by Angela White
She slipped from his arms reluctantly, carefully, and left his tent a few minutes later. She’d taken the time to say goodbye to Dog, and to thank him for bringing her here.
Reunited with his master, the wolf’s parting words had been much like the bond they’d shared before Marc’s power came between them.
“You’ll be with him soon. I’ll be by his side. Never doubt it.”
Angela walked through the noon light with a blank expression. She didn’t speak to any of them, leaving the way she’d come in.
Kendle observed her exit from a nearby tent that the Indians had put up for her. She already knew what choice Marc would make, but over the hours she’d been waiting, Kendle had come to a few conclusions of her own. The biggest was that she didn’t love Marc, not the way she had Luke. She’d needed Marc to keep her sanity. Luke had been in her soul.
“That’s why I’m so dark now,” she realized. “It isn’t the ghosts of the past, or the sickness.”
Kendle’s tears sent her back into the tent and the Indians on duty upped their bets on who Kendle would belong to when Marc rose.
3
Marc withstood the greetings, the concern and the questions as best he could, rage boiling. There was only one person he wanted right now.
Neil met him at the gate and Marc cut him off. “Where is she?”
Neil waved toward the prepping area they’d set up along the Mess truck. “She and Adrian are…”
Marc left him at the gate and the guards were too happy to have him back to think of stopping him from coming through the second wire fence.
Neil hurried to catch up. “What is it?”
Marc didn’t answer and Neil assumed he was in a hurry to make sure Angela was okay. They’d been apart for almost seven weeks and Neil hung back, not wanting to interrupt their reunion.
At least we’ll have something good come from today, he thought.
Marc spotted those hated, golden spikes and that long, gray and black braid, and increased his pace. He’d been waiting for this, longing for it.
Angela turned around to view the QZ and gasped in surprise at the open, eager tiger that wouldn’t ever go into a cage again.
“Brady!”
Adrian understood too late.
Thud!
Marc snarled at the impact, face unlike anything Angela had ever witnessed on him.
“That wasn’t…”
Kick!
“What I meant…”
Punch!
“When I said…”
Thud!
“To care for her!”
Thud!
Marc took a step back. “Get up!”
Adrian spit blood onto the ground and slung the same from his hands. “I did what I thought was…”
Thud!
Adrian’s own rage flared to life and he growled. “You don’t own her!”
Marc’s demon eyes were fierce. “You took advantage!”
Adrian spit blood again. “Yes.”
Marc paused, still not calming now that he’d drawn Adrian’s blood, felt it. “Don’t ever touch her again.”
“Unless she comes to me,” Adrian stated, looking up confidently. “And we both know that she will. It’s why you’ve got another woman with you.”
Marc’s fist flew out.
Thud!
“Yes, but she wouldn’t have if not for your lies and tricks.”
Marc grabbed Adrian by the neck. “She’s mine and I don’t share!”
Adrian’s eyes went to Angela. “She does. You can’t change that.”
Thud!
“No. I can’t.”
Marc moved back, happily splattered in Adrian’s blood.
“But I can take something from you and return the favor. She’s carrying my daughter.”
Marc smirked at Adrian’s thunderous face. “You’ll only have her when I’m dead.”
Adrian glared at Angela in betrayed accusation as he picked up her thoughts.
She stared back in defiant anger. “You gave me no choice.”
Marc wiped his hands down his jeans. “You can’t come between us now, no matter what services you provide while I’m away.”
Adrian’s eyes lit up with his inner demon for the first time inside Safe Haven’s borders. “I would have waited until it was safe for her, not used it to secure my hold. You’ve put her in danger.”
Marc had the grace to flush. “It wasn’t planned, obviously, but it’s been eight months since her miscarriage. She’ll be fine.”
Adrian spat at Marc’s boots. “Ask her why she told you no before, that it would come later. Ask her!”
Marc had a sinking feeling as he studied Angela. “What?”
Angela didn’t want to answer. She was scared of the truth. “I’m using a lot of energy. I’ll be… tired.”
Adrian snorted angrily. “It will consume her, drain her, until she loses it. Our kind has to keep a big reserve because the fetus is more evolved. That’s probably what happened to her last child.”
Both men glanced around for a common enemy in that area.
Kenn, drawn by the fight, flipped them the finger. “Fuck you both. I’ve got my own upcoming fatherhood to sort out.”
Shock came as everyone realized what that meant.
Seizing the opportunity, Adrian congratulated his XO with a bloody hug. “Good job, grunt!”
Even Marc found himself relieved. Not by Tonya’s conception, but by life trying to continue. He went to Angela with a much calmer heart.
“I’m sorry, Brady.”
Marc’s hand went to her soft cheek, nose being assaulted by her missed scent. “I know and it helps. Stop hating yourself now. That’s an order.”
Angela’s tears were unexpected and Marc hugged her close. “I mean it, Angie. I don’t blame you. His type of asshole is hard to fight.”
Angela cried harder and Marc had to strain to make out her words. “You what?”
“I was awake,” Angela sniffed guiltily. “I knew you weren’t.”
