The Lies We Tell Ourselves by HentaiMiko

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

Kagome's dark hair swirled around her face in the light breeze. The overly tall meadow grass tickled at her calves as she stormed through it on her way to the forest. The sun was bright, the air was warm and the birds were twittering happily overhead, but the miko's mood was anything but cheerful. Her tight fists pumped angrily at her sides as she walked.

Inuyasha had ticked her off again, but that wasn't the reason for her foul mood. Her eyes narrowed at the forest that came into view when her feet crested the final rolling hilltop. She paused and stared into the trees for a moment, her heart pounding in her chest. He was waiting for her, she could feel his presence already and she still had a few hundred yards to go.

He was impatient, ruthless, and arrogant. She hated him yet she couldn't stop her feet as they stubbornly plodded down the hill. She'd made a promise long ago, one that guaranteed the safety of the ones she loved and the innocents she didn't know. She wanted to say she regretted her pact now, but knew in her heart that she would agree to it again in an instant if he asked her.

She didn't have long to travel once she reached the cool shade provided by the forest's overhanging canopy of green leaves and tangled branches. Her feet had travelled this path so many times she was certain she could walk it now with her eyes closed. Her stomach fluttered as it always did just before they met. She swallowed hard to remove the bitter taste of fear that'd risen into the back of her throat. Why did he continue to have this effect on her? Surely by now she knew what to expect from him? Yet every time she reached the edge of the forest floor her body still reacted the same way.

Stopping in her tracks, Kagome rested her hand against the bark of a nearby tree and breathed in several calming breaths. The smell of pine and decaying leaves invaded her nostrils and she let it settle her frayed nerves. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he still frightened her. He'd never let her live it down if he found out. After a couple of minutes her heart returned to normal and the butterflies in her belly began to subside.

Resuming her trek along the twisted path through the trees she absently wondered how he would be today. Some days he was more brutal than others. At times he was gentle, carefree and lazy but retained his arrogant undertone. Others he was ruthless and unforgiving. She hated when he got into the latter kind of mood since it usually meant she would be sore for days afterwards.

Bastard! The seething thought rushed through her mind before she could stop it. For a brief moment a flash of panic held her prisoner but when nothing happened a secretive smile played across her lips. She reminded herself, with great satisfaction, that he had no control over her thoughts. Though he did what he could to possess her body, her mind was still hers and hers alone.

"You're late." His voice cut into her thoughts, cold and hard as usual. Kagome remained silent as she stepped around the last turn in the path to see him leaning casually against the trunk of a tree. He'd already removed his armour and it lay off to the side in a neat pile. Even without his swords and spiked metal he still looked formidable.

It was his eyes. Kagome had decided long ago that it was his eyes that gave him the distinct impression of being a killer. They were cold; expressionless at times, while at others filled with nothing but contempt, but they were always, always, calculating. The amber orbs that resided beneath his heavy lashes and distinguished demonic markings would shift and change to match his mood but the underlying intelligence was always there. He was smart and knew how to get exactly what he wanted. Right now, the way they narrowed at her, told her what she already knew - he wanted her.

Kagome felt her body wither in resignation as she steeled herself for what was coming. She lifted her eyes from the ground to fix him with a dark glare of her own. His eyes narrowed fractionally. He hated it when she showed any signs of defiance.

"What's wrong? Miss me Sesshomaru?" she bit out, her temper steadily rising.

The demon casually extended his claws and dragged them through the silver strands hanging across his shoulder. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air around her and he fixed her with a look of pure contempt.

"You reek of the half breed. I instructed you to bathe before coming."

Kagome sighed inwardly. She'd planned on taking a bath but instead she and Inuyasha had gotten into a huge fight over Koga. He was a nice wolf but boy did he pick the worst times to show up to make bold declarations of his love for her. By the time Inuyasha had stormed off she didn't have any time to bathe. Deciding it was best to show up smelling like Inuyasha than not show up at all, she'd made her way to the forest.

Already irritated and in no mood to put up with Sesshomaru's antics, she shrugged her shoulders and stepped closer to him. "I could've not shown up at all if that's what you'd prefer," she pointed out.

The fingers of her hand extended to boldly trace the white silk covering his chest. She slowly began to circle him. Her figure disappeared around the back of the tree and she allowed her fingers to follow the bumpy pattern of the bark before they touched silk again.

