Chapter Nine

Lya woke up when her bed began flicking at a tablet. She swatted at the tablet with her left hand, and her bed laughed. A hand stroked her hair, and Noh said, "Ready to wake up?"

She paused. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Of course. It will be easier for you to absorb our strength with skin-to-skin contact until more enjoyable means are available. How do you feel?"

Thick slabs of muscle under skin moved and flexed under her. "Hungry." She snapped her jaw shut as soon as the word emerged.

"Then, we will get you something to eat."

She glanced down. "Where did my shirt go?"

"Skin to skin is better. Venka gave me a hand so your arm wasn't jostled."

"Oh."

"You are more top-heavy than I would have guessed." He smiled. "Sports bras?"

"Almost exclusively. Where did it go?"

"Venka took everything to wash so that we will all smell the same."

Lya blushed. "Ah. That explains why I am naked."

"The room is warm, and Tamara is picking out her school uniform. She has two and a half years before she goes to alpha school for self-control and details of what she needs to know. For now, private school with her peers."

"Right. I have savings for that."

"Why didn't you use them for survival?"

"Because I am not going to sacrifice her future for my present, no matter how uncomfortable it is."

Noh ran a hand down her back. "Mothering instincts."

"I guess. They are the only ones I have."

He sighed. "From my direction, that is a very good thing."

"You wanna have little babies who like snakes?"

He grinned. "Yes, but as I cannot do it, I will have to take care of you so that you can help me with it."

"What does Allor want?"

"For our den to be successful. That's his goal."

"I know Venka would like one of her own but that is going to take some medical intervention, and someone would have to give the male contribution because I can't manage that part."

"Allor. He and Venka are occasionally intimate."

"That's very polite."

He chuckled. "They are listening, so it is best I keep things polite." Noh showed her the monitor at his side. "So, we have something to discuss with you. Allor will get food ready, and we can have a family talk."

She exhaled. "Wait. Where are my clothes?"

"There is a wrap dress for you. I just have to sit up and help you into it." He set his tablet down. "Look how fast I go."

He slowly sat up, holding her against him so she wasn't flailing about. They ended up with her straddling his lap, her bare chest mashed against his.

She could see snake enclosures lining the room, all full of enrichment, and the scent of humid soil was heavy in the room. She sat up and looked for familiar bodies.

He pivoted on the couch and pointed across the room. "Smudge and Snowflake are over there."

She smiled as she saw the glowing body moving through the branches and over rocks. "Oh, wow. She looks happy."

"She got fed yesterday. She's very happy. The rat was less happy, but then, it was dead."

"That will do it." She was leaning her head on him. "So, I am guessing that if you are serpent adjacent, you are venomous."

"Oh, yes. I will build up your resistance a little at a time. I have already started on you." He rubbed a thumb on her left bicep. "Just a graze, right here. You didn't even swell."

She looked at where his thumb was slowly rubbing. There were two tiny punctures, like insect bites. "Well, Smudge bites me a lot. Nips. I think it's because she was hungry, but I was bringing home what I could."

"You were hunting for your snakes?"

"Yes, humane traps. They died quickly, but I had to feed her ten mice to equate to one rat. And she is used to rats or bunnies, so it was a bit of effort. I had to sell them. They wouldn't have made it all the way through my recovery."

"They can go months without feeding."

"I know, and I could have put them into brumation, but it didn't seem fair to punish them for my failing."

"You didn't fail. You were struggling."

"Uh-huh." She looked up at him. "So, where was that dress?"

He leaned to the side, and she went with him, holding on with her left hand. He kept one arm around her and leaned back with a drape of fabric in his hand.

"Hm, where did my underwear end up?"

"Laundry or recycle bin. Venka couldn't decide. One of her aunts is a designer, and she will take you there for fittings."

"Can't I just wear sweats until I am strong enough to sew myself a few outfits with leather?" As she spoke, he carefully moved the cast through the arm hole on her right and then set her left in place. She slipped off him and stood, waiting for him to tie the inner tie, and then he tied the wrap around her and smiled.

"It looks pretty."

"That is something that is never said about my clothing." She grinned. "I get everything dirty and destroy things, so denim and leather are my preference."

