Chapter Nine

The dark, swirling vortex got Kekoa's attention, and he moved forward to block the energy coming through. Instead of energy, Narro walked through, his gaze taking in the situation.

He walked to Haravin's side and knelt. "Hello, Hara."

"Hello, Narro."

"I hear you are not feeling well."

"I am not feeling anything."

"But you still worked to save your alpha and omega."

She shrugged. "They were supposed to be mine, and now... aren't. If I remember my course on links, this means that I will either go nuts or slowly die because my life force is draining away. Which do you think I should choose?"

He smiled and stroked her cheek. "I think you should choose me. I am the third option."

"I don't want to be a burden."

"I know. You wouldn't be a burden. You would be my precious jewel."

"But I am Kekoa's counterpart."

"When I link with you, his mark will open again, and we will all be stronger."

She nodded. "Okay."

Narro smiled at her, his red-purple eyes sparkling. He glanced at Kekoa. "Where can I take her?" He picked her up.

"Come with me."

Kek walked through the house and brought them to a room that was separate from the royal quarters.

"Oh. I guess I am not your beta anymore." She mumbled it, and Kek looked stricken.

"I will explain it to her. Don't worry. She'll be back soon."

Narro moved into the room and shut the door in Kekoa's face.

"It isn't his fault." She stated as he set her on the bed.

"It is. He is supposed to guard you while you are in an open state. You can't do it. Yes, his omega is cute, but you should not have been left alone with him. His instincts are to keep his alpha available to him. That may mean cutting off your connection before it is solid."

"That is unpleasant."

He chuckled. "It is. Are you in agreement that I have sex with you?"

She looked at him. "We dance well together."

He nodded. "We certainly do."

She opened her clothing while he undressed. When he came to her arms, it was warm and secure. He didn't let her drop, and he didn't let her down. When he bit her, he was firmly inside her, and she shivered as his body wrapped around hers from behind.

The third time she came, she felt the connection between them thicken, and then, like it had been popped loose, the connection with Kekoa was back in place.

He had his arm under her body and across her breast while the other arm held her hips. Narro moved slowly with her, and she felt pleasure build and then burst into a thousand tiny shards.

The door opened, and she turned her head to kiss Narro. They continued to move lazily together.

Kek knelt near them. "You are back."

Narro smiled and lifted his head. "She certainly is."

She shivered and looked back at Kek. "It's embarrassing, but I feel better. I am actually feeling right now."

Hara let the warmth and security lap across the links in waves.

Kek looked a little sad, but he smiled. "I am glad. Narro, we will discuss why you are black with pointed ears when you two have finished here."

Narro chuckled. "I suppose you don't have many dark Elite out here."

Hara yawned and patted his arm. "There are a bunch of them back where I came from, and they are very good mates for the women who have them. They are also fairly fertile."

Narro chuckled. "More like extremely attuned to our mates."

Hara felt fear and embarrassment, and she looked toward the door. "Come on in, Alo. It's fine."

Alo rushed in and lay next to her, pressing against her and whimpering softly. He was apologizing through the link, and their connection was now no longer a thin ribbon, it was a wide cable half the size of Kek's. The link to Narro was long and straight.

Hara sighed and stroked Alo's cheek.

Narro chuckled. "So, that was slow and careful. I look forward to your heat."

Kek paused. "Heat?"

"Oh, yes, this kind of beta goes through a heat."

Alo swallowed. "That is why the fowl showed up from Emerald Island."

"Yeah. Ven told me it takes about a week to go from nothing to a heat when consuming those birds. Weird. Good thing they only show up on Emerald."

Kek shook his head. "They are here; they just remain in the deep jungle."

Hara's eyes widened. "The cats. That's why the cats."

Kek chuckled. "Panthers. They were trying to get up here."

Hara smiled softly. "Cute babies."

Narro kissed her shoulder. "I am working on it."

She snorted, reached back, and threaded her fingers through his hair. She made a fist. "Don't try too hard."

He laughed and nipped her shoulder. "We will practice all the time to get you used to the idea."

Kek watched them, and his eyes burned.

Hara got it. "Oh, separate rooms for alphas. Got it."

Kek muttered, "Free her."

Narro chuckled. "The point has been made."

She knew what the point was. Narro slid out of her, and when she shifted forward, Alo hugged her and sobbed. The cascade of fluids out of her was distracting, but Alo's hug demanded attention.

Narro muttered, "Don't worry, Hara, your marks are sealed this time."

She smiled and hugged Alo hard. "It's okay, baby bunny. Bite me again, and I break your nose."

He laughed and hiccupped.

Kek sighed and relaxed. Hara smiled that it had been Alo's guilt causing so much of the issue. Kek had felt it immediately, of course. She hadn't felt anything, not even her own emotions.

