Chapter 2
Games
Before dawn, I quietlyextract myself from the covers to stoke the fire, keeping the interior warm for Tilly and KJ. Once the new log on the pile begins to catch, I run a quick scan on the surrounding forest outside.
My sensor range is a thousand meters, so I probe in all directions, ensuring no others linger in the area. A ruthless scavenger could pose a threat to my family, and I’ll not hesitate to kill before they ever have a chance to reach the safety of our cave.
Several foraging raccoons and a family of opossums register on the internal readouts, but other than native wildlife, all is quiet and safe.
With a gentle push, I prop open the screen door Tilly finds so comical to slip outside into the pre-dawn silence.
When I locate a flat boulder off to the side of the entrance, I sit on the cool stone and let my gaze rove over the oak trees, which stand tall and proud like sentinels. The splendor of Earth’s natural beauty floods my senses. I’ve always enjoyed the solitude of being in nature and away from the trappings of royal duties, political deceit, and the technological wonders my people love so much.
I never want to go back to that existence.
Baltins might enjoy the artificiality of our advancements, but after experiencing those painful costs firsthand, I relish the simplicity of natural things.
Nearby oak and mesquite trees sprout green leaves from their brown branches. Farther off, as the sun’s first rays shoot orange and pink bursts into the sky, a chorus of cooing doves sing and break the morning’s quiet.
I could live here forever.And I would, except one tiny thing bothers me.
Tilly’s pregnancy.
Though I retain a plethora of Baltin knowledge in my head, plus everything humans shared online before my arrival, it doesn’t replace the miracles of Baltin medical technology and the expertise of our doctors.
Deep worry churns in my heart at the thought of something going wrong while she carries our son.
A human has never given birth to a Baltin child. How do I know there won’t be complications down the road? But if I reveal to my people I’m still very much alive by subjecting Tilly to a medical exam, it puts a fresh target on us.
Not just because I’m their king who disbanded the guiding council and exiled my mother for disobedience, ultimately killing her, but because Tilly’s their lawful queen...and human. Plenty of people, including my mother, hated the idea of Baltins mingling their blood and lineage with a lesser race.
Technically, though, Tilly carries remnants of our ancient ancestor’s genes, making her a long-lost cousin of our race.
“Boo.” Her warm arms slip around my neck and she props her chin on my shoulder. “Did I scare you?”
I chuckle. “No, I heard you.”
“What?” She kisses my cheek and slides in next to me. “How?”
“How do you think?” I wrap an arm around her shoulders and draw her into my side.
Daylight chases away the darkness, and golden light spills across the tops of the trees and through the gaps between the branches, bathing her face in softness.
“Oh, those fancy fuckin’ abilities you got, huh?” Snuggling into me, she laces her hand with mine and snickers. “Well, just so you know, you woke me up and you know how much I hate getting up before the sun.”
“Then I guess I have no choice but to make it up to you, milady.” I let go of her hand and slip an arm under her legs, support her back with my other, and lift her onto my lap.
Giggling, she loops her fingers at the nape of my neck and stares up at me with those bright, emerald eyes, increasing my heartrate. “Oh, that sounds fun.”
“Let’s play a game.” Already imagining her little body naked and squirming beneath mine, I enjoy the thrill of heat coursing through my blood.
“You and your damn games, Jareth.” Even though her words admonish, her tone is breathless, and I detect an acceleration in her pulse and a one-degree rise in body temperature.
Oh yeah, she wants to act like she’s not intrigued, but she’s not fooling me.
I stand and carry her the three meters to the door, wedge it open with a foot, and step inside.
KJ, now burrowed under the blankets with only his nose peeking out, still sleeps. A puppy his age, eight weeks old, needs a lot of rest.
