by Toby Aden
Finc, Galen, and Ashdal all burst into laughter, and Ashdal withdrew his hands from behind him and presented Jory with a gift-wrapped box. “For you. Happy maturity day.”
“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to bring anything,” Jory said, shaking the box.
“I wanted to,” Ashdal said and then glance away from Jory, clearing his throat before glancing back at Jory. “Introduce me to your friends?”
“Oh, yes. How remiss of me.” Jory turned to Finc and Galen and then proceeded to introduce them. “Ashdal, meet his highness, Prince Galen, next in line to the throne. Your Highness, Ashdal, a friend.”
Ashdal gave a deep bow. “Your Highness. A pleasure.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Ashdal.” Galen slipped a hand around Finc’s waist, drawing the man closer to himself. “My mate has told me a lot about you.”
“Oh? All good things I hope, sire.”
Galen chuckled. “That depends on your intentions tonight,” he said, giving Jory a meaningful glance before glancing back at the other man.
“My intentions are strictly honorable, Your Highness. And congratulations on your mating,” Ashdal said.
Galen nodded. “We will leave you two to talk.”
“It was good seeing you, Ashdal,” Finc said.
“And you too, Finc. Be happy.”
“I intend to,” Finc replied, and with a nod at his friends, he allowed Galen to steer him away.
Leaving the other couple behind, Finc and Galen moved around the ballroom, mingling around. Finc soon spotted Jory’s parents and suggested that they make their greetings. With a nod of his head, Galen allowed Finc to pull him toward the older nobleman, Kirio, and his spouse, another man. The moment they spotted him though, they broke away from those they were talking with and gave him a deep bow.
“Your Highness. It is our pleasure to have you in our home.”
Galen nodded his head. “Thank you, Kirio. My warmest felicitations on your son reaching his maturity age. He may yet find his fated mate should the gods smile upon him.”
“It is our hope, Your Highness,” Jirra, Kirio’s spouse, said.
“And if I may ask, what is your opinion on a fated mate for your son as opposed to an arranged mating?” Galen asked.
“We would cherish a fated mate, Highness. A blessing from the gods cannot be ignored,” Kirio said.
With a nod, Galen turned to his own mate. “As I thought. My mate and I would be leaving shortly, and until we meet again, may the gods shine on your son this day,” Galen said, a double-edged word to spread the word that he had indeed found his fated mate and the wishes of the gods would not go unheeded.
Kirio shot a surprised glance Finc’s way until slowly, he nodded his head and a smile formed on his lips. “My congratulations, Highness, and should you need me, you have my full support.”
Galen nodded to the two men and then, with a hand at the small of Finc’s back, directed his mate to move along.
“What was that about?” Finc asked with a frown on his face.
Galen smiled down at his mate. “Do not worry, mate. All is well.”
Finc sighed. “Fine…but I’m hungry. Feed me?”
“You’re always hungry, mate. Where do you put it all?” Galen asked with a laugh.
Finc jutted his chin up. “Fast metabolism.”
Galen threw his head back and chuckled but led Finc around to one of the long tables on one end of the wall. He picked up a plate and watched his mate do the same, and then they proceeded to serve themselves at the buffet, taking only what they could finish along with a glass of wine each before moving along to find a place to sit.
Galen settled into a seat beside his mate and watched his mate devour his food enthusiastically, glad to see the man come out of his shell and become more comfortable around him. He also dug into his own food, then on a whim raised his gaze, and immediately found Jory and Ashdal dancing together on the dance floor.
“How did those two meet?” Galen asked, curious about the people around his mate’s life and the one he called best friend.
Finc glanced at his mate and then followed the man’s gaze until he spied Jory and Ashdal, a smile tugging on his lips. “It’s the most absurd thing ever. Really cliché.”
“Tell me.”
