10. Shiro

10

Shiro

T he two boys were finally calming down and were now sleeping in the patient beds.

I had been surprised at first, to learn this clinic not only had a fully functional lab, but beds for patients, too, and they occupied three of the five floors. We were currently on the third floor now where the room was previously unoccupied, and now here I sat, watching over them because Janet, the catkin nurse, had instructed me to while she was busy checking on other patients.

I didn’t know there were other patients staying here, and apparently, most of them were beastkin.

“This is that type of place,” Janet had said. “A safe place for beastkin to come to for treatment.”

That red cross sign at the front of the door, apparently only beastkin could see it, which I didn’t know. Normal people couldn’t see the red color, even though it was there, and most assumed it was just a run-down building where dubious business operations were taking place. It was also why the clinic was strategically positioned out of sight where only those who knew would come.

When the two beastkin boys turned up about an hour ago, I had been with Janet. The moment I saw them, I had felt frozen in terror because the sight of them looking like that—skin bruised, their clothing disheveled, and faces hollowed and terrified—reminded me of myself when Tony and his gang had done those horrible things to me. I had no doubt the same thing had just been done to them, too, and I wanted to cry out in anguish.

When would they stop doing that, those bastards? When would anyone teach them a lesson? It just wasn’t fair.

A tap on my shoulder caused me to jolt out of my dark thoughts, and I turned to see Chase behind me.

“Adam’s downstairs,” he said.

The moment Adam’s name was mentioned, all those morbid thoughts of mine disappeared and a sense of something like warmth took over its place. I stood and then asked, “Will they be all right?”

Chase nodded. “They’ll be fine. This is a hospital, of sorts.”

I turned on my heel then, since I didn’t want to keep Adam waiting. I was just about to leave when I couldn’t help saying, “But they won’t be able to pay for their medical bill and stuff.”

Chase chuckled. “No worries. I’ll just bill the guy who saved them.” He winked at me.

Oh, that man in the dark suit who had dropped them off. I had a feeling I had seen him somewhere before .

“Right,” I said and then left the room.

Down on the first floor, I met Adam at the foyer. He was leaning back against the wall near the reception desk, looking lost in thought.

“Adam,” I said.

He straightened then and smiled at me. “Ready to go?”

I nodded. As I came close, I said, “Thanks for coming to pick me up.”

He ruffled my hair. “No worries.”

Was it just me or was Adam slightly disheveled as compared to before he left? Sure, he still looked sleek and immaculate, but there was something a little off I couldn’t put my finger on.

“Let’s go home,” he said. “I’m ready for some shut-eye.”

“You were out all day, so you must be tired,” I said.

He looked at me and said, “Yeah. Did you shower? Your hair is wet.”

“Janet made me before she treated my injuries,” I said.

Adam snorted. “So I wasn’t doing such a good job at treating your wounds after all.”

“I thought you did a great job,” I said.

“You mean putting Band-Aids on you here and there, wherever there’s a scratch?” he asked.

“Better than nothing,” I said. “I’d be worse off if...”

I didn’t want to think about that. I just didn’t want to picture the scenario of what would happen if Adam didn’t happen to walk past that alleyway and I called out to him .

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and then drew me with him toward the door. We arrived back at the penthouse—yes, a penthouse and not an apartment as Adam had told me in the car—about twenty minutes later. After closing the front door, Adam said, “Go straight to bed, Shiro.”

“Okay,” I said, heading to my assigned room.

There, I took off my shoes and changed into my new pajamas. Then I headed into the en suite to brush my teeth.

Adam was very prepared, wasn’t he? There were even spare toothbrushes and toothpaste. Or was this spare bedroom meant to be for his girlfriend when she wanted to spend the weekend with him? But a girlfriend would be sleeping with him in his bed, right?

A knock came, and I poked my head out.

“Shiro?”

“Hmm?” I responded, the head of the toothbrush inside my mouth.

