by Abel, Regine
It was infuriatingly endearing.
As much as I wanted to strangle them all, I’d never felt so loved and valued, both by my man and my greater Vanguard family.
When we reached Khepri, Bane’s worries at the type of welcome he would receive quickly faded away. The tales of how his brothers and he had saved our Warriors from the traps had spread like wildfire. The efficiency of the Scelks by our side had also given us the greatest gift: winning a major battle without a single permanent death among our ranks. With the Xian Warriors’ fertility issues, each death was a severe blow to the Vanguard. That also explained why Rogue received a particularly warm welcome, with Liena and Victoria barely refraining from dragging him right out of the docking bay to the Research Center.
Unfortunately, as much as I ached to give my man a tour of the beauties of his new world, playing tourists had to be put on hold. Bane and I, along with his handful of brothers present and many Vanguard volunteers, spent the next two days helping the Mimics settle on recluse lands by the large Mistral River. We were also neck-deep in frantic preparations for the arrival of the rest of the hybrids, their extended family, and the liveship.
A thousand Warriors and two hundred women of the Vanguard stood in the wide, open field located a stone’s throw away from Khepri’s HQ as the liveship landed, accompanied by three dozen large shuttles. The sight of hundreds of handsome, badass-looking Dragons, clad in their formfitting black armor descending from the vessels was enough to have my Vanguard sisters weak in the knees. But that each of them was holding the hand of the irresistibly adorable young hybrids, some of them carrying toddlers or infants in their arms, caused many ovaries to flat out explode.
With Legion, Chaos, and Bane standing at the center front of our welcoming party, Ayana and me by their side, we were hard to miss. Little Arrow spotted me almost the instant he came out of his shuttle.
“Tabitha!” he shouted.
Letting go of his older brother’s hand, he summoned his little wings and flew towards me, to the awe of all in attendance. I smiled and spread my arms. He collided with me with enough force that, had Bane’s arm not been wrapped around me, I probably would have stumbled back. He gave me a loud kiss on the cheek before burying his face in my neck, careful not to stab me with the pointy tips of his crescent moon Deynian horns.
I smiled and gave him a tender hug. “Welcome to your new home, sweetheart.”
His arms tightened around me, and Bane caressed his little brother’s blond hair, giving me a loving look over the boy’s head.
“Welcome all of you to your new home,” Legion echoed, projecting loud enough to be heard by everyone. “You have come a long way to the place where you always should have been. Your mothers saved countless of my brothers’ lives in the early days of the war with the Kryptids. A few days ago, you did the same by freeing my brothers from the trap set to condemn them to a permanent death. You are of the Vanguard through your Gomenzi blood. You are of the Vanguard through your mothers’ blood. And you are of the Vanguard through your relentless courage in fighting evil and protecting the oppressed. Welcome home, my brothers. Welcome to Khepri.”
Emotions ran high among all present. Many of the hybrids blinked repeatedly to stifle the tears that threatened to spill over. Some of them seemed stunned, unable to believe this was truly happening. They were truly here, free, and safe. I couldn’t begin to imagine what a nightmare their lives had been until this instant.
My throat tightened watching the women and the Xian Warriors all but melt for the children who couldn’t seem to get enough of the attention they were receiving. It struck me then how badly the Xian Warriors ached to express their paternal instincts. No wonder they had been so protective of Raven in his youth, and now of young Phoenix. It pleased me to know Ayana’s son would have other children to play with.
But it was Tyonna brushing past everyone to get to the back of the crowd where the Scelks and Miegly had been silently observing the Warriors and Dragons mingling that blew me away. She walked straight up to Varnog and took his hand before leading him towards the Warriors. She gestured for the others to follow, and after a slight hesitation, they complied.
It warmed my heart to see the genuine efforts from my brothers and sisters of the Vanguard to make the Scelks feel welcomed. It would take time for real trust to form and for the awkwardness to fade. But judging by Varnog’s expression, I believed he, too, saw the sincerity in their willingness to make it happen.
