Nocturne - An Inuyasha Fanfic

Chapter Forty: Unexpected

Nocturne - Chapter Forty: Unexpected

Rated - M (for suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, and coarse language)

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

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He would not follow the mother of his child as she disappeared inside the manor. The time for reconciliation had come and gone. The woman claimed to understand the necessity behind his frequent excursions yet acted another way entirely. She compounded the situation by blaming him for granting her countless years on top of her paltry mortal few.

Sesshomaru had laid the offer bare to her, and she had accepted enthusiastically. He was not to blame that she was unable to infer the duplicitous meaning.

He would not allow her to place guilt onto him. Not even her tears could sway him this time. Yet, the woman was as ephemeral as the sea-Crying one moment and becoming stoic with suppressed anger the next.

Sensing her emotions was child's play. The miko wore them on her sleeve, and even when she attempted to veil her feelings, Sesshomaru could sense them broiling just below the surface.

He knew that her distress, which had morphed to anger, was genuine. The miko would come to accept what had happened, and eventually, she would thank him. Besides, he had not wanted to instill her with false hope. There was no guarantee the ningyo would work.

Until then, Kagome lashed out as best she could. Her announcement to travel to the village where his brother resided did not resonate with Sesshomaru. It was too far from the Western Lands to effectively guard, which left her and Setsuna's safety in the hands of his hanyo brother.

Inuyasha seemed capable enough. The half-breed had managed to get this far in life despite the attempts of many enemies to put an end to him, Sesshomaru not included as he had not put his entire efforts into the deed. That, alone, did not ease Sesshomaru's worries.

Then, there was also the carnal part of him that wanted to rip his brother limb from limb for ever touching his woman, even before he could call her his own. Sesshomaru banished the thought from his mind before he sought Kagome out and forbade her from leaving. He knew that would not go over well, recalling a time in the past where he had made that same mistake and the weeks it took for the woman to come back after laughing and leaving anyway.

While it chafed his pride to watch her leave, it may be for the best. Sesshomaru had not yet disclosed to Kagome that the rumors he was investigating were true after all. The past few months, there had been sightings of strangers with silver hair skulking about. He knew this was not a coincidence or fabricated tales, and now it was only a matter of time before their enemy struck.

The ones who had been sent were scouts, conditioned to probe the enemy for weakness and breaks in the line. Sesshomaru had mounted a rigid detail to patrol the borders and ensure that none made it through. That was easier said than done. It was improbable to expect a scout not to slip through since the whole premise of scouting was to move around undetected by the enemy.

The time for leisure had come to an end just as quickly as it had begun. Sesshomaru would allow his woman this small victory. She could go to the village with their child. Let her think she was punishing him. Until he could deal with the threat, she was better off away from the manor.

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Kagome flew out to the village on the back of Rei with Setsuna tucked in front. The small nekomata had flourished in Kagome's care and was her close companion when Sesshomaru was not around. He didn't care for Rei much, being a feline and all, but he did well tolerating the nekomata for her sake.