The Illegitimate Claim (23 page)

would be acceptable behavior. Or was it something else?

Andru also noted the change in her expression when he entered the living room

and Meah noticed Darius was behind him. Her glance at the lord was brief, as was the

expression of panic that crossed her face. She then turned and met his gaze again. The

panic was gone, and replaced with confusion, fear…fear of being betrayed. All of that

disappeared within the next moment and her eyes went blank. Her Runner skills had

not diminished. She straightened and closed all doors to her emotions.

“My lord,” she said simply, and clasped her hands behind her back. The Runner

warrior stance in a Gothman dress—rather enticing.

“Papa, I didn’t realize you were coming here.” Ana attacked Andru with her

emotions, and he yelled silently for her to shut up.

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“Please, my lord, come in and have a seat.” Meah instantly assumed the role of

hostess.

Darius sat, and Ana moved over to stand next to Andru. The grown twins watched

as Meah went down on her knees in between her children and put an arm around each

one of them.

“Tory, Tia…I would like you to meet your grandpapa.” She smiled at each child, as

they looked wide-eyed at Lord Darius. She looked up at the lord as well, and hoped her

face looked calmer than she felt. “Lord Darius, I would like you to meet Tory, and this

is Tia.”

“Twins.” The lord smiled. “How old are you two?”

“Four and a half winters, my lord.” As Tory spoke he assumed the Runner stance.

Tia copied him without looking at him.

“You’re a big boy for your age. Are you glad to be here? I bet you’ve been traveling

for a while now.” His voice was calm, the tone used for a child, and everyone saw

immediately what he was going to do. He would gather his information from the

children.

“We camped out every night in our tent and Mama played tag with us. She told us

stories about you, and the great twins, and the dog-woman. Now we’re meeting all of

them. I guess we’re glad to be here now that everyone is being nice to Mama.”

Darius looked at Meah. She blushed, and smiled timidly at him, but otherwise her

expression revealed nothing. She looked like a woman who had nothing to hide. Either

she didn’t, or she was a damn good warrior. The thought suddenly went through his

head that she’d been in Taratown for a week before they detected her. He studied her

face a moment longer—no change.

“Where did you live before here?” He turned his attention back to the children.

“We lived by the ocean in our village.” Tory quickly looked over his mama’s

shoulder at his sister. He frowned and then turned back to the lord. “Are we going to

live here now?”

“Yes, you are.” And the entire room knew that the lord accepted the fact that the

twins were his grandchildren. “Will you miss anyone from your village?”

“No,” Tory said slowly. “Mama says we’ll make new friends here.”

The lord smiled and then ruffled the boy’s hair. “They are beautiful children,” he

said quietly to Meah and then stood.

Meah stood as well, but felt no need to respond. She knew with all her heart that

the lord just confirmed the paternity of the twins, but she had the overwhelming

sensation that she was not off the hook. The lord welcomed her to Gothman and then

left.

“I’m going to go as well.” Ana smiled, primarily because her brother was yelling at

her again…this time to leave. “Will you come over for dinner?”

“That would be nice.” Meah smiled. “I can’t wait to see your children.”

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“Tory and Darien will love each other.” Ana touched her brother’s arm then made

her departure.

“I was just wondering something,” Meah said absently the second the trailer door

was shut.

“What’s that?” Andru moved to sit where his papa had sat.

“I just wondered if you two started out the way Tory and Tia are, or if you’ve

always been the way you are now.”

“What are you talking about?” Andru frowned at her.

“I never noticed until now how much you and Ana communicate with each other

without talking. Just now, with all of us here, I noticed at least three times that you

talked to her without speaking.” She turned and sat on the floor in front of him. “I’ve

really tuned in to that sort of thing living with these two over the past winters.”

He grinned playfully. “I guess I’ll have to be more careful in the future.”

Meah licked her lips and his eyes followed the action. “If Tory and Tia are

separated they don’t do well. They are one soul in two bodies. As their mama I see that.

Is that the way it is for you and Ana?”

She stopped and looked into those penetrating gray eyes that had haunted her

dreams over the past winters. Color streamed across her face and she sucked in air

through slightly parted lips.

“What I want to say is that I won’t come in between you two. I understand that you

need to be together.” She quickly occupied herself with one of Tia’s curls.

