All the voices in her head were correct she could see both the humor and the sadness in this situation.
“That’s Mia sleeping in the bed, Jessie’s daughter.”
Deja motioned them all to sit down. “Well, we are all about to get super friendly with each other. I want to see boobs.” She popped hers out while Jessie and Amera looked at her. “This is how you’re going to feed your daughter. On earth its nature’s way of making sure the child gets fed.”
They all went through a series of techniques she found on Google to prime your breasts for feeding. Then she used the warm compress to make sure Amera wasn’t clogged, and the milk would start running and then she taught her how to put her baby on her breast. Thank you, internet. Before long they had a very happy baby sucking as fast as she could. A little milk dribbled down her cheek and Amera watched her with bright eyes. The child didn’t have a name. Amera and Lazaro would name her after she made it through a full twenty-four hours of life.
*~*~*~*
Deja stretched as she waited for Enzo to come out the office so they could walk home. They made it to closing. Ven was walking Jessie home. They were going to have to do something about that situation. Amera and Lazaro had left after they picked up as many baby tips as they could absorb in one night. The males in the club acted terrified of the infant like she was a monster. They finally warmed up and touched her tiny hands and feet. That little girl owned each of them now.
“Ready?” Enzo came out of the office smiling at her.
“I’m ready.” They walked out, but Deja couldn’t shake the sense that the Thalians were going to be a threat.
Chapter Twenty-four
“What’s wrong?”
Deja was curled up on the couch sitting next to Enzo. She should be sleepy after the day and night she had, but she wasn’t her senses were off the chart hollering at her to get ready. It would help if they’d be more specific.
“I don’t know. All the voices in my head are screaming at me to get ready, but none of them are telling me what’s wrong. I feel tense like I’m being pulled in ten different directions, but I’m sitting next to you.”
“Why don’t we go to the room and you let me make love to you?”
“No.” Hurt flashed in his eyes.
“Stop that. I have to tell you something first.”
“All right, I’m ready.” His shoulders had stiffened, and he was holding himself erect as if he were bracing for bad news.
She climbed into his lap and sat straddling him. “I should probably make you breakfast in bed after rocking your world before I tell you this, but I can’t wait. I feel like I’ve held it in all night and if I wait a minute more, I’ll explode.
She lowered her head to kiss him sucking on his lower lip until his lips parted and let her in.
“Your kisses mess me up. They’re so addicting. Enzo, I love you. I never thought I would be able to love again. After my mom died, I wanted to put my heart on ice so that I wouldn’t feel that kind of heartbreak again. Then Matt came into my life pretending to be everything I ever dreamed of, but it was all a lie. He was the last straw. I refused to ever love again after him. Then I met you, and you kept doing things that were unselfish and were all for my benefit. You kept loving me even when I didn’t think I deserved it.
“There are thousand and one reasons I have to love you, but I don’t know which one did the trick or if none of them did it. I don’t love you because of the things you’ve done for me. I love you because you’re you. I love that your Kur’ik and that you have a son. That you fought, but now you’re making a different life. I love that you went running through the streets to protect your child. I love your tenderness and compassion, and yes I love how you love me. I love you Enzo and everything that makes you, you. I’m honored to be your mate.”
He wrapped his arms around her and allowed his head to lie in the crook of her neck. Her scent flavored the room as he kissed her. The gentleness of his kiss telling her more than words how he felt. He picked her carrying her to the bedroom.
“I love you, camire.” He shut the door so he could make love to his mate.
*~*~*~*
It was the pounding on the front door that woke them up. Enzo jumped up and put on a pair of jeans before answering the door. Deja took a little more time to find wakefulness before she put on her robe and went out front. Enzo and Declyn were sitting at the table in the kitchen surround by Ven, Cole, Xander and Caden. She needed a bigger kitchen.
“What happened?” This was the most serious she’d them since the Thalians tried to attack her.
“The ship's sensors went off about an hour ago,” Declyn told her. “We intercepted a message from Corso the alpha of the Thalians.”
“Are your people coming back for you?” she whispered feeling fear.
“Not ours the Thalians, but it amounts to the same thing.
“Why would he do this after all this time?”
He males looked at each other, but none of them had an answer.
“What do we do? They don’t want you they want the Thalians. Won’t they just take them and leave you alone?”
“We’re at war Deja.” Enzo came to her and wrapped his arms around her.
“I won’t let them take you, any of you. You’re my new family and families fight for each other.”
They nodded, but none of them looked confident.
“We’ll need the ship to fight them,” Declyn said.
“Won’t using your ship give away your location?” They nodded at her.
“We’ll have to find—” A knock on the door interrupted what she was saying.
Enzo let her go and went to the door. He growled bringing the other males into the living room.
“I don’t want any trouble.” Avel was standing at the door.
“The last time I saw you, you wanted me dead or for breeding purposes,” Deja spoke up.
