Born of Betrayal

  Kalea launched herself from Fain's arms into Galene's. "Nice to meet you, Aunt Galene."

  Closing her eyes, Galene savored the sensation of holding a small child again. She hadn't held one this age since Talyn had been a toddler. And Kalea weighed a lot less than he had at her age. She was so incredibly tiny and delicate. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Kalea."

  She dug a handful of hard candy out of her pocket and held it up to Galene's face. "Would you like some? My brother kept most of it 'cause he said I'd eat too much and get a stomachache, but I think he's going to eat it 'cause he always does. Darry's mean that way."

  Laughing again, Galene shook her head. "No, thank you. You can keep it."

  "Okay." Kalea kicked her legs to signal she was ready to be set down.

  Galene put her on her feet and watched as she ran to Dancer.

  "Paka? Lee-lee needs a bathroom. Quick!"

  He passed an irritated smirk to Sumi. "Why does she always come to me with this?"

  With an evil laugh, Sumi held her hand out to Kalea. "Come, sweetie. Mommy needs one, too."

  Dancer sighed. "Now that I'm not afraid for Fain's life, I'll see them settled. You two ... play nice." He chucked Darice on the shoulder and led him in the direction Sumi and Kalea had taken.

  "Am I forgiven?" Fain asked as soon as they were alone again.

  "Does it really not bother you that she favors Omira so much?"

  He shook his head. "Like you, it shocked me the first time we met. But as soon as I realized it was Sumi grown up, I had no problem with it at all. She's a perfect match for Dancer ... and she's now my real sister since Cairistiona adopted us both."

  Galene gaped. "That's Tizirah Sumi?"

  "You didn't know?"

  "I assumed she was Andarion. Not human."

  He let out a light, sarcastic laugh. "The tadara is an interesting and highly unconventional individual."

  "Tell me about it. I spent years as her main protector."

  "Really?"

  Galene nodded. Then she narrowed a glare on him. "Any more surprises I need to prepare for?"

  "That's probably it. I hope. Like I said, I didn't even think about it. Or I'd have said something."

  She fell silent as she grappled with everything she'd learned about him. And speculated on what else he might have forgotten to mention. "You don't have any other children I need to worry about meeting unexpectedly, do you?"

  Pain darkened his eyes. "No. As I said, I had a vasectomy right after I left you, and you've met the sole two kids I take care of. You're the only one who gave me one hell of a son. Be nice if he could stand being in a room with me, but it's better than nothing, I guess."

  "Like his father, he's not as hard-assed as he seems. Talyn's extremely tenderhearted."

  Fain burst out laughing. "Sure he is. Have you met your kid?"

  Galene suppressed a smile as she pulled out her link and put Gavarian in charge of Fain's shift. She glanced past Fain, toward the commcen. "Can I have you for a minute?"

  He arched a brow at her word choice.

  She rolled her eyes. "Put it in your pants, Pirate. I want you for something else."

  Pouting, he stuck his head back in the center to tell them he was taking a break before he grabbed the paperwork Dancer had brought and rejoined her. "Is it too much to hope that you were fibbing and we're going to have a little fun adult time, after all?"

  "Yes. It is, but..." She took his hand and led him toward the mall area of the station.

  When she neared a small bistro, she stopped to peek around the corner of a wall. "Look over there."

  Fain did and his breath caught.

  He'd been wrong. Talyn hadn't taken Felicia straight to bed. Rather, he'd taken her straight to food. And his giant son sat next to Felicia, who fed him bits of her sandwich as they laughed and playfully cut up like two teenagers. Gone was any hint of the mighty Iron Hammer, or the staunch military commander who fiercely glared at everyone around him. Only the uniform remained the same.

  For the first time, Talyn acted like a normal Andarion youth. He was even more relaxed with her than he'd been during fight night or while he'd played ball with Gavarian and the kids.

  Stunned, Fain stepped back to face Galene, who gave him a satisfied smirk.

  "Be nice to Felicia and there's nothing Talyn won't do for you. She is his heart and soul. He's never been that way with anyone else."

  Fain cocked his head as he stared down at his own heart. "I understand, completely." He brushed the backs of his fingers along the line of her jaw. "I miss laughing with you like that."

