Chapter Seven

Chapter

Seven

More guests were

brought to the party. Food showed up, and Jane just stared at all

the activity. Ahheel and her pack showed up, with Mini and Ahheel

bustling her into the house for a quick change for Jane and

Terro.

Orla came in to

get the little boy after he was dressed in a cute male-styled

sarong over his diaper. "Aw, Jane, you look beautiful."

Ahheel and Mini

finished putting flowers in her hair, and Mini smiled. "You look

lovely, Jane."

"Thank you,

Mini. Are you enjoying your transplantation to the islands?"

Mini nodded

with her cheeks flushed. "I am kept rather busy, but the story

ideas keep coming."

Ahheel

chuckled. "Her mate visa has been ratified, and she's now ours

forever."

Mini snorted.

"That doesn't sound creepy at all."

Jane watched as

the alpha kissed her beta sweetly. Mini was dazed and blushing when

her alpha kissed her forehead and said, "Time to go."

Mini sighed.

"Jane, count to five and come out when you are ready."

The oxymoron

wasn't lost on her, but she took the bouquet of flowers that had

appeared with Mini and breathed to calm herself. When ready, she

walked to the door and stepped into a floral-scented

wonderland.

Packs, couples,

and singles were standing around, each holding a flower. There was

an archway at the end of the yard, and that is where Andreux and

Terro were waiting.

A woman's voice

sang softly, but Jane couldn't make out the words. The trees

rustled, and as she walked the path, the flowers were thrown into

her path one by one.

She looked at

her son with the flower clutched in his little fist. Serin, Deno,

and Kekoa were standing nearby, but she only had eyes for her

men.

The singing

continued from the crowd, and Jane walked to her son, the scent of

flowers everywhere. The crown she was wearing gave off a heady

perfume.

Terro began to

hop with excitement, and he let out a toddler squeal as she got

there. Terro handed her the flower, and she stroked his hair above

his own floral crown. A dark hand took the flower from her hand and

tucked it into the crown on her head.

They stood with

one hand holding the other's, and Terro had his arms stretched high

to join them.

Kekoa said, "It

is my pleasure to witness a new family linked and with the

appropriate paperwork."

The gathering

laughed.

Serin said

softly, "The spirit of the island decided that you were the match

for one of our oldest family lines but had to figure out how to get

you together. It used the same mechanism that brought Eonic to

Monique, but it had to work faster, and your own magic made things

awkward, sea witch."

Several people

chuckled.

"So, here you

are with the product of that first meeting with the hopes for a

larger family to help the islands thrive. You will have a long road

ahead of you, but I believe that with Terro's help, you two can

manage. That being said, I still need you as the final editor, so,

Andreux, maintain your Wi-Fi signal, or I will send the life of the

islands to wither your crops. You mess with my productivity, and I

will mess with yours." Serin smiled brightly.

"Right, now,

your vows if you wish."

Jane looked at

Andreux. "I forgot about many things, but when I saw your son,

things made a bit of sense. We went looking, but you weren't

online, and your image wasn't anywhere until Serin invited me to

the islands. At that point, every single person knew who you were

exactly. I considered it a sign."

Andreux

laughed. "Spending years with flickering memories of our meeting

was torture. I gave up on everything but work. When I got the call,

wow, was it only yesterday? It was earthshaking. I got myself to

Ligo's a moment later and saw you standing there with our son in

your arms. My soul left my body and rushed back with fire of

purpose. Making you happy and keeping you content in the islands

while our son grows and we tried to get him siblings were my

priorities."

There was a lot

of laughter, and it was mostly masculine.

"Whether our

life together brings us other alphas, or only this one, more betas

or omegas. Heck, even deltas are okay. I am happy to spend every

day with you, showing you the beauty of the islands and making sure

to provide you with unlimited Wi-Fi at all times."

Deno held out

his hand, and flowers and vines wrapped their hands together. Serin

flicked her fingers, and the flowers turned to glowing light under

their skin.

"Oooooooo."

Terro stared at the sparkles.

Jane and

Andreux laughed, and he picked up their son. They turned to face

their friends and his family. They kissed and heard, "Oooooo."

