by Aeryn Jaden
Gotta Love Dragons
Fated Book 2
AERYN JADEN
MM/ Gay Paranormal Romance – with a touch of ‘irregular’ mpreg
For all the members of my wonderful Facebook family. Your support means the world.
Gotta Love Dragons
Prologue
He had really screwed up this time. Even if everything worked up in the end, it didn’t matter. Python had done the unforgivable and deserved whatever he got. He let his head hang and his hand fell from the heavy wood door. He could already hear his brother coming to answer and his smile went bittersweet in response. How did it come to this? His twin barely standing the sight of him and Python? Python still alone, still the same. He hadn’t solved anything, only made it worse and the only consolation was that his brother was happy and his brother’s Fated was still alive. And hopefully well. Not that Python had anything to do with that, no, Python had almost killed his twin with his last stunt. Dragons, at least their kind, the nagas, didn’t survive the death of their fated mate. Python had almost killed his brother’s Fated and his brother too at the same time.
He shivered in the cold spring air and passed his shaking fingers through his moss green hair, wishing for the thousand time that things had ended up differently and not become such a clusterfuck. He was to blame, he knew, and beating himself up black and blue hadn’t made him feel any better yet. The door opened before he had time to school his expression, not that his brother didn’t deserve to see Python suffering for his mistakes.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Is he okay?”
His brother answered by growling menacingly at him and for a moment Python almost thought he’ll attack. He also sensed another presence not too far, listening to them and he let out a relieved breath. He didn’t have the right but he was so glad to know that Trojan’s human mate had survived Python’s imbecility. Though the guy smelled peculiar and not so human anymore. Shit.
“I’m sorry, Trojan. I really thought he was mine. I knew he was immune to our essence and thought him being human made it harder to recognize whom he really wanted. I really thought Hermaphroditus meant he was mine,”
“As if every person ever created could only want you! What the hell, Python! You always were a player but this is extreme even for you!”
“I… you’re right. I just wanted to find my Fated. I’m tired of being alone. I just… I guess I lost it. I’m sorry. ”
“About that. Why didn’t you ever tell me about Hermaphroditus’ divination and him seeing Ryuu?”
Python tried to shrink back but his brother was not having it. Trojan had locked his clawed hands on Python’s arms and was furiously holding his gaze, sharp nails breaking through skin and scales alike. Python would have answered anyway, he wasn’t going to fight it.
“He… he described Ryuu perfectly after my screw up with Kayla. We weren’t talking. I thought he meant he was my mate! I’m sorry!” Python, uncharacteristically, was ready to cry, his hair disarray and his bronze skin paler than ever. Despair was ripping his insides apart and his heart ached when he remembered that moment when his brother’s mate had stopped breathing, his heartbeat silent as a tomb. What had he done? Another small part of him was berating him to keep on pushing, keep on hoping and he could not stop himself from trying one more time. Hope is a dangerous thing in the hands of desperate beings.
“Say… Trojan. Do you… um, do you know if Ryuu has any brothers? Hermaphroditus said…”
“No.”
Trojan didn’t let him finish and for a moment Python wanted to insist. His brother’s inscrutable, unforgiving face convinced him otherwise. Python didn’t deserve anything else, after all.
“Ryuu’s okay. As much as he can be.”
“Can you tell him that…”
The door hit him hard on his face and he would be bleeding if he were human. He took a step back and clutched his throbbing nose, the physical pain distracting him for a moment from his other pains and aches. His body was constantly hurting. His bones were shivering in the cold air and he hugged himself frozen into place, praying for the door to open and for another chance to explain.
And ask for help.