Adam opened the door, and when he saw me, he smiled in amusement. “I see you’re already in your new pajamas and brushing your teeth.”

I pulled the toothbrush out and said, my mouth full of foamy toothpaste, “You told me to go to bed straightaway.”

He chuckled. “What are you? A kid?”

Old habit died hard, huh? You just didn’t say no when the officer at the institute told you to go to bed, that was if you didn’t want a beating.

“I thought you’d join me for a cup of coffee and some cake. ”

Cake!

I said quickly, “I’ll join you. I can brush my teeth again.”

“Okay,” he said, chuckling in amusement, and then he turned on his heel.

I quickly rushed back into the en suite and rinsed my mouth. Then I left the room. In the open-plan living-dining-kitchen, Adam was already cutting out a slice of what looked like chocolate cake and placing that onto a small plate. I eagerly went to sit on the bar stool and gazed at the delicious-looking dessert, my mouth watering.

When he was done with the cutting, he slid the plate across the countertop toward me and said, “There you go.” Then turning around, he asked, “Coffee? Or hot cocoa?”

The word hot cocoa reminded me of Mom. She used to make that for Kuro, Aka, and me before bed.

Emotion playing havoc at the memories, I cleared my throat and said, “Hot cocoa… Please.”

“Hot cocoa it is, then,” he said.

I picked up the small dessert fork and sliced it through the chocolate cake. Then I put the piece into my mouth, and I sighed, feeling so much bliss. I took another, and again, I sighed in wonder.

Adam turned to look at me, and because of that strange dark look in his eyes, I tensed. Fuck. Why was I going tense so suddenly? Adam wasn’t going to hurt me but…

I sneaked a peek at his face again, but he was already turning away. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe that dark look was just my imagination.

I continued enjoying the cake, and Adam gave me my cup of hot cocoa. I eagerly took it and then sipped, again sighing pleasantly. Then I ate more of the cake, simply enjoying it.

Adam was drinking his coffee, a smile on his lips as he watched me. Then he leaned forward and, instead of ruffling my hair like I expected him to, he stroked my fox ears.

This wonderful, warm, feel-good liquid sensation washed over me, and I involuntarily gave out a low, soft moan, my eyes half closed. It felt so damn good. I couldn’t help myself and nestled my head against his hand, begging for more. Adam must have understood because he continued to stroke me in that gentle way of his.

Oh, fuck, it felt so good, and my head was in a daze now. I felt myself going weak, and I dropped the fork. Then I raised both hands and wrapped them around Adam’s forearm, half hugging it, as I continued to moan softly, my face flushing hot. I raised my gaze to his, and strangely enough, I wanted to be close to Adam. I wanted to feel his hot skin against mine and…

I moved my face toward his as he, too, inched toward me, his eyes dark. Oh, shit, Adam was gorgeous—those dark eyes and those sensual lips and…

“Fuck!” he said, and then…

I felt his lips crush against mine and his tongue plunge straight into my slightly opened mouth.

I felt myself trembling from head to toe as Adam kissed me—deeply and passionately, his tongue wild inside my mouth, playing havoc with mine.

I groaned softly, feeling so damn overwhelmed with these new types of sensations and emotions I have never felt before as he wrapped his hand at the back of my neck. When he sucked at my tongue, a strange, new image emerged in my head, along with a sense of warmth that made my whole being feel alive.

Within the darkness was a man with wolf ears and a large, fluffy tail, his form glowing. As he moved in close, he whispered softly, “Sorry if I’m doing this without your consent, but it’s to save your life, little one.” He opened his mouth, releasing a haze of glowing light-blue smoke, and then he planted his lips against mine.

I blinked.

What is this image? Why is it in my head?

Adam must have noticed I had gone still because he swiftly moved back. He cupped my face and said, his voice hoarse, “Shit, I’m sorry, Shiro.”

Still sitting there frozen, I just stared at him blindly.

Adam. That man with wolf ears and tail, that’s Adam, right? Because he has Adam’s face.

