Born of Fury

CHAPTER 33

Dancer carried Sumi to the part of the conservatory that housed the pool. His grandmother walked beside them with Kalea in her arms. While Sumi felt a little ridiculous about needing to keep her eyes on her daughter at all times, she couldn’t help the physical pain that pierced her whenever she couldn’t see her.

But what stunned her was the number of kids who were playing here. Kiara and Nykyrian had brought their entire brood over. All four boys and both daughters.

Thia came running as soon as she saw them and hugged Sumi. Her face brightened at the sight of Kalea in her great-grandmother’s arms. “Oh my gosh! Is this the infamous Tara Kalea? You are a great beauty, aren’t you?”

Frowning, Kalea hid behind her great-grandmother’s shoulder and eyed her warily.

In total understanding, Thia smiled wider. “I’m your cousin, Thia.”

Kalea stared at her as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was hearing. “I have a cousin?”

“You have lots of them.” Thia spread her arm wide to show not just her siblings, but Devyn, Terek, Lil, Cezar, and Jayne’s two daughters and son. “See all those kids?”

She nodded.

“They’re all your cousins.”

“Even Lil?” Kalea breathed.

“Even Lil.”

With a pair of round, excited eyes, she looked at Sumi. “Mommy? Can I play with my cousins?”

“Of course you can. Just stay so that I can see you and don’t get close to the doors or windows.”

Thia gave her a knowing stare. “I’ll stay with her.”

“Thank you, sweetie.”

She inclined her head before she took Kalea off to meet Thia’s brothers, who were playing with Devyn and Sway, and the rest of the Sentella clan.

Dancer set her right beside the pool and sand area where the kids were playing. It was only then that she realized how vigilant everyone was. And the fact that there were a large number of royal Andarion guards patrolling the premises.

It made her feel better to know she wasn’t the only one who was overly cautious.

Dancer pulled a chair up beside her. “Would you like something to eat?”

“Sure. Where do I go?”

“I’ll get it.” He jerked his chin toward a long buffet table that had been set with all kinds of choices. “Just let me know what you like.”

She gave him a hot once-over. “What I really want isn’t on that table.”

He blushed sweetly. “Might be messy, but I could arrange that.”

She laughed at his dry sarcasm, though a part of her wasn’t joking. She’d much rather munch on him.

With a sleeping Terek attached to his chest in a baby sling, Ture came toward her with a friendly smile. He tossed a towel over his shoulder. “I have some of everything, with a number of kids’ dishes that are Maris tested and approved.”

Sumi gave him a puzzled stare at the way he’d said that. “Maris approved?”

Ture nodded. “In spite of the sophisticated palate he claims to have, my baby has the taste buds of a five-year-old. And just because they’re picky doesn’t mean it can’t be healthy. Do you want sweet or savory or both?”

“Um… both, I guess.”

“All right. You two stay here and I’ll be right back with food for you.”

Dancer stood as Kiara came over with a very happy Zarina, and offered her his chair.

She smiled gratefully as she accepted it and balanced Zarina on her lap. “I hope the two of you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of inviting my favorite local kids’ store to the house with things for Kalea. They should be here in about an hour.”

Sumi blushed. “That was extremely kind of you, but can we cancel it?”

“Why?”

She felt her face turn even hotter. “I’m sure Kyr’s locked all my accounts. I don’t have credits without them.”

Dancer knelt beside her and took her hand in his. “Mia, you have all you need and more. There’s nothing I would deny you or Kalea. Buy whatever it is she desires.” He winked at Kiara. “Can you please call them back and say that Kalea wants to look like a fairy princess? They should bring things to make Her Fae Highness deliriously happy.”

Sumi’s lips trembled at his kindness. She still couldn’t believe the male she’d been lucky enough to find. “You are too good to be true.”

He snorted in denial. “Says the woman who has to fight a battle for me while wounded. Really don’t think I’m that big of a prize.”

She squeezed his hand. “You would be very wrong.”

Hauk smiled, even though he cringed inside. But then, her last boyfriend had tried to kill her and Kalea. Compared to that, he was a definite step up. Sad, when he thought about it.

