Bound by Corruption by BelovedStranger

Darkness Within

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Word Count: 4,168

SUNLIGHT FILTERED THROUGH the canopy of trees, revealing nature’s beauty of vibrant flowers with remarkable hues and lush foliage of various shades of green. Small animals scurried, while birds sang sweetly.

A far cry from the ominous darkness of the previous night.

Nature’s splendor often captivated Kagome, heralding peace and joy, but as she walked through the forest, all she felt was a gnawing worry, and her eyes took in not the wonder around her, but the massive beast keeping pace beside her.

They’d been travelling for hours—in silence.

Loquacious by nature, the lack of conversation or friendly banter was depressing. But what could she possibly speak of with this youkai? Curiosity plagued her. She knew nothing about Sesshomaru other than he was an inugami. However, words escaped her. Not only was he an intimidating presence, she was uncertain if she even wanted to get to know him. They weren’t friends. Never would be.

They had a cursed contract. He wanted to corrupt her soul. She shouldn’t want to get to know him, to understand him—but she did.

If you wish to speak, then speak, aijin.

His voice. Inside her mind.

“How are you able to do that?” The intimacy was…disconcerting. A worse thought occurred to her. “Can you read my mind?!” That would mean he would know just how intriguing she found him. How mortifying!

A barking laugh, loud and grating, made her jump to the side, away from her companion. Sesshomaru met her wide-eyed amazement with humor dancing in his own. She tried not to find the unnatural crimson and blue of his eyes so captivating, and failed.

We share a bond, you and I, by the blood that binds us and the vows exchanged. Be at ease. I cannot peer inside that little head of yours. Not unless you concentrate and project your thoughts to me.

Her relief was short lived. When next he spoke, she stiffened.

So, tell me, Ka-go-me. What thoughts are you so eager to conceal from me?

Clearing her throat, she averted her face, hiding the blush she felt heating her cheeks. “I cannot think of anyone who would want their every thought known. Some things are private.” Like how her fingers itched to pet his fluffy ears. Or that his deep baritone was like velvet, rubbing along her senses in the strangest, most scandalous, of ways.

Not wishing for him to delve further, she was quick to divert his attention. “About your domain. In this world, I mean. How does it differ from the one you have in the spirit realm?”

Though she knew of its existence, she’d never seen the spirit realm, where only daemons and kami were known to tread.

If you are curious, then we may journey there instead of your village, and I shall show you.

“No, thank you.” Her refusal was instant, her voice flat. She was not going anywhere with him. Instead, he was coming with her, she thought gloomily. How was she to explain this to her family?

Speaking of whom.

“What of your family? I assume you have one.”

No.

Compassion softening her tone. “You don’t have one?”

The matter is not open for discussion.

She frowned, all of her empathy vanishing. “You will be meeting mine soon enough.” Shudder the thought. “I think it’s only fair if I knew something of yours.”

Or, we can return to my domain and forget about this dull business of families for the greater pleasure of becoming better acquainted with each other.

Kagome sighed, ignoring the heat that flickered to life at his suggestion. “You’re incorrigible.” Though the conversation was not going as well as she’d hoped, Sesshomaru being obtuse, which was unsurprising, she was loath to return to the oppressive silence they’d shared all morning.

“Then what will you tell me? If we’re to spend an entire month together, I’d prefer to learn a little about the one I’ll be spending so much time with. I know nothing about you.”

The back of her hair was yanked. Not too rough but not exactly gentle either. Her head wiped around. When Sesshomaru saw her glance back at him, he opened his maw, allowing the end of her braid to fall from his mouth.

Kagome’s face pinched in disgust at the drool wetting her hair, but before she could voice a word of complaint, the husky quality of his voice choked off her next breath.

You wish to know me, aijin? Shall I show you exactly who I am? Despite his canine visage, there was no mistaking the sexual heat in his gaze.

Her face burned. “Forget it!” Let him keep his secrets! Turning away, her pace increased. However, Sesshomaru kept up with her easily. She shot him a sidelong glare, to which he promptly ignored.

Sesshomaru didn’t seem perturbed by the ensuring silence in the least, and for an hour, neither did Kagome, but once her annoyance subsided, her curiosity returned in force.

