Wolf Moon by Sidhe

Wolf Moon

B>

The girl winced as she threw her pack over the side of the well just as the sun began to set. She was too tired to even bother caring that once again, Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen, after bitching about the time she would spend with her family and promising in dire tones to fetch her should she remain longer than promised.

Another cramp clenched her already overly-tense womb into a knot and she moaned in discomfort. God's bad joke on female-kind had decided to make a stop and torment her a few days earlier than normal, and she had been unprepared. A lack of Midol and no hot water bottle, and her due to be back in less than half a day contributed to her currently less than comfortable situation.

Kagome rarely had bad periods, but when she did...

Oh, god, she just wanted to keel over and die.

Her back hurt, she hadn't been able to eat because when she did, it either came right back up, or it made her nauseous just to think of it. Her head pounded, and she almost prayed that Inuyasha was with Kikyo so that she would not have to deal with him.

Even walking was miserable, as she shouldered the bag while promising herself that she would weed out the things she didn't really need and dump them at Kaede's. If she ever got there.

She took a slow, deep breath and began putting one foot before the other, blocking from her mind the fact that it was a two mile trek or she just knew she'd curl up into a ball and refuse to move any farther.

But she was in luck, because here came Miroku. He must have remembered when she was due to be back and come to greet her.

When he saw her face however, he paused for a moment in alarm. It wasn't normal for her features to be so pale and pinched, her smile so forced. He frowned a bit in concern, before picking up his pace.

Now, Kagome was not usually the type to speak of female issues to a man, no matter how well she might know him, but Miroku was no fool and her unconscious gesture of rubbing her belly to relieve a bit of the discomfort told him everything. He gave her a sympathetic smile, before removing her bag and slinging it over his own shoulder. She gave him a grateful glance, then simply went limp as he swung her into his arms and carried her gently up the path.

That alone told him how bad it was, because Kagome generally did not like to have folks fawning over her, as she called it. The fact that she did not even attempt to keep watch of his hands brought forth the last of his chivalry and he kept them where they belonged so as to not add to her distress.

"Where's Sango?" Her voice was soft as her eyes closed in an attempt to relax, letting her head drop onto his shoulder.

"She's making a late dinner and wished me to come fetch you. Inuyasha disappeared a couple of days ago and we didn't want for you to have to travel here alone. I'm sorry that I did not make it in time."

"I hope he forgets to come back for a while," she said tiredly.

Her tone was mild and without resentment, and he understood completely. Inuyasha was brash and a bit naïve towards other's discomforts. He quite possibly had no understanding of the female internal anatomy. Miroku, himself, was a rarity amongst humans, for the simple sake that he had studied up on the subject when he had developed the desire for offspring. He was curious by nature, and the differences between the sexes had fascinated him from an early age.

If the hanyou stayed gone, than she might have a chance to rest a bit, before he would force them onto the road to collect more of the shards. Now that Naraku was gone, they could have traveled at a much more leisurely pace. But Inuyasha would not allow it, stating that it was just a matter of time before someone else came along intent on conquest.

She almost groaned as she suddenly heard the faintest sounds of Inuyasha's cursing in the distance.

Was she to have no reprieve at all??!!

She made as if to get down, but Miroku did not allow it, tightening his hold on her and quickening his step.

They arrived to see Inuyasha pick himself up out of the dirt and debris, shaking his head to clear it, before growling and racing in the direction he'd apparently been thrown from.

She could have cried when she saw his opponent.

The brutally beautiful youkai lord that she still could not believe was related to her long time companion (and sometimes pain in her ass). He seemed awfully unconcerned for someone who had an opponent racing full speed for him in an effort to behead him. Nor did he spare Inuyasha more than a cool glance as he swatted him aside like one would an irritating mosquito. Inuyasha grunted as he once again went flying, before impacting with a tree.

"I do not have time for your stupidity, hanyou. Leave me."

His voice was a low velvety growl that hinted at his growing irritation. His body language echoed his tone, the big Inu's stance now practically screaming with sudden aggression.

She was half afraid that Inuyasha would soon be taking a beating he would never forget.

"I ain't gonna stop till I'm dancing on your grave, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha howled. "You got no business here!"

"I did not come here for you, fool!" He curled his lip in distaste, the expression further enhancing the strangely enticing shape of his well-molded lips.

"Yeah? Well, you're gonna leave because of me, asshole!"

The Taiyoukai's eyes were heating with rage. "You will not distract me from hunting my prey, boy! If she can give me information as to his whereabouts, then I will have it from her!"

"You stay away from Kagome!" Inuyasha cried, even as he took another futile swing.

But Sesshomaru had lost his patience. Before Inuyasha could complete the attack, he felt a powerful hand curl about his neck and slam his head down against a rock along the path. It sent the world spinning in dizzying little circles as he slumped onto the grass and attempted to regain his balance.

That was when Kagome gained the lord's full attention.

It was not something that happened often, but when it did...

If she'd been standing, her knees would have been knocking and they did when Miroku lowered her to the ground and backed away, unwilling to draw the youkai's ire onto himself. He knew it was unlikely that the lord would harm Kagome without justification, and Kagome seemed rooted to the spot.

Something in his expression shifted as Sesshomaru stepped forward, all fluid grace and impossible power, his shoulders slowly blocking out the setting sun as he advanced on her. Towering over the little human Miko as she stood pinned by his predatory gaze.

"I seek information, woman."

Kagome had been called many things by many different males while in this era. Inuyasha called her wench and 'stupid human girl' whenever the mood struck him. Koga called her his, but she wasn't really. Shippo occasionally called her mother, even though he was just a couple of years younger than she was, herself, in terms of maturity. Once he realized that she would not be leaving him on his own, he had abandoned his childish guise and assumed his true form. That of a handsome young male with the physical development of a human sixteen year old.

