Page 25 of Curses & Kitsune

My stomach churns as I open my phone and look at the picture of my mate. His eyes plead for help as blood weeps from his wounds.

My fingers tremble as I type in a number and hit call.

How much am I willing to sacrifice to save Jinta? The answer is simple.

Everything.

Even my very soul.

I ride for Minato Ward. Tokyo Tower glows orange against a periwinkle sky. I blow smoke out the open window, drumming my fingers on the wheel constantly. I hate how jittery I feel. Smoking doesn’t relax me, and I’ve gone through half a pack since this morning. My stomach churns sickeningly, and my heart thuds against my chest.

I’ve avoided coming back to this spot for as long as I can, and now here I am, walking willingly into a snake’s den to save a pack plotting to overthrow me. There’s a sour taste in my mouth when I park outside the fancy restaurant.

I chuck my cigarette out the window and step out of the car. Inside, the restaurant is still as classy as I remember it. A sparkling chandelier twinkles over the dining room. Servers carry huge cuts of beef with sides of mashed potatoes and vegetables to tables or pour expensive bottles of wine for guests.

I tell the host I have a reservation, and she leads the way through the restaurant. My stomach tightens when I realize I know where we’re going. To our usual table, private and secluded.

“Right through this curtain,” the host says, motioning at the curtain sectioning off an intimate dining room.

Taking in a breath, I reach out to part the curtain. Voices come from beyond. I recognize Takada’s gravelly voice, and the other, a man’s voice, is vaguely familiar. Ah. Must be Hirano Kasamatsu, Takada’s second-in-command. I concentrate on their voices, my supernatural hearing filtering out the noise so I can eavesdrop.

“—gone soft, Hirano,” Takada growls.

“This is only going to backfire on you. You have to know that!” Kasamatsu’s voice is sharp with anger.

What’s he talking about? Maybe whatever deal Takada wants to strike with me?

“Expanding our territory will make our pack stronger. There’s good real estate in Shinjuku just waiting to be snatched up, and with our rivals out of the way, we’ll have no one to compete with.”

He’s got a point. Why would Kasamatsu be so opposed about this?

“You have no honor, Saito!”

Kasamatsu must be talking about something other than Takada’s interest in real estate. What else has Takada done? I don’t want to know, and he wouldn’t tell me if I asked.

“Shut up and get out!” Takada erupts. “Go and wait for me in the car. If you have problems with the way I run things, maybe I’ll have to consider someone else for your position. Keep that in mind!”

Kasamatsu yanks back the curtain and storms out. He stumbles to a halt at the sight of me, then drops into a bow. “Noboru.” I bow back, but he says nothing more as he storms past. I don’t know what that was about, but I don’t care. Time to deal with Takada. I open the curtain and walk in.

“Brings back nice memories, huh, Noboru?” Takada sinks into the chair opposite me. His usual spot. I squeeze my fists together. If he wants to make me feel like a helpless kid again by making me sit in my old spot, he’s going to be disappointed.

“I’m not staying,” I say.

Takada crosses one ankle over the other. “That’s a shame. You always loved their ribs. Ate it right off my fork like a little baby bird.”

Fury pounds in my ears as the humiliating memories claw at me.

“It’s overpriced.” I grip the back of my chair.

Takada narrows his eyes, the only hint of his annoyance, then shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

“Let’s get to the point,” I say, staring him in the eyes. “Hunters took my mate. My pack isn’t thrilled about going toe to toe with hunters for a guy they barely know.”

Sucking on his cigarette, Takada blows smoke over his shoulders. “And so you come to me for help. I’m flattered.”

My hands curl, claws biting into wood as a smirk tugs at Takada’s mouth, but I rein in my temper. I’ve got to do this for Jinta, for my pack.

“And why in the fuck do you think I’d help you out of the goodness of my heart? Don’t get me wrong, I love killing hunters as much as any other guy. But I don’t make a habit of doing something for nothing.”

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