Page 52 of Her Lawless Prince

“I love you, too.” She jerked her arm away and balled her hand into a fist as she turned to glare at her brother. “I also want to punch you in the face.”

“My sweet babies!” The sound of rushing footsteps came up the hallway.

Payton instantly unfurled her hand.

“Hello, Mother,” they said in unison as Payton turned to greet their mother.

Princess Samantha might be a humanoid who married into the shifter family, but she was a force to behold in her own right. Her father had been a Ticara royal, and because of that heritage she was a natural healer. Using the ability took much out of her, but that didn’t stop her from reaching for her children’s faces and using her healing magic to search for injuries.

Payton covered the tingling hand on her cheek and pulled it back. “We’re unharmed.”

“You aren’t eating enough,” her mother answered before looking at Ryland. “And there’s something wrong with your ankle.”

“That’s what a medical booth is for,” Ryland dismissed.

Samantha dropped her hands. Seeing they were, for the most part, uninjured, her expression instantly changed from concerned mother to aggravated royal.

“We’ve been sending for your help. What took you so long?” Samantha asked Ryland.

“We were repairing the ship.” He pointed behind him toward the landing platform as if that would reinforce his excuse. “We rescued Payton. Saved her life. If not for me, she’d still be stuck for sale on Torgan.”

Samantha instantly turned toward her daughter. “That wouldn’t have been necessary if you had told us where you were going. We didn’t even know you were off-world until Rick sent a message to tell us he had you. Torgan? Do you know how dangerous the black market is?”

“Isn’t that where you took our father after you kidnapped him?” Payton asked, trying to smile.

Samantha was not amused.

“Ryland locked me in a room and didn’t feed me,” Payton tattled. “And I wasn’t for sale. I was well on my way to escaping.”

“Ryland,” Samantha scolded.

“No, it was just—” Ryland protested.

“It’s obvious your sister hasn’t eaten enough.” Samantha waved them to walk with her. “The family is in the banquet hall. You can explain to them why you imprisoned your sister.”

“Samantha married a cyborg,” Ryland blurted.

Payton grimaced.

“Yevgen?” Samantha arched a brow. “That friendship advanced more than I thought it would.”

Ryland held up his hands behind their mother’s back and mouthed, “Truce?”

Payton narrowed her eyes at her brother and shook her head in denial.

“So, um, I have to ask…” Samantha kept her eyes straight ahead as they walked. “Which parts of him are of human origin?”

This was not a conversation she wanted to have with her mother. Or brother. Or anyone. Ever.

“Can he give you…?” Samantha continued.

“No, sorry. No cyborg grandchildren,” Payton interrupted.

Ryland jerked a little and covered his mouth to suppress a laugh. “Maybe he can build one out of spare food simulator parts.”

“Maybe Ryland can marry and give you many grandbabies,” Payton countered, mocking his voice.

“As long as you have love, I am happy for you.” Samantha lightly touched Payton’s arm. “We will be sure to welcome him properly to the family the first moment we can.”

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