"In fact," she continued haughtily, "I don't have to come at all. I wonder what you'd do then hmmm?" Her feet stopped in front of him and she pointed her index finger into his chest.

He glanced disinterestedly at her finger while one of his elegant eyebrows rose at her audacity. A cold smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. He moved much faster than she could see. Within the brief expanse of time taken up by a single heart beat, he'd grabbed her wrist in a vice grip and flung her hard into the trunk of the tree.

The branches above shook with the force of the blow and Kagome strained to remain conscious. For a good minute her lungs refused to draw breath but it eventually came in short, breathy gasps. Pinning her to the tree with his body, Sesshomaru bore down on her, his gaze intense and fiery. He wasn't impressed.

"Don't toy with me miko," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I will be obeyed. Do I need to make an example of one of your friends, or perhaps an innocent villager to prove my point?"

Still struggling to recover, Kagome shakily shook her head no' but refused to break his gaze. His face was so close to hers she actually found herself wondering why she couldn't smell his breath. She'd half expected him to have dog breath considering he was a dog demon and all, but he was odourless. She wasn't complaining; it was just something odd and unexpected.

There were many nuances to Sesshomaru she'd learned through being this close to him, some of them good, others bad, the rest confusing, but they intrigued her just the same. For instance, she'd learned, almost from the start, that he despised the purple hued demonic markings that covered his body in matching striped pairs. The ones on his face he was of course stuck with, but the rest he hid beneath layers of silk and growled whenever she accidentally touched them.

Another unexpected oddity was the fact that he couldn't stand to look her in the eye while he was inside of her. He acted like it was an abhorrence to even touch a human, yet every month he returned like clock work to possess her all over again. Perhaps the satisfaction he got out of making her life Hell was enough to waylay any feelings of repugnance he had towards her humanness.

Stepping back, Sesshomaru released his grip on her wrist and his eyes left her face to pan down the rest of her body. "Undress," he demanded, his voice as razor sharp as his claws.

Apparently he wasn't feeling magnanimous - this was most definitely one of his bad days. Wishing she could shoot daggers out of her eyes, Kagome fixed him with a look of pure hatred. Her chin jutted out defiantly as she slowly began to untie the red scarf of her uniform.

Realizing that she was intentionally moving a slow as possible, Sesshomaru flicked open his claws and heaved an exasperated sigh. "I will slice them off," he warned, cracking his knuckles pointedly.

Kagome flung a few choice curses at him in her mind but forced her fingers to work faster. Tossing her shirt and tie to the side, she unzipped her skirt and let it pool to the ground in a flutter of green wool. Next were her shoes, followed by her socks, bra and lastly her underwear.

Tossing them all atop her discarded shirt, she covered her naked form with her arms, stubbornly refusing to look him in the eye. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she felt his eyes rove over her curves. When the edge of his claw dragged across her cheek she closed her eyes and chills ran down her spine when he dipped his head to breath in her scent from the junction where her neck met her shoulder.

His tongue ventured out to lick a long slow trail of heated wetness overtop to spot where her pulse frantically beat beneath her skin and she was forced to bite her lip to hold back a gasp. Though her body reacted instantly to his touch, with a warmth that pulsed steadily from her core, she couldn't stop the tears the leaked from beneath her lashes and dribbled down her cheeks.

"Why were you late?" he asked, sounding more curious than angry.

He watched her hastily wipe the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She'd never cried before, no matter what he did to her. The thought of breaking her spirit appealed to him, but he'd certainly thought it would take more than that. He regarded her curiously as he moved behind her, trailing his claws through her silky dark hair as he went.

She hated him. She hated the way her body reacted to his touch and how even though her mind was completely unwilling, every other part of her gave in without hesitation. She felt betrayed and resented herself for not being stronger. Maybe it was because she was already hurt from her earlier fight with Inuyasha, or perhaps it had more to do with the fact that he almost never spoke to her unless he was demanding something, but she chose to answer him.

With a slight sniffle and a sigh her shoulders sagged forward. "Inuyasha and I got in a fight."

"About?"

She wiped away another tear that slipped past her eyelids and re-crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her back remained rigid and her eyes stared intently at the forest floor. He could feel the anger rising in her, and her scent on the wind changed as well. Arousal mixed with frustration, anger and sadness. An incredibly seductive and interesting combination.

"Koga, the leader of the wolf demon tribe."

