Page 27 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)

Kitsuki

T he late-afternoon sun cast long shadows across Kitsuki’s private office as he reviewed the latest reports from his border scouts.

They detailed troop movements and supply lines, but his mind kept drifting to more pressing concerns.

War was now inevitable, and within a fortnight, he would lead his armies against Nasume’s forces.

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. “Enter.”

The door opened to reveal his sister, resplendent in flowing gold silk. Her presence filled the room with an otherworldly energy that made the very air shimmer.

“Kizoshi.” He set down his quill. “I was not expecting you.”

Her jeweled hair ornaments caught the light as she moved. “You look troubled, dear brother.”

“I have much on my mind.” He gestured to the chair across from his desk. “The war approaches fast.”

She settled into the offered seat. “Indeed, it does. I already spoke with Maseo and Auslin.”

Something tightened in Kitsuki’s chest at the mention of the half-wolf shifter. His hand moved to Maseo’s small wish pendant resting against his collarbone beneath his tunic. It felt warm against his skin. “You met with him?”

“At last. I have been most curious about the son of my greatest enemy.” Her dark amethyst eyes sparkled with amusement. “He is quite remarkable.”

“In what way?” The question escaped before Kitsuki could stop himself.

“He carries himself with dignity despite the cruelty he has endured. There is a strength in him that his father could never break, no matter how brutally he tried.” She studied Kitsuki’s expression. “Maseo spoke of you with such reverence. And of Auslin with genuine affection.”

Kitsuki’s dragon stirred within him. She tells the truth. He honors us both.

“Maseo has proven himself a valuable addition to our forces,” Kitsuki replied, ignoring his dragon. “Jaega speaks highly of his progress.”

“Valuable.” Kizoshi repeated the word with amusement. “Such a clinical term for someone who has captured your dragon’s attention.”

Heat flared in Kitsuki’s chest. “My dragon recognizes his potential as a warrior, nothing more.”

“Does it?” Her smile was knowing. “How fascinating that your dragon would take such interest in a mere soldier.”

She sees what you refuse to acknowledge , his dragon rumbled. He calls to us as surely as our mate does .

Kitsuki pushed the thought aside. “Maseo has overcome tremendous adversity. It is natural to feel protective of someone who has suffered as he has.”

Kizoshi leaned back in her chair. “Your reactions go beyond mere protectiveness, do they not? The way you watch him during training, the ring you crafted to shield him from harm, and the careful attention you pay to his well-being.”

“I would do the same for any member of my forces.”

She arched an elegant eyebrow. “Have you created protective talismans for any other warriors? Do you oversee their recovery from injuries?”

Kitsuki’s jaw tightened. “What are you suggesting?”

“Your dragon recognizes something your conscious mind refuses to accept.” Her voice softened. “There is no shame in it, Kitsuki.”

“I love Auslin.” The words came out sharper than intended.

“Of course you do. With every fiber of your being.” She reached across the desk to touch his hand. “But the heart can accommodate more than one deep connection, especially when fate weaves such intricate patterns to draw people together.”

Listen to her , his dragon urged. She speaks of trinity bonds .

They were rare beyond measure, owing to the unusual combination of a shifter, human, and Power. The possibility that he, Auslin, and Maseo could be bound by such ancient magic seemed impossible when Auslin was only half-Power and Maseo was half-human.

“No.” He pulled his hand away from hers. “Trinity bonds are myths. Stories told to romanticize what cannot exist.”

Kizoshi’s expression remained serene. “You of all people should know that myths often contain the deepest truths. Many considered your bond with Auslin impossible.”

“That is different. Auslin and I chose each other.”

“Did you? Or did fate provide the opportunity for what was always meant to be?” She tilted her head. “Tell me, when you think of Maseo, what do you feel?”

Without conscious thought, Kitsuki’s fingers found the pendant beneath his tunic again. “Concern for his safety. Nothing more.”

Kizoshi laughed. “Oh, my dear brother. You have always been terrible at lying to yourself.”

She knows , his dragon said with satisfaction. As do we. You are the only one who refuses to see the truth .

“Even if what you suggest were possible, Auslin would never accept such an arrangement. He is devoted to our bond.”

“That does not stop him from caring for Maseo.”

Kitsuki’s attention sharpened. “Did he say something to you?”

“That he feels protective of Maseo and connected to him in ways he cannot explain.” Her smile was gentle. “Much like someone else I know.”

The pendant seemed to burn against Kitsuki’s skin. He released it and placed both hands flat on his desk. “This conversation serves no purpose. I have a war to plan.”

“Which brings me to why I came to see you.” She paused before continuing. “Maseo will face his father in their final battle alone.”

His dragon roared in alarm, demanding action, protection, and violence against anyone who would threaten what was theirs. “That cannot happen. I will not allow it.”

“It is not your choice to make.” Kizoshi’s voice carried the weight of prophecy. “Maseo must confront his father without interference. It is the only way his torment can end.”

