"Who is claiming to be the Reincarnation?" Tyr whispered his question.
His companions knew him well. The more control he displayed the more dangerous he was. Harper chewed his lower lip. Tamerlane shrunk inside his clothes. Dylan straightened in his chair as if he were preparing to defend himself. Beka held her breath and cradled her abdomen.
"The Sabra-Jaguar Pride asked the Commonwealth Triumvirate to act impartially on behalf of all the signatories. They want the Dragons to open the Progenitor's mausoleum so a DNA sample can be taken to prove the claim." Dylan held the gaze of The Kodiak.
"What's the big deal. The DNA test will prove the pretender is false." Harper shrugged.
Beka's mouth formed the shape of an O, then she spoke, "The Dragons don't have the Progenitors remains, do they?"
Beka had found the last piece of an unsolved fifteen-year old puzzle. Tyr had entrusted her with the knowledge of Tamerlane's heritage, but he had not trusted her with the whole truth. A dry wretch wracked her body. She doubled over as tears streamed from her eyes. Damn the hormones. Damn Tyr. Damn happiness - a girl couldn't count on it lasting.
Distraught by her reaction to the news, Tyr dashed to her side. Tamerlane put a restraining hand on Harper's shoulder. Dylan waited, guilt turning his face crimson as he watched the Lady Kodiak crack an open palm across the face of the Supreme Alpha of Kodiak Pride.
Tamerlane drew a sharp breath. The action of his stepmother was punishable by death if The Kodiak chose to exercise his authority. Although the boy believed his father would not survive the loss of his lady - he would die of a broken heart - Tamerlane was not as certain that Tyr would ignore the insult to his position.
Having recovered his composure, the Admiral of the Commonwealth fleet tried to diffuse the situation.
"Beka," he knelt at her side, holding her shoulders in his hands so that she would look him in the eye. "Tyr didn't tell you, because I wouldn't let him. I threatened to destroy the contents if Tyr revealed to anyone what is sealed in Cargo Bay 15."
Harper stood, raised one knee waist high then slapped it. "Cargo Bay 15."
The wild look of panic in Beka's eyes was replaced by cold anger. "You have been holding that box like a gun to his head for fifteen years, haven't you?" She turned to Tyr. "And you let him!" She turned to Harper. "Did you know about this?"
Harper backed far enough away to be out of range of Beka's palm, "You heard Dylan. He told Tyr to not tell anyone. I didn't know!"
Beka turned her icy fury on Tamerlane. His gender was enough to make her angry, until she realized that the boy was truly puzzled. "Your father never told you."
Struck dumb by her fury, the boy merely shook his head. Then turned to his father, a plea for understanding in his eyes.
"Before I knew your mother had given birth to you, I liberated the Progenitor's remains from the Drago-Katsov. Shortly after retrieving my property, Dylan confiscated it. As one of Andromeda's cargo bays was the safest place for them until I had re-established the Kodiak Pride, I did nothing. After the death of your mother I used a lock of your hair and a lock of the Progenitor's hair to do a DNA comparison. When the result proved positive, I decided to leave the remains in Dylan's care until it was time for you to take your rightful place. It was my intention to repatriate the remains at the same time as you were acknowledged as the Reincarnation." Tyr had encapsulated fifteen years of their lives in a few sentences.
Tamerlane sighed, "It is possible then that my secret is still safe, but that our unknown plotters want to force the Dragons to disclose their deception."
"Or someone wants to force me to disclose my deception." Dylan suggested.
Tyr saw an all-inclusive possibility, "Or someone wants to force me to disclose Tamerlane's heritage and my role in the repatriation of the remains."
"No matter which scenario we pick." Beka slapped Tyr on the forearm. "Nietzschean Civil War is declared."
His companions knew him well. The more control he displayed the more dangerous he was. Harper chewed his lower lip. Tamerlane shrunk inside his clothes. Dylan straightened in his chair as if he were preparing to defend himself. Beka held her breath and cradled her abdomen.
"The Sabra-Jaguar Pride asked the Commonwealth Triumvirate to act impartially on behalf of all the signatories. They want the Dragons to open the Progenitor's mausoleum so a DNA sample can be taken to prove the claim." Dylan held the gaze of The Kodiak.
"What's the big deal. The DNA test will prove the pretender is false." Harper shrugged.
Beka's mouth formed the shape of an O, then she spoke, "The Dragons don't have the Progenitors remains, do they?"
Beka had found the last piece of an unsolved fifteen-year old puzzle. Tyr had entrusted her with the knowledge of Tamerlane's heritage, but he had not trusted her with the whole truth. A dry wretch wracked her body. She doubled over as tears streamed from her eyes. Damn the hormones. Damn Tyr. Damn happiness - a girl couldn't count on it lasting.
Distraught by her reaction to the news, Tyr dashed to her side. Tamerlane put a restraining hand on Harper's shoulder. Dylan waited, guilt turning his face crimson as he watched the Lady Kodiak crack an open palm across the face of the Supreme Alpha of Kodiak Pride.
Tamerlane drew a sharp breath. The action of his stepmother was punishable by death if The Kodiak chose to exercise his authority. Although the boy believed his father would not survive the loss of his lady - he would die of a broken heart - Tamerlane was not as certain that Tyr would ignore the insult to his position.
Having recovered his composure, the Admiral of the Commonwealth fleet tried to diffuse the situation.
"Beka," he knelt at her side, holding her shoulders in his hands so that she would look him in the eye. "Tyr didn't tell you, because I wouldn't let him. I threatened to destroy the contents if Tyr revealed to anyone what is sealed in Cargo Bay 15."
Harper stood, raised one knee waist high then slapped it. "Cargo Bay 15."
The wild look of panic in Beka's eyes was replaced by cold anger. "You have been holding that box like a gun to his head for fifteen years, haven't you?" She turned to Tyr. "And you let him!" She turned to Harper. "Did you know about this?"
Harper backed far enough away to be out of range of Beka's palm, "You heard Dylan. He told Tyr to not tell anyone. I didn't know!"
Beka turned her icy fury on Tamerlane. His gender was enough to make her angry, until she realized that the boy was truly puzzled. "Your father never told you."
Struck dumb by her fury, the boy merely shook his head. Then turned to his father, a plea for understanding in his eyes.
"Before I knew your mother had given birth to you, I liberated the Progenitor's remains from the Drago-Katsov. Shortly after retrieving my property, Dylan confiscated it. As one of Andromeda's cargo bays was the safest place for them until I had re-established the Kodiak Pride, I did nothing. After the death of your mother I used a lock of your hair and a lock of the Progenitor's hair to do a DNA comparison. When the result proved positive, I decided to leave the remains in Dylan's care until it was time for you to take your rightful place. It was my intention to repatriate the remains at the same time as you were acknowledged as the Reincarnation." Tyr had encapsulated fifteen years of their lives in a few sentences.
Tamerlane sighed, "It is possible then that my secret is still safe, but that our unknown plotters want to force the Dragons to disclose their deception."
"Or someone wants to force me to disclose my deception." Dylan suggested.
Tyr saw an all-inclusive possibility, "Or someone wants to force me to disclose Tamerlane's heritage and my role in the repatriation of the remains."
"No matter which scenario we pick." Beka slapped Tyr on the forearm. "Nietzschean Civil War is declared."