Marc stared in shock. And then burst out laughing. “I love you, Baby-cakes.”
Angela melted into his arms and a wave of purple rippled through the shield above them.
“Oh, Brady!”
She’d seen enough of the future to know this was the only thing that could give them peace. Adrian wouldn’t ever break up their happy family and neither would she.
4
“Hey, Smurf-balls.”
Kenn’s stomach dropped and he slowly turned around. He knew that damn voice.
Thud!
Marc’s single shot took the Marine to his knees.
“Stay there and listen.”
Kenn didn’t even think of arguing. Marc’s glaring red orbs held his death.
“You owe a debt to me.”
Kenn agreed slowly. He’d known it would come to this if Brady survived. “I still stand by my choice.”
“Yeah, you would,” Marc sneered. “To pay off the debt you now owe me, you’ll take care of someone and personally make sure that she’s… put into place.”
Marc shoved into Kenn’s mind and found the shocked Marine on his knees there, too.
“As it should be,” Marc sent.
Kenn lowered his head in submission.
Marc withdrew.
“She’s in the QZ. You’ll know what I want as soon as you see her.”
Kenn went that way without looking back. He suddenly found himself wishing for the pranks to start up again. Brady’s payback might make them seem fun.
5
Marc’s homecoming spread through camp like a fire and drew hundreds of people to where he was standing by the center fire. One arm around Angela’s waist, the other over Charlie’s shoulders, he appeared like a man happy to be home. He also looked more like their other leaders than any of the camp or Eagles had noticed before. Maybe it was the new strengths in his tones, or the power lurking in his walk. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what had changed, but they were all a
ware that something had.
The mystery was solved for most of the Eagles as soon as Marc began talking to the chain of command and delivering his own type of updates.
Marc glanced at Neil and Samantha, then Jeremy who stood behind and to the right. “Boys.”
Samantha flushed and was glad when Marc didn’t explain.
He gave her a wink and then gazed at Crista. “Not sure. Ask me in a week.”
Crista gave a curt nod, not at all happy to have Jeff find out this way.
Marc delivered a hard tone in response. “It’s time we flooded ourselves with hope. Would you deny them that?”
Scolded, Crista shook her head. “No. I’m sorry.”
Marc moved away from Angela and Charlie. They were both reading his thoughts as he had them, one surprised, the other grateful.
“Girl, maybe two. Hard to tell with the way your heart’s thumping so hard.”
Candy’s face was even more shocked than the people around her.
Marc raised a brow at Angela and she gave her approval silently. “They’re as much yours as mine now. As you would.”
Marc glowed for her, sending heat into her heart, and she moaned at the missed sensation.
Marc glanced around. “Would all the pregnant woman please report to the Mess?”
At the last camp meeting, they’d had six. Jennifer had given birth, and one of the others had also lost hers to a premature delivery. The camp expected those numbers to be worse, that Marc was about to tell them they needed to lower the age limit further.
Tonya was the first one to react.
Samantha and Crista followed.
Jeff continued to gape, as Neil and Jeremy exchanged suddenly challenging looks. When Becky went toward the Mess, Seth’s heart dropped. It was too soon!
Angela gave Marc a soft glance of happiness and took her place.
The camp liked that. It sent a swirl of crimson-killing green and blue through their shield.
Candy’s pregnancy was known by a few and didn’t cause much stir when she went to her new teammates. Cynthia joining them did.
Kevin instantly guessed who the father was and glowered hatefully.
Cynthia read it, and the response she sent was a shock.
Marc viewed Jennifer. “You belong there.”
Gathering her courage, Jennifer came to his side. “Does she?”
Marc didn’t need his demon to scan the infant. “As much as her mother.”
Jennifer grinned happily and went to the join the others.
Tracy was the only member of Angela’s team that didn’t go to the Mess, and she flushed under the expectant stares. “I’m not.”
Eyes went to Charlie and the teenager chuckled regretfully as he slid an arm around her. “Sorry, but you guys were cramping my style a lot. There wasn’t time for me to knock her up. Wait for it, will ya?”
Laughter exploded across the area and Marc began searching through the crowd. “There are a few more.”
Other parts of Safe Haven’s population began joining Angela’s team, people that didn’t usually draw much notice otherwise. Four more females went to the Mess and Marc waved at the small group. “We’ve already begun to heal. Now, we’ll get a chance at recovery.”
Marc walked toward the females, voice full of a leader’s command. “This is our future, what we’ll be fighting for. They belong to us. They cannot be taken or our country ceases to exist. Remember how they look right now.”
Marc lifted his hand and a thick bolt of blue light shot into the air above the Mess. It faded into a small shield that came down and settled over the females. Each one of them closed their eyes as his energy sank in. It was eerie, the way they arched in tandem, some of them groaning, and Marc drove in the point by using the other hand to hit Angela directly with his light.
Angela felt Brady’s heat all over her, but it concentrated mostly on her stomach. Starving for him, she drank greedily.
The camp watched her hair become solid black again, her lines and weary face tightening in the smooth beauty that she’d come to them with. Health glowed from her like a flame and Marc slowly let go of both connections.
