He tilted her chin up so that she could meet his sincere gaze. Wanting to comfort her, he kissed away her tears. “You did not embarrass me, mia. Very soon, our daughter will be playing right alongside their children. And she will be spoiled more than any daughter ever born. She will know nothing but our love. I swear that to you.”

“Our daughter?” his grandmother asked, suddenly.

He glanced over his shoulder to his grandmother and cousin. “Sumi has agreed to honor me with fatherhood when we find her daughter.”

She smiled at Sumi. “So I will have another great-granddaughter to spoil? How wonderful! Then let us be about this training so that we can cement your family, Dancer. I want to see you settled with a female who is worthy of your heart, and there is nothing more dear to mine than another child to love and spoil.”

Hauk inclined his head, grateful that his grandmother was so kind and accepting. However, his mother would be another story. Far more traditional, she would never forgive him for being with a human. And he doubted if she would ever so much as look at Kalea.

Not that it mattered. He and Sumi would treasure her so that she would never miss having a grandmother’s love.

Shahara and Desideria slowly joined them.

“Are we interrupting?”

Sumi sniffed back her tears at their kindness. “Sorry. I —”

“Shh,” Shahara said. “Don’t apologize. We all understand, and we’re very sorry if we hurt you.”

Sumi pulled her into a hug. “God, no. You’ve all been so wonderful that it’s made it extra hard, I think. I’m not used to this.”

Desideria laughed. “Believe me, we all know that feeling. My older sister tried to kill me and my husband before we married.”

“What?” Sumi asked breathlessly.

Shahara nodded. “That was after she tried to frame them both for murder. Makes you appreciate your own family, eh?”

“Sadly… yes.”

Taking her by the arm, Shahara patted her shoulder. “Just remember, family isn’t perfect. It’s just perfectly ours.” She led the way to the gym that was down the hall. Fain stayed behind.

Sumi wasn’t sure what to expect given the extravagance of the rest of the house. And the gym definitely didn’t disappoint. Which made sense, given Dancer’s physique. He probably spent more time in here than anywhere else.

At the moment, the room was open and airy like the conservatory, but there were VR monitors all over. There were three separate fighting areas. Two had mats, one was the solid floor. Every known weapon she’d ever seen or heard of was in racks that lined one wall. He had a firing range at one end. An archery range next to that, that was also equipped with targets for other throwing weapons. Different kinds of punching bags, dummies, and speed bags…

She couldn’t even take it all in.