The gathering lasted for a couple of hours before Ayana put an end to it. None of us had seen time fly, not even Myriam who was usually on top of these things. But then, she was quite busy being courted by my man’s brother. However, as a mother, Ayana had rightly realized how tired and hungry the young hybrids were getting. We therefore escorted them to the new residential development located a fifteen-minute shuttle flight from the Vanguard HQ. It had been meant to welcome new Portals and Shields expected to join us over the next year.
As agreed during the negotiations concerning the hybrids’ extended family, the Miegly settled on the same recluse lands as the Mimics, the two aquatic species occupying opposing shores of the Mistral River. A short distance from there, temporary shelters had been set up for the Scelks at the foot of a mountain in which they could build their hive with the assistance of Vanguard engineers and manpower. To my relief, all three groups were ecstatic about their new housing arrangements.
The following night, fifty-six Warriors went inside the liveship to pay their respects to their former Soulcatchers. What should have been a traumatic experience was transformed into a bittersweet reunion when Varnog and nine other Scelks recreated the massive mind-walk in which they had been luring the mothers over the past week while on their way to Khepri.
I will never forget seeing Bane and Dread cry as their mother Elisa stood in the dream world plaza of the Vanguard HQ, beckoning them with open arms. Dressed in her Vanguard uniform—a different model than today’s more modern version—she had the appearance of the beautiful twenty-seven-year-old woman she had been prior to her abduction. Bane lifted her up in his arms in a bear hug and buried his face in her neck. Elisa laughed tenderly, her fingers slipping into her son’s golden mane. She kissed the top of his head, then tilted it back to kiss his forehead.
Not wanting to intrude, I’d stayed a short distance back as she reconnected with her son. All around us, similar scenes were taking place between adult sons and their respective mothers. Like me, the Xian Warriors were standing back, their faces constricted with overwhelming emotions as they waited for their turn. Wrath—Elisa’s former Warrior—stood next to me. His trembling hand blindly reached for mine. I took it and gave it a gentle squeeze, both to comfort him and myself.
After embracing Dread for a while, too, Elisa finally noticed us. Her eyes widened as she recognized Wrath. She ran to him, and he caught her in his arms. Lifting her up, he twirled a couple of times before lowering her back in a tight embrace. I’d never seen Wrath cry before, and that messed me up just as badly as when Bane had. He apologized profusely for failing her and for all the years she’d suffered. Poor Elisa finally had to sternly tell him to cut it out.
“Stop fretting, you silly man,” Elisa said. “Whatever we went through, it gave me my beautiful sons. How could I ever regret them? And they are home now, with their Xian brothers. That bastard made the Vanguard stronger. And together, you will take him down and make him rue the day he ever messed with us. In this, too, we have served the Vanguard.”
Wrath didn’t respond and only pulled her into his embrace again. She smiled, kissed his temple, and gently caressed his black hair. Finally getting a grip, Wrath let her go and stepped back, looking awkward and embarrassed.
“And who might be this beautiful young lady?” Elisa asked, looking at me with friendly eyes.
Bane, who had been holding my hand while Wrath was reuniting with his mother, tugged me forward, looking sheepish like a teenage boy bringing his first girlfriend home.
“Mother, this is Tabitha, Chaos’s Soulcatcher, and my bonded mate. My Queen.”
Tears welled in Elisa’s eyes, and she beckoned, a trembling smile playing on her lips. “My dear sister, or should I say daughter?” Elisa said with a teary laugh. “I knew he would find you. He didn’t think happiness possible for him and his brothers, but I knew. I always knew.” She cupped my face in her hands and studied my features. Then her fingertips traced the scales of my mantle, a look of awe on her face. “You’re so beautiful. Thank you for taking care of my baby.”
“I am not a baby anymore, Mother,” Bane mumbled, which made us all laugh.
“You will learn that, to a parent, their children are forever babies,” Elisa said teasingly to her son.
