The Wild Page 14

  Glaring, I huff. “Seventeen. How old are you?”

  “Thirty-six. Can I ask you something?”

  Nervously, I twist my wedding band around my finger. Something tells me I won’t like his line of questioning. His jade-green eyes dart to my fingers and he curses under his breath.

  “Is Reed the father?” he asks, his voice husky and disgusted.

  “He is. Do you have a problem with that?” I challenge.

  Our eyes meet and he frowns. “That’s incest, sweetheart.”

  My lip curls up. “It’s none of your business.”

  He grumbles and crosses his giant arms over his chest. “It is my business if I think you were coerced. I think you’re a little brainwashed, Devon. Last night, I heard you two. Fucking like wild animals. That’s not normal.” He swallows and shakes his head. “Sleeping with your father is not normal. Not to mention, it’s highly fucking illegal in the state of Alaska.”

  Dad hoots that he almost caught a fish. I beam at him and hold my thumb up before regarding Atticus.

  “The laws don’t matter here. We love each other. This is our home.” I clutch my stomach and smile. “This is our baby. We’re happy.”

  “You’ll be happy until the moment that baby comes out,” he tells me in a low voice. “Don’t you know what incest does to people?”

  My blood runs cold because I don’t know what it does to people. “What do you mean?” I hate that I’m entertaining him by asking questions on the matter.

  He scrubs at his cheek. “Birth defects.”

  Panic nearly stops my heart in my chest. “Wh-What?”

  “Blood relatives who reproduce are extremely likely to give birth to a child with issues. Most of them mental issues but some can be physical. I’ve lived out here in the wilderness long enough to see firsthand what incest does to families.” He pauses and looks at me with sadness flickering in his eyes. “The squatters who hurt you, did they seem normal?”

  I shiver and stare down at the rocks at my feet. They were wild and lost. No humanity in their eyes. Madness lived within them.

  Will my baby be mad too?

  Bile rises in my throat and the world seems to spin. Atticus clutches my elbow.

  “Are you okay?” he demands, concern in his tone.

  “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  I’ve barely spilled the words out before Dad comes splashing back. With cold, wet arms, he scoops me into his grip. Tears burn in my eyes as he carries me back to the cabin. Atticus stays outside as Dad helps me undress and puts me under the covers.

  “What can I do to make you feel better?” he questions as he strokes away the hair from my clammy forehead.

  Tell me everything is going to be okay.

  Pinky promise that we’re not going to have a baby with problems.

  A sob catches in my throat but I swallow it down. I don’t want him to see me upset about our baby. Despite the worry niggling at me, I still want our baby. We made this baby together out of love.

  “Get some rest, Pip,” he says, a soft smile on his lips.

  Two long weeks pass by with Atticus overstaying his welcome. Sure, he’s great at teaching Dad some new survival techniques and they’re quite chummy which warms my heart to see Dad happy, but I’m unnerved. I can’t stop obsessing over my child. As Dad chops firewood, Atticus takes the moment to talk to me again. I’ve been avoiding him so the fact that we’re alone stresses me out.

  “What?” I snap.

  He sits at the table and reads through my list. “Do you want me to bring a book about inbreeding?”

  A choked sound escapes me. “No.”

  “Look, Devon. If you want to leave, I can get you out of here. All you have to do is say the words. I’ll go back to town and get the police involved. You’re underage. They call that statutory rape. Are you familiar with that term?”

  I scoff. “He did not rape me!”

  He holds his hands up in defense. “I understand how you, having gone through what you did, would see it that way. But he did take advantage of you in the wilderness. He shouldn’t be having sex with you every goddamn night.” He grits his teeth together as if he’s disgusted. “He shouldn’t have gotten you pregnant.”

  “Just leave us alone,” I beg. “Don’t get anyone involved. It’s our business. We’re happy.”

  He frowns. “I’ll be back in about two weeks with the supplies. I’ll bring you some reading material on the subject. When I come back, all you have to do is give me the word. We’ll leave and I’ll get you the help you need. There are therapists who can help and—”

  “Get me my stuff but I don’t need the other things you speak of. If my baby has problems, I’ll deal with it then. You’re overstepping, Atticus. Now please back the hell away from us.” My gaze is venom-filled.