Sesshomaru nodded his head even though she couldn't see him. He'd met this Koga before. Strong, loyal, a true leader, fearless, competent - the exact opposite of his hanyou half-brother. The wolf had protected Rin from a demon attack on one occasion. Though he wouldn't consider him an ally, he had no quarrel with him.

"Koga insists that I'm his woman," Kagome went on.

Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow at that. Had the wolf claimed her as his mate? Surely not, he would've been able to tell if she had. He was slowly beginning to understand the reasons behind his little brother's rivalry with the wolf demon. Though he had yet to actually mate with Kagome, Inuyasha liked to think that she already belonged to him. Naturally, Koga stepping in to lay a claim on her would force him to act or risk losing her permanently.

Stupid half breed, he remarked to himself. If he had the intelligence to mark her then his problems would be solved.

"Inuyasha gets really jealous whenever Koga comes around. He hates when he calls me his woman. He won't even let him touch me! He's such a jerk sometimes. He can run off with Kikyo whenever the mood suits him but Kami forbid someone shows a little interest in me!"

Kagome was shouting now. Her voice echoed off the nearby trees and destroyed the relative peace of the forest's tranquil setting. She didn't even care that it was Sesshomaru she was talking to anymore. It felt too good to let it out.

"Hn," Sesshomaru remarked noncommittally. "Inuyasha has a habit of placing claim on things which do not belong to him."

Kagome's eyebrows knit together and she turned to face him, her features showing her urprise. She'd expected some snarky comment for making him wait while she blabbed on about her troubles with Inuyasha, but he was...agreeing with her?

Of course he agrees with you. He'll agree with anything as long as it's against Inuyasha, she reminded herself bitterly.

"I think you are forgetting something," Sesshomaru added off-handedly, as he stepped in closer. He moved in front of her and held her gaze possessively with his own. The girl's breath faltered and her eyes widened as she gazed up at him. Sesshomaru smirked. "Don't forget that it is this Sesshomaru you belong to miko."

Kagome's eyes narrowed at his self-assured remark and before she could stop herself, her hand flew up of its own accord and connected sharply with his cheek. The sound echoed loudly off the trees and she froze, horrified by what she'd just done.

When his eyes snapped back to hers they were burning with his ire. A snarl sounded loudly in her ear as he snatched her wrist and pinned it painfully against the tree behind her. She winced as the bark dug into her skin and prayed to the gods that he wouldn't kill her.

Deciding that it would be better to punish her than kill her, the demon lord's mouth descended upon hers in a bruising kiss. She whimpered beneath the painful crush of his lips against hers and he felt his beast purr with satisfaction. She would learn how to respect him eventually and he looked forward to teaching her.

The girl struggled futilely against him at first but after a few moments slackened within his grip. Just as he began to contemplate whether he should release her hand so he could put his to better use, he felt her tongue dart out to meet his in a seductive dance. His eyes shot open at the sensation and he withdrew from her immediately, choking on a startled gasp.

She peered up at him, confusion written across her features, as his eyes darted back and forth to read hers. The minute she'd relaxed into him her scent had spiked with arousal. This wasn't what he was used to. Normally she was cold and unattached. It was like she left her body until he was finished, but this time she was there, all of her. Curious to see what she would do, he released her wrist. She flexed her fingers experimentally to get the blood flowing back into them again and lowered it to her side.

Kagome gazed up at Sesshomaru curiously, not quite sure what he wanted her to do next. Her body was telling her what it wanted but she wasn't sure if she should listen. Wouldn't it be wrong to go along with him so willingly? Shouldn't she at least put up some kind of fight? The heated feeling coursing through her veins drew her to her knees and with desire winning out over morality she slowly worked at the ties of his pants.

Sesshomaru watched curiously as her nimble fingers went to work untying the knots that held his attire in place. When the last one was finally free, her hand delved into the folds of silk and quickly wrapped around his hardened shaft. He didn't make a sound as he felt the soft skin of her palm caress his erection in slow rhythmic strokes. After a moment she withdrew her hand bringing his cock with it.

He gasped as the cool air washed over his heated skin but the sensation was quickly replaced by the tantalizing warm sheath of the miko's mouth. Her tongue drew languid circles around his head, stopping occasionally to flick at the bundle of nerves near the tip, sending shivers down his spine.

