Chapter 14

The Diablons, all five of them, feasted on the dead until the bodies began to decay. Lilitha, for the first time in her existence, felt full.

Her ribs were no longer visible, and her collarbones didn’t jut out as they used to.

Her cheeks had plumped up and she could feel her thighs and backside jiggle as she moved. Her breasts seemed more noticeable now.

Damon and Mateus had noticed too, their hands instinctively reaching for her breasts or her butt whenever they crossed paths. This was a new development.

But it wasn’t just her physical appearance that had changed.

She felt stronger, more powerful. She wasn’t as exhausted as before and she was sleeping better.

Her reactions were quicker, her vision sharper.

Muscles had formed in her arms and thighs that she hadn’t noticed before. She felt like she was becoming a different person.

Her pregnancy was another change. She wasn’t sure how far along she was, but her belly was definitely round.

Her lower back was starting to ache, and her nipples were tender.

She found herself massaging her lower abdomen more often. She was sweating more and her libido—oh, her libido!

It was like a constant flame. She was always seeking companionship, whether it was from Mateus, Damon, or even Carmella.

Carmella had a habit of touching her. She would run her hands over Lilitha’s belly and her tender, swelling breasts.

She kissed Lilitha often—on the mouth, on her belly, on her nipples—but it didn’t feel sexual.

It was as if Carmella was trying to experience what Lilitha was going through. Every time she saw Lilitha, she would glow with happiness and ensure Lilitha had everything she needed.

“You have questions,” Carmella said one day as they sat together, her eyes searching Lilitha’s face. “Of course you do. You’re getting closer to your due date, and we haven’t really discussed the birth.”

Lilitha grimaced. “It scares me.”

“Don’t be scared. I know what I’m doing.”

Lilitha’s eyebrows shot up. “You—you’ve assisted with a birth before?”

“Many times. It’s a requirement for a female Diablon.”

Lilitha let out a sigh of relief. She rested her hand on her belly. “Thank God. Should I—should I be worried?”

“About what?”

“Well—about the pain, about dying, about suffering.”

Carmella tilted her head. “What do you mean? Yes, it will hurt. But not too much. You won’t die.”

“You’re being very optimistic. Many women die in childbirth.”

Carmella looked confused for a moment, then her face cleared. “For human women, maybe. But not for Diablons. It’s rare for a Diablon to die in childbirth. I’ve never even seen it.”

“Really?”

Carmella nodded. “It’s what we’re built for. We may not be particularly strong when it comes to hunting, but when it comes to giving birth…we excel. We are incredibly powerful. Incredibly resilient.” Her eyes sparkled. “You really have no idea, do you?”

“I guess not.” Lilitha glanced over at Mateus, who was sitting next to Silus. They were whispering to each other, and Mateus gently brushed some hair off Silus’s shoulder.

“But what if—what if the baby is Mateus’s? Damon’s would be bad enough, but Mateus is ~huge~.”

“The baby ~grows~, Lilitha. It doesn’t start off big.” Carmella laughed.

“I know that! But still…”

“You’ll handle it. Trust me. You’re very strong.”

“You think?”

“Absolutely.”

Lilitha ran her hand over her stomach. “If I think about it, I’m doing much better than many other women I’ve seen.”

“Human women,” Carmella corrected her.

“~Human~ women,” Lilitha agreed. She could still walk long distances. Her aches and pains were minimal compared to others.

She was peeing a lot, though. ~That~ was annoying. “What about the baby itself? What if—what if ~it~ dies?”

“Unlikely. Rare.”

“Have you seen it happen?”

“Once. And it’s something… It won’t happen. I won’t let it,” Carmella said fiercely. “Everything will be fine. Are you hungry? Do you need me to get you something?” She stood up.

“No, that’s all right.”

“You might as well,” Carmella told her, hands on her hips like she was Lilitha’s mother. “It’s only going to rot anyway.”

“I suppose. Okay. I wouldn’t mind something to gnaw on.”

Carmella left. Lilitha leaned back against the tree behind her, rubbing her stomach as she closed her eyes, imagining the days and weeks and months to come.

Imagining what it would be like to hold a baby in her arms. Wondering how it would change things.

She snapped open her eyes. How long before she fell pregnant again? Again and again. She’d known human women with over ten children.

More, if one didn’t include the miscarriages and deaths. She’d already been pregnant twice.

She couldn’t have that many children. She didn’t ~want~ to. She didn’t care if she was strong. Her poor body.

“You look worried.”

Lilitha jerked her eyes up to find Damon standing over her.

“Just thinking.”

He was looking at her, giving her that look. He held out his hand. Lilitha took it and he helped her to her feet. They disappeared into the trees together.

They stopped and Damon turned. He grabbed her shoulders, smoothing his hands down her arms. Then he leaned in to kiss her.

Lilitha kissed back but her heart wasn’t in it.

Damon pulled away, tilting his head. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s going to happen once I have this baby?”

“What do you mean? We’ll be a family.”

“That’s not what I mean. What if I fall pregnant again? Over and over again? How many will I have? We have sex all the time!”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

Lilitha bared her teeth at him. “Not for you, maybe.”

“I guess I haven’t really thought about it. I have several siblings. But I ~did~ have two fertile mothers.”

“Of course you wouldn’t think about it.” Lilitha shook her head, annoyed. “Doesn’t sound fair.”

“You’ve said that before.” He huffed. “It’s not exactly easy for me either, you know? Hunting. Slaughtering. Putting my life at risk. We all have roles, Lilitha.”

“Is that right? So my role is to pop out as many babies as I can? Even if I don’t want them?”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Exactly. It’s ~not~ that simple.”

Both Lilitha and Damon turned their backs to each other. A sigh escaped Lilitha’s lips as Damon ran his fingers through his hair.

“Well, that sure took the wind out of our sails, huh?” Damon’s voice broke the silence.

“Are you actually making a joke? That’s not like you, Damon,” Lilitha’s voice was laced with surprise.

“I’m evolving,” Damon replied, a playful smirk on his face.

He flashed his teeth at her in a teasing grin. Lilitha responded with a grin of her own.

His large hands found their way to her hips, pulling her closer until their bodies were flush against each other.

“Do you really think this is something we should be worrying about right now?” His voice was a low murmur in her ear as he brushed her hair away from her neck, leaning in to press his lips against her skin.

A giggle bubbled up from Lilitha as she squirmed against him, his tongue teasing her skin.

With a strength that never ceased to amaze her, Damon lifted her onto his hips.

She snuggled into him, her arms wrapped around him as he continued to nuzzle her neck.

Her eyes fluttered closed as he nipped at her skin, the sensation sending a shiver down her spine.

Turning her attention to his throat, Lilitha returned the favor, her teeth grazing his skin just enough to draw a small bead of blood.

She quickly lapped it up, causing Damon to shiver in response.

His head tilted back, exposing his Adam’s apple to her.

She pressed a kiss there, nibbling again and drawing more blood.

Gently, he set her back on her feet.

His fingers traced the edge of her tunic’s sleeve before he grabbed it and pulled it off.

A laugh escaped Lilitha as he quickly removed her pants.

She kicked them off, shoes and all.

“Get on the ground,” he commanded, his voice a low growl.