“W-w-wha—” Steam burst from Christine’s ears as her face transformed into a popsicle. “H-h-how shameless can you be?!”
“Eh?”
“Y-you don’t—I mean, you can’t just—KEVIN, YOU IDIOT!”
“Woah!” Kevin ducked as several shards of ice tried to impale him through the head. “W-what did I do now?”
“DIE!”
“Eek!”
While Kevin dodged icy death and Christine chased after him, Lilian, Iris and Lindsay watched. Iris also cast a minor illusion over the trio of boys at their table, making it look like Kevin and Christine were frolicking together.
“Aren’t you going to rescue your boyfriend?” Lindsay asked. Lilian looked up in time to see Kevin roll across the ground, several ice shards impaling the place he’d been standing.
“Naw.” She went back to her food. “He’ll be fine.”
“He’s awfully good at running away,” Iris commented. Lindsay stared at the two, a trail of sweat meandering down her face, before she turned to look back at Kevin and Christine.
“W-why are you so angry?” Kevin leapt away from more ice shards, one of which came suspiciously close to impaling his crotch.
“Why am I angry? WHY AM I ANGRY?!” Christine’s face had turned purple by this point. “I’m angry because you’re a disgusting lecher who’s trying to make a harem! And you deserve to die!”
More ice shards tried stabbing him. They missed when Kevin leapt backwards. He was about to try and defend himself from Christine’s untrue accusations, but another voice spoke up before he could.
“H-harem?”
As if time had come to a standstill, everything stopped. The twins stopped fighting, the trio of girls stopped chatting, even Christine had ceased with her ice shard blasting.
Kevin’s eyes widened. Oh, god. No. Please no. There was no way, just no way this person could be here. Not now.
He turned around.
Yes, way.
Eric Corrompere had definitely seen better days. His face had multiple contusions and what almost appeared to be claw marks. Blood leaked from numerous wounds on his body, gashes so deep they should have killed him. How he wasn’t dead was beyond Kevin. How come no one was freaking out over this?
“You… you have a harem…?” Like a zombie, Eric began to walk, his steps slow and halting, arms hanging uselessly by his sides as if they no longer worked properly. “You have a harem… hehehe… harem…”
“Eric, I don’t know what you just heard, but I’m going to tell you right now that whatever it is, it’s not… eh?” Kevin’s eyes widened. “E-Eric… a-are you… crying?”
Indeed, Eric was crying. Like two large waterfalls, tears streamed from his eyes in a never ending flow. Miraculously enough, his shirt remained dry.
Eric stopped in front of Kevin and raised placed his hands on Kevin’s shoulder.
“I think I just found my new god.”
Everyone stared at Eric very, very oddly.
***
Ever since she had begun living at the Swift residence, Kotohime had created a routine that allowed her to maximize her time in the most efficient manner possible.
After waking up and making breakfast, she headed to the grocery store or went out to gather intel as needed. She then returned home and cleaned the apartment before making dinner. After dinner, when Kevin and Lilian went to bed, she would go out onto the balcony and enjoy the Arizona night sky. It was mundane, but she enjoyed the simplicity of her new life.
As Kotohime put away the groceries from her latest shopping trip, her sister walked into the apartment. Camellia, who’d been watching TV, stood up to greet her.
“Kirikiri,” Camellia smiled a dazzling smile at her maid… until she saw the blood covering the entire front of Kirihime’s outfit. “H-hawa! W-what happened?! Are you okay?!”
Kirihime gave her mistress a gentle look. “Do not worry, My Lady. I am perfectly fine.”
“B-but you're bleeding!”
“Bleeding? Oh, no.” Smiling her lovely, brilliant smile, Kirihime gestured to the splatters of dark crimson covering her clothing. “This isn’t mine. I was out hunting.”
Camellia tilted her head. “Hunting?”
“Right. Hunting.”
It was at this point that Kotohime finished putting the groceries away and walked into the living room. “Please be careful, Kirihime. This isn’t like the old days, and I would hate for you to get arrested for manslaughter.”
