Page 41 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
“Now, since we’re all pleasantly buzzed, tell us what’s really going on with you and our royal couple,” Bitris requested. “I swear on my dragon’s honor, what’s said in this room stays here.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Maseo protested, though the whiskey made his cheeks flush hotter.
“Your heartbeat just spiked,” Drayden observed with a sly smile. “Dragon hearing, remember?”
Maseo groaned, covering his face with his hands. “I hate all of you.”
“No, you don’t,” Bitris replied cheerfully. “You love us. Almost as much as you’re attracted to our king and his consort.”
“I’m never drinking with any of you again,” Maseo muttered through his fingers, but he couldn’t quite hide his smile.
Chapter 16
Auslin
The veranda offered little comfort as Auslin sat beside Hibiki, lost in thought about his visit to the barracks. The dragon spirit guardian hovered nearby, his body of purple fire casting dancing shadows across the wooden planks. Auslin stared out at the castle gardens without seeing them, his mind replaying moments from earlier that day.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Maseo sparring. The half-wolf shifter commanded the space with an authority that belied his smaller stature among the full shifters. Each movement was precise, each strike calculated. Maseo had taken down two opponents twice his size with a grace that made violence look like art.
Auslin shifted on the cushions. His admiration of Maseo’s skill wasn’t the problem. The issue was how his body had reacted to watching Maseo dominate the battle and straddle his final challenger in victory.
Worse were the unbidden fantasies his mind kept conjuring. What had Kitsuki’s assessment of Maseo’s skills looked like? His mate had been vague, saying only that it had gone well and thatMaseo had proven himself capable. But Auslin’s imagination filled in the blanks with vivid details of Kitsuki and Maseo circling each other, testing their strength. Their bodies collided in a dangerous dance of combat until Kitsuki overpowered the half-wolf, pinning him to the training room floor.
“Stop it,” Auslin muttered, running a hand through his hair. His body betrayed him with unwanted interest, his cock stirring beneath his robes. He pressed his palm against his thigh, willing himself to calm. The physical reaction confused and frustrated him. He loved Kitsuki with his entire being, so why did watching Maseo fight affect him?
Yet even as he tried to concentrate on memories of Kitsuki, his mind betrayed him, weaving Maseo into his thoughts. What would it be like to witness Kitsuki overpower Maseo in a sparring match? Why did Auslin want to see the half-wolf yield to his mate’s greater strength? As incredible as it had been to see Maseo take charge, the thought of someone so powerful submitting to Kitsuki only intensified his arousal.
The sound of someone entering his room startled him from his reverie. He expected to see Sephen coming to keep him company but was surprised to see Kitsuki standing in the doorway, his blue eyes locking onto Auslin’s. Color rose to his cheeks, as if Kitsuki could read the thoughts that had been tormenting him.
“Is everything okay?” Auslin asked.
Without answering, Kitsuki crossed the room in long strides. He lowered himself over Auslin, nudging Hibiki away. Before Auslin could question him further, Kitsuki captured his mouth in a demanding kiss.
Auslin yielded, opening for his mate with a soft moan. The kiss deepened, growing almost desperate as Kitsuki’s tongue explored Auslin’s mouth with possessive intent. The mage’s hips lifted in search of friction, his body burning with a need intensified by his earlier forbidden thoughts.
When they broke apart, it took Auslin a moment to find his voice. “While I’m enjoying this, what’s going on?”
“You think too loud,” Kitsuki murmured against his throat, his voice a low rumble.
Guilt plagued Auslin. Had Kitsuki somehow sensed his confused thoughts about Maseo? “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to distract you when you have more important things to do right now.”
“I cannot have my mate feeling neglected,” Kitsuki replied, his formal speech pattern a stark contrast to the heat in his eyes. “Your desire pulled at our bond until I could focus on nothing else.”
“No, I—” Auslin’s protest dissolved into a gasp as silver magic rippled across his skin, dissolving his clothes into shimmering smoke that scattered into the air, followed by Kitsuki’s, and leaving them both bare.
Auslin’s gaze dropped to Maseo’s wish pendant glinting against Kitsuki’s chest. Kitsuki had never removed it since Maseo had entrusted it to him. It felt as if Maseo was present in some small way, witnessing their intimacy. The thought shouldn’t have aroused him further, but it did.
“This really isn’t necessary,” Auslin protested, even as he responded to Kitsuki’s touch. “Everyone will wonder where you went. We’re going to get interrupted, so it’s cruel to tease me when we have no time for follow-through.”
“Nasume himself could knock at my castle gate, and I would make him wait until I have finished satisfying my mate.”
“While I appreciate that—” Auslin’s words caught in his throat as slick fingers, warmed by Kitsuki’s magic, pressed inside him. “But you’re busy. There’s so much planning to do for the battle.”
Kitsuki pushed his fingers deeper, stretching Auslin with careful precision. “It can wait. My dragon will not be denied when our mate is in need.”
Auslin’s hips lifted to meet each thrust, his body betraying his half-hearted protests. The dual sensation of Kitsuki’s hand stroking his length while his fingers worked inside him scattered his thoughts.
When Kitsuki slowed his movements to keep Auslin on the edge, the mage whined with frustration. “Please stop teasing me.”