Andru simply stared at her for a moment. She still looked quite heated in the face.

Did she just imply that she understood he needed to be with his sister…in every way?

He didn’t ask.

Meah suddenly jumped to her feet. “I just remembered. I have a gift for you.”

She ran out of the room, and he enjoyed watching the silhouette of her figure

through the thin dress as she left. When she returned, Tia was standing next to him, and

her heart slammed in her chest when his large hand swept gently across her curls. His

smile was full of emotion.

“Before I left the village that I lived in for the past three winters, a ruin was found

buried in the rocks up the coast from us. They discovered some books that possibly

could be more writings of Crator.” Meah held a plain disc out in front of her.

Andru looked up at her quickly.

“I really think they might be.” She handed him the disc. “I made this copy for you.

I’ve spent a couple of hours each night going through the books, and it seems like they

are fragments that can be added on to what we already have. See what you think. When

you have time, I’ll go over what I’ve pieced together.”

Meah turned around then and instinctively put her arms out to catch Tory as he

prepared to jump from one of the chairs at the table.

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“Would it be all right if the children went for a walk?” She turned to face him, and

saw him undressing her with his eyes. She looked down quickly, suddenly feeling

nervous and way too close to that virile masculinity that was sprawled out in the chair.

Andru jumped up. “Would you two like that? It might be a little muddy out there,

but I’m pretty sure the rain has stopped.”

The twins jumped up and down in approval, and started pulling their mama to the

door. If she thought she would be able to clear her head of Andru outside, she was

mistaken. He pulled the door shut and caught up with her, then slid his hand into hers.

The children ran ahead of them while he yelled directions as to which way they should

go. He led them over to the edge of the clan site where the forest began.

It was muddy, and the children suddenly discovered the joy of mud puddles, much

to Meah’s dismay. She focused on the two as they determined if a nearby tree would be

good to climb or not. Suddenly, she remembered that it was this very same part of the

forest where Andru found her the first night she’d stayed at the Blood Circle clan. A

chill ran through her. He had raped her that night.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Andru whispered as he pulled her by her hand into

his arms.

Meah looked up into his eyes and wished she hadn’t. She’d forgotten how

persistent Andru was. When he wanted something, he took it—no questions asked.

And she could tell as those gray eyes devoured her that she was next on his list.

“How do you know what I’m thinking?” She couldn’t take her eyes from his.

“Your hand suddenly went very cold.” He brought her hand that he still held up to

his lips and began kissing each finger, his eyes never leaving hers.

She felt herself tremble but she didn’t feel cold. The thin material of the Gothman

dress made her feel very exposed, vulnerable. His hand on the middle of her back

seared her skin. He pulled her closer to him, and she felt her breasts smash against his

iron chest. He kissed her then, a searing hot, demanding kiss. She collapsed into him,

with a soft groan letting him know that she was willing.

“You’re supposed to tell him no, Mama.” Tory’s voice sounded as if he were miles

away.

Meah felt Andru’s body stiffen, and he released her lips, leaving her gasping for air.

Lifting his head, he rested his chin on her head. “Why is she supposed to tell me no,

Tory?”

Meah rested the side of her head against Andru’s chest, since he obviously had no

intention of letting her go. She smiled down at her son who stood, feet spread apart and

his hands on his hips.

“It’s okay, Tory. I don’t need to tell your papa no. Mamas and papas do this when

they’re together.” She spoke calmly, trying to reassure her son.

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Andru released her and squatted down in front of the boy. The two looked at each

other eye to eye. Andru smiled. Tory didn’t. Tia walked up behind her brother and

matched his gaze.

“Why did you say that, son?” Andru asked quietly. “Why is she supposed to say

no?”

“She says no to all the men.” Tory suddenly looked confused but then smiled when

Andru laughed and ruffled his hair. He stood back up, and pulled Meah back to him,

the fire once again obvious in his eyes. “Did you have men hunting you down, my

lady?”

“Hardly.” She smiled back, and he watched the crimson climb her cheeks.

He brushed his lips against hers, and ran his hand down her hair letting it catch on

the ribbon that held it back.

“We need to find a nanny for our children.” His voice sounded rougher than the