Both of their faces lost color.

"Mother," Tylie breathed. "Dear God, I never thought she would do something so horrible."

Nykyrian's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

Tears gathered in Cairistiona's eyes as she clutched at her necklace. "She always hated you. She said Jullien could pass for an Andarion, but you would always look too human."

"It was her idea for you to go to Pontari," Tylie interjected. "She thought you would be better off with humans."

The bitter anger in his aunt's voice surprised him.

"Everything was a lie. And all this time we kept you," Tylie turned to face his mother, "drugged so you wouldn't search for him. How did you know he was alive?"

Cairistiona offered Nykyrian a shaky smile. "I just did."Nykyrian sat in shock, not knowing what to believe anymore. He stared at his feet, trying to sort through all the emotions tumbling through him, rage, pain, grief, loss.

"Mother's committed a terrible crime!" Tylie said at last. "What are we going to do?"

Cairistiona shook her head. She looked at Nykyrian with eyes that tore through all the defenses he kept around his heart, his soul. He wanted to cry, but he knew he wouldn't.

He had passed the point of tears years ago.

His mother clutched her hands in her lap, all the while studying his face. "What did they do to you in the work home?" his mother asked, her voice shaking.

Nykyrian shrugged, not wanting to remember. There was nothing she could do to ease the ache or correct the wrong. Only Kiara seemed able to do that. "I was adopted," he said at last, deciding that would be the easiest thing to disclose.

His mother smiled. "By good people?"

A lump closed his throat and he stifled the urge to snarl. "Commander Huwin Quiakides."

His mother's smile widened. "My father knew him well. They went through League training together." She rubbed her hand over his in a gentle caress that tightened the knot in his throat. "Are you a soldier?"

Nykyrian looked at her, his soul on fire from grief and he wanted to hurt her. "I was.

Now I'm a free-assassin."

The look of shock on her face didn't give him the satisfaction he had thought it would.

Before she could respond, the doctor cleared his throat. Nykyrian looked up over the seat, worried about his wife. "Is she all right?"

The doctor smiled. "Oh yes. She must have had a shock. Not unusual for a woman in her condition. I've heard many human women faint when expecting."

"When expecting what?" Nykyrian asked and then a second later, understanding dawned on him and he thought he might faint, too.

The doctor's eyes widened. "Didn't you know she was pregnant?"Walls closed in around Nykyrian's mind, sealing the light and air from him. He was trapped.

Dear God, what had he done?

Nykyrian stared at his mother's face, wishing he could feel the same happiness she beamed. Instead, all he could think of was how many people were out to kill him. He had signed Kiara's death contract more effectively than if he had hired the assassins himself.

"Nykyrian?" his mother said, a worried frown on her face. "Didn't you know?"

He shook his head, wishing he had never been born, had never touched Kiara.

"What's wrong?" his mother asked.

Nykyrian didn't know how to answer. What was he going to do? "Is she awake?" he asked the doctor.

"Not yet, but I could revive her if you like."

"Please."

His mother's cold hand touched his cheek. "Are you leaving us?" Her voice trembled.

"I have to."

Large tears rolled down her cheeks and he finally understood how Rachol felt when he saw a woman cry.

"You don't plan on coming back to me, do you?"

He clenched his teeth in anger and pain. "What do you want from me? I'm past the age for a mother's coddling."

Sobs racked her body and Nykyrian felt like a cretin. Tylie held his mother close, rocking her back and forth.

"Would you meet us for dinner?" Tylie asked suddenly.

Nykyrian looked away from his aunt's tender expression. Before his common sensecould intervene, his mouth answered, "Sure."

His mother sniffed back her tears and offered him a shaky smile. "Meet us tonight.

Spend just a few hours with us and if you decide you don't want to see us anymore, then I will content myself with the few hours I did have."

Nykyrian's heart lurched. He was definitely an ass. "All right. Where do you want me to meet you?"

His mother smiled. "Here at Camry's. Do you know the place?"

Nykyrian nodded.

"Six-thirty?"

"I'll be there," Nykyrian said, looking up as Kiara joined them. Her face, pale and pinched, worried him. "How are you feeling?" he asked, rising to his feet.

She rubbed her arms. "A little shaky."

With a good-bye to his mother and aunt, Nykyrian wrapped his arm round Kiara's shoulders and helped her from the shuttle. He remained silent until they were inside his fighter and headed back to his house.

"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

Kiara went cold at his deadpan question. "How did you find out?"

His hand jerked at the throttle and Kiara wondered what his first reaction to the news had been.

"The doctor told me."

"Oh," she said, wishing she could have seen his face when he received the news. "Are you happy?"

"What do you think?"

Her heart sank. She remembered his rage at finding Thia and she knew this didn't thrill him half as much as that. "So what does this mean to us?" she asked, afraid of the answer, but needing to know.His body tensed around her. She felt his heart pounding under her shoulder blade. She wanted so much to comfort him, but knew she couldn't.

"What do you want to do about it?" he asked quietly, no emotions betrayed by his voice.

Tears gathered in her eyes. What she wanted was to live with him and raise her family like her parents had done. To watch him play with their child, teach it all the languages he knew, hold it when it cried and needed soothing.

But all that was a futile dream. "I was planning to raise the baby on Gouran."

"Probably for the best," he said in that deadpan voice that set her temper on fire. "Once I finish with Aksel, no one else will bother you. I know Driana won't tell anyone about you and I'm sure my mother won't either."

Kiara's stomach churned with dread and pain. "Will I ever see you?"

Nykyrian tensed at her question. He couldn't stand the thought of living without her, of returning to his solitude. Even now, he wanted to make love to Kiara so badly he thought he'd go mad with his need. If he were to ever see her with his child, he knew he would forget his common sense, his survival skills, and stay with her. But he couldn't.