Kissing her hand, he rose. “I’ll be right back.” He motioned discreetly for Kiara to follow him.

Once they were alone, he leaned down to speak so that no one could overhear him. “Do you know anyone who could bring clothes for Sumi also?”

Adjusting Zarina on her shoulder, she smiled. “Way ahead of you, big guy. They’ll be coming in two hours.”

“Thank you, Kiara.”

She patted his arm. “Anytime.”

He started to leave then thought of something else. “Did you request more conservative clothes for Sumi? I’m not sure I want her in typical Andarion fashions, and she’s thankfully more modest in her tastes.”

She smiled. “Don’t worry. That, too, is already done. Notice my hoo-has are never hanging out. No need in getting someone killed needlessly by a jealous assassin husband.”

Hauk laughed. “Again, thank you.”

“Is something wrong?” Nykyrian asked as he joined them.

Hauk gave him a dry stare. “We were just planning our afternoon tryst. Want to join us?”

Nyk let out a harumph. “Sarcasm like that could get you gutted.”

“And I’m sure that when I die, it will be the result of just such a comment, at just such a time.”

Kiara sighed at them both as she handed Zarina off to Nyk. “All is well. We were talking baby clothes and women’s fashions.” She pulled out her link and headed for a secluded corner.

Nyk raked a less-than-flattering stare over Hauk as he turned Zarina around to hold her back against his chest. “Women’s fashions? So you really do wear frilly pink underwear, huh?”

Hauk groaned at something that had been a long-running joke between Nyk and Darling, that Darling had only recently told him about. It’d started back when they’d first become friends. Darling had been riddled with severe panic attacks, and to get him past them, Nyk would tell him that Hauk wore women’s underpants. “I hate you.”

Taking it in stride, Nykyrian pinned one of those stares on him that saw all the way to his soul. “Seriously, are you all right? You seem really distracted.”

Yes and no. He was distracted, only in that he was hyperalert, waiting for Kyr or someone else to try and steal his happiness. “It’s…” He let his voice trail off. “I’m fine.”

Nyk studied him for a minute. “No, you’re terrified. Though I’ve never seen that look on you before, unless explosives were involved.”

“Shut up, asshole.” He glanced down at Zarina, who was bouncing and laughing happily as she drooled all over Nykyrian’s hand. “By the way, that frilly-dressed, drooling baby girl in your arms takes the badass right out of you.”

Rolling his eyes, Nyk held his daughter tighter. “Seriously, I know what you’re going through, Hauk. One minute, you’re alone in your hole. Having a pretty good life. Content with things, for the most part. Lonely at times, but you’re so accustomed to that, you don’t really think about it anymore. You only have yourself to worry over, and whatever bullshit trouble your friends get into. Then out of the blue, this amazing woman blindsides you. She adds something to your life you didn’t even know was missing. Next thing you know, she’s got her bras hanging in your bathroom, you’re eating dinner at a table in your house where you used to store parts, with silverware you didn’t even know you had, and she’s taken over your world completely. Worse, she has become your entire existence and you’re now civilized in a way you never thought you could be. And instead of alcohol-induced brawls, you live just to see the way her eyes light up when you enter her line of sight. And the fear that she’s going to be taken away is so consuming that you can’t stop thinking about it. You see enemies everywhere. Every shadow. Every whisper of wind. And if that’s not unnerving enough, you find out you have a kid who’s even more dependent on you and who means every bit as much to you.”

Nyk cradled Zarina against him. “Now, you stay with your gut in a knot, and you want to tether them to you to make sure no one can touch them, because you know exactly what your enemies would do if they ever laid hands on them.”

Hauk hated just how true every bit of that was. “How do you cope?”

“That’s the question, drey. When you find an answer, please let me know.”

He shook his head.

