Page 40 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
The idea of happiness was such a foreign concept to Maseo that he almost couldn’t wrap his mind around it. “Why do you care about that?”
“Because it breaks my heart that you’ve been so starved of love that you genuinely believe you don’t deserve it at all. But look around you,” Bitris said, gesturing at everyone present. “You have us, Rylan, General Jaega, Auslin, and King Kitsuki, who all want to see you find the happiness you’ve never been allowed to have before. I’m sure there are others who care about you, like your librarian friend you mentioned.”
Other than Maseo’s mother, Iston was the only person who had ever shown him familial love. He thought about Elzbieta, the kind server in Alsari, who showed him what an affectionate platonic friend could be. Then there were Auslin and Kitsuki, who had blessed him with the immense kindness of saving his life, despite having every reason to leave him dead in that forest. While it had only been a few weeks, Bitris, Drayden, Sudryl, and Rylan had all offered Maseo genuine friendship, never holding his father against him.
Maseo’s eyes stung with unexpected tears. He blinked them back, embarrassed by the sudden emotion. “I don’t know what to do with all of this. I’ve spent my whole life trying to survive each day without making my father angry.”
Bitris wiped away a tear that escaped down Maseo’s cheek. “That’s the beauty of it, pup. You don’t have to do anything except be yourself. The rest of us will be here, caring about you whether you like it or not.” His serious expression melted intohis familiar flirtatious smile. “Though if you ever change your mind about that massage, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
“Seriously, Bitris?” Drayden groaned, throwing a pillow that hit the dragon shifter in the back of the head.
Bitris laughed. “What? I had to lighten the mood! Our poor pup was about to cry.”
“So your solution was to proposition him again?” Sudryl asked.
“It worked, didn’t it?” Bitris winked at Maseo. “You’re not crying anymore.”
The tension in Maseo’s chest eased. “You’re impossible.”
“I prefer to think of myself as delightfully persistent.”
“But in all seriousness, get some rest,” Sudryl urged. “Tomorrow is another day of training.”
“I expect a rematch where I actually stand a chance at getting you flat on your back,” Bitris joked. He reached under his bed and pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle with a flourish. “But before we sleep, I think our newest brother-in-arms deserves a proper welcome.”
“Is that what I think it is?” Drayden asked.
Sudryl groaned. “Bitris, we have training at dawn.”
“All the more reason to celebrate now.” Bitris did a theatrical reveal of a flask of amber-red liquid and four metal cups. “The finest Valzernan fire whiskey, straight from my cousin’s private distillery.”
Maseo sat up, wincing at his sore muscles. “Fire whiskey?”
Bitris poured generous servings into each of their cups. “You survived another week with us. And more importantly, you survived Carinus throwing you around like a rag doll and still walked afterward. That deserves commemoration.”
“It’s tradition,” Drayden admitted, accepting a cup with a resigned smile. “Though usually we wait until the end of the week, not the middle.”
Sudryl took one, shaking his head. “Last time we let Bitris break out the whiskey on a training night, General Jaega had us running laps until sunset the next day.”
“Worth it,” Bitris declared, handing Maseo the last cup. He raised his own in a toast. “To Maseo, who may be wolf by blood but is dragon by choice. And to him finally realizing he’s worth more than his father ever let him believe.”
The genuine sentiment behind Bitris’s words caught Maseo off guard. He stared at the three men, overwhelmed by their acceptance. For the first time, he felt as if he belonged.
“I don’t know what to say,” Maseo admitted.
“You don’t say anything,” Sudryl instructed. “You drink.”
The four of them clinked cups and downed the whiskey. It burned like liquid fire down Maseo’s throat, igniting his insides. He gasped, eyes watering. “Holy shit.”
Bitris laughed, already refilling their cups. “They don’t call it fire whiskey for nothing. Dragons make the strongest spirits in all the kingdoms.”
“Another,” Sudryl announced, raising his refilled cup. “To kicking Nasume’s ass when the time comes.”
They drank again, and the burn turned into a pleasant warmth spreading through Maseo’s limbs, easing the aches from training.
“One more,” Drayden suggested. “To new beginnings and finding family where you least expect it.”
As they made their third toast, Maseo felt a strange lightness he had never experienced before. He had never imagined having friends could feel so good.
