Part 24 (1/2)
And he didn't miss the fact that his son was every bit as solitary in nature as he was. Only where he'd chosen his path, Talyn hadn't.
Speaking of the beast, Talyn stuck his head through the door. ”I'm heading to bed. Need anything before I go?”
Galene paused the photos. ”Nah. I'm good. You're on first, right?”
”Yeah.”
She got up and kissed his cheek. ” 'Night, precious. Sleep well.”
”You, too.” He hugged her, then pulled back to pin Fain with a stern grimace. ”Don't keep her up too late. I know all about how the two of you'd stay awake the entire night talking when you were kids. And she's got a long day tomorrow. Don't make me come back in here and separate you two. I mean it.”
Fain snorted as Talyn returned to his room and shut the door. ”Told him that, did you?”
”I told him lots of stories about his father.”
”But never my name?”
”He knew. He just never asked.” She smoothed the frown from his face as she returned to sit beside him. ”Don't, Fain. I wasn't completely honest with you about the past. I was trying to hurt you.”
”You succeeded.”
”I know and I'm sorry.” Her expression contrite, she sat back on her knees by his side and toyed with his hand.
Fain tried not to let it mean as much to him as it did. Just as he tried not to notice how warm and sweet she smelled. How inviting her skin was. ”So why did you keep the Hauk Fight Night tradition?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the need he had to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom that was just a few feet away.
She bit her lip in the most adorable way. ”I wanted Talyn to have something of yours. Something I knew you'd have shared with him had you known you had a son.”
”Does he know?”
”He knows.”
Galene traced the line of his eyebrows as she marveled at having him with her again. She brushed her hand through his braids that were laced with white strands where he'd bleached out sections. ”What made you do this to your hair?”
He gave her a droll stare. ”Got tired of being mistaken for Dancer.”
She laughed, then sobered. ”I've missed you so much.”
Fain held his breath as she slowly leaned in to kiss him. His heart pounded at the sweet taste of her. At the scent of her perfume filling his head. He buried his hand in her braids and held her close as she slid fully into his lap.
He growled in satisfaction and cupped her shapely bottom.
Her hand was just about to hit gold when the lights came up and Talyn angrily cleared his throat.
Glowering, he stood over them like an irate parent. ”Excuse me? No unification... no unification. You two need to back off and leave s.p.a.ce for the imagination.”
Galene burst out laughing at the old Andarion sayings that parents used with their teenaged children. ”Go to bed before I spank you.”
”All right. But you two need to keep it down or take it to your room. You're kind of grossing me out. Really don't want or need a ringside view of my conception. If you're going to get any louder, please let me know so I can bunk with Vari or something. Sheez! You do know that I'm right on the other side of that wall, right?”
Galene gave him a dry stare. ”We're going to bed.”
Talyn arched a brow.
”Your father will be sleeping on the couch.”
Talyn wagged his finger between them. ”Okay, I'm trusting you two to behave.”
Laughing, Galene laid her head on Fain's chest. As soon as Talyn had shut his door, she nipped Fain's chin. ”Brings back old memories, eh?”
”Not really. Talyn's a lot larger than any of your brothers or father. Scarier, too.”
”That's because he takes after his father.” Kissing his lips, she rolled off him. ”I'll get you a blanket and pillow.”
Fain pouted, but didn't say anything as he admired the view of her shapely rear while she walked away from him. He should probably protest, but honestly, he'd dreamed of this too many times to complain about the fact that she left him with the worst hard-on of his life.
While it wasn't perfect, it was better than he deserved.
Fain came awake to the smell of warm coffee and something sweet. It took him a full minute to remember where he was.
In Galene's quarters, on her couch.
He heard her speaking to Talyn in the softest of whispers. Just the sound of that light whisper sent a chill over his body.
”Don't forget to play nice with The Tavali.”
Talyn snorted. ”I'm not three, Mum.” He picked up a bag of what must be his lunch Galene had made for him and glanced inside it. Then in a very childish voice that was meant to be an obvious mockery of the words he'd just uttered, he asked, ”Did you remember to pack some of those sweet cakes I like so much?”
She laughed. ”Of course I did, and I put extra in there for Gavarian, too, so that he won't pout with you again.”
”Thank you.” Talyn finished his coffee and set his cup in the sink. He glanced over to the sofa.
Fain made sure to feign sleep.
”Does it bother you that I let him stay the night?”
Talyn hesitated before he answered her quiet question. ”Do you know what I remember most about being a kid?”
”My nagging you to stay clean?”
He laughed, then sobered. ”How many times you said 'I wish your father were here to see you do that.' You never once let me say a word against him. Not for anything. If I ever tried to blame him for being gone, you made sure that I understood you were the sole reason he wasn't around... that you'd made the decision to stay silent and that had he known about me, he'd have never left. Aside from Felicia, who tolerates my sorry, surly a.s.s, you are the strongest female I've ever known. I figure Hauk has to be an incredible male to win your loyalty and especially your heart. All I want is for you to be happy, Mum. So, no, it doesn't bother me to see him on the couch, if that's where you want him. Or anywhere else you want to put him. I'm a grown Andarion. You don't have to worry about my feelings, or tiptoe around them. You just worry about yours and know that if he hurts you, I will kill him for you and hurl his body into s.p.a.ce.”
She laughed and kissed his cheek. ”I love you.”