Unable to control himself, his breath hissed between his teeth and he reached his hand out to brace it against the tree for support. Kagome glanced up at him with wide curious eyes, his cock still buried deep in her mouth and he gave her a hasty approving nod. She continued on with renewed fervour, licking, sucking, and stroking his heated length until his legs felt ready to collapse beneath him.

When he was on the brink, just about ready to leap off that cliff and into blissful oblivion, he entwined his claws in his hair and pulled her head away. "Stop now," he ordered sharply, his breath ragged.

Obeying, she stood slowly. Her hands ran up the length of his legs until they met his waist. There they lingered for a moment, her touch burning his skin through the thin silk. With a mischievous grin she slid one hand lower to stroke his throbbing length again but he stopped her, snatching her hand away.

"I said enough." His voice was harder and louder than it needed to be. Damn her, he was losing focus. He'd had enough of playing around.

"Turn around."

His demand was brisk and her body moved of its own accord to obey it. Her palms pressed securely against the rough bark of the tree in preparation. She could feel her own arousal stirring between her legs in anticipation of what would come next. She tried to remind herself just how much she hated him but when she felt his hot breath cascade across her neck her body shivered with pleasure. Kami help her, she wanted him to touch her. She wanted him to take her against this tree and she wanted it bad enough she was ready to scream.

He was hovering directly behind her now and from the heat emanating off his naked skin she realized that he'd somehow divested himself of his clothes in record time. Using his claws, he pulled a large section of hair away from her neck and slipped it over her far shoulder. His lips descended instantly onto her flushed skin and she let out a low moan of appreciation. He kissed a heated trail across the sensitive area, driving her nearly to the brink with his slow, deliberate pace. As his tongue slipped over it a particularly sensitive spot she sucked in a strangled gasp and he rewarded her with a gentle nip.

Sesshomaru slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her hard against him. Her body was small and firm and fit perfectly against his in a way that he'd never imagined it would. His tongue licked and his teeth nipped at the flavourful sweet skin of her neck, immersing him in her taste and scent. He relished in the tiny noises of pleasure that escaped unbridled from her lips. But it wasn't enough to taste her. He wasn't satisfied with just having her submit. He wanted more.

He slid his hand down across the taught skin of her stomach and slipped it over her hips. There he paused and waited for her breath to hitch expectantly in her throat before he delved into her slick wet folds. Gratifyingly she instantly arched back against him and let out a gasp.

"Ah...Sess...mmmm!"

He smirked knowing that she could hardly speak in spite of what he was doing to her. Inspired he delved deeper, slowly inserting first one finger and then another into her heated core. The passage was slick with her juices and his fingers slipped in and out of her easily, lubricating and preparing the way for the rest of him that was soon to come.

Normally only concerned with his own release he'd never taken the time to pleasure her before, but he was finding it a worthwhile investment of his time. Each thrust of his fingers had her hips bucking against his hand and her body squirming against his. He'd possessed her before, but never like this. He'd never had this much control; she'd almost completely lost herself to him.

The miko hated him, he'd made sure of it, and yet she was ready and willing to spread her legs for him if he said the word. She responded to his every touch exactly the way he wanted her to and he found it to be a somewhat more satisfying dominance than what he was used to. What better stroke could he have to his pride than knowing that he'd made her want him against her will?

He kept his pace deliberately slow, his fingers pulsing in and out of her in a tantalizing rhythm, his thumb stroking the bundle of nerves that would be her undoing. After a few moments he withdrew his fingers, slick with her juices, and slipped them past her gently parted lips so she could taste her own arousal. Without hesitating she gently sucked on them as she had his cock, her tongue laving against his skin in slow, sensual strokes. He closed his eyes at the sensation and felt a shiver of pleasure jet down his spine. He knew he wouldn't be able to control his instincts much longer, not when she was being so pliant.

Kagome whimpered in spite of herself at the loss of his touch and bowed her head until her forehead pressed against the rough bark of the tree. Clenching her eyes shut she concentrated on breathing deeply to ease the light-headed feeling that had her head swimming and knees buckling beneath her. "Please don't stop," she begged, horrified by the needy, desperate tone of her own voice.

She was begging him for more, asking him to help her find her release. She needed it so badly he could feel the tension shaking throughout her body. She wanted to be disgusted with herself for giving in, for letting him win, but she just didn't have the strength.

