Adrian’s presence was a painful shock to my system, her appearance nearly identical to Stefani’s. Twins. Their likeness was uncanny. Except this female did not have the same dark, silken hair. Nor did she have my mate’s generous curves.
Adrian was beautiful, but she was nothing compared to her sister.
I lifted the ornate box I carried and held it out to Adrian. She looked at Kovo, confused. “What is that?”
“This contains various records and seals detailing my wishes regarding my Atlan properties.”
Kovo glared at me. “Why are you giving such a thing to my mate?”
“I am entrusting both of you to see that my daughters’ estates are maintained until they come of age. You are their only Atlan family on Earth.”
“Why aren’t you doing it yourself?” Adrian’s softly spoken question didn’t stop her from accepting the ornate box. I’d asked the item be transported from the home I’d grown up in. The box was decorated with our family crest and had belonged to my grandmother. Inside were my mating cuffs, coded to my wealth and property. It pleased me to think that my daughters would have it.
“Your daughters?” Kovo’s voice deepened. “You are their father?”
He might have attacked had Adrian not placed her hand on his arm. I knew the power of that small touch. Appreciated its intensity even more due to my lack. No mate. No mating cuffs around my wrists. I tried not to stare at the cuffs Adrian wore. It would be too easy to imagine them on her twin. On Stefani.
He did not try to kill me, but his disgust was clearly evident. “You claimed Stefani and then abandoned her? You are not worthy. No warlord dishonors his mate in such a way.”
“I agree.” I met his angry glare with acceptance. No one could hate me more than I hated myself for what I had done to my mate. No one. “I entrust my daughters’ estates to you. Stefani will own everything, of course, but I do not wish to burden her with oversight when she does not wish to live on Atlan. She has chosen another. A human.”
I looked from Velik to Adrian. “Perhaps your father would agree to assist you.” I spoke of Warlord Maxus. By Atlan law, he became Stefani’s and Adrian’s father when he took their mother, Vivian, as his mate.
“He will.”
“Thank you.” I turned to leave them standing in the middle of the parking lot outside the processing center. The sun had long since set but the air remained heated and heavy. Muggy, the humans called it. Clever, as it indeed felt as if the air itself were attacking.
“Where are you going?” Adrian asked, her voice so similar to Stefani’s that I nearly stumbled.
“Helion has been saving a mission for me.”
“Helion?” Adrian’s tone was far from friendly. “Don’t even get me started with that guy.”
“It is due to Helion that I am alive and with you, mate. Do not forget that,” Kovo teased.
“Yeah, well, I like the results, but his methods suck.”
I nodded at her apt observation. Apparently, she knew the doctor well.
“Gods protect you, warlord.” Kovo said the familiar words, giving them their proper weight. I’d heard them more times than I could remember. I’d spoken them to others as well. Too many times.
A blessing spoken to a warlord who would not be returning from battle.
15
Stefani
* * *
I missed him so much it hurt.
Even Terra and Alena, and their ridiculous cuteness overload, didn’t stop my heart from aching.
All I did was ask for a little time. That was smart and reasonable. Right? Velik’s story was one of the craziest things I’d ever heard. Our relationship a calamity of bad timing and even worse luck.
God, I’d only known him for a few days. Like, seriously. I’d spent a couple hours with him the day we met, and one of those hours had been frantically driving his unconscious body to the doctor.
The other hour had been magical and given me my girls. But still, it was two hours.
