Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (11 page)

to Taratown.”

“Why are we going there?” She immediately felt relief that she wouldn’t be able to

carry out Andru’s order.

“I thought we could order furniture for our house. There is a carpenter down there

whom Lord Darius tells me made the cradles you and your brother slept in after you

were born.”

“I think we still have those cradles somewhere.” Ana smiled up at him, excited

about the plans he’d suggested. “Will we have new furniture in every room?”

“Whatever your heart wishes.” He brushed her forehead with his lips.

* * * * *

They spent the entire day in Taratown, ordering couches and matching chairs. She

chose a complete bedroom set for them and the baby’s room, a kitchen table and a

formal dining room table. They also bought some clothes for the baby as well as some

beautifully stitched quilts. Ana was exhausted when they finally returned to her

parents’ house, but allowed herself to be pulled into plans for her claiming party.

Gilroy’s mama, Ulga, and two of his younger sisters were at the house discussing

the plans with Tara and Syra when they entered.

“Ah, there they are.” Ulga eased her petite frame from her seat at the dining room

table and hugged her son then planted a kiss on Ana’s cheek. “What a handsome claim

they make, yes.”

She then pulled Ana into her arms and hugged her lovingly. Ana stifled a grin

when Syra rolled her eyes.

“I’ll let you women alone,” Gilroy said as he squeezed Ana’s rear end. “Where are

all the men, or have you scared them away?”

“I believe you’ll find Darius, Andru and Torgo in the conference room,” Tara said,

and Ana thought her mama looked like she would rather be in there with them as well.

The claiming party was planned for two weeks later at the new winter celebration.

Ana couldn’t believe all of the work involved in throwing such a party. She found

herself completely caught up with the preparation and temporarily forgot her brother’s

instruction to see the doctor.

She’d never been surrounded by so many Gothman women before and was quickly

unraveled by their continual argument over what was the proper traditional way to

conduct a Gothman claiming party. Several times she tried to remind the women that

she was a Runner and heir to the Runner nation. She couldn’t completely submerge in

Gothman tradition for the ceremony—the Runners wouldn’t like it.

The traditional Gothman claiming dress was modified to satisfy Tara. Ana donned

a black floor-length gown made out of Runner material. It was cut low in front and her

growing breasts were displayed more than she cared for them to be. Her middle was

growing just as fast and so the dress gathered loosely in the middle. The dress was cut

unevenly at the bottom and she wore black stockings and flat black boots.

As she came down the stairs and entered the throne room, she couldn’t help but

smile at the impressed looks that crossed Gilroy’s and Andru’s faces when they saw

her.

“You better keep a tight rein on her tonight,” Andru teased and nudged his friend

in the ribs.

“Don’t worry, I will.” Gilroy wrapped his arms around her and allowed his gaze to

fall to her cleavage. “You look good enough to eat,” he growled.

“Later, my lord,” she giggled, acting embarrassed.

It wasn’t until Andru caught her alone in the kitchen several days later that he had

a chance to remind her of his request.

“I hear you plan on seeing the doctor today.” He walked over to where she sat on a

stool eating boiled apples. He smiled and wiped food from the side of her mouth. “I

can’t believe how you are changing, even your face. You are so beautiful.”

“I’m getting fat.” She made a face.

“Not fat…pregnant,” he reassured her. “You’ll have the doctor give you that test

today. All I want you to find out is whether Gilroy is the papa. Don’t mention me.”

“I’m not stupid, Andru.” She scowled at him then took her bowl of apples to the

sink, suddenly no longer hungry.

“I want to hear from you before the day is out, my sister.” And before she could

respond he was out the back door and hurrying across the yard.

Dr. Digo could tell there was something on her mind throughout her examination.

When he finally asked her if there was something wrong she sighed loudly and stared

out the window.

“Can you tell me for sure that Gilroy is the papa of my baby?” She spoke quickly

and then looked at him.

Dr. Digo sat down at his desk and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “There is doubt

then?”

“I’d rather not answer any questions, if you don’t mind.” She set her jaw and he

could see how hard this was for her. “And I don’t want you to tell anyone that you’ve

done this.” She suddenly looked like the little girl he’d treated for winters. “This will be

our secret, okay, Doctor?”

The doctor nodded and gave her the test. A short time later, Ana wiped a tear from

her eye and stared up at the doctor.

“You’ve always been able to fix all my problems in the past,” she said with a forced

smile.

