Tears of the Neko (29 page)

Kayden whined next to his master, tears
beginning to prick his eyes, realizing that Damien had come very
close to losing his life again.

"But he wasn't," Damien assured. "I'm
fine."

Harrison sighed and plopped in the chair next
to the bed. "But how many times will he try before he
succeeds?"

They all knew who the unspoken
he
was--Roman hadn't given up. He was still lurking, sending minions
to do his dirty work.

"We'll just have to catch them, force them to
talk," Damien said determinedly.

Kayden had hovered cautiously at the edge of
the bed that night, afraid to cause his master any pain. Ysmenia
had given Damien some of the pain medication that Kayden had taken
after the whipping, so his master was flitting in and out of
consciousness.

"Come here, kitten," Damien growled softly,
wanting the boy closer. "Did you have fun outside with Ellis?"

Kayden nodded, with a slight smile, but then
frowned down at his master's bruised body, wishing he could take
away the pain. Kayden moved closer slowly, wanting to comfort him,
but not wanting to hurt him either.

"You're not going to hurt me," his master
said. "I'm just more sore than anything."

"W-what hurts the most?" Kayden asked as he
slid up next to his master.

"Actually, I think it's my back and
shoulders," he grunted. "I think I seriously tensed up in the fall
and made it worse."

Kayden's tiny hand slipped over his master's
chest. He was used to touching his master's bare skin now, and he
let his fingers brush softly through the sparse hairs sprinkled
between his pecs.

"May I rub them?" he asked softly.

Damien's eyes shot open in surprise, then he
smiled widely. "Well, I won't say no to that."

Kayden grinned as his master rolled over with
a grunt. Kayden moved up next to him and dug his small hands into
the tight shoulder blade. His master groaned loudly.

"Oh, jeez, kitten, that feels so good."

Kayden smiled and tried to work on getting
the best angle. He started to climb up to straddle his master's
back, but then thought better of it. Maybe his master wouldn't like
that--would it seem like Kayden was overstepping his place,
especially with his master in such a defenseless position?

"Go on," came the deep voice, muffled by the
pillow.

"Sir, are you sure--" Kayden hesitated.

"Kitten, please," Damien groaned again, and
Kayden wasn't sure if it was from pain or something else.

So, he climbed up onto his master's back,
perching himself on his master's firm buttocks. He leaned forward
and pressed his hands into the small of his master's back, grinning
when the man moaned under him again.

As his hands worked over his master's smooth
skin, Kayden felt himself flush with excitement. He could feel the
clenching of his master's gluteal muscles under his and suspected
his master was feeling the same level of arousal.

"I swear I'm going to get John to bring us
some oil or something," his master mumbled. "I've got to get you to
do this some more."

Kayden grinned slyly. "It feels okay
then?"

"Okay? Shit, kitten..." Damien suddenly
rolled, throwing Kayden to flop on the other side of the bed.

As Kayden bounced laughingly, his master
crawled over top of him, nuzzling into the side of his neck. Kayden
could feel the press of his master's arousal at his hip.

"Does it feel like I'm okay?"

And Kayden grinned at the way he could affect
his master. His hand slid down the firm muscles, hovering briefly
at the waistband. While they had played together several times,
Kayden had never touched his master's cock before, not
intentionally anyway. He'd certainly seen it, and felt it against
his own bare skin, but he'd never touch it like his master would
touch him. His master had always pleasured both of them, first
leading Kayden to climax and then himself.

Kayden's fingers slipped under the drawstring
of his master's sleeping pants, brushing against the soft dark
curls that he knew nestled against the man's cock. He heard a sharp
intake of breath against his neck as his master suddenly stilled
next to him.

"Kitten..."

Kayden smiled again at the guttural groan
rumbling against his throat. His slender finger slipped across the
downy hairs, finding hard length waiting desperately for his touch.
He wrapped his cool fingers around the heated length of his master
and stroked.

His master suddenly bucked against his hand,
crying out in what Kayden at first thought was agony, but then the
neko realized was pure pleasure.

