Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

First Attraction

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

After this chapter, my faithful readers, I’m sad to say you’ll have to wait until October for the next three chapters since The Proverbial Challenge by Stella is a monthly theme in sets of three.

For now, enjoy chapter 3!

Prompt: ‘Give me somewhere to stand, and I will move the earth.’ 

Word Count: 3,021

Glossary:

Nushi--Master, God, Lover

Kagome froze when the Inugami moved.

His muscular body moved in smooth, languid motions as he leaned forward, palms to the grassy ground before him, and started a slow advance towards her on hands and knees. His hair fell forward over his broad shoulders in long strands that reached the forest floor and framed his elfin features. His golden stare was more intense in that moment then she had previously witnessed as he began to stalk her.

Kagome had never seen a man move quite the way this demon was now, more beast than man as his shoulders rolled with every forward press of a hand against the ground, his knees in perfect sink with his arms as his thighs thrust forward in a long fluid glide. His swords dragged along the ground--ignored--emphasizing the sensual undulation of his lean hips as he advanced.

At his unwavering approach, she lurched backwards on her own hands and feet, but her clumsy, frantic movements were nothing compared to the muscular syncrasy of his body.

“Inu...gami...?” she stuttered breathlessly.

“Choose, aijin. Will you honor our contract, or...”

Intimidated by the heat that entered his amber gaze more than his words, Kagome again pushed away from him. Her body had begun to act strangely since he first started towards her, a warm, tightening sensation low in her belly; her heart fluttered like a caged bird, and her breathing escalated, but not completely from fear.

Confusion over her own body’s reactions kept her mute.

Another smooth glide towards her, his gaze lowering perceptively to her mouth, caused her lips to tremble in answer. “...I shall devour you.”

She whimpered. His words sent a thrill through her body--excitement. Disconcerted by her reaction, she clenched her eyes closed and shook her head to clear her muddled thoughts.

When she opened them again seconds later, he was much closer, almost right on her...and that’s when she noticed the dried blood again. His white haori had ugly brown stains, ruining the garment. Fear slithered across her mind at the sight, remembering the slaughter, but then she froze in her backwards flight at the knowledge of how the bloodstains had gotten there.

He had answered her desperate pleas.

He had saved her when no one else had.

Not the Inu no Kami she had come to beg for salvation, but this creature she was supposed to despise. If the kamis were merciful, why then had they abandoned her; whereas, this Inugami had not?

Then he was crawling over her in her moment of silent contemplation, his hands on either side of her hips, his head and shoulders bent over her, leaning in close, his hair pooling in her lap.

Meeting his intense stare, she felt her own soften as she began to see him in a more favorable light, her savior, a youkai.

“Thank you,” she breathed with sincerity.

It was his turn to pause. He didn’t even seem to be breathing as the heat gradually left his eyes to be replaced with puzzlement and something else, but he blinked, masking his thoughts before she could fully decipher his expression.

Feeling slightly more confident now that she had gotten the words out, she leaned up, her arms straight as she braced herself up with her hands, willingly bringing them closer. “You saved me. You were only doing what I asked and yet...I...”

Tears glistened in her chocolate pools, obscuring her gaze of his angelic features. She had treated him abhorrently for the death he had dealt her tormentors, for doing as she had begged him, for saving her.

She lowered her eyes to the brown stains again and lifted her hand, placing it palm down on a large, dried splatter of blood over his beating heart. Even through his clothes, she could feel the warmth of his skin.

She heard him exhale harshly and her gaze shot back up to his. Through a sheen of her tears that had yet to fall, she saw his eyelids lower, partially hiding his beautiful inhuman eyes. He was gazing at her mouth again and an answering yearning filled her being when she saw his head lower towards hers.

An image of his mouth on hers filtered through her mind, bringing back the taste of blood--his and her own. Their blood contract. She recalled the whispered words in her mind, the binding ritual.

Her trepidation returned.

She pushed back, away from him just before his mouth touched her own. She didn’t get far. A tree stopped her escape, her back pressed hard against the unforgiving bark as she watched him with wide eyes.

He blinked, seeming to come out of a trance as he looked up at her from beneath his lashes, regarding her silently. But then he smiled, a predator’s baring of teeth, and lunged, hovering over her once more. She thought he was going to kiss her, but his lips remained inches above her own.

Gazes locked, breath shared between them, Kagome licked suddenly dry lips, watching as his eyes tracked the movement before returning.

“What’s your choice, aijin?”

His words seemed to mock her and she glared back defiantly. He was purposefully trying to intimidate her! Her ire only seemed to amuse him, for he chuckled.

Remembering his terms, she offered him a confident, albeit shaky, smile.

Her smile wiped away his amusement, his gaze turning watchful. Her smile grew as did her confidence. Words of wisdom and encouragement Kikyo was always saying to her filtered through her mind, ‘Give me somewhere to stand, and I will move the earth.’ How many times had her elder sister told her, given the right tools, even the most seemingly impossible task could be accomplished?

