Ashtala's triangular nose crinkled and twitched. She inhaled, taking in all the smells that had been unknown to her when she first came here. There were the human body odors, mechanics and vehicles, and the various soaps, shampoos, and perfumes that the humans applied.

As she stopped walking, her head tilted far back to take in the building that stretched into the sky. Never would she have chosen to enter such a tall building. Even looking to the top of it made her shiver with apprehension. However, in a short period of time, that building had become a home of sorts with her.

While living in the Sentinel Army's headquarters, she had missed her life among the Leputi. Sleeping wasn't the same when there weren't dozens of other bodies pressed against her. Only having the ladies living in the same area as her had made her feel lonely and exposed in a way that her tribe's burrows didn't.

And yet, when she had been away from it, there were things she had missed. The boisterous meals with the human lords and ladies had treated her to unexperienced flavors, even if they said they were limited compared to before. The soaps and showers made her feel like a princess living in luxury, even if she had to go in by herself.

More than anything, the relationships she had built with the ladies and his excellency proved more special to her than she would have expected. Even though he had no fur, pressing herself against his excellency at night, being gently stroked by him while she curled up, had been special.

The Leputi didn't have the same concept of love or affection as the humans. She had heard so many times from the ladies, even reading books they recommended, but love to her wasn't what they explained. That was a foreign concept that she would probably never understand.

No. She had been brought here originally as a sacrifice, and she knew it. It had been no secret. For her tribe, the Leputi she considered family, she had willingly accepted the sacrifice. It was a desperate gamble by her father to provide at least a period of safety for her tribe.

He wanted to find a way to tie their tribe to the natives, creatures who had no understanding of how the Leputi were treated across the universe. After getting to know the humans that they had protected within the Leputi Rift, they thought it was a safe plan, except for one thing…the leader of the humans.

Building affection in a berserker was just not possible, and she had expected her sacrifice to be brutal. And short. Still, she had accepted the sacrifice for all those in her tribe.

That it hadn't gone that way was a surprise. That her father had survived their initial encounter was shocking. The support the humans had given was beyond what they could have hoped for.

They had received fair treatment. Better than fair. The humans had provided them with wonderful living arrangements. The development of weapons and their own levels was beyond amazing. Even their breeders and midwives went on hunts to raise their levels while other races would have kept them as low level as possible.

All of that didn't even consider how enthusiastic the humans were to help grow their tribe, willingly providing the Leputi with opportunities to conceive new young.

Being with the humans was the realization of dreams that no Leputi had dared to mention. By serving the humans, they had received everything they could have wanted with very few drawbacks. They were becoming a viable race. If only his excellency could win the battle for the planet and the Leputi could continue to benefit from it. Another thing that no one outside of the humans expected.

A large paw on her shoulder brought Ashtala's head back down to look at the entrance to the building. Many people were constantly entering and exiting the building, and she knew it was time for her to enter. While she did miss the ladies and his excellency after spending a good amount of time among her tribe, she knew that she must return to her place here. Her time away was over.

"We must go in, daughter," said her father from her side.

He looked at her compassionately. While she nodded in agreement, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive. During her time away, she had spoken with the ladies regularly, and everything with them seemed fine, but there had been no communication with his excellency.

Lady Alissa said it was fine, and Lady Andrea recommended it while also muttering about the uselessness of boys, but Ashtala knew that there was no love for her in his excellency. He had four of his own kind already, and many responsibilities to occupy him. Ashtala had been forced on him, and she was just glad he showed compassion towards her instead of resentment.

Of course, he also showed compassion and affection for that scary Carthraga he raised. It showed how great of a character his excellency had, although also the shallowness of his feelings towards her. She couldn't hold it against him considering what their race had gone through in a short period of time.

She was concerned with the upcoming reunion with her mate and tried to hold tightly to the words of encouragement that the ladies had given her.

Steeling her resolve, Ashtala patted Lashtam's paw and then walked into the building's lobby.

***

"Stupid siege rules," complained Adam as he jogged from the garage to the high rise. Not having access to the portals to move around the territory was beyond frustrating. He would have been fine without them if he didn't know they existed, but it irked him that he had them and lost them. All because the stupid invaders came to his land.

He had driven for hours to get back, and during the return a message came from Jordan that his mother needed him to visit quickly.

With everything he had to do, all the stress of defending their territory while also learning to use his pseudo-skills to strengthen his people, there just wasn't much opportunity to spend time with his family. He loved them, missed them, and knew that everything he had done was primarily for them. That didn't stop how inconvenient it was to be summoned by a parent, whether as a kid or an adult.