His cock had throbbed painfully with the sound of each of her broken moans, demanding to be sheathed within her warmth, desperately needing its own release, but he'd held back until now. He'd wanted to see just how far he could push her before she cracked and she was nearly at her breaking point. Lowering his mouth, he caught the shell of her ear between his teeth and grazed it gently with his tongue.

"Tell me what you want miko," he purred against her skin. "I want to hear it from your lips."

Kagome shuddered at the sound of his voice so close to her ear. His hand expertly massaged her breast and kept her thoughts from being anywhere close to coherent. Her entire body throbbed with her need for him. The blood pounded deafeningly loud in her ears, the staccato rhythm of her heart matching the pace of her haste, breathy pants.

Her tongue darted from her mouth to wet her lips but when she tried to speak her words failed her. The cunning bastard was teasing her and she knew it. He knew how badly she needed to reach completion and he was willingly withholding it from her just so he could hear her beg for it.

Clenching her hands into fists she pushed against the tree, ignoring the sharp bite of its bark into her skin, and pressed her backside against his rigid cock. He instantly pushed back and she could feel it pulsing against her skin. He wanted it just as badly as she did but she was the one who'd have to beg for it.

Useless dog. Swallowing down the thick feeling that'd settled in her throat, she found her voice at last, shaky though it was.

"Sesshomaru...I need you. Please...just finish it."

Apparently that was all he'd needed to hear. The words had barely left her lips before she felt the press of his cock at her dripping entrance. His arm clamped around her stomach like a vice grip and he buried himself inside of her to the hilt, offering no apologies for the tight fit.

Sesshomaru inhaled sharply as her muscles constricted around him in great pulsing waves. He'd entered her this way countless times before, but never had their joining felt so all-encompassing. His entire body was paralyzed by the waves of pleasure that crashed through them both and for a moment he couldn't even breathe, much less move.

She too was frozen beneath him, her muscles straining for the release he continued to deny her. He could feel her back expand and contract against his chest as she pulled in heavy gasps of air to fill her lungs. He held her tighter, but only for a moment before he let her go and withdrew from her warmth completely.

The cold air felt like a bucket of ice water being thrown against his heated skin. All he wanted to do was go back inside, but he couldn't ignore the notion that it felt wrong to take her this way. Everything else was different about today, so why not this as well?

Clamping his hand down on her shoulder, he spun her around until she was facing him and pressed her back against the tree. His eyes narrowed at the flush of her cheeks and the glassy look in her eyes. She didn't ask questions as he snaked his claws into her hair, merely closed her eyes at the intimacy of the touch.

Abandoning her silky locks, he trailed his fingers across the soft plains of her body until his hand cupped the firm roundness of her backside. He lifted her with hardly any effort at all and she instantly wrapped her legs around him like a well trained pet.

He easily guided himself home, gliding into her warm, welcoming sheath. He studied her features intently as he did so, watching as her eyelids fluttered shut and her forehead wrinkled ever so slightly at the wave of ecstasy that shot through her. It was different like this but he liked it. A feeling of satisfaction rushed through him as he watched the visible signs of her pleasure, the pleasure he was giving her, on her face. The intimacy of it all was intoxicating.

Sliding his hand up to her toned thigh he gripped it tightly and pressed her hard against the tree to hold her steady while he plunged into her feminine warmth over and over again. With every thrust, every groan, she responded in kind, her body wrapping around him like a tightly wound coil. Her nails clawed desperately at the broad plains of his back as his tongue delved out to greedily lick at the salty droplets of sweat that beaded up on her shoulders and neck.

He never let up for a moment, refusing to ease his pace, and never once did he relinquish his hold on her. Whatever she may have thought before, she would know after today that she belonged to him and no one else. With animalistic grunts sounding from his throat, he pounded into her ruthlessly, driving her to the very brink without pushing her off the edge. Her body shivered and tightened all around him, she was ever so close, but he wasn't satisfied just yet.

Pulling away from her, he slowed his pace to a tortuously slow crawl that set his own teeth grinding. Struggling to maintain control, he waited patiently until she looked up at him. Her grey eyes were clear and warm as they studied his and for a moment he lost himself in their depths. There was no hatred shining in them today, no cool detachment or tears lingering just below the surface. Today all he saw reflected back at him was his own reflection and for now, that was enough.

