Stolen - Nhys Glover Page 0,99

grandmother. Isn’t that the saying… child-mother?”

“Child-bride. Not quite the same thing. You still have some way to go in understanding human culture,” Bronwyn said, forgetting her embarrassment so she could impart information.

“There will be no child-brides in this familial pod,” Lain intoned like an old man.

It sounded so absurd coming from an eight-year-old that he had us all in stitches.

Charsus popped back in and, seeing Grandma Bronwyn, held out his arms to her. His slim silvery body was such a different look to her sturdy colorful boys that it was easy to see there was no blood tie.

Bronwyn kissed the silver hair on the child’s head. “How’s my favorite boy? Not ready to go play yet?”

Charsus sucked his thumb and shook his head vehemently. Yeah, it would take a while for him to get over his natural inclination for solitude. But with more babies on the way, it would be even harder for him to stay aloof. Maybe that was the point. He needed to be brought out of his soul’s comfortable rut. He was, after all, humanity’s next evolutionary step.

Savannah strode over to join our group, her white blonde ponytail bobbing. She wore a dress that could double as fighting gear, if the situation warranted it, all black leather and silk. I bet her pod got off on that outfit.

Not that the situation would warrant it tonight. Not now the Vargeez were no longer a threat.

The Confederate government had finally made a ruling where the Vargeez were concerned. A chemical infertility spray would be used on their population whenever they started to over-populate and destroy the ecology of the south. Only time would tell if the program worked or not. But the Danan wouldn’t allow another war like the one they’d fought so recently. The loss of life and destruction had been unacceptably high on both sides.

“Will you be remaining as part of the government retinue?” Savannah asked my guys.

Normally, new Danan warriors would join the military as soon as they reached adulthood. That hadn’t been an option for my pod, given our bond. Thaid had pulled strings with his father, getting my guys jobs at HQ. That kept them close to Bronwyn, who still hadn’t fully recovered from Rian’s death, and gave us all a chance to really consider our options.

Some kind of political role was on the cards, given our hybrid kids. There’d be a fair amount of political posturing once the Therans discovered what Charsus had done.

“Of course they will. Can you see them separating that girl from her pod?” Bronwyn said, nodding in the direction of the children.

Danheez was now sitting on the top of a pyramid of little Danan bodies. Their physical strength and dexterity was amazing. My little girl, her silver pigtails swinging, was waving at us and screaming, “Look Mommy! Look Daddies! Queen of da caskell!”

“Castle, sweet cheeks. That’s King or Queen of the Castle!” Rhain informed her with a grin.

Bronwyn gave him an approving nod. He was getting it.

Jade took that moment to wander over, a small fluffy dog resting on each arm. She wore her red curls loose around her shoulders and the extra weight she’d put on after childbirth looked good on her. From the way her golden podmate stared at her from across the room, I knew I wasn’t alone in my opinion.

Briad, Jade’s silvery grey podmate stalked over to wrap a protective arm around her waist. He’d been badly injured during the war and was only now starting to get around normally on his regenerated legs. But although his body was repaired, his mind was not. He’d had several sessions with Kius, and was showing progress, but the extreme protectiveness he exhibited toward his mate and young might last a while longer. Until then, Jade would be the patient woman she had grown into and allow him to smother her.

A commotion at the far side of the warehouse drew all eyes. I was surprised to see the fair-haired Lauren walking between two Danans who wore brands on their foreheads and chests. What surprised me wasn’t that she had podmates with brands, because I knew she did. It was that these weren’t them. They looked like her Outliers.

Danan warriors streamed in to slap the males on their backs. Lauren simply shook her head with amused impatience.

“What’s that about?” I asked, not understand what I was seeing.

“Lauren’s Outliers finally got their brands,” Bronwyn informed me, rolling her eyes. “Piety’s Wraith joined them. It’s a big thing.”

“It is a big