Page 53 of Breaking Ties

“I am not opposed to them.”

“Good. My little guy is really heavy, but Ra likes to carry him around.” Harwin grinned. “He also likes to carry me around but only when we have a babysitter.”

Whisper smiled. “Sound thinking.”

Harwin linked arms with her, greeted the other ladies, and hauled her toward Ra and the others.

“Honoured Ra, this human requires a healing unit. She’s as skinny as a chicken.”

Aubrey watched as Whisper was assessed, and Ra snorted and grinned. “Kethen’s technique.”

Nerigot said, “It is my technique. I told Kethen once, and I hear he has used it for his consort.”

Ra grinned. “A similar method. Not exact.”

Nerigot snorted. “No, not exact. She was not that close to death.”

Whisper asked, “What the hell are you talking about?”

Nerigot sighed. “I am sure he will explain it to you.”

Harwin nodded. “Oh, yeah, Ra is a big tattletale. He’s a huge fan of storytelling as well.”

Ra nodded. “Come on, little chicken, we will get you into a unit so you can recover.”

Harwin grinned, and their son squealed and kicked his feet while waving his fists. Harwin said, “That is Harwin junior. Well, Harran is his name. Harwin junior is what the humans call him.”

Ra sighed. “As if I wasn’t there the entire time.”

The baby squirmed and looked at Whisper over his father’s shoulder, and to her surprise, little wings started flapping. She grinned. “Hello, little dude.”

More shrieking and squealing and flapping.

Ra said, “He saves this greeting for humans of power.”

Aubrey was walking with them, which meant Vress was with them, and Nerigot wasn’t left behind. The humans followed.

Whisper glanced behind her. “Oh, fuck, we have a parade.”

Harwin snorted. “I’ve got this. You follow Ra. Aubrey, Vress, Nerigot, you stay with me, and I will do a tour of the grand hall.”

Aubrey looked at Whisper. “I would rather go with her.”

“Yes, but that is what triggers the parade. Ra will come up when she is settled.”

Aubrey looked at the others and snorted. “Nerigot got past you.”

“Unsurprising, considering.”

Aubrey frowned. “Um, why would that be?”

“Oh, the Kethen technique is to get a Hmrain’s nanite-filled cum into her by any means possible. Janessa was near death, and Kethen fed it to her. Apparently, his emission tastes like strawberries.”

Aubrey blinked. “She hasn’t been drinking anything odd.”

“Then... how?”

“She’s been getting IV treatments. She had dangerously low blood volume,” Aubrey muttered. “Oh, wow. I had no idea they were so sneaky. I mean, I know Vress is.”