Page 41 of All's Fair in Lion and War
“We can’t leave. Col is depending on us to make sure the babies are safe. There’s no way Rivian knows about the bunker. We need to stay put like we were told.” She gestured back to the hatch. “They have enough help. Kann texted and said there were twenty-seven dragons with Novik.”
Knox rolled his shoulders. “That’s a lot of dragons.”
“Yeah, I kinda feel sorry for Rivian when that tribe catches up with them. Well, not that sorry.” She shooed her fingers at Knox and followed him back into the bunker, locking them in tight before climbing down the ladder.
“What happened?” Naomi asked.
“Pretty sure she had a big dump of memories and decided she needed to tear Rivian apart with her own claws.” Ava hopped the rest of the way down and landed on the floor next to Knox, who promptly went to Penny and stole a baby to sit down and coo at.
All the men had gotten over their fear of holding them and breaking them. Now they literally sulked if they had to wait turns to have them.
It was fantastic.
She knew Ryder was ready for them to get pregnant too, but she was glad it hadn’t happened yet. She was still adjusting to this world, to life here. It’d been good that the women who already had babies so far werefromearth.
Plus, she wasn’t really looking forward to having alitterof children as the human women called their multiple births. Naomi had three and Penny had four. Ava couldn’t think of anyone back on Reylea that’d ever had more than two at a time. And even twins were quite rare.
She was hoping it was a human thing.
“Can one of you go back up and text the men, let them know that she’s out and loose and likely headed their way?”
“I will. I need to grab a few notebooks from my office. Might as well get some work done while we’re down here,” Katherine said, hopping up from her chair.
Knox started to get up with her, but she waved him off.
He however, handed the baby over and followed her anyway.
Ava grinned at the big frown that stretched across Katherine’s face.
“You don’t need to follow me.”
“Yes he does, or I am,” Charlie called out from his recliner where his arms were also full of someone’s baby. “The women in this group have an uncanny way of attracting trouble.”
She huffed and stomped, but underneath her bluster, she adored being watched over.
It was written plainly on her face. Katherine had been on her own for a long time. She valued her freedom, but she valued Charlie and Knox more. They were the world to her and she also knew she was everything to them.
It allowed for easier compromises.
Knox nuzzled her neck, effectively neutralizing any malice she was harboring and then they climbed up the ladder together.
Ava sighed and sank down into an empty chair. Ryder was out there with the others, hunting the lions. She’d wanted to stay with him, but she knew that he’d volunteered to prove his loyalty yet again to Col.
“Do you need a baby?” Naomi asked, walking closer to Ava’s chair.
Ava shook her head and smiled up at Col’s mate. Naomi was sweet and full of energy and smart. She respected her a lot and was glad to have her at the head of the tribe helping make the big choices.
Owen and Tara’s cabin was nearly finished. Once the brunt of winter was over, Penny had assured her that the building crews would be back and cabins would be started for her and Ryder.
Katherine and Knox had opted out for now, since they weren’t pregnant, to stay in town, closer to the MCC, and so had Tor and Penny, since they lived above and ran The Watering Hole.
She and Ryder were quite excited to move out of the trailer house and into something more permanent and warmer—baby or no baby.
“If something happens to Lorelei, do you think Saul will be okay?”
“I think Lorelei is a lot tougher than any of us give her credit.” Naomi sat on a folding chair next to Ava and bounced Isabella in her arms. The little girl was fast asleep and smelled of milk.
“Are we going to come here and hide every time there’s a problem?”
