†Chapter 5: Sweetness and Bitterness†
†Chapter 5: Sweetness and Bitterness†
THE rain was drying up.
Warm, golden light shone in through the windows. Dawn was here.
The fulfilled man gazed lovingly upon the woman sleeping nestled against him. He quietly reached out and patted down her tousled hair. He never grew tired of running his fingers through those silken locks.
She had fallen sound asleep after they joined their bodies repeatedly throughout the night. Zelaide seemed to have slept a little afterward as well.
While Beast Bloods were heavy sleepers, they only slept in short bursts, so Euphemia was still in dreamland when he woke up. He had come home just past midnight, which meant they had been enjoying each other’s company from the dead of night until first light. Zelaide had explored every detail of Euphemia’s body and poured everything he had into pleasuring her.
I can’t believe it’s this different with her…
He sought things from a human woman he never desired from a Beast Blood, and greedily yet lovingly devoured what she offered up.
Even with her milky white skin basking in the early morning light, Euphemia didn’t stir awake. Only her chest rose and fell with her deep breathing.
Zelaide’s fingers traveled down her hair to her shoulder. Her skin was cold to the touch. Her body must have chilled after working up such a sweat before falling asleep.
She’s gonna catch a cold. I need to cover her with somethin’.
Zelaide had never thought of covering someone with a blanket before. He looked around the room he only used for sleeping and changing.
Unfortunately, the stark room had neither a blanket nor anything useful right now. The room barely had any of the typical necessities. Even the mattress was exposed and stained from their night together. Now he wished he at least had a fitted sheet. Things definitely couldn’t go on like this now that he had a mate.
Zelaide quietly slid out of bed.
He felt refreshed, as if he had been cleansed from the inside out. The exhaustion and pain from his fierce battle with the Bijours was washed right out of his system.
Naked, he sauntered into the en suite bathroom. The bath was nice and bright thanks to the skylight. When he turned the faucet, hot, pressurized water poured out. Zelaide had never taken a bath before. Whenever he cleansed himself, he just took a hot shower. He didn’t like soap either because of the strong aroma.
But after working up such a sweat, he wanted to warm Euphemia up. He set the bathtub control panel to automatically fill with warm water. The sound of hot water pouring into the tub drowned out the rain.
Zelaide decided to set up the bedroom next to his while the tub quickly filled. Euphemia’s guestroom was too far from his and he no longer wanted any distance between them. None of the rooms were being used anyway, so it didn’t matter which one he made hers.
The room beside the master bedroom was the same size and design with a bed in the center. Zelaide opened the closet and found the shelves packed with unopened bedding. He had never made a bed before, but he utilized the images on the packaging and followed the steps. He spread out the sheets so that there were no wrinkles, squeezed the edges, and hit the pillow to inflate it. The bed now looked just like the image on the back of the package.
Zelaide looked upon his handiwork and nodded. The hot water had filled the tub and automatically shut off by the time he finished. He returned to his room, scooped Euphemia into his arms, and carried her into the steamy bathroom illuminated by the golden light of dawn shining through the skylight.
He eased Euphemia into the hot water. Her eyes flickered.
“Hmm? What?” she asked groggily.
“It’s okay. I just put you in the tub. Sleep.”
But the bathtub was filled too high and Euphemia sank into the water, too tired to hold herself up.
“What am I gonna do with you?”
Still naked, Zelaide slid in behind Euphemia, keeping his hands on her shoulders to hold her up. It was a giant bathtub with jets and temperature control, but the water spilled over the edges when he got in with her. Ripples spread over the clean, pale tiles.
“Zel…that’s…” Euphemia turned her neck and looked at his chest. Red teeth marks stood out just under his clavicle from when she bit him in the heat of the moment.
“I’m sorry…really sorry. Why did I bite you so hard?” she sleepily muttered.
“I asked you to… You should’ve bitten me harder.”
“But…but you’re always putting your life on the line for me, Zel.” Euphemia’s face crumpled.
Numerous scars of various sizes vividly marred his tall body. Several were still fresh. They seemed to have only recently sealed and looked painfully red and purple. Euphemia had no way of knowing that he’d received those injuries fighting the Bijours. Between the new and old scars, there wasn’t a single patch of skin that hadn’t been cut open at some point.
