I Don't Want a Mate by Mlmonty

You're Mine

A/N: Yes, I know, another mating season story but really I couldn't help it. I just had to do it.

Ch 1: You're Mine

A low and feral howl ripped out of his throat shattering the silent night. Everything had fled his hunting grounds hours before, at dusk when the chase began. Only two things moved this night. She had been alone, the foolish woman, when he found her tantalizing scent. At the time he still had some control but it had rapidly faded as he had unconsciously followed that seductive aroma. His last thought before his rational mind slipped away and his beast took over was, 'why she was left unprotected during mating season'. She maybe human, but she was a miko of considerable power, and would draw youkai to her like moths to a flame. If she had been guarded properly than she may have stood a better chance of escaping. She could never have escaped him, however, even if she had been guarded. It really was for the best that he'd found her first. No other deserved to claim such power as their own.

She had been sleeping in her camp curled up in strange bedding. A fire flickered merrily near her. Evidence of her usual companions was scattered about, however, those same companions were noticeably lacking. A quick survey found the monk and demon slayer had succumbed to mating season. The hanyou was involved with the newly alive miko, leaving the other miko alone. He didn't worry about the kit's whereabouts since his scent was stale.

She had sensed his presence when he had returned from scouting the area for intruders. He wasn't sure how she had sensed him, since he had been masking his aura. Dropping the mask, since her protector was distracted, Sesshoumaru knew that it would allow other demons to know she was taken. She had thrown off her covers and grabbed her bow before he realized what she was up to. After a short but heated battle, that sated his blood lust quite nicely, she'd fled, and the chase began. Pleased beyond measure at her choices, he had followed. By battling him and sating his blood lust, she ensured that she wouldn't be killed by his beast, and running allowed him the thrill of the hunt. She truly was a wonderful creature. Most demonesses failed to satisfy a male this well.

His blood boiled and rushed through his veins, scorching him from the inside. Need pulsed in every fiber of his being. With red hazed vision, he searched out his prey, scanning the foliage for her. He lifted his nose to scent the air. Snapping his head to the right he smirked. She wasn't far, this time he'd catch her, he was ready for his prize. Silently he slipped through the shadows.

His aura blanketed the entire forest now, unfettered by the chains he normally placed on it. She couldn't sense where he was when it felt like he was everywhere. A slight noise caused him to shift his path of pursuit. Soon now, he'd have her. She had led him on a long chase, most of the night actually, the moon had already passed it's zenith. Every trick she could think of and many he'd never seen before had been used to escape him. Now she was tiring and soon he'd have her.

A flash of red caught his eye. He almost missed it since it blended in with the red haze clouding his vision. Finally the hunt was coming to a close. Soon, so very soon he'd claim his mate. His need for her was becoming unbearably painful. He had been lucky, she'd run away in the opposite direction her friends were in. He was under no delusion that they would have ceased mating to come to her aid, while it maybe unheard of for a demon to do so, they were human. The hanyou would have attacked for being disturbed, unless he'd finished then he would have aided the woman in escape.

Swiftly, he chased after the flash of red he'd seen. Her scent had spiked, now was the perfect time to claim her. She was in the height of her heat. A smirk appeared on his ethereal face, she'd be pupped this night, he knew it by her heady scent. Another howl tore through his throat. This one loud and singing of victory and the end of the hunt. She was too tired to escape him now. Her miko powers had been exhausted and she was nearly physically exhausted too.

Claws reached out for her as he appeared before her. The scent of her tears tugged at his reason, stirring it, but he was too far gone and lost to his beast for it to make a difference now. Besides, his reason had wanted the woman as well. True, it wouldn't have chosen this path, but it did want her.

Ruby eyes stared down at the woman in his grasp. Her ebony hair was wild, her clothes disheveled and torn from her frantic flight. He never dreamt that she would sate him so thoroughly before they actually mated. He watched as crystalline tears trailed down her face. Her eyes reflecting the stars in their watery depths. He pulled her flush against him he purred to her. He didn't want her fear, he understood that she didn't understand what was wrong with him. She would be told later, she'd come to terms with it later. Again, his reason stirred sluggishly. Briefly his beast wondered why his reason stirred but was distracted by her breasts heaving against his chest with her labored breathing.

He claimed her parted coral lips in a hungered kiss. Thrusting his long tongue into her warm mouth, he released a growl of satisfaction. He tangled one hand in her hair tilting her head for a better angle allowing himself to be lost for a moment in her taste. The other hand, the one she herself had restored, started to rip her clothes away from her flush body. Upon feeling the delicate fabric being severed she renewed her struggles. Growling in displeasure, he tossed her to the soft spring ground and pinned her with his body.

