A Fox's Mate (American Kitsune Book 6) Read online

  It was against the policies of the plane for people to sit like this, but Lilian had enchanted the attendant who walked down the aisles. Kevin normally would have bopped her on the head for that, but kitsune didn’t like flying, or so he’d been told. Lilian had seemed fine with it, but that might have been because she’d been holding onto him like a lifeline the whole time.

  While Lilian had acted mostly normal, Iris had been freaking out as the plane flew—at least, until she’d passed out in her seat. Speaking of…

  Iris sat next to them, also asleep. Her long, shimmering strands of midnight hair resembled silken threads that glimmered like captured starlight. Long, thick eyelashes hid her eyes from view, and her pouty lips, painted a dark crimson, just begged to be nibbled on.

  He looked away when he realized that the straps of her shirt had slid down her arms, the slight V-shaped hem falling with it, revealing tantalizing amounts of Iris’s stunning cleavage. Kevin almost wryly noted that, even when sleeping, his mate’s sister looked sexy beyond all reason.

  He looked further into the plane. Kirihime, Kotohime, and Camellia were sitting together. Kotohime was awake, he could tell, even though her eyes were closed. Her posture, straight and proper, hands folded in her lap, let him know that she was keeping a wary ear out for potential danger. She’d been on edge ever since the battle with Luna Mul. Camellia was fast asleep, leaning her head against an equally dozing Kirihime as she snored away.

  “Hawa-hawa-hawa-hawa… zzzz… hawa-hawa-hawa-hawa…”

  Yes, those were snores.

  A little way off, Alex, Andrew, and Eric also slept peacefully. Given all they’d seen, done, and learned, this didn’t surprise Kevin. They must’ve been exhausted.

  Alex and Andrew were, oddly enough, resting on each other. Kevin wondered how two people who fought so much could be so close. Then again, they were twins. Eric was mumbling in his sleep.

  “Hehehe… I wanna squeeze them big fun bags… kukuku… let me suck on them, please…”

  Kevin felt several drops of sweat trickle down his forehead. That boy…

  In front of Eric and the twins sat Lindsay and Christine. They were a little behind his seat. Kevin snorted when he noticed that Lindsay was tightly hugging Christine, who was grimacing in her sleep. Christine would occasionally shove the other girl off of her. Lindsay would frown, shift around some, and then go right back to hugging Christine as if she were a teddy bear. He felt sorry for the yuki-onna.

  Sitting in front of him, Lilian, and Iris were Heather and Kiara. They, much like Kotohime, were awake. They were talking about something, though he didn’t know what. He could barely make out their whispers.

  He looked back out the window. They were rolling across the runway. The landing must have been what had woken him up. Objects flashed by the window and several other runways were visible, until, eventually, the terminal that they would be docking at came into view.

  The airplane slowed to a stop.

  Seconds later, a soft ping! echoed throughout the airplane as the intercom came on: “We are almost ready to begin disembarking passengers. Please remain seated until our attendants are ready to direct you out. We would like to thank everyone who came aboard, and we hope that you had a great flight.”

  Everyone unbuckled and stretched in their seats, luxuriating in the feeling of freedom after the hour-long flight.

  “Lilian.” Kevin shook the girl awake. “Wake up, Lilian. We’ve arrived.”

  “Hmm… ah… huh?”

  Lilian blinked several times, her long eyelashes fluttering as she turned her head like she was looking for something. When her eyes landed on Kevin, she smiled.

  “Oh, Beloved… good morning.”

  Kevin’s lips twitched. “It’s actually the afternoon.”

  “Is that so?” Lilian mumbled. Her eyes were a little droopy. “Does that mean I don’t get a good morning kiss?”

  “It doesn’t need to be morning for you to get a kiss,” Kevin said as he cupped her cheek, leaned down, and kissed her. Her arms went around his neck as she returned it.

  In the other seat, Iris woke up and stretched her arms above her head. Her mouth parted to release a sensual moan that had several of the men around them passing out, their eyes rolling into the back of their heads as they fell back in their seats. They were actually kind of fortunate, Kevin thought, since it meant that they didn’t see Iris’s breasts popping out of her shirt…

  … Right, so maybe they weren’t very fortunate. Poor men, passing out before they could even catch a glimpse of such glorious cleavage.

