Chapter Eight

“Suckiest ways to die: number sixty-nine.” Orla shuddered and didn’t look at the shark-bitten propeller.

Her fingers were swollen, her eye was shut, and there was a rattling in her lungs that didn’t sound good under the boot bruise.

She floated in the middle of nowhere. No paddle and in a plain grey zodiac. The sun was getting higher, and her skin felt raw.

Whales were visible in the distance, but they weren’t the kind that ate noodles, so she was going to stay away, not that she could do anything else. She was a tub toy.

She started getting sleepy when her body figured out it had no resources left. She was glad one of them was thinking.

* * * *

A dark figure moved under the tiny boat, and he sent a signal to Kimo, who would pass the message along.

* * * *

A flotilla of vessels coordinated and headed out to the deep-water spot where whales were bemoaning the loss of their toy, and huge tentacles kept rising and touching the figure in the boat.

Aeryn sent a column of wind to lift Orla’s bloody body out of the vessel. They had a medical team on the yacht that got to work the moment she touched the deck.

She listened to them list off the damage, and when a hole was jabbed into her side to help her lung inflate, Aeryn couldn’t stop crying.

Sohar called the village and said, “We have her, but they are all being charged with kidnapping and attempted murder.”

He took pictures and sent them on to Kekoa. He listed the injuries as they had been called out. They were heading for the trauma centre on Emerald. She wasn’t mated and was too badly hurt for Dorian’s water or Skaay’s touch. There was nowhere to touch that wasn’t bruised or broken.

His new sister was tough.

Ligo walked up from the rear deck. “How is she? There was a lot of blood in the boat.” He tied a sarong around his hips.

The yacht was turning and heading to Emerald.

Aeryn saw him. “My sister dumped noodles on you.”

He blinked and looked down at the mangled woman on the backboard. “Is that the tiny cow? Huh.”

“Thank you for finding her.” Aeryn sniffled, and then, she plowed him in the jaw. “And that is for insulting her!”

Ligo had staggered back and was clutching his jaw. “Sohar, pull your mate in.”

“She is protective of her little sister.”

“Sis... Aw, hell. That little bit of nothing is related to the goddess over there?”

“Ligo, just stop. You aren’t impressing anyone with your contempt for betas. If a marked beta comes your way, will you spit on her or insult her?”

“Of course not.”

The medics were getting ready to turn her over to check her back for injuries, and when they did, there was a giant squid and a seahorse.

Ligo muttered, “Fuck.”

Aeryn blinked. “I can feel her. She’s back! Oh. But she really isn’t happy.”

The medics laughed and said, “Good, if she is happy about this, she is twisted.”

A wheezing voice said, “Fuck off and die.”

The sound startled everyone but Aeryn. “Orla, I would hold your hand, but you are all bloody and gross.”

“Hey, bunny. Hope there wasn’t too much of a fuss.” Her words came out slowly.

They eased her back to her back, and Ligo made a confused sound. “Why does she look... different?”

“Stop. Staring. Perv.”

She was being rinsed, and Aeryn was furious. There were claw marks on her inner and outer thighs that hadn’t been visible before.

Calm, calm, calm, bunny. All that I lost was some shreds of skin, but that is why I had to get off that boat. I was too weak to hold up my concealment, and they took that as an invitation.

“Sohar, add sexual assault to the charges, please,” Aeryn said softly. “It was an attempt, but it was what spurred her escape.”

Ligo said, “She must have knocked the bastard out.”

Sohar said, “Six. Six of them were on that boat. They were all broken and bloody. She is no joke.”

The sound of a helicopter approached, and everyone looked skyward. They picked up the backboard and cleared the area for the landing, and then, Orla was loaded onto the helicopter with the medics, and they were up and on the way with Ligo hopping in at the last minute.

Aeryn shouted, “If you upset her, I will rip you down the middle and use you for bait!”

Ligo nodded through the window of the helicopter door.

Aeryn looked at Sohar. “We are following, right?”

“We are. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You are wearing a lot of blood.”

“Oh.” She looked down and vaguely remembered holding Orla as she set her down.

She went to shower, change, and then sat staring forward until Emerald Island appeared and got closer. She kept contact with Orla the whole time, or rather, Orla kept it with her. It was like listening to a pulse.

Sohar squeezed her hand. “She will be fine.”

“She’s awfully weak. She lost a lot of blood.”

Loken chuckled. “She’s just tired from kicking so much ass.”

