The pause stretched out. Nykyrian's body tensed under her hands.

"Yeah. I've got his flight jacket. You don't think Shahara's hurt him, do you?"

Nykyrian clenched his teeth and looked at Kiara. "How should I know, she's your sister.""If she'd killed him, she wouldn't have taken trophies. That's not her way. They have to be together."

Nykyrian sighed, whether from relief or frustration, Kiara couldn't tell. "I've got somewhere I need to be in a few hours. Why don't you meet me at Jayne's around ten and we can try and figure out this mess."

"All right. I'll keep trying to contact Shahara and Kasen until then."

Nykyrian tossed the link aside and rubbed his hands across his face. "It just keeps getting thicker," he mumbled.

Kiara frowned. "Isn't this good news?" she asked, stroking his hair away from his face.

"Rachol's alive."

Nykyrian sighed. "Who knows what this means."

Kiara grabbed the pillow from the bed, and lobbed it upside his head. "Lighten up!"

He stared at her in startled amazement.

"You deserved it," she said defensively. "If you say one more negative thing, I'll wallop you again!"

One corner of his mouth lifted. Before she could figure out what that signified, he had her down on the bed tickling her.

Kiara laughed, her sides aching. "Enough!" she said, trying to squirm out from under him.

He quit tickling her. His breath fell against her cheek, his naked body pressing against hers. "I don't know how I'm going to let you go," he whispered in a ragged voice.

"Then don't," she said, toying with the blond hair cascading over his shoulders. "You don't have to."

His eyes went dead. "We both know that's impossible."

Kiara traced the line of his lips. "I bet if someone had told you six months ago that you would smile for me, you'd have said the same thing."Nykyrian moved to pull away, but Kiara wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him close to her. "I'm not giving up on you. I have a feeling people have done that your entire life. I intend to fight for you, Nykyrian. I'll die for you if I have to."

"That's what I fear," he said quietly, and slipped out of her hold.

Kiara lay there, listening to him enter the bathroom. Her heart beat a painful rhythm in her breast. She had always thought love was supposed to be easy. Why hadn't someone warned her that love didn't answer all of life's problems, it just created more.

Turning over onto her side, she heard him enter the shower. There had to be some way for them to be together. She vowed to herself to find that way, no matter what.

Fourteen.

The line at Camry's was huge, as usual. Kiara's stomach rumbled hungrily. She dreaded the long wait. Pausing at the end of the line, she was surprised when Nykyrian tugged her elbow and led her to the front.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

Nykyrian gave her a shuttered stare. "I can't stand on the street. Too many people would like to shoot me."

His low, evenly toned voice cut through her. He seemed to delight in constantly reminding her of the precariousness of his life and how many people were looking to end it. Granted he had been a little nicer since they made love, but he was still being difficult.

With a sigh, Kiara followed after him, shocked when he led her straight inside the restaurant. She caught the angry glare of the people who were waiting before them. Heat crept up her cheeks.

The maitre d' looked up from his podium, his smile bright. "How nice to see you Commander, your party is waiting."

Kiara gazed from the maitre d' back to Nykyrian. A sharp jolt of surprise from the maitre d's words rippled through her. "Commander?" she asked.Nykyrian shrugged. "My rank in the League."

"You were a commander?" she gasped, amazed he had attained such a high rank.

The maitre d' smiled at her. "He saved my son's life at the Battle of Wymon!"

Nykyrian shifted in discomfort. "Hardly. All I did was warn him of an incoming bomb."

The maitre d' smiled. "Had you not, he'd be dead now."

Nykyrian rolled his eyes at Kiara. She stifled her laughter. At least Nykyrian appeared to be in a better mood now than a little while ago. She was still shocked she had actually managed to drag him out of the house. The entire trip here, she had expected him to turn about and return home.

"I took the liberty of having your favorite dish prepared for you and your wife. The others have already placed their orders," the maitre d' said, before leading them through the dining room.

Kiara followed the maitre d' past the intricate rows of crowded tables. He led her to the back of the restaurant where the private dining rooms were reserved for prominent guests.

A twinge of discomfort ran along her spine as she remembered the fact her husband was a prince. She wasn't sure if she cared for the idea at all.

The maitre d' opened a door and ushered them in. Kiara hesitated as she recognized Emperor Aros seated at the table with Nykyrian's mother and aunt.

She barely heard the faint curse Nykyrian muttered under his breath. Looking over her shoulder in concern, Kiara saw the anger burning in his eyes. Obviously, Nykyrian wasn't quite ready to meet his father.

Cairistiona smiled and came to her feet. "There you are," she breathed happily. "We had begun to worry you had changed your mind."

Nykyrian couldn't have betrayed any fewer emotions if he were a statue. Kiara was tempted to kick him. The maitre d' excused himself and left them to a modicum of privacy.

Aros rose more slowly. He clutched his hands in a way that told Kiara he wasn't used tobeing uncertain about himself. "I hope you don't mind my presence. When Carie told me she had found you, I insisted that I attend as well."

Kiara took Nykyrian's hand and gave an encouraging squeeze. His fingers were icy cold.

She could almost swear they trembled. For several awkward seconds, no one spoke.

Nykyrian finally broke the tense silence. "This is my wife, Kiara." Aros smiled. "We've already met, but it is a pleasure to see you again."

Kiara returned his smile as she curtsied. "It's an honor to see you again, Your Majesty."

Aros blustered gruffly. "None of that, my dear. You're family now. I hate all that posturing and bowing anyway. It's demeaning!"

Kiara laughed at his words, feeling a little more at ease about the dinner.

Aros pulled a chair out next to him for Kiara. "Come child, have a seat. You shouldn't be standing."

