Shaking his head, Darice scoffed bitterly. “Pera’s a doctor. She’s…” His voice broke off before he continued. “That baby my mother’s pregnant with isn’t a War Hauk. Keris’s sperm didn’t take with it, so Pera used someone else’s, and then fabricated the DNA results to keep my mother from having to marry another male, who would live in her home and find out about them. I think they might have done the same with me.”

“Sweetie,” Sumi said gently. “You look just like your uncles. You are a War Hauk.”

“Maybe… but Pera and my mother have been scheming for years to shield my mother from having to sleep with a male. It’s why Pera gave my mother drugs to keep Keris under control, and why my mother has never honored her pledge to Dancer.”

Hauk met Sumi’s gaze. “I’m hoping you won your match.”

She gaped in mock anger. “You didn’t just ask me that, did you? As if.”

“Good.” In spite of Syn’s protests, Hauk rose to his feet. The room swam around him and for a minute, he thought he’d be sick. But he was through with these games.

Syn, Fain, Nyk, Ryn, Drake, Maris, and Darling formed a wall between him and the door.

Hauk glared at his family. “I’m ending this. Now.”

“No,” Fain said sternly. “You’re going to let Syn treat you before you fall over.”

Hauk shook his head. “This is my family they’ve threatened.”

“And it’s my brothers they abused. My brother they killed. I’m not letting them kill you, too.”

“Dancer?” Sumi placed her right hand on his arm then cupped his face with her left. She forced him to look at her. “Remember what I told you? You are my life. I’ve already seen you dead once today. Don’t make me do that again.”

The tears in her eyes and voice weakened his resolve. And when one fell down her cheek, he was completely undone by it.

Nodding, he brushed her tear away. “For you, mu tara. I will be a good boy.” He dipped his head down to whisper in her ear. “But only if you reward me for it later.”

Sumi pressed her cheek to his and held him there as she savored the warmth of his body. Choking on a sob, she agreed. “Let Syn clear you of whatever she did to you. Vengeance can wait.”

“Okay.”

“Are we better now?” Syn asked sarcastically. “Can I finally take you to the hospital and flush the poison out before you collapse again?”

Dancer made a mocking face at him. “Next time, I’m going to collapse my fat ass on top of you.”