  On a side note, Kevin had noticed that Eric had lasted long enough to see the already tight shirt stretch across Iris’s boobs, and he, much like Kevin, could probably tell that Iris did not believe in wearing bras. The pervy young man was now lying passed out on the floor, a puddle of blood expanding beneath him as it flowed from his nose.

  “Man down! Man down!”

  “We’ve got someone suffering from Nasal Sanguination! Quick, call the paramedics!”

  Kevin, Lilian, and everyone else grew silent as two paramedics rushed into the airplane. Kevin didn’t know how they had boarded, considering the airplane wasn’t even connected to the terminal yet, but he’d long since learned to ignore the weirdness that happened around him.

  “Beboop! Beboop!”

  The paramedic in the front released strange noises. Kevin thought he was trying to sound like an ambulance, but it sounded more like the squeals of a dying pig.

  “Beboop! Beboop! Beboop! Beboop!”

  They carried a stretcher between them, which they placed the passed out, still nose-bleeding Eric on before rushing back out of the airplane. They appeared heedless of the many eyes on them.

  “Well,” Iris started, crossing her arms under her chest, “that was weird.”

  Lilian and Kevin could only nod.

  ***

  Because they didn’t have the bus anymore, Kiara couldn’t drive them home. She paid for several cabs to take them back instead.

  Christine and Lindsay took a cab together, though Christine had been hesitant. The last Kevin saw of them, Christine had been banging on the window and shouting something as the cab drove off. He wondered if she was wary of the tomboy after being used as a hug pillow. Heather went with Kiara, and the twins got their own cab. Eric would’ve gotten a cab, but he’d been sent to the ICU after losing too much blood via spontaneous nasal combustion.

  The Pnév̱ma family plus Kevin, Kirihime, and Kotohime ended up needing a special cab because there were six of them—too many to fit into one little cab. Kiara hired a hummer cab to take them home.

  Kevin had to admit that being driven home in a hummer was kind of awesome. How many people could say they’ve ridden in a hummer?

  It was late by the time they arrived home. Kotohime prepared them a late-night meal while Kirihime unpacked Camellia’s, hers, and her sister’s clothing and toiletries. Kevin, Iris, and Lilian did their own unpacking.

  That evening, the family of six sat down to a lovely dinner prepared by their resident Yamato Nadeshiko; it was a Japanese dish of udon noodles, broiled fish, and pickled vegetables with miso soup. Rather than forks and knives, as would have been the standard utensils used in an American home, Kotohime brought out chopsticks.

  Kevin had grown used to using chopsticks in his own house. He didn’t even bat an eyelash anymore. That said, he felt like he was becoming a caricature of real people, like his entire life was being turned into an anime, because, honestly, how many other non-Japanese Americans used chopsticks near daily like he did?

  “Hey, Stud?” Iris grabbed Kevin’s attention just as he was getting ready to place some broiled fish in his mouth. He looked up, sighed, and then set his food back down.

  “Do you really have to call me that?” Kevin asked.

  “Course I do,” Iris said before getting on with her question. “So, have you ever had any cats before? And I’m not talking about the one that came on the tri
p with us. I mean have you had any cats before Lily-pad started living with you?”

  Lilian, who was already digging into her food and had several udon noodles hanging from her mouth, looked up upon hearing the question. She slurped up the remainder of the noodles and focused on their conversation.

  Kevin thought the question odd, but he tried to recall if he’d ever had a cat before.

  “I… I don’t know,” he admitted, frowning. “Back when I was younger, I used to always bring animals home.” His face scrunched up as he thought about the question some more. “I remember having several pet birds, a couple snakes, a skunk…”

  “You brought a skunk home?” Iris asked, her face scrunching up as if he’d admitted to watching yaoi hentai.

  “I couldn’t just leave it to fend for itself,” Kevin defended. “It was out in the cold and rain and it was eating from the trash can. That couldn’t have been healthy for it.”

