Clash of Alphas by sarhea

Red's Gemstone Challenge - Carnelian

Prompt: Red’s Gemstone Challenge on Dokuga.com Forums – Carnelian

~ooO Forgotten Treasures Ooo~

Kagome was digging through one of the many storage chests in Sesshoumaru’s largest country estate. The beautiful vacation home nestled against the granite mountain range had many hidden underground chambers dug deep into the stone, hidden, preserved, and protected by magic.

Kagome did not have any plans for university or college (her marks were sadly lacking). She knew her mate could easily ‘buy’ her an acceptance letter but she did not want to attend classes knowing everyone was whispering about her. She’d already gone through that once and it was bad enough. Besides she had plenty to keep her busy, honing her miko skills and traditional lore.

Right now she was going through dusty chests looking for forgotten treasures and relics. The underground storage vaults had been sealed when her mate’s father had died and had not been opened since. Sesshoumaru had been more interested in accumulating power then wealth through his own efforts. Her mother-in-law had her own treasure vaults and was not interested in what had belonged to her former mate.

She sighed and carefully refolded what had to be the umpteenth kimono. Kagome knew kimonos and associated accessories were expensive and prized but really! Didn’t her deceased father-in-law store anything else? Well, any scrolls or knowledge was probably in the libraries, but what about jewellery, or paintings and diaries? Then she realized something. The chests she’d been looking through might have been designated for clothing only. Carefully she repacked and closed it. Then she stood up and walked deeper towards the back of the cave. Luckily there was plenty of light from the bioluminescent fungus.

She looked around pleased. This was more like it! These chests had a different look from the ones near the front. Randomly she selected one, knelt before it, and lifted the lid. It was not packed with clothes! Well, not kimonos.

Carefully she removed one cloth wrapped bundle and removed the dense silk fabric and gasped. It was a delicate orange-red stone carving of an Akita hound, head thrown back baying. It greatly resembled Sesshoumaru in his beast form.

“It was a mating gift.”

Kagome looked over her shoulder at her mate. “Tell me.”

He knelt beside her and took the small carved ornament. “My sire commissioned it as a mating gift for my dam.”

Kagome stroked the slick smooth fiery red-orange stone. “What is the stone? Marble?”

“Carnelian,” he corrected.

Kagome gasped and drew her hand back fast. The carving was the length of his hand, tall as the width of his palm, and it looked like it was carved from a single solid stone. Carnelian was not a precious stone like diamonds or rubies but a high quality stone that large was expensive. Sesshoumaru did not seem to notice her actions.

“Carnelians are supposed to drive away evil and bring good luck, to give the owner courage to speak boldly and well, to be fearless and victorious, to protect against the envious, to be successful and happy.” He snorted. “It did not help either of them in the end.”

Kagome knew she had to be careful to not disregard her mate’s negative views. He was entitled to them.

“I’d like to think we make our own luck, our own choices.”

He turned to look at her with lighter eyes. “You are right.” Then his eyes turned molten. “Do you know what else they say of carnelians?”

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

“Carnelians enhance energies and appetites, passion and desire.”

Kagome touched his cheek and moved her face towards his. “Why don’t we test that?” she murmured against his lips.

He kissed her hot and hard, teasing her with teeth and tongue. Kagome moaned and did not resist as he pushed her down against the moss covered stone floor, and began shredding her clothes with sharp claws.

TBC...