More laughter,

and then, Jane closed her eyes and threw the bouquet toward the

gathered ladies. Aeryn caught it and pumped it into the air. "Wooo!

My turn. Get up there and look pretty, guys."

Jane blinked.

"What's going on?"

Andreux

murmured, "Ceremonies for those ladies who didn't get one. Vows and

flowers, torches and food. Now, we get to eat."

There were low

tables, and Andreux started to introduce her to staff from their

tea plantation. They were all enthralled with the adorable little

boy who was stuffing shredded pork into his mouth with all his

fingers.

Jane was about

to move, but Andreux got the vegetables into the bowl and paused

Terro to sip from his water cup.

Large fingers

held some food to her mouth, and she met Andreux's gaze as she

accepted. The moment was altered when chubby, shiny fingers grabbed

some sweet potato and mushed it into her mouth. She chewed and

laughed, and dinner was underway.

One by one, the

couples, triads, and quads said their vows in the shade of the

trees next to the wide archway made of flowers, were blessed by the

spirits of the island, mind, body, and spirit, and then settled

down to eat.

"This is a big

party."

Andreux nodded.

"It is, but everyone helped to get what we needed here. Sohar's

yacht has been in transit since dawn."

"So, you

planned this?"

"For close to

three years. Eat. I've got him." Andreux took over Terro's meal

management, and Jane actually got to eat.

She looked out

at everyone having a lovely time, the ladies and their alphas and

others wearing garlands, including Kekoa and his three. Haravin and

Alohi looked lovely with their garlands. All of the betas and

omegas looked happy. It was the ceremony and celebration that had

been missing in the mating frenzy. The alphas looked happy that

their mates were happy, and the food was amazing.

When Terro

cuddled up against her lap, she stroked his hair. "Long day, huh,

little buddy?"

Orla arrived

and scooped him up. "I have him. You two have your last night

without him unless I happen to be on this side of the island." She

grinned. "Or you flit over to me."

"Is that what

we are calling it now?"

"Sure. It is

too cute to be anything else. Your hair puffs out and everything."

She settled Terro against her shoulder. "The guys and I will get

him to bed and stay on a rotation."

"Thanks."

Andreux nodded.

"Thank you."

Orla took Terro

to where Ligo and Iro were waiting. They headed to the guesthouse,

and voices quieted as they passed.

Jane looked to

Andreux. "Now what?"

He leaned

toward her. "We try and remember what that night was all

about."

"Oh, nice

plan." She kissed him, and a second later, they were inside his

bedroom as he removed the fabric from her body but left the

flowers.

She flicked her

fingers, and he was as naked as she was. His grin was white in the

darkness.

He lifted her

and set her on the bed, keeping his body from touching hers except

for the contact between her thighs as his fingers slowly sought her

sex and teased into her. She was a little bit self-conscious at how

easy it was for his digits to slide in. It wasn't giving birth; she

was just so slick he could have gotten a coconut in there.

He circled her

clit slowly and then faster until she started to tense. She saw the

mask around his eyes glowing and stared at him as he shifted to

align his erection with her flexing channel.

He eased into

her, and she wrapped her thigh around his hip to open completely.

She moaned as she took him in, and when she arched into him, he bit

her shoulder. She had heard of links gradually growing during the

mark, but theirs snapped together thick and wide. She felt the

strange sensation of being inside her hot, wet grip, and she felt

him ease in with surprise rippling through him. When pleasure

answered his movement, he released the bite and licked the

mark.

Jane tried to

pull back from how deep she was in his senses and felt him doing

the same. Feeling that he was enjoying himself was far different

from being inside his mind.

He raised his

head. "All thoughts your own now?"

She lifted her

hips to him. "Yes. How about you? It had to have been

disconcerting."

Andreux smiled.

"I will get used to it."

He threaded his

fingers through hers and pinned her hands high on the bed as he

eased into the edge of his knot. The memory of the burn of the knot

wedging into her made her arch, and the edge of the band pressed

into her slick opening.

Andreux's eyes

flared hot gold, and his hips slowly thrust as he smiled at her

before they locked in a kiss that took them through a frenzy of her

trying to impale herself of his knot and him thrusting in as he

came, and then, he held still as his cock throbbed.

