“If we're talking about breeding it's up to ALL of them staring down at me darkly.

“It does take two of them.”

" Kennedy said

A thought prodded me from outside. Christof was curious what had our offspring looking so serious. I thought about lying to him and hiding my mistake, but that would be frowned upon by the family. Secrets were not tolerated in the family.

Instead of hiding it, I told Christof I was not using anything for birth control and I did not know if I was fertile.

I saw the stunned looks from across the room. The men had been trying to be respectful of my rights. They had been told I could control my own body. Damien's Brothers did not ask if I was fertile, because that was my business.

There was mixed feeling in my family. Damien thought I was not Learning to take care of myself well enough. Perhaps Hannah or Kennedy could do something to intensify my education. Freedom and responsibility went hand in hand, he believed. My body was mine to protect and monitor.

Bane and Christof understood the mistake. We had just been too long without one another. Yes, we had all done something foolish, but if it resulted in more family, that was not necessarily a bad thing.

“Hey, Earth to Mama!" Kennedy snapped waving her hand in front of my face.

Dara's eyes narrowed and Eve cocked her head at me. Damn, these intelligent girls, they'd figure it all out if I kept acting strange.

“Interesting,” was all Dara said, as they all rose from the table.

“We are due to patrol today and we have responsibilities to help at a camp not far from here Later today," Kennedy said.

“My sisters and I will help determine your...cycle. Don't do anything foolish until then.”

“Perhaps you could train some with Rue and his Brothers today," Eve added. "They have developed shields on the transports. If the men had to defend themselves from attacking women the shields raise and enclose the transport. You and Rose should Learn to use them. Your skin is softer than anyone else's.”

A hug and a kiss and the girls went to bid Christof and the family goodbye.

Life changed slowly over the next many day cycles for Damien and his Brothers. More and more men approached them. They were invited to more functions. The camp began to truly accept them for the first time.

We quickly learned the way campmates interacted was different from the way men had in the compound. Men in the camp relied on other families. Physically weak men would not feel ashamed to ask a stronger family to help them do something. Men like Damien and his Brothers were encouraged to ask questions when they didn't understand. Their Lack of knowledge did not have to be hidden. Everything was shared.

This trust the other men encouraged them to take part in was a little confusing to my husbands. In the compound you always kept your family's secrets close. While friendships were encouraged, you couldn't depend on other men. A family had to watch out for itself and be very cautious. Things in the camp were the polar opposite.

For instance, Damien had panicked when a man from another family noted Christof's mark in the bathing pool one evening. My men had feared that the Earth heritage would make Christof and the family a target. It did not. The other men merely introduced my family to other men with Earth ancestors.

It was common knowledge Christof‘s skin might be weaker, but that wasn't looked down on and no one wanted to test the theory. Our campmates wanted to Know about each of my men individually. Men in the camp knew there were things my husbands would have hidden in the compound. Damien and his Brothers found the entire thing amazing.

Once the other men got over the Label they'd put on Damien, Basin, and Stayne the dream of freedom became a reality. This way of living was far better than anything they'd experienced before. The free men encouraged them to form strong relationships outside the family and that felt so right to my men. They had not realized how isolated they'd been.

Our bond grew stronger as the days went on, too. I could connect to them and they to me during the day. It wasn't like before, though. The bond now was something I could control. When the men's collective thoughts were too loud or too distracting, I could literally turn it off. I had the freedom of my own mind and the collective of the family when I needed it. I was not lost or controlled in this bonding.