes of his opponent. Burying he tear stained face into the silken white fur that shot out wildly around the base of his pillar like leg the miko lost herself for a moment. Warmth…comforting warmth…the sensations provided by her new sanctuary were enough to momentarily draw her buzzing mind away from the dangers directly before her and push her into a more relaxed state. It was only the gentle nudging of what she soon discovered be a wet, cold nose probing her sides that drug her ever so violently back into the moment, reminding her suddenly of reality.

Sniffing insistently at his small female, the primal Sesshomaru came to the conclusion that no bodily harm had come to her. Satisfied for the moment he concentrated on the other emotions radiating from her, the foremost of which were fear and worry. Giving her a warm, instinctive lick of his tongue which was nearly ten times her size he finally turned his blood hued eyes back to the battle in front of him. Snarling a warning as the hanyou, who seemed no worse for the wear, approached him once again he took a quick glance to make sure the girl was sheltered. Exquisite hearing up to par as always, the noble dog prince growled heatedly at the words that came to him. "Well Sesshomaru, you seem to be more of a guard dog than I thought. No matter though, she will not be yours to guard for long."

The half breed spider, having been severely angered yet uninjured by the meddling lord's interruption, watched amusedly as rage painted itself across the now expressive mug of his rival. Oh, this was truly too simple; Sesshomaru was always such an easy one to get riled. Unable to see his future mate, the half demon unthinkingly released his miasma in hopes of panicking the overgrown pup that had the audacity to challenge him. Realizing his mistake only moments later, seeing the seething glare of the dog and watching his mate be gently lifted hundreds of feet above the ground as the back of her blouse was hooked unto the lethal fangs of the lord. Damn it to all hells! He had forgotten she did not yet bare his mark and thus did not have any immunity to his gaseous toxins. Knuckles white and palms bleeding as the sharp tips of his claws punctured the soft flesh, he growled. So much for that idea; being more dense than the actual air surrounding it his poisons could only reach a few hundred feet before leveling off and well, a few hundred feet had turned out to be just below the shoulders of the gigantic dog.

Wanting to howl in outrage at the danger his female was being exposed to yet mouth currently serving as lift, the instinct driven dog demon settled for a deep rumbling growl, powerful enough to cause slight tremors in the ground beneath his four padded paws. His female could have been hurt, killed even. Raising his upper lip in a promising display, the silver beast swung his massive paw to and fro to clear the billowing purple essence from the air. Thanks to his aid the toxic mist was cleared from the area in moments; once he was totally sure that it was safe, he slowly leaned his long neck down and gently placed his mate to the side, shooting her a look letting her know she was to stay put. Finally able to face his foe unhindered, Sesshomaru pushed himself onto his back legs in an instinctual show of his dominance and gnashed his teeth. Upon falling back to the ground he set his gaze directly on the foul excuse for a half demon.

Actually having to hold back a shudder of what he refused to acknowledge to be fear, Naraku concentrated fully upon gathering his dark energies around his comparatively tiny personage. The second he could feel the black tendrils whipping past his face, the hanyou narrowed his gaze. He had, somewhat foolishly, not planned on the miserable mutt transforming. Hm, what was he to do now? Larger than him and obviously possessing more physical strength, he now tried to focus upon what would have weakened. Urging himself, pressing desperately that his mind function quicker he was suddenly still. Quicker…that was it. The dog was now larger, meaning his agility would have been greatly decreased; all he had to do was wear the dog down enough so that he could use his own aura to push his tired opponent down to his humanoid form. Like he had said before, he smirked to himself; there were moments when he was just too brilliant.

Shivering slightly as he felt the now gigantic crimson eyes bore into his torso obviously laced with malicious intent, the half demon spider inhaled calmly before darting between the legs of the massive mutt. Using every ounce of speed that he had gained from his minor rebirth several days prior, the hanyou wove tight, twisting circles around the four prancing paws of the shaggy silver dog. Smirking knowingly as the formerly still pillars began to rise and fall around him, he expanded his circles into a much wider pattern, actually leading the western born heir on a small, swerving chase. Soon realizing that the distance he had covered was a mere set of steps of the snarling beast, Naraku knew that he would have to think of something else seeing as he seemed to be wearing himself down quicker than he was filing away at his rival.

Feeling his large, rough tongue loll out and slip between his pearly white fangs and heated pink gums, Sesshomaru panted. Even if this was his true form it was still an effort to maneuver himself now that he was so out of practice. Although the exhaustion wasn't at all acknowledged by his primal persona, the logical lord locked away in the far recesses of his mind knew all too well the disasters that could come from their excessive energy loss. Besides giving the foul spider a hand up in their rapidly intensifying present excursion, it would also leave a far lesser portion of his senses open to devote to the protection of his female. Choosing to ignore the goading of the dark half demon, Sesshomaru brought himself to an abrupt halt. A momentary feeling of satisfaction rushing through him at the sight of the hanyou scrambling miserably away from the flying gobs of his acidic saliva, the dog prince focused his gaze in an attempt to perfect his aim for the final blow he was planning. All he had to do was crush the disgusting little maggot beneath his paw and then the threat to his chosen mate would desist.

Gathering most of his darkened ki in a newly formed attack that had simply been added to his roster after his regeneration, Naraku concentrated all of his energies on exerting his aura in a great suffocating wave. Aiming an extensively powerful stream of black energy toward the heart of the beast, the conscienceless hybrid flashed a fanged smirk as he saw the instinctual reaction he had been so counting on occur. The flash of reflected surprise in the large, blood hued pools only made the minor victory all that more sweet. So, the dog had thought him to be a pushover opponent? Well the fool would soon learn that he always played his aces last.

