Chapter Two
The next five days pass in a haze. I lie on a blanket the guys have spread over several bales of straw, wishing we were home already. The wagon they've taken from the pub is making our journey slower than on horseback, but there's no way I could ride. Blood still pours from between my legs and the guys have to replace the towels every hour or so. If I wasn't a shifter, I'd be dead by now. My body is trying to heal itself, but it's barely keeping up with the damage the babies have wrought within me.
Sophie and Gryphon are by my side while Lennox is driving the wagon. Ryker is on a horse, scouting ahead and making sure we're not being followed.
Delaney escaped the battle. On one hand, I'm glad because it means I still get to kill him, but on the other hand, it complicates everything. We're still in danger. I bet those weren't his only mutant guards. He'll get more and he'll come after us. And when he does, I won't be able to defend myself or my family.
The day after giving birth, my breasts started leaking milk. I was both relieved and horrified. Four days later and my nipples look like they've been mauled by beasts. Which comes pretty close to the truth.
Because I'm too weak to even lift the babies, Gryphon or Sophie hold them in place while they torture me. Neither humans nor cats should be born with teeth, but my litter didn't get that message. They all look human at first glance, but it's clear they're more than that. Two have the golden eyes of my panther and tiny fangs. They look completely alike, although to be fair, to me all babies look the same, so it's too early to say if that'll still be the case once they get older. The third baby has a soft layer of fur all over its body, making her resemble an ape. And finally, the only male, who's completely human from the front - until you realise he's got a tail. Yes, my baby has a tail.
We've not given them names yet. It's been too quick, too overwhelming. For now, all they do is feed, sleep and scream. When they're not torturing my nipples and sucking me dry like tiny vampires, they're either sleeping by my side or snuggled into slings the guys have wrapped around their chests.
Even in my daze, I can appreciate how hot my males look with babies on them. All three guys have taken to them instantly and the adoring and protective looks they give them almost make me jealous. Sophie treats my litter like an older sister rather than an aunt. To be fair, she’s closer to them in age than to me, so it makes sense.
I don't know what I feel when I look at them. It's not the love I feel for my males. Not what I have for Sophie either, although I can't quite identify that emotion either. Yet when I imagine anything happening to them, my heart hurts almost as much as my womb did when I gave birth to them. My fingers itch as my claws threaten to burst to the surface. Yes, I'm fiercely protective of my litter. Does that mean I love them?
I cling to the hope that everything will become clear once we reach our home. I can't wait to be back in my hammock. To see my sister, Lily and the others. It's been way too long. I need a break, some time with them, before I can start planning my revenge. A growl escapes me. They're going to suffer. Delaney, his wife, any siren I can get my hands on.
The cart creaks as we drive over some uneven, stony ground. Lennox looks back apologetically, but it's not like he can do anything about the state of the roads. They'll get better once we get closer to Attenburgh. Here, the local farmers don't have money to keep up the roads and I doubt the government helps with it either. Luckily, Lady Lara spends her money wisely and has worked on improving the main trading routes into the city.
I miss my conversations with her. When I was self-kidnapped - no, kidnapped, I need to stop thinking of it as anything else - I'd only just made up with her. I'd planned to work for her again, this time not as a bodyguard but as an adviser. I'm not sure I'd be good at it, but I love a challenge. Besides, working alongside Lady Lara is a treat. She's intelligent, down to earth and reliable. Plus, she has a naughty streak hidden deep inside of her. Until I discovered that she'd planned to have the best thieves in the town eaten by monstrous fish, I would never have expected her to be this similar to me. Although it's safe to say that I wouldn't have failed in giving those fish their dinner.
"Want to play a game?" Sophie asks, way cheerier than I feel. "I spy with my little eye?"
I let my gaze wander over the dreary landscape. Fields, the occasional tree, lots of mud. Thick grey clouds warn of yet more rain. Nothing that stands out. We're the only specks of colour on an otherwise depressingly grey canvas.
