Page 38 of His Human to Learn

"We should probably go tell Erkoz and Xoth that we lied," Marron says with a tight pull of his lips.

"Uh, fuck no," Nia shakes her head. "I'm going to tell their mate that her mates were assholes and let her deal with it."

"I think that means we can go back home." I hit Marron's hip with mine, reminding him of things we promised to one another on our way out here.

Marron shifts his body so he isn't facing Nia anymore, and I bite back my smile when I look down and see his cock straining against his pants. I shoot him a devilish wink that has himhissing at me in displeasure. I wiggle my brows at him and wrap my fingers in his.

"We're leaving," I call over my shoulder.

"Thro, do not visit us until I come to get you." Marron pins his brother with a look that tells him he will regret his decision if he even thinks of interrupting us. Thro opens his mouth to object, probably to say something like, 'The most favorite male should not be told he is not allowed somewhere.'

Nia cuts him off before he can form the first word. "We'll keep him busy on the farm. You two have fun. We'll see you when you're ready to be around others."

"Never," Marron whispers into my ear as he guides me out of the house. "If it is up to me, I will keep you trapped in my bed forever."

"Promises, promises."

I lift his hand to my mouth and wrap my teeth around his wrist. I give it a soft bite that has Marron hissing his pleasure. I'm off the ground and thrown over his shoulder before the squeal has a chance to form in my lungs.

"Tell me what you plan on doing to me today," Marron says as he picks up the pace and runs through the field toward our house. "Use all those human words, Tori. I want to know exactly what I have to look forward to."

"Everything," I laugh as the wind whips my hair around my face. "I want to do it all with you, Marron."

He hops the fence that leads to our farmland. "We have a whole life. I think we can make that work."

19

Tori

Seven and a Half Years Later

Thro groans as he twists on the bed. Two days ago, he started going through the changing, and he asked if he could stay in one of our spare rooms so he wouldn't traumatize Toron's children. Apparently, he's perfectly fine traumatizing mine, but then again, Wren and Lark are only three years old and probably won't remember all of Thro's moaning and groaning at all hours.

Marron wraps an arm over my abdomen, spreading his fingers wide over my growing belly. Vex has promised me there is only one in there this time. I told Marron if he knocked me up with twins again, I was going to seal him because it was exhausting. It was exhausting to make them, to carry them, to give birth to both of them, and it has been exhausting still as they grow anddecide never to want to sleep at the same time. The only reason we haven't gone insane is that we have so much family who enjoy helping out. I didn't get the whole it takes a village thing. Then I had twins as my first babies, and now I understand.

"Ahh," Thro's groan starts as a low guttural sound that intensifies as he twists in the blankets again.

"Is there anything we can do?" I ask.

I didn't realize what happened to the males when they went through the changing. I was told they grow and their bodies mature, but I didn't know it put them through so much pain when it happened. It makes sense, but it hurts to watch Thro in so much pain and know there's nothing I can do for him.

"We're making him comfortable, keeping the fire going, and I am making sure he eats and gets water," Marron assures me. "I was left in a safety building alone for the four days it took me to go through the changing. I promise I am doing everything I can to make sure my brother is in as little pain as possible."

I lean against Marron, wanting to wrap my arms around him and soothe the younger version of him who had to go through that all on his own with no one there to hold him or make sure he was as comfortable as he could be. I don't even want to think of how hungry and tired he must have been when it was over.

"You should try to sleep," Marron says. "The twins are asleep, and I will watch Thro."

I don't want to leave Marron on his own, but I'm exhausted. This next babe will be born soon, and the closer it gets, the more and more tired I've been getting. I only hope they hold out until Thro is through the changing. I can't put Marron through his brother and his mate crying out in pain at the same time.

I curl up in bed, as close to the edge as I can safely get. Wren and Lark are both fast asleep. Their little scaled hands up near their faces. I wonder if they're going to start sucking theirthumbs at some point. I used to do it when I was little, and my parents had to put a sock on my hand to break the habit.

I smile as I think about my little lizard babies and how much they look like their father. I fall asleep as I think about adding Robin to the family, and I don't wake up until the clouds are bright outside the next morning.

The first thing I notice when my eyes open is that I managed to sleep all through the night without a single babe crying and waking me up. That's suspicious enough on its own, so when my eyes land on the cribs and they're empty, I freak out a little bit. I sit up as quickly as a heavily pregnant woman can and wiggle my hips until my feet are on the ground.

"Marron!" I whisper-yell through the house.

Thro isn't groaning and moaning, so I think he's probably asleep right now, which is good. He needs as much sleep as he can get. I peek into the room Thro's been staying in. The bed's empty, and that's when I hear the first giggle—a sound that always manages to put a smile on my face.

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