Bound Trilogy: Budding: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Sixteen

"You can't be serious. Miles did that to you?" Imogen boomed and Kimiko growled softly. She didn't appear phased and quirked an eyebrow. "Have you gone mad?"

"No, but I'm pissed off. I could've hurt you."

"First of all, you were like a little puppy bringing its owner a gift." She cracked a crooked grin and Kimiko frowned knowing exactly where this was headed. "You even hopped around and wouldn't stop wagging your tail. It was like every bark could be translated to play, play, play!"

"Don't remind me." Kimiko dropped her head to the back of the sofa and clicked her tongue. "Is there a second part to that? One that doesn't involve embarrassing me?"

"Maybe, but I do like to see this side of you, too."

Kimiko snarled, got up and walked into the kitchen as Imogen harmoniously giggled from the living area. After spending most of last night and this morning avoiding their obvious problems and just making love to each other, Kimiko had dreaded having this conversation. Stuck in a state of bliss, she hadn't wanted to stop caressing each part of Imogen's body until the sun could be seen rising with the new morning. They'd rested and showered in relative silence and with more love making, but now everything was out in the open and Imogen evidently wanted the rest of her answers. Truth be told, Kimiko did need to give her those answers, if not just for Imogen's wellbeing, then for herself.

"Okay, Okay. Second point: My uncle may be a hunter, but why would he ever put me in danger?" Imogen probed.

Kimiko grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator and headed back over. She tossed it from one hand to the other several times before finally pushing herself to ask what she needed to know. "When was the last time your uncle visited you in Britain?"

"I know where you're going with this and I don't appreciate it. He couldn't have done this." Imogen stood and caught Kimiko's water bottle which flew mid-air. She unscrewed the cap and took a long swig from it, then grew red with irritation. "Miles was nothing short of incredibly supportive of me when visiting, and after my parents disowned me he became like a father. He set me up with a bloody job and in a new flat!"

Kimiko may end up in the doghouse for what she was about to say, but it needed to be voiced. "Yes. One that he can easily locate and if you're working with him, he can keep a constant eye on you."

Imogen grimaced as she handed her the bottle and walked to the balcony's entrance; a sliding glass door. She crossed her arms and shivered. Kimiko put her water down on the coffee table and walked over, wrapping her arms around her from behind. At first, Imogen was stiff, but within seconds she was leaning back against her, her breath hitching ever so slightly.

"I know this is hard to hear, but it's all true. I wouldn't lie to you, Imogen. Not ever." She buried her face in the side of her hair and prayed she would see some sense. That she would recognize that Kimiko was trustworthy. "He sprayed one of those experimental pheromones at me and it led me right to you. Maybe it's in the early stages of testing and they don't know what the effects of it are on bonding wolves yet. And we were really lucky it didn't make me bloodthirsty and feral, but if it had... Imogen, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

She rubbed her hands along Kimiko's forearms and sniffled. She hated seeing Imogen hurt. She'd pulled an entire one-eighty. Both of them had. While they may not have been able to stand each other at first, or rather while they may have bickered so much, now Kimiko couldn't imagine a world without Imogen regardless of what she actually knew of her. This was the world which Okami-sama sent her, but a world without Imogen was something of the past...and that world had come so close to being reality yet again.

Kimiko couldn't go back and she sure as hell wouldn't let anyone hurt the woman she held in her arms. The woman for whom she was falling, deeply and irrevocably.

"Just call him. If he asks about me soon into the conversation, you'll have your answer." She kissed the back of Imogen's neck, feeling her hair tickling the bridge of her nose, and whispered, "Then, maybe you can trust me?"

Imogen turned her head and looked back at her. She wavered and searched her face, probably for any sign she thought she could be wrong. Eventually she reached into her pocket as she turned her head forward in the direction of the window, then pulled out her phone. She dialed her uncle and hit the speaker icon.

After several rings, Miles answered and it wasn't hard for Kimiko to hear every word. "Hey, lovely! How's your Saturday treating you?"

"Tip top, Uncle Miles." Imogen kept her eyes on Kimiko via the balcony door window as she talked, scanning over it and heating it more and more by the moment. Those eyes were deadly. Beautiful and enthralling, but vicious with the need to prove Kimiko wrong. She wished she could give them what they sought, but knew she never could. "And yours?"

"Just finished hunting with the boys. By the way, I was going to call you, but got so busy."

"Call about what?"

"Your friend...uh... That shifter. Gosh, what was her name?" He rifled through something on the other side of the phone and Kimiko spotted a tear escaping Imogen's left eye in her reflection. "The Asian woman?"

"...Kimiko Fujiwara..."

"Yes, that friend! Well, she was at the site and I spoke to her like you asked, but she took off. Have you seen her recently?"

Imogen hesitated and Kimiko gave her a nudge. She searched her face in the window's reflection and Kimiko shook her head.

"No, uncle. I haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon."

There was a short pause before Miles spoke again. "Well, I hope she's okay. Anyways, I'll be driving your car over later today in case you need it. I noticed that the bodyguard Lanny hired drove you home yesterday and we don't have a trolley for you to go out."

"You knew about him?" Imogen's tears were gone and she flared her nose with a narrowed gaze. "Why didn't you tell me? He was so pushy and--" She cut her words short and looked back at Kimiko again, then shook her head. "Nevermind. I'll see you later then, Uncle Miles."

"See you later, lovely. Be safe."

Before she could ask why he wanted her to be safe, he hung up. She spun around in Kimiko's arms and hugged her, sobbing following her with a wet stain along her shirt.

"What the hell is happening, Kimi?"

She rubbed soothing circles over Imogen's back and took in her scent, letting it calm her wolf. She peered out of the balcony window and snarled, unable to contain her rage. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'm going to keep you safe. No matter what."