Twelve Lords

by Max Jager

  Closing his eyes as he stroked her back, Kurosai looked over and found that Kintare was holding and cleaning off his son. He was safe with her and Umarus in the room. A menacing growl coming from him he turned his glare up to Umarus. "My parents?"

  Nodding Umarus growled as he crossed his arms. His own eyes seeing red. "Horani. He told those that killed them where to do it, and how to achieve their goal."

  The growl that Kurosai let out sounded more like a wild beast on the hunt in the room. It was deafening to them. "Tell me exactly what he said Umarus. Now."

  Rubbing the back of his neck Umarus sighed. "My Lord I think it best that…"

  "Tell me!"

  Flinching as both Kiyoshi and Ayame both started to scream and cry at the booming voice of Kurosai he dropped his head. "He told them how they were going to be going to the Southern Shores. Their exact route. And that if they could at least get a scratch on your mother to draw blood, your father would focus only on that and nothing else. Just getting to her. That was when they took out your father and….." He then took a step back as his eyes filled with rage. "Forced themselves on your mother before killing her."

  The collective gasps that rang out through the room were not heard over Kurosai's growl. He has wanted to get ahold of someone who was responsible for what he found that day and give them the same suffering treatment that they showed his parents. To hear that about his mother, he hadn't known that. He turned fully black eyes to Umarus as he stood. "Where is he?"

  "The inner garden. Waiting for you."

  "Stay with them." Kurosai then stormed from the room. He wasn't violent normally. However. This time. This time he was going to show just how cold hearted he could be to those that threaten or harm his pack. This bastard helped to have his parents killed. Tried to take his mate and son from him. Took his mate's mother. He was going to suffer. Greatly for what he has done.

  Making of a Lord Chapter 19

  His steps were slow and heavy as Kurosai exited the palace into the inner court yard. His prey in his sights. Thankful that his men knew enough to get out of the way the second he stepped out. He didn't want to hurt them, but he knew that what he was about to do to Horani, if they were in the way they would. He hoped being able to feel what Sorae was going through would keep him grounded somewhat. He feared how far off the deep end he might go, knowing some of the details of what happened to them.

  Horani kept his eyes on the glaring eyes with a glare in his own. He knew he was going to die right now so it didn't matter what he did or said. Had he just not let his mouth override his head then he would have been able to kill them all! Not just his worthless mate. As Kurosai got closer and the ground rumbled but all he did was glare back. 'I will be damned if I let him know that he scares me. Or tell him anymore than what I have already said to Umarus.'

  Once he was almost to him, Horani struggled as he forced himself up to stand tall with the way that his legs and feet were bound. His black eyes fixed on Kurosai's iced blue ones. "Don't think I am going to tell you anything about what happened or why I did what I did."

  Not saying anything to him in response, Kurosai back handed him and sent him through a tree. Using his speed and claws to shred it before it could fall on the palace. The pain that shined in his eyes was worth it. But he would know what it was like to feel more pain than this. Right now, it was his instinct to protect his pack and his packs honor. "I don't want to know that. If I knew more than I do now it would only make me want to kill you faster. I intend on taking my time with you. You will suffer as much as it was clear that my parents did you son of a bitch."

  With a growl Horani tried to sit up as he looked up at him with one eye that was half closed in pain. "Well then maybe I should tell you everything!" But before he could say another thing he yelped loudly when he was jerked up off the ground roughly by his hair. Opening his eyes he froze in pure fear to see that Kurosai's eyes were black as a moonless starless night with just a splash of ice blue in them. It was now clear, he was acting on instinct. Not thought."

  Reaching out and grabbing his lower jaw Kurosai snarled as he spoke. "You have no right to speak a single thing about my parents across your treacherous lips you bastard. So I will break your jaw so you can't speak." Then he let go and punched him straight up and sent him up about ten feet. Fracturing his jaw in three places. Effectively stopping him from doing anything other than screaming from this point on.

  X

  As everyone else looked on, Sorae sat next to her mother and cried. It wasn't long after Kurosai was there that Kintare came to her and took her son. The rage that she felt from her mate, and her own rage that was directed at the same person. She thought that her mother was going to be there forever. To watch as her grandson grew and then had a family of his own. To enjoy the time with Sorae as they watched the next generations play and grow. But now that wasn't going to happen. Thanks to her father, her mother was now going to miss out on all of it!

  As the scrams started, Sorae looked up with a glare. The agony that could be heard from her father sounded like music to her ears. Standing she looked down at the blood that covered her chest from her mother. It would wash off of her and her son. She wiped her eyes and turned to Kintare with cross eyes. "My son please."

  Nodding, Kintare moved and handed the now clean pup to his mother. Though with the blood all over her it would get all over him again. But she couldn't tell her no. But the sight of seeing such a small pup with blood on his face, she couldn't just leave it there. "Here you go. I cleaned him all up for you."

  Looking down at her son, Sorae nodded. "Thank you Kintare." Then without another word turned and headed for the door. When Umarus moved and wouldn't let her pass, she gave him a glare that made him visibly flinch but he didn't move. "Get out of the way."

