Tor's body went rigid beneath his cheek.
"Is he?"
Nodding his head, Jory snuggled in closer as if his big cousin could protect him from the truth. "When father told me Detrius was going to have me killed, I thought it was a ploy to get me here, but it isn't, is it? My brother really wants me dead." Blinking, he manfully kept the tears from falling down his cheeks, but nothing stopped them from filling his eyes.
Tor stroked Jory's head. "I just wouldn't have thought it about Detrius," Tor said. "I would've believed it more about that bitch he married."
"Cassitty? Why would she be out to kill me? She's always been nice when we meet."
"That's because if she told you that you were lowlife scum who was spurned by the gods for loving other men it might get back to your father."
The bitterness in Tor's voice told its own story. "She said that to you?"
"And more."
"Why didn't you say anything? I would've gone to Father." The fact that his beloved cousin was treated poorly by his sister-in-law angered Jory beyond words.
"I can fight my own fights, Jory. Didn't you hear of that unfortunate incident where someone painted her entire bedroom suite in black?"
Jory giggled. "That was you?"
"Not that I'll admit to and I paid enough to get total deniability." Tor laughed. There was a pause as both men lay in silent enjoyment of each other's company. "So, two mates, huh?"
"Yep. Can't say I don't stay busy."
The men burst out laughing. Lying next to each other like they did when they were younger and more carefree, the pair spent the next few hours catching up with everything they'd done since they last saw each other.
Chapter Thirteen
The wedding preparations were going well, and his men were settling into a routine where they didn't growl at each other in, or out, of the bedroom. Jory's near death had solidified the two royals until it was almost always his mates against Jory. He didn't mind though. He still knew how to distract his men.
Most of his relatives had arrived for the wedding, although it made for an extremely uncomfortable dinner with his mates and all of his siblings and his father. He thought for a moment his men would transform into dragons and eat them all before the evening was over.
He was a little surprised when his father was only a little overbearing in deference to the occasion. Detrius gave Jory a bland smile, but Jory still didn't feel any animosity from his brother or his sister-in-law, who brought him a fabulous pair of handcrafted boots dyed a deep blue. He was completely unprepared for what happened next.
* * * *
She was waiting for him in his rooms when he went to get ready.
"Hello, Jory." Cassitty said, her voice that perfect blend of naturally soft and finishing school training. His sister-in-law waited on his bed, greeting him in the same cordial way she always did. The only thing ruining the image of the perfect lady was the large laser pistol in her right hand. "If you were going to live past the next few minutes, I'd recommend getting new guards. They didn't even think to search a lady."
"I'll keep your recommendation in mind," Jory said in a dry voice. Mentally he had plans to kick their asses.
"Don't bother. It won't help you in the grave, but I'll make sure you have a spectacular funeral. I might even cry."
"I wouldn't want you to put yourself out." Jory scanned through different ways of getting out of this situation. He didn't think even his natural healing would fix a three-inch hole through his heart before he bled to death. "No one is going to believe I died a natural death with an enormous hole in my body."
"That's why you are going to go onto the balcony and jump."
Jory laughed. "Why would I do that?"
"Because your uncle wanted me to make it look like an accident."
Now the pieces were falling together. "It was never Detrius who wanted me dead, was it?"
Cassitty laughed, a harsh grating sound. "Your brother is oddly fond of you. He'll actually be crying real tears when you're gone. You didn't really think you could continue attacking your uncle's ships, did you? Your little antics cost us a lot."
"You and Uncle Sal?" He couldn't force the rest of the sentence out of his mouth. The idea made bile want to come up.
