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She sucked in a breath.

She actuallyfelthis frustration at not being able to defend himself and Bakac. She felt the love and respect he had for both their parents. And his lust for her was simmering there in the background. He was hoping no one noticed the damned raging hard-on he had at the moment, and he was hoping likehellhe didn’t have to fuck Bakac. Literally.

She couldn’t help herself. The giggle broke free before she could stop it. Everyone looked at her, but her eyes locked with Alex’s and she had to swallow another giggle.

“I amnotchanging my mind about that!” Alex’s outburst was enough to draw attention away from her, and she looked at Bakac. He was not amused. In fact, he looked very uncomfortable indeed. Apparently, he felt the same way Alex did.

Anna looked at the three of them in turn. Doriena felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. If anyone could put this together, it was her mother. She just hoped Anna could keep that little bit of information to herself.

Kahn’s head whipped around to his wife and the disbelieving look on his face answeredthatquestion. “Absolutely not!”

“I’m not sure you have a say in this, dear.” The faintest smile graced Anna’s lips. Doriena was more than a little relieved to know there was at least a chance that her mother was on their side.

“I most certainlydohave a say. She’s my daughter!” He slashed his hand through the air in a quick angry motion. “I forbid it!”

“She’s a grown woman, Kahn.”

Kahn pinned both Alex and Bakac with a deadly glare, which was something considering both men were on opposite sides of the room. Turning from one to the other, he said, “Don’t get me wrong, I love you both. Bakac, you’ve been like a son to me, and Alex is not only my son, but my heir. I accepted him as my own when I took his mother as my mate.” He turned back to Alex. “But if either of you make her cry -- even once -- and I find out about it, I swear by the Holy Universe, I’ll kill you both!”

Doriena had never seen her father look so fierce. Apparently, this was why he’d gotten the name “Kahn the Merciless.”

“Father,” she said softly, “do you really think I could have found a man anywhere who would have my well-being so firmly in his mind? You’ve raised Alex and I as siblings. For all intents and purposes, he is my brother.” She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “He may make me crazy sometimes, but he’s always been there for me. And Bakac has apparently been willing to put his career on the line to protect me when I was supposed to be working on my own. Couldyouhave found anyone who would do that?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” Kahn held up his hand. “You’re my daughter. You don’t need anyone but me.” He glared at the two men. “Especially two who have lived in your shadow most of their lives and still seek their own pleasures. They will only bring you heartbreak.”

The stabbing in her heart surprised her. Her father’s words hurt. It took her a moment to figure it out, but the pain wasn’t her own. It was Alex’s.

When she looked at him, his face was blank, but he focused on nothing. He just looked straight ahead somewhere above Kahn’s head. Like a soldier being dressed down by his superior.

“Dad!” She never called him that unless she wanted his undivided attention. “How can you possibly say that?”

“Because it’s true.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Doriena, you have no idea what passes as sexual entertainment for these two.” He waved a hand at the two men, momentarily taking his eyes off his daughter. “Don’t bother trying to deny it -- I’m head of Military Command and ruler on this world. I know your tastes, whether I want to or not.” Turning back to Doriena, he continued, “Trust me when I say you’re not ready for this.”

“I know,” she said softly, “but I’ve never backed away from anything my whole life and I’m not about to shrink away from my soul’s mates simply because I’m not as worldly as they are.” When Kahn would have spoken again, she interrupted. “Would you have given up Mother if she had stretched your limits sexually?”

Anna cleared her throat and coughed once, softly. “Don’t answer that or I’ll kick your ass right here, Kahn.”

The great Kahn the Merciless actually blushed.

And he conceded defeat as gracefully as he could.

“Well, if you need me to kill either one of them, don’t hesitate to ask.” He gave the men another menacing look, then said, “Damn it, Doriena. You’re not supposed to grow up.”

She watched her father leave, followed by her mother who smiled and winked at her. “Don’t worry, dear. He’s just afraid to lose you.” Then Anna looked at her son. “He’s really very proud of you, Alex. You’ve grown into a fine man. But fathers and daughters have a different relationship. You’ll understand someday.”

After Anna left, Doriena looked at Alex and Bakac. No one spoke for a few moments.

“Well,” she said after she cleared her throat, “I’ll be leaving soon, I’m sure. Perhaps we should all go someplace private and discuss this later?”

Alex said nothing, but Bakac straightened from his place leaning against a wall. “I think that would be wise. We’ll meet you at my mountain estate tonight.”

“Meet me?” She had expected they would all go together.

“Yes. I want you to have the means to leave if you wish.”

Doriena swallowed. What the hell could they possibly do to make her want to leave? She tried to reach out to them, but couldn’t sense anything. Everything she had ever been taught about soul’s mates suggested that their connection had to grow and develop over time, but not being able to pick feelings, emotions, or even thoughts out at will was damn inconvenient.

“Father’s right, Doriena.” Alex spoke, never looking at her, but at Bakac, as if he simply couldn’t meet her eyes. “We have advanced tastes. Bakac is wise to suggest you have a way out if you can’t handle it.”

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