This is a work of fanfiction. Inuyasha and all characters belonging to the anime/manga do not belong to me. The plot and original characters do. So please don't sue. SPOILERS up to Kikyo's death

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WARNING: This story is rated M for adult themes (i.e. sex, violence, and language). Lemony goodness is anticipated. Stay away if you are underage. If you feel that this story is abusing its M rating, please bring it up with the author, and I will adjust it. I would much appreciate it if you did this first, before bothering beleaguered administration. Thanks.

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The Red Hunger

Chapter 9

Words in Italics are thoughts

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There were times when Sesshoumaru resented the overlarge size of the Western Citadel, especially when the gargantuan palace was empty. Yet, as his bare feet slapped against the cold marble he was thankful for the extra time it gave him to think. For the first time in centuries the Taiyoukai was confused. He did not care about the Wolf except to know he was dead. Nor did he regret killing the Prince, but something inside broke when Kagome's eyes went blank. Sesshoumaru knew those eyes, he looked at them in the mirror each day.

Hence his confusion, he'd never been able to return from the desolation of loss in over fifteen hundred yearshow was he supposed to fix the Priestess? Take away the loss. How? The youkai suppressed a wince as he eyed the splattered remains of Kouga. There is not enough of him to put back together. Nimble fingers caressed the jeweled hilt of the Tessaiga, which lay dormant in its Master's hands. We're going to look pretty stupid waving a sword over a few chunks of meat. Who is here to see us? I'm here to see us! You know this isn't going to work… the sword is dead, how do you resurrect a puddle of blood? What would you have me do?Who is here to see us? What would you have me do?

With a grace lent by familiarity Sesshoumaru drew the dead blade in his hand and slashed the air above the remains of Kouga. Gee, that worked. Silence. Ummm, what if you group all of the pieces together. That might help. The Great Lord sighed at the idiocy of his alter ego, but knelt and pushed a finger into the inch deep pool of blood. A vivid flash of Kagome's head thrown back as he pleasured her last night flew through his mind, quickly succeeded by a picture of those haunting eyes. He was pulled out of his somber reverie by a cool breeze. Why would there be a wind in the dungeon? Red eyes widened in shock as they fixed on the scene before them.

Where Sesshoumaru's hand touched blood hundreds of energy lines flowed out, each one ending at piece of Kouga. Like a magnet, the threads of blazing white condensed into a single beam, pulling the chunks of the wolf together like a puzzle. Soon a whole, but still dead, Kouga lay before Sesshoumaru. Brows knit in thought the Lord stepped forward.

His hand ached. Sesshoumaru felt the pulse in his wrist fluttering like a caged butterfly. It throbbed as if something were trying to gnaw its way. The closer he came to the body the more it ached. Like a moth to a flame, his hand slowly placed it self over Kouga's heart. A shock of energy pulled through Sesshoumaru and Kouga arched up before him.

Surrounding Kouga was a soothing darkness, akin to being immersed in a warm hug from his mother. Beautiful peace moved though him, the eternal feeling of loving and being loved. He didn't know where he was but it was bliss. Then he felt a sharp tug against his waist and looked down to see a strip of energy winding about him like a snake, and suddenly all he saw was white.

As the Wolf Prince's eyes fluttered open it was hard to say who was more surprised, Kouga or Sesshoumaru.

Suddenly scrambling backwards, with surprising energy for a man who was recently dead, Kouga put two and two together.

"You YOU KILLED ME!"

"Yes."

The lack of inflection in the response reminded the Wolf whom he was addressing. As he looked into those bloody eyes, he remembered the pain before he died. The most terrifying thing through out the entire experience was the lack of expression on the Great Lords face, even as he licked Kouga's blood from his claws there was nary a flicker of life across his visage. It was a face that would haunt his nightmare for years to come.

"Why?" Kouga ground out the question in a hoarse voice. Then he saw emotion flicker through those red eyesit was fury.

Rage stiffened Sesshoumaru as he remembered why he dismembered the Wolf to begin with. Next thing Kouga knew he was slammed into a wall and pinned a few feet from the floor by the Taiyoukai's arm. A lethal voice brushed by him.

"Kagome is my mate."

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In the center of a decadent bed, in a resplendent room, a small naked girl sat. Her eyes were wide and unlinking. Her face blank of all emotion. The only thing that hinted at life were the constant drip of tears from her chin, ruining the expensive black silk cocooned about her. Sesshoumaru sighed, and then shook his head in derision. He seemed to be sighing more and more lately.

"Kagome."

As he had expected there was no response from the catatonic Priestess. The youkai pressed a chill hand to her shoulderhoping for at least a flinchthere was nothing. Nary a twitch nor a turn. Kagome just remained staring into the distance like a pretty doll. It was obvious the girl had finally broken down. The death of Kouga by the man no youkaithat she was in some twisted relationship with had been final straw.