Aeryn smiled. “She made me take classes, too, but she always was intense with hers.”

Loken nodded. “It showed.”

“How long has it been?”

“She’s been there for four hours.”

There was a bright tingle that went through the link, and Aeryn sat up. “Someone is healing her.”

“Ligo doesn’t have that skill. Maybe her second mate?” Sohar frowned.

“Not unless it’s a woman. That is definitely feminine energy happening there.”

Orla sent her warm calm. She was feeling better.

* * * *

Orla sat up and watched her friend lower her hands, the glittering power fading. “Thank you, Jane.”

Jane was composed, and her clothing was the epitome of business formal. A crisp white shirt and thin, expensive pencil skirt with modest pumps made folks give way down any hallway. Her hair was in a precise bun. “I am glad I was here.”

“Travelling for business?”

“Yes, my boss was here to pitch some scanners to the hospital, and I felt you come in. Your mate is coming back, so I am going to say farewell, but you will heal fast now, so just shrug and say it’s a miracle. Or a wonder. We are heading to Wonder tomorrow.”

Orla smiled. “Thank you. See you soon, Jane.”

“Keep fighting, Orla.”

“I will.”

Jane clicked out of the room and walked down the hallway. Orla could hear her go.

She leaned back and took stock. Her body felt better. The raw, sunburned skin was recovering, and the scratches and gouges that had dug into her were no longer painful and were filling in.

She still had blood everywhere, but now, she had hope she could shower.

Ligo stepped into the room and blinked. “You are awake.”

“Yeah.”

He flared his nostrils. “Someone has been here.”

She rasped, “Nurses, doctors. People who cleaned up after me.”

Ligo scowled. “No, there is someone different. Perfume and ozone.” He snapped his fingers. “The woman in the hallway.”

“Good nose. She was near the ER when I came in. She wanted to see how I was.” She smiled. “She was very polite and encouraging.”

“Is that all?”

“What else could there be?” she muttered. “Ligo, why are you even here?”

“They rolled you over.”

“Oh. That.”

“Yes. The way you look changed.”

Orla snorted. “Yes. I used to look a certain way, and then, I changed.”

“Not since two weeks ago?”

“Oh, when you insulted me? Yeah, not since then. I just project a certain aura so folks don’t bother me.” She chuckled. “You are just too weak-minded. You fell for it. Well, and you have complete contempt for betas.”

He stood next to her bed. “I don’t have contempt for betas; I just have never found them to be a suitable sex partner in the long term.”

“Nice to know all those betas have escaped your attentions.”

He opened his mouth and closed it with a snap.

“Why are you with me?”

“I found you. They called everyone within two hundred kilometres to search, and I followed the trail of your blood in the water, scared off the sharks, and sent out the call that I had found you. The whales wanted to play with your boat like a ball.”

“Thank you for finding me. Would you like a reward for not tearing me to pieces and seeing how far the whales were willing to chase the chunks?” Orla muttered.

Ligo’s appalled expression and paling skin indicated she might have gone too far.

“Sorry. I meet hostility with hostility.”

“They tried to rape you.”

“Tried. Operative word. I knocked them out and got the hell out of Dodge. My misspent youth let me get it started at least.”

“Get what started?”

“The zodiac. I haven’t been on the ocean in a decade.”

“Why not?”

“I wanted to go to college, and I finished high school early, so I was emancipated and started classes. I nearly finished a sociology degree, and then, I didn’t.”

Ligo took a seat, and she noticed that he had a cup of coffee. She licked her split lip and sighed. Eating and drinking were going to be unpleasant for a while. Jane’s healing spell was going to work wonders as soon as Orla let herself heal.

“Why didn’t you finish?”

“Something you may suspect by now. I was attacked by one of my professor’s TAs. Nothing was done. I was ostracized, and I moved, got a job at a bookstore, and volunteered at a women’s crisis centre until Aeryn came to live with me. She was only in the city for a few months; then, she was in crisis, and I helped as best I could.”

“You were attacked as a student?”

“Yeah, the professor was a beta who insisted that his alpha work really close to his rut. He said I was stunning, and he lured me around his desk. He grabbed me. I clawed and fought but managed to avoid penetration. The door burst open, security pried him off me, and I was brought to the campus clinic,” she mumbled and looked at him. “What did they give me?”

“Lots of stuff. How do you feel?”

“Less like preserved meat.”