Miroku called her sister.

All Sesshomaru had ever called her was human, as if she was indistinguishable from all the rest either by gender or age. Like one would refer to a bit of livestock.

He seemed to be studying her, his molten eyes skimming over her body in it's loose silk clothing. And something in the way he had addressed her gave her pause. In that one word, he had not only taken note of her femininity, but he had also acknowledged her adult status as his husky voice had seemed to purr with a new understanding of her.

She shivered, never having realized before that his voice could be so lethal to a female's senses. For the very first time she saw him as not just a beautiful youkai...but an intensely sexual male. One who was displaying his awareness of her as a female.

His body language once again changed, every slow and deliberate motion made as if to draw her attention to him. Designed to make her wonder just what he looked like under the silk and steel that was so like his personality itself.

As if she wasn't looking already? Nothing with a halfway functional libido could have managed the feat of looking away.

The tension of battle drained into the tension of a male pursuing a female. He'd never seemed so imposing to her before, as all of the aggression he had shown when taking Inuyasha down had become so much more intimidating for the fact that it was directed at her.

And despite the painful clenching of her stomach, she felt the first panicked stages of arousal. She hadn't thought it was possible during her time of the month to be so aware of a male when, previously, all she'd ever wanted was chocolate.

But he could have been so much more decadent than that rich indulgence...and even more satisfying.

His eyes hooded and he lifted his nose as if scenting her. His lips curved in a way that could have been terrifying, but for the low rumble of satisfaction as he apparently found her more than to his liking. She would have backed away, but she knew better. You never retreated from a predator. It only made them pursue you all the swifter.

Miroku watched them, half in confusion and half in apprehension. He had no idea what was going on, could only see the way the Taiyoukai's posture had changed. He had long ago come to the conclusion that, when he thought he knew what was happening in a given situation, he was usually wrong because his hentai-ish nature would invariably take him to the wrong conclusion. Never mind the fact that the Inu was well known for his dislike of humans. He knew he had to be wrong...it wasn't possible.

The setting sun shot bright flames of color from his pale silver hair and Kagome almost gasped at the way it only made him all the more striking. He bent forward, slowly following his nose along her throat and allowing the glimmering mass to slide over his shoulder, taunting the girl to touch it when she'd always secretly longed to do so. How could she not desire to run her fingers through the cool strands? It was so beautiful...

Her hands clenched as she denied herself, fisting at her sides.

By this time, Inuyasha had gained his feet, and though he wanted to once again rip into the other male, even he could see that Sesshomaru was not attempting to tear the information he wanted from her. His vision was still a bit blurry, however, and so he failed to take in the way his brother was crowding her. As if she were something sweet to savor while devouring her.

"Well, woman? Do you know the whereabouts of the Ookami who has titled himself prince of his people?" He would have demanded the answers of Inuyasha, but he could not have been certain that the hanyou would not mislead him out of simple spite. The girl was a terrible liar and most times did not bother to make the attempt. Besides...there was no way to be cetain that the puppy actually remembered where the bastard Ookami lived. Koga had been sniffing about Rin, lately, after finally coming to the conclusion that Kagome would never be his. She was fourteen years old, and while of marriageable age for a human, she was not available according to her youkai 'father'. The Ookami being too foolish to comprehend that he was unwelcome...and not just for the fact that he had killed the young girl once before.

But he would not attempt to deceive himself into thinking that he did not desire to see this little miko, regardless.

"You mean Koga?" Her voice was a bit shaky as she forced herself to keep still under his attentions. She didn't want Inuyasha to start another fight...no matter how nervous the Inu was making her.

"That would be the one." His warm breath ghosted over the exposed flesh of her throat and he chuckled silently when she again shivered in reaction.

"H-he lives on the Eastern mountain range. Behind a waterfall near the top of one of the highest peaks." A part of her felt bad about betraying Koga's home, but the rest of her was focused on keeping him from becoming even more aggressive with her.

Or forcing her to submit to him in the way an Inu traditionally did...

By this time, Sango had emerged from the trees surrounding the village to see what was taking them so long. Her jaw dropped as she took in the way Sesshomaru was acting towards Kagome. She almost started forward to pull Kagome away from the male, when Miroku pulled her back.

"He hasn't hurt her, and I don't think he intends to."

"But-" She floundered. "What is he doing?"

Miroku sent her a slightly agonized look. She could see that he wanted to spill his guts...but he wasn't sure that he was seeing things properly. It was something that had taken him a long time to grasp...and now it was leaving him confused. She gasped softly as she took in the way the Inu's clawed hands clenched...as if in an effort to not lay them on Kagome.

Why wasn't Kagome pushing him away?

Inuyasha had also heard the soft sound and turned towards the rest of them, finally breaking through his preconceived reactions towards his brother. In his mind Koga equaled defending Kagome from his unwanted advances. While Sesshomaru's equaled a loss of forethought and mindlessly throwing himself into battle.His eyes widened as he took in the scene in all of a moment, the sight burning itself into his memory and he knew he'd never forget it. "What the fuck is going on...?"

Sesshomaru turned towards him with a strangely disappointed expression, clicking his tongue at his brother. "Why have you not seen to your female, Inuyasha?"

"Huh? I see her all the time. This ain't nothin' special."

A wickedly arc'd brow slid up in mocking disbelief. "Surely you can smell this?"

Kagome blushed as she realized what exactly the Inu was referring to.

"What are you goin' on about?" Now Inuyasha looked confused.

