The Crime of Protection

by Gloria Martin

“Luca? Yeah he’s pretty much always like that,” Alex said with good humor. I sighed and walked with Alex back into the living room.

  “Does he think that I’ll be his…”

  “His mate? I don’t think he expects it, no. But you’ll have to ask him that yourself,” he said as we sat down.

  “I mean…how are you guys treating this whole…situation? Especially since you think that you both have a baby in me.” Alex laughed at that and he shrugged a fraction.

  “Well if either or both of us grows feelings for you Chloe it’d be up to you to decide what to do with that,” he said frankly. I hoped things wouldn’t get that complicated. But then King, the least friendly of my cats, jumped into Alex’s lap and actually curled up for Alex to pet him. Purring and all. I was already more softened towards Alex because he was the warmer of the pair, more personable.

  “I’m going to go shower,” I told him and left the room before he could give much of a response. The shower turned out to be what I needed to settle my nerves. When I got out of the bathroom I nearly ran right into Alex.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, quick to apologize, but his eyes were busy traveling the length of my body. “Luca is back with dinner,” he said.

  “Okay…” I said and glanced away from him a bit awkwardly. He left the room quietly and I pulled on a pair of pajamas, which was an oversized shirt and boy shorts. I found Luca and Alex at the small kitchen table and joined them.

  “What did you bring?” I asked even though whatever it was smelled amazing.

  “Something not too heavy for this time of night,” Luca said and pushed a plate of lentils and steamed cabbage my way. The dish sounded simple, but my goodness the flavors. I practically inhaled the food and got a huge dose of food fatigue afterwards. After dinner I went right to bed and curled up on my side, eager for the sleep waiting for me.

  Come morning I woke up feeling really hot. When I opened my eyes I found myself sandwiched in between both Luca and Alex. They were awake. Luca reclining against the headboard with one hand behind his head and Alex was stretched out on his belly. His head propped up on his crossed arms.

  “I’m sweating,” I murmured and Alex smirked at me mischievously.

  “Well next time wear less to bed.” Luca chuckled at his brother’s comment and I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help my small smile.

  “You both are very presumptuous,” I said and sat up with a yawn.

  “We get to be with you,” Luca said and smiled with a playful arrogance that came easily to him. I realized then that I had a really good night’s sleep, the best I’ve had since being pregnant. I filed that fact away and scooted out of bed.

  “What are we doing today?” I asked them.

  “Going to introduce you to our parents. Word has gotten out about you around the community of course. Our mother is very curious,” Alex said and my eyes widened a bit in mild alarm.

  “I’m meeting your parents today?” Luca laughed at me while Alex got up and took my hands in his.

  “They aren’t scary at all. You don’t have to be worried,” he said reassuringly.

  “And what do the rest of your people think?” I asked worriedly.

  “Well the females I’m supposed to be courting aren’t pleased in the slightest. The rest are very blasé about it as long as their future ruler is raised within our territory and to know the culture,” Luca said frankly.

  “Wow that’s…well heartening,” I said.

  “Our people aren’t usually dramatic when loyalties are involved,” Alex said confusingly.

  “…okay then,” I said and walked towards the bathroom to freshen up and not freak out about meeting Luca and Alex’s parents. As I lifted my head after brushing my teeth though, my stomach did several somersaults and I hurried over to the toilet. I groaned more in annoyance than anything. I should be shaking the morning sickness already. Another wave of dizziness hit me and was quickly followed by more heaves of my stomach. Soon enough I felt hands on my shoulders and one holding my hair while another rubbed my back.

  “Oh my goodness go away,” I groaned and tried to push them away. Of course neither budged until the heaving subsided. Luca helped me to my feet and I tried to brush them off while I went to the sink.

  “How do you feel?” Alex asked me, almost anxiously.

  “I’m fine it was just a bout of morning sickness. I’m glad it didn’t happen while I was meeting your parents,” I said before brushing my teeth all over again.

