Tears Of The Neko - 19. Chapter 19

Within the next week, Kayden was back to his old routine of mostly following Damien around, lounging in his office while he worked, perching next to him at mealtimes--if it were just him and Harrison. He returned to his place on the floor at his master's side if others were present out of propriety.

They shared breakfast in their room most mornings, although it was mostly too cold yet most mornings for the balcony. They would eat at the fire or even occasionally in the bed. Sometimes, if he wasn't busy that day, Damien would sit in his chair by the window and read out loud, while Kayden would perch in the window sill, idly staring at the garden and his master.

It was one of those times, sitting in his chair while Kayden was settled in the window, that Damien looked up from his book and noticed that Kayden's hand was fluttering at his neck, looking melancholy.

"Kitten, what's wrong?" he asked softly, startling the boy.

Kayden looked at him guiltily, as if he'd been caught swiping a sweet from the kitchen. "Nothing, sir."

"I can see something is bothering you," Damien said, rising to tower over the boy and place a chaste kiss on his lips, receiving a blushing nod. "You know I love you, don't you?"

"I love you too," Kayden admitted with a smile.

"Then tell me."

"I--" The hand fluttered to his neck again. "I miss it."

Damien frowned, not sure what Kayden was referring to, but then noticed the boy's hand at his throat. A slow smile spread on his face. "Ahh, your collar."

And Kayden nodded.

"Do you feel you need one?" Damien asked carefully. He loved this boy more than anything, but he didn't want Kayden to stay with him out of any sort of obligation. The boy completed him, had made him feel again, in a way that he hadn't felt since before he'd lost his father.

"No," Kayden answered, shaking his head, and Damien could see the truth in his eyes. "It ...just... made me feel like I belonged to you."

Damien grinned. "You do belong to me, kitten."

Kayden smiled back. "I know."

Kayden frowned when Damien turned to his bureau and pulled something from the top drawer. Damien knelt down on the floor in front of Kayden, causing the boy to frown down at him.

"I wanted to make sure you wanted to stay with me before I gave you this," he said, opening the small box. Inside was a silver chain made of elegant loops. A small silver tag hung from it marked with the Duke's personal emblem.

Kayden's eyes shot up to the sapphire ones of his master in surprise.

"I had the silversmith make it specially for you. But you don't have to take it. I want you to know you're free if you want to be."

Tears streaked down the neko's face as he grinned widely at his master, shaking his head furiously. "I want to be here. With you."

Damien rose as Kayden slid from the window sill. He slipped the chain around the thin neck and clasped it. The tag hung in the hollow of the boy's throat, and Damien swelled with pride to see it there.

He leaned down, wiping tears away as his lips caressed the boy's. "Mine," he growled as he deepened the kiss, claiming the boy as his own.

Kayden's hands reached around his master's neck, clutching him as he jumped into the strong arms, wrapping his little legs around the man's waist. "Yours."

--Neko--

"Just go!" the duke waved his hand toward the garden. He was dressed in his riding habit. He was heading to visit the southern plantation as he always did on the first day of the month and would be gone for a few hours. He had talked Kayden into trying to spend a little time outdoors--without Damien.

Kayden still looked anxious. Even though he had brought the boy on walks with him, Kayden had yet to really go anywhere but the kitchen without him. He knew this was a huge deal for the boy; as he hadn't been 'free' since he was ten years old, so the idea was still daunting. While Kayden seemed more comfortable around people in the house that he saw all the time now, it was obvious he still didn't wholly trust anyone but Damien, especially when he was outside around less familiar faces.

"Ready to go?" Captain Brenner stepped up next to the duke. "I have six more men ready to go."

"Six?" Damien turned his attention from the frettful boy to his guard. Usually, it was just Geoff and one or two more men.

Brenner shrugged. "Can't be too careful."

"I see," Damien nodded as understanding dawned.

"You could go another day," Brenner suggested.

"The overseer is expecting me," Damien said dismissively. "It won't take too long."

