"Oh Sesshoumaru I was about to go to sleep," a surprised Kagome said when Sesshoumaru just walked in without knocking.

"Get out of bed," Sesshoumaru snapped, "we need to talk."

Kagome removed the blankets and sheets quickly and stood by him so she could look him in the eye.

"Whets wrong Sesshoumaru."

Kagome couldn't even gasp as Sesshoumaru took her arm and forced something into her hand. It was a piece of paper. She unfolded it and read it.

To all whom this may concern-

Kagome Higurashi who was forced to live under me for a month has obeyed and done many favors along with baring me a child. If this paper is signed by her and me then all that is written shall come true. Upon the birth of my son I will make sure is safely escorted home and kept away from Kouga, if she is hurt by any other youkai in my lands I will see it that they are hunted down and killed, I will also never cause any harm to her or Inuyasha. Once this paper is signed all is final and any disregard for what is written calls for punishment.

"No signature," noted Kagome, "also there is more then what you promised on her. Before you said you would kill Inuyasha and you never mentioned killing youkai that caused harm to me."

"There is not signature cause I have not signed it yet. I will sign it once you have done all I have needed from you. And you get more now because I need a lot more from you. And considering doing it would be a wise idea. I will never cause harm to you or Inuyasha because I have too much honor to disobey something I have signed, and as long as you have this note you will be safe from any youkai attack in the western lands and the alleys of the western lands."

"Protection? This could be useful, but what more do you need from me?"

"I have figured out why Lord Koji has been looking at you strange."

"I think I know too."

"No you don't know. You see thousands of years ago before youkai came more civilized they had strange traditions. One of them that was created in the Eastern Lands was that if you were a male youkai and you had a male guest you had to show them that they were welcomed by giving up your mate for the night."

"What does that mean."

"That means that instead of the guest asking things from a servant they would have the wife do it, but back then youkai weren't civilized and they always slept with the wives. Lord Koji believes in all the traditions and he has requested I give up my mate for the night."

"Hold on!" Kagome yelled, "who do you think I am! I will not sleep with this guy!"

"You won't," growled Sesshoumaru, "I will personally see to it. As long as you are my prisoner the only one who will do anything to you would be me nobody will touch what is mine. He has already sworn he wouldn't do anything like that. All you have to do is sleep on the futon at the foot of his bed and if he ask for something get it."

"We had an agreement. You said all I had to do was pretend and give birth to your son and then I was home free. I don't need the protection you offer me."

"What about Inuyasha's life."

"Does the Tetsusaiga mean that much to you?"

"Yes it does, but heres a question that might help you make your decision. Do you care about Rin and our son."

"It would be your son and yes I do care, but what does this have to do with me and Lord Koji?"

"Lord Koji looks innocent enough, but really he is a tiger youkai who could easily kill me and all the youkai in my lands. There will be a war if he does not get what he wants and he will everyone in the Western lands including my son and Rin."

"What if he does more just order me around? What if he tries to do what the ancestors did?"

"Then call my name and you will be removed from him. I don't care how strong he is I will not let him harm you."

"Those are words I thought I would never hear out of Inuyasha's mouth let alone yours."

"Well no offense intended, but I have to do this for our son's sake. After watching you for the past few days I have learned your a little too emotional. I got ill just by talking with Rose. If Lord Koji were to make a move it would cause you to overflow and that would not be good to give birth to the child on."

"Fine I will do it. And I will show you that I can keep my emotions under control. I will obey him and if he makes a move I will call you. Can't be too hard."

"It shouldn't be."

--------

It had been hours now since Sesshoumaru dropped Kagome off in Lord Koji's room. He only came by once after that and that was so he could sneak the bottle that contained the youkai potion into it so no one could smell her human blood. Now all he could do was lay in bed and hope that Koji kept to his word. Sesshoumaru doubted it. Koji had to have wanted more or he wouldn't have gone through all the trouble to make sure he got Kagome that night.

