“Papa! Papa, I found your mate!”
Sesshomaru glanced up from his desk. His daughter stood in the doorway, red-faced and wide-eyed. When he didn’t move, she rolled her eyes and crossed the office to take his hand.
“Come on. If we don’t hurry, she’ll get away,” Rin said.
“Who?”
“Your mate!” Rin insisted, tugging on his arm.
Sesshomaru sighed. Begrudgingly, he followed his daughter outside.
It appeared he would need to have another candid conversation with his mother.
Lately, Arisu had been visiting more frequently. She operated under the guise of seeing her grandchild, but her true objective was to meddle in his personal affairs, specifically the fact that Sesshomaru remained unmated.
She started small— an impromptu request to meet him at a cafe, which his mother then conveniently forgot, leaving him to be accompanied by her secretary. From there it escalated to work colleagues at their monthly family gatherings and finally to the dinner dates she kept scheduling for him. Sesshomaru was convinced he had met every eligible demoness in the country.
Yet, he remained single.
His daughter was a source of comfort. Adopting her had given him a purpose. His long days were filled with paying an exorbitant amount on private institutions and selecting the best tutors to ensure Rin had a promising future. She was the only female Sesshomaru was interested in caring for.
Which was exactly why his mother had involved her in this latest scheme.
His mate? He scowled at the very thought.
If Kagura Nogami was waiting outside, Sesshomaru would not wait for family dinner. He would be summoning his driver to take him to his mother’s residence immediately.
Fortunately, there was no sign of the wind demoness outside.
Rin led Sesshomaru across the yard to where a group was standing by the gate to his property. They were huddled around bikes and arguing about their route.
He frowned. Sesshomaru had little tolerance for incompetence, crowds, or excessive noise.
As he and his daughter drew closer, Sesshomaru realized why their presence troubled him. The majority of the group were demons— male wolf demons to be precise. Instinctively, he stepped in front of Rin.
A pair of blue eyes, belonging to the pack’s alpha, honed in on them. The wolf stepped forward, put his arm around the sole human female, and drew her closer to the group.
“I think we missed the turn up here,” he remarked, indicating a spot on the map the woman was holding.
She made a humming sound as she inspected the highlighted path.
“Let’s keep going. I’m sure we can loop around,” the wolf recommended, trying to steer her away.
“I guess,” the woman agreed.
Her voice was familiar. Sesshomaru was unsure where he knew it from but he was certain he had heard it before. He stepped forward, opening the gate as he did. The sound caught her attention and she turned around.
“Sesshomaru?”
He studied her face. The features had changed slightly over the years but her scent remained the same.
“Kagome.”
Her eyes brightened at his recognition. She stepped out from under the wolf’s arm, moving closer to Sesshomaru.
“You two know each other?” the alpha wolf questioned, glaring.
Sesshomaru ignored him. “It has been a few years. How is your family?”
“They’re doing well. Souta has really stepped up since I graduated. He’s helping Mama run the shrine while he finishes school,” she explained.
“Your grandfather?”
Kagome raised her hands. “Oh, he’s fine! He stays in the gift shop, mostly telling wild stories to the tourists. What about you?”
Sesshomaru shifted to the side, guiding Rin forward. “This is my daughter.”
Kagome knelt so she was eye-level with the little girl. “Hey there. I’m Kagome,” she said with a warm smile.
“Hi,” Rin responded softly. She’d always been shy around new people. Though, she did manage a small wave.
“Arisu must be thrilled. She always wanted grandchildren,” Kagome commented to Sesshomaru as she straightened up. “You must take after your mother,” Kagome added, winking at Rin. “Because your father never smiles.”
“I don’t have a mother. Papa’s not mated,” Rin said.
“Oh.” Kagome’s face fell.
“I adopted Rin last autumn,” Sesshomaru clarified.
Kagome’s brow creased. “Really?”
“You are surprised,” he observed.
“Yeah,” she said with a laugh. “I mean, you weren’t my biggest fan. Not just me, of course, humans in general. Every time Inuyasha brought me around, you made yourself scarce.”
“This guy is Mutt-face’s brother?” the wolf asked.
“Half-brother,” Sesshomaru and Kagome corrected simultaneously.
