Chapter 4: The Pact of Three
As days drifted by, a curious understanding took root among the three men who called Kai's mansion home. At first, the quiet rivalry had hung thick in the air, each glance and guarded word betraying the possessive jealousy each felt. But soon, something changed. Edward, Noah, and Charles found themselves gradually settling into a quiet, wordless agreement, each acknowledging the place the other two held in Kai's life.
The man who had unwittingly brought them all together remained, as ever, blissfully unaware. Kai continued to drift through his days in that warm, lazy haze, too oblivious to notice the depths of devotion surrounding him. But Edward, Noah, and Charles felt it keenly; they felt each shared glance, every moment spent vying for Kai's attention, strengthen their need to protect, to claim, and to serve their young lord.
They began to form an unspoken alliance—a pact forged out of a shared obsession that went beyond mere loyalty or affection. It was a pact of devotion so deep it bordered on madness, each man driven by the same fierce instinct to shield Kai from the world and keep him entirely to themselves.
In the mornings, they would gather around Kai at breakfast, each finding small ways to care for him. Edward would pour Kai's tea, his movements precise, ensuring that every sip was to his liking. Noah would offer slices of fresh fruit, watching for the slightest hint of pleasure on Kai's face as he tasted the food. And Charles, with his foxlike grace, would fold his cloak over Kai's shoulders when he looked chilly, relishing each moment Kai allowed him close.
The rivalry between them had been replaced by a fierce, possessive unity. They had accepted that only the three of them could share in the light Kai unknowingly offered. It was a dangerous light—one that could consume and destroy anyone unworthy of his gentle warmth. And they would make sure that no one else could even come close.
Noah had never known such warmth in his life. To him, Kai was a beacon in an otherwise cold and merciless world. He was the first person to look at Noah with kindness, the first to offer him a home. Now, Noah could feel his devotion deepening every day, like a tidal wave that could no longer be held back. With each passing moment, he yearned for Kai to see him, to truly know him—not as a pet, but as someone who could be so much more.
Noah's tentacles twitched beneath his skin, a reminder of the strength he was willing to use to protect his young lord. He had come to find comfort in his new clothes and a strange, unfamiliar joy in the warmth of a bed and good food. These luxuries felt almost like a dream, and in his heart, Noah knew he would go to any lengths to keep them—to keep Kai.
Charles, too, had found himself transformed by Kai's kindness. He no longer hid his nine tails beneath his clothes; in the privacy of Kai's mansion, he allowed them to sway freely behind him. His room was no longer just a shelter but a place filled with comfort he had never known. Food, warmth, and the reassurance of Kai's presence had softened him. Each day, Charles felt the grip of his devotion deepen. He could see how he and Noah had both come to depend on Kai's presence, each needing him in their own way. And strangely, instead of competing for Kai's attention, he had come to see Noah as an ally—an ally who shared the same fierce, possessive need to protect the nobleman who had saved them.
Even Edward, who had once resented these new additions, felt a shift in his heart. Despite himself, he had come to tolerate—even accept—their presence. There was something undeniably powerful about their shared devotion, something that made him feel as though they were stronger together. He had always considered himself the only one capable of protecting Kai, the only one worthy of his trust. But now, seeing the desperate devotion in Noah's eyes and the reverent loyalty in Charles's gaze, Edward found himself acknowledging that they, too, had a role in Kai's life.
It was as though their shared obsession had brought them to a silent truce, a wordless pact to protect their oblivious lord from the world. They would be his guardians, his protectors, the only three allowed to be close to him. Their devotion had become a quiet but unbreakable bond.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the three of them found themselves alone in the sitting room, Kai having retired to his chambers for the night. A comfortable silence filled the room, an unspoken understanding hanging between them. It was Edward who finally broke the silence.
"Nothing and no one will ever harm him," he said quietly, his gaze steely, his tone resolute.
Noah nodded, his tentacles unfurling slightly from his wrists as if to reinforce the promise. "Not while I live," he replied, his voice laced with an intensity that left no room for doubt.
Charles's nine tails flared gently, his amber eyes gleaming with a protective light. "He saved us," he said simply, his voice soft yet firm. "We owe him everything."
A small, satisfied smile touched Edward's lips as he looked between the two of them. "Then we're in agreement."
They each gave a nod, a silent pact that bound them to their purpose. They would shield Kai from the world, from any and all who dared to intrude on their shared paradise. They had found purpose in him, a purpose that would not be shaken.
From that day forward, their obsession deepened, each of them more determined than ever to earn Kai's acknowledgment. Their possessiveness grew, becoming an unyielding resolve. No one else would be allowed near him—no one else could know the light and warmth that Kai offered, not the way they did.
Together, they formed a silent wall of protection around him, each driven by their own brand of devotion. It was a devotion that was no longer driven by rivalry or jealousy but by a shared understanding that Kai belonged to them. And though Kai himself remained oblivious, drifting through his days with that same lazy smile, the three men took comfort in knowing that they had found their place by his side.
For Edward, Noah, and Charles, it was an obsession, a purpose, and a pact that would bind them for as long as Kai needed them. They would share in his light, they would protect it, and they would ensure that he remained theirs—forever.