“They ran into each other. Quite literally at that.” Finc laughed. “Well, maybe to be precise, Ashdal ran into Jory to save him from a speeding oncoming carriage. We were out together, Jory and I, excited about our sales from my books and did not see the carriage coming our way. If not for Ashdal, it would have been a fatal accident.”
Galen frowned, displeased that his mate could have been hurt. “I do not like the idea of you getting hurt.”
Finc smiled and brushed a finger over Galen’s wrist, dragging it over the back of Galen’s hand before withdrawing his hand and clearing his throat. “We were not hurt, thankfully. Ashdal chewed the driver out thoroughly, then took us home, and Jory was smitten.”
“Sounds like quite a story,” Galen said.
“It was.” Finc agreed with a laugh.
From there, they talked about anything and everything, Galen regaling Finc with more stories about his brothers and their antics while growing up. Over the past few days, they had come to learn so much about each other, learning that even though they were opposites in a lot of ways, they really complemented each other and were actually good for each other.
Conversation between them flowed easily and comfortably, and after their first initial awkwardness—well, mostly on Finc’s part—they had gotten used to each other’s presence that they had been able to open up to the other.
At one point, Galen had excused himself and gone to talk with several of the noble, leaving Finc to continue his meal alone, watching his mate schmooze and charm a few of those present in the room whom he directed his attention to. A commotion at the doorway caught his attention, and when Finc saw his half-brother, Darix, his stepmother, and father step into the ballroom, he could feel his tension rising and mounting high.
Chapter Ten
Galen, on the other hand, did not notice the arrival of his mate’s family. At least not until Darix sidled up to him, fashionably presentable as always, and slid his hand into Galen’s arm. Galen had been expecting it to be his mate who took such liberties with his person, but then he saw the dark head and dark eyes glancing back at him with a perfectly fake smile gracing his lips.
He felt the eyes all on him and the confused looks on those he had been talking with mere minutes ago, but uncaring what everyone thought of his next move, Galen expertly removed his hand from Darix’s, lips thinned into a hard line and eyes cold as he glanced at the other man.
“Gentlemen, may I present to you my fiancé,” Darix said with a serene smile on his face, glancing at those standing in front of them before glancing at Galen. “We should have our first dance here, don’t you think?”
Apparently, the obtuse man did not get the message, and instead of dignifying that answer with a response, he turned an apologetic smile the other nobles’ way. “If you will excuse me, gentlemen. I must see to my mate.” And with that, Galen turned on his heels and walked away, leaving a flustered Darix behind and heading toward the table where he had left Finc earlier.
As he drew closer to Finc, Galen felt the tension drain away from him and his eyes soften as he stared at the man, his heartbeat pick up, and his smile came easily and wide across his face. He reached the man and held a hand out toward him to help him to his feet.
“Done eating?” Galen asked, dropping Finc’s hand and staring down at the plate still filled with some food left over.
Finc nodded and then smiled at Galen, apparently having seen the way Galen had snubbed Darix’s company in favor of his own. “Yes.”
“Good. I wish to leave soon, but not before I get a dance out of you. Will you do me the honor of having this dance with me?”
Finc flushed with pleasure at being asked and then nodded. “Yes, please.�
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Galen grinned devilishly at his mate and held his hand palm up, waiting for his mate to take his hand. When the man slid his hand into his, Galen swung him into his arms just as a new music began playing. He moved Finc to the tune of the waltz, dancing gracefully, expertly, and light on his feet. He made it look so good that with Finc on his arms, Finc could not help but follow the other man’s lead.
Their graceful dancing drew the attention of several other onlookers, and already, word was spreading about how Galen had snubbed Darix in favor of the other son. Even the displeased and outraged glared from Darix and Finc’s parents could not touch them. They smiled at each other as though the world was their oyster and they had not a bit of worry to dampen their mood.