He turned back to his boy shifting next to him. It was a nice spring day, warm and sunny. He wanted Kayden to relax and enjoy it, but he knew it would take time for the boy to come to trust that he was safe. Unfortunately, with Roman still lurking, even if he was on the other side of the property, Damien knew Kayden would never feel totally at ease. Honestly, he didn't either--and obviously Geoff felt the same way.

He ran his hand over Kayden's head, thumb brushing over the soft furry ears before resting at his shoulder. "Try for a few minutes. Okay?"

Kayden nodded but glanced at the ground, his feet shifting awkwardly in the soft shoes.

"The garden and grounds here are safe, kit," Brenner stated. "And I have a guard watching the marquis when he leaves the east wing."

"Really?" Damien said in surprise.

Geoff scoffed. "You act like I don't know what I'm doing. Of course, I have him followed. He goes into town a lot, drinking, smoking. He tries to hide sometimes. Gave Loren the slip the other night, so I think he's up to something, just can't catch him at it."

"I see," Damien said solemnly, it was still hard to believe Roman could want him dead.

"So anyway," Brenner looked down at the young neko, "I promise, he won't come near you again."

Damien grinned at his guard. Geoff knew how much the young boy meant to him and was making sure that Kayden was safe too. With just a glance around, Damien could spot three guards patrolling the edges of the manor and doors.

"Ellis!" he called, seeing the tall brown neko carrying a basket towards the kitchen door.

"Yes, my lord?" Ellis quickly dropped the basket next to the kitchen door and hurried over to his master.

"Ellis, would you mind accompanying Kayden on a walk?"

"I'd love to, sir," Ellis grinned down at the younger neko, who looked up hopefully.

"If that is okay with you, Kayden?"

The boy nodded with a slight smile at the familiar neko.

"Good," Damien said, leaning down to kiss the boy gently. Kayden rose to meet the kiss, but then blushed when he realized how close the captain and other neko were. "I'll see you in a bit. Make sure you get lunch."

With a nod to Ellis to indicate that he was trusting his love to the man and receiving an understanding nod back, Damien turned to leave with Brenner.

"Come on, Kayden," Ellis urged, nudging the boy gently. "Let's go run."

Damien saw Kayden hesitate, glancing at the ground, and he wondered what was holding him back. Ellis had taken a couple steps ahead of the boy but paused to wait.

Abruptly, Kayden kicked off the soft leather shoes that Damien had insisted he put on, and took off in the direction of the garden. Damien, Brenner, and Ellis stared in shock after the fleeing figure.

The boy sprinted to the tree at the edge of the garden. And they gaped in surprise as the sinuous figure scurried up the tree, peeking from between the branches at them.

"Damn," Geoff breathed, "I've never seen anyone climb a tree that fast."

They both laughed as Ellis turned to follow, scooping up the discarded shoes. "I guess, I'll just..." he pointed in Kayden's direction, "you know... catch up, sir."

Damien just nodded his dismissal as he continued to laugh. "Thanks, Ellis."

--Neko--

Kayden panted from his perch in the tree, a wide grin spreading across his face. He'd felt so free to run even just the short distance, knowing he wasn't being chased or hunted. He watched his master head toward the stables before he turned his eyes on the other neko jogging closer. He tensed slightly, wondering if the neko was going to be mad at him for running ahead.

"Next time, give me a little warning," Ellis called up laughing, and Kayden's shoulders relaxed.

Ellis settled on the ground near the tree, laying back on his elbows. Kayden could feel the eyes of the other feline on him as he climbed higher, wanting to see more. It was beautiful, the browns of winter had come alive with the vibrant shades of greens over the rolling hills.

"Let me know when you are done," Ellis said, flopping down on his back, resting his head in his hands. Kayden watched the neko's eyes close, his fluffy brown tail flicking lazily in the grass beside him.

Kayden climbed nearly to the top, as far as he could where the branches would still hold him. He almost expected to be yelled at to get down, but the other neko just laid in the shade, enjoying the quiet.

He didn't know what he wanted to do, now that he was here. Besides breathe.

He settled on the branch with the sun filtering through the branches and just let himself be. Alone.

And this alone was different from being alone before. There was no sense of impending dread, no fear of when someone would come for him and what they would do. Only peace.

