The Morning After [House Party cont]

[Nox]

Nox heard the growl in Oriena's voice. He tried not to smirk, but he failed. But he knew better than to say anything. He just looked at her and tried to gauge her reaction when he said he could stay. The kid had a lot of things to do to build trust in Nox, but the kid was just a victim like himself. And he couldn't say no when someone needed help, and clearly they needed help.

The crying was starting to grate on him, but the shouting woman on his couch was more so than the baby. Everyone in the neighborhood was going to think he kidnapped someone.

Nox started making the steaks on the grill top stove. It wasn't the same as flame broiled, but it was better than on the griddle sitting in its own grease, at least from a health standpoint. His heart was probably going to give out long before his body with the horde at this rate. The house smelled like cooking meat and it was a little nauseating, actually. The horde liked it bloody, but Nox couldn't stomach raw but a good rare steak that he loved.

By the time the kids made it downstairs, he was flipping the steaks over to cook on the other side. His stomach rumbled. Food wasn't happening fast enough. Four boys, and 6 girls all varying in age, came down in front of Ashton with the baby swaddled in the eldest girl's arms -- the healer. Ashton herded them towards the couch where their former keeper screamed still, But Nox had women a barrier around her screaming and now he had to let it go. He sighed as they sat down and her words echoed through the house.

"Shut up, or I'll shut you up." He said with cool and calm befitting of the situation, even though he was starting to bounce on the edge of annoyed.

Isabel and Ava were both missing. Nox noticed that Olivia and the baby were as far from their keeper as she could be. She bounced and cradled the baby and rocked and the kid continued to scream. Exasperated, Nox held out his arms, still missing the prosthetic, but it was a natural movement. "Give me the baby." Olivia looked relieved and handed the screaming child over and Nox cradled the baby against his naked chest and hummed softly looking at the others the moved back towards the stove and wrapped the bundle of joy in air against his chest. She quieted down almost immediately and all the victims on his couch just watched. "What?"

Ashton shook his head. "They only do that with their dad. Even the girls don't have that effect on their siblings."

Nox nodded as if he understood. Maybe it was the horde. They shared similar DNA, being genetically altered from one. At least that was the theory. The horde also seemed to quiet with the grating of the now silent woman. His hunger drew him to the smell of steak and he started some eggs quickly before the steak finished.

He didn't offer the fosters anything -- yet. But he made a plate for Oriena and shoved it in her direction while he started cutting his own. He made them watch while he took the first few bites. He couldn't deal with anything else -- the hunger was palpable.

After a few bites, he looked at Olivia, still standing away from the others. "There is a store a few blocks down that should be open, get formula, diapers, bottle, and whatever else you think is necessary. Tell them to put it on Nox's tab and I'll pay them in the morning. I don't have any credits to hand you at the moment." He grinned and tapped the towel that was the only thing covering his body, other than the sleeping and starving child wrapped around his chest.

He looked to the rest as Olivia left in a hurry. "Tell me what happened." He ordered, but he returned his gaze to his food to finish.