Chapter One
ei was in deep shit. Pretty funny phrase considering where exactly he was, ha. He should have known better than to take this job. Had he know how it'll go down, he'd probably still take it though; he wasn't called Cray-Cray Rei for nothing. Nevertheless, this sucked big hairy monkey balls. Ugh, ugly ugly image that, what messed up guy came up with it? Not uglier that trenching through the sewers of Tokyo but still. He would have preferred the smelly rotting sewers from back home (he called Boston home for now, closer to his brother's whereabouts) than this immaculate underground maze. The mental image of a hospital combined with a sewer reminded Rei of too many bad horror movies. Maybe chasing his guy through Tokyo's Underground Parthenon, some drainage tunnels and through some not so well lit and probably not well known hidden doors, hadn't been the greatest idea Rei had. At least it wasn't rain season just yet, though the cloudy sky was making promises on that.
And where the hell was that guy? For the last couple of hours, he'd only seen concrete and more concrete. It was a good thing he wasn't claustrophobic or just knowing he was lost under Tokyo would have done him in. Everybody knew Tokyo's underground was even bigger than the city itself and most likely more dangerous. That was precisely why Rei had wandered through what he'd thought to be the most spooky half-hidden tunnels under Tokyo as soon as he got to Japan on this damn assignment. He'd even bought himself a guide that seemed knowledgeable enough at the time but now he doubted it. His yakuza contact had not been eager to hear his request (too loyal to their own kind to help him catch this scum or simply afraid of the bastard, which should have been a warning in itself). In the end, he'd reached out to some key ‘smudged' officials and found a fish that bit and grabbed Rei's money with both hands in exchange for knowledge on the infamous Tokyo underground city. Clearly, he was stupid and too full of himself if he'd gotten lost just five minutes after spotting his target. He'd thought himself prepared and more than that, he'd thought himself the hunter, not the prey. Well, consider him dolefully put in his place, for the last half an hour he'd been sure someone was chasing him and not the other way around. Some weird memory whispers of long ago bed stories just helped improve the spook factor of all the experience. Rei, and his brother Ryuu, had been raised in a pretty traditional Japanese household, though their parents had immigrated young to America and both Rei and Ryuu had been born there. Therefore, Rei's girly name, a misspelling of the more dignified Raijin name, after some dragon god of weather or whatnot. Rei was wondering if that dude-go really existed right about now and hoped he'd not done anything to piss him off. The last thing Rei needed was flooded sewers. Anyway, so Rei was well taught in Ikebana (prettily playing with flowers), to his chagrin he enjoyed wearing kimonos when at home and could serve tea like a pro. None were useful skills and why the hell was he thinking about that now? Well, better than remembering all the monster legends he'd been told while growing up. Recently finding out his brother was a newly afflicted member of the supernatural just made the bogeymen more possible. Probable even.
A sharp ricochet sound from the corner he'd just passed encouraged him to quicken his steps while casting fugitive glances behind.
"Shit!"
He'd just whispered but his voice was the equivalent of a bullet to the deadly silence around him. Rei had long ago mastered the art of running without making any noise but whatever chased him was not even tr
ying to keep its presence a secret and that worried him. He already had his gun out but he could see no place to hide on the endless corridor stretching ahead. His back itched and FRei felt as if his body was preparing for the pain of metal tearing through his flesh. He'd been shot before so he had a pretty good idea of how that felt. He ran faster. Whoever was behind him did the same. So focused as he was on his pursuer that he saw the man waiting for him just when he was almost on top of him.
"Now, now. I do suggest you stop right there."
"Fuck."
"So crude. You Americans have no manners. I did expect a bit more from you considering you come from a good family but you seem tainted already. Hmm. You're not born in Japan, are you Rei-kun? I couldn't quite find out what happened to the Tanaka family in the last fifty years or so. Hmm, I don't see your connection to the land. That explains it."
Kitagawa Utamaro continued to browse Rei's coiled body making him feel strangely undressed in front of the guy. Usually, he'd like such a close perusal by what seemed to be a fit, young, well-groomed guy wearing a nicely cut suit. Not so much now. Those eyes felt like ants stinging his skin and his first impression of Kitagawa proved misleading. This close, the guy's skin looked like stretched sheepskin over an older husk. Though, Rei could bet the guy was nothing resembling a sheep. Huh. A wolf in a sheep's skin. How insulting to wolves all over.
