The League: Born Of Betrayal Part 49

Pressing his cheek against her hair, Trajen cupped her head in his hand and held her close.

Ushara felt her throat constrict at the sight of the dark, lethal Tavali lord holding her children with so much obvious affection. Only they were allowed to approach him.

No one else.

Trajen abhorred all physical contact. Of any kind. He normally kept an invisible force field around his body so that no one could even get near him. Yet from the moment the girls had first reached out to touch him as infants, he'd allowed them to so do.

It gave her hope that he wasn't as far gone as he liked to pretend. That inside the bitter darkness of his soul there was still a chance he could find a way back to humanity, and be a part of the world again.

"Have you two behaved for your mother?"

"We tried," Mira sighed. "Do we still get points?"

Trajen used reward points for them that they could use to pick things from his "treasure" room. They were items he bought for the girls and gave to Ushara. He spoiled them so much that she'd been forced to put a stop to it for fear he'd ruin them with it. Between him and Jullien, the girls were absolutely rotten.

He smiled. "You do, indeed. Now, if you don't mind, we need to leave and get you both home."

Gasping, they widened their eyes. "We're going home!" Viv turned toward her mother. "Can we ride with Uncle Tray? Please?" She folded her hands under her chin and begged in the cutest manner imaginable.

d.a.m.n, it was hard to say no to that face.

Yeah, okay, she was as responsible for ruining her daughters as they were.

But she couldn't give in on this. Trajen had a nasty tendency to pick fights, and she didn't want her daughters on board a s.h.i.+p that was likely to be in the middle of a b.l.o.o.d.y battle on the way back.

Ushara tsked at her. "It's probably best that you ride with me, precious. I would miss my girls."

They pouted in unison.

"Besides, if you stayed with me, I'd make you go to bed." Trajen wrinkled his nose playfully.

"No!" Mira jumped from his lap. "Love you, Uncle Tray!" She ran for the door.

Viv remained to stare up at him. "Why are you so sad, Uncle Tray? You look like you have a hurt in your heart."

He brushed the hair back from her cheek. "I'm fine, mina yahee. Never worry for me. Now go and catch up to your sister. I'll give you both bonus points for riding home with your mother." He kissed her head.

She scooted off his lap and ran after Mira.

Ushara paused as she noted the way Trajen stared after them. "Why did you really expose your powers to save Fain and Talyn?"

When his gaze met hers, the deep painful torment there seared her. "Because no one should have to hold the hand of their loved one and watch them die because of someone else's selfish cruelty."

Galene paused as she saw the expression on Fain's face as he stared out the window at the Porturnum station they were leaving. She couldn't quite read it, but then he was leaving a part of his life behind. While Venik might not have been the best to him, he had been the closest thing to family Fain had had for the last few decades.

"Are you okay?"

Fain startled at her voice. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About?"

"How glad I am Nyk's an a.s.shole."

She frowned at his unexpected comment. "Pardon?"

Smiling, he turned and pulled her into his arms so that he could give her a scorching kiss that set her blood on fire. "If Nyk hadn't been an unreasonable a.s.shole, I wouldn't have taken this a.s.signment." He cupped her face in his hands. "I wouldn't have you now. Or Talyn. So I owe everything in this universe to my friend. The a.s.shole."

"Maybe you shouldn't call him that, then." She rubbed her hand down his hard biceps. "And isn't he technically your brother?"

"Yeah, I guess he is."

Suddenly, a loud curse rang out.

Fain pulled back, expecting it to herald an attack of some kind. He gripped his blaster and went to check on Talyn in the corridor.

His expression horrified, his son stood by the equipment locker with Gavarian and Brach. But there was no sign of threat.

"What happened?"

Talyn slammed the door shut. "Um... nothing. Nothing at all."

All three of them appeared rattled.

Frowning, Fain exchanged a concerned look with Galene. "What is it?"

"Talyn?" Galene stepped over to him. "Should I be worried?"

He glanced from her to Fain, then cringed. "Um... probably."

"What do you mean?"

Sheepish, Talyn opened the locker and stepped back. "I'm not sure you want to see this, Mum. But I think Paka is one sick b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

She glanced inside at the same time Fain realized what Talyn had seen. Oh yeah. It was that bad.

Pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, he cringed at the same time she looked inside. "I can explain."

She said nothing.

Terrified and dreading her reaction, he slowly lowered his hands to face her arch stare. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she waited. It was a pose Talyn duplicated with an annoying impatience.

