Dancer let out an elongated breath as he locked gazes with Galene. "I know you hate my brother and I'm sure you're entitled to it. But you should both know that while you had each other, he had absolutely no one. He didn't even have a country to call home."
Galene curled her lip. "What about his human?"
Dancer's gaze turned sharp and biting. "Let's just say that out of the two years they were together, his happiest memory is probably you shoving him naked into an auditorium full of family and friends, and locking the door behind him." And with that, he followed after Fain.
Galene couldn't breathe as those words echoed in her ears.
Two years?
What?
She looked at Jayne for an explanation. "What happened to his wife?"
"Before or after he caught her screwing a human male in their bed?"
Bile rose in her throat. "You're serious?"
Jayne nodded, then pulled her into a comforting hug. "I had no idea Fain was the one who left you."
"I had no idea you were such close friends with his brother." Because of her less-than-legal activities and associates, Jayne never talked about her friends or family in anything more than the most abstract of terms or nicknames. She never mentioned anyone, other than her husband and children, by their real names. And only if you were really close to Jayne did you get that much.
Without commenting, Jayne glanced to Talyn. "How are you holding up, sport?"
He shrugged. "I'm Andarion."
"That's really not an answer."
"For him, it is." Galene rubbed his arm. "Notify the team that we'll try this again tomorrow with The Tavali. I need the day to mentally regroup."
"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a sharp salute before making an about face and leaving them to carry out his orders.
Jayne snorted. "I'm so used to him as a civ that I forget how military our boy really is when he dons that uniform."
Galene smiled proudly. "I'm far more likely to break protocol than he is."
Jayne let out an elongated breath. "I'm really sorry about this, Lena. I'm the one who suggested you for the position. I had no idea what I was getting you into."
Sadness choked her as she thought back to the day she'd first learned she was pregnant with Fain's child. It had been one of the tiny handful of perfect moments in her life. They had been pledged on his sixth birthday. Only two days apart in age, they'd been raised together and had gone to the same schools. Since he was to be her husband, she hadn't even looked at other males.
Back then, Fain had been her entire world. A renowned and regaled athlete and champion, he had been destined to become a war hero like his father, and she'd planned on med school like her parents. Their wedding had been set for the fall following their graduation.
And Talyn had been conceived on Fain's birthday. Her virginity a gift to her beloved fiance.
Instead of becoming a delighted father and devoted husband as she'd expected, Fain had shattered her heart and thrown her love away as if it were meaningless. She'd never recovered from his betrayal.
He was her one and only.
And she was nothing to him ... just discarded garbage he'd left in the past and never looked back for.
"I hate him so much," she whispered. "But he did give me the greatest gift of my life. I couldn't ask for a better son."
"He's just like his father."
Galene quirked her brow at Jayne's comment.
"He is," Jayne said defensively, with a nervous laugh. "Now that I know, I see it clearly. I don't know how I could have missed it all these years. Talyn's not Fain's son so much as he's his clone. Driven. Fierce. Solitary. Intense. Stubborn. Loyal."
"I will argue that last bit."
Jayne shook her head in disagreement. "Something happened, Lena. Something really bad. I know Fain and have for years. If he broke pledge with you and you don't know why, it was something foul. He wouldn't have just walked away for no reason. That's not the male I've known. There is no one more honorable or loyal than Fain Hauk."
"He was in love," she spat the word.
With a human.
Jayne screwed her face up. "Maybe, but here's a question for you, and you're from a medical family so you'd know the answer better than I. Keris, Dancer, and Talyn are permanently stralen. What are the odds that gene missed Fain entirely?"
She shrugged. "Genes are strange things."
"Yes, they are. And it is an extremely rare trait, but ... think about it." Jayne walked away.
"It's possible Fain never loved either of us," she whispered under her breath. However, if that was true, why would he have left his Andarion heritage behind to marry a human?
He wasn't quite that stupid.