Instinctively shrinking, once again leaving the physical control to the more rational of the two, the feral side of the western lord shrunk back only slightly. Not having wished to retreat but knowing that he would have served no purpose dead, he had released himself from his true form as to not take such a clashing blast in the center of his exposed chest. Feeling his humanoid form once again adhere to solid flesh, the lord's inner demon once again resumed control of his body; one look at the hanyou telling him that such a reversal transformation had been exactly his plan all along, the hunched Taiyoukai bared his considerably lengthened fangs and let the glowing green toxins spill from the pointed tips of his claws. More than ready to pounce on the mongrel, the instinctually driven creature was suddenly drawn out of his hateful revere by the ever heightening sobbing sounds of his precious female.

Silent tears swiftly turning into uncontrollable, shaking sobs that seemed to wrack her entire body, the miko let out a shaky breath as she realized her enemy's energy blast had failed to hit the demon she so adored. Silently screaming to every Kami she had ever heard mentioned even in the slightest, Kagome begged with all of her might for whatever higher power there was to take her instead of him. This was her fault. Once again someone was in trouble because of her and her stupid weakness. How could he even want to be with her when she was so awful? Was it just her fate to have every single person she ever came to feel so deeply for ripped away from her? Had she done something wrong? What was it? Why did this always happen?

Feeling a stab of pain in his once non-existent heart every time a salty tear fell from the little priestess's puffy eyes, Naraku managed to turn all of his sorrow into blindly directed rage. How dare she cry tears that were not for him? Did she not realize that each drop was a damn proclamation of her unfaithfulness to him? Why must she always be so contrary to his wishes? Cracking his knuckles is a habitual reaction to his ire; the spider shook his head, trying to focus all of his attention on the battle before him. There was no need to worry he told himself, soon the girl would be his and his alone; he could keep her locked away from the prying eyes of the world for her beauty was for his sole enjoyment. Of course there would be objections at first on her part but she would learn to live with it, maybe if she was a good little bitch he would even allow her out into the gardens every now and then. Yes, he would soon have his mate, all that was left now was the matter of taking out a certain inu youkai.

Materializing his energy whip between two of his sharpened claws, Sesshomaru smirked. Oh, he still had a few tricks up his sleeve for the unsuspecting half witted spider. Flicking his wrist in a manner which served to snap the glowing neon energy extension with a loud resounding crack, the western lord started in on the hanyou before him. Pivoting in a swift circular motion on one foot, he started his now very familiar yet still oddly enchanting attack. Inching himself closer to his victim between his continuous turns, the dog prince was suddenly very stunned to feel the hand of the spider close around the usually fatally burning end of his weapon.

Feeding off his opponent's energy with his own newly founded abilities, a first time experience for him that seemed to make him positively giddy, Naraku simply sucked away at the brilliantly glowing power source until it had completely diminished into nothing at all. With his newly invigorated limbs, the spider used the fearsome dog demon's very own energies against him, sweeping his feet abruptly out from under him with a falsely positioned move and leaping onto his chest, pinning him completely to the ground in the process. Making sure there was no possible way the inu youkai below him could escape, the spider was content to sit back and watch as he held the infamous lord Sesshomaru at his mercy, the noble's own aura turned against him.

Knowing he was trapped, resigning himself to the fact that not even his usually ever so sharp mind could fathom a plan to release him from such a situation Sesshomaru experienced that which he had only ever heard of. So often he had heard tell of the epiphany one is said to have before death and he, ever the cynic had only rolled his golden eyes at the talk only to find that he was now experiencing such a moment of his very own. Well, it was not exactly a Kami sent life changing realization as so many had claimed it would be but more of a self admittance and acknowledgement. Before him flashed visions of each special moment he had shared with the onna of his dreams, his Kagome. From the moment he had seen her in the field for the first time, pointing an accusing finger at his young half brother as she back sassed the young pup to the swim they had shared only hours ago.

He thought of all the nights he had sat perched in the highest limbs of forest foliage observing her every movement, of the way he had at first puzzled over her acceptance of all races, of the first moment in which he had allowed himself to lay claim in his own mind. He thought of first retrieving her from the woods and her plea to spare his clumsy sibling, of all the jealousy he had felt as she gave the mutt such tender looks and the first time he had held her within his arms as they flew back to the palace moon. He thought of lying sprawled across the pillows with her, visiting the wolf and providing her with his mother's collar, of his semi-patient explanation of demon culture. He thought of the many violent outbursts he had fallen victim to and all of the physical abuse he had put his sweet miko through, of each tender kiss and caress they had shared and of her running away. He thought of his brother's death and his own jealousy, of all that he had seen in her time and all that he had learned. And finally, he thought of his love for her.

True, he had told himself that he loved her before but until this moment he seemed to have only delved halfway into the meaning of the word. He didn't simply love her looks, personality, demeanors or cute antics, no he loved her. And now, now, he saw the difference. It was the way she had melted his frozen heart, breaking through all of the barriers he had spent so many decades constructing within a single moment. It was how she could calm him with a single touch or how she could amuse him without a word. It was the contentment he felt with her and the smiles she gave him for the simplest things. She had changed him; even if it was not to the public eye, she had changed his soul in a desperately irreversible manner. For the rest of the world he would always be the heartless icicle they fabled him as, but to her he would show a side of him that the rest of the world would never know. He had a heart. Who would have known?

