“You are far fromtainted goods.” The very thought sent indignant rage coursing through my veins. “And how could anyone not want you?” Even when I’d imagined Hikaru a nuisance, that wasn’t how I’d truly felt. I’d wasted a lot of energy attempting to convince myself that I didn’t want Hikaru around when nothing could have been further from the truth.
Hikaru simply shrugged, his shoulders sagging. “Not everyone feels that way.”
“Then they are idiots,” I confidently stated, not a hint of doubt. “You are a gift. No one can convince me otherwise, including you.” I tilted Hikaru’s face, meeting his sad gaze. “Where has my confident kitsune gone? Where is the creature that rearranged my home, that wiggled his way into my life, and integrated himself into my very soul?”
Those words earned me a tender smile. “I’m not sure. I… When it comes to Inari, I regress back to that fragile kit Tenzenfound.”
My fingers slipped through Hikaru’s hair. The orange, red, and golden strands stood out against my blackened fingers, thatdarkness no longer confined to the tips but running down the length of my fingers. “That, I can understand. You are not alone. I will support whatever decision you make. But, speaking as a father, I believe Inari would want to know you are alive. If it were my own child… I cannot fathom the loss or the ensuing joy at finding out what I’d thought lost was alive and well. And you arewell, Hikaru. You are a kitsune any parent would be proud to claim. And, if on the off-chance Inari is a fool and doesn’t want you, then I will cherish you all the more. We will never speak Inari’s name again, and I will shower you with so much love and affection that you will never again doubt your worthiness.”
This time, Hikaru’s tears were languid streams weaving their way down his damp cheeks. His gold-green eyes shimmered with the added wetness. Light danced within those eyes. “What would I do without you?” Hikaru asked gently.
“I’m certain you would have found some type of mischief to get into. Thankfully, we do not need to speculate. You are with me, now and forever.” Guilt sat heavily on my chest. Before we’d bonded, Hikaru and I’d discussed how longforeverwas. I was not immortal. Binding himself to me might well have shortened Hikaru’s overall lifespan.
A light tap on my forehead brought me out of my brooding. “Stop feeling guilty, Niki. It was my choice. I’ve already lived centuries and I’ll live centuries more by your side. If my overall lifespan is shortened, so be it. Quality over quantity. If our bonded time together were but a day, I would still choose that over centuries without you.”
The noose around my heart uncoiled. “It was still unfair of me to ask you to do so.”
“If you hadn’t asked, I would have demanded it.” The saucy grin I loved reappeared. “And you should know by now that I can be very tenacious when it comes to getting what I want.”
“Ever so true.” Cupping Hikaru’s cheeks, I pulled him closer, savoring his soft lips. Breaking apart, I rested our foreheads together. I hated to interrupt our tender moment, but this needed to be said. “Do you truly need Keir to contact Inari?”
Hikaru stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“You said it yourself, you never attempted to contact them. I am uncertain how your relationship works, but there could still be a connection there. Or if not, perhaps a connection you could reinstate? I’m honestly not certain, but it might be worth a try when you’re ready.”
“I…I’m not sure.”
“That’s fine. No need for you to be certain now. We have time.”
“We.”
“Of course. You do not believe I would leave you alone in such an endeavor.”
“No, Niki. I could never think that.”
“Good. We move forward, into the future as a team, Hikaru. Your joys and burdens are mine, just as mine are yours.”
Hikaru’s deep sigh reverberated through my core. “I like the sound of that.”
“That is fortunate considering we have already bonded.”
My heart lightened with Hikaru’s quiet laughter. “Very true.”
We sat there, on the couch, Hikaru’s body resting within my embrace. I had never thought another would fit so well into my life, into my very soul. I was not an easy warlock to love. Perhaps no warlock was. Maybe that was why Gaia gifted us with one and onlys. They were truly the one and only creature that could put up with us for any length of time.
Thinking of one and onlys… “Erasmus is not pleased with me.”
Hikaru huffed. “Not surprising. I told you to call him right away.”
“I had more important things to do.” I kissed the top of Hikaru’s head. My cheeks flushed as I remembered thoseimportant things. “My son is insisting on having a party to celebrate our joining.”
Hikaru immediately perked up, his tails happily twitching. “A party? Oh, I love parties.” He started hopping on my lap. “What kind of party? When? Where? We could have it here, out back by the ocean. I know it gets a little windy, but it’s beautiful and…”
I relaxed into the cushions as Hikaru prattled on and on, enjoying the excited cadence of his voice. Hikaru was happy again. I don’t think anything in the world could have brought me more peace and joy than knowing I had placed that smile on his face. Dear Gaia, love had well and truly turned me into a sap.
Thirty-Three
Hikaru