"There must be a better game we can play," I sigh. "Give me that yellow flower and I'll show you one."
At our last stop, Sophie picked a whole bunch of flowers. I don't know what any of them called; I'd only know that if they were poisonous and therefore part of my assassin's repertoire.
She hands me the flower and I run my finger over its soft petals. They're already starting to wither, so what I'm about to do is a mercy.
"Kill." I pluck a petal and let it drift to the bottom of the cart. "Maim." Another petal. "Kill. Maim. Kill. Maim."
I grin at Sophie, but she doesn't seem to get that this game is fun.
"Are you thinking of someone when you do that?" she asks.
I nod. "I do. It's far more satisfying this way."
"Who?"
Should I tell her it's her father? I know she's no longer under his control, but I doubt she's ready to hear my plans for torturing him slowly, very slowly, taking him apart limb by limb.
"Someone who hurt me," I say instead. "And those who're important to me."
"That's good then," she replies, once again sounding older than she is. "I can help you."
I'm both proud of her and a little sad. Just like the twins, she's been exposed to way more violence than children should. I've managed to give the twins a new life, so hopefully, I'll be able to do the same for Sophie. I don't want her to become a ruthless assassin. She's got a sweet, gentle side that I've come to notice in the past few days. The way she holds her nieces and nephew speaks of a loving heart that I would hate to witness breaking.
She takes a flower with blue petals that turn a dark purple towards the edges and starts muttering "kill, maim".
"Who are you thinking of?" I ask her with an amused smirk.
"Jagger, one of the men who guarded our house. He wasn't nice to me."
"Good girl. We'll get to him, don't worry. I'll kill him for you."
"Or maim him," she insists. "I'm not done yet."
I watch her patiently as she removes the petals one by one, ending with a triumphant "kill". I got the same result for my flower. Looks like there's going to be a lot of death in my near future.
"I'd need an entire field of flowers," Gryphon says loudly against the rattling of the cart and takes my hand. "My list has grown fast in the past few months. So many people who didn't want to tell me what they knew. I already got rid of some of them, but I didn't always have the time to stick around."
One day, I'm going to ask them to tell me everything that happened to them while they searched for me. But not now. My hormones are still all over the place and I'd likely end up emotional. I don't want to risk it.
"Are you comfortable back there?" Lennox asks, turning around to look at me. He's been doing that every hour or so. It's both sweet and extremely annoying.
"The cart is still as bumpy as it was two hours ago," I reply drily. "But it is what it is. Will we reach Attenburgh tomorrow?"
He nods. "If those clouds don't drop any rain, then yes. If it rains, we'll need an extra day; the ground is still soaked from this week's downpours and if any more water is added, it'll turn into a river of mud."
I wish I could ride, but that's a silly fantasy in my current state. I should be glad that we have this cart, but it's hard to be optimistic when your entire body hurts, especially those nipples. Now I know why some mothers don't breastfeed their offspring. If I had milk and bottles, I may do the same, especially with four of them. I doubt I'll ever be able to produce enough milk, especially once they grow and need even more.
Attenburgh can’t come soon enough. I’m going to get Bethany to create some fake breast milk for my babies. If she can do poisons that can slowly melt a human’s skin from the inside, she can make sustenance for tiny shifters.
If they are shifters. So far, they’ve all stayed human, but none of us has any experience with baby shifters. The children brought to the Pack were usually at least three or four. By that age, they sometimes shifted by accident, which is why everyone was given a collar at arrival, no matter the age. I have no idea if my babies are capable of shifting and I don’t have anyone to ask. Neither does Lennox; we’re both orphans.
Sophie can’t remember when she was first able to shift, so she’s no help either. When we’re in Attenburgh, we’ll be able to call Lennox’s ex-boss, Mister Moon, who may have some answers for us. Someone in his group of werewolves has to know when shifter babies first start changing shape. I hope it doesn't happen while they're suckling on my boobs. That would end painfully. It's already bad enough that two of the girls have fangs. I look down at my chest. It's not a pretty sight beneath my shirt.