He broke the

kiss and carefully rolled to his back. He reached up and

straightened her crown. He cupped her cheek, and she leaned her

head into it.

"I think that

is a fair start." He smiled.

She

straightened and slowly drew her nails down his chest. "But not the

end, right? It would really be disappointing to have a child-free

night and have it ended so soon."

He ran his

hands up her body and cupped her breasts. "I didn't remember enough

of our first night. I am going to build some new memories."

He rocked her

against his knot, and arousal built quickly. She was teased into a

shivering orgasm that had her voice escaping in a squeaking

gasp.

Thankfully,

that wasn't the end of the night.

Jane felt the

pressure wave that went along with a transport. She groaned and

pulled her sheet to her chest as she tried to yank her aching self

into consciousness. The light outside indicated about six

thirty.

She smelled

coffee and sat up against the headboard that had a few more marks

on it this morning.

She heard

small, thudding feet and grinned as the door was battered open.

"Mama!" Terro

came running in and held out the small plate in his hands. She took

the precarious cream cheese bagel and set it on the side table

before lifting him up and onto the bed.

"Morning,

sweetness. Did you have fun with Orla?"

He giggled and

nodded shyly. Andreux came in wearing a sarong and carrying two

cups of coffee. He was beautiful.

She grinned. "I

thought it would be tea."

"Tea is

business. Orla said you like coffee, so coffee it is." Good

morning, gorgeous."

She settled

Terro against her and took the coffee carefully.

Terro looked at

her and touched her neck. "Owie?"

"No, sweetie.

Just pink."

Terro stood up

on her and kissed it with a wet smack. "Better?"

"Much

better."

He started

looking and found the bite mark. "Owie." He kissed it, and she

smiled. "That feels better, Terro."

Andreux sat

next to them and said, "He's gonna be busy."

Jane grinned.

"I am keeping the sheet on."

Terro left wet

toddler kisses on her shoulders, neck, and arms and then sat down,

beaming. He looked at Andreux and blinked, scooting forward.

Jane smiled.

"Your turn."

The scratches

she had left on his chest were attended to by their toddler, who

sat back with satisfaction.

Andreux put his

arm around her and moved closer. Terro settled between them and

sighed. "I could get used to this."

Jane laughed.

"I hope that your adjustment is quick because when he has a dream

or comes to us early, that little foot is going up your nose or

into your mouth."

"I will manage

it. I consider it a challenge."

She rested her

head against his shoulder and sighed. Her whole body was throbbing,

and she started doing math. Terro probably wouldn't be an only

child by the middle of the following year.

"What was

that?"

"Oh, just some

math."

He chuckled.

"Honeymoon baby?"

"I don't know

if I can keep that up for a month." Jane sighed.

"Sore?" His

fingertips caressed the new mark.

"Aware. Very,

very aware." She chuckled. She looked at the scratches on him.

"Sore?"

He rubbed them.

"Aware. My back is definitely aware. Also, when did you bite my

ass?"

"I dunno.

Somewhere around two in the morning?" She wrinkled her nose and

laughed as Terro did the same. She held her hand up, twisted it,

and a coconut appeared. Terro grinned in delight and began to roll

it around on the sheets.

"What is the

deal with him and coconuts?"

"We sat through

a tour and lecture about the coconut, how they float in and set

roots down and then are dramatically plentiful. They are food,

water, fibre, and material. Oh, and they are round, and you can

throw them. And like people, they are one thing with a different

face that can be removed with effort. I am guessing that he got

stuck on the round part, but now, he loves coconuts."

Andreux nodded

and said, "That was a good tour."

"It was. Serin

took us around and explained that just because they weren't

originally supposed to be here, they were still needed and

wanted."

"Oh, she was

talking about your imports." He smirked.

"Yes, a whole

lot of coconuts. You get to be a pineapple, I think. That makes

Terro a pina colada."

Terro was

chattering as he played with his toy. He looked at her and

smiled.

Andreux sighed.

"That is the first and last trade show I am ever going to."

"Yeah. I

wouldn't want to flit and bring you home in pieces." She looked up

at him with a feral grin.