Casting his gaze towards the vile being situated above him, he nearly gagged on the large swell of bile that had risen so abruptly in his regal throat. This man, this demon, this…. creature did not deserve a treasure such as his Kagome. His onna was like a flower, bringing warmth and happiness to all those around and ever so resilient. Yet, like all flowers she could be so easily crushed and that is what this dark entity would do to her. Her spirit, the thing that made her so beautiful to him and the rest of the world would soon be shattered into a million tiny pieces never to be reconstructed again. These past weeks he himself had spent sewing her heart back together only to tear it to shreds once again with his gruff nature. And he was sorry, very truly sorry.

Swiveling his large, callused hand backwards over the exposed flushing skin of his taught shoulder, Naraku wrapped his long fingers around the cool metal hilt of the sword he had been previously wielding. Quite pleased that it had chosen to fall at such a convenient location, the spider gave it a light yank before raising it to his direct eye level to inspect the glimmering steel. Wavy, light induced patterns bounding off on the singed remains of the grass beneath him, he suddenly scowled evilly at thing and hurled it away once more. No, killing the almost invincible lord of the west with an ordinary blade wouldn't be half as sweet as ripping the interfering mutt's flesh away with his own claws. Already practically able to feel the warm ooze of the dog's life blood pushing against and coating his palm the hanyou flashed yet another of his vicious grins. Glaring down at the silver-haired entity beneath him, Naraku released a throaty yet still incredibly haughty chuckle before leaning over the dog prince and sneering. "Sesshomaru – sama, I must say, I am a bit disappointed in you. The lord of the western lands at the mercy of such a brazen hanyou? Hm, sometimes fate is cruel is it not?" Raising one hand only a few inches to gesture in the direction of the teary-eyed miko, he nodded and continued. "But fear not my friend; I'll take good care of the girl." Having not yet received the desired response of outrage from his captive, Naraku continued to push forward. "She was never for you, dog. The woman has always been mine and was born to be as such. Perhaps if you hadn't chosen to interfere with the destiny that was so carefully laid out before her, you might have lived to see another season."

Griping the Taiyoukai's smooth throat with one hand while the other was drawn back into the air lazily, he turned his gaze toward the tiny priestess. Now speaking more for her than anyone else he pressed, "And you Koi, had you truly thought that you could escape me? Escape this? Escape us? And for what, this mutt? Come now little one, how did you expect your little adventure to end? Was he to be your hero and save you from vicious half breed you so loathe? Was that it? Well, my dear miko, I am sorry to inform you that whatever childish fantasies your adolescent mind may have conjured for your future have been rendered worthless." Tossing his hair over his shoulder and throwing a quick sneer to his captive, he chortled. "Oh, never fear love. It won't be so bad so long as you do as you're told. Of course, you were never very good at that were you?"

Swirling, emotion filled orbs glaring upwards distastefully at the filth situated above him Sesshomaru couldn't exactly grasp what he was feeling. The first emotion to flood his soul was rage, pure and simple. How dare this beast make such atrociously false claims, leaving them to flood the ears of his innocent onna? In what fashion of mind did the disgusting spider figure the miko to be his? No. No. No, the woman child was his. Claws digging vengefully into the ground, a poor substitution of the flesh of his rival, the lord could scent the burning aroma of his toxins injecting themselves into the soil underneath and around him. Snarling and snapping his teeth he, oddly enough, soon quieted into a state of calm as realization began to hang over him like an evening mist. He was a warrior and he would die a warrior's death with silent honor. There would be no rage clouding his features as he left the realm of the living and was borne on high to the palatial home of the heavens. No, for if he was to die he would rather it be in the act of protecting his female than in any other way. The ultimate gift any mate could give for their chosen companion was their life and this he was willing to do.

Although he had never truly thought it would come to such a thing or even imagined himself being so accepting in a situation such as this, the inu youkai found consolation in the fact that he had done everything in his power to keep his mate safe. However, moving right along on his swift emotional journey, he was quick to realize that for the first time in his life his best efforts did not seem to be quite substantial enough and though he had made peace with his own demise, he could not find the same reassurance in the knowledge that his absence would leave Kagome in the hands of the smirking arachnid. Training his senses solely onto the young human female he was so taken with, Sesshomaru felt his former resignation to death fade away as wave after powerful wave of his mate's distress washed over him. Mind once again turning in what seemed to be a hopeless effort to come up with some form of plan, the western inu quickly gazed over his surroundings only to come to a most interesting discovery.

Hanging ominously above his raven haired aggressor was the darkest, most hellish aura he had ever seen. Billowing around the creature in thick, almost tangible black clouds hung the swirling essence that represented the half breed's life energy overpowering each and every thing in its direct radius with one odd exception. Toward the lower corner of the bleak mist was an equally pulsating, lively white light almost blinding in its brilliance, sparking and snapping loudly against its opposite energy composite. Curiously looking downward for the source of such an energy, Sesshomaru was more than a bit surprised when his eyes fell upon his father's ancient healing fang that had for so long rested at his hip. Strangely enough for a demonic object, the blade's surrounding force was completely pure and shone with innocence, creating a virtual epitome of opposing forces. Instantly feeling the odd pulsing sensation that the sword had always seemed to use to direct its will, Sesshomaru slipped his hand over the anciently wrapped hilt making an effort to draw as little attention to the action as possible. The exact second his clawed hand was fully situated over the hilt of the family heirloom, a very stunned dog demon began to feel jolts of energy fighting ferociously to unsheathe the rusted fang and slip it brutally into the half demon. Perhaps…perhaps this had been the purpose of the blade all along? Such a selflessly and purely intended blade, maybe there had been a reason he had not received the killing fang after all. Could such a contrasted artifact really be used against his current foe?

