Renata smiled as the group of them approached the Order elders standing at the front of the sanctuary. She was radiant in her white ceremonial attire. Nikolai seemed even taller today, and unabashedly proud. The cool Russian Breed male kept his muscled arm circled around Renata’s shoulders, his icy blue gaze shining with a joy Kaya had rarely seen in him.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Kaya told the commander and his mate. “Dmitri Jack is a lovely name. He would be delighted, I’m sure.”
With a small nod, Renata glanced down at the dozing baby in her arms. “I hope so.”
“Is Dmitri a family name?”
“My brother,” Niko answered. “He died a very long time ago, but I will never forget him.”
Renata turned a tender gaze on her man. “Love has no expiration date. Dmitri will be in your heart forever.”
He nodded. “I want my son to grow up knowing he was named for two great men, and that he now has the responsibility to live a life that honors them both.”
“I’m sure he will,” Aric said. “Dmitri’s got some of the best parents he could hope for. Not to mention excellent backup.”
Rio chuckled at the praise. “The bar is set fairly high by a lot of others in this room, but Dylan and I will do our best not to disappoint.”
The Spaniard’s red-haired Breedmate flashed a gorgeous smile as she leaned her cheek against his thick biceps. “What he means is, we intend to spoil this child as thoroughly as Niko and Renata will allow us to.”
Kaya laughed along with everyone as the conversation continued, but it was hard to focus on anything other than Aric, who seemed to regard her in an almost brooding silence.
“What about your godparents?” she asked him, searching for a way to bring him out of the sullen mood that had been clinging to him since they’d made love last night. “You and Carys must have someone watching over you too.”
He glanced at his parents and gave a short nod. “My sister and I have the good fortune of calling Tess and Dante our godparents.”
The other couple smiled warmly at him. Then Dante smirked. “Growing up, you and Carys probably should’ve had a pair and a spare considering how wild and headstrong you both were.”
“Were?” Chase quipped drolly. “I’ve been cursed with children who proved to me time and again that they were as hard-headed as I am. They still do, more often than not.”
“And we wouldn’t have either of you any other way,” Tavia added, reaching out to squeeze the hands of both Aric and Carys, who had now joined the gathering along with her hulking mate, Rune.
Kaya looked over at Rafe. “I suppose your godparents are no mystery, seeing what close friends you and Aric are. Chase and Tavia, right?”
“No,” he replied, exchanging a look with his parents. Dante and Tess seemed a bit uncomfortable now too. “My godparents are Gideon and Savannah. And I’m damned lucky they are. They’ve been my rock more times than I can count.”
Aric’s quiet had deepened as well. A sudden awkwardness fell over the group. Kaya glanced at Chase and saw a regret in his blue gaze that made her wish for the floor to open up and swallow her. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong. I didn’t mean to pry.”
“You didn’t. And you aren’t,” Chase said. “What no one here wants to say is that I was supposed to be godparent to Rafe, but I lost the privilege. Deservedly so. I had some . . . issues many years ago. I thought I could hide a big problem from my brethren and it cost me their trust. If I hadn’t found a reason to turn it all around, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
“Probably none of us would be,” Dante said soberly, nothing but respect and affection for his fellow comrade and friend.
“What happened?” Kaya blurted before she could curb her question. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
Aric was the one who answered. “He had to come clean about the thing that was destroying him and everything he cared about.”
“That’s right,” his father confirmed. “I had a problem that was bigger than I could handle on my own. For me, it was blood addiction. But the solution is the same for anything that seems impossible to repair. The only way past a problem is through it.” He turned an adoring glance on Tavia. “So much the better if you have the right person to help you to the other side.”
He lifted his mate’s face and kissed her in front of everyone, neither of them ashamed of their devotion--or the palpable heat of their bond.
As for Kaya, she couldn’t help but see the parallel between her own troubles and Sterling Chase’s near forfeit of his place among the Order and the family he’d made there. And when she thought of family, it was impossible not to think of her twin.
As children, she and Leah had never known this kind of kinship and security with the people who bore them and raised them.
Nor this kind of love.
As much as she owed the truth to Aric and Mira and all the other people gathered in the sanctuary along with her, she couldn’t turn her back on her sister.
Although Leah claimed not to want her help, Kaya had to give her another chance at a better life.
