Hello, Lit!

Glad everyone seemed to like the last chapter. Hope this continues to entertain!

Many thanks to Steve150177 for his work reading and rereading! His work makes the finished product much more polished.

The next chapter is due out May 16.

Fair warning: my "bun in the oven" is due to be done baking at the end of May. I think I'll have everything set up so we can stay on the same schedule for ASttS . I expect 4 more chapters after this. Would have been nice if I could have timed it better... I know. I'm just enough OCD I won't leave my story hanging. It would make me crazy to see it unfinished and lose all the readers.

Please vote and comment!

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Gunth's gruff voice broke through the intimate moment. He and his family looked angrily at Damien and his Brothers as he spoke.

"You are not to be with that female," he said harshly. "We will remove you if-"

I cut him off and moved several steps away from my family. "It was not intentional, Gunth," I said politely. "During the excitement I jumped on their transport. Their only choices would have been to shove me off or take me with them."

Gunth moved through the men with his family after I moved away. He'd come from a different part in the tunnel. He was monitoring the events above ground using a pad like the one Kennedy had given me. Once it was safe to move up, he'd signal all of us waiting below ground.

"We felt The Great Spirit for just a moment after you all came down here," he announced, "but the sensation faded. What has happened?"

The men around us looked sheepish, but stayed silent. One of Abram's Brothers called Gunth over to show the Administrator the reason for concern.

"He was bitten by a scar outside. We breath for our Brother," Abram explained. "The human, Ciara, did it first and showed us how. We will do it for as long as we need to."

Gunth's family turned to look at me and I just stood stoically. "How did you get near an injured man with his family here?" Gunth asked, plainly confused.

Evidently the way Abram and his Brothers had acted was normal. Tapping into Damien's memory I suddenly knew that was right. I should not have been able to approach him.

Healers had to be respected to get near an injured man. Only a family of Healers with great skill, or those under the tutelage of a skilled family, would be allowed near the injured. I was not of that caliber when it came to healing.

"We trust Ciara and let her through," Abram said quickly. "She convinced us this was the right thing to do."

Men around us quietly agreed with the statement and I was shocked. It was a lie, a blatant, outright lie. My family had forcibly restrained Abram's family giving me the chance to help. I waited for someone here to say that, nobody did.

Gunth's Brother indicated action on the pad and the Administrator's attention was diverted. I looked at Abram who looked at Damien and then me as he smiled.

Christof's voice was gentle in my mind. The confusion was evident on my face. It would be considered a heinous crime to force his Brothers away from one that was dying. That was a sacred time when they had to be close. What Damien and the family had done should be judged very harshly. The other men's forgiveness was shocking.

"Stay here until we let you know it is safe," Gunth ordered looking around. "Continue to do as you are doing for Ruse. We will get you out of here quickly."

The men around us all agreed and promised to continue to help the injured man. Gunth took one last look as Abram breathed into his Brother's mouth before boarding his transport. The Administrators glided away into the caves, intent on checking on another group of men waiting below ground.

The silence was very uncomfortable for a moment. I stepped back toward Damien and ran a hand down his arm. He smiled back at me and was glad for the contact, but we said nothing. The only sound was Abram and his family breathing for their Brother.

"We don't think it is wrong if you stand near Damien's family," a man I'd only met once said quietly as he sat down on his transport to wait.

Murmured agreement all around us told me that no one here objected to me being with Damien. He'd done what I wanted, at his family's grave peril. Obviously the men they called "slavers" didn't think of us as slaves anymore. They'd listened to me, at great personal risk, and that was notable.

Basin and his family were getting the same treatment as my men and me. No one objected if Rose wanted to be with them. They'd listened to me, a human, and risked the wrath of the whole camp. They obviously respected us.

Rose and I both took the opportunity to be close. As I hugged Damien and his Brothers, Rose hugged Basin and his family.

We sat on the transport and I sat on Damien's lap.

"How long will that man stay like that?" I asked Damien softly.

No one in my family knew. Damien called to men across from us and asked them. Would this family live forever breathing for their Brother? I shuddered thinking what horror I might have just created.

"When the women are bitten," a man called back, "they feel ill and weak. It only lasts a day and then they are better."

There was murmured conversation around us, perhaps men were the same and this would only last a day. A man had never survived the bite of a scar, so there was no way to know. This was a unique circumstance.

I sat quietly with my family. The strange new bond pulsed and ran between us. When I wanted to, I could dip into it and be one with my family. Unlike before I could also pull away from them, mentally, and have my mind to myself.

"It's so strange," I whispered against Damien's neck and I felt them all feel surprised.

"It isn't strange," Evan whispered, pulling my legs until I sat on his lap, "we always knew we were family. This is how it should be between us."

I nuzzled his neck and kissed his lips. This bond, this closeness, was wonderful. It was what I had always wanted. It's what we had always wanted.

A man I didn't know well approached and my family all stood, pulling me up with them.

"I am Mund rescued from the Barnas compound. The Administrators must be made to see reason," he said watching us.

"Ciara, from Earth and they won't," I said bitterly. "They can't understand how Damien and his family see me. They can't understand how I see them."

The man and his family stood considering. They must be powerful because I sensed Damien's desire to protect me. He was fighting the urge to pull me away. Instead he stood calmly and I stood next to him. Basin's family joined us and we all talked. No one knew how to explain this to the Administrators without telling them what Damien's family and Basin's family had done.

Even if the outcome was good, it was still a crime the Administrators would want to sanction. Fighting within the camp and pulling a dying family apart were two separate crimes. The other men seemed sure the Administrators would be angry at Damien's family and Basin's family, just because it was them. Administration had much hate for slavers and may not understand they were changed men.

It took a while, but we were eventually told we could leave the tunnels and return above ground. Except Abram's family and all those who came to help at the alarm, we went back to the field to collect our day's work. We could not leave the day's pickings to rot on the ground. It was very late by the time we got back to the camp.

Rose and I freshened up in our room upstairs and walked to the evening meal. It had been a long, eventful, and strange day. We were looking forward to a nice, quiet evening.

The dining room was in turmoil when we got there. The men that had witnessed Damien's actions earlier had decided the isolated families should join the camp completely. They insisted Damien, Basin, and Stayne join them for the evening meal in the dining hall.

There was yelling and arguing. Finally the powerful man, Mund, from earlier stood on a chair and made a proclamation.

"The Great Harmonious Spirit is not about division!" he argued. "We have taught our cousins and they have learned. The Spirit calls us together and we must answer!"

As Rose and I had already learned, that was the correct rhetoric. The men couldn't argue that The Spirit was wrong. It quelled the room to quiet grumbling as everyone got their food.

We got in line with everyone else and picked out a healthy, full meal for ourselves. Rose and I were both quite hungry and took filling items. I could tell by the aromas alone that the men leading the cooking tonight weren't as adept at it as Abram and his family. Those men would be missed until they returned.

