Page 5 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
Auslin
A sharp gasp tore through the quiet as consciousness slammed into him.
The last thing Auslin remembered was healing Maseo.
Blinking against the dim light of the makeshift campsite, he scanned the area and found the half-wolf shifter sitting upright on a bedroll in front of the silver dragon fire.
Kitsuki was nowhere in sight, but Auslin could still sense him hunting nearby.
Needing reassurance that he had healed Maseo, Auslin rushed over to crouch beside him. “How do you feel?”
“Better, thanks to you,” Maseo replied with a small smile.
Auslin linked their auras once more. Other than some residual exhaustion, the half-wolf shifter’s extensive injuries had disappeared.
Without thinking, Auslin threw his arms around Maseo in a hug. “After three days of searching for you, I was afraid we were too late. I’m so glad you’re alive.”
Maseo returned the embrace. “Thank you for saving me.”
It was hard for Auslin to let go. When he drew back, he searched Maseo’s jade gaze for answers. “Are you okay?”
“I am now that I’m out of Kunushi.”
Auslin’s expression darkened. “Is Nasume the one who hurt you?” When Maseo nodded, Auslin sighed in frustration. “Every time I think he can’t be any worse, he stoops to a new low.”
Maseo regarded Auslin with curiosity. “What do you know about my asshole father?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Auslin replied with a wan smile. “I’ve been fighting against Nasume for a long, long time.”
The half-wolf shifter’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”
Before Auslin could explain, Kitsuki returned with a few rabbits and ducks in hand. “Good morning,” he greeted them both.
“Let me help,” Auslin offered as he rose.
Kitsuki shook his head. “I will take care of it. Please continue to rest.”
Auslin settled down beside Maseo once more. “If you insist.”
“I do.” Kitsuki sat in front of the fire and began preparing breakfast for them.
“Can I ask why you have the markings of a Power?” Maseo asked, regarding Auslin with curiosity.
Auslin rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish laugh. “A lot has changed since we last met.”
“Clearly.”
“Discovering my Divine heritage was a recent surprise.” Auslin rubbed the royal purple lines on his arm, which entwined with Kitsuki’s silver mating marks.
Maseo looked at him with open admiration. “That makes you even more remarkable.”
“I’m glad the seal on my magic was removed. Otherwise, I would have struggled to heal your injuries yesterday.” Auslin frowned as he looked at Maseo. “You were dangerously close to dying.”
“The important thing is that you healed me in time.”
“I don’t know how you made it to Balsimi with your leg and knee almost shattered.
” The thought of Maseo’s battered state upset Auslin.
He couldn’t understand how any parent could do that to their own child.
“Whatever poison he used on you seemed to burn you from the inside out. I’ve never encountered anything like it before. ”
“If Nasume is working with Ishibiya, then he may be the source of such a nefarious weapon,” Kitsuki commented as he floated the prepared meat over the fire to cook.
Maseo rubbed his stomach with a scowl. “It certainly felt like burning to death from the inside.”
“We must stop Nasume,” Auslin told his mate. “He can’t continue hurting people. If he’s willing to kill his only child, there’s no end to his cruelty.”
Kitsuki’s gaze softened as he looked at Auslin. “We will be victorious. There is no other acceptable outcome.”
“I have no right to ask, but can I fight alongside you?” Maseo requested. “No one wants to take down my asshole father more than I do.”
Kitsuki’s blank expression contrasted with the surprise Auslin felt echoing through their mating bond. “While your desire to stand up to your father is admirable, it would appear as if we were holding the son of our enemy hostage. It sends the wrong message to our allies.”
“What’s the alternative?” Auslin demanded. “Because I’m not okay with leaving him to fend for himself when I know Nasume would send people to finish the job of killing Maseo once he finds out he survived. He’s safer with us.”
“I do not disagree,” Kitsuki said. “But the optics would give our allies reason to reconsider Valzerna’s true intentions in the fight.”
Auslin refused to concede the point. “No, I think bringing Maseo to Tiora would show your benevolence in offering sanctuary to your enemy’s innocent son, who was almost sacrificed by his hateful father.”
“No one would believe me because I’m not injured anymore,” Maseo pointed out.
“They’d be able to tell from our scent that we aren’t lying,” Auslin countered. “That alone should convince people you were banished from your pack and want to fight against your father’s tyranny.”
