Bound by Forever (True Immortality 3)

Niamh moaned, her back bowing as she melted into his voracious kiss.

Finally he released her lips but didn’t let her go. His gaze was fierce. “Next time I ask you to come to me, you come to me.”

Goodness, he was still chafing about that? “I’m yours to command, my darling, but only when we’re making love. Outside of that, my feelings and actions are my own.”

Kiyo released a groan of exasperation as he leaned his forehead against hers and squeezed his eyes closed.

“We’ll get used to it,” she promised, understanding. “All the feelings for one another … one day they won’t overwhelm us.”

“I feel like I’m wearing my insides on the outside.”

Niamh grinned at his unromantic but accurate description. “Like I said … we’ll get used to it.”

Her mate kissed her again, soft and sweet this time. When he released her, he brushed his thumb over her mouth and said with grim seriousness, “Tonight you’ll do what I say at the fight. I know these wolves. I know how these fights work. I need you to follow my lead.”

Niamh had no problem with that. It made sense for him to take charge in a situation completely unfamiliar to her. “I’ll follow your lead.”

That seemed to reassure him and he led her to the elevator. When the doors opened, he shuffled her inside. Silence fell between them.

Then …

“When you say you’re mine to command in bed … what are we talking about exactly?”

Niamh shot him a mock annoyed look and didn’t reply. Not until the elevator stopped a few floors down for an older American couple who greeted them as they stepped inside.

Then Niamh belatedly replied, “I was thinking light bondage. At least to start with.”

She felt his arousal hit her with full force. The Americans exchanged confused and somewhat disturbed looks while Niamh grinned wickedly.

Amusement danced in Kiyo’s eyes even as he promised silent retribution for turning him on when he couldn’t do anything about it.* * *Any amusement Niamh had been feeling died as their cab dropped them off outside one of the entrances to Shinjuku Gyo-en National Garden. Epic levels of energy leaked from the park.

“There’s a spell here. A powerful one.”

Kiyo nodded. “Sakura pays a local coven to put a barrier spell up to stop the public from getting in.”

“A coven?”

“Yeah.”

“You never mentioned Sakura had connections to a coven.”

“Does it matter?”

Niamh shook her head, but something niggled at her. Trying to shake off the feeling, she asked, “How does she get away with a fight in a public garden?”

Kiyo eyed the five hulking werewolves guarding the entrance. “Pack Iryoku has werewolves in positions of power within the government. No one will take action against Sakura for closing the park.”

A note had arrived at the hotel a few days ago with detailed instructions of which entrance Kiyo was to use and where the fight was taking place. As soon as they reached the security werewolves, Niamh felt the pulsating energy from within reaching beyond the barrier spell.

The place was filled with supernaturals.

Kiyo gave his name to the werewolf who stepped forward. He wore an earpiece and spoke in Japanese to someone elsewhere. He nodded and turned to Kiyo. “Haruto-san is on his way. We check you for weapons.”

The security guard moved in for pat downs. When it was Niamh’s turn, Kiyo bristled with so much tension waiting for the wolf to make the wrong move that everyone in the vicinity felt it.

The wolf patting her down shot her a wry look as he gave her a clinical once-over.

Niamh’s nervous butterflies made her feel antsy as they waited. She was unaware her physical jitters were so obvious until Kiyo grabbed her hand and pulled her into him to whisper in her ear, “It’ll be okay.”

She nodded just as Haruto arrived to escort them.

He stared at them with the same blank expression he always seemed to wear. “This way.”

They followed Haruto into the gardens. He led them past people Kiyo relayed were pack members.

“How big is the pack?”

“Biggest pack in East Asia. Sakura has her work cut out leading this many wolves. That’s why she is the way she is.”

“Don’t make excuses for her, Kiyo.”

He frowned. “I’m not. Just stating facts.”

Niamh hated that she was jealous of his past with Sakura, or any woman, for that matter. She wanted to be above such emotion. Maybe one day, hopefully, when they’d settled into the bond, Niamh would be.

The pack watched them as they passed, wolves in casual and formal wear drinking and eating and socializing around the landscaped French garden area.

Niamh’s looked beyond Haruto to the massive open park ahead of them. The large green area surrounded by trees had been transformed from the peaceful park she’d visited almost two weeks before.

Folding chairs were spread in a circle around what looked like a professional boxing ring. The chairs were already filling fast with spectators, and standing near the back row of seats in a bloodred, skin-tight dress that left little to the imagination was Sakura. Daiki stood at her side, and they were conversing with a huge werewolf Niamh didn’t recognize.