Hauk let out a low, teasing whistle. “And on that, I’m out. But before I go, I will say this. Yes, my brothers are extreme, but I like them that way. Besides, there aren’t that many men in the universe who would kick down a League prison door, raid an assassin base camp, or start an intergalactic war to protect their spouses. Bat-shit crazy works for us.”

Sumi wrinkled her nose at him. “And crazy looks good on you, baby.”

“This is one of them times where they usually smooch and make noises,” Lillya whispered loudly to Kalea.

Hauk groaned as he looked to Desideria, who was blushing profusely. “FYI, you and Cai really need to move your daughter’s room farther down the hall.”

“Apparently so. Gah, I’m going to kill my husband.”

Zarya shifted Cezar in her lap. “Am I the only one who lives in stark-raving terror of the stories our children will one day tell about their parents?”

Hauk snorted. “Honestly? My fears are the stories about them that they won’t dare allow us to know.”

Hours later, Hauk lay naked in bed with Sumi in his arms. She’d fallen asleep on his chest. Her breath tickled his skin while he listened to her heart beating and fingered the small bruise on her arm from the shot Syn had given her. He’d tried to sleep, too, but that was an elusive bitch who had no use for him tonight.

In truth, he was afraid to close his eyes and lose his vigil. He had a bad feeling in his gut that nothing would shake. He had too much to lose now, and it was slowly making him crazy.

“El,” he whispered. “Show me Kalea.”

His monitor came on instantly to show her asleep in her bed in the next room. There were two Andarion guards stationed at the foot of her bed. They sat quietly playing a game of squerin. Meanwhile, two more were stationed outside her door, and another dozen patrolled his yard.

And still he was unsettled.

Sighing, he wrapped a strand of Sumi’s pale hair around his finger and prayed for everything to work out tomorrow. For Syn’s medicine to cure her, and for her to beat Dariana into the ground.

Actually, that wasn’t true. He bore no ill will toward Dariana. Not really. He just wanted to be free of her treachery and schemes. Why she’d refused to move on and find another husband, he’d never understand.

But then, she hated him.

Shaking his head, he pushed Dariana out of his thoughts. He didn’t want to dwell on that when he had such a beautiful woman on top of him. He lifted her hand to his lips and nibbled the soft skin on her palm. Nyk was right. She’d tamed the fury inside him that had driven him the whole of his life.