52 What About Love? Trust? Us?

* Heads-up... I come in peace lol

[TAMIKO]

"Kosta, are you okay?" Tamiko's voice filled the room in a low whisper just as Igor was making his way out of the house, probably to get some air. He had been awake the whole time and had been waiting for Igor.

Tamiko could smell different scents around Igor, and he could smell an awfully familiar one. He could swear that he had gotten a whiff of that scent when he had run away from Lord Sadako a few days ago.

Undoubtedly, the man he had trusted wasn't going to betray him, right?

It could have been easier if Tamiko got a whiff of Lord Sadako's scent on Igor, because, with the return of the king, everyone expected instructions on what to do but that didn't seem to be the case with Igor and Tamiko was firing his thoughts.

He didn't want to distrust Igor, so he waited.

"Oh krushka, you're still awake?" Igor asked as he rushed back to Tamiko, hugging the life out of the poor boy who was worried for him.

"I missed you so much. Goddess, I missed you, so very much," Igor said to Tamiko who was wondering what the fuck had happened out there.

"What?" Tamiko asked confusedly. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but this just wasn't it.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing. I just missed you so much. Ashton tried to kill you today and I wasn't sure what had happened to you. I'm sorry, I won't be gone for a long time," Igor said and a confused Tamiko just nodded in confusion.

He didn't know what else he could do with Igor's confession because a part of Tamiko felt like there was more to it.

Tamiko hated that he felt like Igor was lying to him and possibly playing games with him. He wanted to not trust his instincts but damn, weren't they too loud in his ear this time?

"Let's go to bed. It's already late," Tamiko said and Igor just followed him in silence like he had a lot of things on his mind at the moment. That could have been the case but it couldn't beat the wild thoughts in Tamiko's mind today.

"Yeah, let's sleep alright," Igor said, though he sounded distant, making Tamiko feel like he needed to know if something had happened.

But would he be pleased with the results even if he corresponded everything out and found what he was looking for? Would he be able to face that truth and embrace his reality?

Would he still want to be with Igor after all that?

Oh, there were so many questions and for the first time since Igor had walked through the damn doors, Tamiko wished everything could just remain as they had even before his doubts.

He hated the feeling he was having right now and he knew that his overthinking self would forever try to make sense of everything. If only there was a way out of this.

In silence, the two mates got into bed, with Tamiko lying on Igor's chest. He could feel Igor's heart beating at an irregular rate but once again, Tamiko didn't ask anything.

"Goodnight, Kosta," the young lycan whispered, in the hope that all of this would go away, but he knew it wouldn't.

He had to find out what had happened but then he also had a feeling that he didn't want to go behind Igor's back.

Tamiko was conflicted.

On one hand, he wanted to ask for the truth while on the other, he was scared of what the truth would look like

"Don't worry too much, baby. I would never betray you,'' Igor said after a long silence.

"What?"

"You're overthinking what I want to do that took three hours long. Don't overthink it. I would never hurt you or even betray you. I swear on my life," Igor said and Tamiko lifted his head as he looked at his mate.

Oaths in the lycan lands were permanent and they worked especially if someone went against them. Swearing on life meant that hell would freeze over if they broke that oath.

It was a crazy choice for Igor really but why did Tamiko still think that all of this was some ploy?

"I am just worried about you," Tamiko said earnestly as he leaned closer to Igor.

He had missed him and he wanted to stay longer beside him, but Tamiko couldn't help but feel like his time with Igor was slowly coming to a close.

He couldn't deny that Igor had a life to live, but then Tamiko had vengeance to bestow. He had destruction and ruin to see through and he knew he was never going to leave Grealor free just like that.

He would burn them all for everything that they did to him over the years. Only then would he be able to start a life as a lycan of Kawai? That much Tamiko was certain.

"No matter where the roads take me, love, I will always find my way back to you, always and you shouldn't doubt that. It doesn't matter which bounty calls and what responsibility Kawai seeks me or even my informant errands.

"I will always come back to you," Igor said reassuringly and that seemed to cement the thought of Igor leaving in Tamiko's head once again.

"You're leaving soon, aren't you?" Tamiko asked, sitting up. He had had his assumptions, but now that Igor was talking like the world was ending, the man was truly leaving.

"We can talk about that tomorrow. You need to rest, you are almost hurt by Ashton earlier and who knows what he will fucking try tomorrow?" Igor said angrily, the thought of what Ashton had done was making his blood boil.

If he was left in the same room as Ashton, Igor would ruin that werewolf alpha. That much was certain.

"Where are you going? How long will you be? Will I ever see you again? Is it because I am weak and unfair to be your erasthai? Is that why you come back smelling like a bunch of warrior lycans?

"Do you not like me anymore? Is it because of me? Did… Did you get tired of me?" Tamiko asked all in one breath and Igor sat up, to look at his mate.

Thankfully they had candles lit the room, for the whole night, so it was easy for the both of them to see each other.

"Where did you get all these ideas from? You have really been thinking huh?" Igor asked as he pulled Tamiko closer to him, their faces so close.

The temptation to kiss Tamiko was so intense, but Igor knew that Tamiko would think Igor was trying to distract him, so he had to think of something else, but what could that be?

"My ass was handed to me by Alpha Ashton earlier. I am not strong enough to defend myself… But don't worry, I can train. I can learn to be strong, Kosta.

"I can fight and make sure I don't get defeated even if the sword is laced with magic next time. I will be better, I promise. Please, don't leave?"

"I'm so sorry, baby. I wish I could stay. But I have to leave at dawn."

*****

* Author runs.