Temper: Deliverance: Book Three of the TEMPER Saga, page 8
Her head spun, and her heart swelled with emotions she dared not express. His body language shifted. She straightened up to sit on her knees. Fingers gripped hard flanks as she rested her brow on his nape.
“I am bone-tired and scared witless. I was assaulted, my body is a mass of pain, Yuki sama is hurt beyond measure, your mother wants me gone, your sister could barge in any second, and we are inside a shrine with countless kami watching at us. But still, you fire me up, and I want to do so many things to you.”
Teeth bit his wet skin; his shudder of pleasure ignited sparkles of desire flying to her core.
“I don’t know anything anymore.” Pain and need made her voice rough and raw. “Is this really you and me, or their hold on us, despite those protective spells? Maybe we keep playing in their hands… or maybe we defend ourselves and manage to stay sane and survive? And perhaps it doesn’t even matter? This is ridiculous!”
He grasped her neck. “I am not interested in the details or reasons right now. If you want this, tell me. If you do not, I am happy to hold you tight.”
Lana dug her nails in his chest, and he groaned in mounting pleasure.
Oh yes. So much anger and pain, so much fear and resentment, so much anxiety and rage. So much need to release this, to heal. Healing...
“Holding me tight will not cut it, goshujin sama,” she grunted. “Perhaps our... special healing touch can work its magic again? But what I have in mind is certainly not suitable for this place. The whole thing would spontaneously burn in shame and divine wrath,” she chuckled. It was so much easier to joke about it than break down and cry.
His lips crashed on hers; she responded in kind, devouring his mouth back. Hands and teeth quickly found their favorite spots to tease and light up.
Yes yes yes! This is what I want, this is what I love and need! Him, him and her, not…
Her mind blanked out, scared to remember what had transpired in the forest. Honda came to a halt before they completely lost it. She moaned in frustration but let go.
“I am so relieved he didn’t crush your will and spirit, little mudansha,” he whispered in her hair.
Lana shuddered and buried again her face against him, not caring if she looked needy for once. The scent and taste of his skin were home and comfort. Gathering her courage, she tried to recollect her terrifying ordeal. Honda had to know, they needed to address this crisis and mortal danger.
“He would have,” she replied with a toneless voice. “If I had not broken free, I would have caved in, he would have destroyed me, killed the little one first, reduced me to a pulp, shredded me to bits…” She looked up at him. “I won a battle but I can’t win this war like that. I was lucky I got help this time, but what will happen next?”
“Whose help?” Honda frowned.
“No idea! Last summer I found… no, I was given two small plastic balls, you know those bikkurapon that kids love so much? They’re in my coat. I have to show them to your mother. I was in binds, couldn’t do anything, totally helpless. But my fingers clenched them and the next moment, his tails burned me like acid, but he let me go. He was also in pain, enraged, and I thought I was done, but right then Yuki sama arrived, and he retreated. Then our babies…” Her voice trailed off as the surreal scene played back in front of her eyes.
“Babies?” Honda didn’t bother to hide his shock.
“Yes! Yours and mine. Four small granite Jizo statues. They showed us the way out. Even Yuki sama witnessed it, she saw one moving. She wouldn’t believe us now otherwise. I believe… no, I’m convinced they came to save their brother.”
“Or their mothers.” Honda whispered.
Lana lowered her head. “Yes, but think about it, the only common link between them is this little one. And we did pray to Jizo sama for his protection when we did the ceremony for… for Carina. That devil told me so many awful things, including him waiting for years for that moment, and to make me his wife!” Honda shuddered, a low angry growl rumbled from his chest. “He said something else, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what! Stupid foggy brain of mine, why forget this?” she exclaimed in frustration, once again stressed and agitated.
“Shh, it will come back, so much happened.”
The arrival of Yuki, arms full of bath towels, covers, thick yukata and more layers of warm clothing, interrupted them.
“You should step out now. Please use this. The rest of what we need will be brought later on, along with something to eat.”
