by Abella Ward
"Wait," Jada said, looking from the shocked expression on Zon's face to Sildon's fury. "What does it say? Who is your father?"
"He is," Sildon snarled. "Zon, the warlord. Do you even remember her name?"
The warlord stood slowly. "Do you remember the names of all the women you've been with?"
"It must have happened just before we met." Lisa gripped Zon's wrist. "Calm down. We all know that it's possible. Our next step is to do some testing to see if—"
"If I fathered a child and the wench never bothered to tell me?" Zon interrupted.
Crap. Jada gripped Sildon's wrist as he jumped to his feet, hatred burning in his eyes. Annoyance flashed across Lisa's face. When Tom drew his sword, moving to stand between Zon and Sildon, she got to her feet and shook her head.
"That is enough." Her voice was like a whip. "Tom, put that weapon away. Zon, sit down and control yourself. We don’t know the circumstances, and you have no right to go around calling this young man's mother names like that. We will solve this like civilized people."
"We'll solve this like T'shav," Sildon countered. "By the sword."
Jada gasped. Lisa paled, and Tom shook his head. He had been halfway putting his sword away but froze. All eyes turned to Zon. Jada held her breath, not knowing what to do or say now. Sildon was younger than Zon. That gave him extra strength and vitality, but Zon was a warlord. He had decades more experience, and from what she had heard, he was clever as well. What if he killed Sildon? And what if Sildon killed him? What would happen then?"
The warlord studied Sildon for a moment before turning to Lisa. He held her hand tightly. "If I am his father, it's his right."
"But what if you're not?" Tom's voice was pitched with stress. "Dad, we don't know who this guy is. If you don't remember his mother, then who's to say you ever actually met her? The letter might be fake, it might not even be from his mom."
Zon ignored his son's protests, instead focusing on his mate. Lisa's shoulders slumped, but she nodded. "I don't like it, I can see you need to do this. But this will not be a fight to the death. It will be first blood, and if either of you kills the other, there will be hell to pay. Understood?"
It was odd that a human could command these massive, devil-like T'shav, but even Zon nodded at her words. He kissed her cheek and whispered something into her ear. A brief look of uncertainty crossed Sildon's face, and he turned to Jada.
"I wish I could help you understand," he whispered. "I am sorry."
"You don't have to do this," she hissed back. "Sildon, it's crazy. You meet your father only to fight him? Why?"
"He abandoned my mother. She died because she was on that planet. I can't ignore that."
There was no more time to talk. Tag and Ronan escorted the two of them outside to a wide field. There were strategically placed trees, logs and rocks scattered over the ground, with patches of grass and dirt to provide different tractions. As Zon stretched out his muscles some distance away, Tom brought Sildon's sword to him.
"If you're my brother, I hope we can get to know each other," the warlord's son muttered to him. "But if you try to kill my father, I swear I will remove your head."
Sildon grunted. Jada twisted her hands, wishing she knew what to say or do to stop this. Tom, Ronan and Tag spread out around Sildon and Zon as they faced each other. Lisa came to stand with Jada. The older woman gripped her hand and silently offered comfort.
"First blood," Tom reminded them.
As one, the two T'shav ran at each other. Sildon slashed at Zon's chest, but the warlord spun away just in time. He swung his heavy broadsword, chopping down at Sildon's arm. Sildon danced out of his reach. As the sword bit into the ground, he jumped back in. Zon swatted his sword aside with a bare fist, then punched at Sildon's face. Sildon blocked it, but fell back a step, allowing the warlord to retrieve his sword.
Jada's stomach churned. She wanted to scream at them to stop, but her voice wasn't working. So she watched silently, body tense. The two were so evenly matched that neither had the upper hand. Both attacks became more frenzied. She covered her mouth, willing herself not to vomit. The way things were going, they were going to accidently kill each other!