  Galene licked her lips as she felt her will weakening. But this wasn't the same bashful boy who'd once held her, and she knew it. Fain was a fierce pirate now. Comfortable in his skin and his role in an extremely violent world. She saw that more and more as he dealt with his Tavali brethren.

  Still, she wanted him. And when he dipped his head to kiss her, she buried her hands in his braids and held him close. His scent filled her head and made it spin. His tongue swept against her fangs and raised chills all over her. No male had touched her since the day she'd conceived Talyn. None had ever really appealed to her.

  Only Fain.

  He owned her heart. He always had.

  And when he pulled back, it took everything she had not to drag him to her room and strip him naked.

  He nipped her chin playfully before he left her and headed toward Talyn and Felicia.

  Talyn sobered at his approach, but he wasn't quite as hostile toward him as he'd been in the past. He wiped his lips and hands before he inclined his head to Fain. "Felicia, meet my father. Fain Hauk."

  She arched a curious brow. "Which Hauk lineage?"

  "My brother who brought you here is Dancer of the Warring Blood Clan of Hauk. Our biological mother is descended of the Sovereign Anoles."

  "Wait..." She passed a narrowed glare toward Talyn, who appeared suddenly sheepish. "As in the second cousin of the tadara?"

  Fain nodded. "Our grandfather was. Our mother is a third or fourth cousin. I never could keep it straight, much to her chagrin and constant shrill degradations for my failings over it."

  Her jaw still slack, she glowered at Talyn. "You're descended from the royal house and your father is of the original thirteen War Hauks, and you never told me?" She cuffed his shoulder. "You beast! How could you not tell me something like that after all the times I've asked you?"

  "I'm an asshole. But I'm your asshole," he teased her with a devilish, lopsided grin.

  She laughed at him as he cupped her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I can't believe you!"

  Fain set the sealed folder in his hand down on the table near Talyn and pushed it toward him. "I also had Dancer pick that up for you on Andaria."

  Scowling, Talyn opened it. Then he gasped as he pulled the paperwork out. "Is this for real?"

  Fain nodded. "Everything's been changed. All your military and personal records now show you as a fully Vested tiziran, with both your mother's and my lineages."

  His breathing ragged, Talyn placed Felicia's palm against his cheek. He slid from his chair and went down on one knee by her side. The joy in his eyes brought tears to Fain's. "Will you honor my lineage with yours, Felicia?"

  "Of course I will!" Tears flowed down her cheeks as she nodded without hesitation. She threw herself into his arms and held him close. Sobbing, she reached out toward Fain. "Thank you!"

  His throat too tight to speak, Fain took her hand into his as Galene wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his back.

  "Thank you, Fain."

  He savored Galene's touch much more than her gratitude as he released Felicia's hand. "It was the least I could do. I just wish I could have done it sooner."

  She squeezed him tight before she stepped away to look at Talyn's new IDs and papers. "I'll call Marna as soon as it's morning in Eris. We can start planning the unification ceremony for next year."

  Felicia wiped at her eyes as she kis
sed Talyn and returned to her chair. "I'd rather we do it as soon as we can."

  Galene frowned. "Why? You've waited this long...."

  "I'd rather no one question our baby's lineage."

  Fain wasn't sure who was more shocked by Felicia's words. Him. Galene.

  Or Talyn, who stared bug-eyed at her.

  His hand shaking, Talyn placed it against her stomach. "You're pregnant?"

  She nodded. "I was going to tell you later tonight."

  His features pale, Talyn's breathing turned ragged. "How long have you known?"

  Felicia cringed. "A little over a month. I was planning to stay with Jayne and Hadrian once I started showing so that no one would know."

  Because Talyn, as a lack-Vest bastard, would have been imprisoned for impregnating her. Especially given her noble lineage. The Andarion high court would have most likely castrated him over it.

  "You told Jayne before me?" Talyn asked in wounded disbelief.

