66. Kitsuki

Chapter 66

Kitsuki

B y the time they reached their room at Kehnon's castle, Auslin's misery was almost more than Kitsuki could take. He desperately wanted to make the situation better for his mate. It was the only thing that took priority over wanting vengeance on the one who had upset Auslin so much.

Kitsuki waited for Auslin to talk. When the mage could only blankly stare at the floor with unseeing eyes, Kitsuki prompted him, "Start from the beginning."

Auslin's tone was flat as he spoke. "I used to come here with Kio because the town was so accepting of half-shifters since King Kehnon is one. I got to know Eldin during my stays at the temple since we were close in age and had a lot of shared interests."

The mage sighed heavily before he continued. "Once he met Kio, he saw firsthand how toxic my relationship was. His outrage hit a new level when he ran into Kio cheating on me with Maseo. He hated Kio for not being loyal to me."

As much as Kitsuki didn't want to have something in common, he appreciated Eldin wanting better for his friend. "At least in that, Eldin and I agree."

"Because Eldin was one of my closest friends outside my temple, I found reasons to visit more often," Auslin said in a small voice. "When we started staying for longer periods of time, Kio started inviting Maseo to spend time with him while I was with Eldin."

Kitsuki reflexively growled in anger but curbed it when he saw how it made Auslin shrink away. "My apologies."

"After we ran into them on a date, Eldin got into an ugly fight with them. When we got back to the temple, he gave me an impassioned speech about how I deserved better. I wondered if maybe he was talking about himself, but I couldn't believe he'd be interested in me after seeing how I allowed Kio to disrespect me."

Auslin was silent for a long moment before he continued. "There was another night when Kio was with Maseo. I had a few too many drinks to make myself forget about how much that hurt. Eldin sympathetically listened to me vent about everything. I was so upset, but Eldin's kindness made me feel a bit better."

Auslin's wretched feeling twisted in his stomach. "At some point, Eldin kissed me to make me feel better. I didn't stop him because I was so caught up in my emotions. However, when he tried again, I fled back to the inn with Kio."

Kitsuki wiped away the tears from Auslin's eyes before they fell. "You do not have to tell me the rest if it is too painful."

"No, you deserve the truth." Auslin took a deep breath before he continued. "Even though Kio could smell Eldin on me, he didn't say anything about it. And sure enough, the next night, Kio left to go be with Maseo again, which hurt even more than normal. I went back to Eldin because I didn't know what else to do."

When Auslin's upset spiked, Kitsuki rubbed his back in silent comfort.

The touch helped, but Auslin's voice was barely louder than a whisper as he confessed his greatest shame. "Eldin told me Kio didn't love me enough, then kissed me again. I knew it was wrong, but when I thought Kio didn't care, it made it harder to want to stop it. Plus, Eldin was so passionate, whereas Kio was always so perfunctory. In my grief, I let Eldin go further than I ever should have."

Auslin's guilt was intense. "I stopped him from going all the way because I didn't want to get together with Eldin as payback to Kio. I didn't want things between us to be tainted with such ugly emotions. He kept pleading with me to break up with Kio so we could be together, swearing he would do anything to be with me. There was a part of me that desperately wanted to give in because Eldin's feelings for me seemed so genuine, but I still felt too loyal to Kio despite our relationship being so broken."

He hid his face in his hands with a sob before he continued. "I went back to the inn. When Kio smelled Eldin all over me, he demanded to know what I had been doing. I asked if he was afraid I had been doing the same thing he was with Maseo. I told him it would serve him right for me to leave him to be with someone like Eldin, who actually loved me."

It was hard for Kitsuki to hear without wanting to rend Kio into pieces for what he had put Auslin through, but he remained silent as he listened.

"Kio insisted I was his, but I told him it was a lie when he so clearly belonged to Maseo. He reassured me I was the only one who mattered. I was so desperate to believe him. I begged him to take me and have his dragon make me his mate if that was the case, but Kio refused." It had hurt Auslin so much, but he was deeply relieved Kio hadn't permanently bonded them together in misery.

Kitsuki hesitated before he brought up something that had been bothering him since they first met in the past. "Did you ever meet Kio's dragon? Or see him in his dragon form?"

"No, he always insisted he held him back to keep me safe."

"He was lying to you," Kitsuki said as gently as he could. "A half-shifter like him cannot form a mating bond on his own or shift into a dragon. It is why he does not have the same markings on his skin as a full shifter. The only shifter traits he has are fangs and claws, accelerated healing, and a prolonged life."

Auslin's jaw dropped. "That can't be true!"

Kitsuki caressed Auslin's hair. "You know I would not lie to you, dear mate."

"Why didn't you say anything about that in the past?"

"I wondered if perhaps things changed in the future, or maybe he had been a special exception. Without knowing definitively, I did not feel I could authoritatively say anything. And if you will forgive me, I did not wish to make you think of your companion when I wanted you to be mine."

