Page 14 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
“Ah,” Kisano said, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Then you are already transitioning to the second stage.”
His fingers worked at the fastenings of Sephen’s breeches, undoing them with deliberate slowness.
“The second stage is called ‘Conceptual Exploration.’ In this phase, the mind begins to process and explore the introduced concept in greater depth, while the body experiences the first true stirrings of desire.”
The breeches came loose, and Kisano tugged them down to expose the sharp cut of Sephen’s hip bones. “The scholars believed that during this stage, one should prolong the anticipation. To rush would be to diminish the eventual understanding.”
Sephen squirmed under his touch. “That sounds like torture,” he complained, though his voice was thick with desire.
“It is a sweet torture,” Kisano corrected, pressing a kiss to Sephen’s hip. “One that heightens eventual pleasure. The mind needs time to fully engage with new concepts.”
He continued their slow exploration, avoiding the areas where Sephen most wanted to be touched. “Tell me how you would explore this concept of trinity bonds. What questions would you ask? What aspects would you investigate first?”
Sephen’s breath hitched as Kisano’s fingers brushed close to his arousal without making contact. “I would want to know the historical precedents. Are there records of successful trinity bonds in the past, especially involving humans?”
“An excellent starting point,” Kisano praised, rewarding him with a firmer touch. “What else?”
“I’d want to understand the magic theory behind it,” Sephen continued. “Does it require different types of magic to balance, or are the personalities and strengths of the bondmates more important than their magical affinities?”
Kisano hummed approvingly, slipping his hand beneath the fabric to wrap around Sephen’s length and stroke. “And what about the practical aspects? What would you want to know about the day-to-day reality of such a bond?”
Sephen gasped at the contact, his hips lifting for a more substantial touch. “How the physical relationship would work. Would all three always be together, or would different pairs connect in different ways at different times?”
Kisano continued his measured strokes. “You demonstrate excellent Conceptual Exploration, considering both theoretical and practical implications.”
He withdrew his hand, earning a frustrated groan from Sephen. After removing Sephen’s boots, Kisano used both hands to tug his breeches down his legs. Sephen lifted his hips to help, kicking the garment away once it reached his ankles.
“What about your clothes?” Sephen tugged at the hem of Kisano’s tunic. “Shouldn’t my teacher demonstrate these concepts?”
“In due time,” Kisano promised with a smile. “The Order believed that asymmetry of exposure created a productive tension that enhances learning.”
“That sounds convenient for the teacher,” Sephen teased, but he settled back against the cushions, allowing Kisano to guide the lesson.
Kisano removed his tunic with unhurried grace. “The third stage is called ‘Theoretical Integration.’ This is when understanding takes root in both mind and body.”
Sephen’s eyes traced the pale orange-and-teal markings swirling across Kisano’s skin, evidence of their mating bond. In the blue light of the alcove, they shimmered with an inner glow, responding to his arousal.
“During this stage,” Kisano explained, kneeling between Sephen’s thighs, “the scholar connects new knowledge with what they already know, creating a more complex and nuanced understanding.”
His hands glided up from Sephen’s ankle to his thigh, applying varying pressure to map the sensitivity of each area. “The body, meanwhile, integrates pleasure more deeply, moving beyond simple arousal to hyperawareness.”
Sephen’s legs fell farther apart, inviting more intimate touch. “How do you know they’ve reached this stage?”
“An excellent question,” Kisano praised. “The scholars identified several markers. Intellectually, one begins to make unexpected connections between new concepts and previously held knowledge. Ideas that seemed unrelated suddenly reveal their interconnectedness.”
His hands moved higher, thumbs tracing circles on Sephen’s inner thighs. “Physically, pleasure becomes more diffused, spreading throughout the body rather than concentrating in obvious erogenous zones.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Sephen’s inner thigh, drawing a moan from his mate.
“The skin becomes hypersensitive,” Kisano continued, trailing kisses upward. “Every touch carries greater significance. The boundary between intellectual and physical pleasure blurs.”
He paused, looking up at Sephen from between his legs. “Can you give me an example of how the concept of trinity bonds might connect to knowledge you already possess?”
Sephen took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts despite the distraction of Kisano’s proximity.
