InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shared Blood ❯ Ritual ( Chapter 8 )

Inuyasha does not belong to me! Rumiko Takahashi doth own him. This chapter is dedicated to Kayla for her lovely pre-reading, and inspiration! *giggles* This chapter wasn't supposed to be until 10 or so! Thank her for the prompt getting out!

Shared Blood

Chapter Eight

By: Lazuli

lazulidreamer@yahoo.com

Hojo sighed as he carried Shippou through the streets. The little kitsune youkai was

tired again…he didn't want to dirty his feet, or get trampled by the taller, stronger youkai.

So he had his slave carry him everywhere he went. Normally, he was so small that carrying him wouldn't be a problem, but the kid had turned into quite spoiled brat lately, and Hojo was getting tired of it-for the first time he wanted to drop his master into the road and see what would happen.

He kept his thoughts to himself, though. Shippou thought he was the perfect slave…he took his beatings without a complaint, and was more than happy to share his food with the little round fuzz ball that masqueraded as a youkai. His eyes wandered around the humans and youkai in the street, and he paused at one beautiful looking human girl…he had to look twice to make sure she *was* human-she looked well fed and clothed-and happy to be with the youkai she was walking next to. Her thick black hair framed her face, and her eyes seemed full of laughter-he wanted her.

Shippou leaned back comfortably in his slave's arms, wanting to just sleep. Hojo seemed unusually quiet today-not asking him if he needed anything or if he was tired or hungry. He turned his eyes upward, and saw that Hojo was focused on something else. He let his gaze meet where Hojo was looking, and his eyebrow rose in amusement at his slave goggling another human slave.

"You want her, Hojo?" His slave started, and Shippou snickered at the flustered look on his face. It was so easy to tease the boy. Despite all the time spent as a slave, the boy remained stunningly naïve, and it was one of Shippou's favorite pastimes to poke fun at him.

"What do you mean, Shippou-sama?" Hojo's face was a dark pink color as he tried to tear his eyes away from the girl.

"That human girl you've been staring at. If you can knock out her companion, I'll let her in the household. You can see her whenever you want-" Shippou let his voice trail off.

Hojo's eyes lit up. "She can stay at your household? Be a slave there?" He asked eagerly, and Shippou nodded.

"I don't really care. She'll just be another slave. She'll have to do her own work, of course. Just get herself yourself if you want her that bad."

Hojo nodded. "Thank you, Shippou-sama." He started planning on how to overcome

the youkai she was with, while keeping his own life. His eyes lingered on the girl one more

time before heading back to Shippou's house.

Kagome shivered as she felt eyes on her, but she didn't notice anything threatening.

She looked up at Inuyasha. "Can we go home now, Inuyasha-sama?" She asked quietly. "I feel…

uneasy out here." She bit her lip, not wanting to seem weak in front of him, but she knew that

she didn't want to remain outside any longer. As beautiful as the sky was-she would rather be

inside her household, safe.

His hand tightened on hers and he nodded. "Yeah…" He muttered. For some reason, he

looked distracted, as if his mind was somewhere else. "Kagome…we're not going straight back

to my room. I…I want you to come with me when I have dinner with my family."

Kagome's face paled, but this time she wasn't as frightened at the thought of meeting his

family. After all, he met Inuyasha's mother and survived. She smiled at him, trustingly, and he winced

inwardly. How to go about this…

Kagome sat nervously beside Inuyasha as silent slaves served them their dinner. Kagome

was cast a few disdainful looks, and she blushed, staring down at her hands in her lap. Why Inuyasha

wanted her beside him-she didn't know, but she wished that she was in the familiarity of his room,

and not with all these strangers and their formality.

"So, Inuyasha-this is your human bitch. Why do you bring her among us?" Kagome's head shot up at the sound of the smooth voice, and her eyes focused on a feminine looking youkai, his hair the same color as Inuyasha's and Inutaiko's. Sesshoumaru…Inuyasha's older brother.

