"Into the Woods"

Disclaimer:I do not own the characters of Inuyasha. They are the copyright of Rumiko Takahashi and are presented in this story for fanfiction purposes only.

Summary:She longed for danger, mystery and intrigue. She longed to be his, to entice the beast that lay within. Would she get her wish? Perhaps, more than she bargained for…

Notes: This story is a sequel to RIDE. Somehow, I just couldn't leave it alone. I felt it had more to say. My inspiration was a character named Matilda from the movie Leon: The Professional. It seemed to have a Lolita-esque vibe to it so I just went with it. Also, there may be lots of grammatical errors in this. I didn't put much thought into it. As I said before, these were just short stories I decided to post. Like my story "The Hunger Games" this one has suggestive themes and a bit of beasty fluff. If these kinds of things offend you, feel free to read something else. In the meantime, I hope you will take the chance and read it. Thank you for your reviews. As always…Enjoy! ;)

Large, white paws landed softly near the koi pond in the west wing of the courtyard. By this time, he was sure the girl was exhausted after their little night time adventure in the clouds. He could hear the soft, constant beat of her heart as she lay sprawled across his back, still clinging childishly to his mokomoko. He let out a light yawn and realized that he too could do with a little rest. Deciding against transforming and teleporting the girl back to her room, knowing how much she loved the outdoors, he stretched out gently on the plush, slightly faded grass. Relaxed, he closed his crimson orbs, assured that the girl was more than safe within his territory. 'Any enemy would be a fool to attack him here,' he thought. Listening to the sound of the trees as they rustled on the night breeze, he wondered what would be the nature of their relationship now that she had disclosed her true feelings.

Honestly, he had always known how she felt about him. Though she tried to hide it, it wasn't hard to deduce. Through the many years of tender glances, loving smiles and seemingly innocent touches, he knew it was only a matter of time.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" she whispered secretively bringing him out of his silent ponderings. "Are you awake?"

One crimson orb opened slightly as he lifted a lazy ear to let her know he was listening.

"That was fun! I hope we can do it again sometime." She ambiguously proposed.

Crimson orbs rolled shut once again and the long, elegant ear gracefully returned to its normal position.

"It is late. You should be in bed." He stated with a hint of reprimand in his voice.

"I know but I just can't seem to go to sleep." She bemoaned, unconsciously stroking the fur behind his left ear.

The motion was not ignored by the inuyoukai who found it highly seductive, especially coming from her. He had to admit that the girl had become increasingly bold in their interactions together. Whenever he would return to the shiro, she had a habit of running and jumping into his arms. Not that that was a bad thing but others may get the wrong idea. After all, she was no longer a child but a budding teen on the verge of womanhood. At other times, she would be caught singing about him in the most adorable but still suggestive ways which included words that conveyed love, beauty and strength. He was a great and honorable taiyoukai for goodness sake, not a male courtesan and often, she would stare dreamily into his eyes as if he had enchanted her. It was all so uncomfortable for him; yet, he did not want to discourage her from being open. In all truth and honesty, he rather enjoyed the fact that she hid nothing but spoke how she felt with surprising clarity.

He sighed inwardly.

'What was he going to do with this not so innocent and somewhat grown up Rin?' he wondered.

"Stop that." he quietly commanded.

"Stop what?" she questioned, truly puzzled at what he was referring to.

"I am not a mortal dog Rin." He said seriously.

"I thought all dogs like to be petted." She replied sweetly while still continuing her ministrations.

"Stop that at once or I will force you to return to your room." He threatened.

"Do you really want me to return to my room?" she asked boldly.

He remained silent, shocked by her brazenness.

She smiled to herself, knowing that she had just gotten her answer though he didn't admit it verbally.

"Does she think she can be so bold towards me and not suffer the consequences?" he railed to himself, slightly irritated with her antics.

At this time, she began stroking behind both ears and slightly brushing his flanks with her small, calloused feet.

Sesshoumaru couldn't help himself. Immediately, his whole body relaxed under the girl's soothing touch like a contented dog that just dug up his favorite bone.