Chapter Fourteen – Sildon
A howl of frustration burst from Sildon as his attack was once again blocked. The warlord was quick and strong, with a better technique than anyone he had gone against before, and though he fought for an opening, he could find none. Even when Zon ceded ground, Sildon couldn’t count that as a victory. He knew that the older T'shav was luring him to a position that would be more advantageous to him.
Fury, hatred and grief battled in his chest, fueling his attack. Zon's eyes were devoid of emotion, which only made Sildon's frenzy more painful. He dodged forward, striking at the other man's arm. Zon blocked the sword, then dropped his arm just slightly. Sildon slid his sword along Zon's blade and nicked his arm. Bright red blood welled from the wound, but it wasn't satisfactory.
"You let me cut you," Sildon growled.
"It is time for this to be over," Zon replied.
"It will never be over until you're dead!"
Sildon was aware of the spectators rushing in to intervene, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to see this despicable man dead. He roared as he brought the sword down. Zon's eyes grew steely. He grabbed Sildon's wrist, stopping the blow, and brought a knee to his stomach. Sildon stumbled back, then jumped in again. Their sword met with a might clash–Sildon's sword shattered. Pieces of metal flew everywhere, scratching his face and arms.
Zon punched him in the face and threw him to the ground. The younger T'shav rolled and made to get back to her feet, but the warlord placed the tip of his blade at his throat. Sildon tensed, preparing himself for the killing blow.
To his surprise, Zon did not strike. "Matka never told me that she had begotten a child."
"You don’t even remember her."
"After fighting you, I do." Zon lowered his sword. He knelt beside Sildon, surprising him. "You have her spirit."
Sildon flinched as Zon moved closer. Surprise shot through him when the warlord embraced him. Sildon tensed. Was this a trick? A trap? He didn't know how to react. He couldn’t remember another man ever hugging him. In fact, he couldn't remember anybody except for his mother and Jada actually offering any sort of physical comfort. Something inside him broke, and the hatred and anger he had been holding inside trickled away.
"Matka. She was a spitfire." Zon sat back on his heels, keeping a hand on Sildon's shoulder. "We were together for only a few weeks, not long before I met my Starmate. We stayed in contact for a standard year, but she never told me about you."
Sildon's shoulders sagged. "She's dead."
Zon helped him to his feet. "I'm sorry to hear that. But I think you have apologies to make."
At first, Sildon thought that the warlord was talking about himself, but when Zon gave a pointed glance at Jada, the younger T'shav understood. His curvy human was standing stock still, her jaw clenched, her hands curled into fists. A pang hit him in the stomach. Yes, he did need to apologize to her. Now it seemed so stupid to have fought against Zon. He could only hope Jada would forgive him.
He dropped the broken hilt of his grandfather's sword as he returned to Jada. The others all stood with Zon, giving them privacy. As soon as he was near, Jada thumped him on the chest. Tears ran down her face and she thumped him again.
"Why did you do that? I thought you were going to get yourself killed. Why would you worry me like that?"
"I'm sorry."
Jada froze.
"I'm sorry that I worried you, and I'm sorry that I fought. I was just so angry… I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry."
Her lip trembled, and Jada threw her arms around him. He held her back, closing his eyes as he breathed in her scent. He hadn't even thought about what his actions might do to her, and regret and guilt settled into his stomach. He'd make it up to her. Somehow, he'd fix it.
***
Ron
an's mate, Erica, entered the scans recording his and Zon's DNA into the machine that would compare them. Sildon tried not to let his nervousness show. He couldn't have said what results he was hoping for. Anything that came back would be terrifying to one extent or another. The best thing he could do was just wait, and deal with what happened afterward.
Lisa and Tom stood with Zon. They didn't speak, but Sildon could see the solidarity between them. Even though he fought against it, there was jealousy burning in his stomach. He could have grown up with a family like this. He didn't even care about their wealth and power. There was clear unity and love between them, and that was what he had always missed out on.
Beside him, Jada adjusted a squirming Isabel. She was still upset that he had fought Zon but told him as long as he promised not to do it again, that would be the end of it. He had promised, and Jada had nodded and didn't bring it up again. She met his gaze and smiled at him. His heart lurched.
