Chapter Nine

She registered the surge of the waves and the sensation of being carried. Damn, she was tired.

Iro was lying with her head across his lap. “You changed.”

He chuckled. “Your sister’s mates are well-supplied for guests.”

“Where are we now? We aren’t moving.”

“We are at Ligo’s place on the Blackridge Islands, which he has a lifetime lease on. I think we are on the fourth in the lineup.”

She reached up to touch her head. “What happened to my hair?”

“Ligo braided it to keep it from tangling. He’s good with his hands.” Iro chuckled.

“Where is Ligo?”

“Briefing his staff on the change in state and picking up your clothes at the depot.”

She blinked. “They are sending my clothes over?”

Iro nodded. “And a peacekeeper to take your statement.”

“Oh. Right.” She held up her hand and checked the marks. She smiled. “Jane does good work.”

“You said she has a child?”

“Yeah. He’s adorable.”

“What does her mate do?” There was an innocent, questioning tone.

“Whatever he does, he is doing it elsewhere. He’s also not a mate; he’s a breeder. She had a flash heat, he had a flash rut, and she woke up in a hotel room, alone, and that was that.”

He frowned. “He didn’t contact her?”

“I doubt he got her name. She was just a convenient hole. But... her son is adorable. He’s smart and really fast on his little feet.”

“You know him?”

“I used to babysit him when Jane had to travel until I was urged to come to the islands. I miss the little dude.” Orla sighed and pushed upright. “I had a clothing change?”

He chuckled. “You did. Your sister offered some clothing that was suitable for your height.”

“But the underwear didn’t fit. Nice touch.”

“Your vasty panty collection is on the way.” Iro snorted. “Their words, not ours.”

“Whose words?”

“Theiron at the staff residence and Umara. She did your packing after the police did one final round of scans.”

“Ah. Crime scene.”

“Correct. They waited in your apartment?”

“No, they followed me, and I trusted the security measures to hold them back. Nope.”

“How did they pass the security gates?”

She tapped her wrist. “They got bands from somewhere.”

“I am sure they are on it right now.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Pretty sure that Violet is cursing a blue streak.”

“She’s responsible for security?”

“It’s her tech, and she will want to know how someone got around it.”

“Ah.”

“So, you are transferring to the Wonder Island med centre?”

“They are always looking for permanent staff. It hasn’t been particularly appealing to me until now.”

She smiled at him. “What changed?”

“Funny.”

She pulled her dress up to check the marks on her legs. The wounds were still hot pink, but they were no longer open injuries.

“Those are coming along. Another deep rest and that will probably finish healing them.”

“Oh. Yay. Am I allowed to get something to eat or drink? I am hella thirsty.”

“Of course.”

Iro got up and lifted her. “Your skin is still very thin, and we don’t want it tearing.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I will do a complete assessment when you have had something to eat and a lot to drink.”

She shrugged, and he carried her through the enormous house down to the kitchen. “What does he do in here?”

Iro shrugged. “Nerd things?”

Orla blinked. “Oh. Right.”

Iro walked into the kitchen and said, “Shon, this is Orla.”

The older woman behind the counter nodded. “Hungry, Orla?”

“Yes, please, Shon.”

Another older woman walked in, but she looked a lot like Ligo. “Well, hello, sleepyhead.”

“Hello.”

Iro asked, “I am sorry, ma’am, but who are you?”

The woman blinked. “Avenar. I am Ligo’s mother. I live next door. He said his mate was here, but you aren’t marked.”

“We just met as mates this morning. We are waiting until the claw marks all over my body fade and my skin won’t tear open. This is Doc Iro. He’s our third.”

Avenar blinked. “Well, what do you do for a living?”

“I am currently a food server at the village on Wonder.”

“What do you mean claw marks? Wait, the woman that was taken. That was you?”

“Yes. They were going to hold me for ransom.”

Shon was cooking quietly.

