Chapter Ten

Thera sat using Skaay as a chair again. The last of the aches and twinges disappeared. "That was fast."

Orc chuckled from where he was massaging her calves. "I beg your pardon?"

"You know what I mean. There wasn't any sign of a heat, and then, it was here." Thera wiggled her toes as he tickled her foot.

"We spend a lot of time underwater. With you, it was more physical expression. You changed the way you moved, the way you sat, and the way you made eye contact. All in a few hours." Skaay kissed her neck.

She sighed. "That's not fair."

Kayak came in with a pitcher of iced pineapple juice. Skaay held the juice to her lips, and she began to be suspicious. When she had consumed half of it, she asked, "Skaay, did you hurry things along, by any chance?"

"What?"

"You know, when you were healing me after the fall, were you thinking about anything in particular?"

Skaay became very still under her and pressed his forehead to the back of her neck. "I may have been thinking about how much fun we were going to have when you were in heat while I worked on your wrist."

"May have?" She was amused.

"Definitely was."

"We were only off by four days. Don't worry." Thera smirked.

The three literally sighed in relief.

She yawned and stretched. They froze and stared. "Wow. Didn't you get enough already?"

Kayak grinned. "No. Are you sore?"

"No, Skaay took care of that."

She looked around them and realized she was missing subtext. "Why? Isn't it over?"

Orc grinned. "We are just starting."

She stroked his cheek and pulled him in for a kiss.

A phone rang somewhere in the house, and Kayak growled and stalked out of the room. He came back and was talking. "We are busy this evening, Ohno. What do you need?"

He paused to listen as he crawled onto the bed and pressed his face between her thighs. He lifted his head. "Tonight is right out, but if you want us to take you out tomorrow, we are happy to."

He looked at her and smiled. "Sure, Thera can come alone. She can certainly swim, though her walking might be dubious by the morning."

Thera swatted him on the head, and they all laughed. Kayak sat up, set the time to meet at the dock, and then hung up. He checked the phone. "We have thirteen hours before we need to get cleaned up and dressed."

Thera yawned. "Yay. Time to sleep?"

Two horrified faces looked at her. She touched her neck and shoulder to stroke the weird triangle of her mark. "No sleep?"

Skaay chuckled. "Are you teasing?"

"Trying to. As long as everybody remembers what we swore to during the marking."

Skaay laughed. "If one of our beasts pops an erection around you, the other ones cut it off."

She reached back over her head, and Skaay gripped her wrists in one hand. He pulled back so she arched, and Orc and Kayak were on her a moment later.

Thera closed her eyes and twisted in the grip of her mates. There were sighs, moans, and bouts of laughter, but when they collapsed in a pile, they still had several hours to go before they needed to be out at the dock.

Thera forgot to count on them waking up early and wanting to celebrate a solid Friday morning.

Thera yawned as the guys carried her bag with her dive suit to the snazzy boat. She was perched on the bench as they checked all the supplies and equipment and stopped to kiss her every time they passed.

When Amby and Ohno came along, Thera grinned. Amby was carrying a huge picnic basket that Kayak went to snag, and Ohno had a bag that looked like it contained an underwater camera.

Amby looked at her and then rushed forward, and Thera was caught in a hug that made her smile. "Hey, Amby. You are looking at peace."

"You look exhausted." Amby grinned.

"Oh, yeah. That's... something to chat about after you have spent some time with your own mates."

"Or after my heat."

Thera was surprised. "Yes, or that. I think your mate Dorian has access to healing waters, so you should be fine."

"Why will I need healing?"

"Aches and twinges, plus your body isn't used to that particular activity. It will catch on fast. Just like carrying the cameras or swimming. Muscle aches, and then, you get into it."

Amby laughed. "Thanks. That actually takes a bit of stress off my mind. Also, seeing that you have survived three of your own is impressive."

Ohno was talking to the guys, and they all settled in as Skaay cast off and Orc started the engines. The boat picked up speed, and soon, they were cruising toward the reef where Thera had taken the footage.

Amby sat next to Thera, and Thera smiled. "So, this is why Ford wanted me to hide and just get footage."

"Why?"

"Because you have a perfectly cuddly mate right over there, and you are wrapped around me." Thera nudged her.

"You feel amazing, and you smell great."

Understanding hit. "Oh, got it. Let me ask a question. Hey, Orc!"

Orc turned his head. "Yes, little pearl?"

"Can heat be contagious?"

"Between omegas? Possibly, but they don't often get together in that situa... oh, I see." He grinned. "Ohno, you might want to give your beta a briefing."

