“Ugh.”
Several seconds were required before he regained the ability to speak. He’d pretty much swallowed his tongue.
“Camellia—ugh!”
“Hiiii!” Camellia greeted him, her five tails wagging like an affectionate dog, and her ears happily twitching on her head.
“Why the heck are you naked?!”
Indeed, Camellia was not wearing any clothes. Bare as the day she’d gained her second tail, the lovely five-tails sat on top of him, palms pressed against his chest, squeezing her breasts together.
Kevin didn’t know what was worse: The fact that a naked woman was sitting on him, that this naked woman was his mate’s mother, or that his body was beginning to respond like every other hormonal male would to a naked woman sitting on him. Really, this whole situation was screwed up.
“Camellia doesn’t knooooow~”
“Lord Kevin!” A distraught Kirihime bowed to him. “I-I am terribly sorry! I was going to give My Lady Camellia a bath when she ran off. P-please forgive me.”
“Ugh… j-just get this woman off me, please.”
“Mou…” Camellia pouted at being called “this woman.” “Kevin-kyun is being a meanie.”
“I’m not being mean at all,” Kevin snapped, his face flush. “You’re just acting weird… er. And what’s up with the ‘kyun?’”
“Camellia… Camellia heard that boys like being called that.”
“You’ve been reading my manga, haven’t you?”
“Um!”
Figures.
He would have facepalmed, but his hands were pinned to his sides by the woman’s lovely thighs.
Kevin was eventually let up when Kirihime finally convinced Camellia that she needed a bath. The woman left with a pout.
“But I wanted to play with Kevin-kyun some more.”
“M-my apologies, My Lady, but… you really need to take a bath now. We’re leaving soon.”
“Hawa. Okay.”
After Camellia was led away, presumably toward the bathroom, Kevin stepped into the apartment and sat on the couch with a heavy sigh.
“You really do have an interesting life, don’tcha?”
“Kiara.”
She sat on the couch with him, her single remaining arm resting on the backrest as she leaned back, and her left leg crossed over her right.
Not much had changed about the woman. She still loved her business suits, still preferred pants to skirts, and her hair remained as wild and unruly as ever. The only difference between now and when they’d first met was her missing left arm, which she displayed like a badge of honor.
“You think missing an arm makes me some kind of invalid? Get real, boya. A warrior shows these scars with pride. I lost this arm in combat against a superior foe and won. This is my badge, the proof that I prevailed against all odds and came out on top.”
“Hey, boya,” she greeted him with a fanged smirk. “Did you enjoy Camellia’s welcome home greeting?”
“Ugh.” Kevin buried his face in his hands. “Please, never mention this moment again.”
“I make no promises.”
That was probably the most he could hope for.
Kevin sighed. Life was so unfair sometimes.
***
The cat Kevin brought home was missing.
“Where’d the kitty go?”
“Kitty?”
Seeing the raised eyebrow directed at him, Kevin explained. “I found a cat and brought her home with me.”
A very thorough explanation, indeed.
“Uh huh,” Kiara muttered, apparently no longer interested in his worries. She quickly went back to reading the newspaper on her lap, flipping the pages with her only remaining hand.
Kevin eventually found the cat sitting on the windowsill in the living room. She must have leapt out of his arms sometime after he’d opened the door, but before his face had been smothered by that agonizing bliss that stood somewhere between heaven and hell.
“There you are.”
“Nya.”
The cat mewled as he lifted her up and carried her to the dining room, where he set her down on the floor. He fetched a bowl and set it on the tile, then poured some milk into it.
“I hope you like milk.”
“Nya!”
Kevin wasn’t sure, but he could’ve sworn he saw stars appear in the thing’s big yellow eyes. He shook his head.
Must be my imagination.
“Perhaps it would be wise if the cat drank her milk elsewhere, Kevin-sama,” Kotohime said, eyeing the critter lapping up the milk. “I do not wish to accidentally step on her tail.”
“You’re too graceful for that,” Kevin dismissed her concern.
“Ufufufu, flattery will get you nowhere.”
Kotohime ruffled Kevin’s hair, much to his consternation.
