Episode Forty-Two Epilogue

A lliana

"Was there a reason no one told me it was going to get cold this winter?" I whine as I leave the cave to dart into the bushes to take care of my morning business.

"We're terrible mates," Dek calls after me with a chuckle.

"Yes," Luka adds. "We're terrible mates and horrible liars. I admit it was awful that we kept telling you winter was the best season of the year."

"Yes," jokes Mirron, "it was part of our devious plan to keep you to ourselves in our cave all winter long."

"Very funny," I say, then feel as though my insides have turned to stone. As I wipe with a leaf, I look at it as I always do. There's no mistaking that, along with a trace of my urine, there's a smear of blood.

I take a deep breath and coach myself to get my emotions under control. Besides, it's far too cold to stay out here moping for any longer than I must.

I made a friend with Kiri, one of the few females in the monk community. Luckily, the first time I bled, we were visiting Azael. I was terrified—thought I was dying.

She explained things to me, but wondered how I'd never bled before since I'm 18 years old. I didn't know how to explain it, but I imagine there was some suppressant in the pills my father forced me to take once a month. I guess handing me over to all his friends was one thing, but having me pregnant before he auctioned me to the highest bidder would have been bad for his bank balance.

Ever since I learned how to get pregnant, I've been hoping to never see blood on my leaves again. From what I understand from Kiri, now I'll have to wait another month.

I guess that's not so terrible. It will be wonderful to have more time with just the four of us before we make a child. The idea that hovers might swoop in and steal my babe is terrifying. Maybe it's best that we proceed with our plans about stopping the people from Up Above from terrorizing us.

Kiri gave me a basket of absorbent fibers and told me where to collect them near the riverbank next spring. After taking care of my hygiene, I get ready to return to the cave when Luka jokes, "Did you get lost, mate? Just keep talking and I'll follow the noise and rescue you."

I put a smile on my face and cover the leaf by kicking the remains of the small skift of snow over it. There's no reason for all of us to be sad today.

"It smells delicious," Deklan says when I return through the makeshift covering we strung across the mouth of our cave to keep out the worst of the winter wind. "I can't wait to taste your first attempt at bread."

The ground-up grain that was made into flour is another gift from Kiri. I mix it with water, crushed onion, and fat drippings, then flatten it into a disc and cook it over a hot rock. I'm getting bolder with my cooking and my mates never complain.

Deklan said he can't wait to taste my bread. Out of all my mates, he's the steady one. Calm and happy and always the peacemaker, unless it's with his brother. He'll argue with Luka until one of them dunks the other in the pool. Then they'll laugh.

I hadn't realized our pool was fed by a hot spring until the outside temperature got colder and colder, yet the pool stayed the same temperature. Some evenings we sit in there until our fingers shrivel. Then we hurry to our furs and keep our bodies warm in other ways.

By the look Dek is giving me, like he'd be happy to forget the first batch of bread I'm making and shove his cock into me right now, it's obvious what we'll be doing after dinner. They all love when I latch my dull little teeth into their tough hides as we share our love in so many different positions. They affectionately call them my love bites.

Mirron is sitting on one of the stumps we brought in from outside. He's got a long stick he puts into the fire, then uses the burnt end to draw on the gray rock of the cave floor.

He's a thoughtful male, and ever since the feast night with the troop, he's been preoccupied.

"Little Bird," he calls.

I never know whether my body will respond with embarrassment or need when he uses that term.

He shows me what he's been drawing.

"This? Is the layout of the floors like this?"

I study it, wanting to make sure he has the correct information. "No." Using his stick, I point. "The elevators are here. Up the center shaft."

"Mmm. I see."

He sets his stick on the ground and tugs me into his lap. He nuzzles that wide minotaur nose against my cheek, then lows deep and long into my ear.

"I'm going to fuck you tonight. Just the way you like it, Little Bird. Again and again. My pack and I are going to keep at it until our seed grows inside your belly. Don't be sad."

"How?" How did he know I just spotted my blood?

"I can smell it, love. We all can," he whispers. "We'll just keep trying. That might be the most enjoyable part."

I smile at him and kiss his cheek as the brothers approach and kneel close by. Each of them grips one of my hands and circles an ankle. It's normal in our little pack. We can't be near each other without needing to touch, to affirm our love and connection at all times.

"You want a feline kit that looks like me, right?" Luka's bold words seldom shock me. I'm surprised by his sheer audacity that I'd prefer my babe to look like one mate more than the other.

"You're a troublemaker." I pop his nose in jest, hoping this changes the subject.

"Of course she doesn't want a kit . She wants a pup with black fur and blue eyes." Deklan is in high spirits. If I didn't know by his words, the length of fangs that protrude from his smiling lips is a dead giveaway.

"Maybe she wants a calf who'll grow smooth horns and bellow loud enough to be heard across the valley when it's hungry."

Although I've touched my belly dozens of times since Kiri and I had our talk about how a female gets pregnant, I never allowed my mind to explore the choices.

"Now that you've each painted a picture of what your young might look like, I find myself wanting at least one of each kind."

At that, they burst into laughter.

"Didn't I tell you our Prize was perfect for our pack?" Mirron asks, his head and horns dipping and bobbing as he nods up and down. "She's going to be the best mate and the best mother in all of Down Below."

The four of us cuddle closer: Luka nudging me with his nose, Dek lapping my palm with his thick tongue, and Mirron tucking me closer and settling his chin on my head.

"Alliana?" my minotaur asks.

"Hmm?"

"We're doing this for our young, you know. The sacrifice. The planning. We're going to make Down Under a safer place for all of us. Forever."