68. Maseo

Chapter 68

Maseo

I t had taken Maseo longer to reach Barlatan than he expected. He wished he could shift into a wolf to make better time. The important thing was he was there and could start his search for Auslin and Kitsuki. To do that, he had to find Yaro or Tiah first.

He walked along the streets lined with shops, where he had spotted the married couple in the past. It was silly to believe he'd stumble upon one of them without effort, but he wished fate would be kind enough to make that possible.

Dog shifters were friendlier than most, but Maseo still felt awkward walking up to them and starting a conversation. He waited until an older gentleman smiled at him as he neared. "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you," Maseo hesitantly said, fully expecting to get blown off by the man.

He stopped and thankfully didn't seem annoyed by the interruption. "It's no trouble at all."

"I'm looking for Yaro or Tiah. Do you know where to find one of them?"

"You're in luck. Yaro should still be hanging out where I just left." The man turned and pointed down the street. "Go down there, hang a left, walk two blocks, and you'll see the sign for Iwo's Tavern. You can't miss it. It's the best food and ale in the entire city."

Maseo could hardly believe his good fortune. It seemed fate wanted him to find Yaro quickly, after all. "Thanks." He set out in that direction with a mixture of relief and anxiety. Yaro only knew him as the person Kio cheated on Auslin with, so he probably was in for a harsh reception. Then again, Yaro seemed to flirt with any man he met, so maybe Maseo would be okay.

Iwo's Tavern was right where the man said it would be. Maseo took a deep breath before he entered. The space was dark and intimate, with a warm glow that set Maseo at ease despite his nerves.

A barmaid walked up to Maseo. She had a sweet face and didn't seem the least bit surprised to see a half-wolf shifter in a city that was full of dog shifters. "Welcome to Iwo's! I'm Kinga. Would you prefer to sit at the bar or at a table?"

"I'm actually looking for someone. A guy named Yaro."

Her expression turned sympathetic. "Here's a piece of friendly advice. Stay away from him unless you want to face the wrath of his wife. He's all talk, and she'll make your life hell. You won't get what you want from him."

"I appreciate that, but I'm only here to ask him about a mutual friend's whereabouts. Trust me, I know Tiah isn't someone I want to mess with." Maseo had witnessed enough of their antics to know he wanted to stay as far away from her possessive streak as he could.

Kinga laughed. "Okay, then I'll quit worrying about Yaro leading you on and breaking your heart. Come on, I'll take you to him." She gestured for him to follow, so he fell into step beside her. They walked through the tavern, heading to the back, where Yaro sat alone at a table.

He perked up when he saw them coming over to him. "Oh, aren't you sweet, Kinga? You brought me a new playmate."

She wagged her finger at him. "Behave yourself, Yaro. The last thing I need is Tiah tearing up the tavern because she's trying to get revenge on you for hitting on this nice man."

He held up his hands in surrender. "I promise I'll be a perfect gentleman."

"You better." Kinga squeezed Maseo's shoulder. "If you need anything or he gets carried away, let me know. I'll take care of him for you. Do you want me to bring you an ale?"

"Thank you." Maseo was touched by her show of solidarity. "An ale would be great."

Once she walked away, Yaro gestured at the seat across from him. "Welcome, Maseo." He kicked the chair out in invitation. "Join me."

Maseo sat down, bracing himself for some kind of fallout. "You don't seem unhappy to see me."

"How could I ever be unhappy to see a handsome man like you sitting across from me?" Yaro gave him a flirty wink.

Maseo could only blink in surprise. He hadn't expected such a warm reception. "You also don't seem surprised I'm here."

"That's because I'm not." Yaro took a sip of his ale, never taking his eyes off Maseo. "Auslin told me you might be coming."

Maseo's jaw dropped in shock. "He did ?"

"He asked us to keep an eye out for you." Yaro leaned forward with interest. "It was quite interesting, given your history with him."

Maseo's cheek burned with shame at the reminder of his awful past with Kio that had hurt Auslin so much.

"He and his new mate seemed deeply concerned about your welfare." Yaro could have knocked Maseo over with a feather in his shock. "Auslin worried something bad might have happened to you."

"Did he say why?" Maseo asked, still having trouble wrapping his mind around Auslin being worried about him.

"No, but he asked me to tell you he and his mate were heading to Sybir in Odatam."

Maseo couldn't figure out why Auslin would do such a strange thing. "How long ago was this?"

"A few days ago. You just missed him."

The news disappointed Maseo. But if Auslin and Kitsuki stayed in Sybir for a couple of days, Maseo might catch up with them. Then, he could protect them by sharing his father's nefarious plans.

"I got the distinct impression he wanted you to follow them there." Yaro studied Maseo with curiosity. "Auslin said he'd feel better if he could meet you and see for himself you're okay. My question is, how did he go from crying because you were around to being so concerned about you being safe?"

Before Maseo could answer, Kinga returned with an ale. She set it in front of him. "Is he giving you any trouble?"

"Hey, I'm on my best behavior, thank you very much," Yaro protested.

"Your best behavior doesn't mean shit with someone as badly behaved as you," she shot back. Their interaction reminded Maseo of how Tiah was with Yaro.

"Wow, it's almost like you know me or something," Yaro said sarcastically before they both laughed. "Relax, Kinga. I know he's off-limits. Auslin cares about him too much."

Kinga perked up at the mention of the mage. "Aww, you're friends with Auslin? Isn't he the sweetest?"

"He's the best." Maseo meant it with all his heart.

"I'm so sad I didn't get to see him when he visited the other day," she said with a pout. "I'd love to meet his new mate. I heard he's gorgeous."

"I would have hit on him if he didn't scare the shit out of me." Yaro laughed before he turned his attention to Maseo. "Have you met his mate yet?"

Maseo rubbed his dragon ring under the table. "I have. King Kitsuki is incredible. There is no one more honorable than him who is worthy of taking care of Auslin."

"He's super serious, but he obviously loves his mate. Lucky bastard." Yaro sighed. "Some guys have all the good fortune."

Another table waved Kinga down. She left with a last warning look at Yaro. "Behave."

Once they were alone again, Yaro picked up their previous conversation. "What changed things between you and Auslin?"

"I don't honestly know." Maseo shrugged before drinking. "I always assumed he hated me."

"He definitely doesn't hate you. If he did, he wouldn't have told us to watch out for you to pass along his message. His mate also thinks you're sexy, so take that for what it's worth."

Maseo could have fallen out of his chair in shock. "How do you know that?"

"Because I said you were sexy as fuck, and he agreed you were handsome," Yaro replied. "Dare I say I even smelled a trace hint of his arousal? That's quite a compliment coming from someone as beautiful as him."

The idea of Kitsuki finding him attractive enough to experience any level of arousal scrambled Maseo's brain. It just couldn't be possible. He focused on Kitsuki's magic, which had never left him since he put on the protective ring. The magic faintly whispered in his soul, " Find ."

That settled it for Maseo. He would head to Sybir to search for Kitsuki and Auslin as soon as he finished his ale.