Without hesitating or thinking about it for more than a fraction of a second, he pressed his lips tenderly to hers. She did nothing at first, apparently surprised by the gentleness of his touch. His tongue traced along her bottom lip that was still bruised and swollen from his previous rough treatment.

Her fingers drifted upwards and sunk boldly into his hair. She pulled him closer, her own tongue darting out to meet his in a playful dance. The kiss was sweet and gentle, a far cry from anything he'd given her before and he found that, much to his surprise, the feather light touches of her tongue and lips made his cock throb more painfully inside of her, begging for release.

The kiss deepened with the rhythm of their lovemaking. It became intimate, filled with longing, and unspoken words. His hand tightened against her thigh and his claws bit into her flesh. His thrusts became harder, needier and she eagerly met them, grinding her body against his as she sought out her own elusive release. With her body pressed so close to his own he could feel the frantic way her heart raced inside her chest.

He removed his lips from hers and suckled at the spot on her neck that always made her squirm. His ministrations were relentless until he felt her entire body go rigid. She arched against him and the muscles of her core clamped down around his length. Letting out a strangled gasp he moved in her, once, then twice more before the world exploded around him.

As if in some far off dream he heard her cries as she too slipped into oblivion. He was vaguely aware of the fact that his body continued to move with slow, steady thrusts. Her core to pull him in with powerful waves that milked him of his seed so that it coated her womb and left him feeling weak. He bowed his head until he felt the soft press of her skin against his. She was still clinging to him, her body trembling as aftershocks of pleasure shot through every nerve ending.

He remained inside of her for a long while after, her body flush against his, his hand clutched desperately around her thigh to hold her upright. He waited until their heart beats slowed to a steady rhythm and their once heated pants returned to normal before he slipped out of her. The cool winds picked up to raise goose bumps along her skin and he set her shivering form down on the ground. Stepping away he turned his back and gave her the privacy she needed to get dressed.

Neither of them said a word. The silence in the clearing was broken only by the quiet rustling of clothes as they were drawn on and the slip of strings that were tied to hold them in place. He usually waited until she left before he attempted to fully clothe and re-arm himself but today he didn't have to. She came to him.

With her hair still tousled, cheeks flushed, clothes still partially askew, and a small smile on her lips, she began to tie the laces of his pants back in place. Normally his pride wouldn't allow such a thing to happen, but today he was too enthralled and confused by what'd happened between them to care.

When she was done with his pants, her nimble fingers moved higher and fastened the ties of his silken robes. He stared down at her intently, wanting her to look up so he could see himself in her eyes once more, but she remained stubbornly focused on her tasks. When she was done she nodded to herself and stepped away, apparently ready to head back to her group. He wanted to reach out and grab hold of her but his arm remained stationary at his side.

He hadn't realized he'd called out to her until she stopped and turned to look at him with an unreadable expression on her face. He'd called her by name, something he'd never done before. It was always 'woman' or 'miko' but never had he dared to call her Kagome. Using her name made her real, it made her something more than just a play thing which was exactly why he'd refrained from using it, but today it'd slipped from his lips as though it were nothing. His mouth promptly clamped shut for fear that he would let something else humiliating slip.

She regarded him in silence for a moment, all the while giving him that same curious look, and then suddenly she nodded and said "I know."

He blinked at her, half expecting her to continue, but she didn't. Instead, she turned her back to him and resumed her journey back to the half breed's side where she belonged. The moment her green and white outfit disappeared into the thick shade of the trees an intense sense of longing settled in. Their agreement, whatever it had been, was thoroughly broken. They could no longer play the roles they'd willingly allowed themselves to slip into over these past months - the dominant demon and his unwilling prey.

It was too risky to let things go any further, something they'd both realized far too clearly today. Once emotions became involved, once it was something more than his body's need for release, once it became an insatiable need for her, it became dangerous. He drew in her scent off the wind, savoured it, and then let it out slowly. She was going to be a hard habit to break, but he would manage. She was only human after all. And perhaps somewhere down the road, after they'd both had time to let their passions cool, he could begin the hunt all over again.

Author's Note: Wow...so apparently the version I posted yesterday that I thought was the edited version uh...totally wasn't. So this here is the actual edited version that is (I hope) entirely typo free. If you do notice anything please let me know.

A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. I was a little nervous about posting this since it's my first fic and all but your words of support and encouragement have been just fantastic. For any new readers please leave some thoughts too. I'd really like to hear from you.