Honestly, I might have taken a direct punch in the face better than this. So many things raced through my brain at that moment, and all of them scattered, much like a flock of crows might before I could get a decent grip on any one of them.

"And how did you think this wouldn't damage our relationship?" I asked as calmly as I could when my breath came back. "And how will the other party react? Does she know that Shadow and I have been together?"

"She knows. She has no expectations," Raffian replied.

"No expectations?" That had to be a bald-faced lie. How could any woman approach a union, arranged or otherwise, with no expectations? "You expect her to play second fiddle in all this? She's the one who'll provide the heirs. Doesn't that imply expectations?" I was standing now, and breathing with difficulty. "And how do you think Shadow's children are going to react, when they see how their mother is treated in all this? You are both fools if you think they won't resent that." I was struggling to pull rings off my right index finger—Shadow's was in the middle. I finally got to it and slapped it down on the island in front of Glendes and Raffian. "There," I snapped, as strongly as I could muster breath to do it. "Shadow is free. He can do whatever he damn well pleases." I misted away.

* * *

"She's right, you know," Kiarra said, standing up. "About the children's feelings and the expectations. I have no idea if you planned this, Raffian Grey, but I have to tell you that I was right, all those years ago, to break the M'Fiyah between us. I wasn't guaranteed children then, either. And let me tell you, I would have kicked your ass before leaving, if you'd dumped this on me." Kiarra folded away.

Raffian reached out and drew the ring toward him with a finger. Shadow had crafted it himself, of gold and Tiralian crystal. It held a protection jewel—tuned to Lissa. No other would be able to wear it. "Dad, we've fucked this up pretty good," he sighed. "We just destroyed the relationship between Shadow and his mate."

"That wasn't our intention—we told her that at the beginning," Glendes tried to defend himself, although he was now realizing that this might have been handled differently. Lira, his wife, had told him before he left Grey House that Lissa was fragile and he shouldn't be handling this. He should be allowing Shadow to approach Lissa at a more appropriate time. Now, he and Raffian were going to have to explain how they'd managed to destroy Shadow's union with the Queen of Le-Ath Veronis.

Chapter 2

"Lara'Kayan, they did not intend to hurt you. Not like this." Thurlow could find me. Fuck. I was sitting on a rocky outcropping overlooking a river on the northern continent of Harifa Edus. My perch was far from the werewolf settlements—they wouldn't know I was there and sobbing my heart out. Thurlow, well, he didn't know when to leave well enough alone. I was shivering, too, although Harifa Edus was in early summer. Thurlow wasn't touching me—he'd held back, much of the time. We had history, he and I, and he was waiting for forgiveness. I didn't know if it would ever come.

"Thurlow, not in the mood for company," I sobbed, hugging myself as hard as I could in an attempt to stop the shivering.

"But you are cold, love. And shaking because your body is weak. Allow me to help you, somehow." He was begging, but I wasn't in any mood to accept his comfort.

"F-fine," I stuttered. "F-find me an engineer for Le-Ath Veronis. We have a v-vacancy," I forced out. That had been Shadow's job. Until now.

"Lissa, I meant with you. Here and now."

"I kn-know what you meant," I muttered, wiping my face with a shaking hand.

* * *

"Son, we just got back from seeing Lissa," Raffian was almost afraid to approach Shadow; he was pounding on a vise with a hammer, when he could have easily bent the thing back into alignment with power. Shadow gave the metal vise one last ringing blow with his hammer before looking up at his father.

"Well?" Shadow's growl would have made any vampire proud. He didn't want any part of this, but he'd signed the agreement with his Grandfather, just as all the other Master Wizards had. Glendes held the reins on this.

Raffian drew the ring from his pocket and held it out to Shadow on the palm of his hand. "Thanks, Dad," Shadow looked ready to crumble. "Thanks for fucking this up beyond repair." Shadow folded away, leaving his father standing in his workshop, his hand still extended.

* * *

"Is this what you wanted?" Lira was as angry as she'd ever been with Glendes. "You wanted to break them up over this?" Lira's voice nearly cracked, she was so upset.

"No, I did not want to break them up," Glendes wanted to tug his hair out by the roots. "I have a responsibility to Grey House, Lira."

"And if I hadn't been capable of bearing children, Glendes? Would you have rubbed that in my face like this?"

"Lira, I would expect you to understand—you are from a wizard clan. I wouldn't have cared as much for any other—you know that. We have the linking, you and I. I doubt that it can be recreated with any other."

