After being provided a room, Kikyo left to bathe. Inuyasha was finally alone with his thoughts.

Two days ago, the two of them came across a village that was burnt to the ground. No survivors. The scene was horrific, so much blood, bodies and limbs littered the ash covered ground. But that's not what was eating him up. It was the scent of Kagome's blood that made him freeze. Kikyo prayed for the souls of the fallen while he was running rampant to find the raven-haired girl. She was nowhere to be found. Her scent was as strong as the smoke that tainted the air. The bodies were burned beyond recognition. His heart dropped to his stomach.

There was no way she survived this.

Kagome was gone.

And he couldn't tell her how sorry he was.

She died probably hating him. He will never forgive himself.

After they left the village behind, he was consumed by guilt and grief. He was a hollow shell haunted by the ghost of his friend. He loved Kagome. She was a pure treasure that he didn't deserve. She was his rock, never leaving his side even when he gave every reason for her to leave. Until she couldn't take it anymore. Until he broke her heart for the last time. He will never forget the look in her eyes when they last saw each other.

I shouldn't have let her go.

I should've followed her.

I should've been there to protect her.

But Inuyasha knew there was nothing he could've done. He made his decision and now he had to live with it.

Kagome, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.

His golden eyes started to water. He barely noticed the sliding door to the room opening.

Kikyo knelt beside him and moved her fingers to caress his face. They were cold and hard like the clay that held her together. Complete opposite of Kagome's soft, delicate, warm hands.

"Inuyasha," Kikyo whispered softly.

He looked into her eyes and didn't see the woman he loved, the woman he'd throw everything away for. At that moment, with the moonlight on her ebony locks, he saw the woman who made him feel like he was more than a worthless half breed. He saw the woman who held him together in even his darkest moments. He saw Kagome.

He leaned forward to capture her lips, pouring out his very soul in his kiss. He brushed his tongue across her lips, begging for entrance which she gladly accepted. He tasted her wet cavern as his hands pushed her kimono off her shoulders, moving his mouth over her neck teasing her tender flesh before trailing down to her breasts. He took one nipple in his mouth while teasing the other with his fingers. Her moans made his ears perk. She sounded lovely. He needed to hear more.

His free hand caressed her sides before finding her bundle of nerves. Her hips bucked against his hard arousal making him hiss. He couldn't wait anymore. He needed to feel all of her.

Laying her on her back, he positioned himself at her opening and pushed inside. He groaned at the feeling. She wrapped around him like a vice, it was heaven. He couldn't control his hips as he slammed into her, desperate for release. He was so close.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, his name a mantra rolling off her tongue with each thrust. She screamed out her climax, he kept pounding until he reached his own, screaming out her name.

"Kagome!"

Her breath hitched and he looked down. That's when he realized it wasn't Kagome underneath him.

She pushed him off her and stood in her naked glory.

"What the fuck, Inuyasha!" She screamed, "How could you be thinking about her when we're in bed together!?"

"Kikyo, I … I didn't mean to. It was an accident!"

"Accident!? How dare you say that bitch's name when you're inside me!?"

"Don't call her that!" Inuyasha growled.

"You left her, remember? You left her for me! What's it gonna take for you to forget about her!?"

"Goddammit, Kikyo! Just drop it already!" He was getting a headache and didn't see this going anywhere good. What he would give to be anywhere but here right now.

"No, Inuyasha! I won't drop it. I'm sick and tired of that damn wench taking you from me. I've given you time to get over her, but now it's obvious that it's up to me to break the bond between you two."

Her words gave him chills.

"What are you talking about?" He asked in a low tone, afraid of what she was planning.

"I'm going to do what I should've done a long time ago. It's time for us to be together, happy … I'm doing this for us."

Kikyo raised her hands that glowed pink and whispered an ancient chant.

"Kikyo, what are you doing?" She ignored him and continued the spell.

The beads of subjugation that hung around his neck started to glow.

"Kikyo, no!" He begged, but she wasn't stopping.

He watched in horror as the beads broke and collided with the floor. The only thing he had that connected him to Kagome was gone. He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared helplessly at the scattered beads.

"Now she can't control you anymore, my love. We can be happy together without her getting in the way." Her cheerful tone made him sick.

He stood slowly and cut her with his gaze. The fury in his eyes made her blood run cold.

Kikyo reached for his arm as he walked towards the door but he shook her off like her touch burned him. He didn't stick around to listen to her cries. There was no way he would forgive nor forget this.

He didn't know where he would go nor did he care at this moment. He just couldn't stand to be in the same room as the priestess.

"Sir, do you have any more of that medicine?"

"I'm sorry I do not, that man and woman robbed me blind."

"Oh, that little raven-haired beauty? What did they say her name was?"

"I'm not sure but if I'm being honest, she's a dead ringer of the priestess we have here tonight."

The villagers' conversation caught Inuyasha's attention. There's no way they could be talking about Kagome, right?

"Oi! Tell me about the girl." Inuyasha demanded.

"Well, she was young, beautiful, hair black as a crow's feather. She came here just yesterday with a fellow that looked deadly. They stayed for the night and by morning, the both of them along with a lot of our medicine and supplies were gone."

"Which room did she stay in?"

"Ironically, the one you are staying in, sir."

Inuyasha stared wide eyed at the villager. He was so distraught over Kagome that he didn't realize she was right under his nose. He could smell her everywhere, even in the room and the path leading in and out of the village.

Kagome is … alive?

He had to find her.

He followed her scent around the village and found another scent that caught him off guard. Graveyard soil. Aside from Kikyo, there's only a few other people that carry that stench.

The Band of Seven has Kagome!?

He couldn't wait another second. He took off following the scents, hoping he wasn't too late.

Hold on, Kagome. I'm on my way. I won't fail you again!