As much as it pained her to admit it, Fain's life must have sucked as much as hers did without his prestigious lineage. He'd been military royalty before the scandal. One of the original twelve warrior clans of Andaria.
The first of the warrior clans. His family of War Hauks had established and set the standard for every warrior who had followed after them. It'd been his direct ancestor and older brother's namesake who'd founded The League they were currently fighting.
In the blink of an eye, like her, Fain had lost everything. And Jayne was right. As rare as the stralen gene was, for two brothers, Talyn, and other direct family members to have it, it would be extremely unlikely for it not to be in Fain, too.
Of course, there was one way to know for sure.
Tell him he has a son.
Regardless of his feelings for her, his body chemistry would kick that gene into overdrive if he thought his son was threatened.
Not that it mattered. She wouldn't risk Talyn's life to find out. Fain wasn't worth it.
Still ... it did give her something to think about.
CHAPTER 4
"We need you to do this."
Fain cursed at Nykyrian Quiakides--royal Andarion prince and pain in his ass--who sat behind an ornate black desk on the screen in front of him. "Ryn is the Tavali ambassador--"
"Whose mother is in charge of the Wasturnum--twelfth generation to rule that branch--and his beloved little brother is the Caronese emperor. The UTC won't see him as impartial, and you know it."
Still, Fain argued against his appointment to serve with Galene. "I'm now an Andarion tiziran. Won't they have issues with that?"
"It's not the same, and you know it. You weren't raised by my mother and have no real loyalty to her. You're not blood related to the throne and can't inherit. End of the day, you're still one of the pirates. Just like them. Disinherited. Disowned. A freed slave. Someone who has no use for the laws and traditions of any known nation. You, the Universal Tavali Council will trust."
In that moment, Fain seriously hated the UTC.
"What about Chayden?" he asked Nykyrian. "Can't he do it?"
"Qillaq prince by birth whose beloved, full-blooded sister is the next queen of the Exeterian Empire and whose father was a Gondarion prince and commander. Yeah ... it's a no-go, too." Nyk sat forward to pin him with an intense glare. "You have no real political ties to any throne and no blood loyalty to any single Tavali Nation or group. You don't even run your own crew. Your only blood tie is to The Sentella, and that, The Tavali trusts. Best of all, we trust you. Because you're an Andarion male with strong military ties and heritage, the Phrixians will follow you. There's no one else who can do this, Fain. You're in a unique position for it."
Bloody effing awesome.
The irony of it disgusted him. The very things that had ruined his life were now the very things that locked him into a position of power he'd never craved. While he wasn't a follower, and had always adamantly refused to be one, he wasn't a leader, either.
Both positions sucked. It was why he didn't run his own crew.
He just wanted to be left alone to live what was left of his miserable life.
"I can't work with her. She hates my guts, every individual one of them." Fain gestured to the blast mark on his battlesuit. "S
he shot me, Nyk. Point blank. No warning. In the heart!"
"Well ... we've all had the urge to shoot you, Fain. She just had the fun of it."
He childishly mocked Nykyrian's misplaced humor. "And you want her to lead your army?"
Nykyrian nodded. "I'm told you're the only one she hates to this degree. Everyone else should be safe from her aim."
"You're not funny."
"I'm a little funny."
Fain growled at him. "You're an asshole."
"Is that the worst insult you can toss at me? Really? You're slipping in your old age."
Fain fanged him. But because they were such old friends, it didn't faze the bastard at all. "Is she willing to work with me? Or do I need to buy thicker armor?"
"I've been assured that she won't shoot you again."
"What about cutting my throat?"
"We didn't get that specific. Would you like me to draw up a contract, with her listing any and all possible ways she could end you and saying she won't?"
"I hate you." Fain sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll go get her and take them to the Porturnum. But if I die doing this, I plan to haunt you every day of eternity."
"Good. I won't miss you, then."
