We walked up the Administrator’s steps and marched into their hall. It felt a little like the first day as I approached the head of the room, but today I had no fear. Gunth’s family stood with Hassar and Reed staring at us with obvious frustration and irritation. The other Administrators stood at their tables busily working. They tried to ignore us and failed. My stomach was quite the attention getter.


    Hannah and Ra stood to the side. I heard Hannah’s shocked sounds as she saw how trulyrge I’d gotten. I looked like a woman at least seven months pregnant, but it had been nowhere near long enough for me to look like that.


    Kennedy and her Sisters entered behind Rose and me. They stood to the side, as though waiting for something. This was not their battle, so I was d they were letting us fight it on our own.


    “Children,” Hassar announced formally, “must be nned for carefully. We do not encourage unsanctioned breedings in our camp.”


    “Moreover,” her Sister, Reed, continued, “if this breeding urred with the men we think it did, that is even worse. You were forbidden to have contact with your former owners-”


    Rose interrupted and the sound of her voice carried. “Only YOU,” she said with great authority, “still call them owners. They do not think of themselves that way and neither do we. You are unaware of what has been happening in your camp, Administrators.”


    “I am not unaware of what has been happening in this camp, Rose,” Reed answered sharply. “You were tricked and trained. We thought you were learning freedom from us. It is evident neither of you have learned anything!”


    Rose snorted andy her hand over the hilt of her sword. It was clear she was pointing out her obvious changes.


    “I have had other options,” Rose said blithely. “I talk with many men and I made my choice. Basin and his Brothers have made mistakes, but they have atoned. We enjoy each other and I wish to be with them.”


    The sound of foot steps got my attention and I turned to see Damien’s family and Basin’s familye into the hall. They were running and looked worried.


    “You defied us,” Hassar said simply, addressing the men. “We invited your families to experience freedom and you have kept a ve-”


    I shouted, but didn’t mean to be so loud. “I – AM – NOT – A – SLAVE!”


    The undercurrent of the men’s feelings flowed through me and I felt their pride. I was strong and powerful, certainly a good addition to the family.


    “We will separate you permanently,” Reed said cooly and I shook my head at her.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    “No, you won’t, it isn’t your ce to make my decisions for me. I am not a ve to anyone. Besides that, I am carrying a female and she needs her male breeder. I will not leave these men. They have learned to respect me and love me. Send us out of your camp if you wish, but don’t think you have the power to separate us.”


    Rose spoke next and what she said stunned me. “You can’t separate mated creatures, anyway. It wouldn’t do any good. No matter the distance or the space you put between us, we are bound together. As a family, we are joined.”


    I turned to look at Rose and she smiled that calm smile she had. I had kept private the bond I shared with my family, even from her. It would have seemed like bragging to tell her what we had, but apparently Rose and her family had the same thing. I should have asked.


    “We are not so different,” Rose continued, “Paterians and humans. I am part of this family now and I will NOT leave them.”


    The Administrators all made a variety of sounds. Humans didn’t do that sort of thing, only Paterians did. They thought Rose was lying about having a mate bond. Before Rose or I could correct the Administrators, Kennedy barged into the fight.


    “A mate bond with a human is more than possible,” Kennedy said putting her hands behind her back and walking between us and the Administrators. “We know humans share many of our traits. It is not impossible. In fact, my Sisters and I have long thought this a possibility. I will tell you why.”


    The Administrators looked livid, but talking out turmoil in the camp was always how it was done. Kennedy’s calm demeanor and level speech got their attention. She was handling this correctly.


    “We noted how quickly Mama grew,” Kennedy said. “It is unusual for human fetal growth and only matches the rate of growth in one of our mountain cousins.”


    Kenned paced casually like awyer in a courtroom. She talked about each of Damien’s Brothers in turn and discussed their unique family tree. My daughters had put a lot of thought into Damien’s family’s genealogy for some reason.


    “You will note,” Kennedy continued, “that Mama, my female breeder, has not seemed overly distracted thesest few moon cycles.”


    No one cared. The Administrators were still frustrated and angry as Kein ced a hand on my belly. He smiled as I looked at him. Kein rubbed the baby inside gently. Family was always cherished. Any amount of trouble was worth this.


    Kennedy would not be ignored, though. She snapped her fingers and demanded attention.


    “You all talk to Armant and his family. I know you have surreptitiously kept a watch on these females. No one has ever told you they seemed… strange or confused. Am I correct?” Kennedy asked pointedly.


    Hassar looked like she wanted to roll her eyes, but she politely answered we had seemed fine, then added, that was not the point right now. Kennedy disagreed. It was the point, she was building her case.


    “Carrying a female of our species is difficult for a female human,” Kennedy interjected. “The influx of the mens’ collective mind is quite disruptive. Mama has done it twice and been very bothered both times. My birth sister, Hannah, can tell you that when Mama carried me, she was impossible to talk to.”


    The Administrators looked to my oldest and she begrudgingly agreed with Kenndy, even Ra agreed. I had been quite distracted when I carried Kennedy. The older girls told the Administrators how I’d fade in and out of conversations as the men’s thoughts invaded my mind. It seemed like I was present one moment and gone the next. It had been hard to ignore.


    “But not this time,” Kennedy finished. “Mama is growing more rapidly than normal and she has been calm and focused the entire time. It has been very rare for her to have those moments where she loses focus. My Sisters and I believe this is because of the mate bond she shares with Damien and his Brothers.”


    The conversation made no sense to me, but I saw Hassar suddenly furrow her brow. Reed did the same thing and I heard murmured conversation among women in the hall.


    “This time is faster?” a woman said from the side.


    I had met her briefly and knew her name to be Ganta, she was an Administrator, but not with the same authority as Hassar and her Sister.


    “Much faster,” Dara said. “By the look of things now, we believe the offspring will be of T’vailk Mountain heritage.”


    “It isn’t possible,” Reed said firmly. “What you im is not something that can happen. Ciara has merely been carrying a child longer than you have known.”