by Max Jager
And then that brings me to such a foolish son of yours. He really was a fool, just like his father. He was so overconfident that he let his guard down when fighting my daughter and she was able to get close enough to him to blind him with her purification. She stood tall and wounded him. Then he met a deadly end in the jaws of MY MATE.
Normally when I hear of the loss of someone's son, I would send my condolences. But in this case, I want to tell you that you and your bitch of a mate are next Motoichi. I was also told that you were going to try and demand the head of my son because of what Kiyoshi did to yours. That will never happen. You got a better chance at being kind to someone than getting near my son. You will never see the day that you get your hands on my son.
So know this. The Southern Pack is strong and more formidable than you think that it is. You and your mate are going to meet your ends. It is only a matter of time now. Until then, farewell. WE, my mate and I will see you on the battle field.
MIKO Lady of the South,
Yokiyo"
Shredding the note as rage flooded through him, Motoichi's eyes were bleeding as he snarled showing all his teeth. "That bitch. She and her lap dog will pay for this! I will have their heads!"
With tears streaming down her face, Rinako walked to him and touched his arm with a shaky hand as she kept her eyes on the floor, her tears dripping from her nose. "He isn't coming home is he?"
Looking down at his mate, as she tried to keep herself composed. Pulling her fully into his arms, Motoichi sighed as she buried her face in his chest and sobbed. As much as he tried to look at her as nothing more to him than a tool, someone to keep him in his seat and give him an heir. She was his perfect match in so many ways that he couldn't help falling in love with her. "Do not worry Rinako. We will make them pay for what they have done to our son. They will pay with their heads. And we will mount them over our son's grave."
Gripping his clothes with all she had, Rinako took a few deep breaths. Everything was perfect. She had a mate she loved and admired. A perfect son. And thanks to one miko he was taken away from them! After a moment she looked up into his eyes with a glare in her own as she kept crying. She wanted to be part of this. She wanted to be there! "I want another round in combat Motoichi. I will be at your side when you march to war. I will be the one to take down the miko as you take down her dog of a mate.
Dipping his head, Motoichi seared her mouth and then touched her face as he nodded. "Indeed. You get the miko and I will get the mongrel. Together we will avenge our son." He then kissed her one more time and then stormed out of the room. They would pay for this. They would all pay!
A New Heir Chapter 91
A full month has passed, and once again Imae was proving that she can heal faster than any human. Even her mother as she was back to a hundred percent. She learned through trial and error a long time ago that if she focused her purification on any wounds she got, along with the amazing healing knowledge of Takahashi she would heal ten times faster or more. And now she stood in the middle of the gardens squaring off with Sanzo again.
Just outside the walls to the East, Sanzo's forces in their whole were camped. Leaving only enough loyal men in the East to defend it. To the west Shone has done the same thing. But what kept her unfocused more and more right now were her growing feelings for the bird that was in front of her. And when you put that with the fact that she has not had one demon or human look twice at her since she matured, her mind has been a little off. She had hoped that sparring with someone she knew wouldn't hold back would help her focus on training but it hasn't helped her to focus at all. Only made it worse.
"Hello. Earth to Imae are you alright?"
Blinking as she sighed and relaxed as she sheathed her katanas, Imae only nodded. "I am. I was just thinking. And besides are you sure it is good for you to be away from your camp this long? You haven't left the palace for three days now until it is after night. And spend most of that sparing with me."
Closing his eyes as he walked toward her after sheathing his own sword, Sanzo laughed. "Don't tell me that you are tiring of my company already Imae? Are you telling me you don't like me here?"
Rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms and headed for a bench next to the koi pond, Imae sighed. "That is not what I meant and you know it you feather brain." But as she sat down she half smiled as she let out a sigh as he sat down next to her. "But should have known to leave it to you to smart off."
Shaking his head as he smiled at her, Sanzo winked. "You know me too well it seems." But then his eyes took on a concerned look as his smile faded. That wasn't what she was getting distracted from and he knew it. "But that wasn't what you were really thinking about. The last three days you have been out of it. Come on and out with it."
Dropping her head even more, Imae let out a sigh. "It really isn't that important you know." But when she felt his eyes were still on her, she glared up at him as she narrowed them. "You know if you want to look at me that long I could have a picture painted of me for you to keep forever. It will certainly last longer."
Shaking his head, Sanzo never moved and didn't take his eyes off of her for a second. "I rather like looking at the real thing thank you very much." When all she did was growl and turn her eyes away from him again he let out a sigh as he looked down at the ground. "So come on Imae out with it. Who knows if you tell me what is bothering you really I might be able to help you out with it."
Snorting as she laughed, Imae was not about to tell him that she was falling for him. She didn't want him to say he would play along to make her feel better. That was the last thing her heart would be able to take. "I highly doubt that you could help me."
