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Rath tensed. “Are you trying to manipulate me?”

“No, I am trying to make sure you have the facts she has been unable to mention to you.”

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

“Father, how often have you been together where you have felt conversational? More to the point, how often have you asked her how she is feeling?”

“What gives you the right to ask me these things?”

“I am your daughter, and when I wasn’t treating her right, you told me. Now it is Riley and your child at stake. Smarten up. That is my sibling you are messing with.”

He sighed. “I was trying to get caught up to make time to spend with her at the lake.”

“Did you tell her that? All she knows is that you fuck and go.”

Rath sat, opened his mouth, and then closed it with a snap. “What does she want?”

“She wants you. She wants to cuddle and hold you and babble about what the baby will look like and find out where the baby’s room will be.”

He looked stricken.

“You keep waiting for her to act like my mother. That isn’t going to happen. Riley wants a life here, a life with you for whatever reason, and the children that that life will bring.” Ranna commented. “There are whispers that you are unhappy with her. She isn’t adorned like your previous companion. She isn’t seen in public anymore. They are guessing you will discard her soon and are laughing at your wasted effort in retrieving the unwanted consort. That is what they are calling her, by the way. The unwanted consort. It’s cute, isn’t it? Of course, everyone who knows her knows differently, but that is a tiny portion of our population.”

“You are joking.”

“Look it up. It’s all over the news.” Ranna stood straight.

He looked at his display and typed in the words. His eyes blazed with fury. “How dare they?”

“No one has seen her at your side since the theatre. They are assuming her risqué outfit embarrassed you, and you are going to look for a new consort soon.”

Rath looked through the news reports, and he burst into flame. Cold, gold flame surrounded him.

Ranna leaned back. “Wow. That’s new.”

He gave his daughter a long look. “Riley has invited you for dinner tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be late.”

He opened the door to his balcony and flew off toward the residence, still on fire.

Ranna grinned and walked out to fly to her own home. Riley needed some privacy.

* * * *

Alight touch on herface brought her awake. Her lids fluttered, and then she looked at the source of the contact. Rath was home early, and he was on fire.

“You are on fire.”

“Psychic flame. It’s fine. Why are you sleeping?” He picked her up and cradled her on his lap.

“Uh, I am in the middle of a major hormonal realignment. Sleep does for me now what sleeping after our first couplings did. It removes all stresses and lets me find balance.”

“How much have you been sleeping?”

“After breakfast for four hours, then I work after lunch for a few hours, and then I sleep until dinner time.”