“Okay, we have to leave this hotel room today before the fight tomorrow.” Niamh strolled into the sitting room, the scent of shampoo fresh in her long hair.
Kiyo stuffed a forkful of eggs into his mouth to stop himself from reaching for her.
This constant need for her was ridiculous.
But he’d been assured it would ease.
Fionn had called a week ago to ask after Kiyo’s condition. Apparently, Niamh had contacted him and Bran for help. Kiyo spoke to him while Niamh showered, his mind half on the call, half on the thought of his mate in the shower.
His mate.
True mate.
Fionn had suspected as much. Somehow. The know-it-all bastard. Kiyo saw no point in not confirming. While it was safer to be far away from other fae-borne, he, Fionn, and Conall were bound by the fact that they were true mates to three fae-borne women. War was a distinct possibility in the future, and by default, all of them made a strange team of sorts.
“What was it you called me?” Fionn had mused. “Oh, that was it. Mate-whipped.”
Kiyo glowered but stayed silent, chafing at the turnabout.
Fionn chuckled darkly. “I’m surprised you haven’t run for the hills by now.”
“No, you’re not,” Kiyo replied.
Fionn surely understood the bond. There was no running from it. He didn’t want to. The moment Kiyo had scented the change in his and Niamh’s alchemy that signified their bond, a savage desire overpowered him to claim her with the knowledge of their bond in his soul.
True-mate sex.
There was nothing like it.
If humans knew about it, they’d never get anything else done.
Only humans, Kiyo scoffed to himself. Human, werewolf, vamp, witch, or fae … that mating bond was the strongest aphrodisiac in the world.
“No, I’m not. There’s no fighting the bond. You don’t want to in the end,” Fionn replied.
Kiyo eyed the bathroom door, imagining ripping it off its hinges to get to Niamh. “Does it … get easier?”
He heard the smile in the Irishman’s voice. “In some ways. If you’re talking physically, the first few weeks are the worst. You’ll want to do nothing but fuck.” He chuckled. “But it eases. You start using your big brain instead of the wee one. For the most part. Emotionally … that’s a different game, Kiyo. She’s all that’s going to matter to you from now on.”
It was the most heartfelt conversation the two males had ever had, and Kiyo wanted to be done with it. He’d hit his quota on talking about his feelings and the only one he cared enough to share them with was Niamh.
A week had passed and the connection between them was so acute, they could sense each other’s emotions. Sex was phenomenal. Knowing exactly what the other wanted was incredible.
And the two of them were acting like sex-craved addicts.
However, apparently, Niamh thought it was time they tried to shake past this part of the bond. Kiyo tried not to pout over his breakfast. He could have gone another few days in bed. Maybe even a week. Or two.
Or a month.
Fuck.
“Yeah, we probably should,” he agreed reluctantly.
She grinned as she took the seat beside him and lifted the cloche covering her breakfast. “Ooh, you went English on me.”
They’d been living off room service the whole time and while the food was good, he thought his Irish girl might be growing tired of rice and grilled fish for breakfast. He’d ordered the more substantial traditional English breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, blood pudding, mushrooms, tomatoes, and baked beans. “Thought you might like a change.”
Niamh fell on the plate like a woman starved, so he guessed he’d been right.
He smirked as he took a sip of coffee.
She raised an eyebrow. Swallowing a bite, Niamh waved her fork at him. “What’s that smug look on your face?”
“Nothing. You just seem to have worked up quite an appetite.”
“Don’t.” She pleaded, surprising. “Every time you look at me like that, I want to jump you. And I cannot spend the rest of my eternity in a sex bubble.”
“A sex bubble?” Laughter trembled on his lips.
“Don’t laugh! You laughing makes me want to jump you even more. And I have a mission. Correction: we have a mission. I’m blaming the orgasms for my lack of visions.”
Kiyo chuckled harder.
She threw a piece of toast at him and it landed in his coffee.
Niamh stared at it sheepishly but he could tell she was dying to laugh.
“I was enjoying that coffee.”
“It was unintentional.”
“That may be.” He pushed his chair back from the table. “But a punishment is still in order.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m enjoying my breakfast.”
“It’ll wait.” He covered her plate with the cloche before he rounded the table to haul her into his arms.
She wrapped herself around him like a monkey as he carried her into the bedroom. “I’ve just had a shower.”
“You can magically clean yourself afterward.” He threw her on the bed and reached to unbutton her jeans.
“Kiyo.” Dark desire flooded her expression. “Promise we will leave the hotel room after we have sex. Today.”
“Okay,” he grunted as he whipped off her jeans and underwear.
“You need to pr-promise,” she stuttered as he unzipped his own jeans and pushed them down just far enough to free him.
Dragging her down the bed to meet him, he gripped her hips in his hands, lust and love making his heart thunder in his chest. “I promise.” Then he thrust into her tight, wet heat, exulting in her cries of pleasure.
“I can’t believe we’re outside our room.”
Kiyo strolled at Niamh’s side as they moved with the crowds across Tokyo’s famous Shibuya crossing. They’d been to this part of the city before, but Niamh still took everything in like she was seeing it for the first time. Did she know what a gift her sense of wonder was? “You keep saying it like that, you might bruise my ego.”
“Oh, please.” Niamh threw him a wry look. “You know if it weren’t for the mission, I’d have tied you to the bed myself.” Worry darkened her eyes. She spoke in his mind now. It’s been days and days without a vision. And Astra is out there and probably now knows you’re immortal.
Niamh had since told him what Astra said in the garden. She’d known he and Niamh were true mates before they did. Had a vision about it. And she believed the only way to turn Niamh dark was to break the bond between her and Kiyo, i.e., kill him.
