A/n hi again everyone. Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I seem to be having a lot of trouble with this series as of late. I'm not sure why. I've been working on a few other stories to give my mind a rest and I think I'm going to dive back into the Dark Series to try and get back into the mind frame.
I remember one of my reviewers asking what made Kaoru and Megumi so special that they could be turned into Carpathians when other humans could not. The answer is: Kaoru and Megumi are true psychics, Misao will be one too (But that's another story) This is why they were so sensitive to the evil of vampires and how Megumi knew Sano was special when she thought he was just a vampire, and how Kaoru was able to mentally talk to Kenshin when she was still human. I hope that isn't too confusing an answer.
Anyways, I hope everyone has a good Valentine's Day. Now on to the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin or the work of Christine Feehan.
They took Kenji's black and silver sports car. Kenshin handled the car as it sped through the winding back country roads at a break-neck pace. Kenji and Tokio sat silently in the back seat. No one spoke a word. The radio's volume was down and Tokio concentrated on the soft beat of dance music that was sometimes drowned out by the car's engine. It was better than listening to the silence and hearing the boiling thoughts of her brother.
Tokio's eyes slid over to Kenji. He sat stiff, pressed against the other side of the car as if he was trying to put as much distance between them as he could. She felt pain deep in her soul; she wanted desperately to heal it. 'Kenji.' She whispered in his mind. He showed no signs of hearing her; his eyes glued out the window as the dark forest flew past. 'Are you mad at me?' Again there was no answer and she lowered her eyes to her lap. Perhaps she was trying too hard. Forgiving each other always came easy to them, perhaps with Saitou in the mix; it was a betrayal that Kenji couldn't look over, even for her sake.
'No,' came his sudden reply, erasing her troubled thoughts. Tokio snapped her eyes back in his direction. He had not moved, nor had his expression changed. 'I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Saitou. I'm mad that he's taking you away from me.'
'But Kenji, someone was going to take me away. You seemed just as excited as I was at the though of going to the homeland to have my ball and find a mate.' Though she knew he was more excited at a chance to meet other males and maybe have some friends outside this strange family unit they had.
'I know.' He paused. 'I was happy for you. Starting your life, have children. But not with Saitou. Anyone but Saitou. It's like he made this happen just to spite us. Just to piss me off.' Kenji's hands clenched and unclenched in his lap. He did not want images of his sister wrapped around that whoreson. Saitou hardly seemed to care about himself, how could he trust him with something as precious as his sister?
'He didn't have a choice either Kenji. I'm sure I was the last person he wanted as a mate.' The idea hurt her. What did Saitou really think? Was he just as upset as she was? Did he curse his own luck like she did? Sudden guilt washed over her. How horrible he must have felt when she flatly refused their bonding right to his face. Tears prickled in her eyes. What if it was Saitou who refused her? How much it would have hurt her very soul.
'Still.' He sighed mentally and with his eyes still watching the countryside, he reached out and took her hand. 'I'm sorry for making this hard for you. God knows you have enough to deal with right now.'
She patted his hand and gave it a squeeze like she did as a child. 'It's alright. I understand your reasons.'
For the first time in hours Kenji smiled. His teeth flashed brilliantly in the darkness, his dark lavender eyes slide over to catch her gaze. 'You understand me better than anyone Tokio.'
'Of course, we share part of the same soul.' She said matter-of-factly.
But Kenji shook his head. 'No, it's more than that. You are a great sister. I'm lucky to have you as a sibling.' The twins shared a few more moments of silence as Kenshin pulled off the road in into the gentle slope of a grassy field. Their father put the car in park and turned off the engine.
"Kenji, stay here, and give your sister and I a little privacy." Kenshin stepped out of the car and gracefully made his way across the glassy slope.
'God, I hate one on one talks.' Tokio whimpered as the seat belt snapped away from her body.
