Page 82 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
Kitsuki
E ach line of the letters to the family of warriors who didn’t come home from Kunushi demanded Kitsuki’s attention despite the late hour.
The study’s candles flickered in their sconces, casting dancing shadows across the mahogany desk where he had been working for many long hours.
His dragon stirred within him, uneasy about Auslin being in the Divine Realm.
He could only hope Auslin would return with the knowledge to heal Maseo.
The study doors burst open without ceremony. Tyrian strode in, his usually composed demeanor fractured by urgency. Sweat beaded on his brow despite the cool evening air, and his breathing suggested he had been running.
“Your Majesty,” Tyrian said, executing a swift bow before straightening with military precision. “We have a situation that requires your immediate attention.”
Kitsuki set down his quill, giving his cousin his full focus. The formality in Tyrian’s address warned him it was a serious disturbance. “What happened?”
“Kio has escaped from the dungeon.” The words sent ripples of alarm through Kitsuki’s consciousness. Tyrian continued, “He killed a guard during the evening meal delivery and took his keys, along with his weapons.”
Kitsuki gripped the edge of the desk with enough force to make the wood creak. “How long has he been free?”
“We discovered the body perhaps twenty minutes ago. He could be anywhere in the castle.” Tyrian’s jaw tightened. “I have every available guard searching, but Kio knows its layout well from his years growing up here.”
Kitsuki rose from his chair, his movements deliberate and controlled despite the fury building within him. The thought of Kio loose in his castle, stalking through corridors in search of Auslin or Maseo, ignited a desire to put an end to the mongrel’s life once and for all.
“Double the guard patrols, especially around the family wing,” Kitsuki commanded.
“Search every room, corridor, and shadow where that monster might be hiding. I suspect he will search for Auslin and Maseo rather than trying to escape. Auslin is not back from the Divine Realm yet, and I was informed earlier Maseo visited the barracks, so there is hope they are still safe.”
Tyrian nodded. “Already in motion, Your Majesty. What should we do when we capture him?”
Kitsuki’s answer came without hesitation, born from the protective fury consuming both man and dragon. “Kio is to be killed on sight.” No matter how much Auslin might plead for Kio’s life, Kitsuki refused to show mercy.
“I will relay the orders immediately,” Tyrian declared, bowing before he departed in haste.
Kitsuki was halfway to the family wing when he felt Auslin return from the Divine Realm through their mating bond. Within moments, a torrent of fear, rage, and desperation echoed through their connection that almost drove Kitsuki to his knees.
Auslin was in danger. The emotions bombarding Kitsuki spoke of immediate, life-threatening peril. He had to hurry before it was too late.
The castle corridors blurred past as Kitsuki ran, his enhanced senses guiding him to the source of his mate’s distress. Their mating bond pulled him forward, growing stronger with each step.
The horrifying realization struck Kitsuki. If Auslin had gone to talk to Maseo after his visit with Liros, then Kio must have found them both. The thought of that monster laying hands on either of his mates made his dragon downright murderous.
As he neared the area, a metallic scent hit his nostrils. Fresh blood, in quantities that spoke of serious injury or worse. The smell was so thick he could taste it on his tongue, copper and iron mingling with something else that made his skin crawl with revulsion. Death .
Kitsuki rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks, his mind struggling to process the scene before him.
Auslin sat on the stone floor, cradling Maseo against his chest in a pool of blood that reflected the moonlight streaming through the high windows. Crimson stains soaked their clothes, but more concerning was Maseo’s ashen face and labored breathing, while Auslin held him with desperate tenderness.
The sight triggered a cascade of emotions in Kitsuki. Relief they were alive warred with fury at their injuries, while his dragon’s protective instincts roared for vengeance against whoever had dared to harm what belonged to them.
Kitsuki breathed their names, dropping to his knees beside them. His hands hovered, uncertain where to touch without causing more pain. “What happened? Did Kio do this to you?”
Auslin lifted a bloodstained hand to point at something near the wall.
Kitsuki glanced over and saw a pile of fine, dark ash scattered across the stone floor next to a dagger. Understanding dawned with startling clarity.
“It’s over now,” Auslin said. “I purified Kio, so he can never hurt us again.”
The words carried a weight of finality that settled deep in Kitsuki’s chest. His dragon, which had been thrashing with the urge for violence, stilled as it recognized that justice had been served.