Filled with a completely indescribable rush of glee and triumph, the invigorated half breed looked down into the eyes of his rival for what truly was to be the last time. Finally, finally things were falling into their correct order; maybe, he thought, maybe for the first time in his life these supposed Kamis had cast their usually neglectful favor upon him. Needing to drag his moment of glory out just a tad bit longer, the spider demon looked toward the futuristic priestess and cracked the clenched his raised fist, as if exercising the lethal fingers that were soon to end the life of her beloved dog demon.

Seeing his literal last chance to make a move while his opponent was taunting his onna, Sesshomaru drew the dull, ageless blade out of its sheath in an intense blurred motion before slamming it forward, running the stunned hanyou through completely. Hoping against all hope that his assumption as the outcome of such an action was correct, the western lord watched with bated breath for a long moment. After a stretch of time that seemed to border on forever without any real affect, he was just about to let himself fall once again into the abyss of despair when the solid body above him began to quake furiously. Seeing the half breed's darkening hands clutch themselves desperately unto his oddly trembling chest, Sesshomaru took advantage of the time he was given and rolled himself quickly out from under his former prison.

Not understanding the finality and gravitation of the events that had just occurred, all the horribly surprised half demon could do was grab frantically at his disappearing figure. One moment he had been holding himself in the highest esteem, ready to finally vanquish his most formidable foe, when such a pain as he had never known seemed to have thrust itself upon him. Petrified crimson eyes forced down to an old, rusted blade had been jabbed roughly through his muscled stomach; he let out an extremely effeminate shriek of horror at the sight before him. Emanating from the blade was a flashing white light that with each spontaneous beam tore away at his own darkly formatted personage. Feeling as if he was being burned from the inside out, the half breed could only watch in horror as more and more tiny beams of purified light began to pierce his chest until it was nearly nonexistent. Final thoughts unable to even enter the decimated sanctum of his mind, his felt his last vestiges of stability fail him as he shattered into a million shards of woven souls. As the light wind swept away the ashes of the evil entity, it was quite clear that the hanyou had come to his unarguable demise, never to make his presence in this realm or any other known again.

Seeing the last traces of his rival blown away by the ever present western winds, the completely exhausted dog youkai used the last of his energies to spring towards his mate in one, long, well-calculated leap. Snatching the girl desperately to his shaky, rumbling chest, Sesshomaru felt his knees weaken and the pair of them tumbling to the soft ground. Even in such a state remembering to take the brunt of the fall, the inu demon burrowed his nose into the silky, raven locks of his mate, taking in her sweet scent as he felt her sob harshly against him. Raising the volume of his growl in a least attempt to calm his onna, Sesshomaru let loose a quick, ear-splitting howl of triumph. The hanyou was gone. The last rival for his mate had been vanquished. She was his now. All his. These thoughts and these alone running through the head of the western lord, both the infamous inu and his tiny miko mate fell into the comforting world of dreams.

The first to stir, as par usual, Sesshomaru opened his only slightly dulled amber eyes and let out a highly undignified yawn. Quite aware that the impending threat to himself and more importantly his mate had now passed, the inu demon leaned closer to his onna. Brushing the smooth skin of her neck with the side of his pointed nose as he sniffed lightly at her, it did not take long before the conclusion was drawn as to her well being. Aside from having a nervous fit and dealing with the exhaustion that usually accompanies such, his little miko seemed to be in good health. Pulling himself to a standing position on his yet aching limbs, he bent over at the waist and scooped the woman child into his arms before setting out at a brisk trot towards his private hot springs.

Growing ever more aware of the slight, nearly unnoticeable jolting of what seemed to be another's steps, Kagome cracked open one sapphire eyes just a sliver and realized that she was set tightly within a pair of muscular arms. Whipping her head about snappishly, expectant eyes that had thought themselves forced to take in the countenance of Naraku, widened as she was directly faced with the features of her silver haired savior. Throwing her thin arms around his neck, the priestess burrowed her face into the crook of his strong neck and let her tears fall. Convulsions twisting through her being as she clung to the demon of her dreams, Kagome found that she could not mouth any words to bring awareness to the fact of how happy she was to see him alive and well. However, a quick downward glance from the ever stoic western heir let her know, simply from his shinning golden eyes, that he knew exactly the emotions that were running through her at this moment.

Kicking the door to the steamy springs open with one rough, leather-booted foot, the Taiyoukai gently placed his mate onto her own two feet before slamming the door shut abruptly behind them and sliding his blood stained white, silken haori over her mussed crown of silver strands. Gesturing for the girl to do the same with her own clothing as he worked out the know in the hakamas before tossing them too aside, Sesshomaru took one long stride towards his mate and tore away every shred of her remaining clothing with his lethal claws. Shaking his head at her squeak of awkward modesty, he gathered her smaller form to him, bent his legs and took one powerful leap into the nearly boiling water below them, submerging them both completely.

