Page 65 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
Maseo
A uslin’s warm embrace surrounded Maseo as a balm against wounds deeper than flesh.
For a heartbeat, he stood frozen, unable to believe it was real.
Then his arms moved of their own accord, wrapping around Auslin’s smaller frame and pulling him close.
The pressure against his injured ribs sent fire racing through his torso, but Maseo welcomed the pain.
When Auslin’s grip tightened, Maseo bit back another gasp as agony lanced through his wounds. But he wouldn’t let go. It was everything he had dreamed of while away fighting the war.
The ache in his body faded beneath the overwhelming relief of being alive and held by someone who had become so important to him.
For the first time since his mother had died, Maseo felt like he had come home.
The knowledge that Auslin had feared for his life filled the hollow spaces in Maseo’s chest with something close to hope.
When Auslin pulled back, his cheeks flushed pink. But his expression shifted from relief to concern. “Were you injured beyond your eye?”
Maseo tried to straighten, to hide the way his ribs protested with each breath and the constant ache in his bones that grew stronger each day as the necromancy consumed him. “It’s nothing serious.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Auslin’s hands hovered near Maseo’s shoulders, as if he wanted to touch but was afraid of causing more hurt. “I can see it in your face. What happened?”
The genuine concern in his lavender eyes made Maseo’s defenses crumble. Here was someone who cared enough to notice his pain, who wouldn’t be satisfied with his usual deflections. “My father landed a few strikes on my ribs and back with a Divine sword entwined with necromancy before I killed him.”
Auslin’s face went pale. “Kitsuki only told me about your eye. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have grabbed you.”
“No, I’m glad you did.” The words came out more honestly than Maseo intended, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret them. “It was worth any pain to hold you again.”
Color flooded Auslin’s cheeks, but he didn’t step away. Instead, he gestured toward the sitting area near the fireplace. “Let me heal you. Please.”
Maseo allowed himself to be guided to the plush couch, sinking into the soft cushions with a relief he couldn’t hide.
Auslin settled beside him, close enough that their knees almost touched.
The proximity made Maseo’s pulse quicken despite his injuries, his body responding to Auslin’s nearness with an intensity that should have alarmed him.
“May I take the bandage off your eye?” Auslin requested.
Maseo nodded, not trusting his voice. Auslin’s fingers were gentle as they found the edge of the cloth, but dried blood had sealed the fabric to his skin. When it pulled free, Maseo couldn’t suppress a sharp intake of breath as some of the scabbing came off with it.
Auslin gasped, his scent betraying his distress.
“Is it that bad?” Maseo asked, fighting the urge to reach up and cover the ruined socket. “I haven’t had the courage to look in a mirror. I’m afraid knowing what it looks like will hurt more than it already does.”
Tears gathered in Auslin’s eyes. “I can fix it.”
Before Maseo could protest that some things couldn’t be healed, Auslin’s hand found his. The healer’s aura reached out, seeking connection, and Maseo didn’t resist. Their energies intertwined, and he discovered the missing piece of his soul he hadn’t known was lost.
Peace washed over him. The last time they had merged auras, Maseo had been too close to dying to appreciate the intimacy.
Now, he could feel every nuance of Auslin’s presence within his own spirit.
The auramancer’s emotions flowed through him, soothing places that had ached for so long that he’d forgotten what it felt like not to hurt.
Auslin positioned his hand over Maseo’s face, his healing magic pulsing outward.
Maseo closed his remaining eye and let himself sink into the sensation of being cared for, of being deemed worthy of such tender attention.
Through their link, he could feel Auslin’s fierce determination and refusal to accept defeat.
The necromancy recoiled from the Divine magic, but the tingle of healing never came. Auslin’s breathing grew more labored as he invested more power into the effort. “Why isn’t it responding?”
Maseo covered Auslin’s hand with his own, stopping the healer’s efforts before he could exhaust himself.
The skin-to-skin contact sent sparks through their linked auras, and Maseo had to fight to keep his voice steady.
“The auramancer at the military camp explained that the necromancy destroyed those parts of my aura. She said it’s impossible to rejoin pieces that don’t exist anymore, so there’s nothing left for healing magic to work with. ”
The devastation that engulfed Auslin's aura tightened Maseo's chest with sympathetic pain. It was like watching someone's world crumble. "But I’m the son of the former Healing Power. I should be able to cleanse the corruption and heal what remains."