“Yeah. It made sense at the time, but now the Thalians have found us, and I’ve heard that we can mate with human females, and have children.”
Enzo opened the door wider and invited him in. “They stay outside.”
Deja peaked out the door to find hundreds of males clogging the streets.
“I want to apologize to your female first. I am the Beta of the Thalians, and as such, I uphold what we stand for, even though we no longer believe a lot of the rhetoric we were taught.”
“What changed your mind?” Declyn asked.
“Corso rose. I’ve always believed he was like us. A soldier bred through an enzymatic process to fight and die. What never made sense was why he was always going to ground. He’s a Thalian, a plant to make sure the soldiers are fighting and dying. He was the one who contacted the ship on its way.”
A huge roar went up in the room. Avel stood his ground.
“Why should we believe you?” Enzo walked up to him until they were face to face.
“I don’t have a reason all I can say is I want a mate. I want a son.” His eyes drifted to where Ven was standing.
“We all heard about the baby girl that was born and that she’s still living. It’s been twenty-four hours.” There was a sigh of relief that went around the room as the symbol of their freedom made it through the first day.
“When will the Thalians show up?” Every eye went to Avel.
“We don’t know. They never told Corso where they were. They could be here in days or years. They could never come.”
“Why?”
“We mean nothing to them. If they came, it would be for Corso. Other than that, they would gladly allow us to rot on this planet.” Enzo told her.
“Then we just have to be on guard until we see a sign of them.”
Avel shook his head. “Corso is coming after you. He wants to be able to contact them and tell him he wiped you from the face of the planet guaranteeing they will come for him. If they come here, they will survey the planet to see if they have anything of value. If they believe you are weak, they will start a war
with you.”
“It’s in our best interest that we don’t let him communicate with them again?”
“Yes.”
“Enzo?”
“Tonight we go to war Camire. I want you to go stay with your friend.”
She shook her head. “I’m not leaving; I can’t. I have a vested interest in what happens tonight. I won’t run.”
“Deja.”
She placed her finger in front of his mouth. “Enzo, you and Ven are my world. It’s not just the two you but every male in the room and all the one’s that come to The Wolves’ Den. I won’t leave just like you won’t ask any of the other females to leave. I bet Amera will be fighting. We’ll have to put Jessie, Mia and Amera’s baby here so we can keep them safe. I’ll stay here to protect them. Ven will you stay with me?”
He nodded and moved to her side.
“I need to go plan. Make sure we have enough food and make this place more secure. Ven with me.” She went to her toes and met Enzo as he leaned down to kiss her.
This was a historic day somewhere in the galaxy, the Kur’iks and the Thalians working together.
“How do we make the apartment safer?” Ven asked following her down the stairs.
“I don’t know. We’re going to pick up a bassinet for the Amera’s daughter and then go to the store for more food when we get back we'll move the bed for Mia to the apartment. Then we will look for a barrier to reinforce the door.”
“A human barrier won’t work.” He said getting into the car.
“The maybe we can use something like what you use to keep humans from discovering you.”
“Maybe.” They drove to the store in quiet.
She parked and took him into a store that specialized in newborns.
“Do babies need all these different appliances?”
“No, a lot of this is for the convenience of the parent. It makes our lives a little easier and helps us get a few extra minutes of sleep which we need.”
They walked down an aisle that had several different bassinettes.
“Do you think that one day I might have a baby?” His voice was low when he asked and filled with longing.
“Yes, but before that happens, I want you to live life. You can go to college and dances.”
He gave her a doubtful look. “We’ll start with the internet. Many people use it to go to college, and we’ll move on from there. What do you think about this one? It’s playpen with an insert that you can use as a bassinette. I think it’ll be perfect.”
They picked a few more things that caught Deja’s eye before they paid and made their way to the grocery store.
*~*~*~*
“Perfect timing,” Deja said as she opened the door. “Oh, you’re wide awake and so beautiful.”
She moved back and allowed Jessie and Mia in.
“Welcome to my humble abode. Have a seat.”
“Thanks.” Jessie took a seat on the edge of a chair holding Mia.
Deja closed the door and leaned against it. “Ven go find your dad and tell him dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.”
“Okay.” He stood and moved to the door searching her face.
“There’s no problem,” she whispered to him before she moved from in front of the door.
“I want to thank you for inviting Mia and me to dinner.”
“But?” She grabbed a chair and pulled it up to sit facing Mia. The chair moved much easier this time.
Jessie fidgeted around playing with Mia not looking Deja in the eyes.
“My mother reminded me that we don’t take charity. It would probably be best if I took a different job.”
“Did your mother also give you that bruise on your arm?”
She pulled her arm back hiding under Mia.
“Who’s hitting you Jessie and are they hitting Mia too?”
“No. If I go along with them, they leave her alone.”
“Is that what you want? To go along with the program?”
“No, when I save enough money I’ll move out.”
“Who are you lying to? Me or yourself?”