Grabbing hold of Niamh’s wrist, his thumb caressed her scar as he pulled her out of the crowd and guided her up against the wall of a shop. He braced his hands on the building, cocooning her. “Nothing is going to happen to me. It can’t.”
“I’ve told you before. No one on earth is impervious to death.”
Not wanting to argue when she was so certain, Kiyo shrugged. “Fine. Okay. Say something happened to me … I know you. You won’t turn dark.”
He felt a wave of shame emanate from her and his jaw tightened with anger.
Not at Niamh. At Astra, for planting thoughts in her head.
“She had a vision that I do,” Niamh reminded him.
“She said she had a vision. There’s no evidence she actually had a vision of you going to her side and opening the gate. You know what there is evidence of? Her trying to manipulate you. Or do you not remember she planted visions in your head?”
That feeling of shame he sensed disintegrated and an intense flood of tenderness hit him. “You’re so bloody wise,” she said and leaned up to brush her lips across his. “You always make me feel better, Kiyo-chan.”
He grinned at her endearment and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before pulling back. If he lingered any longer, they’d end up back at the hotel. They walked again, heading north toward Meiji Jingu. Niamh wanted to see the Shinto shrine and gardens, and without any current direction, Kiyo saw no reason they shouldn’t enjoy the city and each other’s company while they could.
Niamh had put up a barrier spell around their room that stopped anyone from entering. Something like that might have drained her years ago, but every day she seemed to grow stronger in her abilities.
Now that they were outside, Kiyo was in guard mode, alert to the fact that their enemies could show at any moment.
When Niamh reached for his hand while they strolled, his first instinct was to drop it. He’d never been the hand-holding type. Yet, when Niamh sensed this and relaxed her hand to release him, Kiyo found himself gripping it tight.
She gave him an understanding smile. “It’s okay. I get it.” She tugged on his hand.
He didn’t let go. If his mate wanted to hold his hand, he’d get over himself and hold her hand. His expression seemed to translate his feelings because Niamh grinned happily.
Her happiness made it worth it.
Fionn was right.
He was mate-whipped.
Fifteen minutes later, they were only around five minutes from Yoyogi Park when Niamh suddenly jerked his hand as she halted. Her features looked strained. And he knew without her having to say the words.
“Vision?” He grabbed and pulled her against the stone wall that ran along the sidewalk. Foot traffic was quiet, but the roads weren’t. He covered her with his body, trying to hide her—
Niamh convulsed hard in his arms and he gritted his teeth as he clasped her nape to stop her head from smacking against the stone. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly and powerlessness overwhelmed him.
He hated seeing her like this.
Pain, like being smacked in the forehead with a rock, sent bright lights flashing across his eyes. Images flooded his head. Niamh. Him. Rose. Astra. Elijah. Standing stones. Four. Gardens. Tokyo. Gardens. Jade pendant. They hit him one after the other on repeat.
Then just as abruptly as they’d come, they disappeared.
Kiyo’s eyes flew open.
He and Niamh were huddled on the ground. She was tucked into his chest like a child.
“Niamh?”
She lifted her head, her eyes flying up behind him.
He followed her gaze and saw two young men staring curiously at them as they walked by.
Kiyo glared until they hurried away.
Once they were on their feet, he pulled Niamh into his arms, cuddling her tight against him as he rested his chin on her head. “You okay?”
She nodded, squeezing him. “It was the same as before. Nothing new.”
“Not quite.”
Niamh pulled away just enough to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“I know where those gardens are. And the jade pendant was new.”
Niamh frowned. “No, it wasn’t. It’s always been in them.”
Kiyo shook his head. “Not the one I saw last time.”
She considered this. “Actually, I think you’re right. But it was in the first one I ever got. What does it mean?”
“The gardens belong to the house I was renting in Osaka back in the 1800s when I was taking my revenge against my mother’s rapists. I was cursed in those gardens.” His grip on Niamh tightened unwittingly as he remembered. “The jade pendant belonged to Mizuki Nakamura. The miko who cursed me.”
Niamh pushed away from him. “Then we have to go to Osaka. Kiyo … that pendant.”
Something like panic clawed at his gut as realization struck. “It’s a talisman.”
And I’d bet my eternity that it holds your curse within. Destroy it and … She clung to him now, fear pouring from her.
“Best-case scenario, I become mortal. Worst-case scenario … I die.”
Which was exactly what Astra wanted.
A fierceness overcame Niamh with such strength, her eyes bled gold and strands of her hair lifted of its own accord. Electricity crackled around her. “That’s not going to happen,” she vowed, her voice sounding different.
“Komorebi …” He reached for her, his tone calming. “The show, while arousing, is unnecessary. We’ll find the pendant.”
Just like that, the surrounding energy flamed out and her eyes were aquamarine again. She looked at him in wonder. “What did you just call me?”
“We need to get back to the hotel. Can you do your thing when no one’s looking?”
“Answer my question first.”
“I called you Komorebi,” he answered impatiently. “Now can we go?”
Niamh stepped into his waiting arms, smiling up at him like he’d just given her the whole world. “You told me Komorebi means a beautiful forest with sunlight peeking through the leaves of the trees. And you think of it every time you ready for a run through the woods.”
“Yeah,” he muttered, feeling too much. Way too fucking much for it to be comfortable.
She slipped her arms around his neck. “Trust you, my darling, my brooding wolf, to give a woman the most romantic endearment on the planet.”
His grip on her tightened but he just grunted in acknowledgment.
Niamh leaned up to whisper across his lips. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” She pressed her mouth to his, and he felt a strange disorientation.
When he opened his eyes, they were standing in the middle of their hotel room.