  He sighs and nods. “It’s never too late to change your mind.”

  “Duly noted,” I seethe.

  * * *

  * * *

  With Atticus gone, I can breathe easier. I didn’t like the looks he gave me when he thought I wasn’t aware. Disgust and disapproval. He knows my daughter and I are having a baby. That we have sex and love each other. But with my warning glares, he knows not to involve anyone. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her away from me, and that’s a motherfucking promise.

  He’s been gone for days now. When I told him about the girl at the shack, he wanted to go check on her. I gave him directions and that should be the last we’ll see of him until he returns with many much-needed items.

  Devon is in a weird mood—has been ever since he showed up. I’d thought she’d snap out of it but she’s lost inside her head. I’ve given her time but I’m losing my patience.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask after a long hard day of building the frame on our cabin extension.

  She furiously stitches on another pelt to her baby blanket. “Nothing.”

  Liar.

  When she was a kid, I always knew when she was lying. Her lips would twitch on one side. With a sigh, I peel off my shirt and kick off my shoes. I’m sweaty and in desperate need of a bath. As if sensing this, she abandons her blanket to prepare some water for me. I sit in my chair and she silently begins washing me.

  “Why won’t you look at me? What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

  She shrugs and runs the rag low on my stomach. It irritates me that she’s blowing me off. I grip her wrist and haul her to me so that our faces are close. Her blue eyes are wide with surprise.

  “Sit down and tell me what the fuck is going on,” I demand.

  She swallows and throws the rag into the bowl with a splash. When she attempts to primly sit on the edge of my knee, I growl before pulling her to straddle my hips facing me. The shirt she’s wearing stretches over her stomach that has our growing baby inside. Her legs are bare and her pussy is free. Just the way I love having her. A shiver runs through her when I tug off her shirt so I can see all of what’s mine.

  “I love seeing you pregnant with our child,” I praise as my palms cup her big tits and even bigger stomach. “It makes me want to put many more babies inside of you.”

  When I lift my gaze to grin at her, she’s frowning.

  “Atticus told me incest could lead to birth defects,” she blurts out. Her bottom lip wobbles and tears well in her eyes. “What if something is wrong with our baby?”

  Anger surges inside of me. I didn’t realize that motherfucker put horrible ideas inside of her when I wasn’t paying attention. If he were here right now, I’d run my fist right through his nose. He’s causing problems that aren’t his to worry about.

  “Our baby will be fine,” I vow as I try to take her pinky.

  She swats it away. “But how do you know that?” Furious tears roll down her pink cheeks and splash her tits.

  “Because we’ve endured too much to have something ruin our happiness. Our baby will be just perfect. You shouldn’t worry about that shit,” I snap.

  Her lip snarls up in
fury. “I have to worry!” Her voice is shrill and on edge. “This is our baby! Don’t you fucking care?!”

  I grab her jaw in my brutal grip and jerk her to me so that our noses touch. “I. Fucking. Care. Don’t ever accuse me of not caring, goddammit. I’ve cared for you since the day I held you in my arms. Why the hell would I stop now?” I seethe.

  She sobs as she tries to break free from my hold. I’ll be damned if I let her go. “You knew this could happen,” she accuses. “You fucked me knowing we could have a messed-up baby.”

  “Do not talk to me that way,” I spit out. “This wasn’t some goddamn plan to ruin your life. Jesus, Devon! Who the hell do you think I am?”

  She’s pissed and hysterical. Her fingernails claw at my wrist until I let her jaw go. Then, she beats me with her tiny fists. When my lip splits open from her knuckle, I’ve had enough. I reach behind her and whip her round ass. This only makes her lose her shit more.

  “I hate you! You did this on purpose! You knew!” Her sobs are maniacal as she slaps and claws at me.

  I smack her ass again. “I didn’t do anyfuckingthing on purpose!” I roar. “The only damn thing I’m guilty of is loving you when I shouldn’t!”