We chose our regular table and scooted close to one another. An extra family or two may join us. It would be rude to take up too much space.

"We really should have thought of that sooner," Rose mumbled, building a makeshift sandwich out of her food. "I can't believe we never thought of it before, although it feels like we are using their religion against them."

"Not really against them..." I said mixing the flavors on my plate how I liked. "Some arguments just get to the heart of the matter."

We sat and talked, barely noticing the room around us.

"May we sit?" a deep voice asked and I looked up.

We had not heard the group of men approach. The now familiar faces of Mund and his family were holding their plates and waiting for permission.

"Of course," Rose smiled up at them, "take a chair."

We had a pleasant meal with the other men. They were hunters, usually, and brought in most of the meat we ate. They had been called to the field today to help protect the men there when the scars attacked. Neither Rose nor I was very familiar with this group of men.

"Family likes to be together," Mund said quietly as we were all finishing up. "We enjoy our quiet time at night with one another."

It was a strange comment, but all Mund's Brothers agreed. They liked quiet evenings by the fire. I smiled wistfully remembering quiet nights with Damien and his Brothers.

"We have had your families' lodgings moved near ours. It was many of our friends that saw what happened today," Mund said quietly. "Come visit us tonight and we will not notice where you go when you leave our company."

"It is a private alcove," Mund's Brother said under his breath. "Our friends and I enjoy peace and quiet in the evenings. No one bothers us once we have retired there."

I blinked stupidly at Mund until Rose thanked him. She got directions to the place he lived just before the men got up and left. Understanding dawned on me and I was shocked.

"He's going to let us-" I started to say and Rose cut me off.

"Visit him tonight, Ciara. We will visit with our new friends," she said firmly, "Now come, we both smell and we should bathe before we visit with...Mund and his family."

Rose and I bustled out of the dining hall and stopped short when we ran into Fuji coming in. It had been many days since we had seen her. On Earth I would have said weeks. Fuji's hunting kept her outside, so she was rarely at meals.

Fuji looked amazing. Her skin glittered brilliantly and her bright red hair was thick and lush. That strange wicked tail was out moving powerfully behind her. She walked with confidence and poise.

We greeted each other and that tail flicked forward trailing down my front and then Rose's front. Fuji's eyes narrowed and she stepped right into my face. Her aggressive stance was not lost on me.

"You were with them!" she accused angrily looking between Rose and I. "I sense them on you. The rules must be followed. They are for your own good!"

Fuji's tail was sensitive as well as deadly. I assumed she "smelled" our male family members on our clothing. Rose and I had freshened in our rooms, but not changed our attire.

Rose and I rushed to explain how we had leapt onto the transports and ended up with our respective families. It had not been intentional and there was no reason to worry. It had happened in the middle of a mass scar attack.

"Slavery is wrong," Fuji said firmly. "What those men did is wrong. The way they think is wrong. You cannot go back to the way you were. I will never go back!"

Rose and I both sought to shush Fuji. Luckily the dining hall was a slightly chaotic place and no one was watching us.

"Fuji," I explained patiently, "if you remember my men tried to stop being slave owners long ago, so did Rose's family. I know Stayne and his Brothers-"

"Have never respected me," Fuji growled. "They continued a lie I was told my whole life. I was born to live free. Your men never respected you, either."

The argument continued and got slightly heated. Fuji didn't seem to be listening at all. She was adamant in her beliefs about slavers. Eventually Rose and I had to say good-bye and left Fuji. She refused to listen to us. There was no use arguing with her, so we ended the conversation as politely as we could.

Rose and I scrubbed ourselves in the warm water of the communal bath after washing our clothes and leaving them to dry. Tonight was the first time we would see our men in a place we could freely be together. Neither of us said it, but we both expected to be intimate with them. We wanted to be clean.

Rose and I walked slowly to the place Mund said he and his Brothers stayed. It wasn't on the main corridor like our room. Some men disliked the busy thoroughfare and wanted a place to be close to their friends, but away from others.

Women had dug a few deep pockets in the side walls of the mountains. Inside these pockets would be a small complex of twenty or thirty rooms with their own set of lacquered pots and a large communal fire pit. I thought of them like small villages. The men that lived that way tended to be similar in demeanor and very close to one another. It impressed me that men like that had invited our families to join them. It was essentially like opening their home to someone.

I felt Damien and his Brothers as we walked. They were talking to the Mund and his friends. My men had never experienced the absolute openness that these men allowed.

Tyle and his Brothers, as well as, Arnold's family had just come to stay in this place, too. They were glad to be re-accepted into the camp. It turned out both families had not enjoyed being ostracized, but they'd done it out of loyalty. Damien was thrilled they were no longer cursed by his presence.

As the men sat around the large communal fire pit and talked, Damien was shocked. Men from the camp didn't guard their family's secrets around other families. Mund's Brothers feared the scars and freely admitted it. The idea of suffocating terrified all of Mund's family. As Damien and his Brothers sat and conversed they experienced a closeness they'd never shared with other men before.

We turned into the area and many men were sitting around a large smokeless pit. I saw Damien's family and didn't more than notice the rest of them. My feet carried me to my family and I was in their arms before I knew it.

It did not matter we were in the middle of perhaps twenty curious families. I kissed each member of my family and hugged them tightly. It had been much too long since we had been together.

"What is that the women are doing with the mouth?" I heard Mund ask. "Why do they grab the men that way?"

Tyle happily informed him what a kiss and a hug were. Mund's family found the activity interesting, they had not seen it before.

I couldn't keep my hands off my family. My family couldn't stop touching me either.

"Do you have a bed here?" popped boldly out of my mouth and I saw Bane's face split with a broad grin.

"Are you tired, little Sister?" he asked wickedly and I punched him in the shoulder.

"I am tired of waiting, husband," I stated, knowing they would have access to the meaning of that word.

The word husband slid quickly through my five men and they liked it. We were mated and husband was a word I associated with mated. They were happy to use the term.

Kein grabbed a hand and tugged me toward one of the openings around us. I noted their symbol was carved just outside the doorway. I felt their joy at seeing it there.

My family had lived for many moons on the outskirts of this camp. They never stayed anywhere long, because no one wanted them around. Having a stable home that was theirs would be such a blessing. They were grateful to Mund and his friends for the lodging and acceptance.

"I didn't know," I said stopping just inside the doorway. "You never said you all were living like that."

I felt horrible. While I had been comfortable and cared for, my men had been tormented day and night.

"Do not pity us," Evan said gruffly, pushing me farther into the large room as he entered. "What we did was wrong and we were punished for it. We have come to understand the indignity you suffered for many, many moons at our hands. My Brothers and I suffered far less. We had our family."

"And our freedom," Kein said tugging me close to his chest and pulling my lips to his.

