Unexpected Mates (Sons of Heaven) (38 page)

It’s true.
Then why did the idea of leaving Earth bother her? “When will we be leaving?”
I have Darm and Darren. That is home.

But Darm had family and friends on Sakk. Was that why she was afraid to go with him? Was she afraid his interest would wane if there were competitors for his affections?

Or maybe that his family wouldn’t accept her and Darren?

“We can leave as soon as next month, but I thought the month after might be more prudent. For Darren, of course.”

Sandy nodded, relieved that he didn’t mean an immediate departure. “Tell me about your family.”

His smile was soft and wistful. “My sire is a gruff old feather beater. Uh...master general. Retired.”

She nodded and took a bite of the bread.

“My mother has the voice of Uumae...Sakkan’s most beloved wife.”

She swallowed the food. “She’s a singer?”

“Not as a profession, but it is an interest of hers.”

“Any brothers and sisters?”

“An older brother and an older sister.”

“So you’re the baby of the family?”

He scowled at her.

Sandy found she enjoyed teasing him. “If your sister is older, that means she’s already—”

“Mated? Yes. For seven years now.”

“Is your brother?”

He sighed. “No.”

“I thought men typically... They said the older men had first...choice.”

“Not on Earth. A few older males are chosen to come here, but the majority are young men. Daff wasn’t one of the older males chosen to come to Earth. He won’t be eligible to take a prize match on Sakk for at least five more
yans
. Knowing Daff, only a prize match will do for him. Or at least a level two match, if he mellows a bit.”

Sandy worked at that. “Will he be jealous that you have a mate?”

“Very jealous. Insanely so. Why would you ask that?”

She smoothed the nursing
cazta
. “I don’t think...”

He waited patiently for her to finish her thoughts.

“I’m not exactly a prize match.”

His cheeks darkened, and his jaw tightened down a notch. “Any man would be honored to have you on his arm.”

“I notice only two were interested.”

His eyes widened.

“That’s why you and Zave were assigned as my guards. I suspected it might be something like that, but Amy confirmed it for me.”

His gaze flicked to Darren and away again. “Any man here would have gladly been your mate.”

“But not with Darren.” Tears stung at her eyes.

“They are selfish cowards. That is no fault of yours.”

“Will your parents be upset about Darren?”

“They’re already preparing for our arrival.”

“What?” He wasn’t serious, was he?

“The blinking light was their reply to my announcement of our mating. They are preparing and waiting for news of our arrival. If I know my sire—and so well I do—he has already requested a full report of Darren’s condition and his needs. He may have already arranged for a
bionette
or
bio crib
to safeguard him at our home. He has also probably requisitioned a continuous monitor.”

“Like the one Amy wears?”

“Precisely.” A smile pulled his lips up into a bow. “All children are precious gifts.”

“Then why would the other men be afraid to accept him?”

Darm sighed deeply, and his smile faded. “Not all parents are as accepting as mine are.”

“So...you knew they’d be okay with this?”

“Not at all. I hoped they would be, and I was correct.”

Forming words to answer that was difficult.

“Sandy? Is something wrong?”

She shook her head. “I was just thinking...”

“Yes?”

“That was incredibly brave of you.”

He laughed heartily. “I told you they were cowards.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Five weeks later

“You’re crazy.”

Darm smiled. “I’m serious. You can have anything you want. Not just for Darren. For you.”

“What do I need? Honestly, Darm.”

He sighed. He wished he could understand why she so resisted the concept of her mate stipend. “I didn’t ask what you needed,” he reminded her gently. “What do you want?”

Sandy looked around at the store, seemingly stunned. Her hair had been tamed into presentation curls, and she looked glorious in the floor-length nursing
cazta
and
tova
gloves.

“Toiletries?” He waved the way to them from memory of the store plans he’d studied.

“I like the ones at the consulate. Are those available on Sakk?”

Darm nodded. “They are imported monthly from Sakk. Clothing?” He motioned toward women’s clothing.

“But
tova
is so comfortable.”

“Candies? Delicacies?”

She smiled. “Unlimited chocolate? I’d get fat.”