  “So you brought it home?” Even Lilian appeared a little incredulous now.

  “Wouldn’t you have done the same thing?” he asked.

  “No,” Iris said, Lilian nodding in concurrence with her sister. Even Camellia was nodding along with them. “No, I wouldn’t. I don’t want my place or my body smelling like shit.”

  Kevin pouted. “That’s just a defense mechanism they use to keep predators away. So long as you show a skunk that you mean no harm, it won’t spray you like that.”

  “Really?” Iris asked, deadpan.

  “Really.” Kevin maintained Iris’s gaze for less than two seconds before being forced to look away.

  Iris nodded. “Thought so. And you still didn’t answer my question.”

  “Why do you want to know so badly?”

  “Call it idle curiosity.”

  Kevin frowned and tried to remember some more. “I do remember owning a cat once. It must have been… five or six years ago, maybe? I can’t really remember when, but I do recall bringing home a black cat when I was younger. I let it stay for somewhere around a month or so before the landlord and my mom realized I was keeping a cat in the apartment.” Kevin paused, his eyes turning toward the ceiling as if he was remembering something else. “You know, now that I think about it, the cat that I brought to California with us looked a lot like the cat that I brought home back then.” He frowned, blinking some more. “I wonder if they’re related.”

  Iris and Lilian shared a look.

  “I wonder what happened to that cat anyway?” Kevin asked. “I hope it’s all right.”

  Several miles away, in another part of Phoenix, a certain nekomata sneezed.

  “I’m sure the cat's fine, Kevin,” Lilian assured her mate. “You know how felines are. They’re always moving from place to place, never staying in one spot for long periods of time.”

  “I guess,” Kevin said with a sigh. Sure, they hadn’t known each other for very long, but he really did miss that cat.

  Dinner soon ended. Lilian and Kevin forced Kotohime—who should have still technically been resting—to relax while they took care of the dishes.

  Because of the late hour, the two did not sit on the couch and watch anime until the desire for sleep claimed them, but they instead went straight to the bathroom and got ready for bed. After going through their nightly routine (brushing teeth, washing face, flossing, etc.), Kevin and Lilian wandered hand in hand into their bedroom.

  “You’re troubled,” Lilian said the moment he closed the door behind them.

  Kevin’s smile was more of a grimace. “Am I that obvious?”

  “To me, yes,” Lilian said, gazing at him with a compassionate expression that few people could have matched. Just being the recipient of her look made Kevin feel like warm putty. “You’re still thinking about what happened at the Comic-Con, aren’t you?”

  Kevin’s smile was tremulous. “Yeah…”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Kevin thought about her offer. He hadn’t told anyone about his feelings yet, and the temptation to open up was strong. So much had happened during that time, and he was struggling to wrap his mind around all of it: The battle between the yōkai and anti-yōkai forces, his shameful defeat at the hands of that blond fop, the battle of Kiara and Kotohime against the six-tails, and their subsequent defeat.

  Lilian getting stabbed by a spear of water.

  His rage as he watched her crumble to the ground.

  The way he’d taken the gun in his hand and shot someone, killing them. It didn’t matter if that person had been evil. It still made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it. Even now the urge to vomit remained strong. Even now he could see the blood stains covering his hands.

  “Maybe… maybe some other time,” he said with a strained smile. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to talk about what happened.”

  Lilian stared at him, her eyes gentle and benign, a sea of viridian surrounded by beautiful fair skin. She closed the distance between them so very little space remained. Tilting her head and leaning on her tiptoes, Lilian pressed her mouth to his.

  Her kiss was soft and ephemeral, a gentle caressing of lips that caused his body to grow warm. Kevin relaxed. He rested his hands on her waist, feeling the warmth of her naked skin as they slipped under her shirt. He took her lower lip between his, and then switched to her upper lip where he gently suckled on it.

  They pulled back after another kiss. Lilian’s tender smile did wonders for his heart. The purity in her expression soothed him in ways nothing else had.