Ligo nodded. “Good. When your wounds seal a bit, I can help you wash your hair.”

“I look forward to it. I hate smelling blood.” She exhaled and relaxed. “How long have we been here?”

“Four hours or so.”

“Aeryn is almost here. I think she can see the hospital from where she is because she is all excited.”

“Damn. The engines must have been going full out.”

“I am pretty sure they had the help of a current that no one knows about.” She chuckled and then winced. Jane’s healing was thorough, but it was slow. “I need to get a quick nap in before she gets here.”

“Why?”

“Because I can feel a wave of healing coming on.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You will.” She closed her eyes and let the magic seep through her skin, taking the damaged cells, breaking down the blood, and warming areas into healing.

Ligo inhaled sharply, but Orla kept her focus. By the time the rush of her sister’s feet came down the hall, Orla was confident that most of the swelling in her face had gone down.

She opened her eyes, and Ligo had a phone pointed at her.

“Where did you get that?”

“Gift shop. Areas with a lot of shifters have biochip readers and a lot of inexpensive phones. I have a case with twenty of them. We use satellite storage to keep things updated.”

She blinked. “Why do you sound like a hacker?”

“I prefer data-structure stress tester.” He smirked.

Then Aeryn came around the door, smiled, and then cried. “You are okay?”

“Absolutely not, but I will be. Ligo has been keeping me entertained.”

Aeryn inhaled the air. “Why do I taste book club?”

Orla blinked and laughed. “Right. I guess it would taste like that to you.”

“So, you had a visitor after all. You knew her.” Ligo muttered.

“Yes, but she is none of your business. She was a member of the book club a few years ago.”

“Oh. Jane was here!” Aeryn smiled.

Ligo crooned encouragingly, “What is her last name?”

“Apple.”

Two men who were obviously catching up to Aeryn halted in the doorway and stared at Orla.

She chuckled softly. “Hey, Loken, Sohar. She’s quick, isn’t she?”

Loken nodded. “Very quick. How are you doing?”

Sohar asked, “Do you know why they took you?”

Orla looked at him and gave him every conversation she had heard.

He nodded. “I see. I will set you up with a protection detail.”

“Just set up a trust, and if anyone kidnaps me again, use that money to hire assassins or mercenaries to come after me. Make it public.” She shrugged. “I am not a key to a bank account.”

Sohar blinked. “I can do that.”

Ligo shook his head. “Don’t bother. I’ve got her.”

“No, you don’t. There’s a second mark on my back, and I really don’t think that you do double duty as a seahorse.” Orla sighed and leaned back into the pillow.

A nurse came to the door and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, everyone out. I am going to wash her hair out and get more of that blood off, and I don’t think she wants an audience.”

Aeryn said, “I can help.”

Orla shook her head. “He’s giving me a bath. That is going to be hard enough for me to manage, so I had better start getting used to it now.”

The nurse scowled. “I can get a female in here to do it.”

“No. I would rather take on one male with that crew outside the door. Desensitize quickly.”

Ligo looked at the nurse and nodded. “We will be outside if she calls out.”

Aeryn wanted to fight, but her mates hauled her out. Ligo said, “I will go and find you something to wear.”

She nodded and then looked at the alpha, who was in the small lav and working on getting a bowl with warm water and another as backup.

He sighed. “They beat the hell out of you, but you are recovering.”

She looked at him. “Wait, you were in the emergency room doing triage, and now, you are in a private room? Why? Did you get demoted?”

“No, I requested this. It isn’t creepy. I have just worked around quite a few trauma cases.” He took one hand and started getting all the blood and dirt out of the folds of her skin. The water quickly went pinky-grey.

She nodded and relaxed as he stroked the cloth on her skin.

“There is also one other matter that I am a bit embarrassed to mention, but I have been hearing about the betas with marks, and I happen to resemble one of the creatures on your back.”

She slowly opened her eyes as he cleaned her neck. “The seahorse?”

“Yeah, it isn’t really the sexiest sea beast out there, but that’s me. I am not tiny though. I have not let anyone do it, but I am large enough to ride.”

“I am not my sister. I still need to breathe.”

“That’s okay. I am good at taking care of people.” He smiled. “I have already filed my transfer over to the Wonder Island clinic.”

She smiled. “Your name?”

“Iro. Now, enough chitchatting, and relax. The ER is not great at dealing with nail tears.”

Orla nodded. “Skin is alive and dead at the same time.”