“Thank you very much.”
Honda climbed out of the basin, but Yuki didn’t hand him any towel; instead, she left one on the floor, barely acknowledging her husband. He didn’t protest or flinch; the couple had a lot of bad air to clear up, and getting the cold-shoulder treatment when it came to attend his personal needs was the least he could expect.
“Lana san, I will help you, wait.” Yuki reached out with a steady arm and a large towel. She caught herself before touching her companion’s skin.
“Please, I feel better now, it doesn’t hurt so much anymore,” Lana whispered.
“If only I knew where,” Yuki bit her lip, eyes watering.
“Let me show you,” Honda interjected, fully clothed again. “Lana san, please lay down on this towel. Yuki san, if you will please come here.”
Both women shared a puzzled look but followed his lead. Once Lana was on her back, Honda carefully opened her towel, exposing her naked body to her lovers’ eyes. It had always made Lana warm and at ease, but now extreme self-consciousness washed over her. It was ridiculous; Yuki couldn’t see her ugly scars, and Honda claimed he didn’t care. Still, she refused to meet their gazes, unable to confront them, distraught she was no longer as strong as she wanted to be. As they needed her to be.
“Yuki san, please do as I do, and commit this to memory. I will show you where those scars are. All of them.”
Lana blinked in shock and her head whipped back to stare at Honda. Is he out of his mind? Here?
“Goshujin sama…” Her chin pointed at the altar.
“They will not be displeased by what I have in mind. Relax and trust me, trust us,” Honda whispered with uncommon softness.
His hot tongue and lips began to trace the angry lashes, bright red against her pale skin. He started with her cheek, moved to her neck and shoulder, always aiming south with a delicate care that brought immediate tears to her eyes. To her amazement, his touch sparkled a sweet combination of pain and sensual pleasure.
With a strangled gasp, Lana threw her head back, her mouth a perfect O. But she couldn’t help herself any longer when Yuki followed suit. Heavy sobs shook her from head to toes, a long wail escaped her. The mix of ecstasy and pain, combined with the deep care and affection both showed her, overwhelmed her at deep emotional and physical levels.
Her lovers stopped immediately and looked up at her, concerned, but she buried her hands in their hair.
“No, please… please don’t stop, oh… it’s… it’s perfect… I… can’t… no words...”
Their slow and dedicated attention brought her to new heights, making her delirious and babbling meaningless encouragement. After so much torture and fear, it was a blessing to be shown she wasn’t reduced to her wounds; that experiencing bliss was still possible at the hands of the two people who had come to matter the most to her.
Step by step, the stranglehold of cold agony on her body transformed into a hot blanket of sensual rapture. When their tongues grazed the scar just below her core and when Yuki’s fingers softly touched her bundle of nerves, a shattering climax made her come hard under their mouths.
“Oh, vi amo...” she blurted out, face in her hands, trying to come back to her senses.
Yuki lay by her side and cradled her unblemished jaw. Tears flowed freely on their cheeks, but this time, it wasn’t out of fear or sadness.
“Ti amo anch’io,” Yuki whispered with a warm smile that turned large when a stunned Lana peeked at her from behind her fingers.
“What? When?” Her partner’s unexpected proficiency shocked Lana more than the meaning of her words.
“I’ve been taking lessons with Gabriella san, it was meant to be a surprise,” Yuki chuckled.
Joy and love bubbling in her heart, the first smile of the day bloomed on Lana’s lips. “It’s a beautiful one, Yuki sama!”
“And what did you tell her exactly?” Honda inquired, mildly annoyed at being left out.
“Nothing special. Only that I love her, too,” his wife replied curtly with a pointed glare. Honda stiffened, and both spouses fell into another staring contest.
Lana sighed and wiggled on the ground; it was getting harder to stand up in a dignified way these days. Back on her knees, she wrapped herself again in her fluffy towel.
“My apologies for my... lapse in control, I didn’t realize I spoke those words aloud,” she quipped, hoping to cut through the thick tension that had once again gathered over their heads.
