Mate Test (7 page)

Sparrow rushed through the room with the quick

birdlike movements that earned him his nickname. They'd

used it so long that Naron couldn't remember the man's real

name if asked.

"I'd like you to bring me one servant from each

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consort contestant. Bring me their manservant."

"Who do you want from the duke's pack?" Sparrow

smirked. It was a source of amusement to the page that Tor

had so many men.

"Bring the older gentleman. I think his name starts

with a P."

"Pietro. Yes, that's a good choice," the page said

then blushed when he realized he was confirming Naron's

pick. "I-I'll just go get them one at a time."

When the page left, Naron went back to his

paperwork to wait until the first servant entered. It was a

common fact; to know the master you ask his people.

Two hours later he learned that Gallywyn was a

sweet if scatterbrained master, Mell was a hard but

relatively fair man, and that Torrance could do no wrong

even if he rolled Pietro in oil and set the man on fire.

His exact words.

Naron sighed and rubbed his eyes. It was time for

bed. He wondered how Tor spent his night and if he had

any company. There weren't any rules about having sex

while in the contest, but he hoped Tor wasn't seeking relief

with any of his people.

Naron changed into his sleep clothes. He always

slept in comfortable pajamas because he never knew when

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an emergency was going to pull him out of bed.

* * * *

Naron was having the strangest dream. Tor was

calling for him. He couldn't see the man because of the fog,

but he could hear his voice.

"Come to me, my love," Tor called to him, which

was strange since he didn't even know if the man felt more

than a mild attraction. Naron certainly wouldn't expect to

be Tor's lover until they got to know one another better.

Still, Naron was drawn to the sound of Tor's voice

and the longing held in those sensuous tones. He wanted to

be the man's lover, badly.

In his dream he searched for Tor blindly in the fog.

Was this how Tor felt in his daily life, unable to see and

uncertain of his surroundings? Sympathy for the beautiful

man filled him.

As he walked, he thought he heard voices, but the

sounds were faint and far away. He ignored them, knowing

that he would soon reach Tor. He carefully walked through

a doorway and up to a bed. Tor was asleep, making Naron

wonder who had called him. Exhaustion dragged him

down. Yearning for rest and comfort, he slid into Tor's bed,

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and resting his head on the man's bare chest, wrapped his

arm around Tor.

* * * *

Tor was having the most wonderful dream of lying

in Larien's arms again. His lover's mouth brushed his in a

tender kiss, softer than any he remembered.

Memories of his lover's death started him

struggling.

He almost panicked. There was no way his guards

would let anyone harm him during the night. It was one of

the reasons he had round-the-clock guards. He mentally

reached out to his dragon.

"Baroy."

"Yes."

The dragon's immediate response made Tor

suspicious that the creature had been expecting his call.

"What did you do?"

"You have been unhappy. I got you what you

wanted."

Tor would've argued, but at that moment, the body

lying on his shifted. A hard body wrapped in silky fabric

slid across his naked chest, scattering his thoughts to the

stratosphere. Damn Baroy. He must've transported the king

to Tor's bedroom.

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"My beautiful man." The whisper in his ear made

him harder than a Trillion diamond. A soft kiss on his

cheek made him groan.

He wasn't sure Naron knew where he was or what

he was doing. Baroy had the ability to cloud a man's mind.

Tor had only experienced the dragon's effect a few times

when it had been used on his enemies. That he did it now

on the king was curious, but with Naron pressed against

him, Tor couldn't get his brain to function enough to stop

the other man.

Naron's mouth slid down Tor's body, licking and

biting his way down to Tor's morning erection. With quick

efficient motions, he removed Tor's pants. Tor heard them

fall to the floor but gave them no mind as he felt Naron's

mouth where those hot hands were touching.

"Show him to me!"

Tor rarely insisted on his vision because it split the

bond to focus his vision on his surroundings instead of

Baroy's, but there was no way he was going to miss the

sight of Naron's mouth around his cock.

Jolts of electricity shot up his spine. Tor looked

down to see Naron up close for the first time; black hair, as

dark as space, fell around his face in silky layers, blocking

Tor's ability to see the man's face. Unable to help himself,

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Tor sank his fingers into the midnight silk of his hair and

lifted it to see. Damn, his daughter was right! Naron was

handsome.

The man's skilled mouth soon rushed Tor to his

release. He tapped the king's shoulder to warn him. The

man growled and gripped Tor's hips tighter. He wasn't

going to let go of his prize.

Tor let out a cry as Naron swallowed his seed. He

floated, his body and mind so relaxed that he barely

understood Naron's words.

"Mine," he thought he heard Naron say as a piercing

pain ripped through his left shoulder.

The bastard had bit him. His entire shoulder burned

from the bite.

"Don't move. He's marking you."
Baroy's calm

voice smothered his panic. He trusted the dragon to protect

him if the other man was truly harming him.

It still hurt.

* * * *

The fog cleared from Naron's head as he made his

mark on the man he'd claimed for his own. Slowly his

fangs retracted, and he absently licked the point of entry.

How the hell had he ended up in Tor's bed? Not that

he would change his situation, but he was curious.

