They had been mated for two weeks, holed up in the house and it had done wonders for Lani's health. They'd been holed up pretty much the whole time but this new change to their relationship filled her with so much hope and love and the change in her was clear for everyone to see.
Tammy said she glowed. Trisha noticed how much stronger she was and that she was able to walk around the house a little more independently. Lani was just happy that her vision seemed to be returning more than anything because she loved looking in Ven's bright blue eyes.
Speaking of Tammy, Lani heard her jeep pull up in front of the house. It still made that strange knocking sound, not that she'd be able to do anything about it until she could see clearly.
Tammy called out for them, bright and cheery.
"Lani, Ven! I hope you guys are home. I brought some brownies…"
Just as she said the word brownies, the scent of that chocolatey goodness wafted through the open living room windows and straight to Lani.
Ares left her side on the couch and trotted to the door, whining to the visitors in greeting.
She'd practiced walking the layout of the main floor and now everything was blurry and colorful. It wasn't too hard to find the front door and Lani had no worries it was actually Tammy and her family since Ares was excited.
With a quick turn of the knob, Lani had the door open and welcomed in her visitors. She looked around but a rather large someone was missing.
"Where's your mate?"
Tammy waved her son in and took the brownies to the kitchen. "He said he heard Ven around back and went that way. That just means we get more brownies to ourselves." The teasing tone of her voice was something Lani enjoyed hearing. Tammy reminded her of her cousin Kristi back in Hawaii and just that quickly, she was homesick for her family.
"Lani, are you alright?" The Hawaiian woman shared what she'd been reminded of and Tammy apologized.
"What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything."
Tammy helped herself to the napkins and dished out pieces for each of them. "I'm sorry that you're missing them. Have you asked Ven if you can get in contact with them? I don't see why you shouldn't be able to."
"Honestly?" Lani's stomach lurched at the memories of what she'd been through. "I'm ashamed to call them. I insisted that that man I was with was good and it turned out so bad. My family didn't like him, tried to talk me out of being with him and I rejected them all. All of them."
The room was uncomfortably quiet. Even Noble could tell and he ate his brownie silently, waiting for his mom to fix things.
"Have I ever told you how Val and I met?"
Lani shook her head. "I'm guessing it wasn't through a dating app."
"How could you tell?" Lani could hear the grin in Tammy's voice and smiled back.
"Because he growls every time a phone is mentioned." That got both women laughing.
"In my lovely mate's defense, his hands are ginormous and although he can braid my hair and give the best massages a girl could ask for, he can't press the number keys. The pads of his fingers cover four keys and it makes him angry."
"Oh my."
Tammy laughed. "His fingers are nimble as all get out," she said while wagging her eyebrows, making Lani laugh, "but using the phone isn't something he can easily do."
"Yeah," Noble's young voice piped up. "Mom calls me dad's secretary since I have to use the phone for him."
Tammy wrapped her arms around her son and pulled him close to press a kiss to his crown. "You're such a smart boy. I can't imagine my life without you."
They finished their brownies and Tammy insisted on seconds. She told Lani of how she'd met Valiant after getting lost on her way to a catering job in Reservation. Some idiots made speculations and then suddenly she'd been kidnapped. Valiant and his amazing nose tracked her and her kidnappers down in the middle of a thick forest in record time.
"But do you know what the saddest thing was? I had no family to notice I was gone. If it hadn't been for people at the bar noticing me being harassed, I highly doubt I'd be living this wonderful life.
"After hearing the stories you've told me of your family and how close you all are, I'm sure that they won't be upset that you had suffered. A good family doesn't rub your mistakes in your face or kick someone when they're down. It sounds like your family isn't like that and I bet more than anything that they miss you and would love to hear from you."
The males were on the back porch now, their low voices bringing more comfort to the women than they had expected.
"Lani," Vengeance's voice called from the back door. "You have betrayed me by not telling me you were eating brownies." To help Lani not startle when her sight was non-existent, Ven had taken to walking a little louder so she could hear him coming. It was no surprise when warm, thick arms wrapped around her midsection and his wide nose pressed into the side of her neck.
