Something about the way the woman looked at her companion made Niamh’s stomach flip with uneasiness.
Haruto stopped in front of the island. “Arufua-san.” He gave her a sharp bow and then spoke in Japanese.
This … this was the pack alpha?
She thanked Haruto without taking her eyes off Kiyo. Lowering the knife to the counter, she walked slowly around the island. Niamh’s gaze moved to Kiyo who seemed transfixed by the alpha.
Something sharp and painful cut across her chest at his expression.
To her dismay, she realized it was jealousy.
The female sashayed slowly toward them. Her slender but gently curved figure was accentuated by her tight emerald-green pencil dress. It was sleeveless, showing off her toned arms. It had a high collar but a deep cut that split the neckline, showing off more than a hint of cleavage. The sexiness of the neckline was softened by the length of the dress, which hit her toned calves. Her strong, slender legs were elongated by impressive six-inch black stilettos.
Her black hair was sleek and sharp, cut to skim her elegant jawline. Perfect lips were rouged in bright red.
She was classy and stunning and emanated huge amounts of alpha energy. In her stilettos, she was the same height as Niamh.
Her thickly lashed, dark eyes pinned Kiyo to the spot as she stopped a few yards away from them. On closer inspection, Niamh saw telltale lines around her mouth and eyes. She was older than Niamh. Perhaps even older than she looked. She certainly recognized Kiyo and if he hadn’t returned to Tokyo in twenty-five years, then it would make sense that the alpha was older than her appearance.
“Kiyo-chan … Genki?”
Kiyo grunted at that. “English, Sakura.”
Sakura’s eyes narrowed. “Respect, Kiyo.” Her eyes finally flitted to Niamh. She curled her upper lip. “Mahoutsukai?”
“Yes, she’s a witch. English … Sakura-san. My companion doesn’t speak Japanese.”
“You bring a western witch to our home, Kiyo?”
Our home?
Niamh’s eyes narrowed.
“She’s under my protection.” He sidled closer to Niamh, which made her feel somewhat better.
That feeling dissipated, however, when Sakura gave him a soft smile and stepped toward him. Right into his personal space.
Something possessive and territorial surged through Niamh as Sakura placed a perfectly manicured hand on Kiyo’s chest.
The whole room tensed as lights flickered, and Sakura, still touching Kiyo, shot Niamh a reassessing look. “She is powerful, your little mahoutsukai.” She returned her attention to Kiyo as she trailed her fingertips over his pecs.
Niamh wanted to rip her hair out.
“And territorial of my Kiyo-chan,” she murmured.
That burn in Niamh’s chest, the one she tried so hard to ignore, neared the boiling point at having to listen to this condescending wolf while she stroked Kiyo.
And while he did nothing to stop her.
“She’s just concerned you plan to rip out my heart.”
“It would only be fair.” Sakura’s expression hardened. “Since you ripped out mine twenty-six years, three months, and twelve days ago.”
Oh crap.
Niamh cut Kiyo a filthy look.
The bloody idiot could have told her this was about revenge of the bloody heart!
You had an affair with the alpha and then skipped town and didn’t think that was pertinent to tell me? she yelled in his head.
Kiyo didn’t even flinch.
Niamh’s anger burned. Well, clearly you know nothing about women if you thought we could walk in here and walk back out without a fight. Next time you might want to think about keeping it in your pants.
This time he shot her a dark look that was supposed to quell her anger.
She didn’t care.
She wasn’t afraid of him.
She was afraid of the gorgeous Japanese alpha who was still carrying a grudge twenty-six years after the fact.
“You have not aged. How can that be?” Sakura asked in wonder, stroking her thumb along his cheek.
“You haven’t aged either.”
“A kind lie.” She leaned in to whisper so softly, Niamh was sure only she and Kiyo could hear. “No one knows how kind and gentle you can be, Kiyo-chan. That was always just for me.”
Niamh wished she were anywhere else but here witnessing this. She felt like an awkward third wheel, and it was not a nice feeling when you were falling for one of the other wheels.
“I’m not being kind. It’s the truth. You’ve barely aged.”
“I have aged. But you … Oji-chan always thought you were older than your years. So mature for a young man. But he must have been wrong, hai? You had to only have been in your twenties. Which would make you nearly fifty now. Yet you do not look a day over twenty-five.”
Oh shit.
Niamh held her breath as Kiyo deftly handled the questioning with a casual shrug. “I have good genes. It’ll catch up to me one day.”
“Hmm, maybe. After all, everything always does. Speaking of which, we must discuss your debt, Kiyo. It is long overdue.”
“We seem to have a difference of opinion on that.”