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Hisashi was being overly dramatic. It didn't take that long to strip him down.
And it was fun—like unwrapping a present. Oh, my Gods, I might have a thing for...pretty guys. My clan would all spontaneously combust from righteous indignation if they knew.
Oisin regarded me with his head tilted, a sexy smirk on his lips as he set aside the silver silk obi embroidered with foxes we had just unwound from our fox. "Gesa? What dirty thought just went through that fascinating mind of yours, darling?"
I cleared my throat and averted my eyes. "Nothing. Shut up."
Hisashi caught the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss, his firm lips curling up under mine as he grinned. "He's right. You've got that look that says there's a kink here we really need to explore."
I rolled my eyes as I pulled away. "Who is the alpha here? Honestly. I thought canids were respectful of their elders."
He just chuckled. Then he stilled as Oisin's graceful hand slipped under the kimono, parting it in the front and stroking a smooth, sculpted white pec. I smirked. Oisin would distract him and we'd never have to talk about this again.
The redheaded traitor glanced at me. "It's your clothes," he purred. "She'll be imagining you all dressed up like this every time she orgasms from now on."
I scowled, leaning in to bite his plush bottom lip. "And you won't?"
Hisashi laughed, his high cheekbones stained with red. "You're both idiots." He slipped off the rest of his clothes, standing there gloriously naked. He thought that got rid of the kink material. He was wrong.
His silver-rimmed, ice blue eyes stood out thanks to the dark eyeliner ringing them. And the blood-red rubies at the ends of his earrings glittered as he moved, the chains so long they brushed the snow-white skin of his shoulder. I glanced at Oisin. The fae had an absolutely evil look on his face.
This image would be burned into my brain forever. My heart clenched and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Like I was having a heart attack. I stared at Hisashi as I tried to get over the fact that this was the last time I'd ever see him like this. Maybe they'd let us visit sometimes. But somehow, I knew once he was officially stuck here, his clan was going to bar us from ever seeing him again. And they'd use his power to do it. Because it would be communal clan property.
"Hisashi...." I clenched my jaw hard. There was no use crying the whole time. I needed to get a grip, so we had something good to remember.
I blinked through my tears and he was just there, right in front of me, kneeling at my feet while I sat on the low bed in the middle of his pretty prison. He kissed me, slow and deep, pulling the dagger out of my heart, for just a moment.
Soft, graceful hands slid under my t-shirt from behind, coming around to stroke my abs, then moving higher to cup my breasts as Oisin pressed against my back, leaning in to bite and kiss his way up the side of my neck. When Oisin got to my jaw, Hisashi's lips left mine and he reached for Oisin as the fae smoothly moved from me to the fox.
I chuckled when I found that Oisin was already naked somehow, the sneak. I was the only one who was sitting there fully clothed.
If we had more time, I might leave it that way, sit there and enjoy the show for a while. But I was hurting, and I needed to burn the feel of them into my body. Into my soul.
I wiggled out from between them and shucked my clothes, turning to find both men watching me. I growled as I prowled toward them, as if I was sure and confident.
In reality, I had no clue what came next. I had been with Con and Oisin together enough to know what that dynamic was like, what would and wouldn't happen. We had a routine. The same went for my times with Con and Kai.
But I'd only ever had the fae and fox together the one time. And with them it was different. I wasn't the primary focus of this triad, the way I was in the others. Hisashi and Oisin wanted each other as much as they wanted me. And I was okay with that. Hell, I was happy for them. Every person in my pride deserved all the love and attention they could get. My heart swelled with love when I saw them together.
But I could tell they were both cautious to make sure I felt included. That I didn't freak out the way another woman might if she didn't get all the attention.
I sank to my knees at Hisashi's feet and stroked one thick cock, leaning in to lick him from root to tip. The fox groaned and fell backward to lie on the bed. I met Oisin's eyes and the fae quirked an eyebrow at me in question. I flicked my eyes toward Hisashi and Oisin got my drift. This time, it was all about our fox.
Oisin gave me a soft, genuine smile at my understanding and moved up the bed to whisper in Hisashi's ear. "Okay there, fox?" His voice was full of humor.
Hisashi turned to him and they kissed, Oisin leaning over the bigger man, pressing to him as Hisashi worked the fae's cock in one big hand, wrapping the other arm around his narrow waist to keep him close. "I'll manage," he moaned as I switched between his two beautiful dicks, pulling him in deep and growling around his sensitive flesh.
