Blood of the Neko - 8. Chapter 8

Kayden awoke nearly smothered under his master's body. But he welcomed the weight and heat of the man. He had missed Damien yesterday, but he had known to stay out of the way. When Ellis informed him what was happening, Kayden had quickly sought out his master. But Damien had been so busy with Brenner and Harrison that he hadn't wanted to distract him. Knowing how foul his mood had been in the morning, Kayden hadn't wanted to risk upsetting Damien further. Instead, he had made his way to the barn and set about helping Finn, Marcus, and Lance prepping for the journey.

When he'd arrived at the barn that afternoon, he discovered that Lance had told Finn that he'd be going along, since Marcus had hurt himself yesterday while mending the fence. The stable master had been concerned about how Finn would travel.

"You'll probably have to ride on the cart," Lance had said, "We don't have enough horses for you to have your own."

Finn had just nodded his understanding, focused on his work.

"He can ride with me," Kayden offered. "The two of us are light enough for Arabella to handle."

Lance had looked up at him, startled. "I didn't think you were going along, Master Kayden."

Kayden frowned. "Of course, I'm going. Why wouldn't I?"

"I just--" Lance cut himself off. "I guess I thought Lord Whitmore would want you to stay here, where you're safe."

"If I'm with him, I'm as safe as I can ever be," Kayden stated with a finality that made the stable master drop the subject.

So this morning, Kayden knew that he was ready to leave whenever his master said they were heading out. Yesterday, he had helped John pack his lord's clothes as well as his own. He even set out his hated boots for the trip like he'd told Damien he would, knowing that Damien would insist on them.

When Damien rolled off of him to his back with a grunt, Kayden rolled over to curl into his side. Damien's eyes were still closed as he obviously was debating waking up. Knowing they wouldn't have any time alone for the next few days, he wanted to take advantage of this last chance. Kayden slid over his master's body, taking note of the half-hard erection as he kissed his way over Damien's hip.

As Kayden's warm mouth engulfed Damien's cock, he heard his master's hiss of pleasure. The hips arched under him. As he worked Damien to full hardness, Kayden listened to his master's moans.

"Damn, kitten," Damien's gravelly voice groaned.

As Damien's hand snaked into his hair, gripping softly, Kayden hummed his contentment, causing Damien to thrust into his mouth and tighten his grip. Kayden could feel his master's approaching orgasm, and tried to focus on bringing his master to completion, but he was distracted by Damien's hand snaking around his own cock. His moan of pleasure vibrated through his master, and Kayden felt Damien's grip tighten on his length. It didn't take Damien many strokes to bring Kayden to the brink. He arched into his master's hand, his mouth and fist clamping down on Damien's throbbing cock.

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"Fuck," Damien groaned as Kayden's sweet mouth dragged his orgasm out of him. He could feel Kayden's throat swallowing around his cock and hissed at the sensations ripping through him.

He finally collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted. Kayden slowly released his softening cock, licking the tip as he did. Kayden didn't seem to mind the mess on Damien's hand as he crawled onto his chest.

"Morning," Damien smiled.

"Morning," Kayden smirked back down at him.

"What a way to wake up," Damien pulled the neko down to him, seeking a kiss. His eyes hovered on the silver chain with his seal on it dangling from Kayden's throat.

"I didn't think we'd have much time alone for a while," Kayden whispered against his lips.

Damien dropped his head back with a groan. "Yes, the mines."

They laid quietly for several minutes before Damien finally moved to get up. "I really need to get moving this morning."

"I'm sure you have a lot to check on," Kayden said.

Kayden crawled out of bed with him, and they both stood under the warm shower of water, scrubbing each other's body with the sandalwood scented soap. Kayden let Damien scrub his hair, but he rinsed it himself as his master had a habit of getting water in his ears.

They both dressed quickly, and Damien turned to Kayden, taking the boy in his arms. He didn't want to leave his kitten. They had too much to talk about, but now was not the time. Damien didn't want to spoil the morning's bliss with the cold truth of Kayden admitting to him that he was in love with that stable hand. He just wanted to leave with pleasant thoughts of his kitten in his arms.

"I'm heading out to the guard barracks to check with Brenner," he said. "It may be busy downstairs as the kitchen feeds all the men before we leave. You might want to have John or Ellis bring you something up here."

"I'll be fine," Kayden reassured. "Go, you have things to do."

For a moment, Damien was surprised at how easily Kayden was letting him go. He had expected the boy to be a bit tearful and maybe even clingy. But then, he would see Kayden before they left, and they would say goodbye then.

"I'll see you in a bit," Damien smiled, pressing a last kiss to the neko's head.

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Damien spent all morning checking and double checking with everyone, making sure that all was ready to go. They had prepped and prepared late into the evening, and now things were loaded and ready to go a couple hours before he had intended.