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Tor's voice cut through the remaining fog. "It's all

right. Baroy brought you here." He stroked Naron's head,

sending tendrils of warmth down his spine.

"Your Grace." Pietro charged into the room with a

tray containing a cup and a small carafe of coffee, along

with a plateful of pastries. Taking in the pair on the bed, the

man gave a start. "Oh. I'd better get another cup."

The man's nonchalance about finding someone in

Tor's bed angered Naron, but he waited until the servant

left before he addressed Tor. "There will only be me in

your bed from now on," he growled. He felt insanely

possessive about the golden-haired man lying beside him.

He wanted this man to know there would be no others.

Ever.

"What if I don't want to be your consort?" There

was a hint of true anger in the other man's question. Naron

knew it was best to proceed with caution. This was a grown

man who was powerful in his own right, but even as he

gave himself good advice, he didn't follow it.

"Then you shouldn't have entered the contest."

Tor sat up, a scowl crossing his face. "Just because

you've claimed me doesn't mean I have to stay. Besides,

Jory wasn't claimed until the mark showed up on his back.

Doesn't your god have to approve your mate?"

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Naron growled. "That's for northern dragons. We do

things differently in the south. Once we find our mate, we

claim them. Once claimed, they're ours. You are mine. Deal

with it. Traditionally you will have a dragon tattooed across

your side so if another person, human or dragon, sees you

they will know you belong to a dragonkin. You will be

official when I formally claim you at court."

"What about the other contestants?"

Pietro returned, breaking up their conversation with

his presence. He placed the tray on the side table before

turning to the two men.

"Anything else I can get for you, Your Grace?"

"Get this man out of my bed," Tor said.

Pietro gave Naron a smile. "I hear the two of you

are mates now. Congratulations."

"How do you know that?" Really, they hadn't even

left the bed, and the story was already spreading.

"After so many years with the duke, Baroy

sometimes speaks to those of us who are closest to him.

Unfortunately he didn't tell me before I brought the first

tray in, otherwise I would have brought the proper

amount."

Naron could tell the other man didn't like being

wrong in his service.

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"That's all right, Pietro, he's not staying." Tor said,

shifting away from Naron. Naron reached out and pulled

him close again.

"I wouldn't want you falling out of bed," he

murmured, tucking Tor into his embrace. He ignored the

brief struggle as the duke tried to escape. Tor sighed and

leaned against him, resting his head on Naron's shoulder.

"I have never fallen out of bed."

Pietro chuckled as he poured the first cup of coffee.

"That is true. The duke is extremely graceful, but there was

that one time you spilled coffee on the ambassador of

Rielan."

"He was groping me," Tor protested. "Waste of a

good cup of coffee, and I paid for that. I still get teased for

my clumsiness."

"I noticed that didn't stop you from drinking it,"

Pietro said, handing the cup to Tor. The entire procedure

was done so smoothly it didn't look awkward. Naron felt a

new appreciation for the duke's staff. They thought nothing

of serving a man who needed a little extra service, but then

from what he'd learned, most of them had never served

anyone else.

"Some things I'm not willing to give up."

"We'll have some imported for you," Naron

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promised. The desire to provide for his mate rode him hard.

"That's not a problem," Pietro said, buttering a

croissant. He handed it to Naron with a wink. "The duke

has his own connections. In fact, his coffee man should be

here this afternoon."

"Excellent," Tor said, flashing the first smile Naron

had seen since Tor was informed he was Naron's mate.

He tore off a piece of pastry and held it up to Tor's

mouth. Those luscious lips took the food from his fingers

and licked the tips, sending a shaft of heat throughout

Naron's body.

"I'll leave you two to your breakfast and tell the

others not to interrupt you unless there's an emergency."

"You do that," Naron purred right before he gently

brushed his lips against Tor's. The man tasted like coffee

and flaky pastry, making Naron imagine how wonderful it

would be to have this every day of the rest of his life.

Although the kingdom was profitable, Naron didn't have a

servant come and wait on him hand and foot. Not only did

Tor have an overabundance of people to bring him

everything, but his clothing and manner indicated a sense

of elegance that only came from extreme wealth.

Naron could like sharing breakfast in bed every

morning with this man. Naron took Tor's coffee from his

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hand.

Tor gave a soft sound of protest, but Naron covered

it with his mouth.

"Shh. I'll give it back, but first I want to enjoy you."

The duke groaned when Naron rubbed his hands up

and down Tor's bare chest. He needed to feel his mate

against his skin more than he'd ever needed anything

before. Again, Naron felt the presence of his dragon

moving inside him. Ruthlessly, he pushed it back like the

advisor he'd talked to instructed him. Apparently Naron had

always had a dragon; he'd just needed a mate to awaken it.

Sighs came from both men when their chests made

contact.

"You are so warm," Tor said.

"It's the dragon blood."

He pulled open the side table and frantically

searched for the bottle of oil provided in each guest room.

"Yes!" he exclaimed when his hand closed over it.

"Find what you're looking for?" Tor's voice was

teasing as he stroked Naron's face.

"Yes." Naron kissed Tor.

He carefully prepared his lover by slowly pressing

in one oiled finger after another. When he was satisfied Tor

was stretched enough, he pushed his cock inside with slow

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