Read Unexpected Mates (Sons of Heaven) for Free Online Page A

following through with it, though she’d already agreed to it.
    Unless Jarem is willing to be part of it. That wouldn’t be a hardship at all. But what were the chances of that?
    Not good, she wagered.
    In fact, she wasn’t sure any of the warriors were willing to follow through, though Janice seemed certain at least a few would be interested. Despite her assurances, no warrior had announced his intentions yet. And they’ve had half the day.
    A light tapping on the door announced that Jarem had arrived. Meredith steeled her nerves and went to answer the door.
     
    ****
     
    Jarem shifted from foot to foot, excited by the news. Word that two more babies had been located—and that Meredith was caring for all of them—had reached him shortly after he returned to the consulate that afternoon.
    Meredith opened the door and waved him inside. He hesitated, noting how worn she looked.
    She is caring for three babies. That must be hard work.
    He located the cribs and examined the three sleeping children. They were as different as could be. The new little female had wispy hair the color of snow, and the infant male had hair as dark as Meredith’s and skin that seemed to be naturally deep beige. Alice was the only winged babe in the group.
    Based on their relative sizes, he guessed the new female to be the oldest of the group and the male to be the youngest, with Alice somewhere between the other two. Jarem cursed the fact that he hadn’t been exposed to babies. He had little idea of their ages or what they would be able to do at their respective sizes.
    He turned to Meredith, his excitement bubbling over. “What are their names?” he whispered.
    She pointed toward the females. “Sammy.” Then toward the young male. “Todd.”
    He committed the names to memory. Since the nest parents they’d rerouted wouldn’t arrive for more than a month, Jarem would have ample time in their presence to get to know the babies before they went to permanent homes.
    “The families who choose them will be very fortunate. They are all beautiful.”
    Meredith winced, and the hair feathers at the back of Jarem’s neck rose in warning.
    “What is it?”
    She hesitated, then waved him toward the sleeping area. When they were closed behind the heavy curtain, Jarem still had no clue what was bothering her.
    “Meredith?”
    “Janice decided that it would be traumatic for the surrendered children to spend three months with the nest parents and then go to other parents when they reach Sakk, especially Alice, after spending all this time with me.”
    Words fought emerging. “The nest parents have agreed to keep all three babies?”
    “Not these ones. And they won’t care for the babies longer than it takes to get another pair of nest parents, unless they agree to take on the next set permanently.”
    “I assume someone has agreed to care for these babies permanently.”
    She swallowed hard and managed a tight smile. “I have.”
    “On Earth?” That made no sense. Representative Janice had argued that, for legal reasons, the young had to leave the planet within three months of surrender, at which point, they would be legally adopted by their Sakk parents.
    She shook her head.
    “You’re going to Sakk?”
    Meredith nodded.
    “Alone? I mean...unmated?” No female was supposed to leave the planet without mating first.
    “No.”
    His stomach dropped out. “And who will be your mate?”
    Meredith shrugged, her entire body quaking.
    “No.” He wasn’t giving her up. Not now. Not ever.
    His family would accept an adopted son, if that was the only choice they had. His sire had demanded Jarem save the family name, not the family’s genetic code. That had already been saved, thanks to his female cousins.
     
    ****
     
    “What?” His tight-lipped fury and that single-word answer made no sense to her.
    In the next coherent moment, she was pressed to Jarem’s chest, his lips parting hers. Meredith moaned into his mouth.
    At last, he pulled