Alpha by Lyra

Wormwood: Tormented Love

Drabble Collection Alpha

XXXIX

Prompt From Lady Midnight’s Flower Prompt Challenge

Wormwood: Torment of love

Sesshomaru’s departure was swift, without further cutting words; perhaps he had seen that they were unnecessary. Inuyasha stayed very still, staring at Kagome with wide eyes, unable to form thoughts or the words to voice them.

Kagome sank down to her knees by the well, one hand on the lip of it, her thoughts ranging back, back...not that long ago, she had been on the edge of explaining to Inuyasha, of forgiving him, of trying to start over.

Now she didn’t know what to do. She had shocked herself with her own words, though not nearly as much as she had shocked Inuyasha. If she was honest with herself, she had suspected, always, that there might be some very strange things about having a demon for a lover, a husband – and that it might be stranger still because Inuyasha was “betwixt and between”, neither Inu nor human.

In her deepest and most private thoughts, remembering the pleasure Sesshomaru had taught her body, remembering the sight of him, controlled by desire for her – in those thoughts, Kagome considered that if she had known, in advance, what the results of being Inuyasha’s mate would be -

She might have consented – might have agreed to belong to both of them...or at least, to belong to Inuyasha and be Sesshomaru’s one-time lover.

Now, though...

Her emotions were confused; it was hard to separate what she wanted for herself and her life, her future, from what her body desired, betrayer that it was – and what her heart insisted, worse betrayer still.

As the dark fell, Inuyasha approached Kagome cautiously, one eye on her tears and one eye on the well behind her.

“Kagome – Kagome, I’m sorry. I never thought – you know I’ m not good at...I just don’t understand, Kagome. Please...come back with me to the village, Kagome? Please?”

Slowly, very slowly, her head raised; her eyes focused on him.

“You...want me still? Even after what I said?”

He swallowed, looked aside.

“Did you...did you mean it, Kagome?”

His eyes darted back to her, and he held her gaze. Her mouth opened, then closed...and then she shrugged.

“Yes. I meant it.”

He blinked quickly, fisted his hands.

“Why? Why?”

Bemused, confused but coming to clarity with her own words, Kagome spoke.

“I spent so much time being second best for you, Inuyasha; so much time waiting...and now, what you’ve told me...I don’t know what you were thinking; I don’t know if you thought I would be willing to wait forever, but I’m not, Inuyasha. You said it yourself; I’m only human. I...I only have so long to live, so few years, in the greater scheme of things.”

She fixed him with a level gaze.

“I wanted to spend them with you. But you...you don’t really know what you want, do you?”

“Kagome! I want – I want you. A life with you! But I – there are parts of myself I can’t control. That’s...that’s why you’re my mate. And not my w-wife. Mate I know. It’s...part of me. Instinct. But what is a wife? Something human -”

Kagome shook her head, and stood, silencing him.

“I know, Inuyasha. I know. But...it’s too late now. For any of that. You made me your mate...and that made me Sesshomaru’s. He’s told me my obligations – what is required of me as his mate – and the consequences, if I don’t...obey.”

Kagome shrugged again and turned to the path that led to the village.

“Let’s go. It’s getting late; and I’m tired.”

~~~

A/N: Aha! I just realized that technically the last chapter does NOT count as part of Lady Midnight’s challenge...too few words. This one, however, is 600 words! And therefore does count, as well as setting a new Alpha record :P

Revisions Complete! Onward!

Please Review!