Isabo blushed and smiled at him. Akina was surprised that her mother blushed. A sure sign that she loves him, she thought. Hiya and she had their date just in time.  She surprised Hiya by taking the initiative.  Akina could see that Hiya was stressing out on how she was going to win her mage's heart, so Akina turned the tables and became the seducer.  She may not have had the experience that Hiya had but she certainly had the imagination.  She was looking forward to forming a life together with Hiya, but first she wanted to give her mother a mating gift.

"I think we can handle the risk, but thank you," he said smiling.

"COME ON!!!" said an impatient, oblivious, and irritated Lukana.

"Not until you say good-bye," Isabo said to her youngest.

The irritated face disappeared, replaced by a smile. Lukana embraced her mother and then hugged Shinjou, much to his surprise and delight. Afterwards, she grabbed her sister's hand and pulled Akina with her, saying "Goodbye." as she stepped through the portal.  Akina smiled, shrugged, and then found herself yanked through.

In seconds they were standing in the Village.

"Where's the school?" Lukana asked. Akina pointed out the dojo and Lukana was off at a run. Akina chuckled and continued down the path at a more normal pace. She didn't even notice a pair of eyes watching her intensely and longingly.

She looked up from the string beans she was preparing to look at him. She  followed his eyes to the woman strolling down the path.

"What would be the use?" he said. "She's not interested in men."

"Where did you hear that?" Kamara asked.

"From a guard at the Castle. She and Hiya are apparently a pair."

"Oh." Kamara smiled remembering her small friend. The guards had even started a rumor about her and Hiya. "Well, guards don't know everything. Who is she?"

"Akina." He said the name like it was the most beautiful word in the world.

"The mage? Isn't she a Dog Demon?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like you two would be perfect for each other." She looked at the Wolf. "Your heart has already chosen her."  It was a statement of fact, not a question.  She could see Kiba had fallen hard for the blond haired sister of Sesshomaru. "You've finally found your lifemate."

"You should listen to your heart.  You've got to tell her. At least talk to her!" Kamara said.

"No." Kiba said flatly.

"Why not?"

"I won't make the same mistake again. I almost ruined your life! I'm not going to do that to her."

"I said no!"  With that, Kiba changed into his wolf form and ran off into the forest.

"Oh, Kiba." Kamara said with pity. She wanted to help him but this was something she dared not interfere further with. She looked back at Akina.

Akina saw a white movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see a beautiful white wolf running from a house into the forest. She saw the woman on the porch looking at her. She waved and continued on to the dojo.

Isabo grabbed his hand and started dragging him back to the Castle.

"What are you doing?" he asked, as he tagged along willingly.

Her only response was a sly smile.  Inside, she spotted one of the maids.  She asked her to let the rest of the staff know that Shinjou and she would be dining in their room tonight and to just tap when they dropped the tray by the door.  She expressed that under no circumstances were they to be disturbed further. The maid bowed, smiling, and left to inform the rest of the staff.

Shinjou, picking up on her idea, took the lead as they ran up the stairs giggling. The Castle was mostly empty because it was still early in the afternoon. Everyone was out and about with duties or just enjoying the daylight. The giggling couple reached the top of the stairs unhindered but as Shinjou turn the corner he ran smack into Hiya and sent her falling to her rump.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Hiya said, "What's the rush anyway...?" Then she saw who plowed into her and the look on their faces. "I withdraw the question."

Shinjou extended a hand to help her up. "I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"I'll live. Do you know where Akina is?"

Isabo answered "She took Lukana to Kaede's village."

"Oh... Oh well."

"She'll be back tonight." Isabo said. "I'm sorry if our plans interfered with yours."

"That's okay. The smile on Akina's face when she told me about your mating plans was well worth it."

Shinjou raised his eyebrows. "She smiled when she told you?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course. She likes you a lot. Don't you know that?" Hiya asked.

"It's not something I'm use to." He replied.

"Akina said she wants us to take care of Lukana for the next two nights as a gift to the two of you and I agreed, so don't worry about a thing.  Lukana's a great kid.  Well, I'm out of here. Have fun you two!" she said as she trotted down the stairs.

As they watched Hiya disappear, Isabo opened the bedroom door and hauled Shinjou in. As she closed the door, he trapped her against it.  He gazed into her smiling eyes, and then kissed her deeply. They tasted each other as their tongues played.

Isabo unbuttoned his shirt while they kissed and ran her hands up and down his chest. Then she placed her hands on the center of his chest and firmly pushed him backwards until he sat on the bed.

Isabo bent over him, allowing a teasing view of her cleavage just before she kissed him.  When she backed off, he tried to follow her, aching for more.

"Stay there," she ordered as she turned her back to him. 

He obediently resumed his seat and watched her walk to where the sunlight streamed through the doorway of the balcony.

"What are you doing?"

She smiled and said nothing.  She opened the window so the gentle fragrant breeze floated in and around her. She undid her hair and it fell in cascade of gentle waves down her back. He gasped as the breeze picked it up and gently made it float around her.

She undid the belt at her waist and placed it on the cape. A strong gust of breeze opened the split in her skirt and revealed her right hip and leg. She wore no under garment so the edge of her right buttocks cheek peeked out.