Our tongues met in a fierce tangle and I felt devoured. I accepted the voracious kisses from each of them. The excitement was overwhelming.

"If we are husband what are you?" Christof asked.

Wife was the word he was looking for and I gladly wore the title. In my mind I envisioned a wedding and what that would entail. My men found the idea very interesting. They'd never seen a ceremony like the one I imagined.

Pulling away from my loves I explored the space we were in. It was much like my lodging. The main room was markedly large with a fire pit and a doorway led off into a darker space, the bed space.

I undressed slowly in the area between the two rooms. I slipped off the boots first. My top and skirt came off and I saw the men eyeing my underclothes lustfully. I undid the bra and my heavy breasts swung out.

"So lovely," Kein breathed out as he stared at my chest.

The other men down here never looked at me the way Damien and his Brothers were right now. It was a special feeling to be wanted so badly. I felt lucky to get this much attention. I didn't realize how loudly I was projecting those thoughts.

"If it is only attention you want," Bane laughed taking off his shirt, "the other men would give it to you willingly. They only let you and Rose alone because the Administrators told them to after the first night. Arik and his family complained you had thought them evil for wishing to mate. The Administrators forbade the other men from asking to be intimate with you."

"Many would like a taste of your treasure," Evan grumbled sounding sour. "They bragged to us each time you had dinner with them or helped them in any way."

I was surprised and it showed. Except for Arik's strange request the first night, the men here never looked at me.

"Some are curious and those men look all the time," Christof said standing before me completely disrobed. "What I think you are offering us now, they want very badly."

"You are all I want now," I told him.

They grinned at the authority in my voice.

"Show me the bed," I demanded tilting my chin. "I want you. I want to fuck you all."

Damien grinned at the tone and Evan's teeth dropped in excitement. They'd found they liked it when I was aggressive with them in the bedroom. Any remaining clothing was dropped to the floor as I grabbed Christof's hand and pulled him into the sleeping chamber.

Kein lit the small torches around and the room brightened. The circular bed sat right in the middle of the tight space. Carved into the walls were five sets of shelves, much like in my room.

"This is your room now," Bane said hesitantly, "as long as you are in it and as long as you want to stay."
Releasing Christof, I went to Bane and ran a hand through his thick golden chest hair and down his stomach. My fingers encircled his girth and I tugged on the staff lightly.

"I will stay as long as I can, because this is where I wish to be."

It wasn't long before I found myself kneeling on the bed with Evan's tongue in my mouth, Kein's lips on my breasts, and everyone else's hands busily exploring my flesh. My pale skin flushed red hot with the stimulation.

"Damien!" Mund's voice called out shattering the moment and I cursed out loud.

Bane laughed at my words, but was already off the bed toward the sound. Someone must have found us. The men dressed hurriedly and stepped out of the bed chamber going toward the main door.

I threw on the clothing I'd left in their main room and stepped out into the larger cave to see Fuji standing by the central fire pit. She looked livid.

"Fuji!" I shouted angrily. "Go away! We are happy here, leave us to ourselves. No one is bothering you!"

Fuji just stood still and took in our flushed faces and thrown together state. She walked toward me and her strange tail flicked around to hover right near my crotch. Damien swatted at it. Fuji started hissing loudly at him, baring her teeth, while taking an aggressive stance.

"They are bringing me pleasure, Fuji," I argued stepping between Damien and Fuji. "I am not being hurt! I came here for this. Leave us alone."

"I sense the pleasure," Fuji growled. "You reek of it..."

No one spoke for a moment and then Fuji continued, but what she said shocked me.

"I should report this," she announced to the many families that had come out to watch the drama. "I will not, if I get what I want."

Her tail flicked furiously behind her and her eyes flashed in the light. She looked ready for a fight or for...something, but I wasn't sure what.

We all stood silently until Damien finally spoke.

"What can we do for you?" he asked calmly.

"Stayne and his Brothers," Fuji said coyly, "I want them to bring me pleasure for the night. That is my price."

I was confused and it bled through to my family. Through my memories they saw how angry this female was at Stayne and his family. It made no sense to want them.

"I thought you hated them," I said tilting my head and looking at her.

Rose appeared at my side and seemed to understand. She took my hand and nodded to Fuji.

"I imagine," Rose said quietly, "she does hate them, but they are the only males here who know how to pleasure a female from Batra. Fuji is a very...sensual creature. I'm sure she is feeling the loss of that acutely."

Well, that did make sense and no one was surprised when Fuji agreed with Rose. She wanted pleasure and Stayne's family could provide it. Our friend had not had a way to demand the family's services until now.

"It is a trade, then," Mund said from the other side. "You are willing to make this trade with us? You won't tell if they give you pleasure?"

Stayne and his Brothers appeared from their doorway slowly and watched the unusual interaction. While they looked distrustful of Fuji, I also saw them admire her form.

"Yes," Fuji said looking straight at Mund, "I will not tell if they give me what I want."

Fuji was a sight to behold. She almost glowed in the low light. Her flame red hair cascaded down to her shoulders in thick waves and then ran down her spine like a mane. She looked radiant and fierce.

Considering the vicious women on this planet and how beauty was judged, I imagined Fuji currently was a prize catch. She had a predatory look, even if it was unusual. The men all seemed to be admiring her.

"This is suitable to us," Stayne said as his teeth descended and Fuji let her own little teeth show in response.

We all watched as Fuji approached the men who used to own her. Her tail was out and constantly moving. Unlike before, the strokes her tail made were broad and confident. She didn't walk toward them, she stalked them like prey. Fuji was certainly setting the tone for this meeting. The men would be bringing her pleasure on her terms.

I'd heard Fuji with Stayne in the past and I didn't want to hear it again. Pushing on Damien's chest I moved past him and grabbed Evan to come back with me into their lodging. We had things to do.

"No talking by the fire, Damien?" I heard a man call out jovially.

"Our woman doesn't want talking by the fire," Damien answered pushing Kein and Christof to their door. "Our woman wants us and we are happy to oblige!"

As soon as we were in the main room of their dwelling, I tore at my blouse to get it off and Evan fussed.

"Don't ruin it just because you can fix it," he chastised.

I felt the pull of the family. They invited me into their bond. The men always took good care of their things. It was a point of pride. The knowledge slowed my fingers and I removed my own garments carefully.

Evan was correct. If I ruined it, I'd have to make another. There was no reason to wasteful.

We ended up back on the bed and this time nothing stopped us. I knelt in the circle of continually moving men and did what we had wanted to do for so long.

I kissed them each deeply, running my hands over skin I had never forgotten. God, how I loved the feel of them. They were addicting.

The feel of me was evidently just as amazing. They couldn't keep their hands off. Hands explored every inch of me until I felt my center was molten wet with excitement.