Not exactly ready for such an action and having no prior warning whatsoever, a very panicked Kagome found herself sputtering lungfuls of water away as they once again broke through the surface of the water. Tossing his a disgruntled glare yet still feeling no need to break the companionable silence that had fallen between them, she fell into a short routine behind him as they both quickly scrubbed themselves clean and washed away all signs of the former battle. The very second she was about to relax and let the water soothe her slightly aching joints, the miko found herself being hoisted out of the pool by a still very nude Sesshomaru who dashed to the western chambers in a blur of speed.

Setting her down once again, now feeling slightly refreshed from his brief cleansing period, Sesshomaru once again gave a wide motion, meaning for her to dress. Watching with approving eyes as she opened her own wooden wardrobe and pulled out a very plain, white kimono dress fashioned from the finest silk, he drug forth his own normal garb and hopped into it quickly. Not at all uncomfortable with the silence that seemed to have befallen them, he offered the girl his arm and led her directly down to kitchens to prepare some form of food, seeing as all of his servants seemed to have gone missing with the arrival of the vile hanyou. Entering the giant stone haven in which so many of his workers spent the majority of their lives, the silver inu reached across a wooden counter and snatched a bowl of rip looking fruits before beginning to section one with his pointed claw. Hearing the merry chuckling of his female at what he supposed was his awkward actions, he scowled up at her. "Something you would care to share, onna?"

Choking back her own laughter as she pictured one of those never ending infomercials from her own time trying sell a handy-dandy Sesshomaru sectioning tool, she shook her head in the negative and reached out to take the dripping fruit that was being offered to her. After practically inhaling the offering plus half of another that had been given to her she raised a questioning eye towards Sesshomaru. Almost as if he had known exactly what she had planned to say he shook his head, "This Sesshomaru is not a mortal and therefore does not need such constant sustenance." Now feeling a bit sheepishly plump, she was surprised as she turned to find the lord of the west directly in her line of vision.

No longer able to reign in his instinctual response as the danger to his mating practices had now passed, Sesshomaru had now become very hard pressed not to jump the small girl that was sitting beside him. It had been too long, his inu had waited far too long and through far too much to pass up this golden opportunity t finally claim her as their own….but, still, he had to be sure not to frighten the highly inexperienced girl. Fighting the urge to simply pin her down and pound into her relentlessly, Sesshomaru made a quick grab for both of the girl's wrists and made sure her complete attention was directed toward him before speaking softly and quickly. "Mate, this Sesshomaru is finding it difficult to not take you fully at present. If you wish-"

Cutting him off with a sudden, unexpected kiss the miko reminded herself to breathe. This was what she wanted. This what he wanted. This was what they wanted and it was going to happen sooner or later, so why not make it sooner before there were any more interruptions? Feeling him instantly respond to her with great vigor, she pulled away for a moment to whisper softly, "This is what I wish. I want this." Words not having left her lips but a mere second ago, Kagome soon found herself swept once again into the strong arms of the western inu lord as he sped upwards toward their rooms in the western wing.

Finally reaching the heavy, wooden doors that led to his chambers the Taiyoukai repositioned his clawed hand carefully as to be sure he wouldn't graze his mate's sensitive skin. Using only a very minute fraction of his strength he gave the crease of the doors a sharp blow, parting them enough so that he could slip through them before once again smashing them shut and tossing the rusted metallic lock into place. After erecting a barrier of his own demonic energies, the western lord turned his burning amber gaze to the nervous sapphire orbs before him. Wrapping his other arm securely around her form once again, he paced forward to his silk laden futon. On this night he would finally claim his mate, claim his mate fully and without interruption.

Feeling the muscles surrounding her lithe form tense for a moment, the miko from the future let out a startled yelp as she felt herself being dropped onto the mattress underneath her. Wondering how such a terse action could be executed with such utter care, she tilted her feminine chin upwards, sending an affectionate gaze to the demon above her. It was incredible really, only days earlier she would have stuck adamantly to her former conclusion that Sesshomaru, great and powerful lord of the western lands, was nearly entirely incapable of love. The nearly had been present due to her own faith in his underlying humanity and his display of, if not exactly affection, fatherly concern towards the small girl he had taken as a ward.

Still not truly understanding why his chest constricted and mouth went dry at the slightest of smiles from this girl Sesshomaru simply returned the warm gesture in his own, nearly unnoticeable way. Able to feel his demonic counterpart surging forth within his chest, ramming itself forcefully against the cage created by his royal rib bones in hopes of escape, he dropped to his knees so that he was straddling his mate in the center of their bed. The closeness momentarily calming his raging ki, the feared lord leaned forward propping himself on his forearms and gently rubbed his nose against that of the miko in a very canine display of affection. Pleased that she seemed to understand and even returned the gesture, he let the beginnings of a contented purr slip from his throat in a continuous stream.

Smile never leaving her lips, Kagome raised her head slightly brushing the demon's thin, dry lips with her own moist plump pair. Able to catch his quick fanged smirk at her seemingly impatient nudging, she watched his rough tongue quickly wet his lips with great interest before she was lost in the sensation of their locked mouths. Kiss swiftly escalating from chaste to passionate, the priestess could feel his rough, pink appendage licking insistently at the corner or her mouth, stopping every so often to nip at her bottom lip or nudge her lovingly. Feeling the need to open herself to him, Kagome slowly parted her lips, welcoming the entrance of the infamous dog demon's tongue.

