The Unveiling (D'Shar Men 2)

Mars laughed.

"Hey, made you smile, didn't it? What's going on, bro? You look like someone ran over your vernth." He shook his head at the mention of the Shar version of a dog.

"She hates my guts."

"How is that possible? You've probably never spent more than fifteen minutes alone with her ever."

"She's furious about The Purge, and you know what? She has a right to be. Last night I experienced a sliver of what she's felt over the years—it was horrible, Marsden, a yawning pit of loneliness and sadness with no foreseeable end. I did that to her! How do you make up for something like that?" Mars shook his head.

"You had your eyes on a different kind of prize back then, but I know you. You get the job done, and this will be no different. You're good at strategy. This time you have to use a different set of tools."

"Mars, how the hell did you get so smart?"

"I don't know about smart, in tune with my emotions, yes. There was too much testosterone, and be a man mentality up on Tagget. Once you remove all that, you're just left with who you truly are at your core. I used to be upset with Mom and Dad for sending me here, but after talking to them I understand it. They knew our planet had started to fail and we were going to have to relocate to Earth. Sending me here was their way of easing the path for you guys. Whether you realize it or not, I'm always the go to for Earth-related things, and though I can't be sure, I think I was more suited for life here. Maybe because I was so young."

He looked at his brother with new eyes. He'd always thought of him as a slacker. But now he saw he’d simply chosen a different path, one they'd all been dependent upon. He was an integral part of adapting to life here.

"You just schooled me."

Mars burst into laughter. "Did you just use that phrase? Holy shit, we've been spending too much time together."

"Wasn't that the proper way to use it?" Bastien asked.

"Technically, yes, but it doesn’t sound right coming from you." Mars wiped the tears away from his eyes as his laughter ebbed.

"Look, we have to come up with a plan of attack and get started. You need a crash course on women, a subject that happens to be my specialty." Mars flashed a huge grin, and Bastien shook his head. If nothing else he was in a much better mood.

"I don't need a lesson on all women, just one."

"True, but we can teach you the basics. ‘Cause right now you're a blank canvas, and clueless is not a good look on you."

"Don’t pull any punches, do you?"

"You can take it."

"You're supposed to be making me feel better," he said.

"Aren't you?"

"Yes, you smug bastard."

"You know we don't coddle in this family. Save that for Rivka." Bastien tossed a pillow, chuckling when it nailed his unsuspecting brother in the face. "You come to me for help, and this is the thanks I get?"

"It made me feel better." Bastien shrugged.

"Good, that was the point. Now we need to do some recon."

"On women?" he asked, lost.

"No, on Rivka. We know what she does, but we don't know anything about the woman—at least I don't. Do you?"

"No," Bastien said. Why hadn't he thought of this?

"Let's get our laptops and head downstairs to get some food. I'm starving, and this might take a while. I doubt she does interviews for People magazine, so we'll really have to search."

"We should call Kade," Bastien said.

"He might be working in the lab. He's been overseeing the search for the chemical compound,” Mars said.