28. Auslin

Chapter 28

Auslin

W hen Auslin awoke, he noticed a hard length pressed against his ass. He reflexively moved against it. The lightest touch of claws ghosting over his skin aroused Auslin in his not-yet-fully awake haze. He moaned as the touch drifted even lower on his hip.

Still in the fog of dreams, it took some moments before Auslin remembered he was in a time where no one would be interested in doing those kinds of things with him. He made a confused noise and tried to look over his shoulder.

"You have awoken." Kitaro's deep, sensuous rumble made Auslin's heartbeat quicken.

"Kitaro?" Auslin wasn't awake enough to understand how it was possible that he was lying in Kitaro's embrace with the shifter's sizable erection pressed against him .

He nuzzled against Auslin. "We love the sound of our name on your lips."

Nothing was making sense. "We?"

"Ah," Kitaro's dragon confirmed before repeating with emphasis, " we ."

Now that he was more awake, Auslin put in more effort. He rolled over to see Kitaro's face. He had not expected molten silver eyes staring back at him, looking like he wanted to devour him. It took a moment for Auslin to realize, "You're Kitaro's dragon?"

"Indeed." He brought one of Auslin's hands to his lips to kiss while intently watching the human.

It made Auslin blush to be on the receiving end of such attention. He had never spent any time around a shifter's beast before, so it was a new experience. "It's nice to meet you."

"I much prefer being with you in this form. It is far easier to communicate with you this way."

Auslin smiled wryly. "It was a one-sided conversation last time when you were a dragon."

"Regrettably, although we could enjoy your heat scent to the fullest of our abilities in that form."

"Is it really that enjoyable?" The phenomenon mystified Auslin.

"More than we can possibly express." Kitaro's dragon placed another lingering kiss on the back of Auslin's hand.

When Auslin averted his eyes, he noticed Kitaro's markings were also glowing brighter with his dragon in control. It was even more beautiful than normal. Auslin was once again filled with an urge to touch them. Kio barely had any markings since he was half-human, so it piqued Auslin's curiosity.

Kitaro's dragon ran his claws against his markings on his chest. "You are curious about these, yes?"

It embarrassed him he had been caught. "I've never seen them up close until Kitaro, but they look different now. I'm curious, but I don't want to be rude."

"You may touch them if you wish."

It was the chance Auslin had been waiting for, but he still hesitated as he asked, "You really don't mind?"

"Not in the least."

"Would Kitaro?" It was important to Auslin that they both agreed.

"We both welcome your touch."

It was too much temptation to resist when he had explicit permission. Shifting positions for better access, Auslin hesitantly started following the markings on the arm closest to him. He could feel the hum of Kitaro's power under his fingertips. The elaborate lines were warmer to the touch than the rest of him.

Auslin grew bolder as he continued tracing up Kitaro's arm to his shoulder before drifting down to his chest over his heart. "They're beautiful," Auslin said in awe. The shimmering silver markings were even more impressive with Kitaro's dragon in control .

It felt like he was in a trance as he followed the path lower, slowly worshipping Kitaro's perfect body in a way he had never been allowed to before. Until he reached Kitaro's hips, where the sheets hung dangerously low, Auslin hadn't realized how far he had explored. It also brought his attention to Kitaro's prominent erection tenting the sheets.

Auslin couldn't believe he was responsible for the reaction. It also was deeply arousing, encouraging his own desire to stir in a way that couldn't be allowed. It was enough to make Auslin stop touching Kitaro because he didn't trust that his own body wouldn't betray him.

"You are free to continue exploring," Kitaro's dragon purred, shifting to let the sheet move even lower. It was sexy that he didn't seem the least bit embarrassed by his arousal.

Auslin struggled to ignore the feelings that tempted him to go down the road of no return. "Thank you for indulging my curiosity."

"Are there other curiosities of yours I might entertain?" Kitaro's dragon asked, making Auslin shudder at the innuendo in his deepened voice.

"No, I've done more than enough." Auslin wasn't sure how Kitaro and his dragon shared mindsets. He worried he had already transgressed farther than he ever would have allowed himself to with just Kitaro.