“You said you wanted my willing participation to be corrupted, right?”

His gaze intensified as he watched her. “Yes.”

“And what if I never became willing? Would you then use force?” This was where she was on shaky ground. Her quickly formulated plan rode on his insistence that she voluntarily give in to him.

He was silent a moment, contemplating her.

“I desire your willing participation,” he admitted. “I will not force you.”

Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, he grinned wolfishly at her. “You will be begging me to corrupt you in every way imaginable.”

Blushing fiercely, she bit her tongue to stop herself from childishly denying his arrogant claim. This was her out clause, for she would never give in to him, never corrupt her pure light no matter his confidence on the contrary. She hoped his failure to change her mind would somehow nullify their contract.

A subtle shift of his body above her own brought her attention back to the Inugami, which had probably been his intention.

“I know your thoughts, aijin,” he whispered in his deep baritone. “You think to beat me at my own game.”

Masculine lips hovering above her own, he added, “You are wrong.”

Then he kissed her, melding his mouth to her plush lips. 

Shock held her still then she pushed against his chest and tried to turn her face away. Denying her escape, he angled his head, following her mouth and kissed her harder, his thumb and forefinger gripping her chin to keep her immobile.

Forcing her mouth open with a press of his fingers, he thrust his tongue inside her wet cavern, dominating her mouth with sure strong licks, mapping out the contours of her cheeks, teeth, the roof of her mouth, everywhere.

He masterfully quelled her objections, showing her untutored body the pleasures of the flesh. Unable to counteract his pleasurable assault, Kagome gave in with a whimper, hesitantly moving her tongue against his.

His deep groan spurred her on, his tongue encouraging hers to dance to his tune, stroking the fire of her desire she had never before known existed. All too soon she was having difficulty breathing, unused to the ardor of a kiss as fiercely passionate as his.

He seemed to understand her difficulty as he broke the kiss, making her gasp for much needed air. His fingers at her chin forced her head back against the bark of the tree behind her, baring her pale throat to his heated kisses. His other hand gripped her hip as his tongue teased her frantically beating pulse, fangs dangerously close to vulnerable flesh.

“Wait...” Kagome said faintly, almost desperately as her hands gripping the fabric at his shoulders. “Y-you said...you wouldn’t...force me.’

He stilled instantly, his wet mouth unmoving on her moist flesh. Leaning back, he met her gaze, scowling down at her.

“Do not mistake this as force.”

“But it is. I don’t want this,” she half lied, trying to stop the trembling of her limbs caused by his attentions.

“You lie, but your body does not.”

In one quick move, he stood, and backed away from her, but continued to watch her.

Shakily she got to her feet, leaning against the tree when her legs threatened to deposit her unceremoniously on the ground and watched him warily. He did not seem pleased with her.

Trying to change the subject from her traitorous body’s reactions, she asked, “Why do you keep calling me aijin? My name is Kagome.”

“Does it bother you,” he asked instead.

“Yes.”

“Hn.”

After what felt like an uncomfortable silence to Kagome, she asked, “Um...what’s your name? I can’t just keep calling you Inugami or demon.”

He smiled slowly, sensually at her, before answering. “You may refer to me as nushi.”

She blushed and sputtered. “Not on your life!”

He sighed as if aggrieved by her refusal, then becoming serious, he said, “Sesshomaru.”

Kagome waited, wondering if he was kidding, then realized that he was not.

The Killing Perfection.

Remembering how the bandits met their brutal end, she shuddered and thought the name suited him. She no longer feared him for the violence he had committed to save her life, but the bloody image still made her quake.

“Sesshomaru-sama,” Kagome said respectfully, moving away from the tree to bow deeply at the waist.

He may be a demon, but there was no denying his power and regal bearing, nor the fact that he had answered her fevered prayers.

Rising, she looked around them curiously. “Do you know where we are?”

His answer confirmed that they were not far from the shrine and in fact on the right tract towards her small village.

More hesitantly she asked quietly, “And the bodies?”

“Destroyed along with the shrine.”

Blinking uncomprehendingly, Kagome then cried, “What do you mean destroyed?! What happened to the shrine?”

The Inugami, no, Sesshomaru, met her gaze squarely without remorse as he answered, “The smell of blood would have brought any number of predators. I melted everything to the ground.”

“Melted?” she whispered.

Without answering he turned away from her, offering his back. At first she thought she had somehow offended him, but then he lifted his right hand and a green spray-like gas shot out from this claws, melting the trees and foliage it touched.

Gasping, Kagome lurched back into the tree still at her back and cringed, the sound of melting, hissing wood searing her ears, the sight of the liquid mess before Sesshomaru a testimony to his power.

He turned back to her, gazing at her impassively as if she were a stranger.

“Oh,” she murmured weakly, not knowing what else to say.

He didn’t comment. Instead he walked towards her. She froze, wondering what he was about to do, but all he did was walk past her.

