“He’s just a family friend,” I added again.
Ainsley pouted. “Well, that’s boring. I guess I’ll go straighten everyone out before the rumors get too crazy.”
“Princesses,” Takumi said from behind us.
We turned around, and he bowed to us.
This guy...
“What is it, Takumi?” Loralie asked.
“I finished my rounds and found nothing amiss,” he said, standing straight and looking stoic.
Tsukiko scowled. “Okay? Why are you telling us?”
“As Princess, I thought it was proper for me to inform you,” he said.
“We aren’t princesses,” Loralie snapped.
He dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “I apologize, Princess Loralie. I did not mean to upset you. I shall take my punishment as you see fit to give me.”
Loralie looked at Tsukiko and I, her mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out.
“Stop being ridiculous,” Tsukiko growled. “What game are you playing?”
“I live to serve you three,” he said, still on one knee with one fist on the ground.
“Some family friend,” Ainsley whispered behind me.
Satan, take me now.
“Stand up,” Loralie hissed.
Takumi stood and smiled at her.
“Tsukiko,” Rathik called as he, Bogden, and Dante headed towards us. All three wore matching scowls, and a dark red aura surrounded them.
Tsukiko tensed, and Loralie and I moved a step closer to her, the three of us touching arms.
Takumi’s smile disappeared into a deep scowl. He spun around and took a large step away from us, blocking the trio from approaching. “They are not interested in speaking to you three.”
“What is this?” Rathik asked Tsukiko.
“Come on,” Tsukiko whispered and grabbed Loralie and my hands.
We turned and headed towards the dormitory, ready to hide out for the rest of the night.
“Frances,” Dante called.
There was movement and then the sound of flesh hitting flesh.
“They do not wish to speak to you three. Do not make me say it again,” Takumi growled.
I turned and stared in shock at Dante on his butt before Takumi who was more wolf than man at the moment, his fur dripping with black smoke.
“Takumi,” I gasped. “Back off.”
“Who is he to you?” Dante asked.
“I am theirs,” Takumi said.
“No, you’re not!” Loralie, Tsukiko, and I yelled at the same time.
“He’s a family friend,” Ainsley said from behind the boys. “Apparently, he’s just pestering them because they don’t want a bodyguard.”
“Is that what you told her?” Takumi asked and looked back at us, pain flashing across his face for a brief moment.
“Stop this,” Tsukiko growled and took a step closer to Takumi. “Why are you purposefully making people think we’re more than friends?”
“We’re not?” he asked, moving a step closer to her.
“Takumi,” she groaned and let her head fall back.
“Did our time together over the summer mean so little?” he whispered.
“Apparently less than our time together,” I whispered to Loralie who nodded.
We both already knew that he had a crush on Tsukiko. And all three of us had spent time with Takumi separately and together. He was commonly used by our parents to protect us, since we all actually liked him and could tolerate being protected by him.
“I swore my life to you three,” he whispered.
“At different times,” I said and put my hands on my hips. “You can’t offer your life to multiple people.”
“You three are one,” he said nonchalantly.
Did he know about our secret ability? He couldn’t possibly know. Yet, he was the only one who had made such a comment.
“You and I are not dating,” Tsukiko said sternly. “Stop trying to make people believe that.”
“Tsukiko,” he whispered and stepped closer to her. “Were you just playing with my heart this summer? Do you not remember...this...”
His face shifted and within a second, he had his human mouth pressed to hers.
Rathik hissed, but instead of trying to pull them apart, he spun and walked away.
Tsukiko pushed Takumi away and roared. “Stop this!”
Takumi shifted his head back, bowed, and ran off to the side of the dormitory building.
Dante stood and looked at me with a scowl, shook his head, and walked after Rathik.
Bogden looked at Loralie, their eyes meeting, and after a moment, he exhaled and went after his friends.
Tsukiko wiped her mouth with her sleeve and growled. “He’s gone too far this time.”
“Let’s go,” I whispered, noticing that we had gathered a crowd of onlookers.
Despite knowing that it was probably for the best and this would keep them away from us, my heart hurt.
I had never wanted to hurt Dante. And Takumi was only a friend, but…
It might prove to have been the best action.
Twenty-Two
TSUKIKO
He was ruining everything! Stupid Takumi!
No doubt the school was running wild with their versions of what they had witnessed.
Why? Why was he doing this?
Why had he kissed me?
My lips still tingled from his kiss, even hours later.
I growled and paced across my room.
How could I fix this?
I couldn’t be with Rathik, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to hate me. Or for him to think I was messing around with Takumi.
It was true that Takumi had pledged his life to us, but not romantically.
Keeping away from Takumi was my best bet, but he kept sneaking up on me.
Had Grandfather put him up to this? Or was this all Takumi’s idea?
Loralie had tried to tell me that Takumi had feelings for me.
I hadn’t believed her then, but now...she might have been right.
“Pacing and growling won’t accomplish anything aside from making you even angrier,” Frances said from where she lay on the ground, her arm over her eyes.
“I’m going for a run,” I said and stomped towards the door.
“We’ll be here,” Loralie said from her spot on the bed, her face pressed into the pillows.
I shut the door behind me before shifting and running out to the forest.
A few other wolves yipped at me, but I wasn’t in the mood to play. I wasn’t in the mood to socialize.
I just wanted to run and hunt.
To tear something apart with my teeth.
I ran deeper and deeper into the forest, not caring how far from the school I was, or whether I ran outside of the boundaries or not.
A strange scent caught my nose and I turned, following it.
It was sweet and yet smelled of decay at the same time.
Slowing, I continued to follow the scent, but quieter and more stealthily.
As I turned for a third time, I finally found the source of the scent.
Two humans in strange suits and wearing weird helmets battled with Takumi.
Without thinking, I ran forward and tackled the one closest to me.
“Kiko!” Takumi yelled. “What are you doing here?”
I didn’t answer, not that I could have in wolf form anyway, focused on trying to bite through the stupid suit the human wore.