Mate Test (8 page)

careful motions.

"Harder, I won't break."

Naron let out the wildness he'd unknowingly held

inside for years. This was his mate. The one he could be

himself with and not hold back.

He felt his incisors lengthen and pumped harder as

he admired Tor's lust-filled gaze. The blackness in his eyes

bled away. For a brief instant, Naron was looking into a

pair of emerald green eyes. Naron lifted Tor's legs and

changed his angle. Gripping Tor's shaft, he pumped it as

Naron flexed his hips in time with the motion.

Semen erupted from his lover, and Tor's eyes bled

back to their normal black, star-filled gaze. Groaning,

Naron followed his lover quickly over the edge. Gasping,

he pulled out of his lover and toppled beside him.

"Give me a minute and I'll clean us up."

Tor stroked Naron's head. The gentle gesture had

Naron holding back his tears. He knew Tor didn't love him

and might never be able to. During his questioning Pietro

had explained to Naron about Tor's loss and how the duke

still keenly felt the loss of his dead lover, but if Tor could at

least come to feel affection, Naron would take any scraps

he could get.

After a moment of snuggling, Naron rose and got a

71

Mate Test

Amber Kell

clean, damp cloth and wiped them both down before setting

it on the bedside table.

"That was wonderful, thank you," Tor said.

Naron pulled the duke towards him, settling Tor's

head on his chest.

"You're very welcome. You know you have to be

my consort now. I marked you."

There was a long pause that had Naron squirming

inside.

"I figured as much. Jory said that was how he was

initially marked."

"Jory? As in the northern king's new mate, Joriah?"

Tor nodded. "He's my cousin."

"I didn't make the connection when you mentioned

him before. He's a nice kid."

Tor laughed. "He's not that nice. He's got a bit of a

temper on him, but he's still one of my favorite people."

"My dragon isn't as strong as Rai's. I've never even

felt its presence until this week. I was a sleeping dragon

until you came into my life." Naron smiled to himself.

"Now I know what the others feel when they see their

mates for the first time and need to claim them."

Tor smiled his beautiful smile, and that made Naron

want him all over again. "I'm glad I brought your dragon

72

Mate Test

Amber Kell

out."

"Me too." Naron kissed Tor a long, slow kiss that

had them both moaning.

"What do we do now?" Tor asked, snuggling closer.

Naron felt a wave of happiness spread through him.

Maybe they could have a future after all.

"We make the announcement and go on with our

lives."

* * * *

Walking to midday meal, Naron couldn't stop the

smile spreading across his face as the duke walked by his

side.

Things were looking up. He'd found his mate and

for the first time in his life, he actually felt like one of the

dragonkin.

Sparrow rushed up to him, his skin unnaturally pale.

"Your Highness, I need to speak to you privately,"

the young man said nervously, shooting glances at the

duke.

"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of

Torrance. He is my mate and will officially be my consort

by the end of today."

73

Mate Test

Amber Kell

Sparrow leaned forward to whisper in the king's ear.

"It's about the duke."

* * * *

"If you have something to say about me feel free to

share," Tor said in a dry voice.

Tor wondered what had gotten the king's page in a

lather. He could tell by the stuttering and shaky tone that

the man was upset about something.

"Is there a problem?" Crillon's deep voice

interrupted.

"Sparrow feels there is something the king should

know about me."

Crillon gave a choking sound, a cat's laughter. "I'm

sure he will want to explore those things on his own."

"Trust me. He's already explored everything I

have." Tor grinned. His heart still pained for Larien, but he

was starting to think Naron could help ease away the hurt

and give him something worthwhile to live for.

"Oh, I'm sure there's plenty I haven't completely

examined," Naron offered with a soft laugh.

"Y-you might not know this, but we m-monitor all

transmissions in and out of the castle," the page stuttered,

interrupting the trio's banter.

"Good to know that you have security," Tor said,

74

Mate Test

Amber Kell

still not understanding where this was all headed.

"Did you know that his grace has a wife and kids?"

Sparrow blurted out.

"What!" Naron shouted.

"I do not have a wife," Tor countered.

"But you have children?" Naron's voice was eerily

calm.

"Of course I have children. My lineage has to be

continued."

"How many?"

"Three. I have a little girl and two boys."

He could hear the king breathing fast, like he was

hyperventilating.

Tor reached out and rubbed the man's back.

"Breathe. You're going to make yourself sick."

Naron jerked out of his hold. "Are they all from the

same woman?"

"Yes. Livia is the mother of all three." Tor drew

himself up straight. "I love my children, and if you have a

problem with that, then I guess your dragon didn't choose

so well after all."

"Don't make me the bad guy here," Naron objected,

his voice as cold as ice. "You didn't tell me you had

children and that you were involved with their mother."

75

Mate Test

Amber Kell

"What do you mean
involved
?" Tor could match the

King's coldness. He'd been a politician most of his life. "I

love Livia, but we aren't lovers and never have been. She's

the woman I picked to be my children's mother, and she is

an excellent one."

"Are you going to go back to them or are you going

to stay and make a commitment to me?" Naron asked. Tor

heard the pain in Naron's voice.

Tor took a deep breath. "I can't go back to them.

