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M arjani’s brother was bloody scary.

A few inches shorter than Fane and cat-lean, with Marjani’s warm brown skin and black hair dyed blond at the tips, Adric Savonett was younger than Fane had expected and good-looking, with a cocky smile.

But his eyes were an opaque bronze that sized Fane up, looking for a weakness, like he was prey and not his sister’s mate.

They’d landed in Baltimore around dinnertime. Marjani had taken Fane straight to her brother’s den.

“You’re back!” Adric met them at the outside door and dragged Marjani into a hug. “You’re okay?” He held her a little away and scrutinized her face.

“Yeah.” She slanted a smile at Fane. “Better than okay.”

“Good. That’s good.” Adric gave her another hug and then turned to Fane. “This is him?”

“Yep.” Marjani slid an arm around Fane’s waist. “Fane Morningstar.”

“Evie’s dad.” Predatory bronze eyes narrowed on him.

Fane decided it was time to speak. The fada respected strength. “Yes.” He stuck out a hand. “Peace, and good to meet you.”

“Peace.” Adric gripped his hand firmly. His nostrils flared, and then his irises blazed a spooky blue like the flaring of a corona. “Fuck.” He scowled at his sister. “Tell me you’re not mated.”

“Cut the crap,” Marjani snapped back. “You know I am. We are.”

“oath breaker.”

Fane’s jaw tightened. “I’m not proud of that. But if you’ve heard that much, then you know I broke the geas to save your sister. And in the end, the king officially released me from my bargain with him anyway.”

“That’s right.” Marjani’s chin jutted. “And you know what? I don’t need your permission to mate with him.”

“But we would like your blessing,” Fane added.

“The alpha crossed his arms, biceps bulging in his green T-shirt. “How do I know you’re not going to put a cub in her and then disappear like you did with Evie’s mom?”

Fane drew a slow breath through his teeth. The man might be an alpha, but Fane wasn’t a member of his clan and so was outside the hierarchy. And frankly, it was fucking irritating to be scolded by a man so much younger than him.

But for Marjani’s sake—and because the man had a point, damn him—Fane replied calmly. “Because we’re mates. And I promised her that if and when we have a cub, things will be different this time. And I give you that promise now, too.”

“I have your word?”

“Yes.”

Adric sneered. “But then, what does your word mean?”

Fane ground his teeth. But he’d known breaking an oath would put a black mark against his name that he’d have a hard time shaking. He’d probably have to spend the next century living it down.

“For Goddess’s sake,” Marjani burst out. “Like you haven’t slept with half of the women in the clan, Ric. What would you do if you got a cub on one of them? Evie’s mom wasn’t his mate.”

“I know one thing,” her brother snarled. “I wouldn’t leave the mother of my cub alone for years at a time.”

“She took another partner,” Marjani shot back.

“Remember Evie told us that her mom remarried? Kyler’s her half-brother.

And later, after Kyler’s dad died, Fane helped out when he could.

He wasn’t a free man—he was under the ice fae king’s geas , and he didn’t want the fae to know about Evie.

Hell, I might’ve done the same thing if she was my kid. Those ice fae are cold bastards.”

Adric turned back to Fane. “Exactly what did you do for the king?”

“I was an envoy.”

“A spy, then.”

“I was a messenger—a negotiator. But yeah, at times I spied for him.”

Marjani bristled. “Look, Ric. Either you accept him, or I’m resigning as your second.”

Adric’s mouth hardened. Then he expelled a breath. “You know I don’t want that.”

She folded her arms over her chest. “Then stop the inquisition.”

“Jani?” Fane gave her nape a light squeeze. “Let me talk to your brother. Alone.”

“What?” Her look would’ve fried a lesser man. “You’re going to send me out of the room so the men can settle this?”

He shrugged. That was it exactly, but he wasn’t stupid enough to admit it. Instead, he brushed his mouth over hers. “Please, love?”

“Fine. See if I care if you ream each other a new one. I’ll be at Suha’s.” She stomped out of the den.

Adric shook his head. “Hell, I guess you are mates. She wouldn’t have left for me.”

Then the alpha had him by the throat. Fane blinked. Damn, the man moved fast.

“If you hurt her,” Adric grated in a voice that raised fine hairs all over his body, “I’ll rip off your fucking balls and stuff them down your throat. I can’t kill you—that would hurt Jani, too. But I can make you wish you were dead.”

“Hey.” Fane held up his hands, palms out. “I love her. I’ll rip off my own balls if I hurt her.”

He used his Gift to slip out of Adric’s grip, because the alpha needed to know Fane wasn’t powerless. He reappeared on the other side of the room.

Adric was right there. “Why? What could a man like you want with Marjani?”

