Zane rarely showed expressions, but a quick scroll of confusion crossed his face before he focused fully on Paxton. “They fired drugs into one of mine. That is war if they don’t give up the information on how to save you. You know that.”
One of his. Paxton kicked snow off his boots. He just needed to ask the question. Why was he so afraid? If the guy he had revered for pretty much his entire life turned out to be a dishonest prick, then he was better off knowing it. “Are you my father?”
Zane stilled, his shoulders going back. Then he cocked his head...slowly. Paxton fought the urge to tackle him to the snow. This violence inside him would never go away, no matter how hard he tried.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Zane finally asked, looking at him as if he’d lost his mind.
Peace unfurled in Paxton’s chest. It took everything he had to keep from running away, grabbing Hope, and escaping this place. If he never knew the answer, he could keep loving her. Man, he was a sick fuck. “Paelotin said that he is not my father, and there was a definite ring of truth to his claim. I asked him who was, and he said to ask you.”
Zane’s brow cleared. “Pax, I have absolutely zero idea what you’re talking about.” He leaned against the car. Perfectly casual. “Do you believe he’s not your father?”
Paxton swallowed. “I sure didn’t take it as bad news until he implicated you as my real father.”
“Just to be very clear, I am not your father. That jerk was obviously messing with your head.” Zane snorted and slid an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here. I could use a drink. We need to figure this out.”
“Did you even know my mom?” Paxton asked.
“Not really,” Zane admitted. “When I took over the Demon nation, things were pretty disorganized. Your folks were both with the international fighting squads, and frankly, I didn’t get a chance to know either of them very well. I met your mother a couple of times, but never when she was around your father, so I didn’t get the sense of anything wrong between them.”
“He said he killed her,” Pax said, his voice low. Even though he’d been just a kid, he felt responsible.
Zane opened the door to the house, and warmth instantly washed over Pax. “I told you a long time ago to stop taking blame for things you didn’t do. Remember when Hope fell off her bike?”
“Yes.” But that had been Pax’s fault. He should have made her get off the bike and avoid the jump. “What if Paelotin is telling the truth?”
“I’ve seen the battle report. She died during a skirmish with a rogue squad of Kurjans.”
Paxton walked inside, inhaling the smell of chocolate chip cookies. Almost of their own volition, his feet took him to the kitchen, where a big platter lay on the counter. He reached for one because that’s what Janie would expect of him. The treat was still warm and delicious.
“Hey, those are my cookies,” Zane said, shoving him aside.
“Janie always says I can have a couple,” Paxton mumbled around the cookie.
Zane opened the fridge and reached in for two beers, popping the top off of each and handing one to Pax. “Yes, I know. If I kept you from the cookies, Janie would just yell at me.” He sighed.
The painful knot in Paxton’s gut slowly unraveled. Thank God he hadn’t kissed his sister. To banish the thought, he drank the entire beer down in three long gulps. He could not go there ever again in his head.
Zane munched on another cookie. “We’ll have Emma perform a DNA test tomorrow. It’s entirely possible Paelotin is lying about not being your father. The guy’s a real ass.”
“Agreed,” Paxton said. “It felt so good when he told me that I didn’t come from him. Although, no offense, I didn’t want to come from you either.”
Zane snorted. “I think I understand what you mean, but I really don’t want to talk about you and my daughter right now, if ever. If I could talk her into going to a nunnery, I would.”
Paxton snorted. “It’s difficult to be a strategic genius when you’re in a nunnery, but if anybody could pull it off, it would be Hope. Oh, crap.” He covered his mouth with his hand. “I told her we might be siblings.”
Zane frowned and slapped Pax’s hand when he reached for another cookie. “I told you these are mine.”
Pax shoved him and managed to snag two cookies before Zane could secure the entire tray. “I told you Janie would want you to share.”
Zane laughed. “You told Hope you might be siblings.” He finished his beer and put the bottle on the table. “Oh, I wish I could have been there for that. I bet the look on her face was hilarious. I can’t wait to tell Janie.”
Pax eyed the remaining cookie.
“Don’t even think it.” Zane snatched it in a blur of motion.
“Whatever.” Paxton happily ate the last one still in his hand. There were probably more in the fridge or the cupboard, and he knew it. “I have to say, Zane, I’m real glad you aren’t my dad.”
Zane nodded, his expression sobering. “I would’ve been proud to be your father, but it would make things a little more complicated. What are your intentions toward my daughter?”
Paxton choked on the delicious treat. He quickly swallowed. In all their time together, Zane had never asked him anything like that. Nor had they talked about the fact that Paxton had been working against the Realm, although it hadn’t been his choice. “I want to marry her and mate her,” he said honestly, unable to lie to the man who had once saved his life.
“What does she think about that?” Zane asked.
“You should probably ask her,” Pax said, ducking into the fridge for two more beers. He handed one to Zane. “But I’m worried that she’ll sacrifice herself to the Kurjans, thinking that will bring peace. Drake has her fooled, but he’s not a good guy.”
One of Zane’s dark eyebrows rose. “Are you sure he isn’t honorable? Could it be that you are just feeling possessive?”
Pax took a smaller drink of the beer this time. “I’m definitely feeling possessive, but I’m not wrong about Drake. The Kurjans don’t want peace, and he doesn’t understand Hope. He doesn’t understand what she needs.”
Zane placed his beer on the counter. “And you do?”
Pax looked up and met Zane’s gaze squarely, his chest settling and his body finally relaxing. “A hundred percent, I do.” A tension rode the wind and prickled Paxton’s nape. A dreamworld had just been breached. He could feel it, and his entire body stiffened. “I need to go, King. I’ll catch you later.”
Zane watched him, his gaze serious. “All right, Paxton, you do what you need to do. Let’s meet tomorrow for the DNA tests. I’ll get blood from Paelotin tonight.”
Pax didn’t much care how Zane would go about that. “All right, I’ll catch you in the morning.”