She smiled at the compliment and whispered a thank you. As they continued to dance in silence, Councilman Gav looked down at her, pride evident in his eyes. “As I’m sure my brother has told you, we are excited to finally have a daughter in our midst. The children look healthy and hearty, as do my sons. Your love suits them well.”
She was caught off guard by Gav’s confession. “Thank you, but it’s me who’s the lucky one. Your sons never quit trying to show me their love. I’m blessed to have them and the boys in my life.”
She stopped talking and wondered how to broach the subject, but she didn’t have long to think about it, because Gav asked, “What is it, child?”
“Counci . . . your brother . . . well . . . he wants to be called dad and I call him papa. I guess I was wondering, if it’s okay with you, if I could call you papa also?”
Gav stopped swaying to the music and looked down at her. “I would love that very, very much. You’ve made this old man extremely happy.”
Leading her from the dance floor, she and Gav were met with Uri, Dawn, Bahdoo, and Arock with their two boys, Hooth and Tydek, in tow. Sloane was so happy to see the boys again. She hugged them both. “You look so handsome in your suits.”
Hooth and Tydek had beaming smiles to greet her. She knew Dawn, Bahdoo, and Arock loved these boys like their own. She smiled at Dawn, then enfolded her in a hug. Gesturing to Dawn’s stomach, she asked, “May I?”
With a chuckle, Dawn nodded in agreement. “He’s been kicking all day long.”
Sloane held her hand to Dawn’s small, distended belly, smiling as she did. “You’re so blessed. I wish you, Bahdoo, and Arock the best. I would like to have you come up to the stage and say some words if you could about the adoption of your boys.”
“I’m not the best speaker, but if you think it would be helpful to get more boys adopted, I would love to.”
Uri stepped forward and interjected. “Of course, it would help. To see the children happy and thriving with new parents is something Arenians aren’t used to. If they see that it works and”—Uri motioned to the orphans—“see there are more children who need a home, they will be more willing to open their homes and credits to help these children.”
Gav and Roweq came forward. “Forgive us for the interruption, but the queen and kings have arrived.”
Just then, everyone turned toward the double doors as the queen and kings made their entrance. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turned toward the doors, and bowed.
Chapter 23
Sloane watched Queen Maya, King Raiden, and King Taavi make their way to her small group. “Uri, your home is beautiful as always. You’ve done a great service to the crown and to the children. On behalf of the kings and myself, you have our thanks and gratitude.”
As Councilman Roweq and Councilman Gav fell in behind Uri, she bowed to the queen. “It’s our pleasure, my queen. Our hope is to help the children.”
Queen Maya took Uri’s hand and helped her rise. “Dawn! You look stunning, my dear. I was so happy to sign my first adoption papers for not just one, but two children to your triad.”
“Yes, Queen Maya,” Dawn said as she, too, bowed.
“Rise, child. Can I please meet your children?”
Hooth and Tydek came forward, bowing as well. Queen Maya smiled and gestured to the kings. “I remember you both from when we visited. Do you remember us?”
“Of course, your highness. We’ll never forget it. Not many can say they’ve not only met the royal family but played with them, too,” Hooth said with a huge grin.
King Raiden chimed in. “I’m glad we could bring some brightness into your lives. Are you liking your new mother and fathers?”
Both boys nodded vigorously and moved to hug Dawn’s baby bump.
Queen Maya smiled at the sight of the newly created family. “We’re so happy for you all. May we speak with the adults in private? I’m sure you two would like to spend some time with the other children.”
Hooth and Tydek looked up at Dawn for confirmation. Dawn nodded and ruffled their hair. As they ran toward the other children, they smiled and waved back to Dawn, Bahdoo, and Arock.
As Sloane watched the boys join the others, she noticed Jessie, Looch, Leigh, Marie, Gade, and Aryn all walking toward them. The women were beautifully dressed. With their strong males in tow, they personified power. She knew Marie didn’t think of Gade and Aryn as mates, but anyone looking at the three could tell they thought of her that way.
