Read Online Tears of the Neko by Taylor Ryan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Taylor Ryan
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door to the main room hadn't been locked. "Oh, sir,
I--I--"
Damien waved away his apology, "Don't. Just
find him."
"Yes, sir, right away, sir."
As the servant ran down the hall, Damien
strode toward the stairs. He met Roman coming from the other side,
dressed in his riding habit.
"Aren't you missing a shadow?" he
quipped.
"He's missing," Damien sighed.
The brown-haired man laughed. "Already? Wow,
I thought it would take him at least a day to get up the nerve to
run."
Damien just glared.
"How did he get out, anyway? I thought
Harrison told them to put a bolt on the outside of the door."
"The hallway door was locked. The one to my
room was not. He had to have come through my room. I will have to
remember to keep my door locked from now on."
"So it would seem," Roman mused. "Well, since
I'm heading out to ride, I will join the search for your little
escaped tiger."
"I'm sure that's not necessary," Damien waved
off his brother's offer to help search.
Suddenly, the floor below them erupted in
activity as servants and slaves started in on a search. They
watched as Ysmenia brought a pile of cloth over and called the
three hybrids over, two of them were guards from outside. She held
out the cloth and they sniffed it. Damien realized it must have the
boy's scent on it. While nekos weren't necessarily known for their
scent tracking, they would probably be able to tell if he were
hiding in the house. She handed the cloth over to Arnett who took
it outside, presumably to set the dogs out to track him.
He grimaced at the thought of the small neko
being set upon by the dogs and hoped the trackers stayed close to
call them off quickly.
Drystan, Ysmenia and one of the nekos, Ellis
he thought his name was, came back up the stairs to search the
upper levels. Damien's stomach growled and he remembered his
forgotten breakfast. He made his way back to his room, sitting down
to sip at the cooling coffee and nibble at the bread and
cheese.
A few minutes later, the large brown-haired
neko appeared at his open door. "Sir?"
"Yes? Ellis, right?" Damien turned. "Did you
find him?"
"Yes, sir," the large hybrid seemed
nervous.
"Well, where is he?" he snapped.
"Um, the kit is in his room," Ellis stated,
unsure if it was wise to let the master know he was wrong.
The massive man stood, frowning. "No, he
isn't. I was just in there."
The poor slave looked even more
uncomfortable. "Uh, begging your master's pardon, but he is,
sir."
Damien stormed to the study door, looking
again around the room. The hallway door was open too. Damien
gestured widely in frustration at the slave calling him a liar.
"Really? Where?"
The neko made his way past his master in the
doorway, his brown ears at full alert. "I scented him in here." He
pointed towards the bed. "He's right there."
Damien frowned and stepped farther into the
room. He had to bend slightly to see the small figure curled up in
a blanket under the bed, pressed into the back corner.
"Shit."
****
The loud curse startled Kayden from his
sleep.
He hadn't gotten to sleep last night until
very early in the morning, but then he hadn't slept much since he'd
arrived at this manor.
After the smelly master had hurt him, he'd
very diligently hid the evidence of the master's abuse, afraid he'd
be in trouble for getting the new clothes dirty. He was glad when
the woman let him bathe himself, as he was able to wash away the
blood that stained his thighs before anyone noticed. But he'd lain
awake in pain most of the previous day, pretending to sleep so they
would leave him alone.
He'd been terrified to meet the new
master--Damien, they called him. He'd liked the man's woodsy scent
and his firm but gentle touch. But the master didn't seem to want
him around, and Kayden was afraid that he'd be handed back over to
the smelly-tobacco scented one.
He was glad that the master had insisted that
he not stay at the party; the huge number of people had terrified
him. But then he had paced the room
I--I--"
Damien waved away his apology, "Don't. Just
find him."
"Yes, sir, right away, sir."
As the servant ran down the hall, Damien
strode toward the stairs. He met Roman coming from the other side,
dressed in his riding habit.
"Aren't you missing a shadow?" he
quipped.
"He's missing," Damien sighed.
The brown-haired man laughed. "Already? Wow,
I thought it would take him at least a day to get up the nerve to
run."
Damien just glared.
"How did he get out, anyway? I thought
Harrison told them to put a bolt on the outside of the door."
"The hallway door was locked. The one to my
room was not. He had to have come through my room. I will have to
remember to keep my door locked from now on."
"So it would seem," Roman mused. "Well, since
I'm heading out to ride, I will join the search for your little
escaped tiger."
"I'm sure that's not necessary," Damien waved
off his brother's offer to help search.
Suddenly, the floor below them erupted in
activity as servants and slaves started in on a search. They
watched as Ysmenia brought a pile of cloth over and called the
three hybrids over, two of them were guards from outside. She held
out the cloth and they sniffed it. Damien realized it must have the
boy's scent on it. While nekos weren't necessarily known for their
scent tracking, they would probably be able to tell if he were
hiding in the house. She handed the cloth over to Arnett who took
it outside, presumably to set the dogs out to track him.
He grimaced at the thought of the small neko
being set upon by the dogs and hoped the trackers stayed close to
call them off quickly.
Drystan, Ysmenia and one of the nekos, Ellis
he thought his name was, came back up the stairs to search the
upper levels. Damien's stomach growled and he remembered his
forgotten breakfast. He made his way back to his room, sitting down
to sip at the cooling coffee and nibble at the bread and
cheese.
A few minutes later, the large brown-haired
neko appeared at his open door. "Sir?"
"Yes? Ellis, right?" Damien turned. "Did you
find him?"
"Yes, sir," the large hybrid seemed
nervous.
"Well, where is he?" he snapped.
"Um, the kit is in his room," Ellis stated,
unsure if it was wise to let the master know he was wrong.
The massive man stood, frowning. "No, he
isn't. I was just in there."
The poor slave looked even more
uncomfortable. "Uh, begging your master's pardon, but he is,
sir."
Damien stormed to the study door, looking
again around the room. The hallway door was open too. Damien
gestured widely in frustration at the slave calling him a liar.
"Really? Where?"
The neko made his way past his master in the
doorway, his brown ears at full alert. "I scented him in here." He
pointed towards the bed. "He's right there."
Damien frowned and stepped farther into the
room. He had to bend slightly to see the small figure curled up in
a blanket under the bed, pressed into the back corner.
"Shit."
****
The loud curse startled Kayden from his
sleep.
He hadn't gotten to sleep last night until
very early in the morning, but then he hadn't slept much since he'd
arrived at this manor.
After the smelly master had hurt him, he'd
very diligently hid the evidence of the master's abuse, afraid he'd
be in trouble for getting the new clothes dirty. He was glad when
the woman let him bathe himself, as he was able to wash away the
blood that stained his thighs before anyone noticed. But he'd lain
awake in pain most of the previous day, pretending to sleep so they
would leave him alone.
He'd been terrified to meet the new
master--Damien, they called him. He'd liked the man's woodsy scent
and his firm but gentle touch. But the master didn't seem to want
him around, and Kayden was afraid that he'd be handed back over to
the smelly-tobacco scented one.
He was glad that the master had insisted that
he not stay at the party; the huge number of people had terrified
him. But then he had paced the room
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