Smiling to see her beautiful face smile, Sanzo laughed himself. "You never know if I can or not if you don't tell me what it is."
Slouching next to him as she let out a long sigh, she wasn't going to get out of it. So she would just tell him everything but the fact that she was falling in love with him. "It is just that. I am starting to think that something is wrong with me is all."
Shocked with wide eyes, Sanzo never expected to hear that come out of her mouth. He half expected that she was scared she was going to disappoint her father in battle, but not that. Shaking his head as he questioned her more with his eyes. "Why in the world would you ever think a thing like that?"
Looking up into his shocked gold eyes, she felt her own heart start to race as a sadness swam through her. "It is just that, well I am eighteen now. Going by both demon and human standards as far as maturing, I was old enough to have married or mated and started my own family three years ago." Turning back to the ground she half closed her eyes. "Two years ago in one year three different young human Lords came to talk to father about making an offer for me to marry them. They were all told that they had to at least hold their own against me in a sparing match. They ran for the hills as Mama would say. We found out later that they only wanted to brag about having Father having their back because they married their daughter. They weren't really serious about it."
When he burst into a fit of laughter, Imae glared up at him as she crossed her arms and growled. "What is so funny? You asked and I told you. I was being serious about that!"
"I know you were dead serious about it and that is part of why it was so funny." Winking at her as he smiled his big goofy grin he shook his head. "You were not trained like a human was trained. No human in the world is going to be able to keep up with you, or4 match your strength. Even if you are one handed, not using your purification and blind folded."
With a groan as she dropped her head, Imae closed her eyes. "That is exactly what Mama said. Then she said that she didn't think that I would be happy with a human anyway."
Nodding, Sanzo leaned back on the bench with his own arms crossed and still smiling. "You know I have to agree with that part. Though you are a human, you were raised like a dog demon pup is raised. I doubt you could go back to the human world and be happy with any man there."
Standing
as she turned her back to him and looked down at the koi pond, Imae took a deep breath. "And there is my problem. I am not a demon. And not one demon, from any land has even came to see me let alone offer for me. I am starting to think that I will never find anyone."
His eyes now glaring as he hissed at her. Sanzo narrowed his gold eyes at her. "Don't you even dare do that."
Turning her shocked chocolate eyes to his gold ones as he stood, Imae blinked then glared right back as she put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me?"
Crossing his arms now that he was standing, Sanzo glared right back into her beautiful eyes. "Self-pity is ugly on anyone. You most of all Imae so don't you dare start getting on that trip."
Turning to fully face him, Imae's anger was instantly at its boiling point. She had never been so mad at someone she cared about in her life! "Well I am sorry My Lord if I do not fit your perfection scale. I can and will do as I please. And if you are going to stand there and try to lecture me on something you have no clue about, then I bid you goodnight!"
"You stop that!" Moving around to get in front of her, Sanzo grabbed her arms and made her look up at him. The defiant look in her eyes snapping the chain he had been waiting to break. 'Oh man girl please don't do that right now. Damnit would have to break in the middle of a fight.' "So you think this is something I don't have a clue about is that right?"
"That's exactly right." Trying her best to fight back her tears, Imae kept her glare up at him. "How in the hell could you know anything about what I am going through? It isn't like you have the problem."
Slightly tightening his grip on her as she tried to move, Sanzo hissed down at her as he narrowed his eyes. 'Settle down. Just settle down damnit!' "I know more about what I am talking about than you think I do my pretty little miko."
Jerking free of him, Imae growled. "Oh really? Don't you dare assume you know a thing about what is really going on with me Sanzo. You can't fix it. You have no right to stand there and tell anything when you have no clue what is going on!"
"I know more about what I am talking about than you think Imae. Want me to show you how I know that you don't need to do this to yourself?"
"OH I would love to know how you…" But Imae was cut off when Sanzo swept his arms around her waist, pulled her flush against his body as he seared her mouth with his own. Her first instinct was to push him away from her. But the groan that came from him, and how his hold and the kiss was suddenly more urgent, she froze. Knowing she was falling in love with him, and really did want this, after a moment she melted into his embrace as she kissed him back. She didn't know if this was to make her stop, or real. But she hoped it was real.
Once she kissed him back, and seeing this as his chance, Sanzo ripped his mouth from hers and spun her around so that her back was on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and her waist pinning her arms to her side. Breathing hard he closed his eyes. "I will come back. But right now I have to leave."
Breathing hard herself, Imae blinked with wide eyes as she looked at the ground. She never expected this! But why did he? "Why did you just….."
"I Had hoped that it would have been clear to you my pretty little miko." Moving his mouth right next to her ear he smiled. "If no one else, this falcon wants you for his mate. But right now I must take my leave before this threatens to go too far and your father kills me before I have a chance to talk with him. Until tomorrow." He then turned her again, kissed her one more time then turned and jumped into the air transforming and taking flight.
