InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destined for Me ❯ Chapter 38 ( Chapter 38 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

This chapter contains a slight lime in it. I will tell you when it begins and when it ends so you can skip that part of the story. Again you have been warned of the slight lime contained in this chapter.

Chapter 38

The months passed and Kagome continued to get bigger as she accommodated the pup that was growing within her. She was finally beginning to slow down her hectic life but not of her own free will.

Sesshomaru had made her slow down her pace and she didn't like it one bit. She liked being active because it took her mind off things. When she wasn't doing something she would spend an endless amount of time thinking.

She was almost three month pregnant with her pup and she was finally showing. Her mate, the ever-stoic Lord of the West, was constantly near her and wouldn't leave her alone for one moment.

She would attend meetings that were being held between the other minor lords of the lands as they discussed what was going on in their area. They implemented many of Kagome's idea to harvest only the trees they needed and then replant the forest and let them mature before they would harvest again.

The plan seemed to be working as they set aside great portions of land that they would cut at different times and then allow the lands to recover from the harvest. They gathered many of the rare plants in the areas and brought them to Kagome as gifts.

Everyone knew that the mate of the great lord of the west loved flowers and the more rare they were the more in the lords favor you would be in if she accepted the gift.

Kagome would many times refuse the gift because she knew what certain plants or flowers would do. She would give them her thanks for bringing it to her but wouldn't touch the plant and refused them. The ones she did accept she would find a place for it in her gardens where they grew and were protected.

Kagome requested permission from Sesshomaru to do the same thing in the west as she had done in the south. She wanted to gather all the healers of the Western Lands, be it youkai or human, and bring them to the castle so she could teach them.

Her mate was not too happy about having males around his mate and therefore would sit through the long boring lectures she would give to the healers. When she got to the more specific parts of birthing a child he would leave Nasume to watch over her with a threat of death if she was harmed before he got back.

The healers were all very grateful for all the information that they could get from the Lady of the West. They all knew her knowledge was great and as they found new methods of doing things they would always come to her first to see if the procedure was safe before they used it.

Kagome many times would correct the way a procedure was done or how a certain medicine was mixed before they would use it on the people they cared for.

The Lady of the West had a reputation that was protect by all on the land. They respected her knowledge and listened intently when she told them how to solve their problems. She contented herself with dealing with the people as her mate managed the lands around them.

Sesshomaru would have many meetings that would involve the progress of his lands. He would talk to his mate constantly trying to find out what will happen in the future so he could be prepared.

His mate was a very strong will individual that would not tell him everything that would happen but when it was important enough to keep the lands safe with its people she would tell him so he could prepare and prevent their deaths.

Even though Kagome was only three months pregnant it didn't slow her down in the least bit. She was still very active throughout the castle and she had many female servants that would keep her company throughout the day when her mate was busy with business.

The ladies would always make sure that Kagome got her rest and ate her food when it was time. She had gotten over her morning sickness when she started her third month and she was grateful for it.

If it were not for Tususki she would still be drinking that awful medicine that the healers had mixed up for her so she wouldn't get sick. Tususki had sent a steady supply of the tea to her until the sickness was gone.

He would come to visit her from time to time and she enjoyed her time with him. He had told her many stories about his mate and she could tell that he missed her. When she asked why he had lived and she had died he had said, “Although I was mated to my Alia for centuries and I loved her dearly she was not my soul mate.

Only soul mates have true bonding with their mates. If one would get sick the other would feel the affects of that illness or if they got hurt in battle the mate would feel the wounds. They are tied together for all eternity and if one dies so would the other.”

He had gone on to explain to her that soul mates were hard to find. But if an Inu Youkai was lucky enough to find his soul mate that it will make them very powerful together. They would be harder to defeat because they fed off each other's energy.

They have a certain power that no other youkai could even come close to matching because they would protect each other from harm. This settled any fears that she had about her mate. She feared that he would go out into battle and that something would happen to him. She didn't want to be left alone to wonder the earth for as long as she lived for she knew that there would never be another for her.

While Tususki was on one of his visits he was sitting next to Kagome as she watched her other two pups in battle. They were becoming very strong in their own right and they were great warriors. He noticed that her gazed kept going to Rin and noticed the sadness in her eyes every time she looked at the girl.

He was curious as he asked, “Kagome is something wrong?”

Kagome turned her attention to him as she shook her head and said, “No, there's nothing wrong, why?”

“I have noticed the look that you get when you look at Rin. You look worried and sad at the same time and this bothers me.” Said Tususki with concern.

Kagome sighed as she leaned back against the tree she was sitting under as she said, “I just keep on thinking that one day I will lose Rin. She is human and will not live as long as Sesshomaru and me. I know that I will probably lose my mind if I was to lose a pup but I can't stop what time has in stored for her.

I know that she will grow up and mate with someone one day. She will have a family of her own and I'm fine with that. But she will grow old with time and there will be a day when she would pass into the next world.

Shippo on the other hand will be with me for a long time. He will live as long as I will and I will get to see his pups and every pup born to his family. Rin will be lucky to see her grandchildren but none after that. Human females in this day in age do not live that long.”

Tususki understood her concerns for her pup. Any mother would be devastated to lose a child. He had lost a pup once and it had taken his mate years to recover enough to continue to live. The way Kagome was with her pups she might never pull out of her grief. She was very protective of them and she loved them deeply. Her heart was pure and wanted only the best for them. He also noticed that there was a bond between her and the children, something that couldn't have existed if she didn't do a partial soul bonding with them.

He needed to talk to Sesshomaru before something happened to this young girl. He had an obligation to her and her mate needed to know that something could go wrong if she lost one of her pups. He excused himself as he got up from the ground where they were sitting to go and find Sesshomaru.

He saw that once he had left her side another female took his position as guard. He smiled knowing that Sesshomaru had these females protecting his mate while he was not next to her. He must trust them completely if they were her personal guards while he was away.

Tususki went up to Sesshomaru's study and he found that he was in there. He knocked as he waited for Sesshomaru to allow him to enter. His tone of voice was a lot softer now that he was mated as he said, “Come in Tususki.”

He opened the door to the study as he sat down in the chair in front of him and waited for him to get done with his paperwork.

When Sesshomaru finally finished signing the document he had on his desk he looked up at his fathers friend. He noticed the concerned look in his eyes as he asked, “Tususki, is something bothering you?”

Tususki took a deep breath as he said, “Sesshomaru, what are your plans for Shippo and Rin? Are you going to make them part of your pack?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Tususki as he said, “Shippo and Rin are part of my pack. They belong to me and Kagome and they will stay here for as long as they want. I know that one day they will have to mate and then they will leave the castle. Other than that I have no other plans.”

Tususki understood as he said, “You might want to reconsider. Kagome is very attached to Rin. Rin is human and in a few short years she will lose Rin to old age or illness. Rin out of all of her children will die. Kagome has given a part of her soul to each child. That's why when they are in danger she can sense it. Only a mother that has made a bond with a child, that is not hers, can sense this.

Kagome cares deeply for the children. If she was to lose Rin it will devastate her. Losing a child is one of the hardest things a mother can experience. She will go into deep depression and may never come out of it. It took me the better part of 10 years to get my mate to live again once we had lost a pup. I have seen the signs before and Kagome is heading in the same direction.

Unless you claim those two pups as yours permanently then you better be prepared for her death because she will never survive Rin's death.”

Sesshomaru took this news hard. He didn't know that Kagome had given part of her soul to the children to bind herself to them. He himself didn't want to lose Rin but he didn't know how to make them permanently his.

He had heard stories of long ago when Inu Youkai would take orphaned pups and make them their own but he never heard how they did it. He looked up as he looked Tususki straight in the eyes and asked, “I have no idea how to make Rin and Shippo my permanent pups. Do you know what I have to do?”

“Yes, I do know. You must perform the blood bonding ceremony for the pups. They are old enough to understand what they want and they have to consent to the ritual. You will have to do it soon for it takes both you and Kagome to do this bond and it has to be done over three days.

With Kagome being pupped and you two being soul mates it will transform the pups into Inu Youkai. Rin will be a true white inu just like you Sesshomaru but Shippo, if he accepts you, as his true father, it will change him into a rare Kitsune/Inu. This type of inu has not been seen for centuries. He will retain all of his Kitsune powers and in addition he will pick up yours.

You will have to make sure that the castle is kept safe for the three days that it will take to do the blood bonding. You will grow week during this time and so will your mate. Kagome's and your youkai will be used to transform the pups. You must keep Shippo close to you and Kagome must keep Rin close to her during this time.

