67. Kitaro

Chapter 67

Kitaro

T he return trip home from Satsuma's had been tense and uneventful. Kitaro had been growing increasingly frustrated because ever since Satsuma said Vanra must return to his own time, it felt like there was a wall between them they couldn't overcome.

He had hoped the awkwardness would disappear when Vanra's heat came, but Kitaro's dragon had acted restrained from his passions. They kept their distance, even when Vanra tried to initiate things. It was the only way they knew how to protect themselves from heartache.

It had been a long journey back to Valzerna. But when they arrived in the clearing where they had first met, it felt like no time had passed at all. Kitaro crouched down to allow Vanra to dismount before reverting to his human body .

Vanra looked at Kitaro questioningly, but the dragon prince averted his eyes as he looked toward Fate's Gate. "I thought perhaps you would like to try going home," Kitaro suggested in a measured tone.

"Are you that eager to get rid of me?" Vanra asked in a wounded tone.

"Of course not! But I thought you might?—"

Vanra threw his hands up. "I guess I may as well since you clearly are done with me." He turned on his heel to walk toward the stairs down to Fate's Gate.

Kitaro reached out to stop Vanra. "I will never be done with you."

He jerked out of Kitaro's hold. "Really? Because it sure feels that way from my end. You've barely had anything to do with me since we left Satsuma."

"If I have mistakenly given you such an impression, I sincerely apologize," Kitaro said. He took hold of Vanra's wrist to prevent him from leaving. "It was never my intention."

Vanra crossed his arms over his chest. "And how else am I supposed to feel when you shut me out?"

Kitaro started to speak but stopped to compose his thoughts before accidentally misspeaking.

Vanra misinterpreted the silence and once again turned to head toward the stairs.

Kitaro embraced Vanra from behind to stop him once more. "Vanra, please stop," Kitaro begged, pride be damned. "Believe me when I say there is nothing I want more than for you to stay by my side. "

"Then why does it feel like you want me to leave?" Vanra whispered in a pained tone.

"Because when I fall in love with you more every day, it makes it that much harder to lose you. I am at war with myself. I know you must go, but I cannot bear the thought of life without you."

Vanra turned around in the shifter prince's hold. "You love me?"

Kitaro cupped Vanra's cheek in the palm of his hand, then brushed his thumb against the human's cheekbone. "Is it not obvious?"

"Not recently." Vanra looked down, unable to hold Kitaro's gaze. "I mean, I had hoped , but?—"

Kitaro cut Vanra off with a kiss. "My heart is yours, Vanra. Even if we were parted for a thousand years, there would be no one else for me in any realm. You are it for me."

"I feel the same way," Vanra told him through tears. "I would do anything to stay with you."

"I had to restrain myself on the trip home because I did not trust my dragon not to mate with you out of desperation when it is what we both desire. However, losing our mate to time is a burden we could not bear."

Vanra's eyelashes fluttered. "You still want me to be your mate?"

"More than anything." Kitaro lovingly brushed Vanra's hair from his eyes. "Please believe me."

Vanra hugged the shifter tightly. "Nothing would make me happier. "

Kitaro returned the embrace. "It is only Satsuma's confirmation that you will return to your time at some point that makes me hesitate. Bondmates link their souls together, so to lose you…I would not know how to survive that loss."

"I wish you had said something earlier. I assumed you had decided being with me wasn't worth it."

"I never meant to give you that impression." Kitaro and his dragon were remorseful. "I was more preoccupied by the dilemma of what to do than I had realized."

"I'm just relieved you don't hate me."

"I am incapable of hating you." Kitaro tenderly kissed Vanra, who melted against him.

When they parted, Vanra looked up at Kitaro. "Can we go home now?"

It made Kitaro endlessly happy that Vanra referred to the family castle as home. He reached out and took Vanra's hand in his, interlacing their fingers as they walked. "Let us return home."