70. Auslin

Chapter 70

Auslin

T hey had been back about two weeks before Auslin's heat came again. He had been getting stir-crazy from sitting alone in his room, so he put on his enchanted amulet and went to the training hall to practice while Kitaro was meeting with his father. The snake shifter attack had proved to Auslin he needed to train more than ever in case something happened in the future. He never wanted to be a liability to Kitaro again.

Auslin was so focused on his training he hadn't immediately noticed that Mitsuki had entered the room. The shifter had a dark expression. Auslin was immediately on full guard.

Not wanting to antagonize Mitsuki, Auslin bowed formally to him. "My apologies, Prince Mitsuki. I will take my leave now."

"Where is the fun in that?" Mitsuki asked in a honeyed tone that made Auslin tense. "Especially when I am in a generous mood to assist you in your training."

Warning bells went off in Auslin's mind. He needed to get out fast. He tried to decline as politely as possible. "While I appreciate your kind offer, I am quite certain training me is beneath you. I was just finishing, so I'll leave."

Auslin had almost reached the door when Mitsuki attacked him with a real sword. The human barely had enough time to block the hit with his Divine weapon. He scrambled back from the shifter. "Please let me go."

"You leave when I say you can," Mitsuki growled in a threatening tone that made Auslin's fear spike. His only consolation was his protective amulet hid his scent, so the shifter couldn't tell what he was feeling.

"I don't want to cause any trouble." Auslin tried to back toward the exit. "I?—"

When Auslin protested again, Mitsuki roughly grabbed the human by the shirt to yank him close enough for their bodies to touch.

He loomed over Auslin, with bright gold rimming his eyes. "You dare disobey me?"

"No, Prince Mitsuki."

"Good boy." He shoved Auslin away. "Prepare yourself."

Running wasn't an option, so the mage had no choice but to take a defensive stance. When would Kitaro finish his meeting with Tatsuki and help him out of the uncomfortable situation?

Mitsuki attacked with his sword. He used his shifter strength when he mercilessly brought his blade down against Auslin's with his full strength. His expression was sadistic glee as Auslin buckled under the weight of the attack. Mitsuki used that to his advantage, sweeping Auslin's feet out from under him. It sent the human crashing down, his sword clattering on the ground out of his reach.

Mitsuki held his weapon against Auslin's neck. "Pathetic worm. Did you really think you had a chance against the likes of me?"

Auslin swallowed hard, very aware of the deadly sword pressed to his throat. "No, which is why I didn't want to do this. All I want to do is leave."

Mitsuki sheathed his sword, giving Auslin a sliver of hope that he was about to be freed. But that was ripped away from him when Mitsuki pinned him down on the floor. "I am far from done with you."

Auslin grappled with Mitsuki, but he couldn't free himself from under the much larger shifter. He was trapped in place, terrified of the predatory way Mitsuki stared down. But Auslin wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Mitsuki chuckled in a dark amusement. "The more you struggle, the more I will enjoy this."

The shifter held both of Auslin's hands in one of his. It allowed him to rip off the protective amulet that masked the human's heat scent. His nostrils flared as more gold bled into his eyes as his dragon took hold.

Auslin's terror hit a new level when Mitsuki's erection pressed against him. He couldn't process Mitsuki being aroused by him. Auslin's voice wavered in fear as he struggled to free himself. "Let me go!"

Mitsuki ran his nose along Auslin's throat while breathing deeply. "Make me."

Everything screeched to a halt when Mitsuki licked Auslin's neck with a moan. Things were getting too dangerous to be allowed to continue. "Stop, or I will use my powers if I have to," Auslin warned. "I don't want to, but you'll leave me no choice if you keep going."

"Like I have anything to fear from a mere human," Mitsuki retorted in a haughty tone. He ripped off Auslin's shirt, giving him an unimpressed look over. "I fail to see what the appeal is for my brother."

"Then let me go!" Auslin shouted at him, almost at his breaking point.

"I would much rather ruin you instead," Mitsuki told him with a chilling laugh. He forced a punishing kiss on him.

Auslin nipped at Mitsuki's tongue when he tried to slip it into his mouth, but it only made the shifter chuckle in amusement. Undeterred, Mitsuki's hand slid down Auslin's body toward his pants, clearly intent on groping him.