“Honestly,” Nyk continued. “The only thing that keeps me going is the memory of what it was like without them.” He kissed the top of Zarina’s head. “There are days when I feel like I’m barely hanging on to my sanity. When I wonder if I did the right thing by bringing them into my hostile world. Then I feel like a selfish asshole for it.” He looked down at his daughter and smiled at her. “But truthfully, I can’t imagine going back.” He held Zarina up to Hauk’s eye level. “If I have to lose sleep, I can’t think of a better reason than this little face.”

He gave Zarina a lopsided grin. “She is a cutie, even if she does keep springing leaks all over.” And right now, she was going to town on Nykyrian’s thumb.

Pain hit him so hard as he tried to think about what might happen to Sumi and Kalea. “I don’t know if I can let her step into that ring tomorrow, Nyk. Dariana’s a nasty bitch, and highly trained.”

“From what I saw, Sumi’s no slacker. Anyone who can take the chunk out of Kyr that she did is more than equal to the challenge. Kyr might be psychotic, but he’s never been weak or unskilled.” Nyk clapped him on the shoulder. “You know we won’t let anything happen to your family. Not after everything you’ve done for ours. Breathe, Hauk. Have faith.”

Ironic, coming from a male who’d been a devout atheist until Kiara had entered his life. She had changed so much about Nyk, and not in a bad way. She’d taken a savage beast and tamed him. Taught him humanity. While Nyk had always been loyal to his friends, he hadn’t been long on compassion, and a discussion like this one would never have happened ten years ago.

Now…

Hauk glanced back at Sumi, who was sampling the food Ture had brought for her. Her long blond hair was plaited and fell over one shoulder while she smiled up at him and chatted. Overwhelming love and fear consumed him. “God help me, Nyk. I can’t lose her.”

Nykyrian glanced over to Kiara. “I know. But it’ll be fine. We have your daughter, and we will find the traitor and deal with it. The entire Andarion army and armada are at your disposal. Not to mention The Sentella and Tavali… and now Phrixians.”

Kiara came back to take Zarina, who was starting to fuss. “Daddy ignoring his baby girl?” she asked in a high-pitched tone. “Shame on him.” She blew air against Zarina’s cheek, which made the baby laugh before Kiara headed toward Sumi.

Nyk wiped his hand off on his pants leg. He started to say something, then he cursed.

Before Hauk could ask what was wrong, Nyk took off at a dead run. His heart stopped in fear of an unknown attacker, until he saw his friend rush to one of the columns where Adron was quickly climbing up, out of reach.

Nykyrian snatched his son down. “What are you doing?”

“Jayce said I couldn’t make it to the top. I was showing him he was wrong.”

Growling, Nykyrian tossed his son over his shoulder and held him upside down by the legs. “I swear on my life, I could lock you both in a padded room and you’d still find something dangerous to do.”

Hauk laughed as he grabbed Adron from Nyk’s hold and swung him around. “You making your dad crazy again?”

“Toss me, Uncle Hauk!”

He threw Adron into the air and caught him. As he started to do it again, he saw Kalea running to her mom… holding Jayce’s hand.

“Look, Mommy! Jayce made me a flower crown like a princess. He says I’m the prettiest of all!”

Raw, unmitigated anger tore through him as he set Adron down and glared at Nykyrian, who was laughing over it.

Sumi jerked around at the sound of an inhuman cry. One second, Dancer was staring at Nykyrian. In the next, he’d pulled out a small stick and extended it into a staff.

Nykyrian did the same as the two of them went to war.

Literally. She hadn’t even known they were armed. Gaping, she watched as they assaulted each other with seasoned ferocity and skill. It was impressive and terrifying.

“What’s going on?” she asked Kiara.

Kiara let out an irritated sigh. “Who knows? They do that sometimes. One says something and the other draws a weapon or throws a punch. It looks serious, but they never really hurt each other. I’ve learned to ignore them and let it go.”

But Kalea didn’t. Screaming and sobbing, she ran at Nykyrian, who narrowly missed striking her.

That distraction cost Dancer, as Nykyrian’s staff caught him on his chin and busted his lip.

“Don’t you hurt my daddy!” She grabbed Nykyrian’s leg and bit him hard enough to draw blood.

Dancer quickly pulled her back. “Lee-lee, it’s fine. Daddy and Uncle Nyk were playing.”

