Enzo (The Wolves Den: New #1)

25. Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-four

"What's wrong?"

Deja was curled up on the couch sitting next to Enzo. She should be sleepy after the day and night she had, but she wasn't. Her senses were off the chart, hollering at her to get ready. It would help if they'd be more specific.

"I don't know. All the voices in my head are screaming at me to get ready, but none of them are telling me what's wrong. I feel tense like I'm being pulled in ten different directions, but I'm sitting next to you."

"Why don't we go to our room, and you let me make love to you?"

"No." Hurt flashed in his eyes.

"Stop that. I have to tell you something first."

"All right, I'm ready." His shoulders had stiffened, and he was holding himself erect as if he were bracing for bad news.

She climbed into his lap and sat straddling him. "I should probably make you breakfast in bed after rocking your world before I tell you this, but I can't wait. I feel like I've held it in all night and if I wait a minute more, I'll explode.

She lowered her head to kiss him, sucking on his lower lip until his lips parted and let her in.

"Your kisses mess me up. They're so addictive. Enzo, I love you. I never thought I would be able to love again. After my mom died, I wanted to put my heart on ice so that I wouldn't feel that kind of heartbreak again. Then Matt came into my life pretending to be everything I ever dreamed of, but it was all a lie. He was the last straw. I refused to ever love again after him. Then I met you, and you kept doing things that were unselfish and were all for my benefit. You kept loving me even when I didn't think I deserved it.

"There are a thousand and one reasons I have to love you, but I don't know which one did the trick or if none of them did it. I don't love you because of the things you've done for me. I love you because you're you. I love that you're Kur'ik and that you have a son. That you fought, but now you're making a different life. I love that you went running through the streets to protect your child. I love your tenderness and compassion, and yes, I love how you love me. I love you, Enzo, and everything that makes you, you. I'm honored to be your mate."

He wrapped his arms around her and allowed his head to lie in the crook of her neck. Her scent flavored the room as he kissed her. The gentleness of his kiss telling her more than words how he felt. He picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom.

"I love you, camire." He shut the door so he could make love to his mate.

It was the pounding on the front door that woke them up. Enzo jumped up and put on a pair of jeans before answering the door. Deja took a little more time to find wakefulness before she put on her robe and went out front. Enzo and Declyn were sitting at the table in the kitchen surrounded by Ven, Cole, Xander and Caden. She needed a bigger kitchen.

"What happened?" This was the most serious she'd seen them since the Thalians tried to attack her.

"The ship's sensors went off about an hour ago," Declyn told her. "We intercepted a message from Corso, the Alpha of the Thalians."

"Are your people coming back for you?" she whispered, feeling fear.

"Not ours, the Thalians, but it amounts to the same thing.

"Why would he do this after all this time?"

The males looked at each other, but none of them had an answer.

"What do we do? They don't want you. They want the Thalians. Won't they just take them and leave you alone?"

"We're at war, Deja." Enzo came to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"I won't let them take you, any of you. You're my new family and families fight for each other."

They nodded, but none of them looked confident.

"We'll need the ship to fight them," Declyn said.

"Won't using your ship give away your location?" They nodded at her.

"We'll have to find—" A knock on the door interrupted what she was saying.

Enzo let her go and went to the door. He growled, bringing the other males into the living room.

"I don't want any trouble." Avel was standing at the door.

"The last time I saw you, you wanted me dead or for breeding purposes," Deja spoke up.

"Yeah. It made sense at the time, but now the Thalians have found us, and I've heard that we can mate with human females and have children."

Enzo opened the door wider and invited him in. "They stay outside."

Deja peeked out the door to find hundreds of males clogging the streets.

"I want to apologize to your female first. I am the Beta of the Thalians, and as such, I uphold what we stand for, even though we no longer believe a lot of the rhetoric we were taught."

"What changed your mind?" Declyn asked.

"Corso rose. I've always believed he was like us. A soldier bred through an enzymatic process to fight and die. What never made sense was why he was always going to ground. He's a Thalian, a plant to make sure the soldiers are fighting and dying. He was the one who contacted the ship on its way."

A huge roar went up in the room. Avel stood his ground.

"Why should we believe you?" Enzo walked up to him until they were face to face.

"I don't have a reason. All I can say is I want a mate. I want a son." His eyes drifted to where Ven was standing.

