Betrayal

I don't think I deserve it,

Selflessness…

Find your way into my heart

All stars could be brighter

All hearts could be warmer… -Louder Than Thunder by The Devil Wears Prada

-X-

It was tempting. So, so tempting.

His blood shot eyes narrowed onto the wolf's form. Growls escaped his mouth every now and then, unable to suppress them.

His ears twitched when the wolf got up and looked around.

She knows he's there.

"Keh."

-X-

Kagome didn't see it coming. Gold blades shot out from the forest, seemingly out of nowhere, barely grazing her as she dodged. She let out a small yelp before focusing her attention where the blades came from.

Her eyes widened at what she saw.

There, stood Inuyasha. That's not what surprised her though. It was the look he had on his face. Pure hatred.

'Inu… Inuyasha…?'

Then she noticed something else. Something was different about him. He wasn't himself. Cautiously, she took a step forward.

'Inuyasha…?'

He suddenly grinned, making her steps falter in her approach. His grin was far from pleasant. It looked so feral.

"Kagome." She jumped when he spoke; his voice layered with one that was not his own. His demon.

Kagome stood frozen, not finding the strength to move. Her mind screamed at her to get away, but she was stuck on the spot stilled by fear.

They stood, staring at each other for what seemed like ages. Inuyasha, deciding he was tired of waiting, made the first move.

Inuyasha suddenly disappeared, startling her. She looked around frantically, trying to find any trace of the hanyou.

'Inuyasha? Stop this! You're scaring me!'

An intense pain suddenly flared from her right side, making her stagger. The pain was far too much for her to even make a sound.

She fell to the ground with a thud, in shock from the pain. Inuyasha appeared in front of her, licking his now bloody claws.

"Aw, you're no fun. You're supposed to scream." He started towards her, making her scramble onto her legs. Despite being in excruciating pain, she turned around and made a break for it.

"Now you're being fun." Inuyasha smiled. He'd give her a head start. She couldn't get too far, after all.

-X-

Kagome ran with all that she could, desperately trying to distance herself from her now insane friend.

'What's wrong with him? What happened?'

Kagome kept thinking about what could've made Inuyasha the way he was, coming up with nothing. As she zoomed through the forest, she absentmindedly wondered where Sesshomaru could be at this time. Figures.

She thought hard, trying to think of what she can do to lose the crazed hanyou. She felt his demonic aura getting nearer, making her increase her speed as much as she can. With nothing left to think of, she did the best thing she came up with. There was no time.

She raised her head, and let out a long, loud howl.

-X-

Sesshomaru stopped walking, turning his head towards where he left Kagome. A strong, demonic aura was in the clearing with her. He narrowed his eyes. Why didn't he sense it before?

His eyes narrowed further when he recognized just who it was.

He felt Kagome's aura shoot towards the forest, rapidly moving away from where he left her. The demonic aura was still before pursuing Kagome.

Sesshomaru debated on whether he should go after them. Inuyasha's state of mind was far from stable, and he knew Kagome was in danger because of that. Did her life really matter to him, though? He could just walk away now, and forget about her. It's not like he couldn't live without her. She was nothing to him.

Her desperate, frightened howl reached his keen ears.

At that exact moment, Tenseiga rattled in it's hilt. He stared down at the sword for a few seconds, then stared in the direction of where Kagome ran. Irritated, he took off. Insufferable girl.

-X-

Kagome started to slow down. The blood loss was exhausting her. She made a sharp turn to the left, wincing as it stretched her wound. She yelped and fell to the ground when pain shot through her side.

Anxiety coursed through her as she made a desperate attempt to get back onto her feet. She had to run. If not, she knew it was the end of her.

Chuckling resounded in the forest, making it hard for her to pinpoint the exact location from where it came from. She started to shake. She was screwed.

"You know…" Kagome gasped and turned her head around. When did he get behind her?

"I never thought you'd run away from me, Kagome." Amused, he reached out a clawed hand and stroked her fur. If it weren't for the situation, her tail would've wagged.

A frown etched upon his features as he realized something. "How did you turn into a…" His expression turned into one of disgust. "… wolf, anyway?" Suddenly, he grasped her fur and twisted her onto her back.

