Here, now, she had believed I was going to allow her to be taken. I had hesitated for a split second, but that had been enough to betray her trust. Fark!
My father’s scowl deepened, but he wisely waved Erick away from me when the brute would have come at me again. “You are making very serious accusations against an extremely powerful Councilor, Isaak. A Councilor who also happens to be one of my strongest allies.” There it was—the censure. The judgment. The disbelief. His trust in this was in Bertok not me. His son. He believed the lies a politically grasping Councilor said over his own blood.
As usual, my mother remained silent. In private, she would scream and rant when the mood took her. But in public, before our people or our guards, she was always the dutiful and submissive female. The perfect Trion mate.
“What he says is true. You don’t have to believe me, but Isaak’s your son,” Zara said. “You shouldn’t need proof in order to believe him.”
Zara moved to stand beside me, and her words fell into a deafening and shocked silence. They might have echoed my thoughts, but I doubted my father had ever been spoken to in such a manner, in public, and by an unclaimed female. But gods, I was glad to see her fire back. She didn’t have much hope for herself, but when it came to standing up for me...fark. What a fierce and stunning female she was.
“Zara.” I warned her with my tone not because I didn’t admire her spirit but because I did not want my father to direct his wrath at her. He could speak to me in any manner he chose. I’d walked away from it once, and I planned to do so again. I was very practiced at ignoring him. But I would not have him threatening Zara.
“No, Isaak.” Zara stepped forward to stand even closer to my parents. “Your son is honorable and brave. He has saved my life more than once and sacrificed a lot to do so. You will not be mean to him in front of me.”
Be mean to me?
My mother closed the distance until the two females stood facing one another, toes nearly touching. I glanced at my father, uncertain how to proceed. I would never dare lay a hand on my mother, not even to gently pull her away from Zara. And Zara? If I interfered now, she’d probably want to jab me with her titan stick.
“Zara, I am Eela. It is an honor to meet you. Captain, take the restraints from her.” Erick took a step their way but paused. He answered to my father. “Now,” she added. The words held no command, but Erick did her bidding, removing the cuffs from Zara’s wrists before stepping back.
“The honor is mine.” Zara held out her hand in what I assumed was some kind of human custom. My mother looked confused then reached out with both of her hands to take hold of Zara’s.
Both ladies smiled until Zara spoke again. “Ma’am, I’m serious. Do not disrespect your son in front of me.” She looked up to glare at my father. “Either of you. It’s not his fault Ma
lik died. I’m so sorry for your loss, but he lost someone too. His twin. He might not be the kind to sit behind a desk and talk politics, but if he hadn’t been out there, in space, I’d be with Cerberus right now and your precious city wouldn't’ stand a chance. You should be on your knees thanking him for being rebellious. Bertok’s one scary old guy and isn’t what you think. Isaak’s rebel ass is about to save a lot of lives.”
My father stared at Zara like she had three heads. My mother’s eyes widened, clearly stunned by her earthly manners. Laughter flowed into the silence like magic. “Oh, Isaak. I like this one. I approve of your choice in mate.”
“Oh, I’m not—I mean, Isaak is going to go back to space as soon as this Bertok thing is over.” Zara’s halting words reminded me that she was not mine. She had refused to call me master. Even now, she did not allow me to care for her, instead speaking out against my father directly. It was obvious she still did not trust me, had not given herself into my care, and there was nothing I could do to force her to accept me. She was not wrong. I had no intention of staying on Trion. My father’s stern frown solidified that truth. I was not wanted here. Not really.
I was the wrong son.
If Malik had come to father with Bertok’s scheme, he would have been believed instantly, without question.
“If you have proof, Son, present it now. I have a Councilor’s meeting to attend, and Bertok will be there.”
“No,” I commanded. “You can’t go.”
“Give me a reason not to,” my father insisted.
Fark.
My comm rang once more, and I turned from the drama in my living area to the screen on the wall. With a wave of my hand, Zenos and Ivy appeared.
Zenos took in everyone around me within two seconds then looked to me. “Isaak, Cerberus is on the move. I’m tracking the attack ship. It will be within range of Trion within the hour. That’s your time, by the way. We had the computer figure out the difference.”
My father moved closer to the screen and inspected Zenos and Ivy. “Who are you? I see the mark of Astra legion on your arm. Why are you communicating with my son?”
My father knew of the Rogue 5 legions?
Zenos ignored him as Ivy leaned around to look for Zara. As if she were in the room with us and trying to get my father out of the way. “Hey Zara, you good? We can be there in a few days, which is like ten hours for you. Get you off that rock if they aren’t treating you right.”
A sharp protest was on my lips, but my father beat me to it. “Trion males worship their mates, female. Do not insult my son again.”
If he expected Ivy—from Earth—to back down, he was about to be disappointed.
“Zara is my friend,” she countered. “No offense, but I don't know you. So, if you would kindly move out of my way, I’d like to hear from Zara directly. Otherwise, Zenos and I will come down there and cause problems you don’t want.”
Behind me, Zara chuckled. My mother gasped. I had no idea what my father’s reaction would be, but he looked at Zenos and Ivy on the screen. “I assume, female, that you and Zara Novak are from the same planet?”