At the offended look on Hauk’s face, Hadrian’s eyes widened. “Sorry. I forgot the no-touch Andarion rule.”

Rolling his shoulder, Hauk stepped away from him and turned his attention to her. “You really Galene’s cousin?”

Jayne braced herself and slid her hand toward her blaster. “Yeah. You have issue with the Winged Baturs?”

“No. Just wondering how she’s been.”

Jayne shrugged at the last thing she expected him to say. Relaxing, she moved her hand from her blaster. “Haven’t seen her since I was a kid. We don’t exactly stay in touch. Andarions have a natural dislike for half-breeds and that side of the family made it known a long time ago that they had no use for us.”

He held his hands up. “I get it. I’ve flown through that animosity myself, but no worries from me. My best friend is mixed human and Andarion, and my brother married a human.”

That caught her off-guard. “Seriously?”

Hauk made the Andarion sign of sincerity over his heart.

Syn took another drink. “And he’s a War Hauk.”

That caused her jaw to drop. War Hauk’s were second only to their royal house when it came to the Andarion caste system. “And you’re friends with mix-bloods?”

Hauk flashed her an adorable grin. “I’ve never done what was expected of me. Besides, I’m the last male standing in my branch after they disowned my brother for his marriage. They can’t afford to disown me, too. Gives me a lot of latitude.”

Yeah, right. Not from what she knew of her Andarion relatives. They were a mean lot when you displeased them. Most of her family wouldn’t even acknowledge them. Even though she’d been exiled from Andaria, her grandmother had been considered dead by her family the moment she’d married a human.

But Jayne wouldn’t hold that against Hauk. He seemed decent enough.

She met Syn’s gaze. “You trust him?”

“With my life, which is what Eve and Nero will come for if anything happens to either of you.”

“You’re expanding, brother. Proud of you.”

Syn snorted at Hadrian’s comment. “Don’t be. I’m still not sure I’ll survive this. Guess it’s a good thing I don’t like living, anyway.”

Hauk shook his head. “So, I’m just basically their guard lorina?”

“Yep. Make sure no one messes with them.”

He saluted Syn before he turned to face them. “Okay . . . where we off to, kids?”

“Mordacity Pride.” Jayne checked her comm. “We want to see what she has to say for herself.”

“Preferably before my brother kills her.”

Jayne gave him a false grin. “Or we get killed.”

Hauk tsked. “Now, now. There will be no dying on my watch.”

Her smile turned genuine. “One good thing about an Andarion . . .”

“We provide a lot of shade?”

She laughed at Hauk. “No. Loyalty and honor above all.”

A dark shadow appeared behind that disconcerting gaze. She glanced to Hadrian who winced.

“There are assholes everywhere, Hauk.”

“Stay out of my head, Tris.”