CLAIMING KIN by Salome and Talon

Kin Injured

By Talon and Salome

General Warning: Shouta. Smut. Kinks of many varieties. Don’t read it if you don’t want to.

Chapter Warning: Violence and sadistic OC.

Authors' Note: We are honored to note that this chapter has been nominated for best DarkFic at the Inuyasha Fanfiction Guild (fourth quarter 2008).

Kin turns around again. Usually he can find his way back just by following his own scent. But he's all mixed up. He didn't MEAN to get far away...he was just following his ball. But he kept going down, and over when he meant to go up, because up was where the rooms were. But he couldn't find stairs that go up. He's not frightened, he finally found his ball...but now..."Onii?" He calls out hopefully. But there are only sounds of the rodents in the palace. He knew it was a big place...but he always found his way back before...

The horned bull youkai Tetsuo rises from his bench and stretches his massive frame. Joints crack and muscles flex. He snaps his neck and pops his knuckles and yawns. Nothing about his appearance or actions are small, nor is his discomfort in the detailed wrought iron work he is currently engaged in for the new gate on the Lady of the West's royal garden. He is grateful for the commission, for the promotion it represents, but it is tiring work. The honor is mighty and the effort is equally so, especially for one whose hands have so long been suited to making the thick chains and strong cuffs that belong to the world of the dungeon.

They offered him new, more "suitable" chambers for his new position, but since he would only have to traipse the length of the castle to get to and from his workroom down below daily, he saw no point. In fact, there is more to it than that, for his chambers are his sanctuary, his haven, his world of dark, heavy metals. He craves the sight and sound of chainwork and the smell of iron, and his chambers are full of these things. He lies on his bed amidst their beauty, his own little personal dungeon. And, when providence provides, the fragrance of human flesh and blood are added to their powerful chorus.

His feet patter down another set of stairs as he looks futilely around for a set leading back up. Down another corridor and around a corner and there were no more windows. Indentations in the walls held places for lanterns or torches...the air movement is much slower...and damper. "Jaken-sama?" he calls out hopefully. Jaken always comes...Onii always comes.

He hears a small, unfamiliar sound. High-pitched, like the rodents whose scurrying sounds are as familiar to him as hammer on anvil, but not a mouse or a rat. He inhales, but bull youkai are known for their powerful fists and not their sense of smell. "Who's there?" he rumbles, stepping from his work room to the hallway beyond it.

His ears perk at the sound. There's another intersection and he hurries down it. Maybe this person can help him get back upstairs. "I'm lost...I'm trying to get back up..." His voice trails off as he turns the corner and sees the huge youkai. His nose quivers and his ears flatten. He is big. But Kin belongs to Sesshoumaru-oniisama and he should not be afraid. "Kin is trying to find his way back upstairs...which way should I go, honored sir?"

"Kin?" he snorts. Oh the pretensions of slaves these days. Not only to name a slavechild, but to name him for a precious metal like gold. Though slaves are hardly things of value, they are, like gold, moldable. He takes a step toward the little white-haired animal child. He has not seen anything quite like him. He has lived long in the bowels of the castle and seen many things, glimpses of many fads and trends that come and go above. Little changes here. And that suits him. Just the same, every now and then something interesting falls into his world. Like the commission for the gate…or this little tidbit. "You aren't lost anymore, little one."

The smell of the bull makes a big warning go off in his head. Not like Onii smells when he wants Kin, but like...like...he backs up, away from the bull and the dangerous smell. "Kin belongs to Oniisama," he says in a wavering voice.

"Do you now, slave," he groans, his voice deep and resonant. "I am certain your brother will not mind if you stay with me a while." He moves fast and is upon the child in an instant—not because he is fleet of foot. His gait is as cumbersome as the rest of him, but he is big…and Kin is small…and frightened. He breathes in that scent and wants more of it, much more.

"Kin is not a slave!!!" The bull is so big...so so big. Papa is bigger..."Onii...please...I just want to go to Oniisama..."

He bends down and lifts Kin by the hair at the base of his scalp, letting him dangle in the air before him. "Why do slaves always lie so? Come, 'Kin,' and I will show you what happens to liars." He carries him off in massive strides down the dark, dank hallway to his treasured chambers.

He shrieks and kicks and struggles. "Kin does not LIE. Kin NEVER LIES!! LET ME GO!! ONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!" He struggles to turn his head so that he can bite, but he can't. "Kin is NOT A SLAVE!!"

