Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Lila
“Help, help!” The muffled shouts have me dropping what I was doing in the kitchen and running at Vilaxian speed through the house.
When I arrive, it’s all I can do not to burst out laughing.
I find the warlock, one of the most powerful beings in the universe, being smothered by one very enthusiastic child.
It looks like something out of an alien movie.
Cordelia, who is using her favorite move, has latched herself around Xavier’s head and is placing little kraken kisses all over his face, which are going to leave marks—I know from experience.
He’s going to look like he was attacked by a hickey monster.
My gaze moves down, and I find Jack and Calypso wrapped around each of his legs, not allowing him to move anywhere.
Of course he won’t use his powers against our children, so for now, he’s stuck there.
They adore their other fathers, but Xavier is certainly a favorite because he’s a huge softy and he gives in to them all the time.
I can’t imagine what he’s going to be like when they can actually talk and ask for things.
“Were you thinking about helping him at all?” I ask the children’s biological father, who is sitting on a nearby sofa with a tablet in hand, scrolling through something.
“Nah, I figure he’s one of the most powerful beings in the universe, so he’s got this,” Cas says without even looking up, snickering under his breath.
“Xav is going to make you pay for this,” I caution, and he looks up and shrugs.
“Makes things interesting, and it’s good practice for when he has his own.” He winks at me, and I roll my eyes. Like hell we are having any more children anytime soon. One day, sure, but at the moment, it’s all I can do to keep these three alive. I can’t imagine adding more to the mix.
It’s been two weeks since we left the ocean, and the children still haven’t shifted out of their kraken forms. I’m still feeding them live fish and crustaceans, which is what I was programming the replicator for in the kitchen.
I’ll herd the three of them to the swimming pool and release the fish and crustaceans, and then they will practice their hunting skills.
It’s been so cute watching Caspian’s kraken teach them how to catch their food.
For such a big, fearsome creature, he is completely besotted with our children.
My own kraken often insists on joining them, but I’m also desperately waiting for the day they shift so I can hold warm little babies in my arms, not wriggly little squirming krakens.
“Cordy, honey, please let Daddy X breathe. He’s no good to me if you starve him of oxygen and he becomes a vegetable.” I take a seat on the sofa next to Caspian and lean in, trying to get a look at what he’s doing.
“Malik has decided that he will take over my spot in the circus,” Cas tells me, pointing to a message from his brother. A huge grin crosses my face, and Xavier, who has finally gotten Cordelia to let go of his face, glares at me.
“Thanks for the help.”
I wave off his pretend annoyance. I know he freaking loves it. He cradles the offending baby kraken in his arms like she’s the most precious thing in the world.
“You were fine. I knew you had this,” I tell him before turning back to Cas. “I can’t wait to introduce him to Magenta. She’s going to take one look at him and be infatuated.”
Xavier shuffles his way over to the couch, bringing Jack and Cally along for the ride. I’m pretty sure if they were in human form, they would be giggling madly. I’m not sure how old they will be when they shift, but they have grown so much in two weeks.
“Isn’t she in a thing with Hale, Velorina, and Nixie?
” he asks as he takes a seat. The two children attached to his legs make their way up his body until he has all three of them cradled in his arms. He places absent-minded kisses on each of their little domed heads, and I feel my heart pitter-patter with love.
I can’t wait to get my memories back and be able to seal the warlock intimate bond.
As soon as my children shift, we are going to make plans to leave Skarr again.
We need to go to Rilu and find the flower we need to heal Grandpa J, and then our next destination will be Westalin before we resume the circus tour.
“I’m not sure, to be honest. I think they were messing around, but you saw how funny the Vilaxians were about my and Saxon’s blood rose bond.
They are not even blood roses, and as far as I know, they are just using each other for mutual gratification.
Magenta will have to move on if she doesn’t want to start the Skarrian bonding process, and I don’t know about her and Nixie.
Someone told me Aquilians don’t have any kind of fated mate, so maybe she and Magenta will work out, but I haven’t had a chance to ask her.
We were going to have a girls’ night once I got back to the ship.