“What could they have gotten from you?”

“Nothing, but my sister’s primary is pretty well off, so they were going to send me back in breathing condition.”

Avenar asked, “Who is your sister’s mate?”

“Sohar.”

Avenar drew back. “He has a mate?”

“Yes. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world. Her name is Aeryn.”

The older woman smiled. “Of course, you would say that. She’s your sister.”

Iro paused. “Aeryn is definitely Sohar’s perfect mate, but I like a woman who is a little more portable and one who cries less.”

“She was coming off her mating night. She was tired, and then, she had to help look for me. It’s weird that it was Ligo who found me.”

Iro chuckled. “They told you that?”

“Yeah, I woke up once in the helicopter, and he was the one holding my hand. It was odd, but there was only one reason he would be there with his hair dripping wet.”

The smells from the kitchen were lovely, and then, Shon set a place at the table.

Iro said, “Two glasses of juice and one of water. She lost a lot of blood.”

“No more talking about blood. I am going to try and eat something.”

“Ah. Fair point.”

“Did you eat?”

“Yes, when we arrived. We took turns before Ligo headed out.”

“Good.”

The meal was chicken stir fry with rice, and the juice was pineapple and another orange.

She tried to get free of Iro, but he smiled. “I am helping if needed.”

“I don’t need a booster seat.”

“And yet, it is one of the perks of me being here.”

He arranged for her to face the food, and she picked up the fork with determination and started eating.

She ran out of steam three-quarters of the way through, and the fork started shaking.

Iro snorted softly and helped her drink. Then, he helped her eat.

Her jaw was tired, and she remembered a fist hitting her. She jolted and flinched.

Iro whispered, “Remembering?”

She nodded. She touched her jaw. “It was the first hit. I was turning to close my door, and a fist hit my face.”

Avenar muttered, “Betas are so bold.”

Orla looked at her. “They weren’t betas. Not every alpha is inclined to apply themselves to gainful employment.” She paused. “Or are you referring to me? I can be bold, and I can have a short temper.” She used both hands and gulped down her water.

“It’s called PTSD, Orla. Considering what has happened, it is to be expected.” Iro stroked her hair.

She muttered, “You were a nurse.”

“I was, and then I went through medical school, so now, I am a doctor nurse.”

Avenar looked at her. “You are quite pretty. What does Ligo think of you?”

“That I am a pain in the ass.”

The woman leaned back. “Oh. Well. Maybe you two aren’t a proper match.”

Iro chuckled. “Tell Ligo that. I am interested in his reaction.”

Avenar looked a little wary. “Why?”

Orla chugged the fruit juice. “Because, first, he was hostile, and then, he was super protective.”

Ligo entered the kitchen and frowned. “Orla, why are you out of bed?”

Iro chuckled.

Avenar got up. “I was just talking to this young woman and the other gentleman. Are you sure that she’s a suitable match?”

Ligo froze and looked at his mother, but along his back, a series of tentacles rose. His mother flinched, but Orla just cocked her head. “All right, calamari. Twirl.”

He blinked and then smiled slowly. He walked up to her with a slow swagger, and his tentacles stroked her hair and face. “You are looking better.”

“Couldn’t look much worse.”

His tentacles continued to stroke her hair. “Yes, you did.”

“Thanks for doing my hair.”

He cocked his head. “I like the style. It will keep the hair out of your face when you swim.”

“Sure. Just like any other alpha, focusing on me getting wet.” Orla saw his mother blink and cover her mouth.

He laughed and asked Iro, “How is the healing going?”

“She has some thin spots, but one more nap, and she’s good,” Iro answered.

“When do you return to work?” Ligo asked Iro softly as he continued to touch Orla.

“I have some leave saved up. The hospital has already ordered a replacement. I will head back for shifts in case of emergency.” He smiled. “The air flight is at my disposal.”

The tentacles moved down her body, and she calmly grabbed them to keep them away from her breasts. Ligo grinned.