"She is aching, little brother." Sesshomaru gave a throaty laugh, even as he lowered his voice until only she could hear it. "And wanting..."

"She ain't hurt! What the fuck are you talking about?!" Inuyasha growled. Then rather belatedly added, "and she ain't mine!"

The lord snorted softly at his 'brother's' ignorance. "My mistake, then. You really are too human."

Sango looked from the pair of them to Miroku, and then back again. A vague memory was beginning to surface, one about something that her mother had taught her awhile before she died. About why many miko did not work in concert with slayers. A certain vulnerability that had the powerful ones become almost more like prey...on certain days of the month.

She saw the way Kagome's hand came down to rub away another cramp, then the way the Inu's eyes flared red for a moment...and her suspicions were confirmed. She wanted desperately to intervene...but she also remembered that Kagome only acted like this when it got bad. She was torn. She knew very well what was causing Sesshomaru's reactions, but felt helpless to stop it. He was a predator youkai, which was a double-edged sword in this case. It gave him the power to perform in his position...but it left him with an animal's instincts and desires.

She shook her head and forced herself to acknowledge it, even if only in her own mind. Those golden eyes of his were smoldering with lust. And it was very directed at her sister.

"It really was what I thought it was...wasn't it?" came Miroku's whispered question and she could only nod.

Inuyasha was trying to figure out what was affecting Sesshomaru. He could smell the arousal on him, but for the life of him he could not figure out why it had occurred.

He could smell the blood on Kagome, and wondered why her time had come early, but brushed away the thought, as he knew that human females became fertile once a month, unlike youkai females who went into heat twice a year. The blood smelled thick and strange to him just like always, but other than that, nothing had changed from the everyday.

"You could have alleviated her pain, Inuyasha. Were you Inu enough." The words were spoken to the hanyou, though he did not look at him, seemingly intent on scenting the female he had 'caught'.

"I said she ain't hurt! And get away from her, you asshole!" Inuyasha for some reason did not like the way his brother was watching Kagome. I mean, it wasn't like he wanted her for himself, or anything. But that didn't mean Sesshomaru could show up out of the blue and paw at her, damnit!

But his words had spiked Kagome's curiosity, despite her misgivings. "What do you mean by that? How could he help me?"

He smiled, even as he turned and offered his arm in a strangely polite way, especially considering his current behavior. She blinked as she accepted it in blind reaction and allowed herself to be led away, certain she would soon have an explanation for what was going on. It never occurred to her to question that she had done so....allowing herself to be led away by a male that she had rarely trusted in the past.

Inuyasha watched in dumbfounded dismay as the girl permitted herself to be taken away by the Taiyoukai. He knew he should do something...ANYTHING. Protest or make another attempt to take down his brother. But all he could do was watch Sesshomaru lead Kagome away into the trees...and somehow know that she would soon be learning things about Inu youkai that even he was unaware of, if one was to listen to his brother. Watch them disappear into the bright Night of the Wolf Moon.

Then wonder just how she would return to them. Because she had left of her own accord...and there was nothing he could do that would not negate her decision, but wait...and worry.

She did not question him as they walked, because one did not question Sesshomaru when he was not in the mood to answer. He would explain when he was ready to do so, and not a moment sooner.

But she had to wonder. Just how could Inuyasha have helped her with the discomfort of her monthlies? Was it some long kept youkai secret that could only be passed along by those of youkai blood? But Sesshomaru had implied that Inuyasha was too human to do what was needed. How could that be? And was this little outing his way of volunteering his services? It seemed unlikely, despite the way he'd looked at her and touched her.

Just then, another of those damned cramps almost had her doubling over and she groaned as she attempted to keep moving and not curl up on the ground in a miserable heap, the nausea flowing in swiftly, then slowly ebbing away.

But Sesshomaru had stopped and gracefully dropped to the forest floor, gesturing for her to do the same. She slowly let herself sink into a convenient pile of leaves and faced him.

Those molten eyes once again poured heat down her body as they tracked over it almost possessively. Now she realized just how little space she had left between them. She had claimed the mound of leaves as her seat, but she couldn't back away from him without seeming to be afraid of him. Even if she was, just a bit.

"We were discussing the ways the half-breed could have assisted you, had he the capability of sensing your need for it." His tone was smooth and level, as if he were a professor giving a lecture. "As you well know, I am a predator. My kind enjoy the kill and the consumption of blood."

She abruptly had a very uneasy idea about where this might be heading. Her eyes widened almost comically and she fought not to choke. He suddenly lost his scholarly mien in favor of a wicked smile. "There are many varieties of blood to be savored. But there is one form that is widely considered to be a delicacy amongst male youkai."

As he spoke, he slowly and methodically began stripping away his armor. Then came his obi and swords. His fur was skillfully flipped over her head and lay almost invitingly across the soft bed of foliage.

She nearly lost track of his words as the moonlight spilled down his chest and abdominals in a rather distracting fashion as his clothing fell open. His pale flesh glowed silver under the cool wash of the full moon, gifting him with an even more otherworldly splendor.

He abruptly knelt before her and Kagome found herself bending back to accommodate his face being buried against the warm curve of her neck. That same deep rumble came again as he nuzzled her.

"Would you care to take a guess as to what that is?"

Having his fangs so close to her vulnerable throat was unnerving as hell, as was the sudden desperate need to wind her fingers into the pool of silver in her lap, even as she stammered a reply. "N-no..."

"Female youkai do not go into season but twice a year. The scent of blood drives we males mad to consume it. And yet...it is not the female youkai who are the most desired. A human miko tastes of power, the richness of her purity, and the sweetness of nature. To taste such a thing is capable of addicting even the most powerful amongst us."

