Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  "This is true." Smiling at the sight of Yukani holding her grandson, with Kamui standing behind her, it was a glimpse into their family. With a small laugh, she pulled their eyes to her. "And I can't wait to see what you have either Yukani."

  All eyes turned to Katana as he let out another content sigh as he stretched then went limp again as he slept. With a small laugh Yukani shook her head. "You know Mama I think he is probably the soundest sleeper I have ever seen. I wonder where he gets it from."

  Laughing, Sorae covered her mouth with her hand. "He gets that from his father for sure. Your brother was sleeping all night long without so much as a peep from the very night he was born. You on the other hand, might want to hope that your pup is more like his Uncle or Father."

  Giving her an odd look Kamui let his head fall to the side. "Why is that?"

  Looking up at Kamui, Sorae laughed even harder then took a deep breath. "She was up six to eight times a night. Sometimes more until she was two years old."

  Dropping his head with a smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, Kamui laughed. "Then yes let's hope that the pup takes after me. I may be up early these days, but according to mother I slept all night from a very young age as well."

  Sticking her nose up in the air, Yukani growled. "Well then Kamui just for that, I want our pup to be just exactly like me when it comes to sleeping. And every time I wake up with him or her, you are too."

  Blinking down at her, Kamui was caught off guard with that. "And who says that?"

  Keeping her eyes closed, Yukani didn't even move. "You are the father. We share the work. He or she wakes up, daddy has to get up and get him or her and give them to mommy, then put them back to bed. Every time." But laughed at the annoyed growl that she heard coming from her mate.

  Smiling as he watched the family before him, Yoite couldn't help but feel pride in his job. Three generations, and he was in charge of protecting the youngest of them all right now. At all times, even with his mother and father he had to be there. Turning to the door though he then smiled as he closed his eyes and focused. Turning back he cleared his throat drawing eyes to him. "Lod Kiyoshi is on his way here with Lady Yokiyo, Lady Kiara and Lord Sanzo."

  Though before anyone could react the door flew open and there was a blur of black rushing through the room. Kamui smiled as the second that Kiara took her place next to her brother, he was instantly awake and laughing at her as she made faces at him. Turning to see Kiyoshi and Yokiyo walking in, he crossed his arms. "So who started it?"

  Stopping before Yukani, Yokiyo gave him an odd look then smiled down at her pup. "What are you talking about who started it?"

  "With Imae and Ayame."

  Standing next to his mate, Kiyoshi showed no emotions on his face as he looked down at his son. "She pushed Imae and she dealt with it. End of story."

  "I see then." Yukani then looked down as she felt Katana being lifted from her arms. "Remember his head Kiara, ben gentle. There you go."

  Both Kiyoshi and Yokiyo took a spot on either side of Kiara as she held a now giggling Katana in her arms. Yokiyo reaching down and fixing the blanket so that Sanzo wouldn't be able to see his ears right away. Looking at the door with a sigh, Kiyoshi was slightly annoyed. But he was at least trying to show manners by not just walking in. "Sanzo come in."

  Walking just inside the room, Sanzo gave a low bow as he smiled a big smile. "Sorae. Yukani. It is always a deep honor to see such beautiful women as yourselves."

  Standing next to Kamui with her arms crossed, Yukani gave him a half glare as she shook her head. "I swear you are never going to change are you?"

  Standing up now, Sanzo closed his eyes as she shook his head side to side. "Nope, not a chance. And I have no intention of trying either."

  "Sanzo." Once he had the bird's attention, Kiyoshi then looked down at his one-week old infant in his daughter's arms. "My son and the heir to the South. Katana."

  A New Heir Chapter 83

  Kneeling down before Kiara, Sanzo smiled at her. She was eyeing him like he was going to try and lash out and kill him any second. Meeting her eyes he gave her a nod. "You are going to be quite the big sister you know that?" Then he turned his eyes up to Yukani with his toothy grin. "And a big cousin as well. Congratulations Yukani, Kamui."

  With a smile Yukani nodded. "Thank you Sanzo."

  With a sigh a she rolled her eyes Kiara pulled his gold eyes back to her. "I will have two little cousins. Aunt Zokeni is pregnant as well."

  With blinking eyes as he looked up at Yokiyo, he let his head fall to the side. "Zokeni?"

  Laughing as she smiled, Yokiyo nodded. "My brother's mate. He mated with a water sprout demon and she is just as far along as Yukani is, they both realized it the same day."

  "Wonderful." Sanzo then turned from Yokiyo to the pup and once again met her eyes. "May I see your little brother now?"

  Nodding as she also looked down at her brother, Kiara made another face at him, pulling giggles as the bird gasped when he finally realized that he wasn't a half demon either. With a slight growl she looked up at him with his mouth open and extra wide eyes. 'I swear is everyone going to look at him like that? He should have known he was a demon when there was no half demon scent in here.'

  At a total loss for words, Sanzo didn't even think about the fact that he didn't smell a half demon anywhere around here. He at first thought that it was just covered up by all the demons that were there. But this pup, this boy was a demon too! Looking up at Kiyoshi he kept his wide blinking eyes. "Really? It happened twice?"

