He looked over to his mate as she ate the fish he had caught as soon as they got back to the others. She was sitting with her female companions while Kagome took sections of Inuyasha's hair and braided it.

Sesshomaru's demon felt a peace at seeing her face relaxed and happy, she was laughing at the young Kit who was attempting a new fox magic trick but failed miserably. Night had fallen and they were now in the safety of the tall trees, the camp fire would provide her with warmth and his demonic powers would see to her protection.

When Sesshomaru leaned into the truck of the tree he closed his eyes and allowed his mind wonder about the events from earlier today. It was the first time he had ever seen her so vulnerable, her eyes held nothing back when she had gazed into his eyes. It had taken everything within him to not strip her bare and claim her right then and there.

She wasn't ready yet though and had he given in to temptation he would have frighten her and she would have closed herself off to him again.

She had surprised him when she had kissed back, and he had felt no hidden agenda in her touch. Her lips had been freely given, Sesshomaru could still taste her on his lips: her scent clung to his skin, as well as his did on hers. Any demon who would approach her would know that she belonged to him

"Mine" his demon called out to him. He frowned to himself

This was odd

Why would his demon surface right now?

"Sessh?" He looked over to see Inuyasha sitting beside him. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't feel when she approached him

"Yes koneko?"

"Kagome just reminded me of something. Kaede still has the pants of my fire rat robe, but what happened to the haori top? Last time I remember seeing it was when I was at the castle. Do you know what happened to it? It was the only thing I had of my mother and father, it's special to me"

Sesshomaru smiled at her, to the surprise of the others.

"Do you mean to tell me that you have clung on to the cloak I gave you without realizing just what it was made out of?"

"Huh?" she said then lifted a piece of the red cloak and peered at it.

"I knew you couldn't wear it any longer since it didn't fit you anymore so I had a master seamstress design the cloak from the material of the fire rat haori along with some of my own poison"

he had truly thought she had figured it out since she insisted on keeping it on her almost all of the time.

"Really? You did that for me?"

Sesshomaru nodded.

"I knew it as important to you Inuyasha" he told her in the most gentlest of voice

Before they knew it she launched herself at him, Sesshomaru let out an 'oof' as she knocked him over to the ground and hugged him tightly. He glowered at her for getting him dirty but then decided that if that was the price he needed to pay for her embraces then he would just have live with it.

"Thank you!" she said not even noticing the displeasure on his face for getting him dirty before she let go and went over to the girls again, apparently telling them of what he had done for her. Kagome looked over to Sesshomaru and smiled.

He tried not scowl at the girl, she was his mate's friend after all and it was imperative that he was on her good side, so he nodded to her and turned his gaze back to the night sky.

"She's something else, isn't she?" said Miroku as he smiled at the direction of the girls

"I never would have thought she had a soft side, when she had been under the spell she was the most closed off and standoffish person I had ever met. Now look at her" he said nodding to Inuyasha "I'm happy for both of you"

Sesshomaru grunted in response

Once was time to go to sleep he noticed her biting her lip then anxiously looking over to him while she sat next to Kagome

Hours later, everyone was now sleeping, except for Sesshomaru who remained observing Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was sitting crossed legged with Tetsusaiga in her embrace and her arms folded into her cloak. She didn't seem very comfortable.

Sesshomaru got up and walked over to her quietly, he picked her up and placed her on top of his tail. The need to have her near was almost overwhelming, he wanted to make sure that she got her rest as well and she would not do so if she slept while sitting up.

She murmured in her sleep as she hugged his tail closer to her so that she was on her side, her sweet face towards him. She looked so young with her face relaxed and her defenses down.

He moved closer to her so that his large framed dwarfed her size even more ensuring that if anyone were to come upon the camp site they would not be able to see her right away.

Her scent of vanilla and night jasmine teased his senses…but there was something else there too.

It was a scent of something sweet and tantalizing…like a ripe fruit. He inhaled deeply, growling low as he leaned down and nuzzled her neck, then shoulders, her chest then her stomach.

He froze

"Oh, this was not good" he thought. She was going to start her first heat cycle.

Sesshomaru frowned. He had just realized something, in demon years Inuyasha is very young…..a little past 50 years.

This was not good indeed.

He inhaled again and cursed. By tomorrow her scent was going to become stronger, and she will start bleeding soon…then, she'll be in heat.

She'll begin to search for him, her demon instincts will drive her to seek out her mate.

This was why his demon had stirred earlier. It had said 'Mine', and it was obvious now that it wanted to claim her…physically.