“I am tired, not stupid.” She started gathering the tentacles in her hands. “No way am I up for your exploration.”

He chuckled. “I did have to try.”

He backed away, and she asked, “So, can you type really fast with those?”

“No.”

Avenar gasped. “Ligo!”

Ligo looked over his shoulder. “What, Mom?”

“You can’t use your tentacles on her.”

Orla leaned to make eye contact with her. “Why not? I was rather looking forward to it.”

Avenar gasped while Iro and Ligo chuckled.

Ligo murmured, “When I talked to Sohar, he explained what he had learned about these altered betas, and they are infinitely accepting of their mates while not letting them get away with anything. True matching.”

“Your father is going to have something to say about this.”

Ligo rolled his eyes. “He will probably ask if she can take us both together.”

“Ligo!” His mother left in a huff.

Orla smiled. “I am sure she will come around.”

“My father will talk to her. He won’t have a choice. She’s probably on the phone with him or hauling him out of his workshop as we speak.”

Shon took the dishes away, and Orla sighed as her body tried to wrestle with the meal. “Thank you.”

Iro hugged her. “Back to bed?”

“No. I want to make a few calls. I am guessing that my bags had my phone in them.”

Ligo sighed. “They did.”

He returned the way he had come and brought two small bags with him.

Iro asked, “That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

Orla snorted. “You don’t need a lot of clothing when you are just working and sleeping.”

“Well, that explains why half your clothing smells like noodles.”

Orla grinned. “Hey, my booth was in demand.”

Ligo nodded. “I remember.”

She reached for her bags, but Ligo fished out her phone and said, “The battery is dead.”

“Damn. I thought it was charging.”

Ligo shrugged. “I have chargers. Just a moment.”

He checked her connection and then left to return with a power bank and a cord. He had a laptop tucked under his arm and smiled. “Let’s go relax a little.”

Iro picked her up, they followed Ligo into a living room, and he settled on a couch with her still on his lap.

“I don’t think I need to continue sitting on you, Iro.”

He grinned. “I am monitoring your vitals.”

“How long do you think that excuse is going to work?”

“I figure I have about a week.” He gave her an innocent look.

Ligo chuckled.

Her phone began charging, and she waited until it got to ten percent before she started looking at emails, texts, and other alerts.

She answered friends from the village first, confirming that she was okay with one and all. A few friends were given the details about her location and recovery. Ohno was one of them.

The news reports of the kidnapping were rough. The description of the rescue efforts made her tear up.

Iro stroked her arm. “What’s wrong?”

She swallowed and whispered, “They went looking for me.”

“Of course. Every charter, sailboat, water shifter, and person with binoculars was looking for you. The moment Aeryn realized you were taken, they sprang into action.”

Orla chuckled weakly. “Anything to shut her up. She emotes like a whirlwind.”

“The peacekeepers weren’t aware that you weren’t on the boat when they seized it. They thought that you were just hidden belowdecks at first.” Ligo sat back. “The moment that your escape was figured out, it was an emergency.”

“I couldn’t see very well. My eye was swollen shut, and my other was trying to clear blood. I tried to aim for the islands but could have been heading for a cloud. Then, the fucking shark took out my outboard, and I was drifting.”

“I had been looking for you in the channels, and then I found you, so I wrapped around you and kept other predators away while I notified Sohar.”

“Thank you.”

“The yacht arrived within the hour. They weren’t too far away. I had pulled you toward them, but your sister plucked you out of the boat as soon as we got within her operating distance. The medical team was waiting to stabilize you and assess your injuries. The helicopter showed up after that.”

She nodded. “And you jumped in with me. That freaked the medics out.”

“You saw it?”

“Heard it. Felt your hand on mine, too.”

Ligo sighed. “It was the only part of you that wasn’t cut.”

“Yeah. I should request those photos for my album.”