Not only was Adam an adult and independent now, but he was swamped. Realistically, taking a few hours to visit wouldn't set him back all that much. The problem was that it would take his mind off all the thoughts he needed to keep himself moving forwards.

After riding the elevated to his parents' floor, he stopped at their door to take a few deep breaths. He wasn't sure what persona he needed for this appearance. Did he need to be an affectionate son? Or a leader of humanity? Was this a request for base development for Jackson, requiring patience and compassion? Maybe he needed to show his strength and determination, so they didn't worry about him.

Once he breathed in one final time, Adam closed his eyes and opened the door.

"Mom! I'm here," he announced firmly without becoming loud.

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"We're in the living room," replied his mom's voice. It was subdued, almost quiet, so Adam frowned as he walked out of the short entrance hallway. She didn't sound concerned or in a rush. It felt very different than the tone of the message that Jordan had passed along to him.

As Adam entered the living room, the scene wasn't what he expected. On the sofa against the wall were three Leputi. Lashtam and Ashtala were there, sitting rigidly in what they considered respect and subservience. Next to them was another female Leputi, she might have been young or old since he didn't know how to recognize their ages if their fur wasn't fading, and she had a tag of "Matron [23]," showing that she was midway through the second tier.

On a perpendicular love seat was his mother, and she was holding a wrapped soft hide that seemed to contain a Leputi baby. His mom seemed quite pleased with the baby as she gave it a stroke on the head and touched its nose before looking up at Adam. If anything, she seemed a bit happy taking care of the baby, even if it wasn't human.

His father watched Adam from a recliner that was currently sitting up.

"Cute kid," Adam said after he took in the room and tried to recalibrate his expectations for this visit. He was also surprised that he wasn't lying about the baby being cute. Adam had never found babies to be very enjoyable to look at, hold, or really to do anything with. His opinion seemed to change when there was a thin layer of fuzz on the baby's body and head. "But I don't really have much time. What did you need me for?"

His mother cocked an eye at him, and he heard his father chuckle quietly, as if anticipating a prank. Adam knew to maintain eye contact until his mother was ready, otherwise she would think he was being disrespectful. Of course, people not maintaining eye contact with Adam was something that he dealt with frequently. His mother had no trouble locking her look onto him.

After an uncomfortable amount of time as his mother tried to search his face for something, she signed and looked back down at the Leputi baby. While stroking its cheeks with the back of her pointer finger, she asked, "really, Adam?"

With a concerned frown, Adam tried to figure out what was happening.

"Yeah, mom. I just got back from a battlefield. We're going to be under siege for a while, and I've managed to create skills and a class for one of the new soldiers. There is a lot happening, so why did you need me?"

Then there was a baby cry. It didn't come from the baby that his mom was holding.

Adam looked over at his dad and realized that he was holding a baby too. This one looked human though. A hint of hair on the scalp, smooth pink skin on the round face, no teeth, and a scrunched up sleeping face.

For a moment Adam stared. His dad gave him a wry smile.

"You've made something more important than a class this time," chuckled his dad.

Adam looked at the three Leputi on the sofa before turning to his mom and swallowing hard. With hesitation, breaking the oppressive silence that seemed intended to let him stew, Adam asked, "whose kids are those?"

"Are you serious?" asked his mom in exasperation.

"He was not told," said Ashtala, as if defending him. "The ladies said it would be better for a human of his age."

"I wasn't told what?" asked Adam, feeling his insides getting hot even without the river. He knew his cheeks were getting red, though he wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"That's hardly an excuse," said Adam's mom critically, ignoring him and continuing to speak with Ashtala. "I'll be talking with those other girls. They can't be spoiling him, and he should have known."

"Seriously! What is going on?"

"Consequences," said his dad from the side. "I warned you about the consequences."

Adam's mouth opened to argue. His hand rose, led by his pointed finger. Halfway through the motions, his brain caught up to the situation after very slowly putting things together. He looked ridiculous, and his father stifled another laugh.

Spinning on Ashtala, Adam had to lick his lips but still had trouble finding enough moisture to speak. His words came out at a higher pitch than he thought was possible.

"Wh-whose kids are those?"

Ashtala saw his face and squealed in fear as she pushed herself backwards into the couch. She pulled up her legs and tried to hide a bit behind her father.

"Adam! Stop menacing Ashtala!" snapped his mom.

Adam turned towards her.

"What is happening?" he croaked desperately. "I thought it took a year before kids were born. It hasn't been nearly that long since she left."

