The evening meal cameplete with a bowl of strawberries for me. Everything was quiet and normal until two women we knew very well stalked though the men toward our table. Hannah looked livid and her eyes were settled on Damien. Ra followed, but was looking around carefully.


    A step before Hannah made it to our table I heard Nu-reeh call her name. Hannah wanted to hiss and spit, I could see that much from her, but she refrained and called politely back to Nu-reeh.


    The rest of the men in the hall went back to their food as Nu-reeh approached Hannah.


    “You know the rules,” she said cooly. “It is inappropriate for you to enter this mountain without first announcing yourself. What has made you forget?”


    Hannah straightened her spine at the public rebuke, but it seemed to calm her slightly.


    “It is too soon for… my female breeder to have another offspring,” Hannah said tightly. “I was surprised to hear she was here.”


    Nu-reeh seemed unaffected by Hannah’s response and demanded she follow protocol. With me in these mountains Nu-reeh would tolerate no aberrations in security right now.


    Ra spoke then, “It is a male then? You have my congrattions. My female breeder will send her regards. You have done a great thing.”


    Nu-reeh seemed to puff with pride for a moment and epted the des.


    “You must understand, Hannah,” Nu-reeh said in a kinder tone. “Males must be protected at all costs. I cannot have just anyone around your female breeder now. We will have to have a n for you toe and go. You cannot simply arrive as you are used to doing.”


    I saw the wheels turning in Hannah’s head. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Damien. There was no way Nu-reeh would allow her to punish him with me around.


    “Your protection of my bloodline is greatly appreciated,” Hannah said simply.


    “Come,” Nu-reeh ordered, “they must eat,” she motioned to us. “Speak with me and we will arrange what you need, perhaps a short visit after their meal.”


    “No chuke tonight,” Baneughed under his breath.


    “But at least our Brother will live to y another day,” Kein finished and they all cracked upughing.


    Hannah and Ra visitedter that night in our rooms. She wouldn’t touch Damien because then Nu-reeh would ban her. Our daughter wanted to hurt him, though. I think she was surprised he agreed with her.


    “I was not honest,” he told her. “Even if I did it to help your Mama, I should not have kept it from her. She is family and has a right to know what we are doing. We were treating her as we were trained to, but she is family, not a ve. Family is strong and can best obstacles together. We understand that now.”


    In my opinion, seeing the sincerity on his face as he spoke went a long way to soothe Hannah’s temper. She knew her father inside and out. He did not like secrets in the family. When he’d said he did this to make it easier for me, it was the truth. His enlightenment also seemed to make her happy.


    We talked a long time and it soon became apparent the men had been very unhappy lying to me. They’d felt the breeding time had been too stressful though. They thought I would do better if it just happened.


    It had taken some luck and some timing to do it right. They’d intentionally told the men to deliver the wrong drink, but were still surprised when it happened. They did not understand human breeding and Christof had spent a long time with the Healers. In the end, they were surprised their n had worked.


    Hannah very grudgingly forgave him, but demanded he not do it again. Damien almost seemed relieved to promise her he would not hide things from me. He really had hated doing it. My men had felt they weremitting a grave crime the entire time.


    “Your Mama is family to us,” Damien said seriously. “We are learning to treat her as such. My Brothers and I will not make this mistake again.”


    Rose and Fuji arrived with their owners after several day cycles. I was thrilled to see my friends. The men were also d to be back around their favorite cousins. It was good for all of us.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    My pregnancy continued and it was very unlike the previous two. Every meal I was given included some sort of Earth food, which I obviously enjoyed. I was permitted to continue to learn to battle with the wooden staffs, because it was good exercise. My swimming was encouraged, but monitored this time.


    Nu-reeh had developed a fear I would drown in the water. One of the Healers had mentioned to her that I could develop cramps and may breath the water, which could kill me. After that my family was excused from part of their afternoon chores to watch me swim. We found it odd, but did not express that to Nu-reeh. Her utter paranoia about this pregnancy was obvious.


    The dreams continued and I began to slowly realize what they were. By the time I was fully showing I heard four distinct beats in my dreams. The sound was immensely soothing and I knew what it was. My boy’s family had already bonded to him. The strange invisible link between men formed before they were even born. I was hearing the heart beats of my young son’s family.


    Nu-reeh’s desire to protect me like I was fragile china now made perfect sense. If something happened to me all five little boys would suffer. My health was paramount until this birth. Since I could not protect myself, she was doing it for me.


    Damien and his Brothers found my growing belly fascinating. They understood what was in it now and they knew this family would not hate them. My family loved to caress the growing baby bump.


    My exhaustion with this pregnancy continued. Usually when my men yed their card games at night Iy down and napped in the bed. They would join me at their regr time, but often it was not sleep on their minds. My men missed the closeness of the bond during our prior pregnancies.


    “You are lovely,” Evan whispered dragging his tongue over my bulging bellyte one night.


    “So sweet,” Kein agreed.


    I’d woken slightly cranky to find my clothing removed and the men surrounding me. Kein was nursing at a breast and Evan face pressed to my stomach. They required the closeness and hated that I wasn’t bonded to them this time. ying together in our dreams had been fun. Now when they went to bed, they wanted connection before sleep.


    Trying to fight them when they were like this was useless and just resulted in hurt feelings. No one would be satisfied until we’d done something together. Since my belly was still fairly small being sexual was still very possible. That was what they usually wanted to do when they loved on me at this time of night.


    My sleepy eyes looked up into Christof’s caring ones. He always took the time to make sure I was agreeable to their night time foray’s. Sighing I pulled his lips to mine and kissed him softly.


    “I need a drink first,” I requested and he was gone.


    No one could say my lovers weren’t interested in pleasing me.


    After my water I looked up to find all five of them staring at me. Getting to my knees I looked at them and tried to guess what they wanted. It became obvious pretty quickly.