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