Page 120 of Consort of the Dragon King

“Bullshit,” Kio said with a harsh laugh.

“I’m giving you the chance to be honest,” Auslin offered. “If you truly are in love with me and want to see me happy like you say, then you’ll promise to leave me to my happiness with him. I’ll make him release you if you’re telling the truth.”

Kio shrugged. “No matter what I say, this asshole intends to leave me to rot in this hellhole.”

“That is because I can smell that you are lying!” Kitsuki growled. “You have learned absolutely nothing from this experience. I will not allow you to ruin Auslin's or Maseo’s happiness.”

“As soon as I’m free, I can’t wait to pay you back tenfold for this indignity,” Kio snarled at his brother. “I’ll take away all your happiness until you’re as miserable as I am right now.”

“If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t say or do that.” Auslin was done offering Kio chances. “He’s right. You really are lying to me.”

Kio snarled at him. “You’re going to believe what you want to believe. Fuck the truth, right?”

Even though it pained Auslin, he turned his back on Kio to walk away.

“What, so you’re going to let me stay down here for the rest of my life and rot?” Kio angrily demanded. “If you ever loved me, you would make this asshole let me go.”

Auslin whipped around with outrage. “How can you make threats to my happiness in one breath and then try to invoke my love in another? Do you have no shame?”

“The only shameful thing is that you betrayed me and mated my bastard half brother!” Kio shouted.

“You are in no position to talk about shameful behavior when you’re locked up in a cage because of your own cruelty,” Auslin shot back in rage.

“When I’m done destroying this bastard, you and Maseo are next,” Kio yelled. “I’ll fucking kill you all!”

When Kitsuki’s dragon appeared, Auslin reached out through their bond to calm him. “Don’t,” Auslin requested. “He’s not worth it.”

“Even now, he still spares your worthless existence, you unworthy ingrate,” Kitsuki’s dragon hissed at Kio.

He followed Auslin toward the exit. Kio continued yelling threats at them as they walked up the stairs. It startled Auslin when Kio suddenly howled in pain. He suspected it had something to do with Kitsuki’s dragon, but for once, he turned a blind eye.

By the time they returned to their room, Kitsuki’s dragon had retreated. Kitsuki watched his mate with concern. “Did you get the closure you wanted?”

“I don’t understand how he can say he loves me and then turn around and threaten me!” Auslin threw his hands up in frustration.

“He can say that because he does not truly love you.” Kitsuki gathered Auslin into a hug. “He is trying to punish you with his lies. It pains me to see he is succeeding in hurting your heart.”

Auslin leaned into the comfort of Kitsuki’s embrace. “I know it was unrealistic to expect him to repent and leave peacefully. That’s never been who he is.”

“Indeed, it is not.” Kitsuki caressed Auslin’s back to soothe him.

“And now I feel like an awful person because I’m relieved he’s locked down there where he can’t hurt us,” Auslin whispered in anguish, the guilt eating away at him. “I know you will keep me safe, but if he got to Maseo first, I can’t even think about what he’d do to him.”

“Do not give him this victory over you. He does not deserve another second of your attention or concern.”

Auslin knew he was right, but it was impossible to turn that part of his heart off. “How am I ever supposed to be okay with knowing he’s locked away because of me?”

“He is in the dungeon because of his own violent stupidity,” Kitsuki firmly insisted. “Only your kindness has kept him alive this long.”

Auslin pulled back to look up at Kitsuki questioningly. “Would you really kill your own brother?”

“After everything he has put you through, that disgusting miscreant doesn’t deserve to live.” Kitsuki’s eyes flashed silver with his dragon’s anger. “I have killed men for far lesser offenses.”

Doubt set in for Auslin. “Maybe killing him would be the greater kindness than a lifetime of solitude chained up like an animal.”

“All it takes is a word.”

Auslin hid his face against Kitsuki’s chest. “Even after everything Kio has done, I can’t be okay with that.”

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