Kayden nudged gently, urging his master onto
his back like the man had done to him before. He propped himself up
with one arm, while he continued to let his hand slide over the
stiff, aching member tenting the sleep pants.

Kayden could smell the man's arousal
permeating the room, and it caused Kayden to growl himself in
excitement. He began to rub against his master's hip irratically.
He leaned over and flicked his tongue across his master's erect
nipple.

Damien threw his head back at the shock of
pleasure. "Oh, god, kitten!"

His hand floundered at the drawstring of his
pants, freeing his erection from confinement. Kayden let his thumb
flick over the leaking tip, as his fangs brushed against the man's
tight nipple.

"Oh fuck!" Damien shouted as his body
convulsed in orgasm, shooting the pearly liquid over his
abdomen.

Then suddenly his master was hissing in pain,
and Kayden shot back.

"Ow, ow, oh crap," Damien grumbled as he
drifted back down from his euphoria.

Kayden's eyes were wide with fear, wondering
what he'd done wrong. "Sir? Sir, I didn't--"

"Kitten, kitten, stop," Damien cut into the
panicked voice of the boy. "I just pushed on my ankle, that's
all."

"Oh!" Kayden stared at his master's wrapped
foot. "Oh, sir, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have--"

Damien's deep throaty laugh cut him off.
"Kitten, I would gladly fall off a horse every day to get that kind
of treatment in the end."

"Oh..." Kayden blushed, casting his gaze
away.

"God, you are so beautiful when you blush
like that," Damien said, taking Kayden's face in his hands. He drew
the boy down toward him.

Kayden's hand stroked his master's cheek as
he leaned in to kiss the man. He let the man plunder his mouth,
melting in the sweet taste of his master's tongue slipping against
his.

He felt his master's hand slide down to his
hip. "I can take care of you," Damien whispered.

Kayden grinned, stealing another quick kiss.
"There's no need for that," he smiled mischievously.

"But--" Damien frowned, not wanting to leave
his boy unsatisfied, but then he realized what the little smirk on
his boy's face meant. "Oh."

Kayden chuffed as he scooted from the side of
the bed, and Damien watched the sleek black tail flicking jauntily
behind him. He chuckled as the boy disappeared into the washroom
and then reappeared with a damp rag.

Damien took the rag from Kayden. "I'll take
care of this, while you get... changed," he smiled. "Hurry back. I
can't get to sleep now without you."

****

"You're doing it again," Damien warned.

He watched Kayden back up slightly. The boy
had hovered ridiculously close after the shooting incident several
days ago, as if being closer would keep him safer. It was cute
really. And while most of the time, he didn't mind the little neko
hovering, there were times when he needed a little space.

Damien stepped over briefly, leaning down and
gracing the boy with a deep kiss. Kayden leaned into the kiss,
melting in his master's arms. When he let go, he noted the blush on
the boy's face as Kayden remembered that Oliver was still in the
room.

His friend grinned at them. "Don't mind me,"
Druet said, "I'll just get me a bit of bourbon."

Damien smiled and rubbed the back of Kayden's
neck. "It's okay. Don't worry. I'm safe in the house, I
promise."

Kayden nodded, admitting the man was probably
right. But unless Damien ordered it, he was not leaving the room.
He took up his usual place in the window seat, while Damien settled
in to talk with Oliver.

The door burst open suddenly, and Kayden
leapt from his perch, landing in a crouch on Damien's desk, ready
to attack.

Captain Brenner froze in the doorway, and
Damien and Oliver jerked in shock.

"Kayden!" Damien shouted, "Stop that, get
down!"

When Kayden climbed down, his ears and tail
tucked back in shame, Damien regretted his tone.

Geoff chuckled. "Got an attack cat there now,
huh."

Damien shot him a glare, then turned to
Kayden standing sullenly by the window. "Kitten," he said,
softening his tone, "I told you no one is in the house that
shouldn't be. Guards are posted everywhere, if they don't know the
person, they aren't getting near me. I promise. Settle down."

Kayden nodded slightly, still feeling
chastised for just following his protective instincts.

Damien turned back to his guard captain.
"What is it, Geoff?"