  “When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here,” she said, and Kevin felt his heart constrict. Six months ago, these words would have been meaningless, but now they were his panacea.

  “Thank you,” he said, his emotional voice a soft whisper.

  Lilian took his hands and pulled him onto the bed with her. Kevin lay down on his back as Lilian took residence on his left, snuggling against him. Her head rested on his chest. Kevin didn’t wear shirts to bed anymore, so her ear was pressed against his bare skin. He wondered if she was listening to his heart beat.

  “Good night, Beloved,” she murmured. “I love you.”

  “Night, Lilian. I love you, too.”

  Kevin felt it when Lilian fell asleep. Her tense body relaxed, the muscles in her legs, arms, and stomach went slack. Her breathing evened, which caused her chest to slowly push into him. She mumbled a bit, her warm lips kissing his chest before her head turned and she tried to snuggle deeper into his pectorals.

  Kevin did not close his eyes. He couldn’t—or more like he wouldn’t. He had no desire to fall asleep, not when he knew what awaited him in his dreams. Anger. Blood. Hatred. Violence. A nightmare from which he couldn’t escape was all that awaited him if he allowed himself to be taken in by exhaustion.

  So he stayed awake, listening to the sound of Lilian’s breathing, holding her close, until his mind became addled and his body relaxed against his will. He fought and struggled, but it was no use. The body could only stave off exhaustion for so long, and he was exhausted. His mind, his body, his heart, his very soul was worn and weary, desiring nothing more than to embrace the darkness.

  Darkness came, and with it, Kevin re-experienced the moment that had turned him into a murderer.

  ***

  Christine and Lindsay exited the cab parked right outside of the Diane residence. Together, they walked up to the decently sized house. Behind them, tires screeched as the cab sped off.

  After much cajoling and several minutes of begging, Lindsay had convinced Christine to spend the night with her, claiming that she didn’t want to be alone right now.

  Christine honestly didn’t want to be near Lindsay at the moment. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the girl, but rather, that she didn’t like being used as Lindsay’s pillow. While she would never admit this out loud, the only person that she wanted holding her like Lindsay had been doing on the plane was Kevin.

  “I’m home!” Lindsay called out as she and Christine entered the house, closing the door b
ehind them. They took off their shoes and put them onto the shoe rack off to the side. Footsteps echoed from down the hall, growing closer until a large woman appeared around the corner.

  “Oh, Lindsay, darling!”

  “Hey, Mom—ack! W-wait! Don’t—murgle!”

  “Oh, I’m so pleased to see that you’ve returned safely. When I saw the news about what happened at that convention thingy that you and your friends were going to, I grew so worried! Oh, dear girl, you should have called to let me know you were all right!”

  Christine watched with the utmost amusement, enjoying the entertaining sight of Lindsay’s face being smothered in her mom’s large breasts. Mrs. Diane was a plump woman, not fat, but still large. She and Lindsay looked nothing alike. Only their blond hair appeared similar, and even that was different due to their hairstyles. Lindsay wore a pixy cut and her mom had long, curly hair.

  After assuring Lindsay’s mother that, yes, they were perfectly all right and unharmed and that, no, they’d not been present during the “earthquake”—a blatant lie if Christine had ever heard one—the two adjourned to Lindsay’s bedroom.

  “Dinner will be ready in a few hours,” Mrs. Diane had told them. “I’ll call you when it’s finished.”

  “Okay, Mom.”

  Breathing a relieved sigh, Lindsay flopped face-first onto her bed. Christine entered more gracefully, walking over to the desk, avoiding the scattered soccer balls that littered the floor. The desk was on the wall opposite the bed. She moved the chair back and sat down, her shoulders slumping as if they were weighed down by twenty pound weights.

  “Hey, Christine,” Lindsay spoke softly, her voice muffled by the bed.

  “Yeah?”

  Turning her head to look at Christine, Lindsay asked, “Do you think Kevin is all right? He seemed kinda…”

  “Depressed?” Christine offered when Lindsay seemed unable to think of an appropriate word. “Mopey? Angsty? Emo?”

  “Yeah…” Lindsay grimaced.