You can only leave the pups for short periods of time or else the blood bonding will not work. If I remember right you can't leave their side for more than an hour. Once the blood bonding is done then they will be your pups. They will carry your blood through their veins and it would keep them both safe.

However neither of them will have the heirs marking upon their forehead. They will have the marking of your clan but not the royal marking making them heirs to the Western Lands. That right will fall upon the pup that your mate is carrying.”

Sesshomaru had been listening intently to everything that Tususki was saying. The blood bonding will take a lot out of them and he was worried about Kagome. He didn't want to lose her or the pup she carried. But he owed it to her to tell her about this ritual to make Shippo and Rin truly theirs so no one would doubt who their parents were.

Sesshomaru turned to his friend and said, “I will have to talk to Kagome about this. She must agree to this before we talk to the children.”

Tususki understood as he said, while he was getting up from his chair, “If you want Sesshomaru I can stay here for the next three days to make sure that everything goes well. I can protect you and Kagome. You never know who will cause trouble when you are deep into something and can't leave. I will feel better if I stayed to make sure everything was all right.”

Sesshomaru said his thanks to Tususki as he left his study. He then went over to the window and looked for his mate. He spotted her off in the distance as he leaped into the air and flew to her location.

He touched down gently as he made his way over to her side. He saw what she was looking at and he had to admit that Rin was very good with a sword. She was holding her own against a demon as she made an upward cut that would have sliced the demon in half had it been a real sword.

He saw the proud look in Kagome's eyes as she watched her daughter battling in the field. He approached her as he sat next to her and said, “Kagome, I need to speak to you in private.”

Kagome tore her eyes away from her pup as she looked at her mate. He had a serious look in his eyes that instantly sent up warning flags. He was worried about something as she agreed and left the field and walked with her mate toward the gardens.

Once they had reached their favorite spot in the garden Sesshomaru turned and pulled his mate into his lap as he sat down on the ground. He nuzzled her hair as he took in her sweet scent that always calmed him. He got his thoughts together and he started to speak. “Kagome, I wanted to ask you something that is very important. I want to know what your feelings are on this.”

He saw her nodding waiting for him to continue. She didn't want to speak, as she feared the worst from him. “I love Shippo and Rin very much. There is a way that we can make them ours for all eternity.”

Kagome was confused at what he was saying. “Sesshomaru what do you mean by making them ours for all eternity?”

Sesshomaru thought about how best to answer her question as he said, “There used to be a time when youkai would take other youkai children as their own when the pups were orphaned.

During this time there had been very few females and the youkai race was dwindling down. We couldn't afford to lose not even one youkai child for they were very precious. They would search the countryside looking for orphaned pups and take them in and claim them as their own. They would claim them in every way and make them part of their packs or in your case family. We have a ritual that will allow us to do this if the pups agree to become our children.”

Kagome's eyes lit up as she said, “Is it like adoption?”

Sesshomaru was confused as he said, “I don't understand the meaning of this word `adoption'.”

Kagome thought for a few minutes as she explained. “Adoption is when a mated pair take in children and make them part of the family, or pack. In my era we give them our surname and they are entitled to everything our blood children would be entitled to.”

Sesshomaru understood as he continued, “Yes the ritual is very much like this but it is more intense. We will be required to give up a large amount of blood to do it. The pups drink of our blood over the course of three days. You must hold on to Rin while I hold on to Shippo. Our demonic auras will shift and change our pups to make them look like us.

Rin's transformation will be a full one for she would change into a full-blooded Inu Youkai. Shippo on the other hand will retain his kitsune powers and take on some of mine. He will become a Kitsune/Inu Youkai. It is the most rare form of an Inu Youkai. They have not been seen in over 500 years.”

Kagome took all this in. She finally looked up at Sesshomaru as she said, “You want to change them to be like us, so that they would be accepted in the youkai world as our children? Would that mean that Rin will not die of old age in a few years?”

“Yes that is exactly what it means. Rin will live as long as we do. Shippo will be stronger than he is now. They would be fully accepted in the youkai world as our pups and no harm will come to them for fear of my wrath. I do this because I know you are very attached to them and so am I. I do not wish any harm to come to them and with our bloods flowing through their veins they will be protected.

But we will be weakened if we do this it requires a lot of blood for both children. I'm worried that giving up this much blood would put you and the pup you are carrying in danger. I don't want to lose either of you if we do this ritual. So I want to know if you want to go through with this?” Asked Sesshomaru as he watched his mate intently.

Kagome smiled at him as she said, “Yes, I want to do this. Nothing would please me more than to have the knowledge that Rin will be with us for many years to come. I don't care how much blood I have to give as long as she stays with me. I know that you worry about me but I think that everything will be all right in the end.”

Sesshomaru smiled as he nuzzled into her hair. Her scent was heavenly as he pulled away from her and said, “Kagome, we can do this for Shippo and Rin but you must understand that we can't do this for every child that is orphaned. It would not be right for our lands to be over run with our children. Many will not accept the gift we give them and that is their right. So don't be disappointed if one or both of our pups refuse this gift.”

Kagome thought about what Sesshomaru was saying and he was right. She couldn't expect to adopt every child that came along and it was Shippo's and Rin's right not to take what was being offered. If Rin were to refuse then she would have to live with the fact that Rin would grow old and die in a few years.

Kagome sighed as she said in a sad voice, “Yes I know but the ones that I care for the most are our pups and if Rin or Shippo refuse the gift then I will live with that decision. I know that they have the right to make up their own minds.”

Sesshomaru was happy that his mate understood. He knew that she would hurt if either pups refused their gift but she can have the next 50 or so years to get used to the fact that their daughter was going to die. He would help her through it no matter how long it took.

They both headed toward the castle as he sent a servant after the pups. He wanted to see them in his study when they were done with their lessons. They both walked into the study as Kagome was pacing the room. She was nervous that her pups might reject their gift as she was rubbing her hands in a circle in a nervous twitch.

Sesshomaru seeing that his mate was in such a state walked up to her and held her in his arms. He wanted her to calm down because he noticed that the pup within her was upset. She could lose the pup if she continued with this nervous habit of hers.

He held Kagome in his arms as he was rubbing her back in a soothing motion, which relaxed her before he heard Shippo and Rin coming toward them. He released his mate as he sat her down in one of the sofa's that was in his study. He went and sat behind his desk as he heard a knock on the door and told his pups to come in.

Shippo and Rin walked into their father's study when they noticed that their mother was sitting down in one corner of the room. Shippo could smell the fear coming from his mother as he looked at his father with concern.

Sesshomaru thought it best to get this over with so Kagome could calm down, she was still upset at what their answer would be and until she heard the pup's decision she would not calm down.

He took a deep breath as he said to his children, “Shippo, Rin, I have a question for the both of you. I want you to listen very closely to what I'm about to say. I want you both to think about it and then give us your answer.”

He saw his pups agree to listen as he proceeded. “I have talked to your mother and we both have agreed. We want to make you both our pups. By this I mean there is a ritual that we will perform, if you both agree to it, that will change you both into inu youkai. You will both have the markings of my pack and will be fully accepted as my pups.

But I must tell you that the change is a painful one and it will take three days to complete. Once the change happens you will both have my markings upon your person. The only thing that would be missing will be the crescent moon that I have. You can not be heirs to my lands but you will both be treated as our own pups never to be denied who your mother and father are.”

Both pups heard what their father had said as they started to think. Rin was the first to snap out of her thoughts as she looked at her father and asked, “Otou, does this mean that Rin will not die and she can be with you and Okaa for a very long time?”

Sesshomaru smiled at his daughter as she always reverted back to the old way she used to speak when she was nervous. “Yes Rin that's exactly what it means. You will be with us for as long as we both live which will be a very long time.”

Rin took all this in as she smiled and said, “Yes, I want to be yours and Okaa's pup if it will let me be with you forever.”

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Rin agree to the ritual. She looked up from her lap as she looked at her son. He was having a harder time making a decision as she saw him deep in thought. She was wondering if her pup would accept the gift or remain the way he is.

Shippo heard what Sesshomaru had said. It was a tempting offer. He didn't know what to do as he thought about his request. `Kagome has been my mother since the day that the thunder brothers killed my real parents. She has taken care of me since then and I know that she loves me as her own.

It never really mattered to her if I was youkai or not, she loves me the way I am. But what Sesshomaru is suggesting is that I give up my kitsune heritage and become an inu. I don't know if I can do this. It would be like I was giving up a part of me.'