“I’m afraid I can’t fix this one, Ana.” He smiled gently and patted her hand. “Do

you know who the papa is?”

Ana waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I was on the age of searching.”

The doctor drew his own conclusions and sighed before looking at her seriously.

“Can I give you some advice?”

She nodded.

“Gothman are proud people. Let Gilroy think he is the papa. Does he know you

took this test?”

She shook her head.

“Don’t tell him. He won’t ask. Let it go at that.”

Ana left Dr. Digo’s trailer completely lost in thought. Andru was the papa.

And what if the papa is Andru?

Then the baby will look just like you.

She remembered Gilroy’s comments when she wanted to end the pregnancy. She

pulled her gloves on and stared across the field.

A group of Gothman across the way caught her eye. She saw Gilroy and Andru

sitting on their gliders with several Gothman guards around them. Andru looked

toward her and his expression changed when she met his gaze. Her hand went to her

growing tummy and she made her decision at that moment. This baby belonged to

Gilroy and he was the papa. That was her story and she would stick to it. Gilroy looked

her way as well and smiled when he saw her. She bit her lip and started walking

toward them. A familiar chuckle—a laugh that sent chills through her before turning—

caused her to look the other way quickly.

Not too far from her was a new trailer, a familiar trailer—a trailer she’d been in

before, being guided by several Runners into a cleared spot. She caught sight of a

woman, dressed in Runner attire, standing alongside the trailer. The woman turned and

her smile faded when she saw Ana.

She’d never seen Lara’s face, but she had Andru’s description. And she knew that

voice when the women instructed the Runners while they positioned her trailer. The

woman turned, her Runner mask still hiding her face, and her mouth tightened in that

familiar determined way that Lara had.

Ana’s expression changed as well. The woman appeared to be about as pregnant as

Ana was.

Chapter Seven

Ana instinctively felt for her laser before walking over to where Lara stood. Lara

studied her for a minute, having never seen Ana without her headscarf. After studying

her eyes and then letting her gaze drop down Ana, a slow smile, hesitant but then

quickly cocky, appeared on Lara’s face.

“I don’t believe it. I thought you were dead, sister.” Lara found her smile and

greeted Ana with a warm hug. She pulled away and looked down at Ana’s belly. “That

was one hell of a love potion, wasn’t it?” she cooed under her breath and chuckled that

sultry chuckle.

“What are you doing here?” Ana didn’t return the smile and freed herself from

Lara’s grasp.

“Well, Ana.” She emphasized the name, but her smile didn’t waver. “Like I said, I

thought you were dead. But yesterday I got word that you were looking for me so I

thought I would come to you.”

“That was mighty brave of you. You know why I was looking for you, don’t you?”

Ana reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her comm. “Tara,” she said into it.

“Lara is here.”

“That’s why I came here. Ana, I didn’t know who you were when we were playing

she-witches but I wanted to come to you to explain what I was doing.”

“Good. Why don’t you come with me and you can tell your story to Tara and me.”

She took Lara gently by the arm and began walking across the field toward her mama’s

trailer.

“Ana, I’d rather tell you alone first if you don’t mind.” They walked closer to where

the Gothman were sitting on their gliders talking to several Runners and Lara nudged

Ana. “That is your brother Andru, isn’t it? I did some research on you while I was

coming here. The other one is Gilroy…and he’s claimed you. You are very lucky to be

surrounded by such good-looking men.” Lara’s tone changed then and she looked at

Ana before turning back to stare with admiration at the well-built Gothman. “I hated

you when I saw you sleeping in between those two that morning.” The venom in Lara’s

tone forced Ana’s heart out of beat. “But when I discovered who they were and their

relation to you, I understood how they got an exclusive audience with you. One might

think they performed the Bachula, sister.”

Ana looked up as her mama flew overhead, then landed in front of them with two

Runner guards. Lara looked at the woman and then back at Ana.

“What is a Bachula?” Ana asked Lara as her mama climbed off her glider and

approached them. She noticed Gilroy and Andru approach them as well.

“You don’t know?” Lara mocked her. “It’s an ancient Gothman tradition, of course

it’s highly illegal today.”

Ana frowned in confusion as Gilroy’s hands found her back. Tara walked up to her

daughter and looked at the young woman questioningly.

“Is this Lara?”

“Lady Tara,” Lara sounded as pure as fresh fallen snow. “It is an honor to meet