The Illegitimate Claim (24 page)

minute before, and he rested his gaze on her lips.

“I thought I had one.” Meah pulled away and straightened her dress. She needed

distance. “We stayed with some Neurians the night before we arrived in Taratown. One

of the young girls agreed to come up here with me.”

“Where is she now?” Andru looked like he was going through something in his

mind. She realized they probably searched the temple after they captured her.

Meah squeezed her lips together to fight a smile. He saw the twinkle appear in her

eye, and his eyebrow shot up.

“I can’t say for sure, but I would be willing to guess that Beel might know where

she is.”

“Beel?” He looked surprised only for a minute and then narrowed his eyes as he

pulled his comm out. “What’s her name?”

“Paleah.”

Andru didn’t act as if he’d heard the name before, but simply wrapped the comm

around his ear, and established the link with his half-brother. “Beel, is Paleah with

you?” His tone was quiet and imposing. She could just imagine his bastard brother’s

flippant response. “Bring her to trailer number fifty-seven in the clan site. If she expects

to be allowed in our nation she needs to work.”

Meah was shocked when she realized how dirty her children now were. It didn’t

seem fair to leave Paleah with two high-strung children who would immediately need

to be bathed. They walked back toward the trailer without talking, until Tory turned

around to face them while walking backwards, and dropped the bombshell.

“Mama, you didn’t say no to Rog, but he’s not our papa, right?”

Meah thought Andru would smash her fingers as his grip tightened severely on her

hand.

“No, Rog isn’t your papa,” Meah said with a slight laugh, trying to make light of

the matter.

93

Lorie O’Clare

Andru seemed distracted when they reached the trailer. He said nothing when she

hurried the children down the short hallway and quickly got them out of their clothes

and into the tub. She scrubbed them thoroughly then left them to play in the water and

walked out to join Andru. He stood with his back to her looking out the window at the

end of the trailer. Cautiously, she walked up behind him.

Andru turned around suddenly, crossed his arms and faced her. He fought to

breathe at the sight of her and for a moment his mind went completely blank. The thin

material of her dress was wet in places from the bathwater and clung to her skin

invitingly. He could see her naked in front of him so easily it was all he could do to

remember his name. It was necessary to pull his eyes away from her for a moment and

focus on the empty shelf where a landlink would go. Slowly, he dragged in a long

breath.

“Meah, I have a nation to take into consideration. There is a leader of a rebellion

from another nation, sitting outside one of my cities making demands. Now, it has been

suggested by two different sources that someone inside my nation may be closely

connected to him.” He paused and looked her in the eyes. She stood wide-eyed, her lips

not quite touching each other, and stared up at him. “What do you think I should do,

my lady?”

“Andru, I’m not here as a contact for Rog.” She whispered the words in complete

terror. His eyes raked across her and she felt panic rise inside her.

“If you were his lover you would be in an incredible position to distract me and

wreak havoc on Gothman.” His accusation was no sooner said then a loud splashing

sound came from the bathroom followed immediately by another.

He looked over her shoulder quickly and then followed when she walked down the

hallway. Meah reached the bathroom to see two smiling twins sitting cross-legged,

facing each other, with water everywhere. She turned around quickly and almost

smashed into his chest. She tried backing up a few inches but hit the doorway. She

scowled at him and stood as tall as her petite body would allow.

“You’re right. That would make me an outstanding candidate to come here and

manipulate some plot. However, I’m not Rog’s lover, nor have I ever been. He was a

very good friend and yes, the children have seen me in his arms.” She poked him in the

chest. “But not the way I was in your arms. I came to Gothman because you’re here.

You have a right to know your children. And I would have been here sooner if it hadn’t

been for that damn war.”

With that, she turned around and reached for the towel. At the same time there was

a knock at the door. Andru turned to answer it and Meah involved herself with her

children. She wrapped them in towels and then they darted past her to see who had

come to visit.

“Paleah, you’re back,” Tory squealed when the young Neurian walked into the

room behind Beel.

94

The Illegitimate Claim

Paleah looked around the room nervously, making no attempt to look at Andru.

Instead, she caught Meah’s eye and locked on.

“So, do you want to be a nanny?” Meah smiled at the young woman, so

experienced in some areas yet incredibly naïve in others.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me back or not.” Paleah looked rather guilty.

