Stronger by Caedes

Courage to Say Yes

Yay! I am updating on a Monday and remembering to update! I hope you are proud of me and enjoy this update. A lot of people had questions about Izayoi, so you are about to be satisfied. 

I remind everyone this story is rated MA, there is a sexual warning for this chapter. 

“Oh, how is my girl?” Touga asked, and Kagome excitedly ran into his arms as he swirled her around, “I heard you stood up to Kouga.”

“I did. It felt fantastic.” She said as he placed her back down.

“Kags?” A voice called, and she turned to see Inuyasha. She smiled brightly before launching a hug on him similar to Touga. He chuckled as he caught her, “Damn Kags.”

“I’m sorry for how I acted before.” She whispered.

He scoffed as he put her down, “You had a reason.”

“So this is the girl I have heard so much about.” Kagome turned to see who she assumed to be Izayoi. Her dark hair was pulled back elegantly, and she looked like the perfect match for Touga.

“Kagome.” Kagome stuck out her hand.

Izayoi ignored her hand and hugged her tightly, “Touga has said so many good things about you.”

Kagome laughed, “Well that’s good. I’d be upset if he only said bad things.”

“Inuyasha and I have to go see Sesshomaru—are you two ladies okay for a while?” Touga asked.

“Yes.” Kagome promised. The two men walked away and Kagome ushered Izayoi to one of the sitting rooms, calling for tea as she did so. They babbled on for a while about the weather and the different rooms as they waited for tea and scones.

. 

“I can’t believe I haven’t met you.” Kagome confessed, sipping from her tea, “I was at this house all the time growing up.” Kagome would later admit to testing out her miko abilities that inspired so many others to talk. As Kagome was aware of the tense relationship between Izayoi and Sesshomaru’s pack, Kagome was curious to figure out why. It seemed Sesshomaru’s pack was a bit tight lipped about telling her why they disliked Izayoi, so Kagome endeavored to find out. Using the same mind set she did to pull answers out anyone Kouga had her question or when she used her powers to interrogate Hitomu, Kagome carefully hoped to persuade Izayoi to tell her secrets.

“Oh, I never lived here.” Izayoi said with a chuckle, “Touga and I have a house a bit down the street.”

“But—I thought Inuyasha lived here.” Kagome said confused.

“He did.” Izayoi confirmed, “So did Touga’s pack. But I lived down the street with Touga.” She smiled, “You know how inu are.” She waved her hand.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, how did Izayoi see inu.

“I knew Touga wouldn’t walk away from his pack, so I compromised by living down the street so he could come here when he needed to get rid of the itch.” Izayoi grinned as she answered but Kagome’s heart plummeted. This woman had Touga only being with his pack when he had an itch. The thought was horrifying, “I thought I could have Inuyasha with me—but it turned out he had a little more inu in him than I thought. When pack became necessary, he moved in here.”

“Where does he live now?” Kagome asked, trying to keep her tone calm as she continued to use her miko abilities to have Izayoi answer her questions.

“He lives with Touga’s pack down the road.”

“I haven’t met Touga’s pack.”

“Everyone is so wonderful—that is why Touga refused to step down as Alpha.” Kagome was heartbroken, saying Touga had refused to step down as alpha meant Izayoi had the audacity to ask him to step down. This was the woman he left his first mate for? Kagome understood Sesshomaru a lot better now, “There are nine pack members—all mated of course and all inu.” Kagome was beginning to feel a bit guilty about using her powers on Izayoi for answers. Clearly these were deep issues between Touga and Izayoi that Kagome had no business in interfering, even if it did help to explain Sesshomaru.

“Except for yourself, of course.” Kagome said.

“I am not part of the pack.” Izayoi said, giggling as she shook her head, “I’m not an inu—so I am Touga’s mate but not part of the pack” That made no sense to Kagome, “Inu packs are intimate with each other. I am human, so I want nothing to do with that.” Izayoi said, “So I limit the number of times Touga can interact with them. He gets very anxious when it has been too long, but I try to draw it out as much as I can.”