'Yeah it always feels better when it's a one on two talk like it was when we were kids.' Kenji agreed as he got comfortable in the back seat. Who knew how long this talk was going to last.
'Growing up is so complicated.' Tokio sighed as she closed the car door and followed her father across the field. The ground was a bit rocky with grass shooting up between the rocks at about calf height. The edge of the field was a massive drop, a cliff. Kenshin sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the hillside. As she grew closer, he patted the ground next to him.
"Sit with Papa for a moment." He said and watched as she sat and swung her legs out to kick the air.
"I haven't called you Papa for years." She smiled as she gazed down at the sparkling city below.
"I know. Years have gone by so fast, and now my child is a grown woman. My little girl is a lifemate, that she is." His voice was thick with emotion.
"You didn't seem surprised." Tokio stated in a slightly bitter tone.
"All the signs were there. Saitou use to travel often. He was hardly here for more than a month at a time before he would leave again. The moment you were born. I think he's maybe traveled four times. His instincts told him to stick around. He didn't know why, but suddenly he felt better to stay here. He no longer secluded himself."
"He did visit an awful lot." Tokio agreed, her eyes darting from her father to the glowing city and back again. "Where would he go? When he would travel?"
Subtle curiosity for her lifemate…that was a good sign. Kenshin smiled to himself. "To the homeland. The soil there is comforting to our people. And to America to visit with his daughter. He saw her often."
Tokio felt her mouth drop open. She didn't know Saitou had a daughter. Almost against her will, jealousy flared within her. Nasty, green envy curled in the pit of her stomach. Who was this other girl in his life? And more importantly…who gave him a child before she could? She felt almost…cheated. Saitou already had a first born, and it was not from her. There was a growl in the back of her mind. 'Kenji, you're suppose to give me privacy right now.'
'It's hard.' Came his faint reply. 'It's like ignoring my own thoughts.'
'Try.' Tokio asked and she felt him fade further away. She didn't know why she felt so upset. "I didn't know he already had a kid." She muttered to her father.
Kenshin was skilled enough to hear the hurt in his daughter's voice. Yet he chuckled anyway. "I wouldn't call Camilla a kid, she's over one-hundred and twenty-five years old."
"And her mother? Does Saitou see her too?" Tokio snapped her mouth shut. How could she ask that? A sick feeling of dread washed over her. Cold heat started at her head and cascaded down her shoulders to her cramping stomach. Already she felt the pain of being separated from her lifemate.
Ah, now Kenshin understood. Tokio was insecure. Though why a woman as beautiful and as radiant as her mother would feel self-conscious was beyond him. "No young one. Saitou's first wife died in childbirth. She was the daughter of a human friend of our Carpathian group. He married her in a fit of desperation. I think he knew he was slowly starting to turn."
So she was human. That didn't help her to feel any better. Tokio felt some part of her go out to the dead woman. Saitou used the poor woman…just like it felt he was using her. "It feels…it feels like my job has already been done." She admitted, not wanting to hold back from her wise father. Her hands fidgeted with each other and she wedged them under her thighs to stop.
"I don't understand." Kenshin's kind eyes glowed softly.
"Well. Saitou already had a child. A girl even. What am I here for?" She shrugged her small shoulders. She watched her father blink for a second, his eyelids lowering slightly.
"Tokio Kamiya Himura your job is not to be a breeding animal." He said in a cold, but not unkind tone.
"Feels like it sometimes. All you guys ever talk about is children and miscarriages and I remember Kenji and I being fussed over all the time by Aoshi. Obsessed with our health and wondering if mom would be able to carry a child again after her second miscarriage."
"Our race is dying, it is one of our top priorities to see that we don't go extinct and leave the world unprotected." Kenshin set a hand on his daughter's shoulder and turned her to face him. "But that is for the males to worry about. Vampires and protection and such. Your job is to love and heal. You're here to love Saitou. His human wife could never replace the love he needs desperately from you, Tokio."
