At the tenderness and desire in Keltor’s eyes, her heart skipped a beat. “I do want that future, zylar. But until we have a formal claiming ceremony, I can’t accept that it’ll come true.”
He murmured, “You called me zylar.” He kissed her jaw. “Say it again.”
While she wasn’t one to follow orders blindly, Azalyn didn’t mind this one time. “Zylar.”
With a growl, Keltor took her lips and pulled her up against his body. She nibbled and licked back every chance she could.
And for the first time, she started to think she could have Keltor, Kelzal, and maybe even her daughter.
A family of her own.
Digging her nails into his back, she deepened the kiss. How she’d ever thought another male would suit, she didn’t know.
All too soon Keltor pulled away. “If I don’t stop, I’ll be tempted to claim you.”
Running a hand around to his chest, she murmured, “Such self-control. It makes me wonder what happens when it breaks.”
His voice was husky as he said, “You’ll find out when I have you naked and at my mercy.”
At the heat in his eyes, she shivered. “As much as I liked Keltor the young man, I’m starting to think he aged well.”
“Just don’t call me old.” He nipped her lower lip. “Now as much as I don’t want to go back to reality, you need to talk with Kelzal. Because I don’t know about you, but I want to get the meeting with Tyrick over with so that I can work at securing our future.”
The determination in Keltor’s eyes sparked wickedness inside her. “Before we do”—she ran her hand down between their bodies and lightly brushed the hardness of his trouser-clad cock—“you need to tame this.”
Keltor hissed in a breath. “Keep that up and I’m going to spill my seed like an adolescent.”
She grinned. “That’s almost an invitation for me to try and make it happen.”
After she stroked his hardness a few more time, Keltor grunted. “As much as I loved teenage Azalyn, I’m starting to like this older vixen more.”
She should feel shame for her actions—a proper female would never tease her male in such a way—but with Keltor, it felt…right.
An image of her waking up Keltor by taking his cock into her mouth flashed in her mind. The prince moaned as he fisted her hair and urged her on. She had the power to make him squirm with nothing more than her mouth.
She licked her lips at the idea.
But Keltor’s hand grabbed her wrist, and she snapped back to reality. His voice was gentle as he said, “I would be honored to have you bring me to orgasm, zyla, but there isn’t time.” His free hand cupped her breast. “But I assure you, as soon as we have some, I will show you a few of the fantasies I’ve built up over the years. And believe me, many of them are with you at my mercy and screaming my name.”
“Keltor.”
He released her and stepped away. As if to ease the sting of his distance, he took her hand in his. “Now, let’s each go to our tasks.” He glanced at her with amusement in his eyes. “And I assure you I’ll be fully deflated before I reach my destination.”
She snorted. “Not for the first time, I’m grateful that I can hide my desires by merely controlling the color of my markings. I would never want to be a male.”
“I will forever be grateful you were born female.” He squeezed her hand. “Now, let’s work on securing our own future.” He released her and motioned for her to exit ahead of him.
As she walked past, she touched Keltor’s shoulder one last time for support. Convincing Kelzal that Azalyn had no choice but to share Toralyn’s existence wasn’t going to be easy. She only hoped she didn’t lose what little trust she had from her son in the process.
Chapter Ten
Azalyn paced the length of her kitchen and back again. As much as she’d wanted to barge into Kelzal’s workshop and get her conversation over with, she knew his brain had trouble quitting one task at the drop of a hat. So, she’d sent the urgent message to his computer terminal. A confirmation had come back, signaling he’d be down in fifteen minutes.
Fourteen minutes had passed, and Azalyn still didn’t know what to say beyond laying out the facts and hoping Kelzal understood the necessity of sharing their secret with Keltor.
If that wasn’t enough to make her heart race, the mere thought of seeing her daughter for the first time made her heart work even harder. Given how things had turned out in her past, Azalyn was leery of accepting a happy future. But maybe, just maybe, heartbreak was all behind her.
