Chapter 14

AS AMY CAME SLOWLY awake the following morning, her gaze fixed upon the plain white ceiling. Although it remained unchanged, everything else in her life seemed remarkably different. A notable change that brought immense relief was that, for the first time in what seemed like forever, she had slept through the night without dreaming. Another was that she didn't wake alone.

But lying there, considering the soreness of her muscles, the lingering sensitivity of her skin—on her cheeks, jaw, breasts, and inner thighs—from whisker rub, and the tenderness in more intimate places that hadn't seen activity in longer than she could remember, she realized her boring white ceiling may be the only constant in her life at the moment. Her once-spacious bed was now crowded by two large male bodies, creating a cocoon of intense heat around her.

Suddenly, she scrambled off the foot of the bed and rushed to the bathroom. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, her same blue eyes surrounded by the same dark-auburn hair staring back at her, her appearance unaltered in any discernible way, triggered a profound sense of disappointment.

As she stood naked, twisting one way and then the other, searching for a mark on her lower back, Remus appeared in the doorway .

"Give it time, koria ," he urged.

She glanced at him and anxiously wondered, "What if there isn't enough time and I never transform?"

From behind him, Tarus declared with unwavering conviction, "We will love you all the same."

Their words failed to ease her uncertainty. "Are you sure? Won't you be disappointed when all the other warriors have babies with their human mates?"

"After we didn't match amid a database of thousands, we accepted that having children might not be our fate," Tarus explained.

Remus pulled her close, slipping his arms around her waist. "It's natural to feel disappointed, but the ways of the Maker are often a mystery to us." He used his chin to brush her hair aside, his lips finding the side of her neck as his hand glided up her belly to cup a bare breast. "If he has chosen to bless us with a mate to share our lives with, who are we to argue?"

Tarus stepped forward, and in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of the three of them. Their dark hair and bronze skin stood in stark contrast to her fair complexion and vibrant hair. They looked good together. If that never changed, she wouldn't mind a bit.

His broad chest and shoulders obstructed her view as he gently cupped her face with his hands and said in a husky voice, "The Maker blessed us with an incredibly beautiful mate. We'd lost faith it would happen, and we are quite pleased with how things have turned out."

THE BATHROOM QUICKLY turned steamy, and not from the cramped shower. In a frenzy of kisses and caresses, they made their way to the bed. There, they recreated the passion of the initial breaching. This time, however, her mates' roles were reversed. Remus took her from behind while she pleasured Tarus with her mouth. Their gasps and moans resonated throughout the space, blending together to form a sensual melody of unity and desire.

Unfortunately, reality intruded on their blissful time as duty beckoned for them all. Assigned to escort visiting dignitaries to the new uladite mine scheduled to open next month, Remus had to leave to be at the shuttle port to greet them. With a sense of urgency, he rushed out the door, hastily tying his still-wet hair into a tight ponytail while muttering about the lack of effectiveness of a cold shower.

At a much more leisurely pace, Tarus walked her to the clinic. With the sweetest of kisses, he left her at the door, assuring her one of her mates would be back promptly at 6 p.m. to take her home.

The morning unfolded in its usual bustling manner, with a steady stream of patients occupying every minute of her time and filling every corner of the small lobby. It cleared out as lunchtime approached, however. When she headed to the rear of the medical suite to collect everyone's lunch order, she noticed Adria and Ellar in deep conversation and respectfully waited. It didn't take long, however, because Ellar suddenly turned and sniffed the air.

Amy immediately retreated when the elder physic's gaze homed in on her, his expression perplexed. "I'll be back in a few," she called, whirling and hoofing it toward the front door .

Ellar, like all Primarian males, topped her by at least a foot. His long legs allowed him to catch up with her in the lobby. He inhaled more deeply. "You have the scent of a warrior!"

Their sense of smell was uncanny, but also disturbing. Frowning, Amy replied, "Yes. We are mates, but we haven't told anyone yet. We'd prefer to share our news ourselves, so please keep it to yourself for now."

"I am a professional," Ellar declared as he bristled. "That goes without saying. Although I can't fathom why you would want to keep it to yourselves. This is joyous news after you were deemed unmatchable." He frowned suddenly. "We will have to repeat the testing immediately."

Her eyes shot to Adria, who had trailed along behind him. She mouthed, "I told you so."

"Is retesting necessary? Don't you have all you need from the last time, when we failed?"

"Obviously, there was a gross miscalculation which will need to be investigated. New samples are needed." As if expecting her opposition, he added, "Compliance with testing protocols is required by Primarian law. Have your mate come in to the clinic before closing this evening, and we'll see it done."