Shippo looked up from his thoughts as he asked, “Lord Sesshomaru, what would happen to me if I was to decline your offer? Would you make me leave my mother?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at his son as he said, “No Shippo, I could never separate you from your mother. You can stay with us for as long as you wish.”

Sesshomaru heard his mate's heartbeat increase when Shippo asked his question. He had to think of something fast before the kit declined his offer. “Shippo, I know that this is a lot to think about but hear me out.

I know that what I'm asking is for you to give up being a kitsune. Even though this is true you will not lose any of your abilities as a kitsune. You will pick up my abilities and become even stronger than you are right now. You will become a rare form of Inu known as a Kitsune/Inu.

This type of Inu has not been seen in over 500 years. Inu's a long time ago used to take in kitsune pups when they were orphaned. We did this because we knew that they were strong fighters and would bring great honor to our packs.

We stopped because the Kitsune's became stronger and were better able to protect themselves and not leave their pups orphaned.”

Shippo thought about this for a few minutes, `If I accept then I can truly protect my mother from attacks. She wouldn't have to protect me anymore and maybe now I can protect her. I love Kagome with all my heart and I want her to be happy.'

Shippo looked up as he said, “All right Otou I agree to the ritual.” Shippo instantly noticed that his mother let out a small cry as she heard what he had said. He knew that she had been waiting for him to agree to the ritual and now that he has she was relieved that he would take the gift that they offered to them.

Sesshomaru was very happy that the pups agreed to the ritual. He told them both that they could leave and that the ritual would start later on that night.

Sesshomaru watched as both pups smiled at him as they rushed toward their mother and gave her a hug before they left the room.

Kagome had become very emotional since she has been pupped. She was an emotional wreck by the time the pups agreed to the ritual. She was relieved to hear that Rin had accepted the gift that they offered her. She was almost in tears when Shippo hesitated to accept the offer they had for him. She was sure that he was going to refuse when Sesshomaru had convinced him to take it.

She was breathing hard as she was starting to cry. She couldn't hold it in any more as the tears started to come down her face.

She felt a strong pair of arms go around her waist as she was being held against a strong chest. She cried her heart out, as her emotions were unleashed.

Sesshomaru noticed that his mate was still very upset. He needed to calm her down as he walked over to the place where she was sitting and held her in his arms. He started to rub her back in a soothing manner as his inner inu purred to calm her down.

After a while she finally calmed and he sensed the pup within her settle down once its mother had calmed. He breathed a sigh of relief once this happened. He was glad that he only had four more months to deal with Kagome's emotions. If she remained pregnant longer than this he wouldn't know what to do.

Kagome being emotional was hard for him to understand. Emotions were a new feeling for him and he didn't really know how to deal with them. He knew that he hated to see Kagome cry and so did his inner inu. He would always whine when their mate would cry.

Once she had stopped crying she pulled away from him as she said, “Sesshomaru, I have to go and prepare a potion that we can give Shippo and Rin that would help them through this transformation.”

Sesshomaru was surprised to hear this as he asked, “What kind of potion are you going to make to help them during the transformation?”

Kagome looked at him as she said, “I'm going to make a sleeping potion that will put them to sleep during the time they are transforming. I don't want them to feel any pain while we are doing this for them.”

“Do you know how to make a sleeping potion?” Sesshomaru asked with curiosity in his voice. He never knew that Kagome had any knowledge on how to make a sleeping potion.

Kagome laughed as she said, “Mate, you know that I'm a pure heart miko. I can make any potion I want. My knowledge is vast in this area and I can make anything that will make my pups more comfortable while they are undergoing transformation.”

Sesshomaru rose to his feet as he pulled his mate with him. They walked out together as he followed her to see what she was going to do. He was curious of her knowledge and wanted to see how she prepared this potion.

He knew how to make a sleeping potion, for his father's library was full of this type of information. He had mixed that one potion he had given her over a year ago when his father's medallion had picked her as his potential mate. He needed to know what type of miko she was so he had found a potion to give to her.

He followed his beloved mate outside to where she had her herb garden growing. She went searching for the correct herbs that she needed to make the potion for the pups. By the time she was done she had a basket full of herbs as they headed back inside and went toward the kitchens.

The servants saw her coming and they had things prepared for her. It was like a normal occurrence for them to see his mate mixing a potion in the kitchen. He would have to take an active interest in what she did during the day if the servants were this relaxed with her in the kitchen. They had set aside a pot for her to use as they had a fire going in one of the hearths.

Kagome set her basket down as one of the servants brought a pestle for her to use along with a mortar. She took her herbs as she crushed them into the mortar and then grind them into powder. She went to a special cabinet that she had in the kitchen as she opened it up and removed some more ingredients from there.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes wide when he saw this. His mate had a lot of herbs in different jars that were neatly stacked inside. Each jar was labeled with what it had in it as she continued to mix her potion.

She added the herbs to the pot she had and added some water to it as she placed it on the fire to let it cook. She would bring a ladle of the liquid to her nose, as she would sniff to see if it had everything it needed. She then turned and got another herb as she added it to the pot while she continued to cook the potion.

Sesshomaru was impressed. She made her potion differently than he would have but it smelled exactly the same as his. This was another part of his mate that he didn't know anything about as he continued to learn about his mate.

Once she was done she got a jar and put the potion into it as she set it off to the side to let it cool and ferment until it was ready. Luckily for her this potion didn't have to ferment for very long before it was ready to use.

They both walked out of the kitchen leaving the servants to go about their daily duties. They were all relieved when the Lord had left their domain. He never came down to the kitchens before and this disturbed them greatly.

Kagome was feeling tired from everything that had happened that morning as she headed towards their bedchambers to rest.

Sesshomaru followed his mate not willing to leave her side at the moment. He knew that she was tired and he wanted to make sure that she went to rest.

Once they got to their room Kagome laid down. To her surprise her mate had followed and crawled into bed with her as he held her tight in his embrace. He nuzzled into her hair as he took in her scent. He felt himself relax as he noticed that his mate had finally fallen asleep and he followed shortly after.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru woke about two hours later. He was well rested as he looked at his beloved who was asleep in his embrace. She looked so beautiful in his eyes as he held her closer to his chest. He was thinking about the ritual that they were going to perform later tonight. For the first time in his life he was scared that something might happen to his mate.

He was afraid that with her losing so much blood she would be extremely weakened. He knew that there were risks involved in doing these rituals but losing that much blood was always a danger. He would not only lose his mate but also his pup.

For the first time in his life Sesshomaru knew what fear was. It radiated off him in waves as he brought Kagome closer to him while held her in his arms.

Kagome started to wake up when she caught the scent of fear from Sesshomaru. She has never known her mate to be scared of anything and for him to be this scared worried her. She turned in his embrace as she held him close to her heart. She looked up as she asked, “Sesshomaru, what are you scared of?”

Sesshomaru was breathing hard as he was trying to calm down. He nuzzled into her hair as he took in her scent. He relaxed as he heard her question and replied, “Koiishi, I'm afraid of losing you. This ritual will take a lot out of us. For you to lose that much blood puts you and the pup in danger. I don't know if I will have enough strength to even wield Tenseiga to bring you back.”

Kagome understood his concerns as she said, “Sesshomaru, trust me when I say that I will be fine. I will not let anything happen to my family. I will always protect us. Have faith in me that we will make it through this ritual.”

Kagome's words were a comfort to him as he held her in his arms. She didn't ask for much only his trust. He would freely give it if it meant that she would be safe but until this ritual was over he would still worry about her. “You have my trust mate. I have faith in your abilities but until this ritual is over this Sesshomaru will not feel at ease. I worry for you and our pup but I understand that we must do this for our other pups. I never really had a family and I don't want to loose what I have Koishii.”

Kagome held on tight to him because she understood what he was feeling. He had lost his family when he was very young and the only brother he had was taken away when Inuyasha was just a baby. Though he acted like he hated his brother Sesshomaru actually cared for him.

He had been secretly training him every time they fought each other. He wanted to protect him without Inuyasha knowing what he was doing. He was content to let his brother believe that he hated him when it was really the opposite.

She could do nothing to assuage his fears about the ritual but she did have a plan to help them once the ritual was over. She just had to find Nasume and tell her what she wanted her to do once the ritual was over.

OOooOooOooOoo LIGHT LIME AHEAD ooOooOooOooOO

Kagome moved to get out of bed as Sesshomaru held on to her. He was not willing to let her go as she looked as him with curiosity. She saw the gleam in his eyes and knew what he was thinking about as she reached up with her hand and started to scratch the area behind his ear with a gentle motion.

