Page 3 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
He reached out and took Maseo’s hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over the protective ring he had gifted Maseo. The silver magic within it pulsed in response to its creator’s touch.
“We had hoped this would be sufficient protection,” Kitsuki’s dragon continued, his voice heavy with remorse. “It saddens and angers us that Nasume could still harm you. We regret failing you.”
Maseo’s heart hammered against his ribs as he processed the implications of those words. It felt improper to push for details, but he knew he might never get another chance to ask. “Does this have anything to do with my father’s claims you would rather be with me than him?”
Shame radiated from the dragon king as he pulled his hand back, his expression closing off into neutral lines.
“We intended to punish him for ambushing us and anger him enough to make him leave. But we did not realize until it was too late what effect our thoughtless words would have on you. The last thing we wanted was for you to be harmed by his hands.”
Maseo’s mind reeled. He had assumed his father’s claims were nothing more than jealous delusions. “He was telling the truth?”
“For once.” Kitsuki’s dragon’s expression darkened with self-recrimination.
“While we are satisfied with our mate, it was not a lie to say that if our only choice were you or your father, we would choose you. But we should have known better than to express that to someone as vindictive and hateful as he is.”
Maseo had spent countless nights wondering what was wrong with him, why he could never be enough for anyone. To learn that someone as powerful, kind, and handsome as Kitsuki would choose him over his own father was almost too much to process.
Before he could respond, Kitsuki’s dragon retreated, and he summoned plates to serve the meal. He waited for Kitsuki to take the first bite before trying his own, a lifetime of careful protocol ingrained in his bones.
The meat was tender and flavorful, seasoned with herbs that made Maseo’s mouth water.
“I’ve been to the finest taverns, but none have rabbit this tasty.
” Best of all, his stomach didn’t rebel against the food the way it had for days.
Auslin’s healing had been so thorough that even the lingering effects of the poison were gone.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re as amazing at cooking as you are at everything else. ”
The compliment drew a soft chuckle from Kitsuki. Maseo experienced a rare glow of pride at being able to coax the sound from the stoic ruler.
They ate in comfortable silence as the silver dragon fire provided warmth and light, creating a pocket of safety in the vast wilderness. Maseo used the quiet time to gather his courage for something he needed to say.
Once they finished eating and Kitsuki made their plates vanish with casual magic, Maseo took a deep breath and forced himself to meet the monarch’s gaze. “I’m sorry I broke my promise to you by taking off your ring, but I knew it was the only way I could escape Norello alive.”
Kitsuki’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “Explain.”
“I doubt it’ll come as much of a surprise to learn that my father’s anger manifests in physical abuse.
” Maseo tried to keep his voice steady, but he couldn’t quite suppress the flinch that accompanied the words.
“When Kio attacked me earlier, he recognized your magic. I knew my father would as well, which I feared could have had deadly consequences.”
Silver flashed in Kitsuki’s eyes again as his dragon responded to the mention of violence against someone under his protection. “But he could not harm you because of my magic.”
“No, but his Divine weapon could have shattered the protective barrier.”
The temperature dropped several degrees as Kitsuki’s expression turned deadly cold. “How does your father have a Divine weapon?”
“My grandfather defeated an Inciter during the Necromancer War and took her sword as a war trophy. It’s one of my father’s most prized possessions at the castle.
” Maseo’s voice grew quieter as he continued.
“Thankfully, despite countless threats of using it on me, he never has. But I knew if he sensed your magic protecting me, it would be the first thing he’d grab to attack me. ”
“If that is the case, how did you escape without him using it on you?”
Maseo’s hands clenched into fists in his lap as the memories threatened to overwhelm him.
“After poisoning and beating me, he turned me over to his men to have their way with me. Knowing him, he would think that death by a Divine weapon would be too swift and painless when he wanted me to suffer at the hands of his cronies.”
Kitsuki’s careful control snapped. Silver light blazed in his eyes as his dragon surged to the surface. “We will kill them all for this injustice.”
The intensity of his declaration should have frightened Maseo, but it sent a thrill of vindication through him. Someone cared enough to be angry on his behalf. Someone believed his suffering mattered enough to warrant vengeance.
“Thankfully, while they argued about who would take me first, I put the ring back on, which kept me safe from their nefarious intentions,” Maseo continued, drawing strength from Kitsuki’s protective fury.
“At least we offered you that protection,” Kitsuki’s dragon rumbled, the sound vibrating through Maseo’s bones in a way that made him shiver. “But their desire to harm you is still unforgivable.”
“The important thing is I’m far away from them now.” Maseo’s gaze drifted to where Auslin slept, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. “And thanks to Auslin, I’m okay now.”
Kitsuki bowed his head as his dragon receded, leaving behind the beautiful blue of his eyes.
“Although I have no right to ask for forgiveness after my thoughtlessness put you in harm’s way, I vow to do everything in my power to atone for the harm I have caused you.