  She falls against my chest, her entire body shaking as she cries. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her hair. Our sweet, perfect baby rolls in her belly between us. Pride surges through me.

  This.

  Baby.

  Is.

  Perfect.

  I feel it down to my toes.

  “I swear to you that everything is going to be okay, baby,” I whisper.

  She sniffles as she holds out her pinky. I grab it without hesitation and I hold onto it. My promises don’t break.

  Not to Devon.

  Devon is my everything.

  “I don’t like him,” Devon tells me as she helps me collect river rocks to use for the fireplace I plan on building. Buddy has gone exploring—hunting if I had to guess—so he’s nowhere to be found. That dog gets braver by the day.

  “You don’t have to like him, Pip. But he’s bringing us supplies we’ll need for the baby. Have you thought of any names?”

  Her head bows and she shrugs. “Maybe. I don’t want to get too excited.”

  Reaching forward, I tilt her chin up with my fingers. “Why not?”

  “Because…” Her nostrils flare and her lip wobbles. “I don’t want to have named it and then it have something wrong with it. If this baby dies too, I won’t be able to take it, Reed.”

  I clench my teeth. When Atticus comes back, he and I are going to have a long discussion about him filling her head with all this stupid shit that worries her from sun up to sun down.

  “Our baby is safe and healthy. We feel it moving around all the time. It won’t be long and I’ll prove it to you,” I assure her.

  She’s frowning when she freezes. “Dad…”

  Slowly, I turn around and a bear swats at the water trying to catch a fish not fifty yards away. I pull out my .45 and point toward the cabin. “Devon, go.”

  Her fingers clutch at my shirt. “No. I won’t leave you.”

  With her big belly brushing against my back, I’m overwhelmed with the desire to protect her and our child at all costs. We remain still and quiet as not to alert the bear. But after some time, it stands on its hind legs and sniffs the air. It turns and sees us, a low growl in its throat. This time, I don’t wait, I stalk it. With my arm raised and unmoving, I fire at it.

  Pop! Pop! Pop!

  All three shots pierce its skull. The bear collapses into the water. It’s then, I see two cubs playing in the trees beyond the shore.

  “Devon, you need to go home. I need to do something you’re not going to like,” I mutter before gritting my teeth.

  “What—” Her breath catches when she sees them. “No. Dad, no. They’re little. We can keep them as pets and teach them.”

  I turn and clutch the side of her neck. My lips find hers and I kiss her softly. “I’m sorry, baby, but no. It doesn’t work that way out here. These are wild animals.”

  She starts to cry but I don’t have time to coddle her. These animals, if let go, will grow into beasts that will hurt my girl and our baby.

  I stride over to them and with two pops, I end them.

  I’m sorry, Pip.

  The days turn into weeks and Devon and I are both on edge knowing Atticus will arrive soon. With his return, it brings both excitement and stress. If he sells us out, he might even bring the law.

  I hope they bring firepower because I will not go down without a fight.

  This life is ours.

  We do what we want.

  Devon’s stomach is gigantic. Tiny silvery marks line the sides like someone painted stripes on her. She’s never been one to be vain and hasn’t mentioned them. But I love looking at them. They’re evidence her body is stretching and expanding to accommodate our child. She’s tiny and there’s no doubt this kid is going to be big like his father. This worries me but I vowed to her that I wouldn’t let it consume me. We’ll deal with it when the time comes. Until then, we cherish each day together.

  Each morning, I laze around later and later because it’s the time of day when our little cub is the most active. Her stomach bulges and moves while she sleeps. It’s our quiet moment, just me and the baby, alone. I tell the little angel what a great mother Devon will be. How she’s fierce and brave and beautiful. And that they will be smart just like her.

  “My back hurts,” Devon murmurs, her voice thick with sleep.

  “Sit up and let me massage it.”

  It takes some effort but she manages to pull herself upright. She sweeps her long messy hair to the side and bares her naked back to me. From behind, you’d never be able to tell she was pregnant. With firm motions, I knead her lower back muscles. Carrying this child is hard on her body. I do my best to alleviate her pain whenever possible.