"I will make a note of it. Snakeskin pattern?"

"Oh, yes, please." She looked up at him and smiled.

He got up and pulled on a black shirt, leaving it unbuttoned.

She pattered across the space and looked at Smudge and then found Snowflake. "Aw, my babies. I am so glad that you landed in a good home. Smudge, you are looking a little chunky."

Noh came up behind her. "I believe they locked the moment they arrived. We are on egg watch."

"Well, I am glad they are getting some. They just got up to breeding size last year, and I had them in brumation until a week before I had to sell them."

"You took good care of them."

"I like to think so. I certainly cared for them." She pressed her palm to the glass slowly, and Smudge came over and pressed her muzzle to the glass. "Hey, darling. You are looking robust."

Smudge moved side to side happily, bragging.

"You still comfortable?"

She moved slowly past the window and showed off her stretched scales.

"Stop bragging, Smudge. You make a lovely mom-to-be. Let me know when you have your eggies."

Smudge majestically cruised to the back of her enclosure and climbed to a basking spot. Lya smiled and patted the window again as her friend settled in for a nap.

She looked over, and Snowflake was sitting, facing her. His dark scales gleamed, and she moved over to him. "You are smug. Get laid for the first time, and you get all arrogant. Are you enjoying it here?"

He pressed his muzzle to the imprint of her hand on the glass. She chuckled. "Noh, did he give you trouble?"

"He refused to settle. Turned down a number of arrangements in his habitat."

"And now you know why he's Snowflake."

Noh chuckled. "Got it."

Venka spoke softly. "It's time for her medication."

Lya smiled and straightened, turning to look at her other alpha. "Thank you. Now, where did the dress come from? If I had anything like this, it would still be on the hanger."

Venka stared at her, and her eyes went to the neckline. "I knew your height, so I asked my aunts for something comfortable and suitable for an invalid. You are more... more than I thought."

Lya chuckled. "My eyes are up a bit."

Venka smiled. "I have made my choice."

Noh put a hand on her back and said, "Perhaps we should get those meds into you."

She flexed her hand and looked at her arm in the scaled cast. "Something is working. Maybe it is me just not using my arm for a change. There's something to be said for having alphas doing all the heavy lifting."

"Maybe it was being plastered against Noh for three hours." Venka grinned. She held out her hand, and Lya stepped toward her.

Venka kissed her fingers and sighed. "So soft. Silken warrior. We have been watching your videos with Tamara as they come loose. Who was that other beta in the contest?"

"Zelle. She's great. She and I ran into each other two days before the first shoot, and she told me she picked up an alpha who turned out to be one of the investors on the show."

Venka smiled. "Sounds interesting."

They made their way back to the kitchen.

"Oh, it was hilarious. Her eyes widened, and she turned crimson when she saw him. When she found out that she was being given a three-hour head start and her assignment was to be hunted, I had no clue if she was going to faint or jump in. Turns out it was a combination of both." She smiled. "We have not been able to keep in touch, but I hope to talk with her after the show on Friday."

"I look forward to meeting her. The passes arrived, by the way. For Friday, I mean. One for each of us. Ford is so thoughtful."

"Yeah, he is that."

Tamara looked up and blinked. "Geez, Mom. Where's your bra?"

"You find it, and I will put it on." Lya smiled. "Mine disappeared while I slept."

Allor grinned. "We went through most of it with Venka. She's fussy."

Venka helped Lya sit, and Allor got her the pills and a glass of juice. "There you go."

With the pills taken care of, she watched Noh pull together some scrambled eggs and toast. It was an excellent start, and her stomach let her know it was excited to be getting a delivery.

She gathered her hair, pulled it over her shoulder, then looked at her arm. The swelling was going down. "Wow. I had no idea that naps were that effective."

Tamara came over and looked seriously at the arm. "It looks way better than the first one when you had sausage fingers."

Lya smiled. "Well, this time, it was broken by a professional."

Noh put the food on a plate and brought it over. "Tamara, why don't you get your mom some more juice."

"Okay, but she wants coffee." Tamara smiled.

Allor got up. "I'll get the coffee."

