He grunted. "It's harder to hate an existing child than an abstract concept."
Vala tilted her head, in the way she usually did before she asked for something. "Do you think the male could bring his family over for dinner one night?"
Thorin blinked. That was one of the last things he'd expected for her to want. "What? Why?"
"While I appreciate any knowledge you can share, I'd like to hear about it all for myself. Besides, I have questions you may not think of. Especially for the mother."
He shook his head. "Both of the parents are half-Brevkan, so it's not quite the same."
Vala smiled. "Maybe not. But if I end up carrying your baby one day, then I want to find out everything I can."
He searched her gaze. "Because you're afraid?"
"Maybe a little, but mostly so I can be prepared and ensure the best future for us. Since I'm not part Brevkan, maybe there's something I should know. Especially since I would never be able to ask your mother."
Even if his mother's mind wasn't fading, talking about her pregnancy would be cruel. His mother hadn't had an easy time of it, being raped by an enemy and then deciding to keep the resulting child.
Vala's voice filled the room again. "Besides, if they come here, that means I don't have to go out. I thought you'd like that."
Thorin knew his bride would keep trying to lay it on thick, so he said, "I'll see what I can do, although I can't make any promises."
She moved to sit in his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her. Her radiant smile sent a course of heat throughout his entire body.
Not that he'd claim her anytime soon. His bride needed to rest.
But he'd never tire of her. Never
"Kiss me, Thorin, and then we'll plan the dinner for your new friend."
If not distracted by the delectable female in his lap, Thorin would say Cellig wasn't his friend yet. However, as Vala pressed her lips to his, he forgot about everything else but the delicious heat and taste of his bride.
Chapter Five
Vala had done her best to ease Thorin's anxiety in the days leading up to the dinner with Cellig and his family. And yet, she watched as Thorin adjusted one thing and then another, muttering, "This isn't safe for a child. Or this. Maybe I should cancel."
He never waited for Vala to say it was too late to cancel, or remind him of how he'd vowed to attend the dinner no matter what. And in a way, his nervousness and thoughtfulness only made her heart warm.
For a male who'd feared children for so long, he cared deeper than he probably realized.
And it was the first time Vala truly thought they would be okay. There would still be problems and trials in their future, but if children honestly repulsed or scared him, he wouldn't worry so much about one he'd never met before.
The door chimed and Thorin waltzed over to it before Vala could do more than blink. He opened the door, revealing a male with golden skin and a female next to him with purple skin, a child on her hip. The interesting thing was how the child also had purple skin. It wasn't a Brevkan skin tone. Even with both of his parents having some of that heritage, the boy had ended up with a Kelderan color.
Thorin motioned them inside. Once he shut the door, he gestured toward her. "This is my bride, Vala."
Since it was usually custom for the male to do the introductions, Vala resisted blinking when the female spoke up. "I'm Pallyn. This is my lord, Cellig, and our son, Myden."
The baby patted his hand against his mother's breast, almost as if claiming she was his.
Her entire life, Vala had viewed children with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they were mostly treasured in Kelderan culture and given priority. And on the other, not being able to have one had sentenced Vala to a life of exile she hadn't chosen.
However, things had changed completely. She was no longer an outcast and could even have one of her own someday. Of course, that brought on a new set of problems.
None of which should be projected onto the innocent child, though. Moving next to Pallyn, Vala tickled the baby's neck. He squealed and hid his head against his mother's side.
Such a common reaction, and yet in that moment, Vala desperately wanted a child of her own to hold, cuddle, and love no matter what their genetics contained.
Pallyn lightly jostled her son until he sat up again. She said, "No need to be shy, Myden. You love tickles and Miss Vala here looks as if she wants to do it again."
Vala shared a glance with the woman, and they smiled at one another. Pallyn may not be a Barren, but she'd endured her own set of challenges due to her Brevkan heritage.
Meaning they had more in common than she'd originally realized.