Amby was still pressed hard against Thera's arm. "Thera, can you use the camera to take footage of me and Ohno when he transforms?"

"Sure. Can I see your camera?"

Amby smiled. "Sure."

They moved, and Thera grimaced in relief. She was starting to be able to scent Amby, and it was a very sweet scent.

The camera was pulled out and was way nicer than the one that was headed back to Ford. "This is nice. Just a moment." She looked up. "Ohno, are you going to swim before you shift or just," she flexed her fingers, "bam."

He smiled. "I will swim for a bit and then shift."

"Okay. So, I will drop in first and do some footage."

Skaay nodded. "I have your back."

"Yay. Snorkel, right?"

Skaay looked to Amby. "Are you comfortable snorkelling?"

"Yes. It's the only way I am comfortable under the water, actually."

Skaay looked to Thera. "Well, little pearl, I know you are good to hold your breath."

Thera blushed. "Right. Funny."

They laid out their equipment and tested it all. Finding masks to fit her and Amby was tricky, but they eventually had everything that fit snugly.

Amby said, "You seem to be very comfortable with all this, Thera."

"I was raised on boats of various sizes and have spent thousands of hours in the water."

Skaay grinned. "And we will never miss an opportunity to get our mate wet."

Thera groaned. "Guys. Enough."

"That isn't what you said last night," Kayak smirked.

Skaay's hand snapped up as he caught the mask she launched at Kayak. He sighed and returned it to her. "Sorry, Thera, we are still a little giddy."

"Uh-huh. Giddy was three in the morning. Now, this is just getting all frat boy on me. And I can guarantee there will be no frat boys on me." She looked at them. "Are we clear?"

Skaay nodded. "Clear."

Kayak nodded. "Clear."

Orc nodded. "Clear."

"Good. How far are we?"

Orc chuckled. "ETA five minutes."

"Cool. I am going to change." Thera grabbed her bag and paused. "Guys, where is my wetsuit?"

Skaay sighed. "Darn. We must have left it on the line."

She pulled out a handful of fabric. "Pervs."

Kayak grinned. "That you did say last night."

She looked to Amby. "Come on; we can get changed below."

Amby followed her, and they got into their bathing suits. Thera laughed. "I guess a giant stamp on our butts would be overkill."

The black and white bikini Thera was wearing lay flat against her skin. It would not give her any drag, but if she got any small predators caught in her cleavage, she would give the pod hell.

Amby looked stunning in her manta ray swimwear, and with the boat slowing, they headed up to the deck.

They discussed the plan, and Thera settled her mask and fins, grabbed the camera, and eased herself into the water. Skaay was waiting for her, and they swam away from the boat to watch Amby and Ohno enter.

Thera took a deep breath and dove down, the weights on her hips helping her stay under. She turned toward the boat, watched as Ohno entered the water, and then took Amby's hand. They took a breath and then swam out to explore the reef.

Thera smiled and followed. She didn't breathe. Her time limit was nearly five minutes. The next hour was spent following Amby and going to and from the surface. The moment Ohno disappeared from the area, Thera positioned the camera at Amby as she descended again with the huge ray swimming toward her.

Amby remained calm and stroked the ray as it moved close, and as if she was on a pre-arranged signal, she slid her hands between the eyes, and Ohno began to fly.

Ohno carried his mate, brought her up to breathe, and then dove again, flying over the reef.

Thera kept them in her sights until Amby called a halt, and Ohno flew her back to the boat.

Thera got a final breath of air and looked for Skaay.

A huge shadow soared over her, and she slowly continued to move toward the boat as the fifteen feet of shark passed between her and the surface. An angry dark shadow came from below, and another approached from the boat. She kept swimming, holding the camera as an orca scooped her up from beneath and swam her to the boat, out of the reach of the hungry searcher.

She sighed as she stepped off his back and into Orc's arms. "The shark was just cruising. He wanted to see more of Ohno. Rays are tasty."

Orc paused. "You can understand them?"

"I dodged the same moray three times because he had a weird interior giggle. So, yes." She handed Amby the camera. "There you go."

Orc rinsed her off with the freshwater hose. Amby was blinking. "What just happened?"

"My pod hates sharks leering at my thighs, so they are out there beating the hell out of someone who was just trying to grab a burger." She shrugged. "The burger being me."

Amby blinked. "Oh. Does it happen a lot?"

"More than average, but I can hear them coming. I have always heard them. It's like listening to a restaurant."

Amby stared. "Oh, right."

