I glared at Mads. He better have something good to say. He better reject all of this. He better say this was a trap, or a con of some sort. He better say something helpful.
"If things go bad, we are prepared. Wolf Waters has actual men stationed near, and enough to take down anyone that starts to make a move to expose the truth. Wolf Islands is still working with us though and we don't want to break our alliance. In fact, the day you leave Devin, everyone here will either be taken or killed. Make sure you get to know who is who, or come moving day, everyone dies."
"Mads." I glared at him. "It's Devin Oliver Olivacea to you. I want Destiny, and I want those kids, back to Wolf Waters!"
"Yeah," Mads agreed. "After you complete the contract. Part of the compromise. We gave some and they gave some. We are making progress now, Devin," he insisted. "I know this embarrassment probably makes you feel belittled, but it worked itself out. The organization had a reason to make more inward connections within Wolf Islands. Every bit more that we gain as allies brings us closer to our goal. It wasn't a complete waste of time."
Mads caught Billy's punch again, he also caught Grayson's punch with his other hand, and he unfortunately caught mine too with his legs.
But Mattie got him and punched him hard. She may not have known much about fighting, but she was clearly mad too! This was so wrong. I brought everyone here that fulfilled that contract too.
"Tomorrow Destiny and the children will be yours again," Juniper said. "I regret every day wanting to get a hit show. I just wanted one good hit show. I couldn't care less now about that." He stood up. "I suggest you stay until exactly midnight and be prepared. She has 200 guys that, for some reason, want her staying here."
"Just watch over them," Zoan said to me. "You can't take them. Your area, your people of involvement? They won't accept her or the children, and they will throw you and your sister out from all of your domes. They told me that much," he said. "That you live in domes somewhere." He looked toward the sky. "Is it like reflective mirroring around a dome, is that why no one finds you?"
Not even close.
"Dev?" Mattie grew closer to me. "Maybe you should introduce yourself to your daughter? Find your son? Think about real names for them before we finally go, because I will be. Maybe you should go check on the pregnancy too."
I didn't know what to do. I didn't feel like I knew what to do.
I was a pirate. I stole. I sailed. I got into fights, I tracked, and I killed. I didn't know this! I wanted to grab everyone and get out, but Zoan made it clear. Wolf Waters wouldn't just disown me, for making them break any deals, I would be branded a traitor and hunted down. I'd run with them forever, never being able to stop.
Or I could guard them, here, until one season was over. "I want the children with me in the house, and Destiny. I am considered her guard. I also want names for them, names that I pick." If they wanted me to stay, they better grant my demands. This girl was gonna get a name, and the boy I haven't met yet, would not be named Wolfie.
"I would feel better sharing the responsibility of the children," Juniper said. "I've been helping to watch for them since the day you were born. Zoan is now in the house soon, thanks to the contract."
"I will help," Zoan agreed. "We need to take turns. If we watch all the children at once, and guard the women constantly, we will mess up."
200 men here, all with wishes for Destiny. "Agreed." I didn't like letting Juniper watch them, but he had been watching them since birth. He was sticking around. His ignorance and excitement had started this whole disaster, but . . . he was okay. So far. It wouldn't take much though at the end for me to kill him too.
He better be genuinely helping.
"Oh, this is tough to get off."
I looked behind at Mattie, Jill, and Lily all trying to get the collar off the little girl. I need to stop that. I keep saying little girl. She isn't just a random little girl. She's mine. She's my little girl. It was just such a foreign thing to say.
I think I even smelled her scent before I came back here. I think there was something that knew ever since that broadcast. A repulsive feeling I couldn't pinpoint. Not that she was repulsive. I didn't know her. I didn't know the first thing about this little girl being raised as a family pet outside. Only that I felt sorry for her.
"You'll learn," Mattie said next to me, trying to hide her own tears. "Don't worry about what you feel right now, Brother. Let's just concentrate on figuring out what we need to know, okay?"
"Right." I went over to help, but Juniper reminded me that my rights to Destiny and the children wouldn't be reinstated until after midnight. "Hello." I tried to greet her again. "This is the last time you'll sleep outside." She didn't seem to know how to interact. Same as me.
"Let's go find the boy and Destiny," Zoan suggested. "I'll help you find him before I am kicked out. I'm only allowed to visit so often."
Once again, something Destiny should have had control of. So much was under her control but she had felt threatened. Threatened enough to take care of all 200 of these people. Threatened enough to leave her daughter outside. What else did she do under the guise of threats?
I had to get her out. This was no longer about some contract. She was now the mother of my cubs, and she was even carrying one.