by Willow Hayes
“Better than I thought I would be, honestly. The fact that things went so smoothly with my boss helped ease my mind a lot. Not seeing Archibald again in the near future is a bonus too.”
I silently agree with the sentiment and ask, “So where to next?”
“Reg’s down on main street.” She gestures in the general direction, and I start up the car.
“Did you know kitsunes are notoriously picky about their selected companions?” I ask casually, turning to glance at her.
“No actually. I never researched anything. I figured I was his, and he was mine.” She shrugs as though it isn’t a big deal, showing just how little she knows about Kitsunes. Kitsunes almost never select a companion long term, and Akito must care for her a great deal for him to stay with her for as long as he has.
“Kitsunes are shifters but are unable to shift until they turn one-hundred.” I’m curious about what her reaction will be to the idea that he could potentially shift to his human form soon.
“Really? That’s awesome!” She turns to Akito in the back seat and scratches behind his ear and kisses his nose. “Guess you aren’t a hundred yet, huh?” I’m kind of shocked at her ease with this knowledge.
“They can also communicate with their companions as well. Have you ever felt like you just knew what he was thinking?” I ask out of simple curiosity.
“Actually yeah. He’s the only reason I survived some of the things I’ve gone through. I talk to him all the time, and sometimes I get a sense of what he’s feeling. Occasionally I feel like I get actual words from him, but honestly I thought I was making something out of nothing. He was my only friend for years,” her voice quiet with the admission, and she turns to look out the window. I get the impression she doesn’t want to talk about it, so I keep quiet and focus on the road.
When we pull up to the gym Kenna turns to me, her face serious and says, “I need you to know that despite all that we have learned and the threat against me I intend on teaching one more class for my kids. I won’t leave without saying goodbye.” Her eyes are hard as though she expects an argument from me.
“Kenna, I won’t keep you from that. I know how important your kids are to you. I will however, say that one of us will be with you while you are teaching.” Her eyes widen in surprise, and I think for a moment she is going to argue, but her face softens with a smile, and she simply tells me thank you.
When we turn to get out of the SUV she surprises me by opening the back door and letting Akito out. I raise an eyebrow in question, and she just smiles, giving no explanation. When we walk in the door there is a chorus of greetings and a few whistles from the men around the gym. Akito takes off to greet them like old friends. I feel inexplicably jealous at the male attention Kenna is receiving, but I brush it off, telling myself that I have no right to be jealous. We walk over to a human guy that must be in his fifties or sixties with pure white hair who leans in to hug Kenna.
“Killer! Where you been? We’ve missed you the past couple days! Ready to kick some ass in the ring?” His grin is huge and his affection true. She shakes her head with a smile at his question. He glances at me then asks her, “So who’s this? Did you finally snag one? When are you giving me grandbabies?” While he’s talking I watch Kenna get redder and redder, and I decide I definitely like this guy. I get the impression that he is family to her.
I stick my hand out and introduce myself, “Name’s Nakoa. I’m only a friend, so no grandbabies on the horizon quite yet. Sorry.”
His handshake is firm as he looks me in the eye, judging my character. Apparently I’m up to snuff because he gives a slight nod before he says, “Pleasure to meet you. The name’s Reg, and this is my gym.” He turns back to Kenna and asks, “What brings you guys in today if you aren’t gonna kick ass in the ring, girly?”
She rolls her eyes at him and asks if we can talk in private. He leads us down a hallway, and while we walk my eyes keep drifting down to admire the way her pencil skirt hugs her ass. I keep having to yank them back up to find something else to look at. We walk into an office, and he gestures to a couple of battered black chairs across from his cluttered desk. The office definitely reflects the man sitting in front of me. There are framed pictures of different fighters on the wall, a few trophies on a shelf, and other fighting memorabilia scattered throughout. What surprises me though, are the number of photos of him and Kenna on his desk and walls. My impression of family solidifies. His face is drawn in concern now as he studies Kenna intently.
