Page 28 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
Maseo
E ach step struck the marble with sharp intent as he headed toward the king’s private office. The servant who had summoned Maseo mentioned it concerned the upcoming campaign, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the meeting connected to his earlier encounter with Kizoshi.
The War Power’s cryptic words still rang in his ears. You will have the honor to do what I have wished to do for many long centuries . What could she have meant? And why had she looked at him with such intensity when she spoke of vengeance against his father?
He paused outside the ornate door, taking a steadying breath before knocking.
“Enter.”
Kitsuki sat behind his desk, but his usual composed demeanor seemed strained. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and tension radiated from his powerful frame. When their gazes met, something flickered across the king’s face that Maseo couldn’t identify.
Maseo bowed. “You wished to see me?”
“Please sit.” Kitsuki gestured to the chair across from his desk. “I understand you met with my sister today.”
The half-wolf shifter settled into the offered seat. “Yes, she sought me out.”
“What did she tell you?”
The direct question caught Maseo off guard. He had expected to discuss battle strategies, not dissect his confusing conversation with the War Power. “Many things, though I confess I understood very little of what she meant.”
Kitsuki’s expression turned sympathetic. “Kizoshi has a talent for speaking in riddles that only make sense in hindsight. What did she say?”
Maseo shifted in his chair. “She mentioned I would have vengeance against my father. That it was something she had wanted to do for centuries but had restrained herself from.” He looked down at his hands. “She spoke as if she hated him with a passion I could not comprehend.”
“Kizoshi has despised your father far longer than you have been alive. But what else did she say about your vengeance?”
“That it would be glorious.” Maseo’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall her exact words. “She said my suffering was almost over and that every decision I make during the war will lead me to what I want most in life.”
Kitsuki leaned forward, his intense gaze fixed on Maseo’s face. “Did she say anything about you facing Nasume?”
“Not in so many words.” Maseo hesitated. “But she said I would do what only I could do. That I had the honor of claiming my reward for every scar my father carved into my soul.”
Something dark flashed in Kitsuki’s eyes. “She told me you would confront Nasume alone. Without interference from anyone else.”
Maseo sat back in his chair, processing the implications. “Alone?”
Kitsuki’s hands clenched into fists on his desk. “She claims it is the only way to break the cycle of abuse.”
Maseo’s mind raced. A one-on-one confrontation with his father? The man who had nearly killed him multiple times, who possessed shadowmancy while Maseo couldn’t use magic because of his half-human heritage?
“I see.” He kept his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest.
“My concern is that Nasume is a powerful shadowmancer with centuries of combat experience. You are a skilled warrior, but you cannot match his magical abilities.”
“No, I can’t.” Maseo met the king’s gaze. “But if it is my responsibility to kill my father to save Talwyn and protect the people I care about, then I will gladly do it.”
The conviction in his own voice surprised him. When had he become someone willing to face certain death for others?
But he knew the answer. It had started the moment Auslin had saved his life in that forest clearing. It had grown stronger with every kindness shown to him in the castle, all the acceptance from Jaega’s warriors, and the glimpses of the life he could have if he was brave enough to fight for it.
“Your courage is admirable,” Kitsuki said. “But courage alone may not be enough against someone of Nasume’s power.”
Maseo couldn’t help the dry laugh that escaped him. “With respect, how much more dangerous could it be than the last time he almost succeeded in killing me?”
Kitsuki blinked, and then his expression shifted to something that might have been rueful acknowledgment. “You make a valid point.”
“My father has been trying to break me my entire life.” Maseo’s voice grew stronger. “He has beaten me, poisoned me, starved me, and told me daily that I was worthless.”
“You are far from worthless,” Kitsuki said with unexpected heat. “Anyone who has spent time with you can see your true value.”
Maseo glanced away, afraid that his face would reveal too much of what Kitsuki’s words meant to him. “Thank you for your kindness.”
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken emotions. When Maseo looked up, he found Kitsuki watching him with an expression he couldn’t decipher. There was concern there, yes, but also something deeper that made Maseo’s heart race with dangerous hope.