"It's rude to speak with your mouth full. I only stopped chewing now," she gently teased and Ven's playful growl rolled through her.
"My heart is breaking."
All occupants of the room smiled at Lani's light laughter. Tammy gave the males a much larger serving than theirs and took the opportunity to ask Ven if Lani could contact her family.
Vengeance looked down at the woman in his arms. "Is this something you want to do?"
"I-I don't know." She seemed to shrink in on herself and Ven turned her toward him, hugging her tightly.
"You do not need to decide today or even tomorrow."
Valiant looked over to his friend and frowned. "It would not be a good idea to contact them at all until Joseph Birmingham and his network have been captured.
Lani's heart raced at hearing that name again and she held Vengeance a little tighter. The kiss gently pressed to the top of her head made her relax. Ven wouldn't let anything happen to her and neither would Valiant because that would mean his mate and child would be near trouble.
"Have you," her voice caught in her throat. She swallowed hard and tried again. "Have you heard how that's going?"
"I have," the giant Species noted, "it is one of the reasons I came to speak with you today. Slade will be here soon to join the conversation. He has more details and is working closely with the Task Team. While we wait, there is something else I wish to talk about."
What was left of the brownies was taken outside to the front porch with them. The weather was nice out and the breeze was comfortable. Even though they had homes, the Species did not like to spend a lot of time in them unless for sleeping. Or the other kind of sleeping.
"You were not at our last meeting but the others send your congratulations on your mating." Lani couldn't see clearly but she could tell that Vengeance puffed up with pride at hearing that.
"Give my thanks."
"I will. They would like to hold a feast in your honor and help you celebrate your new mating."
Vengeance's brows furrowed. "Who will be at this celebration? I know we are all friends here but I-" He paused, unsure of how to share his concerns. "I do not wish-"
A growl escaped him and Ven scolded himself for his lack of control. "I only wish for Wild Zone residents to attend." Tammy looked surprised but she really shouldn't be. Valiant gave no indication he felt one way or the other.
"That is appropriate as you are a Wild. What about Slade and his family?"
"Of course he can come."
Valiant lifted a brow. "And what of Tiger and his mate?"
"Yes, them too."
Valiant gave them a big smile. "Good. I will let the others know. Next Saturday is when they have requested to have it. Let me know what kind of meat you want."
Ven lightly squeezed Lani's hands. "Is that something you feel up to doing? Celebrating with our Wilds family?"
Lani nodded. "I think I'm ready to meet them. I can almost see again and I think it would be nice to make more friends."
The rumble of an engine alerted them to Slade nearing Ven's home.
"You're just in time," Valiant greeted while licking the last of the chocolate from his fingers.
Slade's nose lifted to catch the scent of what Valiant teased him with.
"Brownies?" He looked at Tammy like she'd kicked him. "What about me? And hey," he said, turning back to Valiant. "I thought chocolate makes you sick?"
Valiant smirked and sucked his teeth clean. Loudly. "My perfect mate has been experimenting in the kitchen and found a chocolate substitute that I can eat."
Slade gave the woman puppy eyes that didn't actually work on her but Tammy would never let him know. It was hilarious to see him act like this.
"Please tell me you saved me a piece?"
Tammy laughed and lifted a brownie she'd set aside for him. "You can thank Lani for this. Once she heard you were coming, she snagged it and demanded that no one touch it."
"Ah, ladies. You are the best. I can always depend on you two to keep me in mind." Tammy handed the treat over and they made small talk while the Director of New Species Reservation enjoyed his brownie.
Slade was the one licking his fingers now. There was no way he was going to waste a single speck of that delicious dessert. "Now that I've got fuel in my belly, I will update you regarding the investigation."
Lani sat up straighter in Vengeance's lap and held his arms around her stomach. "I'm ready."
"Birmingham is the owner of Pacific's Forge construction company, the company we are contracted with for construction projects within New Species Reservation's walls. Currently, their project is the wall expansion that is happening near the southwest end of the Wild Zone. They will also take care of the hole in the wall that Vengeance slipped through to find you.
