A/N: Mother of monkeys! This took FOREVER! There are no apologies I can give that would suffice, so I am posting the longest HTK chapter to date coming in at 2,320 words. Thank you for all your continued support, and for nominating "Clandestine" for Best One shot. There so many incredible fics this award season, so make sure you take the time to vote and show some love.

Side note: This chapter is dedicated to DoD and NofC (dokuga) because they have been waiting so patiently, and a Mishi Gohiku over on ffnet for clueing into one of the major issues of the fic. Well done!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters, all of which belongs to Rumiko Takehashi. I make no profit from the making of this fanfiction.

...

Two Months Later…

Sesshomaru watched his Kagome as she sat in the garden from the window of his study, his heart clenching at the beautiful sight she made. It had been so long since he had touched her, felt her aura wrap around him, that he ached. However, there was another reason he was neglecting his duties.

Males.

Power hungry, status-claiming males, no better than the bitches who tailed him for centuries, have been clamoring for his mate's attention. If Sesshomaru wanted to be technical, Kagome was his mate no longer, and it was all his fault. If only he knew why these… mishaps… in their sexual encounters kept happening, it was as if he was an unruly pup once again!

Sesshomaru let out a feral snarl, if there was one thing that he could not abide it was ineptitude. He was Lord Sesshomaru of the Kami damned Western Lands and anything less than perfection is intolerable. He was probably the laughing stock of all Nippon at this point. How the male once touted as the most desirable, the fiercest warrior and lover became someone who could not control himself and continuously killed his mate he would never know.

How delightful.

He inwardly seethed as he watched the most persistent of his mate's "suitors", Gukou approach her with a small bouquet of flowers. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, and was immensely pleased when Kagome demurred from taking the gift.

As his name implies, he is certainly foolish for trying to woo my mate.

Sesshomaru felt his eye begin to twitch as the male ignored her unease and sat beside her, his fingers twitched when Gukou moved closer- to close, and his control snapped.

That is it.

Sesshomaru stormed out of his study, his pulsing youki driving all from his presence. None dared to cross his path less they become the fixation of his rage. He strode out into the gardens and glared down at the male that challenged him to his mate.

"Leave us."

He snarled as the slow smirk bloomed across his rival's face.

"Why, Sesshomaru-sama, I didn't realize that you had any free time available today. I was only trying to keep Kagome-sama company.

The scent of Kagome's unease filtered into his nose making it even harder to remain in control. He flicked his gaze towards her and catching her watching both of them, waiting for the violence that simmered underneath the surface of both males.

"As you can see, Gukou, I am here. Perhaps you should call upon your concubine if you find yourself in need of female companionship." Sesshomaru stated icily.

Gukou flushed red in embarrassment. "Pardon me, Kagome-sama. It seems that I have forgotten my place."

Kagome nodded shakily at him, as he walked away. She had not seen Sesshomaru so enraged in quite some time.

"Sesshomaru! What the hell is wrong with you?" Kagome hissed angrily, "He was only being nice. You didn't have to act like that.

He slowly turned to look at her, his eyes flashing with his anger. "Perhaps this one should have left you to his attentions. Is that what you wished?"

Kagome's mouth opened and shut without making a sound. "Wh-what are you talking about? He was just talking to me about the state of the court Sesshomaru, nothing as wicked as you assume."

Sesshomaru growled. "Woman, you do not understand!"

"How about you tell me then, I can't read minds, Sesshomaru!"

He glared at her, angry about the entire situation. He took a deep breath, raising his hand to caress her cheek. When she flinched, he jerked back.

"Kagome…" He whispered the hurt evident in his voice.

Kagome reached out and quickly took his hand, and put it to her face. "Sesshomaru, I'm sorry, but with the way that things have been going between us in the… uh… bedroom can you really blame me?"

Sesshomaru sighed. No, no he could not blame her for her reaction, even if it did feel like a rejection of his touch, of him. He slowly moved his hand to wrap around the back of her neck and pulled her to his chest so he could nuzzle her and wrap himself in her scent. He delighted in the fact that she pulled him closer.

She still wants my touch.

