Kiss or Kill?... Karma

[TAMIKO]

"The pack slave would like to get some rest, your highness. Make sure you lock the door on your way out. I don't want to be sick before my slavery tomorrow, alright? See you never," Tamiko added coldly.

He was tired and needed to rest, besides, he hadn't even gone home to check his shelter, which his mate had traced earlier. Tamiko was in for a long ride, but even then, he was determined to get some sleep.

Who knew if this was the last time he would ever be this free? The fact that he was mated to Gabe could mean so many things. The man could make his life even harder and reject him, though if Gabe rejected Tamiko that would be a win for the young lycan.

"Tamiko please—" Gave began, but Tamiko suddenly started snoring loudly. He wasn't in the mood to chat with a man who had spent his entire life running his life, even though Tamiko strangely loved hearing his name on Gabe's lips.

It was strange, but even as he pretended to snore into the night, Tamiko wondered what he was supposed to do with this new reality. He could accept it, and live a better life with the same wolves who had treated him like shit.

Accepting Gabe meant staying in the pack, which was the one thing he didn't want, not to mention that it would go against everything he had believed in. Tamiko hated Grealor and none more than the alpha's son, his mate.

The other choice that was left for Tamiko, was for him to reject Gabe, and then leave Grealor. He could free himself; but at the same time, that meant that he would free the very people who had broken him one too many times.

He hadn't endured all that torture for him to come out like a saint. But then maybe leaving Grealor would be the only way for him to go back to Kawai. At least there, even if he didn't have a family, he knew he would be among people like him. Lycans.

"Tamiko—" Gabe insisted and Tamiko ignored him.

He didn't want to engage Gabe even more, at least not until he had made the decision on what he needed to do with this pack. He could leave and they wouldn't pay for his pain, and that wasn't just rational.

They needed to be reminded of what pain felt like. They needed to know that forgiveness wasn't going to come easy just because they would pretend to love him and care for him in the name of him being the alpha's mate.

That was bullshit and Tamiko knew it too, and he wasn't going to wallow in that idea. He would never forgive Grealor and maybe he knew what he wanted to do, but needed more convincing, but from who or by who?

"Gabe, we need to leave. It's almost morning and the people will start asking questions. And by the way, did you find your mate or will you wait for the next moon?" a warrior asked and Gabe stayed silent as he looked at Tamiko.

He was worried, but it seemed like, in the dark, the warrior had assumed that Gabe was here to have fun with Tamiko. But even that wasn't far from what he wanted, after all, wasn't the mate bond supposed to be comforting in some way for them?

"Hey, man, are you listening?" the warrior asked when he realized that there were no responses. He wasn't sure what it was, but then he didn't really care, because the alpha's son needed to get some rest. Maybe this to them was just like the other ceremonies.

The very ceremonies that Gabe always went to and never thought of finding a mate, but then he had, and the truth itself wasn't pleasing, but what else could Gabriel Grealor do, in a world where there were never second-chance mates?

"Uh yeah, let's get going. I need to get some sleep. Make sure to lock the door, we wouldn't want the pack slave getting sick and not working you know? He's gotta pay for the food he eats in one way or the other," Gabe said to the warrior.

The warrior looked at Gabe, wondering when the fuck the alpha's son had started thinking of the outcast. It was strange, especially when Gabe had pretended not to hear the question of mate, but how long would he pretend?

He was the alpha's first son and everyone would want to know whether the goddess had given him a mate or not. It was imperative for him in all aspects. Maybe he would tell them that Tamiko was his mate, but then Tamiko threatened to reject him.

When the fuck had the tables turned fast?

"Okay," the warrior responded as he chose not to pay too much attention to it, though he could even feel that there was something else between the alpha's son and the outcast.

Maybe it was just Gabe threatening Tamiko again, but why would he do that on the one night that everyone was supposed to be left alone? And why would he get that close to him on a night when mates would seek each other out?

"Fucking hell, that was close as shit," Tamiko let out a breath of relief when he was sure that the door was locked and that he was the only one in the mating hall. He had never imagined the goddess would be this crazy, but then it had already happened anyway.

Sitting up, Tamiko put on the coat that Danny had given him wondering if there was ever going to be a day when he would just be happy and not have to worry about what the world would think of him.

Maybe then he would be able to buy himself enough time to figure out why the hell he was a Lycan in a sea of wolves. It was all just so strange, but then Tamiko had been in Grealor long enough to know that coincidences were never a thing here.

The fact that Alpha Ashton hadn't bothered to kick him out, despite all the alphas being aware of their wolves and every stranger in their home, made Tamiko even more curious.

What was going on in Grealor? And what did it have to do with him being the only lycan away from Kawai?

Tamiko had always had questions and this time, he figured he would answer one for himself, at least this time he wouldn't be helpless.

Given that Tamiko had already sworn to destroy Grealor, he wondered if it would be too bad, to give them the one thing that they had never imagined.

A werewolf alpha that was too broken in love to even face whatever was coming for them.

He would ruin Gabe if he wanted to and right now that was the only thing that was going through his mind. Maybe he had been too patient.

"Kiss or kill?" a distant voice suddenly asked Tamiko in the dark.

"Better. Karma. I will be their vengeful karma, and Gabe is my way in," Tamiko responded subconsciously, thinking he was still dreaming, but was he?