He gently took her down under him onto the fur pelt, allowing his longer legs to tangle with hers as he braced himself above her. His heavy form pressed against her body in ways she had not ever thought to feel, his chest brushing her breasts as he lay over her. She trembled as she felt his lips against hers in the softest of touches. "You smell of fresh peaches, woman. Will you taste as tartly sweet, I wonder?"

She blushed furiously as she registered his words, closing her eyes as if to block them out. But she couldn't block him out as he pressed his hips downward and into her own, unwilling to be ignored. The unmistakable feel of a heavily aroused male was a sensation she'd never known...but could never have mistaken. She felt trapped and nervous as he eased down her torso to lay his cheek on her hip, his lips terribly close to the heart of her. But even uncomfortable and wary, it seemed almost natural to part her thighs in accommodation to the broad expanse of his body.

"But...I don't see how that would help me with my...er-" She floundered when it came time to discuss the source of this entire situation. Part of her wasn't yet certain that she wasn't dreaming, because all of this felt so surreal.

His dark laughter vibrated against her silk-covered mons. "Still so innocent...Do you not understand that a female's climax will oftimes ease the discomfort of her moon time?"

That could be very messy...came the thoughts from her inner neat-freak female.

She gulped. It was also horribly embarrassing. And-

Her eyes popped open. Oh, lord, how did she miss the implication of what he really wanted of her?

How many young women had he devoured in such a manner? With pleasure in place of pain?

She did not know she had spoken aloud until he answered.

"You would be my first," he murmured. She would also be his last, because he was selfish by nature and would not give up so luscious a female. It was not in him to share, neither her, nor himself with any other after this night. She may not have been the first of his body (and he felt the oddest twinge of regret over this), but she would be the first to be consumed by both male and beast. The rusty tang of blood wafted through the air, somehow enhancing her own sweet scent. "Will you allow me to give you pleasure in return for a taste of your sweetness, miko? Spread you open and feast upon you?"

She could hardly give credit that she was hearing him correctly. That he was asking for such a thing- voicing such a thing!-...or was it that he was asking it of her?

Large warm hands slowly slid under the loose legs of her pajama bottoms as he spoke, running from her ankles to her thighs, then back again. She watched the way his hands stroked her legs from under the silk and vaguely wondered why she was allowing him to touch her this way.

Her reason came as she almost cringed when she felt her womb begin to tighten, until she realized that it was not in pain, but in growing need of the release he had offered.

Could she allow him to strip away her clothing and touch her like a lover? This youkai that both terrified her and drew her at the same time? He was so unlike anything she'd ever known, having never really before contemplated him as a male, never mind a lover. She was only just coming to the age where sexual curiosity was beginning to bloom...and he was so very overwhelming.

She remembered the romance novels she used to enjoy reading a few years before, where everything was romantic and just a bit vague. Where love overcame all and everything was perfect. And where the heroine fell in love with a valiant, if somewhat tarnished knight in shining armor or gleaming Hessian boots (whatever those were). The love scenes were rose-petals and starlight, always just barely scratching the surface.

She realized then, that he was as far from that young-girl image of her perfect mate, as she was from instantaneously becoming that poised perfect lady that everyone had always insisted a proper miko had to be. And he was all the more captivating for it.

With him, she sensed that it would not be rose-petals and starlight, but earthy and just a bit raw. He'd never struck her as one to do things half-assed, which led her to believe that he would not be a poor lover. Youkai of his caliber did not allow themselves to be anything but the best at whatever they did. Nor would he fail to reciprocate in full when freely given something he desired but could not demand.

And he desired the plain little miko, Kagome.

Only, looking into his eyes, she suddenly felt less plain. No longer quite as ordinary...and just maybe something worth his interest. She may not be able to keep him in the end, even if she knew that she would forever compare others to him because she had the strangest notion that they would always fall short.

He was perfection of mind, body, and power. Unique. And too much for a simple human girl to ever dream of truly possessing.

He allowed her her musings as he eased her clothing aside and nipped the soft skin of her belly with his lips. A soft sigh of pleasure emerged and her fingers tightened in his hair. He smiled when he realized that it had been an unconscious reaction and she had yet to realize that she would soon be nude. His deft hands had pulled apart the tie holding the waist of her lower garment in place and had slid the silk downward to taste her. He had discovered that his hands neatly spanned the upper curve of where her hips dipped into her waist, further emphasizing just how small she was.

It gave that darker side of him a depraved sort of thrill as he realized that he could very easily overwhelm her, dominate her in ways she'd probably never imagine.

He tugged the silk lower, exposing the soft cotton of her undergarments. Modern they might have been, but there was an endearingly girlish quality to them. He could feel the small pad of cotton she had used to absorb the blood and a part of him snarled it's distaste at such a waste.

Though, when she suddenly went still, he realized that she had discovered how easily he'd stripped her as she wandered in her own mind. Her eyes were huge in her heart shaped face, and he couldn't help the way her anxiety made the beast growl out it's greedy lust for her innocence.

She saw that her decision had been made for her in her inactivity, and she covered her eyes in an almost childish manner when she felt fur tickle her bare bottom as her trousers and underwear were finally peeled down her legs and over her small feet.

