Crossbred Son

Crossbred Son

Xxan War Book Two

Brenna Lyons

Published by Phaze Books

By Brenna Lyons

Animal Instincts

Bearing Armen

Bride Ball

Black Sail

Night Warriors

Conquest

Will of the Stone

Enslaved

We Shall Live Again

The Lady’s Lowborn Lover

Fates Magic

Veriel’s Tales: Crossbearer Turned

Veriel’s Tales: Losing Regina

Daughters of Men: Prize Match

Nevermore

May the Best Man Win

In Her Ladyship’s Service

Raised To Be His Own

Magmon’s Hunger

Last Chase for Love

Mama’s Tales

Matchmaker’s Misery

Sons of Heaven: Beldon

Time Currents

Rites of Mating

Marked

The Color of Love

Binary Stars 8

The Last of Fion’s Daughters

Hunter’s Moon

Poison, Lies, and No-Win Choices

The Master’s Love

Dream Walk

This is an explicit and erotic novel

intended for the enjoyment

of adult readers. Please keep

out of the hands of children.

www.Phaze.com

Crossbred Son

Copyright © 2013 by Brenna Lyons

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Edited by Kathryn Lively

Cover Art © 2013 by Fiona Jayde

First Edition July 2013

Ebook ISBN-13:
978-1-60659-754-5

Published by:

Phaze Books

An imprint of Celeritas Unlimited LLC

6457 Glenway Ave., #109

Cincinnati, OH 45211

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

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Prologue

“You can’t be serious,” Abby Jacobs croaked out.

Doctor Heston sighed. “Would I joke about something like this?”

Pregnant. I’m pregnant.
“But you said...All the specialists said I couldn’t have a child.”
I didn’t use protection, because they said it was impossible.

His expression was grim. “It’s nearly impossible, Abby. You still won’t carry to term. I have to be realistic here. Chances are, you’ll miscarry early, but you will miscarry.”

The fledgling spark of excitement she hadn’t even acknowledged yet extinguished.

“If you don’t want to put yourself through this...If you can’t face losing the baby later—”

“No. Are you crazy?” This was probably the only chance she’d have to have a child. Abby was going to follow it through, no matter the outcome.

“I’ll set you up with Jules Bashaw. She’s the best high-risk obstetrician in the area.”

Her cheeks heated. “That would be good, but she’s going to have to consult on this one.”

Heston’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would she have to consult? Are there other complications I don’t know about?”

“Maybe.”

He waited patiently for an answer.

“The father is Xxan...well, a Xxanian mix anyway. I think, all things considered, maybe SLAL should be consulted.”

He straightened and took a step back. His gaze flicked to her abdomen and away, and his color faded a few shades.

Great. He’s a bigot.

“I see. I’ll make sure Jules knows it. I don’t think she’s ever handled a Xxanian birth before.”

And I’ll make sure she’s not a bigot as well.
“Thank you, Doctor Heston.”
And goodbye.

“I’ll let Jules handle any prenatal vitamins. I don’t know what will be safe for you...considering.”

Abby exited as quickly as possible, the card for Doctor Bashaw in hand.

She’d only been home for a few minutes when her mobile phone rang. The caller ID announced an amorphous “Medical.”
Which means it’s probably Doctor Bashaw.
She flipped it open.

“Hello?”

“Miz Jacobs? This is Doctor Stephen Rayn from SLAL. Doctor Bashaw contacted me. I understand you are carrying a Xxanian mix young w...uh...baby.”

Well, that was quick.
“Yes. I am.”

“We would like to bring you in for preliminary testing as soon as possible. Would you be available to take a shuttle to us this afternoon?”

There was a note of urgency in his voice that sent a shiver down her spine. “I suppose so. Where would I get the shuttle?”

“We can have a shuttle meet you at any of the hospitals or at the airport,” he offered.

“Mercy?”

“Fine. Can you be there at two o’clock?”

“Yes.” Her head was spinning at the speed of events. Abby resolved to lay down now, before she managed to collapse into sleep again.

“The front desk will have someone take you to the pad.”

Abby nodded, then realized he couldn’t see her. “Okay. Thanks.” Her mouth went dry, and the feeling that she’d lost control of her life assaulted her.

