Bound by Forever (True Immortality 3)

“Niamh?” He searched the crowds, too, as his impatience with her evasiveness grew.

“I sense danger.”

Eyes narrowing on the platform, it was just as the doors were closing that he saw three men rush through the commuters toward them. His eyes connected with one of the males who bared his teeth in fury as the train moved away.

Daiki.

Kiyo sighed heavily. “Yeah, we have a problem.”

“Other than the ninety-nine problems we already had?”

He looked down at her scowling, pretty face. “I told you I haven’t been to Tokyo in a while.”

“Yes?”

“The last time I was here … I pissed off the largest werewolf pack in Japan.” He glared out the doors as the world passed by at high speed. Inside the train, however, they didn’t even feel it. The train seemed to glide. Kiyo wished it would glide them right off the damn continent.

“You pissed off the largest werewolf pack in Japan, how many years ago?”

“Twenty-five, twenty-six.”

“And they’re still pissed about it?”

“Apparently. One of those men is an alpha. High ranking in the pack.” Kiyo inwardly groaned at the thought of the pack’s current alpha. She wasn’t alpha back when Kiyo knew her, but her uncle had died and she’d won the right to lead the pack by being the fastest, strongest bitch in Eastern Asia.

Clearly, she was also still pissed.

Women. They had memories like elephants.

“It must have been really bad what you did to them.”

“No. They just know how to hold a grudge.”

Niamh shook her head in irritation as the train slowed into their station. “I hope you’re happy.”

“About what?”

“Because of you, my first trip on a bullet train was utterly ruined.” The doors opened and she hopped off the train with a haughty sniff of annoyance.

Kiyo might have found it cute if she hadn’t just stumbled into a fucking ambush.17Too late, all the hair on Niamh’s body rose as she stood on the metro station platform. Pulse racing, her eyes flew to the source of the danger. A line of great big hulking men and athletic women guarded the exit. Passengers approached them warily, skittering by when they opened their guard to let them through.

The wolves stared at Niamh and Kiyo.

“I take it this is the pack you pissed off?” she whispered.

So angry at him for being cool toward her ever since he’d woken up on the plane, she’d jumped off the bullet train without listening to her senses.

“Pack Iryoku.” Kiyo’s hand wrapped around her elbow. “No fighting, Niamh. We go with them.”

She glanced up at him, shocked. Worried the wolves might overhear, she spoke into his mind, Are you nuts? Don’t they want to kill you?

Kiyo shook his head. “No. They more than likely want me to pay a debt they think I owe.”

Do you owe it?

“No.”

Then let’s annihilate the bastards and get out of here.

“Our business is here.” He reminded her. “So we’ll do the polite thing and go where they want to take us. If we fight, it’ll be war, and we’ll have to leave Tokyo.”

Frustrated beyond belief, Niamh huffed and glared at the brooding werewolves who waited patiently at the exit. I reserve the right to kill any one of them if they attack first.

“I have no problem with that plan.” His grip on her arm tightened and he bent to whisper in her ear. “And as far as they’re concerned, you’re a witch.”

At the feel of his lips brushing her skin, she tingled, heat flushing down her spine. He lifted his head. His expression was hard, implacable.

Niamh nodded. I’m a witch.

Satisfied, he nodded back. Then he murmured, “Haruto is with them. Belying his size, he’s a beta. Older than he looks. Coolheaded. Doesn’t believe in violence unless utterly necessary. I respected him back when I knew him. If he’s here, we should be okay.” He led her through the crowd to the wolves who seemed to grow larger at their approach, their scowls forbidding and unnerving. Niamh hoped like hell that Kiyo was right about these people.

The tallest of the wolves, a male with deep-set black eyes and an overhanging forehead, stepped forward and said something to Kiyo in Japanese. His tone was calm, bored even, which gave Niamh hope.

Kiyo’s expression remained impressively blank. “My companion doesn’t understand Japanese, Haruto-san. May we speak in English?”

Haruto flicked a look at Niamh. Seemingly uninterested in her, he turned back to Kiyo and nodded. “Our ippikiookami returns. Arufua-san wishes to know why. She will see you now, if it pleases you.”

Despite his respectful words, Niamh knew Haruto wasn’t asking.

Kiyo nodded. “We’re happy to.”

She noted a slight softening of Haruto’s expression, as if he was relieved Kiyo wasn’t going to give them any trouble.

But then the pack surrounded them, and Niamh stiffened beneath Kiyo’s touch, her body readying itself for battle.

Kiyo squeezed her arm. “It’s okay. They’re just escorting us out of the station.”