Standing there as she just watched him fly off and then drop down to land in his camp, Imae knew her face was red. Her heart was racing so badly she thought it was going to blow. Her breathing was fast and heavy. In her head she tried to piece together what he was talking about. 'Is he serious? Does he really want to…'
Remembering that he is a falcon, and he mates for life and he wouldn't just say that to her if it wasn't true she started shaking as she touched her lips where she still felt a tingle where he kissed her. The man she fell in love with, just told her that he wanted to mate with her! 'Oh Mama! I really need to talk to you!'
"Imae!"
X
Sitting in her mother's study with all the other ladies, Nyoko, Isamu as well as Yoite, her Uncle Senri and Uncle Kamui, Kiara looked around as she sighed. She wanted to be in the middle of everything, but what she did before Shoji showed up she isn't allowed to follow her father around anymore. And her mother was in a bad mood today. And she didn't understand. All she knew was that a messenger came back that morning and told her that her friend Izumi would not be coming to see her ever again.
Looking around she sighed. Her Uncle Senri and Aunt Zokeni were talking to her Uncle Kamui off in one part of the room. Yoite right behind her mother. Her showing Aunt Yukani was sitting right next to her mother holding Katana and talking to Yuriko and Emiko while her mother tried to get paper work done. It wasn't for the massive armies to the east and west it would have been a normal day for her.
Looking next to her, Nyoko then Isamu were sitting with her. Once he saw her brother and got over the 'I am better than you' attitude that he had when she first met him, she found that it was easy to become fast friends with him. She wouldn't say they were best friends, but good ones.
Nyoko on the other hand has quickly become her best friend. And she knew they would stay like that forever.
Hearing steel cling together again, she turned and watched as once again Imae and Sanzo were sparing in the garden with a sigh. She loved watching Imae do this sort of thing, but she had done it nonstop.
"Kiara." When her dark blue eyes turned to her silvery blue ones, Nyoko looked back out at Imae and Sanzo. "Is this normal? Your sister and Lord Sanzo have done this for three days, all day long since he got back from getting his army. Does she do this all the time?"
Nodding Kiara turned back to the two sparing. "Yes. She always does this whenever someone comes to visit with Father. Once they are done she challenges them to sparing matches. For a long time when she finally spared with every demon in the palace, she would beg Master Umarus to go and get Uncle Senri to spar with."
Looking back at the two as they sat down on a bench talking, Nyoko sighed. "I keep asking Father but I don't know when they are going to start training me."
With a groan, Kiara rolled her eyes. "I don't get to start until they are home from war."
"Same here. Not until then is what Father says." But then he looked up and out the window and laughed. "It looks like he made your sister mad about something."
Nodding Kiara joined them in watching to see what would happen next. But when Sanzo kissed her all three sets of eyes went extra wide as they froze. When he kissed her a second time they all looked at each other then back out to the dazed Imae standing there. "Did you see that!?"
Looking up at the kids, then out the window, Yokiyo joined everyone else in the room with a sigh as she looked back down at her paperwork. Ever since the fight with Reijiro she has done that nearly nonstop. Especially after Sanzo leaves to go back to his camp the last three days. "You three have seen that for the last month. It shouldn't be anything new."
Laughing as she played with her nephew, Yukani nodded. "That's right. I think not doing anything much for the last month gave her too much time to think so she spaces out now."
Three small sets of shocked eyes turned to land on Yokiyo. That wasn't what they were shocked about. Not this time. And as if one being they all spoke in the exact pitch and at the same time. "Not this time. Sanzo just kissed her twice then flew off!"
Flinching as she jerked her head up to look at Yukani who was smiling, Yokiyo then let out a squeal that startled everyone in the room. It was about time the bird did something! "Oh my gosh this is too perfect!"
Shaking his head as he sighed, Senri dropped his head then looked at her odd. "How in the world is that perfect? With as protective as Kiyoshi is over all three of them that daft old bird may have just signed his own death warrant."
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Giving Yukani an odd look, Kamui crossed his arms. "Yukani is there something that you know we don't?"
Jumping up and the going over the kids and out the window, forcing Yoite to do the same thing, Yokiyo laughed. "Go on and fill them in Yukani."
Rubbing her stomach with a small laugh, Yukani turned and looked at all the shocked faces in the room with a sigh. "We noticed the attraction on both sides before Sanzo left to go and get his army. When he was gone getting his army before he came back, Imae looked like a love sick puppy whose best friend just died. But it was clear from their first reaction that she fell in love with him, and that he was more than just attracted to her."
Still confused, Senri crossed his arms. "I get that. But still your brother is….."
Throwing her nephew in the air and pulling a giggle from him, Yukani laughed then winked at him and everyone else. "Kiyoshi knows all about it. Everything is fine you will see."
