41. Kitsuki

Chapter 41

Kitsuki

P reparations for the Royal Consort Fatebonding ceremony had kept Kitsuki busy. In a few more days, he would finally be free to claim Auslin as his bondmate. The long wait had been excruciating, but his fated mate was more than worth it.

A knock on his office door interrupted Kitsuki's work. It was a welcome reprieve from his paperwork. "Enter."

To his surprise, Rylan Norkon arrived with a formal bow. "I've returned with news, Your Majesty."

The sudden burst of hope spreading through his heart caught Kitsuki off guard. He gestured for Norkon to sit in one of the chairs across from his desk. "Welcome back, Lieutenant Norkon. Was your mission successful?"

"Indeed, it was." Norkon used his magic to produce the small blue pouch Kitsuki had entrusted to him to deliver the protective ring to Maseo. He passed it across the desk, along with a letter.

Kitsuki opened the pouch, then pulled out a necklace. He recognized it as the beautiful necklace he had seen around Maseo's neck every time they had met. The half-wolf shifter's scent still clung to it, which Kitsuki breathed deeply. His dragon stirred as relief washed over them that their warning hadn't been too late. He put the orb pendant back in the small bag and set it to the side. "Where was he?"

"Finding him was more of a challenge than I expected, but I finally came across him lying low in Fordani. He panicked when he thought I was one of his father's men coming after him. Apparently, his instincts told him Nasume might be hunting him."

" And it's all our fault ," Kitsuki's dragon bemoaned, the guilt still eating away at the shifter king. He berated himself yet again for being foolish enough to endanger Maseo.

Clearing his throat, Kitsuki refocused his attention on Norkon. "I am pleased to hear it. Alsari is a good hiding place for him since it is such a safe kingdom. Nasume would never assume Maseo would have a reason to go there because he has no ties to that kingdom." He hesitated before asking, "How did he react when you delivered the message to him?"

"With suspicion, until he saw your clan's seal on the envelope." Norkon crossed his leg over his thigh. "Maseo was incredibly moved by reading your letter. Your ring seemed to bring him great comfort and joy."

Why did that please Kitsuki? He didn't understand his reactions to the half-wolf shifter. "Did he say anything?"

"He said he was nobody special." Hearing Maseo's reaction physically pained Kitsuki. Why ? "I told him that was—forgive my language—bullshit. You are not in the habit of gifting anything to someone unworthy. That seemed to bring him some comfort."

The real question was why Maseo mattered more to Kitsuki since Auslin's return. His dragon's insistence on protecting Maseo at all costs still confused the shifter monarch. It was only through his supreme self-control that Kitsuki had resisted reading the letter Maseo sent. Something warned him it was best read alone. Norkon saw too much to be witness to something so private.

"Is he planning on staying in Alsari?" Kitsuki asked.

Norkon nodded. "He said he would stay there as long as he could. But if his father's men come to find him, he'll have no choice but to move to Quintox or Galinor. Since they're the kingdoms farthest south to Kunushi, it will hopefully provide him a sanctuary should Alsari no longer be safe."

Kitsuki had a powerful urge to offer Maseo protection in Tiora, but he knew without a doubt that when Nasume found out, he'd bring an army to the castle gates. The best way for Kitsuki to help was to keep his distance. But doing so left his dragon unsettled. Why did it rage at being denied the ability to keep Maseo as close as possible?

"Is there anything else I need to be apprised of?"

"While I searched for him, I heard disturbing rumors about what's going on in Kunushi. Nasume is preparing for war. There is a strong possibility he intends to invade Valzerna."

Kitsuki gave a humorless laugh. "Then the man is an even bigger fool than I thought. Our allies in Balsimi and Zinnia would stop him well before he reached our shores." If Nasume believed Kitsuki would allow such an egregious challenge to his power, he would enjoy making the wolf shifter regret his hubris. "I will send my army to crush his before I let that happen."

"It sounds as if it may come to that. Things are seriously grim in Kunushi, Your Majesty. The people have been taxed into poverty, he has dismantled their education system, and the murder rate is alarmingly high. There might not be a Kunushi left if we do not act soon."

It wasn't the news Kitsuki wanted to hear. He sighed in frustration. "I will speak to my sister about this. If anyone will know about an impending war, it would be her."

"Would you like me to have her summoned?" Norkon offered.

Kitsuki shook his head. "No, I will speak to her later. I have a few things to take care of first."

"I am happy to serve Your Majesty in any capacity I can help," Norkon offered.

Given Norkon's success, Kitsuki wasn't opposed to using him in the future if the need arose. "As promised, you will receive a sizable bonus for finding Maseo. General Jaega will make the arrangements."