  Reminding him of her mate at the moment, Umarus was a little shocked. But he wasn't going to let her out. Not right now with what was going on in the inner court yard. If he did, he would be next to feel what Horani is right now. "I cannot let you go out there My Lady. If I did, I would be the one screaming in pain like that if you got hurt."

  Her eyes not wavering, Sorae stood her ground. "I said get out of the way. Let me by Umarus."

  Dropping his head Umarus crossed his arms as he sighed. "I am sorry My Lady but I can't do that. I know you can hear what is going on there and want to be there when his life is taken. But you need to think….."

  Closing her eyes, Sorae nearly screamed causing cries from the babies to ring out. "I said to let me by!"

  Growling now Umarus fixed her with a stern look. "Tell me then My Lady? Do you really want to subject Lord Kiyoshi to more death than he has been already? Do you really want him to see his father like he is right now at such a young age? It would terrify him of his father."

  Fresh tears streaming down her face, Sorae looked over at her mother then down at her son as she fell to her knees. "I get that. But….I…I…" Then she started shaking as she squeezed her eyes shut to try and stop the tears. "I can't help it! the rage that is surging through him and what I feel anyway is….."

  Rushing her her, Kintare helped her to stand and walked over to a free cot and sat down with her, her son in his guards arms. "It is alright Sorae. I promise that this feeling won't last forever and you won't have to deal with it for a long time to come again. If ever. Most demons are fool enough to do something like this with a Lord's family."

  Looking down at her son she couldn't stop the sobs as she fell over and laid on the cot. Curling into a ball around him. "I just want it to be over."

  X

  Another agonizing scream echoed through the inner court yard as once again Horani feels Kurosai rip his claws through another piece of flesh. Each painful gash targeted nerves. He hadn't really lost too much blood. But the pain in his body was so much now that he was barely able to stand on his own. Wounds that seeped blood covered his body as he continued to glare at Kurosai. He has been at this forever now! 'Why doesn't he just kill me now an
d get it over with!?'

  Stalking toward his prey, Kurosai was barely hanging on to his sanity by a threat. The threat of what might happen to his mate if he snapped the only thing that was keeping him grounded. When he got close enough he slashed out with his claws again and once again drew just a little blood from yet another part of his body. All he could think about was causing this demon before him pain and suffering. Flashes of coming on his parents bodies in the woods that day. The wounds that covered their bodies. The ground around them stained red from their blood. And this bastard helped them to do it. So he was going to suffer just as much!

  Though he was spurred on because of what happened to his parents because of Horani, it was even matched with what he could feel his mate going through right now. He could feel the pain, anguish, rage and depression that coursed through her. He knew the feeling of having your mother murdered. And she had to watch as her own father took her mother's life. He couldn't begin to imagine what could have went through her head at that time.

  Reaching him again he struck out and hit him in his already broken jaw causing the bones to shatter and another shriek of pain from him. As he tried to crawl away from him, Kurosai had fire raging in his eyes. "Tell me Horani if you think you can. Did you really thank that I had forgotten about you? Really?" Reaching him he kicked him in the stomach sending him flying another ten feet. "Three years is not enough to make me forget about you. I had every intention on hunting you down no matter what land you were in and taking you out when my son's presentation was done."

  Reaching him again he bent and pulled him up by his hair to growl into his broken face. "But no. You just couldn't stay away. You just had to act like a bastard. You were supposed to be the one that they turned to for protection. Not fear. Not abuse. But after today. When I decide that I am done with you. You will not be a threat to anyone. Ever again."

  He didn't know how long it had been. But Kurosai spent the better part of the rest of the day putting Horani through as much torture as he could think of to put him through. Once not even a punch to his shattered chin drew a scream from him he growled. Grabbed him by his neck and flew over the palace on his cloud and landed on a branch in the woods to the South of the palace. Dropping him in a broken heap he then gave a growl to let the demons know it was time to feast.

  As he watched as gurgled screams came from him as the smaller demons covered him as they ate him alive, Kurosai took a deep breath. Finally his terror was over. Just saddened that it had to come after the death of his mate at his hands. Now it was up to him to once again pick up the pieces of his mate's heart and put them back together as best as he could. She was now going through what he did at about the same age. He was the only one who could help her through it at the moment.

  As he landed on the palace walls headed back to his mate he sighed at the destruction that was there. Nearly the entire garden had been ruined in the fighting. A garden that Sorae and her mother worked hard in for three years to get to where they were just that morning. Falling from the wall he quickly made his way to his mate's side. 'I just wonder how she will do fixing the gardens now?'

  Reaching the safe room he found that she was still crying on the bed next to Kintare, who now held his son and rubbed her back with worried eyes. Taking a deep breath he walked over and gently lifted his son from her arms with a smile to thank her and handed him off to Umarus as he left for his room. Lifting his mate in his arms he left the room just as the other Lord's were there to get their mates. His destination right now as the hot spring.