'Ah…!' He pinned her body down, despite her massive size.

"Nevermind… I don't care." He smiled and grasped her throat, cutting off her breathing. Kagome wriggled under him in an attempt to get him off of her and release her throat.

'Inuyasha… w-… why…?' Confusion shown in his eyes for a split second, but it was gone just as fast as it came. Before he could reply, a yellowish whip appeared from behind him and caught him across the shoulder. Hissing, Inuyasha leapt off Kagome and growled towards the one who assaulted him.

"Sesshomaru!" Said person stepped out from the forest. As usual, indifference was plastered onto his face.

Inuyasha snarled and leapt towards him, claws poised for his throat. Inuyasha was fast, but Sesshomaru was faster. The Daiyokai moved out of the way in an almost bored fashion. Twisting around to face his half brother, he brought the hilt up from Tenseiga, hitting Inuyasha squarely in the face and sending him crashing through the forest.

Kagome watched with her mouth agape. One, Inuyasha lost his mind. Two, he almost killed her. Three, Sesshomaru saved her.

"Miko."

Snapping out of her shock, she turned her gaze towards Sesshomaru.

'Y-Yes?'

His eyes roamed her body before landing on the large gash on her side. Blood was still flowing freely out of it, and he knew if she didn't get any aid soon, she'd die from blood loss.

Saying nothing, he walked over to her and lifted her up before taking to the skies on his demonic cloud.

'Whoa! Wait! Where are we going? What about Inuyasha? We need to go back and save him! He's no-'

"Silence. This Sesshomaru will not hesitate to drop you." Kagome gulped as she peered down from their height. A shiver went down her spine as she noticed just how far up they were. Resisting the urge to bury her face into his hakama, she settled for staring up into the sky. She was never really fond of heights.

A dull throb from her side reminded her of her injury. Spots danced along her vision. She suddenly felt very tired.

'Ugh…'

"Stay awake." Kagome lazily opened her eyes. Her eyelids felt like led.

'OK…' She was out.

Sesshomaru felt her slump against him. He glanced down at her sleeping face before commanding his cloud to go faster. He didn't have much time left. He thought about why he even cared about saving her in the first place. A mere mortal, who he hardly even knows. Faintly, he wondered if Rin was making him go soft.

-X-

Kagome groaned when she awoke. Her legs were sore from running. Now that she thought about it, her whole body was sore; especially her side. She shifted and felt a unfamiliar weight on her. Looking, she noticed some bandages wrapped around her midsection.

Grunting, she hoisted herself up onto her hind legs - not without difficulty.

She swiveled her head from left to right, taking in her surroundings. She was in awe.

The room was filled with golds and whites. The floor was marble, shining as if it was just freshly polished. The bed she was laying on was layered with blankets, accompanied by many, various pillows. Such luxury!

She plopped back down onto the overly soft bed, sinking in and sighing in satisfaction. If only she could live like this forever. She couldn't wait to show Sango and Miroku. They'd love it here! Shippou too, and Inuya-

Inuyasha. Everything came crashing down on her, and a new round of tears gathered in her eyes. Oh, Inuyasha… Her heart ached for her lost friend. She loved him just as much as ever. It hurt her so much to see him like that, to stare at her with so much hate…

After crying for a while, she straightened herself out. She'd figure out things later. Right now, she needed to find Sesshomaru. He was the last one she was with, after all.

She leapt off the bed lightly and put her nose to the ground. She sniffed a few times and started walking towards the opened door. Nose still on the ground, she followed Sesshomaru's faint scent, not minding where she was going.

She lifted her head when Sesshomaru's trail split in different directions. Confused, she glanced around, and suddenly wished she was back in the room.

Demons. How did she not notice them - especially this many? Mistrust and uncertainly shown on their faces as they studied her. Kagome felt exposed under their gazes; her tail curved slightly between her hind legs. Now that she was more aware to her surroundings, she noticed there were hundreds ofdemons all around the huge structure she, along with them, resided in. Their auras overpowered her, causing anxiety to appear once again.

'I never get a break, do I?'