"We all heard about the baby girl that was born and that she's still living. It's been twenty-four hours." There was a sigh of relief that went around the room as the symbol of their freedom made it through the first day.

"When will the Thalians show up?" Every eye went to Avel.

"We don't know. They never told Corso where they were. They could be here in days or years. They could never come."

"Why?"

"We mean nothing to them. If they came, it would be for Corso. Other than that, they would gladly allow us to rot on this planet," Enzo told her.

"Then we just have to be on guard until we see a sign of them," Deja said.

Avel shook his head. "Corso is coming after you. He wants to be able to contact them and tell them he wiped you from the face of the planet, guaranteeing they will come for him. If they come here, they will survey the planet to see if they have anything of value. If they believe you are weak, they will start a war with you."

"It's in our best interest that we don't let him communicate with them again?" Declyn asked.

"Yes," Avel said.

"Enzo?" Deja asked her question by saying his name.

"Tonight, we go to war, Camire. I want you to go stay with your friend," Enzo said. He was pleading with her to agree with his eyes.

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving; I can't. I have a vested interest in what happens tonight. I won't run."

"Deja,” Ezo said. He choked at the thought of her staying behind."

She placed her finger in front of his mouth. "Enzo, you and Ven are my world. It's not just the two of you but every male in the room and all the ones that come to The Wolves' Den. I won't leave just like you won't ask any of the other females to leave. I bet Amira will be fighting. We'll have to put Jessie, Mia, and Amira's baby here so we can keep them safe. I'll stay here to protect them. Ven, will you stay with me?"

He nodded and moved to her side.

"I need to go plan. Make sure we have enough food and make this place more secure. Ven, with me." She went to her toes and met Enzo as he leaned down to kiss her.

This was a historic day somewhere in the galaxy, the Kur'iks and the Thalians working together.

"How do we make the apartment safer?" Ven asked, following her down the stairs.

"I don't know. We're going to pick up a basinet for Amira's daughter and then go to the store for more food. When we get back, we'll move the bed for Mia to the apartment. Then we will look for a barrier to reinforce the door."

"A human barrier won't work," he said, getting into the car.

"Then maybe we can use something like what you use to keep humans from discovering you."

"Maybe." They drove to the store quietly.

She parked and took him into a store that specialized in newborns.

"Do babies need all these different appliances?"

"No, a lot of this is for the convenience of the parent. It makes our lives a little easier and helps us get a few extra minutes of sleep which we need."

They walked down an aisle that had several different bassinets.

"Do you think that one day I might have a baby?" Ven’s voice was low when and filled with longing.

"Yes, but before that happens, I want you to live life. You can go to college and go to dances with people your age.”

He gave her a doubtful look. "We'll start with the internet. Many people use it to go to college, and we'll move on from there. What do you think about this one? It's a playpen with an insert that you can use as a bassinet. I think it'll be perfect."

They picked up a few more things that caught Deja's eye before they paid and made their way to the grocery store.

"Perfect timing," Deja said as she opened the door. "Oh, you're wide awake and so beautiful."

She moved back and allowed Jessie and Mia in.

"Welcome to my humble abode. Have a seat."

"Thanks." Jessie took a seat on the edge of a chair holding Mia.

Deja closed the door and leaned against it. "Ven, go find your dad and tell him dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."

"Okay." He stood and moved to the door, searching her face.

"There's no problem," she whispered to him before she moved from in front of the door.

"I want to thank you for inviting Mia and me to dinner."

"But?" She grabbed a chair and pulled it up to sit facing Mia. The chair moved much more easily now that she had mated with Enzo.

Jessie fidgeted around, playing with Mia, not looking Deja in the eyes.

"My mother reminded me that we don't take charity. It would probably be best if I took a different job."

"Did your mother also give you that bruise on your arm?"

She pulled her arm back, hiding it under Mia.

"Who's hitting you, Jessie, and are they hitting Mia too?"

"No. If I go along with them, they leave her alone."

"Is that what you want? To go along with the program?"

"No, when I save enough money, I'll move out."

"Who are you lying to? Me or yourself?"

She dropped her head. "I just want my baby to be safe."

"I get it. Jessie, I need you to stay here tonight. It's the only place I think you'll be safe. You can take the time to decide what you're going to do. The club won't open tonight, and I have everything you need in the main bedroom. Would you mind watching the baby from last night too?"

"I would love that."

"Perfect. Let's set the table; the guys should be here soon."