His scornful gaze took in Fane’s expensive rayon shirt and close-fitting jeans. All his old clothes had been left behind in Iceland, of course, but he and Marjani had done some shopping in Toronto during the layover between flights.

Fane’s jaw clenched. “That’s an insult to your sister.

The better question is, Why not? She’s smart, loyal.

Beautiful, inside and out. And so brave she makes me ashamed.

The woman faced down the ice fae king for me.

” Fane shook his head. “She struck a bargain with him, do you believe it? The man could crush her with the magic in his little finger, but she made him agree to her terms. I’m a wayfarer, but when I broke the geas , he didn’t just take everything I earned while I was an envoy.

He took my Gift, too. But she made him agree to a bargain that officially released me from the geas —and returned my Gift. ”

“Cat’s balls.” Adric looked a little sick. “I told her not to go to Iceland. But you can’t stop my sister when she gets an idea in her head.”

“I noticed.” They exchanged a very male look of commiseration.

The younger man dropped onto the couch. Resting his forearms on his thighs, he interlaced his fingers and stared down at them. “I scented the mate bond. I know it’s real.”

“Yeah.” Fane took a chance and sat on the other end of the couch.

Adric shot him a glance but allowed him to remain. “I thought I’d lost her,” he said lowly. “She was going feral on me.”

“I know. But I saw her shift multiple times. She was always in control.”

“Yeah? That’s good. And her scent has changed. It’s not just the mate bond. She’s calmer, more in control.” He shook his head. “If that’s due to you, then I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me a thing. Maybe I can take a little credit, but she did most of it on her own. She killed your cousin Corban, you know. A mercy killing. Poor bastard was half-dead and locked in an iron cage.”

Adric nodded. “She told me he’d died, but not the details.”

“He was going to die anyway. She didn’t have to kill him—she could’ve let him suffer.”

“The prick deserved whatever he got.”

“Yeah. Anyway, he begged her to do it. And when it was done, she cried her heart out.”

The alpha’s throat worked. “Jani never cries.”

“I think,” Fane said softly, “that was when she began to find her human side again.”

“Tell me.”

And so Fane sketched out the story of what had happened in the ice fae court.

When he was done, Adric shook his head. “Holy mother. I had no fucking idea.”

“I’ll tell you one thing. The ice fae are going to think twice before messing with the earth fada again.”

“Because of Jani.”

“Yeah.”

Adric’s lips curved. “That’s my sister.” He was silent for a few seconds, and then he sighed.

“This mating. It comes at a bad time. The clan—I’m trying to bring us into the current century, but we were raised not to trust outsiders.

Told that earth fada should stick with earth fada.

When Jace mated with your daughter, there was grumbling, but Evie is hard not to like.

And on top of that, she has a Gift that’s useful to our healers, and that makes her an asset.

You, though.” The alpha shook his head. “A male, and one of the ice fae king’s envoys? You’re going to be a hard sell.”

“Former envoy,” Fane corrected. “And I may have more to offer than you think. I know details about every fae court, and most of the fada clans. I can give you a run-down on the people, who has the power, what their pressure points are…that sort of thing.”

“Yeah?” Adric pursed his lips. “You’re right, maybe we could use you. But you’ll have to lay low for a while. The clan knew Marjani was struggling to stay in control of her animal. This could help—or be the final straw.”

“Say the word and we’ll leave.”

“But Jani will go with you.” The younger man scraped his hands down his face. “Fuck. I don’t want that.”

“You’ll have to ask her, but—” Fane moved a single shoulder.

“You’re mated. I know.”

“It would tear her up to leave the clan—and you. I can tell you that much.”

Adric jerked his chin in acknowledgment. “Then they’ll just have to accept you.”

He rose to his feet, and suddenly, Fane saw why Adric had won alpha at such a young age. His face was steely, his body language that of a man used to command.

“Marjani isn’t just my sister, she’s my second. With Luc gone, I only have three lieutenants. I need her. And if that means we have to accept you, we will.” Adric stuck out a hand. “Welcome to the clan.”

It wasn’t the warmest welcome, but it was honest. After six decades at the ice fae court, Fane appreciated that more than the other man could know.

He gripped Adric’s hand. “Thank you.”

The alpha brought his left hand up to lightly clasp Fane’s throat. When he stiffened, Adric said, “I’m marking you with my scent. The clan will know you’re one of us now.”

“Okay,” Fane managed to say, although instinct urged him to knock the other man’s hand away from such a vulnerable place.

Claws pricked his throat. A delicate touch, not enough to break the skin. Fane held steady. Something like approval shone in the alpha’s metallic eyes. He raked the claws across Fane’s skin, leaving a thin mark, and then clapped him on the back.

“Let’s go give Jani the good news.”