"That sounded

dangerous."

"I have

defended myself and Terro from predatory males. Apparently, we made

an adorable set, just ready for acquisition." She smiled. "I have a

delightfully strong right hook."

His eyes were

outraged. "They tried to acquire you?"

"Yeah." She

shrugged. It was pretty normal in her circles. The ladies of the

book club were known to be powerful. It was attractive to alphas

with a strong protective streak. It was common knowledge that many

of the ladies had suffered, and it appealed to the heroic knight in

a lot of them. They soon learn that the ladies survived out of

force of will, not being saved. They survived on their own. They

recovered with help. The ladies of the book club were not for the

weak.

Andreux smiled.

"I am glad I didn't have to find out firsthand. I mightily

appreciate your muscle tone."

She grinned and

looked at them. "So, you two are both dressed. What are the chances

that I can sprint to the bathroom without witnesses."

"If you can

sprint, I will get you another bagel." The look in his eyes was

amused.

She made a

face, and he grinned. He grabbed Terro. "Come on, little man. Let's

leave Mom some time to get dressed."

"Dressed? I am

going for a shower."

He nodded.

"Come on, Terro. Grandmama is an early riser, and I think she would

love to stuff you with pastry." He chatted to Terro as they

left.

Jane set her

coffee down and flipped the sheet aside, getting out of bed with a

groan and walking slowly to the bathroom. She was in the shower

when Andreux joined her and helped rub her down.

She groaned

softly as his fingers worked her tight muscles into a relaxed and

floppy state. "Now I am regretting not finding you the last

time."

He chuckled. "I

have my regrets as well but only for the missed time."

"Is my bag in

your room?"

"Our room."

She sighed. "I

didn't finish my coffee. Don't be cute."

"I am adorable,

and I make adorable babies. Wanna cuddle together and do math

later?"

"I don't think

we are going to be short on cuddling. You seem very touchy."

He chuckled. "I

can't believe you are home with me. I can't believe he is here,

that he exists at all."

"I can believe

it. Sometimes a dream, sometimes a nightmare. He's a fast little

dude."

"He's our fast

little dude." He held her.

"You are

adapting to fatherhood really well."

"Part of me

knew he was here, but the other part of me was horrified at what

that would mean for you."

"We both made

it through with flying colours."

"If it happens

again, I want to be there."

Jane looked up

at him. "If it happens, you will definitely have been there."

"You know what

I mean."

"Of course I

do, but I love a good joke. How excited was your mom?"

"She was

sitting at her bistro table in the garden. She was ecstatic. My

father put him on his shoulders, and they all went for a walk in

the tea field."

"I am seeing

the benefit of living close to family. Your parents are excited by

Terro."

"They are. He's

so cute."

"And kind. I

hope he grows up to be a good man."

"He will. He

would not dare be anything else." He kissed the tip of her

nose.

Far too soon,

she was dressed and had her bagel and coffee, following him to the

kitchen table. She sat up and rotated her wrist.

"What was

that?"

"Sunscreen for

Terro. I hope Eonic doesn't drop him. He's gonna be slippery for a

bit."

Andreux took

her half-consumed coffee from her, washed out the mug, and refilled

her cup. "So, what do you think I should wear today?"

"Loose trousers

and a shirt. I will wear something with long sleeves so Terro stops

kissing it better. He will do it all day. I once banged my elbow,

and he kissed the bruise for a week."

He brought his

own coffee and hers. "So, how did we get such a sweet son?"

"I have no idea

how he came out of all that growling, snarling, and moaning." She

smirked.

Andreux

laughed. "So, when do you want to make a calendar to guess at when

a sibling will start?"

"Can the math

wait until after my coffee?"

He narrowed his

eyes. "Why?"

"Trust me on

this. I don't like talking about my cycle on an empty stomach." She

ate the bagel while he looked at her suspiciously.

Afterward, they

brought out their phones, and she pointed at her period tracker. It

was due to go off in ten days.

She finished

her coffee and set it down. A moment later, she was hugged, and her

face was covered with kisses. "Hold it, hold it. We aren't going to

know for weeks. We just had good timing."

He grinned. "I

think Terro will make a good big brother."