  “Isn’t morning sickness supposed to subside this far along?” Luca asked me softly. He still had his hand on my back and his gaze never left my face.

  “Sometimes it can stick all the way through…as long as I don’t get dehydrated or faint because of it, it’s technically okay,” I told them, hoping the words wouldn’t apply to me as I said them.

  “Maybe you should stay in today then,” Alex suggested.

  “No, no I want to go. I can’t stay confined to this cabin all day,” I said, “I’ll be ready in a sec.”

  I quickly brushed my hair out and pulled on the best pair of jeans I brought with me. As I rummaged through the drawers in the closet I realized I only brought flannel shirts or something thin and long sleeved to wear under a vest or jacket. I planned to hike and be with nature, not meet the parents of the father of my children. Frustrated I stepped out of the closet in nothing but a pair of jeans and my bra. Both Luca and Alex stopped their conversation immediately to look at me.

  “All I have are flannel shirts…” I said.

  “Don’t worry about that. Flannel is perfect,” Alex said with a reassuring smile. I nodded then went to go button one on and pull on a pair of boots. Luca was right outside the closet door when I reemerged.

  “You’re perfect,” he said then took my hand.

  “Where’s Alex?” I asked.

  “Outside, waiting in the truck.” Luca led me to the kitchen, seemingly reading my thoughts on my wanting some saltines for my stomach. After that we stepped outside and I discovered that they’d brought their own truck to the cabin. It was a huge white Ford, the kind that could probably tow an entire house. Once we were all inside of the thing we were off. I had to say I really hoped their parents weren’t as intense as Luca often was.

  *****

  “There’s going to be food at your parents’ house right?” I asked them while munching on the saltines, more out of hunger than anything else at that point.

  “Yes they have breakfast prepared, we’re almost there,” Luca said. He passed by his huge house and a few others before pulling into the drive of a quaint cottage that looked like it grew out of the forest floor.

  “Your parents live in Snow White’s cottage?” the comment slipped out before I could check it. Alex burst into laughter and Luca actually chuckled.

  “They do and they love it. Less to clean my mother says.” He gave me a fond smile before we all got out, Alex had to literally carry me to the ground, the truck was so high. My palms were sweating a little, I couldn’t remember the last time I had met someone’s parents. The front door opened before we could actually make it there to knock. I was a little taken aback though, their parents were a really attractive couple. Not to mention they hardly looked a day over forty. Luca’s dad is where he got the silver white hair from, but his mom had the blue eyes. He resembled his father a lot with similar angular masculine features. His mom was a knockout honestly, she was almost model tall, with a svelte figure and a timeless porcelain face.

  “Mother, father, this is Chloe,” Luca introduced me as we walked up to them and Luca’s mom embraced me in a hug as soon as I was close enough.

  “Oh it’s so good to meet you! I’m Marissa, this is Abe. But you can call me Mari if you like,” she said after she pulled back a fraction. Her hands still on my upper arms. Abe simply gave me a polite smile and inclined his head in greeting.

  “Welcome Chloe,” was all he said. I realized then that Luca was definitely a lot like his father.

 
; “Thank you for having me. I have to admit I’m a bit nervous,” I said with a small smile.

  “Oh don’t be! You’re family now,” Mari said and she put her arm around my shoulders and led me inside. I couldn’t help but smile genuinely, Mari was infectious.

  “So how far along are you now? How are you faring with the pregnancy?” She asked me as we all walked back to the intimate dining room to have a seat.

  “I’m close to ten weeks now…” I began, but Luca cut me off.

  “And she’s still having morning sickness,” he said. “Don’t you have something that can remedy that mother?” he asked her.

  “Oh yes, a simple tea that works wonders,” Mari smiled at me then in sympathy. “When I was pregnant with Luca I had morning sickness all the way through.”

  “So Chloe, do you plan on moving to the territory once the young are born?” Abe asked me curiously and I floundered a bit before getting a straight answer out.