It was one of the many changes that had happened within the Swift household. Before the incident where Lilian was kidnapped by the creepy two-tailed brat, Kotohime had treated him with grudging respect. After he’d beaten the crap out of Jiāoào Shénshèng, Kotohime’s disposition towards him had changed. She showed more genuine respect, and even a bit of sisterly affection.
She was still a hard-ass when it came to lectures, though.
As Kevin pouted at the beautiful woman in the kimono, another figure walked into the kitchen.
“Hey there, Stud.” Iris slinked in, hips swaying enticingly. She walked—no, stalked forward, soaking in the knowledge that Kevin couldn’t take his eyes off the alluring sashay of her hips. “How was that job of yours?”
Kevin forcefully pulled his eyes away. He’d never been more pleased to see someone sit down.
“Fine,” he mumbled. “Is Lilian in the shower?”
“I believe so.”
“Gotcha.”
Kevin made to walk out of the room.
He was stopped by two arms encircling his chest, and a pair of breasts on his back.
“Gonna go join your mate?” Kevin shuddered. The shuddering intensified when a pair of oh-so-soft lips covered his ear, and a set of teeth gently nibbled on it. “Mind if I join you two?”
Kevin gritted his teeth and pulled out of Iris’s grip, wincing as her teeth painfully scraped along his ear. “Yes, I do mind. And stop doing that. I have a mate.”
Iris just laughed; it was a lyrical, beautiful, deadly sound. “So?”
Kevin calmed the storm raging within his mind. He wouldn’t let this girl get to him.
“I’ll be back in a bit.”
As Kevin walked out of the kitchen, Kotohime turned to the girl lounging at the kitchen table. “Don’t you think you’re taking this game a little too far, Iris-sama?”
Iris chuckled. “Oh, no. This game is far too fun for me to stop, and it’s only just begun. I’m going to play with him until I’ve finally accomplished my goals.”
“Which is?”
“Uhuhuhu, I can’t tell you that. It would spoil all the fun.”
Kotohime didn’t seem bothered by the lack of answer. She went back to her self-assigned task of cleaning. Meanwhile, Iris leaned back in her chair. She never saw the person coming up behind her until it was too late.
“What’s this I hear about you messing with my student?” Kiara asked, an evil grin on her face.
Iris was given no time to respond before Kiara struck.
“Kya! My tail! Let go of my poor tail!”
***
Steam rose within the shower, swirling motes like zephyrs drifting lazily on the wind. Heat gathered around her, causing sweat to break out on her skin.
Lilian ignored the water spraying her back, ignored the heat and the steam coalescing on the walls and ceiling. Her mind, locked in an internal struggle, fought a losing battle. Her attempt at drowning out the call proved futile, for it obeyed no rationale, this raw, undiluted need. She felt hungry, and this hunger demanded to be satiated.
The door opened.
Kevin walked in.
He wore nothing but a towel.
“Morning, Lilian. Mind if I join you?”
Lilian’s eyes dilated as they tracked his movement. Her breathing grew heavy when she looked at his washboard abs and well-defined pectorals—the result of seven months of brutal training. Her mind hazed when he smiled at her, blue eyes admiring her body just as she admired his.
Kevin’s smile inflamed her soul. Those muscles made her body yearn for his touch. Her eyes began to gleam.
She wanted him.
She needed him.
She moved to claim him.
Kevin’s eyes widened.
“Lilian, what are you—”
Her tongue didn’t allow him to say any more.
***
Kevin and Lilian appeared in the living room, dressed for the day. Lilian, a pair of denim shorts covering her bottom and showcasing her lovely legs, strolled further into the room, bare feet padding against beige carpet. She wore a satisfied smile. Her green off-the-shoulder sleeveless shirt folded as she moved. Kevin walked in with her, a sleeveless shirt and blue jeans adorning his frame. He looked dazed.
“Kya! Get away from me, you stupid mutt!”
Lilian gaped and the lost look on Kevin’s face disappeared. Together, they watched as a frightened Iris ran from a laughing Kiara.
“Come on now, girly. Surely you don’t think I’m finished with your punishment, do you?”