"The time for fighting is over, Kagome, submit." His voice was guttural but commanding. She paused in her frantic movements. Taking this as consent and understanding that she had no choice, he resumed his task.

"Don't do this, please, Sesshoumaru," she begged, again he growled his disapproval and this time nipped her ear.

"You lost, Kagome, you're mine now. Submit." With a tug, the sound of ripping fabric was heard. His patience gone he tore all her remaining clothing off. Finally she laid bare to him. He made sure to pin her hands above her head at all times to keep her from striking out. He didn't want her to hurt herself attempting to harm him. Sesshoumaru was actually thankful for the loss of his arm at the moment. He was able to discard his armor with only one hand, since he possessed the skill, without releasing his hold on her and risking her running again. Quickly he divested himself of both steel and clothes.

Both he and his reason had wanted this for so long. Sesshoumaru took a moment to bask in the sight of her. Her moon kissed flesh called to him. Dipping his head down he took a tawny nipple in his mouth careful of his fangs and suckled. The taste of her was divine. Kagome gasped under him pushing more of her firm mound into his mouth, he gladly accepted the offering.

Licking and nibbling the twin peaks, his other hand glided in phantom touches down to her core. He shifted his weight and slid a knee between her toned thighs forcing them apart. Setting his body down between them he was able to cup her easier. He was pleasantly surprised to find her shaved. He often hated to bed demon females during mating season because of the smell of old blood that would become trapped in the dark curls. Other demons might not notice but an inu youkai's nose was not spared. His miko was completely shaved and only the heady smell of her heat was present. For now. He intended to add her spicy scent of arousal soon.

Kagome began to thrash anew at the onslaught to her body. He could sense the shame, fear and desire coming off her. Since she had engaged him in battle enough to sate his blood lust he wouldn't be forced to take her brutally. Many females this night would suffer such rough treatment from male demons because their blood lust wasn't satisfied enough before mating. Some would even die, his Kagome would be spared such.

He circled her clit with a slender finger driving her desire higher. Soon she gasped and arched her back throwing her head back in a silent scream of completion. He trust a single digit into her passage and hissed at the feel of her walls clamping down on it. He would have to be careful not to hurt her if she was this tight on his finger. Slowly, at first, he worked his finger in her then added another to stretch her out while building her up again.

The shame coming off of her had increased following her orgasm. He wanted her brought as much pleasure as possible. She'd sated all his needs this night except his lust, and that wouldn't be far off now. Sensing her coming close to completion again he pulled his fingers out and lifted his head from his ravishment of her breasts to capture her sapphire eyes with his ruby gaze. He slid his fingers covered in her essence into his mouth and suckled them one at a time while keeping her gaze on him. He wanted her to know how pleased he was with her. Later, when reason took over again, Sesshoumaru could explain things to her. It took a lot of energy to talk when his beast was in control. It was energy he'd need to mate his female and then guard her till she recovered.

Releasing her hands he grabbed her hips and pulled her to him. He hissed in pleasure of the feel of her heat on his throbbing need. Quickly positioning himself, he thrust into her. She stiffened slightly in discomfort but not pain. Sesshoumaru was thankful for her active life, it had allowed her hymen to weaken to where it was almost nonexistent, causing her only a little discomfort.

Allowing her to adjust, he revealed in her tight, wet heat. He closed his eyes and dropped his head back with the feeling of it. Grabbing her legs and folding them against her body so her thighs pressed against her breasts he rested some of his weight on her. Watching her carefully for any signs of pain, he began pulling out of her. Her muscles gripped him so tightly they almost sucked him back in with the strength of it. A growl of pure pleasure escaped him. He'd never felt someone so tight and he was thrilled to know that he'd mark her as his. He refused to let another have his little miko, his Kagome.

Soon enough Kagome's body had taken over her fears, lost in the pleasure of their coupling. Every time she came he forced her to take his youki. A green mist would rise from him and force it's way into her body. When she finally had enough of his power that she actually glowed a faint green in the moonlight, Sesshoumaru came one last time deciding to allow his new mate to rest. Covering her in his outer haori Sesshoumaru quickly dressed and set up watch. He had to make sure she was given time to recover and he had to prepare himself for when she awoke. For once in his life he was scared. She would not take being his mate well nor the fact that she was with pup.