I pushed Kein to his back and mounted him slowly as he watched me. His long cock was soon bumping the back of my warm tunnel. Propping myself on one hand the other I ran through his short hair and down his neck. He shivered as I touched his flat nipples. Shifting my hips I started to move and he watched enraptured as my large breasts swayed temptingly before him.

"I have missed this my sweet wife," he panted breathlessly as he writhed beneath me.

I grinned in response and leaned to take his lips. His skin was warm and I felt the blood flow as his stripes darkened. Running my tongue along his teeth I sensed the drop of his sharp secondary teeth. He was primed and ready.

Joined like this in body our minds melded seamlessly. I felt it all and when Kein exploded with pleasure, I did too. My body clenched around the cock filling me and I bit Kein's shoulder at the intense experience.

"Biting is bad, wife," Damien said with a smile on his face.

Thanks to the communal flow my husbands knew I didn't mind the play discipline. My fear of them had long since evaporated, but I wanted to be close right now. None of us wanted to tie anyone up and watch them squirm. We wanted to be close

I moved off of Kein and crawled over toward Damien who stood by the edge of the bed. As I made my way to him he got on the bed and knelt before me. His cock was right in line with my mouth and I salivated with anticipation, just as he was. He'd dreamed of seeing my lips wrapped around his straining erection for many moons. The look of my mouth pleasuring him never ceased to arouse him.

For a moment I wished I had lipstick. The bright, glossy red would be in sharp contrast to Damien's thick stalk. He would love the look of that.

"Hardly," he murmured stroking my scalp and pulling me closer, "I enjoy the look of your lips, just as they are."

I took a trial lick of Damien's flat stomach and the muscle beneath twitched and flexed. Grinning up at him I allowed myself to be guided to the head of his tool. Just like our first time I took a tiny lick over the head, tasting the salty fluid there. Unlike the first time Damien didn't pull away. He begged for more.

Big hands wrapped in my hair on either side of my head. Damien wanted to hold my head, so he had some control of the act that made him lose his mind. Never in his life had someone made him feel as crazy as I did. I wanted to smile at the sentiment, but my mouth was otherwise occupied.

Bane watched my butt sway and shift in front of him as I knelt on all fours on the bed. The thick meat of my thighs was more muscular now, after many afternoons in the fields. The look was mesmerizing.

The scratch of his beard got my attention as Bane scattered kisses over the round swell of my ass. I felt him kneel behind me as he stroked his cock over my wet folds. Bane wanted the tight star of my ass. He loved the feel of it gripping him, but I was not readied for that sort of play right now.

"This is also my favorite," Bane growled as the heavy head of his cock brushed my slick folds.

Damien pushed the length of himself into my mouth and Bane pressed into the wet heat below. I was startled for a moment as they held themselves still, watching for my reaction. The only thing I could do was hum around Damien and clench myself around Bane's shaft, as my pleasure surged into the bond. The answer was satisfactory to them.

Kein moved so he lay beneath me and watched my breasts. He played with them as they swayed before him. The stimulation had me moaning around Damien's shaft, which he loved.

When Christof's fingers found the magical button between my thighs, I saw stars. Bane's hands gripped my hips mercilessly as he sped up, intent on finding his pleasure as I found mine. Damien's threaded his fingers through my hair and used that to hold me as he also found his rhythm.

I teetered on the brink of the intense stimulation for several moments before I felt hot breath on my ear. As Evan's tongue caressed the outside of my lobe my world exploded. If it wasn't for multiple hands holding me up, I would have sunk to the level of the bed.

Lost in my own wonderland I was only half aware of Damien's cock throbbing on my tongue. I didn't swallow quickly enough and a bit dribbled out. Intent on not losing anymore I sucked and swallowed, until Damien pulled his rapidly softening cock from my mouth.

Evan fingers replaced the lost appendage. He touched the wet semen on my face and then watched entranced as I licked it off. Nothing in life prepared him for the erotic look of a tongue taking his or his Brothers' seed.

Bane's curse was long and loud. I was pulled back tight against his rod until the fullness bordered on pain. Two more hard, near violent thrusts and he emptied himself into me.

My arms and legs felt weak and shaky. Kein sensed my desire and scooted so I could stretch out on my stomach. I panted on the soft covers for a moment before looking around. Turning my head slightly I saw Christof and Evan, still raging with desire. Both wanted nothing more than to sink into my soft body.

"As long as you are willing," Christof said watching my sweating form. "If we are too much..."

I smiled at the sentiment. How many times had I taken all of them? Many times!

"You are never too much for me," I purred rolling to my side and then getting back on my knees.

It was an offer neither man could refuse. I took them as I had Damien and Bane. Over and over I sucked on Evan's staff as Christof made slow love to me from behind. It felt like the replay of the best movie I'd ever seen.

After the fireworks were over I lay on the bed and felt like a sticky mess. I assumed I would have to wipe off and make a dash for the communal bathing pool, I was wrong. Damien and his Brothers had thought I might allow them to have sex.

My husbands had been busy while Rose and I went back to finish the work in the field. They wanted to be prepared and a large tub had been delivered to their rooms. The thing was not built as a private bathing tub, it was a huge soup pot. They had asked Mund for two of them and he had obliged and found them. Basin had one like this in his rooms.

Water was heated in smaller pots over the fire and we each took a quick bath.

"This is how men from the other camps bathe," Bane told me as he rinsed off. "The natural pool here is quite a unique thing."

We sat around the fire and talked late into the night about all manner of things. I'd learned things they hadn't and they'd learned things I had not. As a family we just enjoyed sharing with one another.

"Stay with us until the moonset," Evan begged finally. "I will wake you and you can go back then. Spend the night with us."

I looked around at the adoring faces of my family and could not say no. We were risking everything by me staying here, but I couldn't bear to leave them.

Curled up between Christof and Evan I couldn't say I'd ever felt more at home.

***************

Rose and I ran from the men's quarters together the next day. We bolted to our rooms and made it before anyone saw us. Our hearts were both pounding as we stoked our own small fire and congratulated one another on our victory.

"Basin and his Brothers are so different!" Rose marveled. "I knew they'd changed, but we never had time to experience it before. We talked together. I've cared for them for a long time and they really appreciate me..."

"Best feeling ever," I agreed with her as our rooms warmed up.



We were both wonderfully keyed up and talked to one another about how our respective families had been. The sound of talons hitting the floor outside stopped us both.

"Mama?" Kennedy called out softly.

"In here," I said smoothing my dress out and looking frantically at Rose.

The flap for our door was lifted to reveal Kennedy's face. She smiled as she entered with her Sisters and commented how early it was. The girls had thought we might still be asleep.

I could not lie and I could absolutely not look frantic.

"We try to be up early every day," I said noncommittally.

Rose seconded the statement and said she had always been an early riser.

