Brayden sat against the inner wall of the training
facility and watched as Talon put the others through their paces. His hand
rubbed absently over his slightly distended stomach. The truth was he was
worried his pregnancy was going to make whoever was after him more determined
to capture or take out their prize. Worse was that fact he didn’t even know why
they wanted to kill him was making him really upset. Yes, he could technically
turn into a cat, but it was something he’d never even attempted. Quinlan had
forbidden him from trying until after the baby was born—he knew his husband was
concerned for the safety of both he and the babe.
A strong part of him wished this wasn’t
happening at all. Everything still seemed like a dream. Here he was Consort to
the King—and a man at that. He was carrying the child of the king and third in
line for the throne of Panthea. This was just the sort of things fairy tales
where made up of. Things like this never happened in real life, yet here he was
as living proof that it could happen.
Sighing, Brayden stood up and tenderly rubbed
his back. The damn thing would ache endlessly if he sat in the same position
for too long. Walking around the perimeter of the training yard Brayden
stretched out his body. He was tired of being outside, but Quinlan had requested
that until the babe was born they shouldn’t be apart—safety in numbers, or
something to that effect. Brayden heard Quinlan yelling out instructions as
Mylo and Talon sparred. The day was getting hotter by the second. Brayden made
his way over to the small communal well to get a drink of water to cool himself
down.
“Let us help you highness.” Brayden smiled as
one of the servants ran forward and extracted water for Brayden to drink. How
sweet, most of the population still didn’t know how to take him—it was nice
that these two were willing to try.
“Thank you.” Brayden brought the cup to his
lips and grimaced at the bitter taste of the water. For some reason it almost
tasted off. Brayden didn’t even have time to call out before he realised what
had happened, and he fought like crazy as the darkness came rushing up to claim
him. He saw the others were still training. All eyes locked on the two men
attacking each other. They didn’t notice other men come in and help carry
Brayden away.
This was so not good.
**~*~**
“Where the hell is my husband?” Quinlan
stormed furiously around the great hall as yet another search came up empty
handed. “How could Brayden have disappeared without one person seeing him being
taken away?” Quinlan demanded from everyone present.
Quinlan knew he was just as guilty as any of
the others. For crying out loud Brayden was his husband—his to protect, and
this had just proven how royally he had screwed up. When he realised Brayden
was missing he ordered his children be brought to him, he needed them close by
to make sure neither of them were also being targeted. He found it hard now
listening to them both sobbing because they missed Brayden terribly. The man
they called papa, and come to love just as much as they did Quinlan. He wanted
to soothe them, and hold them in his arms until telling them everything was
going to be alright. But deep down he didn’t know if he would be telling them
the truth. His heart broke as he thought about the many horrific things that
could be happening right now to the man who had always owned his heart.
**~*~**
Brayden woke to find someone gently tapping
him on the face. His eyes fluttered open, and he confusedly stared into the
eyes of a man he’d not seen since his childhood. How was this even possible?
“Father?” Brayden asked in shock as he started
at the thin and ragged man who knelt at his side.
“Shhh, my beautiful son,” tears glistened in
Thayer Caldwell’s eyes, “I had wished to see my children one last time before I
passed on to the great beyond. My wish has been granted.”
“Father, how? You’re supposed to be dead.
Quinlan is now King of Panthea.”
“It is a long story, my son. I’ve been kept
prisoner here since the day they killed your mother and brother. I was told you
had died in the slaughter as well. Are you a dream?”
“Oh, Father,” Brayden slowly rose into a
sitting position. He needed his father’s help as the room was still spinning
slightly, and that was making him feel nauseous. “Father, Javier still lives. He was rescued
the same as I—except he went to live with Ingrid’s family, and Uncle took me.”
His father nodded as he listened. “How have you
been my son?”
“I’m now married to Quinlan. I’m the Consort of
Panthea.” Brayden said warily.
Again his father nodded. “That would be
correct and as it should be. With our kind we need a male partner, if we are to
reproduce. We need the added strength that comes with a male partner.”
“Then you know what I am?” Brayden paled and
tried to move away. “You know what Javier is?”
“Yes,” sadness filled his eyes. “You’re as I
am—a descendant of the ancient ones.”
“Then what about Mother? If you needed a male
partner, then who?”
A tear slowly tracked its way down his father's cheek. “Your uncle... Fane was my fated mate.”
“Lord Dalziel?” Brayden spat. “He kept me a
prisoner from the time I was ten.”
His father shook his head. “He would have been
protecting you. Fane knew what you were. He would have been protecting you
because you’re also his son.”
“What?” Brayden all but screamed.
“He sired you. Your mother is his sister. She always
knew what Fane meant to me—that we needed to be together. Lillus married me so I
could love Fane with my whole heart, and not worry if others would try and take
him away from me. And then in the end she was the one who betrayed us. She and
her lover decided they wanted to rule in my stead. They sent Fane away and then
tried to wipe out our family.”
“What of Ormand?” Brayden asked as he moved
close to his father to offer comfort. “Please tell me he’s not my brother.”
“Ormand is the child of Lillus and Orran.” He
had been sent away with Fane. “She must have thought she was protecting him by
doing so.”
“Father, what are we going to do? How do we
get out of here? I need to be with Quinlan when the babe is born.”
His father stared down at his stomach. “How
far along are you?”
“I have four more months until the child is
birthed. I can’t do this without Quinlan. I’m not strong enough to go through
this alone.”
A thoughtful look settled on his father’s
face. “Then we’ll have to escape. I’ll make sure to get you back to your
husband if it the last thing in this life that I accomplish.”
“Uncle…Fane is still there. He lives just
outside the city limits on the family estate. They both do—he lives there with
Ormand.”
“I will
get you home.” His father repeated.
“Both of us, Father. You must get us both
home. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
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