The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate (9 page)

Where the shamisens had brought forth striking emotions, the rhythm

and the beat called out to the part of Jace that remained an animal.

More men appeared from the right, clad in skimpy black shorts. In

a blur of motion, the geishas loosened their hair and dropped their

kimonos. Jace was surprised as how quickly they moved, since

Japanese garbs weren’t exactly easy to get out of. Nevertheless, mere

seconds later, the lovely graceful ladies turned into enticing sirens.

54

Scarlet Hyacinth

None of them were actually naked, but they could have been for all

the flimsy, transparent material of their current outfits covered.

A dance began, but it was nothing like that of the geishas. Women

and men came together, reaching out for each other, sometimes

touching, sometimes kissing, but never quite falling over the edge of

sensuality and into vulgarity. The dancers undulated over each other,

a new, more predatory grace guiding each step. With each beat of the

drum, Jace felt his own heart race faster, and even if he’d just come

earlier that day, he found himself getting hard again.

Paris climbed into his lap, grinding his ass slowly against Jace’s

cock. As they weren’t in private, Jace couldn’t do much else, but he

couldn’t resist stealing a kiss from Paris’s tempting lips.

He broke away from his mate just in time to catch sight of the

show’s ending. And what an ending it was. Lights flashed over the

stage, illuminating the contorting bodies as both the male and female

dancers swirled in a blur of color and bared flesh that would have

been impossible to follow for a normal human. The drum beat faster

and faster, and Jace imagined it followed the sound of thrusts pressing

into willing flesh. Paris clutched his hand, burying his fingers in

Jace’s shoulder, but unable to suppress a whimper. One more flash,

and then the drums stopped, the dancers fell, everything coming to a

complete halt.

Dim lights started to illuminate the room. The performers

smoothly got up, and the women gathered their abandoned kimonos.

Jace wanted to clap, but all his attention was focused on Paris, on how

warm his mate felt by his side, and how perfect they came together. It

was so easy to remember the delicious sensations of Paris’s ass

squeezing his cock. For fuck’s sake, Jace barely managed to prevent

himself from coming.

The vampires didn’t seem to have such scruples. As the dancers

disappeared off the stage, Jace caught sight of several groups of

people gathering together, kissing, grinding against each other,

already in the middle of foreplay.

The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate

55

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Kaname got up and gestured for

Jace, Paris, Reed, and Anson to come with him. The entertainers

gathered around them seemed somewhat disgruntled but didn’t

question their elder. Instead, they focused their attention on the

clusters of vampires now releasing the sexual tension that had

accumulated during the dance.

Kaname left the room, leading the four shifters out. “And how did

you enjoy the show?” he inquired in a tone that suggested he knew

exactly what Jace, and probably everyone else, had been thinking and

feeling during the dance.

“It was amazing,” Reed replied breathlessly.

“A very unexpected combination,” Anson offered, sounding

somewhat more controlled than his mate. But then, Anson had a lot of

experience in keeping his instincts in check.

“Vampires are a sensual race,” Kaname explained. “We also

appreciate the traditions of each country that hosts our covens. For

that reason, we mingled elements of our cultures into something that

suited us.”

“It was very beautiful,” Paris said at last. “Both sections of the

show. Please, transmit our compliments to the performers.”

“Thank you. I will.” They entered an empty room that seemed

strikingly sedate given where they just been. The couches and

armchairs suggested it might be a receiving area of sorts, and Jace

was not surprised when Kaname once more indicated they should sit

down.

“I would very much like to allow you to enjoy the aftermath of the

show,” he said with a grin, “but I believe you’re not ready for it quite

yet.” The seductive smirk melted into a more serious expression. “Not

only that, but we also have some business to take care of. I contacted

Alpha Soren Wade. He tells me he left a message with one of my

assistants. I’m afraid I received nothing of the sort.”

56

Scarlet Hyacinth

“We gathered that much,” Jace replied, swiftly burying his arousal

into a distant corner of his mind. “We meant to explain now since we

never had the chance when we arrived.”

“Soren let you come here?” Anson inquired. “Just how bad are

things at home?”

The implication was that Soren might not have allowed them to

contribute had pack members not been against Paris. While that might

have been, to a certain extent, true, Paris bristled. “I came here to

help, Dad, not because I couldn’t face the pack.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Paris,” Anson immediately apologized. “I’m

just concerned for you.”

Paris nodded, even if he didn’t seem fully pacified.
“I can’t

exactly clarify things with the vampire elder here,”
he told Jace

through their bond.
“I’m just so frustrated, Jace. I do appreciate his

affection, but it feels like he, and everyone else for that matter,

considers me incapable of helping and fixing my mistakes.”

“First of all, sweetheart, they’re not actually your mistakes.”

He’d said this countless times before, but he would not let up until

Paris truly understood it.
“Second, you have to understand Anson just

wants to protect you. He didn’t expect to have a son, and he was

already deprived of watching you grow up. I gather he’s also

frustrated because he might have never left had he realized that pack

members will take everything out on you.”