"The men you saved yesterday," Dara said, "Abram's family, they have been asking for you. Their Brother is recovering slowly. The Healers, as well as other men, have spent all night in their rooms. He is not dying, which is what they expected. He lifted a finger this morning and has been taking several breaths himself. They want to thank you."

"You are a hero, Mama," Kennedy said stoically and eyed me critically. "The other men wonder what you said that made Abram feel you could approach his Brother. They think you must have amazing sway. The men from the tunnel yesterday refuse to say how you convinced Abram's family. They say you spoke too softly for them to hear."

I didn't agree or disagree. I just stared at the girls and knew they must have assumed at least part of the truth. Kennedy and her sisters were smart girls. It would not have escaped them that something strange was going on.

Lucky for me they didn't force the issue and only walked us quietly to the rooms Abram shared with his Brothers.

Abram's rooms were a good walk from ours. They were closer to the kitchens, since that's where they spent most of their time. Outside their door was a mass of men sitting and lounging around a lit fire pit. Several dozed in the chairs, but woke as we approached. They greeted us politely and with some reverence. Kennedy told me many of these families had assisted with the breathing during the night.

"Instructions for rescue breathing," Dara said in Paterian, "have been sent to every other camp. No man must die from the attack of a scar. We are all very grateful, Mama. Your name is known across the world now. You are quite well respected."

As we drew closer Kennedy dropped her voice and spoke in English.

"There are many things you could ask for now, Mama. If it were me I would not ask for what you want most. Let the Administrators see the change themselves, don't force the issue...We know how the men really feel, but the others will not be so forgiving. It will take time, you must be patient and not rush things."

I wondered how many times Kennedy and her sisters had come to our rooms last night. They knew where we'd been most likely, but kept it a secret.

"Thank you," I said softly and received a knowing nod from Kennedy and both of her Sisters.

Abram's Brother, Ruse, lay on their bed unmoving. Another man knelt beside him and blew breath into him at each count of seven. When someone announced our arrival Ruse's hand lifting off the bed and then flopped back down.

The room cheered at the small gesture.

"You were right," Abram said from the side rising stiffly from a chair, "we feel our Brother's weakness, but it is improving. He can take some breaths by himself and he is moving more and more."

"We expect," Kennedy said politely acknowledging Abram, but addressing me, "he will regain his full motion in a day or so. The men here are taking turns to help him. Our Healers are studying it all diligently. We have discussed with them the intubation equipment you saw on Earth. Rue and his Brothers think they could build it."

Rose and I stood with the men for a few more moments, but not long. They were obviously tired and needed to rest. Kennedy assured me the other men with them were watching the whole family for illness. The health of Abram's family had become a communal effort.

Kennedy and her Sisters went to breakfast with Rose and me in the dining room. They didn't eat, but just sat with us. Much like last night Mund's family walked in with our families. There was less argument this morning as the men settled on the far side of the room.

All around us men were talking about the horror of "slavers". I saw steel in Rose's eyes as she spoke loudly to me.

"It's hardly fair don't you think," she asked harshly, "to judge someone without really knowing them? Remember how we looked on all these men when we got here? How evil did we think they might be? We forced ourselves to speak to them until we understood them!"

Kennedy's sister Dara grinned and spoke next, "That is the Great Harmonious Spirit," she said clearly. "The Spirit seeks to connect us and bring peace to all of us. We must learn about one another and live in harmony as The Spirit asks."

The talk interested the other men and they had a grand time discussing The Spirit with my daughter and her Sisters. They loved to talk about their beliefs. Kennedy reminded them that staying divided from Damien, Basin, and Stayne just because they'd made a mistake was not in keeping with The Great Harmonious Spirit. The men fussed about that, but later I saw several groups go introduce themselves to the ostracized families.

"So it begins..." I said quietly smiling.

"Yes," Kennedy said quietly, "so you don't need to force anything. It will happen on its own."

Rose and I ate quietly as Kennedy talked to her Sisters. Suddenly Eve's face drew into a frown. She looked at me and then at her Sisters. I saw the unspoken concern pass between them.

"You know you have to do things that won't get you pregnant," Kennedy bluntly told me. "You are very fertile, Mama, and so are they."

I nearly choked on my food when Kennedy said that. I'd forgotten.

"Come on, Mama!" Kennedy exclaimed. "You have to take precautions. Do you even know what time in your cycle you are at?"

I shook my head dumbly and just looked up at her. I'd forgotten to think about protection. It had been a long time since I'd needed it. I wasn't even sure what I'd use.

"We'll teach you to time your cycle," Eve said quietly. "That's the way it used to be done on Earth. There are days in your natural cycle you should not have sex."

"Didn't Daddy check?" Kennedy asked incredulously. "He knew this could happen. Didn't he ask you before they started?"

Oh, how I hated, hated, hated that the girls had all my memories. They knew exactly how I used to interact with Damien and his Brothers. This was so humiliating.

"No," I said straightening my shoulders, "I asked them to show me the bed...and they did."
We all sat quietly for a moment as the girls conversed internally.

"Well," Dara said still deep in contemplation, "it is a good sign for the men. They trusted Mama to take care of her own body. She said she wanted them and they assumed the fertility was up to her. How often have we told them they had to leave her body to her to care for?"

"If we're talking about breeding it's up to ALL of them," Kennedy said staring down at me darkly. "It does take two of them."

A thought prodded me from outside. Christof was curious what had our offspring looking so serious. I thought about lying to him and hiding my mistake, but that would be frowned upon by the family. Secrets were not tolerated in the family.

Instead of hiding it, I told Christof I was not using anything for birth control and I did not know if I was fertile.

I saw the stunned looks from across the room. The men had been trying to be respectful of my rights. They had been told I could control my own body. Damien's Brothers did not ask if I was fertile, because that was my business.

There was mixed feeling in my family. Damien thought I was not learning to take care of myself well enough. Perhaps Hannah or Kennedy could do something to intensify my education. Freedom and responsibility went hand in hand, he believed. My body was mine to protect and monitor.

Bane and Christof understood the mistake. We had just been too long without one another. Yes, we had all done something foolish, but if it resulted in more family, that was not necessarily a bad thing.

"Hey, Earth to Mama!" Kennedy snapped waving her hand in front of my face.

Dara's eyes narrowed and Eve cocked her head at me. Damn, these intelligent girls, they'd figure it all out if I kept acting strange.

"Interesting," was all Dara said, as they all rose from the table.

"We are due to patrol today and we have responsibilities to help at a camp not far from here later today," Kennedy said. "My sisters and I will help determine your...cycle. Don't do anything foolish until then."

"Perhaps you could train some with Rue and his Brothers today," Eve added. "They have developed shields on the transports. If the men had to defend themselves from attacking women the shields raise and enclose the transport. You and Rose should learn to use them. Your skin is softer than anyone else's."