The women and men of the group all greeted one another, and when the introductions finished, Uri spoke up. “We are still expecting a few more to attend, but would like to address the party and get started.”
Queen Maya clapped her hands together. “Good idea, Uri. Please, do so.”
Uri led the large party over to the raised stage, but only took her mates, Jessie, Looch, Leigh, the queen, and the kings up the stairs to the waiting plush chairs. Uri stood at the podium with Roweq and Gav flanking her sides and spoke to the attendees. “As you all know, my mates, Councilman Roweq and Councilman Gav, are the ones who usually do the talking when it comes to one political issue or another, but it’s I who will be revealing the political cause to you tonight.”
Uri paused as murmurs floated throughout the guests. Uri raised her hand to quiet the crowd. “I, along with many other Arenian females, have led a very privileged life. A privileged life at the expense of others. Others being the males of this planet. I’m ashamed to admit, it’s taken the influx of Earth females for me to realize it. These strong Earth females have endured more in months than we ever have in six lifetimes.” Uri stopped and took a stuttering, deep breath to try to calm her nerves.
“They’ve shown me the error of my ways and the female I want to be. A strong, capable Arenian female.”
Uri smiled down at her. “My mates and I are so proud of our new daughter, Sloane. She’s opened her heart to the young males who our society has cast off for the chance to bear a female. Sloane has worked tirelessly to make sure every child at the orphanage has had love and attention. She was able to procure three positions at the palace for three exceptional young males, one of which has prepared the meal you’re eating tonight. Sloane has also selflessly let two children be adopted even though it breaks her heart to let them go.”
Motioning to the ballroom floor, Uri continued. “Dawn, Bahdoo, and Arock, I would like it if you came up and said a few words about your adoption of Hooth and Tydek.”
As Uri, Gav, and Roweq stepped back, Dawn stepped up onto the stage and to the podium with her children and bonded. “As Uri said, my bonded and I have adopted Hooth and Tydek. Children are a blessing, no matter if they’re male or female. We’d have loved to adopt all of the children, but unfortunately, we’re only able to house two boys as we also are adding one more to our family in seven more months.”
Dawn looked up at her mates and smiled a watery smile. “My mates didn’t know what to think in the beginning, but once we visited Sloane at the orphanage, we knew they were doing the right thing. The process has been wonderful, and we love our children with all our hearts.”
Tydek grabbed the microphone and rather excitedly announced, “We love our mother and fathers, too. They let us eat sweets and read books to us every night!”
The male attendees chuckled as the females grasped at their hearts and cooed their oohs and ahs.
Dawn and her family exited the stage and Uri came to speak again. “I would like to thank Dawn for opening her heart and home to these two handsome, young Arenian males. Again, I thank you all for coming. Your credits will not only benefit the children of this orphanage, but also other facilities needing help. We’ll have a silent auction continuing throughout the party with the winners being announced at the end of . . .”
Uri suddenly stopped talking and looked upset as she gazed to the back of the room. Sloane looked to where Uri’s attention was fixated. All she saw was a woman with two teenage boys coming in the double doors.
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br /> “Excuse me.” Uri cleared her throat and continued. “The winners will be announced at the end of the night. I would now like for our sons and new daughter to come to the podium to address you. Without further delay, Master Healers Lian and Lyon, and their mate, Sloane.”
Lian and Lyon led her to the raised stage, amidst the polite applause of the audience. When she got to the podium, Sloane smiled as the applause continued. Her smile faded when she noticed that the Cruella Deville-looking woman was stomping toward the orphans with intent. Sloane didn’t know why the woman was making her way toward the children, but Coyak was in front and looked white as a ghost. Everyone continued clapping, until the woman’s loud, shrill voice overtook the merriment as she spat, “What in all of Molinka are you doing here?”
Chapter 24
Two things happened at once, as audible gasps could be heard throughout the audience. First, the woman grabbed a hold of Coyak’s arm, shaking him, and second, Coyak cried out in pain, yelling, “Fara!”
Not even thinking, Sloane kicked off her shoes and leapt from the stage, racing toward her son. She reached them just in time as the woman reared her arm back to hit Coyak. Sloane grabbed the woman’s arm before she could slap the boy. “Take your hands off my son!”
