from it all. Somewhere he’d be safe.”
Roi shook his head. “Wait, you’re saying Inara is a direct descendent from your line?”
“Yes,” Green answered for Lukian. He walked closer, his shoulders slumping. “Sir, there is no listing for birth parents for Inara. Unlike the others we’ve found. From the notes I’ve been piecing together, I think her parents were killed and she was taken from them as an infant. The tests on her were done after she was born.”
Lukian continued to touch her cheek.
“She has a good deal of Fae in her that was natural to her as well,” Green added.
Lukian laughed. “I placed Imogen’s son with the Fae. Culann of the Council of Fae Elders helped me to hide him. That is how we know one another so well.” He pulled Inara into a big hug and held her so tight she half thought she’d break in two. “He took my nephew and put him somewhere even I couldn’t find him. And he’s never spoken of him again. I got the sense it was because something horrible happened to him.”
She patted his back. “Nice werewolf. Can you let go of me now?”
Roi laughed and pulled her out of Lukian’s embrace. “My turn to hug her.”
He did and she simply stood in place. As she thought about it all, she gasped. “Wait. I’m your niece, sort of?”
Lukian smiled. “Yes, but within our kind, when the male father figure is no longer present, the next males in the line automatically take on the roles of brothers or father figures.”
She looked between the two of them. “I’m guessing you’re both older than you look, but can we not father me? Jimmy did that already. He found me on the streets when I just barely a teen and he taught me how to take care of myself. How to live below the radar. And I don’t need another father figure.”
“He was good to you?” Lukian asked.
She nodded but didn’t want to discuss Jimmy anymore.
Lukian embraced her again but didn’t hold her too long. “If Eadan hurts you at all, says one cross word to you, looks at you funny, I’ll rip his fucking head off. Got it?”
She nearly laughed through her pending tears. “Got it.”
Roi offered a lopsided smile. “We have a little sister.”
“We do,” Lukian said. “Who will be an aunt very soon when our young ones come.”
“Possibly a mother herself now that she’s found her mate,” offered Green.
Roi’s expression hardened. “If Eadan even thinks of touching her sexually, I’ll tear his dick off and—”
“Enough,” Inara snapped. Much to her surprise, both the alpha males shut up. They looked like scolded children as she put one hand on her hip. “No one is hurting Eadan. Got it?”
They nodded and then Roi bit his inner cheek. “From this moment on, right? I mean, we can’t get in trouble for what happened fifteen minutes ago, can we?”
Wilson entered and she half expected him to start in on her too. He tipped his head, staring at Lukian and Roi. “Anyone wanna tell me why the colonel and Jon are untying Eadan?”
“You tied him up?” Inara demanded.
Both men in question looked at the ceiling.
Eadan came running in. He pushed power at Lukian and Roi. They toppled over. Gasping, Inara ran to their sides and bent, helping them both up. “Eadan, how could you?”
Eadan looked flabbergasted. “How could I? They tied me up!”
She gave him a stern look. “And you stoop to their level?”
Green laughed. “Eadan, you aren’t going to win this argument with her. Your soon-to-be-bride here is genetically related to Lukian and Roi. In simple terms, you have them acting like fathers or brothers to her. Either way, they’re overprotective.”
Eadan wiped a hand over his face. “I know. I just hoped the paperwork was wrong.”
“Wait, you went after her knowing she was related to us, but didn’t tell us?” Roi demanded.
“Hey, I was ordered not to tell you,” Eadan shot back.
Roi shook his head. “Wait, you’re saying Inara is a direct descendent from your line?”
“Yes,” Green answered for Lukian. He walked closer, his shoulders slumping. “Sir, there is no listing for birth parents for Inara. Unlike the others we’ve found. From the notes I’ve been piecing together, I think her parents were killed and she was taken from them as an infant. The tests on her were done after she was born.”
Lukian continued to touch her cheek.
“She has a good deal of Fae in her that was natural to her as well,” Green added.
Lukian laughed. “I placed Imogen’s son with the Fae. Culann of the Council of Fae Elders helped me to hide him. That is how we know one another so well.” He pulled Inara into a big hug and held her so tight she half thought she’d break in two. “He took my nephew and put him somewhere even I couldn’t find him. And he’s never spoken of him again. I got the sense it was because something horrible happened to him.”
She patted his back. “Nice werewolf. Can you let go of me now?”
Roi laughed and pulled her out of Lukian’s embrace. “My turn to hug her.”
He did and she simply stood in place. As she thought about it all, she gasped. “Wait. I’m your niece, sort of?”
Lukian smiled. “Yes, but within our kind, when the male father figure is no longer present, the next males in the line automatically take on the roles of brothers or father figures.”
She looked between the two of them. “I’m guessing you’re both older than you look, but can we not father me? Jimmy did that already. He found me on the streets when I just barely a teen and he taught me how to take care of myself. How to live below the radar. And I don’t need another father figure.”
“He was good to you?” Lukian asked.
She nodded but didn’t want to discuss Jimmy anymore.
Lukian embraced her again but didn’t hold her too long. “If Eadan hurts you at all, says one cross word to you, looks at you funny, I’ll rip his fucking head off. Got it?”
She nearly laughed through her pending tears. “Got it.”
Roi offered a lopsided smile. “We have a little sister.”
“We do,” Lukian said. “Who will be an aunt very soon when our young ones come.”
“Possibly a mother herself now that she’s found her mate,” offered Green.
Roi’s expression hardened. “If Eadan even thinks of touching her sexually, I’ll tear his dick off and—”
“Enough,” Inara snapped. Much to her surprise, both the alpha males shut up. They looked like scolded children as she put one hand on her hip. “No one is hurting Eadan. Got it?”
They nodded and then Roi bit his inner cheek. “From this moment on, right? I mean, we can’t get in trouble for what happened fifteen minutes ago, can we?”
Wilson entered and she half expected him to start in on her too. He tipped his head, staring at Lukian and Roi. “Anyone wanna tell me why the colonel and Jon are untying Eadan?”
“You tied him up?” Inara demanded.
Both men in question looked at the ceiling.
Eadan came running in. He pushed power at Lukian and Roi. They toppled over. Gasping, Inara ran to their sides and bent, helping them both up. “Eadan, how could you?”
Eadan looked flabbergasted. “How could I? They tied me up!”
She gave him a stern look. “And you stoop to their level?”
Green laughed. “Eadan, you aren’t going to win this argument with her. Your soon-to-be-bride here is genetically related to Lukian and Roi. In simple terms, you have them acting like fathers or brothers to her. Either way, they’re overprotective.”
Eadan wiped a hand over his face. “I know. I just hoped the paperwork was wrong.”
“Wait, you went after her knowing she was related to us, but didn’t tell us?” Roi demanded.
“Hey, I was ordered not to tell you,” Eadan shot back.
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