“While I appreciate the sentiment, Kitsuki is right,” Maseo said. “It’s a terrible idea, especially when I’m sure there are many dragon shifters in Valzerna who would gladly line up to finish what my father started.”
“But what if you stayed in our guest quarters?” Auslin turned his focus to Kitsuki. “Wouldn’t that send the right message to our people? If you welcome Maseo despite your history with Nasume, people will see you’re acting with integrity rather than spite.”
Kitsuki continued trying to reason with his mate. “People would be more inclined to believe that Nasume banished his son from their pack as a ruse so Maseo could enter our home as a spy.”
Maseo scoffed. “Yeah, right. As if I would ever help my father with anything after what he’s done to me.”
“Then give Maseo a responsibility to prove he’s helping our side,” Auslin suggested.
“If people see Maseo making a genuine effort on behalf of Valzerna, they will have a reason to trust him when the war is over. He can live freely instead of in fear of being persecuted by proxy for his father’s crimes. ”
“That does not resolve the complication of Maseo having a valid claim to the Kunushi throne owed by birthright,” Kitsuki argued.
Maseo shook his head. “That won’t be a problem because I was never named as heir to the throne.”
“As his only child, you inherit his throne by default.”
The half-wolf shifter frowned. “I want no part in ruling my pack’s lands. Almost everyone there has treated me with hatred and contempt. Besides, I don’t want to be burdened with those responsibilities. I’m much happier traveling as I please.”
Auslin sensed Kitsuki wavering through their bond. “What if Maseo signed a document renouncing all claims to the lands of Kunushi?”
“I swear, I have no interest in being a king,” Maseo added. “I’ll sign anything you want or make a public declaration. I’m willing to do whatever will put people’s minds at ease.”
“Nasume can’t touch Maseo while he’s under our protection in Valzerna.” Auslin looked at Kitsuki with a puzzled expression. “Why are you fighting this so hard when we’ll both feel better knowing Maseo is safe in our lands?”
Kitsuki’s gaze drifted from Auslin to Maseo and back, but he remained silent.
“I will gladly pledge my life to your service,” Maseo told the dragon shifter monarch. “I’ve trained in my father’s army, so I know how to fight. I’d be proud to wear Valzerna’s uniform and battle alongside your people.”
“There will be shifters in my ranks who may treat you cruelly because they refuse to believe your sincerity,” Kitsuki warned.
Maseo snorted. “How is that any different from the scorn I faced every day at home and on the road for being a halfling?”
Kitsuki ignored the sarcastic remark. “Are you certain about this?”
The half-wolf shifter stood and gave a formal bow to the ruler. “If you will accept me in your ranks, I swear on my life to fight for the glory of Valzerna. I will do everything in my power to ensure we defeat my father and keep Auslin safe. I am yours to command.”
“Very well,” Kitsuki conceded, tilting his head in acknowledgment. “You will travel with us to Tiora. Once we arrive, we will discuss the best course of action with my clan.”
Maseo gave another formal bow. “I appreciate the opportunity you have generously bestowed upon one as unworthy as me.”
“I hope for your sake that Auslin is correct,” Kitsuki said with a concerned frown.
“Kizoshi told me I would find a hidden ally on our way home and to trust my instincts about Maseo,” Auslin insisted. “This is surely what she was talking about. It will bring us a step closer to victory.” Auslin had no doubts protecting Maseo was the right decision.
A fter breakfast, Kitsuki transformed into his enormous dragon form, complete with a saddle to make the journey more comfortable for his passengers.
Maseo stared at the massive white dragon in awe. “ Wow . Talk about impressive.”
Auslin stroked the dragon’s side with a loving smile. “He’s so beautiful.”
Kitsuki fluttered his wings, preening at the praise. He lowered himself closer to the ground to allow the two men to mount him.
Maseo embraced Auslin from behind to hold on. “Is this okay?”
Auslin’s heart skipped a few beats at the warmth of the embrace. He placed his hand over Maseo’s and gave it a squeeze. “Yeah.”
Once he was satisfied that his passengers were settled, Kitsuki took flight.
Maseo yelped and held Auslin tighter. As they soared into the clouds, Maseo glanced around at the Balsimi mountains below. “This is incredible,” Maseo said in an awed tone, still clinging to Auslin. “I’ve never seen the world from this height before.”