He'd put everything in danger. He would never have a family like Tom, but he did have a family with Jada and Isabel. In his blind anger, he had nearly lost them. If Jada hadn't found a way to understand what he was going through, then it would have all been over.
Never again, he vowed.
He would never let anger or hate to blind him to what he had here. He would never again risk his relationship with Jada. He moved a little closer to her, wishing he could go back and take back his challenge to Zon. Even if everything had resolved, it would have been better if the fight had never taken place to begin with.
A beeping came from the machine, and Sildon turned his attention back to Erica. She studied the results that were displayed while everybody looked anxiously on. Eventually, she turned back to them and shook her head.
"Results are clear. You're not related."
The tension in the air didn't clear as Sildon had been expecting. Jada squeezed his hand. Tom frowned and came to peer at the medical screen himself. Sildon didn't look at any of them. Of course what his mother's letter said wasn't true. She may not have even known who his father was. That wasn't so uncommon. He had been stupid, to attack without knowing all the facts.
"Are you sure you read it right?" Tom asked.
Erica rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, but who here is a trained medical professional?"
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just… well. I just wanted to make sure."
Did Tom actually sound disappointed? But that didn't make any sense. Why would be disappointed that the man who had attacked and tried to kill his father wasn't actually his brother? But when Sildon looked up, the other T'shav did look disappointed. He scratched at his beard thoughtfully, then shrugged.
"I've always wanted a big brother. It would have been nice to have someone to add to our retrieval trio."
Sildon managed a small smile at that. "I don't think you'd want me on your team anyway. I never learned proper fighting techniques. What I do know I learned from experience. But I don't even have a sword anymore."
"You can make a new sword," Jada interrupted. "And you have impressive skills for being self-taught. Can you take Isabel for a moment? I need to find a clean diaper for her."
Sildon gladly took the baby. The stink of a dirty diaper made him wrinkle his nose, but she smiled up at him and relaxed into his arms. He smiled back at her. He just had to remind himself that he had found a new family. Blood wasn't what mattered, love was. He loved Jada and Isabel. They were what mattered.
He watched warily as Zon approached him. The warlord clapped a hand to his shoulder. "It's never too late to learn fighting techniques. Matka clearly wanted me to teach you our traditions, and if you are willing to learn, I will teach them to you."
Sildon's eyes widened. He must not be hearing right. "You'll train me?"
"Yes."
"But I'm…" There were dozens of reason why Zon shouldn't offer this. "I'm too old."
Zon shook his head. "One is never too old to learn new things. Besides, I would like to learn more about Matka's son, and I think I have stories of her that you would enjoy hearing. I remember a few scars she gave me."
"I…" Sildon didn't know what to say to that. This was so far from what he expected. He bowed. "Thank you. I would be honored."
Zon nodded at him. "There is still the matter of your theft. Considering your motives, it would be unfair to sentence you to jail, but I can't allow you to go unpunished."
"You could turn it into a loan," Jada suggested, pulling a diaper from the bag. "Something that we work to pay off. I do have a successful dating agency, and I have a few more ideas that should pull in some revenue. Musth cabins. A private place for lovers to go crazy without disturbing their neighbors. I know it was a lot of money, but I always intended on paying it back."
Lisa stepped beside Zon. "That sounds perfect. You'll have to pay with interest, though. The exact details can be settled at another time. For right now, I think these two ought to be given their alone time. Don't you agree?"
She arched a brow at her mate and he nodded. "Of course. Tom, please escort them to a room. I will see both of you later."
The warlord gave Sildon's shoulder a final squeeze and they were led away. Sildon felt sort of dazed as he walked, carrying Isabel. Once they got to their room, however, everything finally sunk in and he grinned. Maybe it hadn't happened the way he wanted, but he had everything he wanted at last.
He had his family.