Kagome was all Sesshoumaru could think about. Not being able to sleep he got out of bed and prepared for a walk hopefully that would get his mind off things. That turned out not to be a good idea though. He felt sick when the first person he saw was Rose. It was too late she saw him, he couldn't avoid her.

She said nothing. She just walked by with a sad look in her eyes. She didn't even spare him a glance. Sesshoumaru didn't like this. Something was strange.

"Since you like to be so nosey Rose I would like to tell you now that it looks like things at these conferences have settled down me and Kagome will find ourselves in the perfect romantic setting for me to finally mark her."

Rose quickly turned around and faced him with fury in her eyes.

"Shut up!" Rose yelled, "how can you say things to me like that after this. Okay I know I have been a bitch but now your just being a plain jerk."

"Don't ever tell me to shut up," Sesshoumaru growled, "and it was you who couldn't keep your nose out of it."

"Well that was then and this is now. Don't you think I would have a lot more on my mind then your romantic life."

"Why the sudden change."

"Shut the hell up and quit being a jerk! My father is dead and your bugging me about dumb shit!"

What in the hell did Rose mean dead? He had just seen Lord Koji a few hours ago and he was perfectly well. Was Rose just loosing her mind.

"What do you mean he is dead? I was just in his room not too long ago."

"You mean you didn't know? I thought a servant told you. And you were not in his room. Our rooms are right by each other and I would have smelled you."

"Your room isn't right by his. Your on the north side of the castle while he is on the south side."

"No he was on the north side in his room where I found his body."

"Well then show me this body."

Rose didn't spare a second as her and Sesshoumaru walked down to the North side. The door was already open and Sesshoumaru could see all the other rulers of the Eastern Lands looking over the dead body of what was indeed Lord Koji. He left Kagome alone with Koji in a room on the other side of the castle though. Sesshoumaru studied the body. There was a deep gash in the youkai's chest. Sesshoumaru looked at his eyes. They were blood red. Koji was killed while trying to transform. He was trying to protect himself meaning someone killed him. The blood wasn't flowing though. The whole body was totally drained. It was a big slash, but still it would have took hours for a demon to loose blood. And for how many hours it took it looked as though it took place just awhile after the families from the Eastern families arrived, but that couldn't be true. Everyone saw Lord Koji at dinner.

"Rose, when everybody first arrived here at my castle where was the first place your father went?"

"Right into this room," Rose answered, "he was tired after our journey."

"It looks as though he was killed before dinner."

"Be we seen him at dinner, but it would explain why he was acting different if there was an imposter in the building."

Sesshoumaru didn't say another word. He quickly left the room and used his youkai powers to dash down the hallway. How could he be so blind? That was why Lord Koji was acting so differently, because he wasn't Lord Koji at all. And most importantly he left Kagome alone with whoever this strange man could have been.

He stopped right at the door and slammed it open. All the lights were off and he studied hard to see any figures in the room. He only saw one and it was slumped over the master bed. Sesshoumaru could smell blood, but not just any blood. Kagome's blood. As fast as he could he lit a candle and rushed over to the bed. The figure was Kagome. He checked the middle part of her body first to make sure no harm could have come to his child, then he searched the rest of her. The only places where she was injured was on her face where there was a deep gash on her cheek that would indeed leave a scar. And right where her arm had been broken was a horrible sight. It was as though someone just took a knife to her arm and started splicing it as much as possible. Luckily it had missed her wrist and she was still breathing.

He scooped her up in his arms and fled the room. He was going to take her to his room where both of his swords laid. Hopefully the Tensaiga could do more then just bring the dead back to life. Once he arrived he pretty much threw her on the bed without even caring about the blood that would soak into his expensive bed sheets. Sweat started to drip from his brow as he studied the surface of his dresser in search of the Tensaiga. Swiftly he unsheathed it and held it above Kagome.