Still, she sobbed uncontrollably.

Dropping his staff, Dancer cradled her against his chest and wiped at the blood on her lips. “Shh, sweetie. It’s all good. Really.”

Nykyrian knelt down and placed his hand on her head. “We didn’t mean to scare you, Kalea. It’s how we play with each other.”

Sniffling, she picked her head up from Dancer’s shoulder to glare at Nykyrian. When she spoke, it was in short, staccato breaths as she struggled to calm down. “You weren’t trying to kill my daddy?”

“No. I love your daddy. He’s my little brother.”

She continued to gasp for air as she looked up at Dancer. “Your lips are bleeding where he hit you, Daddy. Please, don’t die!”

“It’s just a busted lip. I’m not going to die. Really. I get them all the time.” He wiped the tears from her face. “Don’t cry, Lee-lee. We won’t play fight anymore.”

“Okay.” She wiped at her nose before she scooted away from him.

Hauk frowned as he watched her return to Jayce and Adron, who led her to the sand to play. How weird that would upset her when she’d been so brave the day before. He met Nyk’s apologetic stare. “Is that normal?”

Nyk shrugged. “My kids have never done that. But then they’ve grown up with us sparring against each other. And they’ve seen us both bleed a lot worse than your lip. Sorry about that, by the way.”

“Don’t be. I’m the one who started the fight and dropped his guard.” A bad feeling went through him as his thoughts returned to Kalea’s outburst. “You don’t think they would have had her around death matches at that age, do you?”

He gave Hauk a droll stare. “It’s The League. I wouldn’t put anything past them.”

Neither would he. But one thing was clear. There was no way Kalea would be able to attend the match tomorrow and watch her mother fight Dariana. Unlike Nyk, that bitch wouldn’t be so kind or understanding if Kalea bit her.

Hauk glanced down at Nyk’s leg. “You know you’re bleeding. Right?”

“Yeah, I know. Your daughter has an amazing set of teeth.” Clapping him on the back, Nyk went to Syn to have him stitch it.

Hauk licked at his busted lip as he went over to Sumi, whose brow was creased with worry.

“Did she draw Nykyrian’s blood?”

He nodded. “She was scared.”

“Is Nykyrian all right?” Kiara asked.

“Yeah. Hell, I’ve bit him worse than that in a fight.”

Kiara let out an irritated noise. “I’m going to check on my husband and try not to think about how true that statement is.”

He wiped another round of blood from his lip.

“Are you okay?” Sumi asked.

He nodded. “It caught a fang. Bleeds a lot worse than it hurts.”

“Why did you go after Nykyrian like that?”

Cursing in Andarion, Dancer narrowed his gaze on Jayce as he picked a bouquet of flowers for Kalea to match the crown he’d made her. “That! Right there!” He jerked his chin at them. “Before I met you, Nyk cursed me to have a beautiful daughter. Bastard! I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again.”

Sumi laughed at the anguished look in his eyes as he watched the children, who were being absolutely precious together. Jayce was taking care of Kalea as if she was his little sister. But it was more than that. “You really do think of her as yours, don’t you?”

Hurt and fear mixed in his red eyes as he locked gazes with her. He swallowed hard. “I know she’s your daughter, Sumi. I didn’t mean to presume anything, or trespass. Sorry.”

In that moment, she wanted to kick the snot out of Dariana for her cruelty to him over the years.

“Dancer,” she chided as she realized the source of his fear. She reached out and took his hand into hers. “Sweetie, that’s not what I meant. At all. I want you to think of her as yours. It means more to me than you’ll ever know that you’ve accepted her so thoroughly.”

He kissed her hand then rubbed it against his goatee as if he savored her touch as much as she relished his. He wasn’t one to really talk about his feelings, but she saw them in what he did. She saw them every time he looked at her.

“My fierce warrior,” she breathed.

That brought a smile to his lips. “My fierce Ger Tarra.”

Eleron appeared by his side. “There is a group of two males and a female who are seeking you, Hauk. They say that they’ve brought clothing for your daughter.”

