That, or it could be how Iris was using him as her hug pillow.
“You know that Lilian isn’t with us, right? There’s no reason for you to get so close to me.”
“What makes you think I do this for Lilian’s benefit?”
“There’s nothing beneficial about this. And of course you do this to rile up Lilian. Isn’t that the whole point of acting like you’re close to me?”
“Are you saying that you and I are not close?”
“Not in this manner, we aren’t.”
“A shame.”
He and Iris were laying on the bed, a singles bed. Barely large enough to fit one of them, it certainly wasn’t meant to hold two people. They’d been able to make due namely because Iris had decided to simply crawl on top of him and was now lying in a position that Lilian often found herself in when he and she slept together. It was one of her favorites.
His original intent had been to sleep on the floor. Iris had shot that idea down. He still didn’t know how she’d done it, but somehow, she’d convinced him to share the bed.
It’s gotta be hormones. Stupid hormones.
This time was even worse than when they had shared the bed in Van. At least that had been large enough for two people.
“You know things can’t go on like this, don’t you?” Kevin asked into the silence. “I get that you’ve got a thing for your sister, and I even get that you’re trying to get to her through me, but did you ever stop to think that maybe this isn’t what she wants?”
Iris raised her head, and for the first time in several months, Kevin actually saw her appear annoyed. A large tick mark throbbed on her forehead. Her eyes were narrowed, not seductively, but in anger.
“Look at you, talking like you know everything there is to know about Lilian.”
“I might not know everything about Lilian, but I know enough.” Kevin remained stubborn. “I’m her mate.”
“And I’m her sister,” Iris countered. “I’ve been with Lilian ever since she was born. How long have you known her? Ten, maybe eleven months, minus the time you and she met several years ago. You might think you know everything there is to know about Lilian, but there’s still so much that you don’t understand; about her, about me, about kitsune in general.”
If he hadn’t been lying on his back, Kevin would have jutted his chin out in stubborn defiance.
“Oh, yeah? Then why don’t you tell me, oh great one, just what I don’t understand.”
Iris sat up. Milky thighs shifted as she straddled his waist. Kevin tried not to squirm. She looked down at him, locks of raven hair falling over her shoulders like strands of shimmering silk.
“Like the fact that Lilian isn’t human.”
Kevin frowned. “I am perfectly aware that Lilian isn't human.”
Iris’s hair swayed when she shook her head. “No, you accept that she isn’t human, but you don’t understand what it means to not be human.”
Kevin wanted to dispute her. He wanted to tell her that he was perfectly aware of what it meant to not be human. He didn’t though, or rather, he couldn’t. Something about Iris kept him from getting the words out.
“There is a difference between accepting that someone isn’t human and truly understanding them,” Iris continued. “Lilian isn’t human. She’s a kitsune. Our very thought process is completely different from that of a human’s. The things that you humans think about, we think about them differently. The ideas that you humans come up with are foreign to us. Even someone like Lilian, who is probably one of the most human-like kitsune you will ever meet, has a thought process that radically differs from your own. Why do you think she’s so fascinated by your culture? It’s not because she loves it. It’s because your culture is so incredibly alien to her that she finds it fascinating.”
Kevin stared at the vixen hovering over him. Her long curtain of black hair tickled his chest. She wore no top, but he’d seen Iris nude enough times that her barely clothed figure hardly affected him.
“What does that have to do with my relationship to her?”
“Only that the only reason you and Lilian are in a normal relationship is because you want one,” Iris finally dropped the bomb. “As a kitsune, Lilian doesn’t have any of the taboos that you humans have become so fond of. We don’t have the standard relationships that you humans do. The whole one guy and one girl thing you humans are so fond of isn’t something that we kitsune care about. She’s only conforming to the idea of a standard human relationship because that is what you want.”
It took Kevin nearly five whole seconds to respond to Iris’s words. “But… she said I was her mate…”
“And you are.” Iris nodded. “Which means, of course, that you are the sole center of her universe—at least, until you die of old age. After which, she’ll eventually find a new mate, even if he or she will never compare to you.”
“But Lilian always got so jealous whenever we were around Lindsay.”
“Because Lindsay was threatening to take you from her.” Iris’s words were succinct. “Back before you two were dating, you liked Lindsay, right?” Kevin could do nothing but nod like an idiot. “There you go. Lilian obviously felt threatened. We might not care about human relationships, but we at least know about them. Lilian knew that if you and the dyke got together, then she would never be able to claim you. If that meant fighting for the right to be your one and only, then she would play the jealous girlfriend role. That’s all there is to it.”
Kevin tried wrapping his brain around everything Iris told him. He couldn’t. The ideas that she presented were unfathomable to him. Perhaps it was because of his humanity, or maybe he simply wanted to use that as an excuse to not understand. He didn’t know.
“And let me give you a bit more food for thought,” Iris continued. “There are things about Lilian that you don’t know, things that she has done in the past that would make your human sense of morality quake, that would make you disgusted with her. She hasn’t told you about these things because she’s afraid of your rejection. In fact, more than anything else, Lilian is afraid that if you learned about some of her desires, you’d reject her. However, by not accepting everything about Lilian, you are the one hurting her, not me.”