Sesshoumaru's beast had known he'd take her as his mate since the first time he'd seen her. Cowering behind his brother as he sat atop the oni. He had felt it, a tug, connected to the then teen. It was as if his soul was being tugged on, demanding he pay attention. His reason had noticed the feeling but didn't know what it meant, yet his beast knew. It knew that this little woman was meant to be his. Once it was discovered that he couldn't wield his father's sword, he had almost abandoned it. At least until his curiosity of the little miko had gotten the better of him. His beast had bombarded him while he healed from his wounds with images of her. Finally he had sought her out again under the pretense of the sword.

Again the pull had been there, only stronger. He quickly came to the conclusion that the girl didn't feel it. He had nearly killed his brother on their second encounter during battle in a fit of jealously when she had defended him. Later he berated himself for it, he told himself that there was no reason for him to loose control or be jealous for that matter. His beast again supplied images of the girl. Each time it did so it highlighted some attribute of her. Over the years his reason had begun to desire her as well, he even saved her life from the poison master.

Every spring during mating season since meeting her he had secluded himself away from everyone. It meant suffering almost unbearable pain but he had been safe in the knowledge that her friends would keep her safe from others. He knew that he would have killed them to get to her if he didn't take drastic measures every spring. He also knew after meeting her that his beast would refuse any other female.

Not long after he had met her, he had been approached by a female wishing to mate. He did not indulge in females outside of mating season and until now none had sated his blood lust enough to survive the ordeal. It was a delicate balance that youkai maintained during this time. The blood lust must be sated or the female probably won't survive the mating, and the female must submit once captured by a proven male.

The female that had approached him had done so outside the season true but she had done everything required to gain a male's attention. It should have worked, at least enough to arouse him. While he didn't have a say during mating season he did have control during the rest of the year and he used it. He had little interest in females normally. He was young and didn't wish to risk his beast marking someone who was unworthy of being Lady of the West. The easiest way to do that was to abstain from mating. It was during this time that he realized that his beast had chosen a female. Every time the female attempted to seduce him his beast would bring forth an image of Kagome with intense feelings of loyalty for her, and it refused to allow him to become aroused by the demoness. He knew from then on it was only a matter of time before his beast would take the matter from him concerning her.

He had hoped to go about it the right way. Convince her to become his mate and preferably mark her outside of the season where he was in control and wouldn't hurt her. Now that was no longer an option. Now his reason was left to clean up this mess, to face her fear and wrath. He prayed to every god he knew and his great and terrible father that she would forgive him in time. He had never wanted it to happen like this.

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Kagome woke slowly, her whole body ached. Sleep clouded her mind as she tried to figure out why her body was so sore. Images flashed through her head. Going to bed early while Sango and Miroku wondered off to be alone. Inuyasha and Kikyou were still up, waiting for dinner to cook. Kagome had been too tired to stay awake. The final battle with Naraku had happened just forty eight hours ago and she was still weak. Her heart ached with the knowledge that Kikyou was alive and her place in Feudal Japan was lost. She had given up on her love for Inuyasha two years ago. It was a selfish love and she knew it, well she did when she gave up on it. It had taken her three years to realize that her love was selfish.

While she did love him and accept him for who he was, she was more in love with the idea of being in love than in love with him. He'd always hold a special place in her heart. He was her first friend here, and her first crush. He was family. She remembered being awoken by something around dusk. Something was there but she couldn't tell what. It was more of a feeling of something that didn't belong than an aura.

Kagome shot up from the ground. She remembered everything. Sesshoumaru, the battle, the chase and the rape. Looking around frantically, she spotted him sitting across from her leaning up against a tree trunk. Fear consumed her. She'd never before feared this male, no matter the times he'd tried to kill her. Hell everyone tried to kill her here, she'd learned early on not to hold grudges based on that. She scuttled away from him across the damp grass until her back touched a tree. Sesshoumaru didn't move, he made no effort to stop her. He just sat there watching her with an odd look in his eyes.

"Kagome I," he trailed off he didn't know where to begin. It was as he feared, she was afraid of him. How was he to reassure her, to let her know he never meant to hurt her? "We need to talk about what happened." He finished lamely.

"What happened?" Kagome stared at him unbelieving. "What happened was you raped me." Sesshoumaru flinched at the bitterness and hurt in her tone.

"I know, and I'm sorry." He dropped his mask, he knew now of all times he needed to show her he was sincere. He needed to show her what he felt.

Kagome nearly gasped at what she saw. She'd never seen him without his mask in place. Inuyasha often insisted that it wasn't a mask and Sesshoumaru was merely heartless. Kagome never believed it herself and finally she was privileged to see it. If only it was under different settings. She swallowed her fear in the face of what she saw and steeled herself to ask the questions she needed to ask. "Why?" Her voice broke with that one word. It was thick with hurt and fear, nearly suffocating in it. She saw him flinch again as if hit.

