“But one look when she was born, those blue eyes, I was hooked. I couldn’t put the sins of the father upon an innocent child. She was a part of you.”
Trinity turned in Leo’s hold, looked to Dad.
“You know I love you, Trinity. As I do all my girls. All four of my girls.”
“Because you’re Aleran, you weren’t too stunned when I told you the truth, that I was from a far off planet.”
He laughed. “I remember that conversation. It was just like out of a movie. No, I wasn’t surprised. I tried to be, but I’m not a great actor.”
“You faked learning Aleran,” she added, starting to see a pattern to their lives. Our lives.
I remembered Dad learning Aleran right along with us when we were little.
“I protected you, Celene. With my heart, my body. I’d do it again.” He shrugged. “And I have.”
It was as if a big ass light bulb went off over my head. “You put the bomb in that building.”
“Yes.” He didn’t seem the least bit sorry. “They were all loyal to Mykel, could have harmed you all again. My mate. My daughters. I protect what’s mine.”
“And the others?”
“There is much to take in, but Pawl here made it clear who wanted you dead… who wanted you all dead. Not twenty-seven years ago, because there never was an actual coup.”
“The kidnapping,” Mom stated.
“You were safe, we were happy. But then you were found.”
“Wyse,” Pawl said from the couch.
I moved to one of the chairs, dropped down in it.
“Wyse found Mom,” I said.
“After all that time?” Mom asked.
“He was an evil asshole, but I ensured we were well-hidden,” Dad added. “Until we weren’t.”
“Until I contacted Warden Egara about my stupid Ardor,” Trinity said.
Dad’s mouth opened and he stared. Obviously, he never knew about that. “After all three of you didn’t get your Ardor at the time most females do, I just thought it wouldn’t happen on Earth.”
Nix came over and sat on the arm of my chair, ever protective.
“Wyse found me and wanted me dead. Wanted the necklace… that’s why he kept torturing me for it,” Mom said.
Dad tried to pull her in for a hug, but she evaded his to
uch with a skill I admired. These Aleran males were not easy to evade. Not that I wanted to get away from Nix, but still, I was taking notes.
Dad sighed and dropped his hands back to his sides. “If Wyse weren’t dead, I’d kill him all over again.”
“He wanted the throne for my mother,” Pawl said. “Kidnap the queen, get the necklace. When the queen never returned, the people would have accepted my mother. She was already ruling.”
“Only we came looking for you, Mom,” I added. “Wyse learned there had been another transport from Earth and sent the group to have us killed that night. He didn’t know we were the princesses, just that we were from Earth. Which meant trouble.”
“And that’s when we first crossed paths,” Nix said, tugging on my hair.
“When I was awakened,” Leo added, kissing Trinity.