“The creation myth of Talwyn tells of three primordial forces that rose from the void and shaped the world. A Power gave it will, a shifter gave it form, and a human gave it soul. Balance was achieved only when all three were in harmony.”
Kisano’s eyes lit with genuine pleasure at the connection. “Precisely.” He rewarded Sephen with a slow lick along the underside of his cock. “The trinity is embedded in our oldest stories and our deepest cultural understanding of how the world works.”
Sephen clenched the velvet cushions as Kisano took him into his mouth. “There’s also the theory of magical resonance. Certain combinations of magical affinities create stronger effects than others. A trinity of complementary magics would be more powerful than a pair.”
“Another excellent connection,” Kisano praised. He took Sephen in his mouth again, allowing his mate to savor the sensation longer before pulling away. “Your mind makes connections with remarkable speed and insight.”
Sephen’s chest heaved with quickened breaths, squirming with arousal. “And the physical signs of this stage?”
“Increased blood flow throughout the body,” Kisano said, running his hands up Sephen’s torso, which had flushed with desire. “A sense of weightlessness or floating. And most notably, a hunger that feels both physical and intellectual at once.”
“I definitely feel that last one,” Sephen said with a breathless laugh. “I want more of everything you’re giving me, both the knowledge and the touch.”
“That is precisely the state the Order sought to cultivate,” Kisano said, his voice growing rougher as his control frayed. “When the mind and body hunger in equal measure, true learning can occur.”
He stood, removing his boots and unfastening his breeches with less patience than he had shown with Sephen’s. The garment joined the others on the floor, leaving Kisano naked before his mate.
“The fourth stage,” Kisano said, settling between Sephen’s thighs again, “is called ‘Practical Application.’ This is when theory transforms into practice, when abstract knowledge becomes embodied wisdom.”
He guided Sephen to lie back on the cushions. “At this stage, the scholar must apply knowledge through action.”
Kisano’s hand traced a path down Sephen’s body, from chest to abdomen to the juncture of his thighs.
“The Order believed that certain knowledge could only be understood through physical experience,” he explained, his fingers teasingly circling Sephen’s entrance.
“Some truths resist understanding through intellect alone.”
Sephen’s breath caught as Kisano’s touch grew more intimate. “What kind of truths?”
“Truths about connection,” Kisano answered, summoning a small measure of his dragon magic. A shimmer of pale orange light gathered around his fingers, transforming into a slick, warm substance. “About how souls can join through bodies through pleasure and surrender.”
He pressed one slick finger against Sephen’s entrance, circling slowly. “In this stage, the teacher becomes a guide to direct experience. Words are still important, but they primarily frame and contextualize sensation.”
Sephen gasped when Kitsuki’s first finger slipped inside, his body tensing before relaxing around the intrusion.
“The physical sensations teach the body in ways the mind cannot,” Kitsuki continued, before adding a second finger. “Can you describe what you’re experiencing?”
When Sephen didn’t answer, Kisano curled his fingers to brush against the spot he knew would bring his mate the most pleasure. “How does the physical sensation connect to what we’ve been discussing?”
Sephen cried out, arching his back off the cushions. “It’s like you’re inscribing understanding into my body instead of my mind.”
“Exactly,” Kisano praised, adding a third finger and stretching Sephen with growing urgency. “This is the essence of Practical Application. The body becomes a text to be written upon, a vessel for knowledge that transcends intellectual understanding.”
Sephen’s hands reached for Kisano, pulling him closer. “Please,” he gasped, his control slipping. “I need more than fingers. I need to feel all of you.”
“The remaining stages require a deeper connection. Are you prepared to continue your education?”
“Yes,” Sephen answered without hesitation, his eyes dark with desire and intellectual hunger. “Teach me everything.”
Kisano withdrew his fingers, summoning more of his magic to slick his own length. He positioned himself between Sephen’s legs, the tip of his arousal pressing against his mate’s entrance.
“The fifth stage is ‘Experiential Synthesis,’” Kisano began, his scholarly lecture giving way to need. “It is when knowledge and sensation merge, becoming indistinguishable from one another.”
He pressed forward for Sephen to feel the promise of what was to come. “When the boundary between teacher and student dissolves, both become equal participants in creating new understanding.”
Sephen wrapped his legs around Kisano’s waist, pulling him closer. “Then let’s create that together. Show me how much more there is to learn.”