*
Fain knocked on the door of Galene's condo. Only a block from the palace, it was one of the nicest buildings in the bustling metropolis of Eris--the Andarion capital city. The doorman had been a little skittish on his arrival, but since Fain had come in with an Andarion royal guard, he'd let Fain pass with nothing more than an irritated grimace.
So what the hell was taking her so long to answer the door, anyway? Her condo couldn't be that big.
She's doing it strictly to piss you off.
Most likely.
He knocked again.
The door slid open to show her boy toy in nothing but a simple white towel. He had a blaster in one hand while he eyed them warily.
Anger boiled inside Fain at the sight, especially given all the scars on the little bastard's body, including marks on his shoulders that appeared to be those of a disinherited male. But the one that truly chafed his ass was the tat on the kid's throat that marked him as an Andarion felon who'd spent time in one of their top-sec prisons. Given all that, Galene must have seriously called in favors to keep the little bastard in the military with a commander's rank.
Worse, she hadn't been lying. They really did live together. And she must dearly love the boy to overlook that degree of scarring. In their culture, those marks were considered a deformity, and explained why such a high-ranking male in the Andarion armada remained unmarried.
No female, other than Galene, would be able to look at Talyn with anything except scorn and disdain.
This day keeps getting better and better.
Fain curled his lip. "I'm here for the commander."
Her boy toy sneered at him. "You should have called first."
"She was told to expect me."
"Not first thing in the morning." Grimacing at the group, the boy toy allowed Fain into the elegant condo, but not the others. He closed the door in their faces, and headed toward the kitchen, where he had a bowl of hot cereal set on the countertop. He placed his blaster beside it before he sat on a barstool and returned to eating.
"You have company, Commander."
At his disgruntled words, Galene leaned over the counter to see Fain. Dressed in a short, lacy nightgown, she gaped then pulled her robe closed and belted it. But not before an image of her lithe, athletic body and those lush, full breasts was firmly implanted in his mind. "What are you doing here?"
Dying of horniness, apparently.
And unspent rage.
Fain ground his teeth at the violent reaction of his treacherous body. Dammit! Why couldn't he be near her without getting the hard-on from hell?
"I'm supposed to escort you to the Porturnum's HQ. Remember?"
"In an hour," she growled.
"What can I say? I couldn't wait to see you again."
She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm.
Her boy toy stood up and leaned over the counter to place his bowl in the sink. He met her gaze and arched a quizzical brow. "You want me to shoot him this time?"
She had the nerve to smile. "Don't tempt me, scamp." She moved his blaster away from his hand. "You should finish dressing."
"Yes, ma'am." He headed for the hallway. For the first time, Fain realized he had a pronounced limp as he walked.
"And don't leave your damp towel on the floor again. Hang it up."
Without a word, the boy toy jerked the towel off his hips and tossed it at her. Completely naked, he passed a smug, taunting grin at Fain before he headed to the rear of the condo.
Disgusted by his flagrant display and the wealth of hideous scars over the boy's back, Fain wanted blood. It took everything he had not to go after the punk and teach him a valuable lesson in manners.
Laughing at the boy's impudence, Galene took the towel into what must be the laundry room. She came out to add her own glare at Fain. "I wish you wouldn't antagonize him."
"I antagonize him? Are you serious?"
"Yes. I would think you're old enough to know better."
"But not him, huh?" Fain curled his lip. "Maybe you should sleep with someone closer to your own age."
She didn't respond as she headed for the hallway. "We'll be out in a minute."
Biting his lip, Fain had never been so furious in his entire life. It was actually painful.
As he waited and contemplated murdering them both, he drifted into the spacious living room that held an incredible view of the city. Something he would have appreciated more if he'd been in a better mood.
But right then, only bloodshed would placate him.
Trying to put it out of his mind, he swept his gaze over the contemporary furniture and noted the number of pictures in the place. More than that, he realized that the photos were all of her pet.
Little effing bastard ...