Tetsuo laughs, a deep choking sound that few have heard and fewer still wish to remember hearing. He lands a slap across the slave's face, full and hard, to silence this nonsense. He has plans forming in his mind, and he does not need the whining cries to distract him.

The slap stuns him, and he is dazed for a few moments. There's lights, but it's mostly dark and he moans. "O...oniii..."

Strong little whelp, he muses. He hadn't anticipated needing anything more than a light tap to send this one out while he gets him where he wants him. While he's half-conscious, he takes the opportunity to use his other hand to strip his garment from him. Nicer than it should be for a slave, he thinks, despite the little tears and mud-stains, but who knew how he got it. Probably stolen from some high-up servant. Obi and kimono drop to the floor and are left behind in the hall. The flesh is plump and healthy. He takes a thick blunt nail and digs into a shoulder, hard enough to pierce the skin and watch a little blood well in the cut.

He whines, and the sound echoes around him. He's dizzy and hurting and cold now. "Stop..." he says in a groggy, dazed voice. Two days ago was his human day, and Ken is not as close as he usually is. But...but..."Stop...you...aren't...'llowed...Onii...."

Another swift, light (for the youkai) blow across the jaw and the little creature is unconscious. Hanyou, if Tetsuo's blunt nose tells true. He dips a wide fingertip into the blood at his shoulder and tastes it. The tang is metallic, compliments the smell of iron so well. It takes only a few more paces to reach his chambers. He unlocks the thick wooden door easily with a large, ornate key and enters. A quick moment to lock them safely in, and the fun can begin. "I know just the place to hang a little decoration like you," he grunts, and proceeds to cuff and chain the slaveboy, spread eagle, to his wall.

He takes a few moments to get to know his plaything. Without the bother of his hollering and whining and flailing, he has the freedom to explore those strange, fuzzy ears—inuhanyou, it seems—and that thick mass of hair, from which he cuts a hank as a souvenir. He'll probably tie it in to the leather-handled hairwhip that hangs beside his bed. He hasn't added to it in some time and he does love the way hair can cut into flesh when wielded properly. Perhaps he'll beat the slave with his own hair, in fact. But not now. He looks with interest at finger and toe claws, calloused footpads, strong, chubby thighs, and tiny prick and balls. He knows just how easily pain can be brought out and enhanced through tender flesh like that. He turns to rummage through shelves for a ring small enough to hang weights from those little testicles. He may have to fashion one if he decides to keep this little piece of "gold" here with him a while.

As with genitals, assholes are of interest to Tetsuo only as they wake a plaything to pain. Though he does not find a band for those balls, he does find a few other lovely little toys. His favorite is a sleek metal arrow, rounded at the end—for he learned the hard way that bleeding to death through the anus was the outcome of a sharp end. It is large, but perhaps not too large for the boy. Anyway, he will most certainly try it. And then he finds his needles. Little metal pins of every size. He will most definitely decorate the little slave with them. They are difficult for the cumbersome bull to hold, but it is worth the effort and care. While he remains unconscious, he pulls up on the tiny foreskin and shoves a needle through it. There. When he awakens, should he find any of the ways he will be used arousing, the pin will advise his cock otherwise. And then he takes another and firmly forces it through a tiny nipple.

He jerks into unpleasant awareness with the sharp pain. For a moment, he is dizzy, disoriented and confused. His head hangs and he blinks his eyes at the floor below him...below his feet that dangle and are pulled by cuffs and chains. His cock hurts...and his nipple...and Onii...where is Onii? And that smell...the scent of iron and bull...the switch is instantaneous once the scent clicks in his brain, and he lifts his head sharply with a snarling growl as he jerks in his restraints, eyes the color of new blood and teeth his mouth never would contain. Ken won't let himself dwell on how he let them get into this position. Not now. "You will DIE for this," he snarls and jerks in his restraints again, heedless of the pain.

The bull takes a step back at the sudden thrashing and the change in aura that accompanies it. Alchemy at work, he thinks, as the whining hanyou slave becomes all snarling youkai. Of course, however fierce, he is also small, and fully restrained. "No talk of death, slave, there is far more living to do." He turns his back on the little spitfire and pulls out a massive whip, made from the hide of his non-sentient brethren. He hoists it in the vastness of his dungeon-like room and lashes out to slice across the boy's belly. He listens to it whistle then strike.

