Chapter Forty-Four
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NAZAB COULDN’T HIDE his euphoria as the tiny teenager showed him and his female around the gigantic stone base.
Monica held his hand, smiling just as widely as he was.
His fears that she would be alone after the war ended and he returned to the Void had been laid to rest. It was depressing that they would only have a short time together, but this was their destiny.
“Tori planted gardens in the spaces between the north and south wings,” Grace said, opening a door in the kitchen to reveal a hidden garden. “Sin can duplicate anything, but we still like to grow fresh fruit and vegetables.”
“One of the cambions can duplicate items?” Monica asked in shock. They both still had a lot to learn about their new allies.
“I’ll let the girls tell you about their talents,” the kid said, then led them to the south wing. It was a mirror image of the north wing. She showed them the vixen engraved on her door, then escorted them outside.
Nazab was impressed with the work his brothers and their females had put into the base. He felt like he’d missed out, though. “There’s nothing left that needs to be done?” he asked in disappointment.
Grace laughed, green eyes lighting up. “We’re currently building a mansion for Queeg and we still have a long way to go.”
“Who’s Queeg?” Monica asked in confusion.
“You’ll find out in a little while,” their guide said mysteriously. “It’ll be dark soon,” she added. “I can show you the lake if we’re quick.”
Nazab swung his female into his arms. “Lead the way,” he said in anticipation.
Grace sped along a path they’d worn through the woods.
A wide section of trees had been knocked down by something big.
“We put the septic tank there,” she said, pausing to show them the top of a huge concrete tank.
The rest of it was hidden beneath the ground.
She kept going and led them to a serene lake.
“I love this,” Mon said when Nazab put her down. She gazed at the scenery, probably picturing them sitting at one of the picnic tables.
“Amaros couldn’t have chosen a better place to be our base,” Naz said in approval.
“Here comes Queeg now,” Grace said, waving at a distant figure. He waved back and picked up his pace. “He must have taken a walk,” she figured.
“That’s a human,” Monica said in surprise.
The male loped over to them with an easy grin. He was wearing a cowboy hat and took it off to bow to Mon. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” he said, then nodded at Nazab as well.
“This is Monica and Nazab,” Grace said. “Guys, this is Queegly Crantz, otherwise known as the Mad Prophet.”
Monica goggled at the oracle they’d heard on the radio. “I thought your voice sounded familiar,” she said in recognition.
“We’re grateful for your guidance, human,” Nazab said wryly, since he’d barely given them any clues about where to go.
Queegly chuckled without taking offense. “Fate speaks through me, son,” he said with a shrug. “I can only tell you what she allows me to say. We both know how dangerous it is to try to defy destiny herself.”
Nazab couldn’t argue with that point. He’d only just met this male, but he knew he would get along with him. Grace led them back to the base and Queeg hung his hat on a hook on the wall. “I could eat a bear,” he said and slid a sly look at the newbies.
“Please don’t mention bears,” Mon said, wrinkling her nose. “They’re not my favorite animals right now.”
Grace snickered, then the energy stealer laughed along with her.
They headed through the hallways and entered a huge dining room.
The plush dark blue chairs matched the ones in the great room they’d briefly seen.
Grinning faces greeted them as the new arrivals chose seats.
There were still plenty of chairs left, but over half of their family were gathered together now.
“I’m Zoe,” Zo said to Nazab, even though he would have heard her introduce herself to his mate earlier. “Like Queegly, I can see the past and the future.”
One by one, the knights and females introduced themselves. Each cambion described their talent and any other skills they had. They waited expectantly for Monica and Nazab to speak. “You all know I’m Nazab,” the knight said, then glanced at his female.
“I’m Monica and I can steal energy from living beings,” Mon said. No one looked surprised, so Nazab figured the two oracles had already foreseen her talent. “But I have another skill that I’m pretty sure you’re going to like,” she added.
“You have the ability to persuade people,” Queegly said wisely. That shocked everyone except for Zoe, who nodded. She’d picked up on it when she’d scanned her.
“Oh, I forgot about that,” Monica said. “Yeah, I can usually get people to see my way,” she confirmed. “But I was talking about my job.”
“What can you do?” Reegan asked. She’d said she was a plumber by trade.
“I’m a hairdresser,” Mon said.
Nazab winced along with his brothers when several of their females squealed in happiness. “Oh, my God!” Vic exclaimed, touching her shaggy black hair. “I’m in desperate need of a haircut, Mon! I need you to hack this mane off my head asap!”
“I know that look, love,” Amaros said when he saw the speculative expression on his mate’s beautiful face. “What are you planning this time?” He could have read Zoe’s thoughts, but the others probably wanted to hear this.
“I’m thinking we can build a small salon near the lake,” Zo suggested.
“That’s an awesome idea,” Wynter agreed. “Ree won’t have to add more plumbing to a room in our base if we build a salon.” Nova squirmed a bit in the crook of her arm as she cradled her. Her daughter could sleep through a tornado and it would take more than a few shrill screams to wake her up.
“I’m happy with that plan,” Reegan said. “We won’t have to dig up any floors or drill through stone walls.”
“I’ll draw some blueprints for it, with Zoe’s help,” Cam vowed.
“They already love you, female,” Nazab murmured to his cambion.
“They all seem so nice,” Monica murmured back. “I think we’re going to be really happy living here.” A shadow crossed her face and her mood turned a bit glum. “I just wish you didn’t have to return to the Void after we win this war.”
Everyone heard her, except for the human. Amaros motioned for his family to quieten down a bit. “I have something to tell you both,” he said gravely. “Fate spoke to me before she released me from the Void,” he said. “We’ve all been given a choice this time.”
Nazab listened incredulously as he sat at the dining table.
He’d been wondering why his brothers were going through the motions of eating and drinking.
His shock couldn’t have been more profound when his commander finished his tale.
“The link I feel with my female will allow us to become bonded forever?” he asked.
“It will,” Amaros confirmed. He cradled his son in one arm as his mate fed Arak with a bottle. It was obvious how devoted he was to his small family. Tolas was just as doting with his mate and their daughter.
Nazab turned to his cambion to see she was deep in thought.
He was ready to bond with her right now, but it was far too soon.
They still had over a month left of her two month no-sex rule.
“We’ll need time to think about it,” he said so she wouldn’t feel any pressure and she gave him a grateful look.
“Can I ask how you lost part of your leg, Mon?” the doc asked.
“Someone pushed my mom in front of a train when I was a baby,” Monica said. “She was holding me at the time. She died, but I survived.”
“I’d like to examine you after dinner, if you’ll let me,” Qiana requested.
“Sure,” Monica said with a shrug.
An idea came to Nazab and he voiced a question. “My mate was looking into having a rod inserted into her tibia,” he said. “Do you have any experience with that sort of operation?”
His hopes were dashed when the healer shook her head regretfully. “I was trained as a trauma surgeon, not in prosthetics,” she said.
Monica sagged in disappointment, but Xanthia spoke up. “I bet I’ll be able to code a bionic leg to you if we can get you one,” she said and looked at Sinai.
“I’ve never seen a bionic leg,” Sin said apologetically. “I could probably duplicate one if I saw a picture, though.”
Nazab wasn’t going to give up easily, but it seemed his female’s wish to become whole was going to be denied for now.