She drops a bomb I didn’t think she would be sharing today, launching into the whole story by saying, “What I’m going to tell you may seem unbelievable, but I’m asking you to trust me and to remember that I have never lied to you.” The intensity on her face speaking to the seriousness of the matter.
“Alight, I’ll keep an open mind, but girly you’ve never lied to me before, so I don’t see why you’d start now.” His words of acceptance are mirrored in the openness of his body.
This seems to shore up her reserve, and she continues, “Did you…ah…wonder where the scorch marks came from on bag two?” His brows shoot up, and he nods but doesn’t say anything. “Well they came from me. From my magic to be exact. Magic I didn’t know I had until this past week.” She is closely monitoring his reaction. His eyes are wide and cheeks flushed showing his shock, but he leans forward and says nothing, giving her leave to continue.
She takes a deep breath and launches into the rest of the tale. She shows him her tattoo and gestures to mine, explaining what they mean. “Twenty years ago I was found wandering the town with no memory of my life before, or who I was. When I met the guys something about them…about us…unbound my magic and marked them…as mine because,” she takes a fortifying breath, “because I’m the lost princess.” After she finishes the silence is almost deafening as we wait with bated breath for his response.
Finally he blinks, seeming to find his words and says, “I always knew there was something special about you, girly. You were human, but you weren’t. I can’t explain it. But your story makes more sense than you’d expect.” He pauses in thought for a moment before he says, “Not to say that I’m not honored that you came and explained all this to me because I am, but I get the feeling this is not exactly something we are spreading around.” Kenna and I both nod to confirm his suspicion, and he continues, “So is there a purpose for sharing with me now?”
Kenna looks about ready to cry, and I realize she needed his approval, even if she didn’t know it. This man is probably the closest thing she has to a father, and he certainly feels the same about her. He has protected her for years and taught her how to fight, so she wouldn’t be defenseless. And in the process she became family. My opinion of this man has only grown, and I’m beyond grateful that Firefly had someone like this in her life.
“Well, until I get my magic under control I can’t risk another accident like what happened to the bag, especially not around the kids. I hate to ask because you only offered the class since I was willing to teach it, but is there any way someone else can? I can’t stand to think that my kids won’t have this class to look forward to anymore. I’d teach the class on Thursday of course. It’s short notice, and I want to say goodbye. I swear as soon as I’m able though, I’ll be back to teaching, I promise,” her words rush out as though she is afraid of what he might say. Just by watching him though I know there’s not a chance he tells her no. I don’t bother pointing out that she is not likely to return to teach the class again.
“First off, I’m glad you are taking the time to train your magic like you’ve trained your body and mind. Secondly, I would’ve started the class anyways because it was needed for this community, but I made you teach it because you needed it.” Kenna’s eyes go wide and her mouth starts to open and close like a fish. It’s all I can do to keep the laugh from slipping out. “These kids will always have a place here, Killer. You have to know that I would never turn them away. I didn’t turn you away.” As he finishes his sp
eech there are tears glistening in his eyes. He blinks them back and sniffs, clearing his throat, “Of course I’ll teach the damn class, but only if you promise to visit when you can.”
Kenna launches herself over the desk and tackles him with a hug, her grip tight around him. He laughs lightly and whispers, “Take care of yourself, girly. We’ll be fine here.” He pulls back kisses her forehead then looks in her eyes, “I love you kid, and don’t you forget it.” The tears he was trying to hold back slip down his cheeks and Kenna’s flow unchecked.
She hugs him one more time, and I hear her whisper back, her voice restricted by her tears, “I love you too, old man.”
As we walk back to the SUV, Kenna seems sad, but also like the weight of the world has been lifted from her shoulders. I wish it could stay that way, but I’m afraid this is just the beginning of her fight. “Shall we stop to grab some food to take back to the guys?”
Kenna turns to me with a small smile and says, “Sounds good to me, but you have to pick the food since I don’t know what the guys like.”
