Page 17 of The Bride Auction

The ride home was mostly in silence until she asked, “Forgive my boldness. Do you think you could ever fall in love with my son? I know you don’t know him long enough or well enough.”

I nodded. “I believe he’s a good, kind male. From what I do know of him, he’s gentle and respectful. You’ve raised him well.”

His mom flushed. “I did my best. When you work with him in his political role, don’t make the same mistake I did.”

“Mistake?”

“If you have children, stay home with them for a bit. Spend time with them in their formative years. I let some nannies raise mine, and that is my biggest regret. Take your children with you if you go on ambassadorial missions. I believe they learn more from that than they would from home tutoring.”

I sat silently absorbing her words. Children. What would Renick’s and my children look like? Would they have his dark purple skin? Would they look more tan like me, or would they be a blend of both of us? Perhaps lighter purple with my hair and green eyes like my parents. The more I thought about having children with Renick, the more the idea appealed to me.

“Oh Summer, are you infertile?” Imoa asked. “I didn’t mean to push.”

“No, but I never thought about having children. I do think travel is an important learning experience, and I would want to take them if we ever had to go somewhere, or perhaps…” I paused, “sometimes they could stay with their grandmother.”

“Really?” Her face blossomed with hope. “That’s more than I could ever wish for.”

“Maybe if Renick agrees, you could come along with us on our travels, and mind the children if he and I had to work. I’d rather my future children be raised by family rather than a total stranger.”

Imoa beamed. “It would be an honor.”

“On that note,” I continued, “speaking of work, I will need your expertise and guidance with politics. It’s not something I’d ever been interested in before.” My fingers twisted in knots on my lap. “I’m nervous. I hope I’ll be good enough.”

Imoa took my hand, giving it a light squeeze. “You’ll be fine, daughter. Renick and I will make sure of it.”

Once we landed and exited the flyer, a handful of servants came to grab the bags full of our purchases. They disappeared into the house while I waited for Imoa, and we walked together inside.

“Let’s go see where your mate is, and what he got up to this afternoon,” she said. “Then we’ll bore him to death with our shopping exploits. Watch for a muscle at the corner of his eye. It twitches when he gets bored but won’t end a conversation because he’s being polite.” Her laughter was infectious, and in that moment I knew I had found myself in a good place.

Chapter 12

Renick

While my mother and mate left, I found myself wandering back to my father’s old office, or my new office, depending on how I looked at it. Eventually, I’d come around to calling it mine, but for now, with all the memories attached to the room, it was still my fathers. I sat in the plush, yet back supporting, chair at the desk, staring blankly at the forest and lost myself in thoughts. I felt my fathers presence everywhere in the house, but it was strong in the office, probably due to the sheer amount of hours he spent here. I jumped when a knock came from the door, yanking me back to the present.

“Renick?” My uncle’s rich voice came from the doorway. I turned my head to see my uncle standing there, staring at me, his mouth agape. While we weren’t blood related, he was my father’s oldest friend and as much a part of my family as anyone. “It is you!” he exclaimed.

“You look more like your father each time I see you.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. “Come here, Renick,” he said. His arms opened to welcome me in a warm embrace. “Unfortunate circumstances bring you home,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“Uncle Sabulk, thank you for coming.”

He ruffled my hair as he had done so many times in my youth. I know we made quite a sight, two large males, stood in silence, overcome with grief. Me, for the loss of my father, him, for the loss of a man he considered a brother.

I grinned. I couldn’t wait to tell him about my mating, and for Summer to meet him.

“Have you heard any more news about the blast that killed my father?” I asked.

He hung his head. “No and I’ve asked all the contacts I have if they could get me any information. The police force and the investigation unit have not shared any details with me. I only know what I’ve seen on the news,” he said sadly.

“So no one’s claimed responsibility?” I asked.

His silence was the answer I needed.

“Uncle, I know this might be hard for you. Do you have the news cast video? I'd like to see what they're saying about the blast.”

“Renick, is that really a good idea? Are you sure you want to put yourself through that?”

“I have to know.” My eyes narrowed. “I need to know what my father’s last moments were like.”

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