CHAPTER 375: THE FUTURE THAT WE HOLD IS SO UNCLEAR

[KOSTA]

"We never consummate. I may be an asshole traitor, but I know your pain and how hard this is for you. I won’t take advantage of you. We will do what is needed to make the prince believe us, but that is just it," Sanji said, knowing so well what the repercussions were.

This time though, it wasn’t because he was scared of the royals, no. He was agreeing to this because he could see Kosta was in so much pain. They hated each other, and wanted to kill each other for sure, but that was on the battlefield.

That was politics.

And politics ruined most of the time.

Beneath the crazy armor that Sanjiro wore as a traitor, the man had humanity, too.

He had his humanity clinging to him ever so closely that it was almost disturbing to think that this was the same man who had engineered the attack on Kawai three decades ago.

Perhaps this was the worst of ideas, but then they were past the maybes. Kosta just had to agree to it because otherwise Sanji was open to calling this shit off. It is already crazy enough that no one understood shit about the Lycan Chief anymore anyway.

"Not a problem. So, when do we begin?" Kosta asked, excited for the new thing that would keep him out of his depression.

He was not going to let himself go back into that shell again, but still, he knew that they had to work through this very carefully because if they failed, all of this would mean nothing. Funny how the aim for all of this was their ultimate death.

Oh, but Tamiko had truly broken Igor Konstantin.

"Go take a shower and dress like an omega. Be yourself. Let yourself be in your skin, not as the Lycan Chief you have been for the past thousand years, but as the omega who doesn’t have to prove shit to anyone anymore.

"Be good to yourself this time, because you will need it," Sanji said, and Kosta stared at the Lycan traitor longer for a moment, he adapted this; Sanji was supposed to be the enemy, and he was, but right now, Sanji was talking like he knew what this was.

He knew what it felt like to be in so much pain without any reprieve. It should have gotten Kosta curious, but honestly, Igor was past the curious phase. He just wanted to get shit over and done with.

He just wanted to be free in the new takeover. Maybe he was insane for that, but what else was left for Kostantin? He had lost everything. And now this was his only chance to be an omega.

And if he had to be that for Sanji, then he would.

After all, their goal was death, right?

Oh, but this was crazy.

"I... I don’t know how to be an omega, Sanji. What the fuck does that mean?" Kosta asked earnestly, and it tugged at Sanji’s heart. The man who had been so brave and strong for the people of Kawai knew nothing of being himself.

It was not fair, but Sanji would help him. He had offered anyway. This was for the plan. For the ultimate punishment that would free them both. This was for Kostantin. For the omega who knew nothing of being an omega other than being the Lycan Chief.

Maybe this time, he would find peace, right?

"I expected as much. Don’t worry, I promised I would help, so I will," Sanji said softly as he ushered Igor to one of the seats in the Lycan chief’s shelter. It was a beautiful place, but it meant nothing to Kosta without Tamiko.

But right now, none of that would ever truly matter. They would figure this out and make things right. If not for themselves, then for the sake of the freedom they were both seeking, right?

"You’re strange," Kosta pointed out, and Sanji just laughed.

"Of course, I am. I never expected to be your teacher, let alone be the one to court you in the craziest of plans in the realm. But hey, focus on what we are supposed to do, not on the why we are doing it or even what will happen if we get found out, alright?" Sanji said.

Igor stared in earnest.

He wasn’t sure if this was okay, but he had already begged the man to stay and help him had let his ego aside and asked for the help of the traitor and he wasn’t about to take it back.

This had to go on.

This had to be an achievement, and he wasn’t about to play games anymore.

This was happening.

"Focus on your omega. Not your duties as the Lycan Chief. Focus on what it feels like. Focus on the fear that had driven you to use suppressants before. Focus on the anger from Sahina’s death.

"Focus on venturing from the fate that your sister had brewed for you," Sanji said, and Kosta gasped softly. He wanted to fight Sanji for mentioning his dead sister, but he knew the man was right.

The last time he had truly been an omega was when his family was alive. When his family made him feel like he deserved everything good in the world and now, Sanji was asking him to go back to who he had been back then.

It wasn’t that hard, truly, but Kosta hesitated for a moment. He knew what this was, the plan and shit, but he also knew that he was the Lycan Chief that was needed by the realm.

"I can’t. What if there is an ambush?" Kosta said as he opened his eyes, looking at Sanji, who was focused on him.

Sanji wasn’t looking at him with love, no.

He was looking at Kosta like someone who knew what pain truly was and someone who understood what it meant to be alone. To have everything taken away. They were here together in grief, and it hurt more than anything.

Sanji’s was a pain that Kosta was tempted to ask about and yet never tried to question. He didn’t want to trigger a lot of things, but now, he had to decide if this was the best thing for the both of them.

He had to make sure that this worked, come hell or high water.

"The kingdom of Kawai is filled with warriors. Seven-eighths of the kingdom is filled with capable warriors who have gone to war at least once in their lives. There is the royal high guard’s team. The Lycan royals, too.

"Your barbarians and the ministers who had been appointed despite them being warlords. Kawai can survive a few thousand years without your help. So, focus on yourself," Sanji said.

Kosta glared at him.

That was a simple truth that Kosta always knew, but it was strange, not being the one that people sought out when there was a war. Perhaps this time, it was really about him. The realm could as well burn anyway, right?

After all, his heart had been burned because of Kawai and whatever the hell the royals were on.

"Okay. I’ll try again."