  The second that her mate touched her, Sorae felt herself calming down now. She knew that her father was dead and would never darken her door or her son's ever again. Shinra was wounded and wouldn't try to do anything again. And now that her mate wasn't a ball of rage, was a big relief to her.

  When she heard and smelled the spring she looked up at him through tear filled eyes that were full of question. "The spring?" That was when she registered that her son wasn't in her arms! Her eyes flashed as she looked back up at him. "Where is Kiyoshi!?"

  "Calm down." Walking into the spring he gave her a concerned look. "He is safe and with Umarus. We don't need to worry about him at the moment. You are my concern right now Sorae."

  Nodding as she tried to stifle a sob, she laid her head on his shoulder as even more fresh tears sprang from her eyes. "I thought I had so much more time with her. She was still so young. I thought that the two of us would enjoy Kiyoshi and his kids and their kids and so on together."

  Rubbing her back, Kurosai sighed. "I know that. I had the same visions you got to see that never happened. I never got to see my mother, or father holding my son and saying how proud they were. You got that Sorae. Cherish those memories and never let them go. They ache for you now but one day you will smile when you talk about them."

  But he also knew that beyond that there was nothing else that he could really say to make her feel much better. Only time would heal what was broken today in her. But he was going to be her rock for her to lean on. He would be her support. He would be the one to keep her on the right track and help her to heal as time went on.

  For now, the only thing he could do was clean her up and hold her until the sobs stopped. Walking into the spring he sat down as the water came to their shoulders and held her on his lap. She was shaking and sobbing so hard that at times it seemed like she couldn't breathe. His heart ached for her. he knew the feeling so well.

  Once he worked and had the blood off of both of them, he carried her to their room. Once Umarus laid the now sleeping Kiyoshi in his bed, he worked and got himself and Sorae in dry clothes and in bed. Moving his son from his small bed to curl up between his mother and himself. Hoping that having him to curl with she would find sleep faster.

  X

  Jerking awake late that night, Sorae blinked when she heard the sound of a small laugh. She reached over to where Kurosai should have been but he wasn't next to her. With a gasp as her eyes flew open she shot up, her eyes frantic as she looked around for him. Finding him, her eyes softened as for the first time since that morning a true and warm smile played over her face.

  In the moonlight Sorae could see perfectly as Kurosai paced back and forth holding their son in his arms talking softly to him with a smile, pulling giggles from her pup as he waved his hands in the air. It would have been the most picture perfect moment, had her dear sweet mother been in the next room for her to tell tomorrow about this moment between father and son.

  Smelling the fresh tears of his mate, Kurosai moved back toward the bed with concerned eyes. "Sorae?"

  Leaning over against him, Sorae was trying to force the tears back. "I will be fine in time I guess. I will forever miss her and cry when I do think or talk about her. It is just still so fresh right now."

  Watching as she looked down at her son, Kurosai sighed. "I know." He then leaned his head on hers and sighed. "The only solace that I can offer from myself is my time and support when you need it. No matter what."

  Though she still shed tears, Sorae nodded with a smile. Reaching over and pushing in on her son's nose as he giggled. "I know. He will be a big part of my healing as well. I have him that I need to stay focused on and stay strong for." Then she sat up and looked up into his eyes with a pleading in her own eyes. "Kurosai I do have one thing that I want to ask of you though."

  Giving her an odd look, Kurosai blinked as he let his head fall to the side. "What is that Sorae? You know you can ask anything of me and if I can I will do it."

  Her eyes misting over again as she remembered the conversation she and her mother had just days before she had Kiyoshi. "Promise me. Promise me that no matter how long it takes. Even if it is a thousand years from now. I want another pup. A daughter."

  With a smile as he relaxed, Kurosai nodded. "As many as you would like."

  With a smile Sorae once again laid her head on his shoulder, her eyes locked on her son as he managed to get a lock of his father's hair. "If you wouldn't mind, I know wh
at I want to name her."

  "What's that?"

  Though she still cried, Sorae smiled. Her eyes a mix of pain, joy and depression as she reached out and took Kurosai's hair from Kiyoshi before it could go in his mouth. "A few days before I had him, Mama and I were talking about different baby names. I asked her what my grandmother's name was, and she said it was Yukani. And her eyes lit up when I said I would use that name if he was a girl."

  Turning, Kurosai laid his son in his mate's arms and then used both his hands to turn her face up to look up at him as he smiled warmly at her. "Sorae. My Love. I will do my best to make sure that we have a daughter. And when she is born, I could not think of a more fitting name than Yukani for her."

  Letting her eyes flutter closed, Sorae kissed him back as Kurosai leaned in and kissed her with a gentle and yet strong and demanding kiss. Once the kiss was broke she let him lay her down with their son drifting nearly instantly off to sleep the second they curled up with each other. She wanted to badly to give him a sister. 'Mama. Please I know you know how badly I wanted to have a daughter after him. You can help me with this I know. Please give me the chance to use the name Yukani. Please."