3. Kitsuki

Chapter 3

Kitsuki

K itsuki felt like time stopped when he heard his old name being shouted out in the present. It was enough to halt his attack as he turned in disbelief to find Vanra standing in the clearing, looking exactly as he had the day he had disappeared. Kitsuki would have thought it was a mirage, but the claiming mark that had lain dormant for over half a millennium roared back to life. He faltered in his shock.

Kio saw the opening and tried to take it, but Kitsuki hit his younger brother with enough force to send him careening into a distant tree. He collapsed unmoving onto the ground with a loud groan.

Using his shifter speed, Kitsuki raced over to Vanra. He gathered him in a tight embrace, missing his other arm for the first time in centuries. Kitsuki buried his nose against the human's neck and inhaled deeply, taking in not just the scent of Vanra and his claiming mark but even the smell of his long-dead father, Tatsuki. "Vanra," Kitsuki whispered, still terrified that somehow his appearance wasn't real. Had Sophina finally returned Vanra to him?

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking, and Roltan was hurt, so I did what I always did, and I never wanted to leave, but—Kitaro, I mean, Kitsuki, I'm so sorry?—"

Kitsuki interrupted his rush of words. "Vanra, you have finally returned to me." He refused to let go of the human for fear that he would disappear again.

He could feel his heart thawing when Vanra hugged him even tighter, while looking up at him with tears in his beautiful violet eyes. "I love you, and I never meant to leave you, and?—"

Kitsuki released Vanra to wipe away a falling tear. "My love, I have waited so long for you to come back to me."

"I never meant to disappear. Kitaro—Kitsuki, how can you ever forgive me for being so stupid?"

Rather than answering, Kitsuki captured Vanra's lips in a hesitant kiss, afraid he might be rejected. But Vanra tugged him closer, filling Kitsuki with a complicated rush of emotions as he familiarized himself with his lost love once more.

Vanra passionately kissed Kitsuki back, pressing as close to him as possible, as if they could merge into one. He whimpered when Kitsuki traced his claiming mark and activated his magic. The echoing thrum in the tentative bond between them was the most reassuring piece of evidence that his Vanra really had returned to his side at long last.

It was perfect and everything that Kitsuki had been dreaming about for centuries as he lost himself in Vanra. However, Kio rudely interrupted them. "What the fuck is going on?"

When Kio came storming over to them, Kitsuki defensively stood between him and Vanra. "Leave, or I will kill you."

"You're making out with my boyfriend, and you're threatening to kill me ?" Kio incredulously demanded as he came closer. "Auslin, what the fuck do you think you're doing? Have you been gone so long you've forgotten which of the two of us you're actually with?"

Vanra touched Kitsuki's back in silent reassurance before replying. "Kio, a lot has happened since I left and?—"

When Kio realized the human wore Kitsuki's claiming mark, the half-shifter exploded in outrage. "Wait, you're this asshole's intended ? Impossible! You belong to me, Auslin."

The exchange made Kitsuki realize his Vanra had been Auslin all along. The revelation left him with so many questions he'd have to wait to have answered.

"I have no remaining feelings for you whatsoever," Auslin insisted. "I love only Kitsuki."

Making incredulous noises, Kio spluttered fragments of words. "You love him? You can't love him! You're mine ."

Kitsuki angrily growled as his hand automatically rested on his hilt in silent threat. "He will never be yours again."

"Auslin, tell him he's wrong!" Kio yelled.

"He's not wrong, Kio," Auslin gently told him. "I'm Kitsuki's fated mate. I love him and will be his bondmate. I no longer love you—if I ever did."

Kitsuki's heart swelled at the sound of Auslin proclaiming his intent to honor the claiming mark and renouncing his feelings for Kio. He longed to steal Auslin away somewhere where they could talk about what had happened, but Kio wasn't about to let them go so easily.

"I'll fucking kill you before I let this asshole mate you," Kio threatened, although he instinctively stepped back when Kitsuki growled at him.

"Touch him and I will dispense with the games and send you to the Beyond Realm," Kitsuki warned as he popped his sword free from the scabbard in a silent threat.

Auslin stopped Kitsuki by putting his hand on his arm. "No one is killing anyone. Both of you stop it."

"There's no way I'm letting you become this asshole's fuck toy," Kio shouted at Auslin as he pointed at his older brother. "You're mine, damn it!"

"No, Maseo is yours," Auslin said. "Why are you so desperate to claim me when it was obvious Maseo was the one you really wanted to be with in the first place?"

Kio laughed with a cruel sneer. "I got rid of that lowlife."

Kitsuki arched an eyebrow when Auslin's temper flared. "Don't call him that!"

Kio looked as puzzled as Kitsuki felt. "Why the fuck do you care what I call him? You hate him."

"I've never hated him. He certainly deserves better than you."

"You're the only one I want!" Kio insisted.

It was Auslin's turn to scoff. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"You'll never be happy with the Ice King," Kio growled. "Come back to me, where you belong. Let's talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about, Kio! You treated me like trash, but I've found happiness. The least you could do is respect it."

"I'm not respecting anything that's got to do with my bastard brother," Kio argued. "You owe me?—"

Kitsuki snarled as his patience waned. "He owes you nothing! He has given you far more than you have ever deserved, you worthless ingrate!"

"That isn't for you to decide!" Kio yelled. "This is between him and me, fucker. It's got nothing to do with you!"

"There's nothing to discuss," Auslin firmly insisted. "I've moved on and found the love of my life in Kitsuki. Nothing you say will take that away from me."

"I refuse to believe that!" Kio exclaimed. "There's no way you love this asshole instead of me!"

Unwilling to stay and listen to Auslin receive more insults, Kitsuki ended the fight. "I have had enough of this. Auslin, we are leaving." He held his hand out to the human.

It soothed Kitsuki's dragon when Auslin took hold of his hand without hesitation. He released his white dragon wings as he pulled Auslin closer to him.

"You don't get to kidnap my boyfriend!" Kio yelled at Kitsuki as he raised his sword once more.

"Be grateful I let you live." Ignoring Kio's display of bravado, Kitsuki flew them away from the situation so they could have their reunion in private without disruption.