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BLOOD. LUST. FAMILY. CHAPTER 10
Pairing: Sakumoto
Genre: Vampire AU, fantasy, drama, mpreg
Rating: NC-17
Warning: Contains violence, gore, blood.
Summary: Aiba is surprised, and King Matsumoto reappears.
Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
The fine gravel of the driveway made a satisfying crunching sound beneath the car wheels as Sakamoto-san stopped the car in front of the house where Sho was waiting to greet his mate.
It had taken over two weeks, but finally all of their furniture and belongings had been relocated to the new house. A team of human and vampire tradesmen had worked night and day to remove the dingy wallpaper and give the interior a fresh and light coat of paint to meet Jun’s meticulous instructions. Jun hadn't been able to assist as much as he would have liked with the packing and unpacking; merely sorting out his clothing had left him feeling exhausted and dizzy.
Jun laughed as he saw the welcome gift in Sho’s hand. “I have never seen a bouquet of kale and spinach before.”
“What better way to ensure that you get enough iron in your diet?” Sho replied with a grin. “I also have this.” With his other hand he whipped out a block of organic 85% cacao chocolate.
“Even better,” Jun grabbed the chocolate and stroked its luxurious wrapper fondly. “The taste of this dark chocolate reminds me of the taste of you. Deep and bittersweet.”
Sho’s eyes darkened and he tugged Jun into his arms. “Perhaps we should do a taste comparison?”
“Really? Because I am feeling rather hungry right now, and I might gobble both you and the chocolate right up.”
Sho raked his claws lightly across the back of Jun’s neck. “Let's go up to our bedroom and see what you can do.”
Jun gazed at his mate and licked his lower lip in anticipation; in his mind, he could already taste Sho.
****
“Are you sure that Aiba-chan still doesn't have a clue about his house?” The next evening, Jun was walking slowly around the garden, leaning on Sho’s arm as he admired the cherry tree near the koi pond. To his great joy, he had discovered that he would have a perfect view of the large tree from their bedroom window and looked forward to its spring blossoms. Illuminated by the bright silver glow of the rising full moon, the flowers and foliage of the gardens appeared to be alive with light.
“I’m positive.” Sho slowed his walking pace slightly as he felt Jun lagging behind. “The new kitchen and bathrooms were only finished today. I thought that we could tell him together when he comes to work today.”
“So this is where we are heading?” Jun tugged on Sho’s arm to slow him down even further; frustrated by the shortness of breath such a small stroll was causing him.
“Are you well enough to continue, Pet? I told the guard on the front gate to send Aiba around to the gate leading to his house, so we can see the expression on his face when he sees the house for the first time. But if you aren't up to it, we can go back inside and tell him there.”
Jun sped up his pace. “No way am I missing this, and Shun-san has said that gentle exercise is perfectly safe.”
“You win. Just don't overdo it,” Sho replied cautiously. “Remember during his last visit Oguri-sensei also warned you that you might have to be hospitalized for treatment if your levels don't improve.”
Jun leaned dizzily against Sho and watched as the moon crept higher, and decided that a distraction was in order. “You look very handsome in the moonlight.”
“As do you, my love,” Sho said as he nuzzled Jun’s neck. “But no matter how much you flatter me, I am still going to keep you close in case you feel faint.”
The sound of footsteps on the path made them draw apart.
“Um, I was told that you wished to speak with me, but I can come back later if you need some privacy.” Aiba anxiously hopped from one foot to the other, before starting to edge away.
“No, please stay,” Jun said kindly. “We have something to show you.”
“Oh, okay.” Aiba happily looked around at the garden as he followed them to the gate. The path was illuminated by ropes of solar powered lights which ran along the edge of the gravel, so he had no difficulty in seeing where he was going.
When they reached the gate, Sho handed Aiba a slip of paper with the code for the keypad.
Aiba mouthed the numbers as he punched them in. “This is really cool. I feel like a secret agent.”
Jun smiled indulgently at Aiba and motioned for him to go through. “After you.”
Aiba was obviously puzzled, but went through the gate and into the yard of the blue house. He looked around the yard and smiled at the sight of the play equipment, but frowned at the lack of sun protection on the windows. “Your neighbours are humans? Pardon me for asking, but is that safe?”
