Don't worry, the chapter title isn't a typo.

2.12

He hadn't intended to return to Japan. The last time he was in Japan he had accidentally caused the death of a Return to Ancestry.

Or so he thought. Now he knew that the Return to Ancestry was still alive…and was very powerful.

He was sitting straight up in bed in a posh hotel in Shinjuku, looking at a photograph in his cell phone's library. His…"handlers" were never far away no matter how much he wanted to be rid of them. But he was also a rare find and so while they kept him one a short leash they nonetheless followed most requests he had. And when he told them that the Madararui who attack the Madarame family was also a Return to Ancestry, they were quick to book a flight to Japan for him. So that he could see the Return to Ancestry himself.

"Tsuburaya Norio," he breathed as he stared at the image. It was the same photograph he was shown seen days earlier. Finding his name had not been difficult considering that he had attacked the Madarame family. He had also gleaned some information about the young man. That he had been groomed to be the consort to the heir of the Madarame family, but had been cast aside and the heir was engaged to another. That had happened before the attack, so he wasn't certain if the attack was a direct result of the breakup..or if there was some other reason for the attack.

Still…

The Madarame heir cast aside one of us. A Return to Ancestry. Kharaal idsen teneg. What could possibly be a more viable mate than a Return to Ancestry?! The heir's actions are a direct insult to all Rrturn to Ancestry!

There was a knock to his knock door and he looked up sharply. "What?!" he barked out.

"Khaan," was the polite reply. A woman's voice. It took him a moment to remember the name he had assigned to her. "Gichii". "We have more information about the Japanese Return to Ancestry."

"Then tell me," he said curtly. Gichii entered the room, looking visibly irritated by his attitude. But he knew there was nothing that she could do about it other than hold her tongue.

"Khaan," Gichii said, bowing respectfully. "Our people have obtained a video. Security footage that would explain Tsuburaya's rampage against the Madarame family."

"What happened?" he asked tersely.

Gichii striaghtened her posture, though she kept her eyes downcast. "The report we received…was that the Return to Ancestry was the victim of gang-rape."

His jaw locked as rage filled his body. "…The Madarame gave him to rapists?!" he spat. "They handed a Return to Ancestry over to be gang-raped?!"

"We do not know yet. But the footage clearly shows Tsuburaya being accosted in public by a small group of Madararui. They appeared to have shot him, but…clearly he survived his injuries.

Raped. And then attempted murder. Bile rose in his throat and he ducked his head. He locked his jaw. "…I see," he said. "I know what they have done."

"Khaan?"

"The Madarame heir threw Tsuburaya Norio away…and took off his blind when he did so. Leaving a Return to Ancestry exposed and unprotected to ANY Madararui within close proximity."

He suddenly squeezed his cell phone so tight in his fist that it sparked and broke in half.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Library was a nice place. Norio regretted that he had never tried to stop by there before, but then again he had never been interested in libraries before. But it was a weekend and he didn't want to be at home, so this was one place he could be to idly pass time.

Norio hummed under his breath as he walked down one row, idly running his hand along the spines of the book on one row. His cell phone then buzzed in his pocket and he stopped in his tracks. He kept one hand rested on a book on the shelf as he pulled out his cell phone. Kunimasa sent him a text message. "Would you like to hang out today?"

Ah. He's being less demanding. Norio almost found it amusing how much Kunimasa was changing in the week since their last date. But honestly, he was too fed up with Kunimasa to be amused by it. "Later," he texted back. He kept his cell phone out and glanced at the shelf. The hardcover book underneath his hand immediately piqued his interest. "'The Lives of Prehistoric Beasts'," he read aloud.

He took the book off the shelf and walked over to a nearby table. He flipped it to the Table of Contents when his phone buzzed again. "Would you like to go on a dinner date again with me tonight?" Kunimasa texted him.

"Sushi will be fine," Norio responded, and then glanced at the Table of Contents. The Contents had a list of Latin names for the chapters, no doubt the names of extinct prehistoric animals. Norio's eyes scanned the list until his eyes fell upon the name for Chapter Nine. He reached out and traced underneath the name, but before he could say it out loud his phone buzzed again. "Can I see you now, Norio?"