"Remus has VIP duty today. I'm not sure how long that will take."

"But wait, didn't you mate with Tarus?" Adria exclaimed.

The elder physic swiftly turned to face her. "You knew about this and didn't inform me?"

"I too am a professional, sir. Amy is also my friend, and she shared this with me in confidence. I did warn her that the secret wouldn't remain hidden for long. "

"Don't be angry with her, please," Amy pleaded. "Everything happened so suddenly, and I needed time to process all the changes in my life."

"Indeed. That is one of the many reasons we call it a transformation," Ellar stated, as he scrutinized her features with a clinical eye. "How long ago did this occur? The scent is quite potent, but your eyes haven't changed, and your hair remains its unusual human red color."

It was Amy's turn to bristle. "I prefer auburn."

"Of course. My apologies," the elder said, appearing unusually flustered. He quickly regained his composure and resumed his questioning. "Have you undergone any transformations that are not visible?"

Amy shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Hmm, that makes it even more important to retest. Please have Remus arrive promptly at 5:30. It won't take long."

"I will inform Tarus. He's stationed in town today."

Adria and Ellar looked at her with the same puzzled expression. "That won't be necessary," the elder physic stated at length. "We only need to test your mate."

"Tarus is my mate," Amy replied, knowing she was being confusing, but deliberately stalling the big reveal in hope one of her mates would miraculously appear to provide moral support.

"That was our mistake. It seems we won't need Remus after all," Adria said, although she still looked rather baffled.

"Actually, you will." There was no hope for it. Tarus and Remus weren't going to materialize and bail her out of the awkward conversation. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she blurted out, "I am mated to both warrior twins. "

The physic's head jerked back in shock, and Adria's eyes flew wide, becoming as round as Terra Nova's three moons.

"This is most unusual," the physic murmured, clearly taken aback.

"We understand that," Amy assured him. "Which is why we haven't broadcasted our news yet."

Ellar glanced at his fellow physic. "Did you also know about this?"

Left speechless, Adria could only shake her head.

"After one mating surprise after another, even I didn't see this coming," Ellar uttered under his breath while rubbing his forehead. "The princep and the council will have to be informed."

"Both Tarus and Remus said the same thing." Amy sighed.

Why should it matter to anyone but them? But deep down, she knew the answer. Integrating the species was still in its infancy, full of unpredictability and complexity.

"We were hoping to have some time together, and to see if a transformation took place before spreading the news. Hoping to ensure there would be no way to reverse it. Okay, that last part was all me, but you understand our wish for privacy, surely."

"Reverse it?" Ellar asked, keying in on one thing in all she had said. He shook his head. "That isn't something we do. Unless the male or female are so poorly matched one of them requests dissolution."

This was a new term for Amy, among so many. "Is that like a divorce?"

"Yes," Adria replied. "And it's extremely rare. I know of no instance in my lifetime. "

"And mine," the older man who was at least twice Adria's age concurred. "Have both mates come by before closing and we can discuss this further after you're tested."

She nodded, and he left her alone with Adria.

"Don't worry," her friend assured her. "These things have a way of working themselves out."

"For you maybe."

"And for Eva, Maggie, Mailynn, Lana, and Eryn. I could go on and on."

"But they are all fated mates. Tarus, Remus, and I all failed miserably in the mating pool."

Adria gripped her hand. "Remember what I told you? Expect the unexpected. I'll speak to Ellar and see if I can convince him to give you a few more days."

"I'd appreciate that," Amy breathed with relief. "I better get lunch before the natives get restless. On my way, I'll contact my mates and let them know the cat is out of the bag."

Her friend frowned. "What's this about a cat?"

She smiled although nagging doubts tempered it. "Nothing. It's an old Earth expression."

Amy waved and was out the door. Once outside and past the windows where no one could see her, she staggered to the exterior wall and leaned against it for support. She withdrew her communicator and sent a message to Tarus and Remus.

Amy: You were right. I reek of you. Adria and Ellar know about all three of us.

Surprisingly, Remus replied immediately. We expected this, koria dral . Soon we will have no more secrets.

Amy: They want to retest us. As a human, I may have the choice not to, but they say it's mandated for Primarian citizens .

Tarus: When we took you as our mate, you became a Primarian citizen subject to our laws. It's written in the treaty. But Remus is correct. It's better that this comes to light and we deal with it. I'm not a fan of secrecy.

Amy: They said to come at 5:30.

Remus: We'll be there. Don't worry about this, Amy. You have two mates who adore you and will always stand by your side.

Tarus: Voraes eternium , mate. Never doubt that.