"He hardly seems thrilled, if I'm such a savior to him." She muttered, resting her head in her hands. She recalled the glare in his eyes as he stated the bonding words. Oh yeah…. He was in love all right… spitting the words out almost against his will. She felt pain in her heart. It surprised her how much she cared about it. Had it been in some dark part of the forest with deep emotion in his eyes and voice, hands holding her gently as he whispered the words against her ear….Tokio was sure she would have been happier with the turn of events. Saitou was as beautiful as the other males she had seen. It wouldn't take much for her to be attracted to him. He was just so nasty to them
"You weren't exactly an angel yourself Tokio." Her father chastised gently. "Saitou's soul is tattered. If you tried, you could feel the holes there. All he knows is anger. Tokio you must teach him to love again. It is there, but it is hard for him. You are the key to unlock his emotions. Right now they are just a jumble of feelings. I know…the same thing happened to me when I first met your mother. So much emotion swirling around me at the same time. I lost my temper with her more than once. It took time for me to become stable… your mother helped me by loving me…deeply."
"But why does he have to be so mean, not just to me but to Kenji? I hate that about him. I hate it." She set her jaw.
"I believe he's a little jealous." He watched the skeptical look form on her face. "Think, Kenji is deep in your mind, he shares part of your soul. He knows you in a way Saitou never could. He can feel Kenji in your mind almost as if he has to share you. And trust me young one… no full blooded Carpathian male will accept that. His lifemate is his alone. We are very protective and possessive. You must be patient with him, he's learning too."
"But shouldn't I be happy too? Sorry dad but this whole thing sucks." She couldn't help but pout as her father chuckled at her immaturity.
"Well put young one. Do not worry about being happy. That is Saitou's job. Trust me, he will know when you are not happy and it will eat at him until he makes you happy again. It's in his blood. But just like any relationship there are times when it's going to…suck."
Tokio smiled. "Thanks dad. I'll try." Her father reached around and pulled her close for a hug.
"I just want you to be happy Tokio. I know it will be tough with Saitou, but with lifemates…it comes naturally. You just have to let it. And Kenji has to let it as well."
… . . …
Kenji reached between the front seats and turned the key, the radio turned on and Kenji increased the volume slightly. He needed something, anything to help distract his mind from eavesdropping on his sister and father's conversation. The hard beat of rave music filled the car. The tone of a synthesizer was at just the right level to help block the conversation going on a few yards away. The teen sighed and slumped back against his seat, his legs stretched across the back seat. How awful he felt for starting a fight in Tokio's workshop. The place needed positive, gentle thoughts to help empower the jewelry she made. Now he was sure his sister would have to do some mental cleaning of the place.
And what was he thinking picking a fight with Saitou. The man was hundreds of years older than he was and had fought many wars. Kenji hardly had a chance to fight his first vampire. It was a good thing nothing really happened because he would have hated to lose face in front of his sister. Still…He wanted to beat the hell outta Saitou. Filling Tokio's head with those images of sex…very romantic indeed. His sister deserved better than that smut. Kenji punched the back of the driver's seat. It was just…so hard. He didn't know that it was going to this hard to keep out of his sister's mind. They had been together for eighteen years…in the womb they shared thoughts. Now suddenly he was expected to keep away?
It wasn't like he didn't try…the first sign of Tokio's curiosity about what love would be like with Saitou had Kenji pulling back to save himself the nausea. But it was like ripping out a bit of his soul. It hurt and scared him. And then feeling Tokio's sudden hurt when their dad told her Saitou already had a child….her hurt and jealousy had become his own. Kenji rubbed his forehead as the music faded away and radio advertisements started. He concentrated on every voice over the radio to keep himself from thinking.
