Rest and Recovery

The clan was in recovery mode for a while. The sight of Damon and Mateus mending their own bones was a gruesome spectacle. Mateus managed to realign his nose, and his leg was on the mend, though he limped for a few days.

Their cuts and scrapes, however, healed surprisingly fast—almost completely within a day. Lilitha, with her pants torn to bits, was content either being naked or wrapped in her cloak. Her injuries, on the other hand, seemed to take an eternity to heal.

“This isn’t fair,” she complained, wincing as Carmella cleaned her wounds, especially the ones on her neck and nipple. The latter was particularly painful, making it difficult to nurse Silus for more than a few moments at a time.

“You need to keep nursing him, Lilitha, or you’ll risk an infection from the milk buildup,” Carmella advised.

Lilitha sat in Mateus’s lap, drawing comfort from his warmth as she tried to follow Carmella’s advice. But it was painful. It hurt so much.

“It feels like he’s chewing on me like a bone,” she said.

Mateus held her close, kissing her neck right where the bite mark was. He was still upset with himself, still filled with regret. Lilitha sighed, leaning back into him.

She turned her face to him, kissing his chin, then his lips. The alphas hadn’t told her what they did with the body, and Lilitha didn’t want to know. It saddened her, though.

Because there aren’t many of us left. Her resentment toward humans was growing. Damon was due to bring another body soon, and she was ready to react as she had before—with cold detachment.

And that’s exactly what happened. An older man with a white beard was the next victim. His long white hair was matted with blood.

His blue eyes stared blankly at the treetops. His body was covered in scars, as if he’d survived a fire. Damon started to skin him.

“You should rest, Damon,” Lilitha said.

“You’re busy,” he replied.

“I’ll do it,” Carmella offered, taking the knife from him and kneeling beside the body.

Damon sat next to Lilitha, sighing. He smiled, reaching over to tickle Silus’s chin. Then he gently touched Lilitha’s sore nipple, grimacing.

They all watched Carmella work, skillfully removing the skin and then the flesh. The women had been busy weaving baskets for the past few days. A stack of empty ones leaned against a tree.

They’d also managed to harvest a bowl of tamarron. Carmella’s speed was almost hypnotic. Silus pulled away from Lilitha’s breast, his face smeared with milk.

He gurgled and kicked his legs, staring up at the canopy in a daze. He was getting heavier each day. Lilitha didn’t know much about babies, but he seemed big for his age.

Then again, he’d been big at birth too.

“I’ll take him,” Damon offered, extending his arms.

Lilitha handed Silus over, and Damon expertly propped him up on his shoulder, patting his back. Silus burped, his chubby hand tangled in Damon’s long red hair.

His little tail twirled lazily, as milk-drunk as the rest of him. The sight made Lilitha’s cheeks warm. She reached over to twirl her finger in his tail, feeling a surge of pride.

She still couldn’t believe she’d made him. That ~they’d~ made him. Carmella approached them.

“Here.” She handed Lilitha and Mateus a basket. “Eat the liver. It’s good for healing.”

They all ate together, Lilitha leaning against Mateus’s chest. She looked at the remains of the man, feeling nothing but love for her clan.

***

Life continued this way for a few weeks. It wasn’t perfect, but they were healthy and had each other. There were no more rogue alphas, and the humans kept their distance.

Damon and Mateus were careful about their victims and had remained undetected so far. Lilitha knew it wouldn’t last, but she hoped that when the time came, the humans’ fear would keep them away.

They even ventured to a secluded stretch of shoreline, far from the fishing village. The water was freezing, leaving Lilitha and Carmella shivering. The alphas seemed to handle the cold better, their bodies always running hot.

They laughed as they playfully shoved and tackled each other. At one point, Mateus emerged from the water coughing and spluttering, then vomited up a bellyful of seawater.

Lilitha found that the water was warmer beneath the surface, especially when she was in Mateus’s arms. They floated together, the moonlight reflecting off the water and illuminating Mateus’s horns and eyes.

Damon and Carmella were nearby, whispering to each other. Lilitha intertwined her fingers with Mateus’s. When they were done, they made love.

