Page 365 of Evil Hearts

“Umm, what…” A hint of intoxication colored Aki’s voice. “Are you doing that?”

Kenta and I giggled in unison, his malicious and dark, while mine was amused and playful. I nuzzled into Aki’s neck, feeling Kenta take her elbow so that we could walk her upstairs.

“Yes, pet. It’s soothing, no?” Aki nodded sloppily. “And it’s so much more effective on a mate.”

“Keika!” Rune shouted out, and I sneered at them—full of bratty delight and snark. “You have zero fucking chill. Ugh.”

“Mate?” Aki asked, her tone a bit steadier, and I noticed that Kenta had backed off on the juice, so I relented some as well.

“Yes, that’s why we’ve been protecting you all these years, watching over you. You belong to us. We just…”

I looked to my brother, silently asking him to finish the statement for me. He smiled like the little prick he was before focusing on Aki.

“We didn’t think that we’d be able to ever claim you properly. Youarea human, after all. Our kinds don’t mix often. But the subway was…we don’t blame Rune for stepping in. Still, the blocks are crumbling. Your mind is strong.”

Rune suddenly appeared in front of Aki, their shadow essence swelling with that delicious depravity of theirs. I could sense the desire in our bond; even a tiny blip from Aki was noticeable. I smiled, smoothing my fingers down her arm as Kenta lavished attention on her other side.

“I’m going to take down the walls in your mind, Aki. I won’t keep the truth from you anymore. It’s the only way to do this quickly. It will…not be pleasant. But there’s no other way to answer all your questions. The yokai will help ease the strain.”

“Rune, let us get her upstairs first,” I whined, and they rolled their eyes before nodding. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Our shadow demon rolled their eyes as I grinned from ear to ear like a child who’d gotten her fill of ice cream and sweets. Baltz growled behind me, and as we all turned to bring Aki up, I noticed how tensely they stood. While that wasn’t necessarily news, the fact that he couldn’t look away from Aki most certainly was.

“Alright there, slippery?” I batted my lashes at him, which only made Baltz’s spines puff up.

“Fine. Go on, Keika. You’re getting your wish.” He eyed me for only a second before looking back at Aki.

“Aren’t you?”

I nudged him in the stomach with my elbow, swishing my extinguished tails beneath his nose. Baltz snarled again,grabbing hold of one tail and yanking enough to make me stop short.

“Ow!” Eyeing him, I tugged against his hold. “Come on, cutie. You know you can’t lie to me.”

He breathed deep, his grip on my tail relaxing. After flicking his stare to Aki again for just a moment, Baltz regarded me with an expression that could only be described as awestruck.

“She remembers me. From when I…” He clenched his jaw, his stare going distant. “It’s not supposed to be a human, Kei. But I…I cansenseit.”

Reaching up on my tiptoes, I planted a gentle kiss on Baltz’s cheek.

“I know.” I looked over my shoulder at the others, who were getting Aki up the stairs. “She’s what’s been missing. We’re finallywhole.”

Desperation and raw need powered through the bond that I felt with Baltz. It had been several decades since I’d felt it that strongly. He needed Aki just a bit more than the rest of us did.

Only she had the power to heal him fully.

And hell, who knew? Maybe she’d be the only human in history to be able to withstand the full force of Rune’s desire. Because Aki, indeed, was perfect for each of us, and she was about to find out just how delicious that could be.

Chapter Seven

Akirako

Whatever Kenta wasdoing to me was undoubtedly keeping me calmer. Something about that purr of his went straight to the core of me, making me no better than a damned puddle. And I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I was enjoying it. As a lifelong anxiety folk, I was here for a damned break from the constant worrying.

As I sat there on a couch of sorts—in some odd, castle-like house, no less—I tried to breathe nice and slow as Kenta and Rune prepared me for whatever the hell was about to happen.

“Okay, you’ve said that you’re going to take down the walls, but what the hell does that mean?” I felt foggy, but it wasn’t as intense as before, which I had to assume meant Kenta was holding back. “I don’t want to break my brain or something, and as much as Iwantto trust you all, you must know this is nuts.”

Kenta smiled, Rune not offering up nearly as “sweet” a gesture. “You want to trust us, Aki, because you already know you can. It’ll all make sense in a moment.”

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