Foxfire (Nine Tails, 1) by Yuki Edo Read Free Book Online

it
fair for Hiro to expect him to behave exactly like a human? While
Hiro felt bad for his reaction, he didn’t really think he owed
Masaki an apology. Not exactly. The fox spirit had lied to him, in
a way, keeping back the fact he could sense things about
Hiro.
    So I really am gay. Hiro rolled to his back now, his body still
aching for a fulfillment he’d never truly had. Jerking off wasn’t
the same and never would be. And he couldn’t stop thinking about
what Masaki had said. Did Akira really know about Masaki’s
“interest”? What had Masaki said to him? Akira had said nothing
about that. There had been moments over the years when Hiro had
felt like Akira suspected, but of course, talking about such things
was out of the question. Their father would have disowned him if
the subject had even come up.
    Shame filled him again. But then
desire pushed it away. Hiro lay awake a long time, the two emotions
warring within him until his mind shut off from the sheer
exhaustion of the debate within his head.
    * * * *
    Hiro woke when his phone vibrated on
the bedside table a few minutes after eight. He grabbed it and saw
a text from Akira. Instead of reading the whole message, Hiro sat
up and dialed his brother’s number.
    “ Hiro?” Akira asked,
sounding surprised. “You okay?”
    “ Why didn’t you tell me?”
Hiro’s fingers dug into the bedspread, anger surging once more at
the sound of his brother’s voice.
    “ You’re going to have to
be more specific. You said you’d call me back yesterday, but you
didn’t. I wondered if you were okay and sent a text to
check.”
    “ I was busy. Now, why
didn’t you tell me Masaki liked me?”
    Akira didn’t reply right away.
“Honestly?”
    “ Yes, please.” Hiro wished
he could see his brother’s face. Akira could hide his emotions
well, but Hiro could still tell when he was being sincere. He
wanted to know that his brother hadn’t simply dropped him off not
caring what would happen to him.
    “ You’d never have gone if
I’d told you. I know our family ignores the subject, but you can
tell me. Okay?” He paused, and then softly asked, “Was I
wrong?”
    “ Wrong? About what? That
I’d flip out about being given to some guy who wants to get in my
pants?” He knew exactly what his brother was really asking about,
but he wasn’t going to make it easy for him, after what Akira had
shoved him into. He toyed with the edge of the bedspread, nervous
even though they weren’t having this conversation face to face.
He’d never admitted his feelings to anyone—had even run away from
Masaki for pointing them out—and his stomach churned as he
waited.
    Akira made a frustrated sound, half
grunt and half moan. “Are you gay or not? I think you are, and
Masaki’s a good man. I saw no harm in seeing if something could
develop.”
    “ He’s not a
man.”
    “ He lives as one. Acts
like one. Looks like one. What else matters?”
    Hiro didn’t answer.
    “ So, are you? I’m not our
father, Hiro. My love isn’t conditional.”
    “ You can’t tell anyone,
okay?”
    Akira sighed. “Is that a
‘yes’?”
    “ Maybe.”
    “ I’ll accept that as a
confession and not force you to say it.” Another pause. “I take it
something happened.”
    “ We’re not talking about
that. We’re talking about you sending me here knowing the kitsune
wanted me in that way.”
    “ He’s honorable. No matter
how much he wants anything, he won’t simply take it.”
    “ What did he say?” Hiro
realized suddenly that he really wanted to know exactly what Masaki
had said to Akira. “How did he put it?”
    “ He’s always praised your
work. But you know that. When he made his proposal, he also made it
clear he was interested in more than your work. He expressed strong
feelings for you, as well as attraction. He promised to back off if
you rejected him.”
    And Masaki had done exactly that, but
Hiro wasn’t about to dish out their encounter. “What else are you
two hiding? And