"It's usually between 9 to 10 months," responded his mom. "And that is in humans. Now calm down or you'll disturb your son, Ishatali."

Once it was stated, Adam's jaw dropped opened and he gaped at the Leputi child. Then his eyes darted around the room, as if looking for an escape.

"Yes, your excellency," said Lashtam, sounding proud. "Ashtala has reached a higher level and received skills that made gestation much shorter than usual. We were overjoyed when she gave birth to your two children. You have honored us by so quickly making offspring with her."

"Two?" Adam nearly shrieked, hitting an even higher pitch. He rounded on his dad and the baby he held. He smirked mischievously at Adam.

"Want to hold your daughter? Her name is Raquasha."

"I…" started Adam, but nothing followed it. He looked between the fuzzy Leputi baby and the human-looking one. Then he fell backwards, landing hard on the floor. His mother winced at the thud from his head bouncing off it and Ishatali began a clicking type of crying.

As his mother tried to soothe the baby, she scolded Adam. "You're a father now, stop being dramatic and disturbing your children."

Adam closed his eyes and pictured himself coming home from work, a day of slaughtering invaders, blood and gore covering his armor as he tried to keep a bunch of kids from touching him until he was changed and showered. He imagined being woken up constantly throughout the night to feed and rock the babies. Then he remembered that with a high vitality it wouldn't be as daunting as pre-[System]. Still, the image felt unreal.

With a heavy exhale, Adam asked, "I guess we need to get cribs for my place?"

To Adam's surprise, there was a gasp. When he looked at its origin, he realized it had been Lashtam.

"Your excellency, you would renege on our agreement?" There was the hurt of betrayal on his face.

Adam sat up quickly.

"What? No! Which agreement?"

"Ashtala was your mate so that we could birth the tribe's new chief, my replacement," hurried Lashtam. "You would take the children from us?"

"First you make it sound like I'm a demon who sold his first born, and then a kidnapper. What am I supposed to do here?" moaned Adam as he flung his arms up while lying on the floor.

"As you agreed to, the Leputi will raise the children," answered his mother, even though Adam hadn't expected a real response.

"Even the human looking one?" asked Adam.

His mother grimaced at his words but nodded. "But that doesn't mean it's alright for you to completely ignore your parental duties. I expect you to make time for them regularly, young man." Then she looked at Lashtam and he jumped from the firmness of her expression. "I also expect them to spend plenty of time with their grandmother."

"Yes, my lady," responded Lashtam quickly and with a bow. "It shall be arranged."

"Good!" she harumphed before turning back to the baby in her arms with a smile. "Now Adam, come over here and spent time with them. Ashtala, you too."

Ashtala crept off the sofa but followed her order. "Yes, my lady."

The next few hours were spent with Adam being bossed around as he squeamishly experienced many new things. Some surprised him, such as how calming it was to hold the babies, both his Leputi son and human daughter. Other things resulted in Adam's sense of flight nearly kicking in, as he was shown how to change their diapers, burp them, or clean up their spit up.

After his first attempt at burping Ishatali, they decided that Adam wouldn't be doing that again. And he had thought he was controlling his inhuman strength well.

It was in a daze that time passed for Adam. He was sure that he would fail any quiz regarding what he had been told would during that time.

Yet, even as small and incapable as the babies were, Adam looked at them as another reason he needed to kick all the invaders off the planet. They needed safety and protection. They needed to grow up in a world without death and conflict. His heat pulsed and the voice of corruption cried out as he watched the children.

Once again, Adam was surprised when he felt some regret as the babies were taken by the Matron. The three Leputi left, but Ashtala did say that she would be returning to their condo after a few more days. The raising of the children would be left to her tribe, even if they had the distinction of knowing who their parents were. She even gave Adam a hesitant kiss on the cheek, which was unlike the other girls due to the differences in her face and mouth shape.

As Adam left his parents' place, his mind still unable to take in everything that had happened, a voice spoke out from the air in front of him.

"Adam, we have a problem," said Jordan Lane.

"What now?" he asked, his heart not really in the complaint as he thought about his kid. His kids. He knew it would take a while to wrap his mind around that.

"Drathan. They are just outside our territory. Waiting."

With a heavy exhale, Adam thought of the previously challenging enemies. The heat pulsed a few more times, bringing him back to his main purpose.

"Which direction are they coming from?"

"North, northeast, east, southeast, and south," answered Jordan, fear in his voice.

"Damn! I'll be in the meeting room in a minute," said Adam forcefully, all thoughts of children leaving his mind as his life of war resumed.

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