Page 26 of Tarek

“It should only take a few minutes at most,” Rhovan assured me.

I settled back in my chair, keeping an eye on Laura as she finished her bottle. Skye had made herself comfortable beside me, apparently exhausted by all the attention and excitement.

Xeranos spoke again a couple of minutes later. “Hang on. Give me a minute longer, I think.”

Pellan looked up sharply. “Why? Is there a problem with the sample?”

“No, no problem. I just want to check something.”

Rhovan exchanged a glance with Pellan. I sat a little straighter, suddenly more alert. Had something gone wrong with my test? I couldn't help worrying that some technical issue might mean I'd have to go through the whole process again. Then a bell chimed.

“Whoop, whoop! How's that for the universe speaking?” Xeranos announced gleefully. “The Dragonii sheriff applicant just submitted his test as well, halfway across the galaxy, and guess whhhhatttt?”

Pellan stared at the screen in front of him. Rhovan leaned closer to read it over his shoulder, and for a moment neither of them said anything. I looked from one to the other. “Is there a problem?”

“No,” Pellan said slowly, still reading the results. “Not a problem.”

“Then what is it?”

He looked up at me, and I could see the surprise on his face. “They're saying you do.”

I frowned. “I'm sorry. They're saying I do what?”

“Have a match,” Pellan clarified. “A very fortuitous one, given the positions you both applied for.”

My heart gave an unexpected thump. “A match? You mean I've got a mate?” My voice cracked on the last word.

Xeranos sounded delighted with himself. “Yes, indeed! You have a match decreed by fate itself! Don't worry. By treaty, you're already legally mated, but you have a week after meeting to seal the bond! And of course, you and Tarek Korvak can also plan a lovely wedding!”

I stared at the speaker, trying to make sense of what I'd just heard. A mate. I had a mate. Somewhere halfway across the galaxy, a man I'd never met had just become my husband under interstellar law, thanks to the treaty my government and the other governments on Earth had signed.

I barely knew where to begin. I'd come here expecting a questionnaire, a cheek swab, and the same result as 99.9999999999999 percent of everyone else. I certainly hadn't expected the universe to take one look at my DNA and declare my future settled. If I'd thought there was even the slightest chance of this happening, I'd never have considered applying for the job.

Then another thought struck me, and I looked down at Laura. The Dragonii treaty didn't just recognize the bond between mates. It extended to the children of the non-Dragonii partner. My boys and Laura would automatically be considered Tarek's children, with their adoption and Dragonii citizenship taking effect under the law. Skye would be included in the family unit, too, with citizenship of her own.

I sat very still, absorbing the implications. My children would have another legal father and a whole new place in the galaxy to call home. None of it required an application or a decision on my part. The treaty had already settled it.

Oh, God. What have I done? And there's no undoing it.

Laura was busy with her bottle, completely unaware that her future had just changed. Skye pressed her head against my knee, still hoping for another doughnut treat. I tried to laugh, but the sound came out unsteady. No surprise there. I was fighting back panic.

“A mate,” I murmured, breathing a little too quickly. “I've actually got a mate, and they've got a new dad.”

I leaned forward and put my head on my knees.

10

DARREN

No one spoke for several moments.

I felt Skye's cold nose press against my cheek, her body leaning reassuringly against my legs. I turned my face toward her, and she nudged me again, as if she wanted me to understand that she was right there with me and wasn't going anywhere.

“Darren,” Pellan said in a calm voice, “you don't have to solve your entire future today. Right now, I want you to take a slow breath for me. That's it. Don't force it. Just breathe.”

I tried. The first breath came out unevenly, and I had to swallow before attempting another.

Rhovan pulled a chair closer but didn't crowd me. “You're safe here. Nobody is going to make you do anything this minute. Your match has been confirmed, but you are allowed to take a little time to process what that means.”