"Are you familiar with demons mating season?" He was pretty sure in all five years she'd been in this time no one had bothered to explain it to her.

"No." And he was right.

"Once a year all unmated demons male and female alike are consumed with lust till their beast takes over." His face showed his regret clearly but Kagome was loath to forgive him yet. "The only way to miss it is if a female youkai is already pupped, mated or not. All youkai loose their virginity during this time. A youkai doesn't know that he or she is sexually ready to mate till their first mating season." He stopped briefly and watched her face for her reaction.

"Okay, so your beast takes over and you don't remember what happens?"

"No, while my beast did take over since I'm full blooded youkai I remember. I have no control but I remember. I've lived through fifty mating seasons and every time it was the same. Until the last five."

Almost afraid to ask she once again swallowed her fear and whispered, "Why?"

"Because of you. Mating season is a brutal time. Males will seek out strong females and attempt to capture and mate them. Females will challenge the male to see if he's strong enough. If he is not she'll kill him, but if she's not strong enough to fight him long enough to satisfy his blood lust she could be killed or severely wounded during mating. None of the females I mated survived. None were strong enough to sate my blood lust in forty five years."

"You killed forty five demonesses while mating?" He could see the horror on her face and hear it in her whisper. He didn't want to tell her but he had to.

"Yes, while my beast is in control it doesn't hold back. Normally I don't use all my strength while fighting but when my beast is in control it fights with everything it has. It is rare for a demoness to die during mating season but it does happen. There are simply none strong enough to last long enough during battle to sate my blood lust. Since it is not sated, my beast is still seeking blood when mating begins. None have survived, until you."

"Why didn't you kill me like the others?" How could he have raped forty five demonesses and manged to kill them while doing so? "You said the last five years where different how?"

"I didn't kill you because you sated my blood lust before I captured you."

"But it wasn't that long of a battle. Just until I ran out of arrows." She didn't understand it at all. A normal battle for her was two to three times longer.

"True, but it was enough. You also ran allowing my beast to indulge in the chase. A demoness would have submitted. Her beast would have acknowledged me as a worthy mate. The chase last night lasted several hours more than enough for any remaining blood lust to cool. You made all the right decisions that guaranteed your life. What you must remember is that while it seems savage by human standards demons aren't the only ones overwhelmed by their beasts, demonesses are too. They kill their share of demons every year depending on who challenges them." He paused to let her absorb this information before he answered her last question.

"Okay, but what about the last five years? You said it was because of me. How?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "Five years ago I met you a few months before mating season. I had felt a tug on my very soul when I saw you, but I had dismissed it at first. The entire time I was healing from my wounds my beast brought up images of you from our encounter. I had given up on the Tessaiga since I couldn't use it, but at the urging of my beast I became curious of you. I used the sword as an excuse to observe you and try to determine why my beast was so enamored with you."

"You gave up on the sword after the first encounter?" Kagome was incredulous all those encounters were out of curiosity of her?

"Yes, after all what good is a sword I cannot wield? The reason I nearly killed Inuyasha during our second battle was out of jealousy. I had become jealous of you defending him. I dismissed the notion later as illogical. What did I have to be jealous of? But it did not matter though, I knew deep down that it was jealousy." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes for a moment and rested his head against the rough bark of the tree. "It was after that and about a month before mating season that a demoness approached me. When a demoness doesn't wish to partake in mating season due to the inherent risks she finds a male to pup her. It insures her beast doesn't take over nor is she sought out by demons. There would be no point since she would be pupped already."

Sesshoumaru let out a humorless chuckle. "My beast interfered the whole time she was trying to seduce me. A wasted effort really since I never mate outside of season. My beast, however, felt differently, it supplied images of you and even feelings of betrayal."

"Why do you never mate outside of season? If she was pupped wouldn't you have skipped that year to protect the mother and unborn child? And why would your beast use me to talk you out of it?" It was almost as if he wanted to wait for mating season.

"Indeed, however there is always the risk of my beast taking control and marking a female as my mate. I am young, the equivalent of twenty years in human terms. The best way to prevent bastard pups and reduce the risk of marking a female is to abstain. I didn't want to risk having a mate unworthy of being Lady of the West. While I would have to endure the risk anyway during mating season, it is only one night and it differs for each demon. Mine is on the true full moon, last night. I also knew that if a demoness survived and was marked she would be more worthy of being Lady of the West than others. And the reason my beast used your image was because from the first it choose you as our mate."

"You're beast wants me as your mate? But then it rapes me?" That sure as hell didn't win a girl over. Then again according to Sesshoumaru that was exactly how it worked for youkai.