Footsteps on the stairs garnered her attention. That would be Kelzal.
When her son entered the kitchen, Azalyn sat down at the small table to one side. She motioned to the free seat across from her. “We need to talk.”
Kelzal sat, remaining silent.
Azalyn had decided to ease into her request, so she asked, “How much do you know about Ulrick Sulani?”
If he was curious about her topic, he didn’t show it. “He’s the head of the Sulani merchants. He’s also a big investor in my research firm.”
It seemed Ulrick had found a way into Kelzal’s sphere, too. “Toralyn must work for him, too. Is that right?”
He shrugged. “She mentioned that she works in a Sulani shop. I never thought to ask for more details.”
Azalyn had looked up Toralyn’s public records earlier. “She’s a shop assistant, but that’s all I know.”
Kelzal met her gaze. “Why is this important? You promised me that you wouldn’t tell anyone about her. However, it almost sounds like you’re trying to figure out where she lives and works.”
Tapping her fingers against the table, Azalyn decided to be honest. “I found out earlier today that Ulrick Sulani used me to gain a connection to the prince.”
He looked away. “Ulrick is supposed to be highly intelligent. Telling you that counters his reputation.”
“It came from his heir, Tyrick.”
“Ah. The male who tries hard but is never able to fulfill his father’s expectations.”
Frowning, she leaned forward a fraction. “How do you know that? I’ll admit we haven’t known each other long, but I wouldn’t peg you as someone who frequents dinners and gatherings to listen to gossip.”
“You’re correct, I’m not. However, Tyrick started coming to my firm’s investor meetings in his father’s place. Since I like to know who I’m working for, I did my research. I have ways of finding information others can’t.” He stared at her shoulder. “Although discovering anything about you was impossible, which means someone didn’t want you to be found.”
Not wanting to be sidetracked, Azalyn pushed aside the knowledge that Kelzal had looked for her. “Let’s bring things back to your sister. I have no proof, but just a sense that Ulrick may have plans for her, too.” Azalyn reached out a hand but stopped short of touching Kelzal’s arm. “Keltor is about to negotiate a deal with the Sulanis, and he needs to know about Toralyn’s existence before he does so, or he risks being disarmed. That, in turn, will weaken his bargaining power, which could end up hurting all of us.” Her son said nothing. She resisted a sigh and pressed on. “Since I promised you I wouldn’t say anything, I’m asking your permission to share the information now.”
His eyes flicked to hers. “I told you that she deserves a better life than that of a princess to be married off.”
“And I agree. I believe I can convince Keltor to give her some free rein. She doesn’t even have to be acknowledged on Keldera. There are plenty of people on Jasvar who would look after her.”
“Tell me how that is any better. All having a royal father is good for is to have your life decided for you.”
She did touch his arm then. “Look, I know it’s not the best situation. But would you rather have Toralyn safe, living a mostly free life on the new Kelderan colony? Or let her remain where she is on Keldera, and wonder every day if someone makes the connection, or worse, Ulrick exposes her connection and uses her for his own plans? At
least in the former situation, Toralyn has some freedoms left to her.”
“And what, exactly, are you asking me to do? I sense there is more than just my permission you want,” Kelzal replied.
Even though Kelzal still hadn’t given his permission, Azalyn decided to be forthright and hope that swayed him. “Well, I need to know how much Toralyn knows about your current situation.”
“Nothing. Because once I mention it, she’ll want to meet you and Keltor. Her life will change forever. And if you send her to Jasvar, I may never see her again.”
Azalyn suddenly understood Kelzal’s protectiveness. “Just because she’ll know who her birth parents are and that she may end up with her aunt and uncle on Jasvar doesn’t mean that she’ll forget about you, Kelzal. She’s known you as her twin brother for over four years. Meeting either me or Keltor, or even the distance between planets, won’t take that relationship away from you.”