Sure the guy looked young, but something felt off and the damn bracelet his brother's partner had weaved for Rei had started burning his wrist'skin some miles ago. Last time something had felt even remotely as this, a werebear had almost decapitated him. He shifted his wrist out of sight.
"Why "kun"? We're roughly the same age."
Kitagawa's laughter felt like pebbles hitting the concrete around them, low and menacing in its intensity.
"Maybe I should use "-bo". After all, compared to me you're a child."
Oh, yeah. Crazy? Maybe Kitagawa was crazy. Definitely, not maybe about it, Rei thought. But in this case, he just may be telling the truth and that meant that the guy was way out of Rei's league. After all, Rei was only human and barely introduced to the Others' world. The bracelet's heat was now becoming uncomfortable, stinging his skin just as Kitagawa looked behind Rei with a small pleased smirk on that plastic-perfect face.
"Gataro! About time you got your lazy ass here! As usual, I need to take care of everything. Useless failed attempt of a monster."
Um. Rei hoped Kitagawa's last muttered words were just a figure of speech, errr, a more inventive insult. He didn't hold much hope considering "gataro" meant "river-boy" and was one of the names used for water deities slash demons if he knew his stories right (Yes, he'd brushed up on his mythology readings lately). That, and the stink coming from right behind him was literary nausea inducing. He didn't dare look back. He kinda regretted just how well lit these tunnels were. Maybe just a quick glance? His curiosity had always landed him in trouble. Nothing new there. He was sure his expression had turned down-right comical.
The boogeyman behind him was nothing but a childish masquerade of one. Sure, he could see some resemblance to the infamous Kappa or Gataro or whatever other names it had. The stinky monster behind him was barely reaching Rei's chest, looked frail and fable. The shivering was probably because the kid wore no clothes. He was dirty as hell and his shaggy hair hid his face from Rei. Then the guy looked straight at him and Rei almost swallowed his tongue. All resemblance to a kid flew out the window in front of those sad, light blue hued eyes staring straight at him. All resemblance to a regular human was gone too, Rei thought as he took in the rounded eyes, pointy shaped ears, webbed fingers and toes. He guessed the slight pout of his mouth was a characteristic of his race too, but on this Gataro it just looked like he'd had his lips bitten in a passionate kiss. A lot of temptation there. Clearly, Rei had lost his marbles somewhere in that last tunnel he'd run through.
"Gataro, aren't you hungry, boy? What do you say? I'm a good master, aren't I? Look what I caught you! Now make sure you leave nothing behind, last time the police got involved in my business. You do remember how displeased I was, don't you boy?"
Gataro's ashen face hid again and the guy shivered even harder. Rei suspected it wasn't from this cold this time. He just hoped it wasn't from excitement at the prospect of feasting on his flesh. As cute the guy was, Rei was definitely looking at someone not-human. He'd do well to keep that in mind.
"Dude, so not cool. We just introduced ourselves and you're already planning to dispose of me? Where are your manners? Besides, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a bit big and a lot wider than your guy. I would be quite difficult to swallow."
UGH. That sounded much better in his mind. Rei flushed when a certain type of swallowing popped into his mind. Bad, bad Rei. Down boy.
While he was busy chastising himself, his not-so-easy target, Kitagawa let out another villain laugh that wanted to sound baddie but managed only to scratch his eardrums and annoy Rei. That was mostly his current general state. Annoyed at the damn stinging bracelet, at the kid-creature, at the mummy guy but mostly at himself for the hot mess he had landed himself in. The rest of what he was feeling he consciously ignored and hoped it went down before it tented his khaki cargo pants. This was a bit unusual even for him, the well-known horndog. He frowned. The kid-creature- looked malnourished, abused and dirty as hell. Nothing appealing to see there.
