Menace smiled. “I don’t like for anything to suffer, but there are times when you must make an exception. I learned that on the last planet.”
“I was wondering,” Doom said. “Why you didn’t just kill the hybrid.”
“Those hybrids need to know we will show no mercy. If any are watching, and I think there are, they know we’re done being subservient. No matter what, we will never bow to their needs again.”
“Well now that everyone is here let’s get this food back to our cave and have a celebration,” Doom said.
“We are due a celebration,” Edge said. “We found enough plant life to sustain us for a while. It’s time we give ourselves some praise for beating the odds. Life will continue.”
Menace gripped Solace close. “It certainly will.”
****
They were weary as darkness fell. The hunters and the gatherers were successful. Bongo padded along with Luke and a package of meat draped over his back. Rex was dragging and making whining noises. Menace relieved the little dinosaur of his load. Every part of the mammoth mastodon was brought back, including tusks and bones. It was an exhausted lot who dropped onto furs after handing off their loads a few days later. The hyena flopped to the ground with a huge groan and fell asleep with Luke still on him.
“You look tired,” Nick said to Kiki.
“We were attacked by hybrids and had to keep watch while we kept moving. We did have to sleep sometime. Mostly we were on the move. I need to rest.”
The young woman, as Menace thought of her, closed her eyes. Solace refused to ride Muffin during their fast return, claiming the pregnant bulwark was needed as a guard. Neither Solace nor Muffin held a load of meat, Menace doubled up, as did Doom. Others made slings to carry huge amounts of food between them. Some pulled loads behind them strapped onto sturdy logs, the top each held in a hand, the bottom poles dragging along the ground. Their kill would feed the villagers for a while.
“I think it’s time to introduce you people to the wheel,” Clarity said and slumped onto a fur.
“A wagon would have been useful,” Solace said.
Menace brought Solace meat and cooked plants. There were fresh roots and tubers. A hot thin gruel was bubbling over a fire. What the hunters needed was to crawl into their furs. Menace didn’t remember ever being so tired. He worried about Solace. She ate, mechanically chewing her food. Menace knew if it weren’t for the baby she’d lay back and close her eyes without eating. After a few bites she succumbed to slumber.
A storm that trailed them through the outskirts of open caverns, brought a rumbling wrath. The skies growled and snarled. The villagers were wary now that they knew some hybrids survived. There would need to be a constant watch. Returning to their domed homes was paramount but not until they were certain the waters retreated for good.
Menace lifted a hand to brush a lock of hair from Solace’s face. He wanted more than anything to take her to their own bed in their homes below. To pamper her, cherish her. She was smaller than the village women, not as muscular. Not as hard. The villagers suffered such loss for so many years, hearts hardened. The new baby would be welcome, and coveted.
He lay back, after tucking Solace against him. An arm under his head he gazed at the rock ceiling. A child, his child, their child. Menace was going to be a father. Growing up their village was always on the move, running, and hiding. After his mother died his father grew cold, angry. Menace didn’t blame him. The hybrids took more than lives; they took away hope, laughter, love. Everything wonderful, stolen, destroyed, murdered.
There would be no turning back on the new course of action. Their destiny was to win. Menace smiled. If they had a girl he wanted to name her Destiny, a boy Win. For a second he thought of shaking Solace awake then sighed, she was too tired. He would leave her be for now. It was time to envision his small daughter in his arms, helpless, beautiful, and greatly loved. Or his young son swinging his first sword with Menace, as proud as he could be, watching, helping. He almost laughed aloud when the image in his mind changed to that of his proud daughter swinging the sword. Either sex would be well versed in arms and weapon training.
Rain was pelting against the partitions. Darkness settled into the grumbled rants of one furious with life. Nature hadn’t given up its assault on the earth. For now their homes would stay left empty. Menace curled around Solace to keep her warm. He closed his eyes and fell asleep yearning to hold the baby that was inside his beloved.
****
“Solace.”