“It is, when those humans happen to be you and your family.” Sho held out a bunch of keys to Aiba, who froze on the spot with his mouth hanging open.
Aiba’s eye stood out on stalks and he vigorously shook his head. He tried to hand the keys back to Sho, who took a step back and refused them. “I don't understand.”
Sho pulled the title deeds out of his pocket and gave them to Jun, who gently pressed them into Aiba’s hands. “Aiba-chan, this house belongs to you. You have served us faithfully for over fifteen years and during that time you have sacrificed so much for us, and so have your wife and children. This is a small token of the gratitude we feel towards you.”
Aiba still looked unable to believe the words he was hearing. He kept a tight grip on Jun’s hands, seemingly unaware of the tension thrumming through Sho’s body. “You bought me a house? This is mine? To keep? Forever?”
“All yours, free and clear of any obligations. Why don’t you take a look around,” Sho suggested, as he extricated Jun’s hands from Aiba’s grasp.
Aiba’s eyes sparkled. “May I?”
“Of course,” Jun replied, with a laugh. “It's your house after all.”
Whipping his phone out of his pocket, Aiba dashed towards the house, simultaneously calling his wife and attempting to unlock the door with shaking fingers.
Jun’s eyes also sparkled as he snuggled up to Sho. “You did good. This almost makes amends for all the times you scared the pants off Aiba-chan by going ‘grr’ on him.”
“Only almost?” Sho pouted. He grabbed Jun’s hips and tugged him as close as his belly would allow.
“It’s not me that you need to be hugging,” Jun said teasingly.
“There's no way in the world that I am hugging Aiba…”
A pair of long arms wrapped around the pair of them, startling Sho, who barely restrained a growl. Aiba was quivering like an over-excited golden retriever as he hugged them tightly.
“I can’t believe that you did this for my family!” Aiba exclaimed as Sho fended him off.
The human glowed with happiness and tears sprang into his eyes. He bowed deeply and remained bent over as he continued to speak excitedly, “My Emi and the children are going to be so happy here. Our old apartment was cramped and there was nowhere to play. How will I ever repay you?”
Jun straightened Aiba up and hugged him back, giving Sho a warning glare over the human’s shoulder as Sho bristled at the sight.
****
The phone made an audible thunk as Jun dropped it on the table and sat down heavily.
“Sir? Is everything okay?” Aiba asked anxiously. It was impossible to miss the visible trembling of Jun’s hand as he accepted a glass of blood.
“My father wishes to speak with me urgently. When Sho returns from his Council meeting, can you please tell him where I have gone?”
“Are you sure that's wise? Shouldn't you wait until Prince Sho can accompany you?” Aiba blurted. Although of course he had never met King Matsumoto, he had heard enough about him to make his heart thud with anxiety.
The pounding of the human’s heart was audible to Jun’s sensitive hearing. There was no way that he would let on to Aiba exactly how angry King Matsumoto had sounded on the phone. “Thank you for your concern, Aiba-chan, but please don't stress yourself. I am more than capable of looking after myself.” Jun tried to rise, but his legs wobbled dangerously. After a few more sips of blood, he stood and walked to the door, ignoring the worried creases around Aiba’s eyes.
****
“Sit.” King Matsumoto spoke without turning away from the window.
Jun went to sit on the comfortable chair in the corner of the room, where he had sat when advising his father of his pregnancy.
“Not there,” Matsumoto snarled. “Here.” As he spoke, he turned and pointed to a heavy ebony chair which was a smaller version of the high backed one on his own side of the desk.
“I don’t understand.” Jun was confused by his father's hostility. “You seem to be displeased with me.”
“Displeased?” Matsumoto hissed. “I am beyond displeased. You are an embarrassment to our Royal House. If you were not breeding, the consequences of your actions would be dire.”
Jun’s head spun and he clutched at the armrests of his chair in an attempt to steady himself. “What are you talking about? I have done nothing wrong.”
“Nothing?” Matsumoto flung a photograph down on the desk. “You call this nothing?”
It took a moment for Jun to focus, but when he recognized what the photograph depicted, he laughed with relief. Someone had captured the moment when he and Aiba hugged after handing over the keys to his new house.