Kiara glanced at Nykyrian to see how he was dealing with his newfound family. As usual, she couldn't tell. Without a word, she moved toward his father and the chair Aros held for her. His mother and aunt exchanged worried frowns and each kept looking at Nykyrian nervously while he seated himself in a chair next to Kiara's.

Kiara took a deep breath, wondering what she could do to helpfully interfere, but not enrage Nykyrian to the point where he would get up and leave.

"We will no doubt have beautiful grandchildren, wouldn't you say, Carie?" the emperor asked, pushing Kiara's seat up to the table.

Cairistiona smiled. "They will be the envy of everyone," she agreed.

Nykyrian shifted uncomfortably beside her. Kiara placed her hand over the one he held in his lap. He looked up at her with something that appeared to be pride.

They remained quiet while their meals were brought in and placed before them.

Nykyrian held Kiara's soothing hand while berating himself for coming along on this stupid expedition. He didn't know these people, and he wasn't really sure he even wanted to. Worse, his temper was slipping.He had wanted this moment for most of his life. A brief chance meeting where he could talk to his parents, have them look at him with love, have them accept him. Now that he had it, Nykyrian didn't know what to do with it.

"I know this must be hard for you," Aros said after the room cleared of servers. "You must know I didn't know you were alive. If I had even suspected, I would have torn the universe apart looking for you."

Nykyrian took a sip of his drink, tempted to curl his lip and make a caustic reply. He remembered Thia.

No one had told him about her, and to her knowledge he was just as guilty of abandoning her. For all Nykyrian knew, Thia harbored the same feelings of rejection and isolation. The revelation almost choked him. How could he blame his parents for the same thing he had done to his own child?

"I don't blame you." Nykyrian caught Kiara's astonished look. "Why don't we forget the past and just start with this moment and go forward."

Aros saluted him with his glass. "I regret the lost years. I can tell they are one of my greatest losses."

Nykyrian snorted, looking straight at Kiara. "You were probably better off. I was a rotten child who spent weeks sulking."

Kiara smiled. "Some things never change."

His parents laughed.

Grateful for Nykyrian's changed mood, Kiara wondered what had caused it. He was so handsome sitting next to her, she beamed with pride. Leaning toward him, she whispered in his ear.

"I'll show you," Nykyrian said, scooting his chair back.

Kiara blushed at the stares she collected. She seemed to be going to the rest room every few seconds lately. "Just tell me where it is and I can find it."

He shook his head. "It's too crowded. I don't think you should go out there alone."

Kiara's face felt so hot, she feared it would explode. "I can go alone," she said, stressingthe words. "I'll be right back."

She could tell by the tense line of his jaw, he wanted to argue some more. "Don't be long."

Kiara smiled, relieved he had yielded. "You won't even have time to miss me."

Excusing herself from his parents, she made her way out the door. It didn't take her long to find her way through the dining room and to the restrooms.

As Kiara left the bathroom, she smiled at the maitre d' as he passed by her, leading another set of guests. Happy her husband was behaving and not being too sullen, she made her way back through their dining room. "Kiara?" She stopped, wondering who had called her.

Turning around, she tried to locate the source of the familiar voice. Kiara's heart stopped as she recognized Jullien seated at a table with another man. Why wasn't he in their room with his parents?

She started to head back to the dining room without acknowledging him, but her conscience wouldn't let her. As Aros had said, she was family now and she couldn't be rude.

Jullien crossed the floor, stopping right in front of her. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon," he said warmly. He took her hand and placed a wet kiss over her knuckles.

Kiara stifled her shudder.

His smile was warm enough, but she wondered at the coldness behind his eyes. "I realize you must be here with someone," Jullien said, looking around the room. "But could you take a moment to say hello to my friend. He's a fan of yours and he's dying for a chance to meet you."

She tried to pull away, but his hand tightened around hers. "I promised not to- "

"It'll only take a moment," he begged with those eerie eyes. "Please?"

Reminding herself this was her brother-in-law and a royal prince, she nodded her head.

Jullien gave her a warm smile and led her back to his table. "This is the woman I was telling you about."The man stood and slowly turned to face Kiara. Her heart hammered in fear.

"You!" she gasped, recognizing the man who had glared at them that day in the bay of her flat- Aksel Bredeh.

He pressed a small blaster into her stomach. "Act like you're happy to see me," he said in a low menacing tone. "Or the chef will have fresh human entrails to serve the hybrid.

Smile," he suggested.

Kiara wanted to spit in his face, scratch out his eyes, anything other than go along with him. But what choice did she have? She had no doubt that he would kill her if she so much as twitched.

One day, she would learn to listen when someone cautioned her not to do something!

Provided she survived this, her mind taunted her.

"I owe you," Aksel said to Jullien before narrowing his gray eyes on Kiara. "Walk slowly to the outside door."

Nykyrian looked up from his food expecting to see Kiara enter, instead it was the frightened maitre d'.

"Commander!" he said, his voice and hands shaking. "Your wife just left with a friend of Prince Jullien's. I don't think she went willingly."

Coldness gripped Nykyrian's soul and he tightened his hands into fists.

He heard his mother's gasp of fright and his father's curse. But that was all he heard before he concentrated on the raw anger pulsing through his body. He drew strength from it, because he knew he was going to kill someone over this.

Nykyrian ran for the door, pulling his blaster from his holster. As he crossed the dining room looking for his target, diners screamed, ducked, and ran.

He left the restaurant and headed for the nearby landing bay. Nothing. Not a sign of Kiara anywhere. His grip tightened on his blaster. Nykyrian clicked back the release.

Jullien.

With that single thought burning in his mind, he made his way back through the restaurant to the area where his parents had the bastard cornered.Blind rage clouded his eyes. All Nykyrian wanted to do was rip out Jullien's heart and feed it to him.