Fate

Back to the present, Kyle nimbly dodged the knife that flew towards him and embedded itself on the tree.

"I told you, my love," Sayuri said with a smile, "Do not move."

"But sweetheart," Kyle nearly purred the endearment out, "If I didn't, I …"

Kyle tilted his head to the side a bit, narrowly missing another projectile weapon, continuing, "would have had a nick on this gorgeous face."

Sayuri rolled her eyes, placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"Seriously, Kyle?" she said, tapping her foot.

Kyle pursed his lips. His wife *hardly* called him by his name.

When mothers' called out their kids' name in full, it meant big trouble.

His beloved?

Just his first name was enough.

Kyle sighed and walked over closer to her, and wrapped his arms around the waist of his prickly wife.

"You would think," Sayuri hissed, "After Sarah, you'd be much more decisive over these weirdos. And you just let her go? Seriously, Kyle? Seriously?!"

She pinched his behind, where there is plenty of flesh rather than his waist that was hard as a rock, "She designed on my daughter! Our daughter! Our young and innocent baby! And all that stupid b*tch got was just being fired?!"

Kyle let her vent, bearing the pain, and kissed her forehead, "I didn't 'just' let her go. From now on, every time she hears my name, sees me be it on television or even just a picture of me, well … she will literally pee in her pants."

Sayuri pursed her lips a bit at that and continued to stare at him, saying, "That's it? Wetting herself? Granted, it's certainly embarrassing but not even as difficult to handle like incontinence in the elderly."

To Sayuri, what Kyle had done was really very mild.

It wasn't like the elderly who lost the ability to control their bodily functions. The helplessness and inconvenience are certainly something that any adult would be very uncomfortable with and affects them emotionally and psychologically.

This one?

Other than being embarrassed in public and confused as to why it happens, Sayuri didn't feel like it was much of a punishment.

Like slapping the back of the hand or something.

"Oh, let's just say that for the next few months, somehow, she'll be triggered every day," Kyle replied with an innocent look, his handsome face close to hers.

Sayuri snorted, silently cursing her husband in her heart.

Using his ninja skills to soften her up, huh? Trying to out-seduce a temptress like her by using her weakness against her?

Fat chance.

"That does not make you happy then?" Kyle asked as he peered at his wife's face, going closer and letting his breath seemingly caress her lips.

She poked him on the chest with her finger and replied, "Hardly."

"Okay, how about she is yours to deal with then?" Kyle said softly, ignoring her jab and brushing his lips softly on hers.

Sayuri rolled her eyes and leaned back, avoiding him from being able to deepen the kiss, "You. Stay out of it and no questions. Got it?"

"Got it," Kyle agreed, nodding.

Sayuri stared at him, and noted that although it was obvious he was not quite comfortable with her command, he wasn't going to stop her.

She loved him, truly, but there were just times when he was just too wishy-washy or kind. He always had that weakness when it came to 'normal' people - if it was those who were obviously on the wrong side of the law, there was no hesitation.

She, however, was different.

She wouldn't go out to hurt or kill people indiscriminately but when they touched her bottom line...well, she wouldn't hold back either.

Lust after her man?

Fine, maim the stupid woman if she dared to try anything other than fantasize.

Try to use some tricks to take her man?

Maim and have her psychologically scarred for life.

Use her kids to take her man away?

Simple.

Her fate can only be Death.

✿ Author posts on WN and neovel ✿

Alex was in bed, absent-mindedly scratching Max's head that was on his chest.

Against his parents' wishes, Max has now become his roommate. Well, it was a compromise of sorts since they would prefer Max in here with him, rather than him outside with Max.

It seemed to be fine last year, but turns out, not so this year.

What Alex didn't know was that his parents had allowed it simply because they thought he would eventually get tired of it.

Nope.

Hardly.

In fact, he became worse.

So before Alex would become a wildman of sorts, they had to compromise and try to domesticate Max a bit more - rather than Max making Alex wilder.

However, that left Iori alone.

Surprisingly, Iori didn't seem to mind spending the night alone rather than with her 'pack', so long as Max was with her during the day. This behaviour is highly unusual as a wolf is a social animal and the bond of a pack/family is what drives and connects them.

Gordon, Max's (and Iori's) trainer, said that whilst rare, there were lone wolves. One who didn't seem to mix well with the pack that they were in or looked like they preferred to be alone. Eventually, such a lone wolf would split from the pack.

Still, they do not live lives of solitude and would form their own packs. The reason why they split was because they felt that they should be the Alpha, and have their own pack.

Iori was female, so there was no such thing. Plus, she mixed well with Max during the day and there didn't seem to be any estrangement of any kind. It was as if they had not been separated at night.

Aurora, however, had her theory. Well, it was a theory to Alex but Aurora believed it firmly. She felt that Iori needed the time alone at night because Max just drives her crazy during the day.

Like how Alex drove her crazy sometimes.

Alex had scoffed at Aurora's analysis, but he did not refute it either. He had no thoughts on the matter, really, and he wasn't particularly interested in knowing the reason.

He remembered a talk Uncle Ali had with him so long ago, which made him learn to see and accept his father, and not be so prejudicial against him. It had been quite a complex concept at that time and he had a bit of trouble understanding it at first.

Uncle Ali had explained it to him in simple terms and he understood it, but then realised later that understanding back then had been really shallow. He began to see it clearer and the lesson given merely became richer and more valuable to him as he grew older.

It was like peeling the layers of an onion.

Basically, it was that you could learn all that you can about a person but you can never truly know the person because you aren't that person.

So in this case, Alex didn't care about the 'why' or sought to understand it. He merely looked at the result. Max and Iori were close. One need not be together 24/7 to have a close bond so Max and Iori were like that.

The bond between him and Max, however, was strong and built on total trust with each other. Alex noted this once he started taking Max out as Cinder. That was why they had such seamless cooperation.

It was akin to the bond one had with their army buddy. Your life literally depended on your 'brother' and people working together as a single unit.

That was what Alex had with Max.

It wasn't the same sort of bond he had with Aurora, his own twin - it wasn't to say that it was stronger but it was different.

"You know, Max," Alex was mumbling as he reminisced about the day, "I made a new friend today."

He laughed a bit at that, "Is she a friend? I guess so. Well, she certainly thinks so."

He thought of her enthusiasm, and her obvious like for him that was different from the others.

Which was part of the reason why he didn't reject her completely.

First, there was no sense of revulsion or impatience that would normally assail him whenever he was faced with overly enthusiastic girls.

Secondly, she didn't look at him the same way those other girls did. He couldn't quite explain it, but it piqued his interest.

Perhaps it was the pure adoration and awe in them?

It was as if he could do no wrong in her eyes.

Naturally, wouldn't that appeal to the vanity of any person?

Alex could not surpass his father at the moment, and even his own twin would knock him down a peg or two.

But Isaura?

"I don't know Max," he said softly, "There's just something about her…"

He sighed, "But would she still feel the same after meeting Father? Will she start looking at me differently?"

At that, Alex laughed mockingly at himself, "Look at me, I'm so weird. It's only been one day and I'm already thinking like that."

He hugged Max's head and kissed the top of his furry head.

"We'll just see what happens and leave it to Fate, huh Max?"

Max seemed to know Alex was waiting for some sort of response so he gave a small yelp.

Alex smiled a bit at that and soon, both man and beast … er, boy and pup … fell asleep.