I laugh and say, “Food. They like food. Put food in front of them, and you can’t go wrong. Well except maybe for Callum, he’s kind of a food snob.”
She snorts and rolls her eyes with a smile. “Of course he is.”
Seventeen
Kenna
When we walk in the door I shout out, “Honey we’re home, and we brought food!” I carry the bags of food while Nakoa grabs my suitcases then walks them down the hallway, presumably to the room I’ll be staying in. Akito immediately starts checking out the digs. I get the sense that he is feeling protective, so he’s likely making sure we’ll be safe here. I hear a laugh down the hall making its way closer, and Akito darts over to inspect Luka when he walks in the room. I tell Akito that everyone here is safe and is here to protect and teach me. He turns to look at me and with a snort turns back to his inspection as if saying I’ll be the judge of that.
“It’s all good, he’s gotta make sure.” Luka’s eyes twinkle with mirth then Akito unapologetically sticks his snout in his crotch.
“Don’t smell his junk you weirdo!” Luka and I bust out laughing at Akito’s antics.
The rest of the guys start to filter in, and Akito does his job thoroughly by checking each of them in turn. Callum looks less than thrilled when Akito gets to him. I just look at him with a smirk and a hand on my hip as if to say suck it up, buttercup.
Teo walks in and stops dead in his tracks when he spots my protective kitsune. He looks at Akito with his head tipped to the side as if inspecting an interesting specimen. I try to hold back the laugh, but when Akito does the same thing back to him I bust out laughing. Callum shakes his head, but I swear I see his lips twitch, just a bit.
“Who’s this?” Teo asks on a laugh after they’ve finished inspecting one another.
“This is Akito, and I suppose you could say he’s mine but only so far as he’ll let me keep him.” I shrug in response, and Teo laughs at my explanation. I turn to the rest of guys and say, “I’m sure you’ll all be excited to know that Akito has deemed that none of you are a threat, yet anyways.”
Teo wanders over with my keys dangling from his fingertips and says, “Here are your keys back, and your car is parked in the garage.”
“Oh, you mean the cavern you call a garage? That thing could hold like, fifteen cars!” When Nakoa parked the SUV in there I just gawked at the sheer size of it.
Luka shrugs and grins before he says, “We have a lot of gear.” I laugh and shake my head. Boys and their toys.
As we are gathering at the table Teo points to the surface of it and says, “Koa built this table along with the coffee and side tables.” Teo’s voice is filled with pride at his brother’s achievement, and I am reminded of our conversation at the club.
My eyes widen in amazement as I look around at each piece before turning my gaze on Nakoa. “These are stunning. You do amazing work.” His lovely olive skin blushes slightly at my praise, and he gives me a small smile and a humble thank you. Dinner is filled with conversation and laughter, Luka and Teo driving most of it, while Akito sits on my feet making me feel safe. After my emotionally charged day I start to feel myself sagging. I work to stifle the yawns that keep coming but apparently not well enough because Luka asks if he can give me the full tour.
I pop up, thankful for an excuse to get moving. “I would love that.”
Luka leads the way, Akito trotting by my side. He points out some of the things I saw last time like the gym and sparring room, but this time he leads me down some stairs, and we stop in front of a door. Before opening it Luka turns to me with a huge grin and mischief dancing in his eyes and asks, “Wanna get wet?” Given his propensity for jokes I don’t quite know what to make of his question, so I only narrow my eyes at him and say nothing, but when the door opens to a sparkling lap pool I squeak in excitement.
“You guys have a gym and a pool? Well shit, all you had to do was show me this, and I would have moved in without even thinking!” He laughs at me, and I wink at him vowing to use the pool very soon. We walk back upstairs where he shows off a game room complete with pool table and poker table then Nakoa’s office. Although, Luka didn’t need to tell me it was Nakoa’s office because one look at the giant, meticulously organized desk, the comfortable leather armchair, and the rich charcoal gray colors of the room, and I knew the space belonged to him.
