you,”Kaya said in a low voice.
Aliyah made a small sound of joy as the two sisters stared at each other. Duncan was right behind Aliyah, his hand protectively at her shoulder as he watched Hunter and Jericho warily.
And then Aliyah’s gaze fell to her belly. She rounded on Duncan, her eyes accusing. “You didn’t tell me she was pregnant! Duncan, how could you? She must have been so terrified. You know how our kind feels about cages.”
Duncan sighed patiently. “I didn’t know who she was, Aliyah. And I put her in a cell so she’d have a warm place to sleep and food to eat. She looked as if she was badly in need of both.”
Aliyah turned her accusing stare on Hunter and Jericho. “Why was that? Why haven’t you taken care of her?”
Kaya ignored everything but the woman standing in front of her. Tentatively she stepped forward, reaching out to touch a strand of golden hair. She inhaled deeply, allowing herself to be surrounded by this woman’s scent.
As she fingered the strand of hair, her sad gaze found Aliyah’s. “Why did you leave me?”she whispered.
“Oh, Kaya, we didn’t leave you.”
Impulsively, she hugged Kaya, wrapping her slim arms around her as she squeezed. Kaya closed her eyes as more buried memories roared to the surface. The two girls sitting cross-legged on the floor of a house. Trading dolls as they combed each other’s hair.
When Aliyah pulled away, her eyes glittered with tears.
“You still have the most beautiful eyes,”Kaya said solemnly.
Aliyah reached for Kaya’s hands and squeezed. “Can we sit on the couch? There’s so much I need to tell you and questions I want to ask.”She looked to Jericho and Hunter as if seeking their permission.
Kaya also looked at her two mates. “I will be fine.”
Reluctantly, Hunter nodded, but they both stayed close as Aliyah led Kaya over to the sofa.
“Why do you think we left you?”Aliyah asked when both women had found comfortable positions.
“I went back,”Kaya said. “When I was able, I made my way back home. The house was empty. I waited and waited, but no one ever came.”
Aliyah’s eyes filled with tears. “This will destroy Mama and Papa.”
Kaya cocked her head to the side. “I don’t remember them. Are they like us? I always thought my family was human except for you.”
Aliyah shook her head. “No, they are like us. Mama is a great eagle and Papa is a Kodiak bear. When we lost you, they were devastated. They were afraid the same would happen to me, so we moved to Africa until I grew older and more restrained. You must have returned to Alaska while we were there.”
“They wanted me?”Kaya asked in a small voice.
“Oh, Kaya, they’ve mourned you since the day you went missing. Not a day has gone by that we haven’t thought of you. They’re going to be so thrilled when I tell them that I’ve found you. You can’t imagine what this is going to mean to them.”
Again her gaze fell to Kaya’s stomach. “Is your child going to be like us?”she asked softly.
Kaya smiled and started to reply, but Hunter stepped forward, his expression fierce. Kaya’s mouth snapped shut. Hunter didn’t want her to trust Duncan and Aliyah, especially when it came to their daughter’s safety. He was right. She should exercise the same care she always had when it came to other people.
Aliyah sighed, and then her gaze found Duncan’s. Whatever it was he saw in his wife’s eyes, he didn’t like it.
“Oh no, Aliyah. Hell, no. Don’t you dare.”
She ignored him, rising as she started to pull at her clothes. Duncan descended on his wife, hiding her from the others’ view as her clothes fell away.
Kaya watched in fascination as Aliyah dropped to the floor, her body contorting. She couldn’t remember seeing another person shift before, and now she realized how she must look to Hunter and Jericho. No wonder they watched her in such agony.
Duncan whirled around, his gun drawn, his eyes cold as ice. “Make one move toward her and it’ll be your last.”
A cheetah arose where Aliyah had fallen. The cat padded over to Kaya and rubbed against her leg. Her childhood playmate. Kaya dropped to the floor on her knees and threw her arms around the cheetah’s neck. Her purrs filled the room, and she licked Kaya’s cheek.
Kaya buried her face in the cheetah’s fur and held on as tears slid down her cheeks.
The men weren’t unmoved by the sight. Duncan slowly put away his