-"Another child was found dead today only three miles from her home. Authorities say she was taken out of her bed through and open bedroom window. The two year old was found mutilated as if mauled by a large animal…."-
Kenji tipped his head to the side. This was the second child mauled to death in the middle of the night. Was there another vampire in the city? The news went on for a few more minutes but Kenji didn't pay much attention. He wondered if Aoshi was on alert. No doubt he was. The teen itched to join him and hunt down the leach. Something inside of him told him this was a vampire. He had to protect…save those poor children. It was always weird when strong Carpathian instincts took over. Planting thoughts and ideas in his head like spirits mentally whispering in his mind.
Movement out of the corner of his eyes brought his attention back to the hillside. His sister gracefully picked her way through the rocky hillside. Kenji sighed. Guess it was his turn now. He left the radio on as he opened the door and stepped out side. His sister looked thoughtful, obviously their dad gave her some confusing words of wisdom.
"How was it?" He asked as she reached the car.
"Not as bad as I thought." Though her face said otherwise.
Kenji pulled his sister into a hug. "Everything will be alright."
Tokio smiled into his shoulder. Kenji was always trying to be the strong one. He felt completely out of his element, starting fights and feeling things he really didn't want to feel and he was the one telling her it was going to be alright. She pulled away just enough to look at him. "I know, we just need some time. Dad wants to talk to you. I'm suppose to take your car and go back home." Instantly his eyes darkened.
"Back to Saitou to mean." His voice rumbled as he dropped his arms away from her.
"Well he did tell me to and he is sorta my husband now." She watched him snarl at that word. "I want to try and make this work. I know Saitou can be nicer, he's just forgotten how." The stark look of surprise on her brother's face hurt Tokio.
"Wow, I can't believe you're actually sticking up for that asshole."
"Kenji.."
"It's like all those years he picked on me as a kid never happened." He took a step back. "Or how he would make both of us cry."
"Kenji I know he did some bad things but he can't help it." She waved her hand at her brother. "Look at you, this sudden anger… can you help but feel it?" Tokio watched as her brother snapped his mouth shut and glare down at her.
"No, guess not." He muttered. "I better go and talk with dad before he drags me off by my hair again." He gave his sister a smile and felt the relief flood them both. She hugged him again before reaching for the car door. Kenji turned around and headed to the cliff edge. His father sat, gazing down at the city, giving them their privacy it seemed. He sighed as he sat down next to him.
"I told Tokio; it's amazing to see how she has grown." Kenshin started, his suddenly sad eyes turned to his son. "It is the same for you. Yesterday you were running about, tumbling on the floor with toys and now I'm pushing you into battles with vampires."
"Hardly." Kenji muttered. Weak vampires that were already tired out. And even then it was Kenshin who ended up finishing them off. His father chuckled.
"Don't be so eager to take up your duties, son. A Carpathian's soul degenerates as soon as he ends his first life."
"You can't protect me forever, dad." The teen picked a few pebbles from the ground and tossed them into the dark depths below them. "My soul will fade no matter what. I may as well take a few vampires down along the way."
Kenshin took on a thoughtful look as he watched his son gaze out into the night. "You are very brave for a fledgling." He said softly.
"Pish." Kenji scoffed. "Only for Tokio, and even then I think she knows the truth." He was afraid…terrified of the idea of losing his feelings, of colors. He often wondered how it would happen. Would the colors slowly start to fade until one day he would realize that everything was many shades of gray? Or would the colors flicker and blink out one by one to be replaced by their drab counterparts? The idea of going color blind scared the hell out of him.
The idea of losing all feeling however seemed to be welcomed in his mind. He was constantly a pot of bubbling emotions. Churning and overflowing with feeling that Kenji could not turn off no matter how hard he tried. His father told him it was normal for children to have such an overabundance of emotion and that he should enjoy it while he had it. But Kenji was looking forward to the peace and silence that he had in store. No more hate or jealousy and most of all no more anger. Just acceptance… like Aoshi. His father was nodding his head as if he was listening in on his thoughts. Kenji was pretty sure he was.
