Bound by Forever - (True Immortality #3) Page 0,75
staying at the Natsukashii. You can send for me when the time comes.”
“No. You will stay here.”
Niamh’s stomach dropped at the thought of being under the pack’s guard.
“We have reservations elsewhere. I’m not your prisoner, Sakura. You’ll have to trust I’ll be there when you need me.”
The alpha smirked, her eyes drawing licentiously down his body and back up again. “Oh, you will be there when I have need of you. Hai?”
He stared stonily at her as Niamh felt nauseated.
“Kiyo.” Sakura tilted her head and gave him a mock petulant look. “If you want to stay at the Natsukashii, you will be there when I have need of you. Hai?”
“If I’m not busy, then yes.”
Niamh couldn’t look at him now.
“I call, you come.”
Niamh really, really wanted to get out of there. Now.
Finally Kiyo answered, “You know where to find me … speaking of which … how did you find me so quickly?”
“We are tapped into all security cameras. Airport, stations … we have them rigged with facial recognition. You are on our database. As soon as you stepped into Narita, our systems pinged.” Sakura grinned. “I never let a debt lie, Kiyo. I am not Oji-chan.”
“No. Your uncle knew when to let things go.”
Sakura glared at him. “You may leave. But do not think I am not eager to know why you are in my city with a peculiar-smelling mahoutsukai.”
Kiyo didn’t respond. Instead he turned and nodded his head at Niamh to leave. Feeling as if she were somehow separate from the situation, she seemed to float out of the room, barely aware of Kiyo’s hand on her back.
It wasn’t until minutes later as Haruto led them across the hotel lobby to the exit that she was aware of Kiyo’s touch.
She didn’t want him to touch her.
She didn’t want anything to touch her.
He’d made it clear when he woke up on that plane that he didn’t want any connection with her. He’d regretted telling her about his mother. That was the only conclusion to be drawn after his cold behavior since.
Having thought they’d connected, that she finally had someone who understood her, someone on her side, Niamh had been in a wonderful mood before he woke up.
Ever since, and now more than ever, her mood had swiftly declined.
It was still a relief to know that her visions were manipulations from Astra.
It was not a relief to realize she was still as alone as ever.
Niamh moved away from Kiyo’s touch and when Haruto opened the SUV, she slid along the bench until she was pressed right up against the door.
Thankfully Kiyo didn’t scooch close to her again.
She felt his gaze on her for a moment.
But it didn’t touch her. Not like before.
Nothing could touch her. Her emotions were too dangerous. And she needed to focus on following her true visions and doing what was right. She’d stop Astra.
And then she’d go into hiding again.
Alone.
Far away from Kiyonari Fujiwara.
18
Something was wrong with Niamh.
Kiyo didn’t know what it was and so he didn’t know how to fix it. More alarmingly, it disturbed him how much he wanted to know what it was so he could fix it.
He’d put it down to jealousy, but it was more than that. He could feel it.
And he didn’t like it.
He told himself not to question her. To let it be. After all, he was the one who had decided to create distance between them after their conversation on the plane. Niamh was just following suit. Kiyo should be happy.
But even though Niamh was right at his side, she felt millions of miles away. Her remoteness bothered him on multiple levels.
It was easy to keep quiet in the SUV as Haruto escorted them to Chūō City. Kiyo didn’t want the pack knowing his business or who Niamh was to him. Sakura’s performance at the hotel was born of her own jealousy. She thought Niamh was his female. How she came to that conclusion so swiftly, he didn’t know, but her cozying up to him, flirting with him, her less than subtle demand to service her needs when she wanted him, was all to needle Niamh. If Niamh hadn’t crackled with energy the moment Sakura touched him, the alpha might not have pushed the topic.
Then again, she might have.
No, she probably would have.
Kiyo sighed inwardly as Haruto dropped them off at the hotel.
“Anything new I should know about the city?” Kiyo asked him as he got out of the vehicle, knowing Haruto would understand his meaning.