“I know nothing…about how you got all these injuries…” Euphemia was crying. Her tears squeezed the Beast Blood’s heart.
“Don’t cry…okay? It’s nothing. Doesn’t hurt or itch. You don’t have to worry ’bout a thing. Okay? Please stop cryin’,” he pleaded with her. “Don’t ya remember I said I don’t know what to do with myself when you cry?”
“Zel…I love you…” Euphemia wrapped her arms around her love’s neck and hugged him. His muscular arms gently enveloped her. “I love you so much.”
“Yeah. I know. You’ve said it a lot.”
“You don’t have to love me, Zel, but is it all right if I love you?”
“Yeah. It is. Just let it go for now and sleep. I’ll wash ya off,” Zelaide said as he positioned Euphemia between his legs.
He rubbed the sweat and grime off her back with his big calloused hands instead of soap. Her golden locks floated on top of the water. He ran his fingers through it until the hair felt softer than a silk blanket. Euphemia comfortably rested against his chest and dozed off.
“Asleep already?” he quietly chuckled.
Zelaide, however, wasn’t so comfortable. Bathed in the morning light, Euphemia looked like a radiant angel and it turned him on as he wiped her clean. Two round, plump mounds were right beneath his eyes, tempting him.
He instinctively swallowed the lump in his throat.
But he wasn’t going to talk her into making love again when she was so tired. Left with little choice, he endured the temptation by getting out of the bath, wiping her down with a big towel, and carrying her to bed in the other room. He laid her down on the bed he’d made. Euphemia was only half-asleep while he was drying her off, but she was soon fast asleep under the blankets. Her safety assured, Zelaide threw on some clothes.
I need to feed her somethin’ when she wakes up. Murakami fed me so I’m good. But has Yumi eaten? She seems like she’s lost weight, and she spent the whole night makin’ love with a guy like me, so she’s burned a lotta energy.
When Zelaide entered the hallway, Tipsy, who’d been locked out of the room, happily landed on his shoulder and tugged on his hair with his sharp beak.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll feed ya too, so don’t get nippy.”
As if he understood his master’s words, the small pterosaur Muta took flight downstairs, leading the way to food. Zelaide followed him down.
The kitchen refrigerator was fully stocked with food when he opened the door. Zelaide didn’t really understand how to use the stainless steel box he rarely peeked inside, but he knew it’d be stocked and maintained while he was away. While he knew what butter and milk were, he had no knowledge of how to cook fish and vegetables.
For now, he threw a ripe fruit to Tipsy. The omnivorous Tipsilox swept down and perfectly caught the fruit in his beak. He immediately alighted on one end of the counter and started pecking at the fruit. Though the Muta would be content with just that, the human woman would not.
Grr. What do I cook her? Somethin’ warm? What’s good warm? I’ve often heard ’bout a sticky food called porridge bein’ good…
Zelaide closed his eyes and rested his chin on his hands as he deliberated the hodgepodge of ingredients on the counter. Staring at the food would accomplish nothing but wasting time.
Oh yeah, that’s what I have an IHT for.
Zelaide flipped on the IHT panel equipped to the kitchen wall and was bombarded with a wave of incoming email notifications. The majority were from Palmina. Going through them was too much of a pain, so he swiped them away and looked up porridge recipes.
What in the colony am I lookin’ at?
Did he use the wrong search phrase? His results netted him rows and rows of unfamiliar food images and names. Getting a headache from scanning the screen, he randomly selected “Milk Porridge” and read how to make it.
“Easy-to-make, easy to digest, nutritious, etc.” were written in the recipe’s description, so Zelaide quickly pulled out the ingredients. Those were the keywords he was looking for. He found rice retort pouches in the cabinet. Luckily he had all the seasonings on hand too, so he grabbed the nearest pot, put it on the stove, clicked on the flame, and tossed in the ingredients. A delicious smell soon rose into the air. The only thing he had to watch out for was setting the heat too high. All that was left after that was adding in the milk and letting it boil for several minutes.
