Page 33 of Consort of the Dragon King

Rather than acknowledging the point, Kitsuki let the matter drop. It was poor form to have such a public fight in front of his guards. “Come, let us return inside,” Kitsuki suggested, guiding Auslin by the small of his back after he agreed.

Kio’s warnings didn’t sit well with Kitsuki. But regardless of what revenge Kio had plotted out, Kitsuki knew he would be the one victorious in the end. And if he got lucky, Kio would be banished to the Beyond Realm, where he belonged.

Chapter 17

Kitsuki

Aweek had passed since the incident at the castle gates. Things had been tense between Kitsuki and Auslin ever since. It was easy to wish things could go back to the way they had been in the past, when everything was effortless in their relationship, but Kitsuki could never be Kitaro again.

Auslin was getting better at navigating his long stares and silent reactions, but it was obvious it was hard for him to reconcile Kitsuki with the Kitaro he had once known. Kitsuki could smell the guilt that ate away at Auslin over what he had unintentionally done by unwittingly going through Fate’s Gate. The shifter monarch didn’t know how to make it clearer to the mage he truly bore no grudge against him for following Sophina’s guiding hand of fate they were all powerless to resist.

Ever since Kio’s ominous warning, Kitsuki had a sense of foreboding he couldn’t explain away. Auslin could tell that something was amiss, but Kitsuki had not shared the source of his uneasiness. He didn’t want to upset Auslin when there wasn’t an actual threat he could point to as a definitive cause.He felt foolish for being unable to dismiss the nebulous feeling something bad was about to happen.

After breakfast, Auslin left to resume his training with Jaega. Kitsuki couldn’t risk Auslin not being able to defend himself against Kio if the half-shifter got the mage alone.

Before Kitsuki could take care of his daily duties as monarch, he stopped by his bedroom to pick up the drafts he had drawn up the previous night while Auslin read.

His thoughts were solely on his work as he entered his room to gather his documents from his desk. It was why it startled him when he felt an all too familiar and unwelcome presence join him in his room.

Nasume strutted into Kitsuki’s room with a seductive expression. While the wolf shifter had grown more handsome over the centuries, his cruel streak had deepened him into a fearsome creature. He wore tight black breeches and a black jacket decorated with elaborate gold embroidery. It complimented his amber eyes that focused solely on Kitsuki. His long black hair was pulled back in a series of braids. How had Kitsuki never noticed the similarities between Nasume and Maseo in their past encounters? Perhaps it was because Maseo lacked the arrogance of his father.

Kitsuki refused to give the wolf king the satisfaction of catching him off guard. He cooly said, “You should not be here, Nasume.”

“Is that any way to greet your oldest and best friend in all the realms?” Nasume asked with a playful pout.

“You are neither invited nor welcomed here,” Kitsuki told him in his most authoritative tone. “Leave.”

“That’s the welcome I get after I came all this way to see you?” Nasume tutted as he attempted to invade Kitsuki’s personal space.

Kitsuki wasn’t interested in playing Nasume’s normal games. He grabbed Nasume’s offending hand by the wrist before it could make contact. Kitsuki crushed it almost to the point of breaking. “I am in no mood, Nasume.”

“I can change that,” Nasume purred as he ignored the pain and embraced Kitsuki with his free arm. He pressed their bodies close together with a seductive sway of his hips.

When Kitsuki forcibly shoved Nasume off him with his other hand, Nasume's eyes went wide in shock. “How did you get a new arm?”

Rather than answering Nasume's question, Kitsuki shoved him away to force distance between them. “Why must you persist in believing my rejection of you is foreplay? Have these centuries of denial taught you nothing?”

Nasume wasn’t discouraged. His amber eyes grew brighter at the challenge. “It would not be worth it if it were easy.”

“Get out.” Kitsuki wished Nasume would listen to him for once and do as commanded. “I have no time or interest in your harassment today or any other day.”

“But I can make it worth your while.” Nasume popped open his jacket collar, then each of the buttons one by one, taking a step closer to Kitsuki with each one undone. “Veryworth your while.”

Kitsuki rolled his eyes at the blatant come-on. Such antics would never tempt him. “Stop debasing yourself. Leave before you embarrass yourself further.”

“It’s cute how you always try to resist me,” Nasume mockingly said. He ran the claws of one of his hands down his chest, then over the tight muscles of his stomach. It showed off his emerald-green shifter markings, which covered his body. “You know, if you would take that stick out of your ass, I could replace it with something far more enjoyable for both of us.”

Kitsuki did not like the direction things were heading. He venomously ordered, “Leave, or I will have youremoved.”

“The only thing that needs removed is my breeches.” Nasume slid his hand down to undo the buttons on it next, then backed up closer to the bed.

Kitsuki froze when Nasume’s nostrils flared. Nasume’s outraged expression betrayed the fact he had caught scent of Auslin in their bed.

“You’ve taken a lover?” Nasume incredulously demanded, staring at Kitsuki in disbelief.

“It is none of your concern,” Kitsuki coldly replied. “Remove yourself from my presence at once.”

Nasume was clearly upset, but he continued trying to maintain a playful façade that had cracked. “If you were that hard up for company, you should have summoned me sooner.”

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