I am sincerely sorry for the harm my thoughtlessness caused you. ”
Maseo could only stare in stunned disbelief. A man as proud and powerful as Kitsuki was humbling himself before a half-breed bastard with no real standing or worth. It defied everything life had taught Maseo about his place in the world.
“Thank you, but no apologies are necessary,” he said, desperate to spare Kitsuki any further guilt. “You being willing to speak to me without hatred is more than enough. Anything more would be greedy.”
A troubled expression crossed Kitsuki’s features. “I have never hated you, Maseo.”
“After everything I put Auslin through, how could you not?”
“Because my mate pleads your case at every opportunity he finds.” Kitsuki’s answer stole the breath from Maseo’s lungs. “What you have endured because of my half brother and your awful father is a hell no one should have to endure.”
It was almost too wonderful to believe that Auslin had defended him. After all the pain Maseo had caused him, and after the way Kio had used their relationship to hurt the mage, how could Auslin still speak on his behalf?
“I thought you both hated me,” Maseo said, his voice breaking. “You should hate me. I deserve it and your scorn.”
“You do not.” Kitsuki’s tone was gentle but implacable, cutting through Maseo’s self-recrimination. “Auslin agrees with me.”
The kindness of his words overwhelmed Maseo. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, threatening to spill over despite his efforts to maintain composure. “You’re both too kind. How can you be so forgiving after everything I’ve done?”
“As Auslin has often argued, there is nothing to forgive. All you wanted was to be loved. The only crime is that the two people who should have loved you unconditionally were incapable of it. You did not deserve their abuse.”
The tears came then, sliding down Maseo’s cheeks in silent streams. No one had ever spoken to him with such understanding and compassion. It was almost too much to bear.
Kitsuki’s expression softened as he watched Maseo struggle with his emotions. “I regret I was so lost in my personal pain back then that I did not do more to intervene with Kio on your behalf.”
“You must think I’m pathetic for staying with him for so long,” Maseo said through his tears, hating how weak he sounded.
“Your desire not to be alone in a world that has treated you so cruelly is understandable.” Kitsuki reached out to wipe the tears from the half-wolf shifter’s face.
The touch was so tender, so careful, that it only made him cry harder.
“There is no shame in longing to be loved, Maseo. You deserve to be adored by someone who wishes to cherish you.”
It was an impossible dream when Maseo was damaged goods, a worthless bastard with more emotional scars than anyone could ever want to deal with. Who could ever love him?
“I don’t think that person exists,” he whispered.
“I am confident they do.” Kitsuki’s voice carried such conviction that Maseo almost wanted to believe him. “At least Kio can no longer hurt you.”
Maseo looked up in confusion, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. “What do you mean?”
A hard edge entered Kitsuki’s voice, cold as winter wind. “He is locked away in my dungeon, where he will spend the rest of his long years rotting. I refuse to allow him to hurt you or Auslin anymore.”
Gratitude flooded through Maseo so suddenly that it left him dizzy. For months, he had been looking over his shoulder, waiting for Kio to appear and drag him back into their toxic cycle of manipulation and abuse. To know he could never hurt either of them again was a tremendous relief.
“Does Auslin know?” Maseo asked.
“He is aware. It is only because of Auslin’s kindness that I have spared my worthless half brother’s life. If my dragon had his way, Kio would have been dead many moons ago.”
The admission should have shocked Maseo, but it filled him with a dark satisfaction. Kio had caused so much pain and had taken such pleasure in breaking both him and Auslin. The thought of him trapped and powerless was gratifying.
“Thank you for telling me,” Maseo said. “That’s one less thing I have to fear.”
“We will deal with your father in time.” Kitsuki’s dragon came to the surface once more, silver fire dancing in his eyes. “We refuse to allow him to go unchecked. We will ensure he can never hurt you again.”
Hope bloomed in Maseo’s chest for the first time in longer than he could remember. “How?”
“You are ours to protect.” The words sent a shiver through Maseo that had nothing to do with the cool night air. “We will do whatever it takes to save you from him.”
Ours to protect. Maseo knew it wasn’t a romantic declaration, but the possessive undertone in Kitsuki’s voice made his heart race. To belong to someone, even in such a limited way, was more than he had ever dared hope for. “I don’t deserve it, but thank you.”
Kitsuki’s dragon reached out and tilted Maseo’s chin up, forcing their gazes to meet. The silver eyes that looked at him so warmly that Maseo forgot how to breathe.
“Please stop putting yourself down,” Kitsuki’s dragon requested. “It pains us to hear you speak so poorly of yourself.”
“I’m sorry,” Maseo breathed, lost in the otherworldly beauty of the monarch’s silver eyes.
“Believe good things will happen to you. You deserve it after suffering through so much.”
Maseo wanted to argue all the reasons he was unworthy of happiness or love. But something in Kitsuki’s expression stopped him. For once in his life, he chose hope instead of despair.
“I’ll do my best,” he promised, and meant it.