They got her things to drink while she ate left-handed. Apparently, Allor was in charge of the coffee prep. He did a slow pour-over, and Lya smirked.

Tamara came over with more juice and set it down.

Lya asked, "So, this must all be really odd for you."

"Oddly, it feels very normal. I always felt strange letting you run yourself ragged for me. The true happy times were when we watched a movie and I leaned on you. You were relaxed, and it made me relaxed."

Lya lost a chunk of egg back to her plate, and she sighed and went after it again.

Noh sat next to her and took over feeding her. "That's the entire design of omegas. To keep their alphas calm and productive."

"I don't think any of you were running amok before today," she mumbled around a mouthful.

Noh chuckled as he waited for her to swallow. "No, but we also were not settled. We want to be settled and plan for generations to come. We can't do that without hope. You bring us hope."

A small fanfare blew from Tamara's phone. Lya asked, "What was that?"

"Another clip, or they keep promising the commercial that you did."

"Who is promising?"

Allor smiled. "We bought access to the behind-the-scenes videos so that we could see as much as possible."

"Oh." She took another mouthful, chewed, and swallowed. "We all had to design a video, and then, after the event, we got together with Ford and filmed it. Me and Zelle both picked a motorcycle, so we split the filming time. She's part one, and I am part two."

They checked their phones and showed an image of Zelle in her mechanic's costume. The toolbelt around her hips exaggerated her curves.

Lya grinned. "Yeah, that's Zelle. She must have caught a bug during the project because she was vomiting every chance she got."

The alphas looked at each other. Noh asked casually, "Was she pregnant?"

"No. They tested us before we went to the competition."

He asked, "Could she have gotten pregnant after the test?"

Lya paused, opened her mouth, and then snapped it shut. "Huh. I can't say anything else without voiding my warranty on the show, but that would explain a lot. Like, a lot, a lot."

She patted herself. "Where did my phone end up?"

Allor brought her coffee over. "It's charging. It's also been beaten to hell."

"It still works. Mostly."

"A replacement has been ordered, and I am picking it up. Porting your number was more difficult without you, so you will have a new number, and your location will be linked to our phones. Tamara's as well."

Lya frowned. "Sensible, I guess."

Venka said, "You will be with one of us at all times until you have recovered. And then probably the same."

Tamara smiled. "She has been talking about omega sitters. Her family is full of them."

"Oh. Delightful. Nothing will make me feel more useless than a babysitter." She waved at Noh, who was still helping her eat. "This isn't helping my sense of self-worth either."

"You can be independent when you can punch me in the jaw," Noh murmured.

"Right. That would break my hand again and put me right where I started. You are tricky."

Venka got up and brought some jam over. Noh put the jam on the toast.

Tamara was smirking. "This is hilarious. Until she got her arm broken, she opened all the jars in the house when needed."

Venka checked her phone. She paled. "Oh, no."

Noh looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"Mom's coming with some of my aunts. They want to get to work on her clothes, which is funny because my mother doesn't sew. They are just being nosey."

Tamara smiled. "It will be fine, Mom."

"You slipped into that so easily."

"You've been my mom for years. Now you get to wear the title. Don't worry. You aren't up for Miss Congeniality."

Lya chuckled and took a bite of the toast that Noh held for her.

Venka gestured to Tamara and muttered something about making sure the snakes were all contained. They left, and Lya continued to eat.

Noh smiled. "You have been fairly compliant with us."

"You haven't pushed me to my limit yet. I push back hard." She bit another piece of toast. "I am also sedated right now."

"Ah, there is that. I look forward to your return to full health."

"Me, too. When does the arm get looked at again?"

"If the swelling remains down, we have to go to the clinic. The design is just waiting for the final measurements."

She nodded. "It almost looks normal, and I have a lot of play inside the cage."

"We will keep you from using it today and see the doctor tomorrow."

"Do I already have an appointment?"

"You do. Venka has our den registry, so we just need to sign things, and you are ours to support and treasure."

"That sounds very fairy tale."

"Well, you have to participate. We don't want you languishing."

"I never do that. I am definitely an action kind of female."

"Yes, I was getting that inkling from the videos. You were engaged in some hair-raising activities on the show."

She looked at him. "How would you know?"

