I surfaced and took a deep breath. It wasn’t Rose’s fault she couldn’t reproduce. I couldn’t me her


    for making a choice to stay here. The portals on Earth were notable in their tendency to crush creatures


    using them. ming her for not wanting to die like that was wrong.


    For a little while I swam in the water. I felt better than I had in days, more awake. Something really had


    been eating at me. I’m surprised it took the men this long to ask Rose for help. They must have been


    trying to rouse me themselves and I hadn’t noticed.


    I swam slowly back to shore and realized how crummy I felt. My muscles all hurt and I was just


    exhausted. My impulse was to curl into a ball on the beach and sleep. Rose would not hear of it.


    “I have seen depression many times here,” she told me. “Girls, that give in and give up, die. You must


    stay active.”


    We walked the beach and swam in the shallow water. Rose refused to let me just sit and mull. It was


    an uphill battle not toin about how I felt.


    The men came to pick me up that night and I was bone tired. I watched Damien’s heels as we stepped


    through the wall and stopped when he stopped.


    “Ciara,” Bane said sharply, “stop staring at Damien’s feet. Look up.” My confusion was evident as I


    looked up into his stern face.


    “We’ve already discussed this,“ Evan informed me as Damien turned to watch me,


    “ves Look down,” Christof said from behind me. “You are not a ve, to us. We will protect you, but


    you must trust us and look up. The way you are acting is dishonorable to the family.”


    ninjanovel


    The argument slipped past my lips before I could stop it. “The other men,” I gestured, “will want to hurt


    me.”


    Damien’s brow rose and I heard his answer before he said it. “We said we will protect you and we will.


    Do you think we are weak men?”


    “No, Damien, I don’t think you’re weak,” I sighed and smiled.


    Family drama solved, as far as the men were concerned, we stepped onto our transport and sped to


    the bathing hall.


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Once we reached the mainpound, going to the bathhouse became a daunting endeavor. Several


    families stopped to advise Damien I had looked at them. He informed them I was supposed to Look up


    and look at them.


    The other men didn’t like Damien’s take on things. Several made the mistake of telling Damien they


    would take care of my indiscretion themselves. When they took one step toward me, the fight would


    start.


    My family fought with righteous fury. Damien and his Brothers were brutally efficient in putting the other


    men in their ce. It was never much a battle and it was always more of a beat down.


    Considering themotion I was not surprised when the General showed up. The men calmly


    separated as therge man entered the bathing hall. They were waiting and I was waiting, too. Now


    Damien would have to stop this craziness. He would not have a choice.


    “What seems to be the problem?” the General asked Looking between several badly bruised men and


    my angry looking family.


    The other men were quick to tattle to the General. I was looking around and Damien refused to do


    anything about it. In fact, Damien had told them I was supposed to look around.


    The General looked at Damien and then looked at me. Finally, his gaze settled back on the men. He


    looked exasperated.


    “Damien can do as he wishes with his ve,” the General announced. “If he wishes it to look around


    then that is appropriate. This is Damien’s issue to control, no one else’s.”


    The General’s word wasw, even if it was strange. The big man turned and strode out without a


    backwards nce. It surprised me that Damien and his Brothers seemed irritated by the promation.