Page 47 of Curses & Kitsune

“I don’t want you to face your mom alone.”

A laugh escapes me, though affection blooms warm in my chest. “Think I can handle a sick old woman.”

“Of course you can.” Jinta huffs, folding his arms with a pout. “That’s not what I meant. It’ll be hard for you to see her again, won’t it?”

It will be. I feel sick at the very thought, but I’m ashamed to admit my mother still has such a hold over me. How will she react? Will she be angry? Surprised? That is, if she isn’t comatose from whatever’s left her bedridden in the hospital. What if we get all the way there, and she’s comatose?

“It’s okay,” Jinta whispers, and I realize he must have felt echoes of my anxiety. “I’ll be here.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my fingers.

Relief blooms in my chest as I rest my cheek on his soft hair. “I know.”

And I appreciate it more than I could ever say.

Chapter 17

Hiroshima is a beautiful city. Despite the city’s tragic past during World War II, it’s blossomed into a stunning and vibrant city. I wish there was time to take in the sights, maybe even visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial to pay respects to those who were killed so senselessly.

From the airport, we go straight to Minami Ward where the hospital is supposed to be. In the taxi, Raiden is stiff beside me, hands tightly clenched in his lap. The frantic beat of his heart drums in my ears. I haven’t learned how to tune out all the extra noises I pick up on.

I wish I knew the right thing to say to ease all his worries, but I’m glad I came with him. He shouldn’t have to face his mother alone after all the pain and trauma she’s caused him. The taxi pulls up outside the hospital, and we get out. Raiden is silent beside me as we enter the building. Behind the desk, a lady in a surgeon’s mask types away at a computer. I hang back while Raiden approaches the desk, speaking softly to the receptionist.

She nods a few times, eyes crinkling as she smiles behind her mask. Raiden motions for me to follow him, and we take the elevator up to the third floor. Beside me, Raiden’s breathing hard, hands clenched at his sides. I reach out and poke his finger with my pinky. His hand relaxes enough for me to take it.

“It’ll be okay,” I tell him.

Raiden exhales through clenched teeth. “I know.” He doesn’t sound convinced. The elevator opens, and Raiden leads me through the quiet, winding halls until we arrive outside a door. Raiden’s fingers shake when he reaches out and grasps the handle, and I hold on tight to his hand as we step into the room together. The room is small but cozy. A couple of big windows let in golden streams of sunlight. There’s a painting on the wall, a vase of flowers of some kind, but not much else in the way of decorations.

It's so quiet. I hear the moment Raiden’s breath catches. In the bed, Shoko Miyamoto lies beneath the blankets. There’s a sour odor coming from her, a musk that makes my nose wrinkle. It’s death, I realize. She’s not dead, but she will be soon. Raiden blows out a breath, and the tension drains from him, face twisting into something that looks like pity.

“What’s wrong with her?” I whisper.

Raiden swallows hard beside me. “We call it Lone Wolf Sickness. Wolves without a pack or a mate are at risk of getting it. It’s the human equivalent of dying of a broken heart. We’re pack animals, not meant to go through life alone. After Dad left, after she… abandoned me, she must have closed herself off from others completely.” His voice wavers, and he clears his throat. “Her entire body is shutting down. She doesn’t have long left.”

Tamano materializes beside Shoko’s bed. “I know all too well that kind of loneliness,” she murmurs, pity furrowing her brow. “It’s like a slow, agonizing death.”

Shoko lies so still, I think she’s sleeping, until she slowly opens her eyes. When she sees us, she slowly props herself up with what looks like a great effort. Raiden leaves my side and goes to her bedside. He adjusts her pillow, giving her something to support her. Side by side, I can see the resemblance between mother and son. Though her face is lined and wrinkled, Raiden has the shape of her eyes and her elegant bone structure.

“Hey, Mom,” Raiden says, and his voice is softer than I’ve ever heard it. I imagined so many ways he might react, and anger was at the forefront of my mind. But it’s hard to be angry when she’s so feeble and sick.

Shoko’s tired eyes well with tears at the sight of him. “It’s really you…”

“Yeah. I’m here.”

Her trembling lips form a smile. “Kenta. My love.”

Raiden’s breath catches audibly.

My heart sinks. She thinks Raiden is his father, her long-lost mate.

Shoko reaches out to touch his face. “I thought I’d never see you again.” Tears spill down her wrinkled cheeks. “I’ve waited s-so long for you, my love. I’ve missed you.”

Raiden blinks fast, then turns his face from my view, leaning into her touch. “I missed you, too.” I’ve never heard such devastation in his voice.

Suddenly, I feel like I don’t belong here. I want to stay and support Raiden, but I feel like an intruder witnessing something I have no right to see. As quietly as I can, I sit in a chair nearby and stare into my lap, trying to give them some privacy.

“I… I don’t understand,” Shoko whispers. “We were happy. Weren’t we? Wasn’t I a good wife? A good mate?”

Raiden clears his throat. “Y-yeah. ’Course you were.”

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