One questioned burned her lips. It was doubtful he would gift her with a satisfactory answer, she inwardly grumbled. It was obvious he didn’t want her to get to know him, to get close to him. Unless she wished to know him. Carnally. She was quick to banish any semblance of maiden curiosity.

Well, neither did she, she assured herself with a proud tilt of her chin. She didn’t want to get close to him—an any sense of the imagination, or for him to get close to her.

Still, she was compelled to speak. “Hey, Sesshomaru?”

Hn.

Not much of an encouragement, but she’d take it. “Why do you want to corrupt my soul?”

We have a contract.

Which told her nothing. Vexed, she shot him a quick glare. “Is that always the payment you demand when making a contract?”

It is what I expect in repayment from you.

Frustrated by his continual evasions, Kagome clenched her molars, vowing to remain silent even if it killed her.

How old are you?

His question was unexpected, and surprising. She sniffed, peeved. “If you refuse to share, then so do I.”

His chuckle filtered through her mind, aggravating her further.

Though it is difficult to gauge the age of you ningen—you all age and die so quickly, you appear to be of breeding years, yet I would hazard a guess that you are yet untutored of the pleasure of the flesh.

“I am a miko,” she reminded him through gritted teeth, refusing to even glance at him.

Miko fornicate all the time.

She shot him a sidelong glare, hating her curiosity, despising how much she cared for his answer. “And you would know this personally?”

Just how many miko had he made contracts with in the past? How many had he… fornicated with? The blush never wholly manifested as another thought struck, piercing her chest. Was she just another long string of conquests? Her stomach roiled, a grimace pulling at the corners of her mouth.

You will be my first.

She blinked, then blinked again. Pleasure suffused her. She would be the first. Only for anger to burn. The arrogant piece of—

“You overestimate your appeal.” A defiant hiss.

Hn.

She loathed this creature!  

Do miko not mate? How then do they pass on their lineage? Power comes from the blood.

As if they were animals with no sense of commitment. “Some marry.” She stressed the word. “Though few are permitted to take a husband. Usually, it is the duty of the eldest to pass on the family line.”

Are you the eldest?

“Are you?” She shot back.

“Yes.”

She hadn’t expected an answer.

“Well. I am not.” She had no desire to speak of Kikyo, and with Sesshomaru beside her, Kagome felt her own inadequacies acutely. Kikyo never would have agreed to a youkai’s aid. She’d have fought, and died courageously if it came to that.

The weight of her failure stifled any curiosity she may have felt for learning that Sesshomaru had a sibling. Or siblings.

Thus, making you unqualified to marry.

Another grit of teeth. “Correct.” Not unless Kikyo died before producing offspring.   

One does not have to be bound by matrimony to take pleasure from another. Even you admit not all miko must marry to continue their line. 

His insinuation could not go unchallenged. “Listen here you—” she snarled, fuming.

Sesshomaru spoke over her. Surely, you have been curious. Not only of the act itself, but as to why you are to be denied. Denied pleasure. Denied a family. A mate.

“A mate?” Understanding dawned. “You mean, like a spouse. A husband?”

Somehow, Sesshomaru made the shrug of his canine shoulders appear regal. “To fuck. To marry. To come together physically is the natural cycle of life. Yet it would appear, life is denied you, miko.”

His words conjured a thought. A person. Hojo. An infatuation.

A farmer’s son in her village, Hojo was just a few moons older than she. His image solidified in her mind. Light, fawn brown hair, friendly brown eyes, a shy smile. All the young girls in her village were eager to be his bride—even Kagome.

Suddenly, short, brown hair lengthened, lightening to silver, brown eyes deepening to amber, and a face tanned by the sun became alabaster perfection. Hojo’s face had transformed into Sesshomaru’s, and Kagome stumbled.

“You pry into things that do not concern you!” Voice shrill, she spoke sharper than she’d intended, her traitorous thoughts appalling.

His reply was all too knowing. You may be innocent; however, I believe you have felt the stirrings of desire.

“Ridiculous.”

Did I gift you your first kiss, aijin?

His deep rasp sent a thrill through her. Of embarrassment, of desire. No! She choked, unable to answer.

