InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shared Blood ❯ Shattered Bonds ( Chapter 5 )

I'm sure that we all know this by now, but Inuyasha does not belong to me. He and all created characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I want to thank Kayla for being so enthusiastic over this story and giving me suggestions. This chapter is dedicated to her.

Shared Blood

Chapter Five

By: Lazuli

lazulidreamer@yahoo.com

Inuyasha looked at the silent girl in the room, whose gaze was currently focused on the snow falling outside the window. She had been silent and withdrawn since she was almost killed by Unmei, and it was starting to bug him. She didn't even argue with him anymore, and he missed having a slave that did something interesting for once. Although after seeing Unmei, he had his fill of 'interesting' humans. That reminded him…he wanted to ask what the hell the humans were doing with their own set of people outside of the schools his father generously allotted to stay open.

"Oi, Kagome. Come here. I have some questions to ask you." Kagome turned to him, her face expressionless.

"Hai, Inuyasha-sama?" She asked. Wincing inwardly at her mild tone, he continued on, making his voice harsh.

"I demand an answer, Kagome. I didn't think of it at first, but why is there a human side of town anyways? All I know of is the two schools, and the slaves. Is there something the humans are planning?" He smirked, and deliberately made his tone mocking. "A rebellion perhaps? Don't lie to me, girl."

Kagome shrugged lightly. "There's nothing to hide from you. There are a few humans that don't live in the schools, ones that get kicked out, ones that never go, and ones that run away from their masters. They live in various old buildings around the abandoned part of town, where the humans used to live. I lived in a well house."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "You lived in the well house? I thought I got you from the school." Kagome looked unconcerned.

"I lost my privileges from helping the other humans too much. I wasn't allowed to live there anymore."

He rolled his eyes. "So why did that bitch say you betrayed her?" He asked, trying not to show anger too much over it. After the way she brushed him off last night, he had to tread carefully with her. He wasn't sure why…but he knew that maybe kindness and concern wasn't the best way to act right now. He had to act like her master.

"I didn't kill you." Her blunt statement threw him for a moment, and he tried to regain his composure.

"She said you betrayed her because you didn't kill me? Didn't she know what would happen if you even tried to?" He asked. She nodded slowly.

"Of course she did. We all know what happens. We were told that if we ever got caught, we were to try and kill our masters. If there was no chance to kill them, we were supposed to run off. Either way, we wouldn't be controlled by the youkai. If we ever became bed slaves of the masters, we were supposed to kill ourselves."

Inuyasha stared at her in shock. "Why didn't you try to kill me or yourself?" He asked, wondering if he really wanted to hear her answer, or if she was going to try and kill him now. He could stop her easily…but he didn't want to see her killed because of it.

"You're my master. I'm smarter than Unmei. I can see how well off I am. Like I told her, if a chance comes, I'm not going to through something like this away. You ignore me most of the time, except when you want me to do your homework, I get fed, and I have a covered place to sleep with warm blankets and a pillow. You take most of that away, and I am still better off than I was, working with the homeless humans."

She paused, smiling slightly. "You're a good master, Inuyasha-sama. I didn't want to kill you. You saved my life several times, and I wasn't going to repay you by killing you. That's why its betrayal. Just by acting so familiar with you, like you are a normal person and not my master, is also betrayal."

He gaped at her. "Is that why you have been acting so strangely? Like one of those mindless slaves that work here?" She nodded.

"You're acting almost too nice lately, Inuyasha. I thought it would be best if we kept the master slave relationship perfectly clear. I like this position too much, and I don't want to get poisoned by another jealous slave."

Her smile was slightly ironic. "You didn't have to save me, you know. You could've let me die. I would have fulfilled my duty and not have betrayed anyone. Instead you saved a human that you didn't want around in the first place."

He sighed. "You're not an ordinary slave, don't you know that? You're mine. I don't let anything of mine be taken away from me."

She openly stared at him, startled into laughter. "Were you bad at sharing your toys, too? A little possessive, aren't we?" She was startled when he yanked her against him.

"You're mine. Don't forget that, Kagome." She stiffened as he gently stroked her hair, reminding her forcefully of the night that Unmei attacked her.

"Inuyasha-sama…I can't do this! It's betrayal." He snorted.

"You're doing what you're supposed to be doing. And you can't betray someone that is no longer your friend. All ties are broken as of this time, Kagome. It's too late to turn back now."

She blinked back the sudden tears and tried to further squirm out of his grasp. "You expect me to break all ties to the life that I have known for the past sixteen years? To throw away the fact that I was ever human?"

His face was expressionless as he looked down at her in his arms. "It's an order, Kagome. You're no longer one of them. You're better than them, do you understand?"

She nodded, turning away from him, but his strong grip on her chin forced her to look up at him. "I'm not doing this to be harsh, Kagome. It's best for you to get used to your new role. I've been too easy on you."