"Good boy!" she purred softly, greatly pleased at how peaceful he had become.

He awoke from his stupor.

"How dare you address me as if I were a mere pet!" he growled furiously as he arose then shook himself slightly causing her to fall from his back in the process.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" she cried awkwardly before she hit the ground with a thud.

He flinched slightly, wondering if he had hurt her but quickly resumed his air of indifference. 'No, he would not give her the satisfaction of knowing she could affect him so deeply.'

"Ow!" she winced as she rubbed the shoulder she landed on.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it that way." She stated sincerely.

He said nothing as he started to walk off.

"Wait! Don't!" she pleaded as she got up and ran to him.

"I…I just want to be with you a little longer." She admitted while embracing his leg.

"I hardly ever get to see you anymore. It's like you are trying to avoid me." She said sullenly, hanging her head in guilt.

"I couldn't sleep tonight because…"

She paused.

"…because I missed you." she finally confessed.

The dog lord lowered his massive head and softly licked her face.

"You are foolish to care for this Sesshoumaru." He stated tenderly.

"What else can I do? You are the only person I have ever loved." She whispered sorrowfully. "…even as much as mama and papa," she added for good measure.

The taiyoukai felt his heart churn for the girl who was obviously enamored of him. Nevertheless, he could not encourage such declarations of love. After all, he was youkai and she was human. Such relationships often ended tragically. He knew for he had been a witness to one himself. Not to mention the hanyous he had come across in his travels. They were almost always a source of shame and ridicule and more often than not were found without one or both parents. This indicated that they were either killed by an enemy or snuffed out by the ravages of time.

'No, he would not put the girl or his offspring in that predicament.' He concluded.

"I cannot give you what you desire." He stated firmly hoping that would be the end of the conversation but somehow he knew it wasn't likely.

In that moment, she felt as if she had been stabbed clear through her heart and as much as she tried, she could not keep the tears from welling up in her eyes. Yet, she refused to let them fall. If there was one thing she was sure of it was that she did not give up easily. Yes, she could be quite stubborn when she wanted something badly and she wanted him very badly.

With a new resolve, she suppressed her pain and replied, "You cannot or you won't?"

"It is of no importance. What you wish is irrelevant and could not incite anything between us." He declared with a dismissive tone and looked away up towards her bed chambers.

She could feel herself quake with pain and anger at his callous words. Still, she had a plan. She would prove him wrong. He would see just how much they belonged together, even if it kills her.

"I do not wish to hurt you." he tried to explain when he felt her countenance fall. "…but you must understand the reality of those kinds of unions."

"…and what would you know about those kinds of unions my lord?" she fired back in an accusing tone, surprising even herself.

"More than you," he countered calmly.

"Really?" she feigned interest. Suddenly playful she started swinging around his leg. "Maybe you could show me…what you know." She remarked suggestively as she pulled herself up against him, nothing separating them except the thin, silk kosode she wore.

Sesshoumaru shivered slightly at the feel of her youthful breasts against his leg. For a moment, all thought had escaped him before he regained his composure.

"Do not be silly." He replied gruffly with a hint of uncertainty which did not go unnoticed by the frisky teen.

Deciding that the conversation was over he turned away from her to indicate he was leaving.

"No! I don't want you to go!" she whined as she wrapped her whole body around his soft but powerful limb.

"Rin, stop this nonsense!" he growled, irritated. "You are being childish!"

"I don't care!" she pouted, embracing him tighter.

In a moment, she was holding onto nothing but thin air as she found herself falling backwards.

"Ahh!" she yelled out suddenly but stopped in mid flight. Something had prevented her from falling – a large muzzle which pushed her back to an upright position.

"I will not save you a second time. Go back to bed!" ordered the demon lord.

"Okaaaay!" she agreed reluctantly, shrugging her shoulders as she started towards the main entrance.

Just then, she had an idea.

Looking back at the frightening dog demon with a devious glint in her eye, she turned and ran off towards the forest which lay beyond the west wing of the courtyard.

Highly annoyed, the massive dog lord bounded off after her grumbling something about "always getting herself into trouble" under his breath.

