Page 132 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
“He’s everything my father wasn’t. Iston is kind, thoughtful, caring, and gentle. He has a brilliant mind and knows more about Kunushi’s history than anyone alive.” Maseo’s voice grew soft with affection. “Iston took care of me when everyone else turned their backs on me for fear of facing Nasume’s wrath.”
Kisano leaned forward, intrigued. “How was he able to protect you without consequences?”
“The Venrik pack owes his family a significant debt that dates back generations. Iston used that leverage to his advantage, offering me protection in small ways. He allowed me to spend hours in the library, gave me books to take to my room, and often shared his meals with me when the kitchen staff was instructed not to feed me.”
The casual mention of deliberate starvation made Kisano’s hands clench into fists. The more he learned about Maseo’s past, the more his respect for the young man’s resilience grew.
“He sounds like a remarkable person. I look forward to meeting him.”
“I regret I couldn’t see him before we left Kunushi in such a hurry. With my injuries and everything that happened, there just wasn’t time,” Maseo said with a disappointed sigh.
“You have my word that I will make inquiring about his well-being one of my first priorities when I arrive,” Kisano promised. “Once Sephen and I have settled into our new roles, would you consider coming to Kunushi with my brother and Auslin?”
Maseo’s eyes widened in shock. “You want me to visit?”
The disbelief in his voice was heartbreaking to Kisano. “Of course. It would be my honor to host you, and I am certain Iston would be overjoyed to see you again.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Maseo’s voice was thick with emotion, and his hands trembled as he set down his teacup. A flush spread across his cheeks as his gaze dropped to his lap, and his shoulders hunched inward, as though he were trying to make himself smaller. When Maseo finally looked up again, his eyes held a sheen of unshed tears that he quickly blinked away. “Thank you. That’s incredibly generous of you.”
“If you would like to give me a letter or anything else to pass along to Iston, I would be happy to do so until you can visit in person,” Kisano offered.
Maseo looked down again. “You’re too kind.”
“There is no such thing as too kind. You deserve to be taken care of,” Kisano said. “You have proven yourself to be a person of honor and integrity, and I regret I did not see that from the beginning.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, surrounded by the quiet wisdom of countless books. Kisano admired the courage it must have taken Maseo to survive his childhood and emerge with his loving heart intact.
Maseo’s contented sigh drew Kisano’s thoughts. The half-wolf shifter’s voice turned wistful. “It’s funny. I didn’t realize until this moment how much I missed being in a library. Being here makes me feel like I’m home.”
“You are welcome here anytime,” Kisano offered. “I assume you were a reader based, given your fondness for libraries?”
“Books were the only place I could escape to where no one could hurt me. In stories, there were heroes who overcame impossible odds, people who found families that loved them, and worlds where being different was a strength rather than a weakness. It was everything I longed for in real life and never thought I could have.”
Kisano’s heart clenched at the wistfulness in Maseo’s tone. “Do you have a favorite author or a particular book that brought you comfort?”
“There’s one book that means more to me than all the others combined,” Maseo said, his expression growing almost reverent. “Reskin’sSanctuary. I must have read it hundreds of times over the years.”
Kisano stiffened in surprise. Of all the books Maseo could have named, and all the authors who might have provided him solace, he had chosen the one work that was most personal to Kisano, as its secret author.
“I can see why it would resonate with you, especially since you found such consolation in the library,” Kisano commented.
“Reskin’s struggle with being someone who doesn’t fit in anywhere and has been hurt by the people who should have protected him spoke to me.” Maseo’s eyes grew distant. “It may sound silly, but I always felt like Reskin was one of my few friends because he understood better than anyone what being an outsider meant to me.”
Kisano’s throat tightened with emotion. He had written that book during one of the darkest periods of his life, pouring his feelings of isolation and longing into it. Learning that his wordshad provided comfort to someone in desperate need was both humbling and moving. “I do not think it is silly at all.”
Maseo looked up at Kisano with a small, vulnerable smile. “I never thought it would happen, but being accepted by your family despite everything feels like I finally found my own sanctuary.”
The confession made Kisano’s chest ache with a complex mixture of emotions. Pride that his work had helped someone through their darkest moments, sorrow for the pain Maseo had endured, and gratitude that his brother had been wise enough to see past surface appearances to the remarkable person underneath.
“I am glad you had the book when you needed it,” Kisano said. “And I am even more pleased you have found acceptance here.”
Though he did not say it aloud, part of him was comforted by the knowledge that if Kitsuki had to have a second mate, it was someone as kind and deserving as Maseo. The young man’s capacity for forgiveness, his ability to find hope despite tremendous adversity, and his genuine care for others made him exactly the sort of person Kisano wanted for Kitsuki and Auslin.
“Thank you for this conversation and the invitation to visit Kunushi,” Maseo said, rising from his chair. “I’ll write a letter to Iston if that offer still stands.”
“Of course it does. Take all the time you need.”
As Maseo moved toward the door, he looked back at the library one more time. “This is such an incredible collection. I hope someday I’ll be able to read even a fraction of these books.”