The dragon gave the human a heated look. "We would deny you nothing. "

The sentiment flustered Auslin. "Surely, there are limits."

"Whatever your heart desires," Kitaro's dragon offered, which only overwhelmed Auslin more. "All you need to do is ask."

It was a dangerous offer and one that Auslin was more tempted by than he should have been. But he knew better than to take advantage of it. "No, I've inconvenienced you enough as is."

"It would be our greatest pleasure," Kitaro's dragon murmured in a tone that made Auslin feel weak, especially when the shifter was still very aroused.

"Oh, I doubt that."

Kitaro's dragon leaned closer. "We would be more than happy to show you."

Auslin's heart raced. He warned himself he was getting himself into trouble he couldn't afford, but the magnetic pull he felt toward the shifter was almost impossible to ignore. "No, really, it's okay." Auslin needed him to stop tempting him because there was a part of him that would be all too happy to give in to such a promising offer.

"Perhaps we could change your mind." Kitaro's dragon tilted Auslin's chin, moving closer to kiss him.

The dragon was interrupted by Kitaro forcibly taking back control, his eyes becoming blue once more. Only the faintest traces of silver remained on the edges. He moved to put distance between them. " My apologies, Vanra," he said in a voice that was still rough in a way that affected Auslin on a primitive level. "It was not my intention for this to happen."

Kitaro looked genuinely distressed, so Auslin hurried to reassure him. "Nothing happened, so there's nothing to apologize for."

"You are far too kind." He furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. "My dragon never should have put you in such a compromising situation."

"I promise I didn't mind. I've never met someone's beast, so it was fascinating." Auslin bit his lower lip as he looked down at the bed. "I'm sorry if I was too forward. He's surprisingly hard to resist."

"He was being inappropriate."

Auslin's cheeks grew heated. "I found him quite charming, actually."

Kitaro's expression was contrite. "I deeply regret that he put you in such an uncomfortable position."

"No, I'm the one who should apologize," Auslin said. "I never should have touched you the way I did. I've been curious, but it was still inappropriate for me to do so without your permission."

"It was not unwelcome. My only objection was my dragon was in control when it happened. You merely needed to ask, and I would have allowed it."

"Yeah, but it's too embarrassing!" Auslin pouted. "How am I supposed to ask you, ‘Hey, do you mind if I randomly touch you to satisfy my curiosity?' I'd die of embarrassment. "

Kitaro chuckled. "That would have worked. I am surprised you have such little familiarity with shifter markings, though."

"Since my companion is only half-shifter, he barely had any. And when I'm healing a shifter who is a stranger, that's not the time and place to do something so personal," Auslin explained. "I didn't know that they changed when your dragon was in control."

The shifter held out his arm to Auslin in silent permission to compare the differences now that his dragon had retreated. "They change unless you are like my father, who is always one with his dragon. His markings are always in an activated state as a result."

Unable to resist what was being offered, Auslin once again explored Kitaro's markings, finding them no less fascinating than before. "They're beautiful," Auslin bashfully complimented him. "Just like the rest of you. It's not fair that you're so perfect."

"I believe I just proved that I am less than perfect."

Auslin's gaze flickered down to where the sheets were still pitched. He flushed as he remembered the feeling of Kitaro's sizable erection pressed against his ass. "No, literally every part of you is perfect. Us mere mortals can't compete."

Kitaro frowned. "If I was perfect, you would not have met my dragon today."

"But I'm glad I did," Auslin said. "I hope it's not the last time."

"I am confident it will not be, but I would prefer it under different circumstances." Kitaro changed to a safer topic. "Perhaps we should get ready for lunch?"

Understanding that Kitaro was eager to move on from the embarrassing situation, Auslin agreed. "Okay, I'll go get ready in the bathroom."

While he was in there, he jerked off to the memory of what had just happened. It didn't take long before he came all over his hand with a muffled moan. Hopefully, it would allow him to get through the rest of the day without any embarrassing hard-ons.