"It was my honor to do your bidding, Your Majesty." Norkon got up with a formal bow. "Should the need arise, I would be happy to assist you again."

"I will keep it in mind. Thank you for your service."

Norkon bowed again before exiting.

Kitsuki waited several minutes before he caved to his curiosity. He opened Maseo's letter. The opening thanking him for the warning was unfailingly polite, much like Maseo always was whenever Kitsuki had encountered him. But it was his confessions that caused the shifter king to react.

Why did it make Kitsuki happy to hear Maseo's heart was full of gratitude, love, and admiration because of the protection offered to him? The mention of love should have made Kitsuki uncomfortable, but his dragon was practically purring over it and bringing joy to Maseo.

Kitsuki continued reading.

Thank you for giving me the grace of seeing me as something more than Nasume's bastard son and Kio's disgusting indiscretion. I selfishly wish I knew what I was to you, but it is enough for now to know you care about me at all.

The galling thing was Kitsuki cared for Maseo—and cared so much he didn't understand his own reaction. Why did his dragon keep reacting to Maseo? It left Kitsuki unsettled because it ran a lot deeper than the guilt over him being careless with his taunts to Nasume. His dragon derived too much pleasure from knowing Maseo now wore his protective ring.

The next part of Maseo's letter surprised Kitsuki.

As proof that Lieutenant Norkon found the real me, I am entrusting you with the sole relic I have left of my dear mother. Her wish pendant is the only thing I treasure more than the ring you gave me. I would not trust it with anyone but you. Please take good care of it until our paths cross again.

Now that Kitsuki knew the origins of Maseo's necklace, he couldn't believe the half-wolf shifter had parted with it. It imbued Kitsuki with a sense of duty to protect the necklace until he could reunite with Maseo. He had no idea when that would be, but his dragon's eagerness to be near Maseo again troubled Kitsuki.

He took the necklace out of the pouch to study it more closely. In all their run-ins, Kitsuki had never noticed the orb contained a trace amount of the Wish Power's magic. The soft indigo glow pulsated between blue and purple when Kitsuki held the pendant in his palm. He had heard of wishing trinkets before, but he had never come across one that had harnessed actual Divine magic of Mireya.

Although Kitsuki was not prone to making wishes, he couldn't resist the urge. Please let Maseo return to me safely . The orb's magic pulsated as it accepted his plea.

What he was unprepared for was hearing Maseo's voice resonate within his soul in response. " I wish I could have a place in King Kitsuki's and Auslin's lives. If you can only grant one wish for the rest of my life, let it be that one, Mother. It's the only chance I'll ever have of finding happiness. "

The only thing more shocking than Maseo's wish was how Kitsuki's dragon reacted. He absorbed the wish, which resonated through his body with every beat of Kitsuki's heart. Its power was inescapable, as was his dragon's nearly feral response to it, possessively echoing in the depths of Kitsuki's soul, " Ours! He's ours. Make him ours! "

It was all too much for Kitsuki to process. Why would Maseo wish to be with Kitsuki and Auslin to find happiness?

" There is a reason our sister insists one is never enough for an Ariake ," Kitsuki's dragon reminded him.

Kitsuki vehemently refused. He would never betray Auslin by desiring another.

His dragon continued persuading him to change his mind. " It's not a betrayal when Auslin wants him, too ."

Kitsuki was so lost in his internal struggle he almost missed the knock on his door. Auslin appeared with a warm smile, which faltered when he saw Kitsuki. "Oh, no. What's wrong?"

The dragon king cursed not being able to hide Maseo's necklace before his intended had entered. It was fortunate Kitsuki had enough paperwork on his desk that the half-shifter's letter blended into the piles. He would never lie to Auslin, but he wasn't ready to share the contents of Maseo's letter yet.

Kitsuki gestured with his empty hand for Auslin to take a seat where Norkon had just been. "I have received news." He toyed with the orb pendant under the desk. "The scout I sent to warn Maseo reported back his findings. In his search, he's discovered Nasume might be plotting something nefarious."

"Against you or in general?"

"Rumors imply Nasume may intend to start a war."

Auslin blanched at the information. "What did Kizoshi say?"

Kitsuki shook his head. "I have not yet spoken with her about it. I only found out right before you entered."

"What about Maseo? Was the scout able to find him?"

"He was successful. Maseo is well hidden from his father for now." Kitsuki hesitated before bringing his hand up to show Auslin the necklace. "He said Maseo is entrusting this to me as proof he delivered his warning to the right person."

Auslin reached out to touch the dangling pendant. "Entrusting?"