The evil woman whirled around, releasing her hold on Coyak. The woman’s eyes formed small slits as redness bloomed on her face. “He certainly is not your son. He’s mine!”
Sloane couldn’t even comprehend what the woman was saying as rage filled her. She looked down at Coyak, who was now clinging tightly to her waist like a lifeline. “Is this true?” she asked the little boy.
Trembling and with rivulets of tears streaming down his cherubic cheeks, Coyak slowly nodded his head. Her heart sank to her feet, as she whispered one word. “No.” She was so enthralled in getting to Coyak, she hadn’t noticed until then that not only were Lian and Lyon right behind her, but also Uri, Papa Gav, and Papa Roweq. With the strength of her family behind her, Sloane asked, “Who are you?”
“Who am I?” the woman announced to no one in particular, as she thrust her arms out and twirled in a slow circle. “The Earth female wants to know who I am, when it is she who has stolen my son from me.” Spittle slipped from her lips as she spewed her next words. “I’m Naral, the former mate of Councilmen Ahmet and Pike.” She motioned to the two early teenage boys. “These are my eldest sons, Sayr and Day. You obviously know my youngest son, Coyak, as you stole him from me.”
Sloane had never understood the phrase “seeing red” until this exact moment. This woman was batshit crazy if she thought Sloane stole Coyak. “He was at the orphanage months before I got there. And although you’ve said what your name is, it doesn’t explain or excuse why this poor child was alone in the forest, cold, malnourished, and scared out of his mind. It also doesn’t explain why he’s so afraid of you!”
Sloane noticed Sayr and Day looked uncomfortable, and apparently everyone with super-smelling abilities knew something was up, too, because everyone’s gazes, along with Naral’s face, snapped to her sons. “What did you do?”
Both boys looked ashen. “Nothing, Mother!”
Naral backhanded Day. “You lie!”
Sloane jumped toward Naral, intent on scratching the bitch’s eyes out, when Lian and Lyon held onto her waist, pinning her to them. Lian whispered into her ear, “You don’t want to do this in front of the children.”
Papa Roweq’s commanding voice boomed over the gasps. “Naral, explain your actions and how Coyak came to be in the care of the orphanage.”
Scoffing at Roweq’s request, Naral spoke. “It sounds like Sayr and Day need to explain, not I.”
All eyes went to Sayr and Day. Finally, Sayr spoke up. “It was our fault Coyak ended up in the orphanage.” As gasps rippled through the crowd, Sayr stared at Sloane, his eyes pleading with her to help him. “We took Coyak in the middle of the night and left him in the forest.”
With horror lacing her words, she asked, “Why?”
Sayr and Day looked really nervous, as Lian said, “We’ll not harm you. We just want to get to the bottom of this.”
Day finally blurted, “We couldn’t stand the way our brother was being treated. If we hadn’t done it, Mother would have killed him.”
Naral grabbed her son’s arm and shook him. “Lies! All of it!”
Lyon interjected, “He speaks the truth. We all smell his honesty. We’re wondering how you deceived your mother on what happened to Coyak?”
Day pried his arm from his mother’s grip. “We had help from someone in our home. We were told by this person to leave our brother at a location in the forest and that they’d make sure he was taken care of. When Mother asked us where Coyak was and what happened to him, we could answer honestly, because we truly didn’t know where he was or what happened to him.”
Sloane asked Naral the question on everyone’s minds. “How could you abuse your own children?”
“I don’t abuse my children. I discipline them when needed. See here, you insipid Earth female, I had an arranged bond with the older Councilmen Ahmet and Pike, and their paltry seed gave me only males. I was destined to have a female. When I again bore a male for the third time, I was obviously disappointed. Both of my bonded died several years ago, and since Arenian females bear their mate’s mark forever, I’m unable to bond again with another. I’m set to live the rest of my days alone with no female child, only Sayr, Day, and Coyak.” The woman sneered his name like he could have prevented being male.