"No, I can't, Kagome, and that situation plagues me as much as it does you. But mate-mate- it has left us open."

Her scent laced with confusion at his words and the underlying desperation in them, "Left us open? What do you-"

"Kagome, we are mated in name only. It does not stand in the eyes of the court, nor in the eyes of our people."

Kagome jerked back, searching his eyes and only seeing truth in them. "Not mated anymore? But-but how?"

Sesshomaru sighed once more, bringing her close to comfort them both, "It is because of the… issues that you mentioned earlier. The first night that you-that you-died, my mark was removed from your person. All that remains is the twining of aura, and I can only presume that that remains because we do it unconsciously."

Kagome sat in stunned silence.

Not mated anymore.

Suddenly it hit her, and she glared up at him. "Is that why you were acting like a jealous fwoom earlier? Sesshomaru, you twit, I only want you!" Kagome sighed, "Eternity. Remember, Sesshomaru?" She asked on a whisper.

He tightened his grip on her. Of course, he remembered, he wanted nothing less.

"Kagome, mate, you need to be remarked."

Kagome stiffened, and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to sigh once more and rumbled soothingly to her.

"Yes, that is the only way it can be done. It is not enough for my scent to be on you, it must be in you."

"Just-just please be careful. It-it hurts."

He flinched. "I will try."

Kagome nodded, "Thank you."

Sesshomaru bent down placing a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, reveling in the sensation. The kiss moved from a soft, reassuring thing to something deeper, more teasing, and infinitely more lustful in just moments. Their tongues meshed, as their bodies pressed tightly against the other. Kagome's hands found their way down to his hakamas, raising an eyebrow at the lack of fundoshi, rubbing his stiffening length through them from base to tip, pressing the head against his toned stomach. Sesshomaru groaned against her mouth as she started undoing the binds that kept him from her.

"Eager are you, mate?"

Kagome smiled at his words, tugging away his haori. "For you? Always."

She slipped down between his legs, pulling his boots off, his hakamas following and settling herself in front of his cock. It was already hard and throbbing for her, red in its need and she admired the gentle curve of it as she rested her head against his thigh.

"Do you remember our first night together?" She asked as her fingertips brushed over his balls, reveling in the hiss and slight quiver she evoked from him, working her way up the base.

"Yes." He growled as she leaned in to wrap her hand around his him to stroke him slowly.

"Kami, yes... seeing you standing in that spring, the water trailing down your skin. You were so beautiful, called to me-mate-"

"I wanted you so much." She whispered as she kissed the head of his cock, licking around the soft, sensitive ridge, feeling him swell even more in her hand.

"I wanted you, too." His hand moved to her hair, pressing her down his shaft, burying the tip of him in the back of her throat. Kagome groaned, sucking greedily, long and hard, making him moan.

"Fuck..." Kagome startled at the curse that fell from his lips. "I couldn't stop thinking about you... I still can't... it wasn't the first time..." Sesshomaru trailed off on a groan.

"What do you mean?" Kagome murmured surprised, she had never heard this before. She to lick around the head again, running her tongue over his slit over and over.

"Mate," he moaned as she sucked him into her mouth again, taking in just the tip of him, and flicked her tongue back and forth, teasing him mercilessly.

"I used to... Kami, the way you ran around here in practically nothing—that uniform, your underthings flashing all the time! I could not help it. I wanted you so much."

"Really?" Kagome asked. She never knew, never expected he had wanted her that much before that first night.

"Yes," Sesshomaru hissed out.

"Did you imagine me when you did this?" She stroked him upward, the skin caressing the head of his cock before she pulled it back down tight.

"Yes," he groaned, moving his hips as she stroked his cock, teasing him with different pressure every time.

"It's not a dream anymore." She knelt up between his thighs, untying her obi and slowly removed her kimono "I'm all yours, for always, for eternity."

He groaned, shaking his head in disbelief as she turned, presenting herself to him. My mate…my minx…mine.

Sesshomaru dropped to his knees and ran his hands down her back, caressed her sides, trailed his claws along her thighs loving the way she trembled and moaned and needing, needing the release only he could provide her. He positioned his cock to her already dripping core, thrusting softly to coat himself. Kagome's thighs shook as he brushed over clit, gently-so gently- over and over and he grinned ferally in conquest. She was his, for always, for eternity. He would have no less.