"Your young emotions are hard to control. I know this. But for the sake of your sister, you have to keep them in balance. At least where Saitou is concerned." Kenshin took on an authoritative tone, moving into father mode. "I do not understand what you were thinking picking a fight with Saitou in Tokio's workshop."
Kenji bowed his head. "I know, that was stupid."
"Yes, stupid and reckless. Not only is Saitou hundreds of times stronger than you, he is newly bonded. His emotions are just like yours right now. All bubbling up so much he can hardly control or understand them. What if he had killed you? And believe me…there was hardly anything stopping him from doing so. What would that have done to Tokio? You are a part of her. More importantly, what would that do to her relationship with Saitou? Something like that could ruin her life forever. Do you want that for your sister?"
Kenji blinked. "No."
"I do not understand the connection between twins. But I believe it is like a weaker connection between bonded lifemates. You must shut yourself away from her just like you do before you fight with a vampire."
Kenji winced; he remembered the first time he had blocked off all connection to his sister during his first fight. It was instinct; something inside him told him to do it. He didn't want his sister to see what was going to happen. And if he was hurt, he didn't want Tokio to feel it, or to worry. He remembered coming home to her sobbing in Kaoru's arms, she was so sure he was dead…why else would he be gone from her mind. "Why?" It would driver her nuts.
"I believe part of her reason for not being able to accept Saitou is because of your hated to him." Kenshin put a hand on Kenji's shoulder. "It's impossible for her to hate Saitou. She was born to love him…but you…it seems…was born to hate him…and you share part of your soul with Tokio. If you shut yourself out, then that will leave her free for her instincts to kick in. She will be happy with her lifemate. Besides," he added as he dropped his hand from his shoulder, "they deserve some privacy."
Kenji winced again, feeling the blood rush to his face. It was so awkward having lustful thoughts about some jackass running though his mind. He did not want to experience their first bonding. The teen squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head violently to get the thought out of his mind. "I think that might be a good idea." He said carefully. "I sorta already thought about it while we were planning the trip back to Romania for her ball."
Kenshin nodded. "Do this, at least until you are older and can better control the connection between you."
Kenji nodded as he noticed the sky changing colors on the horizon. Wow, was it almost dawn already? Small pains in his stomach reminded him that neither he, nor Tokio fed much that night. The teen felt slight guilty, his sister hardly hunted without him; no doubt she was hungry right now as well. "I guess we better start heading back."
But his father ignored him. "If it will help you to block your sister, and to get your mind off Saitou, you can join me more often in my weekly hunts for random vampires, that you can. It goes against everything I am as a father to throw you head first into your own destruction. But you are right, as a Carpathian, the skills you learn now will help protect you and your loved ones years from now."
Kenji thought for a moment. He was ready to start hunting, and anything that would get his mind off his sister for a little while would be welcomed. "Alright." The boy said simply, nodding his head. Kenji went to stand but his father caught him by the elbow and forced him to sit back down. "Dad the sun is rising." He blinked in surprise as Kenshin reached into his gi and pulled out a pair of his specially made sunglasses. He held out a pair to Kenji. The teen took them and looked up at his father with question.
"Even though you only came of age a few days ago, your power has doubled in that short amount of time." Kenshin slid the glasses on as the first golden rays peeked over the mountain tops. Kenji quickly did the same before his eyes could be blinded. "You can now stand in the sunlight for a while. The older and stronger you become, the longer your body can stand it." He stood and helped Kenji to his feet. Then without a word, Kenshin turned and in a blink of an eye was gone.
'Come home when you are ready.' Kenshin whispered to his son.
Kenji turned just as the warn sunlight fell upon him. He clenched his teeth waiting for the unbearable stinging that would be followed by blisters and burns. But this time it was different. The sunlight felt warm, not painful…the early morning light didn't weigh him down until he wanted to hide himself under the ground. Kenji took a deep breath as he stared into the half globe of glowing light that peeked over the mountain. He was an adult male Carpathian now.