Yuki opened her mouth to protest, but her husband didn’t give her time.
“And what did you say, Lana san?”
“Vi amo. I love you. Both of you, to be more accurate,” she retorted without flinching.
Honda’s jaw worked, and his eyes narrowed. He straightened up and stared at the two women who shared his life for the better and, these days, certainly for the worse. Their faces were now perfectly composed, yet stiff necks and balled fists betrayed frustration at his behavior and the tortuous dance he persisted on imposing on all of them.
“My language skills are too poor to even try, but Japanese will do just fine,” he grumbled, and his companions had to strain to make out his words.
“Yuki san, Lana san, I… love you, too,” he blurted, ears flashing bright red. Both women gasped audibly.
With anyone else, Lana would have jumped with joy, shrieked with glee, and kissed them both. But it was utterly out of the question. This was much too serious.
Confessions of love were already complex in a normal relationship. In their dynamics, it was the recipe for a headache, and she was well aware she had been the one lighting the fuse. Yuki’s bewildered look testified this was also a first for the couple, after more than fifteen years spent together. It wasn’t something required in marriages such as theirs, and when it existed, it was rarely expressed.
Lana wasn’t surprised Honda felt like this toward his wife; his behavior was pretty telling. But still, the tempest of emotions swirling inside their minds had to be extreme. After all, it came right after a painful disclosure that had bitten off a big chunk out of the exceptional bed of trust they shared.
She let out a small laugh, doing her best to bottle up her ecstatic relief and happiness out of respect for her partners.
“Well, who would have thought that one of the worst days of my life would turn out to be the best as well?” she said softly. “Who knows, maybe 2017 will begin under excellent auspices.”
Yuki blinked, and stopped staring at her husband as if he had turned into a yokai himself. A blooming smile made her shine with pure joy.
“I am of the same mind. Thank you so much for your words, goshujin sama. From the bottom of my heart, please be assured it is entirely reciprocated.”
She bowed to her husband, who returned the gesture. His shaky, relieved exhale of breath didn’t escape anyone, but his wife’s next words made him gulp.
“And this is exactly why you and I need to have a serious conversation back home.”
A threatening glint lit up her eyes. Honda’s contrite face was priceless; Lana swallowed down a highly disrespectful snort. The fact that she had been complicit in his lies for the past few months was sobering enough.
In a more comfortable silence now, basking in the quiet and deep joy they shared together, the trio put on warmer clothing that would make it bearable to stay overnight inside the cold shrine. Yuki had brought a new pair of leggings, thick socks and a turtleneck undershirt for Lana who sighed in pleasure at the warmth.
Yuki then straightened up and faced her two partners again. “Now, given this extraordinary opportunity for being blunt and emotional, if you will please bear with me.” Yuki grabbed Lana’s hand, and locked eyes with her. “Sweetling, to my deepest regret, this may be only symbolic. But I hope you will accept that I call you ‘wife’ and that you would do me the greatest honor by returning the favor. Because this is what you are to me, to my intense delight and happiness.”
Blood rushed to Lana’s head and then retreated, leaving her light-hearted and panting. Her mouth worked, but no words came out. Once again on this fateful day, tears filled her eyes and emotions crashed into her, but she couldn’t care less. Not trusting her voice, she nodded energetically and crushed Yuki’s hand in return. “Yuki san, I believe you successfully made her speechless,” Honda chuckled. “This is a special day indeed.”
“You do not disapprove then,” his wife probed.
“How could I? I have always wanted to ensure your happiness and satisfaction, despite my terrible and often unforgivable shortcomings.” Honda gave her another low bow to acknowledge his wrongdoings. “And given the sincere and mutual feelings we all share, and the future we wish to build together, I will not refuse you the honor I hope to receive myself. I realize how… stupid and stubborn I have been.”
Lana’s breath left her, and she stared at him. No way. I’m lost in translation, it’s just impossible.