He only just bites back the yelping yowl. That hurt. He breathes in and snarls anew. "My brother will make you eat your own entrails you putrid, stupid COW!!!" He thrashes his entire body in the restraints...well made as they are, if there were just one weak link...but there are none and he drops back into his bindings, panting and sweat-sheened. "I'll enjoy the taste of your blood, cow." There's got to be a way...there's GOT to be a way...his mouth has no filter when he's this enraged...Kin is so frightened and that infuriates him all the more.

The blood, yes. He smells it before he sees it, red and lush, like the child's eyes. And those words, feral and bold; he would not dream of silencing them. "I will happily play with your brother when I am through with you, slave." His cock hardens beneath his leather loincloth as he raises his whip again. He will not touch it, however. His pleasure comes in the inflicting of pain, not in crass matters of copulation. He cracks the whip again and it strikes a sweet, juicy thigh. He grunts with delight at the sound.

He tries to jerk away from the lash...he can see it coming, almost in slow motion, so sharp are his eyes and so quick his responses. But he has nowhere to go. "I am NOT a SLAVE, BOVINE!!!" He puts the yell of the pain of the lash into the statement, and the smell in the room grows. Oh gods...that thing...it looked bigger than Onii's. That would hurt..."If you release me now, I MIGHT NOT slaughter you painfully," he says through gritted teeth.

He snorts. "Now why would I want to miss that opportunity, hanyou trash?" I have plenty in store for you, and if I can count on you not to fall unconscious at the lightest tap, so much the better." He strikes again, with more agility than one might credit so thick and coarse a youkai, and lands a lancing cut across the chest. How he wants to taste that blood. But not until the little brat calms enough for him not to risk self-injury.

He howls, and puts all his considerable lung power into the howl...not in pain...in an instinctual calling to pack. He's not sure where in the castle he is, he knows it is below ground. Kin does his best to show him how he got lost, but he has no way of knowing if Onii...or even Papa could hear him. But he is not too proud to call for help.

Sesshoumaru groans, stretches, and turns to the corner where Kin was playing. He is not there now, and his brow wrinkles, wondering how long he has been gone. He loses track of time when he is handling figures. Managing accounts does not come easily to him, nor does he find pleasure in it. However, Lord Tai has recently dismissed one of the royal accountants for embezzling, and now he has demanded Sesshoumaru look over all of his books for the past five years. He rises, heads to his door, opens it, and tells the guard to summon Jaken. He needs a break and he wants his boy. Now.

Jaken comes running at Sesshoumaru's beck and call as always. "My Lord? What can your most humble and loyal servant do to please you?"

"Enough with the floridity, Jaken. Where is my boy?" He points to the empty corner of the room.

He blinks his bulbous yellow eyes at the empty corner. "He must be in your rooms. He has no lessons scheduled at this time. I will fetch him for you at once, if that is your wish, my Lord?"

"Yes, it is my wish, fool. Now go before I speed your way with the toe of my boot." He turns away and sits back down at his desk. What is the boy for if not to be there when his Onii wishes him to.

Tetsuo takes the tip of the whip into his mouth and sucks it as he watches the boy writhe and howl. Somehow, the louder the pup gets, the calmer he feels. His room is nearly soundproof, and its placement at the far edge of the dungeon ensures that no one has ever found or bothered him at special times like these. Who looks for errant slaves, in any case? There is also a convenient exit nearby that leads onto the middenheap, where he has disposed of more than one body when his play has gotten too rough in past. It seems this one may be destined to be buried within the castle refuse eventually, too, given his wildness. It will be difficult not to get too rough in his attempt to break the slave from a distance, that he might again have easy access to his more vulnerable parts.

He bows and hurries off at once. The pup is not in Lord Sesshoumaru's rooms. Further, upon asking the guards, he has not been seen near them since he left to go to the Lord's office in the morning. Quickly and efficiently (for he is not Lord Sesshoumaru's retainer for no reason) he checks any other place the pup may be and is permitted to go. He sends someone to the concubine quarters as well to check there while he exhausts every other possibility. When all avenues have been exhausted and no one has reported seeing the pup, he checks one more thing. One by one, all the guard posts to every exit check in. No one who has not supposed to has come or left with anything they were not expected or permitted to have. Then, and only then, does he report to Lord Sesshoumaru. This time his contriteness is not contrived to get the most of his masochistic pleasure from his Lord's displeasure. He reports every step he took, and every place and person he checked with, clearly and without stuttering or stammering. "I do not know where Kin-san is, My Lord Sesshoumaru," he concludes.