"Because they are working for us, as part of the contracts signed, we have unfettered access to their records. This happens with all companies and businesses that work and produce goods for New Species Homeland and Reservation.
"So far, our accountants have found nothing amiss. This is good because it means we can trust them as a business. However, something or someone in the construction crew was flagged by the Project Supervisor, Nick Rasmussen. Brad, the Project Manager, let me know their suspicions once Nick had heard word of something going down and I looked into it. At the Wild's last meeting, I asked some of the Wilds to look for whatever device their construction worker had placed in our woods."
Vengeance roared. "Why was one of them allowed to leave the construction area unsupervised?"
"I asked the same question and the section of wall they are working at hasn't been cleared of trees as the rest of the perimeter was. It was easy for one to claim to need a spot in the shade to cool down." Ven didn't like how this sounded at all.
"I recruited the Wilds to keep their ears and noses open to find the box and after scouring the area where construction took place, they found two transmitter boxes. They haven't found any others and Leo's team has searched thoroughly."
"What do these boxes do?"
Valiant looked over his family, determination to keep them safe thrumming through him and then back at Vengeance. "They are listening devices, made to ignore sounds of nature and to pick up voices. They have been left in place so the Task Force can trace their signals and hone in on the receiver's location. Take a look at this map-"
Slade pulled a tablet out from beside him and tapped on its screen until he found and opened a map.
"Right here and here are where the devices are located. They were left active so if you walk near there, make sure you don't say a word. We want them to think they're just in an empty forested area."
"Understood," was all Ven needed to say.
"Trey and Tim are running the op and have informed me that they have enough to convict Birmingham for purchase and use of the breeding drugs, multiple counts of sexual abuse and human trafficking. The data they have found for the other names you listed will put those men behind bars indefinitely. The Task Team said Birmingham is going to make a move soon and they are getting their teams in place for a unified strike. We don't want any of those men to get away or signal the others."
The room was quiet and Lani smelled strongly of fear. Valiant felt bad for the little female and all she had gone through and wanted to reassure her.
"Do not worry, Lani. There is one thing that separates the Wilds from every other group on Homeland or Reservation and do you know what that is?"
Lani figured Valiant was talking about their obvious physical differences. "The Wilds are a self-regulated group?"
The large feline-coded male nodded. "We are. And that means we take care of our own. If anyone dares to enter the borders of the Wild Zone without permission, we are allowed to deal with them in whichever way we desire.
"We were tortured and experimented on far beyond what our brothers and sisters were and for that, we are allowed to find our own peace as long as there is no inter-fighting. No unmated females are allowed in the Wild Zone. All supplies are to be picked up at the depot or can be dropped off by a designated New Species male but we are not required to host visitors or to socialize."
Lani's back vibrated with Ven's next words. "And that also means that if a threat enters our borders, we are able to take care of it on our own. You are safe here."
Lani felt all choked up. She struggled to speak and thank them.
"You have nothing to thank us for. These were our rules before you came and they will be our rules for long after."
She smiled and shook her head. Lani was grateful for that but she'd felt at peace since being here and wanted him to know. "No, thank you for making me feel so welcomed and safe. I haven't felt like this since I left my family."
Valiant nodded and gave her a gentle pat on the head, as though she were a child. Compared to him, she did feel like it sometimes.
Slade was growing fond of Vengeance's mate. She was kind and gentle and exactly what his friend needed in his life.
"Do not worry, Lani. Our Task Teams are good at what they do. They will find Birmingham and bring him to New Species justice for all he has done."
And Lani had absolutely no doubts they would deliver. She just hoped the execution was clean because she was ready to never think of Joseph Birmingham again.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi friends! I apologize for this update coming so late. I didn't realize it had been 4 years already! Holy cow. Okay. Thank you to my Inuyasha Discord Sprinting group for helping me get through this chapter. I've been blocked on it for so long and finally worked out the path to get to this chapter. I have the end pretty much written out and had the hardest time figuring out the middle.
In case you're over on AO3, you can follow this story there Last Hope for Vengeance or you can check out my account and see what other things I've written. I don't even remember how to upload fics on here but I'll do my best to remember. Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoy! ~EchoHuntress