Seems like it’s comin’ together pretty well for my first go…
Contentment filled him as he looked down at the rice softening in the pot. The man who was never interested in cooking currently stood in the kitchen to make something for his mate to eat. He had a hard time believing it himself, but he didn’t find it annoying to do something for his mate. He actually enjoyed it.
Or he did until his first cooking experience was unduly interrupted.
The IHT beeped. Someone had come to the house. Zelaide turned his eyes to the panel. Palmina’s face showed on the entrance monitor.
Pal? What does she want?
He couldn’t very well leave her out there, so he pressed the button to open the gates. Palmina carefully pulled into the driveway and parked in front of the gate. The front door swung open and he heard wet shoes pounding the floor. Tipsy let out a piercing warning cry and flew off the counter.
“Zel! Why didn’t you contact me if you’re home?!” Palmina stormed into the kitchen nagging him.
“Sorry… Planned to do it later,” Zelaide said, keeping his voice down.
“Do you know how anxious I was when I heard you were arrested…?”
“Sorry. Don’t ask me ’bout it. I can’t tell ya.”
“B-But…as your agent I need to at least be informed of the general details… By the way, what are you doing?” Palmina finally realized that Zelaide was stirring food in a pot.
“Oh…this? Don’t worry ’bout it either.”
“I came at daybreak when your car’s GPS showed you were here. Can’t you please tell me a little bit about what happened?” she asked, a hint of desperation edging into her rising voice.
“…Fine. Stop being so loud though.”
You’ll wake her up.
Zelaide gave up on quickly getting rid of her and turned off the stove. His agent was standing in the living room dripping water from her hair, chin, and raincoat. The rains had ceased. Was she outside for a long time?
“Dry off.”
“I-I will, thank you.”
Palmina pulled a towel out of the cabinet, slipped off her raincoat, and dried her soaked hair. Under her coat she wore a black knit sweater and a tight black pencil skirt. Her clothes tended to be all black as if she were trying to match Zelaide’s style.
“What happened?” she asked as she hung her coat. “You were framed for murdering a prostitute, right? Did someone set you up?”
“Yeah, you can say that. I was set up good. The guy who set me up is lurkin’ somewhere within Yumi’s—Euphemia’s workplace. Lookin’ into it now. But they didn’t have ’nough evidence to hold me. So I’m free,” Zelaide briefly summed up. Palmina looked as though she was going to throw a hissy fit if he didn’t.
She saw his arm and shouted, “You’re badly injured! That looks fresh!”
“They can’t just release a Beast Blood under even the smallest suspicion of being a murderer for no reason, so I had to go along with the deal they cut me,” Zelaide explained, shrugging. The pain didn’t bother him anymore. “Meant workin’ for free. But it’s all good now. They pissed me off. I’ll get revenge for Manuela and protect Saionji’s sister.”
“How will you do that? You can’t look into the inner workings of Biotech as an outsider.”
“A certain contact will give me the intel once they make progress. Besides, there’s somethin’ that bothers me. I can’t go ’round drawin’ attention to myself right after being set free, but I’ve got plans of my own.”
“And what are those?”
“……”
“You won’t tell me, will you? You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not a matter of trust. I don’t want to get anybody else killed because of me,” Zelaide said in a low voice.
“Even though you let the mayor’s sister in?”
“……”
“You called her…Yumi. I never thought the day would come when you’d call a human woman by a nickname… Could it be you…slept with her?” Palmina accused.
“None of your business.” Zelaide turned his back on her and grabbed a bottle of milk from the fridge.
“You slept with her. Now I know why you’re cooking.”
No longer seeing the need to answer her, Zelaide concentrated on measuring the right amount of milk.
“…Why? Why HER?!” Palmina suddenly shouted. Her screaming got even Zelaide to turn around. Slender arms coiled around his back. “Why did you pick a spoiled priss like her? I’ve loved you for so much longer…!”
“Oi…Pal—”
“I have loved you ever since the day I was still a novice agent and you stumbled into my office with wild eyes asking for work!” As she cried, Palmina noticed a white shadow hovering on top of the staircase behind the open kitchen. “Please look at me,” she cooed in a quieter voice, forcing Zelaide’s eyes down to her.
“Pal…stop this.”