That’s when all hell broke loose. Uri came out from somewhere behind Roweq and Gav, and she slapped Naral right across the face with all her strength. Naral went careening back and almost fell, but at the last minute, she righted herself and stared at Uri in shock. “Sayr, Day, please stand behind Sloane, with your brother. You’ll not be going home with this woman, now or ever.”
The boys looked at their mother, then did what Uri asked. Naral hissed at Uri, “How dare you! I demand you . . . you . . .”
“Shut up! You’ve abused these children for far too long and I’ll not stand for it any longer. The children will be adopted by our sons and new daughter.”
“You can’t do that. Sayr, Day, Coyak, get over here this instant!”
Sloane stood sentry to the three boys, not letting the evil woman even look at them. The older boys were obviously scared more than Coyak, because they weren’t out from under their mother’s influence as Coyak was. Coyak wrapped his hands into theirs and smiled up at them. As if to gather Coyak’s strength, the boys all stood there, not moving a muscle.
Uri tsked her displeasure as she began to circle the woman. “You forget your place in this world, Naral, and I’m just the female to remind you.”
Before Naral could respond, Uri stopped her short. “I’ll remind you that your worth as a young Arenian female is to bear offspring. Hopefully, a female for our race, but nonetheless, you’re to bear offspring. You, along with the rest of the Arenian females, have been afforded certain concessions to accomplish that. Most of us lavish in the attention afforded to us, but you abuse it.”
Uri looked at Sloane with something she wasn’t used to seeing . . . motherly love. “It took getting to know my new daughter to see how selfish we, as Arenian females, have been. I’ll no longer stand idly by and do nothing.”
Naral slowly clapped her hands and chuckled. “That’s all well and good, Uri, but that has nothing to do with me. Being matriarch of my home, I’ll take my sons now and be on my way. There’s no one short of the queen herself who can stop me.”
Uri laughed the most mocking laugh Sloane ever had the pleasure of hearing. “Funny you should mention the queen. Once I figured out who Coyak was, the queen and I spoke in length of my suspicions of your abuse. Everything was confirmed when I personally delivered your invitation to this party.”
Uri sighed. “You really should treat your servants better, Naral. They confessed to me that the only reason they stayed in your home is their conce
rn for the children, a mistake you don’t have to worry about any longer.”
Queen Maya came forward, speaking in the no-nonsense tone Sloane was accustomed to. “Because I’m stripping you of your servants. In fact, I’m stripping you of everything.”
Naral’s once bronzed face was now a shade of creamy white. Sloane could tell Naral was terrified of the queen as she spoke. “Your majesty, I don’t understand.”
Smirking, Queen Maya continued. “Then let me be very clear, Naral. Since you’re unable to bear more offspring and you’ve abused your station, servants, and most of all, your children, I’m ridding you of it all. You’re unfit to be called mother, therefore, dear Sloane will be taking over that role for Sayr, Day, and Coyak. She’ll show them the love and attention a child—any child—should be afforded.”
Naral tried to speak, but Queen Maya shushed her with a raised hand. “I’m not finished. Since you were unsatisfied with your former mates, then you do not need any of their credits or possessions.”
The queen turned her attention to Councilmen Roweq and Gav. “Please freeze all assets of former Councilmen Ahmet and Pike. Their home will be held by the servants until such time Sayr, Day, and Coyak become age of majority. When that time arrives, the three can decide what they’d like to do with it.”
Naral blustered, “You can’t do that. I’m a female. I’ll have nothing.”
Queen Maya pinned Naral in place with just a look. “I can, and I have. Don’t worry, Naral, I’ve made arrangements for you.”
Sloane noticed the woman visibly relax, but not for long, as Queen Maya began talking again. “You’ll live on a buddle farm and tend to the buddles. I’ve taken the liberty of informing the farmer of the circumstances of your arrival and he has been instructed to treat you as any other male on the farm. Special treatment will not be afforded to you. If you want to eat, you’ll have to harvest, kill, and cook it. If you want a roof over your head, you’ll have to work for it. Is there anything you would like to say for yourself before my guards escort you to the farm?”
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