Solace jolted awake to see the concerned face of Kiki staring at her.
“What’s wrong?” Solace asked.
“It’s Muffin. I think she’s having her cubs. The other bulwarks are nervous. The males are growling, Bubble-gum is beside himself. These aren’t the alphas pups. What’ll we do?”
“Boil some water.”
Kiki looked stumped. “Do people really do that?”
“Yes. I want some tea.”
Solace smiled at Menace who lay with his eyes open. She leaned down to kiss his cheek then climbed from the furs. Her tummy was queasy. Her legs were stiff from the fast walk back and little sleep. She thanked Aba for a cup of steaming tea and went to join Clarity at Muffin’s side. The bulwark was definitely in labor.
“How soon, do you think?” Solace asked.
“I think right now,” Clarity replied.
There was a large hollow in the cave chosen for the birth. The other bulwarks would have to get through many people in order to get to Muffin. The female was snarling, but her wrath was toward the male bulwarks who would kill her offspring, she seemed to understand the humans helping her presented no danger.
The first of her litter was a tiny Bubble-gum miniature. A male. The two larger bulwarks came forward in a threatening manner and to everyone’s surprise Bubble-gum went ballistic. He attacked the alpha. The alpha was unprepared and yelped when an ear was torn and a leg bit, drawing blood. Bubble-gum didn’t back down when the alpha took a swipe at him. The dog bit the swung claw and held on shaking his head back and forth so hard the bulwark looked like it was dancing.
“Whoa kick ass,” Luke said and grinned.
The beta backed off when the alpha retreated once the dog let go. Luke was laughing. Rex slapped a small hand to his forehead. The other female bulwark approached with deference when all three cubs were checked over by their protective mother. The female sniffed the babies from a distance and settled near Muffin. It became apparent quickly it would take a village to raise these cubs. Whether the males liked it or not no one and nothing was going to harm the new additions.
Solace held a tiny female bulwark in her arms. The cub pup was dark with a small patch of white under her chin. She gave a glance to Muffin.
“So you get these tiny little things that come out your big ass body and my baby will be twice as big.”
“You are going to have a baby?” Aba was shrieking, laughing, crying. “I haven’t seen a baby since I was a baby.”
“Yes,” Solace said and smiled. “Menace and I are going to have a baby.”
“We’re pregnant,” Aba bellowed with glee. “We must know everything. Is that why you’re so tired. I want to experience what you are.” Many women were nodding in excitement.
“Great.” It was Edge’s turn to slap a hand to his forehead.
The cave was in an uproar. Solace settled back beside Muffin watching. There was general happiness, some women were in tears. Some men were worried about protecting the new addition. The bulwarks were fine with the children but had never once been exposed to a tiny infant.
“A cave is no place to raise these children let alone a baby, she will become chilled,” Aba moaned.
“We need to get back to our homes so he won’t have to worry about hybrids,” Edge said.
“She’ll be fine. It’ll be a while before she’s born,” Heath countered.
“He has the protection of many,” Lochlan pointed out.
Solace made a face
and turned to gaze at Clarity. “When did I have fraternal twins?”
“I have no clue.”
The bantering continued, with Doom included, about the sex of the baby and where it would be safest. Solace gave the mini bulwark back to her mother and stood. Everyone stopped arguing and watched her. When she took a step Edge moved a little closer with Aba. Clarity howled with laughter. Solace made her way into Menace’s arms, and only then was there a collective sigh of relief she was uninjured by her short walk.
Solace groaned. “This is going to be the longest nine months of my entire life.”
“Nine more?” Menace said and gaped.
“I think maybe six or a little less now. Humans normally carry for thirty eight to forty weeks. The time here is difficult to gauge. One day has rolled into another. Soon enough you’ll be rolling me around.”
Menace chuckled but settled her onto the furs. “It’s time for you to eat and rest.”
“Good Lord not you too,” she whined.
“You may as well take advantage of the moment. There is meat to dry and work around the cave the others will be doing.”
