48. Kitaro

Chapter 48

Kitaro

K itaro's world slowed in his numb disbelief. Why had his father not declined Nasume's absurd attempt at a proposal? Their alliance with the kingdom of Kunushi was not so weak that they would have to reinforce it with an unwanted mating bond. The wolf shifter's audacity was outrageous.

Nasume looked so smug over his coup. Kitaro could barely suppress his rage. It took all his self-control not to storm out.

Kizoshi leaned closer with a playful gleam in her amethyst eyes. "You never know. Perhaps Nasume will have an unfortunate drunken accident tonight that ends his cursed life."

"That would be even more disastrous." The prince and heir to the throne of Kunushi dying in their lands would drive a huge rift in the alliance between their kingdoms.

"Counterpoint: we would at least be rid of him for good." Kizoshi's smirk was lethal. "Sacrifices must be made sometimes."

It was true, but Kitaro could not allow himself to be one of them. "I will talk to Father after the banquet. I cannot allow this to happen."

"Yes, I suppose Vanra would rightly have some strenuous objections to your engagement to that fool." She laughed at her brother's confusion. "Do you think me blind, dear brother? Anyone could see that Vanra only has eyes for you."

If that was the case, where was he? Kitaro scanned the crowd, but the human wasn't anywhere in sight. Had he gone to the bathroom?

Kizoshi tilted her head toward the doors. "He went that way while you were lost in shock. Presumably to your room."

Kitaro left with a word of thanks to his sister. He needed to make it clear to Vanra that he had no intention of ever becoming bondmates with Nasume. Death would be a preferable option before it came to that.

Fixated on his goal, it caught him off guard when he got pulled into a room. "Unhand me," Kitaro snarled, yanking his wrist free. He couldn't afford to attack the insolent wolf shifter, even if it would make him and his dragon feel better.

Nasume pinned Kitaro against the wall. "I thought my intended wanted a moment alone with me," Nasume purred as he pressed closer. "How could I deny you?"

Kitaro shoved Nasume. "How many times do I have to tell you I am not interested in a romantic relationship with you?"

Undeterred, Nasume slammed Kitaro back into place. He braced his hands over his shoulder to trap the dragon shifter in place. "There once was a time when you would have welcomed a romantic entanglement with me." He nuzzled against Kitaro's neck before kissing it.

Kitaro pushed Nasume off him again with more force, putting distance between them. "Get it through your head. I have no romantic interest in you now, nor will I ever. Please stop embarrassing both of us with your atrocious behavior."

"I refuse." Nasume embraced Kitaro, then kissed the underside of his chin. "I will never stop until you are mine, Kitaro."

With a growl, Kitaro grabbed Nasume by the neck to force some space between them. He released him in disgust. "I will never be with you. Give up your foolish interest in me."

"Why? Your father did not reject my proposal." Nasume preened with cocky confidence. "You might be mine before the end of the banquet tonight. Why not give yourself over to me now?"

The very idea was repulsive. "Even if it started a war, I would refuse your indecent proposal. How dare you put me in such a position publicly? If you truly cared about me, you never would have done such an outrageous thing."

Nasume was relentless. He heaped further indignity onto Kitaro by grabbing the dragon shifter's ass to pull their bodies closer together.

"I insist you cease and desist at once, or I will not be responsible for what I do." Kitaro pushed the wolf shifter back, then called fire to his hand as a warning.

Nasume crossed his arms with a glare. "What reason do you have to refuse me?"

"I have no interest in you romantically. Being alone would be better than being your bondmate."

Nasume sounded wounded. "Am I really so off-putting to you?"

" Yes ." It was a relief that Nasume finally understood. "I have no need for you. It would be better for us both if you would stop these pathetic attempts at romantic interludes with me."

"You have no need for me?" Nasume's anger flared. "What an insulting thing to say!"

"I have everything I could ever want. I do not require you." Maybe now Nasume would finally understand how serious Kitaro was about the matter.