“Miz Jacobs?”

“Yes.” Her voice sounded strange in her own ears.

“Who is the
seir
...the father of your baby?”

“This is confidential, right?”
He can’t tell Gabe. Chances are, I’m going to lose the baby, anyway.

There was a moment of silence. “I don’t understand.”

“If Doctor Bashaw gave you a full update, you know there’s almost no chance I’ll carry to term...or even to a viable—”

“I’m going to do my best to make sure you do.” There was a haughty undertone to that answer.

“I believe that, but you’ll probably fail. I can’t let you tell him, just to leave him hurt when I lose the baby.”
This was why I left him in the first place. I can’t give him children.

“And if the baby doesn’t miscarry? If he or she is born alive?”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.” Abby couldn’t think about that now. If the baby lived, how could she ever explain to Gabe why she’d kept it a secret from him?

“Yes,” he grumbled. “It’s confidential. Now...who is the father?”

“Gabe Zhaahvan.”

“Thank you. That helps us plan for your care.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for helping.”

“Keeping Xxan-human crossbreds alive is what I do, Miz Jacobs. I’ll see you soon.”

Chapter One

Six months later

The code coming over the comm unit sent chills down Gabe’s back.
A woman and child being attacked. A Xxanian would never perpetrate such a heinous act.

Steven Thomas, his partner, confirmed that they were en route. Gabe pressed the accelerator to the floor, and his partner grasped at the door handle reflexively.

“You know I love when you do this, buddy,” Thomas informed him. “But you are going to get us both in deep shit with these antics.”

“I’m Xxan. The chances of me actually wrecking the vehicle are—”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. One in some hundreds of thousands, I’m sure.”

That curved the corner of Gabe’s mouth in a shadow of humor. It disappeared as the call site came into view. He pulled the vehicle to a screeching halt, slammed it into park, and was out the door before the dust cleared.

“Wait for backup,” Thomas yelled after him, scrambling out the far door.

As if.
Gabe was in the door and scanning for trouble coming his way before Thomas was around the front of the vehicle.

He didn’t need the waitress motioning frantically toward the corridor with the sign for restrooms posted inside. The sounds of shouts and bangs announced which direction he should take clearly enough.

A baby’s cry tightened down the muscles in his arms. What was wrong with humans that they did such things to the innocent?

Gabe bolted for the fray, cursing under his breath at the two men seated at the counter, looking as if they wanted nothing to do with the scene. Unless the perps had a handgun or other weapon, this was inexcusable.

Even if they do, there is no excuse those men can make to me.
It would be better if Thomas took their statements. Gabe might be tempted to do something that would land him on suspension.
Or worse.

His mind processed what he was seeing as Gabe barreled into the mob and started dragging them off the abused door. The woman had apparently managed to lock herself and her child in the ladies’ room, and the three attackers were trying to break their way in to do more damage. From the looks of it, she had only minutes of safety before they would accomplish it. Already, there were gaping holes in the thin wood.

One of the men turned and attacked him with a hammer, probably taken from the tool belt at his waist. Gabe knocked the weapon away and took the man down with a punch to the ribs. He turned in time to see a second trying to attack his back with a heavy wrench in hand. The third was already in motion, into the restaurant, where Thomas ordered him to halt.

Too late to knock the weapon away effectively, Gabe captured the man’s wrist in his left hand and grasped his attacker around the throat with his right.

The scent on the man’s hand assaulted him, shocking Gabe to stillness, and he tongue scented in disbelief.
Xxanian scent. Not just Xxanian. My own nest.

The young one’s screaming tapered off, and sounds of the female soothing him whispered through the door.

It’s a female and child.
That made no sense. His sister was too young to have children.
And it’s not Ariel’s scent.

It’s male.
His brother Geoff was no more mated than Gabe was.
A woman Geoff slept with?
The scent was Dominant, but it was...off for Geoff.
What in the
Seir-God’s
name is going on here?

“Gabe!”

Thomas’s shout snapped him back to the present in time to see the attacker’s blood-soaked right fist flying for his face. Gabe threw him against the wall and let him fall. He motioned Thomas to him and then turned toward the door.