Page 70 of Curses & Kitsune

Raiden pulls me in close, capturing my lips with his. I curl my trembling fingers in his hair and lose myself in his warmth and scent. “I love you,” Raiden whispers as he kisses each of my eyelids. “Love you.” He touches his lips to each of my cheeks. “Love you.” He caresses my forehead with his lips, then swoops back down to claim my mouth again.

The thread around my finger vibrates, making me look down. The thread reaches toward Raiden and wraps around his finger, connecting us, making our souls one. Raiden holds my hand tight as he kisses each of my fingers, including my pinky, right over the red thread.

“How can you be here?” I ask, voice shaking. “You aren’t… dead too, are you?” The thought is too terrible to dwell on.

Raiden doesn’t answer right away, raining kisses over my neck and up to my jaw. “No, but we don’t have a lot of time. I’ve got a portal waiting for us.”

“Well, I was hoping for a horse-drawn carriage, but I suppose a portal will do.”

He chuckles low in his throat and leans his forehead to mine. “I’ll remember that for our bonding ceremony.” Clearing his throat, Raiden averts his gaze, then takes in a deep breath. When his eyes find mine again, they’re bright with determination. “Jinta, the only way you can leave with me is if I claim you as my mate. You’re a spirit now, but I’m mortal, and that connection will make it possible for you to return. This wasn’t how I wanted to do things, but—”

I cradle his face. “I don’t care. I never thought I’d see you again. Claim me.”

Raiden’s throat bobs when he swallows, eyes flooding with emotion. Cupping my cheek, he leans in for a kiss so sweet and reverent, my own eyes sting with tears. I’m breathless when Raiden pulls away, but he doesn’t stop. He brushes his lips over my jaw to my chin. Closing my eyes, I tip my head back, savoring the caress of his soft, warm lips as they flutter over my pulse point and lower to the spot between my neck and shoulder.

Raiden takes my hand and squeezes. “Love you now and forever,” he whispers, and he bites down, fangs sharp.

I gasp in pain, but the pain is washed away as pleasure and warmth rush through me from head to toe. The thread tingles around my finger and his, fluttering until it forms an infinity symbol between us. I’m not knowledgeable enough in the paranormal world to quite understand what’s happening, but I do know one thing.

I’m his, and he’s mine. Now, forever, and on into eternity. That’s all that matters to me.

Raiden lifts his face from my neck. The wound heals into a scar in the perfect shape of his fangs, marking me as his. His lips tremble when he gazes into my eyes. “There’s no one else I want but you,” he whispers.

“I know. I feel the same.” Closing my eyes, I lean in for a kiss so sweet, it feels like my heart has grown wings.

“Cheers!” a chorus of voices erupts.

And that’s when I remember we have an entire audience watching us. Raiden glares at them, growling low. I chuckle and pull him back down for a kiss. “You can’t kill them, they’re already dead.”

“Too bad,” he mutters. “That spirit was checking out your ass.”

“Was not.”

Someone clears their throat. Izanami has come up beside us. “Congratulations,” she says.

Raiden bows low. “Goddess. Thank you for looking after my mate.”

“It’s been my pleasure. But you shouldn’t linger. The portal is getting smaller. Ah! There’s a face I haven’t seen in some time.” She spins toward Tamano, who has just walked in.

The kitsune smirks at us. “Done embarrassing yourselves?”

I’m surprised by how happy I am to see her. “Nice to see you, too.”

“Will you be passing through?” Izanami asks after she and Tamano have bowed in greeting.

Tamano doesn’t answer right away, gazing at the doors to the realm beyond with longing plain in her eyes. “I…”

The doors open. “Tamano?” a voice cries, and then a man rushes through the doors. He’s garbed in regal robes.

Tamano gasps. “Konoe! My beloved!” Her voice shakes with emotion.

They run to each other, and Konoe holds her tight for a long moment. I turn away to give them some privacy. I suppose Tamano will want to go with him, but she can’t. I sigh. “It’s too bad she can’t stay.” She’s still bound to me thanks to the curse.

The edge of Raiden’s mouth twitches for some reason. “She could.”

“How?”

Joy like nothing I’ve seen before lights up his face. “You’re cured, Jinta.”

---