Rin's heart pulsated with excitement as she zigzagged her way through the extensive gardens, seeking to throw him off her scent. She knew it would be a matter of time before he caught her so she had to reach the forest as quickly as possible.

Sesshoumaru smirked to himself as he chased the young girl through the floral maze, the wind whipping past his sparkling coat. His crimson orbs glowed hellishly as his yokai stirred from the thrill of the hunt.

"You will not reach the forest little one." He said to himself.

Rin continued to look back as she made her way towards the forest. She did not see him but something told her he was right on her heels, just out of sight. She was under no impression for she knew he had chosen to amuse her and was only toying with her at this point.

"It is pointless girl! You will not reach the forest." She heard him say teasingly. Still, she kept running, laughing heartily as she did so. She was so happy; she felt her heart would burst.

Never would he entertain the childish whims of anyone let alone a ninjen such as herself and yet; he did it for her. "My lord, you'll never catch me!" she bluffed and doubled her efforts to outwit him.

Again, she looked back to see if she could spot him but just as she turned around, she ran headlong into a mass of soft, silky fur. Undeterred, she spun gracefully around the youkai in a move that would please the most highly skilled ninja and continued onward towards the towering evergreens.

"Impressive." He said quietly as he again sprinted off after her.

"Almost there," she thought with a determined look on her face.

She could see the tall trees riddled with pine cones, needles, and splashes of autumn colors which came from the acorn oaks that filled the spaces in between.

There was a flash of white then, suddenly, she was again standing in the courtyard.

"Hey, no fair!" she griped turning in every direction to see if she could spot him. Smiling merrily, she wondered how something so big could hide himself without being seen. 'He was like a phantom,' she mused.

"Do you give up?" she heard his voice resonate through the colorful foliage.

"Never!" She giggled wildly at the taiyoukai's obvious antics.

"You know; you cannot escape from me." He stated as a matter of fact.

"Wanna' bet?" she challenged him playfully still searching for the elusive youkai.

In an instant, an all too familiar large figure stepped from the grove of dogwoods right in front of her.

She gasped, taken aback by his closeness and the predatory red eyes that glared at her in the moonlight.

Her heart almost stopped at the rush of desire that suddenly blazed within her. He looked so tempting as he stood there daring her to flee from his overwhelming presence.

For a moment, she felt ashamed of her feelings. For, if others had known about her secret fantasies towards this beautiful creature, they would label her perverse and wanton and thus seek to rid the world of such abomination. Yet, standing there under the fiery gaze of his lovely white appearance, she could feel nothing but love and admiration for the one who had cared for her when no one else would.

A small smirk found its way across the dog lord's features as he picked up the scent of her arousal.

"So, little one, you desire my true self." He mused. "You are foolish to think you can tame one such as I."

The girl smiled slowly as if she had something on her cunning little mind and in truth, she did. As she cautiously backed away, she bent down and picked up a small stick off the ground.

'What was she up to now?' he wondered, shifting his red eyes suspiciously.

Rin gulped over what she was about to do. This could possibly go completely the opposite of what she wanted and she seriously hoped he would understand that it was all in fun.

She shook the stick in her hand in order to grab his attention.

"Go fetch!" she yelled sarcastically as she threw it and ran.

Not even a minute had passed before she was stopped dead in her tracks.

There before her stood the white terror with the stick and something else in his mouth as he stared at her with those hellish eyes she would never get use to.

Before she could react, he dropped the articles at her feet and slowly backed away.

She gasped as a tidal wave of love washed over her entire being.

There, lying beside the stick was a beautiful, crimson rose from one of the gardens.

She knelt down and gently picked it up as if it were made of glass. Feeling ashamed that she had just mocked his very nature, she looked back at him to apologize.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I…" she began before she was interrupted.

"Do not insult my intelligence, Rin." He stated calmly, eyeing her with an intensity that burned her very soul.

Unable to face him, she dropped her head and looked away.

"I will go to bed now." She said quietly as she turned to walk back towards the main entrance.

"Coward!" she heard his deep voice bellow.

