Page 11 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)

Kisano

A loud slam startled Kisano out of his concentration.

He had been deep in his work, cataloguing his newest acquisitions, when the library doors flew open with unnecessary force.

He glanced up to find Kitsuki striding between the shelves, his usual calm splintered at the edges.

A flash of silver flickered in his eyes before fading to blue, a clear sign his dragon was stirring beneath the surface.

“Brother,” Kisano said, setting down his quill. “How was the assessment?”

Kitsuki’s jaw tightened as he approached Kisano’s desk, his movements carrying an unusual agitation for the normally controlled king. “That depends on your definition of well.”

The cryptic response prompted Kisano to gesture toward the chair across from him. “Perhaps you should sit and tell me what has you so unsettled.”

Kitsuki remained standing, beginning to pace the small area in front of Kisano’s workspace like a caged predator. “Maseo’s combat skills are exceptional. He will be a valuable asset to our forces.”

“That sounds like good news,” Kisano observed, though he sensed there was more to the story. “What else happened?”

“My dragon…” Kitsuki paused in his pacing, running a hand through his long, white hair. “My dragon reacted in ways I cannot explain or justify.”

Kisano leaned back in his chair, studying his younger brother’s distressed expression. “What kind of reactions?”

“Possessive and inappropriate,” Kitsuki admitted, the words seeming to cost him. “The entire time we were sparring, my dragon kept insisting Maseo was ours. That he belonged to us.”

The confession hung in the air between them, heavy with implications. Kisano felt his eyebrows arch despite his efforts to maintain a neutral expression. “I see.”

“Do you? Because I certainly do not. All I have ever wanted is Auslin. My dragon has never shown an interest in anyone else in all the centuries of my existence. And now it has fixated on Nasume’s son, of all people?”

Kisano chose his words with care, recognizing the turmoil his brother was experiencing. “Perhaps the situation is not as straightforward as you believe.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you considered that your dragon’s reaction might be connected to something Kizoshi has mentioned in the past?” Kisano asked. “She has spoken to you of trinity bonds before.”

Kitsuki’s pacing stopped. “They are legends that have not existed for eons, Kisano.”

“Perhaps not,” Kisano conceded, “but that does not mean they are impossible. Especially when our sister sees truths others cannot.”

“Even if such a thing were possible, it would require mutual attraction among all three parties.” Kitsuki’s voice took on a bitter edge. “Auslin loves me. He has no interest in Maseo beyond compassion for someone who has suffered.”

“Are you certain about that?” Kisano asked.

“Of course I am certain. Auslin is my mate. I know his heart better than anyone.”

Kisano tried to help his brother see things from a new perspective. “Then how do you explain his passionate defense of Maseo earlier? The tears in his eyes at the thought of Maseo being harmed? The way he reached for Maseo’s hand when you announced he would fight in the war?”

Kitsuki’s expression grew troubled. “Auslin has a compassionate heart. He would react the same way to any suffering person.”

“Would he?” Kisano pressed. “The way Auslin reacts to Maseo is less like friendship and more like…”

Kitsuki prompted his older brother when he trailed off into silence. “Like what?”

“Like how a mate would react to a threat against someone they cared about.”

The observation struck Kitsuki silent. He sank into the chair across from Kisano’s desk. “That is impossible. Auslin would have told me if he had feelings for someone else.”

“If Auslin does not understand his own feelings, how could he explain them to you? And even if he recognized them, would he risk your happiness by admitting to an attraction he might believe you would never share?”

Kitsuki looked up, his eyes haunted. “You are suggesting Auslin might have feelings for Maseo that he is hiding from me?”

“I am saying the trinity bond Kizoshi has hinted at could already be forming,” Kisano said.

“Your dragon’s possessive reaction, Auslin’s emotional investment in Maseo’s safety, and the way you all are drawn to each other despite the complicated circumstances of his past with Kio and Nasume all seem connected. ”

“I do not want this,” Kitsuki protested, though his voice lacked conviction. “I refuse to be like Father, spreading my attention among multiple partners and hurting them all by giving only a fraction of my heart.”