He felt her shiver as he gently eased her thighs over his shoulders, exposing her to his eyes. Her scent was slowly growing stronger as her core was exposed to the air, going straight to his head and spinning fire through his bloodstream. His hands had returned to her hips and he gently kneaded them in a strangely feline way as he dipped his nose and allowed himself to get lost in the scent of her. All the tiny little nuances that made her so delectable. Her sweetness that communicated itself through her fresh taste, the warmth that skipped through the undertones of her scent, coupled with her nervousness and her acceptance of the act he would soon perform on her male-chaste flesh. Gooseflesh broke out over her legs as they trembled over his bare shoulders, heating at the contact with his warm flesh. He felt small toes brush his back as they curled tightly and he had no idea why the sensation was so damned enticing. But it was, and he growled softly as she lay there under him like a virgin sacrifice to some hungry pagan god.

He was more than willing to consume her.

Kagome gasped as something warm and slightly rough slid over her...

...there.

It left hot chills in it's wake, the kind that ran over every limb and made...things...ache deep down inside.

Until now, she supposed a small part of herself had still been certain that this would not happen. That the Inu would say that her blood was too common for his pleasure, or that to even perform such an act was depraved because the human in her was still not certain that she could ever understand his hunger for this. Nor could she just shrug away years of human morality.

A soft cry came from the girl as he slowly licked away the sweet sticky mess left behind from where the pad had begun to stop absorbing the blood flow. The taste of her burned over his tongue and he moved slowly so as to savor every small smear of crimson over her soft folds.

A small distressed sound puffed from her lips, but he ignored it in favor of obeying the tug of her small hands in his hair, pressing him to her. He was careful to keep his fangs from her, not wishing to mar her willing nature, nor taint the flavor of her blood with another. He lifted a hand to run his now blunt fingertips over her, gently spreading her as he purred at the rich taste of her. It was exactly as he'd hoped, the sweet-tart taste of her arousal mixing into the spiced blood.

He'd had vague fantasies and even more elusive dreams about this for as long as he had known this girl. Some that almost threw him off when he had come upon his brother's pack and she was in her fertile cycle. It wasn't often enough to cause worry, though he'd yet to encounter her when her female cycle gave her pain and just maybe that was a bit of what had prompted him to offer this now. He wondered if she knew that she'd sometimes called for him in her sleep, on those rare occasions he'd been traveling with the half-breed's pack. But Inuyasha must never have mentioned hearing it, so it was entirely possible that she did not. He was still surprised at the boy's lack of response towards her current condition. He remembered the way his normally- imperturbable father had become almost feral at times when Inuyasha's mother would have her courses and lock them both away in his bedchambers for days at a time.

He smiled, even as he knew that this little female could last even longer with him.

Izayoi had been a pampered lady of an aristocratic family, unused to any kind of true physical exertion. Kagome, on the other hand, was full of smooth curves and sleek muscle that would allow her to hold pace with his demanding need of her. All it would take was a bit of patience and a slow build-up of endurance and he could well see her taking even his own breath away while driving him willingly to his knees.

Rounded thighs flexed gently over his shoulders as his mouth found a particularly sensitive bit of her, the small knot of flesh rich with nerve-endings. Another gasp came from her parted lips and he lifted his other hand to press again her belly and ride out the fine shaking of her womb.

She nearly flinched as she felt the lethal press of his fangs against such a vulnerable place, though she couldn't help but moan for him as he slowly suckled the delicate bit of her between his lips and slid the tip of his tongue over it until she almost wanted to escape from the nearly painful intensity of it. His hand was slowly pressing against her belly with each new round of trembling, as if he wanted to feel the onset of her climax.

He could already smell it, the way her cream was blended with the blood and he knew that it would not be long before she gave him what he was beginning to crave. Because even if he'd briefly entertained the notion when first coming upon her, that he could indulge just once and then walk away, he now knew that he never could. That the addiction had already set in...and that he did not care.

Then it happened and she bucked against him as he held her down. He almost smiled as her sweet voice called to gods and devils with equal fervor as she thrashed against him. He dipped lower and plunged his tongue deep inside of her, reminding her that he'd never fall into the former category. She groaned and tried to pull him closer, even as her hips rolled under his hold. His reward flowed in a smooth, heady wave over his tongue and down his throat. He purred his appreciation as he allowed himself to continue thrusting his tongue into the deeper recesses of her, imitating the desires of his painfully aroused cock. His own hips pressed downward, trapping the aching length against the soft bed on which they lay. But the small discomfort was only a small price to pay and one which he would never trade if it meant denying himself the satisfaction of feeding from her slowly awakening body.

Once would most definitely not be enough, and he heeded the demands of his baser nature to simply take what he desired.

Kagome shivered as the last ripples of her release ebbed away, and with it the last of her physical distress. She felt almost boneless in satiation as she breathed in deeply, though curious as to when he would stop now that he'd gotten what he'd come for.

But he wasn't stopping. In fact-

She gasped as his tongue flicked some deep, hidden part of her and she almost swooned from the sensation. She was almost certain that her eyes had rolled up into her head. Then she was sure of it as he did it again. She'd known that his tongue was just a bit longer than a human's, but holy hell...

By this time, she'd stopped worrying about the rightness or even the decency of allowing him this. She wondered if she would ever discover anything as pleasurable as his wickedly inventive mouth. Even as she decided that such a thing was impossible.

Because he was perfect.

And the strangest thing? She almost felt perfect, herself, under his demanding touch. Demanding her attention and her desire. Her blood and the taste of her need. It was not that he spoke the words, but communicated his admiration through his touch and the way he seemed to relish her.

Again, she tensed under him as she was abruptly at the edge. There had been no slow build-up, only a rapid ascent and now imminent release and she went tumbling over, the air seemingly knocked from her body at the force of it. Maybe this was why very few humans had sex with youkai...because if it wasn't for the fact that all he seemed intent on was gaining her pleasure then she might have wondered if she'd ever manage to keep up with him in terms of true intercourse.

But, oh, what a thought that was...