“My adoptive parents are dead, and I have no family left on their side. I suspect that was part of the reason I was placed with them. You and Toralyn are my only family. If she is on Jasvar and you’re sent away to the Barren, then I’m left with Keltor and a destiny I don’t want.”
Even though Kelzal rarely showed emotion, Azalyn heard the fear in his voice. Squeezing his arm gently, she said, “Keltor would never try to take you away from me, I promise you that. If all goes according to plan, I will become his queen and will have a say in what he does.”
His brows furrowed slightly. “If it does become true, then how will you have a say in anything? Kelderan queens have no power.”
“Let’s just say that I’m going to change that.” When Kelzal didn’t say anything, she added, “Look at the facts—Prince Kason married a human, Princess Kalahn is living on Jasvar, and the Barren are treated equally on the foreign colony there. That’s quite a change from the way things have been done in the past. Changing the role of princes and princesses will be difficult, but surely that isn’t any harder than granting Barren females equal citizenship on Jasvar.”
Kelzal tapped his fingers against the table, his gazed fixated on a spot on the floor. While patience wasn’t her strong suit, she held her tongue.
Her son eventually stilled his fingers. “Fine, tell him.” He met her eyes. “But if Keltor marries her off for political gain, then I will want nothing to do with either of you. If that means I will go to prison or be locked up for refusing my place in the line of succession, so be it. As it is, I’m hoping you’ll have another son, and I can forget about all of this and go back to my life.”
With that, Kelzal stood and left the room. Azalyn should be happy at the victory. After all, Kelzal had granted permission to share the secret, which meant Azalyn would soon see her daughter.
However, just because she was gaining a daughter didn’t mean she would give up on her son.
There had to be a way for everyone to be happy, and Azalyn would figure it out. In the meantime, she retrieved her small notescreen from the pocket in her skirt and sent a message to Keltor, requesting a meeting.
She only hoped Keltor wouldn’t hate her for keeping the secret of Toralyn’s existence from him. She’d find out soon enough.
~~~
The computer’s voice boomed inside Keltor’s private study, “Azalyn Sulani wishes to enter.”
“Permission granted.”
Keltor stood from his desk and rushed to the door. As soon as it opened, he reached for Azalyn and pulled her inside. He couldn’t resist kissing her lips before finally saying, “Please tell me you have good news.”
Even though she smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes. “For the most part, yes.”
With anyone else, Keltor would retreat behind a carefully constructed facade, and he’d conduct the meeting sans emotion.
However, he allowed concern to fill his voice. “Just tell me, zyla.”
At the term of endearment, Azalyn looked away for a second but soon met his gaze again. “Kelzal gave me permission to share the secret. But I want you to promise me that you’ll listen to everything I have to say before jumping to conclusions. You may be a prince, but when it comes to thinking the worst and pulling away, you are the king.”
Dread pooled in his stomach, but Keltor kept his voice firm. “I promise.”
She placed a hand on his cheek. “I want to preface this by saying I only found out about this secret recently. It’s not something I’ve known for years and kept from you to use at some later point.”
Covering her hand with his, he squeezed her fingers. “I’m patient most of the time, but now is not one of them. You can tell me anything, zyla.”
“I hope so.” She pushed gently against his chest. As soon as he released her, she took out her small notescreen, tapped it a few times and turned it toward him. “This is your daughter, Toralyn.”
The smiling face of a young woman with lavender skin and blonde hair filled the screen. He barely noted the similarities and difference from his own face before blurting out, “I beg your pardon?”
“We had twins, Keltor. She was born the same day as Kelzal.”
A million questions raced through his head. But for once, he didn’t think through which might be the best. He simply demanded, “How did you not know about this until recently? And why didn’t you tell me?”
She gripped one side of his robes. “Don’t back away and close yourself off from me, Keltor. You promised to listen to my explanation.”
Since Azalyn’s proximity affected his ability to think logically, he shrugged out of his ceremonial robe and walked to the far side of the room. “How did you not know you had twins? Is this what you had to talk to Kelzal about?”