Matsumoto moved too quickly to be seen as he leaped over the desk and wrapped his hand around Jun’s throat. “You think that cheating on your mate and your own kind with a human is amusing?
As Jun struggled to breathe, he felt a peculiar numbness spreading through his body. “My youngling,” he gasped. “Please…”
“Your youngling is safe. I am merely blocking your mental connection with those you love. I do not wish for us to be interrupted.” He loosened his grip slightly, permitting Jun to take shallow breaths.
“Please let me explain,” Jun rasped. “You have the wrong idea.”
“You wish to deny the proof of your infidelity?”
It was impossible for Jun to reply; his heart felt as if it were trying to beat its way out of his chest and there were black spots dancing before his eyes.
King Matsumoto relented, removing his hand from his youngest son’s throat, but kept Jun paralysed in his chair, seeking truthful answers to his questions.
Jun’s eyes glazed over and his breathing calmed, as he succumbed to his father’s power.
“What is your relationship with this human?” Matsumoto practically spat the last word out as an expression of distaste distorted his features.
“He is a friend.” Jun spoke in a monotone, without blinking. “Nothing more.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Matsumoto slapped Jun hard across the face, snapping his head to one side and splitting open his lip. “Then why were you making such a display of physical affection?”
Jun felt the pain from the blow deep down inside himself, but nothing of his distress showed on his face. “He was thanking me for the house which Sho and I gifted to him.”
“You expect me to believe such nonsense?” Matsumoto’s eyes flared and he raised his hand to strike Jun once again, but his anger was diverted by an insistent knocking on the door.
The furious King strode over and flung the door open. “Who dares to interrupt?”
“Pardon for the intrusion, your Majesty.” Nino stood in the doorway wearing his usual black, and a stunning pair of electric blue jogging shoes. He was twisting the arm of a thin vampire hard and high up the vampire’s back, causing him to whimper in pain. “I believe this belongs to you?”
Freed from the hold of his father, Jun recognized the vampire as one of the new guards employed to patrol the outer wall of his house. He rose shakily to his feet and retreated to the far corner of the room, placing as much space as possible between himself and his father. It took all of his willpower to restrain his emotions and instinct to call out to his mate; he didn’t wish to inflame the situation any further by alerting Satoshi or Sho to his predicament. If they came to his rescue then it was sure to end badly for them all.
Nino twisted a little tighter and the vampire fell to his knees. “I caught him spying on Prince Sakurai and Prince Jun.” He glanced over at the photograph on the desk. “I see that you are familiar with his work.”
King Matsumoto scowled at the hapless vampire and clenched his fists, but remained silent.
“Jun, come and stand behind me,” Nino ordered in a gentle tone. The blood on Jun’s face told him all that he needed to know about Matsumoto’s actions.
“It is my right to deal with my own offspring as I see fit.” Matsumoto blustered.
“Do you really think that the Vampire Council would condone your actions against a breeding vampire, and especially one whose unborn vampling will form an eternal bond between the two greatest Royal Families?” Nino asked coldly. “And more importantly, are you completely stupid?”
Jun gasped at Nino’s words, and braced himself for the worst, but to his surprise the King appeared bemused by Nino’s boldness.
“Stupid? How so?” Matsumoto seated himself at his desk and picked up the photograph. “I have the proof of my son’s infidelity here in my hands.”
“Is that what this piece of trash told you?” Nino asked archly. “If you had more knowledge of the modern world you would understand just how simple it is to manipulate photographs to make people appear guilty.”
Reaching into his pocket with his free hand, Nino pulled out a photograph and tossed it onto the desk. It was the same shot, but this one hadn’t been cropped to remove Sho, who was standing next to Jun and Aiba. “Do you really think that any mate could idly stand by and watch this happen? Aiba was merely showing gratitude for the house which had been gifted to him by your son and his mate as a reward for faithful service. I presume that Jun has already told you that, and I also presume by his bloodied lip, that you didn’t believe him.”
Matsumoto closed his eyes for a moment, before looking over Nino’s shoulder to where Jun was standing. “And you may not believe me, but after the incident with Matsuoka I wished to ensure the safety of the youngling which he carries. I did not deliberately set out to spy upon their personal lives, but what else was I supposed to think when this photograph was presented to me?”