The wolf shifter narrowed his eyes with a glower. "Is this because of that human?" When Kitaro didn't reply, Nasume's outrage exploded. "Are you seriously refusing me because of a filthy human ?"

"I am refusing you because I have no interest in you," Kitaro coldly told him. He tired of reiterating the point to the obstinate wolf shifter. "I have been telling you this for years, but you refuse to listen. It has nothing to do with Vanra."

"If you think I am giving you up for the sake of some pathetic human, you are deeply mistaken," Nasume warned. "You deserve better than that ridiculous excuse of an existence."

The insult infuriated Kitaro, but he kept his reaction in check. "I understand you are upset, but please refrain from insulting Vanra. I will not tolerate your disrespect."

Nasume sneered. "How serious can you be about him when you have yet to claim him?"

"Regardless, I have made my choice." Kitaro gave a final plea. "If you ever had any true feelings for me, you would drop this ridiculous attempt at a proposal."

"You have got to be kidding me," Nasume irritably growled. "You cannot possibly be serious right now."

"I am entirely serious. For once in your life, please do me the decency to respect my wishes."

"There is no way I will give you up for the sake of a human ," Nasume hissed.

"Then we are done here." Kitaro turned to leave.

Nasume grabbed the dragon shifter by the wrist once more. "Kitaro, please?—"

Kitaro didn't wait to hear the wolf prince's plea. He jerked free of his hold and stormed out of the room without a backward glance .

When he returned to his room, Vanra wasn't there. That meant he was most likely in his second favorite place in the castle.

Kitaro finally found Vanra in the library, with his face buried in his arms folded on a desk. It surprised him that Kisano was nowhere to be seen. He rubbed Vanra's back to comfort him. "Please do not despair, Vanra."

"Why didn't your father say no?" Vanra asked in a mournful voice.

"It was neither the time nor the place to do so." It bothered Kitaro to see the human so upset. The scent of his distress made Kitaro's dragon pace in his cage. "Please understand, I have no intention of accepting Nasume's outrageous proposal."

Vanra straightened and threw his hands in the air. "Why is it always wolf shifters?"

It was a confusing comment. "Do you have a problem with them in your time?"

"You could say that." Misery rolled off the human in waves. "Well, it's not technically his fault that there are issues. My companion is—never mind. It's complicated. Forget I said anything."

Kitaro knelt in front of the human. "Please look at me, Vanra."

Vanra frowned. "You're a prince . You're not supposed to kneel."

"And yet I happily do so for you." Kitaro took one of the human's hands in his to refocus his attention. "I would do anything for you."

"You're not the problem!" It gratified Kitaro to hear Vanra's instant defense of him. "What if your father thinks it's a great idea? What if he forces you to mate with Nasume?"

Kitaro interlaced their fingers and gave the human's hand a squeeze. "Even if my father were to do something so unreasonable, I would sooner be disowned than mate Nasume."

"Really?" There was a note of hope in his voice.

"Nasume continues to persist under the delusion that I am interested in him romantically," Kitaro explained. "I would rather die alone than be mated to him."

"I know that shouldn't make me feel happy, but it does," Vanra sheepishly admitted. "I really hope it doesn't come to that, though."

Kitaro's dragon drove him to kiss the back of Vanra's hand. "As long as I have you, I need nothing else."

Vanra's eyelashes fluttered as he blushed. The scent of his happiness replaced his upset. It was one of Kitaro's favorite smells, next to Vanra's heat. "That's really sweet."

"It is also the truth." Kitaro stroked the human's hand with his thumb. "Please return to the banquet with me. I do not wish Nasume to think he has won a victory over you. "

"It's more suspicious that you're gone than me," Vanra protested. "I will follow in a few minutes. I just want to get my head together first. And if I come back alone, it at least gives the illusion I returned without being prodded."

Kitaro understood the need for Vanra to maintain his dignity under the awful circumstances. He stood up, then bent down to kiss Vanra sweetly on the lips. "Very well. I shall see you soon. Please do not keep me waiting for too long, though."