"Yes, I realized how badly it wanted you after my encounter with the demoness. I also knew that if I didn't take steps to stop it, my beast would hunt you down during mating season. So I sealed myself in my chambers in my palace. It is a painful experience to endure mating season without mating. It could drive a weaker demon insane. Many times during those nights for the last four years my beast would howl for you in desperation and attempt to break through the wards placed around my chambers. It was worth it, however, knowing that I didn't rape a human girl who would have no understanding of why she was raped. I would drag myself to my futon the next morning exhausted, sore and often bloody but content with the knowledge that you would have been kept safe by your friends. I knew that if my beast escaped and found you it would have not hesitated in killing them to get to you."

"What about my friends? Are they alright? Why weren't you home last night?" The last came out more accusatory than she wanted but she refused to feel guilty about it. She was the one raped.

"They are fine. I found you alone then searched the area to make sure there were no rivals around. The monk and demon slayer had succumbed to mating season as well as Inuyasha and his miko."

"What? He was supposed to be on guard till Sango and Miroku got back. He left? That's why he wasn't there when I woke up." Fury burned through her. She was left to face Sesshoumaru alone because Inuyasha abandoned her to fuck Kikyou? How dare he, she got raped by a crazed demon lord and he was off getting a piece of tail?

"Do not hold any doubt, my dear, that he would not have lived through an encounter with me in the state I was in." Kagome shot him a glare at the endearment. She didn't feel he had the right to that. Sesshoumaru however continued on pretending not to notice. "He would have died. My beast has wanted you far to long to be denied once it found you. As to why I was not home last night, I was still to weakened from fighting Naraku to use my orb to travel there. Unfortunately I was not able to find a safe spot to barricade myself in till my night passed. Though if I had killed your friends I would have used Tensaiga. You have been through enough without that added to it. I'm glad they were preoccupied."

Kagome closed her eyes and slumped against the tree. She mulled over what he had said about mating season. She knew that he was controlled by his beast last night. The red eyes had given it away. She had no doubt however that despite this she wouldn't be forgiving for a while. "I understand Sesshoumaru, that you had no choice but I can't forgive you. Not yet. Now now, maybe not ever." Opening her eyes she saw that he still had his mask off. Sorrow was marring his Grecian face. It tugged at some part of her to know he truly was sorry for what happened, but it was still to fresh in her mind to forgive him.

"I understand, Kagome. I will try to give you as much space as possible, and I pray that one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I can also promise you it will never happen again." He tried to convey as much conviction into that last sentence as possible. What he had to tell her next would not be taken well.

"No, it won't Sesshoumaru I'm on my way home and I won't be returning." Sesshoumaru's face looked horrified at this news. Odd, why would it matter? And why would he care? His beast may want her but without her around it wouldn't matter.

"Kagome, you will need to return here." He had to broach this carefully.

"Why? With Kikyou alive and the shikon back inside of me I'm not needed."

"You need to be here because you are my mate and Lady of the West. You also carry my heir. I'm sorry but while I'll give you as much space as possible I'll still be near you to protect you and my pup. I realize this is the last thing you want but I refuse to leave you."

Kagome's eye twitched. "I'm your mate?" Sesshoumaru nodded slowly. "I'm pregnant?" Again he nodded, this is not good. "I'm now Lady of the West?" With this nod Kagome lost what little handle she had on her volatile temper. "I'm now mated to a demon who raped me, who doesn't want me, who doesn't love me, new Lady of the West and I'm pregnant with his child. Oh, hell no. I'm going home end of story. Just point me in the direction of my camp so I can get my bag. I'm out of here." And with that Kagome tenderly stood up and clutched the haori closer.

"I never said I didn't want you. While my beast has been infatuated with you from the first, I came to agree with it over time." Sesshoumaru stood as well and replaced his mask. This was going about the way he expected, bad. "As for going home. I will take you but we will need to return to my palace in two weeks time. I will need to arrange for your care during your pregnancy. Hanyou births are hard on human women and I will not risk you or the pup."

"You don't get it Sesshoumaru, I'm going home by myself and not returning. I'm done with it all. I'm going home where they are no youkai, no hanyou, and no mating seasons. You are not coming with me."

"This Sesshoumaru will not abandon his mate, ever," he snarled, the mere thought of it disgusted him. "I will give you what space I can but you will need me to protect you while you are pregnant and to assist in the pregnancy. If I am not present to give aid at the proper times you will loose our pup and possibly die yourself during the miscarriage." Sesshoumaru stalked off and called to her without looking back, "I will take you to your friends now."