  Soon, the massage turns sexual as it always does. When we touch, our bodies seem to thrum with an electric pulse that draws us together. Her head tilts back and she leans against me. I wrap my arms around her to touch her breasts that are large as they prepare to feed our baby. Her nipples are erect and sometimes leak with a liquid that I think has something to do with breastmilk. We aren’t for sure but I like to taste it. I like to taste all of her.

  Sliding my hand along her ass crack, I cup her from beneath. My fingers slip easily into her wet pussy. It feels hotter and tighter than usual. She must enjoy her body’s new physiological changes because as soon as my fingers are inside her, she starts whimpering and shaking. I fuck her hole with two fingers until they’re soaked with her juices. Then, I urge her to lie back down on her side while I continue to massage her insides with my hand. The moment she comes, soft and breathy, I slide my fingers out and guide my cock inside of her. Her body grips mine in a way that has me losing all sense of reality.

  “I love you,” I murmur, my hot breath on her shoulder.

  “I love you too.” Her words are garbled and stolen by her pleasure.

  I slip my wet finger between the crack of her ass and tease her puckered hole. She’s used to me taking her here often and her body is relaxed as I push one and then the other finger inside her. I like when she’s filled up with me in every way possible.

  “Oh, God,” she whimpers.

  “Come all over my cock, baby girl. I want you to make such a fucking mess.”

  My words, like usual, turn her on. Her body trembles and quakes. I know the moment she loses herself to an orgasm because hot juices soak my cock. Now that she’s pregnant, her body gets so much more aroused and she drenches me every time. The first time it happened, she was embarrassed, but when I licked it all away and praised her on how delicious she was, she stopped worrying.

  My nuts seize up in pleasure and I groan as my cum surges inside of her. Her body is tight around mine and she’s still moaning. I buck against her until my cock is drained and softening. Then, I slip my fingers out of her before
easing my cock out. We make a mess and I love it.

  “I think I’m going to go down to the river and haul some more rocks up here,” I tell her, my lips pressing kisses on her shoulders. “Then I thought we could—”

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Buddy barks from the corner of the cabin he’d been sleeping in and his hackles raise as he growls at the door.

  I jolt up, my dripping dick flopping against my leg and lunge for my shotgun. I push it out in front of me and point at the door. “Who’s there?” I bellow.

  Chick-chuck!

  I load the shotgun and then someone speaks.

  “Whoa, Reed. Don’t go blowing off my head. It’s me, Atticus.”

  Buddy starts wagging his tail and barks happily. I look over my shoulder at Devon. Her brows are pulled together in a frown.

  “Get dressed and eat breakfast, baby,” I say to her and then to him. “I’ll be right out!”

  I kneel before her and kiss her mouth hard. “Don’t let it bother you. It’s you and me. Nothing will tear apart our love, okay?”

  She swallows and nods, her eyes flickering with trust. I grab her pinky with mine and she smiles. Once I’m dressed, I trot outside. Buddy follows after me and runs off into the thicket, no doubt after his breakfast. Atticus leans against a tree wearing a scowl.

  “Supplies are up there. It’s going to take us all day to unload the trailer and haul each item down here,” he says, his jaw clenching.

  “Let’s get on it then.” My tone is frigid.

  He hands me a protein bar. Instead of eating it, I run it inside to gift it to Devon. I steal one more kiss. “We’re going to unload. You rest, beautiful.”

  When I get back out, he shakes his head and hands me another bar. “Eat this one,” he grunts. “You’ll need your energy. We have a long day ahead of us.”

  Together, in silence, we hike up the side of the mountain about halfway between the cabin and the shack where I left the girl. The trek isn’t as steep through here but it’s still one Devon would never be able to make in her pregnant state. When we finally reach the top and I see his big Ford-250 with a trailer attached, I can’t help but smile. It’s filled with supplies we desperately need. More ammunition and guns. Dishes and silverware. Medical supplies and medicines. Baby items. Books. Food. So much stuff that it’s going to be difficult getting it all down. But the look on Devon’s face will be worth it.