"Well, you have just sentenced your grandson to life without that. Haven't you? He won't love Melida. Not as he loves Lissa. Lissa is stepping aside for Melida's children. Surely even you can see that, Glendes. And now, if Shadow has children with Melida—he'll see them as the reason he doesn't have Lissa. How do you think that will make them feel? That he resents them?"

"They will have other family," Glendes grumbled.

"Not like their father. You think they won't feel that absence, Glendes? When he's right there in front of them, and still remote?" Lira turned away from her mate. "I'm going shopping. And you'll be sleeping alone for a while." Lira folded away.

* * *

Thurlow knew to leave the moment Kifirin appeared. Smoke was already pouring from his nostrils, so Thurlow folded away as quickly as he could. I was still shivering and crying, and my chest hurt. "Avilepha, they had no right to do this to you." Kifirin sat beside me and drew me into his arms. His body was hotter than normal—he was doing that for me. His hand went to my chest, too, and heat flooded in. I couldn't hold back the painful sob that came. "Hush, now." I was enveloped in Kifirin's embrace.

* * *

"Kifirin is with her," Thurlow walked into an impromptu meeting of Lissa's mates. Rigo had found his way inside as well, though Lissa had still not accepted him. Karzac had arrived with Drake and Drew, bearing the news of what Grey House had done.

"You cannot blame Shadow—he didn't want this," Drake said. "All Master Wizards are required to sign a binding oath with Glendes, for the protection of Grey House and to produce heirs, if they are able. Shadow is able; therefore, Glendes and Raffian chose to take this opportunity, if you can call it that. They didn't want this to turn out the way it did, either, but it would have come as a blow to Lissa anytime it was put forward. They just chose the worst possible time. She is very weak right now, in a physical sense."

"She gave his ring back? Then it is over, as far as Lissa is concerned." Gavin knew her. He also knew about Aryn. He'd figured it out quickly, actually. Tony knew as well, but they were keeping the secret for the moment. He suspected that Lissa also knew. She was not making any advances, although Aryn's eyes followed her whenever she was near. Rigo also wanted her so badly he was about to go crazy. And this thing with Shadow—he was worried now that Lissa might turn them all out.

Erland and Garde listened while the others talked. Gardevik was angry—extremely so. The Grey House Wizards were fools—they could have found a surrogate—there were plenty of options open to them. Shadow could provide sperm and a donor egg could be manipulated with some of Lissa's DNA to produce a child. In fact, he'd been considering it himself, as had Erland. That way, the child would have some of Lissa's genes, in addition to his or any other of Lissa's mates who chose to pursue that option.

A child could be had, if Lissa wanted. Grey House refused to consider it, however, preferring in the long term to upset Lissa and force Shadow to take a mate he didn't want. If it were the wizard's talent they hoped for, what did they think Lissa's talents might do? She was a quarter Karathian witch and a quarter Bright Elemaiya. Glendes was shortsighted in the extreme. Smoke curled from Garde's nostrils.

"I know what you're thinking, my friend, and I am in total agreement," Erland said softly. "Wylend was prepared to go in that direction before he learned his son was alive, and then Wyatt was born shortly after. If that had not happened, Wylend would still have obtained an heir."

"We will make Lissa the mother she wishes to be, if she consents," Garde agreed.

"Wylend wants a great-grandson from Lissa very much," Erland nodded. "He wishes to see how powerful he might be." Erland was smiling—few knew how powerful Erland was. Wylend knew. Combine that with Lissa's talents and the result could be amazing.

"Shall we search for two surrogates, instead of one?" A mischievous glint appeared in Gardevik's eyes.

"We could get both at the same time." Erland was becoming excited at the prospect. All they had to do was convince Lissa.

* * *

"My love," Kifirin kissed me carefully. The tears had finally stopped, but it had taken some time. I was convincing myself that I would find a way to live without Shadow. My heart still hurt, and there would be more tears. I had to get past that. Shadow's children deserved the best they could get, as did the mother who bore them.

"Lissa," Kifirin brought my attention back to him.

"Honey?" I realized he had something to say to me. Blinking away tears, I gazed into his dark eyes. This was one of those times when they were filled with stars. I could lose myself in those eyes, if I let myself go.

"Gardevik Rath and Erland Morphis will come to you with a proposal very soon. Say yes, avilepha."