She shivered and moaned as the cool length of his hair brushed her hips and thighs and she fisted her hands into it as if to find anything at all to hold her to the ground so that she simply didn't float away.

Another press of his fangs...only this time there was no fear that he'd injure her. And she had to wonder if she'd always harbored such a strange attraction to something so dangerous. Pleasure-hazy blue eyes glowed softly in the moonlight as her voice rose to encourage him on. The hand pressed against her stomach eased up under her night shirt to cover a breast and she arched into his touch, even as the other lowered to stroke one of her thighs. Her own hand came down to wrap around the powerful, striped wrist, though not, as he was half-afraid, to deny him. It seemed strange that, here she lay with him under the pines in the forest as his mouth touched her in places no one had ever done, and he had yet to touch her there. She supposed she might have encouraged him to start there. If she'd had the courage, but she had not. Instead she'd all but lain there like a lump and allowed him to have his way. Not that it was unpleasant...oh god was it not...but he'd had his own agenda from the start, and all she could do was follow along.

And his agenda impelled him to lick as much of the lush offering from her slick interior as he could, before he drove himself into her. He contented himself, for the time being, with giving in surfeit until all she could do was welcome him when he demanded more.

He soon had her driving towards another...and then another...until they had both lost count of how many times he'd sent her tumbling into the most beautiful oblivion. A slight flick against that hidden part of her, a small tug of his lips with the slightest of squeezes to the warm mound under his hand and she reeled almost drunkenly.

He'd never imagined that she could be this receptive. And it was something of a relief to know that here was a female he would not have to beat bloody in order to satisfy the both of them. He'd never had much of a desire to rut in the past, something that was compounded by his father's teachings that a male did not abuse a female, especially with his fists. That many of the females he encountered wished such a thing of him, wanted him to brutalize them until they lay broken on the floor, had long ago lost any sort of appeal. It was the nature of predatory youkai females. They desired the knowledge that their mate could hold them in line or the male would most times be found unworthy.

But this woman-child lay under him in pleasure and acceptance. She did not fight him, and that was her form of approval. Demons did not court in the manner of humans, but displayed their compatibility through power and sexual aptitude. She was proving to be more that a perfect match for him in many ways, and he wondered what she would say when she learned of his intentions.

And then it was his turn to shiver as small hands came down and framed his face, slowly and tentatively guiding him to what she desired of him.

He could smell the traces of blood from where she'd bitten her lip a bit too roughly as hints of iron tainted the air, though he lost track of the thought when she pulled him closer. He felt her fingers slowly stroke one of his fey ears, tracing the elegant curve to the point, then back. Her touch was so gentle and slow that he half wondered how long she had wished to do so. He knew the Ookami would have allowed her the indulgence, but she would have feared encouraging him. She could not have known that it was such a personal act from a female to an unrelated and unmated male.

All it did was serve to make the beast want her even more. Because in truth...it was not the humanoid half of a youkai that chose the mate in the end...but it's more primal half. Sesshomaru's beast had always chosen to abstain from any form of sexual contact, and so he was just a bit surprised when it had chosen a mate that was a very real danger to it's very existence. Or would have been, if she were not so unusually accepting to all she met, not differentiating between the species. It must have known and wanted her for it.

She was unique in his world...just as he was in hers.

And it was determined to have her.

Right now.

Kagome started when he finally pulled away from her. She had begun to wonder when he would tire of this, though had decided not to voice her questions.

But now, quite plainly, she could not speak at all.

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed dangerously in the night as he shamelessly licked the remains of her satisfaction from his lips. Lips that, she blushed to see, were stained red with her blood. Faint rusty streaks marred his jaw and throat, though he made no move to clean them. His hair was wild from where her fingers had clenched in it, giving him a vaguely untamed appearance. The markings on his face had darkened just a bit, the stripes over his lean cheeks looking more like old blood than youkai markings, and she could almost imagine that he would have left them even if they had been. Blood was a badge of triumph to a youkai, no matter the source.

Watching him like this was akin to being hypnotized by a cobra, because once again he had moved to remove more of the barriers between them. It could have proved hazardous were he intent on harming her.

Her over-large top joined the pile of his belongings not far from them, as did her bra and most of his own clothing. He had begun to reach for the ties of his hakama when her eyes widened before she eeped and hurriedly closed them. She heard his low chuckle as he noticed her reaction, the sound amused and strangely appealing despite it's darkness. Or was it because of it...?

He continued despite her response to his impending nudity. He found it fascinating that, after everything he had done with her this night, she was still shy of seeing a nude male. It did not change a thing, but he permitted it for the moment. He very much liked the way she had accepted things so far...in her own way. To change the course of things might destroy her receptiveness...and he was just selfish enough to leave it a surprise so long as it kept her from denying him.

She'd be feeling him, soon enough.

She actually squeaked as he came down over her, her thighs pressing against his hips almost defensively as her eyes popped back open to warily eye him.

Now that he was skin to skin with her, she discovered just how much warmer he was to the touch than anyone she had ever met. For a few moments, she had begun to shiver from the cool air, but then his heavy-muscled torso pressed against her softer form and drove away the chill. Almost hesitantly, she lifted her arms to curl about his neck, feeling the way his sinewy forearms rippled as he crossed them under her shoulders. He was watching her carefully, and noted when she took in his apparent 'excitement'.

She stilled for a moment, but to her credit, she allowed herself to ignore how nervous he suddenly made her. This was no different from anything else she might have expected during sex and there would always be a first time for any girl. It was not changed by the fact that he was not human. Though maybe influenced by the detail that his flawlessness was a product of his inhumanity and something to be savored for that very reason.