Chapter Fifteen – Jada
It was impossible, and yet the tests were definitive. Jada hadn't even turned off her computer at work after she got the call from the medics. Her heart was full to bursting, a grin spread over her face, excitement pounding through her blood. Her only thought was to tell Sildon the news. He was training with Zon, practicing hand-to-hand combat, but she didn't bother wondering if she still should bow or curtsy to Zon whenever she entered his private spaces.
"Sildon!" she shouted, throwing herself into his arms. "You will never believe it!"
Sildon caught her, a startled expression on his face. "Believe what?"
"Isabel's going to be a big sister."
It took a moment for her words to sink in. His eyes widened and a smile grew on his face. Sildon laughed, swinging her in a circle before he set her down and kissed her. Sparks flooded her brain, and she moved closer to him, heedless of the watching warlord. All she could think was that she was glad she'd agreed to let Tom and his mate Sara take Isabel to the zoo with their little ones. It gave her plenty of alone time with her own mate…
Sildon broke the kiss. "But how? I thought you were infertile."
"I was. I don't know what happened. I thought I was getting sick so I went to the medics, and the results are clear. I'm pregnant."
Zon cleared his throat. "We have been hearing plenty of such events lately. It either has something to do with the musth or our medical treatments. Many human women who thought they were unable to conceive have become mothers. Congratulations to both of you. You may have the rest of the day off, Sildon, but I want you here three hours early tomorrow."
Sildon nodded his thanks, but Jada was already impatiently pulling him away. She wanted to be able to properly celebrate this news. Her mate laughed at her impatience, but when she turned a black glare on him, he came along without a fuss. By the time they were back at the apartment that they shared with another young couple, Jada was about ready to strip down right in the kitchen.
As soon as they were in, she pressed Sildon against the door and kissed him fiercely. Sildon growled in return, gripping her ass in his hands. Jada loved the feel of their bodies pressed together. Every time it was passionate and eager, whether they only had half an hour together or had arranged for a weekend in the musth cabins that Jada had now started to run. A weekend out there was like creating your own galaxy. All the hormones and pheromones in the air affected more than those in musth. The cabins probably needed to be spread out a little more…
Jada pushed business from her mind, focusing on her mate. She began tuggi
ng at his belt, and he gripped her wrists, stopping her.
"What if we're not alone?" he asked.
"Oh, they're not home. They went on a date."
"And Isabel?"
"With Tom and Sara." Jada stretched to kiss him again. "We won't be interrupted."
"I love it when you're like this," Sildon growled. He picked her up, bringing her knees over his hips. "So fiery and demanding. What a lucky man I am to have a Stockholm like you."
Jada rolled her eyes and continued to kiss him as he carried her to their bedroom. He locked the door behind them before tossing her onto the bed. A grin crossed his face as his gaze ran down her body. Jada grinned back at him.
"I love it when you look at me that way. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Sildon unbuckled his belt and let his var'ki drop. As always, the sight of him naked had everything inside of her heating and tightening. Jada let her legs fall open and inched her skirt up her thigh. She had already been planning this before she learned they were going to have another baby and had decided to go commando that morning. Her mate's eyes darkened as he saw she was naked under her skirt.
"You fox," he growled, climbing onto the bed after her. "You just like doing this while I'm naked and you're still dressed, don't you? That's why you're doing this to me."
"I do find your unrestrained lust for me pretty sexy," she admitted. "But I'm also kind of hoping you'll just tear my clothes right off my body."
Sildon clenched a handful of her shirt. "The last time I did that, you yelled at me."
Jada sighed. It was true. Unfortunately, she just couldn't justify ruining perfectly good clothes. She tugged the shirt out from the waistband of her skirt and yanked it up over her head. Sildon pushed her skirt to her waist and bent over her. Her insides squirmed as he kissed her thighs, moving closer to his goal. She dug her hands into his hair.
This was bliss. Soft sighs escaped her as Sildon worked his mouth against her. She struggled to stay still, knowing he liked her to be submissive and patient when he did this. It was difficult, though, as trembles of pleasure rippled through her. His hair was silky and soft in her hands, and she focused on everything he was doing, every sensation he woke in her.