He paused. “Photos?”

Iro said, “The sexual assault team always takes photos so that the marks are recorded for prosecution. Many victims don’t want to testify, so the images do it for them. They did it while you were talking to her sister, letting her know that Orla was damaged but stable.”

“Oh, yes. She was... upset.” Ligo recalled.

“Yeah. Aeryn emotes. I told you. Anyway, after the photos, they went into full work mode on me, patching holes and stopping blood.”

“That part I was there for.”

Iro smiled. “So was I. So, now, we are all on the same timeline.”

“You won’t get in trouble for fraternizing with a patient?”

“After the emergency room, you were not my patient, and when we end up as a linked triad, there will be no issue at all. Alphas don’t mess with bonded mates.”

“The administration won’t have an issue?”

“The king has an alpha and a beta. He understands a link, and he is on the board.”

“Oh, right. I am not on the mainland.”

Iro chuckled. “Different laws out here. Finding families for our wave of alphas is a priority. Our decreasing population has become a major island chain concern.”

Orla nodded. “That is why Violet is moving her research and development here. A lot of her team is specialized betas, so that might help. Of course, Serin has to find her mate for this all to be possible, but I think we can find him for her if we look hard.”

Ligo asked, “Why does Serin have to find her match?”

“It has to do with why she left the islands. Her sister tried to kill Aeryn, actually. I have no idea where Serin’s ex-fiancé is.”

Ligo frowned. “What’s his name?”

“Ulo. Do you know him? The house he lived in used to be near the town on Wonder.”

“Used to?”

She chuckled. “Serin had Aeryn destroy it.”

Ligo said, “I thought you only just reconnected with your sister. How did you learn all this?”

“Oh, Serin called me a few days ago. We know each other.”

Ligo nodded.

She looked at the phone and found the text. “And there is her text.”

Orla told Serin that she was fine, and they went back and forth for a few minutes until Serin asked when she would be over to the village for a visit.

She looked to Ligo. “When am I going to be able to go back to the village?”

Iro said, “I will have to go to the clinic to take a look around in a few days. I am guessing we can call your sister if Ligo doesn’t want to come with us.”

Ligo snorted. “I am coming. I have a meeting with Violet at the end of the week. It may as well be in person.”

Orla yawned and fought the fatigue that hit her.

Iro murmured, “Aw, tired again?”

“Shut it.” She rubbed her head against him and was suddenly awake as she was pulled to Ligo’s lap. “Oh. Okay.”

“I haven’t gotten to cuddle you all day. Iro has been hogging you under the guise of medical attention.”

Iro grinned and got up. “It worked, didn’t it?”

Ligo held her and said, “I am not good at this yet, but relax if you can.”

“Shut up and hold still, pillow.” Orla squirmed around and settled on him, pressing her head to his shoulder. He smelled good and was warm, and she was exhausted. She surrendered to the complications of the day.

She woke up pinned to the bed, and when she tried to roll to the side, there were arms across her waist and hips. Orla tried to figure out which arm belonged to which, but then, she grunted and yanked to her right side, plastering her against Ligo. The arm around her hips pulled her close, and the rustle of the sheets happened behind her, leaving Iro against her back. The light was still low, and she was still tired, so she returned to sleep.

Orla was thirsty, but she was also comfy. Smooshed between Iro and Ligo wasn’t a bad place to be. If someone had asked her a week ago if she would be this close to Ligo, she would have laughed in their face, but then, she didn’t know he was hers. She could tolerate more from a man she could feel in her own thoughts. It was easier to let him know how she felt without resorting to hurling noodles.

Ligo moved, and she looked at him. “Morning. How are you feeling?”

“Good. Thirsty.”

Iro groaned and pushed away from her. “On it.”

Her back was cool, and she snuggled against Ligo.

“You are affectionate in the morning.”

“My back was warm, and now, Iro is gone, so if I climb through your skin, I might be warm.”

