Portal to Passion (10 page)

With his father’s sudden passing, Tor became ruler of Eximius Mundus and leader of the Isle of Avalonia. The problem of extinction was thrust upon him to find a cure. Few were blessed, found mates and reproduced. Out of those few, the rate of male births outnumbered the females. If he determined what caused the decline in female births, then maybe he’d find a way to save them. That’s what he’d thought when he first took office. But he’d had no luck.

Tor flopped into the chair behind his desk. He needed to think more clearly, piece this together. Something started this chain of events. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he mentally charted what he knew as fact from his list of problems.

The magical border between Eximius Mundus and Dystopia continually weakened. At times, it thinned to the point the
Proprius Bestia
gained access and attacked the clans. These battles were few but deadly. He sensed these instances would increase, especially if they didn’t find a way to renew the magical force field’s strength.

Tor breathed deep, setting the issues in proper order. First, protect Eximius Mundus from attack. Second, find a cure for the lack of mates. Then again, without mates for the males, it didn’t matter if the
Proprius
Bestia
attacked and took over. They wreaked total destruction to everyone and everything in their path. That way equaled instant relief from the distress of knowing of impending extinction.

Letting an all-out
Proprius Bestia
attack happen was the coward’s way out, Tor decided. And the few women who were left… He didn’t want to think what the wild beasts would do to them.

Tor sighed heavily. Did he blame the
Proprius Bestia
for fighting? No, to be truly honest, he didn’t. In their place, he’d probably do the same. And if he didn’t find a reasonable answer to the mating situation soon, he’d join them. He’d turn
Proprius Bestia
and the bear would dominate his outer shell forever. Though he liked shifting into his bear form at will, he doubted he’d enjoy being trapped inside that shape while continuing to think like a man. Madness ensued and drove the
Proprius Bestia
to attack.

Sitting upright, he flipped on his
coimpiutair
. Within seconds the large micro-thin screen glowed a brilliant shade of blue. He laid his right hand on the touch-sensitive ID pad, which recognized his essence and logged him into his files. Everything he wanted to know about Morphionian history was stored in a file.

This could take hours. Great, he decided. At least he wouldn’t think about Deveney. At the thought of her, his cock hardened and tented the front of his golden robe. Tor shifted in his seat and prayed for the strength to resist and concentrate on his work.

Tor touched the mic that lay on his desk. At the sound of his assistant’s voice, he stated, “Darwin, please contact Visuvius. I need to see him at once.”

“Yes sir.”

File after file, he searched for some form of information.
The past always plays some hand in the future.
The words of his paternal grandfather, Cornelius, whispered in his head and made him smile. He’d foreseen this problem. He noted the decline in female births several hundred years before, but no one listened.

Now they were in trouble. If only he’d…

Tor’s eyes widened. Known to be a meticulous man, Cornelius kept well-organized files. Maybe he’d left a clue in his work. When he located his grandfather’s files, he discovered an impasse. It required a password to open. A frustrated growl crossed his lips. Why couldn’t things be simple?

A tap at the door made him minimize the file as he said, “Enter.”

Visuvius opened the door and stepped inside. “Good afternoon, Tor. You called for me?”

The older man stood shorter than Tor by almost a foot. Gray speckled his jet-black hair. Small round spectacles sat perched near the end of his nose and if he sneezed, Tor thought for sure they’d fall off. Tor smiled and welcomed his maternal grandfather.

“Thank you for coming on short notice, Grandfather Vis,” Tor replied, shaking his hand.

Visuvius stiffened without releasing Tor’s hand. He took obvious deep sniffs of the air and one eyebrow arched. His gaze leveled on Tor. A knowing smile tainted his lips and brightness filled his hazel eyes.

“If this old nose is right, congratulations are in order.”

Tor opened his mouth to protest, but closed it. Even he had to admit an odd odor wafted from him. With every inhale, he caught the fragrant smell of their mating. Deveney’s essence penetrated deep into his skin and he knew it combined with his and emanated from his pores. Nothing prevented it. At least Darwin had the decency not to speak of it earlier when he’d arrived.