Oisin chuckled, dropping biting kisses along Hisashi's neck and moving down to tease one of his nipples with those sharp white teeth. Hisashi hissed when Oisin bit down hard, and I chose that moment to swallow him down as deep as I could. His hips bucked involuntarily, and I pulled back, grinning.
"Gods," Hisashi breathed, as Oisin wriggled free of his grip and took my place, swallowing that big cock like it was nothing. "You guys are killing me."
Hisashi reached toward me, his expression promising revenge. "Come here, gryphon."
I let him pull me to him, going along, even though I felt big and awkward when he brought my legs around to straddle his head. I totally forgot to feel self-conscious though, when his tongue stroked my clit. I gasped, leaning forward to plant my hands on the wall at the head of the bed. Jesus, Buddha, and Odin, how was he so good at that. It was some sort of conspiracy—like all my pride got together and took oral sex classes when I wasn't looking.
It wasn't long before I had a slender fae pressed up against my back, his teeth at my shoulder, clever hands kneading and rolling my tits as I came.
I flopped over, aftershocks still tingling through me, to find Oisin kissing Hisashi, completely uncaring of where that damned amazing mouth had just been. It was disgusting. And incredibly hot.
They parted and Oisin glanced at me, before looking back to Hisashi. For just a moment, that cocky fae attitude vanished, and I saw his fear trying to claw its way to the forefront. He stroked his hands over Hisashi's chest, not meeting anyone's eyes as he purred, "who's going to fuck Gesa, and who's going to get fucked, this time?"
I tried not to die right there as my circuits overloaded at just the thought of what he was suggesting.
Hisashi looked to me for a decision, grinning like a mischievous fox the whole time. "I think what the fae means is we're both switch hitters, gryphon. Your choice."
I sat up, my inner beast growling for us to just get on with it. But I knew Oisin wasn't as gung-ho as he was trying to appear.
"Oisin—" I started, my voice gentle.
The fae cut me off, lifting emerald eyes to mine, a little bit of a growl in his voice. "No. I want you to tell us what you'd like to do, Gesa."
I took a deep breath, wanting to argue, but knowing better. This was Oisin stamping out his fear. Not allowing it to even exist. It was how he'd lived his entire life. Defeat wasn't a concept for him. Until recently. I remembered how he'd helped me by not coddling me, by not pussy footing around like he was scared he was going to trigger my fears and old trauma. He'd helped me by not making an issue of my fear.
That approach wouldn't work for some people. But Oisin and I were cut from the same stubborn cloth.
I sighed, feeling Hisashi's eyes on us. He might not know exactly what was going on here, but he had good intuition. He stroked a hand up and down Oisin's back. "Fae, come here." He pulled the tense redhead down to hold him against his broad chest, hands still stroking, like he was calming a wild animal. "Whatever it is, it's fine. We're here. Together."
Oisin went limp with an exasperated sigh. "You're both idiots." He pushed himself up and gave us both a haughty glare. "You might want to waste the whole night cuddling. But I'm fae. I need a good fuck. Do I need to go find the kraken to do it?"
We both laughed at him. I wouldn't put it past him to storm out and go have violent sex somewhere else just to prove a point. "Oh my Gods, you're an ass," I snorted.
His expression relaxed a bit and he quirked a smile at me. "I think I've been told that a time or two." He leaned down and pressed his lips to Hisashi's forehead. "We've hardly had any time together, if my patchy memory is correct. If you are intent on making this our last night, fox, make it a good one, hmm?"
He was trying for sassy, but we all heard the desperate pain. Hisashi rolled, pinning Oisin beneath him for a minute while he kissed the fae breathless. Then he moved to me, raining kisses over my stomach, up across my breasts and to my mouth. His eyes were pure silver, and his features were sharper, more vulpine. "I'll take care of Gesa," he breathed, eyes not leaving my face. "You take care of me, okay fae?"
Oisin moved so fast all I saw was a blur. Apparently, he agreed with the plan, despite his fear. He rummaged about in the duffel bag and came back with an assortment of flavored, ribbed—and who knew what the hell else—condoms and some sort of fancy lube. Seriously. Fae. He wasn't even sure he wanted to have sex this morning, and yet he'd come prepared.
Hisashi grabbed a couple of foil packets at random, suited up and flipped me over on my knees. I bit the pillow when he slid one cock into me, fucking me slow and steady, then using his fingers to stretch me a little more before he slowly eased both his dicks inside. I muffled my shout into the pillow as I came before he even really started moving.
Hisashi chuckled and stroked my back and hips, holding still while I pulled myself together. "Something the matter, gryphon?"