Iris’s carmine eyes flashed dangerously, as if daring him to challenge her words. He couldn’t. That gaze, so full of confidence, struck him speechless.
What if she was right? What if there were things about Lilian that he couldn’t accept? What if she was hiding those parts of her because she knew this? If that was the case, then he would indeed be hurting her. Kevin knew that he would have been hurt if their positions were reversed.
Am I a bad mate?
The thought came before he could strike it down.
Looking at Iris some more, Kevin said the first thing that came to mind. “I’m not going to have a harem.”
“No one’s asking you to become a harem king.” Iris shrugged. “Lilian won’t care if you have a harem one way or the other and neither would I. That’s not what this is about.”
Kevin nodded. “Just so long as we’re clear on that.” He shifted against her, quite aware that the only articles separating them were her panties and his boxers. “Is that why you think you can convince her to let you join us? Because of her open nature when it comes to relationships?”
“No. There’s another reason I know that she would let me join you two. Like I said, there are things about her that you do not know.” She paused before subtly switching gears. “Don’t get me wrong. I understand that she and I will never have a true relationship, not like the kind that you and she have.” She gave him a smile, and Kevin was startled to see how bitter it was. “You are her mate. I can’t compete with that. I’ll be happy if she lets me join you two in your bed.”
Kevin needed several seconds to come up with a suitable reply. “And what does that have to do with what’s happening now? I get that you’re trying to soften me up, so I’ll be more receptive to your, uh, inclusion i
nto mine and Lilian’s, well, sex life, I guess. But honestly, the whole concept you’re trying to present is beyond me. Also, trying to seduce me like this isn’t going to work. It didn’t work when Lilian tried it, and it certainly won’t work with you trying it, especially since Lilian is my mate.”
Iris stared at him for several long seconds. Kevin tried his best not to squirm underneath her stare, even as he wondered about what she saw when she looked at him. Finally, after what he could have sworn was several hours, she gave him a smile, an honest, genuine smile.
“Yeah, I kinda figured that,” she admitted, lying back down so that her head rested on his chest. “Even after all the things I did to you, all the things I’ve tried to do, you still haven’t responded to me.”
Kevin blinked. “What do you—oh…”
In that moment, he didn’t need to see her to know that Iris was smirking. Kevin decided not to tell her about that time when they’d been traveling to the Pnév̱ma estate and he’d been forced to sit with her on his lap. He felt guilty enough about that as it was.
“Right. Like that.” The girl shifted against him some more, making herself comfortable. “It’s too bad.” Her breathing began to even out. “You’re a good guy.” Her body relaxed further against him. Kevin sucked in a breath as her nipples rubbed his chest. “If I had to lose my virginity to anyone… I… would…” her voice trailed off into incoherent mumbling.
“You would what?” Kevin waited for several seconds. When it became clear that Iris wouldn’t be speaking again, he frowned. “Iris? What would you… do…?” He blinked. “She fell asleep.” He stared at the girl who’d fallen asleep on his chest.
Heaving a large sigh, he lay his head back down, closed his eyes, and tried to get some sleep. They would be leaving tomorrow, according to Phoebe. He wanted to be ready.
Wait for me, Lilian.
***
“Why don’t you tell us why you called us out here, Clymene,” Gortyessa, a young woman whose black hair had premature silver streaks in it, said.
“I would like to know that, too.” Cynna, her snow-white hair done up in several ringlets, frowned at the person who’d called them out this late. “You disappeared after dinner; we couldn’t find you even after several hours of searching, and now you’ve called us out here in the middle of the night for who knows what reason. I have patrol tomorrow, so you’d better make it quick.”
Clymene stood in front of the three women she’d called out. The lights from fluorescent flowers played off her face, creating harsh angles and shadows that contrasted starkly with her pale skin. She looked at the three women, each of them incredible beauties, each of them incredibly deadly.
“Because I know that you three have also gotten sick of Phoebe’s rule. I know that you girls are disgusted by how she’s tossing out centuries of tradition. Beyond that, I know how you three are disgruntled by her decision to help that man.” The three women looked at each other, disquieted. Clymene pressed on. “For the past two years, Phoebe has ruled over us and our village has suffered. She’s tossed out so many of our traditions, not the least of which is that we should only interact with the men who are to give us children. Several of our people have even been sent to human cities in order to learn more about their culture. I heard her talking to Polydora once about how she’s actually thinking of having us integrate into human society.” She looked at the women, her hard eyes staring into each of theirs. “Doesn’t that piss you off? Doesn’t that upset you?”
For a moment, silence reigned. For a moment, the women looked at Clymene like she just told them she had a dick. Then, one of them stepped forward.
“Look,” Coea began, “none of us are very keen on the idea of mingling with humans beyond what’s necessary. But, Phoebe is still the chieftess. To disobey her will is to break tradition.”