His knowing chuckle infuriated her. “I wouldn’t be so smug. For a first kiss, it was hardly memorable.”

Not a lie. Her first kiss, admittedly by him, had been quick, hardly registering as having happened. Even now, the memory was surreal. More a shock of surprise, a hint of a sting as his fang pierced her lip, and the taste of iron. She couldn’t really remember how his mouth had felt upon hers, too focused on the threat of the bandits surrounding them, too consumed by fear and desperation.

Sesshomaru’s rebuttal exuded confidence. You refer to our contract, which is not equivalent. The second was a true kiss. You enjoyed it.

How many times could her brain handle the rush of blood that flooded her face each time this youkai successfully managed to embarrass her? Her silence did nothing to discourage him.

There is much pleasure I would teach you, aijin.

“No!”

‘Sweet is the apple when the keeper is away,’ he quoted. No one is here but you and I. None need learn if you chose to experience gratification.

“I said, no!” Kagome screeched, loud enough to scare the birds in the tree above, who squawked in fear and indignation.

LATER THAT NIGHT…

Darkness had fallen hours ago, the flames of the miko’s small campfire casting an orange glow.

Ignoring her reservations, Sesshomaru had insisted on the fire. There was a chill in the night air. The human could become sick—or even expire. Unacceptable. His concern did not derive from a feeling of care for the girl but one of necessity. Ningen were pitifully weak. Until their contract was at an end, the miko would live. Afterwards, she would no longer be his concern.

He’d move on. Forget her.

But for now, he watched her. Anticipation fired his blood. Already, she’d proven an intriguing distraction, her fiery spirit at odds with the innocence he saw reflected in her deep brown eyes.

A purity he longed to taint.

Sesshomaru, still in dog form, lie across the fire from the sleeping onna. It had taken her over an hour before she’d succumbed to sleep. He heard it in the way her breathing had deepened, her heartbeat slowing.

Her question came back to him. “Why do you want to corrupt my soul?”

His gaze traced along her pale, heart-shaped face, over her lowered lashes, small noise, and delicate cheekbones. Even in sleep, she wore her hair tied back in a braid, making him wonder what she would look like with the inky blackness unbound. Framing her face. The body she hid beneath thick layers of clothing. Curled on her side, she faced the fire, the orange light dancing across her serene features, her face unmarked by blemish or age.

She was not the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes upon, not even by ningen standards. And compared to a daemoness, calling her plain was a kindness. There was nothing remarkable about her appearance, nothing to set her apart. And yet, she was not displeasing to the eye.

She wore a white haori, with red hakama. A miko’s garb. However, she did not follow the common standard of wearing her hair in a low ponytail, with a long loop of hair over her shoulders. Her braid was long, he recalled, the tail end kissing the top swell of her derriere.

Even for a ningen woman, she was short in stature, the top of her head coming just below his chest.

Her clothing revealed little of her form. Perhaps a hint of bosom and buttocks, but much was left to the imagination.

A cruel smirk curled his beastly mouth. He would enjoy revealing every inch of her. Not just her body, but her very soul. In reality, she could be deformed beneath her garments and it would matter little. What he truly cared to bare was the darkness he knew lurked beneath that innocent façade she wore about her like a shroud.

A miko. A being of pure light.

Sesshomaru snorted.

Miko. Monks. They were revered amongst other ningen, all for being blessed with an energy of purification that eradicated youkai and malevolent spirits. Ridiculous. They were human. Not a kami to be worshiped. Not a daemon to be feared.

Humans placed far too much importance on their brief flashes of life, viewing being such as he as an abomination, unfit to live in a world crawling with their humanity. As though this plane of existence belonged solely to them!

Sesshomaru stared at Kagome in contempt.

She was no different. A loathsome creature living a life of hypocrisy. He’d seen the face of malevolence, watched the hands that committed the vilest of atrocities, and each one of them shared one thing in common with the miko before him.

The power of purification.  

These human priests and priestesses hid their own darkness behind a pretense of goodness, and Sesshomaru was going to take great pleasure in revealing Kagome’s. To himself. To her.

He’d never thought to play such a game. Not until her.