Now, she felt warm and pretty. Narro was stroking her back. He had told her she was gorgeous, intelligent, and the thing that made her feel twelve feet tall. He said she was strong and a survivor. She was pretty sure that it had caused her to cum on the spot. She had her alpha and didn't have to share him unless Alohi made a move.

She let Alo go and wiped his tears. "Feeling better?"

He sniffled and nodded.

"Bunny, can you get me some more clothes?"

"Yes, my beta." He wrinkled his nose.

She snorted and then was facing Kek. She inclined her head. "My alpha."

He smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Nothing happens easily for you."

"Nope. No straight lines in my destiny." She shrugged.

Narro got up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "We will be on the lookout for speed wobbles."

"Thanks. Oh, are Ven and the guys still here?"

Kek nodded. "Yes. They said it was time for the babies to get used to being overnight with the dragon, shark, and dragon?"

She smiled. "Good."

Alo came back in with an alpha-sized wrap for Narro and her normal clothes. Narro smiled and sent a flare of cold fire over them both to take care of biologicals.

She quickly got dressed, and he accepted Kek's assistance with the wrap, and soon, they were all dressed. Hara straightened her legs and wobbled a little as she left the room and headed for the main floor.

Ven and Reynaldo were cuddling while Syar played with the kittens. The household staff was serving them with deference.

Ven grinned. "You look better. Exhausted but better."

"Thanks. Really. Thank you." She shoved Reynaldo aside, and he laughed as she hugged Ven.

Ven felt super silky soft, and her panther spots and dark fingers were an obvious clue to Reynaldo.

"You are welcome, Hara. Can you show your adaptation to my guys? They can't really see why it had to be Kekoa."

Kek huffed.

Syar shrugged. "She and Narro get along so well. There has to be a reason that it can't just be him."

Hara shrugged and said, "Follow me."

She loosened her clothing a little, and when she was on full stone under her feet, she shifted. She shifted in the bright light where her glossy metal skin caused light to spark and reflect all the way down the hill. She was a glittering beacon and turned to Narro. They were the same size.

He grinned and shrugged, getting taller until he was taller by six inches, and his eyes glowed red. "You are beautiful, Hara."

Ven came up and tapped her arm. It rang with the solid sound of metal. "Oh, wow. I didn't think it was all the way through."

Kek walked toward her in his own metal skin.

Ven nodded. "Got it. Makes sense now. We can't pick our adaptations; we can just deal with it and find alphas who complement us or omegas who want to get into our pants."

Hara shook her head. "It wasn't like that. We just matched, like cards in a deck. No lust, no interest beyond that."

Kekoa frowned. "That is not the truth."

She looked at him. "It is the truth as I know it. Alohi and I shared an ice cream cone, and that was the hottest thing that happened until we were here."

She shrugged. "A few more wrong turns, and here we are. If we have children, they will be very powerful and rather tall. If Alohi has children, I will help him raise them."

Alohi paused and said, "I can't have kids."

"What?"

"When I was really young and was running wild, I got a disease and ended up sterile."

"And you figured this out just over five years ago."

Alohi nodded. "Yes. This is also why Kek insisted on the testing that hurt you."

Hara winced, remembering the burning and tearing. Kek rubbed her metal arms and said, "However we got together, we are still a match. Affection will grow."

She looked to Narro. "Affection is already here."

Narro smiled and held his arms out. "I am content to join your pack. Shall we work out the documents and make plans for her first heat?"

She frowned. "That is a pretty far way off."

Narro smiled. "Is it? The guardians of Emerald want you consuming the royal fowl, and they get their way."

Kek smiled. "One of the new guardians has made their way into the sand garden out back."

Hara shrugged. "Everybody's got to go somewhere."

Kek sighed. "We have the fowl here, but no one eats them for obvious reasons. If you eat them at the wrong time, in the wrong quantity, you will have side effects."

Alohi nodded. "I can confirm that."

Hara sighed. "So, I have a practical alpha and a fun one."

Narro nodded. "You do, and this alpha would like to dance with you. Two alphas for two aspects of you."

She stepped firmly into his arms, and he started to sway. He leaned down slightly. "So, can you dance in gold form?"

"I don't know."

"Would you like to find out?"

She looked at him. "Are you willing to endanger your feet?"

"I heal quickly."

She took stock of her body. "Perhaps not right now."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"Oh, Ford has finished a few of the overlays. The pixies and trolls are looking great."

She smiled. "Good. That was a rough day."

"It had its bright points."

She returned to her normal skin, and Narro held her close. She shuddered in relief as he stroked her back and gave her the comfort she had never had. From the age of thirteen until now, she had never had someone just hold her to let her know someone was there for her.

Narro explained it to the others. "From the time of the surgery, she had no physical contact with others for comfort. Dance practice and performance were her entire human experience. She's unsure about contact and has to learn."

