Page 6 of Curses & Kitsune

Ren growls. “Why would you do that?”

“Because Noboru has turned this pack into a laughingstock!” Tadaomi erupts. “Not only is your mate a human, he’s a damn kitsune! How are we supposed to trust it won’t kill us all?”

The calm I’ve been holding on to burns to ash as fury blazes inside me. “Leave Jinta out of this.”

Tadaomi ignores the warning in my voice. “Humans have no place among us! They are the enemy. He was a damn reporter, spying on us. He could spill all our secrets to the press, if he doesn’t kill us first! He goes, or I do!”

My wolf snarls within, and my fangs sharpen. “Jinta is not a threat, and I’m going to work with him to help control the kitsune curse.”

“As if I’m supposed to trust a thing you say! You’ll be the death of this pack, Noboru! So make your choice. The human, or your pack.”

My claws come out. There’s no choice to make. I will always choose Jinta. Anyone who doesn’t want to accept his permanent place at my side will have to take it up with me.

“Tadaomi, please!” Goto says, trying to get to his brother, but Ren cuts him off.

Tadaomi stares me down, claws sharp at his sides. He’s made up his mind, and so have I.

Without breaking our stare, I roll up my sleeves, popping my neck from side to side. “Challenge me, then.”

Teeth bared in a snarl, Tadaomi charges, and I meet him halfway. With a swipe of my claws, blood spatters the roof. Tadaomi stumbles, clutching at his throat as blood pours down the front of his shirt. I lower my hand, trying to ignore the way it shakes. Tadaomi drops to his knees and keels onto his side. Choked gurgles escape him as he twitches on the ground.

“Brother!” Goto shoves past me and gathers his sibling into his arms. “Please!”

Tadaomi’s eyes glaze over, lips parting on a final bloody gasp.

Goto’s lips wobble, and tears spill down his cheeks. When he glares up at me, rage burns in his eyes. “You… you killed him. Your own blood brother!”

I wipe my bloody claws on my trousers. “And the same will happen to anyone else who questions my leadership. Remember that, Ishida.” Turning my back on the brothers, I walk past Ren. Something shifts inside me. My shaking hand balls into a fist, heart pounding to break free from my chest. I killed one of my own. Surely that should weigh on my soul, but it doesn’t.

Instead, for the first time in my life, I feel… powerful.

Chapter 3

The police press conference room is packed with reporters, but I manage to grab a seat up front before the conference starts. I’d been on my way to the office when my editor called, insisting I attend the conference.

The chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department walks onto the stage, sorting the papers on his podium. A lull falls over the room. I open my notebook and click the tip of my pen.

The police chief clears his throat. “Last night at nine-thirty, a vigilante group clashed with members of the Horikoshi-gumi in Chiyoda. The fight resulted in the deaths of Ken Kobayashi, Jintaro Ito, Akiro Suzuki, and Kyo Tanaka, several top members of the Horikoshi-gumi who we believe were in town on business. However, one gangster, Kenta Noboru, was identified at the scene, and he managed to escape.”

My pen slips on the paper.

Noboru is a common last name, but still.

I raise my hand. “Excuse me, but are his whereabouts known?”

“Not at this time. All we know is that he managed to escape back to Osaka. We have asked local police to be on high alert for him.”

“Why are you so certain a vigilante group was responsible?” a reporter asks.

“They wore wolfskin cloaks and reportedly shouted anti-yakuza sentiments before engaging the Horikoshi-gumi in a gunfight. Additionally, they wore a crest on their lapel that isn’t associated with any of the yakuza groups in the city.”

After a few more questions from the reporters, the conference concludes. While other reporters make for the doors, I remain sitting as my vision glazes over and my mind spins. The description the chief gave perfectly matches the Blades of the Onryo. The Blades must have had inside knowledge the yakuza group would be in town. Could someone within the gumi have tipped them off?

I ride the subway back to the office. While the train rolls along, I whip out my phone and type Noboru’s name into the search engine. His face pops up. Noboru was featured in an article a few years back when he was imprisoned for five years for possession of illegal drugs. There’s something undeniably familiar about his face. It’s as if I’m looking at an older version of Raiden. Both have brown eyes, but Noboru’s eyes are cold as dirt, whereas Raiden’s are a warm whiskey-brown

Could Kenta Noboru be Raiden’s father? I would have to ask Raiden himself. Somehow, Raiden’s father cured himself of the kitsune curse and managed to run away from the Namikawa-kai. If we can find out how, I could be one step closer to being rid of Tamano-no-Mai before I harm anyone.

The train stops in the middle of the tunnel. People groan and sigh. The conductor apologizes over the PSA system, assuring us we’ll be moving momentarily. I sigh and close my eyes. It’s hot in here. Sweat rolls down my chest, and my mind wanders. The air conditioning isn’t working in this car. Ugh, I feel gross, especially crushed between all these people.

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