He blinked. Sesshomaru had not expected her to recall the disdain he held for his younger sibling. She grinned knowingly.
“Yeah, well, half-blood or not, the guy’s an idiot. You’re better off without him, Kags,” the wolf grumbled.
“I agree,” Sesshomaru said.
Her cheeks colored and she turned away to tuck her hair behind her ear.
The wolf took the opportunity to introduce himself. “I’m Kouga Matsuno.”
“Sesshomaru Taisho.”
“Yeah, I figured,” Kouga chuckled. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to get to the Arakawa path, would you?”
“Turn left at the traffic light and head north.”
“Thanks,” Kouga said. He faced his pack. “Come on, guys, let’s go.”
They all mounted their bikes and started for the intersection.
When Kagome didn’t immediately follow, Kouga nudged her. “Kags, you coming?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah.” She tapped her kickstand up and swung her leg over the seat.
Kouga was slow to head off, watching her every move.
“It was nice seeing you,” Kagome said.
Sesshomaru nodded.
She gave him a wave and rolled away.
He watched her pedal off with her friends. They moved together like a school of fish, keenly aware of each other’s presence. Her comfort level with the wolves indicated that she had spent a lot of time with them.
What the mongrel had said was correct. Inuyasha was an idiot. He had never deserved Kagome. The way he had treated her was unfitting of any man, especially one raised as a Taisho.
Sesshomaru clenched his jaw.
He had never cared for his younger brother. Inuyasha was brash, crude, and impatient. He had about as much tact as Kouga, which was why it had not shocked Sesshomaru when Kagome dumped him.
She possessed a stubborn confidence that demanded respect. Sesshomaru had always been impressed by her tenacity. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone.
It was not until Sesshomaru felt Rin tug on his pant leg that he realized he was still staring after her.
“Did you see?”
“See what?”
“The markings on her wrist,” Rin said. “They’re just like yours.”
“That’s impossible,” he told his daughter. “Only demons bare markings like mine. You know this.”
Sesshomaru had not been looking at Kagome’s hands. He was not even certain what she had been wearing. The only detail he could recall was how she had smiled at him. And how much she smelled like strawberries— fresh and inviting.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. Foolish sentimentalities would get him nowhere. That woman had walked out of his brother’s life years ago. Today’s meeting was merely a coincidence.
It was unlikely Sesshomaru would ever see her again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Throughout the week, Rin questioned him about Kagome. She wanted to know how he felt when they first met, what kind of food she liked, and where her family’s shrine was. Rin even went as far as to suggest that perhaps Kagome was a half-demon like Inuyasha.
Sesshomaru indulged his daughter. He knew she was curious, primarily because she’d never seen him interact with another woman willingly before. Other than his work associates, the time spent with females was limited to family members.
In time, Rin would lose interest and Kagome would become nothing more than a memory.
Or so he thought.
That weekend, as his driver pulled up to the family estate, Rin squealed.
Sesshomaru glanced up from the paperwork in his lap. Instantly, he spotted the cause of her excitement.
Kagome was pacing outside the main house. Though her head was down, Sesshomaru could see her lips moving. She had a bad habit of talking to herself. He’d overheard her on more than one occasion, usually after she and Inuyasha fought.
His eyes narrowed. Was that why she was here? Had they reconciled?
Before the car came to a full stop, Rin was opening the door and darting across the driveway.
“Miss Kagome!”
Sesshomaru shuffled his paperwork together and tucked it away in his leather satchel.
“Same time as always, sir?” A-Un questioned.
“Yes.”
He had intended to finish reviewing the latest proposal from Inada Industries. The Thunder Demon Tribe had followed the Taisho family by integrating into the human world. Their energy company generated the most revenue in the industry. It made sense that they wanted to partner with Taisho Inc.
“Grandmother invited Kagome to dinner. Isn’t that great, Papa?” Rin asked as Sesshomaru stepped out of the car.
“Hn.”
He should have anticipated this. Arisu had not meddled with any of his affairs this week. She had spent all her time with Rin. Sesshomaru thought his mother had finally accepted his need for privacy. Evidently, he had given her far too much credit.
“Hey,” Kagome greeted him.