She looked frightened for an instant, and managed to pull herself out his arms, bowing to him. "I understand, Inuyasha-sama. Should I go down to the kitchens now? I'm sure that you are hungry. I can pick up your meal."

She was gone before he could grab her again, and he blinked. "Maybe that blood of mine did change her…" He muttered. "Or else I'm getting too soft." He waited patiently for Kagome to return to the room, and when she finally did appear, he glared at her, making her falter in her steps.

"I never mentioned *anything* about being hungry, or for you to fetch my dinner, now did I Kagome? Your job is much different. If I tell you to get my dinner, you can. By you leaving when I was talking to you, you disobeyed an order."

She nodded, putting down the tray. "Yes, Inuyasha-sama. I'm sorry." Her voice was bland and emotionless again, and he glared inwardly. It was like the girl *wanted* him to punish her. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of proving her right.

"I believe we should start your *real* job, Kagome." He stood next to her, tracing her jaw with the back of his hand, smirking at the blush that spread across her face.

"Yeah, right. You can barely stand to touch a human, much less do anything else with them." She stood in her place though, eyes intent on his.

"I don't have a problem with touching you. You seem to have the problem, Kagome. Are youkai too nasty for you to go near? Prejudiced, aren't you? A lot like Unmei."

Her eyes opened wide with shock. "What the hell do you…" A darker blush covered her face. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha-sama! I didn't mean…" Her voice trailed off when he shook his head, smiling.

"I know exactly what you meant. You say that you don't mind me, but you flinch every time I touch you. Am I that disgusting? Would you rather have a full youkai or human? Not that mixed half-breed?"

Kagome shook her head. "You said I was yours. I have no interest in anyone else, and like I said, you moron, you're the nicest youkai here! I don't want to corrupt you by having you be with a low human, though. We can still pretend. No one knows. They don't have to know. Your secret is safe with me."

He smirked at her. "What if I don't want it to be pretend?" He asked slowly, wondering what was wrong with him. Why on earth was he acting this way? Was he trying to seduce her or something? She apparently wasn't buying it, because she just rolled her eyes at him.

"If you wanted to do something with me, you would have done it from the start and got it over with. It's a natural enough act, isn't it? What was stopping you before?"

He smiled. "You were. I may not look human; Kagome, but not all youkai are bloodthirsty, sex-driven creatures. Some of us can think with our minds, can realize there are feelings of other creatures, and consider those feelings. My mother is human. It doesn't bother me that you are human, and in fact, has me understand you far better than you realize."

She blinked at him, confused. He grinned at her, and gently kissed her on the mouth, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away. "You'll see, Kagome."

"What do you mean by that, Inuyasha-sama?" She tried to act as if the kiss didn't faze her, as if it was just a part of her 'job' but it was a slight trembling in her voice gave her away. She couldn't believe that he had kissed her so suddenly and without warning.

He smirked. "Trust me, you'll see when it's time." His own face was tinted with a slight blush though, and she looked away. She couldn't act as if it bothered her, or that his reaction bothered her. She felt his hand on her face though, and she looked quickly up at him.

"Inuyasha-sama?" Her voice was quiet and unsure, and he grinned at her.

"You'll do fine, Kagome. Let's just eat that meal you brought up now." She nodded shyly, and knelt at the low table, smiling at Inuyasha. She wasn't sure what happened, but there was a definite change between them, and she wondered at what it would bring.

Inuyasha inclined on his pillows, thinking over what happened with Kagome, who was out of the room at the moment. He had kissed her…and it wasn't as strange of an act as he thought it would be. It felt natural…instinctive to kiss her. She had not pulled away in shock, and had watched as the low blush crept across her face.

The stupid girl didn't know that he was as inexperienced as she was, if not more so. She probably had more experience then he did…who knew if she had a boyfriend in her old life. Her old life…he hadn't been joking with her when he told her that. After what happened with Unmei, he wanted all ties broken. She was going to be treated almost like his mother. The youkai would not bother her, and the humans would die if they even tried to harm her in any way.

He glanced out the window, sighing. He didn't know why he was waiting around for her to appear on this night. He was never in his room on this night, nor did he ever let Kagome see him. The sun was slowly setting in the sky, and he felt his powers melt away from him, sinking away. He couldn't even smell Kagome at the moment, and he cursed inwardly. So soon it started…by the time she made her way back in the room, he would be completely human. His mouth tilted in a grin. He wondered what her reaction would be.

Would she know it was him? If she didn't…he could test her. It would be fun to play with her mind, and see how far he could push her.

Kagome walked in the dark room slowly, trying not to disturb Inuyasha if he was sleeping. It was early for him to be in bed, but she couldn't figure him out. She glanced out the window, wondering where the moon was, and realized it was a new moon.

She fumbled in the darkness, tripping over something on the floor, falling on the bed. She fell onto warm body, and she groaned. She was going to get it for waking Inuyasha up. He was so grumpy when woken up.