It was exhilarating dancing before a crowd with his mate, but after a while, the entire world disappeared and only the two of them mattered in it. They conversed between themselves as they danced, laughing and shooting loving looks at each other. Yes, they felt strong emotions between the two of them, but neither of them had voiced it out loud. Getting to know his mate in this period without automatically jumping into mated bliss and a binding ceremony had been a welcome change.
They were very unconventional in this manner. Courting and wooing each other without the pressure of a bonding ceremony hanging over them, although they would be eager to do the ceremony the first chance they got. Regardless that they resented the holdup to them bonding officially, neither could resent the time this period afforded them as it had given them the chance to get much more close to each other.
It had also been a sort of holiday for Galen, who had, miracles upon miracles, been forced to put his duty at the back burner of his mind and enjoy simply being with his mate and exploring the town his mate had lived in and grown up in with the man. Now here they were at Finc’s best friend’s coming out celebration and lost in each other, uncaring who saw them and what anyone thought of them.
After spending a week with his mate, he could never imagine giving him up, and that was why he had his aide Sadri looking into the laws and tradition of this family. He wanted to ensure that everything that needed wrapping up was done long before Darix hit his maturity age and the family began coming up with other obstacles in their way.
For Finc’s sake, he hesitated in exterminating them. After all, they were the last link to that which Finc called family, even if he did not like them much and they did not treat his mate better. But as a last resort, he could do what needed to be done if push came to shove. Several hours a day spent with the head of the family negotiating and trying to come to an agreement had yielded nothing. He knew that they were deliberately being obstinate to buy themselves time till Darix hit his maturity years, but he could not give them the satisfaction. He could not and he would not lose this beautiful man in his arms. For the man was beautiful both inside and outside.
Galen leaned into his mate, staring at the man all the while intensely needy, and he slowly pressed his lips to Finc’s. He pulled Finc into him, closer until there was not an inch of space between the two of them. He brushed his tongue tentatively against Finc’s lips and felt satisfaction when Finc closed his eyes and melted into him. After days of resisting, he just could not hold himself back anymore.
He licked at the seams of Finc’s lips, then opened his mouth, and used his tongue to part Finc’s lips, delving his tongue into the sweet hot moist heat that was Finc’s mouth. He tasted the wine and food Finc had consumed not long ago then a taste that was entirely Finc and could not help closing his eyes also.
He pushed his tongue into Finc’s mouth, playing tentatively with Finc’s before stopping and began sucking Finc’s lips. The soft upper one he licked, he sucked, and he bit down on gently and then licked again to soothe the slight ache before doing the same to Finc’s bottom lip. Though the material of his cloth, he felt Finc plaster his hands around his back, squeezing the material of his clothes as he lifted up on his toes and pressed deeper into the kiss.
They were lost in each other and the slow biting kiss would not cut it for long. Galen knew this, but he could not give the kiss his all because some part of him, which barely maintained his sanity, insisted that he would be dooming them. It was well and good to claim Finc before all these people, but letting their passion consume them would become disastrous for them in the end. With a groan, he tore his lips away from Finc’s and rested his forehead against Finc’s.
The distressed mewling from Finc did not help his sanity anymore either. Already, the small kiss they had shared had caused heat and blood to rush straight south to his prick, and the painful hardness of it reminded him of another reason why he could not simply say fuck it all and have Finc right here, right now.
Negotiations be damned. He had been patient enough! He was not a saint for crying out loud. Tomorrow, he would settle issues one way or the other with Finc’s family. If the man was still intent on playing coy and manipulative deception, he was ready to have his head on a platter!
His patience apparently had come to the end of its rope. With that thought firmly in mind, Galen used the last of his willpower to tear himself away from his mate and step back. They were both breathing raggedly as though they had run a marathon, and quite frankly, it was painful.
Licking his lips, Galen said, his voice gruff, “We’re leaving.” And with that, he turned on his heels and marched away, Finc trailing after him in confusion and hurrying to keep up with Galen’s long strides.