Myden reached out a chubby purple hand and Vala took it. As the little boy wrapped his fingers around one of hers, Cellig's voice filled the room. "Come, Thorin. Let's get everyone drinks while the females entertain the little one."
Drink-serving was another thing Kelderan females usually handled, so Vala's gaze moved to Cellig. Pallyn whispered, "Yes, Cellig is different in many ways, and not just because of who his father was. It's why I married him. How about we sit down? Myden looks small, but he weighs more than you think."
It was on the tip of Vala's tongue to offer to take him, but she resisted. After all, she was virtually a stranger still.
Slowly removing her finger, Vala guided Pallyn and Myden to the sofa. Once they sat down, Pallyn made silly faces at her son as she said, "I had hoped moving to Jasvar would better our lives, but what your lord has done so far exceeded our expectations. To show our gratitude, feel free to ask anything. Cellig explained your situation, and it must be disorienting for you. Let us help."
Vala stared at the woman playing with her baby. She finally made her mouth work. "Thank you. You merely accepting the invitation for tonight means a lot to me."
Pallyn met her gaze. "We've both been formal and polite, so that's done and over with. I'd rather be straightforward and save us both a lot of trouble."
Even if Pallyn wasn't part Brevkan, she never would've fit into the patriarchal ideal back on Keldera. "You remind me of a few people I know."
"Then you should introduce me, if it's possible. Cellig and I have mostly kept to ourselves over the years, for reasons you can guess. But I'm not introverted and would love to get out more."
She watched the baby trying to stand and jump with his mother's help. Vala asked, "What about your son? Do you have someone to watch him?"
"Myden is pretty easygoing, as far as babies are concerned. However, Cellig loves watching him, too, when he can. So it shouldn't be a problem."
Cellig's voice jumped in. "It's true. I've never understood why a male is supposed to scoff at spending time with his children. At one time, I never thought I'd ever find a bride, let alone have a child. So I treasure both with everything I have."
The couple shared a loving glance, and Vala couldn't help but seek out Thorin's gaze. His expression was unreadable, which meant he was conflicted. She burned to ask if Cellig had said something to him in the kitchen but didn't want to do it in front of the pair. So Vala stood and went to her husband's side, to lean against him. As soon as his arm wrapped around her waist, the tension of his muscles eased.
Cellig passed his bride a drink and picked up his son. After swinging him gently, he held him close and walked over to Thorin. "You asked why I wanted to be your second-in-command in finding and connecting those with Brevkan ancestry, and Myden is the reason. He deserves much better than we did growing up. I hope you'll consider my request seriously."
Thorin grunted at the same time Myden leaned over and touched Thorin's arm. Then the baby leaned over more, extending both of his arms.
Cellig chuckled. "He likes you. Will you hold him?"
Vala's initial reaction was to make excuses so her lord wouldn't have to be rude.
However, as Thorin stared at the baby, her gut told her to hold her tongue.
And so she waited to see what her husband would do.
~~~
>
Thorin stared at the tiny male, his arms outstretched, and struggled with what to do.
He'd never held such a young child in his life, and he didn't want to hurt him. Especially if he took up Cellig's offer to share the enormity of the task ahead, concerning those with Brevkan ancestry.
But then he remembered the happiness on his bride's face when she'd played with the boy earlier. If Thorin truly wanted to prove he would love any child she gave him, this would be a perfect opportunity to show how he didn't hate children.
Releasing his bride at his side, Thorin gently picked up the baby boy and held Myden up in front of him. The little boy kicked his legs and almost succeeded in hitting Thorin's chin.
Cellig spoke up. "You can gently toss him. He loves it."
The thought of tossing anything so tiny and helpless sent a rush of horror throughout his body. "I don't want to hurt him."
Vala's soft, soothing voice whispered into his ear, "You never would, zylar. Just hold him against your body. It'll be easier."