Kirihime was quick to reassure her older sibling. “There’s no need to worry. I don’t intend to do anymore hunting. Not for awhile. I just needed some rough leather for a project I’m working on.”
Kotohime stared at her sister for a long time before nodding ever so slowly. “Very well. I won’t say anymore on that matter. Oh! Before I forget, I must tell you not to let Kevin-sama know about your… hobby. I do not think he would appreciate the knowledge.”
“H-he wouldn’t?” Kirihime seemed shocked. “B-but he was so nice last night.” She paused. “Well, actually, he seemed kind of frustrated, but he was nice for the most part. He even let us stay with him, despite not knowing we were coming.”
“Indeed, Kevin-sama is a kind and courteous young man.” It was one of the few points Kevin had in his favor, at least as far as Kotohime was concerned. “And that is why I am kindly asking you not to let him know of your hobby.”
“I—okay. If that is what you want me to do, sister, then that’s what I’ll do.”
“Thank you.” Kotohime placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “And do not worry. I am sure that Kevin-sama will appreciate you, even if he doesn’t know about your love of hunting.”
The smile Kirihime gave her sister was a wondrous and enchanting thing to behold. “Thank you. You always know just what to say to make me feel better.”
“Ufufu, of course.” Kotohime’s demurely curved lips greatly enhanced her natural beauty. “You are my sister, after all.”
***
Kevin rested his head on the table. His eyes were open but stared at nothing. They were the eyes of a defeated man, someone who, after years of hardship and struggle… or five minutes of the most humiliating experience of his life, had finally decided to give up and quietly die.
“There, there, Beloved,” Lilian murmured gentle reassurances to her mate, running her fingers through his hair. “It’s okay. If you don’t want a harem, I’ll make sure you don’t get one.”
Kevin looked up at her, his hopeful eyes boring into hers with an almost frightening intensity. “Really? You promise?”
“Of course. You’re my mate,” Lilian declared passionately. “If you don’t want a harem, then I won’t let anyone else have you.”
“Oh, thank god,” Kevin muttered in relief. “I was really worried for a second there. The last thing I need is to become one of those bumbling, idiotic, harem protagonists. I know people think they’re awesome and everything, but seriously, have you seen the crap those guys have to go through? It might be entertaining to watch, but I can’t imagine it’s very fun to experience firsthand.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. If that’s what you want, I’ll never let you become a harem protagonist for as long as I live.”
Kevin’s eyes became warm pools of gratitude. “Thank you, Lilian. I love you.”
Lilian’s heart fluttered at his words. “You’re welcome, Beloved. I love you, too.”
“Lilian…”
“Kevin…”
The two leaned in, their lips moving ever closer…
Sniffle.
Kevin froze.
“It’s.” Sniffle. Sniffle. “It’s so beautiful.” More sniffling. And a sob. “To think his divine power expands.” More sobbing. “He can make girls fall for him just by talking to them. Truly, My Lord’s greatness has no limits.”
“We are not worthy! We are not worthy!”
“Would you three knock it off already?!” Kevin shouted as Lilian crossed her arms and huffed, a
nnoyed at how their moment had been ruined by a trio of fools.
Christine facepalmed as she watched the idiocy happening in front of her. “I’m not sure whether I should laugh or cry.”
“I think I’m gonna go with laugh myself.”
Christine glared at Iris. “I wasn’t talking to you, fox!”
“Ha! Damn right I am!” Dipping her finger into the dressing on her salad, Iris turned to the three idiots bowing reverently to Kevin. “Oh, boys!” They looked up and Iris slowly stuck her finger between her lips, erotically sucking on it. She moaned around her finger before removing it, the digit coated in her saliva, which she then used to blaze a trail down her neck and collarbone, stopping only after it had reached her cleavage.
Alex, Andrew and Eric were felled immediately by a nosebleed. Even Justin was taken down in the same manner despite not actually watching it happen. The four boys laid on the ground, twitching as blood spurted from their noses like leaking faucets.