“For once in my life, you could have believed in me,” Jun said angrily. He hadn't missed the fact that his father’s concerns were for his youngling and not for himself. After a lifetime of similar treatment, he wondered why his father still had the power to cause him pain.
“In future leave the protection of Prince Jun to the professionals,” Nino gazed coldly at the fuming King. “Your twisted idea of ‘protection’ has done more harm than good. In future there will be no more private meetings with the Prince. If you wish to see him in person, a Council Agent must be present at any such meeting.”
“Who are you, to make such demands of me?” Matsumoto roared.
“I am the one who will tell the Vampire Council precisely what occurred here today, and also pass on other information which I have gathered over the past few months in relation to your deliberate evasion of payment of taxes to the Council. They may forgive your violence towards your son, but they will never forgive you for cheating them out of their rightful dues.”
Matsumoto looked as if he was ready to rip Nino’s head from his shoulders, but the yellow fire of Nino’s eyes and the faint outline of multiple weapons concealed about his person, stayed his hand. “I agree, but don't worry; it is unnecessary for me to ever see my son again. The vampling which Jun carries will never be my heir. My older son Satoshi’s future offspring shall continue the Matsumoto line; not this mistake which occurred long before it is decent. This vampling shall merely serve as a backup in case of disaster, just as my younger son did. I shall be perfectly at ease if I never set eyes upon Jun ever again.”
Jun gasped and struggled to blink back his tears, stung by such an easy dismissal. But as he looked at his father sneering at him in the dim light of the musty room, he realized that the thought of never seeing him again offered a feeling more of release rather than sadness. He no longer had to futilely strive for his approval, or set foot in this place ever again to be chastised for some perceived misdemeanour or failing.
After taking a steadying breath Jun pulled himself upright and looked his father in the eye for one final time. There were so many things which he wanted to say, but he knew that the King wouldn't hear a word. Instead, he silently offered a formal bow before striding from the room.
It was only when he reached the end of the corridor that he sank down to the ground and sobbed.
Genre: Vampire AU, fantasy, drama, mpreg
Rating: NC-17
Warning: Contains violence, gore, blood.
Summary: Aiba is surprised, and King Matsumoto reappears.
Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9
The fine gravel of the driveway made a satisfying crunching sound beneath the car wheels as Sakamoto-san stopped the car in front of the house where Sho was waiting to greet his mate.
It had taken over two weeks, but finally all of their furniture and belongings had been relocated to the new house. A team of human and vampire tradesmen had worked night and day to remove the dingy wallpaper and give the interior a fresh and light coat of paint to meet Jun’s meticulous instructions. Jun hadn't been able to assist as much as he would have liked with the packing and unpacking; merely sorting out his clothing had left him feeling exhausted and dizzy.
Jun laughed as he saw the welcome gift in Sho’s hand. “I have never seen a bouquet of kale and spinach before.”
“What better way to ensure that you get enough iron in your diet?” Sho replied with a grin. “I also have this.” With his other hand he whipped out a block of organic 85% cacao chocolate.
“Even better,” Jun grabbed the chocolate and stroked its luxurious wrapper fondly. “The taste of this dark chocolate reminds me of the taste of you. Deep and bittersweet.”
Sho’s eyes darkened and he tugged Jun into his arms. “Perhaps we should do a taste comparison?”
“Really? Because I am feeling rather hungry right now, and I might gobble both you and the chocolate right up.”
Sho raked his claws lightly across the back of Jun’s neck. “Let's go up to our bedroom and see what you can do.”
Jun gazed at his mate and licked his lower lip in anticipation; in his mind, he could already taste Sho.
****
“Are you sure that Aiba-chan still doesn't have a clue about his house?” The next evening, Jun was walking slowly around the garden, leaning on Sho’s arm as he admired the cherry tree near the koi pond. To his great joy, he had discovered that he would have a perfect view of the large tree from their bedroom window and looked forward to its spring blossoms. Illuminated by the bright silver glow of the rising full moon, the flowers and foliage of the gardens appeared to be alive with light.
