Page 70 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
Auslin
T he purple light of Auslin’s rift transporting him home from the Divine Realm faded around him, leaving only the bitter taste of failure. He had hoped to return with knowledge from Liros on how to heal Maseo’s necromancy wounds. Instead, he carried nothing but disappointment.
Even his visit with Kizoshi proved to be of little help.
Her assurances that Liros was unavailable but would come back from his travels in time to save Maseo didn’t ease the gnawing guilt in Auslin’s chest. He was supposed to be a healer.
Divine power flowed through his veins, yet he stood helpless while someone he cared about suffered from wounds he couldn’t touch.
Auslin paused outside Maseo’s room, steeling himself to deliver the crushing news. He held his breath as he knocked.
“Come in,” Maseo called out.
The room lay empty, afternoon sunlight streaming through tall windows, but the gentle breeze from the veranda hinted at where to look.
Auslin found Maseo sitting with perfect posture on a cushioned pillow, his back straight despite what Auslin knew must be considerable discomfort.
The gardens spread out below them in a tapestry of color and life, each plant’s aura a bright note in Auslin’s magical perception.
“How did it go?” Maseo asked without turning around. His voice carried a careful neutrality Auslin had learned to recognize as a shield against disappointment.
“Not as well as I’d hoped. Unfortunately, Liros is traveling in an unreachable part of the Living Realm. Kizoshi couldn’t say when he’ll return.”
Maseo’s hands, folded in his lap, betrayed no reaction. “I see.”
“But she promised you’ll survive until he gets back.” The words tumbled out of Auslin in a rush. “Kizoshi is friends with Fate Power Sophina, so if she says you’ll be fine, then you will be okay.”
A small smile tugged at Maseo’s lips. “Isn’t it frustrating to receive hints about the future that can’t be deciphered until after they happen?”
The observation drew a genuine chuckle from Auslin, despite his worry. “You get used to it with her. She means well, but Divine foresight doesn’t always translate into helpful specifics. She also promised you a lifetime of happiness, so I refuse to stop until I make that a reality.”
Maseo smiled. “I’m already happy. Being here with you and Kitsuki brings me happiness beyond my wildest dreams.”
Hearing someone who had suffered such cruelty speak of contentment in small moments was a miracle. “I’m glad you’re with us, too,” Auslin replied. “I hate I can’t do more to help heal your wounds.”
Frustration bled through his words despite his attempts to maintain a steady voice.
Every healer’s instinct within him screamed to ease Maseo’s suffering.
But the dark threads of necromantic energy winding through the half-wolf shifter’s life force recoiled from his magic like a living thing, leaving him feeling powerless in ways that gnawed at his core.
Maseo reached out and took Auslin’s hand, his fingers warm and steady as they intertwined with the mage’s. “The poultices have staved off the worst of it, so we still have time. And you’ve already done so much by giving me a chance and not rejecting me because of Kio.”
The weight of Maseo’s gratitude settled over Auslin like a mantle he wasn’t sure he deserved. “We both need to stop suffering from what Kio did to us. It’s our turn to be happy now, and I’ll do anything to make that happen for you.”
“You already have, by being my friend.”
The word “friend” hung in the air between them, loaded with unspoken complexity.
Auslin’s chest tightened with feelings that ran deeper than friendship but remained uncharted territory in his heart.
The trinity bond thrummed beneath his consciousness, a power that connected him not just to Kitsuki but to the wounded man sitting beside him.
How could Auslin explain that Maseo meant more to him than friendship allowed?
The bond between them was as essential as breathing, as natural as the magic flowing through his veins.
Words seemed inadequate to convey the depth of caring that had taken root in his chest, growing stronger each day despite the terrible circumstances that had brought them together.
Auslin wrapped his arms around Maseo, mindful of the injuries plaguing the half-wolf shifter’s back and ribs. Maseo’s sharp intake of breath made Auslin pull away, but then strong arms encircled him in return, holding him close with a desperation that spoke of long-denied comfort.
The embrace felt like coming home to a place Auslin hadn’t realized he was searching for. Without conscious thought, he nuzzled against Maseo’s neck, drawing solace from the steady pulse beneath his skin and the way the half-wolf shifter’s aura seemed to soothe some restless part of his own magic.
It differed from Kitsuki’s touch. Where his mate’s presence offered fierce protection, Maseo provided a gentle harbor in a storm. The trinity bond sang between them.