The Tensaiga grew a blue aura around it has slid it over all her injuries. Once the glow was gone he sheathed the sword and studied her once more. Where all of her wounds have been there were now very light pink scars and no more blood was flowing. She would be just fine. He breathed a sigh of relief as he put his sword back where found it and pulled a blanket over her. He was going to sit here and wait. Once she awoke he would find out who the imposter was and what he wanted. He did not want to take her back to her room and wait just incase he would have to leave for a few seconds and the attacker came back. The room she was placed in had a window and a balcony while his room had no way to the outside world at all except for a door that would only allow those who were invited in.

Sesshoumaru thought about what to do with Kagome now. He thought it would be easy to just imprison her for a month until his son was born, but now she was in danger. He didn't really know that for sure though, if she is was in danger then whoever it was would have probably killed her instead of just cut her up a little, but what if that was because she was raped?

He took a whiff of the air around him. He was relieved to find out nothing of the sort had been done to her, but what was the point? What was the point into going through all the trouble to lure someone to you without killing them or having sex. At first Sesshoumaru thought the imposter was just an assassin who wanted to kill Lord Koji, but then what was the point in harming Kagome. It had to be Kagome the guy was after, but why?

His eyes have not left Kagome since he laid her down. She looked so peaceful now that she was not bleeding. Even though she had the potion working on her she still had her lovely scent that just held a hint of youkai. He mentally slapped himself and looked away. Why was he acting like this? Why did he care so much about her scent and how peaceful she looked. All he needed to concern himself was if the baby was going to be okay. It was probably because of all the acting he had done today. He actually called Kagome his mate. Before all of this if he would have known he would be telling all of the rulers of the Eastern Lands that a human girl he knew was his mate he would have gagged, but for some reason it didn't harm him at all. It felt so comfortable saying my mate is Kagome.

Speaking of Kagome her eyes lids were beginning to show movement. She was waking up.

"Who did this?" Sesshoumaru's voice boomed right when he seen her eyes open.

Kagome didn't reply. She didn't even look around to see what room she was in. She busy playing back in her own mind what had happened. It took her a few seconds, but once she remembered she quickly changed the story that she would tell Sesshoumaru. She could not tell him what she had witnessed.

"It was nothing we shouldn't have been expecting," Kagome simply answered, "just a youkai."

"Just a youkai?" asked Sesshoumaru, "Lord Koji was one of the strongest of youkais. Even stronger then me and your saying just a youkai?"

"All he wanted was the jewel shard. The jewel shard that created this curse. The jewel shard that has fused with our child."

"I was told of no jewel shard."

"When the curse was placed on me it needed the help of a jewel shard to work. The jewel shard glowed when it made a copy of you inside of me. The jewel shard is an important part of your son's life. That jewel shard is what keeps him alive. It is the only thing that keeps our genetic material together. Once our material comes together on it's own the jewel shard will just be something that makes him stronger like it does for most youkai. Then it can be removed."

"So he will always be in danger."

"Yes."

"But it will be you until he is born."

"Yes again."

"I see, what happened to the youkai? I see he left without touching my child."

"I don't really know. I think he heard footsteps then knocked me out and left."

"I see. You will remain in this room then."

"What? Why?"

"Out of all my castles and keeps this room is the most protected. No one may enter this room unless they are invited in by me. No one can harm you."

"But this is your room."

"So?"

"So I don't want to put you out."

"Would you rather have us share this room?"

"I would rather have me go back to the old one. I don't think that youkai will come back."

"If it through all of this trouble of that shard of the jewel I am sure he will be back."

"Then maybe we should share this room. I am not saying that in a nasty way or anything I am just saying we are suppose to be pretending to be mates and what if someone saw us not being in the same room."

"I will think about that. It depends whether these conferences will still go on or not, but you are staying in here."

"Fine whatever. Just watch for yourself too. If that youkai could have killed Lord Koji it could easily kill you."

"Your concerned about me?"

"If you die then Rin will have nothing. And what would I do with your son, plus you want me protected."

"I am protecting my child," Sesshoumaru said coldly, "not you."

