Mate Test (5 page)

talk to you more about this later."

"I'm at your disposal." Tor gave a short bow.

"For discussion only," Naron said, glaring at the

other man. He wasn't about to lose Tor to anyone else,

especially another consort contender.

Gallywyn gave Naron a small smirk. "Of course,

Your Highness. I wouldn't dare trespass." He looked Tor up

and down, his carnal gaze surprising in a man who

appeared so shy. "Despite the temptation."

"Let's get back to the castle for our midday meal. I

need to report this cave-in to the mine director."

"Don't take him to task, Your Highness. It was a

shifting of the earth that caused the disturbance, not poor

workmanship of the mine."

"Then he will have to work on making sure he can

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compensate for the shifting earth, won't he? We were

almost killed down there. That isn't acceptable."

Naron's heart pounded when he realized the

ramifications of losing Tor in a mineshaft. What if the duke

became separated and couldn't get help? A blind man

buried alive in a mineshaft was enough to make Naron

break out in a cold sweat.

"You aren't allowed to go into the mines without a

guide. That goes for everyone," Naron said, making sure

the others saw his expression. "After what just happened,

I'm having all of them inspected before we do any more

tours."

There was a round of nods from the others.

"Would you like Dillon to consult with you?" Tor

asked. "He's Crillon's twin. He has a specialization in

planetary movement and structure."

"I didn't know there was such a thing," Naron said.

Tor smiled. "My men all get to choose a specialty

when they come and work for me. Dillon has always been

fascinated with the earth while Crillon here is more of an

above-ground kind of man. He studied weather patterns and

animal habitats."

The pride in Tor's voice told Naron that the duke

not only offered an education to his employees, he actively

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supported them. No wonder his people adored him.

Education was expensive and shifters rarely had the

means to educate themselves. Their planets were too

primitive to support formal schooling, and it was unusual

for them to leave their homes.

Crillon gave Tor an adoring look and stroked the

duke's head. "His grace has given my brother and me many

great opportunities."

"If you don't remove your hand from his hair, your

brother can examine the ground at your burial site."

Crillon bared his fangs at the King, but he stopped

stroking Tor's hair.

Shaking his head, Naron motioned for everyone to

board the hover craft. "Let's get back to the castle and have

a bite to eat."

* * * *

Tor took another bite of the flaky pastry and gave a

little hum as he licked his lips. The king's chef was a

master. Tor tilted his head to the right, a silent indication he

wanted whoever was on wait service during the meal.

"Yes?" Sally's voice spoke in his right ear.

"Give my regards to the chef and tell him this is

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some of the best food I've ever eaten. Also, find out if he

can be bribed away."

"Tor!" The king's tone of outrage made him smile.

Sally giggled. "I'll see what I can do. The usual

package?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe you're going to try and steal my

chef," Naron growled.

"I heard once that all is fair in love and war." Tor

smiled. He'd smiled more today than he had in the past two

years. As much as he didn't want to be a king-consort, there

was definitely something compelling about Naron. The

king's rich voice and sense of humor appealed to Tor more

than any man he'd met since his lover died.

Tor imagined he could still taste the king's flavor on

his lips. Damn if he didn't want another taste. Would it be

outside protocol if he pounced on the man? After all, one of

these lucky bastards would get Naron for life, so why

shouldn't Tor at least get a taste before he left?

The thought of Naron spending each day and night

with another man in his bed unsettled Tor.

"That's because he's the one,"
an insidious voice

said inside his head.

"Shut up, Baroy!"

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"You just don't want the truth because you're afraid

of losing another lover. Trust me. This one will be much

harder to lose. Dragonmen are a hardy breed. After all,

they are distantly related to me."

The smugness of his dragon made Tor want to

punch him.

"Temper
." Baroy's voice mocked him.

"I thought you liked the food." Naron's concerned

voice startled Tor.

"Sorry, what?"

"You're frowning over your food. I was wondering

if you decided against stealing my chef."

"No. I was frowning over a different matter. I'm still

enthralled by your chef."

"I'd rather you were enthralled by me," Naron said

in a low voice.

"Your Highness." Lord Mell's voice broke into their

conversation. "Could I get your opinion on something?"

"Of course." Noran brushed Tor's cheek with his

lips, and whispered, "I'll see you later."

Tor decided he didn't like Lord Mell. There was

something in the other man's voice that made him uneasy.

This was the type of man who would take Naron for

everything he could then break his heart. It was in the

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king's best interests if Tor eliminated the other man from

the running before he left. Maybe Naron would be better

off with Gallywyn or Cant. He made a mental note to get to

know the other two better, to determine which would be

better for the king. They were both sitting on the far side of

the table so he didn't have a chance to interact with them

this evening, but he didn't like the thought of Naron being

left with the creepy Mell guy when Tor left. The king

seemed like a nice man who was following traditions to

find his mate. Tor was a strong believer in the traditions of

his people. He wondered why they didn't do a mate hunt

like Jory's kingdom. He made a mental note to ask the king

the next time he wandered by.