Light footsteps caught her attention, as well as every other demon in the room with her. As if somebody broke a spell, they all scattered, seemingly resuming to their tasks they were working on beforehand.

Sesshomaru came into her line of vision, walking with such grace that even a cat would be jealous of. Kagome swallowed a snort.

"Milord!" A squawk followed after the proclamation, causing Kagome's ears to fold back. Annoyed, Kagome let out a small, short growl when the disgusting little creature came running into view.

Sesshomaru stopped his approach and turned to the little, green imp.

"What is it, Jaken?" By the tone of Sesshomaru's voice, Jaken knew his sire was not in the mood to be bothered. Sweating, Jaken threw himself on the ground in a bow.

"Forgive me, Milord! I didn't mean to disturb you!"

"Jaken."

Jaken tried lowering himself more on the ground making him look like a ball. A pathetic, shivering ball. This time, Kagome didn't swallow her snort.

Their stares directed to her, causing her heart to jump in her chest. Calling attention to herself was the last thing she wanted…

Jaken gave her a look of disgust, which she returned full heartedly, before looking back up at his Lord.

"As I was saying, The Lord of the North has arrived! He, along with his daughter, has been escorted to the dining hall as you've ordered!"

"I see. You are dismissed." Jaken scrambled onto his tiny legs and sped off down one of the many halls.

The Lord of the North requested a meet to talk about an allegiance. Sesshomaru was no fool. He knew what the Lord had planned. He wanted him to meet his daughter, in hopes that he will court her, and eventually mate, bringing together their kingdoms to create a strong force. It seemed everyone was power-hungry these days.

Sesshomaru had no desire to combine their forces, and has even less interest in having a mate. He has no need for one. Maybe in the far future he'll consider one, when he'll require a heir to continue the lineage. That was a very, very long time away though, and he was definitely in no rush. Besides, pure female Inu-yokai were very rare to find, and to have strong pups and to keep his line pure, he'll need one to do so.

He turned his attention to the miko-wolf. He couldn't send her back to the room, because she will most likely get lost. He couldn't escort her either, because he was in a hurry to get the meeting over with. It left him no choice but to take her with him. His lip curved slightly. He could already imagine the image he will have, having a lowly wolf sitting by his seat. Degrading. At least, he thought, they couldn't tell she was a human. They can, however, sense her miko powers. He knew they wouldn't question him or her presence, but it would arise suspicions. A wolf with miko powers was unheard of.

"You will follow this Sesshomaru. Do anything to degrade or defy me, and I'll dispose of you quickly with no mercy. Do you understand?"

Kagome gulped and nodded.

He nodded at her once and swiftly turned towards the hallway Jaken ran off into. His hair swished behind him with each long stride he took, giving him an elegant appeal. Kagome scrambled onto her feet and took off after him. The sun from the windows shined on him, giving him a celestial like glow - Kagome tried hard not to stare. A little jolt from her side distracted her. Right. She forgot about her injury. Sesshomaru didn't seem to care (which doesn't surprise her). Either that, or he forgot as well. She went with the former.

'He could've at least asked how I was doing…' She knew that was too much to ask for when it came to the Daiyokai.

-X-

Shippo sat in a small patch of grass, idly twirling a small flower he plucked from the field. He really missed his mom. He started to wonder what exactly went wrong.

First Kagome disappears, Inuyasha goes mad, and then he disappears.

He missed Inuyasha, too. He knew Inuyasha didn't mean the things he said. He felt something… else in him.

After he took off, he informed Sango and Miroku about what he felt. He was relieved when they believed him. He didn't want Inuyasha hated for reasons that were not his own.

He sighed and stared up at the sky. He wanted everything back to the way it was. He wanted his mom. He was alone all over again, and he really didn't like it. Not at all.

A tear slid down his cheek. His new family already fell apart, and it broke his heart in more ways than one.

-X-

Kagome tried hard not to fidget. It's been an hour now, and her limbs were starting to feel stiff from the lack of movement. The stares from the powerful demons in front of her were no better. They kept glancing at her from time to time with utmost curiosity. It made her quite nervous.