"I think so,

too. Whenever it happens."

He cuddled her

and kissed her, and they were still in that position when Monique

arrived to see if they needed a fruit platter.

She looked at

them and said, "Eonic has introduced Terro to half the island. He

also said that Terro got really slippery about an hour ago."

Jane grinned.

"Sunscreen."

"Ah. Right. I

had forgotten about that. I used to grease this one up from head to

toe. You can do that all from a distance?"

"Yes. I don't

know how, but yes. When I have a thought, I try it, and when I

manage it, I file the skill for later." She smiled. "I learned how

to change a diaper right off."

Monique

laughed. "As most mothers would." She looked at Jane and got

excited. "You are glowing."

Andreux started

laughing.

Jane blinked.

"What?"

Monique smiled.

"I may not be able to flit or transport, but I can see the next

mother on the island."

Andreux

chuckled and pulled Jane into his arms. "I will be with you every

step this time."

"Cool. I will

ruin your shoes."

He laughed. "I

only wear shoes to leave the house."

Monique smiled.

"Andreux hasn't quite grasped that morning sickness doesn't confine

itself to the mornings."

Jane sighed. "I

did not think that his aim would be so accurate."

He hugged her.

"I tried my best."

"Yeah. You

really did." She laughed. "I think I know why I forgot the first

time. I would have been blushing for weeks."

He lifted her

and kissed her. Andreux was smug. "I am hoping to keep that blush

going until our anniversary."

She sighed, and

then, their child landed in her arms. "Mama!"

Monique

snorted.

Andreux smiled

and said, "Mother, can you grab the bottle out of the fridge? I

want to try something."

Monique got the

bottle in question, and when she handed it to her son, Terro

started headbutting Jane.

Andreux eased

him away and put the bottle to his mouth. The ravenous attack made

the alpha wince.

Jane felt like

an idiot. "He can get what he needs from coconut water."

Andreux nodded.

"It is also warmer here, and he needs to hydrate, so there is his

fascination with coconuts."

The bottle was

going down like Terro wanted to get hammered.

Jane eased the

bottle from him, and Terro's eyes were shining. He didn't let the

bottle go, and his eyes started glowing gold as he pulled the

bottle back to him.

She sighed. "I

really hope the next one is a girl."

Andreux

chuckled. "I am willing to keep trying for a girl if it isn't."

Monique smiled.

"We are planning an extension to our house and this one."

Jane sighed.

"You work fast."

Andreux

chuckled. "She decides fast. We are now on island time. We have to

wait on the local construction crews. They can take a while."

"I will talk to

Serin and Kekoa. They will figure something out." Jane smiled.

"It's nice to know people who can bring in workers from the

mainland."

Monique

blinked. "Why would they do that?"

"Because Serin

is Terro's godmother, and Kekoa likes the little dude. Anything to

keep me and him happy."

"Why is she

interested in keeping you happy?" Andreux asked.

"Because I have

the only child in two island chains. He's proof of the island

spirit's grip on her people and the curse. For Kekoa, he is just

looking forward to being a father himself and wants to make sure

that growing families out on the islands are taken care of. That

includes us."

"We answer to

Kimo. He owns these islands." Andreux chuckled.

"Then call him.

We are going to need some renovations and extra baby rooms." She

smirked.

His voice got

husky. "How many baby rooms?"

"At least

four."

Monique

grinned. "I will make the call." She darted out of the room, and

Andreux blinked.

He met Jane's

gaze. "I would be happy with a total of two."

"Yeah, but you

are good-looking, and I want to keep you on your toes while I work.

You taking care of the tea business and the houseful of kids should

keep you busy."

"It doesn't

take that long to make kids."

She looked at

him and covered Terro's ears. "It does the way you fuck."

He grinned and

kissed her. "You are very good for my ego."

She wrinkled

her nose. "You are horrible for mine. You are far too pretty.

That's probably why my memory of you was just pieces. I would have

lost my nerve if I remembered all of you."

He frowned.

"Are you saying that I am better looking than you?"

"Andreux, I am

very practical. I am me. Standard, brown hair and brown eyes, plain

Jane. Mother to a very pretty son."