” I sigh, thinking about how my normal life has gone out the window—not that I regret any of what’s happened, but it’s so different from where I was not so many months ago, drifting with no purpose or destination in mind.
“And you can still do that. The guys and I will watch the kids. What’s the point of having so many mates if you can’t have time to yourself?” Cas presses a kiss to my head much like Xavier had done with the children.
“Alright, I guess it’s dinnertime for the little slime balls,” I say, standing up.
“Can I leave it to you two to get them to the pool while I grab their meal?” I look between my two mates, and Cas eagerly throws his tablet to the side, his eyes flashing to the black of his beast for a moment before switching back.
“Of course.” He stands up and holds out his hand to Jack and Cally, who eagerly move from Xavier to Caspian.
“Come on, are you going to swim with us?” he asks Xavier, who quickly shakes his head.
“No, as much as I like you and I’m interested in…
” He trails off and looks at the kids before continuing.
“Playing with you guys in the bedroom, I do not like to be probed while swimming, and your damn kraken does it to me every time I get into the water with him.” Xavier frowns, and Cas runs a hand through his hair, grimacing slightly.
“Yeah, sorry about that. It’s weird because he has been dead set against any males.
I’ve had relationships before in the past, but now that Lila has had our babies, it’s like it gave him permission to enjoy himself and, well, he’s as horny and reckless as Lila’s kraken at the moment.
It’s like the two of them are ready to start a baby factory, and they don’t care if it’s them having the babies or any others in this relationship. ”
He’s not wrong. Those fuck me vibes, which were supposed to ease off completely once I had the babies, are still riding me hard.
Every time the lightning cats walk into the room, Maxsim turns around and walks back out again.
Echo assures me he is trying, but my pheromones are just too much for him to handle, and it’s playing with his emotions.
Poor Maxsim is confused. Although he doesn’t want to hate me anymore, he can’t decide if he wants to fuck or fight me.
I know how he feels. I have the same problem.
I want to pin Echo to the ground and fuck him until he can’t see straight, and at the same time, I want to roll over and show my ass to Maxsim and beg him to knot me.
We can’t keep going on like this, but I refuse to do anything with them until I’ve locked down Link and Xavier, and Link is being a stubborn motherfucker.
He is going out of his way to avoid me. He is annoyed that I still haven’t mastered Alien 101.
He says I’m putting my life in danger by not becoming an alien expert overnight.
I mean, he’s probably not wrong, but there is only so much of me to go around, and I have devoted all my time to my babies in the last two weeks.
That’s going to have to change tomorrow.
William, Eric, and Link have found an old mimic who is coming by to give me a talking to.
Apparently there is a real possibility of me splicing my body into a number of different species if I’m not careful, which really doesn’t sound like fun and could kill me.
I know that Link’s being an asshole out of fear, but that really doesn’t work for me.
I’m a stubborn bitch and likely to dig my heels in if he’s going to be like that.
I hold my hands out for Cordy, but she snuggles down into Xavier’s arms and stubbornly wraps her little tentacles around him so she will be hard to remove.
“Come on, baby, let’s leave Daddy X for a moment and go get something to eat. I bet you’re hungry,” I coax my daughter, but she really is from my genes. She is stubborn and determined, and there is not much that will get her to change her mind once she’s made it.
“Cordy, honey, come and swim with me and your brother and sister.” Caspian finally decides to get involved, and now it’s Xavier’s turn to smirk when she doesn’t listen to him.
“What if I find Daddy Sax and ask him to swim with us?” I bribe her with the promise of Saxon, who is not going to be happy.
He really does not like to swim. He hates not being in control of his body like he is on the land.
His Vilaxian strength and speed is hampered by the water, and of course he can’t breathe under it like we can.
There’s a flash of light, and Xavier yelps with surprise. All of a sudden, there’s a pretty, pale blue skinned toddler with purple spiky hair sticking up all over her face. She has perfect pouty lips, and her matching blue eyebrows are set in a stubborn frown.
“No,” she says, wrapping her arms around Xavier’s neck and snuggling into his side. I can practically see the damn warlock melt into a puddle of useless goo. Some help he is.