Every one of the women flinched or groaned in protest.
“They need your energy. Laughter is the best way to give it to them. Tell a joke and offer them a… snack. Help them provide the next generation.”
Adrian used the moment to take two of the expectant fathers aside. His words to Seth were short.
“You saw how to keep her healthy.”
Seth’s face was hard. He would shove her full.
“Good. Go do a round. We’re vulnerable right now with so many of us in one place.”
Adrian turned to Kevin. “FND.”
Kevin was furious. “I won’t do it!”
Adrian grew angry. “You weren’t even in the picture. She just found out. Shut up and listen.”
Kevin glared, and Adrian shoved into his mind. “This is the only chance you’ll get to have a child.”
The reminder was a harsh blow and Kevin didn’t know how to react. When John had confirmed it, he’d been glad. Cynthia hadn’t wanted kids. He had, a little, but it had been okay because he got to concentrate on his place in camp.
“She’ll be alone for about two minutes,” Adrian warned. “You’re not the only one who picked up too much radiation since the War.”
Adrian left him with that thought. The couple would work the rest out on their own and he would only interfere if he had to. It wasn’t the first time he’d gifted someone this way, but it would probably be the easiest. Never being around those children, not knowing if they’d lived, had hurt him over and over.
Adrian spotted Neil and Jeremy exchanging nasty glares, but before he could do anything, Marc handled it.
“Samantha?”
Neil and Jeremy turned that way as soon as Marc said her name, hoping to learn who the father was.
Marc locked eyes with the happy blonde. “You know what’s coming.”
“I’ve been hoping for that.”
Sam’s face was flushed in satisfaction. Marc tasted good!
Marc glanced at Neil, then Jeremy. “One each. Sons. Congratulations.”
“Superfecundation is the medical term,” Angela stated, gravitating to Marc’s side. “I believe it happened because you secretly longed for it and so did they.”
Samantha went to her shocked men, confused. “You wanted this? She can’t be right.”
Jeremy cleared his throat, embarrassed and uneasy to admit it in front of so many people. “I hoped if you were carrying my baby, you’d keep me around.”
Neil snorted angrily. “What a cheap trick!”
“What about you?” Jeremy accused. “I didn’t hear you telling her no.”
Neil had to grin. “I’m not stupid. I had the same thought, I just didn’t wish for it.”
“Liar,” Sam let it fly gently. “You were hoping I would pick you, instead of only securing a place by me.”
Neil had the grace to flush and Samantha gave them both the lay of things.
“I wanted this to happen. Now, you’ll both be equal and I’ll be happy with our family. I… I love you guys. Please don’t rip us apart.”
Neil caved first. Besides his obsession with her, he’d longed for a child of his own before the War and hadn’t thought it would happen. “Whatever you need, Sammi.”
She looked to Jeremy and the Eagle surrendered. “Sure, Sam.”
She heard his thought and Sam let him know it wasn’t true. “I don’t feel sorry for you, didn’t do this out of pity.”
She ran a loving hand over his cheek. “I need you.”
Jeremy slowly allowed himself to believe it. He took her into his arms and rested his head on hers.
“I don’t know why, but I’m there as long as you feel that way.”
Sam reached out and Neil’s hand was there.
“We’re going to be together for a very long time,” she vowed, pulling Neil closer.
<
br /> When his hand went around her waist to rest on her stomach, Jeremy slid his own hand over to make room.
Samantha showered both men in her love. This was what she’d needed before, what would have been so wrong. “Thank you.”
“It was my honor.”
Sam gasped, making both men recoil in concern. It was the first time she’d heard that voice inside and it was a moment she wouldn’t ever forget.
“Are you all right?”
Samantha gave a slightly embarrassed smile. “I’m hungry.”
Both males chuckled and led her toward the crowded Mess.
6
Marc spent his first hour back in camp on rounds. Everyone was eager to bring him up to speed, but he also knew they wanted to be close to him. Some of them were friends he’d missed. Some were camp members who were hoping for details on someone who hadn’t returned, and even more wanted battle details. However, the bulk of them simply felt his new openness, his light, and couldn’t stay away.
It’s like I’m Adrian, Marc thought, sending that man an ugly glower as he walked by.
“Got to Hell,” Adrian swore, not stopping.
Marc smirked violently. “Just got back.”
Adrian stifled the amusement and the rage in favor of truth. “Then you should know it isn’t over.”
Marc did and didn’t toss another barb. The battles that were coming were going to make his long fight appear like it had all been a play of preparation. Jax had called to tell them the planes were still coming, dropping troops, and leaving. Marc assumed they would have another full battalion when it was all said and done. He also thought they’d keep the base as a command center. There were enough undamaged bunks and buildings on the property to house most of them, but command would want them to toughen up. They’d be given standard equipment and told to rough it until they got the base in working order. Once that happened, the plans to conquer Safe Haven would restart.
“Welcome back!”
Marc turned to find himself caught up in a massive bear hug.
Doug shook his happily. “Hiya!”
Brady chortled as Doug set him down. “Same to you. How are you, man?”