“It’s not your fault.” Syn glanced over to Kalea. “And you will have made her life when she wakes up and sees what you brought her.”

His throat tight, he nodded, knowing Syn was right. He couldn’t wait to see her face when she held her daughter for the first time.

“You okay?” Desideria asked him.

Hauk swallowed. “Yeah.”

“All right. I’ll be back in just a second.” She took Kalea into the bathroom to dress her.

Syn cupped Hauk’s face and forced him to meet his gaze. “I know how pissed off you are. You have every right to be. There’s not a one of us who wouldn’t be out for blood after this. But I fixed Eleron while you were gone. Kyr cut through the system. I’m pretty sure he’s locked out, but I’m better at hacking than securing. That’s your job.”

“Trust me, he’ll never my break my system again.”

Syn released him. “We’ll get him, Hauk.”

“I know. Just not soon enough to please me.” He glanced past Syn as Desideria returned with a still-sleeping Kalea.

“She’s all ready for bed.”

His emotions overwhelmed him as he saw her in the white linen gown that was filled with pink ruffles. Desideria had even washed her hair and put matching booties on her feet. “Thank you, Des.”

Desideria grimaced and put her hand over her stomach.

“You all right?”

Breathing in short gasps, she nodded. “Kicks like his father. He’s been rolling around for hours.” She patted his arm. “Goodnight, sweetie.”

Syn paused by the bed. “She should sleep through the night. If she wakes up, let me know. I’m going to check on Shahara.”

“Goodnight, Syn. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank us, brother. You know that.”

Nodding, Hauk did the one thing he’d been dying to do since Sumi first told him about Kalea. He pulled the covers back from her and put Kalea in the bed by her side. Instinctively, Kalea snuggled in tight. Likewise, Sumi draped an arm around her and sighed as if she knew it was her baby with her.

Smiling as he blinked back tears, he pulled his office chair closer to the bed and propped his feet on the nightstand. “Don’t worry, mia. I’m not letting you out of my sight again. And no one’s ever going to hurt either of you during my watch.”

Sumi sucked her breath in sharply as she came awake to a strange, stinging pain in her arm. It was asleep, she realized, and something was lying on it.

Yawning, she expected to find Dancer there.

Instead, it was a tiny little girl in a white, frilly gown. She frowned at the dark hair. “Lillya?”

The little girl opened her eyes and looked up at her.

It wasn’t Desideria’s daughter.

“Are you my mommy?”