Unless he gouged out his eyes before they all saw he was stralen.
It was a semi-tempting thought.
Nah, he’d rather fight.
Darling swept his gaze to Nyk, Jayne, and Syn before he inclined his head to Hauk. “Then we’ll go out together. United. And dare them to say one ill word to you or Sumi.”
Tears choked Sumi as her hand tightened on Dancer’s. “So this is what it’s like.”
Dancer furrowed his brow. “What?”
“Having a family,” she said in a tiny voice.
Darling hugged her. “I guess Hauk forgot to tell you that he doesn’t come solo. We’re a package deal.”
She laughed. “Actually, he did warn me. Thia, too. I… just didn’t expect all this. May the gods love all of you for it.”
They felt the ship land and all the humor left her face and was replaced by a fear that made Hauk’s gut tighten.
He took her hand into his and locked gazes with her. “No one and I mean no one is going to harm you, Sumi. They’ll have to get through me first and no one gets through me.”
“I can testify to that,” Nykyrian said drily. “I’m still scraping the remains of the last fool who tried off the bottom of my boots.”
When Syn moved to unlock the bed, Hauk stopped him. “I’ll walk.”
“You’re…” His voice trailed off at the grisly look on Hauk’s face. “Going to walk out of here. What was I thinking? Apparently, I’m an idiot.” Syn unhooked the monitors. “I’ll have the MT unit take Bastien to the local hospital.” He spoke into his link to place the order.
Hauk stood and braced himself for the coming hell that was about to be unleashed.
CHAPTER 25
Sumi wasn’t sure what to expect. She’d never been around this many Andarions in her life. It was one thing to see one or two or even a unit, but this…
Yeah. Anyone who attacked the Andarions was a flaming moron. Aside from the sheer size of them, they stood as if they were made of stone. Their combined ferocity alone could kill someone.
Nykyrian took her trembling hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. “Sumi Antaxas no longer exists. You’re an eton Anatole now, kisa. Princess Sumi. Breathe and remember we’ll gut anyone who glances askance at you. As will every Andarion wearing a red-and-black uniform. You are among family.”
She offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
Darice went running down the ramp first and flew into the arms of a tall, fierce female. Unbelievably beautiful, Dariana appeared able to kick the snot out of anything. Male, beast… nuclear device.
And that was just with the power of her ferocious sneer.
Holy gods.
But the moment her son embraced her she stiffened and shoved him back. “What manner of human behavior is this?”
Hurt flickered across his face before Darice regained his composure. “Forgive me, Matarra.”
She narrowed her gaze on his feather necklace that he’d been so proud of. Picking it up, she sneered even more. “Not very large, is it? What a puny trophy.”
Darice deflated instantly.
Without a word of greeting to his parents, Dancer went straight to her. “Leave him be, Dariana. As a true Andarion warrior, he gave the largest feather he collected to his princess as a gift.”
The hatred in her white eyes was searing. And when she saw the glowing red of Dancer’s, she stepped back. “You have shamed me!” she snarled.
“Dancer!” his mother growled as she approached him and saw his eyes. “What have you done?”
Facing their obvious wrath and contempt, he didn’t flinch. “I took my brother’s child to Mount Grenalyn and have returned with his heir. Darice has honored his father and his lineages.”
“And you have shamed yours! Again.” His mother struck him across his abdomen. “How dare you!”
A red stain spread over his clothes from the wound his mother had opened.
Sumi knew she wasn’t supposed to do anything. She needed to let him handle this. But she couldn’t stand here and let him be assaulted. Not even by his own mother.
Furious, she released Nykyrian and rushed to Dancer’s side so that she put herself between him and the females who wanted his life. “Leave him alone!”
“A human!” Dariana spat. “You shamed me with —”
“Bow to your princess!” Six Andarion guards came forward to protect Sumi.
It was only then that Dariana and his mother saw the markings on Sumi’s face and recognized the style of her bloodred dress.
His mother gasped before she bowed low.
Dariana hesitated. With one last feral glare at Dancer that promised retribution, she obeyed.
Sumi lifted her chin defiantly, wanting a piece of both of them. She was supposed to do this later, but…
Tolerance wasn’t part of her nature any more than it was Dancer’s.
She curled her lip at Dariana. “Dancer has done nothing save honor his family and his noble, heroic lineage. He deserves better than to be tied to the inferior blood of Terisool. Dariana of the Blood Kin Terisool, I challenge you for the right to tie my superior lineage to his.”
Dancer’s jaw dropped, but he said nothing.
Dariana rose with an evil smirk. “I accept your challenge… human.”
“Princess,” Sumi hissed in reminder, refusing to back down or blink as she stood toe-to-toe with the bitch. “And good. I look forward to ripping out your spine and beating you with it.”
The desire to respond in kind burned bright in Dariana’s eyes, but she knew better than to say anything nasty to a member of the royal family. Instead, she grabbed Darice’s arm and hauled him away.
Only then did Dancer’s grandmother and father approach as his mother straightened. His mother was much more subdued toward him than she’d been.
His grandmother and father bowed low in honor to Sumi.
Dancer met Sumi’s gaze with pride gleaming brightly in his eyes. “Yaya, Matarra, and Da, allow me to present to you Princess Sumi of the Most Sovereign Blood Clan of eton Anatole.”
A knowing smile lifted one corner of his grandmother’s lips. “Is she the one you allowed the honor of touching you, Dancer?”
“She is, Yaya.”
His grandmother inclined her head respectfully to them both. “Then it is with your paran’s sword that she will fight and defeat the lesser lineaged. My gift to you both and I hope she runs it straight through Dariana’s treacherous gut.” His grandmother placed her right hand over her heart. “It is my most privileged honor to meet you, Princess.”
Sumi wasn’t sure how to respond. “The honor is all mine, Ger Tarra War Hauk.”
That seemed to be correct.
Laughing, his father clapped Dancer on the shoulder. “You are my son.”
Sumi didn’t miss the look of pain that flitted across his features over his father’s praise.
His mother, however, wasn’t quite so accepting. “What were you thinking, Dancer? This will be a scandal to your blood!”
“But no more so than what you did to Ferral, Endine.” Cairistiona came forward to confront her. “Seems poetic, doesn’t it? You stole a lineage and my daughter restores what should have been.”
Still, his mother refused to back down. “You never wanted Ferral Hauk.”
“And Dariana never wanted Dancer. Again, restoration.” Cairistiona placed her hand on Dancer’s shoulder and smiled tenderly at him. “I look forward to the day I officially welcome you to the Most Sovereign Blood Clan of eton Anatole. And speaking of…” She stepped back and held her hand out.
It was only then Sumi saw Fain, who approached them slowly. Like her and Cairistiona, he was dressed in the bloodred color that only a direct member of the royal family could wear.