“Your baby has swept me off my feet and saved my life twice. So, I should be the one thanking you. You have wonderful sons,” I said, feeling self-conscious at ‘meeting the parent.’
“Aren’t they?” Elisa said, beaming with pride. “Speaking of which, where are my other babies?”
“We first wanted to confirm you were ready to deal with so many brats at once,” Dread said.
Elisa nodded, her approving smile indicating she knew we’d kept the children in the dark in case the mothers were too emotionally unstable. The little ones had suffered enough.
“I would very much like to see them. But… before you bring them, is Legion still around?” Elisa asked.
I barely managed to keep myself from gaping at her. The lovely blush on her cheeks and the timid way she batted her eyelashes gave away her crush on one of the two faces of the Vanguard.
“Yes,” I said, unable to hide the amusement in my voice. “Legion and Chaos are still the leaders of the Vanguard. He’s currently visiting with Meredith.”
“I will get him for you,” Wrath said, a teasing glimmer in his eyes.
Like many of the Warriors, he had been paired with a Soulcatcher infatuated with Legion.
“I wouldn’t want to bother him,” Elisa said, her cheeks turning crimson, to her sons’ dismay.
“He would have come to see you anyway,” Wrath said reassuringly.
Moments later, he returned with Legion, accompanied by Ayana. After another emotional reunion, Elisa, with her cheeks on the verge of bursting into flames, asked Ayana if she could kiss Legion on the lips, just once, no tongue.
Ayana gaped at her before joining in Wrath and me laughing out loud. Legion, Bane, and Dread looked mortified, which only made us laugh harder. Being a good sport, Ayana told Legion to proceed. The poor man felt so awkward, not only at kissing another woman in front of his mate, but also of doing so in front of her sons.
Wrath would never let him live it down.
The kiss was brief and chaste. Elisa took a step back then cupped Legion’s face in her hands, and she stared at him with affection.
“Thank you for allowing me to win my bet against Meredith. I told her that, one day, I’d get to kiss my biggest crush,” Elisa said smugly. I snorted, Legion and Ayana chuckled, while her sons and Wrath shook their heads in disbelief. “But thank you also for being the best leader the Vanguard could have ever hoped for, and for bringing my babies home,” Elisa added, sobering. “Promise me you will look after my sons.”
“Mother…” Bane said reprovingly.
“Hush boy,” she said to him distractedly before refocusing on Legion. “Promise me,” she insisted.
“I promise,” Legion said.
“And so do I,” said Wrath, who had pretty much adopted Bane and Dread since finding out they were his former Soulcatcher’s sons.
“Thank you,” Elisa said with obvious relief. “Now, I would love to see my youngest boys.”
One by one, the Scelks pulled the children into the mind-walk. Their emotions at seeing their mother young, beautiful, and aware literally wrecked me. Legion and his mate, Wrath and I made a discreet exit to grant Elisa some private time with her children.
By the time the mind-walk ended, the Scelks had forever earned the gratitude of the Vanguard.
In the two weeks that followed, the parents and relatives of the hybrids’ mothers were flown to Khepri for a final farewell. As per the women’s request, no one was allowed to see their physical form inside the liveship; that wasn’t the last image they wanted their families to be left with. But, once more with the help of the Scelks, they said goodbye in the dream world.
* * *
I had decided to move in with Bane in the new residential development with the rest of his brothers, instead of having him settle with me in my luxury condo in the Aspirants Residence. We’d picked a house with a large backyard so the swarm of children we intended to have could play. If things kept going in the direction I expected they would, Myriam and I would be neighbors again once she bond-mated with Dread.
As I’d rightfully guessed, Bane wasn’t just an artist, but also an artisan in his spare time. We could have gotten everything we needed for free in the wondrous shops of Khepri’s mall, but we both agreed to make our own furniture. While I occasionally helped with some of the stone and woodwork Bane did, I mostly created glass blown ornaments for them, stained glass for all or part of our windows, as well as decorative sculptures and objects that combined both our skills. We weren’t just building a relationship, but a home that reflected us and, soon I hoped, a family as well.