I growled at him. But then his body tensed behind me. He dropped his forehead to my back and groaned, sucking in a deep breath, big hands clenching my hips.
"Something the matter, fox?" Oisin's silky voice murmured, copying Hisashi's taunting.
The fox shuddered. "Nope. Nothing the matter. Everything's perfect."
Oisin chuckled. "Our fox cub says he's a switch, Gesa, but he's tight as a drum. This might take a while."
Holy hell. I groaned at his words and shoved my hips back, sinking Hisashi deeper, clenching him with my muscles.
"It's been a while," Hisashi panted. He lifted his head from my back and moved, thrusting his hips forward just a little, then drawing back, teasing. The fucker.
They both knew the thought of what Oisin was doing to Hisashi had me all flustered. Jackasses.
Hisashi groaned again, then thrust forward harder. What I wouldn't give for a damned mirror right now. The thought crossed my mind—when we got home, we were putting up a mirror so I could watch them.... But Hisashi wasn't coming home with us.
I was glad they couldn't see my face right now. Because I was about to start crying, even while Hisashi started actually moving and Oisin described everything he was doing to our fox in lurid detail for my listening pleasure.
It took a bit to get things figured out, but eventually we were moving in a coordinated way, Oisin fucking Hisashi, driving the fox forward into me with the force of his thrusts.
Hisashi literally growled like an animal when he came, and Oisin swore in a long string of elvish, his silk voice cracking. My orgasm was so intense I thought it would never end, and I shredded the poor pillow under my hands.
As goodbyes go, it wasn't half bad.
The great thing about supernatural men is they have very short recovery periods. We spent the night exploring each other's bodies in every way possible. And some that I hadn't known were possible until the degenerate fae taught me.
I'm a quick study.
Sometime during the night, as we lay in a tangled heap, just breathing together, I felt something strange.
My head was on Hisashi's chest, and my hand was splayed over Oisin's. I was having a maudlin moment, feeling their heartbeats. The two men were whispering to each other, silly, sappy words of teasing and love. Their magics twined about us, and slipped over my skin, our auras content and happy entwined the way they were.
The teasing turned to kisses, which deepened as I watched, then they pulled me in, Oisin claiming my mouth, while Hisashi kissed my neck. The power around us swelled. Hisashi pulled me up against him more firmly with one hand, while he did the same with Oisin on the other side, fitting us to him. We each palmed one of his rapidly hardening cocks as Oisin kissed me deeper, sinking his sharp teeth into my lip, then easing the sting with a swipe of his tongue.
Hisashi's power crested around us, rising in a cool, misty tingle, whispering like a lover. It had happened before. But this time, the magic in the room seemed magnified. And Hisashi's power was different—more tingling and sharp, biting into my skin. Then it just...went away.
I could still feel him there, the sense of his power, his aura. But it was suddenly muted, not wild and whispering in my ear.
Hisashi was too busy to notice, lost in lust as we both worked him over, one big hand trailing over my ass while the other caressed Oisin. The fae stopped kissing me for a second and his emerald eyes met mine. Something flashed there. Concern. Anger. Then it was gone, hidden behind his cool fae mask.
I opened my mouth to question him. To ask what the fuck had just happened. But he shook his head quickly and silenced my mouth with his own. Idiot that I am, I went along with him.
Whatever it was, it wasn't important enough to ruin our last night together.
Chapter 13
Morning came way too fucking soon.
I must have dozed off at some point, because I woke up to the dim light of predawn peeking around the windows. I lay on my side, my arm around Oisin's thin waist and Hisashi's lanky form curled around me from behind. It was perfect there, feeling the gentle, almost unnoticeable swirl of their auras against my own.
I stretched, easing wonderfully sore muscles. I could almost see my inner gryphon preening.
Even though it wasn't fully light out yet, I could see the room in vivid detail. Thanks to the eagle part of me, my eyesight was always better than average. But now...it was like I could pick out every detail in the dim room without even trying.
Oisin rolled to lie on his back, his bright emerald eyes meeting mine, lacking the warm, fuzzy expression one would expect after the night we'd had. No, he looked pissed off.
I eased out from under Hisashi's arm to sit up, laughing softly when Hisashi didn't move a muscle, continuing to sleep like the dead. "Poor kid," I whispered, turning to Oisin. "We wore him out."
The fae didn't smile. "Much as I'd love to think so," he said softly. "I don't think that's the problem."