Andreux set her

down, took Terro and his bottle, and disappeared. He popped back

into the room and scooped her up. "We need to have a talk."

She blinked.

"Why?"

He sat down and

kept her close. "Jane, I need you to understand something."

"Um, yeah?"

"I have never

wanted a woman as much as I wanted you. When you smile, my heart

melts. Your smiles and laughter raise the spirits of those around

you, and I have dreamed of you, furious that I could not recall

more for nearly three years. Having you next to me, I didn't want

to sleep. I wanted to stay awake so that you didn't turn into a

dream again." He kissed her cheek. "My current dream is to stop

fearing that you will disappear in my sleep. I don't think I can

live without you now that I have found you."

The heavy

throbbing of sincerity through their link was unmistakable. She

winced. "I am not going to disappear again. I am not in a hotel

room with a rutting alpha anymore. That is why I panicked when I

woke up. Aside from the full body ache."

He sighed. "So,

you woke up next to a strange male, uncomfortable with no memory of

how you got there. I can see your point. If any of our girls end up

in that situation, there is going to be blood spilled."

She smiled. "I

think you are going to make a good dad all around. There is

something so calm about you that relaxes me."

"To the

original subject matter. You got picked on a lot?"

"Yeah. My

cousins were a blonde and a redhead." She inhaled. "I heard about

my shortcomings frequently, so when I was eighteen and filed my

first patent for a game circuit design, my uncle finally stopped

calling me plain Jane. And it changed to just Jane. Money does that

to my family, so I made sure that I always had a lot of it."

"Jane, are you

wealthy?"

She ducked her

head and shrugged. "Maybe."

"And you

pretend that you have a normal job?"

"I do have a

normal job. I was never going to just coast on early success. I

worked for it, and I kept it up. I have enough now to stay with

Terro at home until he's an adult, but that would just be wrong. He

needs other kids, school, and socialization. Even alpha training.

He will have educational needs that I can't fulfill. I will keep an

open mind for questions, but you were always in the plan. When he

entered school, I was going to start DNA searches. If I could get a

gross location for the gene pool, I would have started looking, and

as you know, they pointed me right to you."

He chuckled.

"Yeah."

"They saw

Terro's mask, and their eyes got huge, and they nearly stumbled

over themselves pointing to this island."

He grinned.

"It's a small community out here. About to get a bit of a

boost."

"I don't know

how a dozen babies will make a difference."

"They are the

start. Your advertising campaign is luring people over and

industries who want to encourage a slow pace of life. Kekoa is

ready, and they have an immigration portal designed for Wonder so

that they don't have to continue using Emerald for intake."

"You know a bit

about this."

"I talked to

Serin and Kekoa. I know what the plan is." He leaned in and rubbed

his nose against hers. "If I ask nicely, will you show me the first

drafts of the show adverts?"

She nodded. "I

could use a second set of eyes. Belle got a lot of footage heading

into the strait, and what happened next is hilarious."

He grinned. "My

mother has Terro for the next hour, so why not? Want popcorn?"

She nodded. "I

will patch the files together."

He kissed her

and said, "I am glad he gets his intelligence from you. I can't

think of much right now."

She laughed and

got up, heading slowly to the computer room. She spliced the files

together, he returned with a plate of snacks and popcorn, and they

watched Belle set sail, and Jane made notes.

Jane tensed

when the motorized vessel entered the strait and the fin came

toward them.

Watching Belle

jump into the water and turn into water with her navel at the

waterline was amazing.

Jane made notes

as the titans wrestled, and Belle won and dragged the vessel to the

other side of the strait. Belle then crawled onto the boat, and

they continued on their tour.

"Wow. I am not

going to restrain myself from telling Xo that he got beat up by his

mate."

Jane chuckled

and started to cut particularly good angles that could be used for

a trailer, as no one on the mainland would know that the people

were real.

Whatever magic

was making the enhanced alphas, betas and omegas hid them from the

world at large. No one remembered the surprising portions of the

exposure. That detail was going to make the islands a very fun

place in the years to come, and Jane was going to enjoy every

minute of it with her new family locked to her side.

Life on the

islands was going to be an endless adventure... but first, they had

to get this show up and running.