It was too much for Auslin to bear. He sent a burst of his powers at Mitsuki, sending the shifter flying into the nearby wall. Mitsuki howled in pain as he stared at his blackened hand and forearm that had been purified. "I will kill you for this!"

Auslin stood up, casting a protective barrier around himself. "Touch me again, and I swear I will purify you to the Beyond Realm, consequences be damned!"

Kitaro came running into the training hall as Mitsuki rushed at Auslin with his sword. He used his magic to stop his oldest brother from attacking Auslin. "What is the meaning of this?" Kitaro bellowed.

"Move aside, little brother," Mitsuki growled. "Otherwise, I will kill you to get to him."

"Have you gone mad? Get a hold of yourself, Mitsuki!"

When Mitsuki rushed toward Kitaro, it left him with no choice. Kitaro landed a hit on his oldest brother, sending him crashing motionless to the floor.

Kitaro reached out to Auslin, then jerked back when the human's purifying powers singed him. "Vanra, we must leave!"

Auslin remained unmoving, staring at Mitsuki's crumpled body with his eyes glowing purple from his powers.

Kitaro gritted his teeth, enduring the burning to shake Auslin's shoulder. "Vanra, come!"

It drew Auslin's attention to Kitaro. He stared at him for a moment without seeing before dropping his shield. Auslin backed away from Mitsuki in terror. "He's going to kill me!"

"Not before I kill him first." Kitaro grabbed Auslin's sword and amulet, then swept the human off his feet to carry him out of the training hall.

Once they were safe in their room, Auslin's panic flared. He paced back and forth as he fretted. "I'm in so much trouble! Your father will probably banish me before Mitsuki has the chance to kill me."

Kitaro stopped Auslin's frantic pacing. "Father will do no such thing. Tell me what happened."

"I've ruined everything!" Auslin groaned as he hid his face in his hands, trembling from the overwhelming incident. Tears fell from his eyes. "Your father will kick me out, then I'll have no choice but to go back through Fate's Gate, and?—"

Kitaro hugged Auslin tightly. "I will never let that happen."

"I almost purified the hand off of King Tatsuki's heir apparent, and you don't think he'll retaliate against me?" Auslin asked in a hysterical voice.

"What did Mitsuki do to you to deserve it? You would not have done that to him unless it was absolutely necessary. I can smell him on you."

Auslin rubbed his neck self-consciously. "He licked me, then kissed me. When he threatened to ruin me and tried to slide his hands down my pants, I couldn't let him do what he wanted. I had no choice but to use my powers against him. Now, everything is ruined, and?—"

Kitaro shushed Auslin's fears as he continued embracing the human. "I should have been there, Vanra. It seems I have failed yet again."

"No!" Auslin pulled back with an aghast expression. "It's not your fault! I should have done more to get away before it escalated or?—"

"You did what you had to do," Kitaro soothed Auslin. "Father will see it your way."

Auslin hid his face against Kitaro's broad chest. "He'll never take my side over his oldest son's. What I did is unforgivable."

"No, what Mitsuki did is unforgivable. You are without blame here."

A knock on the door interrupted them. Auslin cowered in fear, knowing it could only mean one thing. His worst fears were confirmed when a servant announced, "His Majesty has requested Lord Vanra and Prince Kitaro's presence immediately."

"It's all over," Auslin whispered in anguish.

Kitaro kissed Auslin's forehead. "We will make Father see Mitsuki is in the wrong. Come, let us go."

Auslin remained frozen in place. How could he face King Tatsuki after what he had done to Mitsuki?

When Kitaro gently tugged on one of his hands to get him to follow, Auslin was shocked by the sight of blisters on the shifter's forearm. It took him a moment to realize Kitaro probably got injured when trying to reach for him through the protective barrier. "Wait, I need to heal you!"

"Later. First, we must deal with Father."

"I'm sorry." Auslin felt wretched that he had somehow hurt the one person he wanted to protect.

Kitaro kissed Auslin's forehead. "You have nothing to apologize for, Vanra. However, we must go now. It would not be wise to keep Father waiting."