The weight of Auslin’s self-imposed expectations drove Maseo to act. He reached up and cupped Auslin’s cheek in his palm, his thumb gliding across the sharp line of the healer’s cheekbone. “It’s okay.”
Auslin leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed.
The simple gesture sent Maseo’s heart soaring, even as he tried to maintain a neutral expression.
Through their linked auras, he felt Auslin’s response to the contact, the way it soothed his deep need for comfort and ignited feelings that had no place between them when Auslin had a beloved mate.
“If losing my eye or my life is the price I had to pay to see you again, then it was worth it.”
“But you’ll die if I can’t heal you.” Tears spilled down Auslin’s cheeks, but his aura pulsed with renewed determination. “I swear I’ll help you.”
“You already have.”
Confusion replaced some of the grief in their shared connection. Auslin asked, “What do you mean?”
“The fact that you care about me at all is enough.” Maseo let his thumb trace another gentle path across Auslin’s skin before dropping his hand.
“Of course I care. We’re friends.”
The reminder should have stung, reinforcing the boundaries he needed to maintain and the impossibility of wanting more. But the way Auslin said it and the emotions reflected in their connection suggested that friendship might not be the limit of what existed between them.
Before Maseo could analyze that dangerous thought, Auslin embraced him again, taking care to avoid his injuries.
Auslin pressed his face against Maseo’s neck, his breath warm against sensitive skin, and their auras sang together in perfect harmony.
“I was so scared for you during the war.” Maseo felt the echo of that fear, the sleepless nights, and the constant worry that had eroded Auslin’s peace of mind.
The admission sent heat flooding through Maseo’s veins. He tightened his arms around Auslin, ignoring the protest from his ribs, and reveled in the way their auras intertwined more deeply with each passing moment. “Everything is okay now. My father is dead and never coming back.”
“Even though the war is over,” Auslin said, his voice breaking, “please don’t leave.”
The plea resonated through their linked auras with an intensity that stunned Maseo. The desperate need behind it made his heart swell. “I’ll stay as long as you’ll let me.”
Auslin hugged him tighter, trembling in his arms. “I’m sorry for being selfish, but I don’t want you to leave again.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” Maseo murmured, holding him a little closer.
Auslin nestled deeper into the embrace, fitting against Maseo’s body as if he belonged there.
The contact filled Maseo with feelings he had no right to harbor, especially with their auras still connected and the mage who could sense every emotion flowing through him.
The yearning, the desperate affection, the love he couldn’t speak aloud, all poured through their bond like sunlight through crystal.
But Auslin didn’t shy away from the intensity of what he must be feeling through their connection. Instead, he remained in Maseo’s arms, accepting the emotions without judgment or fear.
Hope was a dangerous thing for Maseo. Life had taught him that good things were temporary, that happiness was always snatched away. The necromancy consuming him was proof of that. But in Auslin’s arms, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe things would be different now.
Auslin shifted, his lips brushing against the column of Maseo’s throat as he spoke. “I missed you so much.” The auramancer’s fingers curled into the fabric of Maseo’s shirt, holding him closer. “I was so scared about you facing off against Nasume.”
“The important thing is I’m here now.” Maseo’s hand found the back of Auslin’s head, fingers threading through silky hair.
“And I’m so glad.” Auslin pulled back to meet Maseo’s gaze, his purple eyes bright with unshed tears and fierce determination. Through their connection, Maseo could feel the absolute sincerity of his words, the way Auslin saw him as something precious and perfect despite his scars.
“Auslin,” he started, unsure of what he wanted to say but needing to fill the charged silence between them. Their linked auras left no secrets between them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…” Maseo trailed off, unable to apologize for the feelings he had for the mage and his mate.
“Neither should I.” Auslin’s hand came up to rest over Maseo’s heart, palm flat against his chest. “But I can’t seem to help myself.”
The confession hung between them, both dangerous and beautiful, made precious by the knowledge that Maseo’s time was running out.
He understood they were walking a line they shouldn’t cross, venturing into territory that could destroy everything.
Yet Auslin’s touch burned through his shirt, and for once in his life, Maseo wanted to be selfish.
“What does this mean?” Maseo asked.
Auslin’s thumb traced a small circle over Maseo’s heart, the gesture tender and possessive at once. “I don’t know. But I don’t want to let you go.”
“Then don’t.” The words escaped before Maseo could stop them, carrying the weight of everything he knew he couldn’t have.
Auslin gave him a wan smile. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Maybe it could be.” Even as he said it, Maseo knew better.
They both did.