"I asked Venka."

"Oh. Right. Have you met Venka's mother?"

"Once. She is very small and rather perfect."

Lya sighed. "Oh, dear. I hope Venka isn't too disappointed."

"She isn't. She was more nervous about you accepting her than her mother accepting you." Noh held the toast to her lips.

"Right." She took the last bite and reached for her coffee. She washed the toast down and looked down. "Yup. Still tied."

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her softly. "You take sugar in your coffee?"

"I do until the weight is back on. You saw what I used to look like."

He sighed. "Yes, I did. I do love curves and muscle all in one."

She stared, blinked, and grinned. "Like a boa?"

"Yes. That works as an excellent corollary." He kissed her again, and she cautiously met his tongue with hers. She was braced for a forked tongue, but the one that met hers was thankfully human.

A doorbell rang, and their kiss continued. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her head as voices got closer.

"So, where is this mythical creature, Venka?" The light voice had a bit of an accent.

Noh pulled back and ran his thumb over her lower lip. She was breathing hard and knew that her pupils were wide. Arousal had that effect on her.

Venka touched her arm and gasped as Lya looked up at her. "Come on, sweet. Time to meet my mother."

Lya stood, and Venka walked with her toward the tiny woman covered with jewels and manicured, waxed, and pedicured within an inch of her life.

Lya cocked her head. "Hello."

The woman looked her over from head to toe. "You are too tall."

Lya cocked her head.

"You are too skinny."

Lya waited.

Tamara came with two older women and looked hopeful.

The delicate little omega smiled at Tamara. "Your sister has mentioned you have a child. I trust you will not be putting your bastard ahead of any children you bear for your pack."

The smug look on the woman's face lasted until Lya swung her left hand and connected with a crack.

Venka gasped, but she remained with Lya. "Mother. You deserve this. Tamara is not her sister; she is her daughter."

Venka's mother blotted at the blood at the corner of her mouth. "Well, that was something. Do you often strike guests?"

"I am not your host. Agreements have been made, but no contracts signed. With my limb broken, my signature isn't really legible. My daughter was not sought, but now that she is here, she is precious to me. I will never hear you speak about her that way again. Are we clear?"

Venka's mother looked between Tamara and Lya. "How old are you?"

Tamara shrugged. "Going to be thirteen soon. Mom is going to be twenty-eight. You do the math."

Lya looked at Venka's mother. "Mind you, if she hadn't been so strong and beautiful and had been a little runt like you, things may have gone differently. I only stay with what warms my soul."

Tamara blinked back tears.

Venka cleared her throat. "Lya, this is my mother, Olyna."

The women behind the omega were stunned.

"Pleased to meet you, Olyna. I will take very good care of your daughter, and I will defend my own from that point onward."

Olyna looked at her and swallowed. "I apologize for any disrespect to your daughter. It was only my intention to set a boundary."

"How well did that work out for you, Olyna?" Lya cocked her head.

"Yes, well. It has worked with most omegas my family has had join them."

"That ends now. Sorry to break your streak."

The woman smiled, her face swelling. "You are going to be an interesting addition to the family."

Venka laughed. "You have no idea."

Olyna asked, "What did you do to your arm?"

"It was broken when I was fighting off an alpha. What did you do to your face? Oh, right. You got rude."

Lya swayed, and Venka put an arm around her. "Mother, she needs to rest. They rebroke her arm today, and she's on a ton of painkillers."

"Why the hell are we standing here?"

"Because you always meet mates standing up."

Venka bent and lifted Lya up, walking with her into the snake room where the chaise she had been on before was beckoning. Lya was settled on the chaise and smiled at Olyna.

"Isn't this room amazing?"

Olyna looked like she was going to jump out of her skin but rallied. "New daughter, you are in terrible condition. Venka will take you to the aunties to get your wardrobe sorted, and you are welcome at my salon to have your skin, hair, and hands seen to you."

"Not feet? I can catch rats with my toes."

Olyna smiled. "A pedicure seems to be on the agenda."

Venka stood by and said, "We are taking her to the doctor tomorrow. She needs a new x-ray for her arm to make sure that the fresh break is still lined up."

"So, that is a cast?"