Thera looked and saw the two orcas circling the shark. She focused and tried to recall them. Orc wrapped her in a towel and said, "Try it again."

She yanked on the new links they had just formed, and the whales turned and swam for the boat. Kayak came out first and walked over to hug her. Skaay was the last out and whirled to watch the stunned shark turn and swim away, going deeper with the flick of his tail.

Thera smiled. "I do have a countermeasure for attacks, but I don't think I am going to be able to use them."

Skaay snorted. "Absolutely not."

Kayak shook his head. "Nope."

Orc explained, "Our beasts have discovered they have a mate to themselves. They are not letting any jagged-toothed bastard get a bite in."

Amby watched them from Ohno's arms.

Thera looked at her. "It's not too late. I can tip them all overboard, and we can make a run for the coast."

The image of three pissed-off whales following behind the boat made her wince. She looked at them. "I can still do it. It just means that when I hit dry land, I need to be fast."

Orc slid an arm around her waist. "That is an interesting plan."

"I am full of fun plans."

She looked up at him, and he grumbled, "We have to find a way to keep you busy."

"Like what?"

He grinned. "Why don't we get some of that footage you uploaded and do some splices? I have an amazing editing suite."

"You are talking dirty to me."

He chuckled.

Ohno asked, "Are we going to hit the secondary site?"

Orc nodded. "Yeah, we are."

Amby said, "Time for lunch. The manor made it."

Kayak took the controls, Orc sat with Thera, and they headed to the secondary site.

Four hours later, Thera was tucked between Orc and Skaay. Orc had taken some time with an underwater camera, and with her freediving lungs, she was able to sit on ridges, perch on coral, and pose in very natural ways, directed by Orc's link with her. It had been remarkably fun. The orca hovering like a mother hen in the background added something to the composition.

She checked the images and laughed as they headed back to the village.

Amby clutched her hand. "Can I see you later?"

"Now that you have met Ohno's other half, I think you will be busy this evening."

Amby blushed. "Right. I will send the footage to Ford."

"Yup. Just keep me out of it. My feelings are still hurt."

Amby hugged her. "Got it. Can I see you soon?"

"We have to do some paperwork, but I will live here now. I think. Either that or I head to Emerald, and the guys follow me."

Amby blinked. "What was in your contract?"

"I was in heat. The contract had to wait. There were demands made and promises extracted, but that was it."

Orc chuckled. "The legal secretary is coming to our place tonight to work out particulars. The notary will have it in the morning, and immigration will have it right after."

Ohno nodded. "They are already a sealed group. With you, Amby, you are gathering a lot of strays and loners. We need rules as we have vastly different needs."

Thera smiled. "I know I will be seeing you soon, Amby. You will know if they are good if they move at your pace."

Amby blushed. "They do that already."

Ohno smiled.

"Then, enjoy it, and don't forget your past, but use it to temper how you deal with others in similar situations in the future."

Amby blinked. "Where did that come from?"

"A mola that I just saw while you and Ohno were playing. They are very profound and dumb as stumps. It's an interesting combo."

"Mola?"

"The sunfish. Huge, dense, and slow, but they have more eggs active in them at any time than just about any female in the world. Sorry. I went off on one." Thera sighed. "I really need a nap."

"Thanks for coming out today, Thera. It meant a lot not to be out there alone."

"After today, you are never going to be alone again."

Amby's expression filled with wonder. "That's right, isn't it? They are all going to be with me. Oh, my family will hate that."

Thera laughed, and Amby hugged her again. "See you soon."

Thera leaned against Orc and smiled. "She's going to be tired for a while."

"You managed just fine."

"Yeah, when I develop some stamina, you guys are toast."

Skaay laughed, and Orc picked her up and carried her back to the house. Kayak had to pause and explain to others that they had a mate and she could swim.

Thera leaned against Orc as the explanations as to her origin finally culminated in being explained, "It's Teehee, all right? Teehee. Andrej's daughter."

That got a lot of excitement moving through the community.

She laughed and relaxed as she was transported home.

* * * *

Amby had gotten them to agree to one at a time. Anything else would wait until her heat.

Ohno was first. His mark would be first. They were all in his new home facing the other islands. The window faced the water, and Amby knelt facing the islands as Ohno carefully aroused her until her thighs were slick and she was shaking.

He eased her to her side and kissed her neck as he slid into her. Slow and steady waves of pleasure happened where she had been expecting pain. His bite was a hot prickle on her skin, and the deeper he plunged, the deeper the bite. The link was formed and swirled through her thoughts. She felt what he felt, and he was feeling a lot.