He couldn't risk her life, the life of their baby, for his selfish wants.

"No."

A sob caught in Kiara's throat. She had known his answer before she asked the question.

Once he killed Aksel, she would lose him forever. Her soul screamed in pain. She didn't want to live without him, she wasn't even sure if she could.

All her hopes vanquished, Kiara sat in his lap wishing for a solution she knew would never come.

Jullien sat in the security room of the embassy, his temper boiling. He had known his mother and aunt were up to something by the furtive glances they had cast about the hallway before they secreted themselves in the study.

He had learned a long time ago to beware his aunt's treachery. She seemed to delight in getting him into trouble. Now as he listened to them talking about his brother, he realized just how dangerous a position he was in.His grandmother had told him the whole story about his brother several years ago. Like her, he had assumed Nykyrian was dead. God knows, his grandmother had paid enough money to the work home to see his brother starved and abused.

No one should have survived the treatment Nykyrian was supposed to have received! He knew better than to trust a hireling. If you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself!

He clenched his fists in anger. If his mother and aunt had their way, they would reinstate Nykyrian back into the empire. He would have to split all his inheritance!

Jullien tapped his fingers against the wooden desk, his mind whirling with thoughts.

They had to be stopped. He was the heir to the Trioson and Andarion empires. By God, he would tolerate no encroacher.

But what could he do?

His knees shook with nervous energy as he plotted. He would secure his position as sole heir no matter the cost.

Kiara adjusted the black lace of her negligee then fluffed a few wisps of her hair around her face.

Nykyrian was downstairs clicking away on his terminal. They still had four hours before they were to meet his mother for dinner and she had decided she was tired of yearning for him. She smoothed the silk of her gown, grateful for once she didn't show any sign of her pregnancy.

Any day, Nykyrian might have Aksel, and send her away. When that happened, all she would have were her memories. She knew she would spend the rest of her life aching for him. Well, she was with him now and she had no intention of beginning her hell any earlier than necessary. With her resolve firm, she opened the door and headed for the stairs.

Nykyrian's neck tingled like someone was watching him. He looked up from his terminal to see Kiara standing on the stairs, her long hair swirling about her lithe body.

His breath caught in his throat. She wore the skimpiest negligee he had ever seen and his body erupted with burning desire. NO! he told himself, but his body was already up and moving toward her.Hesitantly, he reached his hand out to touch the creamy flesh above the decollete. He knew what he did was wrong, but he couldn't stop himself. He was drawn to her against all his reasons that told him this was suicide.

Kiara sensed his defenses, but she had breached them enough times to know what she had to do to keep him from pulling away. She ran her hand over the stubble of his cheeks and buried it in the silken, white hair. Her hand tingled. He closed his eyes and kissed the inside of her elbow. Giddiness welled up inside Kiara. She had won this battle, if only she could win the campaign.

His leaving her alone the past weeks didn't matter. Even the pain over him not coming for her was gone. Kiara doubted if Nykyrian could ever do anything she wouldn't forgive. She needed him, loved him, and she would take what he was capable of giving, and pray for a time when he would be free to give her more.

His arms closed around her in a bone-crushing embrace. Kiara clutched him, wishing they could stay this way forever, her heart breaking because they couldn't.

Nykyrian picked her up and carried her back upstairs. Kiara leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love you," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't respond. Instead, he kissed her deeply, with more passion than she had ever experienced.

Nykyrian tossed her on the bed. Kiara welcomed the feel of his strong, exploring hands as they played a brilliant, sharp melody across her tingling flesh. His lips trailed along her arms, the top of her breasts, delighting her with building erotic waves that washed over her pulsing body.

She wanted him. Running her hands down his body, she peeled his clothes off, kissing each piece of his strong, bronze flesh that she bared. His soft, firm skin moved under her lips as she nipped the salty flesh, wanting to lose herself to him forever.

She ran her tongue over his hip bone and he shuddered under her with a fierce groan. A smile curved her lips as she continued to suckle the skin over the sensitive bone. His sharp intake of breath sent a thrill through her. He reached his hands down and lifted her up to his lips where he kissed her fiercely, his tongue dancing across her lips, her throat.

Nykyrian jerked her gown off, over her head. His hands returned to play across her breasts, their touch burning her with their restrained strength. His eyes glowed warmly as he stared at her. Kiara thought he wanted to say something, but instead, he dipped his head down to her neck and nipped her throat, sending waves of chills over her.Her body throbbed for him, ached for him. She ran her hand over the scars on his back, wishing she could breach the scars of his mind until he admitted she meant something to him, that he did love her. Her throat tightened in pain. Even if he did, they both knew he would have to let her go.

In desperation to banish the reality of life, she pulled his lips to hers and urged him to soothe the one ache of her body that he could. She gasped as he slid into her, holding him close, reveling in the brief time they did have.

They made love slowly as the sun set on their isolated little planet. Kiara welcomed the feel of his strength in her and around her.

She touched his face, trying to memorize every perfect line. She gripped him tightly as she found her physical release. Nykyrian joined her. His arms tightened around her ribs to the point she couldn't breathe, but at the moment, she didn't really want to.

He pulled away from her and opened his mouth to speak. Kiara waited, hoping it would be the words she longed to hear from him.

The link's whistle rent the air. "Nykyrian!"

He frowned at her before reaching for his link on the bedside table. "Caillen? How the hell did you get another one of our links?"

"I found this one at Shahara's along with a contract signed by her for yours and Rachol's lives. I haven't seen her, Rachol, or Kasen for weeks. I came over here to find Shahara, and I find all this. Just what the hell's going on?"

Kiara studied Nykyrian's frown. "Do you think Rachol's alive?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Where are you?"

"Shahara's flat."

"Is there anything else of Rachol's there?"