Page 7 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
Auslin needed to be crystal clear. “And no younger ones?”
“Not until Father sees fit to take on another mistress he impregnates.”
That told Auslin he was far enough back in time that maybe Kitsuki and Kio hadn’t been born yet.Auslin had to tread carefully if he didn’t want to affect the future. He needed to get back to Fate’s Gate to return to his time as soon as possible.
“Since you know my name, it is only fair I know what to call you,” Kitaro said, bringing Auslin’s attention back to the present.
Auslin had a momentary flash of doubt about saying his given name. Just because he had never heard of Kitaro in his time didn’t mean he wasn’t still around in the present. Kio was shunned by his whole family, so there could have been other half brothers that Auslin had never heard of before. Deciding it would be the safest possibility, Auslin gave his birth name, rather than the one he had taken upon entering the temple. “My name is Vanra.”
“Vanra.” The name rolled off his tongue in a way that made Auslin shiver. “Tell me, Vanra. Why do you seem to hold so much anxiety for my family when I can clearly smell someone of a relation on you?”
Auslin’s eyes went wide. “What do you—what do you mean?”
“Are you unaware that dragon shifters have powerful senses of scent?”
Auslin’s heart plummeted as he realized what was being inferred. He had never bathed after Kio had finished his blow job, which meant not only was the half-dragon shifter’s scent on his most intimate areas, but it also meant Kitsuki would also have been aware of it when they ran into each other earlier. Thatrealization made Auslin want to die of embarrassment. He blushed profusely.
Kitaro grinned at the reaction. “It seems you understand what I am referring to.”
It humiliated him he had subjected Kitsuki and a stranger to such a thing. As he spent so much of his time around humans, it never occurred to him to worry about such things. He probably should since he encountered so many shifters in his travels.
Kitaro flipped his long hair over his shoulder. “It is most strange, though. You clearly smell of a relation to my clan, and yet it is someone I do not recognize.”
“Um, they’re areallydistant relative.” Auslin meant that in a greater sense than Kitaro understood. “You wouldn’t know him.”
“He must be wondering where you are, no?”
The innocent question tugged painfully at Auslin’s heart. He doubted Kio would have left Maseo’s side to meet him at the festival, even if Auslin had gone. Kio wouldn’t know he was missing yet or, worse, wouldn’t care. Auslin didn’t know which hurt more.
“How far away are we from where we met?” Hopefully, it wasn’t as far as he feared.
“About twelve miles.”
Auslin’s face fell. It would take almost four hours to walk back to the clearing.
Kitaro took pity on him. “I will take you back there if that is where you wish to go.”
Relief washed over the human. “Thank you, PrinceKitaro. That would be incredibly helpful if you wouldn’t mind.”
“Perhaps it will give me the chance to meet this mysterious relative of mine you seem to be so intimately acquainted with.”
Rather than saying anything, Auslin self-consciously went to check the status of his clothes he had laid out by the fire the previous night. He was relieved to find they were dry. Wasting no time, Auslin redressed and immediately felt much better for not being so exposed.
Kitaro, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease with his nudity. He ran his fingers through his hair with a yawn before converting back to his shifter’s enormous dragon form. It was a relief. The bright silver eyes swirling with magic didn’t remind him of Kitsuki or the fact that Auslin was now a step out of time.
Auslin approached Kitaro, who once again crouched lower to allow him to get on top so he could ride. He barely had made himself comfortable before Kitaro took flight, the fire in the cave going out behind them as they left and made their way back to the clearing atop Fate’s Gate.
Chapter 4
Kitaro
When they arrived once more in the clearing, Kitaro lowered himself so that Vanra could dismount. The human thanked him once again with a respectful bow before he walked over to the edge of the hill where the staircase leading to Fate’s Gate was.
Kitaro returned to his person form, wearing white breeches with a billowing blue shirt the same shade as his eyes. It showed a generous amount of his muscular chest and shifter markings. His black boots had elaborate silver embroidery on them that bespoke the fact his clan had a massive fortune as the rulers of the land.
When Vanra took a step down the staircase, Kitaro felt obligated to warn him. “I would not advise taking that route. It leads to a sacred area you will want to avoid.”
Vanra blinked at him with a slight blush. It was surprisingly endearing to hear the human’s heart race as Kitaro came closer. “It’s okay. This is the only way I can get home.”