Tilting his silver head at an angle as to completely cover his female's mouth with his own, Sesshomaru pushed his hot tongue gently yet commandingly against that of the girl beneath him. Golden eyes closed as he relaxed himself into the sensations of four play he was sure to trace each of her teeth and each inch of her mouth, memorizing her completely. Exceedingly pleased when she began to mimic his actions, he was unprepared for the sudden pleasurable sensation of her small lips gently sucking his tongue. Reluctantly pulling away as he felt his instinctual urge for dominance swell within him, he was quick to force their battle back into the miko's mouth before pinning her oral muscle with his own. When he grew bored of her mouth, he slowly began to trace a long wet trail of open mouthed kisses along her exposed jaw running to her throat and to the delicate bones of her shoulders. He was quite aware that sooner or later his primal self would emerge, leaving him to second hand sensations , and thus he intended to fill every minute of direct contact with his mate with sensual ministrations.

Hearing the murmured command for her to sit up a bit, Kagome was startled to feel her traditional kimono being slipped over her raven tresses and tossed carelessly onto in a pile on the cold stone ground. Seeing as she had completely run out of undergarments and was attempting to adapt herself to the era she now was to permanently reside in, the miko found herself to be fully nude under the intense inspection of the lord Sesshomaru. Feeling a heated flush rise and paint itself nicely from her pink cheeks to her rosy breasts, she was quick to turn her head away. It was only the whispered declaration of, "Beautiful," that sounded above her that served to redirect her gaze. Surprised to see the sincerity and adoration so visibly present behind his molten eyes, Kagome felt her blush heat to nearly an unbearable level.

Taking time to soak in that which he finally had found time to appreciate, the western lord simply couldn't help himself as he lowered his fanged mouth to the woman child's left breast, drawing slow circles around its budded tip with the thin end of his tongue. Not at all surprised at the wonderful taste, he found himself questioning if his mate had perhaps been soaked in the nectar of the divine, for how else would one acquire such a magnificent flavoring? Giving the whimpers and whines of his squirming female little thought at the moment, he opened a heated, fanged mouth and took the tip of the girl's breast fully into his cavity. Grazing the sides with his fangs lightly, he increased the pressure with which he orally tugged upon her, thinking for the millionth time how lucky his pups would be. Releasing the nipple with a gentle bite, which he was sure to soothe with several loving strokes of his rough tongue, the Taiyoukai repeated his actions on the opposite breast before nuzzling his face in between the pair.

Kagome, gasping at the feel of his hot breath fanning across the sensitive skin located between the valley of her breasts, then writhed violently as she felt his assault move lower to the flat plains of her stomach. Muscles twitching at light touches he bestowed upon her, the miko groaned in what she had hoped would clearly tell him to hurry up. Apparently, it did not. Already feeling her feminine juices seeping from her heated center, she bucked against the torso of lord that was so conveniently situated above her only to receive a reprimanding bite on the side of her smooth stomach and the feeling of his massive hands forcing her hips down to the mattress once more with their powerful hold. Realizing that she was now quite a bit more comfortable with her body's natural reactions to such touches than she had been when she had first arrived at the palace moon, the miko felt no shame in groaning her protest as the talented tongue skipped over the area of her which called to it the most. All feelings ceasing for a brief moment, she opened her eyes to receive a look that plainly stated that she was not to move. Sighing, she nodded her acceptance to him and waited for his next actions.

Finally satisfied that the moaning priestess had waited long enough for his touch, lifted his dangerously clawed hands, brining them down to the foot of the futon with his as he slowly began to lick long, lavish trails up her muscled calves to the sensitive flesh on the inside of her knees. Needing to completely cover her lower region in his scent as to ward off other males that might think of approaching her, Sesshomaru took his time slowly smothering the inside of her creamy thighs with tiny kisses, lick and nips all the while avoiding the part of her he knew to be the most wanting. Presently, his own arousal had come in such full force that he found himself grinding his rock hard length against the side of the mattress in a futile attempt at some slight relief.

Propping herself up on her forearms and giving a very good imitative growl much like a female inu demon, Kagome caught the golden eyes of the amused the male situated on her lower body and shot him a warning glare before lowering herself once again to the soft, feathered mattress. At the nearly instant feel of his heated breath across her soaked nether lips, the miko felt her hips buck upward instinctively in a short jerky manner. Quick to pick up the warning growl that was being sent her way by an overly domineering western lord, she swiftly shot back a grunt of her own, gruff impatience. After several more moments of torture, the priestess finally felt the light strokes of the demon lord's moist tongue at the very outer most edges of her sex. Silently gasping as she felt him nudge her feminine lips apart with his nose and inhale deeply, the miko actually let out a startled yelp of pleasure as she felt the rough, warm flesh on his tongue graze the inside of her flower.

Enjoying this sensual torture all too much, the western lord took his grand old time finding his way to the small pleasure nub he knew to so fervently be seeking his attention. Deciding that his female had gone through enough torture for the moment and reassured by the fact that he would have the rest of eternity to play such games with her, he began to lightly drum his rough tongue against her pearl. Impatient himself to once again taste the girl's sweet juices, he was abrupt in the action of jamming his long, distinctively canine tongue into the girl's writhing passage without warning. Loving the element of surprise, he twisted his pink, oral muscles about, massaging the inside of her sex avidly. Sesshomaru, who was so completely lost in his own pleasure which he was deriving from such a sensual action, soon ceased to care as the miko's hips thrust themselves toward him and her blunt human claws tangled themselves in his silky, silver hair. Aware that his mate was about to topple of the edge of ecstasy, the dog prince was quick to plunge a long, slender finger into her tight passage, moving his mouth only slightly higher. The exact second she climaxed, Sesshomaru replaced his fingers with his mouth, greedily slurping up any and all of her juices, wanting nothing to be wasted.

