I reached the trio and tried to pick up Jonathan to move him. The beaded woman stopped me with a gentlemand.


    “Leave them,” she said, “Aiden is his Brother and they will not tolerate it if you take them apart.”


    I was frantic and looked back at Nu-reeh as she came toward us. I knelt behind Jonathan and prayed my body would take the impact of whatever battle was about to happen.


    Talons stopped behind me and to both sides. My breathing revved up and I hunched protectively over my boy, but what happened was unexpected.


    “You are injured, cousin,” I heard Nu-reeh say calmly.


    “I am,” the beaded woman replied. “I will not live to see the next sunrise.”


    The conversation continued and it was pleasant. The beaded woman was named Halil. She had been protecting her men from Racks and been outnumbered. She’d destroyed the dreaded creatures, but had suffered mortal injuries.


    Her Sisters had flown here with her, but she’d made thest moments of the journey alone. The beaded ones did not wish to be captured by Nu-reeh and her followers. They had men to protect at home.N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Nu-reeh bristled at thement. She and her followers had sworn not to harm women from these gatherings. This was a neutral event. Despite how she feared for the men the beaded ones took, she would not seize their protectors and risk their health.


    Halilughed at the idea that Nu-reeh feared for the taken men, blood seeped from her wounds faster at the noise. “They are free men, Nu-reeh, thate and go as they please. Our men are strong and have taken up the positions they should in our society.”


    “Men should be protected,” Nu-reeh insisted. “You have taken ones under our protection. We fear for them.”


    Halil dropped to her knees suddenly and we were all silent watching her. Arge hand came down and stroked the head of her boy. He looked at her and whimpered pitifully.


    He was watching his mother die and it broke my heart. Tears started to fill my eyes and I wasn’t paying attention to Jonathan. When he shoved me backwards, I toppled and ended up sitting on Nu-reeh’s feet. I slid off her talons and sat on the floor feeling surprised.


    “Come, nurse from Mama. Lots o’ milk, we share. No be hungry,” Jonathan promised Aiden.


    As I sat stunned, Jonathan lifted the other boy under his arms and dragged him onto myp.


    “Baby, what are you doing?!” I asked as Jonathan moved my clothing aside and pulled out a heavy breast.


    “Hungry, Mama,” he stated simply pushing the new little boy’s head to my teat.


    The little, brown haired boy let Jonathan guide him and took a nipple between dry, cracked lips. As I sat and watched he took a tentative pull. Three voracious children had taught my breasts how to produce enough food for an army. Two half hearted suckster the new little boy’s mouth filled with milk.


    “Mistress, I…” I had no idea what to say.


    I didn’t want to refuse the boys, because I feared that would be rude for a ve to do. It wasn’t clear to me that I should nurse another woman’s child. None of the women looking down at me appeared upset with this, though.


    The first taste of milk must have been different for Aiden. He seemed surprised, but swallowed it after a mere moment. Evidently it was deemed fit because he started to suck ravenously burying his hands in the soft tissue and gripping fiercely.


    Halil fell gracelessly to her side and watched us with half lidded eyes.


    “Aiden will not die, then,” she whispered watching her son drink like a starved man. “I have not been able to feed him for two day cycles.”


    Nu-reeh made a horrified sound, “You should have brought him sooner. My ve can feed them both.”


    “Your ve,” Halil repeated sadly, “my male offspring is your ve now also. How I wished to save him from this life. He should have been like his cousins and bonded with free boys in other camps. I prayed he would be like the many we have bred and kept from your ways.”


    “Cousins?” Nu-reeh asked suspiciously.


    “We have our own gatherings before we bring our boys to these vile events,” Halil whispered. “Our numbers are not small and we will grow quickly. very stifles men, they cannot reach their potential with your ways.”


    Aiden continued to drink as Jonathan crawled up beside him. My little one wiggled around until I held both of them. Jonathan wasn’t hungry and just watched his Brother. He wanted, he needed, to be close to him.


    Nu-reeh’s voice was thick with emotion, “What do you do to our men?” she asked. “How do you force them to breed with you?”


    Halil’s voice became ragged and her breathing wasing in gasps, but she answered.


    “We treat them as equals,” she said. “They choose us as we choose them. We are all part of a happy, functional home. My men are my beloved as are my Sisters. I care deeply for all of them. My emotions for my male offspring I cannot describe…”


    Halil’s eyes closed and she took a few more gasping breaths. A small tremor passed through her hands and feet and then she moved no more. Halil had died less than five handspans from me.


    The little boys didn’t notice the drama that unfolded just behind them. Women came and took Halil’s body and the boys did not see them. Aiden finished drinking from both breasts and then his eyes drifted shut. Jonathan did the same thing and they were soon snoring softly.


    Sitting on the floor and holding both boys was difficult, getting up with them would have been impossible. Tosu took Aiden and Dinah picked up Jonathan. I got to my feet and followed as we walked back to the area we’d been in prior. Nu-reeh asked me to sit on my cushions while I ate and drank. With two children to feed I would require more water and food.


    “Aiden is weak,” Tosu told me as she tucked him under a soft nket on the cushion beside me. “Jonathan ispleting the bonding with this child and it will affect him. Feed them both so they will be strong.”


    Dinah put Jonathan down next to Aiden so they were touching and seconded Tosu’s statement. If Aiden got too weak it would kill Jonathan. They were both my responsibility to feed back to health.


    The women stood around me talking. Nu-reeh had heard the things Halil had said in the past. The beaded women always imed the same thing. She had not heard what prolific breeders they were before this.


    I sat silently with the children while the women discussed. In my own heart and head I mourned for Halil’s loss. She had been a brave, noble woman. Her son would be the same and I felt honored that he was bonding to my baby.


    Nu-reeh walked off with her Sisters to talk to other women. I was left with the two sleeping children. I just watched the room with amazement about what had just happened.


    After a long while, Aiden woke and started to fuss. Jonathan woke instantly and assisted as I pulled his Brother back into myp. I nursed Aiden again and checked the absorbent wrap on his bottom. It was bone dry.


    I took the time to really examine Halil’s son and I knew he was in trouble. Even after drinking twice his mouth looked dry and his eyes appeared sunken. This little boy was very dehydrated.


    Despite the recent dehydration I saw his strength. Aiden’s stripes were prominent and his features were strong. It was obvious he was pure- blooded Paterian male. He would be powerful when he grew up.


    More awake after two feedings Aiden looked around. His wide brown eyes met mine and he held my gaze.