Vengeance of The Broken Lycan Prince [BL]-Chapter 495: Don’t Hold Back… Light Me Up Again [3]

[TAMIKO]

Kosta knew.

Gods, he knew Tamiko enough by now to know that Tamiko would never come back to the crown if he left. If they went away and found a good way to make them both happy, he wouldn’t want to risk that.

The prince would leave everything, and the king would be forced to rule.

But then the king was also a tired man. He had ruled over Kawai for nine thousand years.

If Yilena had wanted the crown, she would have taken over as the sun, but Yilena had left the lineage for the crown and even changed her name because she wanted peace.

Lord Sadako did not want to rule again. He had done it once, while Zaffuto was a mourning king, and he couldn’t do it again. He had said it a few times. The pressure of that seat was way too heavy.

Danny was a werewolf who had been turned into a Lycan barely a decade ago, and leaving him to run a kingdom of beastly Lycans would be stupid, because the Lycans would lash out.

They would not want him, and they would make sure even the king knew that.

The war for Kawai’s succession would ensue in the worst of ways. It would be messy, and blood would flow, as it had never been before, because the fact that Danny was even considered the next in line screamed danger.

Especially with the warlords whom the mad king had seated on the new council. This was going to be hectic as fuck, and gods be damned if it never made sense because at the end of the day, it would all flap on the king.

Not that Zaffuto would be inclined to make any responsible decisions.

And in the middle of all that, the king would either be forced to burn his people for peace or let them fight. Given how tired Zaffuto already was, leaving them to fight like rabid dogs was an action that ranked higher than the rest. Kosta knew that so damn well.

If Tamiko really left, Kawai would burn.

The peace they had kept for over three hundred years would be ended in literal seconds.

But Kosta...

Gods, he didn’t want that.

So many lives would be upended.

It would be ruined because of a prince’s decision. Then again, that would be too cruel, and Kosta refused to let it happen. Couldn’t let that happen just because Tamiko wanted to make him happy

Of course, happiness was the one thing they were both chasing, but wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t tear through other people’s lives for it?

There had to be a way.

"What if I want to stay in Kawai?" Kosta asked carefully as the very idea of talking about staying felt like betrayal.

He knew it wasn’t betrayal, but then this was all dependent on him. He had learned that every look on his face was always, always going to determine the outcome and fate of so many things and people.

All because Tamiko could either kill or save as long as Kosta wanted him to.

But it would never be that easy.

No matter what he did, because right now Kosta wasn’t even sure if he was looking at all this like an Erasthai loved by the man he was resting beside or if he was the kingdom’s Lycan chief who knew damn well the consequences of everything that was bound to change.

Tamiko, on the other hand, looked at Kosta fondly, his hands coming up from their entwined point, and gently traced Kosta’s cheeks. He was so tender about how he held Kosta.

It was like he was scared of scaring Kosta. But would he ever want to scare Kosta?

"Wherever you go, I will go. As long as you are happy. I care about your happiness more than anything, my beautiful," Tamiko said without missing a beat.

Then again, Kosta already knew that, too.

Tamiko would burn the realm to keep him warm.

Because that was what Tamiko had shown him over the years.

Tamiko murdered an entire council because they dared to talk shit about Kosta.

Kosta had seen it all.

When Tamiko had warned his father against pulling any more stunts that would put Kosta in harm’s way.

When Tamiko had let him be with Sanji because that was what Kosta had wanted.

When Tamiko had marked him to save his life, when everything had not been easy, and Tamiko had done right by him.

When Tamiko had fought an entire war for him and won.

When Tamiko had warned Yilena against using Kosta for any bargains.

But then they were just some of the things on the long list of things that Kosta had discovered Tamiko would do for him without question. Which was why, when Tamiko said he would abdicate, Kosta believed him.

He trusted those words like a prayer sent in the middle of a desperate moment.

"Then stay with me, krushka. Let’s build a life in Kawai. A life on our own terms, without you having to step down and me having to let go of what I do best – protect the kingdom. I know you won’t let anyone hurt me.

"Whatever happened, you fought for me. You protected me. You stood up for me in ways that no one ever stood up for me. Kawai may hurt, but Kawai is home. We can find a way around everything.

"Please... stay with me. Stay for me. For us," Kosta pleaded, and Tamiko stared at him softly.

He loved Kosta.

Oh, it was even impossible for him to put it all into words. There was no way to let the realm know just how much he loved this pretty omega. If Kosta wanted him to stay home, then Tamko would do it without question.

He wouldn’t hesitate. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

For his beloved Erasthai.

"Let’s go home, princess," Tamiko said excitedly, his hold on Kosta tightening like he was making sure the pretty omega beside him didn’t make a run for it.

Then again, there wasn’t much to say to this because they both had made the conscious decision to find a way around this.

Which could have been easier if Tamiko wasn’t still scenting Kosta like the entire universe they shared didn’t already know that the barbarian belonged to the psychotic crown prince of doom.

Kosta glared at him, hard.

"Like this?" a horrified Kosta asked as he stared at the named prince next to him. He didn’t imagine his Erasthai had finally gone bonkers, even if he had always suspected a few screws too loose in his darn head.

"Yes, so everyone can know you belong to," Tamiko said proudly while Kosta looked at both their states, wondering if the crown prince of Kawai had finally lost his mind.

Maybe they needed to force him into therapy because what the fuck was he even playing at?

"Who is the barbarian between us again?" Kosta asked as he smacked Tamiko’s chest.

But the prince just smirked before adding;

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Kosta didn’t even get a chance to breathe before both of them were pulled into a portal Tamiko had opened.

But perhaps, the only consolation was that the portal led them to Tamiko’s chambers. The one space they hadn’t shared in thirteen years.

When they got in, the doors instantly locked, and Kosta was pinned against the wall.

"Now, princess... where were we?"