Kek frowned. "She was fairly direct with contact."

"She touched you. You didn't touch her the way you touch an omega, and that's what she needs."

Ven sighed. "He's not wrong. If Syar hadn't been climbing all over me, I never would have relaxed enough for Reynaldo. That took some heavy relaxing and a lot of hormones. I was treated like an omega from the get-go, and it made a very large difference."

Alohi blushed. "I looked at her as another person to coddle me. She didn't object."

"It was the first contact I have had in over a decade that wasn't done to a soundtrack." She shrugged. "Kek was cold to me except as a match to his own peculiarity, so a bit of me was relieved when the mark went silent." She turned, and Narro kept his arms around her. "I hadn't realized that you could have sex with someone and be completely alone at the same time. If I am to stay here, you need to finish that paperwork so I can show my residency when they try to kick me off the island again. I need access to my accounts somehow. I haven't seen bank machines in the village. If I want to go out and buy a snack, I don't want to disturb anyone."

Syar snorted. "I forgot that one as well, but I got her residency stamped right away."

Kek looked a little relieved by that. "I will get on it as soon as we get back to the office."

Alohi turned to him. "Do it now."

Kekoa nodded and returned to skin as he walked inside. "I will do it now."

He walked inside, and Alohi walked up to her. "I didn't think about it. You really haven't been able to enjoy attention from other people?"

"I have not. I know you tried, but it is all very sudden, and trusting people is difficult for me."

He glanced at the elf holding her. "And you trust him?"

"We danced together for hours, starting by discussing what we could and couldn't manage together. We communicated, laughed, sweated, and all with only mild flirting as I had already expressed that I wasn't comfortable with it."

Narro chuckled. "My people are only compatible with this type of beta. The transformed omegas."

Alohi jolted. "Really? Oh. Oh, no."

All of the implications were there. Alohi started crying.

Hara shrugged. "It's happening a lot in the city. That's how Ven became fuzzy."

Reynaldo chuckled. "And she is a very tall omega."

Alohi smiled. "She is, and I guess Hara is, too."

Narro chuckled. "If you doubt, how much difficulty did Kek have getting inside her?"

"Oh. Uh, none. She was slick as... oh my."

Hara shrugged. "You didn't know what you were looking for, and I only transformed to get that one particular alpha. After he has his heir, I am going to be free and clear to spend the rest of my eggs the way I want." She frowned. "I am wondering why the fowl have shown up."

Syar smiled. "You may not be in heat, but Kek is pretty close to his rut. The guardians are trying to get you up to speed to have your body ready to catch and carry."

"Oh. I thought it was just some food I didn't have to beg for."

Narro whispered, "Did you want to go home?"

"Where is home? Ford probably has a new housekeeper from the book club. My apartment is still there, so that is that. I have enough savings to keep me comfortable for ten months."

"You don't want to stay here?"

She met Alohi's gaze. "I don't have to if I will be in the way. Having a second alpha has set me free."

Syar cleared his throat. "You will always be welcome on Emerald. We can set you up with a nice cottage. You can start a dance studio."

"That sounds like fun." She looked at Narro. "Are you up for that?"

"Well, learn local dances first and then open an all-varieties dance studio."

"Cool. I can learn flamenco." She smiled.

Narro asked, "You couldn't before?"

"No, the hard steps hurt a lot."

Understanding flared in his gaze. "Oh, right."

She wanted to discuss possible studio names but needed to learn local dances first. Maybe now that she could move her pelvis freely, she could manage a lot more.

Alohi smiled. "I can teach you local dances. I don't think Kekoa was allowed to learn."

Syar chuckled. "He was. He's a bit awkward."

Alohi chuckled. "It's cute."

Kekoa returned and nodded. "Haravin Dillard of the Treasure Pack, you are legally a citizen of these islands." He knelt and snapped a gold cuff around her ankle.

"What's that?"

He looked up at her and stroked her thigh. "It is an identifier. Everybody knows Alohi; everyone will stay away from Narro, but you look like a charming beta, so you get a cuff in addition to the mark. We don't want anyone thinking you are a tourist."

"What happens to tourists?"

"Well, it is a very relaxed society around the ferries. The lower city is a lot of fun for adults, but things get out of control."

Ven sighed. "Well, it seems like things are under control here. If you want to come over for a visit, just take the ferry and come on over. I have taken dance classes, and they are rather fun. Syar and Reynaldo are amazing, but I am biased."

Hara looked at them and sighed. "What do the new babies eat?"

"Oh, they are catching their own meals already. Be prepared to be vermin-free in short order, and then they will hunt in the wilds." Syar smiled. "They are natural to these islands, so they are good with whatever they find in the wild. They will come to you for cuddles."

Ven smiled. "When they are grown, we can get them a male partner or two."

