Page 37 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
Bitris caught Maseo’s wrist again. Instead of resisting, Maseo allowed himself to be pulled, stepping into the motion before kicking up to vault himself toward Bitris. His thighs snapped around the dragon’s neck in a tight grip. Then he threw his weight to the side, and Bitris’s body followed.
With a heavythud, the dragon hit the dirt, flat on his back.
Maseo perched above him, pinning the larger shifter down with his thighs still locked around his throat.
Silence fell as everyone stared in varying degrees of disbelief.
Auslin couldn’t breathe. The sight of Maseo straddling his opponent with such dominance sent a surge of heat through him. Sweat glistened on his skin, making his uniform cling toevery curve and plane of his body. His chest rose and fell with exertion, his jade eyes alight with triumph, his dark hair damp and tousled.
He wasn’t watching the broken man they’d found in the forest. It was Maseo as Auslin had never seen him before, as someone powerful and in absolute control. The same qualities that had first drawn him to Kitsuki had manifested unexpectedly in the half-wolf shifter.
Auslin’s body responded with an intensity that alarmed him. The need to yield, to please, to be claimed by that strength surged through him unbidden, leaving him flushed and disoriented.
He shifted his weight, aware of a warm tightness low in his belly that he told himself was the excitement from watching such an impressive display of combat skill. It was the same feeling he experienced when Kitsuki demonstrated his power.
Jaega glanced down at him with a knowing smile that made Auslin blush deeper. “The boy fights with passion.”
“He’s amazing,” Auslin agreed, sounding choked up. He cleared his throat, hoping the general wouldn’t notice the flush spreading across his cheeks or how his gaze kept returning to Maseo’s form.
Maseo was breathing hard, his dark hair falling into his eyes, his expression fierce with triumph. Beneath him, Bitris blinked up, stunned, and then that damnable smirk curved his lips again.
“What a surprise,” he murmured, his voice a husky drawl as he ran his hands up Maseo’s thighs, intent on groping his ass. “I didn’t think you’d be the one on top.”
Auslin’s stomach twisted at the sexual implication. The sight of Bitris’s hands on Maseo sent a confusing spike of jealousy through him. He didn’t want Bitris or anyone else touching Maseo. The intensity of his reaction startled him.
Maseo swatted Bitris’s hands away before they reached their goal, rolling his eyes as he stood up. “Maybe next time, you should stop playing around and actually fight for real.”
Bitris sat up with a stretch. “I’ll do it if that’s the best way to get you under me.”
Jaega called out to the men to take a break before summoning Maseo to join them.
Auslin tried to compose himself, willing his heartbeat to slow. What was wrong with him? The strange fluttering in his chest and the lingering warmth under his skin from watching Maseo dominate his opponent confused him. It must have been the exhilaration of the fights, the thrill of seeing Maseo triumph over opponents who underestimated him. He derived satisfaction from seeing someone he had healed now thrive.
It couldn’t be anything more.
Maseo’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Auslin. Once he was closer, he teased, “If you were hoping to see me get my ass kicked, you must be sorely disappointed.”
Up close, Maseo was even more striking. A faint sheen of sweat accentuated the strong line of his jaw. His presence felt larger now, stirring confusing feelings within Auslin.
“I didn’t know you were such an amazing fighter,” Auslin blurted, unable to hold back his praise. “It’s impressive how you took down opponents so much bigger than you.”
“When you grow up as a half-shifter in Kunushi, you get your ass kicked a lot. Thanks to that, I have plenty of practice fighting against much bigger and stronger shifters who all had a personal vendetta against me,” Maseo explained with a shrug, drawing Auslin’s attention to the play of muscle across his shoulders.
“It was time well spent,” Jaega assured him. “There are few who could take down Bitris, let alone make it look so easy.”
Maseo grinned at the compliment, his expression transforming his face and bringing light to his green eyes. The confidence radiating from him was so different from the shattered man Auslin had saved. “That’s the beauty of people always underestimating me and refusing to take me seriously.”
“You are wise to use people’s assumptions against them,” Jaega said with an approving nod.
“Are you really okay?” Auslin asked, struggling to keep his voice steady. Being close to Maseo after witnessing his display of power made it hard to think. “Has anyone given you problems? That Bitris guy seems like an issue.” The words came out more possessive than he intended.
Maseo waved away his concerns. “If anything, Bitris is a littletoofriendly. But he means well. I’ll take that over someone torturing me out of hatred any day.”
Auslin frowned. “I don’t like the sound of that.” The idea of Bitris pursuing Maseo stirred something protective within him. “He shouldn’t be touching you like that.”
“It’s fine,” Maseo reassured him with a charming smile. “The important thing is we’re all learning to trust each other through training. There are only a few guys who are still suspicious.”
Auslin protested, but Maseo stopped him. “Almost everyone in Kunushi hated me because of my mixed heritage. Having a few guys refuse to accept me feels more like home. It would be weirder if everybody welcomed me with open arms. I understand their suspicions, and I don’t blame them. I’d certainly be distrustful of me in their situation.”