“So I have a get out of jail baby pass?”
She could see he was mystified. Menace rose and Solace sat back while everyone made a point to bring her something. She shrugged as all gazes were directed to her midriff as though she should be showing, something. It was a good thing the baby couldn’t stick a hand out and wave, they’d all expire.
“I have just become public property.” She sighed and settled down to snuggle into the furs. As the rain picked up another fur was placed over her. Solace glanced up expecting Menace but the little T-rex leaned over to lick her cheek, then moved off. “Definitely public property.”
****
Menace had Solace by the hand. They were followed by a male bulwark. The males were kept as busy as was possible in their crowded home. Menace wanted quiet time with Solace who complained she was watched every single second. It was true. If she so much as belched her admirers rushed over with water, cold compresses, warm compresses, advice, food.
“Wish we could go home,” Solace said.
“Soon, sweetness. The area around our home is almost dry and the grass has begun to grow.”
“I want our bed and privacy back.”
It was rare for her to pout but when he asked Clarity about Solace’s mood changes she laughed and suggested he get used to it. He reminded himself Solace warned him. She was taken over at times by the petulance of her actual inner child. Earlier Solace began sobbing while sitting on her furs and watching others work. Rex was horrified and sat and wailed with her. That was disturbing. Muffin howled, the children cried, the other females followed along until Doom suggested Menace take Solace for a walk within the caves. When the women said they wanted to experience everything Solace did, they meant it.
Menace carried a thick fur and a pack on his back filled with different foods. Solace would rave over a meal one moment then sit back and claim she couldn’t bear to eat another bite. The worst were cravings he had no idea what the strange items were she spoke of. Fries smothered in gravy doused with coleslaw. With Clarity’s help they made something similar that resembled barf. For the life of him he would never understand hot dogs, who eats dogs? She wanted to dip the dog in ice cream. Ice cream was apparently very cold and somewhat solidified, and runny if warmed. It sounded horrifying. Every time Bubble-gum came close Menace wanted to spirit the poor mutt away.
“Here, see,” Menace said. His torch lit a small cubby. He spread the thick warm fur and led Solace to sit. He started a small fire after settling another fur across Solace’s shoulders and began to pull packages from his hide pack. Aba sent enough food for ten people. The large roast of mammoth mastodon, Solace said they should rename the creature a mammadon, made her gag so he tossed it to the bulwark. The beast settled in their vision to keep watch.
“Are you warm enough, my love?” he asked.
“Fine.”
Solace took a piece of buttered bannock and tucked a small amount of deer meat and a little cheese inside. She took tiny bites. Menace noted she consumed a great deal of water. She was quiet or brooding. Menace reached to tuck a lock of hair from her face, it fell back as though she tried to hide.
“Are you tired from the walk here?” he asked.
“It feels good to stretch my legs and be away from all the prying eyes and commotion. I miss our quiet time together.”
“We will have time to ourselves after the baby comes.”
She chuckled. “We will have less time. A baby is incredibly demanding.”
“Do you really think Aba will hand the baby over once she gets her hands on it? You may have to take up another hobby. Like stalking our own child.”
“I will enjoy the peace I know the others will bring. I’ve never known a baby wanted more than ours. I keep having weird dreams of a mini T-rex being a nursemaid and wearing an apron. It’s beyond disturbing.”
Menace agreed and stroked the same lock of hair from her face, it stayed in place this time. She was radiant. “What is it like to carry life? Do you feel different?”
“It’s a little odd and wonderful. Something is inside me, our baby, but it has to grow all the time. I wonder how the Neandersauri can stand another person inside them. I wonder if the inner being ever gets angry it can never come out. This baby will be a complete person when it’s born. A different individual. He or she is safely inside not growing to adapt to my body, but growing its own. When the Neandersauri move the being inside moves. What if the body within is tired and doesn’t want to move? What if the being inside is hungry or thirsty? Does one rule and the other simply follow?”
