Damn, she was too perceptive at times.

Not wanting to upset her, he gave her a light kiss. “We’re hoping it’s good news.” Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a lie.

“About Kalea?”

He nodded. “Keep training and I’ll let you know as soon as we have something.”

“Okay.” She kissed his cheek. “Love you.”

Those words never got old to him. “You, too, mia.” He took a moment to watch her run back to his cousin and Shahara. Biting his lip, he felt his body harden instantly. No other female had ever done to him what she did. While he’d had attractive females turn him on, it was nothing compared to the hunger Sumi caused by doing nothing more than breathing.

Gah, this was unbearable.

And right now, he had other things to do besides strip off her clothes and taste that body that was driving him insane with lust.

As he headed for the door, his grandmother gave him a suspicious stare. “Can an old female be privy to this or is it a cock-only event?”

Hauk choked on her use of an old, less-than-proper term he hadn’t heard since his grandfather had been alive and reminiscing with his father. “Feel free to join us, Yaya. You’re always welcome wherever I am.” He offered his arm to her.

She took one last look at Sumi and smiled. “Your female stands a better-than-good chance at beating Dariana. That harita doesn’t know what she’s up against.”

“Having been hand-fed by you, Yaya, you should have known that no ordinary female would do for me. I require her to equal you in strength, prowess, and beauty.”

An attractive blush stained her cheeks. “You flatter an old bird.”

“I speak honestly and with candor. As you taught me.”

“You speak with the guile learned from your paran. He was ever able to charm me. I would never have married anyone save him.”

He heard the sadness in her voice. “I miss him, too.”

Her eyes sad, she nodded. “He always loved you, Dancer. I know he was hard on you. Unkind at times even, but he was doing what he thought best to make you as strong as possible. He always said that you would be his heir to the Warsword.”

Hauk looked away as she dredged up memories he’d rather not think about. Like his grandmother, his grandfather had remained angry at his father throughout his lifetime over the fact that his father had shamed Cairistiona and tied their line to his mother’s lesser lineage. And his father had taken that anger out on all three of them, as if they were to blame for their father’s mistake in not keeping it in his pants.