Eyes locked to his, she carefully lay her palms flat to the slope of his shoulders, before sliding them down the smooth expanse of his back. Heat and strength registered under her touch, as did the way his flesh felt like the softest of velvet to her fingertips. He lay quietly against her, allowing her curiosity and slow exploration. It occurred to her that even through all of this, he had been incredibly gentle with her. By the feel of him, even relaxed with every muscle languidly accepting her touch, he was so much more physically powerful than anyone she had ever met. He could very easily have hurt her or forced her to comply.

But he had not...only requested...and coaxed...until she lay willingly before him. Exposed and receptive to what he could give them both.

She allowed her legs to relax and tangle with his as he had before, her hands having discovered his lower back and the hard sculpting of his backside. She had no idea where the courage to touch him like this was coming from, but she was glad she had when he began returning her caresses, his much larger callused hands less hesitant as he knew well just exactly what he desired to touch. How to make her squirm and press against him.

She saw the way his lips curved as he seemed to delight in her new desire for his hands on her body. A small part of her had begun wondering what it would feel like to kiss that mouth that could be cruel, and often times so cutting it had made her cringe...but now she also knew to be incredibly generous as well. And while she was just a bit cautious in kissing him, after where he'd just had that mouth...she couldn't really find it in her to ignore the urge. It was just blood, after all. She'd many a time sucked the blood away from an injured finger and it all had come from her own body.

Maybe he sensed her train of thought, because his eyes lowered, then, from her own blue gaze to focus on her lips.

That was another discrepancy in their cultures. Kissing was not a youkai behavior. Before, he had simply wished to taste the sweetness of the bowed curve of her full lips. Now, he found himself wondering what it would be like to actually kiss this girl.

No hardship, he'd imagine.

Her eyes slid shut as he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers.

Whatever lingering taint of her blood that she might have worried over was overrun by his own spicy darkness. Like most things he did in life, he engaged her with no hesitation. His lips nudged hers open and took possession of every bit of her. He did not stop even as her legs curled around his lower back, leaving her open to the downward roll of his hips.

Kagome could not understand how this could feel so amazing. Her first kiss had been with Inuyasha...an almost chaste act that was no more than a pressing of lips and worlds different than this. Now her head fell back and she allowed him to arrange her however he wished as he tunneled long fingers through the dark length of her hair.

The way this male kissed was almost criminal to a girl's senses and heart. Slow, unhurried kisses, as if he had all the time in the world to devote to this one act.

Sesshomaru purred when he felt her begin to return his kisses. It was not as if he feared her rejection at this point. But like most males, he preferred to know that she was pleased with his actions. That guttural sound that she had begun to associate with his pleasure once again rumbled through him, and she could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction that she had pleased him.

In fact, she had become so distracted with what he was doing to her mouth, that it came as a surprise when he began to ease himself inside of her. She gasped, though it wasn't exactly hurting. It just wasn't comfortable, either. Her travels and the many skirmishes she had been in while in this era had put an end to her hymen. Though, he was substantial enough to tear away whatever remained. It was a sharp kind of ache, now joined to the slow stretching. Her fingers dug deeply into his upper back, though he did not seem aware of the blood she drew. She was thankful for the care he'd taken in relaxing her beforehand, because she was very aware of how much damage he could have caused had he simply plunged into her without preparing her.

He had released her mouth so as to let her breathe, slow deep inhalations as he shifted and pressed deeper. Then deeper still until she wondered if she would ever have all of him.

Just like the rest of him, it was also much larger than a human's proportions. She'd not seen it beforehand, and so could only guess as to his size as the heavy shaft of his cock slid almost leisurely against the softly swollen interior of her body. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as the pressure inside of her mounted.

He was watching her, again, those intense eyes that she knew could read her soul through her own eyes. The beast's impatience for her was beginning to make his skin crawl with need, though he refused to rush. He did not wish to hurt her, even though he could feel that she was not completely at ease as her breathing hitched.

"Easy, woman...you must relax." he murmured.

She focused on his voice and managed to loosen her taut muscles. She knew that he was right, and she was only making things more difficult than they needed to be. Nor did she wish for him to stop.

She heard him sigh. Then, almost reluctantly-

"Do you wish me to expedite things?"

In her mind, she almost giggled, because that was such a Sesshomaru thing to say, even during a time like this. But she was sobered by the thought of how he would accomplish his offer. She knew it would hurt, though she also knew that it would be over with much more quickly than drawing it out like this.

He saw the way she braced herself, as if awaiting some terrible blow and took it as agreement, though his brows quirked with a touch of amusement. Her reactions were doing such terrible things to his masculine vanity.

He pulled himself from her and shifted her to kneel before him, before pressing her down onto her forearms. Her eyes were full of curiosity and expectation as she watched him from over a slender shoulder, before he blanketed her body with his own. She braced herself under him to keep from falling downward and he waited until she had settled herself, before placing his forearm over her faintly parted lips.

For a second, she was confused.

"When you are prepared."

Her small hand curled about the proffered limb in understanding.

She bit down and he drove forward, almost lifting her off her knees with the force. Then she jerked as he hit the mouth of her womb and came to a shuddering halt. He found that he greatly disliked the small whimpering sound she made and held himself still as he pressed his lips to the back of her exposed throat. He did not like that he had caused pain. Though even now, as she unconsciously clutched at him where he rested inside of her, he had to fight back that darker urge to simply take what he wanted and force her to enjoy it as he could so easily have done. But he did not give in to the seductive concept. He had been content to take her slowly until she adjusted, but now that that had changed, he would hold himself back until she indicated otherwise.