Sesshomaru pushed her forward onto her forearms and thrusting himself deeply into her, both groaning at the sensation long missed. He slowly withdrew, his eyes drawn to the sight of his large girth stretching her, filling her.

Beautiful.

Kagome let out a hoarse cry as he slowly slid in and out her, the coil in her belly growing tighter and tighter with his maddeningly slow pace. She pushed back against him, silently begging him for more.

Sesshomaru stilled and pushed between her shoulder blades, effectively pinning her down and changing the angle, making her take him deeper, so much deeper. When he was satisfied that she would not rise, that she has submitted to his will, he trailed his hand down her spine, smirking at the shiver that followed him before teasing the sensitive flesh above her clit.

When she bucked, he placed his other hand on her hip and squeezed, "Calm, little mate. Give in to me, let me, submit to me." He rumbled.

His fingers found her clit and flicked it slowly back and forth in time with his thrusts, and Kagome mewled in pleasure, her orgasm so close, filling her, but wouldn't release.

"Please-please!" She begged.

Maintaining his slow pace, Sesshomaru applied pressure to her swollen nub massaging it in quickening circles making Kagome's head fall down to her arms.

"Sess-Sesshomaru!" she moaned, calling him, begging him to let her find release.

"Give in to me, mate." He moaned, "Give in."

Kagome slowly raised her head, her lust-darkened eyes fluttered open to meet his golden ones that swirled with the scarlet of his need. Never taking her eyes off his, she slowly pulled her locks to one side before slowly baring her neck to him.

Sesshomaru withdrew from him smirking at the disappointed groan from Kagome before slamming back into her, driving into her with abandon, her need becoming his, driving him, owning him as much as he owned her.

" .Mine.Forever." He snarled lustfully, each word punctuated by a hard, demanding thrust.

Kagome moaned loudly at his words, his cock filling her then leaving her wanting. She bit down on her lips, drawing blood making Sesshomaru's beast howl its lust and want for the female beneath them.

"Now, oh Kami, now!" Kagome wailed as her muscles fluttered before contracting around his throbbing length. He groaned, too, when he felt the tight walls of her pussy squeezing his cock again and again and again.

"Now," he roared in agreement, closing his eyes as his teeth sunk into the juncture of his neck. He felt rather than heard Kagome's scream from her final release. Her core spasming along his cock before clenching around it, pulling him deeper as it milked him of his seed. Sesshomaru's body shook from the power of his release and the joy of finally being one with his mate once again.

He withdrew his fangs from her, and nuzzled her cheek, chuckling softly at her unresponsiveness. It had been a rather powerful mating. And because of that reason, he was unconcerned by the scent of her blood. Unfortunately, it was something that could not be avoided with his kind, so with a soft lick; he began to clean her of her sweet blood.

Then immediately froze.

The Kami truly despise me.

With another soft, tentative lick across her neck and shoulders, feeling the jagged and torn flesh and the heavy outpour of blood, he confirmed what he already knew.

He had done it again.

Ripping himself from her depths, he quickly covered her with his haori and pulled her into his lap to wait for the jewel to heal her.

I do not understand! I was careful!

Kagome's eyes fluttered and she slowly opened them, seeing Sesshomaru's concerned face. She withheld a smile as he shoved his face in her throat scenting her and murmuring his apologies in the language of his kind.

She softly pushed him away from her. "I take it we are still unmated?" She asked quietly.

His eyes fell. "No, mate, we are not. However, my scent is still within you so it should suffice for a while."

Kagome stroked his markings, before slowly standing up. "At least it's something." She bit out as she made her way back into the shiro.

Sesshomaru bit back a distraught howl, as he could do nothing but watch her fade from view.

Kami fucking damn it.

...

I know it's a little angsty, but come on? Wouldn't you be too? Also, this is slowly coming to a close only two more chapters and an epilogue :'( So as always, please review! Oh and the word fwoom? ::blames Lyrainthedark::