He sat up and reached across me to shake Hisashi awake. I wanted to tell him to let the fox be happy for a little while longer and just let him sleep. But my hackles were raised. Oisin was angry. And worried.
I watched as he shook the fox harder. "Hisashi," he said, jiggling our mate's shoulder. The fox rolled over onto his back with a snort, then kept right on sleeping.
I frowned. What the fuck? I touched his cheek and was startled to realize he was too warm. Hisashi ran a little cooler than me lately, probably because of his spirit powers and his connection to that cold, misty otherworld. But now, his body temp was the same as mine.
I grabbed both his shoulders and shook him. "Hisashi. Wake up. Oisin's still naked."
My humor fell flat. I got no reaction.
Oisin scrambled over me and straddled the fox. I winced when he slapped Hisashi. Hard. He left behind an angry red handprint on the nine-tail's white skin. He barely paused before he smacked him again. I grabbed the insane fae's wrist. "Oisin!"
But it had done the trick. Hisashi moaned, mumbled something about redheads and tempers and put an arm over his face like he planned to go right back to sleep.
"Damn it, fox," Oisin grumbled, placing his hands on Hisashi's chest and letting a trickle of magic flow from his fingers.
Hisashi sat up like he'd been given an electric shock. I shook my head at Oisin. "Gods, fae. Don't kill him."
The fox blinked blearily at us. "What the hell? Why are you awake." He yawned, his jaw cracking. "I can't anymore, Oisin. I'm tired. And..." he rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't feel so good."
Oisin snarled, leaping off the bed to pace. "Of course you don't feel well. A big chunk of your power has been drained away."
I gaped at him, suddenly not feeling too damned good myself. "What are you talking about, Oisin?"
Hisashi looked down at his hands and I realized they were shaking. He was shaking. "No. They...they...."
Oisin closed his eyes and tilted his head back as if praying for the will to keep from murdering someone. "They did the ritual. Last night. That weird shift of power we felt."
"They fucking what?" Now I was out of bed, pacing and wanting to tear someone apart.
Hisashi's voice was barely a whisper. "They said they'd do the ritual today. After you guys left. I don't...why would they...." He looked up at me, his blue eyes wide and panicked. "I wasn't ready. I'm not ready...."
I went to him and pulled him into my arms, trying to stop his oncoming breakdown. Shit. Those sneaky old fox cunts. I was gonna kill them. It wasn't bad enough that they were going to trap Hisashi here, they had to go behind his back and throw him into this before he was mentally prepared, when he didn't even know what was happening.
"God's fucking damn it!" Oisin, in a show of temper threw his arm out angrily. A weird, cold magic bloomed in the air and the bookshelf on the other side of the room toppled over.
The fae wasn't one to start throwing magic around. Usually he was throwing words or swords. I guess now we knew what it took to get him that angry. Just steal away his lover in the dead of night, against his will, and bind his soul to a shrine. That did it just fine.
Oisin stared down at his hand as if he didn't know what he'd just done. Then he looked at Hisashi, who was still shaky and weak in my arms.
Someone started banging on the front door and I glanced at the window to see that it still wasn't even fully light out yet. Couldn't they just give us some fucking time?
A strange look passed over Oisin's face and one corner of his mouth curled up in an evil, deadly smirk. "Oh, they've gone and done it now. And things like this can't be undone."
"Why the hell are you smiling," I demanded, wanting to tear my hair out in frustration. I needed to do something. I thought we had time. Just a little more time and some other option would magically appear. Now Hisashi was trapped and there was nothing I could do. My heart thundered in my ears.
The pounding at the door stopped and I heard voices as the door was unlocked. Oisin calmly pulled on his pants and shirt, quickly buttoning up. He padded to the bed and kissed Hisashi gently on the head. "Don't worry, love. Gesa and I will take care of things from here."
Oisin said we'd take care of things. He was ancient, and tricky, and used to dealing with pompous old clans. He had to have a plan. He...had to. I let go of Hisashi long enough to pull on my own clothes, just as the clan elders, Hisashi's family, and the rest of my pride came pouring into the room. It was a little cramped in here with all the people. Oh, and my big, slow ass was still naked.
I shimmied into my clothes—giving one of the grannies an eyeful in the process—but I wondered if I should even bother. After all, I was about to shift and start eating people any minute now. Kai crossed the room and picked up Hisashi's kimono, taking it to the fox and wrapping it around his naked shoulders, as if the thought of him on display was irritating to her. He was ours.