As they always did. As Carmella and Lilitha tried to do as often as possible. But it still wasn’t enough.

“~There aren’t many of us left.~” Mateus groaned as he thrust deep inside her, his large hand gently cupping her breast.

Lilitha felt him climax, a rush of warmth that chased away the lingering cold from their swim. Mateus nuzzled her ear, then kissed her. He kissed her again and again until Lilitha smiled, then laughed.

He rolled onto his back, positioning Lilitha on his hips. Lilitha leaned over to kiss his chest.

“Feel better?”

“Some,” he replied, his eyes shining.

She ran her fingers through his chest hair. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“That we’re not enough.”

“You ARE enough.”

Lilitha reached over to touch the cut on his chin, a souvenir from Damon after their scuffle earlier that day. Their fights were frequent, and when they weren’t fighting, eating, or making love, they were running through the trees, trying to burn off their seemingly endless energy.

Mateus grunted as she leaned over to kiss his Adam’s apple. They’d already made love twice that day, and Mateus had also been with Carmella. Yet, he was still hard inside her.

He grunted again, his eyelids fluttering as she twisted her hips. Then, she started to rock. His lips parted in a gasp as he grabbed her thighs, his eyes sparkling as he watched her body move.

His stomach muscles tightened, his eyes rolled back, and he jerked his head up as he thrust. With a growl, he pulled her down hard by the hips, his tip bending against her cervix as he filled her with his cum for the second time.

Exhausted, he fell back onto the ground, his lips moist from licking them. Lilitha laughed and playfully tugged at his horns, pulling his head back as she kissed down his throat and chest. She slid off him, continuing her trail of kisses down his belly.

She kissed his penis, then went even lower to his balls. Finally, his erection began to soften. His eyes were half-closed as he lazily ran his fingers through her hair.

His arms fell to his sides, and he started to snore. Smiling, Lilitha snuggled up next to him and curled into his side. Mateus’s eyes snapped open. He smiled, then pulled her close.

Lilitha sighed contentedly, burying her face into his chest.

***

Silus was now smiling, showing real expressions. Mateus seemed to be having the time of his life. He’d laid Silus on the ground and was leaning over his chubby head to blow raspberries on his round belly.

Each time Silus smiled, Mateus would laugh and do it again. Silus kept opening and closing his hands, and Mateus gently placed the tip of his left horn into one of them. Silus clung to it, gurgling happily.

Carmella and Lilitha were sitting together, Lilitha’s hand resting on Carmella’s knee as they watched the scene fondly. Carmella brushed Lilitha’s hair off her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

The female Diablon was becoming more affectionate with Lilitha, and Lilitha began to wonder if Carmella was already hoping for a sibling for Silus. She kept touching Lilitha’s belly and breasts, and Lilitha could swear she saw Carmella’s nostrils flare whenever she entered the room, as if she was sniffing for her monthly blood.

But Carmella must know it was pointless. Lilitha doubted anything would happen while she was breastfeeding. And she didn’t want it to. Not yet.

Mateus pulled his massive head away and scooped Silus into his arms, no longer so hesitant. His huge hands were even gentler than Lilitha’s, though the baby did seem to disappear in his muscular arms, hidden behind his bulging biceps.

Silus’s tiny tail wriggled happily as he cooed. Lilitha turned her head as Mateus caught the scent of Damon’s approach. Soon, he emerged from the trees, carrying his latest kill.

He dropped it to the ground and rubbed his hands together, his cheeks flushed and eyes bright. Without hesitation, he went over and kissed Lilitha and Carmella. Then he picked up Silus, gently nuzzling his ear as he held him securely in his strong arms.

Silus grabbed onto his nose with a squawk. Damon sat down, holding Silus close to his chest as he tickled his belly.

“Things are changing down there,” he said, glancing at Mateus with a meaningful look. “We’ve got to be prepared.”

Lilitha felt a shiver run down her spine. “They know about us.”

“They know something. More doors are being locked. More windows are being closed. Very few people are out at night now. It’s getting harder. Soon, they’ll come and investigate.”

Lilitha reached out and grabbed Carmella’s hand.

Mateus bared his teeth. “We’ll be ready.”