CHAPTER 67: MY KING, HIS MOM, AND MY SANITY

Natalia paced across the living room, her eyes flicking between the silent television and her father’s sleeping form on the couch. The movie had ended twenty minutes ago, but Satori and Kimiko still hadn’t returned from their walk. She checked her phone again—no messages, no calls, nothing.

Where the hell are they?

She’d initially thought nothing of it when Kimiko suggested a walk with Satori. They were mother and son, after all. But one hour had stretched into nearly two, and the knot in Natalia’s stomach tightened with each passing minute.

Her father shifted on the couch, mumbling something about patrol schedules and gate assignments in his sleep.

Footsteps outside the door made her freeze, muscles tensing as if preparing for battle. The lock clicked with a sound that seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet house, and Kimiko entered first, cheeks flushed from the night air, her eyes bright with some private emotion. Satori followed, his expression thoughtful, almost solemn, with a new intensity that Natalia had never seen him direct at anyone but her. Her eyes dropped to their hands—still intertwined, fingers locked together in a way that seemed far too intimate for a mother and son.

"Oh, Natalia," Kimiko said. "You didn’t have to wait up for us. How was the movie?"

"Fine," Natalia managed, her gaze fixed on their joined hands, counting the seconds until they separated. "Dad fell asleep halfway through."

Kimiko laughed and released Satori’s hand to brush a strand of hair from her face.

"That man could sleep through an earthquake and wake up asking if we felt a breeze," Kimiko said, moving toward the couch. She gently shook Luka’s shoulder, her touch affectionate and familiar. "Come on, big guy. The bed’s more comfortable than the couch, and your back will thank me in the morning."

Luka stirred, blinking owlishly up at his wife. "Hmm? Movie over? Did the guy get the girl?"

"Hours ago," Kimiko said with a smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes, transforming her already beautiful face into something radiant. "Come on, hero. Time for bed."

As Kimiko helped Luka to his feet, his massive frame dwarfing her petite one in a way that had always struck Natalia as both comical and strangely perfect, she turned to Satori. "You were gone a long time," she said, unable to keep the accusation from her voice.

Satori shrugged. "We had a lot to talk about."

"Like what?"

"Family stuff." His expression softened into something almost tender when he glanced at Kimiko, a look Natalia had thought was reserved for her alone.

Natalia’s mind flashed back to the bath earlier that day—Kimiko’s flawless skin, her smile, her talk about passionate men. The way she’d asked about Natalia’s love life with that teasing lilt in her voice that now seemed calculating, predatory even.

"Some men can change your entire world in a single night..."

Had those words been a warning?

Kimiko guided a groggy Luka down the hallway, her hand on the small of his back. "Goodnight, kids. Don’t stay up too late," she called over her shoulder.

"Goodnight," Satori called after her.

When they were alone, Natalia stepped closer to Satori, invading his personal space. "What did you two talk about for so long? Really?"

"My father," Satori said, surprising her. "My biological father."

Natalia blinked, momentarily derailed from the toxic path her thoughts had been traveling. "What about him? You never talk about him."

"Apparently, he was some hotshot researcher who disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The VHC might be interested in me because of him." He ran a hand through his hair. "It’s complicated. More complicated than I realized."

Under normal circumstances, this revelation would have captured Natalia’s full attention, would have sparked a hundred questions. But all she could see was the new ease in Satori’s posture when he spoke about Kimiko, the softness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. The same softness he showed when looking at her in their most intimate moments.

"You seem... closer."

Satori’s eyebrows rose. "She’s my mother."

"Yes, I know that," Natalia snapped, then caught herself, struggling to modulate her tone. "It’s just... you never seemed that close before. You barely talked to her a month ago."

"People change," he said simply.

People change. The same explanation he’d used about himself when he’d first started transforming from the lazy, pathetic boy she’d known into... whatever he was now. A powerful, addictive man with secret abilities. A man who had told her about his "Sovereign’s Covenant"—his need to collect exceptional women to fuel his power.

Women like her.

Women like her stepmother?

Kimiko was beautiful, intelligent, kind—exceptional by any standard. The perfect mother. The perfect wife.

He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. Would he?

But the seed of doubt had taken root, feeding on Natalia’s deepest insecurities and blossoming into something monstrous and uncontrollable. She remembered how quickly he’d charmed Emi at lunch, how effortlessly he’d drawn La Sirena’s attention after just one meeting. How many women would he need for this "covenant" of his? What were the boundaries? Were there any lines he wouldn’t cross?

"Natalia?" Satori frowned, peering at her face with that penetrating gaze that seemed to strip away all her defenses. "What’s wrong? You look like you’re about to explode."

"Nothing," she said, stepping back. "I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed."

"Wait." He caught her wrist, his touch sending an unwelcome jolt of heat through her body. "You seem upset. Tell me what’s going on."

"I’m fine." She tried to pull away, but his grip was unyielding, another reminder of the strength he’d been hiding.

"Is this about Reyna still?" His voice dropped. "You know you don’t have to worry about her. You’re my queen, remember? My keystone."

Queen. The title that had made her heart soar just hours ago now felt hollow. If she was his queen, what did that make Kimiko? Another piece on his chessboard? Another woman to collect, to corrupt, to bind to him through his twisted covenant?

"Let go of me."

Surprise flickered across Satori’s face, but he released her wrist immediately. "Seriously, what’s going on?"

"Nothing. I just... I need some space. To think."

She turned away, unable to look at him, afraid he might see the absurd, irrational jealousy consuming her from within. Jealousy of his own mother.

"Natalia," Satori called after her. "Talk to me. Whatever you’re thinking, just say it."

She paused at the hallway entrance but didn’t turn around, couldn’t bear to face him. "Your mom," she said, the words barely audible. "She’s very beautiful."