As the speech begins, Sesshoumaru can tell how it is going to end because, of course, Kin is not there. If Jaken knew where Kin was, Kin would be here, now. The final line makes the poison swell beneath his claws and he pushes his enormous desk chair over with a crash. "He must be found—and now," he growls, and sweeps from the room. He follows every hint of Kin's scent down the long hallway, pausing only to tell Jaken, who he can smell is following him, to let Lord Tai know the boy is missing. Papa will not like being disturbed, but he will understand, and he will help.

"At once, my Lord." He hurries to deliver his message to Lord Tai, interrupting an important meeting, but not caring. He can be reprimanded later if necessary, but he does not think he will be, judging by the way Lord Tai stands and leaves the room. For himself, he fetches his Staff of Heads, and follows his Lord. It is in a large part his failing that has led to this, and he will not fail his Lord again.

Ken pants and growls and snarls. No more pain is forthcoming for the moment, and he glares with his feral gaze at the enormous bull youkai. His small chest heaves with each breath and every pore leaks contempt and fury and utter wildness. The longer this goes on, the fiercer he becomes. He almost had the lash twice, once in his hand, and once by the teeth. Almost. So close.

He wraps the whip carefully, coiling it slowly and purposefully as he watches the red eyes burn into him. He has not had such a determined, fierce little plaything in some time. He hangs it up neatly and walks over to a shelf of knives, daggers, and other sharp objects. Scratching his bearded chin, he ponders his next move, wishing he could get a few more needles into the boy, at least one for that undecorated left nipple, damn it. But no, not yet. Too much rage in the slave right now. He looks out the small slat of a window at the very top of his chambers that lets in the little scrap of light that suffices him. He frowns. It is growing dark out. He turns to light a few candles, then returns to his knives.

He snarl-howls again, long and loud and thrashes in his bindings. He keeps doing it...pause, snarl, thrash. He is beyond words now and his wrists and ankles are slippery not only with sweat, but blood from his thrashings, and the lash marks that cover him from neck to toes, and even one on his cheek. If the cow would just come close enough...

Unlike the guards and servants who now scour and rescour every hall and chamber in the castle, Sesshoumaru can move at lightning speed, for he uses his nose even more than his eyes, and he knows Kin's scent like he knows his own—in fact, the two are closer in aroma and aura every day. He traces for recent signs, strong and potent indicators of his child's presence. And soon he has found one, a trail of long, running steps as if Kin is chasing after someone or something. They lead quickly downward, beyond familiar territory, and far past the area he is permitted to roam. He flows down long flights of stairs to the realm beneath the castle. He moves with smooth, determined purpose as the reality hits him that Kin is likely lost in darkness of the dungeon. As his boots strike damp stone, his fears are realized in the form of a red ball lying in his path. His eyes blaze molten gold as he looks up and issues a powerful, toneless command: "Kin."

Jaken swallows as he catches up to his Lord. He is well versed in following Sesshoumaru...has he not been in the Lordling's service since the day he was whelped? Kin's favorite ball. Jaken says nothing. But this is not good. Kin would not willingly leave any possession of his behind for any reason. He had lived most of his life with nothing to call his own, so he cherished each toy, each doll...anything and everything that was given to him. And this ball had been an especially treasured gift from Lord Sesshoumaru. You could tell by the toothmarks in it, even if you did not know he played with it always and went into capers of delight when presented with it. He loved the roundness and the bright red color and the way it bounced and rolled. No. Kin would not leave his ball in this dank hallway.

He takes up a throwing dagger and weighs it in his palm. Small and very sharp, he holds it up in the glow of the candlelight. He turns to the youkai, now quiet again and so beautiful with the blood striping his body and dripping into a pool on the floor. "I will pin your wings, wild thing," he says, and lets the dagger fly.