A hug and a kiss and the girls went to bid Christof and the family goodbye.

Life changed slowly over the next many day cycles for Damien and his Brothers. More and more men approached them. They were invited to more functions. The camp began to truly accept them for the first time.

We quickly learned the way campmates interacted was different from the way men had in the compound. Men in the camp relied on other families. Physically weak men would not feel ashamed to ask a stronger family to help them do something. Men like Damien and his Brothers were encouraged to ask questions when they didn't understand. Their lack of knowledge did not have to be hidden. Everything was shared.

This trust the other men encouraged them to take part in was a little confusing to my husbands. In the compound you always kept your family's secrets close. While friendships were encouraged, you couldn't depend on other men. A family had to watch out for itself and be very cautious. Things in the camp were the polar opposite.

For instance, Damien had panicked when a man from another family noted Christof's mark in the bathing pool one evening. My men had feared that the Earth heritage would make Christof and the family a target. It did not. The other men merely introduced my family to other men with Earth ancestors.

It was common knowledge Christof's skin might be weaker, but that wasn't looked down on and no one wanted to test the theory. Our campmates wanted to know about each of my men individually. Men in the camp knew there were things my husbands would have hidden in the compound. Damien and his Brothers found the entire thing amazing.

Once the other men got over the label they'd put on Damien, Basin, and Stayne the dream of freedom became a reality. This way of living was far better than anything they'd experienced before. The free men encouraged them to form strong relationships outside the family and that felt so right to my men. They had not realized how isolated they'd been.

Our bond grew stronger as the days went on, too. I could connect to them and they to me during the day. It wasn't like before, though. The bond now was something I could control. When the men's collective thoughts were too loud or too distracting, I could literally turn it off. I had the freedom of my own mind and the collective of the family when I needed it. I was not lost or controlled in this bonding.

At night, my family and I were physically inseparable, but we tried to do things that were "safe". Mund's family and their friends continued to look the other way when Rose and I visited every night. It was wonderful.

Even Armant and his Brothers capitulated to the change in the camp. Rose and I were certainly different from before, perhaps the men we claimed were changed were different, too. Our co-workers decided they would take a meal with the ex-slavers. It was the appropriate thing to do.

Armant and his Brothers found they liked our men. Both our families were tough and genuine. They had grown and learned since coming here. When asked Damien and Basin freely admitted they had made mistakes. Our friends found them different from what they expected.

Stayne and his Brothers had been a question in my mind. I noted they never said anything publicly about liking or not liking slavery anymore. However, when Fuji appeared, which was often, they deferred to her wishes. They appeared to appreciate her changes. Damien thought they might finally be understanding the importance of freedom.

It had helped when Stayne's female breeder visited the camp. She was a fierce looking female, but her eyes were sad. Watching the little boys grow up in the free camps near their breeders was far superior. She freely admitted slavery had stifled Stayne and his Brothers. The woman apologized for her mistake.

Everything was looking better and brighter until the inevitable happened. I woke one morning about a moon cycle later feeling...off. Rose and I made our usual early morning dash to our rooms. We got there and I felt worse and worse until I vomited.

Rose wasn't sick, so it wasn't something contagious and I felt better once I was done. After I rinsed my mouth I sat in front of our small fire and stared into it. The subtle connection to my men was still there, pulsing just beneath my own thoughts. It was stronger now, though, less like an option to participate and more like a compulsion.

"Well," Rose said hesitantly placing a hand on my still flat belly, "the camp is accepting them better. Perhaps it is time to..."

We sat and stared at one another. Neither of us was sure what we should do. There was very little we could say that would make a difference to the Administrators. Their minds were made up.

"We have a few moons before I even start to show," I said firmly. "The men will have to continue to try and we will have to continue to try. Between us, I'm sure we can affect a change."

Rose nodded, but I saw the uncertainty in her features. We'd all changed, but it had not impacted the Administrators yet. Hassar and her Sister were the lead females. They watched Rose and I. They liked it when we interacted with any member of the camp except our families. We couldn't seem to make them understand.

Rose and I were well connected in the camp, especially since saving Abram's family. Our request for the root was honored quickly. No one even asked why we wanted it, they just helped us acquire some. I took it steadily in my diet and the nausea stayed unnoticed by everyone who mattered.

The pregnancy went on and I learned this child was almost as curious as Kennedy. She wanted to know how things were built and how they ran. In the evenings I sometimes walked with Rose down to the parking garage and watched the men work on transports. They found my curiosity healthy and taught me all they could.

Other days I actually sought out Rue, as horrible as his family was. I made them each a nice, new shirt as a peace offering. At my request, they taught me the mechanics of guns and how they built the weapons. It was fascinating.

I wondered sometimes whose child this was. It felt similar to Kennedy's pregnancy, but not the same. The curiosity was not an all consuming thing. Much like Hannah's pregnancy this child went with the communal flow. She was certainly an equal mix of Paterian and Earthling.

The men found my curiosity about her parentage funny. They'd play games with me to try to determine who the father was. It seemed I should know as I looked into their eyes, but the truth of it eluded me.

My belly started to show sooner than it ever had before. For the first time I imagined the life inside of me to be a little alien. I'd never experienced a pregnancy so rapid before.

It became imperative I hide my condition. I only bathed in the pot in my rooms or Damien's rooms now. Luckily, I made my own clothes, so I altered things so my growing stomach would not show. Under the guise of 'feeling cold' I bundled up so no one could see the steadily growing lump in the front of me.

I thought I hid it well, but Kennedy and her sisters surprised me several times. I was sure they had seen the telltale bump, but they just ignored it. Those girls seemed to have the worst habit of just popping in to talk early and late in the day.

The tiredness was the only symptom I could not hide. I was exhausted again. I started to take naps at lunch and Rose would bring me food. I'd scarf my mid day meal between my nap and my afternoon chores.

"Ciara," Armant said as we prepared to leave the shop one afternoon, "can you take this stack of shirts to Gunth and his Brothers. I know they need them, but have been to busy to pick them up."

Oh, how I had longed to spend some quiet time asleep in bed.

Yawning, I took the stack and moved toward the Administrative rooms. Rose didn't come with me. She was secretly meeting her family for the midday meal in their rooms. She promised to bring me food. My own family was out on patrol.

In my mind I felt the exhilaration of soaring around outside. My men were hunting today with Arnold's and Mund's families. They loved these dangerous assignments. The things they saw still amazed them.

I smiled to myself as I walked the busy halls of the camp. This home was good for all of us. We just wished we could be together and not in secret.

The main Administrative area was empty today. No line of men and women asking for things. A sign announced there was a meeting today and Administrative business would be held until tomorrow.

I walked through the open area with the shirts. I had no idea where Gunth and his family stayed, so I wanted to drop them off here. Instead of leaving, I followed the sound of voices toward what turned out to be a huge meeting room at the end of a hallway. If I could just find Gunth and his Brothers I'd leave this with them.

