Just the word “fatten” made him discontinue ignoring the gnawing hunger in his gut and his mouth began to water.

“Actually, if you have food, my women need feeding,” he told them. “The ham we stole ran out yesterday evening.”

“Your women?” Faunus asked, before his dark gaze moved toward Moira, as if he just noticed she was there.

Teddy shifted around, noting Firenz warriors everywhere, at least twenty-five of them, and many were standing beside or behind where his women were hiding, but had not come out.

“Truly!” he yelled. “It’s all right! These are my friends!”

“How are you friends with Firenz warriors?” Moira asked quietly.

He looked to her and saw she was not only stunned, she looked worried.

“It is a long story, which I will tell you later. In the now, I am being most honest with you,” he whispered, reaching to her, taking her hand and giving it a hearty squeeze. “You have naught to fear from these men. They look fierce. But they are most gentle. Especially with women.”

“Yes, I am most gentle with women,” Saturn decreed earnestly.

Teddy looked to Saturn.

He then saw how Saturn was gazing upon Moira.

Teddy turned back to Moira, and of a sudden, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time.

She did not have the lush beauty of Nyx, but he saw she was rather lush, especially when it came to curves.

And she had quite a bit of rich brown hair that probably looked rather lovely when it hadn’t been days since she washed.

“Saturn,” Teddy called.

“Yes?” Saturn asked, not looking from Moira.

“Saturn!” Teddy clipped.

“Yes!” Saturn answered, tearing his eyes from Moira.

“We have been through hell,” he said softly.

It was then he sensed the others coming out of hiding.

He shifted and watched them scurrying toward Teddy and Moira. The women got close, very close to Teddy, shuffling Faunus and Saturn out of the way so they could form a tight huddle.

Indeed, Irma and Minnie, the most timid and those Teddy had assessed had suffered the greatest in their minds at what had been done to them, ducked and burrowed so close to Teddy, their frightened eyes surveying the tall, dark, formidable warriors surrounding them, he had to curve them in his arms and pull them closer.

As they did this, Teddy noticed the expressions on Faunus’s and Saturn’s faces change from jovial and relieved at having found their friend, to forbidding and furious as they sensed something very bad had happened to the women in Teddy’s huddle.

He wished they would not look like that, for it only made them appear even more frightening.

“We all have been through hell,” he said. “And we need a hearty meal, warm baths, a good night’s sleep.” He focused on Faunus. “And I need to speak with you. Urgently.”

“La creatura?” Faunus asked.