Baby Myden tilted his head and blinked. It was almost as if he were encouraging Thorin.
Which was preposterous. He was a baby.
Slowly, Thorin maneuvered Myden to his side. The child stopped kicking and instead lightly dug his nails into Thorin's skin.
Celling said, "Be gentle, Myden. You don't want to draw blood against a former general."
The words were said in a teasing tone, and Thorin relaxed. "Maybe I'll have to teach him self-defense, then, once he can walk."
The corner of Cellig's mouth ticked up. "Maybe a few years after that. Otherwise, Myden might start an underground toddler fight club. I'm sure that would land us all in trouble with the colony's council."
Vala sighed. "You're planning lessons for a baby and yet, I couldn't get self-defense lessons until this past year simply because I'm female." She touched his arm and Thorin met his bride's gaze. "Will you be all right if I sit with Pallyn?"
His female tried to hide it, but he saw the concern in her eyes. Even without saying a word, he knew it was for him and not out of fear he'd hurt the child.
He'd never get used to such utter and complete trust.
Little Myden dug his nails even deeper, but Thorin didn't flinch. He looked the little boy in the eye and said calmly yet firmly, "No nails."
The boy stared and relaxed his grip.
Cellig chuckled. "Maybe your talents were wasted in the army. You clearly have a knack for baby whispering."
Thorin grunted in approval at the baby. "Good job, Myden." The little boy tried to bounce in place and Thorin adjusted his hold to accommodate it. He met Cellig's gaze again. "They are little people. I don't know how to treat them any differently."
Vala touched his arm. "Your way seems to work with Myden." Amusement danced in her eyes. "Who knows, maybe if it works on others, you can open a baby whispering class."
He reached out and lightly slapped his female's rear. "Go sit with Pallyn. I have a few things to discuss with Cellig."
After she kissed him on the cheek and tickled Myden one last time—the joy on her face was one he would never tire of—Thorin focused all his energy on Cellig. He'd put off answering the male's request long enough. "I understand your offer to help me with my task is sincere, but it will be time-consuming. That means being apart from your bride and son more than you may like."
Cellig shrugged. "They'll help, too, when they can. After all, Pallyn isn't the sort to sit and watch as things happen."
"My bride isn't either," he muttered.
Cellig grinned. "Good, then you won't fight me on treating a female as an equal, especially regarding intelligence. If anything, Pallyn is smarter than me."
"I assume nothing about anyone until I meet and evaluate them. It's how I functioned in the army, and how I plan to live my life."
Myden squirmed and reached for his father. Thorin quickly handed the little boy over and watched as he curled against Cellig's side and sucked his thumb.
Cellig brushed the faint wisps of silver hair from the boy's face. "He'll fall asleep soon. But don't worry, once he does, my son sleeps through most anything. Let me coax him to drift off and then we can have dinner without any interruptions or distractions."
As he watched Cellig walk to the far corner of the room and gently rock his baby, Thorin imagined himself doing the same with a little boy or girl, one with Vala's golden skin and white hair.
He expected a scene of his child much older and screaming in pain from a horrific rage vision to flash. However, it didn't come.
Thorin wasn't one to pin false hopes, but maybe there was something to be done. Living in the open about his heritage would give the added benefit of additional research. No doubt Iljan's analysis of Thorin's samples would only be the beginning.
Not to mention Jasvar held all sorts of flora and fauna that might help tame the pain and instability.
True, maybe nothing would ever help. But Vala's love had soothed him, and maybe the combination of his and Vala's love for their child would be enough to prevent the worst.
Nothing was guaranteed, but Thorin was already fond of little Myden. He imagined it'd be even more intense with his own offspring, especially after watching Vala grow round with their child.
He searched out Vala and watched as she spoke animatedly about something with the other female. Her love had done so much to heal him already. Proof of their love might take it even further. After all, Thorin would never hurt a child. And that meant never succumbing to a rage vision.