Kagome put her tea cup down and had to refrain from slamming it. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt horrible for Touga. Now Kagome didn’t regret using her power to get these answers out Izayoi only because the answers were so ridiculously prejudice.

Izayoi sighed, “I usually don’t talk to people about this—but you seem easy to open up to. And you live with Sesshomaru’s pack—so you must know what it is like.”

“I do.” Kagome whispered, trying to stifle the guilt of Izayoi’s open confession.

“The asshole kicked us out.” Inuyasha said, shaking his head as he walked in and kissed his mother’s head.

“Always busy that one.” Touga agreed.

Kagome saw an out and she took it, “Speaking of which, I need to go see Sango and get some work done.”

Touga nodded, “Of course—I will be over again soon.”

“It was nice seeing ya Kags.” Inuyasha added.

“It was nice meeting you Kagome.” Izayoi said.

Kagome politely nodded to all three of them, ushering them toward the door. She was her usual friendly and bubbly self, not letting them get a hint that she was upset.

Resisting the urge to slam the door, she closed it behind them.

She felt so bad for Touga.

He had been there for her during all the ups and downs of her healing with Kouga. The entire time, he had practically been barred from his own pack. Inuyasha was Kagome’s age, so it had been for the past twenty eight years. How could Izayoi do such a thing and not realize the toll it had on her mate?

. 

Kagome stomped through the palace. She wanted to get work done, but she figured it might have to wait because she was so angry. Walking into the room that overlooked the back yard, she gasped.

Sesshomaru was standing in the middle of the room with his eyes closed. Lucia was on her knees in front of him as Carlo sat on the couch. It took Kagome a second to figure out what was going on as Lucia continued to bob her head. Seeshomaru’s growl made her realize she was staring, as brilliant red eyes flashed at her.

A second later she ran out.

. 

Kagome was shaking as she reached her office. Lucia was definitely giving Sesshomaru a blowjob while Carlo watched. And by Carlo’s movements—he wasn’t passively watching. She was worried she would feel the disgust that Izayoi felt at such an act, but it never came. All Kagome felt was horribly embarrassed that she walked in on such an intimate act. She let out a breath before sitting down.

What a weird day.

Kagome pulled up her files as she got caught up on all the work Sango had done being Sesshomaru’s lawyer. She mostly did it just to familiarize herself with the past so she could be of more use in the future.

Her mind kept wandering back to Sesshomaru’s eyes when he realized she was in the room. She had never seen his beast before. She shivered before looking back down at her work, trying not to think about it.

But then she would think about it again.

Kagome sighed, leaning back in her desk chair, still unsure of what to do with herself. She didn’t really want to think about her bodily response to seeing that.

Which is when she realized she wasn’t afraid.

Whatever she was feeling, it wasn’t fear.

“Huh.” She frowned. She expected fear. Why wasn’t she afraid of them? She was terrified of Kouga when he was aroused.

But maybe that was it. They weren’t Kouga.

She had been so sure that she couldn’t handle seeing a man aroused that she had never considered the alternative. Kagome bit her lip, trying to figure out what she felt in the constant shifting of emotions.

“Kagome?” A voice called, and she stiffened. It was Sesshomaru.

“Come in.” She tried to sound casual but her heart was thumping loudly as she sat up in her chair. How was she supposed to make eye contact with him? Trying not to think about how her face got pink, she looked up at him and tried to remain calm, “Did you draw the short straw?”

He chuckled, seemed at ease as he sat down across from her—of course he was at ease, he just had an orgasm. Kagome shook her head. That kind of thought process wasn’t going to help her.

“I’m sorry I walked in.” She said with a blush.

“We were the ones in sexual acts out in the open.” He said, and Kagome’s blush deepened, “I did not think you would be done with my father, his mate, and the half breed so soon.”