His fingers toyed with the new silver tag at his throat, as he gazed out over the horizon. This was his home.

"Hey, Kayden!" Ellis called up to him. "How about some lunch?"

Kayden nodded, even though he wasn't sure if the older neko could see him. He leapt down through the branches and landed easily on the soft grass at the bottom of the tree. The other neko looked startled as he straightened.

"You seem... taller," Ellis muttered, assessing the slim figure, and under the scrutiny Kayden felt himself wanting to shrink in on himself. "No!" Ellis shouted suddenly, and Kayden jerked away from him.

"No, don't," Ellis said, more softly. "I'm sorry. I was just surprised." He slowly stepped closer to the younger neko. "You look better," he said gently. "You look happy."

Kayden didn't back away this time, and the flick of his ears was all that showed of his anxiety. "I am."

Ellis froze at the sound of the boy's voice, shocked that he had spoken. A huge grin spread across his face. "I'm glad."

Kayden glanced up at him shyly, apparently having realized that he had spoken to someone other than Damien. When no anger or punishment came from the other neko, he smiled.

"Come on. Let's go get some lunch," Ellis said, then a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. "I'll race ya!"

Ellis had only a second to register the smirk before the boy took off again. Ellis shook his head as he ran to catch up. Damn, that boy was fast.

--Neko--

"I can't fucking believe it," Kayden heard his master's voice cursing from the hallway, and he jumped up from where he'd curled up on the couch to nap while Damien went riding.

Kayden had spent over an hour in the kitchen, eating with Ellis and a couple other slaves at the kitchen table. He kept seeing Ysmenia grinning at him while she kneaded the bread dough, and he wasn't sure what he was doing that caused her to grin like that. Then he'd catch the chef, Garin, smirking at him too. He finally looked over his shoulder to see if someone was behind him that they were looking at. He had almost curled up on the blanket that seemed to stay on the kitchen hearth, but instead, he had headed up to his room.

It had been almost two weeks since the attempted poisoning, and Kayden's whipping at Roman's hand. Even though he was feeling so much better, he still snuck in a nap when he could.

Damien came limping in, and Kayden felt the hair on his tail stand on end. His master had cuts and bruises on his arms and face, his shirt and pants were both torn and ripped. Two guards were helping him into his bedroom, and John was rushing around getting water and bandages.

Kayden tried to stay back, hovering on the far edge of the bed as the men worked to clean and get his master comfortable. But he was so scared, his green eyes wide with worry. Damien kept grumbling and cursing, hissing with each wipe of the alcohol that John used on the cuts and scrapes to prevent infection. Ysmenia appeared with the salve and pain medication that had been used for Kayden.

Kayden hissed in anger at the sight of the cuts and bruises that littered his master's chest and the contusions that were purpling on his leg.

He wanted so badly to ask what happened, but wouldn't in front of the guards. Instead, he whined as he curled up near Damien's head while John wrapped a tight linen around one of Damien's ankles, and Damien sighed as he moved his arm to curl around Kayden, taking comfort in the boy's nearness.

"What the hell happened?" an angry voice stormed in.

Kayden hissed and arched, instinctively protective of his master.

Damien laughed at Kayden's reaction, then groaned as the pain rippled through his abs. "Calm down, kitten," he soothed. "It's just Harrison."

Kayden resettled as Harrison approached the bed, eyeing the mess of his brother.

"So?" he demanded, a knowing look crossing his face.

"Jester threw me," Damien gritted out, and both of the men knew that something was wrong with that. Damien's well-trained stallion had never thrown him, and Damien was an excellent horseman so that would never happen--unless something caused it to happen.

"Really?" Harrison snapped. "And what caused that?"

"Someone shot him," Nash gritted out angrily.

"What?!" Harrison and Kayden said at the same time.

Everyone glanced at Kayden in surprise that he'd spoken in front of others, and he buried himself back into Damien's shoulder.

Damien's eyes glistened at the thought of having had to put down his beloved horse.

"Captain Brenner and Salidin headed in the direction they thought the shot came from, hoping to catch the shooter," Nash added.

"Fuck," Harrison cursed. "If they'd been a better shot...."

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.