Today, we would work on our dining table. I had already made a few sketches that I wanted to run by Bane. He returned from training his little brothers just as I was putting on my work clothes. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me in the bedroom, his face taking on an expression I couldn’t decipher.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, confused by his odd behavior.
Bane continued to stare for a few more seconds before slowly shaking his head. “Nothing. Put on your flowy white dress and lose the underwear. We’re going out.”
“Wait, what? But… What about the table?” I asked, watching in shock as he turned around to leave.
“Hurry,” he said over his shoulder in an almost emotionless voice, then walked out of the room.
I gaped at the door as it closed behind him, looked down at my outfit, and then shrugged. Whatever was going on in my mate’s crazy head, if it involved no undies, I was down with that. Quickly shedding my clothes, I slipped into the white, spaghetti strap sundress that Bane loved so much, then walked out of the room. The muffled sound of my sandals on the polished wooden floor were the only sound in the house.
“Bane?” I called out.
No answer.
I wondered where he’d gone to. Yet, instinctively, I went to the back of the house where, sure enough, I found him standing naked on the patio, staring off in the distance. When he heard me approach, he extended a hand in my direction, although he remained with his back to me. More confused than ever, I took his hand and let him draw me to him.
Pulling me into his embrace, he lifted me up with both hands at the back of my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his waist and arms around his neck, my gaze lost in his. Bane’s intensity made me tingle all over. My mate rarely acted so cryptically, but far from being annoying, the mystery excited me. Summoning his wings, he flew off, carrying me in complete silence.
“Talk to me,” I whispered.
His lips parted, but only to let the sharp tips of his double fangs peek through. His face approached mine. My stomach flip-flopped with anticipation. I loved the dominant way in which he kissed me.
But he didn’t.
To my surprise, he buried his face in my neck and inhaled deeply. A hungry growl rose from his throat, then gradually shifted into his mating song. The subtonal vibration wiped away all confusion and made me instantly wet and needy. The wind against my skin suddenly felt like a million micro-caresses, and his scales scraping against me were like tiny hands sensually clawing me. For the first time—at least as far as I could recall—Bane used his mating pheromones to make me crazy with lust. Its spicy scent of cinnamon and ginger had my inner
walls contracting and my nipples aching.
“Bane,” I moaned painfully.
“Your scent is maddening,” Bane said at last, his voice so thick with desire it came out almost like an unintelligible growl. “You are ripe for your mate. I’m going to wreck you.”
Bane increased his flight speed, the wind suddenly feeling cooler over my feverish skin. For the first time, I actually gazed around us and realized we headed towards the Dragons Rise, oddly named considering it was in fact a chasm framing a shallow river, with lush plateaus on each side—far away from indiscreet eyes. His words finally sank in.
I was ripe because I was ovulating. My scent was driving him crazy.
His loin plate parting had me soaking wet and throbbing. And then, as he rubbed his stiff cock against my core, I realized this was our mating flight. Gomenzi Dragons usually bonded at the beginning of the female’s fertility cycle and completed their physical union in flight.
Crushing my lips with the passionate kiss I’d so longed for, Bane’s tongue invaded my mouth at the same time his shaft penetrated my sex. This was no gentle lovemaking, but the brutal clash of two bodies becoming one. Waves of pleasure washed over me, each sensation enhanced a thousand fold by his mating song and his pheromones that even the wind lashing at us couldn’t disperse.
Since our true bonding, it felt like Bane’s cock had gained mass at the same time as his arms and chest. He battered my insides, wresting one orgasm from me after another, filling me with his burning seed with each climax. The whole time, we swirled and twirled, barrel-rolled and dove between the wide trenches of the chasm. Excitement and fear only added to the whirlwind of sensations that had me on the brink of insanity. But even as my mate roared his release, he kept control of his rollercoaster flight pattern and continued to pound into me until my legs felt weak around his waist.