"Well, we caught a man trespassing by on the
northeastern edge of the grounds. We saw him drop something into
the river as he ran. Salidin fished it out--it was a rifle. I let
Arnett at him...for punishment. Arnett finessed a confession out of
him. I had invited Roman to join in the questioning considering how
upset
he was when he thought Kayden attacked you. But
surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, he declined."

"I wonder why," Damien said sarcastically,
"Could it be that he was afraid his rat would rat him out?" He
sighed heavily, as it seemed to be becoming more and more clear of
his own brother's betrayal. "And? Did you get anything from the
prisoner?"

"The man admitted to being hired to kill
you," Brenner stated. "But he didn't know exactly who had hired
him."

"Shit," Damien cursed.

"Only that the man seemed to be a noble by
how he was dressed, and had lots of money. Apparently, when they
met he wore a heavy cloak and scarf. The tavern was dark, and he
couldn't see his face. His voice was deep and he smelled of
tobacco."

Damien instantly shot a look at Kayden, whose
eyes narrowed.

"Roman," Damien growled and Geoff nodded.

"I thought so too," the captain admitted,
"But it's not enough proof on its own. There are any number of rich
men who smell of tobacco and dress like that."

Damien sighed in frustration. "Lock up the
man. Keep him alive. If we ever get more evidence of whoever is
behind this, whether it's Roman or not, then this will back it
up."

Brenner nodded quickly. "Of course."

"I can't believe your own brother is
responsible for all of this," Oliver shook his head.

"He's always been power-hungry," Damien
stated. "I just never knew how much--until now."

"Have you heard anything from the king?"

"He's put his guards on alert, but he wasn't
surprised to hear of our suspicions about Roman. He's deeply
saddened that he may have to order Roman to stand trial."

"That is understandable," Oliver nodded.

Damien sighed as he sat back in his chair.
"And he said that his wife's condition has worsened."

Druet cursed at the news of the Queen Mary.
"God bless her soul. She's such a wonderful woman. The king is
going to be heartbroken when she passes away."

"Yes, he will," Damien admitted. "I worry for
my uncle's sanity when she's gone. He loves her to death."

Kayden kissed each one of Damien's bruises
and cuts every night as he smoothed his hands over his master's
skin, causing his master to arch under him. Kayden loved the little
noises that he elicited from his master each time his breath
tickled over a sensitive spot--the curve of his spine, the v of his
hip bone, the top of his thigh.

Each night Kayden had begun massaging his
master's sore muscles, which had tightened and stiffened in the
fall from his beloved horse. John had provided a small jar of
massage oil that they left on the night stand, and Kayden had
straddled his master's upper thighs each night to work on the aches
that his fall had caused. His small hands would work over the large
firm planes of his master's shoulders, neck and lower back. Kayden
loved the feel of his master's smooth skin slipping under his
fingers.

The last couple nights, he'd even ventured
lower, his thumbs sliding under the waistband of his master's
lounge pants, brushing over the top of Damien's firm buttocks. He
could feel his master arch into his touch, and Kayden had smiled at
the low guttural moan that vibrated beneath him. The sounds his
master made and the feel of his master's smooth under him were so
erotic that Kayden couldn't help but rock his body against his
master's. Damien would then slowly roll over, having felt Kayden's
aching need along with his own, and he would stroke them both to
completion. Kayden wasn't so sure that his master 'needed' the
massages anymore. They had become a source of relaxation and
pleasure for the both of them.

At the moment, Kayden sat straddled across
his master's firm abs as Damien had rolled to his back, and he sat
sliding teasingly across his master's skin.

"Kitten," Damien groaned at the feel of
Kayden's playful, erotic teasing.

Kayden's little fingers traced down Damien's
chest through the fine black hairs that sprinkled his chest, his
thumbs flicking teasingly over the brown nubs. Damien's hands
rubbed up and down Kayden's thighs, as Kayden leaned over and
started kissing his way down his master's chest. As Kayden slid his
naked body down his master's, he felt his master's arousal press at
him from behind, causing Damien to moan again.