Once the dinner was over, he'd tell Vala. And then he'd claim his female without regret, knowing full well what could happen. It was time to change his life's path once more. He may be a little nervous, but not reluctant. Vala was worth anything to him. And he'd spend the rest of his life proving it to her.
Chapter Six
No sooner had Vala said her goodbyes to Cellig, Pallyn, and Myden and shut the door before Thorin came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her body. Nuzzling her neck, he murmured, "I love you, zyla. Will you let me claim you tonight?"
She did her best not to tense. His words held a much deeper meaning than usual.
Thorin was willing to father a child.
Raising a hand behind her to his jaw, she turned his face so she could look into his eyes. She didn't want to doubt him, but the end result from his claiming could be monumental. "While I'm more than ready for you, zylar, are you sure?"
One of his hands moved upward, to cup her breast. "Yes, more than anything. My thoughts kept straying tonight. Not to any sort of nightmare but rather of me holding a tiny baby that looked just like you, and it didn't frighten me. Nervous, a little, but not afraid." He gently squeezed her breast. "You've shown me how love can transform and help a person. I want to believe we can do the same for our child."
Emotion choked her throat. She didn't realize how much she'd been trying to hold off her want, her desire, of finally being able to have a child of her own with the man she loved. Something she'd never thought possible.
But it looked like it may happen after all. And without any resentment or hatred.
Forcing herself to swallow and clear her throat, she finally whispered, "I love you, Thorin."
"I hope so, because I'm not going anywhere."
She smiled and turned in his arms to face him. "Good, because I'm honestly considering the baby whispering idea."
His lips twitched. "Maybe for Kason's daughter, once she's born. And only so I can annoy him."
Vala laughed. Thorin wasn't as easygoing or teasing as other males, but he wasn't afraid to show his humor with her every once in a while. "I'm sure Taryn would love that. She's always looking for ways to irritate her lord and tease him to no end."
Taryn Demara was not only Kason's bride but the human colony's leader. It was still funny to think that if Taryn hadn't tricked Kason's spaceship into believing they were helpless females and then kidnapping him, Vala and Thorin wouldn't be standing together in each other'
s arms.
Never had she been so grateful for someone else's actions.
He placed his forehead against hers, his eyes turning heated. "I'll keep that in mind. But for now, I only want to think of you."
With a growl, he took her lips in a demanding kiss. She opened her mouth, inviting him, and with each stroke, lick, and nibble, her legs grew weaker and heat spread throughout her body.
Before she knew it, he scooped her up and carried her to their bed. After laying her down, he crawled on his hands and knees over her, caging her body. A thrill went through her at the large, muscled male above her. She whispered, "Don't hold back with me, Thorin. I want all of you out in the open, more than ever before."
His eyes began to glow as he sat back on his heels and freed his straining cock. The sight of his long, hard erection poking from the opening in his trousers made her squirm.
Leaning down, Thorin kissed her, his lips and tongue claiming her in forceful, determined motions. With each of her whimpers, he increased his intensity, to the point she could barely breathe.
He finally broke the kiss right before she was afraid she'd pass out. His eyes glowed a brighter blue than she'd ever seen before. His husky voice rolled over her. "I hope you're ready for me, love. Let's see."
His large, warm hand ran down the front of her body, lightly tweaked her sensitive nipples, and then continued the journey downward. Every slow inch was torture, in a good way, making her hotter and almost desperate to have him inside her.
As soon as he reached the hem of her dress, he tossed it up to her waist and spread her legs wide. For a second, he merely sat there staring at her exposed center, each second making her more swollen and wet. "Thorin, please. Claim me."
He lightly ran a finger through her center, and she bucked her hips upward at the touch. She'd always be attuned to her lord's touch, but something was different tonight. For a split second, she wondered if it had to do with his Brevkan half, priming her for his seed.
The Hidden (Kelderan Runic Warriors Book 5) Page 4