“I won’t. Come to your senses. See reality. You just made a small, one-time mistake. I mean, that girl is the mayor’s younger sister and not the type to date a Beast Blood. You’re smart enough to know that.”
“……”
“Aren’t I right? Sure, she’s a cute airhead and I’m sure she tempted you to dip your fingers, but she’s not right for you…”
“Oi!”
“Come on. Look at me,” Palmina coaxed, putting her hands behind Zelaide’s head and pressing her lips against his—fully aware that Euphemia was standing behind him.
“…Tch!” Zelaide jumped away from Palmina’s kiss. “…What’s your aim, Pal?” he growled.
“…Zel?”
The Beast Blood turned around in horror at the sound of that angelic voice. His eyes met square with wide emerald gems that were filled with confusion and sorrow.
“Yumi!”
She woke up?! How?! I didn’t sense her!
“Miss…Palmina?” Euphemia looked past Zelaide to the woman behind him.
“Oh dear…I’m sorry for the show. It’s been a while since we last saw each other; I just couldn’t keep my hands off him…”
“Palmina!” Zelaide only used her full name when he was serious.
Entirely aware of that fact, Palmina still didn’t let her calm façade slip. On the inside, she was in so much shock she felt like she had been hit by a car seeing Euphemia wearing Zelaide’s shirt, the red marks on her neck, and the pink hue of her swollen lips. What went on in this house last night was obvious.
In that moment, she thought, I want to kill this bitch. This is my man…he’s mine! How dare she?! How dare she try to steal him from me?!
However, as a woman used to living on a harsh frontier planet, Palmina didn’t let her inner hatred show through her mask of propriety, she was a consummate professional after all. She maintained her last shred of dignity by sweeping back her disheveled hair.
“…Sorry, Zel. I wanted to make love with you right here and now, but I’ll come back at a better time… I hope I didn’t upset you too much either.” Palmina smiled sweetly at Zelaide and Euphemia and then brushed past them both. Hoping that the little harlot would be tortured by misunderstandings.
The front door slammed shut and an engine roared to life outside. The automatic gate slid open and Palmina drove away, leaving the two dense, young lovers behind.
“Yumi…” Zelaide started. “Pal is just someone I work with. Our relationship doesn’t go beyond that.”
“…Aren’t I just someone you work with too?” Euphemia threw back at him.
“No! You are…” The words he should have said faded into silence without leaving his lips.
What good can come of me shoutin’ that she’s my mate? Zelaide bit his bottom lip. If I can’t be with her for life, I don’t want her to suffer more ’cause of me. I’m the only one who needs to feel miserable.
“I’m what?” Euphemia stared at the man she loved.
“…My companion.”
“Your companion? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Not even Zelaide understood what it meant. After all, it was the first word that came to mind. But now he had to paint over his true relationship with Euphemia with that makeshift lie.
“More than friends,” he ventured.
“……”
“I haven’t slept with her,” he added.
Euphemia remained silent.
Whatever Zelaide did, whoever he made out with, Euphemia felt she had no right to chastise him for it. He was probably telling the truth when he said his relationship with Palmina was work-only. But that only applied to their relationship thus far. Judging by the way Palmina threw herself on him and acted around Euphemia, it was clear as day that she loved Zelaide. She treated Euphemia with the hatred of a love rival. Euphemia was a woman too, she could guess that much.
And it didn’t help that Euphemia and Zelaide’s relationship was going to end soon. At least officially.
Meanwhile, his relationship with Palmina was going to continue. No way was that woman going to quietly wait for him to make a move now. There was no mistaking that she was going to use whatever means necessary to make Zelaide look at her.
“I’m…leaving now. I promised Erica,” Euphemia said feebly.
“……”
“But Erica hasn’t lost faith in you just because you were frame. Part of why I was able to come to your house is because I made a huge fuss about it, but she would’ve never let me out of City Hall if she didn’t you.”
When Euphemia heard Zelaide was released, she pleaded with Erica to let her see him just once. She was hard-pressed thinking that everything would work out if she could only see him again.
