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My family refused to let the Healers continue because they didn’t know if this was safe inpregnancyor not. In fact, the Healers had never considered that idea. Damien scoffed openly at their ignorance and demanded they find out.
“We will contract our Mistress,” they told Damien, “she has access to the great knowledge base. We will know soon. Keep the slave breathing deeply.”
That was right, at least in my experience. Back on Earth Uncle Eddy had been quite a terror when he wasdrunk. When my mom got started it would be an all out battle between them. The fights would be verbal until one of them completely lost it and then it would be physical.
Eddy had broken several of mom’s ribs one time. Tapewasn’t good for the lungs the doctor had said. I remembered how the doctor had fussed at them and told them the best treatment was deep breaths and pain control. I was scared to use the foul smelling goop though, so I concentrated on deep breathing.
“A little might not hurt,” Kein said watching my eyes.
I thought of every deformed human I’d ever seen. The men were horrified. Nothing would touch me until the truth was found out. They hated to see my pain, but understood the possible dire consequence.
I was salty and sandy from the beach, so the men took me into the shower and washed me gently. Christof breathed slowly and deeply, encouraging me to do the same. As long as I kept my conscious mind away from my own body that was easy to do.
The only problem with concentrating on the men was I kept being subjected to their anger. When I fully opened to them, I felt them forcibly probing my memories. It was uncomfortable to be bonded like this again. My men interrogated me at my deepest, most private level.
There were things I had not shared with them, like all Vesa’s prior insults. I had never said my friends and I were isolated at the Keepers. I would not have brought such trivial information to their attention. Now they were livid to find out after the fact.
“You are not honest with us,” Bane said sounding calm. “We thought we had taught you not to hold back from us. This girl has made you unhappy for many day cycles.”
Now they all sounded calm, but the rage was building fiercely in every direction. This would be dealt with, it had just been allowed to go on much too long. They were upset with me, but happy to take it out on these other girls. My family would teach them and every lesson would be in blood.
“She was foolish,” I pleaded. “Her friends were foolish. It is normal for a human to want to better themselves…”
I refused to agree and be dragged into a senseless bloodbath. We were all slaves, none better than the other. There was nothing to gain in harming these humans.
“The girl who hit you,” Bane said concentrating on the large purple bruise, “was not human. She is from a world not far from yours. Her bone is as hard as the metal in our blades. Those creatures are bought from slave auctions their own planet puts on. She is a born slave and knows no other life.”
I felt the my ribs now and started to breath fast, short breaths. The throbbing ache was intense. Evan pushed Bane hard into the wall and Christof’s unbroken ribs replaced the sensation of my own.
Damien spoke sharply to Bane. He ordered him not to cause me pain just because he was upset. Nu-reeh would be angry enough as it was.
“Give her comfort now, Brother,” Damien threatened squaring off with Bane.
The lesson had to be enforced and Damien would do what had to be done. Hurting his Brothers caused him pain, but they had to learn. This was not a lesson we could forget.
We were in turmoil and it was uncomfortable. The men wanted to kill something and I did not. I was in pain and they were not. None of them were used to the discordant feelings and it was frustrating. Frankly, I felt a little schizophrenic, much like the last time this pregnancy thing had happened. I couldn’t concentrate and couldn’t think straight.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
“Eh, so we are becoming an Earth family, then?” Kein said trying to lighten the mood, “Fighting amongst ourselves and disagreeing with one another is normal on Earth, correct, Ciara?”
I nodded and smiled remembering my crazy upbringing. Eddy had once thrown a kitchen knife at Mom and thepolicehad been called. The house had been athree ring circus. I didn’t think I could stand that mess again.
Bane reached past Damien andhuggedme lightly in the shower.
“We leave punishment to the Administrators,” he saidkissingmy damp head. “It is how you wish.”
It drained out of them. The rage was gone and they were decided. It was better for the family not to hold onto it, so we didn’t. The girls that had hurt me would be dealt with by their owners, not us.
I was uncomfortable, but more at ease with the situation. The men had totally relented and were no longer blood hungry. I felt relaxed for the first time since I’d seen Vesa approaching me.
Lifting my arm hurt, so they didn’t put my linen cover on me after our bath. Instead, Christof laid me in the bed under a blanket to rest while we sorted everything out. I concentrated on the men and soon drifted into a restless sleep.
The General came and Damien explained to him what had happened. I saw the entire transaction through my dreams. The men told the General they wanted no part of the punishment and they wanted to have no knowledge of it. This strange request was acceptable to the General; he didn’t even question it.
“Nu-reeh will be incensed her breeder was harmed,” the General said watching me sleep. “I will be glad when you and your Brothers leave for the mountains. It is more than I can deal with to have it here.”
Damien laughed internally. Even knowing that I carried a little life inside of me, he still insisted on calling me an ‘it’. The man had no imagination. Christof wholeheartedly agreed and reminded Damien he’d thought that the entire time.
Dinner arrived and my sore, tired body was pulled to the table. I was surprised when a pot of steaming drink was produced.
“It is a girl,” Damien explained pouring me a serving and smiling. “We sent the message to Nu-reeh as soon as you connected to us. The whole compound is getting a treat tonight, although the others do not know why.”
We ate in comfortable silence. My rib still throbbed, but there was no more inner discord. The dissension of opinion had been harder to tolerate than the physical pain.
The men knew that would have been the case. Pain through disagreement in the bond was always the worst thing imaginable. The cruelest thing to do to any man would be to seek to disrupt long held opinions in just one Brother.
That surprised me. We had not always agreed. I’d believed I should not be a slave long before they’d come to that conclusion. We had never felt like we did earlier today.
“You allowed us to guide you, little Sister,” Bane said filling my plate back up. “You did not fight us. Damien, Evan, Kein and I were not confronted with your feelings on the matter. It also helped that our sneaky Brother with his Earth heritage agreed with you. Both of you,” he grinned at Christof, “held those opinions away from us and shared only with each other. We did not truly experience your disagreement.”