31 No One Else... Just You

[TAMIKO]

"I want a name, little love," Igor said as he studied Tamiko's arm.

For a moment there, Tamiko felt like his wrist was getting more attention than he ever thought possible. He had been used to getting such but then seeing someone be that worried and concerned over them was new and it was exciting there.

He was suddenly curious to know what would happen, if he really gave Igor a name.

Earlier, Sadako had also noticed the cuts on his wrists and called them Tamiko's hell, and he hadn't said that in a tone that was warm and comfy. Instead, Lord Sadako had used a tone that, just like Igor's, made Tamiko feel bad for Gabe.

He knew for a fact that the two would probably find out on their own and make Gabe's life a little too hard. But that was Tamiko's job. He was going to dedicate himself to it, and he wasn't even going to pretend.

"Easy there, Kosta. There isn't a name. I did this to myself, like I always do. You worry yourself for nothing. Anyway, tell me about your position in Reynard.

"They say you are the most feared warrior outside of Kawai, is it true?" Tamiko asked like he hadn't read literal books about Igor when he was growing up.

It was however different hearing it from the source's mouth and this was his chance to get that truth, right? Well, it could have been easy if Igor wasn't so determined to check Tamiko's body for any more scars.

Of course, there were scars, but the longer Igor stared, the more Tamiko was getting uncomfortable. He didn't want to feel insecure about his scars and he didn't want to explain them, so he hoped that Igor would notice his discomfort and let him be, but would he?

"There is a name, my soul. I know there is a name. If you don't want to give it to me, I will find out, sooner or later. And if I do, goddess have mercy on them," Igor said as he kept looking at Tamiko's scars.

They irked him, and made him want to give them back to whoever had put them on Tamiko's body. He wanted to make them pay for every strike and ounce of pain that Tamiko had had to come face to face with.

"You're overthinking, for a man you just met," Tamiko said as he stared at the scar that Igor was focused on.

The scar ran harshly down his neck and shoulder.

It was one he had gotten five years ago, in the woods, when Gabe had forced him to run on the logs that had been collected and piled up by Tamiko. They were obviously unstable, and there were spikes all over the unfurnished logs, but that wasn't Gabe's concern then.

And so to try and live through the day, Tamiko had jumped the logs like he was told. He fell so many times and got scratched, while wood splinters poked his body all over. Then he got a long scratch on his neck.

It was supposed to be just that, but a splinter of wood had made it to Tamiko's neck and etched itself there. It was safe to say Tamiko was sure he would die that day, given the amount of blood loss he had experienced.

Gabe had run away with his best friends, when he noticed that the outcast was bleeding. He didn't want to take responsibility, so he had left a broken and hurt Tamiko, not to mention a very bleeding Tamiko in the forest on his own.

Tamiko eventually passed out, and woke up to find himself still in the woods, but his lycan had shown up for the very first time and healed him. It was nothing short of a miracle, and to this day, Tamiko wasn't even sure why he survived.

"Am I?" Igor asked as he ran a finger on Tamiko's scar.

"I will find him or her, and I will give them a longer one, that's a promise," Igor said before he pulled away from Tamiko, making the young lycan let out a sigh of relief.

He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold his breath and listen to Igor's promise to kill Gabriel. Sure, Konstantin didn't know it was Gabe, because if he did, then it would have been a done-and-done case.

"Do you always get so protective of every stray lycan you meet, Kosta?" Tamiko asked amusedly as he stared into Igor's deep black eyes and Igor arched a curious and amused brow at Taiko.

"Are you jealous, by any chance?" Igor asked and Tamiko snorted.

"Why would I? It's not like you would ever be my mate."

"So that means you already got your mate, my soul. I should meet him," Igor said and Tamiko stared at the man like he had some powers to know who Tamiko's mate was.

Igor Kostantine was officially scary and Tamiko was getting freaked out with every word that came out of the man's mouth. There was no telling what Igor would do next, or what he would say next.

He was a paradox on his own and the boy was that sort of uncomfortable; and yet comforting at the same time.

"It's already dusk. I need to go back before they announce to the packs that I ran away or even stole something so everyone launches a manhunt for me, Kosta," Tamiko said as he tried to get up, but Igor pulled him back.

"I'd like to see them try and launch a manhunt for you. That should give me a good enough reason to—"

"You should not be overprotective of a stranger, Kosta. Especially if that stranger is me. I have nothing to offer you, literally. I don't know what you want, but you will eventually get bored. Anyway, I really need to leave.

"You may be fine with breaking rules, but I'm not. I have a whole life depending on me not breaking rules. You said you won't hurt me, but I need to go, alright?" Tamiko said, his tone softening when he noticed how dejected Kosta seemed to be.

For a man who had been to wars and won, he looked different and it was something that Tamiko hadn't once expected. It just didn't make any sense. But then the man was Igor Konstantin. There was nothing about him that would ever make any sense to anyone.

"You're no stranger, my soul. You're special, very very special," Igor said and Tamiko beheld back the urge to tell Igor that he was just being infatuated, and too invested in it.

Tamiko was tempted to tell the man to snap out of it, but he wasn't sure he was really going to be safe if he told Igor something that Igor didn't want to hear. It would be difficult taking on the Grealor beatings that were certainly waiting for him, if he pissed off Igor too.

Because this man would definitely give him worse scars.

"Can I please leave?" Tamiko asked impatiently.

"Just you."

"What?"

"I've never gotten overprotective of a lycan or random people I meet, just you."

"Okay. Good for you. Can I leave?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll walk you home," Igor said, though it came off as a defeated whisper.