With that he trotted out of his room and shut the door. Leaving Kagome stranded in his room. Kagome wasn't thinking about what he said at the moment. She was busy remembering what really happened between her and the Koji imposter. When she first arrived into the room she just sat on the futon while Koji sat on the bed and all was silent. Then Sesshoumaru came in claiming that he wanted to remind Koji breakfast was at nine o' clock while secretly sneaking Kagome the scent changing potion. Then right when Sesshoumaru left it all went down.

Flashback

Koji grabbed Kagome's arm right when she was sure that Sesshoumaru was out of ear shot.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked silently.

"Tell me Kagome does Inuyasha know you are having such a lovely time with Sesshoumaru?" Koji asked, "if only he knew you were pretending to be his mate."

"How do you know all of that?"

"Why Kagome can you really not recognize me."

She couldn't say anything. Koji had thrown his hand right over her mouth as she felt a sharp pain going down her mended arm. He had a knife and he was cutting it.

"If you scream I will make sure Inuyasha dies. I have learned that on a new moon he is completely mortal. Killing him off would be an easy task since your not there to be protect him with your arrows."

Slowly Koji removed his hand from Kagome's mouth. She did not scream. She did not want to be with Inuyasha again, but she still didn't want him to die.

"Naraku," she said.

"It took you long enough to figure that out," stated Naraku, "now down to business."

"What do you want Naraku?"

"Your baby."

"What?"

"I want the jewel shard."

"If you even try anything I will scream for Sesshoumaru and he will make sure you don't even have enough life left to kill Inuyasha."

"You can calm down miko. I am not in the mood to steal your child just yet. It would be better if you gave birth to it first."

"Why?"

"Because then I would be able to make a few deals with you."

"What do you mean?"

"After your son is born give him to me. If you resist you will be put in a world of hell. First I will kill that Rin girl then I will aim for that kitsune and once I am done I will make sure every living soul you have ever known in his world is sent to hell."

"Sesshoumaru is taking him though."

"Not if you escape after giving birth. Think about it, if your baby was gone then Inuyasha might come for you. And Inuyasha is the one you love after all. Not Sesshoumaru."

"Well I don't love either of them.

"Then think of it this way. Which one of them has protected you from many of my demons and then think about which one has tried to kill you. I believe you owe Inuyasha."

"Not so much to where I am going to give up my son."

"Well I don't need to sit here while you make a decision. I have put a spell on you. You are able to open any locked door within this castle. It will make your escape easier in case you choice to give up your child to me. Just remember if you give it to Sesshoumaru you loose the lives of all your friends. And we both know you can't have your own child. An oh yeah not a word of our meeting to Sesshoumaru. He has a bad temper, and just to make sure you don't tell him anything..."

Naraku made another cut. This time right on her cheek. He put the knife back from wherever he got it before striking her in the head rendering her unconscious.

End Flashback

Right now Kagome had the power to easily just open the door and leave. That’s what she should do. Not for Naraku, but for herself. Sesshoumaru clearly wouldn't have cared. After what he said to her. How could she blame him for saying that. She kept forgetting that her and Sesshoumaru were enemies. This didn't change anything. That’s what she got for trying to be concerned about him.

That’s what she would do. Kagome got off of the bed that was covered in her blood and headed towards the door. Hopefully Naraku wasn't lying about the spell. He wasn't, she easily opened the door. It took a few seconds to get the courage to step out, but finally she did. And when she did she took off in a mad dash. Who knew where Sesshoumaru was at this very second so it would be best if she went fast. There was only one problem...she didn't know where the exit was. She was asleep when she first arrived at the castle. All she knew was the way to the garden and to her room. In her room there was a balcony though. She never went on it though because Sesshoumaru didn't allow her to approach it after dark and during the daytime what was the point if she could just go to the garden? So basically she didn't know how far the jump was.

