CHAPTER 1

“C’mon, Darling. You can’t do this to me. I’m desperate for you, man. You’ve got to give it to me. Right here. Right now. I need you like I’ve never needed you before.”

In the hallway of the Caronese Winter Palace, Maris froze as he heard the deeply masculine, pleading Andarion accent through the door speaking with his male best friend.

No …

There was no way the two of them were talking about what it sounded like. Unlike him, they were both straight. He knew that for a fact, and yet, as they continued arguing, it definitely sounded like two lovers squabbling.

Completely confounded, Maris met Nykyrian’s stunned expression as the royal prince caught up to him in the hallway outside Darling’s office. Tall, blond, and lethal, Nykyrian—or Nemesis, as he was better known—was a former League assassin who had an intensity that let you know in an instant he saw you first as a target and then, only if you were lucky, a sentient creature he might not want to kill.

Being half Andarion, Nykyrian’s hearing was even more astute than Maris’s. Not that anyone needed supersonic hearing to miss this exchange. Their decibel level carried quite plainly through the heavy door of the emperor’s office.

And how Darling’s two imperial guards remained stone-faced while it went on was a testament to their training.

“Hell. No. Hauk,” Darling snapped, enunciating each word with rage. “As much as I love and owe you, I’m not doing that for you. Ever. Forget it.… And even if we did, you couldn’t handle it. Besides, you’ve never wanted it before. Not like this, and definitely not from me.”

Maris’s jaw dropped in synchronicity with Nykyrian’s.

“Ah, come on, Darling.” Hauk continued to plead in a tender, needful tone Maris had never heard him use before. “After everything I’ve done over the years to protect your sorry ass, I can’t believe you won’t share it with me. Don’t be like this. This isn’t a want. It’s a need. A major one. If you really loved me, you’d do this for me without question. Now give it to me! Please!”

“No! Not if we were the last two beings in the universe. Not even if you were down on your knees in front of me, buck naked and begging me for it.”

His expression horrified, Nykyrian opened the door to show Darling and Hauk standing on opposite sides of Darling’s desk, glaring at each other as if they were about to come to blows.

With his short red hair brushed back from his face and his royal harone hanging to his left shoulder, Darling was dressed in dark blue and maroon emperor robes while Hauk was swathed in a red-tinged black blast-resistant Sentella battlesuit that hugged every inch of his huge, well-muscled body. His black hair fell to his shoulders in small, extremely attractive braids that were common for the warriors on his home planet to designate them as the fiercest of their breed. The stark darkness of his warrior’s uniform made his skin glow a rich tawny-caramel that would make anyone’s mouth water for a taste.

Obviously annoyed, Hauk turned toward them and pinned them with his red-and-white Andarion eyes.

Even though Nykyrian shared many Andarion traits with Hauk, such as fangs, sensitive hearing, and extreme height, he had green human eyes. Ones that showed no fear as he locked gazes with Hauk. “Thank the gods you’re both still dressed and not entwined naked on the floor.… Now tell me, what exactly are we interrupting?”

Hauk scowled at the comment and question as if replaying their exchange in his head while Darling burst into laughter.

“Damn, Nyk … my wife’s not that pregnant.” Darling’s tone was filled with utter indignation.

Maris scoffed. “Oh please, honey. Zarya’s so pregnant, one good sneeze could launch your son into this world in a matter of seconds.”

Darling gave him a droll stare, but he knew it was true. Due any minute now, the poor girl was almost as huge as a shuttle craft.

And crankier than a Gondarion were-beast.

Moving closer to Hauk, Nykyrian looked back and forth between them. “And neither of you has answered my question. What had the two of you shouting lewd come-ons at each other?”

Now it was Maris’s turn to burst into laughter, as a smile toyed at the edges of Nykyrian’s lips.

With a nonchalance Maris knew he didn’t feel, Darling crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s something truly horrific, Nyk. We’re talking the stuff of haunting nightmares.…”

Maris arched a brow at that dire statement. Given what each of them had survived, he could only imagine what would make the intrepid Andarion warrior flinch.

Darling jerked his chin toward Hauk. “He’s facing six weeks alone with a creature so terrifying that he’s actually in here begging me for explosive devices that can temporarily maim him so that he won’t have to go near it.”

The gape returned to Nykyrian as he faced Hauk. “Seriously? It’s a child, Hauk, not a rabid animal you’re about to be caged with.”

Hauk scoffed at his nonchalance. “I beg to differ, and need I remind you how you felt the first time you learned you had a half-grown daughter and a baby on the way? As I recall, you weren’t exactly let’s-all-go-to-the-park-and-have-fun, buddy. But six kids later, you’re fine with it all, while I’m sick to my stomach at the prospect. What do you feed them? What if he has to go to the bathroom? Huh? What do I do then?”

Darling rolled his eyes. “Your nephew’s fourteen, Hauk. I promise you, you won’t have to burp him or change his nappies.”

“Oh, how do you know?” Hauk scoffed.

“True, Darling,” Nykyrian said drily. “We still have to change Hauk’s anytime you set off an explosion too close to him.”

Maris and Darling laughed while Hauk glared viciously at Nykyrian. That alone spoke volumes about Nykyrian’s courage.

Anyone else who received such a look from Hauk would run screaming for the door.

Including Maris.

“Go ahead,” Hauk growled. “All of you. Laugh at me. Sure. Why not? But none of you have ever had to survive alone with a child, in the wilderness, for six minutes, never mind six weeks. Endurance is the hardest thing any Andarion goes through. Both the adult and the child.”

Instantly, Nykyrian sobered as if he had sudden clarity over this uncharacteristic outburst. A deep sadness darkened his green eyes before he looked at Darling, then Maris. “Would you two mind giving us the room for a minute?”

“Sure.” Darling stepped out from behind his desk and followed Maris to the door.

Hauk visibly cringed at the sound of their exit as he realized what Nykyrian really wanted to talk about. It was something he’d been trying to bury for weeks now as this date thundered closer.

And it was the last thing he wanted to discuss with anyone.

Even Nyk.

“This isn’t about Darice.… I’ve known you...