Luka then leads us down a long hallway pointing out individual rooms. “Here’s Nakoa and Callum,” pointing respectively at each door. He walks further down until he stops in front of a couple of doors. “This is my room,” he points to the door behind him, “and there is Teo’s,” he gestures to a door a bit further down the hallway, “but here is yours.” He opens the door with a flourish, and I gasp.
The room is massive, almost as big as my entire apartment. It’s decorated with pictures of lush forest scenes and has hints of kelly green and tawny brown throughout the room. I twirl around, and my eyes land on a huge bed with beautiful cushy bedding, and I just know it will be insanely comfortable. It has an ensuite with the biggest clawfoot bathtub I have ever seen.
Turning back to bedroom I see a small alcove with a decent sized television and a small tawny couch draped with a comfy kelly green throw blanket. My favorite thing in the room though is the unbelievably stunning fireplace. It’s framed by rich dark wood beams, and the mantel holds many of the plants that I keep at home. My eyes start to water, and I turn around to tell Luka, in words that can’t truly convey how I feel, “It’s beautiful. I can’t believe I’ll be sleeping in this room.”
He grins and looks relieved. “I’m so glad you like it. I was hoping green was a good choice for your room.” He shrugs as if to say it was no big deal.
My mouth drops open in astonishment. “Was this room decorated just for me?”
He grins and says, “Yeah, I put it together today with some help I forced out of Teo and Callum. I like to shop.” Again he shrugs but this time with a big shit-eating grin, making me burst out laughing.
“This is insanely amazing, and you nailed everything, green is my favorite color. I love it, thank you.” I wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. By the gods, he smells amazing, and the scent sends a bolt of lust straight to my clit. Dammit Kenna, get your libido under control, I chastise myself for the millionth time since meeting the guys.
I step out of the hug and turn back to the room and wander around a bit more, loving the details that much more knowing Luka picked it out for me personally. I feel his eyes on me as I walk around. I know he is happy that I like the room which makes me happy, which also makes me a giant sap.
“Listen Kenna, I just wanted to say that I’m glad you decided to come.” I turn to face him as he speaks, “I know this has been life altering, but I want you to know there isn’t any other place I’d rather be.” He gives me a small, bashful smile which I return then the Luka I know sneaks out. “But don’t go getting a big head about it, Princess.”
He smirks, then spins away from me as I charge at him and huff out, “Oh no, no, no. That is not happening! Don’t you dare call me Princess!”
He bellows out a laugh and with ease spins out of reach again. Damn him and his supernatural abilities. “Well it is your title, and I wouldn’t want to break protocol or anything.” He darts away, and I growl in frustration all the while trying to stifle the grin that is just below the surface.
Then all at once he is right behind me, brushing against my back, and my heart stutters and thought ceases. I can’t move away, but let’s be real, I don’t want to. I find myself silently begging him to touch me. All the reasons I have told my hormones why it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with the guys have completely vanished from my brain. I feel his face in the space between my neck and shoulder. Not touching, just breathing.
I lean my head a fraction, giving him silent permission. His breath skates across my skin, and my breathing grows shallow. He inhales, and the moving air sends a shiver down my spine. Right when I think he’s finally going to close the distance he backs away. I spin around to look at him and see heat in his eyes for a brief moment before his face goes carefully blank, hiding the Luka I’ve been getting to know.
“I’m glad you like your room. I’ll leave you to get settled. Let us know if you need anything.” And with those strangely formal words he walks away. I stand rooted to the spot trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. Then my shock morphs into anger. Anger at myself for craving him and allowing myself to want him. Anger at him for teasing me when I know I saw heat in his eyes. Anger at him for shutting me out so abruptly then walking away. And I’m angry that I’m all worked up with no one to play with. Screw it, I’ll just have to take care of business like I always do. I’ll make sure I’m nice and loud, so he can hear what he walked away from.