She felt a bright, warm wave sweep through her, and it happened to him a moment later. He released the bite but remained in her mind.

Her body hummed with contentment, and Ohno nuzzled her cheek. "Hello, mate."

She sighed and tangled her fingers in his hair. "Hello, mate."

When he called Dorian in, she had tidied up and been in his arms for a while.

The handoff went smoothly, and she was ever so glad that Ohno had been first. Dorian was a wild rush, and his mark was clear on the other side of her neck. He took her breath away.

The butterfly on her thigh made her smile. She opened her eyes, and Exoval's gaze was inches from hers. He was concerned. "Did they hurt you?"

"No. Just tired. Happy to see you, though." She closed her eyes and checked her marks. She opened her eyes. "There you are."

He grinned, leaned in to kiss her, then lifted his head. "There you are. The links are nice and calm. May I come in?"

She chuckled and stroked his neck. "You may. And then, Thera was right: I need a nap."

He grinned. "You'll gain stamina. We will make sure that you work out regularly."

He moved to cover her. "Let's start now."

She tried to agree, but she had his tongue in her mouth.

The next evening, they sat with the royal family when the orcas walked in.

Amby blinked when Hara surged to her feet, and Narro did as well. They rushed Thera and picked her up, squealing.

Kekoa grinned. "I think they know her."

Alohi nodded. "Good guess. I knew you were king for a reason."

The pod made it to the petitioner's spot before Kekoa and Orc made the pitch for a memorial for Thera's father. Andrej had been a force to be reckoned with, and older members of the community beloved him.

Orc said, "We have plenty of footage from documentaries and local albums, and the new siren can do a track for it."

Kekoa asked, "It sounds very pleasant. What do you need from me?"

"Authorization to do it. It's going to take a lot of the public square and might interfere with date night." Orc smiled. "We were thinking of making an ocean awareness event."

"We?"

"Skaay, Kayak, and myself. We knew Andrej and his causes fairly well. His first concern was his daughter, his second concern was the ocean, and the third was fun. We would like to honour all three."

"Teehee doesn't get a vote?"

Orc grinned. "No, she doesn't. We are helping her with her grieving by remembering the man that we saw, that she didn't."

Kekoa glanced toward his beta and other alpha. "When do you want to have this event?"

"In about two weeks, but we also want to name one of the distant islands Andrej's Point."

Kekoa tilted his head. "Which one?"

Orc brought out a map and unrolled it. There was a tiny speck of land at the tip of the Wonder Islands. It was in the path of plenty of migratory whales, and it was where Andrej had spent years of his life. "Ideally, we would get a plaque and mount it to the cliff face of the island if you agree."

Amby watched Hara smile and hop up and down next to Thera. She counted down from ten, and Kekoa caved at three.

"Fine. Make the arrangements with our minister of tourism. She arrives tomorrow."

Orc grinned. "Fine?"

"Fine. Yes. Go ahead. Teehee was fun to watch grow up. Everyone knows her, and everyone knows you. She is part of our community, and each of us had a hand in keeping her on the path of a good citizen."

Kekoa glanced at the gathering and started laughing. "You might want to rephrase that last one."

Thera had Kayak in a headlock and was punching him in the gut playfully. He grabbed her and flipped her over his shoulder, and she squealed with laughter.

Kekoa shook his head. "Nice to know some things never change."

Skaay pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"And other things do."

Amby sat with Ohno and Dorian while Exoval and Alohi glared at each other like two cats fighting over territory.

It had a very family holiday vibe, and Amby pulled Exoval toward her. "Don't focus on him unless you want to drop me and move on."

Exoval looked at her and gave her a slow smile. "Never. Sorry. Old habits die hard."

Amby grinned and kissed her omega while Hara and Narro slowly returned to Kekoa's side.

The orcas settled and took turns holding Thera on their lap as they discussed a few of the details. She shouted and flailed each time they moved her, but she settled and fell asleep as soon as she was settled.

Kekoa laughed softly. "You've been keeping her up?"

Orc shrugged. "Of course. She's going to be up to greet Serin at the morning ferry."

Kekoa asked, "Has it been a smooth partnership?"

"So far? No, but it is evening out, and soon, it will be calm seas."

Thera stirred. "Hah. You wish."

Amby chuckled and grinned at her cousin. Hara grinned and covered her belly with one hand. Amby stared, and Hara winked.

An island known for hedonism was about to have an influx of new population. Amby had always wanted a family. At least her kids would have other cousins to play with. It wasn't the adventure she had signed up for, but she was happy with it. Life was turning into an adventure all on its own.