She dropped her head. “I just want my baby to be safe.”
“I get it. Jessie, I need you to stay here tonight. It’s the only place I think you’ll be safe. You can take the time to decide what you’re going to do. The club won’t open tonight, and I have everything you need in the main bedroom. Would you mind watching the baby from last night too?”
“I would love that.”
“Perfect let’s set the table the guys should be here soon.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Dinner had gone well if she didn’t add in having to assure Jessie every half hour that she was making the right decision to spend the night. Lazaro and Amera brought their daughter around dark. She left them with several bottles of milk having learned how to pump from the internet. Deja beat them all to the little girl and held her until it was time to get ready. Not knowing what to wear for an epic battle she went with jogging pants and a cami, that’s what all the badass humans were wearing. She laughed at her joke but noticed all the voices in her head were quiet.
Now she was sitting on the steps that led up to her apartment. A sentinel standing between the Thalians and Jessie and the girls. Ven was sitting next to her his arm touching her in a show of comradery, a show of family.
“Do you think this is going to work out?”
She rolled her neck watching the sky as it got darker. The shadows seemed to grow longer as if they were hiding the enemy.
“I don’t know. All we can do is protect those we care about.”
Declyn and Enzo wanted to take the fight as far away from them as possible. She agreed with them, but she knew it wouldn’t happen that way. Corso and his crew wanted blood, and part of that blood was hers.
The first loud growl went up, and her stomach tightened. How was it possible that their human neighbors not that far away didn’t hear the noise? Or were they so used to it that they shut their windows and pretended it didn’t exist? She had done that more than once when she heard the sirens or the yelling not too far away from where she lived.
A snarl came from Ven that had her turning to face him. His eyes were glowing, and his body was trying to swap forms.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re here. I can smell and hear them. They must have sent out a small group to meet Declyn and Enzo. They’re coming through the shield.”
He stood up and let out a loud growl calling the others to come back before his body cracked apart. The bones snapped as he switched forms standing much taller. His fingers became lethal claws. He stood on his hind legs. His body was close to twelve feet tall.
In that minute, she knew the Kur’iks spawned the stories of werewolves although none had gotten it right.
Ven sprang from the front steps and met the Thalians straight on. The Kur’iks turned the corner and rushed them.
All she could see was blood flying amidst growls. Who was winning? There was no way to be sure as the two sides clashed. She searched for Enzo in the midst of the clash needing to know he was still standing. He was as magnificent in this form as he was in his human shape. Although if she ever met him in a dark alley, she would scream and run.
Turning her head, she stared into the eyes of two Thalians who were trying to sneak up on her. They lifted their heads and let out snarls as they ran at her. Her body changed her nails growing deadly and her teeth elongating. Deja slashed her nails over the belly of one when he came for her moving enough for him to slam into the stairwell. The second one slammed into her body trapping her even as she worked to get her arms free her deadly teeth began taking chunks out of his shoulder. She wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt the people she was protecting.
Ven pulled the attacker off her breaking his neck as the second tried to flee. Deja was on him raking her nails down his back stopping him until Ven could pull him away.
She stood on the steps watching blood drip down her hands even as t
he hot taste of it slipped down her throat. In desperation, she looked for the voices in her head to chime in. Instead, they stared through her eyes looking for Enzo and Ven.
They were losing. Why? They had the greater numbers, but something must be off. Before she could think about it any longer, she saw Enzo fall. A scream of fury and fear left her.
Our mate is dying, give me your body!
She should fight, but she turned the driver’s seat over to her feral side, the monster that lived within her was now breaking its boundaries. Her body changed not just her nails and teeth her whole body elongated. What was she? Whatever she was it wasn’t human. She felt the wings on her back move as she propelled herself through the air. A war cry broke out as she pulled the bodies off Enzo. Her claws sank deep into them shredding each before tossing them aside like they never mattered.
Everyone stopped to stare at her. Before they began to race off as Corso called for them to retreat. Her wings beat fast as she ascended into the air. No one would survive her wrath today. She moved in front of them and blocked their path giving them no choice. They either came through her or fought the Kur’iks and their new Thalian brothers and sisters.
No one came her way. They turned around and fought to live another day. Declyn maneuvered Corso until it was just the two of them. Corso rammed him trying to tear out his stomach, but Declyn was ready tucking and rolling to minimize the damage. He stood up behind Corso swiping at his neck.
Corso turned, and they ran at each other placing themselves in a spiral that had them biting and tearing until both had blood running down their chest. Declyn moved back opening himself up for Corso to tear at his chest. A roar of anguish escaped him before he wrapped his mouth around Corso’s neck and shook.
When he released him, he was dead at his feet.
Deja felt her wings moving once more as her body lifted and she went back to where her mate was lying on the ground. She came to a stop next to him and felt her body shrink until it was small enough to lie beside him. She never switched forms.
Enzo: The Wolves Den: A BBW Scifi/Paranormal Romance Page 15