Page 1 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
Chapter 1
Auslin
Auslin tilted his head with a sigh as Kio sucked his dick. A sudden growl made Auslin arch with physical pleasure. His lover was a half-dragon shifter, which meant he looked like a human, except for his fangs and retractable claws. He lacked the distinctive markings and magic full shifters had.
Kio slapped Auslin’s hand away with a grumble when the human caressed his hair. He glared with fierce annoyance in his yellow eyes.
Auslin frowned but kept his hands to himself. It was hard when he loved petting Kio’s soft silver-black hair. He instead focused on the sensations to allow himself to come so they could finish the rest of their journey. It was a relief to almost be home after weeks on the road. Auslin was an auramancermage who helped heal people and bring them comfort while he traveled.
Kio tightened his grip on Auslin’s thighs, his claws digging in slightly. It was enough to make Auslin orgasm, giving him a momentary flash of bliss that was sure to desert him soon.
The half-shifter wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked expectantly at Auslin with impatient yellow eyes. “You’re good now, yeah?”
There it was: the harsh crash down to reality. That could only mean one thing. He stretched out his senses to get confirmation. A half-wolf shifter named Maseo was right on the edge of his periphery. Kio claimed they were exes, but he was always quick to run off to be with Maseo whenever he was in the mood for something rougher than he felt Auslin could handle. It shattered Auslin’s heart a little more each time it happened.
The one time Auslin had pushed about Kio’s philandering ways, the anger it unleashed scared him enough to drop the matter. He told himself that being with his lover part of the time was better than none of the time. But he was tiring of making excuses for his heartbreak.
“I’m going for a quick hunt before the Day of Remembrance Festival gets started tonight,” Kio said. “I’ll meet up with you later, okay?”
Auslin tried to close his heart off from the hurt that never seemed to leave. “Yeah, sure.”
“See you later.” Kio disappeared in the blink of an eye. Auslin could feel the half-dragon shifter already heading in the direction where Maseo was waiting.
Self-hatred burned within Auslin for not being strong enough to break up with Kio. How much longer would he condemn himself to suffering heartache? They had been together for years, but lately, it felt like Auslin’s heart was only loyal to the relationship he used to have with Kio rather than the man himself.
Instead of wallowing in his self-pity, Auslin stood up and rearranged himself to be presentable. He shouldered his heavy pack, then headed toward Tiora, the capital of Valzerna, where the Day of Remembrance Festival was about to get started in earnest. It was an annual event dedicated to remembering ancestors and the heroic deeds of heroes from the past. Everyone celebrated with joyous passion as the whole town turned out for the events.
Auslin was expected to appear on behalf of the local temple he had lived at since his childhood, but he wasn’t in a celebratory mood. Part of him wanted to skip it this year and head straight to his room to sleep away his long travels. However, his stubbornness reminded him he had promised Kio to meet at the festival, so he had to go.
Lost in his thoughts, it startled Auslin when he recognized the aura of who was approaching him from behind. He took a steadying breath as heprepared himself for the encounter with Kio’s older half brother, the dragon shifter monarch of Valzerna. King Kitsuki Ariake was known throughout the region as the Ice King for his cold, detached aloofness, but he was also praised widely for being a fair and generous lord.
Kitsuki slowed as he approached Auslin. Despite being a deadly shifter, he was an ethereal beauty with long, silver-and-blue hair, icy-blue eyes, and pale skin. It gave him the appearance of being made of moonlight and magic. He was as handsome and regal as ever in his white breeches and midnight-blue jacket with ornate gold trim. The wide bell sleeves hid his missing arm.
Auslin bowed respectfully. “How are you on this beautiful evening, Your Majesty?” Despite the animosity between Kio and Kitsuki, Auslin had a soft spot for the ruler. It pissed off Kio, especially since Kitsuki had tried to kill Auslin the first time they met. But Auslin knew there was more to that incident, and he was a forgiving type.
Kitsuki hesitated for a moment. “I must confess, I am not fond of this day’s festivities.”
“It can be a hard day.” Some of Auslin’s misery leaked into his tone despite himself.
The ruler’s gaze visibly darkened. “I suppose my foolish half brother is indulging in his own twisted version of the Day of Remembrance with things best left forgotten?”
Auslin looked down with a pained heart. “Something like that, yeah.”
“You would be so much better off without his disgusting behavior dragging you down.” It was a sentiment that Kitsuki had echoed on numerous occasions previously, but it never failed to surprise Auslin.
They naturally fell into step together as they walked in the general direction of the capital. Auslin knew it wasn’t his place to say anything, but he couldn’t help it. “You only say that because you hate him.”
“No, I say that because you are a far better gift than that foul creature deserves.” Kitsuki’s venomous tone startled Auslin. “Your kindness is wasted on the likes of him.”
“Maybe if more people had shown him such kindness, he wouldn’t be this way.” Auslin believed in his words. Kio had been treated horribly throughout his life because of being a half-shifter. Both humans and shifters alike rejected him for his mixed heritage. The experience had hardened Kio’s heart over the centuries, but Auslin had always thought he could help heal that hurt through love. Somehow, Auslin was the only one who ended up being hurt, though.
Kitsuki scoffed. “That fool could have been granted every kindness in this world, and he would still be an ungrateful bastard, undeserving of one such as yourself.”
“Considering your hatred of me, that almost soundslike a compliment.” Auslin glanced up at the much taller shifter to find his expression perfectly blank, as always.
After a long pause, Kitsuki spoke again. “I have never hated you. I am incapable of it.”
Auslin arched his eyebrows in shock. He had made similar comments in the past that Kitsuki had always disregarded instead of acknowledging. “Are you forgetting the part where you tried to kill me the first time you saw me?” Auslin playfully asked with a grin.