“It’s time to depart, Kagome.”

Ignoring his mocking tone when he said her name, she turned and ran after him.

“Wait! Where are we going?”

“To my earthly domain.”

Surprised by his answer, she said without thinking, “You make it sound like you don’t always live in this...ugh...world.”

She watched his profile, waiting for his answer.

He didn’t turn to meet her gaze but looked at her from the corner of his eye, before looking forward again. “I also have a domain in the spirit realm.”

She wasn’t sure how she was to react to this knowledge, but one thing was clear to her.

“Wait! Stop,” she said frantically, then took a hold of his arm when he continued walking.

He stopped, gazing down at her hands clasped around his arm, then met her gaze.

“If you wanted me, aijin, all you had to do was ask.”

Choking on her next breath, she blushed and released him quickly.

“My name is Kagome,” she insisted, “and I don’t! I can’t go with you and leave my village, my home and family. I have responsibilities!” 

“We have a contract,” he reminded her, taking a threatening step towards her.

Stepping back quickly, she raised her hands defensively. “I never agreed to go with you to your domain! I have prior duties that take precedence over your contract.”

“Our,” he reminded her. It was not just his contract both both of theirs.

“Fine, our contract. I still can’t just leave my life.” She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to budge on this.

He considered her a moment, then nodded. “Then we shall return to your village.” Then he gazed pointedly at her to lead the way.

“But we can’t,” she said desperately.

He lifted an eyebrow at her continual refusal.

“You’re youkai! My obaasan and elder sister will try and purify you, and besides it’ll raise too many questions why we are together.” Kagome was horrified at the thought of her family knowing that she had made a deal with the devil.

His words confirmed her fears. “You want to keep my exitance a secret, aijin?”

Blushing, she nevertheless nodded, ignoring his refusal to use her name.

“Then it can’t be helped.”

Before she could reply to that cryptic response, Sesshomaru transformed. Mouth gaping, her eyes going huge, she watched as his nose and mouth elongated demonically, transforming his beautiful features into something ugly and grotesque. His wide shoulders hunched over, bending him in half as his hair whipped around him from an invisible wind, obscuring most of his shifting features.

She watched in mute astonishment as sliver hair grew at an accelerated rate along his arms as they bent out of shape, accompanied by popping sounds and grinding, shifting of bone as the once proud man went to his hands and knees. His long hair then molded to his body to form more fur, revealing his features to be that of a dog.

Kagome couldn’t believe for a second what she was seeing. Instead of the imposing figure of the Inugami standing before her, a magnificent, although huge, dog stood proudly in the folds of the bloodstained black and white kimono.

The dog’s fur was silver like Sesshomaru’s hair, had the same markings gracing his forehead and cheek bones, even his eyes were that warm amber hue that so beguiled her. The dog took a step towards her, but had to stop as he got tangled in the layers of clothing.

Do you mind extracting me from my clothes, aijin? a voice said in her mind. 

Squeaking in surprise, she stumbled back, almost falling as she continued to stare stupidly at the dog.

Well? The dog looked at her with a haughty expression no one could mistake for that of an animal.

Her eyelids lowered as she glowered at him.

“You surprised me,” she defended herself, peeved.

When he continued to stand there staring at her, she grumbled and cautiously walked towards him. He was huge. Standing before him, his snout stood as high as her breasts. Admittedly, she was a short woman, only five foot four inches, but this was obviously no ordinary dog.

Reaching for him, she knelt and grabbed the lapels of both of his haori and pushed them further away from his furry chest, which was still wide and well muscled. “Ah...Sesshomaru? What are you doing...exactly?”

She had a sinking feeling, rightfully guessing his intentions.

Compromising. I shall accompany you to your village in this form for the time being.

When he again tried to step out of his clothes, she moved to his right and grabbed the back of his hakama in one hand and both haori with the other to help him. He stepped free without any more difficulty and turned to regard her. He was taller than her when she knelt before him like this, so she stood, awkwardly holding onto his clothes, unsure what to do with them.

“Um, I’m not sure this will work,” she hesitantly began but was interrupted.

You do not wish to accompany me to my domain, neither do you wish me to come with you to your village and risk your family discovering our connection. How exactly do you plan on honoring our agreement if I am not allowed to be by your side? Make no mistake, Kagome, we have a contract, and I expect you to keep your end of it. Either I come with you to your village in this guise or without it, or you come with me to my domain. You may not have a choice later.

Kagome stiffened under the threat, but remained silent. He was right. He had every right to demand she honor her word, but he was trying to work with her and all she kept doing was putting him off. Instead she nodded her understanding, her hands clenched tightly in the folds of his discarded garments.

“What do you wish me to do with your things?” she asked meekly.

Only my swords are of value to me. Bring them. Leave the rest.

His clipped tone made her uneasy. She knew she had pushed him too far, but she wasn’t sure how to fix her error. Silently, she did as instructed, then they were on their way to her village with her in the lead.