… . . ….
Tokio watched as the sky started to turn dove grey. Sunrise was a few minutes away. Her lavender eyes turned back to the road. Saitou was expecting her at his home any minute. The girl gripped the steering wheel, her fingers tapping out a rhythm of their own. What was Saitou expecting of her when she got there? Was she just suppose to move right on in? Make herself at home in a house that she had only been in once, years ago? Would…would he kiss her again and complete their bonding?
An image flashed in her mind. Bare flesh and flashing teeth. Tokio veered off the road and she jerked the wheel, breaking the image. Mating with Saitou…Tokio shivered, though out of disgust or anticipation…she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure of anything now that Kenji finally fell silent in her mind. What were her real feelings for Saitou? Could she really be the lifemate her father said he needed? Was he waiting for her right now?
Her stomach clenched tightly. She was too hungry and too nervous. Tokio shook her head. She couldn't do this right now. Besides, it was almost dawn. Her home was closer, safer. At least in her mind. Tokio kept on the road and pulled into their estate. She parked Kenji's car next to her own in the garage and made a beeline to the forest behind her home. She needed some time in her shop. The negative forces Saitou and Kenji left there had to be removed before they influenced any of her jewelry. She was safe there from the sunlight anyways; she could spend all day there and be quite safe.
She was sure.
… . . ….
What was taking that girl so long? Saitou paced like a restless cadged animal in his living room. It was a very traditional Japanese home. Furniture was at a minimum, the doors were rice paper screens and the floors were tatami mats. Modern influences were slowly leaking in although. The rugs on the floor, electronics, locks, a modern kitchen and bathroom, though he had no need for such rooms. And despite the delicate feel of his house, There were forces that protected it stronger than steel and concrete. Saitou's safeguards kept evil and unwelcomed people away. Saitou crushed his third cigarette in the ashtray that sat on a table. His immediately tucked another between his lips and scratched a match with his thumbnail. He took a long drag, paying close attention to how the smoke felt in his lungs and not how it felt to be separated from his mate.
A giant influx of power just outside his home signaled the arrival of a Carpathian, though…not the one he was expecting. Saitou released the smoke from his lungs and formed a simple symbol with a few waves of his hand. The safeguard at the front door faded and popped open. The visitor silently walked in and shut the door behind him. Saitou felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees. A dark shadow formed as his visitor walked down the entryway and into the den where he was waiting.
Aoshi, the Dark One.
"Greetings Aoshi." This was a bit unexpected. Saitou glanced at the much older man. He could hardly look him in the eye. His power was too dark, too strong. Aoshi reeked of death and vampires. Saitou realized with almost startled humor that he was afraid of Aoshi, skin crawling, shivering, cold sweating afraid. He had just been unable to feel such stark fear. But now he could and now he knew why others kept away from Aoshi these days. That cool, calm, painfully beautiful mask of a face could not hide the power that trembled just under the surface. Aoshi's flat, emotionless eyes…like a robot's gave Saitou the chills.
"Greetings Saitou." His voice was a symphony. Pain and pleasure could be brought on by Aoshi at the uttering of a single word. Right now Saitou struggled not to be influenced by it. He didn't have to worry before, but now he had emotions, and he was suddenly, unexpectedly vulnerable to Aoshi's power. "I came only for a short visit. I will not be long." His navy blue cape snapped at his heels as the man advanced into the room. "I heard the news, congratulations on finding your lifemate. May your days together be filled with happiness." His words were like a poem from a genius poet. Though they were warm, friendly and genuine, his face stayed flat, not bothering to pull it into common human expressions. Saitou found this slightly disturbing.
"Thank you Aoshi. News travels fast." Saitou muttered.
"Yes, Megumi told me. She said Tokio took it badly?" the sudden flash of curiosity was only a nanosecond long, but it changed Aoshi features for that length of time and he appeared almost normal.
