Chapter 12

The neon lights of Fortune City blur past me as I race through the winding streets on my Voragocycle, the sound of sirens echoing in the distance. I've tied up the loose ends, said my goodbyes, and now it's time to disappear into the shadows, leaving behind the chaos and corruption of Fortune City for good. A chance to leave behind the ghosts of my past and carve out a new life for myself.

I left the Burning Shadows board game to Zelia's father in the early morning before she rose. I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye, knowing it would break her heart to see me go.

Neo Arcadia beckons in the distance, its towering skyscrapers glinting in the artificial light of the city. Unlike Fortune City, where decay and desperation lurk around every corner, Neo Arcadia is a beacon of order and prosperity, at least on the surface.

As I make my way towards the city limits, the scenery begins to change, the dilapidated buildings of Fortune City giving way to sleek, modern architecture. The streets are cleaner and well-maintained, bustling with activity as people go about their lives.

But even here, the divide between the haves and the have-nots is stark. The middle class thrives, enjoying the comforts of modern life, while the poor are relegated to the shadows, scraping by on whatever scraps they can find.

I completed one last hack before leaving my past behind, obtaining enough credits to let me start over without suspicion.

I slow my Voragocycle around the corner, noting Corporate-paid authorities patrolling the streets in mechanical suits, their presence a constant reminder of the iron grip that the megacorporations hold over every aspect of society.

"Some things never change," I mumble beneath my helmet, pulling onto the street that leads me to my new place of residence.

Pulling my bike into the underground garage, I flick my ears back and listen to the door shut behind me completely before unlocking the door to my home.

I kick my boots off and flick my fingers to the side to turn on the inside lights.

"Welcome home, little fox."

I scream in startlement, my heart pounding out of my chest.

"R-Ryuu?" My fists clench at my sides as I stare at him in disbelief. "How did you find me?"

"I think you know the answer, little fox," he replies as the shadows of my home morph back and forth, glowing red eyes flickering.

Ryuu's grin widens, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he lounges in my chair, making himself far too comfortable in my new home. "You left before I had the chance to tell you everything."

I scowl, wanting to ignore him but also unable to because of his overpowering presence in my humble home.

"There was nothing left to be said. The Si-Jung I thought I was saving, the Si-Jung I thought I owed became a figment of my imagination. Without her, there was no other reason for me to stay in Fortune City."

"And what about my reasons," he retorts, getting to his feet.

I take off my jacket and put it up on the hanger.

"What about you?" I pretend to speak with nonchalance. Ryuu has haunted my dreams the moment I ran away from him. Fear prevented me from fulfilling my curiosity. One lie shattering my world enough.

Before I can turn, I feel his heady presence behind me and my breath stutters. His smell cocoons me in a strange longing I don't want to let myself feel. Our time together back in Fortune City was strictly business. He fulfilled his part and…

I bite my lip, knowing full well, I never fulfilled mine. I was lost in my tumultuous emotions, my fight or flight kicking into high gear. Perhaps this is why, deep down inside, I knew he'd find me.

Finally surrendering, I let some of my denial slip away. I sheepishly admit to myself that I hoped he would find me… so that it would convince me everything we've gone through, the kiss… it meant something.

As I turn to face Ryuu, our eyes lock in a silent exchange that speaks volumes. The tension between us is as strong as what it was then, here and now.

He raises his hand to my face and I let him, without flinching. My heart skips a beat when he gently pushes my hair away from my face. "For all your hacking skills, you were never able to figure out how you came to invade my systems, Atarah Yu-Ri."

There it is again, Ryuu letting it slip that he knew more about me than he let on. So why did he have any need for our agreement back in Fortune City?

He cages me in with an arm over my head, taking not only my personal space, but my breath away. Something did happen after the warehouse, extra spikes protrude from the back of his arms, through his pristine dress shirt.

"The moment I saw you, I knew our fates were entwined."

I stare at him like I'm caught in hovercraft headlights about to be run over.

"I've been following you since that fateful day, when your master discarded you," Ryuu confesses, his voice low and intimate. "Rumors of a kitsune with no owner spread through the Nexus like wildfire, sparking my curiosity. But it was seeing you in person, that held me captive."

His words send a jolt of electricity coursing through me, igniting a fire deep within that I can no longer ignore. Despite the deception, despite the secrets and lies, there's a truth in his confession that resonates with me on a primal level. My tails swish out of my control and he gives me a fanged grin.

"I'm not sure where this story is going, Ry. How can someone like me ever hold a male like you captive. You practically run the Nexus."

"I did it all for you," he admits, running his nose against me and I gasp.

"W-what?"

"It was the only way to bring the dark web's most notorious hacker to me. I watched you grow, how your mind worked when life took your flesh from you. Each time you rose from your fall, I fell further and further under your spell. How did this precious little kitsune make her way to the top of the dark web food chain without any help? I admired your strength, little fox and made it my mission to make sure I would be enough for you when the time came."

I place my hands on his chest, unsure if I want to push him away or pull him closer with his strange confession.

"Why now? Why not then?"

"You wouldn't have accepted a male like me then. Your past continued to haunt your nightmares then—the reason you isolated yourself and became a vigilante under the guise of being a self contracted hacker."

Ryuu's gaze softens. His touch sends a shiver down my spine as his hand cups my cheek, gentle yet possessive. I find myself leaning into his palm, surrendering to the warmth against my skin.

"You were lost for so long," he murmurs, his voice filled with tenderness. "Someone who didn't know their own worth. But I also found someone with a strength and resilience that I couldn't ignore."

His words wash over me like a balm, soothing the wounds of my past and filling me with a sense of belonging that I've never known. In his eyes, I see a reflection of my own inner strength, a reminder that I am more than the sum of my scars.

"And no other female can compare," he adds, his voice a whispered vow that sends a rush of warmth through my veins. "The bodies I've laid at your feet in offering without you knowing…"

"W-what do you mean?—"

My words are cut off with a searing kiss, one that will forever seal my fate to Ryuu Dvorak—the male who self proclaimed he created an entire empire in the Nexus to get to me.

As I cling to Ryuu, his words echoing in my mind, I find myself struggling to comprehend the depth of his devotion. For so long, I've wandered aimlessly through life, adrift in a sea of uncertainty and doubt. I've never had a purpose, never felt like I truly belonged anywhere.

But Ryuu... he's turned my world upside down with his confession. I yelp when he grabs my ass and lifts me toward my kitchen counter, ripping through my pants with his claws. With shredded pieces of fabric floating to the ground he unbuckles his own garments and frees himself from their confines.

He swallows my moan when he presses his hard length against the apex of my legs, teasing me with his ridges.

I've never allowed myself to be this close to anyone, the trauma of my past preventing me from building any real relationships with people. But here, in this small room where I'm surrounded by his protective and possessive presence, the walls I've had up for so long crumble under his skillful hands.

"I've never?—"

"I know. I've got you, little fox. Let me take care of you," he whispers against my lips and my ears flick back with both excitement and apprehension.

When he pulls back and drops to his knees, my hands shoot backward to keep myself from falling. I'm unprepared for the assault of his mouth as my eyes roll back with his tongue's invasion.

"That's it. Open up for me, little fox. I'm not going to be able to fit without relaxing you," he murmurs against my flesh and my face flushes with both abject horror and embarrassment.

I try to close my legs but he growls and forces them apart, making me gasp at his dominance. With a few more swipes of his wicked tongue, Ryuu brings forth parts of me I never knew —my desire to see him worshiping me between my legs overwhelming my senses.