  “Well I know it’s very important to Luca and Alex that they be raised here. But I’m still thinking about it,” I said truthfully and bit my bottom lip. Hoping Abe didn’t fault me for not saying yes right away. Alex nudged my side briefly and I realized he had made me a plate of food from what was set out on the table. I smiled at him gratefully and took a bite of the buttery croissant and eggs.

  “It’s not only very important, but imperative. You carry the heirs to both the leader of our clan and leader of our fighters,” Abe said, though not unkindly.

  “I know…I guess I just have to get used to the idea of moving away from Seattle,” I said, the thought sending a sad pang through my chest.

  “So do you have any inclination as to what you’re having yet? Two boys? A boy and girl?” Mari asked me curiously. Everyone else had finally started eating and I felt some of my nervous tension draining a bit.

  “Strangely enough I haven’t had any dreams or anything to give a hint. Though Alex and Luca are both sure it’s two boys,” I glanced at them both. Alex grinned proudly, Luca simply smirked.

  “Well do you have any brothers or sisters?” Abe asked me.

  “No, I’m an only child,” I said.

  “And your family lives in Seattle as well?” he looked at me curiously, though his dark brown gaze was intent. Reminding me of the way Luca sometimes stared at me.

  “My father and step-mother do. Though it’s their cabin that I’m staying in now just outside of Neilton. I do have a few cousins on my real mother’s side. But they live out of state. My father was an only child as well.” Abe nodded thoughtfully and there was a lull in the conversation as we ate.

  “So what about your birth mother? If I may ask, why did your father remarry?” Mari asked a bit presumptuously, but I didn’t mind. I then saw where Luca and Alex got it from.

  “She died just after giving birth to me from complications,” I said and rubbed my belly instinctively.

  “Oh I’m so sorry,” she said with true concern.

  “It’s alright, my step mother has always been there for me so I didn’t go without a mother figure,” I explained. After that we thankfully didn’t talk about my birth mother any further. Mari and Abe asked simple questions just to get to know me better and I had to say that they were really nice people. I knew for sure that Mari would be a great grandmother. Though she didn’t look old enough to be one.

  “So? That wasn’t so bad right?” Alex asked as we took a walk along the neighborhood.

  “No, I really like them,” I said truthfully.

  “My mother loves you already,” Luca said with a smile.

  “What about your dad? He’s harder to read,” I said which made Alex snort.

  “He likes you as well, though he’d like just as much as us to know for sure that you’ll raise the young within the territory,” Luca said. I sighed heavily and then nodded.

  “Well I can’t actually refuse to raise them here. You’re their fathers…” I paused briefly as I realized I was giving into the assumption that they each fathered one of the twins. “I mean I couldn’t actually raise the twins away from their father,” I amended. We walked to a nearby park, there was a pond with a quaint fishing bridge over it and a small playground for kids as well as a trail. We started on the path and I saw that there were a few intermittent gazebos.

  “Luca…” the female voice came from behind us. Luca’s hand dropped away from the small of my back as he practically whipped around. Alex and I glanced back at the woman. She was pretty, had soft features and big green eyes with blonde curls that framed her face like a lion’s mane.

  “Lia…” Luca sighed her name and she glanced at me with a skeptical gaze.

  “Can we speak a moment?” she asked him. I noted that she didn’t even salute or bow to either Luca or Alex.

  “About what?” Luca asked, he crossed his arms over his chest. His pectorals practically jumping out from under his t-shirt.

  “About whether you will continue courtship…or have you decided to mate her? An outsider?” My eyebrows rose in surprise. Well this Lia was certainly bold. Alex took my hand then and simply led me away from them.

  “I see why Luca wasn’t exactly thrilled about courting,” I murmured.

  “Don’t listen to it. She was just lashing out from hurt,” Alex said.

  “Are you sure the twins won’t get…I don’t know, made fun of for being a…half breed?” I asked him.

  “They would be respected as children of our line. I actually feel bad for Lia. Who knows how Luca is handling her remark,” Alex shook his head sadly.