Sesshomaru growled, as he was fully relaxed in his mate's arms. She was giving him attention and he was in heaven. The next thing he knew he felt his haori being taken off as his mate had him under her control. He was by no means going to complain while she did this to him.

Soon they were both pleasuring each other as their moans were heard. Then in a move that totally shocked him Kagome was on top of him as she slid home on top of his stiff member. He tried to stop her for fear of hurting the pup but her moans of delight stopped him as he let her be the dominant one for this.

Slowly at first she started to work him. He had never seen his mate like this before and he really enjoyed it. He would have to let her take charge more often as he enjoyed what she was doing to him.

Soon they both reached their peaks as Kagome collapsed on his chest panting hard. He turned them over so she wouldn't put too much pressure on the pup as he stroked her back. They were relaxed as he leaned down and kissed her with all of his love.

He purred as he said, “I should let you do that more often.”

Kagome giggled as she said, “Just because I'm with pup doesn't mean that we can't join I will have to show you other positions that we can do once I get to be bigger and can't move as much.”

Sesshomaru raised and elegant eyebrow at his mate as he started to lick her neck in response to her statement. He would be looking forward to these positions.

OOoooOooOooO END OF LIME OooOooOooOO

Soon it came time for them to prepare themselves for what they had to do. They both left their bedchambers as they went their separate ways. Sesshomaru wanted to give Tususki instructions on how the Western Lands defenses were set up in case anything happened during the ceremony.

The time had come for the ritual to start. Tususki was present in the pup's room as they were about to start. A servant brought in two golden cups and put them on the table and then left the room.

Candles were lit all around the room giving it a soothing feeling. Tususki stepped toward the table that had been set up as he grabbed a dagger in his hand. He turned to the pups and asked, “Do you two accept the gift that Sesshomaru and Kagome are willing to bestow upon you?”

Both Shippo and Rin answered, “Yes.”

Tususki looked at Kagome and Sesshomaru and said, “All right, Sesshomaru I want you to hold out your right wrist and Kagome I want you to hold out to your left wrist.”

They both did as they were told and as Tususki took the knife and slit their wrist causing them to bleed. He turned their wrist toward each other and then placed them together. He allowed the blood to drip into the cup until it was filled as he did the same thing to the other one.

Once both cups were filled Sesshomaru grabbed his mates wrist and brought it to his mouth as he healed her wound. He didn't want her to loose any more blood than necessary. Kagome then took out a bottle and placed a small amount of her potion into the blood as Tususki handed the cups to the pups.

Kagome was feeling light headed from giving so much blood. She really didn't think it would be this much but she was now resigned to finish this ritual. She made herself look stronger than she was as she flared her aura to make sure no one noticed that she was feeling weak.

She watched as Shippo and Rin drank the blood that was offered to them. When they were done Sesshomaru and Kagome had to rush forward to grab the kids before they hit the ground. They had been quickly put to sleep by Kagome's potion.

Tususki helped Kagome put Rin in her bed as Sesshomaru picked up Shippo and placed him in the other. Tususki noticed that Kagome was really weak from giving so much blood. He also noticed that she was trying to hide it and this was not good. She didn't want to appear weak in her mate's eyes but she could be putting herself and her pup in danger. He would have to keep an eye on her for the next three days.

Once he had placed Rin in her bed he turned to Kagome and said, “Kagome, why don't you lie down and rest that way you can recover the blood you have lost.”

Kagome agreed as she laid down next to Rin and gently held her in her arms. Her aura flared as it engulfed the little girl in its protective light.

Tususki saw what Kagome did and smiled. He turned to Sesshomaru who was looking at his mate with concern. He turned to Tususki and said, “Kagome is weak right now. She didn't think she would have to give so much blood to do this and I think she might put herself in danger because of it.”

Tususki agreed with Sesshomaru as he said, “Yes I do believe you're right. We will have to keep an eye on her for the next three days. She must eat to replenish the blood that she has given. But I'm afraid she will not eat what is required of her and the human food she eats will not be enough. She needs to put nourishment in her body for the pup. She is badly in need of protein that only comes from raw meat and I know that she won't eat it.”

Sesshomaru considered this for a minute before he turned and walked out of the room looking for Nasume. She was standing right outside the door and when she saw her lord coming out of the room, as she bowed deeply to him.

Sesshomaru stopped in front of her as he said, “Nasume tomorrow you will bring up some food for me and put extra livers on the plate. I must get Kagome to eat it or I might loose her.”

Nasume was shocked to hear this but she also knew that Kagome would never eat food like this, “But milord, milady will not eat food of this kind. I have tried in the past and she refuses. She even gets sick when she sees blood.”

“Hnn…” was all Sesshomaru said as he turned and returned to the room where his family was located. He will find a way for Kagome to eat the food that he will offer her even if he has to appeal to her inner inu.

When Sesshomaru walked back into the room he noticed that everyone was asleep. He was feeling tired himself as he went over to Shippo and laid down next to him. He curled his body toward the young kitsune and wrapped his tail around him to keep him warm.

When Sesshomaru finally fell asleep his aura flared as it wrapped itself around Shippo to protect him. Tususki looked at all of them as they slept it was a beautiful sight as he saw all of them together protecting their pups. He was proud of Sesshomaru and the way he had changed.

In the past he would have never done this because he would have thought it was beneath him but his love for his mate has taught him to be compassionate and caring and it was all due to Kagome. Kagome he thought she was putting herself in danger in order to protect her pups. He just hoped that she makes it through this ordeal or the new pups would be minus two parents.

~oOo~

The next day Sesshomaru woke up as he looked around the room. He was still feeling weak from the blood loss but he would soon recover it. He looked down at Shippo as he started to notice the subtle changes in the kit. He was taller now; his hair had grown longer too. It was still the fiery red that he had. He looked a little older now but he knew he still had to undergo more changes.

He got out of bed as he walked over to his mate and Rin. When he sat down next to his mate he noticed that Rin had also gotten a little taller. Her hair was longer just like her mother. She had the beginning of elf ears as she slept.

He turned his head when he heard a knock on the door. It was Nasume and she brought up the food tray with what he had requested. She bowed to him before she left the room.

Sesshomaru thought he should get this over with because he knew that his mate would be difficult when it came to eating raw meat. He had to get her the nourishment that she needed for the pup and he hoped that he could convince her.

He reached out with his hands as he gently caressed Kagome's cheek. He needed her to wake up so she could eat. He knew that the pups would sleep for the next three days. Their blood was nourishing them for right now so they would not weaken.

He saw as Kagome slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him. He leaned down and captured her lips in a heated kiss as he said good morning to his mate. When he finally released her lips he asked, “How are you feeling this morning?”

Kagome woke up to the most wonderful feeling. Her mate was rubbing her cheek and it felt good. She smiled once her eyes were focused and before she could get up he had leaned down and kissed her. She returned it with as much energy as she had when he finally pulled away.

When she heard his question she smiled and said, “I feel a little weak this morning but that's to be expected because of what we are doing.”

He looked into her eyes as he said, “Mate you need to eat to regain your strength.”

She nodded her agreement as he helped her up. When she walked over to the food she noticed all the blood and turned away looking green around her neck. There in front of her was a plate full of liver still in the blood from the animal in which they took it from. It glistened in the morning light and she couldn't stand to look at it.

She felt when Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her into his embrace. He leaned down and said in her ear, “Kagome you must eat this meat. Your body is in desperate need of protein for the pup. You must eat raw meat for it gives the most nourishment for the pup.”

Kagome shook her head as she said, “No I can't eat meat like that and I don't like liver to begin with.”

“Kagome if you don't eat the meal brought to you then I will force you to eat the meat. You need it because the pup will pull what it needs from you. You're youkai now and must give in to that side of yourself. You will feel much better afterwards. I'm not asking that you give up eating the foods you like but you must supplement it with raw meat.”

Kagome shook her head furiously at her mate refusing to eat the meat.

Sesshomaru sighed as he saw that he would have to do this the hard way without her knowing about it. He closed his eyes as he called his inner inu forth. He was the only one that could unleash his mate's inner inu. Once his inner inu was in control he reached down and grabbed on to her neck as a high-pitched purr started from deep inside his chest.

Kagome had no idea what was going on but felt relaxed in her mates hold. She gave in to his desires as she drifted off to sleep. When Kagome went limp in his arms Sesshomaru's inner inu called for his mate. The inner inu of Kagome answered his call as she was in control of his mate. Her blood red eyes looked at him with desire.