Kagome could feel his beast just under the surface of his pale flesh, sense it's unease and discontentment, thought she did not understand why it would feel that way. She was not upset, just a bit jarred. She started to pull her mouth from him, but felt both male beasts' disappointment, though they did not voice it, and so chose to give him what he seemed to want. So maybe he liked a bit of pain with his sex, she was not the type to deny one their desires if it did nothing to harm her.

She felt the last of the discomfort fade away and pressed herself backwards into him. What emerged from him seemed to be a mix of growl and moan as he remained unmoving. She almost wondered if she had done something wrong, but dismissed the thought when she felt his fangs graze her nape.

"Again..."

Well, she supposed, that was clear enough.

She carefully leaned forward under his stiffly braced body and allowed him to slide backward inside of her. She paused for a moment, before she pressed backwards again and regained her tight hold on his willing flesh. He hissed through his teeth, though he still remained motionless.

She began a slow, gentle rhythm of thrust and withdrawal, never allowing any force to her movements as if sensing that to do so would be unkind to his restraint. She did not understand why he did not reciprocate, but she knew, all the same, that he wished for her to continue.

And continue she did, until she got the strangest notion to sink her teeth a bit deeper into his arm.

His response was a sharp snarl and then a deep plunge into her back-thrust.

Wow...damn, he was big...She felt her teeth clench tighter in shock at the impact, though she refused to allow him to stop. Did not want him to think he'd once again hurt her. It did not take him more than a moment to fall into her tempo and match her with the harder drive of his hips.

Neither really noticed when she began to cry out in pleasure to echo through the trees, nor when he first howled. Neither cared, only that they could enjoy the other's mounting desire through their vocalizations. She dimly wondered how far the sounds would travel, and if she would be embarrassed come morning. Then the thought floated away like mist. There was only the two of them in their world, and no room for anything else.

She moved easily with him when he once again shifted position, dropping onto his heels and pulling her back over his widely braced thighs, never stopping or breaking their connection. He brushed her lips from his arm to take her mouth with his in a kiss that was just slightly messy yet even better than before. He curled a hand over her hip to help her keep pace as the other one reclaimed her breast and pressed her against him.

It was a strangely possessive hold, though Kagome was not in the right space to question it.

The build-up to climax was different this time. Whereas before, his touch had been sharp and immediate. Gratification had come, and then faded only to begin again within minutes or even seconds as he'd provided the answer to that age old question about females and multiple orgasms. It wasn't as sharp, but it was a great deal more intense. That empty though pleasurable feeling had been filled by him until she wondered if she would ever forget how it felt to have him so deeply inside of her until it almost felt as if he belonged there.

It was a startling thought to have about someone who had, until very recently, been her enemy.

Or had he?

Nothing in the way he held her said that he was trying to keep himself from her. In fact, when she had begun to draw away unconsciously in her confusion, he only growled and pressed himself closer. He refused to let her go.

But did that mean that this was not just physical for him like she had thought?

She would have been greatly surprised if she could have seen his thoughts right then...because they had everything to do with tying her to him in any way he could, even resorting to keeping her filled by him constantly to keep her from ever leaving.

The though of always having her wrapped around him like this caused his already overheated blood to hit the boiling point.

"Mine."

It could barely be qualified as speech, it had emerged at such a bestial register. Her attempt to remove herself had triggered his instinct to possess and he became intent on overwhelming her small form until she begged him to finish this. Not out of denial, but to feel him spill inside of her. He could not pup her at this time, but he'd damn well mate her just the same. It wasn't as if he'd not been leading in that direction, he'd just intended to give her some time to think it through after she'd had a bit of time to herself.

That she melted against him when he'd voiced his claim over her had served to thrust that idea right out of his head.

Things had suddenly taken a very serious turn and Kagome was not altogether sure that was such a good thing. There was a new tension in him, one she could almost taste as his motions picked up in speed and power.

He wasn't playing anymore.

He wasn't violent with her by any means, but he'd lost the patient quality of his actions. The muscled chest against her back was beginning to rumble with every rhythmic growl. He'd allowed his mane to slither over her shoulders and tease the tips of her breasts into aching points. She felt the tips of his fangs press against the left side of her throat and she knew he would soon bite down. She almost wanted to protest or even shove at him, but the last time she had done that had not had the best of results.

The purposeful driving of his hips began to goad her upwards into her release. One so powerful she was half-afraid that she'd black out from it. She clawed at his thighs and over the crimson markings about his hips as she began to drown in sensation, though it only served to entice him further.

Then it washed over her. She never heard herself scream, nor did she hear the howl that seemed to rip it's way from the Inu's throat just before he sank his teeth into her flesh. He shuddered inside of her and all around her as he wound one arm tightly about her, before turning her lips to his chest as he pressed against her back and urging her to bite down. When she did, so hard that she drew blood, his pleasure burst from him and filled her to overflowing. The heat of it sent gooseflesh over every bit of her, even as it flowed down her thighs in a creamy, faintly bloody trail.

She was panting softly, even as he rubbed against her like a sated animal. He was purring, the sound soothing as she felt the last of the aftershocks begin to dissipate.

She was boneless when he lifted her from his hips to pull her against his chest as he flipped the pelt over them to protect her from the now chilly night air. She curled against him like a contented kitten and he smiled.

Things would never be the same again...

But then, he'd never been the sort to enjoy monotony.

The Wolf Moon looked down upon the two who had heeded it's call this night. They had been circling each other for the longest time, and it was content to enjoy watching them couple in it's cold light. Lines had been crossed and old hatreds buried.

Because passion always forged new paths for those who welcomed it's pull.

Just as these two did. And it would not be the last time...

B>