“Slow down a bit,” Finc said, rushing to Galen’s side.
When Galen saw that he was going too fast for the shorter man, he slowed his pace and, with a hand on Finc’s elbow, directed them to the doorway to grab their coat and exit the building without bothering to say goodbye to anyone.
Chapter Eleven
“I have had quite enough!” Galen said, his voice perfectly chilling, and though low, the threat plain and clear in it.
Just before he was to have his daily discussion with Finc’s parents, Sadri had given him his parent’s response to his earlier letter to them. The content in it had been enough to satisfy him and support his decision and the letter from the advisors mollifying him yet tethering him from going too far too fast.
“Your Highness…” Bojore began, his face impassive and voice bored as had been his expression since discussions started between them.
Galen held up a hand, silencing the man. “I am no longer here to negotiate, Bojore. In fact, I am giving you an ultimatum. The consequences, of course, become yours to deal with. Either agree to break the contract with Darix and strongly encourage Finc to mate with me, letting him go entirely and having no more contact with him, or have me throw Darix in a ward for the inept and assume guardianship over him until such time as I deem long enough.”
Urla gasped in horror, leaning forward in her seat, face ashen, and Bojore tightened his jaw, the impassive look disappearing from his face and his hands bunched into tight fists on either side of him.
“You would throw my son into a ward for the inept? You will lose our support!” Bojore shouted outraged, jumping to his feet.
Calm as ice, as though Galen cared not one way or the other, and he didn’t, Galen held his hand out to his aide, all without looking away from Bojore. When Sadri handed the official letter to him signed by all the other advisors as well as the current king, his father, he handed it directly to Bojore, never taking his eyes off the man.
“What is this?” Bojore asked, reaching out to accept the official decree.
He read the letter and began paling with every word he read, shaking his head vigorously until he collapsed back into his seat, and all the while, Galen took great pleasure in the man’s reaction.
“Mate, what is it? What does the letter say?” Urla asked, frantic as she pried the letter from her mate’s hand.
She took began reading the letter, and a gasp tore from her throat. Tears filled her eyes, and her hand flew to her mouth to hold back a cry no doubt. Yet, never once did Galen feel an ounc
e of regret or pity for the two of them.
“What will your decision be? Choose your words carefully and know that regardless of it, the decree stands.”
Bojore looked like a man defeated with his face and hands clammy, his shoulders down in a slump and head bowed. “We will agree to break off the contract and let Finc go, Highness.”
Galen stood to his feet. “Good. I am glad you see things my way. Goodbye, and I sincerely hope you will cut off all contact with Finc. Should I find out that you have gone against this, this will be nothing compared to what I will do next.” With that, he nodded at the two, then turned on his heels, and left the study, Sadri on his heels.
“Congratulations, Highness. You finally did it.”
Galen grunted. “I had hoped they would see reason sooner.” He shook his head. “Prepare the carriage and get the men ready. We leave in a few hours.”
Sadri bowed. “Right away, Highness.” And moved swiftly to carry out his lord’s orders.
Galen hurried along the passageway, impatient to share the good news with his mate. He could not wait to see the look on Finc’s face when the man realized that they were now free to mate and bond to each other without worries for any repercussions. It was the moment the two of them had been desperately waiting for, and now that it was here, Galen wanted to rush everything.
He couldn’t wait to be mated and officially bonded to his sweet sexy mate and finally claim him the way he had wanted to since the first day he saw Finc. Over time, he’d come to love the man as deeply and even more than life itself. He wanted to give the sensitive and gentle soul the whole world. He wanted to do everything for Finc, and this was just the beginning. They had a long healthy life ahead of them, and Galen could not wait to begin it.
The first sign that something was wrong was the absence of his guards at the door. Always, he always made sure that they were guarding the door and were with Finc everywhere he went. Galen shook his head, trying not to borrow trouble. Finc might not be in their room, and that might be the reason for the absence of the guards at the door.