He turned her toward the food that was being offered as he said, “Mate must eat. Pup will not get strong unless you eat.”

Kagome's inner inu finally understood why she was called forth as she turned to the liver and picked one up. Her fangs grew longer as she bit into the fresh meat. She relished as it went down her throat. It was still warm, as she tasted the fear of the animal before it was killed. She ate all of the meat that was on the tray and when she was done she started to lick the blood off her claws.

Sesshomaru's inner inu helped get her cleaned up as he started to lick the blood off her face. When he was done cleaning her he purred in her ear telling her to go back. She complied with his wishes as they both returned to their rightful place.

Sesshomaru blinked his eyes as they returned to normal. He looked at his mate, as she was asleep in his arms. He was happy that he finally got her to eat some raw meat and that will help her gain weight and she could properly nourish her pup.

He picked her up as he laid her back down next to Rin. He gathered the food tray and opened the door to find that Nasume was there with another food tray for him. He handed her the empty one and he took the full one as he returned to the room. He ate his food so he could gather his strength. He had a feeling that he was going to need it once all this was done.

They continued to do this for the next two days. Tususki would come by and brief him that everything was quiet around the castle and the lands. If there were problems Tususki would never tell him so he wouldn't worry about it. All Sesshomaru knew was that the castle felt at peace and that's all that mattered to him.

On the final night of the ritual they had just finished filling the last cups for the pups when Kagome fainted in Sesshomaru's arms. He became worried when he saw this as he laid her down on the bed. He felt her weakness and it was weakening him too.

He collapsed to his knees as he tried to anchor his soul to this world for the pups. He was breathing hard when he heard the door slam open and Nasume rushing to his side. She had something in her hands as she said, “Milord please drink this. It will help you recover quickly so you can help Lady Kagome.”

Sesshomaru was dizzy as he said, “What is this?”

“It's a potion that milady made a long time ago. It's to help our soldiers recover quickly when they have fought in a battle. She told me that once the final cups have been filled for me to give this to you. She can not take it because of the pup but she asked me to give it to you because you would be able to help her recover from this.” Said Nasume in a rush she was trying to get him to take the potion.

Sesshomaru didn't need any more explanation as he down the potion in one swallow. Now his lovely mate would have to explain what the potion actually did once she woke up, but for now as long as he had the strength to hold her to this world that's all that mattered to him.

While Nasume was tending to the stubborn lord, Tususki gave the pups their final drink of blood. If everything goes all right then by morning both pups would be fully transformed.

He heard a noise off to the side and Sesshomaru was refusing to leave Kagome's side. He had to get him back to Shippo so that his demonic aura could finish what it had started.

Tususki started to think about what to do when he got an idea. He approached Sesshomaru as he said, “Sesshomaru why don't you place Tenseiga on top of Kagome so it can protect her. You have told me before that the swords protect her when it's needed. That way you can return to Shippo so the transformation can be completed.”

Sesshomaru thought about it for a minute as he removed his sword from his sash and placed it in Kagome's obi. As soon as he did that the sword pulsed as it engulfed Kagome with a light blue aura. Kagome breathed a little easier and this relaxed Sesshomaru.

Tususki helped Sesshomaru into bed with Shippo and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He sighed with relief that he was finally out so he could recover from the blood loss.

Tususki and Nasume both left the chambers to let everyone rest for the night. They will check on them in the morning to make sure that they were all right.

All through the night Sesshomaru's aura gently caressed Shippo as he slept, his aura also reached over to Kagome as he feed his sword his powers to make her strong. He didn't care about himself he wanted his mate to be safe and he would do anything to protect her and their pup.

Then just before dawn Kagome's power flared and the whole room lit up in its powerful light. It startled Sesshomaru awake from his deep sleep as he was frantically looking for his mate.

She was still asleep on the bed as he turned to Shippo and noticed his changes. He was a handsome young Kitsune/Inu Youkai. His hair came down to about his waist and it was silver in color with red highlights going through it. He had red bangs on his forehead that never went away. He had one magenta stripe on each side of his cheek. His claws where longer and his feet were now almost human feet with claws instead of the paws that he had. His tail was not as long as Sesshomaru's but it was a little longer than what he had. It had also remained red in color.

When Sesshomaru moved his bangs away from his forehead he noticed that he had a golden teardrop in the center. It was exactly like his and he could only guess that this was the flash of light that came from his mate. It was her way of protecting them no matter what. His mark would protect him just like his protected him from his mate's wrath.

He slowly got up as he made his way over to Kagome and Rin. What he saw took his breath away. His daughter who he had been taking care of since she was about 5 years old laid next to her mother, she was truly a white Inu Youkai just like him and she was beautiful.

Rin had long silver hair just like him that came down below her waist. She had a touch of blue-black hair on her bangs and on the tips of her long main. She was taller now with small little delicate fangs that were clearly seen. She had claws on her hands and one magenta stripe on each side of her cheek. Her skin was milky white and very soft to the touch. A low growl escaped his lips as a warning to any male that would dare hurt his little girl.

He moved the bangs away from her forehead and he observed that she too had the teardrop but hers was an icy blue just like her mother.

It looked like the transformation actually worked as he then turned his attention to his mate. He leaned down as he nuzzled her neck taking in her sweet scent. He could never get enough of that scent. It was very addicting and he always wanted to be near her.

Kagome started to stir from her sleep when she felt a nuzzle against her neck. She smiled as she opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru sitting by her side. She was still tired as she yawned and tried to roll over so she could continue to sleep when she felt herself getting picked up in strong arms.

Sesshomaru picked up Kagome as he walked out of the room. They both needed a bath and then he would take her to rest. He could still feel that she was weak and with a couple of days rest she should be fine. She had scared him yesterday because he had felt her weakness and he thought that he was going to loose her. But the potion that she had mixed had allowed him to regain his lost blood and restored his strength.

His body was then strong enough to keep her anchored to this world as he feed her some of his energy to help her regain her strength. His mate must have realized what was going to happen and had instructed Nasume to bring him the potion once they had given the last of the blood for the pups.

He finally reached the bathing chambers as he placed Kagome on his lap. His fingers worked with practiced ease as he removed her kimono so he could bathe her.

Kagome moaned when she felt that her clothes were being taken off. She was tired and all she wanted to do was sleep. She woke up to find that she was naked on her mates lap as she looked at him through half lidded eyes.

He was able to place Kagome on the bench as she stayed sitting where he had put her. He quickly striped his clothes and got some warm water so he could bathe his mate. He took great care to wash her hair and then her body. He stopped when he got to the bulge that she had on her stomach as he felt the presence of his pup.

He smiled as he rubbed his hand over her belly relishing the feel of his pup growing within her. Then for the very first time he felt the pup kick his hand as Kagome let out a sharp hiss of pain. She was sitting up holding her stomach as she was breathing hard.

Sesshomaru began to panic as he asked, “Kagome are you all right?”

It took a minute for Kagome to get the pain under control as she breathed deeply. After a few minutes she answered. “Yes I'm all right Sesshomaru. That was the first time I felt it move and it was painful. It felt like I was being scratched from the inside and it hurt.”

Sesshomaru understood what she was saying. Some how the pup had hurt her when it moved. She let out another sharp cry as she grabbed her stomach again and was breathing deeply.

Sesshomaru quickly moved his hand to her belly as a low but deep growl escaped his lips. It shook Kagome's body from the intensity of it and as quickly as the pain came it left.

Kagome was relieved not to feel that pain again as she looked up at her mate and asked, “What did you do to make it stop doing that? Now it moves and there is no pain.”

Sesshomaru held his mate closer to his chest as he purred. She soon relaxed in his hold as he said, “The growl was a warning to the pup that it should not hurt its mother. Male inu have the ability to communicate with the pups while they are still inside the mother. I simply told it that I would not tolerate the pup hurting its mother.”

Kagome smiled leave it up to the Inu Youkai race to have ways of communicating with their own children. She felt the pup move a couple of more times before it finally settled down. `Hmm, it must have found a comfortable position to lay in.' Thought Kagome as she relaxed against her mate. He was gently rubbing her back in smooth strokes and she was enjoying herself.

Once Sesshomaru got Kagome cleaned and himself washed he moved her into the hot springs so that she could relax. The spent the next hour there as he held her close to his chest. When he saw her skin start to prune he thought it best to leave the hot springs and return to their bedchambers.

He gently placed her in bed as he cuddled next to her. He was not going to leave her until she recovered from what they had done.