“But Nasume will kill him.” The words tore from Kitsuki’s throat. “Maseo, for all his considerable talent, cannot match a shadowmancer in single combat when he does not have access to magic as a half-shifter.”

Protect him , his dragon snarled. Keep him safe .

“You underestimate him,” Kizoshi said. “Maseo carries strength you have not yet seen. But yes, the confrontation will be perilous.”

“Then I will ensure it does not happen.” Kitsuki rose from his chair, pacing to the window that overlooked the training grounds. Below, he could see warriors drilling in formation, but his eyes sought one figure in particular. “I will keep him close during the battle, under my direct protection.”

“You cannot save him from his fate.”

“Watch me.”

Kizoshi’s sigh carried centuries of weariness. “Your protective instincts do you credit, but they will not serve in this instance. Maseo must walk this path alone, or the cycle of abuse will never be broken.”

Kitsuki spun to face her, his control fraying. “I only care about keeping him alive.”

“As do I.” Her expression softened with genuine compassion. “Which is why I can promise you that if you leave Maseo to his fate, he will survive.”

Relief crashed over Kitsuki so suddenly that his knees nearly buckled. His dragon settled, though tension still coiled in his stomach. “You swear it?”

“I do.” But something flickered in her eyes, a shadow of knowledge she would not share.

“Did you warn him?”

“He’s aware only he can do what needs to be done.”

Kitsuki scowled at her nonanswer. “What are you not telling me?”

“That survival and emerging unscathed are not the same thing.” She rose from her chair. “The war will change all of you. Some changes will be welcomed. Others will require great courage to endure.”

“What about Auslin?”

“No harm will come to him while you are away.”

The assurance soothed some of Kitsuki’s agitation. At least his mate would be protected. But the thought of Maseo facing Nasume alone still made his dragon pace.

“I dislike all of this,” he admitted.

“I know.” She moved to stand beside him at the window. “But sometimes the greatest acts of love require us to step back and allow those we care for to find their own strength.”

Kitsuki shook his head. “Maseo is not ready.”

“He is more prepared than you believe.” Before Kitsuki could ask for clarification, she moved toward the door. “I must take my leave. There are other preparations to make.”

“Wait.”

She paused, looking at him with sisterly concern.

“If what you say about a trinity bond is true, how would such a thing even be possible?”

“The same way any miracle occurs. Through the convergence of willing hearts and the blessing of fate.” She looked back at him over her shoulder. “The question is not whether it is possible, dear brother. It is whether you have the courage to accept what your dragon already knows.”

With those words, she left Kitsuki alone with his turbulent thoughts.

Summon Maseo , his dragon demanded. We must speak with him about what comes next .

“No.” Kitsuki returned to his desk, trying to focus on the scattered reports. “I have work to finish.”

You cannot protect him by keeping your distance .

“I am maintaining appropriate boundaries.”

Lies . His dragon’s mental voice dripped with disgust . You fear the truth of what we feel .

Kitsuki’s hand drifted to the pendant again. It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, serving as a constant reminder of the trust Maseo had placed in him.

He gave us his most precious possession. We treasure it as we treasure our mate’s gifts .

“It was a gesture of gratitude, nothing more.”

Then why do you wear it always? Why does your hand seek it when you think of him?

Kitsuki refused to answer.

The reports blurred before his eyes as he tried to concentrate. Supply lines and troop movements seemed insignificant compared to the weight of Kizoshi’s revelations. Maseo would face Nasume alone. The thought made his dragon writhe with the need to intervene, to protect, to claim.

Summon him , Kitsuki’s dragon demanded again. We must warn him about what our sister revealed .

“What purpose would that serve? It would only cause him unnecessary worry.”

Or would it allow him to prepare? To understand the magnitude of what approaches?

Kitsuki hated that his dragon was right. If Maseo was destined to fight his father, he deserved the chance to ready himself for what was coming.

And if Kitsuki was honest with himself, he needed to look into Maseo’s expressive eyes and assure himself that the young man was as strong as Kizoshi claimed. The protective urge was overwhelming, drowning out logic and propriety.

Yes , his dragon purred with satisfaction as Kitsuki reached for the bell that would summon a servant. Bring our pup to us .

“He is not ours,” Kitsuki muttered, but the protest sounded weak even to his own ears.

He could be if you would stop fighting what fate offers .

Kitsuki ignored the comment and instructed the servant who appeared. “Please ask Maseo to meet me in my office. Tell him it concerns the upcoming campaign.”

Once the servant left, Kitsuki tried to focus his thoughts. He would speak with Maseo about strategy, battle plans, and preparations. Nothing more.

But as his fingers toyed with the pendant again, he knew he was lying to himself.

The dragon settled into watchful anticipation, and Kitsuki could only wait for Maseo to arrive, wondering what truths the conversation might reveal.

Perhaps it is time to stop running from what we know to be true , his dragon suggested.

Kitsuki touched the wish pendant one more time, feeling its familiar warmth, and for the first time allowed himself to consider that his sister might be right about more than the war.

The possibility terrified and exhilarated him in equal measure.