[TAMIKO]
"You wanted a chat with my father, no? Come along, I'll show you the way, but just make sure my mate is well-fed, or we'll have problems,'' Gabe growled, ignoring the shocked faces of his best friends, and Igor let out a hearty laugh this time.
He had never thought that this would happen this soon. Granted, he had been sure that Gabriel Grealor wasn't going to let his mate go that easily, but this outburst, this was golden. Oh if only he could record the face that Gabriel was making while at it.
"That's cute and all, but try that again, and you will be dead. It's obvious you knew about the ate bond even before the damn mating ceremony that was just held. So the question I should be asking is, what is really stopping me from snapping your neck right now?
"I am from Kawai, and will always be welcome home regardless of my sins. Threatening me with bounties is stupid, because what lycan needs a bounty when Kawai is paradise on its own?" Igor said casually as he stared at Gabe.
The young alpha was slowly realizing why it had always been hard for anyone to try and threaten Igor Konstantin. The man knew the good and bad of what he was going to do and he knew what the outcome would always be for him.
And that was simply the road back home, given the cyan king had forbidden the punishment of any lycan outside Kawai.
For a king who couldn't give two shits about what was happening in his kingdom, he had made sure Sadako had updated the rules to benefit his people. He may have been the face of death itself, but Zaffuto Hinata cared for his people.
"Kosta, I'm hungry," Tamiko whined lowly, knowing so well that that was the only way to calm Igor down. He was sure Igor could continue this banter for as long as his life lasted, but that wasn't what Tamiko wanted.
Besides, there was a lot that Tamiko had to work on, and the longer he stayed on this side, the more work he would have to face.
'Shut up if you know what's good for you. You sound like a dying dog trying to bark up a tree that won't give two shits. Pretending to care about me doesn't suit you. So you can either fuck off, or watch me reject you before the whole kingdom.
'The faces of your friends seem to think that you are the one who was hesitant in accepting the bond, but I wonder what they will think if I actually reject you before everyone. Don't push it, Gabriel,' Tamiko warned Gabe in the mind link.
He didn't have the time to be fought over, though he would have chosen Igor if he had the desire to. Then again, Tamiko wasn't in the mood to get claimed by anyone. All he wanted was his vengeance.
"Oh, krushka. I'm so sorry. Come, let's get you fed, baby," Igor said and Tamiko just nodded gently while Igor grabbed the blanket and used it to shove Gabe away from Tamiko. The only thing that mattered to him was seeing Tamiko okay and he would have it.
"He's your mate?"
"What is Galya doing mated to you then?"
"Dude we held a whole ass assembly for you."
"I can't believe you lied to us all this time."
"He doesn't even look like he wants anything to do with the mate bond."
"I wouldn't blame him. We have put him through literal hell and there is a chance that Gabe will reject him."
"This is so fucked up."
Judd and Zakhar were making small talk while the five of them walked back into Grealor. They could see that Gabe wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone and he seemed conflicted.
Igor Konstantin was a powerful person who had shown interest in Tamiko, and that in itself was a challenge for Gabe. He had been ready to atone for his sins in the hope that Tamiko would accept him, but with a competitor like Konstantin, it was just going to be hard.
Hell, Gabe could tell that he had long lost the war, seeing how Igor was affectionate towards Tamiko even as they walked into Grealor.
Sure, there was little distance between the two, but that didn't make it any easier on Gabe's heart, especially with Tamiko's warning lingering in the air. It was not fair, and yet he deserved all the pain he was getting right now.
"Gabe, what is going on? Why is Igor Konstantin in your company, and what happened with Tamiko?" Galya asked as she looked at her new mate. She could sense that something had happened in the woods, especially given that she had felt the links being cut.
Even to this moment, Gabriel Grealor hadn't triggered the mind link between him, his friends, and the Grealor pack. He was still worried about what Igor would do and for the moment, it was simply easier to not think about it and just focus on the current situation.
If Igor left with Tamiko, Gabriel would be done for.
"Igor wants to talk to Father. Feel free to tag along," Gabe said dismissively to Galya who just rolled her eyes at him. Of course, she knew that it had to be very important, but if Tamiko was here too, then there had to be something else.
"Does Tamiko have to be there?" Galya asked as she walked along with them she didn't want to stop them because they had already gotten the attention of many, but for Tamiko, she would do whatever it took to get to the bottom of this.
"Yes, he must," Gabe said coldly and that was all it took for Galya to let out a defeated huff.
"Tamiko, you're staying with me," Galya said and the trio stared at her like she was bonkers.
They had been through literal hell the whole night because of Tamiko and they had just found out a disturbing truth which they hadn't even processed yet, and now it seemed like the universe was out to punish them.
"No, he's coming along," Igor said this time and Tamiko knew that shit was about to go down. Galya was always protective when it came to Tamiko and seeing the big mad warrior of the realm talk about Tamiko made her want to be the protective sister.
"I know rules aren't really your thing, Igor Konstantin, but I'm the pack luna, though I doubt that means shit to you right now. Honestly, it doesn't to me either. So I'll only say this once, or blood will flow, and it might be mine, but for Tamiko, I would cross the ocean on foot.
"Tamiko stays, the four of you can go do whatever brought you to this side of the realm. And if Tamiko did anything wrong, you can take it up with me. I will take responsibility for him. Am I clear, or am I clear?" Galya insisted, and Tamiko facepalmed.
Of the people he had imagined he would run into a frustrated Galya wasn't one of them. Then again, Galya was right to worry about him, because Tamiko was in the company of four people who had every reason to despise him for being the outcast.
She couldn't save him all the time, but now that she was the pack Luna, she had to do something, which could explain the brevity that got the three best friends sighing in frustration.
"Galya—" Tamiko tried in the hope that he would be able to get through to Galya, even though the woman looked pissed as fuck and Tamiko knew that she had been worried sick about him. At least this was one of the people that he was sure cared genuinely for him.
"No, Tamiko. You look pale and from the look of the four men, they clearly made your life a little hard. I don't know what they did, but I can't help the feeling that one of these shitheads is about to sell you to the barbaric warrior with you.
"I don't care what you did or what Igor Konstantin was promised. But you, brother, are staying, and if Igor wants you to buy you, he can name his price. Grealor will pay it all," Galya said, adding the last bit in her luna tone, reminding Gabe that he was fucked for the next year.
"I like you," Igor said with a smile as he turned to Tamiko, "Seems like you were never alone, my little love."
And it was Galya's turn to stare blankly.
"What?"