"There you are, Kagome." She jumped up, startled by Inuyasha's calm voice. She felt him reach out to the lamp on the table beside her, and the room was suddenly flooded with light. She blinked at the sudden assault to her senses, and when her vision cleared, she gasped at the human boy in front of her.

"What the hell?" Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she backed away from him quickly, ignoring the amusement in his violet eyes. She reached for the nearest object near her, grabbing the Tetsuaiga, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. He smirked at her.

"You're not very smart, are you, Kagome. I'm here to take you back to the humans. Where you belong."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "I don't know what you are talking about, but I don't belong to them anymore. I belong to Inuyasha-sama. Get out of this room before I kill you."

Her voice was deadly serious, and she tilted her head, wondering what he hadn't moved yet. "Are you deaf or stupid? You look too well dressed to be one of the slaves, but I still don't know how you got in here. Get out of here *now*. "

She picked up one of the knives that Inuyasha used to practice with, and smiled at him. "I know how to use this, and I won't hesitate *to* use it if you don't move."

The stranger ignored her and instead laughed. "I don't think you could harm me, Kagome. I want to make sure that you are going to the right place."

He reached out and touched her face delicately with the back of his hand, and she slashed out with the knife, drawing blood. He watched the cut appear with surprise, and then looked at Kagome.

"Quite the little hellcat, aren't you?" He murmured, not bothering to bind up the cut. "I see that you can take care of yourself. Try and kill your master yet?"

She rolled her eyes. "What is this, a common thing with you moronic humans? I'm not going to even hurt Inuyasha-sama. I will cheerfully kill you though if you attempt such a thing, or even touch me again."

He nodded, grinning. "I'm glad to see you're so defensive over the bastard. It shows where your loyalties lie."

She nodded. "They are with Inuyasha-sama. Not with you, or any other member of the human race." She shoved the boy toward the door, opening it before kicking him completely out. She locked the door behind her, and took a deep breath before cleaning the knife off, and putting it back on the table. She thought better of it, and took it with her as she lay on her bedding. She would be prepared this time.

Inuyasha waited until he knew Kagome was sleeping, and silently unlocked the door. He looked at his slave asleep on the floor, clutching the dagger that she used to wound him with. He laughed to himself, still not believing she managed to hurt him. He crawled into his own bedding, waiting for morning to come. He was going to have fun teasing Kagome in the morning.

Kagome woke up slowly to see Inuyasha staring at her from above, an amused look on his face.

"So I heard you had a visitor last night, Kagome. Did you get rid of him?" He smirked down at her, and she blushed.

"I did, Inuyasha-sama. A human boy was in here last night. I injured him…" Her voice trailed off, as she looked closer at Inuyasha.

"I…" Her eyes closed. "Inuyasha-sama…you said that you are a hanyou, right?" At his nod, and encouraging grin, she went on. "Was last night your human night?"

At the unexpected question, he nearly fell off the bed, but smiled at her. "It was. What is it to you, Kagome?" She trembled. "You were that boy, weren't you? Was it all a set up? To make sure I get killed?"

He stared at her. "It was all very nice, I never suspected you. If you were going to kill me, you could have at least done it fairly, instead of tricking me. I thought you were better than that." She muttered.

He climbed out of bed and knelt next to her crying form. "Why do you think you are going to be killed because of my testing you last night?" He asked quietly, aware that Kagome was close to tears.

"I drew blood, and I attacked you. That is a death sentence. For attempted murder, a slave will die."

He shook his head. That was not his intention… but…perhaps he could play this out a bit more. "I thought that was what was supposed to happen. You were supposed to try and kill your master, and get killed in the process. Isn't that what you told me? Isn't that what you want? So you won't be betraying anyone?"

She stiffened at his words. "I'm not betraying anyone by staying alive. I've burned all my bridges, haven't I? You told me that. And…I don't want to die anymore." She whispered.

He tilted an ear towards her, interested. "And why's that?" He asked, trying not to sound too curious of her answer.

"I like this life, Inuyasha-sama. I like having you as a master, and I like having met you. It would be terrible to throw it all away because of a stupid promise made between people who don't care."

He smiled at her. "Good. I'm glad I picked you up off the streets, Kagome." He caressed her face again, and this time she allowed it, actually sighing softly and relaxing into his touch. He traced her lips with the tip of his finger, before kissing her gently.

She leaned into the kiss, and he grinned inwardly. It was a small step, but he might get her to truly warm up to him. He actually liked having her around, and when she was like this, it was better.

"Everything will be fine, Kagome." He whispered. "You'll be just fine, you won't be killed. I want you around to badly to have you killed."

She stared at him, shocked, before smiling. Without warning, she shyly kissed him before pulling away a second later. At his astonished look, she grinned.

"It's my job, isn't it?" She asked. He shook his head.

"Don't worry about it yet, Kagome. Only when you want to." She nodded, looking relieved that he didn't just throw her to the bedding at that moment. He grinned before pulling her into his embrace.