Mind reeling in an instinctual red haze, the inu youkai waited briefly until his mate stilled, taking a few short moments to listen to her panting before selfishly plunging two clawed fingers carefully back into her hot sheath. Bringing his mouth down once more, he was oblivious to the tears of pain that mingled with the pleasure radiating from his mate. All he knew at that moment was that he wished for more, needed more. At that time Kami help him he would have slaughtered thousands simply to be able to taste the delicious fluid that was forever his and his alone. Gulping swiftly the fluid that flowed from her opening once more, the demon lord finally found himself sated enough to return to at least a semi normal state of mind. Sensitive pointed ears picking up the distinct sound of sobs from above him, he tossed himself up stretched alongside his mate and pulled her to him. Honestly worried he asked, "Koi, did this Sesshomaru hurt you? Are you injured?"

Shaking her head vigorously from side to side in a negative, the miko finally managed to get a hold of her own faculties and let out a shaky sigh, all the while clinging to the still clothed form of the inu. Presently realizing that she was the only one in the nude her naïve embarrassment flowed through her once again as she answered, "N-no, you didn't. It was j-just amazing." Hearing his relieved, hearty chuckle she disentangled herself from his form, fully intent on letting him know that this was not a laughing matter when her eyes were suddenly caught on the huge bulge, forming a very erect tent in the lord's traditional white hakama pants. Being a virgin, she didn't truly know that much about men and their sexual needs, but what she did know was that it could be painful if not taken care of. Suddenly feeling awful that she had acted so selfishly she boldly shoved the lord flat on his back before straddling him determinedly.

Deciding to momentarily repress his need to assert himself as the alpha for a few moments to see what his bitch was doing, the dog lord was pleasantly surprised as she small, feminine hands slipped under the silken folds of his haori and began to lightly trace the well distinguished outline of his abdominal muscles. Grinding his teeth at the pleasant sensation surging its way through him directly from his twitching stomach muscles, he was compliant as the girl gently lifted off his shirts and tossed them in a heap with her own. Watching as she inquisitively lowered herself to his chest, gently licking at his hard male nipple, he thanked the Kamis for the millionth time for having blessed him with such a wonderful female.

Repeating the attentions the inu had given her earlier, Kagome laved sweet kisses and gently licks across his chest, loving the feel of the taught muscles convulsing under her light touches. Upon reaching the edge of his visible skin, the girl sat up slowly, carefully untying the tightly bound blue and yellow obi from his lean waist before shimmying down his body carefully and pulling his hakamas completely away, letting them drop without a care. Slipping his leather boots off a bit shakily, the miko was met with quite a sight as she once again afforded Sesshomaru her complete attention. Before her, standing proud in all of its glory was the manhood of the western lord. Larger than she remembered it, she was quick to take in the angry red coloration of the shaft and the deep purple hue of the bulbous head. Taking a deep breath and spreading his thighs with a gentle insistence, the miko laid herself on her stomach, timidly reaching toward the aching organ before her.

Hissing the second her comparatively cool hands came into contact with his burning shaft, Sesshomaru almost immediately let loose a feral growl, demanding more of the girl's touch. However, all he felt was the sensation of her loosely fisted fingers shifting up and down across him, every so often spreading lightly across his weeping head. Finding that each time he would buck his hips towards her in an effort to cause a more intense, pleasurable friction that she would pull away Sesshomaru soon found himself wishing with all of his might that he had not been so ruthless in his early explorations. Now, though, there was no way he was going to lose this game; he would show her he could take whatever she gave him…or at least he hoped.

Finding the sight of the squirming demon sprawled before her rather comical to say the least, Kagome decided that she would show him some mercy, thus tightening her grip on his erect cock and jerking his shortly. Quite aware of the grunts of pleasure and demanding growls that were echoing above her, the tiny female reached down timidly and lightly palmed the lord's sensitive sac. Immediately feeling his balls tighten and shaft stiffen even further, she leaned down teasing and blew a few heated streams of air across his sensitive tip. Startled by his sudden pained whimper she glanced up at the agonized look on his normally stoic countenance and decided that he had been through quite enough.

Smirking to himself as he felt her wet, warm tongue trailing across his shaft he gave himself a mental round of applause. He knew his bitch too well and the second she had seen his 'pain' he had gotten his wishes. Hm, perhaps her merciful nature wasn't such a bad thing after all. No longer able to form coherent thoughts as the strong sucking sensation shot directly through his entire being, it wasn't long before the lord of the west had a tight grip on his mate's head and was instantly and repeatedly shoving his swollen length down her open, welcoming throat. Produced not only by the feelings she was inciting but also the extremely arousing sight her head provided while bobbing up and down between his parted thighs, he could feel himself loosing it. His already slim grip on rationality was slipping quickly and the second he filled the girl's mouth with his warm, salty seed he was gone.