“I worry about you,” Kitsuki admitted, his formal mask slipping. “The thought of you facing Nasume alone…” He trailed off, his hand moving to his chest.
Maseo’s breath caught. Was the king touching the wish pendant he had given him? The possibility that Kitsuki might treasure it sent warmth flooding through his veins.
“I will do everything in my power to survive,” Maseo said. “I have too much to live for now.”
“Such as?”
The question hung in the air between them. Maseo knew he should give a safe answer. Talk about his newfound friends, his place in the army, his chance at a better life. But looking into Kitsuki’s eyes, seeing the genuine concern there, he spoke from the heart.
“For the first time since I lost my mother, I have people who care whether I live or die and see value in me I’m still learning to see in myself.”
“You belong here, Maseo. Never doubt that.”
The words wrapped around Maseo’s heart like a warm embrace.
He wanted to say more, wanted to confess the feelings that grew stronger every day despite his best efforts to suppress them.
But he was a half-blood bastard, and Kitsuki was a mated king.
Some truths were too dangerous to speak aloud.
“If I must face my father alone, at least I will do so knowing that I have something worth fighting for.”
Kitsuki’s eyes burned with an inner fire. “You will return. I will accept no other outcome.”
The fierce possessiveness in those words made Maseo’s pulse quicken. For a moment, the careful distance between king and subject dissolved, leaving only two people who cared about each other’s welfare.
But what could Maseo say? That he was falling in love with a man he could never have? That every kindness Kitsuki showed him made the impossible feelings grow stronger? Instead, he settled for saying, “You and your mate have given me a reason to fight.”
Kitsuki’s tone softened. “You have given me something as well.”
“What could I give you?”
“Purpose beyond duty. A reminder of why we wage this war.” Kitsuki’s gaze never left Maseo’s face. “You represent everyone we are trying to protect.”
Maseo’s throat tightened with emotion. “I won’t let you down.”
“I know you will not.” Kitsuki’s voice carried absolute conviction. “But Maseo, promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Do not throw your life away in pursuit of vengeance. Your survival matters more than any symbolic victory over Nasume.”
“I promise.” The words came easily because they were true. A few months ago, Maseo might have welcomed a glorious death in battle. But now he wanted to live. “I will do whatever it takes to come home.”
Home . The word slipped out before he could stop it, revealing more than he intended. The palace, the people, the impossible dream of belonging somewhere had become home in a way his father’s fortress never had.
“Good.” Kitsuki’s relief was palpable. “I will hold you to that promise.”
Maseo should have returned to his duties and stopped tormenting himself with impossible dreams. But seeing the genuine care in Kitsuki’s eyes felt like a gift he was reluctant to surrender. But he knew what he needed to leave. “Was there anything else you needed to discuss about the campaign?”
“No.” Kitsuki’s mask of royal composure slipped back into place, but his eyes remained warm. “I wanted to ensure you understood what might be required of you.”
“I do.” Maseo rose from his chair with a bow. “I appreciate your concern more than you know.”
The king’s voice stopped him at the door. “Be careful, Maseo. The realm needs you to survive this war.”
Maseo heard the “ I need you to survive ” beneath those formal words. Whether that was wishful thinking or genuine perception, he couldn’t say. “I promise I will.”
“Remember, when you face your father, you are not the broken boy he tried to destroy. You are a brave man worthy of love, respect, and a place to belong.”
A lump formed in Maseo’s throat as he nodded. “I’ll do my best to make you proud.”
As he made his way back through the palace corridors, Maseo’s mind churned with everything that had been left unsaid. The thought of facing his father alone terrified him, but knowing that Kitsuki cared about the outcome gave him courage.
Whatever role Maseo would play in Kizoshi’s prophecy, he would face it with courage. Even if he could never have everything he wanted, he could protect what mattered most.
And maybe, if he was very lucky and brave, he might live long enough to see what came next.