Iris nodded in satisfaction before turning to a pissed off Christine and smirking. “And that’s how it’s done.”
Christine gritted her teeth, eyes alight with fury. “This is why I hate you foxes! You’re always acting like a bunch of skanks because you think the way to a man’s heart is through his dick!”
“The way to a man’s heart is through his dick.” Iris’ alluring crimson eyes glinted mischievously. “Didn’t you know that?”
“Kevin’s not like that.” Lilian smiled at her mate as she gripped his hand. He blushed, but smiled back. “He didn’t become interested in me because I’m pretty. It wasn’t until two months after we met that we started, um, dating, despite my countless attempts to seduce him.”
“Tch! We’ll see how long he lasts against me…”
“Did you say something?”
“Nope,” Iris responded, going back to her salad, not letting anyone know what she was thinking.
Within the confines of her mind, a plan began to form.
***
Watching the group of humans and yōkai eat lunch from a distance, Valsiener sat in the library and looked out the window. With his youki-enhanced eyes, he could easily pick out the details of their faces, and with his talent for reading lips, he knew exactly what they were saying.
“Seems the group has expanded. Things are definitely getting interesting for Kevin and his entourage.” He paused, his eyes lighting up. “If I’m not mistaken, I believe I remember hearing about how some big-shot clan heir was looking for Lilian. That should keep things interesting. Kekeke…”
***
“Achoo!”
“Bless you, Beloved.”
“Thanks.” Kevin sniffled as he rubbed his nose. “Wonder what that was about?”
“Maybe someone’s talking about you,” Lindsay suggested.
“I hope not.”
“Here, a napkin for you, My Lord.” Eric appeared before Kevin with a napkin in hand.
“Oh, thank you—no. Wait. Stop calling me that!”
“Very well, Harem Lord.”
“Don’t call me that either!” Kevin’s wail went ignored. It was going to be a long day.
A really, really, really long day.
***
Kiara sat behind her desk, reading over reports and statements about her fitness centers.
A lot of people thought it was easy to own a business like hers, that all you had to do was sit through a few meetings and have others do the the grunt work. All those people were a bunch of idiots who had watched way too many movies.
Owning a business meant putting a lot of time and effort into your career. It meant spending hours listening to people bicker over inane and senseless issues, reading over reports to see how the business was doing, and then making decisions that you felt would best help expand your business.
There was also the whole decision-making process itself. Every decision she made affected her fitness centers, from the centers themselves, to her employees and the customers. Even a single careless mistake could cost Kiara her dream, and hurt the people relying on her to provide them with a stable source of income, not to mention their jobs. It required more than just hard work to excel at owning a business like hers. It required grit, determination, and a business acumen that few people ever acquired.
Her intercom beeped, interrupting Kiara’s musings. She set her paperwork down and accepted the incoming call.
“Yes, Lisa? What is it?”
“You have a visitor here to see you, ma’am.”
“I see… send her in?”
“Yes, ma’am―wait. How did you know it was a she?”
“Lucky guess. Now send her in.”
“… Okay. She’ll be up in just a minute.”
Kiara smiled as the door opened and a familiar, kimono-clad, katana-wielding vixen walked into the room. She was honestly glad to see the woman. She and the four-tailed kitsune shared an odd relationship. They weren’t really friends, though they got along in a strange way. They also weren’t enemies, as none of the fights they got into were ever done with the intention of maiming the other.
“Kotohime. I’m surprised to see you here. Have you come for a quick sparring session?”
“Unfortunately not.” Kotohime walked up to Kiara’s desk, set her katana against the chair situated in front of it, and then sat down herself. “I am actually here for other reasons.”
“Ah.” Her eyes glimmering with the barest hint of amusement, Kiara placed her left forearm on the desk and leaned forward, meeting Kotohime’s steady gaze with one of her own. “I see what this is about. You want to know about the boya’s training, right?”
“Indeed.”
“I didn’t know you cared.” When Kotohime said nothing, merely staring at her with that placid expression, Kiara pouted. “You’re no fun.”