~oOo~

Shippo and Rin were both finally waking up. They both sat on their beds as they rubbed their eyes. When their eyes came into focus they looked at each other and their jaws dropped open. Neither of them could believe the changes that they had made.

They both got up out of bed as they noticed for the first time that the bed was not as big as they remembered it. They were both taller now. Rin's sleeping kimono came up to about mid thigh. She blushed a bright red when she noticed this and then said in a more mature voice. “Umm Shippo, I think you better leave so I can get dressed.”

Shippo nodded dumbly as he left her room and went to his own. When he got into his room he looked at himself in the full-length mirror and he couldn't believe the way he looked. He had more muscles now and he was a lot taller. His hair was longer and he noticed that his hair was silver but the tips and his bangs were still the red that he had always known. He still had his fluffy red tail but it had silver streaks in it. It was short not as long as Sesshomaru's.

His claws were sharper than before and longer. His fangs were longer and when he smiled you could clearly see them. He still had his bright green eyes but they held a golden edge around the outside making them stand out more.

He had one magenta stripe on each side of his cheek, wrist, waist, and ankles.

He noticed on the top of his forehead that he had a golden teardrop and he wondered what it meant. When he looked down at his feet they were not paws any more like he used to have, now he had feet just like his mother.

He heard a knock on his door as one of the servants entered his room. She held new clothes for him. It was a white silk hakama and haori along with a blue and golden color sash. She had black boots with her just like the ones that Sesshomaru wore as she placed it all on the bed for him.

The servant told him that the clothes were a present from Lord Sesshomaru as she bowed and left the room so he could dress.

Shippo couldn't believe what he was looking at. Sesshomaru had clothes made for him that were made of the finest silk he had ever felt. He had never worn anything so beautiful in all his life.

He was jumping for joy as he got dressed in the cloths that his father had made for him. When he was done dressing he looked in the mirror once again and he almost saw a miniature Sesshomaru looking back at him. He smiled as he left the room to see what Rin looked like in her new cloths.

When he stepped outside his room what he saw was not what he was expecting.

~oOo~

Rin was shocked when she saw Shippo. He had changed so much that she wondered if she had changed as much as he did.

When she stood up from the bed she instantly noticed how short her kimono was and blushed as she asked Shippo to leave so she could get dressed.

Once he was out the door she rushed to her mirror so she could see herself better. When she gazed upon her reflection she gasped. She was just like her father. She had long silver hair with blue/black tips at the end and on her bangs. She had elfin ears just like her father.

She had one magenta stripe on each side of her cheek. When she looked at her hands she had claws like him. There were stripes on her wrist also and on each side of her hips. One of the lines on her hip went all the way down her right leg until it wrapped around her ankle. She decided that she liked her markings as she continued to notice all the changes.

She had fangs as long as her mother's. She had gotten taller and a little fuller than she was before. She started to show curves in all the right places as she looked at her eyes. They were still the brown orbs that she was used to but with a hint of gold around the outer edge. She noticed that she had a blue teardrop on the center of her forehead and wondered what it meant.

Rin could not believe how much she had changed. She felt stronger than she ever did. But she stopped her train of thought as a new one came to mind. `What will I wear? All of my clothes are too small for me now.'

At that moment a servant came in with a new kimono for her to wear. It was a deep green kimono that had a golden obi with it. Her mother would often wear one like this as she squealed in joy.

The kimono was very dark green on top as it started to shift colors as it went down. It became brighter on the bottom as it had golden sakura blossoms on it. The servant helped her get dressed. Then she sat her down in her chair as she started to brush her hair. She brushed it out until it was silky smooth. It laid perfectly straight behind her back not the usual wild hair that she was so used to.

The maid then took her hair and made it into a French knot on the back of her head and secured it with two green chop sticks. She let a little of her hair dangle on each side of her face as she made it curl.

When the servant turned Rin around so she could see what she had done with her hair Rin couldn't believe what she saw. She looked very pretty for the first time in her life. She smiled one of her most sincere smiles in thanks.

She got up as she went to find Shippo to see what he looked like. When she walked out her bedchambers she finally got to see Shippo. He looked just like their father and he was very handsome.

Shippo felt his jaws drop when he saw Rin. She looked so beautiful just like their mother. They stood there and looked at each other as a smile came across each of their faces. They then turned and went toward the dinning hall so they could get something to eat.

When the house servants saw Shippo and Rin they couldn't believe how they looked. You will never know that they were not the true children of their lord. They looked exactly like their lord and lady and they presented themselves as such. They all thought that the pups were no longer pups as two young adults stood before them.

~oOo~

Shippo and Rin did not see their parents for at least another day. They were told that they were still weak from giving them all that blood to transform them.

Tususki had taken it upon himself to start to teach the pups their new abilities. He found out with Rin that she had miko powers just like Kagome. He didn't know how this could happen but she had them just the same.

Shippo had many of Sesshomaru's attacks as he made poison come from his claws. He could summon a poison whip to aid him in his battles. He knew that he could probably do some other things too but he would have to learn how to use his powers. His kitsune powers were more powerful than before.

His foxfires had a deadly affect for when he would release the fire it would also be laced with his poison making it very deadly. His illusions were much stronger and he was able to hold them for longer periods of time.

Tususki was very impressed with the pup's new abilities as he stayed with them all day and trained them. By the time they were done the pups were exhausted as they retired for the day. He checked to make sure that they were both sleeping soundly before leaving them alone. He knew that he had to quit calling them pups because they were now young adults but to him they will always be pups.

As he was making his way down the hallway he noticed that Nasume was waiting outside Sesshomaru's door. He was curious as he stopped next to her and said, “Nasume what are you doing here?”

Nasume turned to Lord Tususki as she bowed and said, “Lord Sesshomaru would be awake soon and he will need this food for Lady Kagome. He has instructed me to bring him this kind of food so Lady Kagome can eat and get strong again.”

Tususki stood there and thought for a few minutes when full understanding came to him. The pup was smart, he was using his inner inu to awaken her beast so she could feast. Once she was done then her beast would return. `Leave it up to Sesshomaru to figure out a way to make his mate eat raw meat so she could get stronger.'

He was about to leave when the door opened to reveal the Lord of the castle.

Sesshomaru walked out of his room to see Tususki standing there waiting for him. He raised an elegant eyebrow at him as he asked, “Is there trouble Lord Tususki?”

Tususki shook his head, as he said, “No everything is quite, I was checking on Rin and Shippo before I retired for the night. They are fine. You will need to start training Shippo very soon. His powers are great and he needs to learn how to use his new abilities. Kagome will have to train Rin because she is a miko. She is not a pure heart miko but she is still a strong one.”

Sesshomaru was shocked to hear this he had no idea that Rin was a miko. `Could this be part of the blood bond?' Thought Sesshomaru as he took the tray from Nasume and turned to go back into his room. He wanted Kagome to eat before it got much later.

But before he made it back to his room he heard Tususki ask, “How is Kagome? Is she recovering from the ritual?”

Sesshomaru turned slightly as he said, “Yes, she is recovering nicely. She should be up and around by tomorrow.”

Tususki was happy to hear this as he said his good nights to everyone and went on his way.

Sesshomaru watched as Tususki walked away heading toward his chambers, he had placed him in the western wing along with his family. He was family and it had taken Kagome's remark about the rose to let him see this. He was happy to welcome him into his family as he turned and went inside his chambers.

Sesshomaru placed the tray of food on the table next to the bed. His mate was still asleep as he gently caressed his cheek against hers. Her skin was very soft to the touch as he started to feel her move.

Kagome was waking up from her sleep. She felt her mate rubbing her cheek against his markings and it was very soft against her skin as she relished the feeling. She responded in kind as she raised her hand and rubbed the area behind his ear. She heard his purrs and giggled as it tickled her skin.

Sesshomaru pulled away from his mate as he looked at her. She was even more beautiful now than before. Her skin had a shine to it that he could not describe. She was gaining some weight from the food he had been giving her and this pleased him. He broke the silence of the room as he said, “Kagome you have to eat. The pup needs the nourishment.”

Kagome sighed she knew that he was feeding her raw meat. She couldn't understand how he was doing it. All she knew was that she had eaten it because she would taste the blood that was still lingering in her mouth.

She turned to her mate as she asked, “Sesshomaru why do you make me eat raw meat? You know that I hate it so why to you force me?”