Azalyn squared her shoulders. “Yes. I was under anesthesia when I gave birth. When I woke up, they showed me Kelzal for a minute before taking him away. Until Kelzal showed me the same picture I just showed you and told me about her, I had no idea I’d carried two babies since I’d been denied all images and recordings of my womb. So before you think the worst of me, just know that it’s been quite a shock to me, too. I wanted to tell you, but Kelzal made me promise not to.” She kept the notescreen facing him and took a step forward. “She looks too much like me and you to be anyone else’s daughter, Keltor. Please, just look.”
At the pleading in Azalyn’s voice, he stared at the picture. Her skin was the exact shade of Azalyn’s, and some of her markings were similar to his female’s as well. Not to mention Toralyn’s eyes were the same shapes as his.
Even her smile reminded him of his sister, Kalahn.
Did he truly have a daughter?
As much as he wanted to scream yes and order her to the palace so that he could protect her, Keltor forced his mind on the bigger picture. “Why did I need to know this before negotiating with the Sulanis?”
Throwing her arms into the air, Azalyn closed the distance between them. “That’s all the response I get?” She held the picture up again. “We have two children, Keltor. I don’t know about you, but I’m scared more than ever before. That means there are two people who can be kidnapped or killed to get back at the palace. We need to bring her here and protect her.”
The truth fell into place. “You haven’t met her yet.”
“No. The Sulani couple who adopted her are her family. Toralyn has no idea about who her birth parents are. She only knows that Kelzal is her twin brother because her Sulani parents shared his information on her eighteenth birthday. That’s why I want to bring her here before the Sulanis know we know. Because Ulrick will use her against you, make no mistake.” Her voice lowered. “And in that case, I may never see my daughter. It’s bad enough I couldn’t watch over her as a child. But to have her harmed now, when I have more resources than ever before…I’m not sure how I could recover from that.”
By rights, he should be angry with Azalyn. She’d kept the secret of another child from him.
And yet, as he watched sadness fill her eyes and her shoulders stoop, he pulled her against his body and la
id his head on top of hers. “We will protect our children, I promise you that.”
“Our children?” she echoed.
“Yes, our children. Even if neither one ever acknowledges me as their birth father, I will always call them my children.” He could leave it there. A prince should never show weakness or emotion. He’d been taught that since he could talk.
And yet, he didn’t care. Azalyn was the one person he could simply be Keltor around. “And I’m happy to find out that I have more than one child. I want nothing more than to hug them and you in my arms. I’ve wanted a family for so long, but thought I’d never have one.”
“But you do have one. Correction, we have one.”
He smiled at the fierceness in her voice. “It seems so.”
Azalyn melted against his chest. “I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Keltor. I just couldn’t bring myself to violate Kelzal’s newly formed trust in me.”
“In a way, I understand that.” He stroked her back a few times before he asked, “Are there any other important secrets that you’re keeping from me?”
When she didn’t reply straight away, Keltor wondered if his dreams of a love- and laughter-filled future with Azalyn as his bride was pure fantasy.
Then her soft voice filled the room. “Just that I want to be your bride, Keltor.” She raised her head. “If you still want me, that is.”
His uncertainty vanished, replaced with a possessiveness he’d never experienced before. “Of course I want you. There’s never been anyone else, Aza. Only you.”
She swallowed. “Is that the truth?”
He lowered his head until his lips were a hairbreadth away from hers. “You will only ever get the truth from me, Azalyn. I vow that here and now.”
Smiling, she whispered, “Good. I’m going to remind you of that many times in the future, I’m sure.”
“Cheeky female.” With a growl, he silenced her reply with a kiss. As soon as his lips touched hers, his every nerve came alive, registering her soft form against his bare chest. Simply tasting her lips wasn’t enough, so he slid his tongue into her mouth, and he groaned at the sweetness of his soon-to-be bride.
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