Amber eyes having finally bled crimson, he let loose a guttural growl, alerting the female of his presence. Noticing her stiffen as she began to sit up, yet still being able to sense her heavy arousal floating through the air he shot her a look, telling her clearly that she was not to raise herself above him. Loosing no time in positioning himself behind the female who was now spread before him, standing on all fours like a true bitch should for their mate, he took a second to observe her. Hm, before he had been in a controlled state and had only caught glimpses of her from inside his master and his own brief experience with the girl, now however she right here before him…and she was perfect. The female was powerful, beautiful and would most certainly bare them strong pups. Yes, this was the only female he would ever claim, the only female that would know his touch.

A bit shocked at the sudden transformation, the miko turned her head from the very dog like position she found herself to presently be in and glance back at the feral lord. It was odd though, although she distinctly knew that she should fear this side of Sesshomaru she did not. Perhaps she was simply being too trusting yet again, but whatever it was she felt sure that neither side of her mate would ever hurt her. Snapped out of her thoughts by a stinging slap to her rear end, Kagome let out a squeal of pain, only then remembering the advice she had been given one of the first days of her arrival. This Sesshomaru ran completely on instincts, looking him in the eyes was challenging him. Whimpering a bit in what she hoped he would understand as an apology, she lowered her head and stilled herself.

Pleased at his mate's quick and complete recognition of her actions, he let out a content rumbling growl, letting her know that all was forgiven yet reminding her that she was not to forget her place again. Leaning forward as to cage her smaller form within the confines of his own, he braced himself on one arm before reaching backwards to position himself at the girl's opening. Placing his other hand down as well, he latched his elongated fangs onto the back of neck, telling her to give him her full submission and trust before pushing forward the slightest bit. Growling in pleasure at the solid reassurance or her innocence or snarling savagely at the knowledge she belonged to him, he knew not which, he gave the girl one last reassuring nip and plunged himself into her, fully sheathing himself in one powerful thrust.

Letting out a ragged gasp at the painful sensation of her hymen being torn apart, the miko stilled waiting for the pain to wear away. Thanking all the Kamis that the demon above her had stilled as well, she waited a few long moments before pushing back against him, for the first time feeling completely whole. Above her a panting demon lord began his well timed thrusts, each accentuated with a slow grinding of his hips. Literally barking his pleasure at their joining, he glanced beneath him and smiled through his lengthened fangs. Hm, yes, this was the female that was meant for him. Suddenly aware of her backward thrusts and nearly inaudible pleas for more he leaned down to her ear further and bit out, "Who?"

Confused and not truly even able to concentrate on his question it took the miko a few moments before she responded, "Who what?"

Snarling he thrust himself into her more viciously wanting to prove a point, "Who do you belong to?"

Not even wanting, or for that matter daring, to argue with him at this moment she answered, "Y-you."

Momentarily raising himself to his knees, never once breaking his rhythm, the western lord roared his pleasure. Slamming himself back down, he placed his fangs alongside the girl's neck, knowing that this was the spot in which she would forever wear his mark. Able to feel himself swelling as he began the journey over the edge, he made a point of reaching underneath their coupling forms and pinching the girl's hidden nub, bringing her to the brink with him. Thrusting once more he whispered, "Say my name, bitch!" As he bit into her tender flesh and released his seed in lengthy, warm streams.

Kagome, who had found release as well, soon found herself spooning with the great lord of the west, his lethal fangs still latched firmly cross her neck. Whimpering as the pain started becoming a reality for her, she was relieved to feel him withdraw and begin to languidly lick the blood away from her wound before nuzzling his nose into her neck. Moving a bit as to dislodge him from her sex, she was nearly jumped out of her skin at the growl the rumbled behind her. "Mate, do not move. This Sesshomaru is a canine and as such has knotted with you. If you remain still the swelling will go down and you will be free. It is simply a precaution as to insure the greatest chance of your impregnation."

Modesty still flowing through her, the miko blushed at his blunt words. Sighing she relaxed herself into his hold and thought, 'this is it.' She was mated to Sesshomaru forever. Never in a million years, or more precisely five hundred, would she have thought this, any of this, to be possible. But now, she wouldn't have it any other way. They would always have their differences and they would always argue, but she knew they would make it. After all, as thorough believer in fate she was quite satisfied that this was how things were meant to be. Turning her sleepy gaze to demon behind her she spoke softly, "I love you Sesshomaru, I really do."

Tightening his grip on the little female in his arms the western lord propped his chin atop her raven head thinking, 'this is it.' This was what he had been after for years and now that he had it, he was still blown away. Just the knowledge that such a kind, wonderful female could love such a cold demon as himself made him rethink everything. Perhaps it was time to change his world a bit and become a bit more personable. Snorting mentally to himself he added, 'or perhaps not.' Either way he knew that with this female, his Kagome that he would be content for the rest of his days. For the first time in his life feeling no reason to hide his true feelings he whispered, "And this Sesshomaru loves you Kagome." Hearing her peaceful sigh at his words he soon found himself listening to her deep, measured breathing. Closing his own glowing amber eyes he settled himself for rest as well but not before smiling, genuinely smiling into the darkness. "Yes, Kagome, this Sesshomaru loves. Without a doubt."

A/N: Wow, well there you have it the finale of Without a Doubt. Part of me is sad its over having been my first extended fiction and all but a part of is ready to move onto a new project. I've been thinking about it and I have finally picked the plot that I'm going to work with for my next story. I'd ask you to please check back in a week or two if I haven't already posted my first chapter. Thanks for everything, you've all been great!