Shinjou was entranced.  He couldn't move his eyes off her beautiful body.  And it was all for him.  His body was on fire with feelings he had never experienced before.   

Isabo loosened her bodice and let it fall down her shoulders to her waist. Shinjou could just see her breast peeking out beneath her arm as she looked back at him and smiled.

He smiled back, his face flushed with emotion.  Oh, Isabo! he thought, his body beginning to ache with need.

Isabo opened up the whole dress, holding it up high so her body was only visible through the opaque waving fabric and then she let the breeze blow it out of her hands to the floor.

It was his first time. Shinjou didn't know what to do so he placed himself in Isabo's hands. She kissed him down his shapely chest covered with downy soft almost invisible hair to his rippled abs and stomach.  She undid his belt and pants and carefully working them, along with his underwear, around his very ready manhood.  She brushed it lightly as it was revealed, then pulled the remaining clothes off on to the floor.  She crawled back onto the bed with him and pulled him close.  He covered with his body, instinctively knowing the right position.  Then slowly, passionately, they sealed their love and committed themselves to each other as mates for as long as they were both alive.

Shinjou was resting on top of her.  She stroked his long dark hair, totally happy for the first time in a very long time, since before having to leave Inutaishou.  She threw her arms around Shinjou and held him close.

"I'm so happy!" she said.

 Isabo felt drops of wet fall on her and looked up to see Shinjou crying. She let him go and he rolled out of the bed.  He pulled on his pants and walked out onto the balcony.  He leaned against the railing, looking out into the night sky.

Isabo rose from the bed, wrapped the sheet around her, and followed him.

"What's wrong, Shinjou?" Isabo asked, as she joined him.

"This is the way it should have been all along. All those wasted years. All the pain and the heartache you went through would have never happened if I hadn't been so stupid."

"Please don't feel that way, my love. You suffered too. The past can't be undone. Even if it could, I wouldn't; not if it meant sacrificing everything that has happened since then.  Yes, there has been bad times, but there has been many good times too.  I have children to remind me how precious and important those times were... Sesshie, Akina and Lukana, not to mention Kai."

"I wouldn't have the memories of Inutaishou and the rest of our children nor even sweet poor Luka if things were different.  It's through pain that one really learns to appreciate the good times. Through the grace of the gods, we're getting our second chance, just like Aara and Vash.  Let's just be happy and thankful about that.  It's the future that counts now." She smiled at him.

"But look at what I did.  All those innocents died because of me.  At least Vash had a valiant demise."

"It wasn't your fault.  You were tricked by my father.  You would never have harmed them if you had known.  You have been nothing but valiant since your rebirth.  Even when you were fighting for the other side, you did your best to not kill anyone."  She reached up and stroked his face.  "I'm sure you'll have many more chances to save the world in the future."

Isabo looked out toward the horizon. "Are you up for a ride?"

"Huh?"

"Come on," she said giving him a kiss.  She pushed him back out of the way as she transformed.

Shinjou got the idea.  He grabbed his robe off the chair and pulled it on as he said, "Now I know where Lukana gets it from."

Isabo looked back at him with a puzzled look, shook her head, and decided to ignore the remark. She knelt for him to get on. He mounted and wrapped his fingers around her mane.

"Hold on tight and watch your head" she said in her mental voice and then she leaped into the air, clearing the balcony rail and falling to the ground below. Shinjou gripped her hard with his legs but the jar of landing made him slip.  Isabo threw up her head to push him back off her neck and shifted her body so she was back underneath him again. Then she took off at a fast run.

Her movement was incredibly smooth and soon Shinjou felt steady enough to relax and raise his hands like wings. He yelled his excitement and she whinnied in joy. She ran until she reached a secluded pool in a field of night blooming flowers, lunar flowers some people called them. She slowed, then stopped and Shinjou dismounted.

Isabo woke a couple of hours later and rolled over to wake Shinjou.  He was already awake, smiling at her. She smiled back as he kissed her.

"Right now I'm the happiest man in all the worlds!"

Isabo smiled and blushed. "We should be heading back."

Shinjou nodded and rose. He helped her to her feet and slipped his pants back on.  He reached for his still damp robe and wrapped it around himself.  Isabo transformed and he climbed on. She cantered slower on the way back, taking a different route to the Castle.  She was circling down and coming back up from the south side.

He was going to ask why when he was overcome by a ghastly smell and a weak sense of dread. "What is that reek? Dead bodies smell better than that!" he exclaimed holding his hand over his nose.

"Get off." Isabo ordered. He dismounted her without question. "Stay here."

Shinjou did as he was told and watched her creep slowly to a fissure in the ground. It was nearly as large as a crevasse on a glacier and the smell seem to be emulating from it. Isabo didn't go all the way to the crack, just close enough to confirm her suspicions.

She rolled back and cantered to Shinjou, kneeling for him to mount.  She stood after he was on her back and saw the Castle in the distance.

"Too close, way too close!" she said.

"What is?" Shinjou asked as she took off at the fastest speed she could manage. "Isabo...  What's wrong?"

"Shinashi."

"That smell, that feeling, that was Shinashi?"

"Yes!"

Shinjou said nothing more. He just leaned forward so his mate could run as fast as she could.