Foxfire (Nine Tails, 1) (3 page)

Akira smiled faintly. “I told you
what’s going on, but you didn’t believe me. Now, the proof is
before your eyes.”

“
That … that thing looks
like it wants dinner, not a painting.” Hiro raised his eyes once
more. The fox gazed at him, one ear twitching slightly. That mouth
looked big enough to chomp him in half.

“
He won’t harm you. I
swear it. He’s our benefactor and protector, and you’re being
rude.”

Hiro kept squeezing his brother’s arm,
unable to look away from the fox. Rude? How could anyone act
normally after seeing something like the monster Akira tried to
pull him toward? It was beautiful, but nothing so large could be
anything but terrifying. The fox stood and took two steps forward,
and Akira yanked Hiro toward it, the doors behind them slamming
shut as soon as he was completely past the threshold.

“
Forgive him, please. I
told him everything, but he didn’t believe me.” Akira went down on
one knee, jerking on Hiro’s arm and making him do the same. Then
Akira bowed his head. “Your tribute, great Masaki.”

Hiro still stared at the fox, its
large black eyes mesmerizing him. The fox bowed its head as well in
acknowledgment. Despite himself, Hiro started shaking, and the
creature noted this, a sound almost like a whine coming from
it.

And it vanished. Hiro blinked, and in
the fox’s place stood a handsome man in an expensive navy blue
suit. He had shoulder-length, dark brown hair and piercing brown
eyes. He sported a short, well-trimmed beard, which highlighted
strong cheekbones. He licked his lips as he stepped forward, and
Hiro fought his attraction, just as he always did when he saw any
good-looking man. Shame filled him as he imagined what that
broad-shouldered body looked like without a suit covering
it.

The man bowed low to Akira and
gestured for him to rise. Then he extended his hand to Hiro, who
had no choice but to take it. He’d already been rude enough, but he
told himself he had good reason. The hand felt human enough, yet
Hiro could not forget the giant fox.

“
I frightened you. Please
forgive me,” Masaki said. “It’s tradition, something you will soon
see is important to everything here.”

Hiro pulled away as soon as he was on
his feet. The man’s hand was too warm, too soft and strong. “I
don’t understand.”

Masaki smiled. “I’m Masaki Kitamura,
and everything your brother told you is true. I’m a fox spirit, but
I promise to stay in human form if that frightens you.”

Just thinking about it frightened
Hiro. He backed away, his resolve to go through with the
arrangement evaporating. “I’ve changed my mind. This is just too
weird. Pick something else. We’ll get it for you.” Hiro turned and
made for the door, yanking on the knob but finding the door locked.
He pulled and pulled, searching for a way to get out. There was no
keyhole, no lock of any kind. He rested his head against the wood,
his heart racing as panic took over.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!
This has to be a dream!

* * * *

Masaki watched Hiro, having expected a
different reaction. Based on what he’d seen of Hiro and what Akira
had told him, Masaki had imagined Hiro either being fascinated by
the revelation that gods and spirits truly existed or joking and
being skeptical about everything, as if it were all a trick. Masaki
had not expected fear.

Akira touched his arm. “I’ll slip out.
He must face this on his own,” he whispered.

Masaki held him a moment, not sure
that was the best course of action. “I didn’t expect him to be
scared. What do I do?”

Akira actually smiled at him. “A great
being as old as you can surely handle this situation.” He pulled
away and bowed before slipping off to a side door.

Hiro turned around when he heard the
door closing. He seemed shocked his brother had left him, his wide
eyes searching the room frantically. Masaki cleared his throat and
approached, but he stopped a few feet away, as Hiro went still and
pressed himself against the door. “Akira left me?” Hiro asked
softly.

“
Yes, he did.” Masaki
considered how to proceed, his mind focusing on the arousal he’d
sensed when Hiro had first seen him, when they’d touched briefly.
The young man had no way of knowing Masaki could sense such things,
which would work to his advantage.

Hiro said, “I’ve changed my mind.
Don’t you have to honor that?”