He laughed. “I doubt it, but I would not mind if—”

“Well, well, well... Knew you had to be lying about that brat being mine.”

Darm turned toward the strange male’s voice, tensing as Sandy dropped back a step. Taking her lead, the guards closed on their position.

The male wore a faded pair of jeans with scuffed boots, a studded leather belt, and a button-down collared shirt with the sleeves cuffed to the elbows. His black hair feathers were cut short in the back but long enough to partially cover his bright blue eyes.

Darren’s eyes. Sandy was correct. He does resemble a wingless Zave.

“You have something to say to my mate, human?” Darm knew the male’s name, but he had no respect for the man. Why act as if he did?

Zeke scowled. His gaze trailed from Darm to Sandy and then down to Darren. She moved a step to the left, hiding Darren behind Darm’s wing.

How quickly she has come to adopt a Sakk female’s behaviors.

“The kid isn’t yours, either,” Zeke announced.

He would have believed Darren was Zave’s, but that is immaterial.
“The son of my mate is
my
son.”
And I will protect him as such. Try me, human.

The young warrior at Darm’s right shifted to a battle stance, a subtle threat that any trained soldier would be sure to note and respect.

Heedless of it, Zeke continued. “Probably thought she couldn’t get knocked up by one of yours. Joke’s on her. Glad I didn’t fall for the little slut’s game.”

Wings ruffled around them at the insult.

Darm calmed himself. Nothing could be gained by him ending up in a human jail cell. “Ravon, take the detail with Sandy and our son. Find her chocolate. I will join you shortly.”

Sandy touched his back with a shaking hand, then retreated, surrounded by Sakk warriors. One of them stayed, despite his command. Darm shot him a questioning look, and the warrior tipped his head. Ravon had likely ordered him to stay to keep Darm out of that jail cell.

When Sandy was too far away to hear them, Darm addressed Zeke. “Were we on Sakk, I would kill you for calling my mate a wanton. As it is, I will tell you something you need to know.”

Zeke curled his lip in disgust. “And what would that be?”

“You sired my son. You are a strong Sakk descendant, just as Sandy is. It is the only way to produce a winged babe, as you have.”

His eyes narrowed. “I don’t buy it. I want DNA tests before I cough up one thin dime for the brat.”

Darm couldn’t have stopped his wings from ruffling if he wanted to. And that was the last thing he wanted. “
I
support my son. Your...assistance is not required.”

“Then why tell me this?” he challenged.

“I find it amusing that you are now in the same position I once was. You are unable to reproduce with a fully human woman. Less than one in seven hundred on Earth are compatible with you.

“You
had
a compatible woman that loved you and her son for the asking, and you threw them away. Now they are mine. Such a gift comes rarely in life. You may never find it again.”

Zeke’s face went crimson. “Hundreds of women come to the consulates every day.”

“They do. And they come to find honorable, attentive mates. By Sakk law, your actions have labeled you unsuitable to take a mate. The Sakk will test you, if you wish. They will not help you find a mate.

“Of course, since you threw away one child, the loss of more may not matter to you. You may feel I have done you a favor by—”

“But I
have
a son. You said so yourself.”

“No.
I
have a son. You have nothing.” Saying it brought a fierce satisfaction. “Go find women to fill your bed. Maybe luck will favor you twice.”

“I have rights,” Zeke protested.

“To my mate? Impossible. Sandy has made her—”

“To my son!”

“He is a Sakk child, born at the Sakk consulate, to a mated Sakk woman. By Sakk law, he is my son.”

“That consulate is on American soil, buddy.”

“Not really. The consulate is Sakk sovereign soil.”

“I’ll file an injunction.”

Darm scowled, his brow furrowing. “A what?”

“Legal papers, asshole. I’ll ask for custody or...or visitation. Yeah, visitation. I don’t want the brat all the time. Let his mother take care of the kid, but they won’t let you keep him away from me.”

“And you wish this for what reason? You suddenly feel the pressing need for a son in your pathetic life?” Darm doubted it.