With a sigh, Fain realized there was no way out of this, except to confess the truth. "Don't look at me like that. It's not like it's anatomically correct or anything. She's just the s.h.i.+p's mecha unit. That's all... Storm? Animate."

A perfect duplicate of what Galene had looked like in school, the mecha blinked and stepped out of the locker. "May I be of a.s.sistance, Fain?"

Talyn screwed his face up. "Oh dear G.o.ds, it even sounds like Mum."

"I do not sound like a p.o.r.n actress."

Talyn looked really uncomfortable as Gavarian and Brach burst into laughter. He glared at them. "You two hyenas better stow that."

They sobered instantly.

Fain growled at all of them. Then he gentled his voice for his s.h.i.+p. "Storm. Deactivate."

The unit returned to her locker and shut down.

Trying not to feed into their overreaction, Fain closed the door. He searched his mind for some explanation, then finally decided on just telling her the honest truth. "There was only ever you for me, Galene. And while she isn't you, I couldn't ever imagine a home without you in it. So there you have it. That's why she's here. I can't live without you. I never could."

Galene sniffed back tears.

Talyn grabbed Brach and Gavarian and hauled them away to give them privacy.

With a weepy expression on her face, Galene returned to Fain and pulled him close. "And may the G.o.ds grant that you never have to live without me again. For I know I cannot live without you either. All I can do is exist."

Chapter 19.

G.

alene followed Fain off his s.h.i.+p with Sumi, Vega, War, and Felicia by her side. Ushara and the others had landed only a few minutes before them. But something wasn't right. The bay was too busy and everyone seemed to be in a tizzy of some sort. And there was a strange mood in the air. A deep sense of foreboding.

Confused, she headed to Nykyrian. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure."

"Daddy!"

"Mama!"

"Dada!"

Suddenly, the whole place truly exploded with activity as Nykyrian's, Caillen's, Darling's, Syn's, and Maris's family ran out to greet them. Galene was completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.

Sumi laughed in her ear. "I know what you're feeling. It's scary. But believe it or not, you get used to it."

Kalea ran from Dancer's arms to embrace a little blond boy named Jayce while Darice greeted Nykyrian's eldest daughter, Thia. Then he took War and Vega around and made introductions between them and all the kids. Before long, they were mixing like old friends.

Galene swallowed. "How do you keep them all straight?" she asked Fain.

"It's not as hard as you think."

Relieved to see Jayne's familiar family, she headed for them.

But her joy was short-lived as she realized that Ushara wasn't sharing their happiness. In fact, she became more worried as each second went by. "Where's Jullien?" she asked Darling.

That sobered their group instantly.

Vasili came up to stand at his mother's back while Trajen picked up Mira and held Viv's hand. The look on his face as he stood behind Ushara said that he already knew the answer.

Cairistiona was the one who approached Ushara. "It's an honor to meet you, daughter. You are as beautiful as Jullien said you were."

Ushara swallowed hard. "Where is he?" she growled.

The tadara bit her lip as tears welled in her eyes.

"He's here... right?" Ushara looked past them. "Jullien! This isn't funny!" she snarled. "Show yourself! I mean it!"

Approaching them slowly, Aros cleared his throat. He tried to speak, but he couldn't.

It was Nykyrian's beautiful wife, Kiara, who took Ushara's hand. "He distracted our pursuers so that we could get safely away. He said to tell you not to worry. That he wouldn't break your heart."

Aros finally found his voice. "He saved Kiara's and Zarina's lives, Nykyrian. And mine. None of us would be here without him."

Nykyrian kissed Kiara's hand. Then stepped back. "Ready my fighter!" he announced to the nearest ground crew member.

Kiara visibly cringed at those words, but she didn't try to stop him.

Sumi let out a tired sigh as she turned to Dancer. "I know..." She kissed him. "Do not get hurt. If you do, I'm naming your son something awful in your absence."

He laughed.

Shahara handed her sleeping son to Ture and kissed his cheek. "We'll be back."

Syn kissed his son's head before he took Shahara's hand and headed after Nykyrian and Dancer.

Maris hesitated at the tormented look on Ture's face. "I'm sorry, baby."

Ture nodded. "I know. Be careful what you wish for. I wanted a soldier. I should have said I wanted an artist. Just remember, it's really hard to get blood out of your uniform."

Maris kissed him, then Devyn and Terek. "I'll be home soon. I promise."

"I know you will. Otherwise, I'll send Zarya after you and you won't like that."

Zarya kissed Maris's cheek before he left, too. She held Darling's hand when he started to leave, keeping him there for a moment longer. "I hate for you to fight without me."