“It never gets old,” Auslin replied, settling in for the ride.
They fell silent as Kitsuki flew with steady flaps of his giant wings, interspersed with gliding. Eventually, Maseo asked, “What did you mean when you said you’ve known my father for a long time?”
Auslin hesitated before telling him the truth. “The first time I met Nasume was over six hundred years ago.”
“What?” Maseo exclaimed in shock. “Surely, I misheard over the sound of the wind. Did you say you met my father six centuries ago ?”
The mage chuckled at Maseo’s incredulity. “I did.”
“There’s no trace of a lie in your scent. How is that possible?” Maseo demanded.
“When I disappeared almost two years ago, it was because I went through Fate’s Gate and traveled six hundred years into the past. Back then, I fell in love with Kitsuki when he was a young prince, which led to some unfortunate confrontations with your father.”
“Wait, are you saying you’re Vanra?”
It surprised Auslin to hear Maseo say the birth name he had used in the past. “I am.”
“That’s so fantastical; I’d refuse to believe it was true if anyone else told me such a wild story.” Maseo fell silent for a few moments as he pieced together the situation. “When Vanra disappeared from the past, it was because you returned to the present?”
“If I had my way, I never would have left. But fate had other plans for me.” Auslin scowled, still feeling guilty for the six hundred years of solitude he had inflicted on his mate.
Kitsuki soothed him through their mating bond, easing the worst of his regrets.
Maseo rested his head on Auslin’s shoulder while still holding him. “Unbelievable. I never would have imagined you were the reason I exist.”
The comment confused the mage. “What do you mean?”
“My father didn’t understand Kitsuki’s love for Vanra. He sought a mage to discover the appeal, but his inexperience with humans meant he didn’t realize my mother was fertile.”
The information confused Auslin. “If he was trying to find answers about why Kitsuki was interested in a human mage, why would Nasume choose a woman? Given his singular obsession with Kitsuki, I assumed he had no interest in them.”
“In hindsight, I can see she resembled you in some ways and showed him a kindness he didn’t deserve. To him, that was close enough to finding a Vanra replacement. Her pregnancy became an unwanted complication, and I have regretted every minute of my life since she died.”
“He didn’t…” Auslin struggled to finish his horrifying question. “He didn’t kill her, did he?”
“Shockingly, no. Because she was loyal to him and always forgave him, no matter how awful he was, he let her live. The one kindness granted to me in life was fate allowing her to pass to the Beyond Realm due to old age.”
Auslin’s heart broke for Maseo. “Shouldn’t her lifespan have been extended because of Nasume’s?”
“It would have been if they had mated, but he never touched her again after that. He was too afraid he’d end up with more unwanted bastard children.”
Tears welled in Auslin’s eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
Maseo squeezed Auslin tighter in silent comfort. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
“But you’ve suffered so much because of me.”
“No, I’m alive because of you.” A shiver ran through Auslin when Maseo nuzzled against his neck. “You and your mate have given me my first shred of hope since my mother crossed over to the Beyond Realm. I’m grateful, not bitter.”
“But after your mother and Kio, how do you not resent me or curse my name?”
“Because thanks to you, I finally escaped from Kio.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I realized that someone as patient as you had gotten fed up with his behavior to the point of leaving, I knew he was beyond redemption. I broke things off with him and refused to take him back, despite his futile attempts to change my mind. I’m relieved to know he’s in a place where he can’t come after me anymore. ”
Auslin sighed. “I hate that he’s chained up in the dungeon like an animal, but he’s too dangerous to roam free and threaten our happiness.”
“He deserves to be sent to the Beyond Realm for good.”
“For what it’s worth, Kitsuki agrees with you.”
The dragon rumbled his agreement, prompting Auslin to pat him in acknowledgment.
“But I can’t be okay with it,” Auslin continued.
“The less you think about him, the better off you’ll be.” Maseo chuckled. “That’s true for both of us.”
“It may not feel like it, but good things are on the horizon for you,” Auslin promised Maseo.
The half-wolf shifter scoffed. “Forgive me for not believing you after a lifetime of being shown that the only thing I have to look forward to is more suffering.”
Auslin tightened his grip on Maseo’s arms. “An epic love is waiting for you once this is all over. You’ll see.”