"I'm bored," Sophie huffs. "Can't we play I spy now?"
I roll my eyes. Guess I won't get a nap anytime soon.
Chapter Three
I’m bleeding again by the time we roll into Attenburgh. I’m trying to stay awake despite the blood pouring from between my legs, but it’s only because I’m excited about finally being back home that I’m managing to stay conscious. Both Gryphon and Ryker are on the cart with me, while Sophie is sitting next to Lennox. He’s letting her steer the cart, but I know he’s ready to pick up the reins at any moment in case she gets distracted again.
“Not much longer,” Gryphon mutters and runs a cool hand over my forehead. “As soon as we’ve got you home, I’ll be able to help you properly.”
I squeeze his hand. “You’ve done what you could.”
He grimaces but doesn’t reply. No matter how often I tell him that nobody could have done more than he has with limited supply and tools, he still blames himself for failing to heal me. It’s silly and I’ve told him exactly that. There’s only room for so much self-pity on this cart and the majority of it is my own. And I’m allowed to wallow in self-pity, especially when my fanged babies start mauling my boobs.
Luckily, they’re all asleep. They fed an hour ago, which usually makes them sleepy enough to give us all some rest. They’re curled up in a heap in their basket. The little male is sucking on the thumb of one of his sisters. I smile with adoration before drawing the blanket over the basket to hide them from the view of curious onlookers. At first glance, they look like human babies, but I don’t want anyone to give them a second look and notice the fangs, tail and fur.
We’re making only slow progress now that we’re on busy streets rather than the empty, bumpy roads we’ve grown used to. Humans mill all around us, going about their business, but most don’t pay us any heed. We’re just one cart amongst many others that are entering Attenburgh. Most are headed to the market, but not us. Our house in on the outskirts, but annoyingly not in the direction we came from. We could have circled the city, but in the end, we decided to drive right through in the hope that this might be faster.
This morning, we passed a little hamlet where Gryphon was able to call Lily, announcing our pending arrival. I don’t know what he told her, but I bet she’s going to be prepared with medical supplies in the hope of finally fixing me.
A new wave of pain racks through my abdomen and I wrap my hands around my belly, riding the pain. At least the bump has gone and I can see my feet again. While my insides are still injured, the outside has healed fast and there’s no trace left of my pregnancy. My stomach is nice and tight again, no flabbiness anywhere to be seen. Still, if I could swap having a bump against not bleeding out from inside, I’d do that without hesitation. I’m not that vain.
“That’s the house we stayed in,” Sophie suddenly shouts, pointing at a large villa. It must belong to Delaney. I exchange a grim look with my guys and they nod in understanding. As soon as I’m better, we’ll raid that place and torch it to the ground. Any asset that could give Delaney an advantage has to be destroyed. From now on, I’m not waiting for him to come after me. I’m going on the offensive and I won’t stop until he and every single evil siren in this country has been vanquished.
We drive on in silence. When we leave the main roads and turn onto narrower streets, Lennox takes the reins from Sophie. She complains a little, but she respects him enough not to throw a tantrum. She has a lot more respect for my males than she has for me, probably because all the crap Delaney and his wife told her about me.
I look around us as if it’s the first time I’m driving through the city. It feels like an eternity since I was last here. So much has changed since then. I’m no longer the same.
When we finally reach our house, I sigh in relief. My pain has become a steady throb and the cloth between my legs is soaked with blood. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk into our home. I cringe at the thought of having to be carried yet again. I hate being weak, even though my guys reassure me constantly that they love taking care of me. It must satisfy some kind of alpha instinct in them, especially in Lennox. His wolf chose me as his mate and it’s only because of Lennox’s cool-headed personality that he accepted that he’d have to share me. The wolf would never have agreed to that, but luckily, Lennox is a shifter who’s learned to be in control of his animal instincts. I guess I have the Pack to thank for that.