“Hello,” he returned.
“Come on, Miss Kagome. You can sit next to me,” Rin said, grabbing the young woman by the hand.
Kagome glanced over at Sesshomaru, who nodded.
“Do you know what this is about?” she whispered as they entered the main house.
“I have an idea,” he responded.
Inside, his parents were waiting to receive them. Rin immediately released Kagome’s hand in favor of jumping into her grandfather’s arms.
“How is my favorite granddaughter?” Touga asked with a proud grin.
“Grandpa Touga, I’m your only granddaughter!”
“That doesn’t make it any less true.”
Rin giggled.
“I see another familiar face,” he commented, noticing Kagome.
She bowed. “Mr. Taisho, thank you for having me.”
“Kagome, there is no need for formalities. We’re all family here. Please call me Touga.”
“Oh, I don’t know—.”
“I’m so pleased you could make it. It’s been far too long since we’ve seen you,” Arisu interrupted, taking Kagome by the arm.
Sesshomaru watched his mother guide her down the corridor to the dining room.
Once they were out of ear-shot, Touga leaned over. “I didn’t realize you and Kagome were still acquainted.”
“We’re not.”
“But, she’s your mate!” Rin cried indignantly.
Touga’s eyes went wide. His gaze flickered from his son to his granddaughter and then back to Sesshomaru. He smirked. “Your mate, huh? Well, this is a surprise. Guess you’re more like your old man than you thought, aren’t you?”
“You are mistaken.”
“So you’re not courting her?” Touga inquired.
“No.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if I set her up with that accountant over in the Finance department, Hojo Ueda.”
“I doubt she has time to indulge your matchmaking hobby,” Sesshomaru said.
“If that were true, she wouldn’t be here, would she?” Touga quipped.
“I like her,” Rin remarked.
“Me too,” Touga agreed with an approving smile. He tilted his head toward his granddaughter, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Just between you and me, I think your Papa does too.”
“I heard that,” Sesshomaru grumbled.
Rin giggled.
Shaking his head, he followed his father and daughter into the dining room. The table had been set for eight. Two seats opposite him and Rin remained empty.
Sesshomaru frowned. “I see punctuality remains an elusive trait for some.”
“Let them be,” Inuyasha’s mother, Izayoi waved him off. “They’re busy with wedding preparations.”
“It is rude to keep the rest of us waiting. If they needed to run errands for the ceremony, they should have done so earlier,” Arisu commented sourly.
Like Sesshomaru, she despised Touga’s second wife. There was very little the human woman could say that either of them agreed with. As if sensing this, Izayoi turned to their guest.
“Kagome, I’m so glad you’ve come to visit. I do hope this means you and Inuyasha are back to being friends. I know he’s missed you.”
The air in the room became unbearably tense. Sesshomaru smelled the shift in Kagome’s scent. He glanced over at her and caught the way her hands trembled at her sides.
When she spoke, her voice wavered slightly. “Um…no, actually, you see, I’m here because—.”
“I invited her,” Sesshomaru said.
“Oh,” Izayoi raised her hand to her mouth, “I didn’t realize you two were together.”
Arisu stepped in before he could clarify. “Yes, we’re very excited. The Taisho family may be celebrating more than one wedding this year.”
“How fortunate for our sons,” Izayoi replied.
“Indeed. I am quite grateful that Kagome is such a forgiving woman. It isn’t often you find someone who can overlook indiscretions and learn how to trust again. I suppose she and I have that in common,” Arisu said.
Sesshomaru saw Kagome pale. He glanced at Izayoi. Inuyasha’s mother appeared stricken while his mother was grinning triumphantly. She had delivered her killing blow.
And, suddenly, Sesshomaru realized he was as blind as his brother.
His hands curled into fists. The next time Sesshomaru saw the half-breed, he would instruct him on the meaning of fidelity— even if he had to beat the definition into the whelp.
“I’m sorry, would you excuse me for a moment?” Kagome didn’t wait for a response before fleeing the room.
Sesshomaru did not hesitate to follow. Finding her was simple. He could hear Kagome talking to herself as she paced in the sitting room.