I stepped from the hallway into the back of the massive auditorium. Tables were set up facing a central and well lit stage. All the attention was on a large woman talking at the head of the room on that stage. I recognized Tosu immediately and froze.

"The ships are not here idly," she was announcing. "They have been surveying the planet, we believe. They do not answer our hails and leave once they have been noticed."

Gunth and his Brothers sat toward the back of the room. He saw me standing in the doorway and waved me over. He pointed to a chair next to him and I sat dutifully. I knew I wasn't supposed to be here, but he didn't care. I sat the shirts on my lap and listened silently.

The meeting was about aliens. There were many different alien races the women worked with. They were well acquainted with the different races and their different ships. Right now, far above our heads, alien ships were flying around the planet for some unknown reason.

The women had what sounded like satellites and telescopes, so they monitored the visitors. On the other side of the world women built ships and were well versed in the different types. What they had seen through the monitoring devices had concerned them.

The ships were all war class, scouting vessels.

"We believe as I know you do, too," Tosu said, "that they want our ore. The numbers on this planet have suffered. I believe, as do many, that these ships are going to attack one day. If they can destroy us, they can take the ore."

The assembled in the hall didn't panic openly, but a low murmur went through everyone.

"I have examined the pictures of their ships and I have brought them for your inspection as well," Tosu continued. "There are many, many flying above us. There are even more floating behind the largest moon, thinking they are obscured from view."

Another low murmur went though the group and I shuddered in fear. Tosu saw the general reaction and raised her hand in a peaceful gesture.

"We have hope," she said. "None of us will give up."

The talk in the room got louder suddenly. I saw a man up front gesture for several pictures Tosu had brought. She handed them over before continuing to speak about her beliefs regarding the alien ships.

"What is your plan?" Gunth called out suddenly.

Tosu looked back at him and saw me. I saw her smile before she answered discussing protecting the men in the compounds first and foremost. They were in the most dangerous place.

The Warriors were now kept in the compounds and traders were not allowed to roam. Women waited in the deserts, vigilant for attack. The slaving women did not want to disrupt the compounds and believed they could stop the invaders if they came.

Men in the mountains could be hidden in the caverns. Women would swarm the enemy ships and fight to the death. It would be war as it had always been fought before, as far as they were concerned.

Gunth stood up and walked stiffly with his family to the head of the room. The slaving women would not protect us. This was Gunth's camp when it came to defense. We would have to defend ourselves, men and women.

The talk got more complex and I tried to follow. Someone was discussing the make up of the alien ships, but it was hard to hear. As they stood up, I realized it had been Rue and his Brothers talking.

"Your talons and spears will not be effective against these ships," Rue said forcefully as he stood and turned to face the crowd. "We have studied alien races and their technology. If the women think they can best these particular invaders with their old methods, they are foolish!"

The crowd murmured and Gunth demanded Rue explain himself, politely.

"These ships will be resistant to your old weapons," Rue said sounding perturbed at repeating himself. "I know our cousins in other camps must have mentioned this. They alerted us to this danger many day cycles ago. This will not be a simple war against slavers. The men in the compounds will die if you leave them there. Your defense is essentially none at all."

I saw the horror start to take the room and Gunth took control of the meeting again.

"What is your solution, young man?" he asked Rue with just a hint of irritation. "I can't believe you and your Brothers are without a plan."

Of course they had ideas. Rue and his Brothers were problem solvers, annoying as they were. They'd come to this meeting ready to be heroes.

"The weapons my Brothers and I developed will be effective," he said proudly. "We created offensive weapons and defensive systems based on the most dangerous things we could find. Most of those things were not on the planet, yet, but it appears they have come."

It was not hard to hear the condescending tone Rue used, but that didn't detract from what he said. We had weapons and we could protect the planet. This battle was not lost.

I sat silently as the plan was laid out by Gunth. Men would be sent into the tunnels. Stocks of ore and food would be left where it could be used when and where needed. We would prepare silently for war with the enemy. When it came time, men from the camp would protect our cousins in the compounds, as well as, ourselves. Our weapons would be effective.

I used that magical connection I had with my family. They heard and saw the meeting as I did. We marveled together at the strangeness of it.

Tosu smiled stepped back as the planning went on. She moved around the room until she approached me. I rose to greet her, setting my package back in my chair. The big woman moved out of the hall and I followed.

We stood in a dimly lit corridor and faced one another.

"They say you are still Ciara," she said quietly when we were outside.

"I love my family," I said simply, but I had a more pressing question. "We can't protect the entire world."

Tosu smiled and I saw her fangs. "Every camp I have contact with has been alerted and they all have the same plan. Rue and his Brothers are not alone in their quest for knowledge. Others have told me the same thing, though not as abruptly. I thought the men in the camp would be offended if I didn't give them the chance to own the salvation they alone can provide. This world will be protected."

"How many camps exist?" I asked.

Tosu sighed and smiled at me. "More than even I know, the rebels outnumber those of the old ways. Many women have been seeing the truth and have been giving their daughters that truth. The resistance has only wished to avoid outright war because of their belief in The Spirit. Most of those that follow The Spirit find the idea of harming another Paterian to be evil."

I nodded and looked up at her, shivering lightly. A war was a frightening proposition, but my family and I would be safe in this camp. My heart sped up as I thought how scary an alien attack would be in the compounds. The men would not understand and they didn't have the weapons we did. They'd be unprepared sitting ducks.

Terror made me suddenly dizzy and I leaned on the wall. Distantly I heard Tosu speaking to me, but I felt as though I would faint.

My boy was in a compound. Jonathan was in an undefended, dangerous compound that was about to be attacked by warships. No one there could defend him, he'd be as frightened and vulnerable as the rest of them.

I screamed my son's name and bolted for the storage area with the transports. I had my sword and a gun on my hip. The only thought in my mind was getting to Jonathan and bringing him back to safety.

My stride was ungainly as I ran, but I went as quickly as I could. Tosu was calling me, but I didn't hear her. I just kept repeating Jonathan's name.

Men in the transport storage watched me as I jumped on a loaded transport and started it up.

"Stop!" one of them called waving frantically, "that transport is slated to leave on a mission! You can not take it!"

I didn't care. The big machine lurched forward toward the entrance with me at the controls. My actions were frantic and I wasn't driving well. The transport nearly clipped the side of the mountain as I sped out of the storage area. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tosu push the edge of transport so I wouldn't have a collision, she'd taken flight and was calling to me.

"I have to get to him!" I screamed tearing down the mountain toward the tunnels.

