The Kitty Cat's Mates (ManxMen)

6 | Why Are You Here?

Kain pushed the seven-feet door close behind him. He turned his head back to the room, running his fingers through his hair as he marched towards the curtained canopy bed.

One could immediately sniff the strong perfume wafting inside his room, but would have to harbor a strong sense of smell to perceive the faint scent of lemongrass besides his nightstand.

He had gotten used to this area, where a chandelier hung from the center of the vast place, that can amount to a royal chamber, and a large midnight-blue nylon carpet that felt oddly pleasurable under his feet. It was a lifestyle of unmeasurable wealth and solace, the one he had so craved for when he was still sleeping in the crooked and cold stone floor of the dungeon they used to call their room.

He placed one hand on his neck, slowly doing a neck rotation. He couldn't get it out of his mind — that boy with hazel eyes. After all, that boy was his mate—

Kain's eyes snapped open. Did he just acknowledge him as his mate? Out of the impulse, he nearly threw the innocent sculpted wooden lamp resting on the nightstand. But he stopped. He loved the light pattern that the lamp made at dark after all.

Kain gently placed the object down. He pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Why the long face?"

Kain turned his head to the side. A tanned black-haired man was sitting on the window like one of those boys in animes. He wore a thin white shirt, loose pants, and brown sandals and resembled Kain, except for the creases, the grown beard, the long hair, and the scar running down on his right cheek.

"You'll ruin that handsome face."

Kain scowled. "The hell you doing here, old man?"

His uncle, Ark, emitted a soft chuckle. He never failed to be amused by his nephews' reaction, especially with Kain, whose eyes always screamed screw you.

"We just saw each other after a few months, and that's how you greet me? Where's the hug?"

Kain rolled his eyes, then moved towards his wardrobe. "A year," he corrected. "First, it was Zach. Now it's you."

Ark chuckled. "What happened to you, by the way?"

"Nothing, I'm just tired." Kain immediately replied. He picked up his gray pajamas, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it to his bed.

Ark eyed him while he hung a towel over his shoulder. "Come on, Kain. I was there ever since you three were brought out of glory hole."

Kain shot him a dirty look.

"I know when you're— how do you always say that when you're in trouble? In deep shit?"

Kain kept sending him daggers.

"You always have your head up," Ark added.

"What's the connection?"

"You're an egoistic bastard."

"Are you trying to insult me?"

Ark smiled. "Nope. That was a fact."

Kain gave him another dirty look, barely refraining from rolling his eyes.

"So, what is it? What's bothering you?" Ark repeated, crossing his thick arms against his chest.

"I told you, 'nothing.' Why are you poking at someone else's business?"

"Because that nothing is something and you're doing so bad at hiding it," his uncle pointed. "Spill it."

Kain plopped down on his bed, pressing both his hands against the comforter. He threw his head back, avoiding his uncle's eyes when he uttered, "I found my mate."

Ark's eyes flooded back with life, twinkling. "Really? Well, isn't that good news?!"

Kain was the opposite. "Depends," he said.

Ark's face turned into confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He—" Kain paused midway.

Should he say it to his Uncle Ark? Surely, he will understand, right?

"It's a werecat," Kain reconstructed.

"What?"

"My mate's a werecat," he repeated, much firmer.

"Your mate's a werecat?" It was a rhetorical question. Ark paused for a moment. He readjusted from his position and sighed. "So what's with the gloom? I don't get your concept."

"You don't get it.'

"I already told you, I don't. State it clearly".

"... Accepting it."

Kain was straight as a line, that's for sure. His loins didn't heat up at the thought of another man. And more than that, he loved tits. Yes, men have tits, but he could have made it more specific if only he knew that the Moon Goddess would have mess with him like this. But now until death, he was stuck with a dick. And that was one fact that he could not accept.

"I told you to state it clearly," Ark huffed.

He raised his brows, watching as his nephew sunk deeper into his thoughts. Ark knew Kain was troubled by something else but decided to leave him be for now. It was the second time he had seen this Kain. Truthfully, he found it amusing this time, the great Kain being troubled sometimes in his lifetime.

"This is so unlike you," Ark said.

Kain twisted his neck to look at him, staring at Ark with narrowed eyes.

"The great Kain is troubled, my my. You're always so brash. I didn't know you can also be caught up in your thoughts. You've proved me and your father wrong. Congratulations."

There was a slight hint of nostalgia on his nephew's face. But as sudden as Ark's appearance were, the corner of Kain's lips curled into a smile.

"And you're still as retarded as ever," he said. "And I use my brain, you old bastard. We just have a different way of handling matters."

Ark chuckled. "I bid you good luck on winning over your amore. It's too bad the cats don't sense the link as we do." He deeply exhaled. "I'm really starting to pity the great Kain."

"And I'm ninety-nine percent ready to push you out the window."

Ark laughed at him. "Come on, give your uncle a hug." He beckoned him over.

"Ugh." Kain glowered at him in reply. "And whatever. I'm still not sure about the whole commitment thing. It's not my kind of deal."

"Oh, you won't be able to say that for long." Ark smirked at him. "You can take me as an example."

Kain ignored him and massaged his neck. "Anyways, why are you here again, old man?"

"It's for the meeting tomorrow."

Kain scowled. "What's so important about this meeting that's got everyone so riled up?"

"It's about the vampires," Ark said as he plopped his feet down inside his nephew's room.

Kain stared at him. "What about them?"

Ark paused for a moment, realizing his nephew probably have not heard of it yet. "Word has it that they're associated with the disappearance of local civilians. And it's not just that."

A bad feeling swirled into Kain's system.

"... We found a lead tracing them to the Du Marais."

The younger man's eyes widened.

"Looks like we're in for some puppet show again."