"Well, I'll be going. I regret leaving you before the show is really started but I have a fundraiser to attend and I do need to avoid getting splashed while my dear boy enjoys his dinner. It was interesting meeting you, Reijin Tanaka, a disappointment in the end. My fault, my expectations were blown out of proportion because the Americans send a Japanese after me this time. Well, sayonara. Gataro."
Gataro straightened and stilled. Rei was starting to really dislike Kitagawa even before he saw the lone tear fall from Gataro's downcast eyes. Whatever Kitagawa had on the guy, must be big to hold him in his control that firmly. He kept his mouth shut and just watched the wannabe villain bounce away. Rei knew he looked relaxed and carefree to the untrained eye but he was anything but. His gut twisted and he almost wanted to pray to entities he no longer believed in (though he maybe needed to reconsider that after all, his brother was hardcore-married to one of them strange beings and was now one himself). He didn't want to have to hurt Gataro. His stomach churned with the certitude he may have to.
"I'm sorry."
Rei turned and appraised the, once again, shivering guy. Thing. Kappa.
"You're not human, are you?
The kappa shook his head and hesitantly drew a bit closer. Now Rei could see his protruding bones, the ribs being the most prominent ones, jutting out almost obscenely so. His ire grew and he barely abstained from doing something he'll regret, like reaching out and brushing that shaggy hair aside so he could see those bright, lovely eyes again.
"Are you going to eat me now?"
Rei moaned in dismay when Gataro nodded shakily.
"Well then. We may have a problem."
* * * * *
Gataro hated everything about him more than ever. He especially hated breathing. Not because technically he could survive without, considering gataros didn't really need to breathe. No, he hated every breath he took while in his grandfather's clutches. Worse was that he couldn't do anything about it. He'd been forced to swear more oaths that he could remember but that didn't matter. Even if he didn't remember them, the oaths bid him and held him more effectively tied than any human prison conceivable. It was the curse of a gataro. Figured he'd inherit only useless things from his Other legacy. He was only half-kappa, why did oaths would bind him so painfully, he didn't know. He hated that he wasn't a pureblood and his father had rejected him because of it. He hated being on Earth among humans and always having to hide. He hated everything nowadays it seemed.
He didn't hate the man in front of him. No, Gataro was intrigued.
"Any chance we can negotiate this eating me thing?"
Gataro wished he could give him a positive answer. It hurt only thinking about it. It wasn't the first time his grandfather had ordered this, it was the latest method of subduing and torturing Gataro. He was saying that he wanted to remind Gataro of his roots and his true legacy but it was most likely a new form of trying to break him and mold Gataro to his will. Last time the wording of the order had been a bit sloppy and Gataro had skirted his oath of obedience by killing the guy quickly and then just getting rid of the body. He'd not thought about it much, the guy had been a business associate of his grandfather and a really not nice guy. The five girls that guy had murdered after raping and torturing them, made it somewhat easier for Gataro to obey the order. He'd hated it still, no matter how evil that man had been. As he despised every breath he took under a monster's control. Gataro may be the one with the monstrous appearance but Kitakawa had all the inner workings of a true beast.
"I'm sorry."
"You can stop apologizing and come with solutions, you know."
The sharp tone made him flinch and he shied from the exasperated sigh. He'd smelled the interest on the other's man skin before but now he didn't want to smell the rejection although he would do better to forsake his stupid, foolish notions as somebody ever seeing him as anything else but a monster. Gataro was nothing more than a slave and he needed to remember it. Besides, what help would it be even if this man didn't find him repulsive on sight? Gataro will still kill him in the end.
"Don't look so gloom, cutie. We'll figure this out. I'm guessing you're not really keen on eating me?"
"Any flesh. Human or not. I'm a vegetarian."
The human's eyes went big and round and for a moment Gataro wanted to giggle at the thought that they kinda resembled right now.