Immediately, her head snapped up as she realized he was neither angry nor offended. She turned towards him and licked out her tongue tauntingly before she took off towards the forest as fast as she could.

Sesshoumaru growled threateningly.

The hunt was on as he leaped into the brush after her.

…..

Once again, the girl had the dark woods within her sight. She would not look back this time, she thought as she increased her stride.

"So close and yet so far," she heard him say but she would not fall for that trick again.

She swerved to the side, barely missing the white blur that had attempted to scoop her up and take her back to the courtyard.

Giggling at his apparent surprise over her sly move, she entered the narrow strip of land separating the forest from her lord's domain.

"I see you have a few tricks up your sleeve." He growled with a hint of pride in his voice. "You will need them if you hope to reach the forest, human." He teased.

Undaunted, she continued to run with the crimson rose tucked securely between the folds of her kosode.

"Almost there," she kept telling herself.

Her eyes widened with shock as she saw the white demon appear at the tree line in front of her.

She noted how the moon cascaded down upon the thick, dark forest illuminating it in its eerie glow. Yet, it seemed to flee from the creature before her, shrouding him in shadow as if he were a haunt lurking in the deepest part of the woods.

His red eyes shifted, challenging the girl to try and get past him.

Rin stared back, determined to reach the forest at all cost.

He bared his fangs and poised himself to attack.

She laughed, calling his bluff as she barreled straight towards him.

Just then, he let out a vicious snarl, warning her not to come any closer.

She trembled with fear momentarily then braced herself as she pretended to swerve. Knowing he would anticipate her move, she continued forward instead and ran straight through his muscular and furry legs.

Sesshoumaru was aghast with surprise. In all his long years, he had never been caught off guard by demon or man and she was neither. 'How could he have not anticipated her moves?' he wondered as the sound of her victorious laughter brought him back to the present.

"Uhum! You were saying?" she mocked sarcastically.

"I admit, you are more cunning than I thought." He said through clenched teeth.

She beamed intensely at his compliment.

"Let us go. The night is far spent and there are matters I must attend to this day." He said quietly as he crouched down.

"You…you want me to ride you?" she asked hesitantly with stars in her eyes.

"Not exactly, you may think of it as your…prize if you wish." He stated nonchalantly.

She needed no further permission as she ran and climbed onto his back.

In a moment, they were off towards the shiro.

…

Rin found herself falling roughly to the ground as Sesshoumaru stopped abruptly near the koi pond.

"Are you alright?" he queried, silently satisfied at this small act of retribution to his pride.

"Yes, my lord!" she jumped to her feet happily.

"Well I…I guess I better say goodnight." She said reluctantly as she peered at him through wanton eyes.

Red eyes drifted longingly toward the petite maiden, taking notice of her soft and gentle features.

He shook himself mentally. "Do not be ridiculous." He said to himself.

"Mmmay I…kkiss you?" she mumbled nervously, all at once feeling very shy.

He didn't know why but he felt the strongest urge to comply with her request and so he willingly lowered his head.

They gazed at each other as she came to stand in front of him. Tentatively, she raised one small hand and gently caressed his muzzle afterwards planting a tender kiss in that very same spot.

A strong wind blew, completely untying the knot of her kosode which had come undone in her activities with the demon lord. She stood there naked and exposed to his burning orbs as the crimson rose fell to the ground landing between his two massive paws.

She froze, unsure of what to do but sensing this was the moment in which she should make her move.

Boldly, she took a step forward, pressing her stomach against his sensitive nose. He began to scent her, rapidly administering soft licks to her loins. She giggled at the sensation as she pressed her small but sizeable breasts against the top of his muzzle, stroking him lightly.

He immediately shrugged her off and backed away, feeling exposed and vulnerable for the first time in his long life. He had never allowed anyone, demoness or otherwise, to be so intimate with his true self. The few times he had allowed such contact in his youth was always in his illusory form and even then, he could not prevent his beast from surfacing. It was always the same. He remembered. He would take them into his bed but by morning, he would awake to a bloody mess. His youkai, having rejected them, would kill them in the night, preventing any seed from taking root. So, he had learned to suppress any desire he might feel for a woman lest she end up like all the rest.