He paused at one of her with the boy toy when the kid was a lot younger....
A lot younger. Like around six or seven, and dressed in a yellow and black lorina costume for a play. How sickening was that?
Scowling, Fain stepped closer to the frames that held the boy's graduation certificate, and an article from a sports magazine about him. His frown turned into a gape as he saw the kid's name on the cover and he realized who the boy was.
Talyn Batur.
Oh dear gods, he's her son.
Shit! Talyn Batur.
Talyn B-a-t-u-r, the Ring fighter of the century, was her only son. Her kid was an Andarion legend. That little bastard had also beaten every record Fain had set in the Ring. Every one of them. Records that no one had ever thought would be beaten by another fighter.
And that is her son. Effing figures. She'd probably had him beat Fain's records just for spite.
Feeling like an idiot, he rubbed at his sore jaw. No wonder they called the kid the Iron Hammer. He definitely hit like one.
Disgusted with himself for how he'd behaved toward them, he sighed at his own childishness. He should have recognized the Hammer. How could he have been so stupid as to not realize who Talyn was?
But that thought ended as he noticed the date on the boy's graduation certificate.
If that was correct ...
Carefully, he scanned the document more closely. It was only partially filled out because it was missing Talyn's paternal lineage.
All of his father's heritage.
For that matter, Batur was her family name. And now that he looked closer at the photos of Talyn as a boy, Fain realized how much Talyn favored his nephew Darice. How much Talyn looked like him and Dancer.
Then his gaze went to Talyn's caste code that was listed on his certificates. -12-6. The bastard son of a disinherited male. That slammed into him like a cheap kick to his stones.
Ah, shit.
He stiffened as he sensed a presence behind him. Turning, he saw Talyn there in his Andarion battlesuit. Talyn, w
ho was the same exact height and build he was.
The boy's gaze went past Fain to the diploma before he called out. "Hey, Ma! Dad just figured out how to do the math to calculate my age and date of conception. He's having some kind of apoplexy over it. I think you need to come in here before he pisses on your floor. And if he does, I did not do it, so don't yell at me for it. And I will not clean it up."
Fain couldn't breathe as Talyn confirmed his fears.
I have a son.
A beautiful, strong, grown son.
Stunned and awed, and feeling like a total asshole, he reached to touch the bruise he'd given Talyn yesterday during their fight.
His white eyes filled with hatred, Talyn pulled back and licked at the scab on his lip from another blow Fain had gifted him with. "Don't touch me."
Dressed in her uniform, Galene hesitated in the doorway. No wonder she'd shot him. It all made even more sense now.
Completely aghast, Fain stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I tried, and you told me to shush ... that you didn't have time for me. You were busy."
Fain winced at the memory of her hurt expression that day in the locker room before she'd stormed out, only to return a few minutes later to confront him with Merrell's lies.
"That was what you came to tell me?" he asked her.
"Yeah. Congratulations, Fain. You're a father."
And how had he thanked her for her precious gift? He'd allowed her to believe that he was in love with another female. That he'd shamed her with a human lover. "No wonder you shoved me into that auditorium." He shook his head. "You still should have told me."
"Why? So that I'd be forced to marry a male in love with someone else? A human, no less. Call me provincial, but I wanted better than that."
Fain twisted the ring on his pinkie around with his thumb. Fate had seriously fucked him over.
No, fate had fucked all of them over.
"I'm so sorry, Galene."
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Her gaze went to Talyn.
His features were absolute stone.
Fain wanted to embrace him. It was a physical ache inside him to touch a son he'd never thought to have, but it was painfully obvious that Talyn wanted him to die on the spot. "I'm sorry, Talyn."
"There are some things sorry doesn't fix, old man. This is definitely one of them."
"I know. Believe me, I know." His heart shattering, Fain blinked against the tears that choked him as he thought about everything they'd all been deprived of. The years that the three of them should have been a family.