Baroy can't handle my blood ties to my children. He's a

territorial male, and if I'm with them for more than a little

bit of time he feels the need to kill them. I've not been able

to be close to them for more than a few hours their entire

lives. So no, I am not going to rush back to my home planet

and cradle my little girl in my arms or play ball with my

boys. I'm not going to dance with my best friend, who also

happens to be the mother of my children, because Baroy

can smell her genetic mixture on my children and will kill

her, too. Does that answer your questions, Your Highness?"

Naron held back his tears as he listened to the pain

in his lover's voice. To be unable to hold your children and

to lose your lover was a tremendous burden to carry. No

wonder there was so much pain in Tor's eyes.

Unable to see the man he loved standing alone,

76

Mate Test

Amber Kell

Naron stepped forward and wrapped the man in his arms.

Tor's body started to shake with sobs.

"Shh. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You have me now.

You'll always have me. Shh. You'll make yourself sick."

"I can take him back to his room," the cat shifter

offered.

Fangs burst from Naron's mouth, and he felt a

burning sensation rise from his stomach. The burn of

flames flickered in his mouth.

"No! He's mine," he said in a low growl. His dragon

was just under the surface. With slow deep breaths, he

pulled the dragon back in and buried it deep. Taking a

handkerchief from his pocket, he carefully dried Tor's tears.

"Come on, beautiful. We need to announce our bond then

we can go back to bed." He nervously swallowed. "I'd love

to meet your kids some time. I'm sorry if it sounded like I

didn't want you to be with them. I-I just didn't want to lose

you."

Tor gave Naron's shoulder an understanding

squeeze. "I talk to them every evening. You can chat with

them later."

"Great," Naron said. He almost even meant it. "If

Baroy doesn't want you near your children, will he let you

have a mate?"

77

Mate Test

Amber Kell

Tor nodded. "Apparently it is a blood thing. The

children carry my genetic code in them and trigger Baroy's

instinct to attack a person that feels like me, but isn't me.

You are my companion but we have no blood or genetic

ties so Baroy won't have a problem with you."

The pair entered the throne room to see Lord

Gallywyn and Lord Mell already seated with an assortment

of fruit and pastries in front of them.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Naron said

pleasantly. He led Tor over to the consort chair and seated

him gently. "I am pleased to announce that, after passing

every test, the duke has agreed to be my consort."

Lord Mell jumped to his feet. "No! I demand a

battle!"

"I already claimed him," Naron said with a smug

smile.

"You didn't present him at court so he's not

officially your consort and I can battle him. My dragon

against his."

"You know a space dragon can't come down here,"

Naron objected.

"Then he defaults," Mell said gleefully. "He must

step aside, and I will accept your bond. I will, of course,

have to kill the duke so your original bond won't take."

78

Mate Test

Amber Kell

Tor slowly smiled. "You might want to reconsider

that, your lordship. If my uncle finds out you killed me

without a proper challenge, he will invade and destroy the

entire kingdom. Is that what you are looking for?"

"N-no."

"What does a challenge usually involve?" Tor

asked.

"Death."

"He's mine," Naron said. Tor could feel the brush of

the other man's skin as he stepped forward.

"Yes, but everyone knows you don't have a dragon,"

Lord Mell sneered.

"Everyone is wrong." Naron's voice became deeper.

"My bond with the duke is strong enough to bring my

dragon out."

"Enough!" Lord Gallywyn shouted.

Tor tilted his head. Who knew the soft-spoken man

had it in him?

"Give it up, Mell. If they're bonded enough to bring

forth the king's dragon, then killing Tor will kill Naron, and

if your goal is really to be king-consort and not king, then

you need to step away from this and go back home. Be a

man and realize you were beaten."

"I will not be beaten by a pretty blind boy who

79

Mate Test

Amber Kell

snuck his way into the king's bed!" Lord Mell screamed.

Tor heard something whistle through the air.

Instinctively he put out his hand to stop it. The slap of a

leather-wrapped handle met his palm.

"You dare to throw a dagger at my mate!" A low

growl filled the room. Tor felt the king shift beside him and

heard the sounds of fabric tearing.

Oh shit!

"I dare," Mell growled.

Tor felt a strong arm wrap around him, pulling him

away.

"I think we want to be out of this," Crillon said as

he rushed them to the side of the room.

Low growls filled the air along with the sounds of

snarls, screams, and the slam of bodies hitting each other

reverberated throughout the room.

"How is he doing?" Tor asked.

"Not bad," Crillon answered in a distracted voice.

"Ohh. That had to hurt."

"Baroy, we need to protect my mate."

"Yes we do."

The power of the space dragon whipped through

Tor so quickly his feet left the earth for a moment.

Crillon grabbed Tor's arm to stabilize him once he

80

Mate Test

Amber Kell

landed back on the ground. "Baroy?"

Tor nodded. He couldn't speak as he assimilated the

dragon's power. A prickling sensation crawled across his

skin, and his flesh felt like it was too tight to hold in the

surge of energy filling him. His vision snapped into focus,

and he saw two enormous dragons fighting in the center of

the room. The walls were ringed with onlookers, all of who

appeared to be cheering for the king.

Baroy's vision let him know that the green dragon

was his lover and the red one was Lord Mell.

Tor lifted his right hand and concentrated. A silvery

ball formed above his palm. It grew rapidly, and when it

was the size of his head, he flung it at the pair. The dragons

flew in opposite directions.

With sure measured steps, Tor stomped over to the

red dragon lying stunned on the floor. He stopped by the

creature's head.

Baroy's ringing voice came out of Tor's mouth as he