"Yes, Nohehl had it printed for her. The old one had caused her skin issues."

Olyna looked at her arm and nodded slowly. "Can you bring her to the new spa on Wednesday? I think she needs relaxation between treatments."

Lya looked at Tamara. "Don't worry. I will take you for your birthday."

Tamara smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

"Venka, can I borrow your phone?"

The slick device was handed over in a moment, and the phone was unlocked. Lya looked up the mention of the case from the initial event and the one from the more recent assault. "You can share those two with your mother, as I am sure she is going to go digging."

Venka chuckled and sent the articles.

Olyna heard the alert but said, "I will read them later."

Lya was surprised. "The restraint is admirable."

"As you are linked to my youngest daughter or about to be, I thought I should learn about you."

"I was a teen mom. I am a mechanic, and I like to do leatherwork. I do a lot of work with strip clubs and have recently been involved in the Alphas versus Betas television program."

"Involved how?"

"I was one of the betas, as far as anyone knew. The other female beta also had some tendencies toward alphas that were hilarious for us behind the scenes."

Olyna blinked. "You were on the show?"

"Yes."

"Did you win?"

"No idea. It was a point system, and we weren't filmed together."

Olyna sighed. "Fine. I can wait until Friday. I must admit it is much more interesting knowing that you are an omega."

"It wasn't particularly interesting for me."

Noh came into the room and inclined his head. "Madame Olyna."

Olyna was flustered as Noh was in his dark elf guise.

Venka chuckled. "Mother, this is Nohehl. You have met him before."

"He didn't look like that."

"This is his normal appearance."

Noh walked up to Lya, picked her up, sat down, and settled her on his lap. He nuzzled at her neck and said, "Lya needs to rest again."

"I do?"

"You do. Your meds will be kicking in shortly."

"Oh, right. That explains why everything looks like it's made of mercury."

He laughed softly. "We are working on contact healing, so the dress is going to come off. If you want to remain, please go into one of the other chambers."

He settled, and Tamara took charge and shooed the visitors out.

Venka stayed next to them as he settled Lya against him and stroked a hand down Lya's back as she settled in to sleep in the warm room.

* * * *

Venka looked at her omega and wanted to cry. Lya was so thin, scars from fighting were silver on her arms and back. Her cast was the only sparkling thing on her, and a lifetime of seeing omegas adorned and pampered made her want to take immediate action.

Noh spoke softly. "You look upset."

"I am. She should not be in this condition. She should be pampered and cared for."

"That is what we are doing. You can only accept people when they are presented to you. For Lya, that moment is now, and we are here for her."

Venka grinned as Lya muttered, "She isn't asleep yet."

Venka kissed her temple, cheek, and lips. "Rest and heal. We have a lot of raucous plans involving you."

"I will settle for gentle touches and soft sighs. At least to start."

Venka kissed her. "Then that is how things will begin."

"And never ask me about my visions. That tattoo on your hip is distracting."

Venka froze. "What tattoo?"

"The tiny hognose snake in pretty purple. I always wanted one of those. Sorry, my face isn't pretty. I know Olyna wanted you to have a pretty mate. Sorry."

Venka froze and stared. Lya's even breathing said she was asleep.

Venka looked at Noh as he tucked Lya against him. "So, she thinks she isn't pretty?"

"She's been hunted because of her omega nature, but her body doesn't match what a standard omega looks like. I am guessing she has gotten her fair share of critiques."

Venka watched as Noh opened his mouth and exposed his hypodermic fangs. He bit down on her left arm and then released her. The small puncture wounds were neat, and she watched as they slowly closed over.

"Wow. She's really venom resistant."

"Yes. I told her it was just a graze, but I put enough in her to kill two alphas. Now, I did the same twice over."

He held Lya close, and she was breathing evenly. The skin visible under the cast was healing as Venka watched. All discolouration faded, and it looked as whole and soft as the rest of her. Lya did not have any tattoos, but Venka could easily see her ribs.

Noh smiled. "She will be up again in three hours. What shall we have for dinner?"

"I will ask Allor."

"Ask Tamara. She knows what Lya likes to eat when she does."

"Oh, right. Shit, I left her with my mother." Venka stroked Lya's cheek again before she left the room.