Zeke’s smile was cold in challenge. “I’m not in the same position you were. I have rights you never will have to them, and I’ll prove it, too.”

A wild need to shelter his mate and son welled in him. “That depends.”

“On?” Zeke asked warily, no doubt believing Darm intended to kill him.

“On how fast you are.” Darm left him standing there without further explanation. It would be a race to the prize, but Darm had no intention of losing.

He found Sandy in an area full of sweet-smelling treats. “Have you found what you want?” he asked.

She glanced around his body and flinched. Darm didn’t have to ask what she saw. If Zeke was skulking around, Darm could use that to his advantage.

He cupped Sandy’s head in one hand and leaned in for a kiss. It wasn’t something Sakk males typically did around other unmated males, but he felt certain the security detail would understand his game.

Zeke snorted, and Sandy started to pull away. Darm followed her retreat, and she gave herself up to the passion between them. When he drew away, she let out a little whimper.

Darm smiled at that. “Have you found what you want?” he repeated. He had two meanings, and her answer to either would be acceptable.

A smile blossomed on her lips. “You said anything?” A little bounce of excitement had her presentation curls swaying around her face.

“Anything your heart desires.”

Sandy led him to a display of mostly gold-wrapped confections. Here and there were spots of bright colored wrappings in the mix. They shared a maker’s mark of
Lindt.

“Which ones are your favorites?”

She blushed. “Anything they make.”

“Ravon.”

The Captain appeared at his side. “Yes, Darm?”

“I wish every package of this maker delivered to the consulate within the hour.”

Ravon smiled. “As you wish. May I leave one man behind to accomplish it while you continue to shop?” His eyes shifted to Zeke and back, indicating that he wanted to get Sandy away from the unpleasant male as soon as possible.

“Precisely my thought.” Darm turned his attention to Sandy. “Is there anything else you would like?”

She started to shake her head, then nodded. “Yes. There is.”

That’s my woman.
He offered his arm. “Lead on.”

She took it and glanced toward the warrior speaking to the clerk. “What did you order Ravon to do?”

Davon smiled. “Collect a sampling of what they offer.”

Sandy would probably be appalled at his actual order, but that would fade with time. Now that he’d met Zeke, it was clear she’d never been pampered as a female should be, until she came to the consulate, and she’d been actively avoiding letting Darm do that to his fullest ability.

****

Sandy looked back, her heart pounding at the sight of Zeke trailing them. As if he understood her upset perfectly, Darm extended his wing around her to block Zeke’s view.

Or to block my view of Zeke. Relax, Darm. The last thing I want in my life is Zeke.

Sandy led the warriors and their unwelcome tag-along to lingerie. By the grumbling and whispering of the warriors, she guessed that this was unacceptable to them. It was unkind to taunt a Sakk male with what he couldn’t readily have, she knew.

Darm squeezed her arm lightly. “Whatever you want. Our guards can turn their backs to give us privacy.”

They did so as if it had been an order, and the sounds of upset diminished.

It might have been an order. Sakk men are a jealous lot. The idea of another male fantasizing about his mate is intolerable to Darm.

Sandy moved from rack to rack, picking out teddies, baby doll nighties, peignoirs, and wraps that appealed to her. Darm offered his hands to carry them. She added on some lacy underwear and bras, then some fancy stockings and high-heeled slippers.

A glance at Darm made her swallow a lump in her throat. His expression was potent, proof positive that his cock was rigid and ready inside his under-wrap.

“You want to pick the first one I wear?” she offered.

To his credit, Darm didn’t groan. She was sure it was a Herculean effort not to.

“Absolutely.” Clearly, he had a favorite.

“I can’t wait to see.”

“Neither can I.”

At the counter, Darm told the clerk to put it all on the consulate account. There was no question that she was a Sakk mate. She didn’t doubt Darm wouldn’t let there be confusion.

Amy had told her that every warrior mated on Earth was granted a generous stipend to outfit his mate with whatever she needed or wanted before she went to Sakk with him. Some professional women chose expensive tools of their trades. Some women chose jewels and fashion clothing. No matter what they chose, no woman had exceeded the limits set for them.