Superior Sense of Smell by see03

Must Haves

If there was one thing Sesshoumaru could pride about himself above all others, it was his sense of smell.

All canine demons had a finer sense of smell compared to those of humans – Sesshoumaru even grudgingly admitted that Inuyasha had proven that his human blood didn’t greatly hinder his demonic abilities.

But Sesshoumaru was by far the most superior of any other demon. That wasn’t boasting, it was just a fact.

Where other demons could smell that a body had been dead for days, Sesshoumaru could tell you down to the minute from which it had ceased breathing.

Where other demons could smell that food was poisoned, Sesshoumaru could tell you what type of poison it was and exactly what it would do to you.

Where other demons would be able to follow a scent for days over the land before the trail ultimately ended due to fading away or being hidden, Sesshoumaru could follow it for weeks through any attempts at disguising it.

Right now, however, Sesshoumaru’s nose was getting him into a lot of trouble.

He could understand why the hanyou and kit weren’t as affected – half of the reason Sesshoumaru had such an amazing sense of smell was because he was able to identify all the intricate scents he encountered. Inuyasha, having grown up alone, didn’t have the wide array of remembered scents that Sesshoumaru did, so while the hanyou may recognize the scent, he had no idea what it meant. And the kit was simply too young.

But Sesshoumaru knew. And it was driving him mad.

The miko was ovulating. Sesshoumaru had a feeling that Inuyasha was partly aware of what was going on, because he gave the girl a wide berth and kept quiet, aware that her hormones could drive her to act irrationally – or more irrationally than was normal for her. The taiyoukai, however, had a feeling that Inuyasha’s behaviour was mostly out of habit, because he began acting this way a few days before the scent of her menses even registered to Sesshoumaru – meaning Inuyasha had simply become used to her acting differently around the same time every month.

And thanks to Sesshoumaru’s amazing sense of smell, he wasn’t simply aware that she was ovulating – he knew that she was receptive.

Fertile bitch, his beast growled lustfully. Ready to be pupped.

The demon lord viciously stomped down on his instincts and was surprised when his beast didn’t comply and subdue like it normally would. This wasn’t the first time Sesshoumaru had encountered an ovulating female; it was, however, the first time his beast remained insistent on mating.

As a dog demon, Sesshoumaru was very in tune with his instincts, and occasionally he would let his beast have its way – otherwise he would never be able to control it as successfully as he did. Being the western lord, sometimes his instincts were felt more strongly than others, such as his instinct to mate.

Naturally, he needed to breed a strong son to someday take on his title as Lord of the Western Lands, but he didn’t want to pup the first fertile female his beast encountered. She would need to be strong, and have desirable traits to pass on to their progeny.

She certainly could not be a human, he thought stubbornly, and once again pushed his beast into the back of his mind. This time the thing complied, though very reluctantly. Sesshoumaru was also aware that it kept a small semblance of awareness in order to watch Kagome; Sesshoumaru did not mind. So long as it didn’t push at his instincts to mate her, it could satisfy itself with observing her in the background of his conscious.

Kagome simply would not suit as a mate. Beyond her being a human – leading Sesshoumaru to have to transfer a large portion of his powers into her so that she might share his lifetime and see their children grow – though such depletion would barely dent the vast ocean that was his youki – Kagome simply did not suit him.

Frowning, Sesshoumaru glanced over to said woman from his seated position. Thinking about mating the human – something he did not want to do, he insisted stubbornly – made him wonder: what were the requirements for his desired female? He wasn’t getting any younger, and had been of age for nearly two centuries. Perhaps it was time to search for a suitable applicant.

Closing his eyes, Sesshoumaru began a mental checklist.

For dog demons, there was no being closer than their mate; as Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru’s mate would be his Lady, and as such, would be the alpha female of his pack, second only to himself. To deserve such a high ranking position, his chosen female would have to be his equal.

Consequently, she will have to be intelligent, he thought firmly. If there was one thing Sesshoumaru couldn’t stand, it was dim-witted beings. If he was to be tied to a female for the rest of his existence, she would have to be able to discuss topics competently. Sesshoumaru enjoyed debating, and had not had the pleasure of a good opponent in verbal spars for a very long time. Yes, his female would have to be very intelligent.

She should also be beautiful, he though vainly, gliding his claws through his hair. It would not do to have a mate that was ghastly to look at. With beauty also came the responsibility of upkeep. Sesshoumaru was aware that many believed him to simply have been born beautiful – while this could partly claim his good looks, he also spent a good deal of time grooming himself, especially his pelt, moko-moko. Since the loss of his arm – he spared a glare in Inuyasha’s direction to which the hanyou snorted and turned away, gracing his elder brother with the lip-curling sight of his tangled hair – Sesshoumaru had had to rely partly on Rin to aid in his grooming. When he finally took a mate, this would no longer be appropriate except in play, for his female would have the responsibility of grooming him, and he of her. Sesshoumaru would prefer to dedicate himself to a female as concerned for her appearance as he was.

Strength was also a heavy factor. Sesshoumaru didn’t pretend to think of himself as anything less than the most powerful demon in Japan – his female would have to be equally powerful to keep the blood of his young strong. For her to also have her own abilities to pass on to their progeny – like his poison whip that he had received from his own mother – would also be ideal.

His female would also have to be caring. Unlike his own childhood, Sesshoumaru greatly desired for his pups to grow with the influence of their mother. His childhood had been lonely and isolating, and while that had ultimately led to who he was today, Sesshoumaru had no doubt that the loving influence of a mother’s presence would only aid in breeding strong, healthy, well-adjusted pups.

Suddenly the miko wandered closer to him, and Sesshoumaru couldn’t stop himself from inhaling deeply of her scent, the cloying heat invading his senses and making his beast purr with delight.

Passion, he thought thickly, swallowing around the tightness in his throat. If he were to claim a female and then be hit with that intoxicating scent once a month and smell her ripeness always, she would have to have a passion equal to his. Male inus were known for their almost insatiable arousals. To have a bed partner that could match him beneath the covers would be a wicked deal.

Every four months! He realized suddenly. He’d meant once every four months. Inu demonesses only went into heat every four months.

The most important trait, though, was loyalty, and was the one trait Sesshoumaru would be unwilling to compromise. While his parents’ mating had been for political alliances, leading to his father’s almost flippant betrayal, his mother had still felt deeply hurt by his actions, and to this day didn’t want to be reminded of what he had done. If nothing else, his parents’ relationship made Sesshoumaru realize he would not tolerate the same in his mate, nor in himself.

That didn’t necessarily mean that when he finally mated it would be for love (though  many would be shocked at how much he would prefer his mating to be based around the emotion), but even if love wasn’t involved, he would not stray, and he would expect the same of his mate.

When it came down to it, Sesshoumaru refused to allow himself anything less than the best. That is why the miko was not a viable candidate – after all, how could a human compare to the intelligence, beauty, strength, caring, passion, and loyalty of a demoness?

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AN:: Hey everyone! So I've a new story here, and this one is actually going to be turned into a challenge! Look for my post in the forums! You'll find it under Fanfiction -> Challenges -> Superior Sense of Smell CHALLENGE!