Tamara was channelling her mother. She glared at Olyna and had her hands on her hips.

"I am not going to boarding school. I am going to the private school where other alphas go. Where my friends go."

Olyna reached out to touch Tamara, but the young alpha stepped back.

"Mother, what are you doing? Are you working for the Omega Centre now? That is what they were trying to do. They were trying to take Tamara from her mother so that Lya would be free to take on a pack. I am fairly sure that the centre was behind the attack on her."

Olyna blinked. "I am sorry. I just thought it would be easier to start a relationship without a teen. The school is very good."

"Oh, I remember. They are also brutal. I was raised among alphas, Mom. Tamara hasn't. She's been among betas her entire life. She needs to ease into her evolution, not have it destroy her. Also, if you think Lya reacted badly to you disrespecting her daughter, I am going to sell tickets to you telling her that she needs to separate from her. I think Father will have to carry you home when she's done with you. In a bag."

Tamara grinned. "She's not wrong. Mom once went to school and hung a bully upside down on the swing set for stealing my lunch. He wasn't injured, but he pissed himself."

Venka chuckled, seeing Lya's stamp in Tamara's features.

"Well, Mom. You could have greeted another grandchild, but you have blown it. Aunties, I will bring Lya to the shop tomorrow if you are still willing. If not, we will find somewhere else to get her clothing."

Tamara smiled. "She likes leather and denim."

The aunties winced. "Bring her by as soon as you can, Venka. Just call first."

Tamara looked at the aunties. "My mom's birthday is coming up soon. How much would a nice dress be?"

The aunties looked at each other, and one shrugged, "Seven hundred if it is plain."

Tamara bit her lip. "I think I have that much."

Venka smiled. "Maybe get her some jewellery?"

"She says jewellery is for the untalented and useless."

Venka had to hold in laughter. Her mother loved her jewellery.

Olyna winced. "Perhaps some boots. She seems like she would like boots instead of shoes."

Tamara smiled. "I think you are right."

Venka chuckled. "Now that the curse is over, I have the mate I have chosen, not the one that the curse has chosen for me. I think that she will be a fascinating addition to the family. She might not be what you had envisioned for me, but I am delighted with her presence and my new den. Even seeing her asleep on her other alpha doesn't cause pangs. She is more than an omega. She's a life companion who will charge forward with us. Not behind us."

Tamara smiled. "Good thing. If she ends up behind you, she will just go over."

Venka laughed and discussed sizes with her aunts and mother. Tamara confirmed the shoe size and the maximum heel that Lya would wear. The young alpha had so much of her mother that it was hilarious. There was aggression, sarcasm, and matter-of-fact delivery of the information. Tamara was going to become a very fun alpha if she followed her mother's attitude and Venka's guidance.

She smiled sadly. She had hoped to provide her mother with a grown granddaughter, but Olyna wasn't going for it.

Olyna paused and looked at Venka. "Why are you sad, baby?"

"No longer your baby, but I had hoped that Tamara would be gaining a family. It seems your unconditional welcome only applies to a very specific type of omega. It is disappointing to see your preferences so blatantly. Where is my little sibling, by the way?"

"With her father. He's wearing her in a carrier." Olyna frowned. "What do you mean?"

Tamara crossed her arms. "She means that if Mom were a little person, she would have had a better chance of gaining your favour, and me by extension. Venka, don't worry about me. I have never had cousins, aunts, or uncles. I don't think they are required."

Venka smiled. "Large families are fun."

"Small families can be trusted. If they follow Madame Olyna's lead, I think trust will be in short supply. And I have friends. I make friends easily in school and at events. Denel and Bennet will help me at the new school. They are excited for Monday."

Olyna blinked. "Why am I getting everything so wrong?"

Tamara sighed and looked at her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "The world is changing. Status doesn't matter as much as integrity. A compliant beta has more social standing in many circles than a bitchy, bratty omega. Plus, alphas are becoming greedy. We want someone for us, not the pack, not the den, not the flock. We want someone for us."

Olyna blinked. "And the betas fill that need."

