Tears of the Neko Read Online Free PDF Page B

It's been cleaned out to
make room for the winter stock."
    "Good." Kayden felt himself shoved toward the
woman. "Put him in there quickly."
    "Make sure you lock the door good," Roman
commented from his spot at the table where one of the maids was
dressing his wound.
    "My Lord," Garin, the head chef, started to
protest at the thought of the neko in his kitchen. "I can't have a
n--"
    "He's a surprise gift for Damien's birthday,"
Harrison snapped. "Get him hidden. Damien will be coming in
soon."
    Kayden felt his chain passed over to the
woman and followed her to a little storeroom back behind the main
kitchen. There were empty shelves and it felt cool and damp from
its recent cleaning.
    Ysmenia looked at him curiously as she led
him in. She was slightly taller than he was, but she had a kind
smile that put him a little more at ease. He knew he must look
filthy after his foray in the slave yard.
    "I'll see about getting you some food as soon
as the master is gone. Looks like you could use some," she
commented.
    Kayden watched as the door closed and the
bolt was thrown to lock the door. It was dark inside with no light,
but his feline eyes adjusted quickly and he could make out the few
empty shelves that probably stored winter fruits and vegetables.
The room was cool, which would be good for the fruits and
vegetables, but made him shiver. He found a corner and curled up as
small as he could in it, sliding into a fitful slumber.
     
    ****
     
    The door burst open, and Damien strode in
with his powerful gait and strong stride. He halted mid-stride when
the kitchen staff all stopped suddenly and he noted that both of
his brothers were also in the kitchen. His dark brows furrowed.
    "What's going on?" he asked warily as Geoff
nearly ran into his back.
    Harrison swung his arm around his brother's
shoulders. "Nothing, dear brother."
    Damien shrugged his brother's arm away and
huffed. "Why don't I believe you?"
    "Because he's hiding away your birthday
present," Roman grinned wickedly.
    Harrison shot him a glare, while Damien
snorted in laughter.
    "He just got it home and didn't have time to
get it hidden upstairs before you came back," Roman continued with
a sly smirk at Harrison's irritation. "Hid it in the back
storeroom, wanna see?"
    "Roman!" Harrison sputtered.
    Damien cast an amused glance between his two
younger brothers. "I think I can wait a couple days."
    He slid his gaze to his brother's arm being
wrapped in linen. "What happened to you?"
    Roman's eyes turned dark as he glanced at
Harrison. "It got scratched when I tried to help Harrison here with
your gift."
    Harrison's mouth dropped open in shock at how
bold his brother was about referring to his present.
    "It was an accident," Harrison growled back,
and Damien just laughed at both of his brothers.
    "Be careful next time," Damien warned
congenially and moved on to the exit, leaving them all in the
kitchen and finally escaping to his quiet study again.
    Harrison watched the broad shoulders of his
brother disappear out of the kitchen. "You bastard," he snapped at
Roman. "You're trying to ruin my surprise."
    "And your 'surprise' tried to ruin my arm,"
Roman snapped back, rising from his chair.
    "You just want to ruin my fun," Harrison
pouted. "You almost gave it all away."
    "Oh, trust me, the fun hasn't yet begun,"
Roman said cryptically. "Damien doesn't care anything about his
birthdays anymore, so he had no intention of taking my suggestion
to peek at your little gift. But, remember, it's still alive only
because I think it will be amusing to see his reaction to it in a
couple days, otherwise I would have had Arnett put it down for
attacking me like that."
    There were a few gasps from the servants
standing around, and Roman took a moment to straighten and exude
his power over the room. He could feel the anxiety radiating around
him. Then he walked firmly out the door.
    Geoff had surveyed the exchange quietly, not
wanting to get in between of the brothers' argument. But