Page 106 of Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal
“Probably because I’ve been calling him that since he found his way into our pack.” Boon’s big hand closed around Akira’s wrist. “He was as scrawny as you back then. And just as determined to be a security breech.”
“Really?”
Boon made him sit and draped a companionable arm around his shoulders. “Haven’t you ever seen him with Kel? Those two were close as two moonbeams. Couldn’t train, tussle, or nestle the one without the other, so they got a double dose.”
Best friends. “Like me and Suuzu?”
“Couldn’t say for sure. Juuyu’s not exactly chatty.” Boon made a show of sniffing his hair. “But you smell enough of feathers and fraternity to convince me.”
“Do you know about Juuyu’s necklace?” he asked softly.
“His nest.”
Akira was more than a little relieved. Boon knew, which meant he could help. “Did you help make it?”
“Not so much. My partner is the thoughtful one. It was his idea.”
“Oh.”
“That’s not to say I don’t know what’s what.” Boon pulled up the leg of his jeans, revealing his ankle accessories—colored cords, complex knots, and beads carved from different types of crystal. “Learning to make them is part of our lore. Comes standard for every whelp and weanling.”
“Is it hard?”
“Want to learn?”
Akira nodded. “Suuzu needs one, and I wasn’t sure where to start. I mean, how do you find nice enough things? And how do you make sure nothing falls off?”
“You’re in luck, little bro. First step is confiding in a packmate of superior years and skills—me.” Boon touched his bandages and grimaced. “Boss wants me in reserve until I heal up a bit, so I have time on my hands.”
“Are you sure?”
“Betterthan sure. I’m prepared.” So saying, Boon slipped the tip of a claw into one of the complex knots and coaxed it loose. He unwound a glossy black cord that had been wrapped three times around his ankle. Its only ornamentation was a small chunk of orange crystal with a hole bored through its center, affixed at the midpoint by two ornamental knots. The wolf said, “It’s braided from Juuyu’s hair. That’s why it’s so long.”
Akira took a longer look at Boon’s ankle and easily picked out a looping braid that stood out from the rest. Springtime green against Boon’s tanned skin.
With a snort, the wolf slid the cuff down to hide the rest.
“That’ll do for the foundation of the nest you want to build with Suuzu. He’ll like having a token of his brother. And the tuning means he’ll always know what direction Juuyu’s in.”
Tuned crystals. Akira rubbed the pad of his thumb over the stone’s rough edge, but all he could feel was its weight. To him, it was just a pretty rock.
Boon said, “Juuyu is important to Suuzu, which makes a gift like this the right kind of shiny. But before handing it over, you should add something of your own.”
Akira smiled crookedly. “My hair’s too short.”
“Go with a crystal, then.” Boon smirked. “Don’t suppose you know anyone with a knack for tuning the things.”
“Michael.”
“High end. You have good taste. Wheedle a pretty rock out of him, and I’ll make it secure.”
“What about the other things?” Akira let the silky length of hair slip between his fingers. “Juuyu had way more than two items.”
“Probably took him years to collect them all.” Boon shrugged. “You in a hurry?”
Akira wrestled with a sense of urgency. “I’m human.”
“I noticed.”