Kagome furrowed her brow, “I understand why you can’t stand that woman. I was always confused when Inuyasha said you hated her—but now I get it.” She shook her head before blushing, “I was curious why you didn’t like her—so I used my ability to get her to open up. I think my abilities worked too well because she already wanted to talk to me, so she shared a lot. She said she kept Touga away from his pack and then she had the nerve to say she compromised.” She sighed, “I didn’t know whether to start crying for Touga or smack her.”

“She does not understand pack.”

“She said she was Touga’s mate, but she was not part of his pack.” Kagome looked horrified as she said it, “It is impossible to separate the two. I do not understand how his pack functions.”

“He did not merge his life line with Izayoi’s.” Sesshomaru told her. Kagome was stunned, “He won’t unless she acknowledges his pack and her place in it.”

Kagome was quiet, “Does Inuyasha know?”

“No.” Sesshomaru’s response was just as mollified.

“Kami.” She leaned back, then she blinked, “Adara knows.”

“Yes—as his lawyer she knows all about his prenuptial agreement and new marriage.” Kagome couldn’t help but feel let down by Touga. This great love she thought he had wasn’t that great, “You are disappointed.” Sesshomaru accused.

“Yes.” Kagome admitted, “He builds up his love for Izayoi to be this fantastic love—but she does not understand the most basic principles of pack.”

“So it is not a human thing.” Sesshomaru said, but she had a feeling it was a question.

“I am not sure if it is not a human thing.” Kagome replied, “I think Sango is just as perplexed about the dynamics of pack as Izayoi is—though Sango is more accepting. But I am sure I am not the only human who is like this.”

“I have yet to meet another.” Sesshomaru said, and her heart was warmed by it. She didn’t like seemingly being the only human to understand yokai, but she did like having his approval. She blushed under his compliment.

“I don’t mean to be different.” She mumbled.

“That is nothing to be ashamed of.” He insisted, sitting up.

“Thank you.” She whispered, looking up at him, her blush not wavering even a little bit.

“I confess to an ulterior motive when I found out Izayoi was coming.”

“Yes?” Kagome asked, confused.

“It was a test.”

“A test?” Kagome furrowed her brow, “For whom?”

“For you.” He said honestly and unapologetically. Not that she had ever seen Sesshomaru be apologetic, but he seemed to be almost defensive.

“Why?” She asked.

“This Sesshomaru wants to add you to his pack.” Kagome couldn’t even gasp she was so surprised, the room was absolutely silent, “You were tested to prove that you would not be like Izayoi if you were taken in.”

Kagome’s mouth fell open, “You’re serious?” She managed to ask. Her heart was pounding in her chest. He wanted her to be pack.

“Yes. If you would have agreed with Izayoi, we would not be having this discussion.”

She shook her head, “Not about the test—you’re serious in your offer.”

“This Sesshomaru is always serious.”

“But—you’re—I’d be pack.” She stuttered, not being able to pick out sentences.

“We agreed that if you were to accept, we would bind our lines to yours so you would live as long as the rest of us.”

Kagome was stunned into silence. Her brain was incapable of creating a thought. She couldn’t believe what he just said.

“You are free to decline and stay as a ward in my palace—that arrangement of your protection will not change.”

Kagome looked up, “You—you want me to be in your pack?” She asked.

“Yes.” He said.

Kagome tried to keep it together, but it was suddenly too much. She burst into tears. She knew how he felt about crying women, so she covered her face with her hands as she pulled her legs up into her chest.

His voice was much closer to her when he said, “You are either crying because it is too much of an insult, or these are happy tears.” His voice sounded flat, but there was a hint of amusement.

She laughed despite her tears, still covering her face. A clawed hand gently touched her hands and pulled them off her face, “Do you have an answer?” He asked.

She let out a breath before launching herself around him, gripping him as tightly as her human body could as she buried into his neck. He hadn’t moved from the impact of her body, it wasn’t enough to throw a yokai like him. Sesshomaru’s hands slowly wrapped around her and held her.