She was going to go for it anyways though. If not she would just think of another option. Finally she made it too her room and all was as it was when Sesshoumaru first dragged her out. Hopefully with all of the drama of today Sesshoumaru unlocked the door separating the castle and the outside, hold up what was she saying? She had the power to unlock the door. Knowing this she just charged ahead and slid it open. She was ready to just jump right of the balcony not caring about the drop when a voice stopped her. It wasn't Sesshoumaru. Kagome turned around and faced the cat youkai Rose.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kagome.

"The question for you is what are you doing here?" Rose repeated, "when someone asked about you Sesshoumaru said you were being put in a secure area."

"Did Sesshoumaru explain why?"

"Of course he didn't. Well he did, but he probably didn't tell us the whole story. We were told that my father was killed by an assassin and that he thought you might have witnessed it."

"So you know the whole story?"

"Don't worry I won't mention Naraku."

"What? How did-"

"Naraku took over one of my father's castles and killed everyone including my mother. I was around when it happened. I know his exact scent. I wasn't able to smell it until after I found my father killed. Oh and by the way speaking of scents I found your potion laying on the floor."

Rose handed Kagome a familiar bottle. It was the bottle that contained the potion that was to change her scent. Rose knew her secret.

"So you know."

"Yes. It was very convincing until you were attacked. I could smell your blood and that revealed you were human. Then I found the potion. Don't worry I won't tell."

"You are a lot nicer then when we first met."

"Yeah I know I was a bitch but that’s all thanks to my father," Rose stated, "you see my father is mad because he only had a girl. Since he couldn't have a son he wanted me to be all girly so I could get a powerful man to make up for my mistakes. Trust me if it wasn't for my father you wouldn't see me touching Sesshoumaru with even a stick. Now that my father is dead I will do whatever I want. I am in complete control. First thing that will be done is that these conferences will continue to prove to my father I can be just like any man."

"That’s good. I am sorry for insulting you back."

"I am sure Sesshoumaru put you up to it, by the way what are you doing? Let me guess. Your really a prisoner and your escaping."

"Your pretty smart."

"My second guess was that Sesshoumaru was in love with you but he didn't want any of us to know he was with a human so he used that potion."

"You know that couldn't be true."

"I don't know. It was just the way Sesshoumaru kept claiming you as his. He said it so calmly with no insecurity in his voice. I really believed this whole act."

"Well I am his prisoner. And thanks to Naraku for reasons I am not allowed to tell you out loud I can no longer stay here. I understand. If you leave maybe you should leave me with an excuse so that if he finds you he won't punish you."

"Okay tell him a wolf youkai kidnapped me or something. He will know which one your talking about."

"Sure. By the way that is a long way down. Need a hand?"

"Sure."

-----------

Sesshoumaru had gone a whole day without sleep. At first it was because he was thinking about Kagome and then all the drama happened. And that Rose demanded the conferences continued so now he would have to continue the little pretending game. He was still trying to figure out if it was wise to share the room with Kagome so nobody would be able to suspect something.

"Sessy," that familiar annoying voice called.

He turned a faced Rose. He thought the death of her father would somehow cause her to stop being annoying. It seemed that way when she was talking about what she would do with the Eastern Lands.

"What is it that you want," Sesshoumaru demanded to know as though he was on a strict schedule.

"Just to let you know the princess Kagome or the human Kagome how ever you would like her to be has escaped from you."

"What?"

"Please allow me to explain. Now that she is not here it is safe for me to explain cause she won't get hurt. That demon that attacked her was Naraku and he threatened her not to tell you anything. I don't know what the two were talking about, but my guess is Kagome just couldn't stay here."

"How do you know all of this?"

"That’s not important. I just wanted you to know that she is gone and do not punish her for it."

"I need her here. And I know you helped her."

"She is just a prisoner."

Just a prisoner? Sesshoumaru repeated that question in his mind. Of course she was more then that since she was carrying his child, but what was she to him. Was she worth trying to keep alive? His child wasn't born yet. Maybe if Kagome got killed then it would be all taken care of. There would be no question about it, but he couldn't just allow that to happen.

"She is not just a prisoner. Take care of this place while I am out. I will retrieve her."