Warrior's Hope (Dark Protectors #16)(50)

“Yes.” But that had been Pax’s fault. He should have made her get off the bike and avoid the jump. “What if Paelotin is telling the truth?”

“I’ve seen the battle report. She died during a skirmish with a rogue squad of Kurjans.”

Paxton walked inside, inhaling the smell of chocolate chip cookies. Almost of their own volition, his feet took him to the kitchen, where a big platter lay on the counter. He reached for one because that’s what Janie would expect of him. The treat was still warm and delicious.

“Hey, those are my cookies,” Zane said, shoving him aside.

“Janie always says I can have a couple,” Paxton mumbled around the cookie.

Zane opened the fridge and reached in for two beers, popping the top off of each and handing one to Pax. “Yes, I know. If I kept you from the cookies, Janie would just yell at me.” He sighed.

The painful knot in Paxton’s gut slowly unraveled. Thank God he hadn’t kissed his sister. To banish the thought, he drank the entire beer down in three long gulps. He could not go there ever again in his head.

Zane munched on another cookie. “We’ll have Emma perform a DNA test tomorrow. It’s entirely possible Paelotin is lying about not being your father. The guy’s a real ass.”

“Agreed,” Paxton said. “It felt so good when he told me that I didn’t come from him. Although, no offense, I didn’t want to come from you either.”

Zane snorted. “I think I understand what you mean, but I really don’t want to talk about you and my daughter right now, if ever. If I could talk her into going to a nunnery, I would.”

Paxton snorted. “It’s difficult to be a strategic genius when you’re in a nunnery, but if anybody could pull it off, it would be Hope. Oh, crap.” He covered his mouth with his hand. “I told her we might be siblings.”

Zane frowned and slapped Pax’s hand when he reached for another cookie. “I told you these are mine.”

Pax shoved him and managed to snag two cookies before Zane could secure the entire tray. “I told you Janie would want you to share.”

Zane laughed. “You told Hope you might be siblings.” He finished his beer and put the bottle on the table. “Oh, I wish I could have been there for that. I bet the look on her face was hilarious. I can’t wait to tell Janie.”

Pax eyed the remaining cookie.

“Don’t even think it.” Zane snatched it in a blur of motion.

“Whatever.” Paxton happily ate the last one still in his hand. There were probably more in the fridge or the cupboard, and he knew it. “I have to say, Zane, I’m real glad you aren’t my dad.”

Zane nodded, his expression sobering. “I would’ve been proud to be your father, but it would make things a little more complicated. What are your intentions toward my daughter?”

Paxton choked on the delicious treat. He quickly swallowed. In all their time together, Zane had never asked him anything like that. Nor had they talked about the fact that Paxton had been working against the Realm, although it hadn’t been his choice. “I want to marry her and mate her,” he said honestly, unable to lie to the man who had once saved his life.

“What does she think about that?” Zane asked.

“You should probably ask her,” Pax said, ducking into the fridge for two more beers. He handed one to Zane. “But I’m worried that she’ll sacrifice herself to the Kurjans, thinking that will bring peace. Drake has her fooled, but he’s not a good guy.”

One of Zane’s dark eyebrows rose. “Are you sure he isn’t honorable? Could it be that you are just feeling possessive?”

Pax took a smaller drink of the beer this time. “I’m definitely feeling possessive, but I’m not wrong about Drake. The Kurjans don’t want peace, and he doesn’t understand Hope. He doesn’t understand what she needs.”

Zane placed his beer on the counter. “And you do?”

Pax looked up and met Zane’s gaze squarely, his chest settling and his body finally relaxing. “A hundred percent, I do.” A tension rode the wind and prickled Paxton’s nape. A dreamworld had just been breached. He could feel it, and his entire body stiffened. “I need to go, King. I’ll catch you later.”

Zane watched him, his gaze serious. “All right, Paxton, you do what you need to do. Let’s meet tomorrow for the DNA tests. I’ll get blood from Paelotin tonight.”

Pax didn’t much care how Zane would go about that. “All right, I’ll catch you in the morning.”

Keeping his face stoic, he turned and strode out of the house, noting the pummeling snow. The lazy drifting flakes of earlier had disappeared, and the skies had opened up. Freezing shards of snow joined the wind in a melee that hampered visibility.

He turned and prowled farther down into the cul-de-sac, surrounded by watching trees, their boughs heavy with the white powder. The snow cut into him like barbed sleet, and he ducked his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. As he reached Hope’s house, he could feel the tension heightening.

He could sense the vibrations, and fury ripped through him.

When he turned the knob on the front door, his anger escalated further. She’d left the fucking door unlocked.

Nobody shot at him from the trees, so apparently Zane had given orders for the guards to leave him alone.