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“Tell me how bad it really is, Father,” I say as soon as Keri, Grace, and my mother are in the other room.
I could tell, even though what my father and Olex had already explained was bad enough to have me and everyone else worried, that there had to be more. That my father and Olex would try and protect the women from the worst of it until they had no other choice. And the grimace that comes to my father's face tells me I'm right.
“The human leaders are threatening to send soldiers down here to search, as they put it, when they really mean raid, our home in search of Leah.”
My eyes widen in alarm as my mouth opens to speak, but he puts his hand up to stop me.
“They will come into our village over my cold, dead body,” he grits out.
“What it's truly about is that they're looking for an excuse to carry out violence against us,” Olex says. “The video of Kayo killing the three men has been shown on the news above, although it's easy to tell it's been heavily doctored. It jumps from frame to frame, and Leah is blurred out.”
“Why hide her?”
“We think they're trying to keep it hidden,” my father states. “That she's the sister of not one but two women who have been sent down here. Because then people might begin to wonder why she was truly with them to begin with. And from what Keri said, they don't want people asking those questions, and possibly getting to the truth.”
“So, it just looks like Kayo killed three men in order to kidnap a human woman?” I nod. “And they're going to use that to, what, start another war, come into our homes, stop sending mates down here?”
“I think all of the above,” Olex sadly states. “We've begun preparing for an invasion, just in case.”
My heart sinks as my anger rises. “How dare they threaten to come down here? Do they think we'll so easily let them take our homes from us?”
“Let them think our need for our mates makes us so weak.” My father gives a grim smile. “It will only make them easier to defeat.”
“But what truly happened?” I puzzle. “Even as hotheaded as Kayo is, he would never set our laws aside for anything less than a dire situation.”
“Grace wondered if Leah had indeed tried to run without Keri there, but now that we have this information from Keri, we have to assume they were trying to hurt her in some way, and he had no choice but to intervene.”
“I don't understand why he doesn't come home, though.” My father shakes his head.
“Maybe he fears they actually have come down to look for her and he's trying to protect us.” I provide. “Or it’s possible he's still trying to honor the thirty-day period and give her a choice in the matter.”
“It's a little too late for that,” my father murmurs. Then, he stands, exhaustion clear in his stance. “But we don't need to worry about all of that tonight. I have males watching the humans for their every decision, and you have a new mate to take care of.”
I smile at Olex, even though my heart is so heavy. “Are you getting any sleep?”
“I am, actually.” He chuckles. “The moment me or Grace even yawns, Mother and Father are there to offer to take Bazin.”
“Well, now Keri and I will be trying to take him as well.”
“I don't think Bazin even knows what it's like not to be held when he's awake.”
“Nor should he,” my father adds.
“Where was all of this coddling when we were little?” I ask, murmuring the question to Olex.
“I was a father, then. I'm a grandfather now, which means it's Olex's job to teach him all the hard things and my job to listen to him complain about Olex.”
“My son will not be complaining about me,” Olex protests.
My father just barks out a laugh. “Yeah, like you never complained about me to my father.”
“Well, can I meet Bazin now?”
“Come.” Olex waves me forward.
I follow him into the room and my heart seizes in my chest at seeing my mate holding a child, smiling that soft smile that I love, and humming some song for him. I have always wanted a son, but never as badly as I do while I watch her right now.
“I bet you want me to plan a very quick bonding ceremony, don't you?” My mother teases.
