Page 21 of The Tainted and the Tamed
Haruki took an overly long sip of tea as he considered this. With the factions in the Diet already so deeply divided and maintaining an uneasy peace, an open union could certainly spell trouble. Yet it wasn’t as though Daisuke would change his conservative politics so completely.
The question was, would the other chairmen in his faction believe that?
“I’m the only one you’ll tell, aren’t I?” Haruki asked, caution in his voice.
Junpei scratched at his gray-flecked beard. “It seems like it’s time to tell the others. Nothing will change if we wait.”
“And I am tired of waiting.” Daisuke offered his mate a weak smile. “Don’t look so grave, Haruki. It’s not as though we’re leaving the Diet.”
“I understand your desire to be out in the open,” Haruki said, shifting on his cushion.
“If you did,” said Daisuke, “there wouldn’t be a ‘but’ on its way.”
“Butyou could reap chaos, inside the Diet and without.”
“Damn it, Haru, don’t you think we know that?” Daisuke pounded his fist on the table. Deep down, he was still that clever but hot-tempered samurai. “You should understand most of all what isolation does to a vampire.”
Haruki sat back, alarmed. Did everybody think that of him? Was he little better than a feral animal in their eyes?
Yet here he was, the voice of reason between them. “The Diet is at a tipping point.”
“How would you know?” Daisuke snapped. “You haven’t attended in ages.”
Junpei patted his hand. “Dai—”
“No, he needs to listen. Just because you’re older does not make you wiser—not in this case. My life is closer to that of the mortals we rule over, and it’s been one of constant chaos. If two people loving each other is all it takes to tear down our government, so be it. We’ve survived radical change before.”
Haruki’s eyes immediately fell on his tea. This was dangerous talk.
Haruki picked up his cup again, setting it on the ends of his fingers and savoring the warmth radiating through its base.
If Daisuke was willing to jeopardize that which he held most dear, there was nothing Haruki could say that would stop him. Clearly, Junpei was even dearer to him than any politics, than any of the causes Daisuke had nearly given his life for so many times over.
So that is what true love is like,Haruki thought, a touch of bitterness welling up. He’d given his life for a woman he thought he’d loved, once, but that was youthful foolishness.
This was different. Both men were seasoned vampires now. It was a calculated risk they were taking.
“I will support you before the Diet,” Haruki said.
“We didn’t ask for your support,” Daisuke retorted, his eyes sharp. “It’s bad enough you sit up here, lamenting how the country is changing without ever getting off your ass—”
Junpei touched Haruki’s sleeve. “We wouldn’t put you in that position.”
“I’m putting myself in it.” Haruki set down the cup with a clink, hoping it added an air of finality. “When you are ready to present yourselves to the Diet as mates, I want to be present.” His gaze traveled between the two of them as he spoke, then fixed on Daisuke. He hoped neither man noticed the tremble running through his hands. “And you’re going to need whatever support you can get. Perhaps my status as an elder vampire will do some good, for once. Even if most of the Dietdoeshate me.”
“Your support might harm our cause,” Daisuke said plainly.
Junpei cleared his throat. “Thank you, Haru. I knew we could count on you.”
But Daisuke still held Haruki’s gaze. Caving to the pressure, Haruki shifted his eyes downward to his own barely touched cup of tea.
“Ifyou wanted to speak out about the changes to our country,” Daisuke said, “about the factories—I would second you,ifyou’re prepared to offer actionable solutions.”
Haruki cocked an eyebrow. “Such as?”
“Regulations.”
Junpei chuckled. “Of course, you would be the one to second such laws.”