She promised to follow every guideline and condition Erica laid out. Erica contemplated it for a while before giving Euphemia permission under the condition that she didn’t do anything alone and that she came back to City Hall by noon the next day. There might’ve been more scheming surrounding her sister’s permission, but Euphemia was so desperate to see Zelaide that she became blind to everything else.
“A lot of guards are stationed outside. Should be safe,” Zelaide said calmly.
He’d noticed the neighborhood and house were being heavily watched during his drive home. City Hall’s exclusive Guardian force was on guard duty. They surrounded the house without leaving a single blind spot. They were the elite of the elite all right.
“I th-think the people who brought me stuck around…” she stuttered.
“I expected we’d be under surveillance. Doesn’t matter how much you begged your sister, there’s no way she’d let ya come here alone… Honestly, it’s unbelievable she even gave you permission to come. Especially after all you’ve been through.”
“Erica knows me well enough to realize she can’t keep me locked up forever. I’ll go along with her for the time being because the situation calls for it…”
“Ya don’t seem to realize it, but I betrayed your sister’s trust. I gave in to my desires and had sex with ya,” Zelaide bitterly admitted.
Sadness filled Euphemia as she looked up at his pained face. “It’s…what I wanted.”
“No. I was weak. Can’t be called a pro now!” Zelaide spat.
“Do you regret it?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t worry so much if I did.” Bitterness contorted every angle of his face.
“Good,” Euphemia said with a slight smile.
“Nothing good ’bout it. Anyway, go back to your sister. Our contract period isn’t up yet, and I’m still obligated to protect you, but the mayor isn’t gonna care ’bout some contract after I got myself arrested.”
“But I told Erica I would become bait! I know that there’s a traitor at Biotech. This isn’t just my personal problem, but an issue that threatens the safety of Gothic City! Think about it! Biotech contains more than just Muta. We have a large supply of Night Blooms that could be turned into Nightz, and countless pathogens. It’s crazy to involve citizens to threaten me and my sister,” Euphemia huffed.
“I agree. But I’ll be the bait. Your enemy and my enemy are connected. But ya can’t be the bait, Yumi. Just go home for now.”
Zelaide’s instincts told him their enemy was extremely prideful and hated being made a fool. And most of all, this enemy believed they were in an unshakable position no matter what crime they committed.
Euphemia didn’t seem to notice that even her reunion with Zelaide was just another piece of Erica’s grand scheme. Granted, she probably didn’t expect Zelaide to actually make love with her little sister. Or did she expect it and approve anyway?
Mayor Saionji, you even used your sister as chips on the betting table. Zelaide was disgusted with Erica’s drive to do anything so long as she won.
The pervert who collected Zelaide’s sperm from the breeding lab that night knew just what kind of relationship Zelaide and Euphemia had. Through their despicable peeping, they verified their relationship and went to the extent of killing Manuela to separate them.
In the end, they would be able to cut Mayor Saionji’s credibility in half, overthrowing her as mayor once they forced her to take responsibility for hiring a murderous Beast Blood to protect her defiled younger sister. That was the nifty little scenario they seemed to be working toward.
But Erica poked holes in their plan and everything unraveled.
Sucks for you, creep. I was freed and am currently with Yumi. I can’t undo goin’ mad with love and having sex with my mate, but I can hope that provokes ’em more.
Come out, come out wherever you are. Go crazy with rage and show your true colors.
Erica probably intended to smoke out the enemy and force them to take action with this double provocation. Now that the die had been cast she wanted to quickly bring her precious family back under her wing.
“…Hey, Zel! Are you listening to me? I said I’m—” Euphemia pursed her lips at Zelaide for not looking at her. He had to avert his eyes from that adorable gesture.
“I’m listenin’. But haven’t ya had ’nough? Stay put in City Hall for a while,” he said gruffly.
“I’ll be confined like sardines in a can again if I go back,” Euphemia protested. “Erica told me not to go to work anymore… It’s to the point now where she’s even had my gerbils transported to City Hall so I can conduct my research there. She was able to negotiate with Biotech to make it happen after jumping through a lot of hoops…”
“That’s big. You can work still. Be grateful to your sister.”