Hisashi's eyes focused on the wrinkliest elder and his voice was a deep growl when he spoke. "How could you? You performed the ritual without my consent. You fucking tied my power down without my participation! I didn't speak the incantations. You dried up old bitch, you did a binding rite without consent!"
The old woman barely blinked. She showed not one bit of sympathy or guilt. "You already agreed to the binding, child. And you agreed it should be performed today."
I snorted. "Let me guess, you waited until one minute after midnight? You fucking sneaky-assed crone."
She didn't even look at me. "It is time for your visitors to leave now, Hisashi. You know we don't allow outsiders in the village."
Oisin paced to the elders as Con pushed through the crowd and went to sit by Hisashi, murmuring something under his breath that sounded a lot like death threats. Even the sweet human was about ready to kill.
Hisashi was still looking pretty out of it. I guess the binding was a big power drain. He was staring at the elders while Kai stroked his head like an injured dog and Con pulled him into a one-armed man-hug. I couldn't stop growling, panic urging me to shift and fight.
"What were the incantations you were supposed to speak, Hisashi?" Oisin asked, voice bland, as if he didn't really care. Which probably meant this was really important, knowing him. "Just out of pure curiosity, of course."
Hisashi kept glaring at the elders. His blue eyes burned with hatred. "I tie myself to my home, my family, the place from where my power stems and where it will return," he spat out the words as if they were bitter bile on his tongue.
This place was anything but home to him. These people weren't his family. A little hint of his magic fluttered to life, snaking through the room, cold and misty, like ghostly fingers trailing over my skin. I shuddered in response and noticed Kai and Con did the same thing.
Oisin's face morphed from a deadly smirk into a glowing grin. Maybe the fae had finally lost what was left of his mind. There was nothing amusing here.
"Well then," he chuckled, like a summer breeze through windchimes, all fae. "That's that then. Thank you for your rather questionable hospitality," the fae said, executing a courtly bow. "The pride accepts your gift. We will be going now, as you so kindly suggested."
He turned to Hisashi. "Fox? Do you want your clothes? Or are you taking the kimono? I know Gesa would love to have you wear it again sometime."
Everyone in the room stared at Oisin like he was speaking another language. Then, slowly, Hisashi started laughing. It started softly, full of disbelief. Then it grew to a deep guffaw, making tears stream down his face. Kai seemed to catch whatever was wrong with him, because she threw back her head and barked a laugh. Con looked puzzled. Oisin was rummaging around to find Hisashi's things, but he was smiling the whole time. I was lost.
I was also having trouble holding back my shift. My gryphon was really fucking angry, the power of the animal inside me pushing against my will, stronger than ever before.... I met Hisashi's eyes and gasped when I felt it. A piece of something that shouldn't be there. A power that wasn't mine. And it was attached to the gryphon part of me—to my own innate magic—a cord leading back to the fox. "What...?"
Hisashi whipped back the sheet and stood, flashing his entire assembled family, a wave of new confidence rippling from him. "I'll take my real clothes, please Oisin," he said, holding out a hand for his stuff, then proceeding to get dressed in his jeans and faded t-shirt. "Bring the kimono, though. Since you're both so fond of it." He winked at me and grinned.
The elders were not amused by any of this. The leader stomped her foot to get our attention. "The outsiders will leave. Hisashi, you know you can't leave your shrine, or you'll die and leave the clan powerless, stupid child."
I watched with a grin of my own as Hisashi walked over to the honored elder and clapped her on the shoulder, making the rest of his family gasp in offended shock. "Watch me, grannie."
He took the duffel bag from Oisin, the gaudy silk kimono sticking out the top, where Oisin had stuffed it like a rag. Then he turned and headed to the door. "Come on, guys. I want to be back home before lunch. I need some of Con's homemade soba. He does it better than anyone around here."
I chuckled at that. Hisashi's sister looked like he had just suggested we all go eat dog shit. But I'm sure Hisashi was right. Con's cooking was better than the authentic stuff. Because it was magic.
We stepped outside and I took a deep breath of warmer-than-it-should-be winter air. We weren't high enough up in the mountains for snow. It was weird. It would be good to get back home to Michigan, where things were properly frigid.
"You can't leave here!" The head elder called after us as we headed out of the village. "You'll weaken and die, foolish nine-tail."
Hisashi turned back to her. "You know, that might be right. If someone hadn’t hurried up and performed the binding ritual when I wasn't paying attention. You have no one to blame but yourself, old woman. The spell did what it said it would. It bound my powers to my home. To my family." He gave her the most shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen. It was breathtaking. "To my pride, my mates, and my alpha.” He saluted her. "So, thanks for that. See you later."