My driving was erratic because tears were blurring my vision. My boy would die and I had to save him. The transport swerved dangerously close to a tree before I righted it. I nearly wrecked when I landed by the closed tunnel at the base of our mountain.
The control to open the tunnel remotely was not something I had used before. I was pushing every button on the transport trying to make the damn thing open when I found myself surrounded.

Men had followed me from the garage and landed five transports around me. They looked very confused. Tosu landed lightly on my transport and gently pulled me away from the controls. I fought her like a wild woman.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed, "HE IS JUST A BABY! I HAVE TO GO GET HIM!"

I tried to pull my weapon to make her go away and she knocked it from my hand. Before I had a chance to go for my sword, I found myself wrapped in her arms and pressed into her chest.

"Calm, little human," she crooned holding me tight.

My terror made me frantic. I kicked and screamed against her strength and made no headway. She just held me. The stress made me dizzy and my powerlessness made it worse. The last thing I remember was the confused faces of the men around us as I faded out.

Murmured words soothed me. I remembered the inky blackness I'd experienced when my family broke. This seemed similar. It wasn't me looking for them this time. It was them searching for me. The familiar voices of family broke through the hysteria and it faded as the calm of the family descend on me.

The voices in my mind relaxed me in ways I could never have dreamed. I felt the bed beneath my back and the enclosed air of the caves. Opening my eyes I saw I had been put back in my bedroom in the camp.

I turned my head and my stomach lurched. The vomit rose in my throat and I was lucky to get it into the waste pail. Rose was there and she wiped my face to clean it, afterward, she took the nastiness away.

"Jesus, Mama," Kennedy said from the main room as she stuck her head in, "was that a panic attack?! You completely flipped out!"

"Jonathan," I said weakly sitting up, my stomach still felt questionable.

"Like Daddy and his Brothers wouldn't be there when the shit goes down. The men's weapons will work," Kennedy huffed. "Like Hannah and I won't be there to defend him! Don't go loosing your fucking mind now!"

"Don't curse," I scolded rising unsteadily from the bed and stumbling to the main room. It wasn't like Kennedy to curse, I must have really scared her.

My men were in my head and I felt the jumble of their concern. They had felt my mind break and they had not liked it. For a moment they'd all felt like falling apart, but luckily our bond wasn't like that. I was still separate, although they felt my pain acutely. A quick talk with Arnold's family and they were on their way back to camp.

Hannah and her Sister crammed themselves into our main room once they heard my voice and the little cave I shared with Rose felt tight. The girls were talking rapidly about what had transpired.

"Here," Rose said pushing a cup into my hands, "drink this."

I sunk into one of the chairs by our fire pit and sipped the strange, tangy liquid. I felt drained, but I was still so worried for Jonathan. Tears burned my eyes and Rose encouraged me to drink more.

Arik and his Brothers had been alerted to my situation and knew of a newly discovered plant with calming effects on humans. Abram had instructed Rose how to prepare it. This concoction wouldn't dull me completely like the men's calming cream did. They hoped this herb would just center me. Rose had made the drink to try to settle my mind. I had been to out of it to try it before now.

"How long?" I asked embarrassed.

"The evening meal is in a little while," Rose answered pressing a cool cloth against my forehead and cheeks. "Our camp mates understand your distress. Many of them have children in the compounds."

"I have to help him," I said whispered to Rose as she snuggled next to me on the chair.

"You don't do well when you have no way to control your children's safety," she said seriously. "That is what usually creates this panic for you. We will help him, but you can't do it alone. Trust in your campmates and friends."

I nodded and sipped at the liquid.

My stomach felt queasy, so I told Rose. A bit of the root was produced from the shelf in my room and Rose cut a serving off for me. The rest she put back. I nibbled the food and focused on calming my raucous thoughts.

I'd let myself panic because I'd felt powerless, but Rose was right. The camp had pledged itself to the compounds near here. Other camps had the same plan. I could help and I would help, but losing my mind did nothing. A free woman needed to be strong, I needed to be strong.

Hannah and Kennedy were busy discussing their own jobs in the coming fight. They planned to be at the Barnas compound when the war happened. Both sets of girls wanted to be there to protect their younger brother and his family. They'd have to hide carefully before the fight, but they were sure they could do it.

Suddenly, Hannah focused her attention on me. She cocked her head and stared at me. I watched her eyes narrow and her nostrils flared in anger.

"Why," she asked harshly, "do you have root here? Why would you need a ready supply of that?"

"My stomach is weak sometimes, Hannah," I explained as Rose gripped my arm.

Hannah wasn't buying it and crossed her arms just the way Damien would have done. She looked absolutely livid. My stomach was only really weak around one time and Hannah knew when that was.

"You are carrying their child again, AREN'T YOU?!" she roared and the main drape to our room was pulled hastily back from outside. "You aren't getting heavy because you're eating well! You just could not stay away from Damien and his Brothers? What is wrong with you? Why are you so irresponsible?"

"It is my body and they are my family," I told her simply ignoring whoever had decided to listen in from outside. "If we have conceived a life together it is not your business. This new life is ours and not yours."

Hannah's eyes seemed to glow with contained rage as she stared at me. I met her gaze with one of my own.

"You are such an embarrassment to me!" Hannah shouted and suddenly switched to English. "My God, you are acting like some two dollar whore!"

I'd never feared my children, despite the great power they carried. It suddenly struck me I should handle Hannah very cautiously right now. She was acting slightly uncontrolled. Although I wanted to give her a talking to, I reigned in my temper and sat quietly staring at her. My mind churned looking for some way to explain this to her. Although, it really wasn't any of her business.

I had no reason for concern on that score. Turning, I saw Gunth and Hassar staring into our living space watching us with shock on their faces. They must have been just outside when the argument started. The Administrators demanded Hannah and Ra come to them.

My men were in my head and almost here. I heard their thoughts loudly.

It would have to be Damien's daughter that caught us. Christof's was so much calmer. Bane's son was like that, too, calm, for the most part. Evan's child was wild like him. If Jonathan had been old enough this would have been the same disaster. Kein had no idea what his children were like, but he hoped they were without Hannah's ridiculous temper.

Hassar's voice could be clearly heard as she asked me to please bring myself to the Administrative area. It seemed something needed discussing.

I made my way to the Administrative suites with Rose after I straightened my clothing out. Since I was no longer hiding it I wore a simple skirt and blouse that showed the prominent bulge in my front. The warm jacket still buttoned over my chest, but flared out prominently over my belly and wouldn't close. It didn't matter if anyone saw it anymore.

Word always traveled fast in the camp, now was not an exception. Men and women lined up and watched Rose and me walk proudly to the Administrators' suite. I heard the murmured comments. An unsanctioned breeding was a very dishonorable thing to do.

"Let them talk," Rose said firmly. "It should not bother you. They don't matter."

I looked to the side and could see the pride in Rose's stride. She had earned it back. There was no fear in her face, only determination. We were taking this fight all the way this time.