Sesshomaru looked at his intelligent mate as he said, “Kagome my love, your body is in need of the protein that only raw meat can provide. Liver is a good source of vitamins that the pup needs to get stronger. Unlike a human pup a youkai pup needs this nourishment. If you do not feed our pup what it needs it will take it from you. It leaves your body weak and instead of gaining weight you lose it. Think about it, in your era what would the healers do to make sure that the female provides nourishment to her pup?”

Kagome thought about his question. In her era the healers would give her vitamins that would supply her body with nourishment for the pup. They would give her iron pills that would enrich her blood and strengthen her pup. But she was not in her era she was in the warring states era and this type of medicine is none existent.

She sighed she knew he was right but she didn't like it one bit. “I see the logic of your argument. In my era the healers would give me pills that will have all of these things in it so I can nourish the pup. I understand that you are trying to keep me healthy along with our pup.”

Sesshomaru purred as he licked her neck. She finally understood what he was doing as he said, “Since you understand what I have been trying to do then you need to eat. The pup is hungry and you need to take in the food it requires.”

He saw her hesitate as he lowered his head to his mate as he let his inner inu come forth. She didn't fight him this time as his deep purr called to her inner inu.

Kagome's darker half came forth as she relaxed into her mates hold. They enjoyed just being with each other for a few minutes before he reached over and gave her the food that he had for her.

He saw Kagome's blood red eyes sparkle in the evening light as she ate the meat he had for her. When she was done he cleaned her as her inner inu returned to her place and Sesshomaru's inner inu returned as well.

When Kagome opened her eyes they were back to normal as she reached up and said in his ear, “I think that both our inner inu like it when we let them be together. We should allow them to have more freedom and be with each other.”

Sesshomaru thought about this as he said, “Yes I do believe you're correct mate but we will have to wait for a while. You are not strong enough yet and the way they could truly be happy for just a little while would be in our true forms. That way they can truly be released to be with each other. Even though they live within us and we are constantly together they wish for some freedom to be themselves.”

Kagome agreed with her mate, “Yes we will have to wait for a while but I know that this would please them both. They do help us when we need them and we should keep them happy too.”

Kagome yawned as she snuggled into her mate. Her eyes were growing heavy as she started to feel the darkness trying to take her. But before she when to sleep she said to her mate, “Sesshomaru, since you force me to eat raw meat I think its only fair that you try some of the food that I like to eat.”

Sesshomaru growled he didn't want to eat human food and he knew that he was not going to get out of it either. But as long as she ate the raw meat while she was pupped he would give in to her request. “Very well, you continue to eat raw meat and I will try this human food that you make. I will not eat the cook's food. I will only eat what you make.”

Kagome was happy about this as she cuddled deeper into his chest. His warmth was soothing for her as she finally fell asleep again.

Sesshomaru smiled leave it to his mate to think about everyone's feeling and try to make them happy. This was his mate; this was the person that was to be the mother to his pups. Her heart was big and cared deeply for everyone. He had never in his life been as happy as he was right at this moment. He was glad that he had listened to his father's medallion and taken her for his mate.

Sesshomaru sensed when Nasume returned with his food. He placed his mate gently on the bed as he got up to retrieve his food. He had never eaten so much in all his life he guessed that giving up all that blood for the pups must have done this to him.

Once he had eaten his food he crawled back into bed with his mate. He held her in his arms as he fell into a peaceful sleep.

~oOo~

The weeks passed and Kagome was back to normal. The first thing she did when they finally left their bedchambers, after the ritual, was to seek out her pups. She was surprised at the way they looked. They were both taller than before and looked more mature.

She smiled when she saw Rin. She looked exactly like her only a younger version. She could tell that she had released her dormant miko powers. She knew that Rin had them she just needed to release them.

Rin was not a pure heart miko but she was more powerful than just a regular miko. Rin had the power to heal, to put up powerful barriers, and to attack. Kagome taught her daughter well as she showed her how to control her powers. She would have to take it easy because she would tire easily.

Kagome noticed that Sesshomaru had taken it upon himself to train Shippo. She had to admit that he was stronger in this form. He was still young and still had room to grow but he was holding his own against his father.

She watched as they battled fiercely against each other but she also knew that Sesshomaru was not using all of his potential. He didn't want to hurt Shippo and he was holding back.

Three weeks passed and Kagome was once again in her normal routine. In the morning she would train her daughter and in the afternoon when the children were with their sensei learning about the laws and history of the land she could be found walking around the garden with her female companions.

Kagome had to smile at this. Her female companions were the servants of the castle. He had told her that a group of them had approached him and asked to be trained in the art of self-defense. They wanted to keep Kagome safe and they figured that if he trained them then they would be good in killing any threat coming toward his mate.

Sesshomaru agreed to test them to see if they were worth his time to teach. What Sesshomaru didn't expect was the shear determination they had to become deadly assassins. They were good some even better than his own soldiers. They were all good but he took only the best of them to train.

He was not easy on them but they took the training to heart. Once he was done his mate had her own bodyguards that he trusted with his eyes closed. They would protect her until his arrival and that's all that he could ask of them.

This was the only way that he could leave her side to attend to the matters of the land. He trusted those demonesses to protect his mate and that's what mattered to him.

Kagome was currently walking in her garden. She loved the smell of her flowers and the way it gave her peace. It was a feeling that she enjoyed and she relished her only time of peace.

She continued to walk with her escorts when she picked up a scent in the wind. She sniffed as she tried to make out what it was. It was sweet and smelled of cinnamon. She concentrated on this scent it seemed familiar to her somehow but she couldn't place where she had smelled this before.

She searched her memory when she finally got it. It was matsutake. This was a very rare mushroom that only grows under fallen trees of the Japanese Red Pine. It had a spicy aroma and when mixed with the food you were cooking it made it even better.

She remembered that in her era this was very expensive mushroom because they were hard to find. You couldn't grow them like you could everything else. They had to grow on their own on the Japanese Red Pine and that's what made them expensive. She didn't think that she would find this type of mushroom here nearby the castle as she turned and headed toward the gates. She had to have some of these mushroom she knew that it was delicious to eat but maybe she could find other things to do with it like make medicine from it.

Those were definite possibilities as she moved as quickly as possible. She was four and a half months pregnant and she couldn't move that well anymore. She was larger than before and it kept her off balance.

Ah and Un were with her. They always followed her when she went on her walks. He wanted to protect her and when she tired he would carry her on their back.

Once Kagome made it to the gate she asked the guards to open it for her. She knew the routine she would have to wait for an escort to go out of the castle grounds. Sesshomaru was still very protective of her and she understood why.

She waited until the ten guards arrived and then the gate guards opened the gates for her. It was not unusual that the Lady of the castle would walk out of the castle grounds. She would only be gone for a few minutes but they protected her viciously.

Once the guards were there they all walked out of the gate. The guards immediately spread out to allow their lady to go anywhere she wanted to go. Kagome had a purpose for coming outside the gates as she followed her nose to the wonderful aroma she smelled.

Nasume who had been with Kagome the whole time was curious as to why she was outside the castle walls and asked, “Kagome why are we out here? I know that you smelled something that caught your attention is that why we're here?”

Kagome smiled at her friend as she said, “You're right Nasume there is a wild mushroom that is growing near here and I want to get some. They are called Matsutake and they make any food that you cook taste wonderful. I didn't think that I would find any here near the castle. They normally grow under the Japanese Red Pine so there must be a fallen tree around here.”

Now Nasume understood what her lady was saying. She knew it had to be important to her if she was outside the castle walls. They only had to walk a short distance when they found the fallen tree that Kagome was talking about.

Kagome showed them how to harvest the mushrooms as they gathered all that where there. Once they were done they all turned to return to the palace when Kagome stopped in her tracks. Something didn't feel right as she let her sense spread over the land.

There was an evil coming but she couldn't tell from which direction they were coming from. She knew that Sesshomaru's barrier went past the castle wall for at least a mile to keep the forest safe around her home. She had reinforced it with her powers so she didn't understand how they could have gotten through her barrier. No one could break her barrier without her knowing about it.

The guards immediately noticed that something was not right. They couldn't pick up any new scents in the area but yet the Lady of the castle was standing still with her senses on high alert. This warned them that something was about to happen as they moved to protect.

The rest of Kagome's guards surrounded her as they became aware that there might be danger nearby. They wanted to move to go to the castle when the ground started to shake. It threw everyone off balance as Kagome almost landed hard on the ground. Ah and Un had held her tight with their tail and saved her from the nasty fall.