“Bring them here, please.”

“As you wish.” Eleron vanished.

Clearing his throat, he left her to fetch Kalea.

Sumi choked on unexpected tears as she watched that sexy, loose-limbed gait. She would never get over the way he looked whenever he cradled Kalea. Their daughter was so tiny in his muscular arms and he was so gentle with her. So kind.

He rode her back to Sumi on his shoulder where she squealed in delight. Then he flipped her over and sat her next to Sumi’s side.

As the Andarion store clerks came in, Dancer left them with his grandmother, Desideria, Zarya, and Maris. They were quickly joined by Kiara, who made the introductions, and then Ture, who wanted to help pick out clothes.

Sumi had expected them to bring a small bag of clothing. Instead, they had four huge trunks to choose from.

Kalea and Lillya both gasped at all the fae and glitter items, and they tried on different shoes and accessories. There were even matching clothes for Kalea’s doll.

“Mommy!” Kalea gasped as she saw one red dress that was ankle length with a poofy embroidered skirt and beaded neckline and matching sweater. It was, by far, the most beautiful gown she’d ever seen. “It’s a princess dress. Can I have it? Please!”

Biting her lip, Sumi hesitated. She looked for a tag to see the price, but there wasn’t one on it. “How much is it?” she asked the clerk.

He smiled warmly. “Gersen War Hauk had us remove all tags. He wants you and your daughter to buy what you like without worrying over the cost. He was quite explicit that we not dampen your happiness in any way, and that we outfit his daughter like a fae princess.”

Kalea gave her the most adorable begging face.

“Then I guess you can have it, sweetie.”

Kalea squealed as she hugged the dress to her and danced around the chairs.

Sumi pressed her lips together, enjoying the sight of her daughter’s excitement while they picked out the rest of Kalea’s wardrobe. She wished Dancer was here to see it, too. Especially since it was his kindness and generosity that made Kalea so thrilled and happy.

By the time they were done, Kalea had more clothes than Sumi could have dreamed of. She kept trying to say enough, but the other women, and Maris and Ture, came up with reasons and occasions that required more and more.

Giggling, Kalea rolled around on top of her new wardrobe like a happy little piglet.

Dancer finally rejoined them. He arched a brow at her actions. “What are you doing, Lee-lee?”

She sat up with a gasp. “Daddy! Look at what all I got!” She turned to show him the tulle wings on her back before she twitched and wiggled her bottom to make them flap. “They made me a fairy princess! And… and me and Lil got matching dresses, and me and Mommy got matching dresses, and me and my dolly got matching dresses, too!”

Picking her up, he rubbed noses with her. “So you like them?”

“I do!” She lifted her foot. “See my red shoes. Aren’t they pretty! Aunt Mari said he has some the same color.”

Dancer glanced over to Mari. “I think I’ve seen those shoes.”

Maris winked at him. “Where should we stash all her new things?”

“The room that adjoins my bedroom. El can show you the way and open it for you.”

Maris nodded then turned back to Sumi. “Don’t worry. We’ll get this all put away for you. Come, come, everyone. Let’s tuck our girl into her new room.”

“Can I go, too, Daddy?”

He looked at Sumi. “Are you okay with that?”

She nodded. “Don’t be long, though, and stay with everyone.”

“Okay!”

He set Kalea down so that she could take Lillya’s hand and skip along with the rest to her new room. Then he knelt down by Sumi’s side.

She cupped his cheek in her hand. “Thank you.”

He inclined his head to her. “Did they please her?”

“You should have been here. She was deliriously happy.” But there was a strange shadow haunting his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Dancer offered her a kind smile. “Nothing. I should keep an eye on Kalea. I’ll be back in a few.”

“He spoke to his mother,” Fain said as soon as Dancer was gone. Sitting down next to her, he handed her a glass of juice.

Sumi tried to understand why a talk with his mother would hurt Dancer so much. And she didn’t miss the fact that even though the female had birthed them both, Fain didn’t claim her. “Why’s he upset?”