  Pride once again flowed from Kiyoshi as he looked down into his son's eyes as he looked up. They were both the same cobalt blue eyes of their mother and perfect. "It has. Though we did honestly think it was nothing more than a fluke with Kiara. However when he was born, we were more than shocked. It would seem my human mate is only capable of producing demon pups for some reason."

  But then he looked at his mate as he sighed when he saw her eyes half closed looking at the pups. A week after she got pregnant with Katana, and her age, she just didn't seem to stop thinking about just how little time she has with her son as she puts it. He worried about it too, but both needed to stop worrying so much about and that focus on this week.

  His eyes back on the pup, Sanzo smiled as he laughed the pup's eyes met his and then smiled as he started to wave his hands in the air. Reaching out, Sanzo was going to let him grab hold of his finger, just like he did when Isamu was born. But he stopped and looked up as Kiara flinched, tightened her grip on her brother and shot serious eyes up to her father. 'Like father like daughter as they say.'

  With her eyes glued to her father's, Kiara waited for direction. She didn't want this bird to touch him. She still wasn't sure if she fully trusted him herself with her brother. But when all she got was a serious look and a nod from her father to let him, she turned back and looked down at her brother as she reluctantly loosened her grip on him.

  Seeing her relax, Sanzo reached on out and held his finger just in front of the pup's face and laughed as he giggled and grabbed his finger with both hands. A glance up at the proud and now smiling big sister, then up to Yokiyo he gave a nod. "I would have to credit you for this Yokiyo. For I do honestly believe that only a woman as beautiful as yourself could birth so beautiful pups."

  Pride swelling in her as well, Yokiyo smiled. "Thank you. But I only had a part in it. She turned her sweet smile to her mate for a second then back down to her pups. Gasping as Katana started to pull Sanzo's finger toward his mouth she started to reach out to stop him. "Sanzo don't let him get your finger in….." But then she couldn't help but laugh at his face when her son bit down on his finger.

  Flinching at the bite, Sanzo smiled as he closed one eye, waiting for Yokiyo to pry his finger loose. As she lifted her now giggling son in her arms he shook his finger then noticed he was actually bleeding from two tiny little puncture marks. "Well he does have a good bite. He drew blood."

  With an apologetic look on her face,
Yokiyo bounced her son as she turned her attention to Sanzo. "I am so sorry about that. I should have warned you sooner. I just don't know what it is with him. Everything seems to be going so much faster than it did even with Kiara." Turning a smile to her son she sighed. "Including his teeth. Kiara didn't get her K-9's until she was a month old. He is barely a week and already has them and a few others."

  With a laugh as he crossed his arms, Sanzo couldn't help but compare in his head the wounds he got from one of their pups to his sister. "I fared much better than my sister so it is all alright."

  Moving to stand next to Yokiyo, Sorae laid her hand on Kiara's head as she looked up at Sanzo with an odd look. "What did happen to Ayame?" We sensed their powers and then smelled her blood."

  Rubbing her nose on her son's then rolling her eyes as she pried her hair loose before he got it in his mouth, Yokiyo laughed. "Ayame was being Ayame and Imae had enough of it. She put her in her place with a sparing match. First to draw blood won, and it ended with Ayame having an x on her chest. But she pushed it." She then looked up at Kiyoshi and sighed. "I am going to take him and Kiara and go to my office, I got work that I need to do and he needs a nap."

  "Right." Watching as they walked away from him, Kiyoshi sighed. Yoite, loyal as ever was right on their heels, and she smiled but he could sense what was going on. He understood why she felt like that and he would have to make it right tonight. Somehow for a while at least he had to make her happy again or he was going to end up going insane.

  X

  With the wind caused by their sparring match bending the trees back and forth nearly to their limit, Kiyoshi and Sanzo were not holding anything back right now. Partly because Kiyoshi had pent up stress with everything going on with his son and mate, and Sanzo wouldn't leave him alone about it.

  He wasn't entirely opposed to the idea when he brought it up to him, after all everyone there knew that war would be coming very soon. In the next couple of months at least. He and everyone else he was sure knew that Motoichi would try much harder to kill his son than he did his mate. And by killing them, with it being so close to the end of the blood pact he would declare war and start a fight with that. Why he didn't with Yokiyo's presentation he wasn't sure. But he knew he would this one.

  The smell of a maid standing off to the side hit his nose as he held a hand up for Sanzo to make him stop. "Hold." Once they were on the ground he turned to her with an emotionless mask. "What is it?"

  With a bow the young maid smiled. "My Lord I was asked by the gatekeeper and the spotter to inform you that Lord Shone and his pack have been spotted. They should be here shortly."

  "You said his pack?"

  "Yes My Lord. Lady Yuriko and Lord Isamu are with him, as well as a small force of his army."

  "Thank you." He then reached up and rubbed the side of his head. If Shone was already almost there, than it would only be a few days now before whoever Motoichi was sending would be there. Then annoyance washed over him as he growled at the palace with a glare. 'And now she is annoyed about something as well.'