“I’m positive.” Sho slowed his walking pace slightly as he felt Jun lagging behind. “The new kitchen and bathrooms were only finished today. I thought that we could tell him together when he comes to work today.”
“So this is where we are heading?” Jun tugged on Sho’s arm to slow him down even further; frustrated by the shortness of breath such a small stroll was causing him.
“Are you well enough to continue, Pet? I told the guard on the front gate to send Aiba around to the gate leading to his house, so we can see the expression on his face when he sees the house for the first time. But if you aren't up to it, we can go back inside and tell him there.”
Jun sped up his pace. “No way am I missing this, and Shun-san has said that gentle exercise is perfectly safe.”
“You win. Just don't overdo it,” Sho replied cautiously. “Remember during his last visit Oguri-sensei also warned you that you might have to be hospitalized for treatment if your levels don't improve.”
Jun leaned dizzily against Sho and watched as the moon crept higher, and decided that a distraction was in order. “You look very handsome in the moonlight.”
“As do you, my love,” Sho said as he nuzzled Jun’s neck. “But no matter how much you flatter me, I am still going to keep you close in case you feel faint.”
The sound of footsteps on the path made them draw apart.
“Um, I was told that you wished to speak with me, but I can come back later if you need some privacy.” Aiba anxiously hopped from one foot to the other, before starting to edge away.
“No, please stay,” Jun said kindly. “We have something to show you.”
“Oh, okay.” Aiba happily looked around at the garden as he followed them to the gate. The path was illuminated by ropes of solar powered lights which ran along the edge of the gravel, so he had no difficulty in seeing where he was going.
When they reached the gate, Sho handed Aiba a slip of paper with the code for the keypad.
Aiba mouthed the numbers as he punched them in. “This is really cool. I feel like a secret agent.”
Jun smiled indulgently at Aiba and motioned for him to go through. “After you.”
Aiba was obviously puzzled, but went through the gate and into the yard of the blue house. He looked around the yard and smiled at the sight of the play equipment, but frowned at the lack of sun protection on the windows. “Your neighbours are humans? Pardon me for asking, but is that safe?”
“It is, when those humans happen to be you and your family.” Sho held out a bunch of keys to Aiba, who froze on the spot with his mouth hanging open.
Aiba’s eye stood out on stalks and he vigorously shook his head. He tried to hand the keys back to Sho, who took a step back and refused them. “I don't understand.”
Sho pulled the title deeds out of his pocket and gave them to Jun, who gently pressed them into Aiba’s hands. “Aiba-chan, this house belongs to you. You have served us faithfully for over fifteen years and during that time you have sacrificed so much for us, and so have your wife and children. This is a small token of the gratitude we feel towards you.”
Aiba still looked unable to believe the words he was hearing. He kept a tight grip on Jun’s hands, seemingly unaware of the tension thrumming through Sho’s body. “You bought me a house? This is mine? To keep? Forever?”
“All yours, free and clear of any obligations. Why don’t you take a look around,” Sho suggested, as he extricated Jun’s hands from Aiba’s grasp.
Aiba’s eyes sparkled. “May I?”
“Of course,” Jun replied, with a laugh. “It's your house after all.”
Whipping his phone out of his pocket, Aiba dashed towards the house, simultaneously calling his wife and attempting to unlock the door with shaking fingers.
Jun’s eyes also sparkled as he snuggled up to Sho. “You did good. This almost makes amends for all the times you scared the pants off Aiba-chan by going ‘grr’ on him.”
“Only almost?” Sho pouted. He grabbed Jun’s hips and tugged him as close as his belly would allow.
“It’s not me that you need to be hugging,” Jun said teasingly.
“There's no way in the world that I am hugging Aiba…”
A pair of long arms wrapped around the pair of them, startling Sho, who barely restrained a growl. Aiba was quivering like an over-excited golden retriever as he hugged them tightly.
“I can’t believe that you did this for my family!” Aiba exclaimed as Sho fended him off.
The human glowed with happiness and tears sprang into his eyes. He bowed deeply and remained bent over as he continued to speak excitedly, “My Emi and the children are going to be so happy here. Our old apartment was cramped and there was nowhere to play. How will I ever repay you?”