“Correct. So, let’s see if we can’t save what we can.”

She nodded and let Iro slowly clean her from head to toe. “When did you clock out?”

He smiled. “An hour ago. Right now, I am just one of your visitors who knows what you need.”

She chuckled, and he moved around the bed, changing the water and moving carefully and precisely. He sang softly to her, and she drowsed as he removed traces of the men who wanted to hurt her, delicately taking care of the claw marks between her thighs. She let Jane’s energy move through her as he tucked the shredded skin back into place. He found the cut between her thighs and cleaned it carefully. He didn’t hiss, he didn’t growl, he didn’t snarl, but she could tell he was more concerned for her than revenge.

Orla appreciated that he kept her covered as he moved, and she had to hold herself up as he changed the bedding under her. Fresh pads were set down, and she was eased to her belly. He had reached around most of her limbs, but the expanse of her back had the scrapes of being dragged on the deck during the fight.

“Where do the marks come from?”

“We don’t know. They aren’t there, and then, they are. Some of us get them after traumatic alpha interactions, like they are some kind of carriers. A few ladies just bump into an alpha, and then, the marks show up. It’s like wearing a billboard, and you don’t even want to know what people think when you wear a giant squid and a seahorse. Apparently, that is a kink they can’t figure out.”

Iro laughed and got the dirt off her butt. “It is unique.”

He cleared up the pads again, put down new ones, and then bent her over a basin to wash her hair while she was wrapped in a sheet. A soft knock on the door and Ligo came in. “I have brought some clothing.”

“Almost done, I think. The water isn’t pink anymore.” Orla could hear her voice was a soft purr. Iro was giving her a scalp massage.

Ligo looked at Iro. “You are the seahorse.”

Iro nodded. “Yes. Her scalp is more sensitive than any other part of her body.”

“Stop telling secrets.” She made a happy sound as his long fingers flexed against her scalp.

Iro chuckled. “It isn’t a secret. He can tell by the way you arch your back.”

“I was just mauled, and you are looking for signs of arousal.”

Iro sighed. “I am sorry, but this is very unexpected.”

“And he doesn’t like betas.”

Ligo sighed. “I don’t like betas, but I have a developing fondness for you.”

“Dude. You hate me.” She turned her head and looked at him.

“I don’t hate you. I was jealous. You navigate with others so easily, and I was jealous. I was drawn to you, and I don’t know why.” He muttered, “So when you came to me and was all pleasant and perky, I lashed out.”

“And I responded.”

“So, I would like to begin again.” He held up a boutique bag. “I have brought a peace offering.”

Iro wrapped her hair in a towel, and she looked at Ligo. He seemed sincere.

She looked into the bag, and there were items wrapped in tissue. She opened the first item, and it was a front-button nightie. Oddly appropriate for a hospital.

It was a pretty silver, and she took it out and found two items bundled together. Orla carefully opened the bundle, grinned, and started laughing. There was a plushy squid and a plushy seahorse. She hugged them close and smiled. She blinked away tears. “Thank you, Ligo. I accept the restart. But what is the little mark on the seahorse.”

Iro was cleaning up. “He had a delta put on it. Classy.”

Ligo laughed. “When I saw you, Iro, I couldn’t resist.”

“So, you knew?” Orla looked at Iro. “Oh, you said the seahorse was unusual for an alpha. That’s what you meant?”

He chuckled and tossed the bloody pads and fabrics into the trash and laundry. “It is. Deltas are a beta-alpha combo. I am the only one in my family with the special features.”

Ligo nodded. “The second form.”

“Yes, if you aren’t ready for it, it catches you by surprise.” Iro chuckled. “I was surprised.”

He washed his hands and came back to massage her hair through the towel. “Now, Orla, did you want to get dressed?”

“Yes, please.”

Ligo opened the nightgown, they slid it onto her, then the buttons down the front were closed, and she was tucked back into bed with a clean sheet over her. Iro brushed her hair out and smiled. “Feel a bit better?”

“Oh, that was so weird.”

Ligo chuckled. “It felt appropriate to me. And you were very agreeable, so that is encouraging.”

A soft knock reminded her that Aeryn was there. Iro pressed the bed control and sat her up.

Aeryn looked at her. “Wow. That’s a transformation.”

Sohar and Loken stared as well.

Aeryn asked Iro, “You healed her?”

“No. Just cleaned her up.”

