Page 98 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
His skeleton disintegrated in a violent explosion that sent a shockwave through the clearing and battlefield, taking with it every abomination under his control. Cheers erupted from his warriors as all the lichen disappeared, but Kitsuki heard none of it.
Maseo’s soul, freed from Ishibiya’s grasp, rushed into its rightful vessel like a comet blazing across the sky. But the damage was severe, and his body plummeted from a height that would shatter his mortal bones.
Kitsuki moved with dragon speed, his wings erupting from his back as he launched himself skyward. He caught Maseo in his arms mere feet from the ground, cradling him against his chest as he landed in a controlled crouch.
The half-wolf shifter lay motionless in his arms, his lips blue with the pallor of near death. Welts covered his body in a map of suffering, angry and inflamed, some weeping blood where the necromantic magic had torn deepest.
For one terrible moment, Kitsuki feared they had been too late. But the torn fragments of Maseo’s soul scattered by Ishibiya’s brutal extraction reassembled like pieces of a shattered mirror finding their way back together. Light poured from his wounds as his essence knitted them closed.
Maseo’s back arched when his soul slammed back into his body with the force of a lightning strike. He gasped desperately for air, his eyes flying open with terror and confusion as his hands clawed at his chest, searching for the wounds that wereno longer there. The marks on his skin faded, healing with supernatural speed as the wish magic cleansed away every trace of Ishibiya’s violation.
“You are safe now,” Kitsuki murmured, pressing his lips to Maseo’s temple without thought. The contact sent warmth flooding through him. He held him closer, his own body trembling with relief and the aftermath of terror.
Only when he looked up did he notice Kizoshi’s knowing smirk. Heat flooded his cheeks as he realized how his actions might appear to an observer, but he could not bring himself to release Maseo. Not yet. Not when he could feel the echo of that terrible moment when he thought he had lost him forever. “Do not say what we both know you are thinking, sister.”
“Luckily for you, it goes without saying, dear brother,” Kizoshi replied as she sheathed her sword, her eyes twinkling with amusement despite the gravity of the situation. “All is well for now.”
Kitsuki scowled at her cryptic tone, though he did not loosen his hold on Maseo. “For now?”
She nodded but offered no clarification. “Take Maseo back to your tent for the night. The real fight starts tomorrow.”
“Is Ishibiya gone for good?”
Kizoshi shook her head, her expression sobering. “Unfortunately, no. Before we could destroy his soul, he released his hold on the skeleton to move to a different one. But he is not your immediate concern.” She gestured toward Maseo, who trembled in Kitsuki’s arms. “Take care of him now. I will handle the rest.”
“We should pursue Nasume while he is vulnerable,” Kitsuki argued, his tactical mind already calculating their next move. “He will not expect us to strike so soon after this battle.”
“If you confront Nasume with Maseo in this weakened state, you will lose the war and his life,” Kizoshi warned. “His soul needs time to settle back into his body. Do the sensible thing and rest. Both of you.”
“We cannot allow Nasume to escape,” Kitsuki insisted. “Not when we are so close.”
“And what will you do if Ishibiya returns during your confrontation with Nasume?” Kizoshi challenged. “How do you expect Maseo to fight Nasume when the pup cannot stand? You saw how easily the necromancer broke through our defenses before. The only reason you succeeded this time was your wish. There is no guarantee it will work a second time.”
Kitsuki wanted to protest further, but Maseo shuddered in his arms, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The need to protect him overrode all other considerations. “Very well. But we will speak of this before tomorrow’s battle.”
Kizoshi nodded, then turned away to direct the Valzerna forces that had arrived at the edge of the clearing.
Kitsuki spread his wings and took to the sky, Maseo secure in his arms. The flight back to camp was swift, and the fresh air seemed to revive the half-wolf shifter somewhat. By the time they landed outside Kitsuki’s tent, Maseo was more alert.
The dragon king carried Maseo inside, setting him on the bed before kneeling before him. Unable to stop himself, he reached out to touch Maseo’s face, needing physical reassurance that his second mate was still with him. “Are you unharmed?”
“Thanks to you,” Maseo replied with a wan smile, his voice raspy and weak. “I can feel my soul settling, like it’s finding its way back to all the corners of my body. It’s weird.”
The terror of coming close to losing Maseo, of watching his soul being torn away piece by piece, crashed over Kitsuki with renewed force. His dragon surged forward, overwhelming his control as the reality of what had almost happened struck him. He dissolved both their armor, then pulled Maseo into a crushing embrace, holding him as if afraid he might vanish.
“We thought we lost you,” Kitsuki’s dragon murmured, his voice deeper with his influence. He buried his nose against Maseo’s neck. Beneath the scents of battle, blood, and fear, the familiar woodsy fragrance of Maseo remained, grounding Kitsuki in the reality that he was alive and safe. “It has been centuries since we have felt this kind of fear.”
Maseo hesitated, then returned the embrace. “I’m okay.”
“We cannot bear you being hurt.” Kitsuki’s dragon refused to release him, instead drawing him closer until he could feel Maseo’s heartbeat against his own chest. The steady rhythm was a balm to his frayed nerves. “If he had stolen your soul, we would have gone to the Beyond Realm to bring you back.”
“You saved me,” Maseo insisted, his hands moving across Kitsuki’s back in a soothing gesture. “I’m here because of you.”
The lingering fear and helplessness echoing within Kitsuki reminded him of the snake shifters’ ambush on him and Auslin in the past, when he had felt powerless as his beloved almost bled to death before his eyes. It unsettled him to once again feel so useless in protecting someone who mattered to him.
His dragon pulled Maseo back into a tight embrace, the possessive gesture speaking truths Kitsuki could not yet voice aloud. “Please forgive us for our failure to protect you.”
“There is nothing to forgive,” Maseo said. “You fought for me. You used the wish pendant to save me.”
