Ascension Saga (Interstellar Brides): Book 9

Celene pursed her lips, clearly displeased. Ah, I’d seen that look from her daughter as well. “Don’t babe me. You’ve been on Alera a week. Start talking.”

He moved forward and the queen nudged my hand, the one holding my blaster. “Nix, if he takes one more step, shoot him.”

“Yes, my queen.” I raised the weapon, held it steady, despite Destiny’s strangled cry. She moved her body to stand between her father and my weapon.

“Nix, no!”

“Move, Destiny,” I replied, my voice steely.

“Mom! This is Dad we’re talking about here! What the fuck?”

“Move, Destiny.” Her mother issued the order this time, and Destiny put her hands on her hips in refusal.

“Nix, can you still take the shot?” the queen asked.

Faith and Trinity hadn’t moved, only gasped when they saw their father. But they seemed as stunned as I was with all that was happening. The queen said Pawl looked like the long-dead king. The tunnel door was open and hanging from its hinges. Radella looked like she’d seen better days and then an Earthling appeared. Not just any Earthling, the queen’s Earth male and my mate’s father.

I judged the distance, the margin of error, the placement of Destiny’s head in proximity to her father’s. It would be close. Goddess damn it. “Yes.” If I had to. If it was life or death.

“Excellent,” the queen replied, clasping her fingers together in front of her. Captain Turaya moved to her side, ready to defend her in this room yet again. Leo hovered by Trinity and Faith still. Thor had his hand on his mate’s shoulder, who had come out from behind him when she discovered the threat was her father, but Thor looked ready to tug her behind him once again if needed.

“Now, Adam, start explaining.” She looked at Radella. At Pawl, who was still on the floor. Back to her Earthling mate. “All of this.”

But it was Amandine who spoke. I’d completely forgotten her presence. “Well, I can start,” she said. “His name isn’t Adam. He is Lord Buchan Adamos Cray. Born and raised on Alera. He is Aleran, Celene. I knew him as a boy. Knew his father.”

That completely deflated my mate. “What?” She stepped out of the way of my shot and stood facing the man she’d known only as her father for her entire life. Her Earth father. “What? Dad? You’re Aleran?”

“Dad!” Faith yelled, narrowing her eyes in a mix of hurt and confusion.

Holy fuck. What was going on here?

Destiny looked lost. It was in her eyes. Nowhere else. But I knew. When she moved across the room to stand next to me, she nudged Pawl on the floor with her boot as she moved behind him, blaster aimed at his face. “Sit up. Your Mommy is here, and you all have some fucking explaining to do.”

Pawl wiggled about, but it was near impossible for him to do as commanded with his wrists restrained. I reached down, grabbed him by the biceps and hoisted him to his feet.

Trinity stepped in front of him, poked him in the chest. “You should be very thankful the consort got in my bed instead of you.”

“No kidding,” he muttered and actually shuddered. The idea of what he’d almost done had settled in.

Leo came up to her and tugged her back, his gaze murderous on Pawl. I didn’t blame him one bit. I was also impressed with his restraint. Punching a guy with his arms restrained wasn’t honorable.

The queen motioned to Captain Turaya. “I agree. Put them together. Send guards down that tunnel. I don’t want any more surprises.”

In less than a minute, a full contingent of guards had disappeared down the secret tunnel and all three of our captives were seated on one of the sofas, Pawl next to his mother on the small sofa and Destiny’s father, Lord Cray on an ottoman several feet away from the other two. They were surrounded, and every single one of us was armed. Even Trinity, who just glared at Leo when he tried to talk her out of holding an ion blaster pointed at her stepfather.

I knew women who’d been scorned were quite angry, but four of them? And with ion pistols? I almost felt sorry for the male. Almost.

Destiny’s father held up his hands, palms out, and attempted to placate his mate. I could see no evil in his eyes, no darkness. Only a mate who had done something wrong and had to grovel to get back in her bed.

This should be entertaining.

“Celene, babe, there is so much you don’t know.”

“Start talking.” The queen paced around the entire group in a circle, firing off questions. “Where is King Mykel?”

“Dead.”

“Bullshit,” she said, pointing at Pawl. “His son is sitting right there.”