“
No one ever said you had
to be willing to come here. So long as your brother was willing to
give you to me.” Masaki took one more step forward. “Old-fashioned,
I know, but you aren’t being offered up as a sacrifice. There’s
nothing to fear here.”

Hiro clenched his hand around the
doorknob. “The door’s locked.”

Masaki willed the door to
unlock, and the knob twisted in Hiro’s hand. He yanked it open and
went outside, only to find the car disappearing down the drive.
Hiro stood there looking at the taillights, and Masaki walked up
behind him, breathing in his scent.
Lemongrass … and desire.
He
smiled.

Hiro seemed to become aware of Masaki
standing so close. He turned his head slowly and looked up. “What
do you really want?”

“
Your brother loves you.
Why would he have agreed to this if he didn’t trust me? Why would
he let anyone harm you?” Masaki asked, wanting to touch Hiro but
keeping his hands clasped behind his back.

“
It’s all crazy. Absurd.”
Hiro looked back at the drive, sighing.

“
To answer your question,
as your brother said, you are what I want. The talented young man
whose creations touched and moved me.”

Hiro shifted his weight from one foot
to the other. Masaki had watched him long enough to know he did
this when he felt uncertain about something. Masaki prompted,
“Nothing to say?”

“
I don’t have to be here
for you to have all the sketches or paintings you want.” He turned
completely to face Masaki, still looking afraid but seeming to have
calmed down. “How long must I stay? I told Akira a month, but he
just changed the subject, never truly agreeing to that.”

Masaki wanted to toss Hiro over his
shoulder, carry him into the house, and then magically make every
exit vanish. But that would never do. He didn’t want to see Hiro
afraid ever again. “I swear to the kami I serve that, if you wish
to leave thirty days from now, I will let you go.”

Hiro’s stance relaxed a bit. He
glanced inside the house again. “I still … don’t get it.” He
shifted his weight once more. “What did you ask for last
year?”

Masaki smiled, trying not to show too
much enthusiasm. “An autographed novel by Otsuichi. He’s a favorite
of mine.”

“
And this year you asked
for a person?” Hiro lifted his gaze to meet Masaki’s. “Bit weird,
don’t you think?”

Masaki felt confusion, anxiety, and a
lingering hint of arousal coming from Hiro. “I asked to have you
with me. That’s not the same thing. I don’t own you. My kami would
never approve of such a request and would’ve stepped in to stop
me.”

Hiro reached out and touched the
carvings on the door. “Is this place enchanted?”

Unable to resist teasing him, Masaki
said, “Yes, but no dancing teapots or candlesticks.”

Hiro let his hand drop, his expression
confused.

Masaki raised one eyebrow. “Beauty and
the Beast? An enchanted castle where a terrifying creature holds a
beautiful maiden who sacrificed herself for her family?”

“
I know Beauty and the
Beast, but I’m not a beautiful maiden.” Hiro walked back into the
house and began looking around.

Masaki flipped the switch to turn on
the chandelier, hoping the action might help dispel the eerie
effect of the candles lining the walls and adorning the tables.
Open flame was traditional for their ceremonies, but the time for
theatricality was over. Hiro needed reassurance now. “You’re
handsome, though I won’t pry into your sex life just
yet.”

Hiro turned sharply, his color rising.
“I just … what I meant … I don’t want to be surprised anymore by
supernatural stuff.”

Masaki bowed his head in apology. “I’m
sorry. I like to tease. I’m being a bad host. I thought the humor
might make you forget the beast who frightened you.”

Hiro folded his arms over his chest.
“Kitsune are tricksters. Right?”

“
Yes, but I have no reason
to deceive you or play games. Don’t worry about that. I’ll try to
hold back the teasing, and I’ll answer any questions you
have.”

“
Are we alone
here?”

“
In a way. The chauffeur
comes and goes as I need him. I have yokai servants, but they’re
invisible. If you wish to summon them, clap twice. If you wish them
to leave you alone, clap three times.”

“
No one else?”

“
Inari comes to see me
occasionally.”

Hiro sucked on his lower lip for a
long moment. “How about we see my room? I need to sit.”