Orla realized that the two men she was going to bond with were on either side of her bed. She clutched her stuffies and looked at them. “So, were they all arrested?”

“How many were there?”

“Seven.”

Loken nodded and got on the phone. “We are missing one.” He muttered it as he left the room for a moment.

Sohar smiled. “We will get him, little sister. And if Loken catches up to him on land, there will be little left.”

Loken leaned into the room. “There will be a hand for identification.”

Orla blinked. “Well, I am glad he has thought this through.”

Aeryn nodded. “Serin’s sister tried to cave my head in with some bamboo, and Loken was there by the second or third swing. Between the two of us, we are going to fill the confinement areas of the Wonder Islands. Really, we are very nice ladies.”

Sohar chuckled. “I am sure your sister is as charming as you. She’s certainly scrappy, as you said.”

Orla smiled. “I do try.”

A nurse came in and said, “There are too many people in here. Doc Iro, I thought you would have gone home by now.”

Orla looked at him. “Doctor? Your badge says nurse.”

The nurse snorted. “And those scrubs say a size too small.”

Iro shrugged. “I didn’t want to come off as a person in authority considering your morning.”

The nurse laughed. “Authority. Right. Your mom would hand you your ass for that.”

“Please don’t tell her,” Iro muttered.

Orla chuckled. “If I ever meet her, I will make sure to tell her.”

The nurse looked around. “Miss, you have too many visitors.”

Aeryn muttered, “Can we take her home?”

“Where is home?” The nurse took her vitals.

Orla muttered, “The village at Wonder.”

“Ah. No. You need peace and quiet.”

“I have a house in the Blackridge chain,” Ligo murmured. “And staff. She can rest there.”

Aeryn frowned. “She can rest on the boat.”

“Aeryn, you are newly mated. Very newly mated. I am not trying to bring down the mood, and I definitely don’t want to witness it.”

Aeryn held her hand. “Is Jane going to come to you again?”

“No. She’s trying to clear her work so she can get home for the weekend. Her son is turning two, and she just has one more presentation to sit through before she can be with him.”

“I had forgotten about him. Can he walk?”

“He can walk, talk, and cut into video chats. His little black curls are always bobbing around in the background. He is waiting to see his Auntie Orra again.” She smiled. “I have missed so much. They change so fast at that age.”

Ligo asked, “You are missing someone else’s child?”

“Sure. He and I have a thing going. You two are a distant second.” She smirked.

Iro nodded. “Got it. Good to know. When he alphas out, I will kick his butt.”

“You will have to get past his mother first. She’s formidable. Menace her baby boy at any age and you will be picking teeth out of the nearest volcano.”

Aeryn grinned in confirmation. “Jane’s scary.”

The nurse snorted. “Right, well, your pulse is steady. The real doctor on your case will be in to check on those wounds, and if she says okay and you adhere to a check-in schedule, this group of yours can take you home. Do you mind if I check the wounds on your thighs?”

“Everyone out and close the door, please,” Orla muttered.

They all nodded and did as she asked. The nurse was efficient, and Orla was covered with a sheet before the doctor was allowed in.

She was poked and prodded, given a hefty dose of antibiotics, and pronounced fit to stop wasting a bed. She would have to check in with the peacekeepers on Wonder for her statement, but she was no longer actively bleeding and hadn’t been dehydrated for very long. The doctor went to fill out paperwork, and the nurse wrote down the final stats for the chart.

The nurse smiled. “Take care of Iro, or his mother will come and kick your butt.”

“Noted.”

Her concerned following was let in, and they bustled around her. Iro went to get the paperwork, and the nurse was laughing. She was clutching her stuffies as they waited, and when Iro came in with the documents, Ligo lifted her and held her against him snugly. “Come on, Orla, let’s get you home.”

They left, and two cars were waiting for them. Aeryn and her males were in the first car, and Ligo and Iro came with her in the second.

The drive was short, and the launch was waiting for them. Ligo carried her again, and she was grateful. The last thing she wanted was for her thighs to rub together.

Orla thought she would be settled in a chair, but Ligo took her to a stateroom where Iro joined them, and to her embarrassment, they cuddled with her on the bed.

“What’s going on?”

Ligo chuckled. “We are transferring what strength we can to you to aid your healing. It isn’t as good as a bonded link, but it will help.”

“Oh. Well, you guys are warm, and I am sleepy.” She held onto Ligo and let her head touch his chest. “Wake me when we are home.”

Iro whispered, “We will.”