Duke is ok! I just spoke to the VET and he told me that they found no malignant cells in his test results, and that he probably has some scar tissue which explains the mass that I still feel in the area of note.
A special shout out to all my friends and family who were lovingly concerned about Duke and me. Metro (Duke's step-brother, remains un-phased, and never realized anything was going on to begin with, as usual).
I feel like I can breathe easier. How did Duke trick me into falling in love with him? I thought we had an arrangement. We were supposed to be strictly friends. No attachments. No love. I guess I thought we'd be friends with benefits. Not so much.
Huzzah for Duke!