Inuyasha growled, glaring at his brother. "She is no bitch, brother. She is mine, though,

and treat her with respect." Sesshoumaru looked unfazed by the threatening look Inuyasha' gave

him, and instead looked even more disdainful.

"I see what you have chosen. How pitiful. I thought you wanted to accept your youkai side."

He sniffed before sitting gracefully down beside another youkai. "I won't even bother with you

anymore. It's not worth it."

"Scared, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha taunted. "You know that I could easily kill you. Or maybe

you've finally realized that you'll never get Tetsuaiga." His mouth twisted into a grin.

Sesshoumaru glared at him. "I said I was giving up on you. Not Tetsuaiga. A worthless half-

breed like you does not deserve such a weapon."

"That will be enough!" All heads turned toward the booming voice of Inutaiko, and

Kagome felt ill. "You, Sesshoumaru, will not say such things about your brother. He is your blood,

and you will treat him as such. Inuyasha, you will not taunt your older brother. Tell us now why you

brought your slave to dinner with you. This is the first time in ages you have eaten dinner with us, and

you bring her among us. Why?"

Inuyasha blushed and stared down at the table. "I've…chosen a mate, father. I want Kagome

to be my mate." Sesshoumaru wasn't the only one snickering around the table, but his mother looked

pleased and smiled at Kagome.

"You have made a good choice, Inuyasha. Kagome will be a great help for you." Inuyasha

nodded, and turned to a blushing Kagome.

"You-are you ready for this, Kagome?" He asked softly. "I want us to have the

ceremony

as soon as possible. I just have this feeling…"

She nodded, happy that it had finally come to this. Ever since she found out that this

was his intention all along, she had been waiting for him to ask her.

"I accept, Inuyasha-sama. That…that you think I'm worthy enough to be your mate."

Her eyes lifted to his showed him her happiness-happiness that she would not show in

her voice. She was showing his respect in that manner, and he was grateful for that.

He didn't care if his siblings scorned him even more than usual for his choice. He finally

found someone that accepted him and loved him.

Inuyasha looked at the beautiful image his Kagome made as she stood in front of him, her

cheeks tinted with a slight blush. The white silk kimono wrapped around her slim body, the silver

obi tight in a perfect knot. Her dark hair was curled at piled in waves on top of her head, a few

strands framing her face.

"Kagome…" Her eyes widened at the tender tone his voice had taken, and her blush

deepened as she walked closer to him.

"I feel silly in all this, Inuyasha." She said giggling. "I could just as easily get married to

you in your fire-rat outfit."

He shook his head. "And deny me of seeing how beautiful you look in that outfit? You

are so beautiful…" He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, then grasped her hands

within his own, leading her to his mother's private room, where the ceremony would be performed.

"Are you ready, Kagome? I don't want to pressure you, love."

Kagome stared at him, shaking her head. He had become so gentle with her…tender,

and loving. She couldn't back out of something like this. She loved him-and wanted to be his mate.

She couldn't imagine the thought of anyone else being with him.

"I'm ready, Inuyasha-sama." She whispered softly, and followed him into the room where

she knew her life would be changed forever.

The Empress looked both at Kagome and her son, and she smiled outwardly, but she could

not suppress the twinge of wrongness that was there as well. It was the same when she met with

Kagome-something was going to happen, and by the way her uneasiness was growing, it wasn't

to be long before the whole thing fell into their laps.

"Are you both willing to be joined in body and spirit, sharing each other's strengths and

weakness? To not be separated by mind nor heart?"

Kagome and Inuyasha nodded in unison, both of them looking a little apprehensive over the

decision that they were making, but the grip they kept on each other's hands showed that it wasn't

because of whom they were choosing to bond with.

"Inuyasha, take this ring, then. It will bind Kagome to you, so that whenever she is in danger, or away from you, it will guide you to her."

Inuyasha took the delicate silver and turquoise ring in his hands, and gently slipped in on

Kagome's right hand.

Kagome felt the tingle of power in the ring, and she held back a gasp as it seemed to

surround her. She kept her eyes on Inuyasha in front of her, and he was smiling nervously at her,

not letting go of her hand.