"Its time for your phone call, my duke," Dillon

whispered in his ear. The change from Crillon to his twin

indicated the changing of the shift for the night. The twins

never slept well if Tor was still up, feeling it was their

responsibility to look after him. They took their duties to

him seriously. Since he'd saved them when they were

kittens, they never let a day go by when one of them didn't

stay by his side.

Tor wrapped his hand around Dillon's arm and

allowed the other man to help him rise.

"Leaving so soon?" Lord Mell's voice was rich with

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satisfaction, as if by Tor leaving he'd given up all rights to

the king.

"Yes. I must make a phone call." Tor was careful to

keep all emotion out of his voice. It wouldn't do to make

the man think he was getting an edge on him. Lord Mell

struck him as the type of person who would exploit

anything.

"And what phone call is so important it tears you

away from your future consort?"

"Want me to kill him?"
Baroy's voice whispered.

Tor smiled, knowing that the sleazy man would

think it was for him. "That would be personal business.

Good evening."

* * * *

Naron watched Tor leave with his entourage. The

group that followed him got larger the longer he stayed.

"How many people does he have with him?"

Gallywyn asked, coming to stand beside Naron.

"I'm not sure." He grinned. "I don't know if he even

knows."

Naron was startled when his page marched into the

room. Sparrow's cheeks were flushed, and his eyes flashed

with rage. "He did it. That pilferer convinced the chef to go

back with him."

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Naron started laughing and couldn't stop. He wasn't

upset about his chef. He had no intention of Tor leaving his

kingdom so there was little worry that he'd lose his prized

chef. He had to give Tor credit. He got what he wanted.

Naron just hoped the man wanted him.

"What is the next test?" Lord Cant asked. Lord Cant

never said much, and he wasn't as aggressive as Lord Mell

or as beautiful as Lord Gallywyn and completely lacked the

duke's magnetism. He was just what he appeared to be, a

mild-mannered gentleman who was there because his father

had sent him. If he wasn't there under duress, they could've

been friends.

"Minerals. I will ask you to identify different types

of stones. It is a key component as my spouse needs to

know the different elements that are traded as

commodities."

A smile spread across Lord Mell's face. "I don't

think that will be very challenging for those of us who grew

up here. We'll have the edge over the pretty duke."

Naron had to remind himself that it would hurt his

reputation if he punched out one of the consort contenders,

but inside, he made a vow that even if Tor didn't work out

for whatever reason, he would never choose Lord Mell.

There was slyness in the man's eyes he didn't trust.

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* * * *

Tor let Dillon take him back to his room. It was late

and time for his phone call to his children.

"Alexandra is on first," Pietro said, placing the

holographic projector on the table so Tor's image would

transmit clearly if he sat on the bed.

"Good evening, Papa." Alexandra's bright voice

soothed Tor's jangled nerves. He didn't even know he was

tense until the sound of his daughter released it from his

shoulders and back.

He loved his children.

"Good evening, poppet. How was your day?"

"I had a vision," Alexandra said. Tor listened for

any sign of anger or fear but didn't hear any. His little girl

was a powerful seer, and sometimes her visions were

terrifying for someone her age. She went to the seer temple

once a week for help and discussion with the head seer, but

Tor refused to allow her to be put there permanently. He

wanted his little girl to have a childhood before she took on

professional seer duties. If Tor had his way, her days would

be filled with candy, sunshine, and ponies. Unfortunately,

the gods and goddesses had other ideas and broke up those

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bright childhood memories with images of the future. Not

all of them were happy ones.

Alexandra's mother, Livia, supported Tor's

decisions, and together they tried to make sure she had as

balanced a life as any child seer could.

"You were with a man, and you were happy."

"What?" Tor tried to focus. You'd think he'd learn

never to get distracted when talking to a six-year old. She

bounced around subjects like a hyperactive rabbit.

"I saw you last night in my vision." Her voice

sounded low and dreamy. "He's so handsome, and he

looked at you just like Larien used to."

Alexandra had also suffered when Larien died.

She'd only known him by brief visits and holographic calls,

but the pair had bonded. Tor thought she was mostly upset

that she'd had no vision of his lover's death. Larien had died

when the spaceship he was traveling in came out of warp

and hit an unexpected meteor. He'd been going to visit his

parents for his monthly visit. Two years later, Tor still got

presents from Larien's parents on his birthday, and he sent

them flowers on the anniversary of his lover's death.

"What did he look like?"

"He had dark-hair and pretty blue eyes. He was

quite handsome but not as handsome as you, Daddy," she

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said in a burst of loyalty. "There was the shadow of a

dragon around him. I think he can shift."

Tor shook his head. "If it's who I think you're

talking about, I heard he couldn't shift."

"Maybe he just needs the right reason," Alexandra

said.

"Maybe. Now were there any other visions we need

to discuss?"

"Nope. Let's talk about my new pony."

For the next few minutes Alexandra and her father

discussed her studies, which were light in deference to her

age. They idly chatted about her time at the seer house and

how pretty the flowers were in the garden and, of course,

her new pony.

A bell chimed, stopping the little girl midway

through her sentence about a blue butterfly she'd seen that