Molly went right to work with Tyle‘s family on the badly wounded men. She was obviously trained and I got the feeling the Healers really appreciated her. Unlike me, she was not squeamish and did the job with confidence.

Mycah's family was content to color again in our original place. I Looked them over and assumed it was Jonathan's and Aiden's age that had us confined to a sick bed. Compared to everyone else in here using a healing slab, my boys were in excellent condition.

Along the far walls I saw the make shift classroom that Kana and Rysell had set up. Older boys and men from the compounds sat and listened as the women talked.

I'd been vaguely aware of Damien and his Brothers all day. Most of the thoughts and emotions were geared to the hunt and occasional skirmishes with aliens. None of it had seemed overly concerning, so it was just background. I wasn't really listening and they weren't intentionally projecting.

The feeling of shame welled inside of me so suddenly it took me off guard. I wanted to hide under our stone. In all my life I'd never felt this embarrassed. It was like being caught masturbating by your grandmother. I was baffled as to where this feeling was coming from. Then I realized it was clearly the result of something happening to Damien and his Brothers.

“Mama, why is your face all red?" Jonathan asked standing right in front of me.

Niah stood right beside my son and he was also staring into my face. I Looked like a familiar color to them. Rees could turn that shade in his cheeks, especially when he was upset. It wasn't like their stripes, this was different. They were very curious why I could turn the same color as their Brother.

Something my husbands had experienced had made them feel terribly humiliated, but I couldn't focus on them. The little boys were right in my face poking at my pink cheeks.

“It feels the same, only warmer," Niah said and the rest agreed with him.

They'd definitely seen this before, when Rees got red cheeks sometimes. The Child Keepers had thought it was illness, but the Healers said it wasn't.

“Why are they red?" Mycah asked reaching to pinch the cheek again. "I felt...embarrassment," I said pushing them all back a little.

“Humans get red in the face sometimes when they feel certain things.”

That didn't explain to them why Rees would get the same way. I pulled the Little boy toward me and examined his family mark.

“Rees had a human breeder in his line," I said pointing to the mark.

“It was a Long time ago, though.”

The boys all looked at Rees’ mark and then at each other's marks. Mycah was excited to find the same symbol on Jonathan. They couldn't understand why they all didn't have one. They wanted their marks to look the same. I was ready to explain when I sensed my family close.

Damien and his Brothers strode through the infirmary's entrance and I smiled broadly seeing them. I knew they weren't hurt, but it was good to be sure, nonetheless. Seeing them unscathed and dressed for battle made me feel better. It still wasn't clear what had made them so upset a little while ago.

I noted a second family following Damien and his Brothers. The second family all had long hair and their thick, leather coats Looked to be for travel. Considering the thin Layer of dirt coating them, they must have been traveling. Each of the five men carried a large bag over his shoulder, a sword on his back, and a gun at his waist. The family following my husbands looked as tough as Rayn and his family, but without the friendly smiles.

I got flashes of conversation bursting through the bond. Damien was ashamed and he didn't really want to show me what had happened. Secrets were not tolerated though and I felt him relent a moment before the men stopped in front of me.

“Rynal!!!" Aiden shouted jumping up and down on our stone.

The new men picked up our five Little boys and examined them each thoroughly. The little ones reacted to these new faces Like they'd been fast friends for ages. Mycah and his Brothers hugged their necks and kissed their cheeks. Jonathan tasted the man who held him, which didn't seem to bother the man at all. Aiden's hands immediately sought the long hair of his breeder and caressed the locks Lovingly. The boys knew this family from Aiden's memory.

In my mind's eye, I saw the conversation.