  She cupped his face in her hands and offered him a sad, teasing smile. "I was terrified when I ran the test, Talyn. I didn't know who else to confide in. Had I told your mother, she would have told you immediately. My brother and father would have strangled us both. My mother would have screamed at me for being careless and endangering you, and you would have insisted I get medical care without waiting, and they would have arrested you as soon as they confirmed the pregnancy. I couldn't let them do that to you." She fingered the prison brand on his neck. "Not after the last time. I wasn't about to take a chance with your life or your career. Not when I know exactly how pig-headed you are."

  Covering her hand with his, Talyn shook his head. "It's okay, Licia. You saved me from my own stupidity. Not like you haven't done that a few times before." He kissed her lips. "I don't want anything to taint this for you, baby. You know how much I love you, and I couldn't be happier. Jail or no jail. And I actually prefer the no-jail option." He looked up at his mother. "You're going to be a yaya, after all."

  Galene walked into his arms and held him close. "Congratulations, Talyn. I can't wait!" she said breathlessly. "I know the baby will be an honor to us all."

  Feeling like an outsider again, Fain started to leave, but Galene reached out and took his hand.

  "Where are you going?"

  "I figured you'd want to be with your family to make plans."

  Talyn stood up slowly. His expression stern, he held his hand out to Fain. "You are family, Hauk."

  Stunned, Fain took his hand and allowed Talyn to pull him into a hug. He clung to his son, unable to believe that this moment was real. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, Talyn. But I swear to every god of Andaria that so long as I have breath in my body, I will be here for you from now on."

  Nodding, Talyn released him and returned to Felicia's side. "So what are you planning to tell your parents?"

  She swallowed her bite of Talyn's ice cream. "That I was abducted by aliens and surgically implanted."

  Talyn laughed. "Now that I think about it, I might ought to store my sperm before you tell them. Lorens is likely to kill or geld me."

  "Don't worry, baby. I'll protect you."

  "Good. 'Cause he's scared of his little sister. I don't intimidate him at all."

  Felicia scoffed. "That's just what he wants you to think. Trust me. The last thing Lory ever wants is to walk into a Ring and face you."

  Galene gathered the papers and badges, and sealed them back in the envelope. "Don't lose this."

  "If he does, it's all on official record now. Only you or the courts or tadara can ever take his Vested status from him. He is and will always be a legal eton Anatole." Fain met Talyn's grateful stare. "And both my brother and Sumi have agreed to adopt you if you want to be entered as a War Hauk. After all, it should have been your birthright, and they've promised to honor it, if you want. You now have three highly prestigious lineages to choose from, aside from Felicia's."

  "Gah, I don't know what to say to that. Thank you, Hauk. Seriously." Talyn passed a bashful grin to his mother. "But if it's okay, I think I'll stick with Batur for myself. It's been good to me. And I'll leave it up to Felicia and Matarra as to which one is best for the baby to use."

  Galene stroked his cheek. "Ever mi courani." Then she tugged playfully at his goatee. "Felicia? Would you please make this mess on his beautiful face go away? I positively hate it. He looks like a farm animal."

  Felicia laughed. "But I kind of..." Her voice faded out as Galene cocked a brow at her. "Am thinking it should be shaved."

  Talyn snorted. "I look like an infant without it."

  Galene ruffled his braids. "You'll always look like an infant to me. Just wait until your baby's here. Then you'll finally understand why I still want to cut up your steaks."

  "If it's a boy. If it's a girl, I'm locking her in her room until I'm dead and gone." He passed a smug look to Felicia. "Or pledging her to priesthood."

  "You will have no control over her pledging. That's up to me and our mothers."

  "Yeah, but I have full control over whether or not the male you pledge her to is anatomically correct on their unification day."

  Fain burst out laughing. "How do you manage to deliver lines like that in such a dry, serious tone?"

  "It's his sexy surliness. I would say it's what I fell in love with, but it was his sexy shyness that won me over."

  "I always thought it was my large ... condo you coveted."

  Felicia let out a sound of supreme annoyance. "Oh my God, Talyn! Your mother's standing right there! Watch what you say in front of her!"

  But there was no apology in his expression at all, as he took a bite of Felicia's food.

  "And on that note, we shall leave the two of you alone. Good night, kids." Galene kissed Talyn's cheek, then Felicia's.

