-HER-

"What are you doing here, Nuessa?" I growled above her. Even though I was holding her down and had a strong grip around her neck, she wouldn't stop budging. At first, I didn't want to let her go but soon I had to because I couldn't stand her smell.

She choked at first before getting up and glaring at me. Meanwhile, it was taking me all the control to not gag. The smell was too strong and I was on the verge of getting a headache from it.

"Why do you have to interfere in everything?" She hissed back at me, taking a few steps towards the exit but she stopped when I gave her a warning growl. She already knew that I was much faster than her. There was no point in running again.

"And why do you always have to steal?" I shot back. At this, she looked a bit taken aback before she glared at me but I continued, "and that too children's toys. What are you going to do with them? Play? Are you sick in the head or something?"

For a while, she didn't say anything and stood there, glaring at me with her jaw clenched.

"Why do you think I would need children's toys?" She asked me out of nowhere. This got me to pause for a moment and really think about it.

"You have children?" I asked her. She glared at me for a second longer before nodding slowly.

"I have given birth a month ago," She told me. Suddenly, my eyebrows shot up to my hairline. If she gave birth a month ago, then she must have been pregnant while we were on the mission in the valleys. Suddenly, everything made sense— from her stealing food to disappearing at the time of action.

"Oh," Was the only way I could respond, "but why would you have to steal?"

"Well, duh, I am a slave. Do you think that I get the same benefits and the luxuries that the women enjoy here?" She asked pointedly. Well, she had a point. "And they'd prolly kill my babies if they ever get to know if I have them. Oh, wait! Now you know that I have babies and also, you've caught me stealing from the nursery. On top of that, the punishment for me entering the harem is death so go on, tell Ezekiel about this. I'm sure he would drop everything at a go and come straight to kill my babies in front of my eyes. I am sure it would be really fun for you," she spoke in such a condescending way. It infuriated me and as well as made me feel like shit because I don't remember being too friendly to her while in the valleys.

"I won't do that," I told her as sincerely as I could but I don't think she would believe me so easily.

"Oh, I should be so thankful to you then," she responded in the same condescending way. If someone else would have been in her place then I would have punched them right in the face.

"No, I mean it. Do you have to steal everything?" I asked her.

"Of course, do you think that people would be generous towards me if they find out that I have made more creatures like me?" She shot back. "To be honest, I'm surprised I have managed to keep us alive for even a month," she spoke the last bit more to herself but I was able to hear her clearly and it kinda made me feel guilty for treating her so badly in the past but again, I didn't know that she was pregnant all the while.

"What about the father? Doesn't he help you?" I asked her. All of a sudden, I was curious about her. I wanted to know how she managed all of this.

At this, she gave a dry laugh, "Father? I don't really have any luck in any part of my life so yeah... I have to help myself,"

All of a sudden, I was seeing her in a different light. To be honest, I was properly seeing her for the first time at that moment because while we were at the valley, she never really crossed my mind.

"Is there something that I could do?" I asked her because the guilt was growing more and more slowly. What made me feel more guilty was that I might have never reconsidered my bad behaviour towards her hadn't I found out that she had children in the first place.

This was so wrong but now that I knew of it, I wanted to her help her in any way I could.

"Yeah, just keep your mouth shut and stop poking your nose in people's business," She spat at me with that same nasty tone. All of a sudden, I wasn't even annoyed by that anymore because I could start to see why she would be so bitter all the time. She had all the reasons to be bitter.

"I will do that but how long would you steal? Someday you're going to get caught," I told her.

"So what do you say? I quit stealing? Then how am I going to take care of my children? Tell me? Now, I think you're the one who's sick in the head," she spat.

I shuffled on my feet as I thought about this for a moment. I didn't think she would even trust me at first but I still told her, "If you show me your children then I will help you,"

She froze for a moment and stared at me.

"Do you think I am that stupid to believe you?" She asked me.

"I give you my word. If you show me your children then I will help you in every way I could. I know I treated you like shit on the mission and I take full accountability for that. I want to make it up to you," I told her sincerely. She stared at me for a whole another minute.

"I will kill you if you try to do something sneaky to them," she threatened.

I nodded.

_

A/n> Hope you guys are enjoying your holidays. I know that I was missing last week and that's because I was just spending time with family. I will give extra updates on Friday for both books (this & Mr Night)

Apart from this, I have a new werewolf romance & drama book coming up soon. I will post it here around mid-Jan (or maybe earlier) but in case you're more curious, it has been already announced on Patreon and the 1st chapter would be posted this week. So you can go and check out that.

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