“Punishment?! Just being in your presence is punishment enough—KYA!”
“Mwahahaha!”
Kiara grinned as she pinned Iris to the ground, on her stomach. She stood over the girl, kneeling on her back, grabbing the young vixen’s tails.
“L-let go! —Ah! —Why are—s-stop it! —AAH!”
“No can do.” Kiara’s eyes gleamed with the wicked light of a sadist. “You see, I’ve got a problem with people who mess with my disciple. There is only one person allowed to fuck with his mind.” A pause. Kiara went back over her statement. “Three people: Lilian, Kotohime, and myself. You are not one of those three people and, for your transgressions against my student, you must be punished.”
“No! Stop it! Gya! My tails! Stop grabbing them!” In desperation, Iris looked around and saw Lilian and Kevin standing several feet away. “What are you two—ahn! What are you doing?! Don’t just—ah! —don’t just stand there! Get this woman off me!”
“But you look like you’re having so much fun,” Lilian said, her emerald eyes gleaming. Who needed to get revenge when they could have someone else do it for them? “I don’t want to interrupt your bonding moment.”
Kevin clapped his hands together and smiled with a completely insincere smile. “I’m so glad to see you two are making nice.”
Iris’s eyes widened as she realized no help would be coming. “Oh, fuck you two! Fuck you-hyyyyaaaa!”
“Language.”
“No! Stop! Let go! Iyahn!”
Kevin and Lilian left the squirming, kicking, and struggling Iris to her well-earned torture. Making their way into the kitchen, they were greeted by Kirihime and Camellia.
“Hello, Lady Lilian, Lord Kevin.”
“Hey!”
“Sup.”
“Lilian, Kevin-kyun, hiiii~!”
“Again with the ‘kyun.’ Seriously, what’s up with that? And why are you extending the last word of your sentences?”
“Camellia doesn’t knoooooow!”
“Good morning, Mom,” Lilian greeted her mother with a gentle smile and a kiss on the cheek. Camellia gave her daughter that absolutely radiant smile, which never ceased to remind Kevin of a child. Really, it almost seemed as if Camellia was the daughter and Lilian the mother.
Sitting down at the table with Camellia, he and Lilian were greeted by a large, all-American breakfast: scrambled eggs, French toast, waffles, and pancakes lathered in a rich syrup.
Two blinks.
“Whoa, what’s with the American breakfast, Kotohime?”
“Ufufufu, can’t this humble Kotohime make something different every once in a while?”
She received two blank stares.
“Kiara-san isn’t a fan of Japanese breakfasts,” Kotohime confessed.
“That’s because Japanese breakfasts can’t beat a good stack of pancakes,” Kiara said as she marched into the room and sat down at the table. Lilian scooted herself closer to Kevin. The woman smirked, and then directed her attention to the food. “You really went all out today, Kotohime. I can’t wait to sink my paws into this.”
“That was a terrible pun.”
Kiara raised an eyebrow at Kevin. “What’s that? Did I hear someone say they wanted to spar with me?”
“Guh!”
Several minutes after everyone else started eating, Iris walked into the room. The girl looked absolutely frazzled. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot, her ears were twitching, and it looked like someone had stuck her tails in a dry tumbler.
Her steps were ponderous and slow. Every so often she would wince, and her tails would bristle as if they’d been zapped by a Pikachu. It took her nearly a full minute just to reach the table. Only after she had slumped in her seat did the gorgeous vixen notice the stares she was receiving.
“What are you all looking at?”
Everyone looked away and resumed eating.
Breakfast that morning was good. Kevin would have said it was the best Kotohime had ever made, but he knew that she wouldn’t appreciate that. She loved Japanese food as much as Lilian loved waffles. When they finished breakfast, the group grabbed their luggage and met at the entrance.
“Hawa! This is so exciting!” The beautiful but clumsy Camellia laughed as she carried her luggage out the door. “Road trip. Road trip. We’re going on a road trip.”
“My Lady Camellia.” A worried Kirihime tried to catch up to the older woman. “Please be mindful of where you walk. You’re coming up on the—”
“HAWA!!”
“—MY LADY!!”
