He had no desire to ever leave her arms. She and Kalea were an integral part of him now. The best part. Their smiles and love filled the ache that had been there for so long, he hadn’t even paid attention to it anymore.

Sumi sighed in her sleep and rubbed her face against him. His body hardened instantly, causing him to smile. He should be well sated for at least a month or more, given how long they’d made love after dinner. But there was something about her that always left him hungry for her.

Closing his eyes, he tightened his arms around her and let the warmth of her silken body soothe him. Tomorrow would decide their fate.

Forever.

In that moment, he wanted to run with her. To leave behind everything and everyone. But that would put them in even more danger. They were at war with The League and Kyr. On Andaria, Sumi and Kalea were royalty. No one would dare touch them.

On any other planet, Sumi was a League fugitive with a death sentence, and Kalea was a weakness to be used against her. And while he’d fight to his last breath for them both, he knew he couldn’t always be with them.

It has to be done.

He wanted to believe it would be fine. But deep in his gut that feeling of dread persisted.

Something was coming for them, and it would be lethal.

“How dare you!”

Darice didn’t speak as his mother glared at him. He merely continued playing his game as if she wasn’t there.

Until she snatched it from his hands and threw it on the ground. “I want you in the transport. Now!”

“No.”

She backhanded him. “You will do as you’re told!”

Darice wiped the blood from his lips before he stood to glare at her. “I want no part of your schemes. You’ve lied to me, and you’ve hurt Dancer for too long. I will never again sleep under the same roof as you. Not until you make this right.”

“You would side with a human-loving giakon?”

He slid his gaze to his mother’s best friend, who stood silently, watching them. “Funny you should use that word to insult him.”

His mother slapped him hard and shoved him back. “Careful what accusations fall from your lips, boy.”

Curling his lip, Darice stiffened. “I’m not a boy anymore. I’m an adult. I can legally make my own choices.”

“And I can disown you.”

“Go ahead,” he challenged her defiantly. “You might as well, since you can’t use me to tie my uncle to you anymore. That is the only reason I was born, isn’t it? And it’s the only reason you’re pregnant now.”

Before she could answer, the door opened to admit his gre yaya.