“Shiro?” he called out, but his voice felt so far away. “Shiro?” he called again. His fingers digging deep into my hair, he said, his voice more urgent this time, “Shiro, look at me!”

I jolted and finally focused my vision on him.

“You okay?” he asked.

I stared at him for a moment, and then I took in a deep breath. Hesitantly, I nodded.

“I’m sorry, Shiro. I…” He sighed. “It won’t happen ag ain.” He stroked my head then, gently like the way Mom would stroke me when she was worried about me. “Now, why don’t you go to bed?”

Bed. Yes, I should go to bed, shouldn’t I?

I mutely nodded and then got down from the bar stool. Then, with my legs feeling like jelly, I turned on my heel and left.

Inside my bedroom, I shut the door and rested my back against it, sliding down to sit on the floor. My hands came to my chest, clutching tightly onto the sleep shirt, feeling the furious beating of my heart.

What is this feeling?

Why was my heart beating so hard and fast? Why was my body trembling, but not in that frightened way? This feeling, it was different. I felt hot all over with this strange, overwhelming, urgent need.

I hugged myself tightly and rested my forehead on my knees, wondering why Adam had kissed me. Had he mistaken me for his girlfriend? Was he that sexually pent-up that…

Shit.

My head was in a mess, and I couldn’t think straight. In my mind, all I could see was Adam’s face and the dark looks he was giving me. Not to mention the feeling of his lips against mine and his tongue…

His tongue.

It was so different from those other men. Adam’s tongue against mine felt different. It didn’t feel revolting. I hadn’t felt like I wanted to throw up when it was inside my mouth.

It felt… Right .

My heart skipped and continued to race again as I squirmed sitting there, thinking about Adam’s lips against mine and his tongue inside my mouth, teasing and stroking my own. Not to mention his hot breath against my skin and his hand cupping my face.

What does this mean?

I closed my eyes, and suddenly, the image of the man with wolf ears and tail came again. He had kissed me, too, didn’t he? Was he Adam? But Adam was human, not a beastkin. He certainly didn’t have wolf ears and tail. More so, beastkin did not glow like that man did.

What is he? And when did I meet him?

I finally climbed into bed, pulling the duvet over me. Then I closed my eyes, my mind still on Adam and the strange man with the wolf ears and tail.

I was that small foxkin boy again, and I was in that run-down cottage once more, like I had been in there many times before in my nightmare. Kuro and Aka were with me, and we were staring at Mom lying there on the floor, a pool of blood around her.

I rushed to her and fell to my knees, sobbing hysterically as I clutched her hand in mine.

“Run… You must leave this place… Go…” she managed to say, coughing out blood.

I shook my head. “No, Mama, please be all right. I won’t go, not without you. Please be all right…”

I felt shadows behind me, and large hands grabbed me and pulled me back, away from Mama. I screamed, tears in my eyes, “Mama!”

I watched helplessly as her body continued to lie there, blood oozing out and flooding the place while I was being taken away from her. Then I was thrown inside the back of a truck. Kuro and Aka came to me, and we hugged each other, crying our eyes out.

The scene shifted, and I was alone in a room, an endless darkness surrounding me. I was kneeling on the cold stone floor, my hands tied behind my back and a binding on my mouth, preventing me from calling out for help. A dark shadow stood behind me, and then a whip came lashing at me, followed by the echo of laughter.

“Take that, you disgusting foxkin!” a voice said as he sent the whip at me. “Take that…” Another one came, slashing at my back.

Pain scorched my body as tears flowed down my cheeks. I screamed long and loud deep inside. Oh, fuck, I wanted him to stop.

Please, just stop this. I don’t want this. I’ve never wanted this. Why are you torturing me? Why do you hate me? Because I’m different? Because I’m not one of you? Why?

But I knew he wouldn’t stop. I knew they wouldn’t stop until they were satisfied. After this, I’d be fucked until I was unconscious, and the thought of that drove me insane with terror, and I screamed even louder deep inside.