Page 31 of Consort of the Dragon King

“What is the problem?” Kitsuki asked as he walked to the exit with his cousin.

“Kio is causing a ruckus. I am more than happy to take care of dismissing him, but we both know he will refuse to leave until he has spoken with you.”

Kitsuki recalled his sword from his enchanted armoire, more than willing to use it to end Kio’s miserable excuse for a life.

Together, they headed to the castle gates. Kitsuki’s jaw was tight with irritation as he heard Kio yelling about seeing Auslin. It made the shifter monarch grateful his intended was blissfully unaware in their bed. Auslin was not one to wait in the wings, especially with Kio, so it was better that he didn’t know about what was going to happen.

Once Kitsuki was close enough, he gestured for the guards to stand down. Tyrian stayed close behind, always ready to be his king’s right-hand man.

Kitsuki’s tone was terse as he addressed Kio. “I believe it has been made very clear you are not welcome at this castle.”

“Too bad for you that our old man actually liked me,” Kio smugly argued. “You have no right to deny me entrance.”

“As king of this castle, Valzerna, and the head of the Ariake clan, I have every right to deny you anything I damn well please,” Kitsuki informed him in a steely voice, which didn’t faze Kio in the least. “You will remove yourself from the premises now, or else I will ensure you are permanently removed from this realm.”

“Ha, that’s awful big talk coming from you when you can’t do a damn thing to me!”

Kitsuki lifted his sword in a silent threat. “I can make you hurt in ways you cannot even imagine. This is your last chance to leave alive.”

“I’m not leaving until I’ve met with Auslin,” Kio shot back. “I’ll make him see the error in his ways so we can be together again.”

“Very well.” Kitsuki drew his sword on his youngest brother. “If you refuse to see reason, I will grant you the death you are so eager to have.”

Kio held his sword up in self-defense but was prevented from attacking when Auslin rushed up to them. “What are you two doing?”

“Permanently ridding us of this pathetic stain of an existence,” Kitsuki growled, assuming an offensive stance. Nothing good could come from letting Kio live.

“Not if I kill you first, asshole!” Kio launched a preemptive attack, only to be thrown back by Auslin erecting a barrier between them. “What the fuck, Auslin?”

“No one is fighting anybody,” Auslin angrily told them. “Stop this nonsense!”

Kitsuki never took his eyes off Kio. “It is my right to stop him from further attempts at besmirching your reputation.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to kill him!” Auslin shot back. “Kio, why can’t you accept that it’s over between us and leave me to my happiness with my fated mate?”

“Because there’s no way you’ll ever be happy with this prissy Ice King,” Kio snapped. “I’m the only person who can give that to you!”

“When was the last time you ever made me happy?” Auslin crossed his arms over his chest. “Because I sure can’t remember.”

“I’ve made you happy plenty of times! Happier than this asshole will ever be able to make you. He doesn’t even know what happiness is!”

Kitsuki snarled as his dragon came to the surface. “We have heard enough! Kio, this is your final warning to leave and never come back. Otherwise, you will leave us no choice but to end your pathetic existence here and now.”

“How serious can you be when you haven’t actually mated him yet?” Kio jeered. “You haven’t even fucked him! Is that because you’re so frozen you can’t get it up?”

It was more insult than Kitsuki or his dragon could bear. He launched himself at Kio, only to be driven back by the same barrier erected by Auslin. When Kitsuki tried to use magic to attack Kio instead, it harmlessly dissolved against the protective bubble Auslin used to separate the feuding brothers. “Auslin! Remove this barrier at once so we can rid ourselves of his odious presence at long last.” Kitsuki’s dragon was extremely displeased at being prevented from finally having justice.

“No! I’m not dropping it until you both quit trying to kill each other.”

Although Kitsuki hated doing it, the matter was too important to allow interference. His dragon warned Auslin, “We will shatter it if we must. This cannot be allowed to go on any longer. We have tolerated his insolence for the last time!”

“Fine, break it,” Auslin heatedly challenged Kitsuki. “I’ll erect another one as soon as you do!”

“You won’t have to make another barrier because I’ll already have killed him,” Kio retorted with a smug laugh. “You’ll never be rid of me, Auslin!”

“Both of you need to stop this madness. Kio, it’s over! Please move on and leave me alone.”

“It’s over when I say it’s over!” Kio snarled.

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