Chapter 17

For a couple of months, Damon and Mateus took turns making the lengthy trek to the road that connected the two large towns of Mainstry and Esteria. Despite Lilitha’s anxiety, they always came back without any incidents.

On several occasions, they returned with not just grown men, but also women and children. Lilitha was taken aback by the sight of a small body draped over Damon’s broad shoulders.

She watched, her heart pounding in her chest, as he carelessly dropped a little girl at his feet. Her dark hair spread out around her. Her eyes were slightly open, revealing pale irises. Except for a bit of blood staining the hem of her dress, she could have been sleeping.

Lilitha shot an accusing look at Damon, who returned it with a glare. “Don’t start, Lilitha. The road was deserted. They were all I could find,”

Lilitha’s gaze shifted to the body of a woman, her face hidden by her long dark hair. Her shirt was soaked in blood. Her throat was ripped open.

“You could have waited,” she told him.

“And you would have starved. So, what’s it going to be, Lilitha? Them or us?”

She remained silent as he walked away, dragging the woman behind him, leaving Lilitha to deal with the child.

***

Lilitha’s belly seemed to expand overnight to an enormous size. She couldn’t see her feet. Sleep was already a challenge without the constant need to pee.

She definitely couldn’t lie on her back anymore. And the sweating—why did she have to sweat so damn much!

“Because everything is twice as hard, obviously,” Carmella explained.

Lilitha’s belly button had popped out and her breasts were starting to ache. Whenever she tried to get up, she had to roll onto her side and push herself up from her knees.

“It has to be yours, Mateus,” Lilitha said.

“That’s not true. The size of the father doesn’t determine the size of the baby,” Carmella corrected. “You’re just nourishing it well.”

“~We’re~ nourishing it well,” Mateus chimed in from his spot next to Silus. The fire’s glow reflected off his horns, making his eyes sparkle. The weather was starting to cool down, but not enough to require their cloaks. And certainly not enough for Lilitha.

“You’re close,” Carmella said, her eyes filled with a wild anticipation. “Not much longer now.”

“Clearly,” Lilitha replied. Then she frowned. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared,” Damon’s voice echoed.

Lilitha whipped her head around to glare at Damon as he entered the clearing. “How is that helpful?”

Damon grinned at her, showing his teeth. He held up the water bladder he was carrying. “I brought you something.”

“I’m not thirsty.”

“It’s not water.”

Lilitha squinted her eyes as she sniffed the air. She quickly looked back at Damon as he handed her the bladder. “It’s from my last kill.”

Lilitha remembered the woman with the torn throat. Despite herself, her mouth began to water. She took the bladder and opened it. The smell hit her like a punch. It made her eyes roll back. It made her tongue tingle.

“My mother used to enjoy it while she was pregnant with my little sister.”

“Just blood?” Her teeth ached with the need to bite into something.

He nodded. “Try it.”

“There’s a lot of nutrition in it,” Silus added. “And it’s not easy to come by.”

“You got that right,” Damon agreed.

Lilitha hesitated. As usual, everyone was watching her. She closed her eyes, blocking them out, and took a sip. Her eyes flew open, then closed again. She took several long, deep gulps. It felt like her whole mouth was buzzing. Her tongue felt numb. It was so smooth and thick going down her throat. She paused, savoring it, then opened her eyes.

Damon was watching her. “What do you think?”

“Thank you.” Lilitha wiped her mouth. “Wow.” Then she took another long drink. Damon sat down beside her.

“Here.” Lilitha took his hand and placed it on her belly. “I’m not the only one who’s grateful.”

He jumped. “It moved!”

Lilitha laughed. Carmella laid her hand on her too. Then Mateus came over. Followed by Silus. They were all gathered around her. Lilitha’s cheeks hurt from smiling.

She loved them all so much.

The following evening, Lilitha was swimming alone in a beautiful little creek where ancient trees arched overhead. Stars twinkled between them. Leaves fluttered onto the still surface. Little frogs jumped into the water from lily pads with tiny plops. The crickets were chirping. The larger frogs were croaking from their hidden spots among the reeds.

Lilitha had been in the water for a while, enjoying the coolness as it washed the sweat from her skin. It made her body feel light for a change. She missed that—feeling light. She was floating, gazing up at the branches when her nose twitched. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes. There it was again. A faint sweetness in the air. She sniffed deeply, then stood up, the water cascading around her as she left the creek, her heart pounding, a mix of fear and excitement coursing through her veins.

It was time.

In the hours that followed, the scent of humans grew stronger and stronger until it was overpowering, until she could hardly smell anything else, except for the nearest flowers and the musk of the two alphas. It hadn’t been like this in Mainstry. It hadn’t been like this during the attack either. With each passing moment, she was becoming less human. More ~wild~.

“So we just wait?” Lilitha asked.

“They’re still many hours away,” Silus said, lifting his nose. “Maybe a day or more at their pace.”

Lilitha rested her chin on her fist as she looked through the trees. Damon and Mateus had left to ensure their prey wasn’t planning something like last time. They’d been gone for several hours.

“Shouldn’t they be back by now?” Lilitha could smell them, but it was hard to tell how close they were with all the human “stink.”

“Missing us already?” Damon’s voice echoed.

Lilitha tried to get up but slumped back down with a grunt. Mateus appeared behind Damon.

“What did you find out?” Silus asked.

“All is good,” Mateus said. “Normal. No tricks. These are real prisoners this time.”

“Mateus says we’ve got a reputation now,” Damon’s voice was filled with a certain satisfaction. “We just have to sit tight.”

He moved toward Lilitha, his smile infectious, and offered her a hand up. After a quick, passionate kiss, they walked hand in hand to join Silus.

Damon’s face was flushed and glistening with sweat. Lilitha found herself unable to look away from him.

As Silus and Damon engaged in conversation, Lilitha began to untie the knot of hair at the base of Damon’s neck.

She let it cascade down his back, running her fingers through the silky strands.

Damon responded by gently caressing her thigh, a simple gesture that spoke volumes.

Meanwhile, Carmella found a comfortable spot in Mateus’s lap.

Once Damon’s hair was free and gleaming, Lilitha wrapped her arms around him.

She rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a content sigh.

She found comfort in the rhythm of his voice, the warmth of his body, even though his sweat was making her sticky.

From behind them, Carmella’s moans filled the air as she and Mateus made love, unabashedly in the open. The sounds only added to Lilitha’s growing heat.

She watched as Carmella dismounted from the towering Diablon, his member slipping out of her.

Lilitha felt a rush of heat surge through her body, her heart pounding in her chest.

The scent of him was suddenly overpowering, cutting through the sweet aroma of the approaching humans.

It filled her senses. It filled her lungs.

Letting go of Damon, who was still deep in conversation with Silus, she made her way toward Mateus.