Page 45 of Their Human to Entice

Tori holds her hand to her mouth, eyes sparkling with tears as she stares up at my mate as though he has offered her something she has only ever dreamed about. I decide right then and there that I will learn their silly Earth language so quickly. None of the others see the determination I have set myself to, but when Nia squeezes my hand and forces my eyes to hers, I know she knows I will do anything for this family we have built. The best family any male could ask for.

19

Nia

12 Years Later

The sound of squealing children is the first and only warning I get before my front door is thrown open, and three little girls are running into my home. I set my sewing off to the side, just in time for Vara and Lara to jump into my lap and wrap their little arms around me. Mara is growing older now and thinks jumping into my lap and giving me a giant bear hug isn’t cool anymore. I’m sure she’ll outgrow that at some point.

“Where’s your mama?” I ask. I push Vara’s wild and curly hair back and start to tie it in a bun that she’ll have loose in about five minutes. My sunlight gets blocked, and I call out over my shoulder, not needing to turn around to know it’s Dath. “Where’s your mate?”

“She is speaking to yours outside,” Dath says as he moves further into my home.

He takes Mara’s hand when she tries to hide behind him. She’s a shy little girl right now, probably realizing that while she and her sisters do look a lot like their mom, they don’t really look that much like the other creatures on this planet. Even the other alien-human hybrid babies look more like their fathers than Deja and Dath’s girls do. We’re all curious to see if baby number four will look like their sisters when they’re finally born.

“I thought we were coming to you guys since she’s so close to going into labor,” I say, getting to my feet and keeping Lara on my hip since she’s the smallest of the girls. Vara wraps her arms around my leg and stares up at me with a smile on her lips.

“Deja decided she needed a trip out to get fresh air,” Dath says, his eyes straying to the open front door. “I told her that the air is the same here as it is in the tribe’s wall, but my mate can be stubborn.”

I let out a snort of a laugh before turning my attention down to the young. Simone’s already braided Mara and Lara’s hair, and I’m pretty sure Vara is next up when Simone has a free afternoon. “I’m making the three of you some new shorts since your mom keeps telling me you’ve been growing out of them too fast.”

“Are there young females here?” Lyath asks, popping his head out of the bedroom and looking over all of us. His face scrunches up when he sees Dath and makes a motion in front of his face like he is trying to fan away a smell. “Three beautiful females and one stinky male. Why do you punish me so?”

Vara and Lara giggle at Lyath’s joke, but sweet little Mara doesn’t like anyone making fun of her father, even if it’s all in jest. She pouts, her little eyes narrowing up at her uncle. She’s just about to say something when Lyath’s eyes fall down to where she’s standing. She’s still partially obscured by Dath’s legs. Her eyes go wide, and she scrambles further behind him.

“Let us go outside so I do not need to smell your stinky father, yes?” Lyath says with a smile in his eyes.

“He doesn’t smell,” Mara pouts quietly to her father’s legs instead of to any of us. Dath shakes his head, a smile tugging at his lips as he reaches behind his back and pulls his daughter in front of him. She turns her eyes up to her father, who gives her another squeeze. “What? You don’t.”

“No, no, of course.” Lyath grabs Lara and tosses her into the air before hoisting her onto one of his shoulders and walking outside. Lara squeals in delight, her fingers wrapping around one of Lyath’s horns, and shakes it in an attempt to get him to throw her again. He doesn’t because he knows it scares the shit out of me. Dath only laughs along with his daughters and promises them he will toss them into the air later when they are at home.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be walking this far from your home when you look like you could pop any minute now,” I tell Deja when I step outside and see her talking with Beren.

He has one of his arms propped in front of him, letting Deja lean against it for support as she tries to take deep, steadying breaths. It takes me a second to take in the scene in front of me. Deja is leaning against Beren’s forearm, her forehead pressing against it as her fingers press hard into his scales. Her breathing is deep, almost pained, and her jaw is clenched tight.

“I forgot walking can help speed along labor,” Deja says, rolling her head against Beren’s forearm until she’s facing us. She gives me a small smile and then tries to stand back up. Beren takes a step toward her, his free arm on her back, making sure she’s safe to stand on her own. “My water may have broken earlier this morning, but I thought there was some more time.”

“Well, fudge,” I say, making sure not to say the other word I want to say since there are so many impressionable minds around us.

I pass Vara over to Lyath who is staring wide-eyed at Deja like she might be contagious. Thankfully, he doesn’t need to do anything but keep the young safe while I get everything else done.

“Time for the girls to go play with Uncle Lyath,” I say as cheerfully as I can. Even Mara seems to understand things have changed and takes Lyath’s free hand.

“I will keep the young occupied,” Lyath says as he nods over and over.

I shoo him away, not needing him to pass out on all of us at just the thought of someone giving birth. He passed out when Jen had her baby, and that was just from hearing her scream during labor. Who knows what he’ll do if he actually witnesses a contraction? Beren’s being a good sport about all of it, not rushing Deja to take her mate’s hand and letting her rely on him with ease.

“You can use the girls’ room,” I say. I make sure that everyone is following me, even if it’s at a snail’s pace. I duck into the house and go straight toward the spare room.

The room used to belong to Jen and Tori before they found mates. We never use it except when we have the nieces over for sleepovers so their parents can work and give them even more siblings. Sometimes, it’s used when Jen or Tori wants to stay with us. The demons are all big on family, and it’s rubbed off on many of the humans, too.

Last year, during one of the storms, Jen and Thro stayed with us to weather the storm. What we didn’t expect was that she would go into labor while trapped out here. Thankfully, she and the babe were both fine. We were able to get them back to the tribe during a lull in the storms so they could bond in their own home.

“Do you want me to go get the doctor?” Beren asks as he leads Deja into the room and helps her get into bed.

Dath is right behind them, the sleeves on his tunic already rolled up like he’s about to pull this baby out. From the determined look in his eyes, he might do just that.

“Run for him just in case,” Dath says coolly, his red gaze softening when he looks down at his mate. “Your female mate may stay to help me if Deja is fine with it.”

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