“Our traditions have already been broken,” Clymene insisted. “They were broken the moment Phoebe began getting strange ideas in her head. We wouldn’t be breaking tradition. We’d be restoring it by getting rid of that accursed woman.”
The three women looked at each other again. One second passed. Then two. As one, they turned, facing her, their eyes glinting with the hardness of steel.
“We’re in,” Gortyessa said for all of them.
At their expressions and agreement to join her, a cruel smile caused Clymene’s lips to curve upwards.
***
Unlike many of the other huts, Phoebe’s came with a divan. Soft and comfortable, made from marble, and with a mattress she had found during one of her secret trips to Baku, it was easily the most luxurious piece of furniture she had.
Yet Phoebe could not sleep.
Someone was watching her.
While yama uba did not possess the incredible supernatural abilities of other yōkai, nor did they have the crazy physical strength of an oni or even the fighting abilities of an inu, they did have several powers that were unique to them. Danger Sense was one of them. The power to sense when danger was upon them. Some called it animal instinct, and they wouldn’t be wrong, but they wouldn’t necessarily be right either.
Danger Sense was a manifestation of youki.
Like all supernal beings, yama uba possess youki. They cannot manipulate it directly like higher-tier creatures, but they have many passive abilities. Their youki acts as a form of sonar. It allows them to sense when someone else is near, and also sense their intent. It is particularly adept at sensing malignant intentions…
… Such as the intent to kill.
The satin blanket covering her body fell away as she sat up. She was used to the cold air of the tunnel, but that didn’t stop goosebumps from breaking out on her bare chest.
Slowly, carefully, and with the fluid grace of a dancer, she slipped out of her divan. She didn’t bother putting on her armor, not even her skirt. Wearing nothing but a loincloth, she slowly walked toward where she kept her club—
—Only to find it missing.
“What?”
That was when they decided to attack.
***
Kevin woke up when his bladder told him that he’d piss himself if he didn’t take a leak now.
Blinking his eyes several times, his eyesight quickly adjusted to the low lighting. Minimal amounts of fluorescent luminescence filtered in through the cracks of the flap. The ceiling overhead, dull gray, composed of rocks, had several cracks in it.
Iris was sleeping on top of him. Kevin carefully maneuvered himself out from underneath her, grateful that she simply let him go without a fuss. Lilian never let him go that easily, such was the nature of his clingy kitsune girlfriend.
The cold air hit the bare skin of his chest as he adjusted to it. Goosebumps broke out, but he ignored them and made his way toward the flap.
Because this village had apparently never heard of plumbing, in order to use the restroom, one had travel all the way to what could only be loosely called an outhouse. It was, in essence, a small room with a hole in the ground. Certainly, it wasn’t the prettiest of sights, but Kevin really needed to go.
As he walked down the passage, his bare feet hitting cold stone that caused minor shocks to course up his spine, something caught his attention. A noise. No, several noises, all of them easily recognizable as the sounds of combat.
He swiveled around left and right, seeking the source of this noise. The large flowers that generated light were currently closed, their petals no longer visible. Even so, the bulbs themselves glowed dimly, allowing him to see his way around the cavernous passages.
Unfortunately, he still couldn’t determine where the sounds were coming from. They bounced along the cavern walls, grunts of exertion, flesh pounding flesh, the clashing of objects. Their ominous echoes made it impossible to determine the source.
“Tch!”
Clicking his teeth, Kevin took off in a fast sprint. If he didn’t know where the sounds were coming from, then he would simply run around until he found them.
***
Phoebe gasped in pain as the end of a club slammed into her chest. She stumbled backwards, her lungs deprived of air. Right hand twitching, she resisted the urge to rub her chest, knowing that to do so would give her enemies an advantage.
“Why have you decided to betray us?” She demanded an answer from her attackers. “Why have you decided to betray your own people?”
There were three of them in total. She recognized each and every one of them—not a hard thing to do, considering her village only had a little over fifty people living in it. All three were women she had considered good friends.
“We have no intention of betraying our people,” said Coea, wearing an expression that mixed seriousness with resignation. “We just want to return our people to the old ways, to uphold the traditions that we’ve kept for so long. You’re a threat to our way of life. That is why we’re doing this.”
“You’ve been talking to Clymene.” It wasn’t a question.
“It doesn’t matter.” Gortyessa’s hair swayed as she shook her head in a pitying manner. “Her desire to see you dethroned has no bearing on our desire to return to the old ways.”
“The old ways are killing our village.” Phoebe tried reasoning with them. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you? Hundreds of years ago, our village had thousands of members. Now we’re barely fifty strong. Even before the Mul Clan stopped sending us men to help repopulate our village, we were dying out. Humans have been on the rise for the past several hundred years. Their new technologies make accomplishing our tasks the old way impossible. Our only means of survival is the complete integration of our people into human society.”
“Blasphemy,” Cynna hissed. “Your words are foul and treacherous. I was on the fence about all this, but now that I’ve heard your true thoughts on the matter, I realize that Clymene has been right all along. You’re going to abolish our traditions like they don’t even matter, like they mean nothing to you.”
“The survival of my people is more important than silly and outdated traditions!”
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