“I knew this was a bad idea,” she was saying. “Why did I agree to come here? I could have been out shopping with my friends or at the shrine or literally anywhere else! Ugh!” She stomped her foot angrily then buried her face in her hands.
The movement pulled her sleeves up, revealing a pair of diagonal stripes along her wrist. Their color wasn’t as prominent as his magenta bands but the shape and placement were the same.
“Kagome.”
“Huh?” She whirled around. “Oh, Sesshomaru!” Her face relaxed when she realized who had found her. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I should be here. I’m going to head home. Please give my apologies to your parents.”
As she moved past him for the front door, Sesshomaru latched onto her arm.
“What’s on your wrist?” he inquired.
Her cheeks reddened and she hastily yanked her sleeves down. “It’s nothing. Just a stupid rash from another one of Yuka’s fortune-tellers. This one claimed she had a spell to help you find your soulmate”
“Why would you visit a fortune teller?”
Kagome stumbled over her words as she responded. “I don’t... I mean, I didn’t. Ugh! I did, okay? But I only go there for Yuka’s sake. I don’t like her going to those scam artists by herself. I'm afraid they'll take advantage of her.”
“Have you discussed your feelings with your friend?” Sesshomaru asked.
“Yeah, but Yuka believes in them, no matter how many times they give her false hope,” Kagome explained.
“Your friend sounds unreasonable.”
“Yuka’s not unreasonable. She’s lonely. She wants to find love. How can I say no to that?”
“Love,” Sesshomaru repeated. “She believes visiting deceitful humans who lie and cheat her out of her money will bring her love?”
Kagome rolled her eyes. “No, she thinks they can help her find the person she’s meant to spend the rest of her life with.”
“Have they?”
“No,” she admitted dejectedly. She dropped her gaze to the floor.
Sesshomaru shucked off his jacket and draped it over his shoulder. He unbuttoned his cuff links. When he rolled up his sleeve, the magenta markings on his wrist became visible.
“Perhaps, the spell was not meant for your friend. Perhaps, it was meant for you.”
Kagome looked at his outstretched arm and gasped.
“Your face?” he asked, indicating her cheeks.
She nodded. “I concealed it with makeup. I can’t go to work like that. I’ll lose my job.”
He was unconcerned about her employment. If Kagome required a job, he would ensure she was hired at Taisho Inc. “Are there also markings along your hips and thighs?”
Her blush deepened. Once again, she nodded.
“There is a tracking spell that some of the kitsune tribes use to find acceptable matches for their kits once they come of age,” Sesshomaru revealed. “I’ve never heard of it being used on a human before.”
“Are you saying that you and I...?” Kagome trailed off as she gestured between them. Then, she shook her head. Her expression soured as Kagome placed her hands on her hips. "Is this some kind of joke?"
“I do not joke.”
“You and me? Don’t be ridiculous! You don’t even like me!”
“I never said that.”
“But you barely said two words to me when I was here with Inuyasha. You always kept to yourself or left,” she pointed out.
“Your presence confused me. When you were near, my senses were overwhelmed. It caused me to lose focus so I distanced myself,” he said, approaching her.
Kagome’s eyes widened. He could hear her heart hammering in her chest. The cadence was different from when she was nervous. This beat was quick and light, signaling excitement, not fear. “I don’t understand,” she rasped.
“Neither do I,” Sesshomaru admitted as he began redressing. “Though I would appreciate the opportunity to test the theory.”
She stared at him, perplexed for a moment. Her head tilted as she surmised his intentions. “You want to go on a date?”
“Indeed.”
“When?”
“Now,” he stated, extending his hand to her. "I’d prefer to leave before my brother arrives."
Kagome scoffed. “Now? What about dinner? Your mother invited me here personally!”
“All the more reason to make a hasty exit,” Sesshomaru said.
She bit her lower lip, hesitating. “What about Rin?”
“I assure you she’s fine to spend the night here, although, if you’re concerned about her safety, I can make arrangements so she can accompany us,” he offered.
The stiffness in Kagome’s shoulders lessened. “Can I pick the place?
“If that will make you more comfortable,” Sesshomaru agreed.
“Okay,” Kagome said, placing her hand in his. “Let’s test this theory.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Thank you to my beta, originalone73.