"Foolish child," the elder called. "With your power tied to such lowly creatures, you risk everything. What would happen if they die or are taken from you?"
Hisashi just shook his head. "You still think I care about my fucking power. I don't."
He turned to walk away, and we followed. I didn't know much about spells and rituals and bindings, because my magic didn't work that way. But I did know one thing that all magic users repeated in warning. Magic was a tricky thing. Dangerous. Words and actions might mean something other than what you thought they meant. Often, it was intention that was important. For example, what one person meant when they said "home" might mean something completely different to someone else.
For Hisashi, in the moment they'd cast that damned spell, home meant belonging and love. It wasn't a physical place for him, when he was there, in bed with his mates, feeling our love and our magic around him. The Miyamoto clan of kitsune had really fucked themselves over by being a bunch of sneaky assholes.
Thank the Gods.
"Hisashi, please!" It was his mother's voice, and it carried over the chaos that was erupting around us as the others realized what had happened. What they had just lost. "We're your clan."
His father was at the woman's side, pulling her in with an arm around her shoulders as she sobbed. "What will happen to the clan?"
Personally, my answer would have been "who the fuck cares?" But Hisashi hesitated. He froze there, expressions waring on his face as he tried to figure out how to be free and how to be a good son at the same time.
I felt for him. Sometimes that was just fucking impossible. But he cared about that shit more than I did. He'd been raised with the belief that family honor was the most important thing, his only reason for living.
"You must stay here," one of the elders insisted. "Bring your mates. We can make exceptions. But we need you. The clan will fall without your power. “She glanced at her fellow elders. “We are dwindling, growing weaker every year. Your power was meant to save the clan, Hisashi. The kitsune, here and elsewhere, are dying out. You know this."
He closed his eyes and I distinctly heard him mutter "fuck my life."
Oisin waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Good riddance. Let them go extinct."
I elbowed the fae asshole. Not that I didn't kind of agree with him, but still. Hisashi cared. So, we needed to pretend to care too. Plus, you know, there was that whole being a decent person...thing.
"No," Hisashi said on a long sigh. "I won't force them to uproot themselves. I like the life I'm building, out there," he waved a hand. "You don't get to take that away from me. Not this time."
It was tense as fuck as Hisashi stared down generations of tradition.
Kai ruined it by pulling out her damned cell phone and pressing it to her ear. "Yeah," she answered, eyes still on Hisashi. "What? Why would he do that? If I tell him, are you going to make him pay with his body? Because that's not fair. I haven't even had a turn."
I growled at her and Kai grinned, now that she had everyone's attention. "Oh, sorry. Hisashi, phone call for you. Don't get seduced."
The fox frowned, but held out his hand. "What?" he growled into the phone. Then he heaved a sigh. "Uh-huh. Fuck no, I'm not staying here! Fine. Yeah, yeah. I'll tell her. Okay, I'm telling her right now, for fuck's sake Orion, chill out."
He shook his head, and spoke to me, phone still pressed to his face so the incubus could hear him. "Gesa, the demon says get the hell back home now or he's going to start pulling us back himself." He rolled his eyes at the chatter that erupted on the other end of the line. "Okay, for fuck's sake, I'm busy here. I will tell Gesa to sort out her fucking mage. Gods. Yes. I'll do that too. Anything else, boss?"
He finally ended the call and faced a seriously impatient village. "I'll come back. One time a year. You can draw from my power for one day. That's all you get. It will be enough to keep you all growing and prospering—at least that's what I've been, uh...told. But I swear to hell, if you so much as look at me the wrong way, the deal's off. You'd better damned well remember you need me to exist."
The elders sputtered, but Hero stepped forward and shook his brother's hand. "On behalf of the Miyamoto clan, since they're all idiots, I accept. Fae?" He turned to Oisin.
The fae smirked and waved a hand over their clasped hands, a warm rush of magic flaring to life. "Promise spoken."
I'd never seen a fae bargain sealed in person. It was so simple. But they'd be in a world of hurt if they reneged.
"Thank fuck," Hisashi muttered. "Time to go." He half-shifted and turned to the pride. "Hop on the crazy train, guys, we're going home."
We all shared a look, but no one hesitated before we each grabbed a fluffy white tail. At least we knew Orion and White could yank our asses out of trouble if they had to. For another favor.
Oisin stood on tiptoes to plant a kiss on Hisashi, earning more muttering from his uptight, traditional family. "Happy birthday, fox," the fae purred, before we were yanked into the otherworld.