Kirihime’s eyes widened in horror as Camellia lost her footing and tumbled down the stairs. She probably would’ve gotten seriously injured were it not for Kiara having preceded the group to prep the bus. She caught Camellia before the woman could fall on her face—or her breasts.
“H-hawa. Thank you.”
Kiara sighed. “You really should be more careful.”
“H-hawa…”
When Camellia’s ears drooped and her tails fell limp, Kiara sighed.
“There, there.” She petted the woman’s head as if Camellia were a dog. The irony was not lost on her. “No harm was done this time. Just be more careful in the future.”
“Hawan…” the blissed out Camellia muttered, her ears flapping and her tails wagging happily.
Iris palmed her face. “I swear, that woman is a complete embarrassment.”
“I-Iris.” Lilian looked scandalized. “You shouldn’t say that about our mother!”
“Why not?” Iris shrugged. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
Iris tried to ignore the disapproving glare Lilian sent her in favor of descending the stairs. While she seemed to do a relatively decent job of pretending that the way her sister glared at her back didn’t bother her, she could not help but respond to the—by now—familiar fingers almost lovingly caressing her tail.
“Giiiiii!”
“Sorry, sorry.” Kiara chuckled. “My hand has a mind of its own sometimes. It really loves how soft your fur is. What kind of shampoo do you use?”
“None of your damn business!” Iris hissed, her face burning with humiliation. She stomped down the stairs, which shook beneath her feet. She didn’t want everyone else to see how ashamed she was.
This was why she hated dogs!
The bus was a large vehicle that stood at the same height as a double-decker bus used for city-wide tours. It was also several times longer than those buses, giving it a good deal more space. Silver metal gleamed within the morning light. On each side of the bus was the Mad Dawg Fitness logo—a ripped bipedal pit bull with a fanged grin giving a thumbs
-up.
Kotohime turned to look at everyone there, while Kiara climbed inside the bus.
“All of you should make sure you have everything you need. Once we head out, we won’t be coming back.”
Kevin and Lilian had everything they needed inside of the two black suitcases that Kevin wheeled behind him. They’d been slowly packing for the past two weeks, deciding on the clothes they wanted to bring—and the cosplay in particular. Last night they’d finished packing before getting lost in each other’s bodies.
“We’re good,” Lilian answered for them both.
Kotohime nodded and then turned to Kirihime, who’d been in charge of packing for Camellia, who no one trusted to pack for herself.
“Do not worry, Kotohime.” Kirihime’s demure smile set everyone around her at ease. “I made sure to pack everything last night—except for the toiletries, which I packed away this morning. We’re ready to go.”
“What about you, Iris-sama?” Kotohime eyed the small satchel slung over the vixen’s shoulder. “Will that be enough?”
“Oh yeah, don’t worry.” Iris’s wicked grin caused Kotohime to do just that. “I’ve got everything I need right here. And what I don’t have in here is in my Extra Dimensional Storage Space.”
Kevin groaned. “Not this again…”
“There, there, Kevin.” Lilian rubbed his back.
“Don’t patronize me.”
“All right, everyone!” The automatic doors slid open. Kiara sat in the driver’s seat, her face marred by a fanged grin. “Get on board. We’re heading out.”
“Yes!” Lilian cheered, pumping her right fist into the air. She wore a face-splitting smile, and her eyes sparkled like gems refracting sunlight. “Time for our spring break adventure to begin!”
Wearing a placid smile that made her seem even more beautiful than usual, Kotohime watched as her charge and Kevin boarded the bus. Seeing how happy the young vixen was caused warm feelings to spread through her chest.
“She really has come so far…”
Her eyes then wandered to Kevin, Lilian’s mate, whose sunny grin perfectly matched the one worn by the emerald-eyed girl.
“And to think Kevin-sama has come this far as well…”
She did not know what Kevin had been like when he first met Lilian, but she’d heard the stories. Regardless, his transformation, spanning over the six months that she’d known him, had been nothing short of astounding. He’d gone from a boy, unsure of himself and what he wanted, to an upstanding young man. He’d certainly started growing up, that much was certain.
A Fox's Vacation (American Kitsune Book 5) Page 5