Kisano’s expression softened with understanding. “This is not like Father’s situation at all, brother. He pursued his own selfish desires at the expense of our mothers’ happiness. A trinity bond would connect and strengthen your relationship with Auslin rather than threaten it.”

Kitsuki’s sorrow was palpable. “You do not understand. The way my dragon reacted to Maseo during our sparring was unacceptable. I pinned him to the floor, Kisano. I had him at my mercy, and my dragon was demanding I claim him right there. If Uncle had not interrupted, I shudder to think what would have happened.”

“Why?”

“Maseo did not fight the pin or look afraid. He looked willing to submit to whatever I demanded of him.” After a long pause, Kitsuki added, “And I wanted to take everything he was offering.”

Kisano absorbed the information. “How did that make you feel?”

“Guilty. Ashamed. Like I was betraying Auslin’s trust.”

“But beneath the guilt and shame,” Kisano pressed, “how did it feel in the moment?”

Kitsuki was quiet for a long time before answering. “It felt right in a way that terrifies me.”

“Perhaps that feeling of rightness is something you should explore rather than fight against.”

“How can you say that?” Kitsuki’s anguish drove him to pace. “I am talking about wanting another man while mated to Auslin.”

“You are talking about potentially wanting both Auslin and Maseo,” Kisano corrected. “There is a significant difference. One is betrayal; the other is likely fulfilling the fate our sister has been hinting about for some time now.”

Kitsuki shook his head. “Even if that were true, Maseo is under our protection. He is vulnerable, dependent on our sanctuary. Acting on any shameful impulses would be an abuse of power.”

“Only if the feelings were not mutual,” Kisano pointed out. “But from what you have described, it sounds as if Maseo was responding to you as intensely.”

Misery radiated from Kitsuki as he halted his steps. “That does not matter. As a refugee in Valzerna, he cannot refuse a king’s advances, even if he wanted to. The power imbalance makes any relationship impossible.”

Kisano studied his brother’s troubled expression. “You are right to be cautious about that issue, but you are also assuming Maseo’s responses stem from obligation rather than genuine attraction. What if you are wrong?”

“I cannot take that risk. I cannot act like Father by using my position to coerce others into situations they do not truly want.” Kitsuki turned to face his brother with an expression of desperate curiosity. “Brother, may I ask you a hypothetical question?”

“Of course.”

Kitsuki hesitated before continuing. “How would you react if you discovered you had a second mate? How would you feel about its impact on your relationship with Sephen?”

Kisano’s scholarly mind considered the philosophical implications. “That is quite a complex question.”

“If what Kizoshi says about one person never being enough for an Ariake is true, the same would apply to you as well. What would you do in that situation?”

Kisano fell silent for a long moment, tracing the edge of a manuscript on his desk as he thought through the question. “I cannot imagine anyone who could compete with my love for Sephen. He is brilliant, kind, and passionate about the same things that drive me.”

“But?” Kitsuki prompted when his brother fell silent.

“But if fate were to send me a second mate.” Kisano’s voice grew more thoughtful.

“I would hope I could embrace a trinity bond and find true happiness with them both. Sephen is amazing enough to deserve love from two people. If the Powers decreed such a bond was meant to be, who am I to argue with the fate Sophina wrote for me?”

Kitsuki’s interest piqued. “You truly believe you could love someone else without diminishing what you feel for Sephen?”

“I believe love is not a finite resource to be rationed. The love I feel for you as my brother does not diminish what I feel for Kizoshi as my sister. Despite you both being siblings, they are different types of affection, yet both are complete and whole. Perhaps romantic love could work the same.”

“What kind of person would you need them to be?”

Kisano’s expression grew distant as he considered the question.

“Someone with intellect to match our own, who values learning and philosophical discourse. He would need to engage with both Sephen’s enthusiasm and my more reserved nature.

” He paused, his cheeks coloring. “It would only work if he understood our passion for knowledge and shared it rather than tolerates it.”

Kisano’s mind wandered to a very specific possibility of someone whose lyrical philosophical writings had captivated both him and Sephen.

The way the Knowledge Power crafted ideas into elegant prose that spoke to the soul, along with the infinite wisdom he represented, would appeal to both Kisano and Sephen.