“I can tell you have been thinking a lot of our enemy.”
“I suppose I have been. I wonder if the inner being of the hybrid gets ill. I am sick in the mornings but it’s not too bad and some days non-existent. I know the baby is fine and not ill. I also know the baby takes whatever it needs whenever it needs it. I wonder if it works the same for the hybrid.”
“I don’t know.” She appeared agitated and he knew there was more to what she was saying. “What’s really bothering you?”
“I’m bored senseless,” she wailed. “I spend too much time thinking and less time doing things. I’m going to have to put my foot down. I need to be busy, the tedium is killing me. If I sneeze every other woman repeats the gesture. Everyone wants to rub my tummy or talk to it. Rex is a mother hen. He stares at me and it’s creepy. He sees me staring and looks away as fast as he can, then slowly he turns his head and his eyes settle back onto my belly.”
The way she explained and her tone made goosebumps rise on his arms. “They are concerned for you.”
“I know but there are times I’d like to scream love me less.”
Menace gathered her into his arms to cuddle. Being the first pregnant female the villagers have ever seen was a novelty, but he could tell the attention was getting to her. Having your every move watched would grate on him so he could only imagine what Solace was feeling. She clung to him and pressed her face into his throat. Her heated breath was welcome. She was warm and soft. His hands stroked her back. Her lips were welcoming when he kissed her. His cock jumped and Menace suppressed a moan of desire. She grew more radiant every day. Having her beside him was torture in a sweet way. Breaking their kiss and leaning over he pressed his forehead to hers.
“Are you going to make love to me or not?”
Menace was surprised by her demanding tone. “My love the baby in there is getting bigger. I can see your belly has rounded out.”
“So what?”
“I don’t want to hurt our child.”
“Menace if you expect me to wait around until this baby comes before having sex you’re insane. Lying beside you at night needing you to touch me is torture. My body screams so loud for you I’m surprised I don’t keep the entire cave awake at night. You won’t hurt either of us.”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes,” she exploded. “We’re finally alone out here. I was so worried if we made love in the cave you’d be attacked by a T-rex trying to protect me. I need, my body wants, so much more than to kiss and cuddle.”
His relief flooded his veins. At night he gazed at her beauty needing to do more than hold her. When his throbbing cock engorged his hand would rub her tummy in a tender fashion and he would remind himself his child was tucked safely away. Now she was telling him she wanted him. When there was no bump he wasn’t as concerned.
Menace lay her back to untie the sash holding her soft leather hide shirt closed. The fur at her shoulders slipped off. Her breasts spilled free. The nipples puckered in the cooler air. He dipped his head to suckle. A bud was laved to tighten further. Soon these precious gifts would belong to another; but not as yet. More of her firm sweet skin was sucked into his mouth. Her back arched. Menace savored her, enjoying the soft hands she ran across his back and arms.
Small quick kisses came next from breast to belly. Menace rubbed his nose in her navel and smiled.
“Sleep little one. Your father and mother will take good care of you. I will be honored the first time I meet you.”
When he gazed at Solace happiness overflowed his being. She gazed back with love. His fingers tugged the clothing at her hips, sliding the hide pants down over her thighs. He tossed her footwear aside. When he reached for her ankle he took a foot into his hands and kissed her instep. Each toe was sucked then released, he saw her shiver and grew concerned.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“I’m on fire.”
Licking his way back up the inside of her leg he paused when he reached her mound. Her soft tuft of female hair was no barrier and his fingers delved deep. Her warm welcome of wet heat made him realize she was ready. He lowered to carefully cover her. Face to face their bodies touched only lightly. When he tasted her he suckled her top lip, then bottom. Their mouths crashed together. Ever so gentle he rose higher and found her opening with his cock.
He rubbed against her letting some spilled eager seed wet her further. She spread her legs, widening her thighs, coaxing him deeper. Inch by inch he thrust.
Finding Solace (Ancient Origins Book 2) Page 17