He turned to Brenner. "Since we're ready early, let's mount up and get going."

"Yes, sir!" Geoff whipped around and started calling orders to the men. They all moved to finalize harnessing their horses. They had two smaller carts of supplies that could move faster with the horses than one larger cart would.

"I'll be right back," Damien said to Geoff. "I want to see Kayden before we leave."

Geoff Brenner frowned. "But, sir, he's already over there with his horse."

"Did he decide to go riding today? Oh, and did you set a new guard on him?"

Brenner looked at him in confusion. "No, sir."

"Why not? I told you last night I wanted Nash to go with us."

"Yes, but I figured it was because you still wanted him to guard Kayden."

"How is he going to do that if he goes with us?"

Brenner cocked his head, his eyes darted over to the young neko checking over his mare. "Isn't Kayden going with us?"

Damien's eyes darkened. "No, he's not."

"But, he said--"

"He said? Since when does he give orders?" Damien snapped, leaving his captain stunned. Damien spun around and stalked toward Kayden. Brenner followed closely on his heels.

"Kayden," Damien called, and the boy turned with a huge smile on his face.

Damien glanced over the boy's body, noting the riding cloak as well as the boots on his feet. Shit, maybe Kayden did think he was going along.

"What do you think you're doing?" Damien demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kayden's green eyes darted from Damien to Brenner and then back to his master.

"I'm checking over Arabella's girth. I'm ready. See, I even have my boots on," he grinned, trying to lighten his master's frown.

"You are not going with us," Damien stated. "It's too dangerous."

Damien noticed the transformation instantly. The green eyes darkened, the slight shoulders pulled back, and the boy seemed to grow another inch. The small hands clenched the reins tightly. Oliver was right; his kitten did morph into a jaguar when he wanted to.

"I'm going with you," Kayden said tightly.

"No, you're not," Damien countered. Their altercation was beginning to garner several stares.

"Yes, I am," Kayden stated defiantly. He turned and launched himself up on Arabella.

"No, it could be dangerous for you."

The green eyes pierced him. "How is it any less dangerous for any of them," Kayden's hand waved over the myriad of men waiting to leave, "than it is for me?"

Damien stammered for a second, trying to gather his thoughts. He couldn't let Kayden go. What if something happened to him? How would he protect him?

"These men volunteered to go knowing the dangers--"

"And so do I," Kayden interrupted.

"Damn it, Kayden," Damien cursed, grabbing Arabella's reins. "You're too--"

"Too what? Small? Tiny? Weak?" Kayden challenged.

"That's not what I said--"

"But it's what you're thinking."

"No," Damien snapped. "I just want you safe, and if you are here I know you will be."

"You don't know that for sure. Anything could happen. And how will I know you're safe unless I go with you?" Kayden argued. "You need me. And I need to be with you."

"Damn it," Damien cursed under his breath. He glanced over at Brenner, who just shrugged.

"I already thought he was going," Brenner said.

"There's no reason he should go--"

"Actually, I'm the first one who should go," Kayden stated.

"What?"

"I know more about those mountains than anyone else here," Kayden stated.

Geoff Brenner and Damien stared up at him stunned, along with the other men around them, who started whispering amongst themselves.

"I was a slave to the hunters who sold slaves to those mines," Kayden reminded. "I know the mountain pass, and I know how the overseer runs the mines and slaves."

"He's right," Brenner finally said. "He's one of the best assets we have."

"Fuck," Damien cursed. "Fine. You go." He turned to Brenner. "But you better keep him safe."

"Yes, sir."

Damien turned, and the red-headed stable boy handed him the reins of his horse. Damien quickly mounted Gemini and turned in time to see Finn pulling himself up behind Kayden and wrapping his arms around the neko's waist.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped again. His emotions flared at the sight of his lover in the arms of the other man.

Both boys froze, startled by the vehemence in his voice. They stared at him in confusion, not sure what he was upset about.

"Why is he riding with you?" Damien growled. Then he turned on Finn. "Get your own horse."

"Sir?" Finn started weakly, obviously cowed by his master's tone.

"There aren't enough horses," Kayden interjected. "I'm small and light enough that he can ride with me without too much strain on Arabella."

Brenner pulled his horse up next to Damien, frowning at the man's attitude. Oliver, Nash and Saladin joined their lord.

"Then Marcus can come instead," Damien said.

"Marcus cut his hand yesterday," Kayden said slowly. "Finn is the only one available to go." He dropped his voice. "We'll be fine, I promise."

Damien gritted his teeth as Kayden patted Finn's hand where it was resting on his waist. Obviously, Kayden meant to make Damien feel better with the gesture, but it just made Damien's heart lurch to see another man's arms around what was his.

"Fine." He yanked on Gemini's reins, turning and spurring the horse into a quick gallop.