He laughed and rolled on top of her. She was warm in a second. She blushed. “That works, too.”

His erection was pressing against her inner thigh. She cleared her throat. “How did you sleep?”

“Fairly well. Something soft kept squirming against me. My father was blowing up my phone, wanting information about you.”

“Oh. I didn’t hear anything.”

He smiled. “I keep it on silent and held it with my extra limbs.”

“Handy.”

He chuckled. “Yes.”

He scooted down until they were face to face and kissed her.

She felt a tremor in her belly, held his face, and duelled her tongue with his. They started slow, and then, she was kissing him with ferocity and whimpering as she rubbed against him.

He lifted his head and said, “I think we should slow down.”

Orla stared at him, heard Iro enter the room, and snarled, flipping him to his back. She straddled him and rubbed against him. The sounds she was making were desperate, and when he touched her cheek, she turned into him and rubbed her face against his hand.

Iro was next to her and tilted her head back, checking her eyes and touching her neck. “Oh, did you know you were this close, Orla?”

“Yes. I had scheduled time off.”

“Did you think to tell us?”

“I have been distracted.”

He cupped her breasts in turn and slid his hand down to her thighs. He stroked the pink marks of her injury, and then, he slid two fingers into her.

Orla shuddered, and her sex flexed around his fingers.

“I was just checking on the cut, Orla. It has thankfully healed. So, you have a clean bill of health and can commence your heat.”

Fire bloomed in her body, and she whined, clutching his wrist.

Iro kissed her softly and nuzzled her cheek. “Soon, little one.”

“Now. I want you both now.”

Ligo chuckled. “It was going to happen by the end of her heat anyway. If she wants to start there, I will add some assistance.”

She looked from one to the other and sighed. “Can someone be inside me? Not fussy. Pull straws, flip a coin, rock paper scissors, but just now?”

Ligo reached up and cupped her waist, hips, and breasts. His tentacles emerged and stroked her, pulling her forward, and one slipped between her thighs. A second tentacle moved between her thighs, and Iro pulled his hand out of the way.

Orla fell forward as she was filled front and back. She braced her hands on Ligo, and he watched her as she started to thrash against the invasion. Everything felt slippery and wiggly inside her, and then, it started getting thicker. The one in her ass started to move inside her, and there was a lot of slickness involved. Orla warbled and bucked before she threw her head back and opened her mouth in a silent scream. The bites struck as her body clenched and twisted against the invaders. Ligo and Iro each took a shoulder and held on while her pulse thundered through her, and pleasure continued in slow pulses.

Their bites went on, and at some signal she didn’t catch on to, they finally began to lick the wounds slowly. The pressure between her thighs loosened up, and she was decidedly slick, and it wasn’t hers.

She throatily asked, “Ligo, what did you do?”

“Provided lube. You surprised us, so we had to improvise. My father was a hagfish, so we can do this all day.” Ligo chuckled.

Ligo lifted her and slid into her with ease. She was stretched, and her breath whooshed out of her lungs.

Iro stroked her back, and she soon felt him easing into her. She had asked for it, but feeling it was something else.

They started to move, and she held on as her heat took her restraint and chucked it out the window. She could be embarrassed later.

There were couplings and showers, and then each of them took turns having sex with her, seeking her favourite positions.

She was exhausted, and they washed her for the last time, drying her and then putting her back in the cleaned bed. Ligo crawled into bed with her and pulled her to set her head on his chest.

She croaked, “How long?”

“Two days. Not bad for a first heat with your mates.”

She shivered. “I should text my sister.”

“You don’t have to. Their vessel is visible from here.”

She blushed. “Oh.”

“Rest. Iro and I took turns napping. You must be exhausted.”

She yawned. “Yeah. I am going to be hungry when I get up.”

“I will make sure you are satisfied, Orla, from now until the final night descends.”

She smiled at the pretty thought and took her well-deserved rest.