My Beloved Savior Chp. 7

Chapter Seven "Dangerous Secrets"

Anytime she looked at Sesshomaru, he only glared at her. Kagome didn't mean to be rude to him, but Sesshomaru made her angry every time they even tried to talk to each other.

And what was worse, she had revealed her secret to him. What she showed him went against everything her mother and father had taught her about hiding her powers. Kagome couldn't even apologize to Sesshomaru for burdening him with this information about her.

That wasn't the only thing that was troubling her.

Why was Sesshomaru so vague about her betrothed? If only she could see her own future, then she would know what kind of man her fiancé was like. Miroku had been ordered to ride next to her. He was going on about something she wasn't paying attention to.

"Miroku, would you be so kind as to tell me about Lord Naraku?" she asked,
figuring that he could probably give her the answers she wanted.

His eyes widen at her question. She knew he liked her and with enough convincing, he would tell her all she needed to know.

"What do you want to know?" he asked carefully.

"What's he like?"

"Well, he's a Lord, of course. Kind of private. I personally don't believe most of the stories about him."

"Stories?"

"Oops. I didn't mean to say that, Your Highness."

She glared at him. "Miroku, if you don't tell me all you know about him, I swear I will make this journey as hard on you as I have obviously made it for Sesshomaru. I thought we were friends. Friends would tell something they knew about one of their friends' betrothed if they knew about it. Why can't I know anything about Lord Naraku? He is the man I'm to be married to afterall. I have the right as his future wife to know at least something about him."

He looked ahead towards Sesshomaru and Koga to make sure they weren't listening to them. "I'll tell you what I know, Kagome. But it's all just rumors, and you can't tell Sesshomaru that I told you either."

"What makes you think that I'll tell Sesshomaru?"

"Right. Well most of the stories about Lord Naraku start with his wife."

"I already know she's dead."

"Yes, she . . . fell of the cliff that overlooks Lord Naraku's castle. No one knows if she fell, or . . . if she was pushed."

"Pushed?!" Kagome nearly screamed.

"Sshh!" Miroku told her as he glanced up ahead towards Sesshomaru.

"Well they were at a ball that Lord Tashio was throwing for his other son, Inuyasha. It was his 17th birthday a few years ago, and Lord Naraku and his wife were seen arguing with each other. She hadn't been faithful to him, and he called out a few names of her lovers in front of a few other people. They went on arguing, and someone heard him say, 'I should kill you.' Less than a week later, she was dead."

Kagome was horrified. "Oh my, Kami! My father has arranged for me to be married to a murderer!"

"I told you it was just a rumor, Kagome."

"But he can get away with anything! He's a Lord! Oh, Kami!" She thought she was going to pass out.

"Oh, Kami, please don't faint on me, Kagome! What would Sesshomaru think?"
Just then, Sesshomaru reined his horse to where he was riding on the other side of Miroku. "We'll camp in the forest up ahead. What's the matter, Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked.

Damn. He had noticed her condition. Kagome managed to regain her composure and replied smoothly, "Nothing at all. I'm just a little tired."

"Koga, come ride with Kagome. Miroku and I will ride ahead," Sesshomaru called.

Miroku gave her a gloomy look, and rode ahead with Sesshomaru.

"I wonder what that was about," said Koga as he took Miroku's place next to her.
When Koga and Kagome arrived a little while later to the camp, they saw that Sesshomaru was nowhere to be seen. Miroku, on the other hand, was trying to start a fire. Kagome got off her horse and sat down next to him.

"He knows I told you, Your Highness," Miroku said quietly.

"How?" she asked.

"I should have known not to tell you. He just got a feeling and he wrestled the truth out of me. He's angry that I told you. Oh, and now I'm not supposed to talk to you."

Sesshomaru had gone too far this time. He had no right to order people not to talk to her. If he had just told her about Naraku when she asked him, she wouldn't have had to pry the information from Miroku. Now she had to live with the sickening thought that her fiancé could in fact be a murderer. She stood back up.

"Where is he, Miroku?"

He pointed his finger towards the forest. "In there somewhere. I think there's an empty hut not that far ahead."

Kagome hurried through the forest with her anger building with every step. She was going to explode when she saw him.

Kagome came upon a stream surrounded by beautiful tiger lilies. There she found Sesshomaru completely shirtless. Water was running down his muscled back as he pulled his long silver hair back. He was staring into the stream, thinking about something.

She was instantly reminded of their kiss. But, Kagome fought against that thought. She had to prepare herself for what she was about to say to him. "Sesshomaru?"

He turned. His amber eyes were shimmering. Sesshomaru stood up and quickly grabbed his shirt off the ground. Kagome couldn't help but look at his body. It was all muscle. She thought of how it felt against her when they were kissing. She remembered feeling completely safe in his arms. When he finally put his shirt back on, she looked back into his eyes. "So, did you have something to say, or did you just come to stare at me?" he asked.

Kagome turned red. "You should have told me about Naraku, Sesshomaru!" she yelled furiously.

"It wasn't my place, Kagome," he replied.

"Well then, where is your place? Do you even have one, Sesshomaru?"

"It's not with you. I can't involve myself in your life, Kagome."

"Why couldn't you at least warn me about him?"

His expression softened a little, and Kagome almost didn't catch it. "I didn't want to frighten you, Kagome. Besides, his wife most likely killed herself."

"But, why? Was she so desperate to escape him that the only way to do it was to kill herself?"

"It looks like Miroku got carried away when he told you about Lord Naraku. But, this is my fault. I shouldn't have mentioned anything at all about him to you," he replied.

Kagome turned away from him. She felt his hands come up on her shoulders. His touch caused a shiver to run down her spine. She turned around slowly and gazed into his eyes while his hands were still on her shoulders.

"Please. Don't look at me like that, Kagome. I promised your father to bring you back to him. Nothing else."

"So you don't care," she said.

"You're betrothed. I'm not supposed to. I couldn't do anything anyway," he replied.

"I'm only asking for your friendship, Sesshomaru. Regardless of the terrible rumors that surround Naraku, I'm still going to marry him."

Sesshomaru frowned and asked, "Really?"

"Yes. It is what my father wishes for."

"Kagome, remember that most of it is just rumors. There's no proof that he killed her."

Sesshomaru sighed as his left hand worked its way up to her neck. "I really can't see you marrying someone like him, Kagome. But, I think you'll bring something into his life that he's missing."

Kagome smiled at Sesshomaru. She felt a strong urge to kiss him again. She couldn't though, and she felt so wonderful when he touched her.

Why hadn't her father asked Sesshomaru to marry her instead? She would feel completely safe with him. Some thought he had caused him to pull her against his chest. His arms wrapped around her when he said, "It will be alright, Kagome."

Maybe this feeling of security that she had with Sesshomaru would be the same with Naraku. All she could do was hope. Kagome could feel that Sesshomaru desired to protect her through his shirt. She wanted to help him in some way.

"Let me help you find your sister," she said after a while.

"No, Kagome," he said and released her immediately.

"But-"

"Forget it."

"Can you not tell me what happened?" she asked, quietly.

After a long while, he said, "I lost her. She was in my care and I lost her. It happened not long after your father sent you away. My family believes she's gone forever and that I'm…"

Sesshomaru couldn't finish his sentence. Instead of telling her the rest, he started to walk back towards camp. Kagome reached out to him, but he tugged his arm away from her and left her to eventually follow him back.