Page 26 of Curses & Kitsune

Swallowing hard, I hold his gaze. “If you would do this for me, I… I’d be in your debt.” And even as my pride screams in protest, I bow over the table.

A rusty smoker’s laugh crawls from Takada’s throat. “Oh? Now this is interesting. Spill.”

I already have my damn answer.

To save my pack, to save Jinta, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.

“You and I will share the Taito Ward’s profits. We can be business partners.”

A thoughtful purr answers me. “That does sound nice, but I’m afraid that’s still not worth the risk of facing a whole pack of hunters.”

I have to swallow hard as bile rises in my throat. “That’s not all.” Looking up beneath my lashes at him, I say, “You’ll have me.”

Takada’s expression remains unchanged as smoke curls from his nostrils, but his pupils expand, and his scent shifts, becoming spicy with arousal. “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you mean, Noboru.”

Gritting my teeth, I squeeze out the words, “I’ll be yours. However you want me.”

Takada bares his teeth in a smile that makes my skin crawl. He takes his sweet time answering me, making it damn hard to breathe through the knot in my chest. Takada blows out a cloud of smoke, then rubs the cigarette out on the ashtray. “That is a… very generous offer, Noboru.” His voice smolders with lust.

If I keep my word to Takada, Jinta will never forgive me. I’ll be Takada’s pet for the rest of my life. But if I say no, then my pack dies. Jinta dies. Is my life really worth Jinta’s, my pack’s? No. It isn’t. The right thing, the selfless thing, is to put the yakuza first. Like I’ve done my entire fucking life.

“Am I sensing some hesitation, Noboru?” When Takada’s fingers crawl over my cheek, my entire body seizes up. “Do you really think the human will make you happy? That you’ll ever be content with, what? Some white picket fences. A normal job. Come on, now. I know you. Better than your precious human ever will. You’ll only disappoint him when you can’t be the picture-perfect mate he wants. But you don’t have to change for me, Noboru. I will never ask that of you.” His breath ghosts over my mouth.

He’s right. I’ll never make Jinta happy, and I’ll only disappoint him. Or worse, get him killed.

“Let him go,” Takada breathes, eyes closing, nose brushing mine. “Be mine, and I will help you save your pack.”

I seize his hand and squeeze. Bones crunch. Takada doubles over the table with a strangled shout, baring his teeth at me as he seethes through the agony of having his fingers broken in my grasp.

“Do we have a deal?” I snarl at him.

Panting through his pain, Takada nods. “We do.”

“You stick to your side of this arrangement, or all bets are off.” I drop his hand like it’s something slimy and foul, wiping my palm on my pants. “If you think this arrangement means you’ll own me, you’re wrong. You will never be my mate.”

Rising, I turn my back on Takada and march from the room, away from the shadow of the naïve boy I once was. I’m not some broken boy he can string along and abuse anymore. I have no intention of following through on my end of the deal. I could never let Takada touch me again. Maybe once I could have been selfless enough but not now.

I’ve given away my heart and soul to Jinta Onodera, entrusted it to his safekeeping. Nothing will ever change that.

Takada has never taken no for an answer. He’ll come for me once I have deceived him.

There won’t be anywhere in Tokyo that’s safe for me.

Chapter 9

My whole body hurts. I’m sure one of my ribs is broken. The slightest breath makes pain spasm through my body.

With a chuckle, Akira tosses his phone into the air and catches it with a smack in his palm. “Wonderful. He’s on his way. It’s a shame he’ll be too late.”

Fear makes my heart skip. Raiden. He’s coming. Escape is impossible. The hunters are going to use me as bait to kill the man I love.

“Don’t do this,” I croak, wincing as pain racks my aching jaw. “Please.”

Ignoring me, Akira checks the time. “When did the priestess say she was coming?”

“She should be here any minute, boss,” one of the hunters answers.

Tamano-no-Mae appears beside me, painted lips in a thin line. “You have got to get out of here.”

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