Tor shook his head. “Please speak of it to no one.”

Visuvius’ brow bunched and his voice was riddled with concern. “I’d think you’d be happy. What’s wrong? From the fragrant scent of you, it makes me wonder why you’re even out of your bedchamber.”

Tor landed in his high-back golden leather chair with a thump and let his head loll on the back of it. “What I tell you is not to leave this room.”

Visuvius stared directly at him as he took a seat in a smaller, matching golden leather chair across from his desk. “Grandson, you have my solemn oath. But whatever it is can’t be that bad. I’m sure it’s something the two of you can work out.”

“Maven disregarded my decree and traveled through the Mirror of Azure.”

“And that’s bad because…” Visuvius’ voice trailed. His brows lifted and his eyes widened.

“She sent a female from another dimension here through the Mirror of Azure. It’s not good to mix bloodlines. This woman is not of our world,” Tor explained in an exasperated tone. Why didn’t anyone understand the extreme possibilities such an action could have on the clans?

“If we don’t mix the bloodlines, we’re dead.” Visuvius leaned forward, placed his hands on the desk, and continued. “Tor, your father was a good, but stubborn man. Unfortunately, that stubbornness is ingrained in your genetic design. If I could, I’d invent a pill to rid you of it.”

Knowing Visuvius’ qualifications as a scientist and botanist, Tor didn’t doubt he’d do just that, if he had the time. Months earlier, Tor talked Visuvius out of retirement and back into the lab. He gave him the important task to find the reason behind the sporadic breaks in the magical boundary around Eximius Mundus.

“What happens if these women bring diseases our healers have yet to see? How do I handle the deaths of our clans from that?”

Visuvius replied without hesitation, “As a scientist, I understand this issue as a valid one. We can overcome this problem if it arises. And who says they will bring death? Sounds to me like your father speaks through you from the grave.”

Tor chose to ignore his grandfather’s statement about his father though it struck a nerve deep within him. Was he turning into his father? He prayed not as he grappled for a logical rebuttal.

“What about the high level of energy produced during the mating ritual? It’s too great a risk to these women’s safety to bring them here. You of all Morphionians should know the level of magic that flows within us. How do we handle the deaths of these women should they not survive?” Tor asked. “Where would that leave our men?”

Heat filtered through his veins as the memory of himself almost shifting during sex with Deveney returned to the forefront of his thoughts. Though he tried desperately to rein in his anger, his words were gruff. “I’ll tell you where that would leave them…mated without a mate. Which would be worse, turning
Proprius Bestia
or knowing the wonders of finding a mate only to lose her during the heat of passion?”

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Raw sexual urges thrashed through him, begging him to follow his desires.
Return to her
, whispered in his head. Tor squeezed the thick arms of his chair as he struggled to resist. Visuvius’ hand on his shoulder shot him into an upright position. Both eyes opened wide.

“I understand your fears, son. Once one loses his mate, the sex life becomes nonexistent. But I believe it’s a more tolerable life than living as a man trapped inside the beast.” His voice was calm. “Your inner turmoil is as clear as the pain on your face. Why you insist on fighting the primal need inside you is beyond me. But I am here to help you in any way I can. Listen to your heart and soul. They shall never lead you wrong. Your father’s ideals should not be your own. Once you realize that, the proper decision on this matter shall become clear and the path to salvation will show itself. I know you’ll make the right choice.”

Visuvius settled on the edge of the desk facing Tor as he continued. “Tell me about her. It’s obvious you’ve mated. Did she survive? Or is there a body in your room you need me to dispose of?”

The infectious smile on Visuvius’ face made Tor snort and a slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “No, Grandfather, there’s no body, not a dead one anyway.”

“Then tell me about your mate. She survived the mating ritual so far. That in itself should alleviate your fears and help guide you in your decision-making process. When do I get to meet her?”