  Inclining his head to them, Fain stepped back to make room for her.

  Talyn rubbed his bearded chin against Felicia's fingers. "Goodnight, Hauk."

  "'Night, son. Felicia."

  "'Night, Mum. 'Night, Paka," she said sweetly before she fed Talyn more of his dessert.

  To Fain's shock and delight, Galene took his hand in hers and led him toward his post.

  "What time is your shift over?"

  He checked his chronometer. "Another hour."

  "Mine ended before I took my call with Cairie, so I'll leave the door to my side of the condo open ... if you feel up to it, why don't you come in for some tea?"

  "What? With no Talyn there to scowl at me like an angry father?"

  She gave him a smile that hit him like a fist in his gut. "No scowling Talyn. You finally found a way to get rid of him, it seems. And that was a clever device for moving your room closer to mine."

  "Ah, you caught that ulterior motive for switching rooms with him, did you? And here I thought I was being really slick."

  She sobered before she placed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you later ... maybe."

  The sensation of her lips on his skin lingered like a tingling caress as he watched her walk away with that sassy, sexy swagger that was unique to her. Every part of him wanted to run after her, but he couldn't abandon his post. Not when he was covering for Talyn. The last thing he wanted to do was get his son in trouble. And he was still pissed at what he'd seen written in his son's military file.

  Actions taken against Talyn because of Fain's youthful stupidity. Honestly, he was stunned Talyn could bear to be in the same room with him. It said a lot about both Galene's and Talyn's character that they could tolerate him at all.

  Trying not to think about it, he went back to the commcen, where Gavarian returned the command bracelet to him and introduced Felicia's escort, the Andarion captain who definitely looked like Lorens. The boy was practically a clone of Keris's onetime friend.

  "This is my brother Brach. Brach, meet Fain Hauk."

  Fain inclined his head to him. "So, you're warning me this time who your family is?"

  Gavarian grinned. "I told you, I don't give up the commander's private details.
Not without clearing it through him first."

  Brach snorted. "He doesn't care who takes a shot at me. My ass isn't sacred to him."

  Gavarian nodded in cantankerous agreement. "And there is that."

  "Commander?"

  Fain glanced to the Tavali on his right who had spoken. "Yeah?"

  "There's something weird coming through. But I don't know this language." She handed her earpiece over to him.

  Fain pressed it against his ear and listened. "You recording it?"

  She nodded. "Do you know what that is?"

  "I think it's Phrixian. Call Morra and get her up here."

  "Yes, sir."

  Fain caught random words from the years he'd spent listening to Darling and Maris switch in and out of languages and dialects when they were drunk, or angry and fighting with each other, but he couldn't really understand what was being said.

  Morra came in, pulling on a jacket. "Yeah, boss?"

  He handed the earpiece to her. "Phrixian?"

  She inserted it and nodded. "Naglfari bastards ... Hope all their dicks rot off."

  Fain and half his on-duty staff choked at that unexpected comment.

  "It sounds like a report for Kyr. Some kind of bargain ... no, pact is more precise. Blood brothers?" She handed the earpiece back to him. "It just went dead as if they realized they were being heard. Did anyone get a trace?"

  The comm officer shook her head. "Somewhere on this station. Nothing more precise than that."

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Morra scowled. "There aren't any Naglfari here, are there?"

  "Not that we know of. You're the only one I knew who could even identify the language."

  Morra cursed. "They definitely have to be Naglfari for you not to know their race. Let's face it. Schvardan stick out. Hard to hide in a crowd when you're lime green and glow in dim light."

  Definitely had a point. Fain brought up the file. "Here's the whole thing."

  She replaced the earpiece to listen. By her darkening expression, Fain knew it had to be bad.

  "What is it?"

  "Not real sure. They're speaking in code and using terms that don't make sense."

  "Such as?"

  "The pickle is in the jar, and the lid is open." She deepened her frown. "And if I'm the one they're calling the pickle, I'm going to have their pickles for lunch."

  He ignored her venomous threat. "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "I told you, it's mostly random phrases like that. The prize is at the top of the closet. Don't forget to turn out the lights and brush your teeth. What the hell? I think they're on drugs."