Auslin threw on a plain white shirt before allowing Kitaro to guide them to where the king waited for them.

"Enter!" Tatsuki bellowed when they arrived, the door sliding open in front of them. Auslin had to be gently ushered into the room by Kitaro.

Mitsuki stood beside Tatsuki, seething in rage while hatefully glaring at Auslin. "You dare show your face after what you did?" Mitsuki snarled as Auslin approached the throne.

Despite his fear, Auslin's temper flared. "After what I did? What about everything you did?"

"Silence!" Tatsuki roared, causing both to fall silent. "Explain yourselves."

Mitsuki held up his blackened hand and forearm. His skin was charred and peeling from the purifying burn. "This worm viciously attacked me with his powers, then threatened to kill me!"

"You attacked me after I begged you to leave me alone!" It was infuriating Mitsuki was trying to blame him for what had happened. "I had no choice but to defend myself from you! And I warned you several times before you forced me to act."

Tatsuki looked at the two with a deep frown. "Start from the beginning."

"I generously offered to help train this pathetic worm, and this is the thanks I get!" Mitsuki gestured with his injured hand for emphasis.

"I said I would leave the training hall so you could use it, but you attacked me with a sword instead," Auslin argued, his anger replacing his fear. "You ripped off my amulet and my shirt. You pressed your erection against me while kissing me against my will, and then you tried to reach into my pants to grope me after threatening to ruin me for Kitaro! You're lucky I only purified your hand!"

"Do you deny this, Mitsuki?" Tatsuki asked. It was a strange question when the king could smell that Auslin was telling the truth since he hadn't put his amulet back on yet.

Mitsuki held his head high. "I was doing my duty to this family by reminding this worthless human of his place beneath us! Now that he's finally shown his true colors, maybe you will cast him out of our clan, where he never belonged!"

Tatsuki stood up and walked down the three steps of the dais to approach Mitsuki. The shifter monarch stared down at his oldest son for a long moment before hauling Mitsuki off the ground by his injured forearm.

Mitsuki howled as Tatsuki tightened his grip. Auslin flinched when he heard Mitsuki's injured arm break.

Tatsuki held Mitsuki up to look at him eye to eye. "If we hear you even so much as looked at Vanra wrong, we will gouge your eyes out ourself. If you say one wrong word, we will take great pleasure in ripping your tongue out of your head. Try anything against Vanra again , and it will be you who is out of the clan and possibly this realm. Do we make ourself clear?"

" Crystal ," Mitsuki growled.

"This is your final warning." Tatsuki roughly tossed Mitsuki to the floor, where he crumpled with a groan, holding his injured arm to his chest. "Now, get out of our sight before we change our mind about letting you live."

Mitsuki pulled himself off the floor with as much dignity as he could muster before silently storming out of the room.

Tatsuki waited until the door was closed before approaching Vanra, who trembled in fear of the shifter monarch's punishment for him. He looked down at the human with an unreadable expression before reaching out to him.

Auslin flinched from the hit he expected to come. It was why he was stunned when Tatsuki pulled him into a tight hug. "We apologize, Vanra. Our unwise continued indulgence in our eldest son's stupidity has cost you greatly. For him to do such a thing to you while you are under our protection is unforgivable. "

"But I shouldn't have?—"

"You were well within your rights to do what you did, Vanra. Never apologize for doing what was necessary to defend yourself. Should he ever try to do anything to you again, you have our permission to purify him to the Beyond Realm. We will not have you be subjected to such abuse."

Auslin nodded in shock.

"Keep an eye on Mitsuki," Tatsuki said to Kitaro. "If he does anything , you are to inform us immediately. We have reached the end of our patience with him."

Kitaro bowed in acknowledgment. "I will see to it, Father."

"For now, attend to Vanra's needs."

Auslin bowed low. "I appreciate your continued kindness, Father. Thank you for understanding."

The monarch patted Auslin's shoulder. "Let Kitaro take care of you now."

"Yes, Father." Auslin's head spun over how surreal it was to have Tatsuki acting so paternally toward him. Why wasn't he in trouble?

They both bowed before Kitaro guided Auslin out by the small of his back to return to their room.