Sherrilyn Kenyon: Born of Fury

Kiara took Jayce from Chayden’s arms while Nykyrian retrieved Adron. “They’re wishing you a safe trip,” she said with a smile.

“Ah, ’cause I could have sworn the bigger one just asked me for my pilot’s license and the launch code to the shuttle.”

Kiara laughed. “Actually, that’s exactly what Adron did. See, Chay, you do speak small-human Andarion.”

Chayden grinned, exposing a deep set of dimples.

Hauk didn’t miss the sudden blush on Thia’s face as she averted her gaze from Chayden then quickly ran into the shuttle without greeting him.

Shit. A sick dread clenched his stomach as he realized she had a crush on their friend.

And he wasn’t the only one who noticed it.

Nykyrian’s features turned to stone.

As soon as Chayden saw that dark expression, he stepped back and held his hands up. “Sacred embryo, Nyk. Got it. Have no fear.” He lowered his hands to cover his crotch. “I value my body parts highly and none of them will breech the no-fly zone for the most precious fruit of your loins. Not even my eyes. I won’t so much as glance in her general direction. I’m just here to fly the shuttle and leave. Immediately.”

“Good. Remember all that.”

Chayden took another step back. “Um, Hauk. I’m going to need you to lead me in since my eyes will be clenched tight, like my sphincter, until I hit the pilot’s seat.”

Nykyrian set Jayce down beside Kiara. “No need. I’ll lead you in.”

His expression terrified, Chayden turned toward Hauk, out of Nykyrian’s line of sight, and mouthed the words, “Help me,” to him as Nyk grabbed the front of his dark gray battlesuit and hauled him inside.

Kiara laughed. “You better go make sure he doesn’t hurt poor Chay.”

“Yeah, let’s get this fiasco started.” Hauk gave a quick kiss to her cheek and a hug to the boys before he ran inside to make sure Chayden was still breathing and not bleeding.

Thia was belted in across from Darice, who had his bright orange earbuds in while he played a handheld game and blatantly ignored her.

True to his words, Nykyrian had the door to the flight deck blocked as Chayden ran through the preflight checks.

Hauk snorted. “You know, Nyk, Chayden really is good at this. You and I have put our lives in his hands, many times.”

Nykyrian gave him a harsh, dry stare. “What I do with my life is one thing. What I do with my daughter’s…”

“Copy that,” Chayden said, without looking up. “I will fly like I’m hauling eggs.”

“Unless you run into League ships. Then you better fly like your life depends on it.”

“’Cause it does,” Chayden fearlessly finished for Nykyrian. “Again, copy that, Commander. Now, let me concentrate so I don’t miscalculate and wind up in the wrong galaxy or splattered against an asteroid.” He flashed a devilish grin.

One Nykyrian returned with a look that promised a painful death would be Chayden’s if he spoke another annoying word.

Hauk wedged himself between them and gently nudged Nykyrian back. “We’re all good here. You might want to go help the mothership with your unruly spawn.”

Nykyrian hesitated before he inclined his head to them. Turning around, he went back to where Thia and Darice were now both absorbed by their electronics. He paused to stare at his daughter, but Hauk knew what he was really doing. He was mentally assuring himself that she had everything she needed, and that she was properly fastened in.

Something Nykyrian verified for himself an instant later by tugging at her harness and double-checking the buckles before he left them.

Amused as hell, Hauk retracted the loading ramp behind him and closed the door.

Thia let out a tired sigh as she pulled her headphones from her ears to glare at the ramp her father had just used. “He really doesn’t think I can do anything for myself, does he?”

Hauk tsked at her as he double-checked the seal on the door. “Ah, Thee, this isn’t about your competence. It’s about his fear over his own.”

“How do you mean?”

Hauk glanced to Darice, who had them all completely tuned out. “It’s something you won’t understand until you have kids yourself. But don’t take it to heart, kisa . All of us still want to cut up your uncle Darling’s food before he eats it, and he runs his own empire.”

That succeeded in making her laugh. “Does he know this?”

“Yeah. And like you, he hates that we mother him.”

She fidgeted with the small MVM in her lap as she looked past Hauk, toward the flight deck. “You think I could sit up front for the launch? I’d like to learn to fly.”

Yeah, right.

“Uh… no.”

She curled her lip at him. “You’re just as horrible as he is. I’m not a child anymore, you know?”

“Trust me, we know. Why do you think I’m not letting you ride up front?”

Rolling her eyes in a way that would make Darice proud, she put the headphones back in her ears and turned the music up so loud that even a human would be able to hear it clearly across the room.

Satisfied the two of them were safe and occupied, Hauk returned to the flight deck, where Chayden was firing the engines. “Are they secured?”

“Yeah. Nyk tucked Thia in before he left.”

“Of course he did.” Chayden passed a wicked grin to Hauk. “I’d be just as bad, if not worse if I had a daughter that age. That pretty. She’s what? Twenty-two now?”

Hauk didn’t answer. “She’s too young for you.”

Chayden laughed. “No. She’s too connected for me. But don’t worry. Meant what I said about my fondness for my protruding body parts. I can keep my hands to myself. I never violate my oaths or my codes… Only international laws.” He pulled the mic closer to his lips and turned on the intercom. “All right, kids, hang tight. Last time I tried this, it didn’t work out so well. But that’s okay. I can learn from my near-fatal mistakes, and I have the fire extinguishers ready this time. There was only minimal superficial scarring, and my innards healed up quite nicely, after a while. Oh hey… I wonder what this button over here does. Never seen one like that before. Maybe I should have checked the shuttle’s model number. Hope I’m licensed for it.”

Buckling himself into the copilot’s seat, Hauk laughed at the expressions on Darice’s and Thia’s faces as they heard that over their music. “You’re so wrong.”

“That’s why all of you love me… I always fuck things up and make it interesting.”

“Isn’t that an old Gondarion curse?”

“What?”

“May you live an interesting life?”

Laughing, Chayden hit the boosters and lifted the craft with such skill that Hauk barely felt it move.

As soon as they cleared the port, Hauk saw a small ship on their starboard aft monitor. “We have company.”

“Relax. It’s just your large, hairy mother tailing us in a fighter in case we need him to beat up some bad guys.”

“Why didn’t he say something to me about it?”

Chayden shrugged. “Hell if I know. He’s your mother. Maybe he didn’t want to upset Darice any worse. Or, knowing my second-favorite Tavali, he wanted to piss him off more.”

“Second favorite?”

Chayden flashed a grin. “Yeah. I like me best… most days.”

Hauk snorted at his old friend.

“So what’s the deal, anyway? What heinous crime did Fain commit to be blacklisted by the entire War Hauk clan? I mean, damn, you’re an outlaw to most governments, you’ve kicked in the front door of a League prison, been tossed out of League military service, and started a rebel organization, yet your family still claims you. What could be worse than all that?”