"You will make a good pair, a strong pair, for the trials ahead. Kiss your mate, Inuyasha."

Kagome felt a slight blush spread over her cheeks, but leaned up towards Inuyasha as his lips

gently brushed over hers, his arms going around her, pulling her towards him.

He pulled away after a few seconds, but he kept his arms around her. "Mate…" His voice

was almost too low for Kagome to hear, but she smiled at the term.

"Not quite yet, Inuyasha." The couple turned to look at his mother, and she pointed towards

the door. "She is only your mate in name right now." Inuyasha and Kagome both turned bright red,

and the mother smiled.

"Inuyasha, Kagome…I think its very important that you complete your bond before the trials

ahead. Go now…I'll make sure that you are not disturbed."

With her cheeks still pink, Kagome bowed to the Empress…who was not just her employer-

but a part of her family now. Kagome kept the tears from her eyes as she smiled at the Empress.

"Go, child. We will have much to discuss later. Your mate is waiting for you." Kagome

nodded slowly, and bowed once more before she went with Inuyasha back to their bedroom.

Inuyasha sat Kagome on the bed, then carefully sat beside her. He shouldn't be so nervous…

they had often shared this same bed-with him just holding her as they slept. It was different now,

because she was his mate. What he had wanted for so long-he lost track of when he fell in love

with her.

"Inuyasha-sama? Can I get into something more comfortable now? As beautiful as this is,

I don't want to ruin it or anything."

He nodded. "Let me…let me help you out of it." He saw her start nervously, and he gently

stroked her hair. "Don't be so jumpy, girl. This outfit is hard to get out of if you don't have

someone helping you. The obi ties in the back for a reason, you know."

Kagome nodded, and turned her back so that Inuyasha's deft fingers could untie the knot

she couldn't reach. She kept her head bowed, her mind on the act that was going to occur between

her and Inuyasha. It was something she had been expecting for so long-and had never happened.

Now that they were 'mated' in name, it made sense that they would complete the bond-or else

they weren't mates.

She realized that Inuyasha had untied the obi, and his hands were still resting on

her sides, gently stroking. She sighed under his soft touch, and turned to look into his eyes,

her hand reaching up to cup his cheek.

"Inuyasha-sama…" She started out. He shook his head and put a finger to her lips.

"Shh…don't call me that anymore. I'm not your master anymore, remember?

You're my mate-my equal."

Her eyes widened. "I'm…a free human?" She breathed, and his eyes grew worried.

"You…you're not going to leave me, are you? Please…" His voice took on a

pleading tone, and she immediately threw her arms around his neck, holding him close

as his arms wrapped around her sides, pulling her even closer.

"I would never leave you, remember? I love you…you're my mate-I love you."

He looked down at the tears shimmering in her eyes, and he slowly tilted his head to kiss

her, meeting her lips halfway. He pulled away, lightly running his hands over Kagome's

hair, sighing softly, nuzzling her throat. He waited so long to do this…he kissed the pulse

at the base of her throat, feeling and hearing her sharp intake of breath at the feel of

his lips on that sensitive spot.

"Inu…yasha…" Kagome's voice came out breathy, and he lifted his lips from

her throat, letting his gaze catch hers. Her eyes were dark, and he felt himself fall further

with the look that they held in them. Such trust…and love. Gods…how long had she

loved him? As long as he loved her?

He lightly kissed her lips, tasting her, and he closed his eyes as he pulled her

close to him. Her arms went hesitantly around his neck, and he pushed the kiss deeper,

hearing her soft whimper in reply.

He pulled away from her slightly. "Kagome…" His voice came out softer than

usual, and he traced one hand gently down her face. "Mine…"

She shivered under his touch, but leaned up to trace the planes of his own face,

her eyes calm as they met his. "Inuyasha-sama…"

He leaned back as she continued tracing his face, running her fingers gently over

his eyelids, and then moved upward to stroke the outside of his ears, and he sighed under

her touch…wondering why he had waited so long…