  "Kiyoshi?"

  Turning to the now confused and breathing heavy falcon, Kiysohi sighed as he turned and headed for the palace. "Come. I will show you where you will stay while you are here this time. Then I need to see what my mate is so annoyed about and tell her Shone and his pack are almost here."

  As they walked through the palace, Sanzo blinked as Kiyoshi lead him toward the family wing of the palace. Looking at him like he had ten heads as he walked side by side with him, Sanzo was more than confused. "I have never stayed in this wing before."

  With a sigh as he closed his eyes, Kiyoshi didn't even look at him. "I think you are loud, annoying, hyper and bothersome at times. But I also know that I can count on you in a time of need. You proved that twelve years ago. And protecting my son is a time of need is it not?"

  "Of course it is."

  With a nod as he stopped by an open door. "Then you stay in the family wing close to my pack. This is your room. I will have someone inform you when the evening meal is ready."

  "Right."

  Turning from him, Kiyoshi then headed for his mate's study. He could tell by smell that all of his pups with her. Walking in he smiled to see Imae going over her writing lessons with Kiara, and Katana contently playing with the ends of his mother's hair as he lay in her lap. "Yokiyo…."

  Waving a hand in the air as she read a scroll she let out a sigh. "I know I know. A maid was sent to tell me that Shone."

  His emotionless mask back in place, he walked on in the room toward her. "They did me as well. He also has Yuriko, Isamu and a small force with him."

  "I figured that he would have brought his mate and pup with him." Looking up as Kiyoshi bent down and lifted his son from her lap she smiled as he sat across the desk from her with him, growling as he managed to grab his hair and pull his head sideways.

  Then she sighed as she rubbed the sides of her temples. Hearing him growl again she didn't even look up. "What? I am elated that I finally get to meet Yuriko and Isamu. But I am also stressed out for other things, his presentation and…." When all he did was growl louder she glared up at him. "What do you want from me demon? I am only a human after all. And you should know by now the more stressed out I get the more and worse headaches I get."

  When the door opened she looked up and then smiled as Takara walked in with some tea. Standing up Yokiyo clapped her hands. "Takara I have a huge favor to ask you right now. I have another one of my headaches. Do you think you could take over Kiara's lessons for me?"

  Sitting the tea down, Takara smiled as she gave her a nod. "Of course I can My Lady."

  Blinking as she looked up from where she already sat with Kiara, Imae gave her mother an odd look. "I can finish her lessons with her today Mama."

  Going to her mate she pulled his hair from her son's hands, Yokiyo then turned and handed him to the now standing Imae. "You Imae get to keep an eye on your brother for me. I really would like to get rid of this monstrous headache before Shone gets here so I am going to lay down for a while."

  His eyes closed as he crossed his arms, Kiysohi growled. "That would be helpful on my end as well."

  With a glare as she stormed past him, Yokiyo growled herself as she crossed her arms. "You know I can't help it that living in a demon palace and being Lady of the South, as well as a mother of three is so stressful to me."

  Blinking as she looked at the closed door, Imae listened as her parents argued down the hall. "Well then. Mama must really have a bad headache." Turning as Takara sat with Kiara, she slid down the wall on the other side of the study. "So Shone, Yuriko and Isamu are coming. I haven't seen them in what seems like forever."

  Looking up from her writing lesson, Kiara made eye contact with her sister as she glared. She heard that Shone and her father have always been good friends. But she was suspicious about everyone who was coming that they might try and hurt her brother. "Sister will they try…"

  Laughing as she made a face at her now giggling and happy brother, Imae shook her head side to side. "Not from them Kiara. No way."

  "But…."

  Looking up at her sister with a cross look, Imae sighed. "They won't. There is no chance that is even a possibility Kiara. I know you want to keep him safe and so do I. But I know that if he had to, Father would leave and Katana with Shone and Yuriko and not think twice about it and know that you would both be just as safe with them as he and Mama." When Kiara didn't even change her eyes she sighed as she dropped her head. 'I swear she is going to take this I will protect my brother to an extreme.'

  "Are you really sure?"

  "Very sure." Imae then gave her sister a stern look, the same one that their mother got when she was cross or warning them. "And also dear little sister, don't use today against me either with Ayame. I didn't pick the fight, I just finished it. But you are not to be going off and picking fights with anyone."

  "Who are you two talking about picking fights with?"

 
; Looking as her mother walked toward her, Imae blinked and gave her an odd look. "Just telling her she can't pick fights while everyone is here, no matter who it is. I thought you were going to lay down for a while?"

  With a smile, Yokiyo bent over and picked Katana up as he laughed. "I am. I just wanted to take him with me after all. Right now he helps me calm down more than anything." As she headed for the door she stopped and looked back at Kiara and smiled. "Your sister is right though sugar. You don't need to worry about who is going to do what to your brother, your father and I are going to handle that. And you aren't allowed to pick a fight no matter what."

  With a pale face, Kiara looked up at her mother and froze. "Mother will you please stop calling me that!"