Venka nodded. "In your sons' and grandsons' eyes, a devoted beta is worth more than a fantasy omega. Just ask Sabin. My tall, strong omega is more to my taste than any smaller male or female. Oh, and she has the sight. Just thought I would throw that out there." She smirked.

Olyna's eyes went wide as the aunts ushered her out of the house.

Tamara looked at Venka, "What's the sight?"

"Has your mother ever acted on instinct with information she couldn't have?"

"Like when she went to school and took care of my bully?"

"Yes. Precisely. I am surprised she didn't get in trouble for doing that to a student."

Tamara smiled. "It wasn't a student. It was a teacher. I was born to a single mom, and he was making fun of me in a biology class. When he dragged his ass back to class, he didn't look at me again, and I was transferred a day later."

Venka stared at her and looked toward the solarium with a smile. So, she was protective of her offspring. That was a very good thing.

"I am sorry that my mother is so... her."

Tamara grinned. "Don't worry. Mine is great. So, are they actually napping?"

"Yes, Tamara, they are. Noh has given her some venom, and it is reinforcing her immune system. He is keeping her with him to keep an eye on her in case of side effects. So far, his venom is less aggressive than a bug bite to her."

"Good. Her arm looks better. The swelling has gone down, and she looks better, if a little dopey."

"The dopey will fade. She's under sedation today to help keep her relaxed."

"Why?"

"Because when they break a limb like they did to her, the muscle around the bone is bruised and torn. If pain hits her, the ligaments and muscles tense and try to move the bone. They were used to the bad placement. So, we are trying to keep her relaxed so that her body can wipe its memory of the previous position." Venka led Tamara back toward the kitchen. "Allor, what are we doing for dinner?"

He had cleaned up after the snack. "Tamara, what does your mother like to eat?"

Tamara said softly, "Things she doesn't have to cook. She loves barbeque because she can't do it herself. She used to say she had neither the time nor the money."

Allor nodded. "Barbeque it is. Oh, Venka?"

"Yeah?"

"The neighbours have lost something and are convinced it's on our property."

"So, you think they will come by?"

"Oh, I know it. I will order extra barbeque."

Tamara was looking at them. "Why would they want to look for something lost here? Is it a frisbee?"

Venka shook her head. "No. They are hunting a person, but they aren't stupid enough to come onto our territory without authorization." She chuckled. "I am not venomous, but I am fast."

"Does your mother know?"

"She is focused on the boys. One of my full brothers is a polar bear, and the other is a dragon. I am just a black racer. It was strange when I figured it out, but one of my grans pointed out that most people think lawyers are snakes anyway."

Tamara frowned. "How long does it take to become a lawyer?"

"It depends on how you do in school. If you are good at recalling and thinking through horrible problems with logical solutions, you can take on the courseload that suits you." Venka smiled. "If you want to know more, you can read some of my books."

"I am not sure what I want to do yet?"

"Well, start looking. I have legal expertise, Noh has investment strategies, and Allor owns gyms and coffee shops."

"What will my mom do?"

"First, she will rest. I get the feeling she has been going crazy to keep on top of things."

"She has."

"Then, from what Noh has said, Lya has skills with leather design. Setting up a design studio on the property is simple. There are plenty of folk in my family with storefronts. If she wants to work with leather, she can. If she wants to own a garage, she can. If she has another baby, it would be awkward for her to slide under a vehicle, so it would be best if she remained in an advisory position."

Tamara stared, and Venka smiled. "First time thinking about your mom having more kids?"

"First time thinking about Lya having kids. She was just always there. I know she's pretty young for a mom, but I think I would like having siblings."

Venka laughed. "Good, because the boys plan on trying excessively. Wait. Have you gotten the sex talk?"

Tamara sighed. "I know the basics, but the alpha-omega stuff wasn't covered."

"I will tell you when you are fifteen. If you meet a cousin who tries to tell you, kick him in the shins and call for me, Noh, or Allor. I would say call for your mom, but she might hurt someone."

Tamara laughed.

Venka nodded. "Now, let's find you a nice bedroom, or did you want to run around outside and figure out what the neighbours are looking for?"

"Can we actually run?"

Venka grinned. "We can actually run."

"Please."

They headed around to the back, past the pool, near the tennis court, and then they ran.