Masaki gestured to the stairs, and
they began to walk, but Hiro stumbled after only a few steps.
Masaki caught and steadied him, helping him sit on the stairs. He
produced a glass of water and offered it to Hiro, who accepted it
after a brief hesitation.

“
Tell me what will make
you feel more at ease,” Masaki said.

Hiro sipped the water and eventually
said, “Promise no one can come into my room without permission. No
one, nothing, not even you.”

Masaki put his hand to his heart. “I
promise.”

Hiro put the glass on the plush carpet
of the stairs and stood shakily. “Let’s go then.” He strode up the
stairs with determination, and Masaki could sense that he felt
embarrassed by appearing weak in front of someone else.

Masaki followed closely, worried Hiro
might stumble again. They arrived at his room, and Masaki stood
beside the door and let Hiro enter. The young man glanced around
and then he sank down onto the bed.

“
I’ll have food sent up
and left on a tray out here,” Masaki said, pausing and then adding,
“if you don’t want to eat with me.” He wanted to talk more, but
Hiro seemed to need to be alone.

“
Thanks. Don’t think I can
eat though.”

“
I’ll say good night then.
Eat it or leave it. The servants will clean it up.” He reached out
and hung a silver chain and medallion on the doorknob. “You can
summon me by rubbing the charm between your fingers. I’ll leave you
alone.”

Hiro stared at the necklace. “I’m
really safe?”

Masaki looked at him, just this once
not hiding his emotions. “As long as I’m near, nothing will ever
harm you.” He bowed low and then moved away, the look of surprise
on Hiro’s face far too alluring for him to stay.

Chapter Two

Hiro woke up tangled in the sheets and
pillows. He’d slept fitfully, dreaming of roaming around the
strange house in search of something. The room felt cozy despite
being spacious, the dark navy of the walls absorbing the light that
came in through the windows on the far wall. Thin blue curtains
made of a sheer material had been pulled across them. The room had
been decorated in dark colors, gray and blue mostly. It seemed much
more modern than the hallways, which had a more European style, a
sort of early twentieth century look complete with ornate mirrors,
tables graced with porcelain figurines, and mounted light fixtures
in the forms of electric candles and lanterns. The rest of the
house—at least what he’d seen—had reminded him of British period
dramas on television, just as the exterior of the house and the
wide open spaces outside had. Only the sakura lining the drive made
it feel like they were still in Japan. Staying here was going to be
so different from living in his apartment in the city, where it was
impossible to get away from the crush of people all hours of the
day. He picked out something to wear, opening drawers to store his
clothes. The contemporary furniture was simple, all smooth lines
and surfaces, which suited him well. He liked things simple,
enjoyed symmetry and clean lines. He’d briefly wondered the night
before if the room had been prepared for him. The bed even held the
exact brand and type of mattress he preferred to sleep on. He’d
actually pulled the fitted sheet up to check after lying
down.

Had the kitsune done all of this for
him? The bathroom was perfect, too, with the right kind of
showerhead, the same soap he used, and even hunter green towels
like his. Hiro shifted and went to relieve himself, hoping his
morning boner would go away. But it didn’t. He was alone in a house
with a hot guy who, unless Hiro was imagining things, liked him.
The guy had actually sniffed him at one point. It had been subtle,
but Hiro had heard him take a deep, deliberate breath as he stood
close behind Hiro.

Hiro’s mind wandered back to the
Beauty and the Beast reference. Masaki had said he was handsome.
Fox spirits were known seducers, even the good ones who served
Inari. Hiro swallowed at the thought of running into an actual
deity. Out of curiosity, he had read up on Inari and kitsune a bit
before coming here. Did the kitsune want to seduce him? Would Hiro
just be a notch on his bedpost? Hiro didn’t want to think that, but
the other man had proved hard to read. He’d been kind yet still
stiff and formal. Perhaps behaving as a human was a challenge for
him. He might be used to being in his fox form. Having sex with
someone who wasn’t human seemed like a terrible idea. But he
couldn’t stop thinking about it. Here, away from everything, no one
would know. His family and friends wouldn’t learn he was attracted
to men. This house didn’t even have real servants, only
spirits.