Page 102 of Beyond the Storm
“Yes,” Kallias answered, swallowing hard as he stared at everything with wide eyes. Since his return, he’d seen Echo Bay and the island, but the Tokyo ward, with its swarm of pedestrians, noise, and fluorescent lights, was like a whole new world. “It’s just… overwhelming.”
We had teleported to a more secluded area just outside Shibuya Station before heading toward Center Gai, one of the busiest zones in the district, to meet with Tatsuya’s friend. The water dragon king had accompanied us to ensure things went smoothly.
“Oh!” Gray rushed toward a storefront with cutesy things displayed in the window, like plushies of anime characters and bags. He placed his hands on the glass, one leg kicked up behind him. “We gotta go in here really quick.”
“Not right now,” I told him. “We’re not here to shop.”
He pouted at me and dragged his feet as he continued walking.
“How about to eat?” Raiden asked, staring longingly at a restaurant on the opposite side of the street. “That place has the fluffiest ricotta pancake you’ll ever find. I need it in my belly.”
“Control your gluttonous impulses until we’re done here,” Lazarus said to him. “Time is a luxury we do not have.”
“You’d make time if you knew how awesome they were.” Raiden sighed and stuck his hands in his hoodie pocket.
“We’re nearly there,” Tatsuya said. He drew attention in his blue yukata and ornamental hairpin. Though, I doubted it was only his traditional style of clothing that had people gawking at him. His elegant beauty was magnetic.
He wasn’t the only one. With our towering height, we all drew attention. Except for Gray, who had the potential to get lost in the crowd if he wandered too far.
Lazarus had worn a white tee with a black jacket pulled over it. He fidgeted with the collar and lightly rotated his shoulders as he scowled. In the years I’d known him, he very rarely wore anything from the waist up. He found shirts to be too confining but had dressed for the colder weather—for appearances, of course.
“You didn’t have to come with us,” I said. Though, I was happy he did. Even if I couldn’t admit it.
“Of course I had to.” The hard lines around his eyes softened a bit when he looked at me. I could tell he was trying to stay stern, but since those barriers had come down, being distant and cold didn’t come as easily for him. “It’s my job to keep you boys out of trouble.”
“Good luck with that,” Bellamy muttered as Gray tried to sneak away from the group and backtrack to the anime store.
“Gray,”I projected into his head.“Don’t make me have to tell you again.”
He released a heavy sigh from behind me before returning to Raiden’s side.
Lazarus seemed uncomfortable, and not just because he was wearing a shirt. His gaze darted around us, searching for hidden threats. The light pressure of his hand on my lower back gave me butterflies. Everything with him was still so new. We hadn’t placed a label on us. I wasn’t sure it was needed. We had been denied each other for long enough.
“Look, B.” Daman tipped his head toward a side street. “There’s even a place for you. Love Hotel Hill.”
“If Nix found out I went to a love hotel, he’d chop off my dick and shove it down my throat.” Bellamy softly smiled. “Gods, I miss him.”
All of their mates, apart from mine, had stayed on the island. Warrin hadn’t been too pleased, and neither had Mason, but Tatsuya had cautioned that his friend would be uneasy enough around us.
“You said he’s a kitsune?” I asked. A Japanese shape-shifting fox who could be either good or bad. Some had powers over the elements as well. I had met a few during my lifetime but not many.
“Yes,” Tatsuya answered. “Shin is a zenko kitsune.”
“Meaning he’s nice,” Gray said with a nod, then got distracted by another store. Raiden gently grabbed his arm to prevent him from running off.
“Zenko are good kitsune, yes. Some enjoy pranking humans, but they never seriously harm them. Shin is more reserved and chooses to keep to his café. He’s hardworking and kind. I trust him.” The water dragon king slowed his pace as we approached a door. “Here we are.”
The quaint café provided a quiet escape from the boisterous outside street. Hardwood counters, bistro tables, and greenery decorated the inside, and with the easy lighting and aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and desserts, the atmosphere was cozy.
“This is nice,” Kallias said before breathing in. Upon his exhale, his tense muscles loosened a bit.
A young man stood behind a long counter, speaking to the customer sitting in front of him before turning around to make a drink. The whirring of the machine filled the air.
“Mmm,” Raiden said, sniffing the air. “I smell cake.”
Lazarus sighed.
“Welcome,” a male said from the doorway to the right side of the room. He had shiny black hair that fell across his brow and wore a white and navy blue–striped sweater and jeans. Shin, I assumed.
