The Clever Fox: Part Three (The Pleasure Hound Series) Read Free Page B

daughter is here,” Jian beamed. “She arrived early this morning.”
    The news stopped Emet in his tracks. “Jian, that’s fantastic.”
    “She’s perfect Emet. Wait until you see her.” Jian tugged him down the hall.
    Jaspir came around the corner and pulled Emet into a bear hug. “Em! You’re here. Wait until you see her. I swear she has Jian’s nose.”
    “It's not possible, Jas. I’m not her biological father.”
    “She has the spirit of your nose.”
    The two men chuckled. They led Emet to a ground floor bedroom. Inside, Emet spied Lady Chanyn resting on a chaise with a blanket covering her lower half. Standing guard at her back was her husband, Lord Khial. It was the first time Emet had seen the man without a scowl on his handsome face. In Lady Chanyn’s arms lay the swaddled baby girl.
    Lady Chanyn looked up and smiled at Emet. “Come and meet your niece, Lady Dayna.”
    Emet creeped into the room. He peered down at the little girl and lost his heart. She was tiny and precious. She did indeed have the spirit of Jian’s nose. As she uncurled her fingers and stretched them out towards him, Emet saw that little Dayna had her father Khial’s long fingers indicating she would likely be a musician. Her head was topped with the blonde curls of her dearly departed, biological father, Lord Dain. The baby blinked at Emet and he saw she had the trademark eyes of her Mother and aunts.
    “She’s breathtaking, my lady.”
    All the adults gazed down at the baby and sighed as she gurgled. The little girl was a thing of beauty. Emet had never seen a little girl up close. Perhaps the Insemination Bill wouldn’t be that bad if it brought more of these precious creatures into the world.
    Emet looked beyond the family, hoping to catch sight of Alyss. Instead he saw another woman emerge from the corner. She had the same bone structure of Alyss, but her hairs were tamed in a bun on the top of her head. Her body was covered in a gray sheath, no hair bows or bracelets.
    “Greeting, Emet.” Merlyn came up beside Jaspir, who immediately pulled her into his side.
    Lord Liam came up and clasped Emet’s hand. “It's good to see you again, Emet.”
    “It's good to see you all.” Emet looked at the two groups of triads in the room. “I just wanted to check on Lady Alyss before you all head back.”
    The adults all took a collective breath, sucking the joy out of the room.
    “My sister’s not here,” Lady Merlyn broke the heavy silence.
    “Lady Alyss left hours ago with her Mother,” offered Jian.
    “Her Mother?”
    “Lady Angyla showed up before Merlyn, just as Chanyn’s water broke,” Jian said. “She helped deliver the baby and then she left with Alyss.”  
    “What?” Emet must have misheard Jian. Lady Alyss wouldn’t go with her Mother.
    “She left willingly.”
    That wasn’t possible. She wouldn’t. Not after her Mother had struck her down physically, verbally, emotionally, and in other ways she probably hadn’t told him. She couldn’t go back to her Mother.
    “Emet?”
    He’d offered Alyss his protection and at the first test, he’d failed her. “I have to go.”
    Emet left the room in a flash. He got into his conveyance and headed across town. The black streets and white dividing lines blurred in his mind until all he saw was a gray blur. He sped up, reaching Lady Alyss’ house in five minutes when the journey should’ve taken thirty. The man servant who answered the door was dressed impeccably but looked haggard. There was no gray in his hair or wrinkles at his eyelids, but his eyes looked weary.
    “I’m looking for Lady Alyss.”
    The male frowned in sever disapproval. “Lady Alyss does not receive males unannounced. In fact, she’s never received a male at home before.”
    The servant made to slam the door in Emet’s face, but Emet blocked the frame with one hand and reached for his credentials with the other.
    “My apologies, sir. I’m an advocate for man-kind. I have an urgent