"It is the only thing he has left of his mother. He wants me to keep it safe until we meet again."

Tears welled up in Auslin's lilac eyes. "I can't believe he parted with it." He wiped away his tears before they fell. "What an amazing sign of his trust that you'll protect it for him."

"I will keep it in my private cabinet until then."

"No!" Auslin's vehemence caught Kitsuki by surprise. "No, you can't."

He looked at Auslin with confusion. "Why do you object? You know they are enchanted with magic, so only I can access them. No one in the castle would ever dare go near it. The pendant will be safest there."

"You have to wear it."

Kitsuki blinked in surprise. "You…you want me to wear his necklace?" The nod he received puzzled him further. "Why?"

"Kizoshi told me to trust my gut about Maseo, and it's telling me you must wear it." The certainty in Auslin's voice chilled Kitsuki. "It's too important not to."

"You realize there is an enormous risk if I do so, right?" Kitsuki wasn't sure Auslin had considered the consequences. "If Kio or Nasume see me wearing it, their reactions could have lethal consequences for Maseo because of his association with me."

"It won't."

Kitsuki couldn't share in Auslin's certainty. "If I wear it, I might as well announce to the world I intend to claim both of you as my mates. It sends the wrong impression, Auslin."

"He entrusted it to you, which means only you can protect it. I might not know why, but everything in me is saying you have to wear it."

Kitsuki's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you not bothered that my wearing it would essentially be an announcement to all that I have a special interest in him?"

"Only two people would know it was related to him. And maybe they need to see it, so they understand they can't hurt him anymore since he's under your protection." Auslin shrugged. "Besides, you do have a special interest in him. We both do."

Kitsuki sat up a little straighter in his chair. "Meaning?"

"There's obviously some reason why we have all connected through Kio. Rightly or wrongly, Maseo is someone who matters to us. My gut is telling me you're meant to protect Maseo, and I'm supposed to help somehow."

" Yes, listen to our intended ," Kitsuki's dragon insisted in his mind. " He understands only we can keep Maseo safe. We protect what is ours ."

" Maseo is a threat to everything I hold dear ," Kitsuki argued. " He would ruin my relationship with Auslin. I refuse to let that happen ."

" Coward ," his dragon hissed at him. " Maseo would not make us choose between him and Auslin. He wants to be with us and our intended. It is the way of the Ariake clan. You are running from your birthright. He was born for us, the same as Auslin ."

"What's wrong?" Auslin asked in concern.

Kitsuki's dragon surged to the surface. "We agree with you. He does not."

"Why?"

"Because he fears Maseo will ruin our relationship." The dragon put on the half-wolf shifter's necklace. "We know he is wrong, and we suspect you agree."

"Absolutely! Maseo is not a threat to us," Auslin insisted.

The dragon toyed with the pendant using his claws. "Maseo's wish is for us both. That is why he is ours ."

Auslin tilted his head as he regarded the dragon in control. "Do you mean he's yours and mine?"

Kitsuki's dragon nodded. "It is why we must protect him, Auslin. He will not survive without our help."

"Then we'll have to do everything we can to keep him safe," Auslin said with resolve. "And it starts with Kitsuki not taking off that necklace."

"Agreed." The dragon retreated, leaving behind an irritated Kitsuki. "Must you support my dragon's rebellion? He's incorrigible enough as it is."

"I will when he's right." Auslin came over to give Kitsuki a chaste kiss, then rested his hand over the pendant resting on the dragon shifter's chest. "You have always been a protector, Kitsuki. We both know you would blame yourself for failing Maseo if something happened to him. When our two greatest enemies hate Maseo, it's natural we want to keep him safe from them. That's why we're in this together."

Kitsuki pulled Auslin into a hug. "Forgive me. You have been my world since we first met. It is why the thought of letting Maseo close troubles me so. My dragon's conviction about being Maseo's protector is so frightening."

"Caring about Maseo does not mean you love me any less," Auslin reassured him, stroking his hair. "It's a testament to how wonderful you are that your heart has room to care about taking care of us both. That's why I'm not worried. Your dragon is right. Maseo is ours to protect, and I'll be fighting for him with you. We'll save him, Kitsuki. Then you can return his mother's necklace, and all will be well in the world once more."

Kitsuki held Auslin closer, hiding his face against his intended's chest. His embrace, combined with the warm glow of Maseo's pendant, reassured Kitsuki. No matter what, he would protect what was his, even if he never expected Maseo to belong to him in any capacity. But if Auslin was willing to defend Maseo, then Kitsuki would fight at his side to save the half-wolf shifter.