“Both she and his father are planning to sit with Dariana’s family tomorrow. And Dancer’s furious and hurt about it.”

Sumi snorted at their mother’s stupidity. “He shouldn’t let that upset him. I don’t care where they sit.”

Fain swallowed his drink before he sighed. “Easier said than done, Sumi. It’s another slap in his face that he really didn’t need. They know he loves you, and yet they’re supporting a female who has done nothing but insult and humiliate him since he was a boy.”

A furious tic beat a steady rhythm in his jaw as he watched the boys and Vik playing at war in their sandbox. “You’ve never seen an Andarion unification ceremony. The bride and groom are practically naked when they make their Disclosures. The male comes out and kneels so that the bride can inspect him.”

A chill went down her spine at what he described. “Inspect him, how?”

“She walks around his body and looks him over. If he’s acceptable, she nods to the priest to continue the proceedings…” His voice trailed off as his tic picked up its rhythm. “Dancer was only eighteen the first time he went before Dariana, in good faith. You’ve seen his body. You know how scarred up he was, and those scars were still fresh, then. There he stood and knelt, just a kid, in front of his entire family and hers with his whole body visible for all to see – including the marks his mother had given him as chastisement. It was the last thing he wanted to do. He knew Dariana hated him, and that everyone would sneer over the condition of his body. Yet he went forward with it so that he wouldn’t shame his parents. A decent female would have simply shaken her head no, and been done with him. Instead, Dariana sliced open his back, leaving him to bleed at the altar, and walked out in the middle of the ceremony.”

Sumi ground her teeth as rage clouded her vision. “What did your parents do?”

“They left him, too.” Fain set his drink aside. “Alone, he went and dressed, while his back bled, and returned home to find himself locked out.”

Stunned at that, she gaped incredulously. “What?”

He nodded. “Because they were embarrassed that Dariana had denied his pledge, his parents refused him access to his own home. He didn’t even have his wallet on him. All he had were the clothes on his back.”

“Did he call you?”

“He was too ashamed. He didn’t call anyone. The worst part was that his parents didn’t tell anyone he was missing. They went on with their lives like nothing had happened. Almost a week went by before Nykyrian contacted me, asking if I’d seen him.”

“Are you serious?”

Bitterness burned in his eyes as he nodded. “Nyk had been out on assignment and when he got back, he’d tried to call Dancer to congratulate him on unification. When he kept getting voicemail without Dancer returning it, he became concerned and learned what had happened. It took us a day and a half to find him.”

“Where was he?”

“Comatose, in a hospital.”

Her stomach lurched to the point she feared she’d be ill. “What?”

Fain took a deep breath before he continued. “The Enforcers had found him passed out on a bench, in the park where we used to play as kids. They’d said that he must have been there for several days before they saw him. Between exposure and Dariana’s wounds, he was barely alive. Since he had no ID on him or credits, they had taken him to a charity ward and left him there to basically die.”

Tears choked her. No wonder he loved Nykyrian so. And Fain. They were really the only family he’d had as a boy. “What’d you do?”

“We had him moved to a real hospital, and flew in the best doctor on Andaria. But I will never forget the look in his eyes when he finally woke up. It was worse than when Keris had died, or when he’d been burned. He looked devastated and broken. Defeated. And he was just a kid.”

She knew that feeling of having everything in your world tragically taken. Of being lost and angry, and wondering why you were still alive when it was obvious no one gave a single shit about you. It broke her heart that they had put him through that. “What did he say about it?”

“Nothing. You know Dancer. He’s never spoken about it to anyone. And he never went back to his parents’ house. Not even for a single pair of shoes. He hasn’t stepped foot in it since the day he left for that first unification.”

“Where did he go?”

“Since Nyk was in The League and couldn’t have visitors, he stayed with me until he had a job and a small apartment of his own. And every fucking year since then, his parents have demanded that he return to face Dariana again and again, and be put through the humiliation of public rejection.”

And that cruelty, she understood least of all. “Why?”

“Penance for Keris’s death, and the fact that his mother has been quite vocal about how no other female will have him because of his hideousness. As far as his parents are concerned, Dancer has basically been an orphan since Nyk pulled him out of that burning pod.”