His blood was not to be trifled with. He was the last of his kind –the rare, white and poisonous inu. He could not allow a lesser being near without the acceptance of his inner youkai. Otherwise, it might destroy them both.

"My lord?" she called to him tentatively.

"You are a fool to think you can tame me, Rin!" He spat with disgust. "You have no idea what you are unleashing!"

"It is not my wish to tame you my lord." She said quietly. "…only to love you." she pleaded as she reached out a hand to caress his fur. He stepped back, still uncertain of what was happening between them.

"Why?" she heard him whisper.

"My lord?" she questioned.

"Why do you desire this Sesshoumaru?" he wondered, seriously desiring to know the answer.

She couldn't explain it but at that moment, she felt a freedom she had never felt before.

"I have never seen a more beautiful creature as my lord." She lowered her eyes bashfully. "I find you completely fascinating." She said shyly.

"Hn!" he scoffed. "It is only a phase. It will pass." He reassured her.

"But I don't want it to pass." She replied boldly.

"You are a child, Rin. You know nothing of what you speak." He admonished.

"I know that I love you, you coward!" she spat venomously trying to hold back tears that were threatening to overflow their banks.

He turned and pushed her gently to the ground, possessively standing over her and growling terribly.

"You dare call me a coward! Should I rid you of this useless emotion once and for all?" he ground through clenched fangs.

Her heart leaped with fear at how quickly he could change his demeanor but she refused to be denied. She had come too far and it was now or never.

Feeling stupidly brave, she took in a deep breath of air and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Coward!"

Before he knew it, Sesshoumaru had sunk his fangs into her shoulder. She cried out in pain as she felt the force of his bite crush her shoulder blade.

Swiftly, he crouched down upon her before she had a chance to writhe in agony. He shook her viciously in a display of dominance then stilled her with his massive body.

Rin lay there, delirious with pain as she felt his hind legs part her creamy thighs.

She jolted nervously as her heart caught in her throat. He was going to take her and there was nothing she could do about it.

As she felt his furry member graze her inner thigh on its way to her secret place, she gazed up at the moon shrouded in a blanket of clouds.

"Close your eyes!" he commanded as he readied his furry appendage to lunge into her. She obeyed, resigning herself to what was about to happen.

There was silence.

Only then, did she realize she was no longer in pain. In fact, she had felt better than she had in years.

Slowly, she opened one eye. The moon was still there. She observed and the wind still blew with a slight chill creating a fog against her breath but where was he? She wondered.

Dusting herself off, she carefully got up and looked around until her eyes came to rest on him.

He stood a few steps from her. Now in his ethereal humanoid form, he looked as dashing as ever.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" she called to him bashfully.

The taiyoukai smirked inwardly.

There would be no more attempts to seduce him; no more brazen behavior. He thought.

She had indeed learned her lesson.

He faced her squarely and stared at her intently.

"Take heed what you wish for." He said simply as he turned and walked up the stairs of the shiro, disappearing into the black double doors.

She hung her head low, feeling both ashamed and foolish that she didn't have the courage to go through with it.

Sadly, she agreed the demon lord was right. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.

Sighing deeply, she placed her face in her hands to cry and felt something in her hair.

She pulled it from her disheveled locks and stared at it lovingly.

It was the crimson rose, though now, slightly wilted. She smiled to herself.

All was not lost. Perhaps someday, when she was truly ready…

With that she ran happily up the stairs to her room, grateful to be just a kid.

End Notes: The title was not taken from a certain famous play/movie but reflects Rin's experience throughout this story. The woods represent a dangerous place or boundary that she so desired to cross. She was, in a sense, stepping into the unknown, the forbidden, etc. which could lead to dangerous and terrifying consequences. I usually do not explain my stories because that would take away from the reader's ability to discover their own meaning but I felt the need to point it out here because of the nature of said demon. This is in no way a venture into beastiality but a kind of realistic approach to their relationship. As I said before, I like to write Sesshoumaru in all of his aspects and not just one; however, my apologies if I offended anyone. Thank you for your reviews!