Saitou sighed and took a drag from his cigarette again. "I wonder…" he started, his eyes wandering to the window and the dove grey sky outside.
"Yes?" Aoshi took a few steps closer.
"Do you think that Tokio is…different, then other females, because her mother was a human?" He refused to look the ancient in the eyes.
Aoshi was silent for a moment. "I wondered if Kaoru being a human would affect any children she had. But she was a Carpathian when they were conceived and the pregnancy was like that of any other female."
"Do you think Tokio having a twin….a male twin, is what makes her so…reluctant to this bonding?" Saitou sucked hard on the glowing cigarette. Why didn't he come right out and ask…Why does Tokio hate me? What was causing her to hate the one person in the world she was supposed to love?
"Possibly." Aoshi said cautiously. "Twins are a rare case among our people. Male and female twins are almost unknown to us." The last pair of male and female twins had been his brother and sister. They were over a thousand years older than he was and Aoshi never got to know them very well at all. He only caught glances of them at war time. "This is why we study Tokio and Kenji as often as we do." Aoshi and Megumi were trying to learn as much as they could from the children.
"Tokio resists me. I think it's because of her brother." Saitou admitted, though he would have rather drank vampire's blood instead.
Aoshi nodded as if he knew this whole time. "My twin siblings never found lifemates. Rumor was they were each other's lifemates. I think that's ridiculous. I believe the strength of the connection between my siblings was so strong that no other could interfere. I believe the only reason you were able to bond with Tokio is because they are only eighteen years old. Babies…their connection with each other is not as rock solid as my siblings were."
Saitou had not heard Aoshi speak so much at once in many years. It was like a hypnotic trance. "What do I do?"
"You already know what to do. It's instinctive. Love her, protect her and take care of her. You must accept this connection between her and her brother. It will most likely fade away but it will always be there. It will be best for you not to fight it so hard, for the sake of her happiness."
Which comes before his own. "Thank you, Aoshi."
Aoshi nodded once and turned to leave, but he caught himself and looked over his shoulder. A very non-Aoshi gesture. "Megumi wanted you to remind Tokio that she has an appointment with her tomorrow."
"Appointment?" Saitou blinked.
"Yes. Megumi has been keeping track of Tokio's ovulation cycles to better understand our fertility problems. Have you shared blood yet?"
Saitou twitched. That was a very personal question, he may as well of asked if they had sex yet. "No."
Aoshi nodded before turning back to the front door. "Share blood before you send her to Megumi's. It may trigger something in Tokio's anatomy that could answer some questions about female maturity."
Saitou didn't like that Aoshi knew a lot about Tokio's anatomy. Doctor or not, it bothered him. Aoshi vanished as silently as he came and the sky was growing bright. That girl still had not showed up. Saitou set his jaw and dove within himself. To hell with a little privacy. His connection with her was not as strong because they had yet to share blood, but he was able to slip into her mind long enough to see that she was parking Kenji's car in their garage.
… . . …
Tokio sighed as she walked through the bit of forest between her home and her shop. The morning was crisp and cool, and Tokio would give anything to watch the forest glow with sunlight. But she couldn't, she had to hurry to her shop before the sun peeked over the mountain tops. She knew Saitou was waiting for her but Tokio found it impossible to make herself go to him. It was like throwing herself in a pit of wolves.
She kept her eyes glued to the path in front of her. Saitou would be angry but when wasn't he angry? Besides, Tokio wanted a little bit of time, he didn't expect her to pick up and move the very night he bonded with her did he?
"Yes I do."
Tokio froze so fast she nearly pitched forward onto the ground. Looking up, she spotted Saitou leaning against the door of her shop.
a/n lots of information in this story, very little action. Gomen, but the next chapter should be better. Tokio was a bit surprised about Saitou already having a daughter, I'm sure that is going to come into play later on. Kenji can now stand in sunlight for a little while, and what about those stranger child mauling? Things are about to quickly heat up! Reviews are loved!