“Biotech’s president was really accommodating, surprisingly. Do you know him? His name is Murakami, but to be frank, he’s not very popular at work. He’s not a bad person, but he’s always wandering around with his head in the clouds. Everyone says he’s unreliable. Plus, his hair is thinning these days. Director Burhardt is waaay more capable.”
“His hair…” Zelaide laughed under his breath.
Murakami, you’ve got quite the reputation goin’ for ya. Zelaide sympathized with Murakami, but he also learned of his hidden talent through Euphemia’s off-handed remark. Roaming around the facility looking incompetent was likely how he gathered information without anyone being the wiser.
“Director Burhardt is rumored as the most likely next president. Remember when we went to lunch with him? He’s been so kind to a new researcher like me and has been extra considerate ever since I was first attacked by Vermi. Meanwhile, President Murakami didn’t even say a word to me.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“Well, not that I care to talk to him either… Oh yeah, you met up with Wei too, right?” Euphemia asked, changing the topic.
“Yeah.”
“What did you think of him?”
“Nothin’ much. Don’t have any interest in men. But thanks. You asked him to help me, right?”
“Yes. I don’t have many friends…and I wanted to do whatever I could to help…” she muttered meekly. “I felt like I was going stir-crazy not doing anything.”
“I…” I felt the same way. Zelaide balled the hand he instinctively reached out to touch her with.
Euphemia was deliberately dragging the conversation out.
She knew she shouldn’t cause more problems for her sister than she already had. And also that she shouldn’t go out right now. But knowing that didn’t erase her desire to stay with Zelaide longer. Sure she said she was leaving, but that was with the hope he’d ask her to stay.
Don’t go—that’s what she wanted to hear.
Euphemia wanted to fight this battle with him.
But he quickly dismissed her.
“Okay, you’ve stayed long ’nough. Get ready to go. The mayor made the right decision. Stay under your sister’s protection for a while, Yumi. I’ll get in touch with ya through her if anythin’ happens. I’m not gonna let things end like this. I’ll get ’em back whatever it takes.”
“All right… But don’t be reckless… I know saying it won’t stop you, but I still need to. It hurts me to see you injured… Earlier was bad enough.” Euphemia shivered from the memory of the fresh bruises and cuts marring his handsome body. “Don’t get hurt anymore.”
“I’m fine. Cuts don’t hurt anymore. And anyway, you’d be doin’ me a big favor by staying safe, Yumi.”
Sadness seeped into Zelaide’s heart seeing his mate worry over him.
But this is for the best.
Or at least that’s what his head said. He decided to ignore his heart.
“Okay, fine…I’ll be good. Will you see me home? Since I have to go back anyway.”
“Yeah, sure. You have a whole entourage waitin’ for ya, after all,” Zelaide said with deliberate enthusiasm and shrugged.
His first attempt at cooking for someone ended in failure. This was what he got for doing something out of character. Euphemia not noticing the pot on the stove was his only saving grace.
“Say…Zel…do you like me…even a little?” Euphemia asked as her last act of resistance.
Zelaide scrunched up his face. Euphemia instantly regretted forcing him into that pained expression. She had asked a question she knew he wouldn’t answer. How could she put him on the spot when she should’ve been satisfied he called her his companion?
The truth was that she was filled with ugly feelings that made her want to question him about Palmina and his mate, but she put a lid on her egocentric envy for his sake.
“…I’m sorry. I won’t ask again…” she said in a threadbare voice.
“All I can say is that now is not the time to be thinking ’bout things like that.”
Tears glistened in the expressive eyes that looked up at him. Zelaide averted his eyes from her face before it awakened his desire again. She was irresistible. Such was a Beast Blood’s mate.
Aah, I wanna hug her. If I can’t hug her, I want to kiss her.
But even a hug would be the prelude to take-two of what happened last night. Zelaide was finally a free man. It wasn’t good for them to be together right now, no matter how difficult it was to be apart. He needed to devote his energies to securing her bright future.
“Zel? Why the scary face…?” Euphemia searched his face, worry filling her emerald eyes.
“My face is always scary,” he replied, subconsciously touching his taut cheek. There was a sharp gleam in his silver eyes.
Come and get me, ya cowards. I’ll take ya on.
“I’ll drive you… Go get your coat,” the Beast Blood said brusquely without looking at his mate.