“Oh wow.” I stare at my beautiful child with amazement. We did that. My fingers itch to reach out and snatch her from him, but I control myself. “Did you know they wouldn’t be babies?” I ask Caspian, who is still staring at her with his mouth wide open in shock.
He slowly shakes his head. “No. When Clove and Calvin shifted after a couple of weeks, they were probably the size of a six-month-old human baby.” His words send panic shooting through my body, and my heart starts to race.
“Link!” I call before shouting even louder and more insistently.
“Link!” I don’t care if he’s pissy, I want him to take a look at my baby and tell me that I did not damage her in any way.
Blood rose bonding, being hit by lightning, and activating my Skarrian powers caused an incredible amount of pressure on my body, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I hurt them in some way, and I will never forgive myself.
Everyone in the house must hear the urgency in my voice, because within the next few minutes, our living area fills with the rest of my family.
William, Eric, and Saxon all appear from separate areas of the house.
The lightning cats, both in their cat forms, come bounding in from outside.
They really do love the cold weather and can be found there most days if not in Echo’s nest. Finally, Link arrives.
I’m not sure where he was, but if I could guess, it was anywhere that I’m not.
His attitude has surprised me, and I really need to sit down and talk to him because we can’t go on like this.
The attraction mark is still on my shoulder, but I worry that maybe he’s changed his mind, and that he would be happier with a smarter, more organized cyborg like himself.
Saxon did tell me that he is getting pressure from his mother, but he refuses to tell her whom he is involved with.
I wonder if he’s embarrassed about me. It’s been a lot these last few weeks, and I’ve been tumbling into bed, exhausted, as soon as the kids are settled into the wonderful cribs he got them. I need to do better.
“What’s wrong?” His mouth rounds out into an O as he catches sight of the naked little girl in Xavier’s arms. “She’s a toddler?
” He turns his surprised eyes back to me as Echo and Maxsim belly crawl over to Xavier.
Cordelia squeals with excitement, clambers out of his arms, and reaches for the fluffy cats.
Suddenly, the two in Caspian’s arms flash, and gone are the other two kraken babies, and in their place are two more naked toddlers.
Jack has blue skin and blue hair that sticks up at all angles just like Cordy, but Cally is a mix of my and Caspian’s coloring.
Her skin is mottled blue and purple, and she has longish pink hair. They squeal and reach for the cats.
“Kitty,” Jack shouts, clapping his hands together as Caspian does his best to juggle the two squirming toddlers.
“Whoa.” William and Eric are bug-eyed as they stare in awe at our children.
“Daddy Link!” Cally smiles brightly at my cyborg fiancé and holds out her hands. “Kisses.” She puckers her lips and blows raspberries. Link stumbles slightly as he steps toward Caspian and takes Cally into his arms.
“Daddy Sax.” Not to be outdone by his sisters, Jack waves his arms at my Vilaxian, and the brave general’s already pale skin pales even further and he actually steps back. Huh, I never would have guessed a baby would scare the brave warrior.
William just puts a hand on his back and gives him a shove. “No you don’t. You get in there and hold your child.”
Saxon swallows nervously, but I see the moment he decides to commit.
His back straightens, and a determined glint replaces the sheer terror that was there previously.
He steps up to Cas and holds out his hands.
Jack leaps, but Saxon is there to catch him, and he tucks him safely into his chest. Jack grabs Saxon’s face and uses his little hands to push Saxon’s lips into a kiss before smacking a big one on his lips.
Saxon looks like he could be knocked over with a feather for a moment, but then out comes that sexy as fuck grin, and he beams as he blows little raspberries against Jack’s naked tummy.
“Well shit. Now I feel even more like chopped liver,” I grumble as I watch my children make nice with the men in my life. Cas puts his arm around me and gives me a side hug.
“Don’t feel like that. Just be happy that our children love all the men in your life.
It would have been tricky if they didn’t.
” He is smiling so widely I’m surprised his face doesn’t split in two as he watches our little family.
I am happy, but I’m also dying to get my hands on the adorable, chubby little babies.
I also want Link’s opinion first, so I will be patient.