With yet another sigh, Sesshoumaru stalked to the washroom and removed the blood from his hand. His own mind was crammed full of thoughts, spitting out explanation after explanation to try and explain how he resurrected a person, who was beyond even the help of the Tessaiga, with the mere touch of his hand. The only conclusion his brilliant mind came to was that he was missing something. But these contemplations were for a later time, his only goal for now was to 'wake' his miko. He had some grand plans for the night, and would prefer Kagome conscious enough to make those divine mewling sounds that made him harder that the steel of his sword.

With an elegant flick of his wrist, his hair was pushed behind his shoulders and he strode back to Kagome. Eying her semi-undressed state, the Taiyoukai mentally frowned. I don't want that wolf to see more of her than he must. Compromises, compromises Sess-kun… she is wearing OUR shirt, and sporting OUR mate-mark on her shoulderwhich is deliciously displayed each time the collar slips. She will scream that she belongs to us. Mmmmm. Kagome does look fetching in our clothing, like a kitten. I can't wait to play with her later. You can play with her all you want, I intend to screw her. You know what I meant! Nope, for all I know you want to play cards with the wench. Fuck. You. Ummm, how do you think we made it through puberty Sess-kun?

Leaning over Kagome, Sesshoumaru scooped her up as one would a child and began the long trek into the dungeons.

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Kagome was in a world of her own. Truth is a terrible thing, and being forced to see that truth before you were prepared is akin to a level of Hell that the Devil himself lived in. Her carefully woven delusions of the past few weeks, no, of the past few years were snatched from her grasp. Somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, there had remained a part of her that believed this whole journey to be a type of fairytale. Perhaps even a dream. There was always the tiny thought that one day she would waken, back at home, with ideas such as hanyous and sacred jewels being nothing but melting wisps of fancy caused by cotton-candy dreams. Even as time past and the characters became more real, even as she woke and slept and the adventure remained, even as the fantastic became ordinary, subconsciously Kagome believed herself to be in a fairytale. This was how she chose to deal with the events she was tossed, no dragged, into.

Recently, her fairytale had taken a strange turn, going to a place where innocent fables were never meant to journey. She was the heroine and Inuyasha her hero. Naraku was the evil villain, and each side was bolstered by a supporting cast of minions and friends. The story continued with its simple plot: girl meets hanyou, they fall in love , defeat the nasty man, and live happily ever after. This Kagome could deal with, even if it was realit followed a plot she understood. It was the universal pap of every youngster's childhood. Then came Sesshoumaru, who summoned the darker parts of her soul forward. She became a Valkryie bathed in blood and lust while standing at his side. Kagome was stronger than ever, more of a woman than she had ever been when with the Demon Lord. There was no innocent prose or path prescribed for them, at least none that she could see. And for a while, this had been okay. She'd convinced herself that all was well, that she wasn't betraying her friends, and her lover to be, when she became ensorcelled by Sesshoumaru's touch- tongue- teeth-claws. As she snuck off to meet the demon that had become more lover to her in fact than the one she loved, as she suckled blood and other fluids from him, she had become drunk off of the pleasure offered to her. Now, all was revealed.

Deceiver, whore, liar, Judas! That is what she had become. Even now, she sat in the bed of her enemy. There was no more to say. Reality came down upon her, flashing the image over and over of a face, so lovely it couldn't ever be human, drenched in blood. In the blood of a friend, an ally, of Kouga-kun.

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"What have you done to her?" Kouga hoped his eyes told him lies. Before him was the shell of a girl he loved, with another's mark, a profanity scrawled across her unmarred skin. The thought had but to cross his mind before he was forced to amend it, her skin was not unmarked. To his keen gaze a map of fading scars and cuts were etched across her body, leading him to a horrific conclusion. "This cannot be true! Kagome would never… she couldn't…." His mouth refused to utter the word. Because if he said it, it would become irrevocably true.

"Ah, but she did."

"You've put a spell on her, tricked her!"

"No, this Sesshoumaru-sama has done no such thing. She took my mark freely, willingly."

"No." That word was a fading echo of hope. "Inuyasha would never have allowed it. He would kill you first!" This he was sure of.

"My brother remains unknowing of the situation. She hides it from him, of her own will."

"Impossible, he would smell it on her, see it on her!"

"No, she is careful and Inuyasha is willing to be deceived. His nose is too weak to pick up my scent on her. "

"But she is thick with your smell. She reeks of you. " It was as if she had been with him everyday for the last month! Impossible! "How long has this been going on?"

An erudite snarl was Sesshoumaru's response, "Long enough." Too long, and I still don't know why.

"I don't understand, why would you take a human mate?"

"I have not. The mark will fade within a year."

"She is … untouched?" How could that be? Sesshoumaru's sexual appetites were legendary, weren't they?

" I do not wish for a mate, human or other. Our situation is more involved than that. "

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Why were you at my borders this morning, Kouga, last Prince of the Wolves?"