Andru walked around Beel to look at Paleah. “Woman, look at me,” he said as he

narrowed his eyebrows. “What in the hell is this?”

Both Meah and Beel looked at him in surprise.

“What in the hell is what?” Beel spoke first as Paleah looked down and stared at the

children.

“I could go get them dressed,” she murmured to no one in particular.

“You stay right there,” Andru barked. He was getting angry. He glared at Beel.

“This woman could be Sharay’s twin. Who is she?”

“She’s her bastard sister.” Beel put his hands on Paleah’s shoulders and then pulled

her hair from her face. “She was being sent to the west ocean and didn’t want to go.

Meah agreed to let her come here with her and that’s when I met her.”

“Go back and get the children dressed. Meah, show her where things are.” He

spoke harshly and Paleah jumped but Meah just looked at him oddly before leading her

children down the hallway.

“How were you able to meet Paleah a week ago but not notice Meah until today?”

Andru glared at his half-brother.

“She left the temple at night and we met each other. She gave me the impression

that whoever she was staying with wouldn’t approve of her sneaking out.” Beel

shrugged and smiled boyishly. “I didn’t ask any questions.”

He looked down the hallway and then back at Andru. “Sharay looks like that and

you haven’t touched her? I hope my desire for women lasts longer than yours has.”

“And I wish your loyalty to Gothman was a fraction of what mine is,” Andru hissed

back. He turned and walked away from Beel as the women came back down the

hallway with the twins jumping up and down. Meah suggested ideas to entertain the

children to Paleah while she was gone.

“I assume we’re still leaving?” Meah walked up to stand next to Andru as if it were

something she did every day.

“Yes.” He shot her a glance, but then looked at Beel and nodded to the door. Beel

took the hint. He stroked Paleah’s cheek and smiled.

“I’ll come see you later.”

* * * * *

Paleah looked exhausted and relieved to see both of them, even Andru, when he

and Meah returned later to take the children with them to Ana and Gilroy’s for supper.

95

Lorie O’Clare

It was a strange afternoon and Meah didn’t have much higher hopes for the evening.

None of her homecoming was going as she anticipated. Oh, she knew she would have

to submit several thorough reports explaining the events that occurred during her age of

searching. And she anticipated then being questioned over every little detail. That was

the standard procedure when a Runner returned to the clan as an adult after their age of

searching was complete. But that wasn’t happening. Instead, she realized, she was a

prisoner.

The several hours they were together, Andru never touched her…other than when

he tucked her up against his muscular chest on his glider. They went to downtown

Bryton where she walked next to him while his hands were clasped behind his back.

They received plenty of curious stares but Andru wasn’t daunted. He led the way into

several stores where he conducted business over one thing or the other.

Then he spent almost an hour out on the practice fields talking on and off with

Gilroy. She was instructed to sit on his glider and not move. Several men walked past

her while she sat there. She was eyed and greeted. She responded quietly and then

looked at her hands. Andru always had her in his sight.

Their last stop, much to her surprise, was at his house. He didn’t speak as he

escorted her into the house, nodded to the servants but didn’t introduce her, and took

her up to his room. Meah knew if she asked questions she wouldn’t get any answers—

Andru’s thoughts were off somewhere else. So she stayed quiet as well. He left her in

his room, told her to make herself at home, then grabbed clean clothes and went off to

shower.

That was how her afternoon went, and now as she lifted Tia in her arms and

followed Andru and Tory up to the large stone house in front of them, she had a

strange premonition about the evening.

96

The Illegitimate Claim

Chapter Thirteen

“Oh no, Poli, I couldn’t eat any more right now.” Ana held up her hand, refusing a

slice of pie.

“Me neither. I won’t eat again for days.” Meah smiled contentedly, and leaned back

very unladylike in her chair and patted her belly.

“Let’s go see why those children are being so quiet in the backyard,” Ana

suggested, pushing her chair back.

Meah followed Ana out of the house, and felt more at home than she had since

she’d arrived in Gothman. Gilroy and Ana were relaxed, and happy to see them. A

small amount of Gothman wine loosened them all up before supper, and before long

Meah had all of them laughing loudly as she shared some of the escapades she lived

through during her age of searching.

There was no reason to mention Rog once she saw how well the evening was going.