Jun straightened Aiba up and hugged him back, giving Sho a warning glare over the human’s shoulder as Sho bristled at the sight.
****
The phone made an audible thunk as Jun dropped it on the table and sat down heavily.
“Sir? Is everything okay?” Aiba asked anxiously. It was impossible to miss the visible trembling of Jun’s hand as he accepted a glass of blood.
“My father wishes to speak with me urgently. When Sho returns from his Council meeting, can you please tell him where I have gone?”
“Are you sure that's wise? Shouldn't you wait until Prince Sho can accompany you?” Aiba blurted. Although of course he had never met King Matsumoto, he had heard enough about him to make his heart thud with anxiety.
The pounding of the human’s heart was audible to Jun’s sensitive hearing. There was no way that he would let on to Aiba exactly how angry King Matsumoto had sounded on the phone. “Thank you for your concern, Aiba-chan, but please don't stress yourself. I am more than capable of looking after myself.” Jun tried to rise, but his legs wobbled dangerously. After a few more sips of blood, he stood and walked to the door, ignoring the worried creases around Aiba’s eyes.
****
“Sit.” King Matsumoto spoke without turning away from the window.
Jun went to sit on the comfortable chair in the corner of the room, where he had sat when advising his father of his pregnancy.
“Not there,” Matsumoto snarled. “Here.” As he spoke, he turned and pointed to a heavy ebony chair which was a smaller version of the high backed one on his own side of the desk.
“I don’t understand.” Jun was confused by his father's hostility. “You seem to be displeased with me.”
“Displeased?” Matsumoto hissed. “I am beyond displeased. You are an embarrassment to our Royal House. If you were not breeding, the consequences of your actions would be dire.”
Jun’s head spun and he clutched at the armrests of his chair in an attempt to steady himself. “What are you talking about? I have done nothing wrong.”
“Nothing?” Matsumoto flung a photograph down on the desk. “You call this nothing?”
It took a moment for Jun to focus, but when he recognized what the photograph depicted, he laughed with relief. Someone had captured the moment when he and Aiba hugged after handing over the keys to his new house.
Matsumoto moved too quickly to be seen as he leaped over the desk and wrapped his hand around Jun’s throat. “You think that cheating on your mate and your own kind with a human is amusing?
As Jun struggled to breathe, he felt a peculiar numbness spreading through his body. “My youngling,” he gasped. “Please…”
“Your youngling is safe. I am merely blocking your mental connection with those you love. I do not wish for us to be interrupted.” He loosened his grip slightly, permitting Jun to take shallow breaths.
“Please let me explain,” Jun rasped. “You have the wrong idea.”
“You wish to deny the proof of your infidelity?”
It was impossible for Jun to reply; his heart felt as if it were trying to beat its way out of his chest and there were black spots dancing before his eyes.
King Matsumoto relented, removing his hand from his youngest son’s throat, but kept Jun paralysed in his chair, seeking truthful answers to his questions.
Jun’s eyes glazed over and his breathing calmed, as he succumbed to his father’s power.
“What is your relationship with this human?” Matsumoto practically spat the last word out as an expression of distaste distorted his features.
“He is a friend.” Jun spoke in a monotone, without blinking. “Nothing more.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Matsumoto slapped Jun hard across the face, snapping his head to one side and splitting open his lip. “Then why were you making such a display of physical affection?”
Jun felt the pain from the blow deep down inside himself, but nothing of his distress showed on his face. “He was thanking me for the house which Sho and I gifted to him.”
“You expect me to believe such nonsense?” Matsumoto’s eyes flared and he raised his hand to strike Jun once again, but his anger was diverted by an insistent knocking on the door.
The furious King strode over and flung the door open. “Who dares to interrupt?”
“Pardon for the intrusion, your Majesty.” Nino stood in the doorway wearing his usual black, and a stunning pair of electric blue jogging shoes. He was twisting the arm of a thin vampire hard and high up the vampire’s back, causing him to whimper in pain. “I believe this belongs to you?”
