Hello my readers. I am sorry for the wait for this chapter but I have been busy with some other stories and trying to find a job. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 9: The Ultimatum

Sesshomaru's demon pulled me down and out of the tree. Once we touched the ground he pinned me to the tree by my neck. Sesshomaru's demon leans down and in breaths in my ear. Shivers travel down my spine. I cannot tell if they are shivers of fear or … No, I cannot think of that. He is my lord and I can never feel that for him. I feel his breath on my neck as he moves down my neck. Damn it all, is he trying to make me want him. Is he trying to make me weak in the knees?

"Submit to me fully," Sesshomaru's demon demands with a growl.

I reply with a spark of my miko energy. The spark of energy sends Sesshomaru flying back and away from me with a growl. I straighten up just in time for Sesshomaru to slam me against the tree again. We are now almost nose to nose. He glares at me with his completely red eyes.

"Submit to your alpha girl," Sesshomaru's demon demands of me.

I hiss before replying, "My alpha is your master. He is the only one who I will submit to. He is the one who beat me in combat all those years ago. You had no part in my defeat all those years ago."

His growl deepens and he backs up a few feet to allow me to gain room so we may begin this challenge. I step away from the tree and begin to circle around him to make sure I have enough space to stand a chance in combat. I have faced Sesshomaru before but never his demon. In order for me to officially become part of his pack I had to fight him to show the elders that I could hold my own in a fight. I lost of course but I earned respect of almost every demon in the court of the west. I focus back on Sesshomaru when he turns around to face me once again.

"You will submit to me in the end," the demon tells me. "No powers only natural hand to hand combat. One must submit or we both must agree to end the fight."

Fuck, I am so going down. I may be an extreme hand to hand fighter but I have not the speed or strength of a demon. I will not last very long in this fight, but I will not give up so easily. I am no easy prey. I know I will never be able to get Sesshomaru to submit to me and never will he agree to a tie. I nod my head in agreement to his terms.

Sesshomaru begins to circle me slowly. As time passes, he starts moving faster in his circling. I allow my sense to tell me where he is. He has a sense of smell and good eye sight that he cannot stop just like I cannot stop myself from feeling where he is by his youkai. It is a natural reaction that cannot be forced away. It is a survival technique that I learned when living in the Feudal Era. Sesshomaru makes the first move by finally lunging at me. I move to the left of his lunge just in time and turn to face him. I kick him in the back just before he turns around to face me. My kick only sends him five more feet from me. I allow Sesshomaru to come after me. I know better than to waste my energy going after him. My best bet is to stay where I am and allow him to expend energy coming after me. Thank you, my college for having classes in Aikido so that I could allow my enemy to waste his energy but keep myself in good shape by using his moves against him. Each time Sesshomaru comes after me I kick, throw, or side step him depending upon what amount of space I have. I can see that he is getting annoyed with my avoiding him and him having not landed a hit yet. It also does not help that I have landed a few blows on him.

A smirk crosses his face. I cringe at the look he is giving me. He has finally given up on playing this little game and has decided to pick up the pace. Shit, I am really dead now. Sesshomaru comes running at me, and I move to the side. Instead of just going right on past me he grabs me and swings me under him. He pins my hands to the ground but I push up with all of the power in my legs and hips. Sesshomaru's eyes widen in surprise at my physical strength. I twist just right to where I am back out from under him. I jump back a few feet.

"I have learned much since we last saw each other. I have learned Aikido which is what my fighting style was earlier," I tell him with a smirk of my own.

A growl escapes from Sesshomaru's throat and he charges at me yet again. This time he aims a punch for my stomach but I grab it and start to throw him just as I am about to release him he twists his armt o grab my head and instead throws me against the nearest tree. The tree is too close so I am unable to twist myself so that I land against the tree on my feet. Instead I hit the tree with my back, and a loud pop and crack is heard. I know that some of the crack came from the tree but most of it was the sound of five of my ribs breaking under the power of being slammed into a tree so hard.

I collapse to my knees at the base of the tree gasping for breath. Sesshomaru takes this chance to charge forward and pin me down to the ground. I am still gasping for breath and my ribs will not heal unless I allow my reiki to heal it. To heal myself would be a violation of our challenge terms. If I do not give up right now I will puncture a lung, and this fight would be all for nothing. My being here would be all for nothing.

Sesshomaru growls again and I move my head back and to the left side baring the right side of my throat to him. Sesshomaru leans down and sniffs my neck for a second before licking it. Shivers travel down my spine, as I wiggle a little in discomfort. Another growl from him makes me stop and hold still. Sesshomaru continues to lick down my neck which keeps sending shivers down my spine. A warning signal is going off in my head and something is nagging me. What is he trying to do? Sesshomaru growls happily when he seems to find what he wants. He starts licking around and on one area.

I gasp when I finally realize what my brain is trying to warn me about. No, no I cannot allow him to do that. He is a full demon and does not need a human whose life is going to end within the next century or so for such a purpose. I begin to struggle against him even though my defeat has already been determined. Sesshomaru places more of his weight on my body pinning me more firmly to the ground. One of his hands goes to my hair and grabs some of it. He pulls on my hair slightly to make sure that my head keeps turned to the side so that he may do as he pleases. Damn it, no. I will not allow this to happen.

My reiki comes to the fore and the levels start to rise. Sesshomaru makes his youkai keep itself higher than my reiki effectively keeping me weakened and powerless against him. Sesshomaru licks the same spot a few more times as I try to make my body move away from him. Sesshomaru gets a better grip on my hair and forces my head painfully back and more to the side. He scrapes his teeth against my neck for a second before pulling back some only to lunge forward and lock his teeth into my neck.

A scream forces itself from my lips. Sesshomaru continues sucking on my blood for a few seconds before forcing some of his youkai into my body. I scream louder as the pain becomes completely unbearable. His youkai feels like it is burning from the inside out. A whine escapes from Sesshomaru's throat as he release my neck and hair from his hold. He gets off of me before pulling me into his lap. I open my mouth and let out a silent scream. He whines again and rubs soothing on my stomach while softly licking the blood from my shoulder. The last thing I see before my world goes black is one red eye and an amber one.

Tsurara11: Well this was a short but action packed chapter. Like I said I am sorry for the long wait for the chapter. Anyways, I hope all of you enjoyed the chapter.

Sesshomaru: Is she alright?

Tsurara11: She will be eventually, Sess but for right now she is in much pain and is very angry with you.

Sesshomaru's Demon: But she should be happy we…

Tsurara11: Shut up Sess's demon. *Glare* Would have thought you learned after the last fight me and you had. *smirk*

Sesshomaru's Demon: *Cringes slightly*

Tsurara11: Until next time bye. *Turns back to Sesshomaru's demon with an evil smirk*