Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 772(@200wpm)___ 617(@250wpm)___ 515(@300wpm)
Toma grumbled in annoyance.
"Thank you, Nyomi." Daisuke sat down, pulled a bowl of miso toward him, and inhaled the steam with his bruised eyes closed.
Aki grabbed two chairs and slid one toward Yuki. "If this is what happens when we go to war. . ."
“. . .we should go more often.” Yuki sat beside him and shook his head. “Much appreciated, Nyomi.”
“Thank you.” Aki grabbed food from a serving plate with his chopsticks and put it on his own plate.
Yuki immediately reached over and started eating directly from Aki's plate.
Aki loudly sighed but didn't stop him.
"Look at this spread.” Daisuke began plating. “This is definitely worth my stab wounds."
Toma pointed his chopsticks at Kaoru. "The Fangs better not have touched anything before we got here."
Kaoru snorted. "We have self-control. Unlike the Claws."
"Self-control?" Toma leaned back. "I have seen Yoichi eat an entire tray of—"
"Shut up and eat your food, Toma." Yoichi's voice came from the doorway, calm and final.
Toma ate his food.
“Tora. . .” Kenji moved his gaze across the dishes done in five colors, the steamed tofu, the miso bowls. Then, he looked at me. “You are truly a queen that we’re not worthy of.”
My chest warmed.
Hiro got to my side. “And deserving or not, we’re keeping you all to ourselves. Our Tiger. Our Queen.”
Kenji loudly groaned in disgust and guided me away.
Once we got to the table, Kenji didn't let me sit in my own chair. Instead, he sat down, pulled me onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around my waist. Then, he whispered in my ear, "I just want to be close to you. I need to touch you."
“That’s fine, baby.” I settled against him and relished in his warmth seeping into me. His arms tightened, and I could feel his heartbeat against my back too.
He's here and safe.
Hiro dropped into the chair beside us and stretched his long legs out under the table. Even sitting, he took up space like he owned it.
I leaned forward on Kenji's lap and reached for the serving dishes. "Let me fix you a plate."
Kenji's arms loosened just enough to let me move. I started with the rice, pressing it into a neat mound the way I'd watched Chef Bunzō do it. Then the simmered root vegetables. The steamed tofu with its dark glaze.
Kenji watched me. "You're spoiling me, Tora."
"And I always will." I set the plate in front of him and placed a bowl of miso near it.
He kissed the side of my neck and grabbed his chopsticks.
On my right, Hiro reached for the large serving spoon on top of the rice.
“Nope.” I took the spoon right out of his hand.
He widened his eyes. "What are you doing, sis?"
"You thought I was going to let you do that yourself?" I was already scooping rice onto a plate for him. "Sit back."
Hiro stared at me and then grinned. "Yes, ma'am."
I built his plate the same way as Kenji’s. Rice. Vegetables. Tofu. Miso. I placed it in front of him, and he looked down at it like he'd never seen a plate of food before. "Thank you.”
I smiled. "You're welcome."
He leaned closer and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I’ll have to hurry and eat this before Kenji roars and blows flames over the plate."
Kenji laughed. "Not this time, brother."
Epilogue
Slowly burning
Nyomi
I looked at the door. “Where’s Reo?”
Kenji took a bite of his food and spoke between chewing, “Roar duties.”
It was something about the way that Kenji said it, that seemed off.
Did he just lie?
I let it go.
“Well from now on let’s make sure that he sees me first, and then handles any Roar duties.” I frowned. “In fact, that’s his first Roar duty.”
Kenji nodded. “Yes, Tora.”
Some of the Claws snickered.
Kenji glanced their way.
They returned to eating.
Yoichi finally sat next to Kaoru as he poured sake.
The door opened again.
Reo finally stepped in and his gaze swept across the table—the candles, the five colors of food, the Claws and Fangs eating together, and me on Kenji's lap. "What's this? A party without the Roar?"
I smirked. "Never without the Roar. Come sit down. I was waiting for you."
He walked toward us, and that's when I saw it. He moved too carefully as if every step caused him the highest level of pain. His jaw was tight and I was certain that he was gritting his teeth.
He’s definitely assessing how much weight to put on each side. He’s in an insane amount of pain.
A fresh bruise darkened his left temple, and his knuckles were wrapped in white tape that had already gone pink at the edges.
Oh Reo.
But it was his ribs that made my stomach clench.
The way he held his left arm slightly away from his body. The shallow breathing. Those ribs had already been bruised from Kenji a day ago. Whatever happened during their battle today had layered new damage on top of the old.