Freed from the hold of his father, Jun recognized the vampire as one of the new guards employed to patrol the outer wall of his house. He rose shakily to his feet and retreated to the far corner of the room, placing as much space as possible between himself and his father. It took all of his willpower to restrain his emotions and instinct to call out to his mate; he didn’t wish to inflame the situation any further by alerting Satoshi or Sho to his predicament. If they came to his rescue then it was sure to end badly for them all.
Nino twisted a little tighter and the vampire fell to his knees. “I caught him spying on Prince Sakurai and Prince Jun.” He glanced over at the photograph on the desk. “I see that you are familiar with his work.”
King Matsumoto scowled at the hapless vampire and clenched his fists, but remained silent.
“Jun, come and stand behind me,” Nino ordered in a gentle tone. The blood on Jun’s face told him all that he needed to know about Matsumoto’s actions.
“It is my right to deal with my own offspring as I see fit.” Matsumoto blustered.
“Do you really think that the Vampire Council would condone your actions against a breeding vampire, and especially one whose unborn vampling will form an eternal bond between the two greatest Royal Families?” Nino asked coldly. “And more importantly, are you completely stupid?”
Jun gasped at Nino’s words, and braced himself for the worst, but to his surprise the King appeared bemused by Nino’s boldness.
“Stupid? How so?” Matsumoto seated himself at his desk and picked up the photograph. “I have the proof of my son’s infidelity here in my hands.”
“Is that what this piece of trash told you?” Nino asked archly. “If you had more knowledge of the modern world you would understand just how simple it is to manipulate photographs to make people appear guilty.”
Reaching into his pocket with his free hand, Nino pulled out a photograph and tossed it onto the desk. It was the same shot, but this one hadn’t been cropped to remove Sho, who was standing next to Jun and Aiba. “Do you really think that any mate could idly stand by and watch this happen? Aiba was merely showing gratitude for the house which had been gifted to him by your son and his mate as a reward for faithful service. I presume that Jun has already told you that, and I also presume by his bloodied lip, that you didn’t believe him.”
Matsumoto closed his eyes for a moment, before looking over Nino’s shoulder to where Jun was standing. “And you may not believe me, but after the incident with Matsuoka I wished to ensure the safety of the youngling which he carries. I did not deliberately set out to spy upon their personal lives, but what else was I supposed to think when this photograph was presented to me?”
“For once in my life, you could have believed in me,” Jun said angrily. He hadn't missed the fact that his father’s concerns were for his youngling and not for himself. After a lifetime of similar treatment, he wondered why his father still had the power to cause him pain.
“In future leave the protection of Prince Jun to the professionals,” Nino gazed coldly at the fuming King. “Your twisted idea of ‘protection’ has done more harm than good. In future there will be no more private meetings with the Prince. If you wish to see him in person, a Council Agent must be present at any such meeting.”
“Who are you, to make such demands of me?” Matsumoto roared.
“I am the one who will tell the Vampire Council precisely what occurred here today, and also pass on other information which I have gathered over the past few months in relation to your deliberate evasion of payment of taxes to the Council. They may forgive your violence towards your son, but they will never forgive you for cheating them out of their rightful dues.”
Matsumoto looked as if he was ready to rip Nino’s head from his shoulders, but the yellow fire of Nino’s eyes and the faint outline of multiple weapons concealed about his person, stayed his hand. “I agree, but don't worry; it is unnecessary for me to ever see my son again. The vampling which Jun carries will never be my heir. My older son Satoshi’s future offspring shall continue the Matsumoto line; not this mistake which occurred long before it is decent. This vampling shall merely serve as a backup in case of disaster, just as my younger son did. I shall be perfectly at ease if I never set eyes upon Jun ever again.”
Jun gasped and struggled to blink back his tears, stung by such an easy dismissal. But as he looked at his father sneering at him in the dim light of the musty room, he realized that the thought of never seeing him again offered a feeling more of release rather than sadness. He no longer had to futilely strive for his approval, or set foot in this place ever again to be chastised for some perceived misdemeanour or failing.
After taking a steadying breath Jun pulled himself upright and looked his father in the eye for one final time. There were so many things which he wanted to say, but he knew that the King wouldn't hear a word. Instead, he silently offered a formal bow before striding from the room.
It was only when he reached the end of the corridor that he sank down to the ground and sobbed.