Vengeance of The Broken Lycan Prince [BL]-Chapter 383: Hand Over Heart, I’m Praying

Chapter 383: Hand Over Heart, I’m Praying
[TAMIKO]
The meeting did continue like Tamiko had hoped, even though he was seething at the scent. He understood that he truly had no right to be messing with the Lycan Chief, so he tried to keep his focus elsewhere.
He was tired of fighting without Kosta by his side. He was tired of fighting and making it seem like he didn’t want Kosta. For years, he had been obedient, and Tamiko wondered if this was the last straw for his Erasthai.
He looked at Kosta when Kosta was talking, careful not to meet those eyes because Tamiko did have the strength to turn away if ever their eyes met. He didn’t want to trigger things that he wasn’t able to control now.
But deep down, he needed to speak to Kosta.
He wanted to tell him that he had grown stronger now. That he would fight for them. That he was able to detach the oath from Yilena. That he would protect Kosta from Yilena and his father’s antics.
He was ready to say that, but Tamiko knew he was late. He had waited ten years to even think of freeing his Erasthai. And that was only when he had realized that a traitor would be taking that which was his.
Tamiko didn’t know how to approach Kosta, but even the heavens knew that he was being honest with himself. Then again, would he say those words to Kosta? What if they got him a rejection?
Fuck was Tamiko scared.
So dutifully he sat through the chatter around him, and only raised his head when he heard movement from Kosta. His Erasthai was about to speak. So, Tamiko stayed alert. He couldn’t afford to miss out on anything that Kosta was saying.
Oh, but this man was his bane.
"It’s been ten years since the conquest of the free lands, your majesty. The warriors can’t keep guarding a lonely, unused land forever. They have families to return to, even if their duty is to Kawai.
"Some of them haven’t gone home for years because they hoped that the explanation would come someday. We won the free lands. We did as was directed. But are we supposed to let the troops rot out there without their loved ones?" Kostantin spoke bravely.
Tamiko knew that this was something the crown should have long paid attention to. But then, who was supposed to man the borders if they left? It wasn’t like there was much left to consider at this point anyway.
Tamiko understood Kosta.
His Erasthai was right about his request.
The warriors were bound to start feeling neglected and, even worse, abandoned, just like Tamiko had abandoned Kosta. It was something that tugged at his heart, and he was proud of Kosta for the thousandth time.
His Erasthai was incredible.
"Did they complain?" Lord Sadako asked in a calculated tone, even though he was disappointed in Kosta. But did he have the right to be disappointed when he, along with the others, had left Kosta to hurt at the borders?
Was it something that he needed to play at right now? Was it really a game that he was testing right now, or was it just a test of patience for the Lycan chief who had stayed out there for long?
"No. But you are a warrior yourself. You have gone to war and had outposts for years. If you had family and missed them, wouldn’t you wish to see them? The mind links are no longer enough for them. The warriors need to leave.
"Everyone knows by now that the free lands belong to Kawai. We have set up fences, and the magical barrier extends that far. There is no reason for the kingship to still let the warriors suffer at the borders," Igor said, his worry for the warriors fueling him.
And once again, Tamiko understood him.
He was a barbarian, a man seasoned in battle, and he knew what this meant. He knew that regardless of what the kingship said, they would have to go home. It was a need for the warriors at this point.
The Ministers always found their way back home. It was not fair that the warriors who had worked so damn hard hadn’t been able to see their families. They were not ghosts, and they didn’t need to be.
"If we release the warriors, who will man the borders?" Danny asked, and Tamiko could feel a storm coming. He could see that Danny and Kosta were staring at each other. There was pity in Danny’s eyes while Kosta’s eyes were empty.
...And Tamiko’s thoughts haunted him again.
He had done that.
He had ruined the best omega.
He had fucked up the Lycan Chief’s life and there was no taking it back. Time had passed, and so much had been done and experienced.
Kosta had experienced ten years of life with Tamiko hiding in the shadows, and Tamiko hated himself even more for that. He should have been better. He should have fought harder.
But then again, Tamiko never imagined that the day he had agreed to let Kosta go, it would last an entire ten years. That was a decade he had missed out on. And here his Erasthai was, again. Oh, but Tamiko’s heart ached for his beautiful omega.
He wanted Kosta beside him.
He wanted to hold a Kosta.
To feel him close. He wanted to kiss him. To take care of him. Oh, but he wanted a lot of things for himself and Kosta, and yet time didn’t seem to be in favor of his sudden interests, and that hurt more than anything ever had.
"Are you trying to insinuate that Kawai has grown weak under the new leadership, Lord Daniel? Last I checked, Kawai never needed any warrior manning the borders. Our reputation alone has always been enough for trespassers to take the route back.
"Unless there is something that you are not telling us, my Lord," Konstantin said, making sure to stress the last word, like it was something that still pissed him off. And that was honestly the first crack that Tamiko had seen on Kosta since he walked confidently.
His quarrel wasn’t with Daniel, and Tamiko could see that, too.
Deep down, he knew that Kosta was raging because of the way that Danny seemingly had stayed on the sidelines. But who was to tell Kosta that Danny had tried to make Tamiko change his mind?
To make Tamiko see where the damage was before it had all gotten out of hand? Danny had tried to be the best friend that he had always been, but Tamiko hadn’t listened. He still believed that it was the only option back then.
And when he finally understood that there was always a third choice, it was too late as he had so many regrets that he wouldn’t table to his best friend.
That was the only thing that Kosta didn’t know of, and Tamiko hoped that someday there would come a time when Kosta understood that in all of this, Tamiko had been the one in the wrong.
He had been weak and hadn’t fought enough, and now here they were, in a mess that no one would fix for both of them.
"The warriors will get their relief. The ministers will organize shifts for the warriors who have been within Kawai to man the borders. Is that enough for you, Chief Konstantin?" King Zaffuto asked as he gritted his teeth.