Norio scoffed and rolled his eyes, rising from his seat. "Why are you so clingy?" he muttered. He left the book on the table and walked towards the exit. But the name that had caught his interest hummed in his mind.

Prima Feliformia.

Kunimasa glanced at Norio. Norio was sitting beside him placidly in the car, idly staring out the window. Kunimasa frowned deeply and looked out the opposite window. …How long is this going to drag on for?

Norio was being a lot more open with him since their most recent breakup, but he could sense the wall that Norio had erected between them. He wasn't used to Norio doing the bare minimum when it came to their relationships. He was used to—and quite honestly really enjoyed—Norio's affection. The way Norio would talk to him and hang all over him. It had been a nice feeling to feel…loved by someone.

But Kunimasa felt none of that with Norio now. Norio didn't kiss him or talk to him with affection. And while Norio sometimes touched him with affections, it felt like he was receiving—scraps of affection. Like Norio would hold his hand, but only for a brief period and when then release him. And if he tried to hug Norio, then Norio would either duck his hug or he would feel stiff in his arms. He knew that Norio had suffered a severe traum from being murdered and then suddenly reviving, but…but Kunimasa couldn't help but feel like his emotions were being toyed with.

….Is THIS what Norio felt all along when he was with me?

Kunimasa didn't deny that he was a shitty partner to Norio. He pursued Norio because he wanted a Return to Ancestry as his mate and to carry his children. When Norio demanded a real relationship with him, Kunimasa did feign affection with him because that was what he thought Norio wanted. Just gestures. It took him a long time to realize that Norio wanted a REAL relationship with him. With REAL affection. Something that Kunimasa was unable to freely give him for the longest time.

Norio was right. I was using him in the beginning. And I did toy with his emotions to get what I wanted from him. But I…I'm not like that anymore. I do truly love him now. That was why I broke up with him again, because I wanted to spare him the fate of being my consort. I wanted him to have a safe and peaceful life. But instead he was nearly raped and he WAS murdered. And now…now I can't stay away from him even if I tried.

"Norio," he said, glancing at the other boy again. After an uncomfortably long moment Norio slowly turned to look at him. "Norio…would you like to do anything else tonight?" He was tryin to not be demanding. As a future King he was used to demanding things from others and not asking. Asking someone anything always felt like a distribution of power, and not a display of power. But Norio made it clear that he did not like it when Kunimasa demanded anything of him and so Kunimasa had gotten into the habit of asking him permission instead of demanding his compliance.

Norio didn't immediately respond. He glanced towards the window again, but then suddenly perked up. "Stop the car," he said.

"Pull over!" Kunimasa called to the driver. The driver complied and pulled up next to the sidewalk. The moment the car stopped Norio took off his seatbelt and climbed out of the car. "Oi, Norio!" Kunimasa shouted, crawling across the seat and running after the other boy.

Norio walked ahead of him down the sidewalk, but Kunimasa caught up to him. "Norio, where are we going?" Kunimasa looked at their surroundings and his brow furrowed in confusion. The shopping district they had stopped in looked…familiar to him.

Norio suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Kunimasa walked into him. Norio, is something wrong?"

Norio stood there frozen, waiting for pedestrians to walk past them. After a few moments Norio turned around to face him. "Take three steps back," he said.

Kunimasa complied, raising his hands to show that he meant no harm. Norio then pointed down to the sidewalk space between. "Do you see this spot?"

Kunimasa looked down. The sidewalk looked white and clean, but…but after staring intently for a few moments he thought he saw a—stain on the sidewalk. A light red stain. Kunimasa looked up at him. Norio was still pointing to that spot, and his eyes were on that spot. But then he lifted his eyes and met Kunimasa's gaze. And his next words shook Kunimasa's world.

"This is where I died."

Just as a note, Prima Feliformia is not a real animal. That I know of, lol.