Still, she held her position - posture straight, head held high, ears erect, tail limp, no emotion on her face (as if wolves have expressions in the first place), staring straight ahead - as the demon Lords conversed about matters that were of no importance to her. She was instructed by Sesshomaru to sit this way, after all.

"This is delicious, Lord Sesshomaru." A soft, feminine voice drifted into Kagome's ears. Her thoughts drifted to the person who holds the voice.

A demoness sat at the other end of the long table; joined by what seems to be her father to the left. Kagome wouldn't deny that she was very beautiful. When she first laid her eyes on her, she felt a little envious at how someone could look so majestic. Why couldn't she look like that, too?

From what she's gathered, the demoness and her father were Phoenix demons. It made it more obvious by the bright, red hair they both shared. Even their eyes were a sort of deep, maroon color.

Sesshomaru glanced at Kagome from the corner of his eye. He was slightly impressed at her for holding such a position for this long. Though, if you focus more, you could see the slight quivering in her limbs.

"Now, Lord Sesshomaru… I would like to discuss more important matters now. Perhaps, a way to join our forces." Sesshomaru nodded at him. Just as he expected.

He knew how all of these went, and once again, he was going to have to decline. For years, many Lords have come, bringing their daughters in an attempt to lure him into their plans. It's been 729 years since they started, and Sesshomaru knew, it wasn't going to stop anytime soon - nor was he going to fall into their trap.

"My daughter here, Cheveila, is very interested in courting you. By doing so, I know we can join our kingdoms, if you accept and mate her. A bonus, yes? My daughter, and our forces combined." Kagome wanted to roll her eyes. Even she could tell Cheveila was forcing a smile onto her face! She felt a bit of pity for her. It looked like she didn't even want to be here. Kagome felt Sesshomaru's aura spike with something akin to irritated. She didn't blame her.

"Forgive me, but I will have to decline your offer, Lord Mologa. I have no interest in a mate, or combining our kingdoms." Sesshomaru stood. "It was a pleasure dining with you." With that, he started to exit the dining hall. Kagome stayed put, but she was starting to worry that he would leave her there with them.

"My servants will escort you out of my castle. Come, Kagome." Kagome got up slowly, wanting badly to shoot up and get out of there, and padded after Sesshomaru with as much grace as she could muster. Her legs hurt, and were shaking a bit, making her walking a bit wobbly. So much for grace.

"We need to speak." A feeling of dread washed over her. For some reason, that didn't sound too good.

-X-

Inuyasha woke up, head throbbing from the impact from the tree he flew into. He rubbed his head as his golden eyes adjusted to the orange skies.

"Wh-What happened?" He sat up and looked around, feeling very confused. One second he was mad about Kagome missing, and the next he woke up in the middle of a forest. Very confusing indeed.

The stench of blood wafted into his nostrils. He resisted the urge to gag from the intensity of it. It was all over him, crusty and dried. Especially on his claws. His eyes widened.

That's not what horrified him, though. It was who's blood was caked on him.

"Kagome…?" He got up and franticly looked around, ignoring the stinging of his wounds. "Kagome!" His sense of smell was clouded by the blood, making it hard for him to pick out any specific scent.

He dashed over the broken tree, and the smell of blood got stronger, if possible. A puddle was one the ground, trailing from the forest to his left. Kagome's blood.

Panic and fear raced through his heart. Just what happened? He let out a small cry and followed the trail of blood in hopes of finding Kagome. Frustration started to take over as he tried to remember. He just couldn't!

He burst into a clearing, where the trail ended. Another puddle of blood lied in it. His eyes darted around, trying to find anymore clues to her whereabouts. Nothing. It was a dead end.

He fell to his knees and started to pant. She was gone. He failed to protect her this time. From what, though? What the fuck is going on? He raised his head and let out a hoarse shout of agony.

"KAGOME!"

One thing he failed to notice, was Sesshomaru's scent that was lightly mingled with Kagome's blood.

-X-

A/N: There. Sorry for taking so long to update. I'll try to update faster now. I will admit, I lost interest in this story for a while, but it came back. I wish to continue it. I hope you all will continue reading, as well. Thank you.