Northstar Vale Tonight I feel like a shooting star, but I hope my shine will last much longer

His gaze dropped from the sky, as beautiful as the shooting stars were, he felt a tingle along the back of his neck. As though he wasn’t alone. Relying on his instincts, Yuudai turned to look over his shoulder. Half expecting to see his new mate, she had a way of finding him in these moments. But it wasn’t her, instead it was his deepest desire. The untouchable. He wasn’t sure how long she had been standing there, or why she hadn’t called out to him as she often used to do. The pain wiggled it way to the forefront. Because she doesn’t want to see you.

Her name hovered in the edge of his lips, turning to ash on his tongue. Clenching his jaw, her stood slowly. Approaching her just was slowly. He dipped his head deeply, submitting wholly to the Empress. “Empress.” Regardless of their personal feelings he was still her subject. Although with her hesitation came a flooding sense of doubt, did she still want him to be her subject? Perhaps this was moment in which she would take it all away, the words, the feelings, the trust. Immediately he panicked. What about Hiromi? What about his children?

His eyes flicked to the royal woman’s stomach. The samurai noticed the subtle bump, so similar to Hiromi’s. “Congratulations.” Although they had shared a passionate moment together, Yuudai easily picked Takeshi’s scent wafting off her pelt. Surely the children would be his. If only to save her own reputation.