Chapter 1
Homecoming:
Life Sucks. It is as simple as that. Yes, I was alive and well. I had a baby growing inside of me, and I was back on Earth––at home with most of my mates. Rioghan was with me, and all was well and happy in the world.
Fuck that for a laugh. I was so, gods be damned, tired of everyone walking around on eggshells and handing out platitudes and sympathies to the grief ridden, crazy pregnant woman. Let's face it––I was riding the razor’s edge of totally losing my ever-loving mind.
Now that I was back, I didn’t know how to handle the guys. For them, I was only gone a week. For me, it had been months. I had been with The Wild Hunt and Cernunnos for longer than I had been with them. Sometimes, I looked at them and wondered if what we had was even real. It didn’t seem so, compared to what I had with Cernunnos. Though, I couldn’t tell them that–it would only hurt them. Hell, I didn’t even really mean it in that way. A part of me understood it was the grief speaking, but another part just wanted to leave them all and go back to that time in the Wild Woods, where I had been happy and content.
Time had slipped away from me after the battle in the forest, and I really had no idea how long I had spent with the Sluagh. What I did know, was that my belly had begun pooching out and none of my clothes fit anymore.
A part of my brain told me to go and find a doctor. After all, the baby deserved prenatal care––of some sort. Though, another part of me was afraid that a normal obstetrician would find something blaringly non-human about us. Or even worse, what if something was wrong with the baby? I could lose it, and my last link to Cernunnos.
Hell, right now I didn’t know if I was coming or going. As far as the guys went––it was awkward. In their minds, things should have picked up where they left off. In Kale's case, I should have run to him with open arms, filled with relief, to be reunited once more.
Yeah, reality was a little different. Kale was angry, very angry, with me right now.
The whole clusterfuck of a situation had begun to go to hell as soon as we were back in Bean.
***
When I first appeared on the front steps of the pack-house, it only took seconds for the massive front doors to be flung open and Kale to reach me.
He ignored my entourage and grabbed me up, crushing me to him. It only took a fraction of a second longer for his nose to crinkle and his head to jerk back, betrayal glaring in his eyes.
"Your pregnant," he growled.
Anger consumed me, as I pushed him away from me. The shove was strong enough that he stumbled back several feet.
"Yes," I snapped. "I am pregnant with a baby that is not yours. You are a fucking genius. Too bad its father is not here to defend himself against the almighty alpha. My voice crumbled at the reminder, and my knees turned to jelly.
Not having the strength or will to catch myself, I felt Brónach’s arms wrap around me. The overwhelming grief of losing Cernunnos came crashing down on top of me once again, the pain as fresh as the moment he said goodbye and faded into nothing.
Shuddering sobs wracked my frame. It took everything I had to wrap myself as tightly as I could around Brónach, crying brokenly into her shoulder.
Who knows how long I would have wallowed in my misery if Daniel had not begun gently stroking my hair and whispering into my ear.
Instead of words of comfort, he was asking for my help, drawing me from my misery.
"Dia––baby, I don’t know who your little man is, but he is going to rip Kale a new one in a minute. He can't fight back," Daniel whispered.
"What in the hell are you talking about," I asked.
He lifted my chin and pointed my gaze in the direction of Kale and Rioghan.
"Oh", I stared in surprise. My young Sluagh prince had the Alpha on the ground. His little wings were fully extended, as his viciously sharp talons pointed down, ready to pierce his enemy’s heart.
His lethal nails on one hand dug into Kale's throat. Shifting slightly, he positioned himself in such a way that his feet had turned into clawed daggers, resting easily on Kale's stomach, ready to rip through his flesh and tear out his entrails.
It was one of those moments where I didn’t know whether to be proud or horrified. I think I was a little of both.
"You made my sister cry, you mangy cur. Why shouldn’t I rip out your throat right now and take her back to the Sluagh––where she belongs? At least our family would care for her in the way she deserves," He spat out with pure venom.
Okay, pride won. The look of horror on Kale's face as he was having his ass handed to him by a seven-year-old child was priceless.
I pulled myself away from Brónach and Daniel walking over to the two on the ground.
Kale's face held a look of both shock and rage. It was a little funny seeing him so impotent and unable to react.
"Hey––little brother, whatcha doing?" I asked gently, before kneeling beside them.
Rioghan's eyes had bled to nearly full black, with only a hint of his red irises. His little face was so fierce––if a stranger had seen him, they would have probably wet themselves in fear. He will be one hell of a man one day.
It took him a moment to get himself under control, but his face softened when he looked at me.
"He made you cry," he growled fiercely. “You are already sad enough, without this dog making you sadder. I want you to be happy again. I don’t like it when you cry. It makes me want to cry, and then that makes me angry, and I want to hurt what made you cry!" he sobbed.
Ahh, there is the little boy inside the fierce warrior.
"Oh sweetheart," I crooned. “Come here." Reaching out, I gently pulled him from Kale, making sure to give him a death glare, daring him to say something.
"That grouchy old wolf didn’t mean to make me cry. He was just really surprised to see me with a baby in my tummy. I didn’t have one there last time I saw him."
I leaned down and pretended to whisper, as if no one around us could hear.
"You see… he is my mate as well, and he didn’t know that I took another mate while I was away. Wolves are possessive of their mates and don’t share easily. He already has to share me with Robin and Daniel," I said, winking in their direction.
Rioghan's lips parted into an O.
"Dia, that’s bad," he whispered. "You shouldn’t ever take another mate without your other mates knowing first. That’s just rude." He shuddered.
Oops, I had forgotten about the Sluagh's insane adherence to manners.
"Yes––well sweetie, it just kind of happened and I couldn’t ask. I was stuck with The Hunt in The Wild Wood––and they were here. I didn’t have a way to ask them."
Rioghan's face twisted as he processed the new information.
"All right," he sighed.
I was taken aback when his eyes glazed over and a chillingly deep, impersonal voice poured from his rosebud lips.
"Your slight may be pardoned, since you were unable to leave the wood to collude with your other mates. Mating is not something that can be halted once begun. In addition, your innocence in the way of our world holds sway, although ignorance is never an excuse. The Lord of The Hunt, however, is held responsible as he had every avenue to approach your mates. Unfortunately, due to his cycle, he is unable to make recompense and is unable to be held accountable for his lapse." He turned his glazed, unseeing eyes to me and completed his sentence. “In this matter, we find no fault. Beware, Dianthe, of the Wild Hunt and Kin of the Sluagh, you are now bound by the laws of our kind and will be held accountable. Ignorance is no longer excusable."
Rioghan blinked and once again became the little boy I knew and loved. He smiled up at me before scrambling into my arms and hugging me tightly.
"Don’t be sad for him, sister," he soothed.
"I can't promise that, little man," I hugged him tight before turning to Robin.
"What is the H-E-L-L was that?" I hissed over Rioghan's head.
Robin choked over me spelling out a bad word as Rioghan chuckled.
“I'm not a baby, Dia––I can spell very well. And THAT was the Laws of the Sluagh asserting themselves. You need a lot of tutoring. It’s a good thing Tamarus came with us," He nodded toward the tutor.
All I could do was sigh, pull him closer, and glare at everyone around us.
"Everyone had better watch their language from now on," I threatened. It was enough to break the tension, causing laughter to break out amongst the males. Great, so happy I could be the comic relief.