Maseo tightened his hold, and Auslin melted into the embrace. He sensed the careful control Maseo maintained, the way he held back some part of himself even in the moment of vulnerability. The knowledge that Maseo was protecting him, even while injured, made Auslin’s heart ache with tenderness.
“I need you to be okay,” Auslin whispered against Maseo’s throat, the confession drawn from somewhere deep within him.
“As long as you’re with me, I’m better than okay,” Maseo murmured.
The conviction in Maseo’s voice made Auslin’s eyes burn with unshed tears. He drew back, needing to see Maseo’s face.
For a moment, the distance between them felt like nothing at all. Auslin’s gaze dropped to Maseo’s lips. The bond urged him forward, whispering promises of completion and wholeness that would come with claiming Maseo as thoroughly as he belonged to Kitsuki.
Auslin’s body responded with embarrassing swiftness, heat pooling low in his belly as desire surged through him, hot and impossible to hide.
The feeling caught him off guard with its strength, as did the bone-deep need to connect, to claim, to complete the trinity that had called to him since the moment he first saw Maseo collapsed in the forest.
Maseo’s nostrils flared as he caught the scent of Auslin’s arousal. The realization of being so easily read sent a flush of heat up Auslin’s neck. The half-wolf shifter’s eyes darkened with an answering hunger that ignited a fire within Auslin.
“I’m sorry.” Auslin pulled back, creating distance between them, even as every instinct urged him to close the gap.
He grappled with how to express feelings he wasn’t ready to voice, especially when Maseo was too injured to act on them.
“You’re special to both Kitsuki and me. More than I can explain right now. ”
The admission felt inadequate, but Maseo’s eyes reflected understanding rather than judgment. “I’m grateful for whatever this is between us. I don’t need explanations.”
The acceptance in his voice only deepened the ache in Auslin’s chest. Here was someone who had been denied love and care for most of his life, yet he offered grace to Auslin’s clumsy attempts at emotional honesty.
“You deserve so much more than what life has given you. I swear I’ll give you the happiest life possible. ”
The words burst forth with fierce conviction, carrying the weight of his growing feelings and his determination to see Maseo whole and at peace. He meant it with every fiber of his being. Whatever it took, however long it required, Auslin would find a way to heal the poison eroding Maseo’s soul.
“As long as I’m with you and Kitsuki, I’m already living my best life,” Maseo said. “You both make me feel like maybe I’m worth something after all.”
His resilience humbled Auslin and strengthened his resolve in equal measure. “You’re worth everything to us.”
“Us?” Maseo repeated.
Auslin touched the protective dragon ring on Maseo’s hand, a gift from Kitsuki to the half-wolf shifter. “Kitsuki cares about you, too. You mean so much more to us than you know.”
“But why?”
“For so many reasons,” Auslin replied, but he couldn’t elaborate without revealing too much.
The afternoon sun painted the gardens below in shades of gold and amber.
The necromantic poison might be beyond Auslin’s current understanding, but he refused to accept defeat.
Liros would return, and when he did, they would find answers.
Until then, Auslin would pour every ounce of his power and will into keeping Maseo alive and as comfortable as possible.
Their trinity bond promised futures neither could quite imagine yet. Auslin drew strength from that promise, from the steady presence of someone who had endured more than anyone should have to bear yet still offered comfort to others.
“It’s interesting,” Maseo said. “I spent so many years believing I was fundamentally broken. There had to be something wrong with me that made my father hate me, Kio use me, and others abuse me. But sitting here with you, I’m starting to think maybe I’m not as damaged as I believed.”
“You were never broken. Hurt, yes. Treated terribly by people who should have protected you, definitely. But at your core, you’re whole and worthy of love. You’re so much stronger than you know.”
Maseo’s composure wavered, revealing glimpses of the young man who had been starved of affection all his life. “I want to believe that.”
“Then let me show you.” Auslin reached up to cup Maseo’s face, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped despite the half-wolf shifter’s attempts at control. “Let me prove to you that you deserve all the happiness in the world.”
Maseo leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment to savor the gentle contact. When he opened them again, they held a fragile hope that made Auslin’s chest tighten with protective tenderness.
As they embraced in the afternoon light, the trinity bond settled more firmly into place.
The connection between them strengthened with each shared moment, each offered comfort, and each glimpse of vulnerability.
When Liros returned and they healed Maseo’s wounds, Auslin suspected they would discover that more than just physical poison had been purged from his system.
The future stretched before them, full of possibility and promise. For now, it was enough to sit together. Everything else could wait until they were ready to explore the depths of what was growing between them.