“Ufufu, I believe you and I have very different definitions of fun, Kiara-san.”
Kiara snorted. Leaning back in her seat, she tapped her fingers against the desk in a staccato rhythm.
“The boya’s training has been progressing well. His strength, speed and endurance have increased a great deal these past two weeks. I’m not surprised, though. The kid’s got guts, is determined, and has some serious motivation to get stronger.” Kiara paused to look at Kotohime. “Is that a smile I see?”
Kotohime’s lips flattened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You sure about that? I’m pretty sure I saw a smile.”
“You must have imagined it.”
“Of course.” Kiara chuckled.
“Do you think he’s ready to begin combat training?”
“Mmm… hard to say. I suppose I could begin teaching him, but I would like to raise his physical stats a little more before I start training him to fight. Why?” Kiara studied Kotohime, her eyes keen and sharp. “Is something going on?”
Kotohime waved away the woman’s words. “Not at all. I simply want him to be prepared. The yōkai world is a dangerous place for humans to tread. You know this as well as I do. In order to ensure that Lilian-sama’s mate remains alive long enough for them to, well, mate, I need him to become as strong as possible.”
“Ha… if you don’t want to tell me anything, that’s fine, but don’t make up such a terrible excuse. We’re living on the fringe of that world, so unless something is coming for one of us specifically, then the boya shouldn’t be in any danger.” Kotohime clenched the fabric of her kimono. Kiara saw this and placed her hands on the desk. “Still, since you want him to start learning how to fight, I’ll begin training him in unarmed combat this weekend. How does that sound?”
“Perfect. Thank you,” Kotohime said quickly, perhaps even a little too quickly.
“Yeah. Sure.”
Kotohime stood up, grabbed her katana, and prepared to leave. When she made it to the door, however, Kiara’s voice stopped her.
“You know, Kevin reminds me of someone I knew a while back. Another young human who fell in love with a kitsune a
round two-hundred or so years ago.”
Kotohime did not respond. She just left.
In the silence of the room, Kiara chuckled. “Really, you’re just too easy to see through, my old friend.”
With a heavy sigh, she cast one last look at the door before picking up her next report. This paperwork wasn’t going to get itself done.
***
Kevin was exhausted by the time he arrived home—no, he was beyond exhausted. Tiredness seeped into his very bones, making them feel more fragile than glass. All he wanted to do was lay down and go to bed.
Too bad Kotohime had other plans.
“Lilian-sama, Iris-sama, I am pleased to see you two have arrived home safely. I trust your time at school was eventful.”
“Eventful, now there’s one way of putting it,” Iris snorted in amusement. Kevin cast her a minor glare that went ignored.
“I am pleased to hear that.” Kotohime ignored the byplay between the two. “Kevin-sama, are you ready for your lesson?”
“Ugh,” Kevin groaned, “I guess…”
“You don’t sound very excited,” Kotohime said with a dangerous edge in her voice.
“Ah! No, no!” Kevin frantically waved his hands in front of his face. “I am excited! I’m super excited! I just, uh, it sort of slipped my mind because of all the stuff that happened last night, ah-hahahahaha… ha… ha…”
Kotohime gave Kevin a look hard enough to make him break out into a cold sweat. He tried to keep his eyes from straying off hers, knowing that to do so would mean pain—and humiliation, but mostly pain.
“At least you’re honest.” Kotohime eventually sighed, prompting Kevin to follow suit. He was safe, for now at least. “Now then, come here. It’s time for your lesson.”
Understanding that he wouldn’t be getting out of this, Kevin turned to his girlfriend and her sister. “Why don’t you two do some sisterly bonding or something? I doubt you want to be here for this.”
Iris grinned, her eyes lighting up like a billion stars. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard you say yet, kiddo. Come on, Lily-pad, we’re taking a bath!”
“We’re what? H-hey! Quit pulling on me! Kevin, make her let go!”
A Fox's Family (American Kitsune Book 4) Page 11