Honda turned toward her and bowed deeply. “Lana san, for months now, you accepted calling me ‘master’, and you have done so while showing the most remarkable sense of duty and selflessness. I refused to confront myself fully while urging you to do so. The words and original meaning are much the same, but if you can look beyond my shameful hypocrisy and still find me worthy, would you accept using them to call me ‘husband’? I hope to have the honor of calling you ‘wife’ as well.”
Lana lowered her flushing face, her raging heartbeat deafening, her throat constricted.
He wouldn’t lie, he wouldn’t exaggerate, he wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it sincerely… but what a U-turn! Was it… was it always there? Or is it what happened today? Does he feel so threatened he needs to reaffirm his territory?
Confused, she opened her mouth but never got to answer him.
8 - Sickening Revelations
“Quiet! Not a word!” The trio jumped at the cold voice of Honda’s mother barking from the entrance.
Natsuko stood on the threshold of the shrine, accompanied by a flustered Hiromi carrying futons and warm covers. Silently, the matriarch ordered her daughter to leave her burden on the floor and go back to the house, before stepping inside with three quick and angry strides.
“I see none of you wasted time continuing to defy me. Enlighten me. What made you to think that today’s events would give you the right to do as you please?”
Frustration crept again in Honda’s eyes, and with a curt gesture he signaled his upset partners to remain quiet.
“Okaa sama, forgive me, but at this stage, there is nothing for you to approve. And there never was actually. Our three-way relationship is a fact. Lana san’s position within my household is another one. It was high time I stopped being blind and recognized it fully. Now more than ever, I will make sure that it is acknowledged. We have too much to battle to lose energy and time over this.”
Lana threw him a look filled with wonder. He really means it then?
Natsuko hissed. “Pah! Stop being so delusional! I concede she plays a major role and shouldn’t be cast away, but to call her your wife? When nobody knows how and why she is a person of interest to him, and after he has touched and marked her? When both of you are under such powerful influences, and a child is on the way?”
Exasperated, the matriarch stared them down. “None of you understands what we are facing. The law of men does not matter here. But symbols, promises and words do. Exchanging what amounts to vows, here of all places, is incredibly dangerous. Especially when they are sincere. While you all obviously act as… such already,” Natsuko grimaced, “do not play with fire when we are still trying to figure out the extent of his powers over her.”
Reality crashed in; Lana’s heart broke into little pieces and she bit her knuckles hard to avoid bursting into tears. Yuki’s hand shot out to clutch her arm.
Honda bristled and tensed, struggling to find his words. “Are you implying that I… no, we! should give her up to him? Allow him to continue claiming her and destroying her? Most. Certainly. Not!” he roared at his mother.
Her eyes narrowed at his brazen defiance and aggression. “Remember your place! What I am saying is, don’t run blindly into mortal danger.”
“It… It’s quite all right,” Lana piped in, exhausted beyond belief. “My last wish is to endanger any of you. He… he has already made direct threats against you, goshujin sama, and I cannot… It would kill me if–”
Unable to find the proper words to express her distress, she bowed to the ground in the most subservient way, as much as her belly allowed it.
“It would be my deepest honor to continue calling you ‘master’, goshujin sama. That is, if you are still willing to accept my inadequate service.”
Yuki’s fingers on her arm tightened and Lana remained prostrated to hide her anguish.
Stop stop stop, they both told me they love me. I need to focus on this. The rest is only protocol and form, a way to protect us all.
Natsuko grunted in approval. “Well, at least one of you has some sense left.”
Her son had yet to react. Lana shot a quick glance upward, only to meet a thunderous stare and stormy face. But his anger wasn’t meant for her. He returned her bow, stiffer than never.
“The honor is mine, Lana san. Your service is impeccable and acknowledged.”
He straightened, and after a few seconds spent trying to get himself back under control, he faced his mother again.
“It is imperative we understand the origins of her predicament. How can we figure it out?”
“This is up to her, she needs to tell us what she knows. Maybe some facts she missed, or dismissed, matter.”