Paris took his hand and entwined their fingers together. “It’s

okay,” he told his father. “It’s been a hard time for all of us. But I still

think we can work together to achieve our goals.”

“Well said,” Kaname replied. “I admit I am a touch concerned

regarding the absence of this message. I’m afraid that, even if I have

actively encouraged an attitude of openness toward shifters, not

everyone here appreciates my new policies.” The look in his eye

made Jace wonder who would be crazy enough to go against Kaname

for something as stupid as a phone call. “In some ways, I’m a very

The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate

57

traditional man, and I like others to respect certain rules. I assume that

this person is aware of my habits and decided to sabotage you.”

“Then you know who it might be?”

Kaname smiled sweetly, although his gaze remained cold. “Don’t

worry about that. There aren’t many people in my coven who’d do

something so reckless.”

Jace would bet money that whoever had interfered with the

relations between vampires and shifters might be someone close to

the vampire elder. After all, who would risk Kaname’s displeasure

without having the certainty that they could get out of trouble if

needed?

Of course, Kaname didn’t seem to have any reason in telling them

anything further on the topic. “At any rate, now that we’ve established

your presence here, I’ve made a couple of arrangements. Wade-san,

I’ve mentioned your arrival to your brother. The four of you will go to

meet him and subsequently join the little task force we formed for the

purpose of finding the warlock.”

Jace couldn’t help but be excited at the thought of seeing his twin

brother once again. He’d missed Derek a lot. They’d always been

close, both to each other and to their sister, and they shared a bond

that Jace could only compare to that with Paris. These past few

months, Derek had been away a lot, and while Jace had told him

about his feeling for Paris, he also wanted to share the latest news, to

explain all the emotions that coursed through him whenever he was

with his mate.

A small wave of sadness swept through Paris, and Jace recalled

that his mate had siblings of his own, brothers and sisters he’d been

forced to leave behind upon abandoning the Marrow pack.
“You’ll see

them again,”
he promised.
“As soon as we find Aria, we’ll look them

up.”

He’d caught a brief glimpse of the Marrow siblings through

Paris’s thoughts and memories, and he didn’t think they hated Paris.

58

Scarlet Hyacinth

Most likely, they had been taking their cues from Aria and their

father, but they still had time to fix things.

“I hope so,”
Paris whispered through their bond. Out loud, he

said, “Thank you, Yamamoto-sama. You’ve been very generous and

hospitable.”

“It was my pleasure to have you here,” the vampire elder replied,

eyeing Paris with interest. “Perhaps in different circumstances, you

could visit again and fully enjoy the perks of being my guest.”

The only thing that kept Jace from growling was the knowledge

that this flirtation truly meant very little. Kaname didn’t represent any

kind of threat for Jace’s relationship with Paris. In fact, his behavior

seemed to be typical to vampires, who were naturally sensual and

unashamed to show it. In spite of his possessiveness, Jace reigned in

his impulses. He had been taught to respect cultural differences, and

he would do so now.

“It would be an honor,” Paris replied smoothly. “When are we

supposed to go?”

As Paris spoke, Jace realized his mate felt a little excited, too.

He’d only spoken with Derek a couple of times, and he wanted to see

the person who meant so much to Jace. Even among all the

depressing, distressing, chaotic, and sometimes so very amazing

changes in their lives, the truth was that Paris and Jace wanted to

know each other even more than they already did through the normal,

slow way.

This time, Kaname seemed oblivious to just how much this

meeting would mean to Paris. “Tomorrow morning,” he replied. “It

will give you some time to rest, recover, and well”—he smirked

knowingly—“relieve some of the pressure of your position.”

Jace thought that relieving pressure sounded like an excellent

idea. With a brief, polite good-bye, Kaname took his leave. Servants

were already waiting to take the four of them back to their rooms, or

alternatively, the area where the show had taken place, should they

desire it. In the end, all four of them decided to retreat to their own

The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate

59

quarters. As much as they’d enjoyed the sensual dances of the

vampires, there was nothing like spending time alone with his mate,

making love. The following hours were spent in a flurry of passion,

desperate, wanton kisses, and bodies writhing and grinding against

each other. When Paris and Jace at last fell asleep, they were

exhausted, sweaty, covered in semen, and feeling more optimistic

about the entire situation than they’d been in a long time.

60

Scarlet Hyacinth

The next day, Jace, Paris, Reed, and Anson were driven to

Ōkuma, in the Fukushima Prefecture. Jace had not known exactly

what clues his brother was following. Perhaps if he had, he’d have

been more reluctant regarding his plan to bring Paris here. After all,

no one was eager to take his mate to the location of a severe nuclear

disaster.

They had been assured that, at this point, the lingering traces of

radiation poisoning could barely harm humans, let alone shape-

shifters. It would be perfectly safe for them to stay inside the city and

even venture beyond, closer to the power plant. However, once they

reached the destination, Jace could tell something was different.

Kaname’s staff had taken them to a small house at the very edge

of the town. As he got out of the car, Jace scented the air, and it

seemed to carry a peculiar weight he couldn’t detect in other areas. It

didn’t feel right, making him restless for no particular reason.