“Is that why you’re so protective of him?”

Fain nodded. “My brother’s a strong male. He’s had to be to survive. And he’s not the kind of male to let others see his pain… physical or emotional. Dancer holds everything in. But I know him better than anyone, and I’ve seen the longing he’s had every time he’s around his friends and their spouses, and children. All the times he’s been sneered at by an Andarion female. It’s why he built Eleron.”

“I don’t follow.”

“He wanted to have a female who could look at him without curling her lip in distaste.”

Sumi swallowed against the pain she felt over those words. “Andarion females are morons. Any woman —”

“Sees only an Andarion male. Trust me, Sumi. I know. While they might smile at first glance, the moment they see our eyes or teeth, they cringe and run. It’s really hard on the ego, and much worse than how Andarion females behave. I, at least, have the memory of being sought after by eager females. Dancer never knew that. Not until you.”

She still couldn’t believe that, given how incredibly handsome he was. But then, she knew exactly how superficial and judgmental some people were. While she hated that Dancer had been forced to be alone for so long, she was more than grateful that she was the lucky one who’d won his heart.

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked Fain.

“I wanted you to understand exactly who you’re fighting for tomorrow. How important you and Kalea are to him, and why his parents are fucking dipshits. And while they may sit with the enemy, we will be there for you.”

She placed her hand over his and squeezed. “I love you, Fain.”

“I hope, by that, you mean in a purely platonic kind of way,” a voice growled from behind them.

Laughing, she turned toward Dancer, who eyed them suspiciously. “And how else would I mean that?”

“Good, ’cause I’d really hate to have to kill my brother.”

Fain snorted. “And I’d really hate to die, especially since you still owe me money.”

“I paid you back… didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did, but I like the doubt in that tone.”

Dancer rolled his eyes before he faced her. “I have been sent by Her Fae Highness to retrieve her mother so that she can show you her room. She has very specific ideas on how she wants it decorated, and Mari and Ture aren’t helping. They want you to knock out a portion of the roof and grow a tree or some weird shit like that.”

She laughed at his baffled expression. “Oh joy. I can’t wait.”

“Hmm… and she wants her own Vik, too.”

“Lovely. Let me go mitigate the damage before Eleron short-circuits.”

He picked Sumi up and carried her toward the stairs.

Sighing, she laid her head down on his shoulder and buried her hand in his braids, while she savored the scent of his warm skin. Her other arm was wrapped around his back so that she could draw circles against his spine.

Hauk slowed as he relished the tenderness of being held like this. Gods, it was incredible.

“Is something wrong?”

He tightened his arms around her. “No, mia.” He placed a kiss to her forehead as he carried her upstairs.

She trailed her hand from his hair to his jaw and then to his goatee that she fingered before she moved to trace his lips. “How can such a fierce, sexy beast be so incredibly sweet?”

“My enemies would beg to differ on the topic of my sweetness.”

“Then I’m glad I’m not your enemy, for I would hate to miss seeing this side of you.”

The redness of his eyes deepened before he dipped his head to kiss her.

Sumi moaned at the taste of him as he slowly lowered her legs and pulled her against him. She fisted her hands in his hair and shivered at the sensation of his fangs brushing against her tongue. He was always so careful not to hurt her.

His breathing ragged, he cupped her head in his hands and explored every inch of her mouth. Every hormone inside her fired as she ached to strip him naked.

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! You have to come see this.”

Pulling back, she looked up to see Dancer pouting.

He placed a tender kiss to the tip of her nose. “Our daughter is summoning you, munatara.” He stepped back and released her to Kalea’s custody.

When she reached the door to Kalea’s room, she glanced back to see Dancer watching them. Eleron appeared by his side and whispered something to him.

He tilted his head as anger sparked in his eyes. Without a word, he spun on his heels and headed back to the stairs with a furious stride.

Sumi had no idea what had just happened, but she could tell it wasn’t good. She was dying to follow after him, but Kalea was insistent she join her.