  “Alex…what if Luca chooses a wife, or a mate, and…”

  “Chloe, Luca will be a father to his young no matter what, as will I. That you should have no worries about… And if Luca marries then I would get to…” Alex stopped walking then and he searched my face.

  “Then you’d get to what?” I asked him. He put his hand on my shoulder and caressed my arm until he laced his fingers with mine. Alex’s amber eyes held onto mine and I almost stopped breathing. It was like being caught up into a spell. He caressed my neck with his other hand, sending tingles throughout my entire body. When he leaned forward to kiss me, my breath hitched. His lips felt soft against mine, I knew he was holding back and I didn’t want him to. I put my hand on his chest and he deepened the kiss, licking into my mouth and sending my hormones haywire.

  Too soon he pulled away with a small smile and I had to blink a few times to focus my vision. Who knew I’d react so strongly to him? Just when I was thinking I could be falling for Luca…

  *****

  “This will sound elementary but…I like you a lot,” Alex said. I burst into an equally elementary fit of giggles and he smiled at me as if he had completed a high achievement.

  “There you two are…” Luca caught up with us and I felt a bit awkward all of a sudden. “I have to go and take care of something. We’ll all have dinner later?” he asked, looking at me the entire time.

  “Sure, yeah…” I answered and he surprised me by kissing me lightly on the mouth before nodding to Alex and hurrying back up the trail. I pressed my lips together firmly and fought back against the tide of emotion threatening. Never had I, even remotely, been in this kind of situation before.

  “Are you alright?” Alex asked me, his eyes keen on my face.

  “Yeah I just think I need to…um think,” I said and bit my lip nervously.

  “Do you want me to drop you back at the cabin?” he asked me and I nodded. Our walk back was a quiet one. As was the drive. He gave me some space at the cabin, though he didn’t leave. I stayed out back by the pond and walked around a bit, sticking close to the cabin of course. Alex found me to make sure I had lunch then resumed giving me some space to think. I couldn’t really think. I knew I had an attachment to the both of them and couldn’t figure my way out of that web at all. Nor did I particularly want to. All I could think about really was how weird it would be if the twins could grow up saying they were actually half- brothers and that their mom wa
s with both of their dads at the same time.

  “Chloe?” Luca found me out on the back porch with Charles purring away on my lap.

  “Hey, how was your day?” I asked him idly.

  “Unremarkable actually, how about you?” he sat down on the ground next to me, even though there was a perfectly good seat available.

  “It was fine, I’m just…um confused I guess,” I sighed and got up to stretch a little.

  “Confused about what?” he asked, looking up at me while idly stroking Charles’s back.

  “About you and Alex, what else?” Luca stood up and pulled me into a warm hug. Not what I was expecting in the slightest, but it felt nice.

  “None of us can help our feelings…” he grumbled. “But I brought more goat stew,” he said on a happier note. I giggled and let him lead me inside. I saw that Alex had already fed King and Charles. He was waiting at the kitchen table and I smelled the goat stew, making me salivate already.

  “I think this is my new favorite food,” I declared and sighed happily as I sat down. Alex looked at me with an expectant gaze and gave me a questioning nod of his head. “I’m alright.”

  I took some stew and rice, and ate while Alex and Luca tried to teach me some of their native tongue. The pronunciation was difficult and they kept making fun of me because of it.

  “As long as I’m able to understand it that’s fine right?” I said, throwing in the towel for the night.

  “That’ll be fine,” Alex chuckled. I got up and a giant yawn escaped my mouth.

  “I did next to nothing today, why am I so tired?” I mumbled.

  “You are pregnant with twins remember?” Luca said while he ushered me towards the bedroom. I glanced down at my stomach, lifting my shirt a fraction, it seemed to be growing a tiny bit every day finally.

  “Soon I’ll be huge,” I sighed and rubbed my belly.

  “The babies are growing, that’s all,” he said and Alex walked in soon after. “Do you want a bath?” Luca asked me curiously and I glanced at him in mild surprise.

  “You want to draw me a bath?” I asked him and Alex snorted.