If Visuvius only knew he’d almost changed during the mating. That would probably change his mind. Tor couldn’t think on it now. Before he could stop, the words spilled from his lips. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Her body is a gift from heaven that fulfills my every need. Her hair is a color kissed by the sun. And her eyes are most unusual—they outshine the Mirror of Azure in their deep-blue radiance.”

From the proud glowing look on his grandfather’s face, he knew he’d said too much. But there weren’t enough words to describe his Deveney. No. He shook his head as he regained control of his mouth. She wasn’t his.

Pausing, he attempted to calm the raging need talking about her ignited in his loins. He licked his lips, then continued in a low, controlled tone. “She’s from a place called Earth. Maven sent her through the mirror. I don’t know how to send her back and Maven refuses to answer my summons.”

“Smart woman, that Maven.”

Tor’s jaw tightened. He ground his teeth, took a deep breath, and then decided to redirect the conversation. Sending Deveney back would be his project alone.

“Let’s drop the discussion of Deveney. As soon as Maven answers, Deveney will be returned to her world. Let’s go over the project you’ve been working on. Any progress?” With the flick of his hand, he reopened Cornelius’ hidden files and motioned to the screen as he spoke. “And while you’re here, since you knew him best of all, maybe you can help me decipher the encryption code sealing Grandfather Cornelius’ case files.”

Tor watched Visuvius’ mouth open then close as the two stared at one another. The smile dissipated from his face.

“As you wish.” Visuvius’ stare seemed to bore into his soul when he stated in a concerned tone, “Tor, don’t let your pride get you killed. What Maven did was for the good of the population. If this woman survived the combining of the chakras with one of our clan’s most fierce magical beings—you—then maybe, just maybe there are others out there like her. Don’t close your mind to the possibilities. Don’t be the reincarnation of your father. You’re better than that.”

Those words cut him to the core. Anger simmered in his gut but he refused to lash out at his grandfather. Especially since a small part of him was sliding over to Maven’s side of the battle. Deveney had survived so far. But what would happen if they mated again and he couldn’t control the bear? Just the thought tore his heart to shreds. He couldn’t let that happen. He’d send her back before he’d kill her. Tor forced himself to focus on Visuvius and did his best to push Deveney out of his head.

Turning toward the
coimpiutair
screen, Visuvius added, “Let’s break this code. He kept a complete journal of every experiment he and I did and with any luck, these are it.”

Visuvius straightened, moved around the desk, grabbed a chair and dragged it back around the desk to sit next to Tor. After a second of studying the screen, he stated, “I miss Cornelius. He was the more organized of the two of us. I’d plunge into our projects and he’d keep the notes. Hate to say it, but I’ve forgotten more than I care to admit of those old studies.” His voice trailed off. “And even a few of the new ones, I’m afraid.”

Tor leaned back and listened to Visuvius ramble about the past. His grandfathers were the greatest scientists in Eximius Mundus history. Many of their experiments and inventions were still in use by the clans today. Being close to them both, he understood their differences. Cornelius was brilliant, meticulous and focused. Visuvius ranked beyond the genius mark. He tended to obsess over research projects to the point of forgetting to eat or sleep for days. Tor remembered Cornelius called Visuvius
a phenomenal mind trapped in a disorganized mess
. The two were a perfect team. When Cornelius died, Visuvius retired. It took a great deal of convincing and a bribe in the form of two young promising science students as his assistants to coax him back into the lab.

His grandfather tapped away at the keyboard and continued to chatter. “But thanks to him, we might get lucky. I seem to recall he sensed a breach in the shield centuries ago and we researched it. Hopefully I’m not mistaken and the documentation is here.”

Tor issued another silent prayer for strength as his grandfather rambled on. Fire sizzled through him, heating every nerve ending and burning the image of Deveney into his skull. He wanted her. He needed her. But until he found a way to keep from shifting during sex, he couldn’t have her.