Page 84 of Lord of the Lone Wolf (Bonded Hearts #3)
“You are not an outsider,” Kitsuki said, cupping Maseo’s cheek with tenderness.
“You are the missing piece we did not know we were searching for. Both my dragon and I want you with an intensity that sometimes frightens us. You witnessed my struggle to hold back during your assessment and the war. Experiencing your heat after I had accepted my feelings proved to be a particular challenge.”
“That sounds like a story I need to hear,” Auslin joked.
“Wait, so that wasn’t my imagination playing tricks on me?” Maseo asked in disbelief. “I thought I only saw what I wanted to see.”
Kitsuki chuckled. “No, those were rare moments where my dragon’s unruliness pushed to claim our bond. But I refused to act while Auslin was not present to be part of it.”
Maseo turned to look at Auslin, seeking confirmation of Kitsuki’s words.
The auramancer nodded, taking Maseo’s hand in his.
“I’m pretty sure part of me has been falling for you since the moment we met, because I’ve always felt you were a kindred spirit.
That’s why the thought of having to kill you, even temporarily, is unbearable.
How can I harm someone I’ve come to love? ”
“You love me?” Maseo asked in a small voice.
“We both do,” Kitsuki replied.
Maseo blinked back tears. “This whole time, I’ve been trying so hard not to fall for either of you because I didn’t think it was allowed.”
“Not only is it allowed, but it’s also encouraged,” Auslin told him, which Kitsuki and his dragon were in full agreement.
Maseo wiped his tears away before they could fall. “I didn’t want to repay your kindness by ruining everything.”
Kitsuki stroked his hair, unable to resist the urge any longer.
“You have ruined nothing. It took some time for me to accept my dragon’s feelings, but I do not question them now.
The only reason we have not discussed it with you yet is we agreed not to distract you from what you needed to do during the war.
Your injuries complicated that timeline. ”
The confession seemed to strengthen Maseo’s resolve.
“Sometimes, love requires us to do difficult things for the greater good. If fate wants us to be together, then we’ll find our way back to each other, no matter what obstacles stand in our path.
We can only form a trinity bond if we return, so that must mean we’ll be successful. ”
The simple faith in his words, the unwavering trust he placed in their bond despite having only just learned of it, made Kitsuki fall for Maseo even more. “Did Liros mention anything else?”
“He mentioned I would need Father’s and Maseo’s mother’s final gifts to make this work. He said they would make everything possible.”
Kitsuki’s mind turned to the weapon hidden in his private armory.
“I did not have the chance to discuss it with you yet, but when I encountered Father on the battlefield, he gave me a Beyond sword with strict instructions that only you could touch it. He claimed you would know when to use it, so it seems likely this is what he meant. I will give it to you when we stand before Fate’s Gate.
It is too dangerous to leave such a powerful artifact unprotected until then. ”
“He must also mean my mother’s wish pendant,” Maseo said, his gaze moving to the chain around Kitsuki’s neck.
“Liros wanted you to wear it and not Maseo?” Kitsuki asked.
“If Maseo was supposed to, I’m sure Liros would have told me. While he talked in riddles, most of what he said was direct.”
Kitsuki removed the pendant to place around Auslin’s neck. He felt strange without it after wearing it for so long. “This contains Maseo’s mother’s final wish for her son. Whatever power she bound to this is yours to wield now.”
The enormity of what lay ahead settled over them like a shroud, but there was something almost sacred about transferring artifacts that would either save them all or see them destroyed in the attempt.
“Let’s go to Fate’s Gate tomorrow,” Maseo suggested. “After we defeat my father, we’ll return to the Living Realm to claim our happily ever after.”
Auslin captured Maseo’s lips in a kiss that was both desperate and tender, sealing their promise with the passion that burned between them. When they parted, Auslin promised, “I swear to you, no matter what hell I need to endure, I’ll do anything to save you.”
Kitsuki’s heart swelled with love and pride for both his mates. When Auslin pulled back, Kitsuki claimed Maseo’s mouth with his own in a kiss that spoke of possession, protection, and promises that transcended death itself.
The rightness of it settled deep in his bones, his dragon purring with satisfaction at the taste and feel of their second fated mate. The three of them together, bound by love, fate, and the unbreakable ties that connected their souls, was how things were meant to be.
“And I promise you both,” Kitsuki said as he drew back, his voice carrying the weight of a royal oath, “I will bring you home safely. No matter how long I must wait, no matter what anchoring requires of me, I will be here awaiting you with open arms when you return victorious.”
As they settled together in bed, Maseo cradled between his two mates, Kitsuki allowed himself a moment of peace despite the trials ahead.
Tomorrow would bring pain, separation, and battles that would test them all to their limits.
But they were bound by love and united in purpose, ready to face whatever the Beyond Realm could throw at them.
Because some things were worth dying for. Some people were worth crossing realms to save. And Maseo, with his quiet strength and unwavering courage, with a heart that had endured so much yet remained capable of such profound love, was worth everything they had to give.