Hara gasped. "The rescue."

"Correct. They have two males who are a year and two years older than these ladies." She smiled. "They will have a stable population back here in two decades."

Kekoa smiled. "It's good. It's nice to have other predators on the island. We will do a photo shoot with them and put them in our tourism campaigns."

Hara looked at him. "What will the price be for stealing or poaching them?"

"Two million for being caught with any trace of them."

Ven nodded. "Good. They are chipped and trackable. If they leave this island, we go on the hunt."

Narro nodded. "I will find them. Hunting is what I do. Well, that and dancing."

Hara could think of something else that he did well, but Syar gave her a knowing look.

One of the little beasties in question tumbled out of the house and stumbled up to Hara. The tiny squeak made her smile, and she picked the little one up, filling both arms. It was a teen, but the feet were huge, and the teeth were going to be very dangerous when the jaws finished matching.

"Aw, Precious, you are going to be huge, baby." She rocked the kitten from side to side slowly.

Ven chuckled. "The instinct is weird, huh?"

Hara paused and then rocked the huge kitten again. "Some things can't be subdued. Isn't that right, Precious?"

The kitten headbutted her, and her sister wandered out with a large something in her mouth. "What do you have there, Princess?"

The item was dropped at Hara's feet. It was one of the fowl. "Oh."

Princess headbutted her and let out a plaintive meow.

Ven chuckled. "Do you need to learn how to gut a bird?"

"Yeah. That would be great."

"Put down your buddy, and come with me. The kitchen is going to hate this."

Precious protested as she was set down, and Ven led the way to show her how to treat one of the royal fowl. Hara had smelled feet at competitions that were worse than the scent of a fresh kill, so she got going, and Hara showed her how to prepare it in the easiest way. Frying. Roasting was also explained, but having the fowl dredged in seasoned flour made it more fun somehow.

They finished, and Hara eyed the platter.

The housekeeper was looking at Hara warily. Hara had been using her gold hand to move the fowl around in the pan.

"Anyway, the whole bird tastes like drumsticks. You will get used to it quickly, and if the kitchen stops cringing in the corner, they can prepare it with appropriate gloves during prep. I mean, they might not be able to manage it. They can barely make enough food for two, let alone three. If they ever skimp on your meals once you are pregnant, come to us. Our housekeeper knows how to treat those who live under our roof." Ven looked around and sneered at the staff, who kept their gazes down.

Narro was leaning in the doorway and smiled. "I will make sure that you are attended to, Hara. That is what alphas are good for."

Hara carried her platter past him and went up on her toes. He came down for a kiss. "That and other things, Narro."

He chuckled and waited until Ven was headed toward her mates before he said, "I will be right back."

Hara sat down, washed her hands in one of the wide bowls, and dried her hands on a towel. She started eating and groaned happily. It was the first solid food she had had in a few days. Breakfast didn't count, and neither did snacks.

She tore through the bird in under five minutes. The cats came up behind her and purred.

Ven laughed. "Well, this is synching your system to one of your pack. No idea which one. For me, it was Reynaldo, but the next time was Syar. The next time, it was me, but I did that on my own." She chuckled. "Thankfully, no babies on that one. Was a lot of fun, though."

Hara chuckled. "To be frank, I am looking forward to having sex without an agenda. No marks, no fixing mistakes, and no re-dos. I haven't tried sex just for fun yet."

Narro tutted. "That's a shame. It should be corrected rapidly."

Kekoa blinked and smiled slowly. "It should, but I think tonight she needs her sleep. Today has been hard on her, mated, blocked, and mated again."

"And then eating hormone-packed birds." Hara muttered, "Yeah, I am due for a nap."

She looked to the group from Emerald. "Thanks so much for coming to help."

Ven smiled. "It's nice to have someone else in the neighbourhood. Or accessible by helicopter. Whatever."

Narro said, "Would you like me to transport you home?"

"Thank you, but the helicopter is waiting." Syar smiled. "Mort wants to get back to his lady, so he has to head home."

Ven got up and hugged them all. "Thanks again."

They ruffled her hair, stroked her cheek, and said their farewells to everyone else. When they were gone, the kittens pushed against her legs, and she smiled at the feeling of being full again.

"Right. I am going to sleep. You all enjoy dinner. I am going to have my own private coma."

Narro murmured, "I will come with you."

"Despite me tiring you out, you have to be signed into the pack as well. I don't want any more ambiguity."

He nodded and smiled. "Yes, my treasure."

Kek got up and hugged her, and Alohi hugged her and kissed her softly. She headed up the steps and left her dishes behind. She was trying to break her housekeeper habits.

Tomorrow, she was going to start learning local dances, and then she would look into opening a studio in the tourist area. Some people liked to pick up new skills with new partners on vacation. It made things more memorable.