Free Born of Betrayal by Sherrilyn Kenyon Page A

young.
    Still …
    In spite of what Jayne said, Omira must have meant as much to him as Felicia meant to Talyn. It was the only thing that made sense. Why else give up his life and family for her? Fain had literally thrown away his entire future for Omira.
    No one did something like that lightly. Not even when they were young and stupid.
    â€œHow long have you owned this?” she asked quietly, trying to distract herself away from how gorgeous he was as he took control of the ship.
    Fain double-checked their settings without looking at her. “About twenty years.”
    Odd. He’d have taken ownership just a handful of years after he’d broken her heart. Why would he have done such when he’d always hated these things? Even in the armada before he’d left her, he’d never really liked flying or piloting. He’d always preferred palace assignments or infantry. As far back as she could remember, he’d told her that he wanted nothing to do with space travel.
    Give me solid ground under my feet, and fresh air to breathe. I want real sun on my skin, not the fake holos that pass for it.
    â€œWhat made you buy it?” she asked him.
    A becoming blush covered his handsome features, making him all the sexier.
    Before Fain could comment, Captain Venik answered. “My father liberated the lady from her previous, undeserving owner. Since Hauk was part of the original manifest take, my father offered her and a small crew to Hauk to run until Hauk earned the price of the ship and his freedom.”
    Did Kareem mean what she thought he did? “Manifest? As in part of the cargo?”
    She didn’t miss the pain in Fain’s eyes as he ran over his settings. “I was conscripted, for a while.”
    Her stomach shrank with a sympathetic pain she didn’t want to feel. “Conscripted how?”
    Had he been a slave?
    Finally, Fain turned toward her. His hard, fierce stare was so similar to one Talyn used whenever he was hot about something that it sent a shiver down her spine. “I don’t talk about my past.”
    Father and son.
    Jayne was right. They were far more similar than they should be, given that they’d never known each other.
    Before she could respond, Talyn passed a fierce grimace at the ship’s markings, and in particular Fain’s individual Tavali flag, or Canting as The Tavali called it, that was unique to him and his ship. “You make a lot of raids into Andarion territory, Hauk?”
    â€œA few over the years.”
    A familiar tic started in Talyn’s jaw. “You have a black Zi-class fighter with the same serial and Canting on it?”
    â€œYeah, why?”
    â€œJust curious.” Talyn strapped himself in.
    Fain turned back around to stare at him as a really, really bad feeling of dread went through him. There was only one reason he could think of that Talyn would know his ship’s Canting and fighter’s serial numbers off the top of his head.
    Please tell me I didn’t  …
    â€œWhy are you asking?”
    Talyn still didn’t answer. He merely cut a covert glance to his mother. One that warned Fain to leave the topic alone.
    Bile rose in his throat. Before his common sense could intervene, Fain asked the one question that bothered him most. “Please tell me I’ve never run against my own son.”
    The fury returned to Galene’s eyes as her head snapped in Talyn’s direction.
    Wincing, Talyn cursed him under his breath as he cradled his forehead with his hand.
    â€œIs he the rat bastard who shot you down during your last dogfight?” There was no missing the hatred and fury in her tone.
    â€œNo, Mum,” he said quickly. “I swear to the gods, he’s not the one who brought me down. That wasn’t a single ship or fighter. It was a mass attack of many.”
    Fain’s frown deepened at their exchange. There was something more to all of this. “What she’s