Again, his eyes miss nothing. In an instant, he knows the size, the weight, the sharpness and where that dagger is going to hit him. And he knows he will not be able to get out of its way entirely. His decision is to move up or down as far as his bindings will let him, and at the very last moment he jerks downward so it grazes the flesh and muscle of his bicep and embeds in the stone behind him. His snarl fills the room, but his movement IS hindered now. Any movement on that side will dig the dagger deeper into the flesh of his arm, and he does not like that one little bit. Come closer...just closer...I will rip your throat out if you just come closer...he howls again and jerks in his bindings...a one-sided jerk, but it still digs the edge into his flesh.

Striding into the landing, Sesshoumaru scans the four hallways before him. Which way has Kin gone…or been taken? Then, though heavily muffled, Sesshoumaru hears the high howl of Kin…no, Ken. He vaults down the far hallway to his left, following the sound and the scent of his boy—and whoever the hell is making him cry out. He knows a few things, as he inhales and runs: it is youkai, likely bovine, and even more likely dead as soon as he gets his claws on him.

Jaken follows as fast as he can. He could not hear what his Lord heard, but he could feel it in the stones, and he could see it in his Lord's movements. He doesn't waste his breath with questions. He just follows, barely keeping his master in sight.

Tetsuo smirks, enjoying the display. "So quick, little one. I will have to be quicker." Another dagger flies before the last word is out of his mouth, aimed at his other arm.

He jerks up this time, but it still catches the meat of his arm and he howls in pain and frustration. He doesn't have enough room to maneuver...if he could get loose...if the bull would just come closer...he bares his teeth and snarls again. He won't be cowed. He won't be owned, and he will NOT SUBMIT.

Sesshoumaru easily follows the scent trail, which leads directly to a heavy wooden door. The howling has stopped…things are quiet. He turns to Jaken, who hurries up behind him. "Does someone live down here, other than the guards? A youkai…bull?"

He thinks, going over lists in his mind. "An iron worker. Yes. A bull. He does the iron work for the dungeons, and also the decorative iron work in the gardens and castle. "His forge and tools...his chambers...they are all down here by his preference. He is very good at what he does, so he is given some leeway."

He snarls. He does not know the creature, but clearly he is being given far, far too much "leeway." "He is in this room, Jaken,…and he has Kin. I am certain of it." He listens for another moment, but hears nothing. He takes the large iron handle and attempts to turn it. Nothing. He inserts a long claw into the lock and releases poison. It begins to work almost immediately, melting the lock. Soon, it will melt the damned bull.

Jaken's voice is quiet, but cold as the frigid, still waters he was hatched in. "That is unacceptable." He does not say it directly to Sesshoumaru-sama; that would be the epitome of disrespect. It is a statement of fact, and a quiet assertion to himself. The staff in his hands lengthens as he taps the end of it to the stones of the floor, muttering quiet words of incantation in preparation.

Sesshoumaru breathes in the scent of Jaken's loyalty. It is not necessary to rescuing Kin, but it is welcome. He also smells the corrosive odor of the metal in the lock melting, and reaches out to try the handle again. With a bit of effort, the mechanism releases, and he thrusts it open with hand and boot. What greets him is a candlelit nightmare. Chains hang from every wall and weapons and torture devices litter every open space. A dirty, disheveled bed is the only object to detract from the dungeon-like appearance of the large room. That, and the enormous youkai in the middle of the room, holding a dagger aloft and turning too slowly to stop Sesshoumaru from grasping his wrist and pulling it back behind his head.

Ken snarls as the door opens. He doesn't recognize anyone or anything but the bull. Everything is a threat, and now there are more of them. Even kicking his legs causes the daggers to dig into his arms, but he does it anyway and howls his displeasure at the pain and the inability to get at his tormentor.

"My Lord...on the wall...there..." Jaken is certain his voice is unnecessary, but the sound of the youkai-hanyou's pain is unmistakable, and the sight...indescribable.

Tetsuo roars his frustration at this interruption, but quickly defends himself against the unexpected attackers. He swings his free fist at Sesshoumaru, who easily ducks the blow and slashes across the throat of the bull while thrusting back against the twisted wrist he holds, sending him sprawling backwards. His eyes go immediately to the wall where Jaken directs him, and he chokes out Kin's name.

Jaken cannot reach Ken, nor would he be able to get close enough to help without considerable bodily harm. Instead he keeps a wary eye on the rest of the room. The bull should die easily from his Lordships poison...

Sesshoumaru gets to Kin—though it is Ken, clearly—in an instant, and reaches out to pull the daggers from his torn, bleeding flesh. He cannot pause to look, to contemplate. He must get him down. First the daggers, then he will free his child from the chains.