“You are saying yes.” He didn’t ask, but she nodded against his neck as she tried to grip him tighter.

“Yes.” She managed to sob, his grip on her tightened.

Kagome couldn’t think of a way to thank him for such an offer, so she let her aura surround her with joy. He let out a breath—which might as well have been a gasp.

She laughed before backing up out of his grip, wiping her eyes, “I know this is nothing to cry about but I—I am honored.” She managed to choke out the last piece before wiping more tears away.

“You are worthy of such an honor.” He said, a clawed thumb wiping away her tears.

“I do not know how I will make it up to you.”

“We are pack. It is not a tally of what you owe me or I owe you. My pack sticks together not because of how much we owe one another, but how much we care for one another.” It was a rare display of emotion from Sesshomaru to admit he cared about anything; she looked away and blushed. He gripped her chin and pulled it toward him, “I care about my pack, Kagome. I care about each individual that makes it up, and each one cares for the other. So you will have to care about each member, and each will care about you.”

She nodded before hugging him again, “My heart is so full it could burst.”

“There are particulars we must discuss.” He said, standing up and bringing her with him.

“Okay.” She said, wiping her face as he put her down in one of the armchairs in her office, he took the one across from it.

“I will not mark you as pack until your divorce is final. Human legalities have little impact on yokai court, but I do not want to give the wolf any ammunition. It is not what I would like to do, but it is the smart thing.”

“I understand.” Kagome said with a nod.

“As an inu pack—we are intimate with one another.” He said carefully, “But you always have a choice.”

“Sophia?” Kagome whispered.

“You may continue your relationship with the neko yokai.” His eyes a bit more guarded. Kagome nodded, sitting back, “But try to wash off the smell of cat.”

She giggled before she could help it. No matter what anyone said—cats and dogs did not get along.

“You will be with us for many centuries—so do not do anything you are unwilling to do—you will have plenty of time to adjust.”

“I will.” Kagome said with a smile.

“There is something else I wish to discuss.” He said, “About your husband.” Kagome nodded, “I tell you this not to hurt you further, but so that you hear it from me and not anyone else.”

“You’re scaring me.” Kagome whispered.

“He is betrothed.”

“Should I warn the girl?” Kagome said, sitting back, “I don’t want to give him the impression I want him back—but whoever he is dating now should know.”

“You misunderstand—he has been betrothed for some time.”

That made Kagome’s blood run cold. She froze in her seat as her mind made the jump she didn’t want it to take. She refused to take. No.

“How long?” She asked.

“He betrothed Princess Ayame two hundred years ago.”

“That little cocksucker.” She said with a pleasantness and calmness that she absolutely did not feel, “What a douche.”

“In the yokai world, marriage is meaningless.”

“So from Ayame’s perspective he wasn’t in a committed relationship.” Kagome said calmly.

“He was being difficult—a side step before their marriage.” Sesshomaru agreed with her assessment.

“Where is he?”

Sesshomaru furrowed a brow, he didn’t understand why she would ask that, “I assume at home—why?”

“I am going to kill him. That stupid son of a bitch.” She growled as she stood up, her power coming off of her in sparks. 

“Unfortunately under yokai law, you have no rights to kill him. Therefore your request to kill him is denied.” Sesshomaru said with a slightly confused furrowed brow, his voice flat as if he did not understand that she was not actually considering going over to his home and killing him.

“How could I have fallen for him?” She asked, moving away from Sesshomaru, “How could I have been so stupid?”

“Not many know of his betrothal to the wolf princess. It was not ignorant of you not to know. Given your heritage, the only way you would have known is if he told you.” He was trying to be delicate; he could sense her about to spiral out of control.

She looked back at him, “I don’t know whether I want to kill something or start crying.”

“The energy is best used in exacting revenge over the wolf lord.” Sesshomaru said.

“I’m going to make that asshole rue the day he ever looked at me.”

“He will.” Sesshomaru promised. 

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