The two-headed dragon gave an almighty roar into the air summoning their lord. They didn't know where they were coming from but there was a threat to their mistress. They would protect her no matter what as he stood guard over her.

Kagome's head was spinning from the moving earth. She didn't think that this was an earthquake because she could sense that it was in the immediate area that it was felt. She found her center quickly as she opened her eyes. Whoever was causing the earth to shake was about to make their presence known.

She saw the ground beneath her start to move as she shrieked and Ah and Un leaped away from the area with their mistress. The others followed as they faced the enemy that was starting to come up from underneath the ground.

They were Anaguma youkai (Badger Demons) and they had dug themselves a passageway to the castle. The only place where the barriers did not protect was under the ground.

Her guards and soldiers were protecting Kagome, they had formed a tight circle around her as she slowly stood and took out her sword, Sanshunojingi, from its sheath. She knew that this would summon her mate because she sensed a silencing barrier around the area, that's why no one in the castle knew they were being attack.

Her sword grew in length as she channeled her anger into it. She stepped forward as she said, “What do you want here?”

The Anaguma that was in charge stepped forward and said, “Ah Lady Kagome we were sent to get you milady. Our lord wishes you to come to his kingdom.”

Kagome growled as she said, “What makes you think that I want to go with you. I have a mate and he is all I need, now leave before I kill you!”

The Anaguma just laughed at her remark. She was pupped and they knew that she would not risk killing it. They slowly moved forward they were told to bring her to their lord and that he would take care of the pup she was carrying. She would be a powerful mate to their lord.

Kagome's guards stood at the ready making sure to protect the Lady of the Castle. There was no way they were going to let her get hurt.

The first wave of Anaguma came forth as her guards took care of them. They were minor youkai no match for the soldiers that were trained by Lord Sesshomaru himself.

The Anaguma took stock of the situation and regrouped. They would have to fight hard to get to her but she was worth it. They attacked full force as they surged the group in the forest.

Kagome's guards were good, they were protecting her but they couldn't stop some of the Anaguma from getting through. They charged Kagome only to be met with a powerful blast from the dragon that was protecting her.

Ah and Un saw the youkai coming to attack their mistress as their eyes turned red from anger. They stood tall as they let their fire go. The enemy didn't have time to get out of the way of the blast as it turned them into dust.

Ah and Un tried to get Kagome on their back but she refused to go and leave her guards. The enemy was making a push to get her. She saw as Nasume got a sword through the stomach as Kagome screamed, “Nasume!!”

Seeing her friend go down because she was protecting her made Kagome's anger grow ten fold. Her eyes turned red from rage as she summoned her powers. A bright light took over the area as it pushed and purified the enemy that was close to her location. When the light died down to everyone's shock there stood the Western Lord.

~oOo~

Sesshomaru had been in his study going over the reports for the food they have so far gathered this year before winter. It seems that the growing season was good this year and everyone would have plenty of food to make it through the winter. He would have to ask Inuyasha how the growing season was going so he could send the surplus to the south to feed the people for the winter.

Sesshomaru sensed that his mate was in the garden again as he smiled. She loved to roam the gardens this time of day. He felt when she got excited about something and walked over to the window. He saw her walking over to the gate as the gate guard summoned more guards to go with her.

He didn't think anything of if since he didn't sense any danger nearby. He knew that she wouldn't be gone long. She only went out the gate when she smelled some herb that she couldn't resist getting. It would always be a rare herb, as she would bring it back and plant it in her herb garden that way she would always have it.

He went back to his desk as he continued with his paperwork he wanted to hurry so he could spend some time with his beloved. He was deep in thought about a request from one of the lower lords when he sensed that Sanshunojingi was removed from its sheath. His mate would not pull out her sword unless she was in danger.

He sent out an alarm throughout the castle as the soldiers rushed to the gates. Sesshomaru took to the air as he looked for his mate. There was a silencing barrier placed around the area as his eyes started to turn red with rage. He dived down into the forest where he knew his mate was located as a bright flash of purifying light engulfed the area.

He found his mate as he rushed to her side. He stood directly in front of the threat. As soon as the dust cleared he saw his enemy as his eyes started to turn red from his anger. `How dare these fools think that they could take my mate!'

The Anaguma saw the Western Lord standing in front of them as they took a step back. They thought that their silencing barrier would prevent him from knowing that his mate was being attack. They knew that they could never defeat him as they started to retreat.

The Anaguma started to go back into the hole from which they came from as Sesshomaru anger peaked.

Sesshomaru didn't want to let his youkai out for the sincere reason that he could not follow the youkai down the hole. He let his rage go as his eyes turned white with anger. The crescent moon on his forehead started to glow as his hair went up in the wind that was created by his youkai.

He released his attack as a powerful beam came forth and followed the vermin into the hole. It continued to follow the Anaguma youkai until it killed them all. Once he sensed that he had killed them all his powers reseeded back as his eyes returned to normal. He will take care of their lord once he knew that his mate was all right.

Sesshomaru turned looking for his mate when he noticed that she was still in her blood rage. This was not good the pup was in distress and if he didn't get her to calm down she could lose it.

He approached his mate very slowly as he called to her, “Mate, please calm yourself. The danger is gone and I have killed the threat. No one else will get hurt.” He continued to talk to her in nice soothing tones as he started his purrs.

He saw Kagome close her eyes as his purrs soothed her inner demon. He had to calm her as he continued to get closer. Once he was within reach he pulled her into his chest as he rubbed her back.

Kagome collapsed against his chest as he picked her up in his arms. She was asleep in his arms as he turned to look at everyone to make sure that they were all right. When he saw Nasume on the ground dieing he removed Tenseiga from its sheath as he gave one swipe of the sword and healed her wounds.

Nasume opened her eyes to see everyone standing around her. She didn't know what had happened as she slowly sat up. She saw Lord Sesshomaru with Kagome in his arms as she became alarmed that something might have happened to her. “Lord Sesshomaru! Please tell me that Lady Kagome is all right! Please milord!”

Sesshomaru for the first time in his life felt gratitude toward the demoness on the ground asking about his mate. She had almost given her life to protect his mate and he was grateful for it. He said in a gentle voice that was not within his character, “Nasume, Kagome is all right. She went into a blood rage when she saw you get attacked. You protected her and the pup and for this I'm grateful.”

He turned his attention to all in the clearing as he said, “You have all shown great skills in protecting this Sesshomaru's mate. You will all be rewarded for your efforts. You are all to take the rest of the day off and get some rest. You have all earned it this day.”

He turned as he walked back into the castle with his mate in his arms. When he reached the gate he was meet there by his general, as he turned to him and said, “In the forest there is a hole in the ground. The Anaguma used this to get close to the castle. Pay their lord a visit and show him what it means to try and take this Sesshomaru's mate.”

The general bowed deeply as he went to do his bidding. When they returned there would no longer be a threat to the Lady of the Castle. That Anaguma Lord would know what it means to mess with their lords mate.

Sesshomaru continued to go toward his bedchambers as he held his mate tight in his arms. She was resting comfortably as the pup seemed to not have been hurt by her power spike. `Kagome must have shielded the pup from her wrath because that blast would have purified everyone in the forest.'

Sesshomaru paused in his thoughts as he discovered something. `Her blast should have purified everyone near her but yet her powers did not hurt her guards. She must have concentrated her powers on the enemy's aura that would explain why they weren't purified. I never knew that Kagome held this much control over her powers.'

When Sesshomaru finally reached his bedchambers he put Kagome down on the bed as he sat by her side. He would stay with her until she woke up to make sure that she was all right.

He also needed to tell her that they needed to take a trip to the Southern Lands. Inuyasha had sent word that there was an evil threat that he could not find and was requesting help in locating it.

He looked at his mate as she rested. He was worried that something might have happened to her as he waited patiently for her to awaken. He hoped with all his heart that she was all right.

~oOo~

Well this is the end to another chapter. As you can see Kagome and Sesshomaru fully adopted Rin and Shippo as their own. Yes I know I could have left them alone but then Rin would die of old age and I didn't want Kagome to be without her. It shows the power of love between a mother and her children.

I'm sorry for the late update but it could not be helped. I'm sorry and hopefully I can continue the way I was before.

Single Spark has officially started taking votes for best fanfic. You can go to my profile and I will have a link to where you can go to vote if you so desire. You can vote up until 21 April 2006. After that the winners will be announced.

In the next chapter we travel back to the Southern Lands with Kagome and Sesshomaru. None other than Kagome will discover the threat that is roaming around the Southern Lands as it goes after her.

Until the next chapter!

Ja ne!