He lashes out as soon as the blades are gone from his arms. He doesn't get very far because of the chains, but he lunges for the throat so close he can feel the warmth from it and smell the blood under that skin.

"Ken," Sesshoumaru says, pinning the small wrists until he can get his attention. The poor wretch is clearly out of his mind from pain and fear. "It is Onii, Ken," he says bringing his body as close as he can.

He thrashes, throwing his head back and forth against the stone behind him. He lashes out with his mouth and manages to catch some of the silks covering the skin. He snarl-howls again, then pants and stops fighting, drooping in his restraints, just as he did while still being tortured by the bull.

Tetsuo groans and writhes, his hand to this torn throat. It burns like fire and that fucking noble did it to him. What right did he have? He rises and lunges, his vision blurry and his huge fist clumsily aimed at Sesshoumaru's back.

Jaken reacts, moving forward quickly between his Lord and the bull, and the full force of the fire from his Staff of Heads cooks the bull where he stands. His fist never reaches Sesshoumaru's back...it falls off with his arm, burned so fiercely from his body that they separated at the joint. The smell of cooking meat fills the room.

"Ken," Sesshoumaru says again, withstanding the tearing bite and moving his hands swiftly to release one wrist, and then the other. It does not matter what the confused pup does, he will not let him go until he comes to himself again. He does not turn his head when he feels the heat blast of Jaken's staff; he trusts the little youkai to protect them both.

His arms finally free, he snarls and slashes, tearing fabric and flesh until the smell of the blood hits his nose and suddenly he can smell nothing else. For long, long moments while his legs are released he is terribly still and confused. He literally does not know who he is, where he is or what has happened.

"Ken," Sesshoumaru says, his voice soft but firm, "Onii is here." His clothing is torn now and covered with his own blood as well as Kin's. He comes to his knees with the terrified child in his arms and carefully releases his legs. "I will not let you go," he murmurs, as his fur wraps them both tightly together.

He stares at him with unseeing eyes until something pops into focus. He blinks, once, twice...and the fierce, fighting, feral youkai child bursts into tears. "Oniisaaaaaaamaaaaaa," he wails, his voice hoarse from screaming and snarling.

"Yes," he says, wrapping his arms even tighter around his precious boy. "You are safe now, Ken. You are safe." He kisses the blood-stained hair and cheek, wherever his lips can reach. "You protected Kin so well, little fist." He rises. As much as he wants to stay and soothe the pup, he knows he needs to get Kin to a healer…and quickly. His own saliva will help most, but the wounds must be closed and he must be examined for other injuries, external and internal.

He sobs, but whines suddenly as the needle through his foreskin is pushed on. The whine cuts the sobs again as the piercing pain repeats itself. With all his other injuries...this one stands out. Small and sharp and horrible. "It hurts..."

He separates them and looks down. Kami, what has that sadist of a bull done? He pulls the needle from the sensitive little skin and throws it behind him, then sees the other in his nipple and must remove that, too. "I am sorry, Ken," he says, doing what must be done.

He doesn't flinch at Onii's touch. With the needles gone he breathes a sigh of relief. His entire body hurts, but with those tiny pricking points of sharp pain gone he is able to curl into relative comfort, even as moko-sama curls around him and cradles him gently while he sobs. "K...Ken is getting blood everywhere...," he whimpers, noticing that his eldest brother's usually pristine robes and moko-sama and his hair even are splashed and soaked with blood. "I'm s..s...s..sorry Onii..."

"Hush, pup, none of this is your fault. Ken is so brave. Onii is proud, and so relieved. I am so glad to have you in my arms. It is all that matters." He turns to go, taking only a casual glance back at the charred flesh of the villain who dared harm his boy. At the door he turns to Jaken. "Take care of this matter. Ensure the bull had no accomplices in this act, and inform my father of everything. Before you do, though, summon Yumi with bathing necessities to my chambers and fetch the healer." He is full of unsatisfied rage, even with the bull dead. But now is not the time for such things. He strides from the room, his wounded boy in his arms. "This will never, ever happen again," he says—to Kin, to Ken, to Jaken, and most of all to himself. "I will find a way to make certain of it, my pup, my one and only child. Everyone will know you are mine and that their lives are forfeit if they misuse you, or even think of it. I will make you safe or I will give my life in the effort."