Auslin got up and began pacing. "Why would he lie to me about that? It doesn't make sense!" His anger echoed through their mating bond. "If I was never in danger of him mating me, why did he refuse to have sex with me? He's a terrible person. He should have had no problem going all the way with me. There would have been no consequences for him."

"I cannot explain his logic. It could have been something Sophina stopped him from doing for our sake. Or perhaps he was more in love with Maseo than he led us to believe."

"He's incapable of love." Auslin ruffled his hair with an irritated huff. "Why would he keep me at an arm's length to protect me from a dragon he didn't have?"

Kitsuki got up to embrace Auslin to stop his frantic pacing. "Does it matter now?"

The fight went out of Auslin. "Not really." He wrapped his arms around Kitsuki and snuggled closer to him. "I guess I should just be grateful he lied so I could be with you for my first time."

"That is how I would look at it." Kitsuki kissed the top of Auslin's head. "It is terrible he lied to you, but it is more important that you were free to be mine."

"I should have seen through his lies sooner." Auslin sighed heavily. "But you're right. I should just be grateful and move on."

Kitsuki wanted to hear the rest of the story. "What happened after Kio refused you at the inn?"

Auslin led them back to sit on the bed once again. "Kio was gone when I woke up the next day. I convinced myself I deserved his punishment. I thought Eldin was too good for me and my broken heart. We left when Kio came back a few hours later. I never said goodbye to Eldin, even though I knew that was an awful thing to do. I just couldn't face him after choosing to stay in my toxic relationship with Kio instead of pursuing something better with my friend."

"You did what you had to do." Kitsuki didn't want Auslin to feel any worse about his actions than he already did.

Auslin shrugged. "We returned to Valzerna after that on the night of the Day of Remembrance Festival, which is when I went through Fate's Gate. Eldin became a distant memory I didn't want to think about anymore. But when I saw him today, my old guilt returned. The strength of his feelings overwhelmed me."

"You have no reason to feel badly about Eldin's feelings toward you."

Auslin's tears fell from his beautiful lilac eyes. "You must think I'm awful. I always prided myself on being loyal, but I was drawn to Eldin and you while I was with Kio. How can you ever trust me again?"

Kitsuki wiped away his mate's tears. "It was Kio's abuse and neglect which pushed you to your breaking point. Unlike him, I love you with all that I am and will never give you a reason to feel the urge to seek another."

"But—"

Kitsuki interrupted Auslin with a kiss. "I can feel through our bond your heart is loyal only to me. That is the only thing that matters." To prove his point, Kitsuki brushed against their bond in silent comfort. "I will not make the same mistakes that degenerate did. You have nothing to fear."

Auslin's guilt would not assuage so easily. "It's all my fault, though."

"You are not responsible for Eldin's feelings for you," Kitsuki softly told him. "Even I cannot blame Eldin for falling in love with you. Not when you are all things wonderful in this Realm."

"I feel like I still have to talk to him about this to get closure, but I'm afraid I'm just going to end up in the same position again."

"If Eldin truly loves you, he will understand he must let you go to be happy with your mate," Kitsuki said.

Auslin's tears fell again. "I never should have let him kiss me. I tried to stop him, but…"

"I do not blame you." Kitsuki needed Auslin to understand that. "He used your guilt and grief against you in that moment. I am secure in knowing I am the only one you love."

"I've never loved anyone the way I love you. You're the only person I ever want to be with, Kitsuki." Auslin threw his arms around Kitsuki as he crawled into his lap.

Kitsuki embraced him closer, nuzzling against him. "I feel the same way about you." Kitsuki kissed Auslin, his dragon needing to obliterate Eldin's earlier kiss. He did his utmost to make Auslin feel the love between them by showering his mate with reassuring touches and kisses.

"Please make me yours," Auslin begged. He stripped off his formal jacket, sending a clear signal about what he meant.

Kitsuki was more than happy to oblige. He used magic to rid them of their clothes, then pinned Auslin beneath him on the bed. His dragon rose to the surface, purring with satisfaction as he pleasured Auslin beyond anything Eldin would ever be capable of doing. "You are the one we love with all our heart. On our honor, we will never stray from your side for another."

The words seemed to act as a balm on Auslin's wounded soul. He embraced Kitsuki on all levels as he gave himself over to his mate completely. "I love you," Auslin whispered as he reacted to the pleasure only his mate could give him.

"You are ours," Kitsuki's dragon reassured Auslin, "the same as we are yours."

"Always." Auslin climaxed with a gasp.

Kitsuki's dragon swiped some of his mate's cum on his finger to lick it off. The taste of his ecstasy brought on his orgasm and knot. "Only we may enjoy you this way. You are ours . We love you more than life itself."

"Yours," Auslin whispered as he clung to Kitsuki. "All yours, forever."