Sesshomaru remembered the moment he’d become aware of Kagome’s predicament. He’d been passing through the area when he sensed a welling of wicked intent. And pure light. Curiosity had drawn him, amusement swift on its heels. Dozens of humans had been converging on a small shrine, their repulsive intentions all too clear. There had been no pity in his heart for the shrine maiden’s fate, only cruel indifference—and a faint feeling of comeuppance.

The maiden’s fear was palatable, along with a fierce determination. The scent of her desire for survival had been cloyingly sweet. Decedent.

An idea had sparked, one worth the nuisance of dispatching such unworthy foe. And yet, he could not deny the thrill at killing—for her.

Their deaths were an initiation that would lead Kagome into a broader world, one far more satisfying than the restricted confines she’d been forced to bear. He was liberating her. She just didn’t understand—yet.

He knew her fears, of becoming one of the dark order, but she misunderstood. A dark miko was free. Free of the lies that bound them, of the hypocrisy that plagued them.

He sensed it. The darkness inside of him had recognized a similar stirring, though small, from her. A kinship—of wickedness. His body reacted to their shared affinity, making him swell and harden—with need. Yes, he would have her. Then he would discard her. But only after she’d given everything she had to give, to him. Willingly.

Unable to stay away, he padded over to the sleeping girl, before shifted to his human form. As if compelled, he reached out, stroking her soft cheek. When she made a soft noise, he stilled. She did not wake but settled, her lashes flickering as though she dreamed. Her pulse drew his attention. So much so, he traced the throbbing point lightly. The memory of her blood heated his own. It had been but a taste, and he was eager for another, deeper sampling.

His caress moved to the edge of her haori, tracing the V of flesh. Temptation beckoned, to reveal more of her smooth, satiny skin. A compulsion he didn’t understand. A part of him hated her for the power she seemed to have over him. What was it about her that drew him to her?

Perhaps, when her soul was as black as his own, he would kill her for this affront.

For now, he did nothing more than move behind her, curling his much larger frame along the curve of her body. Her back to his chest, her nicely plump rump nestled against his hips, Sesshomaru wrapped an arm around her, feeling just how small she truly was, before burying his nose in her black tresses. He took great care not to jostle her, least she wake and banish him from the pleasure of holding her, of filling his lungs with her scent.

Or would she?

Since his kind required little sleep, he spent the long hours of the night with the vision of the miko’s small hand wrapping around his much larger one, and guiding his fingers between her thighs.  

KAGOME AWOKE TO warmth and a heady scent. Blindly, she snuggled closer to the heat and breathed deep, humming in sleepy delight.

A low chuckle rumbled next to her ear, startling her to full alertness. She couldn’t understand what she was staring at—until she did. A bare chest. Muscular. Masculine. She stared blankly at her hand where it rested against the strong beating heart that lie beneath all that smooth, hard flesh.

Kagome jerked her head back, looking upward, where she met molten amber. Sesshomaru’s mouth curled, a suggestive grin. She felt a blush climbing up her throat to spread across her cheeks.

“Good morning, aijin.” Voice deep, husky. She shivered.

Aghast at her reaction to him, a youkai, she tried to scramble away, but the moment she pushed against his chest, the arm around her waist made itself known by tightening. Rather than putting distance between them, what little space that had separated them vanished as she was pulled closer.

Heart racing, a little breathless, she stuttered, unsure. “G-good morning, Sesshomaru.”

Unable to continue meeting the intensity in his gaze, her eyes fluttered away. The only other place she was able to look was at his chest. His naked chest. She tested his hold on her by pressing against him again, her hands burning at the heat of his skin. He didn’t budge. Which meant, neither did she.

“Y-you can let me go now.” Was that her voice? It was too breathy, rasping.

The large palm at her back moved subtly, then a gentle tug on her braid. Still, the gesture caused a gasp to erupt from her throat, and what she saw in his eyes made her mouth go dry.

“I owe you a more memorable kiss,” he said huskily.

Before she could even think to form a response, his lips consumed her. His head tilted, aligning their mouths for a better angle. He was firm, insistent. His tongue pressed against her lips, demanding entrance. When she refused to open, denying him, denying herself, she felt him wrap her hair around his hand before he yanked. She gasped at the sting, at the way he pressed her breasts more forcefully against his chest, and moaned when he took possession of her mouth.