He burned with pride that Auslin had done what was once unthinkable by ridding the realm of Kio to save Maseo.
“I am proud you did the right thing.” He kissed Auslin’s forehead. “Can either of you stand?”
Auslin nodded, pushing himself to his feet with visible effort. But when Maseo attempted to rise, his legs buckled beneath him. The blood loss had left him weak and trembling.
Without hesitation, Kitsuki swept Maseo into his arms, cradling him against his chest with infinite care. The half-wolf shifter was lighter than he should be as he shook with exhaustion and shock.
“Your clothes,” Maseo protested. “My blood will ruin them.”
His concern about something so trivial while injured struck Kitsuki as both heartbreaking and endearing. “Your safety matters infinitely more than any garment. Nothing else is more important than that.”
He carried Maseo through the castle corridors, with Auslin walking beside them on unsteady legs. Neither spoke during the journey, but Kitsuki could feel the weight of unspoken words hanging between them like storm clouds ready to break.
When they reached the royal chambers, Kitsuki headed for the bathroom, where the large stone bath waited, filled with steaming water maintained at the perfect temperature through magical enchantments.
“We need to get you both cleaned up,” he said, his voice gentle but firm. “The blood needs to be washed away so we can see if any injuries remain.”
He gestured with one hand, calling upon his magic to remove their bloodstained clothing. The garments vanished, leaving all three bare in the candlelit chamber.
Maseo’s face flushed at finding himself naked in front of both men. “But I should return to my own chambers. I don’t want to impose.”
“You will do no such thing,” Kitsuki replied, his tone carrying quiet authority. “You belong here with us.”
Kitsuki helped Maseo settle into the warm water on a step to avoid submerging his ribs. Auslin joined them, sinking into the bath with a sigh that echoed his own exhaustion. The shallow cut on his arm from Kio’s dagger had already stopped bleeding, but it still required attention.
The sight of both men in his bath sent possessive satisfaction through Kitsuki’s dragon. Everything was as it should be. His mates were safe under his protection, allowing him to care for them as they deserved.
Auslin’s healing magic flowed over the cut on his own arm first, sealing it within moments. Then he moved closer to Maseo to help remove the bandages from his ribs.
Kitsuki positioned himself behind Maseo, unwinding the stained bandages around his shoulder to examine the recent injury. What he saw sickened him.
The necromancy had claimed significant territory within the fresh wound.
Dark veins of corruption spread outward from the deepest parts, and putrid fluid wept from the blackened edges despite Auslin’s earlier efforts.
The stench of decay mingled with the bath’s steam, making Kitsuki’s dragon recoil in visceral horror.
“This should not be possible,” Kitsuki said in distress. “How did the necromancy establish a stronghold here?”
“Kio skewered me to the wall, then jerked the sword up to make it hurt more. When it connected to the gash on my back, it attacked the new stab wound,” Maseo replied.
“I could heal some of it before it took full control,” Auslin added.
Kitsuki washed the blood from Maseo’s skin, taking great care around the patchwork of healing and decay that told its own awful story. His dragon howled for vengeance, despite knowing Kio no longer existed in the Living Realm.
Auslin worked from the front, moving in tandem with Kitsuki to wash away the evidence of violence. But the gaping sword wound remained a stark reminder of how much territory the necromancy had gained in such a short time.
Kitsuki summoned the remaining supplies from their journey back to Tiora. The medicine the military healer had prepared appeared at the edge of the bath, along with clean bandages.
“We need to apply the poultice to the areas your magic could not reach,” Kitsuki told Auslin. “It can provide pain relief, even if we cannot heal it.”
Auslin tended to the front of Maseo’s chest and ribs, while Kitsuki focused on the devastation on his back. Maseo endured the treatment in stoic silence.
After they wrapped the wounds with bandages, Maseo sank back against the rim of the bath, careful to stay above the water so they didn’t get wet. “Thank you for caring when you have no reason to do so.”
The words pierced Kitsuki’s heart with their simple honesty. Maseo still believed himself unworthy of care and thought their concern was mere charity rather than genuine affection. It reflected the depth of damage his past had inflicted.
Kitsuki reached out to give the top of Maseo’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. His voice was full of quiet conviction. “You are mistaken about having no reason.”