The door flies open as soon as we stop in front of the M.E.O.W. headquarters and Lily runs out, closely followed by Bethany and Benjamin. They must have been waiting for us.
“Kat!” Lily yells and faster than I thought possible for an almost-human, she’s on the cart, by my side, looking down at me with concern. “How are you?”
I try to smile but I’m pretty sure it looks more like a tense grimace. “I’ll be fine.”
She raises her eyebrows, clearly spotting the lie, then turns to Gryphon. “I’ve turned the morgue into an operating theatre with everything you requested. The mayor has sent a surgeon who apparently knows how to keep her mouth shut. And Bethany has prepared various potions and salves that might help.”
He shoots her a grateful smile. A strange acidic taste spreads in my mouth. He shouldn’t smile at her like that. Wait, am I jealous? It must be the blood loss that is messing with my emotions.
They carry me into the house like an invalid while Benjamin runs ahead to open all the doors. I start laughing when we go downstairs into the morgue. Never thought I’d end up in there. At least not while I’m still alive.
“What’s wrong?” Gryphon asks with perfectly cute concern.
“Morgue,” I say. “Kind of morbid.”
He rolls his eyes. “Only you would laugh about that.”
From behind us, Ryker chuckles. “Not just her. You have to admit, it’s kind of strange to take her into the morgue to fix her. That’s not normal.”
“Since when are we normal?” Lennox quips. “I take that as an insult.”
In the morgue, they lay me on the metal table where we usually dissect corpses. Fun. I hope they remember that unlike the dead, I still feel pain and need anaesthetics if they start operating on me. Gryphon said he won’t know what to do until he’s had a proper look at what’s wrong inside of me.
A small, wiry woman stands in one corner, gaping at us with wide eyes. That must be the surgeon the mayor organised.
While Gryphon starts talking to her, the other guys fuss over me, trying to make me more comfortable on the cold table. A mattress beneath me would have been nice, but I know that wouldn’t have been hygienic. I’ll survive without it…I hope.
Bethany takes various bottles from a shelf and arranges them on a trolley. With Lily standing in the doorway, the room is way too cramped. Gryphon must have realised the same thing.
“Everyone not essential, get out.”
Nobody moves.
He si
ghs. “Yes, you’re all essential, but we don’t need you all here. Lily, why don’t you help Sophie with the babies and show her around. Lennox, call the mayor and let her know we’ve returned. Ryker, I’m sure we could use some food once we’re done here.”
“I’ve already prepared a nursery,” Lily says cheerfully. “Including two scratch posts.”
She dances away, clearly ecstatic at the thought of playing with my babies.
Lennox glares at Gryphon, but then presses a kiss on my forehead and leaves, followed by Ryker, whose kiss meets my lips. Tease. As soon as I can move without losing blood again, I’m going to show them all how much I’ve hated being babied by them. The image of handcuffs and leashes flashes into my mind and I grin evilly.
“This is Doctor Lavalle,” Gryphon introduces the small woman. She gives me a small smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “She’s going to start with an ultrasound while I give you something for the pain. If we have to operate, we’ll sedate you, but for now, just some analgesics to take the edge off.”
They spring into action and I let them do whatever needs doing. Bethany, done with her preparations, comes to stand at the end of the table, looking down at me with a grin.
“It’s good to have you back. It was boring without you.”
“Glad I’ll be able to stop the boredom,” I say drily. “Did nothing interesting happen while I was away?”
“Ryker’s cats tamed the deer, Willow. They use her to ride on and get up to all sorts of mischief. I’m convinced they can talk to each other, even though Ryker said that’s impossible.”
“I thought the fawn would be gone by now.”
Bethany laughs. “Benjamin would have left along with it. He loves Willow even more than he loves the cats. They’re inseparable. She sleeps on his bed and follows him everywhere – unless the cats have kidnapped her for their evil plans.”
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