Unable to resist the strength of his need—of her own, Kagome was helpless but to respond. Her mind went blank. All she could do was feel. His tongue swept in, stroking along every dip and crevice. Instinctually, she sought more. Almost shy, her tongue met the next thrust of his. Sesshomaru groaned, the sound vibrating against her breasts, hardening her nipples to painful peaks, and sending a spark between her thighs.

She arched into him, pressing closer, needing something she could not name. Her body was no longer her own, crying out demands she didn’t understand, but when she felt a firm grip on her buttocks, pulling her hips against his pelvic, to grind, she stiffened, feeling a long, hard pole.  

She understood that.

Anatomy was one of the many lessons she’d been given growing up, as a miko was not only a villages protector against daemons but their healer.

Kagome began struggling in earnest, even bit Sesshomaru’s tongue until she tasted blood. If it pained him, there was no reaction, other than a lifting of his head. His lips were painted red with his blood. If he was angered by her actions, she did not see it in the eyes staring back at her, only lust.

Her heart tripped in her chest at such stark desire.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Her demand was too breathless, saturated with a need she struggled to suppress. 

Ignoring her, he asked, “Was it better?”

Baffled, all she could do was blink up at him, mute. 

“The kiss,” he elaborated helpfully. “Did you enjoy it more this time around?”

He was teasing her, she knew it. Sputtering, she demanded, “Let me go!” and recommenced with her struggles.

He was immovable. “Not until you answer me, aijin. Truthfully.” To make his point, he pressed her that part of her more firmly against that part of him.

Needing to get away from him, immediately, she capitulated. “It was fine! Now will you let go?!”

His scowl warned her of his displeasure. Grabbing her chin, he held her still as he leaned closer. “I shall have to try harder than ‘fine’.”

He tried to kiss her, but she quickly placed her hand between them, covering the lower half of his face. His lips burned her palm.

“Alright! It was better than fine. It was…good.” The warning in his eyes intensified. She was quick to amend, “More than good! It was great. The best I’ve ever experienced.” Now she was mocking him. Rather than be upset by this, she saw amusement flicker in his gaze.

It was then she realized he was no longer in his beast-form. Remembered being told to leave his soiled garments behind when they’d begun their journey back to her village.

Shocked, she stared at his chest, her eyes drawn downward, but with the press of their bodies, she couldn’t see below his muscular pecs. But she felt him. “You’re naked.”

“It appears to be so,” he answered carelessly.

The realization of just how intimate their position was struck her. “You’re naked!”

“I believe we have already settled the point, aijin.” His amusement didn’t seem to penetrate her shock, but what he said next made her dizzy, how swiftly blood rushed to her face. “Curious? Allow me to show you.”

When he tried to put space between them, Kagome lurched towards him, grabbing onto his shoulders with desperate strength. Her blush deepened as she willingly pressed into the hardness between his lean hips. “No, no! On second thought, I’m quite comfortable as I am, thank you.”

“Shy, aijin?” A taunt. A dare.

She cringed at the husky rumble of his voice, hating her reaction to it. “Did...did you sleep next to me? All night? Naked?” she squeaked the last.

“Yes,” he all but purred next to her ear.

She squirmed, which only caused her to rub against the thickness thrust against her abdomen—and lower. He was huge. It was thrilling. Intimidating.

The hand on her backside tightened, stopping her from moving. “As pleasurable as your movements are, aijin, if you are determined to deny the passion between us, you must cease. Unless you wish to continue where we left off?”

“Absolutely not!”

Surprisingly, he let her escape. She rolled away, ignoring the disappointment that he’d listened, that she hadn’t snuck a peak. Just a little one.

Kagome was on her feet and heading for the bushes. “I need a moment.”

Sesshomaru calling after her. “If it is satisfaction you seek, there is no need to hide and care for your need alone.”

“I need to relieve myself!” she hollered back before she could think better of it, only to suppress a groan of utter humiliation. Why had she said that?!

“As I said, I am more than willing to be of assistance.”

“That’s not what I meant!”