"Why…" With the whole death and revival thing he had forgotten the original intent driving him to find the Great Western Lord. "I came to ask for your help. My pack is dwindling, attacked by an abomination. I come seeking your protection. Your territory is vast, let us take shelter here? Please." Kouga bowed deeply as he made his request. His nudity in no way hindering the grace and honor of his plea. As the plight of his pack was uttered, thoughts of Kagome were shoved aside. He could not let his people die, even at the sacrifice of the Priestess' life.

White hair shifted as the Demon Lord tilted his head, and pinned Kouga with the full force of his considering gaze. "Very well Prince, I will grant your pack my full protection. In turn your pack will pledge fealty to me, and you will carry out a personal endeavor in my name. "

"Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama. Thank you. What is it you ask of me?" Elation and surprise wheeled through Kouga. He'd done it, he had saved his pack! But he was leery of Sesshoumaru's final condition.

"You will protect Kagome."

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Kagome was woken from her stupor not by Kouga's begging, but rather by the cold floor she was sitting on. As here eyes gained focus, they did so on what she believed was a ghost. "Kouga-kun!"

"Hi, Kagome-sama."

"Kougayou're alive!" With that she tumbled into his lap and produced what Kouga would later swear was a gale of tears. " Oh, Kouga-kun. I thought you were dead. I was sure he had killed you. The blood, it was all over, all over. "

"Yes, well, Sesshoumaru-sama was very… thorough." That statement halted Kagome's babbling.

"What?"

"He did in fact kill me, Kagome-sama. " In fact, Kouga discreetly brushed a hand over his lower parts to make certain that they had reattached themselves properly. With a small sigh of relief he assured himself that everything was intact, and if he did say so himself, impressive as ever.

"Oh."

"He did resurrect me though Kagome-sama, not to worry. All is well, and I can still kick that hanyou's ass whether I am dead or alive. HA!"

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Inuyasha's ears twitched and he was sure that someone, somewhere was talking about him. Probably that dumb wolf!

"Yasha?"

"What cub?"

"Would you like me to scratch your ears for you?"

The favor, uttered in such an innocent tone of voice by the trickster fox made Inuyasha halt his gut response to scream, YES, in answer. " Why would you want to do such a nice thing for me? Hmmmm?" Had his eyes been open as he lazed in a green valley enjoying the last of the summer season's sun, Inuyasha would have caught the fleeting look of sadness that scampered through Shippo's gaze.

"No reason Yasha, I just thought it'd be a nice thing to do. They've been twitch'in all day."

"It's because of the heat. "

"Oh, well do ya want me to scratch'um?"

This time Inuyasha's eyes did open, and honey colored orbs judged Shippo's intent, "Are you sure you're not trying to put-off practicing your attacks?"

"Nuh-uh. I'm done for the day. Swear." Shippo was telling the truth, if he never had to yell out the words 'Fox-Fire' again in his life, summoning that pure azure flame, he would die a happy foxling. Unfortunately, he was sure Yasha would make him continue practicing in their spare time as they waited for Kagome.

"Well, alright." No one could ever accuse the half-breed of passing up a good ear rubbing. For a few moments as the kit's tiny claws happily scritched and scratched over the hills and valleys created by the small muscles and veins in Inuyasha's ears, all was right in their world.

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Hi All,

Yes , yes bad, bad , BAD Xan-chan for not updating in a looong time. Betcha thought I forgot all about this story huh? Nope, here is the next chapter I hope you enjoy it. Also, no one has one the contest yet. So I want you all to try again.

Some of you have commented that you are confused as to when Blood Beast-Kun and Sesshoumaru are speaking. Well, thats the point. They are the same, albeit nuts, person. Ummm, Kagome is going to go through a tough time before she or Sess can ever get to a point where they are able to love each other. That is because I don't think it is just going to happen overnight, or over a week. For the story line to be even semi believable they have to evolve psychologically. But hey were getting there, ne?

Also, can anyone 'splain to lil' ole moi WHY changed their rating system? Talk about random. On another note, I have read a recent rash of author's notes in various fandoms saying they didn't want reviews just saying that the story was good. WTF! Please feel free to tell me how much you like the story. Really. I like inane things. They're fun. Speaking of fun I finally had a chance to watch the '05 AMV Awards. They rocked!

Before I say ta - ta I really want to tell you how much I appreciate all of you who do review. You inspire me, and make my day. So kisses to you all.

Bai Bai,

Xan-chan

CONTEST RULES

Many of you have tried guessing who the "lover of fire," from the prophecy (Chapter 7) is and more importantly who that person's lover is. The prophecy is literal in that sense. The first three reviewers who correctly guess the pairing that the prophecy is referring too will be contacted (leave your email) and allowed to dictate the sex/physical appearance/and characteristics of three minor characters in the story ( a servant and the two remaining Lords). So the question is who is the "lover" and who is the "fire?" Only one guess at one pairing per reviewer!Best of Luck

As always, death threats, prophecies of the future, stock market tips, psychoanalysis, the secret of life, and reviews are much appreciated