“I’m driving it home,” Nico says.

  “Like hell you are,” Eros replies. “But I’ll pilot the Drakos hunk of junk home, and Holter can take you and the beauty in our new beauty.”

  I’ve stressed more over buying a pair of shoes.

  32

  HOLTER

  She handles like a dream. I’ve piloted a lot of expensive solos in my life, but this omada cuts through the water even better than Castor’s Gorsca. And keeping Belle safe is well worth it. The mark on her hand makes it even more important. She’s the future. She and others like her will be the ones who can turn around the way our society works. It has endless meaning for our people, but I don’t care about them. I haven’t for a while. Right now, the only thing that matters is here. Keeping her safe.

  Having her get all worked up about where I was born? It made me proud to be her mate. Nico’s right, she’s going to change everything. She makes me want to fight to change everything. I want my geminae brothers to have what I have too.

  I glance over at her. Her hand. Excitement vibrates through me. The mark appeared. We’re going to be a family. Maybe not right now. But why would it appear if she couldn’t have children? I don’t even know how to feel about it. Ecstatic? Confused? I took her hand and had it clasped in mine in the showroom. We don’t need more males poking around her. Not now. Not when we need to settle into whatever this is, this motley pod we’ve made.

  “What do you think back there, Nico?” I ask. “Does it have enough space?”

  “It does. Pull over.” Belle laughs and moves her hand up my leg.

  I turn to Belle.

  She shakes her head. “No, never mind, what I want to do with all of you is going to take a pod bed. And Eros. I want to go home.” Belle places her hand on my leg. It makes me hard. Her hand on my knee is enough.

  I pilot our omada through the green dome district. Eros follows behind us.

  “I love you both.” She looks from me to Nico in the back. She grips my leg with her fingertips, and I hold back a groan.

  “I love you more than him.” Nico’s tone is deep, and I know he’s pushing buttons.

  “Nico?” Belle takes her hand from my knee, and now I really do want to hit him.

  “My love can’t be quantified.” I don’t need to look to see Nico’s scowl. I’m rewarded with Belle’s hand back on my leg. She makes small circles with her thumb, and I almost miss the turn for Glyden.

  “You need to register.” It’s more than Nico’s normal grunt.

  “Register? Not yet it’s not safe.” I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it in the back of my head. That while we’re mated, it isn’t official.

  “You know I love you. When you think it’s the right time. I can’t wait to be official.” She smiles at me. And I can’t get us home fast enough. The second I can throw away the damn scent block will be a blessing.

  We don’t have a dock for our own omada yet, so I pull it into one of the general spaces. They don’t have the touchless, movable docking system. The tension is growing in here. As angry as Nico and I am, relief rolls off us.

  I’m stunned once again. I’m part of this whole thing. Part of a pod. Even as angry as we were—are. We’re in this together. And it hits me hard. There’s a lot we need to talk about. A lot Eros needs to tell us. With Belle we are one. It’s like a tidal wave took me out and I know who I am, where I want to be. It’s with Belle, it’s with my pod. I need them. I need here.

  I’m out and around the side of the omada before Nico maneuvers out of the back. I reach for Belle. She holds out her hands and hops into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist. She doesn’t squirm to get down like she normally does. No. She’s clinging to me like a baby seahorse. My heart reaches out for her, and I thunder away from our new omada, leaving the door open. Nico thunders after us. Eros reaches us as we hit the elevator. He’s got the control pads for both omadas. He raises his head, letting me know they are both taken care of.

  We’re in our apartment. Clothes are flying. Belle’s, Nico’s, and Eros’s. Her lips trace the edge of my collar. A hiss slips from me as Belle’s lips make their way down my chest, leaving a trail of wet kisses behind. My body is on fire, every nerve ending tingling with desire. I run my fingers through her hair, pulling her closer to me, wanting to feel every inch of her body against mine. I tug on the back of her head, bringing her closer. She’s so sexy it’s hard to believe she’s my mate. That this will be my forever. My cock twitches. Her soft skin beneath my fingers is all I’ve ever wanted.

  Nico and Eros watch us, their eyes filled with hunger. They know what we want, what we need. But this is my moment. We will register when we find out who’s attacking our family. I’m not giving them another reason to come after Belle. But damn, this makes it even more real for me. We are a pod. Joy is scattering my thoughts, but one thing is clear: I will protect our pod with everything I have.

  I release her head, and she turns to the others. Belle stretches out her arm, and Nico grabs her hand. He traces the broken circle with his index finger. We all watch, and when he presses a kiss to her palm, it’s like a switch is flipped. Her arms wrap around my neck, and I head down the hall with her attached around my waist. Our clothes are a trail to the bedroom. Clues to an easily solved mystery.

  In the bedroom, Nico takes the lead. Belle is still in my arms, her legs crossed around my back and her hands running through my hair. Her warm breath is on my neck. Nico stands in the middle of the room, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on Belle. He nods once, and Eros moves closer to her. He tenderly runs his hands over her curves, tracing her backside as she kisses the side of my neck. Damn, her touch shakes me to my core. I would give anything to her.

  Nico watches intently, his eyes dark with desire. I move us closer to him, my hands wandering over Belle’s body, feeling every curve and every inch of her skin. She moans softly as we touch her, her body arching towards us.

  “Come here, Little Krill.” There’s desperation in his tone. I get it. I pass Belle to him, and his hands run over her breasts as he kisses her deeply.

  “Fuck, we’re lucky.” Eros moves behind her, his hands trailing down her back as he kisses her neck. My breath hitches. We’re all going to have her tonight. More than once.

  This truce won’t last forever. We’re going to need to know what happened to her. And there is something Nico is keeping from me. Something more than a viperfish attacked him. I’ll find out what it is, but not today. Today we are a whole pod with a mate who is becoming more of a mermaid every day. She knows what she wants, and I want her to have it. I want her to have all of us. All the pleasure, every day. I’ll see to it. No one can deny her. Hell, if she wants to parade around the city showing everyone her partially connected fertility circle, I’ll take her.

  Tonight, however, she’s ours and ours alone. I’m not being jealous, wanting her for just us. No, that’s normal, wanting the pod to have unity.

  We turn her around and wrap her arms around Nico’s neck. Her little moans and sighs have me even harder than before. He demands pleasure from her. There’s no other way to describe it. I’m shocked that he stops and lets her go to Eros.

  “Come here, Sunshine.” His trademark smirk sits in place. He devours her with his eyes. She jumps into his arms, wrapping her legs around his back. Steadying her with one hand, he guides her hips against his cock. He turns, and I expect him to put her on the bed, but he hands her to me. Her hands are in my hair. Each swipe of my tongue in her mouth has her pulling me closer. Her heels lock around my butt, and I’m granted a personal show when she grinds herself against me.

  I break our kiss. A few more gyrations from Belle, and I’ll lose myself on her stomach. I jump up on the mattress and carry her to the middle, placing her there tenderly. It’s just better to start in the middle. I’m still standing, my left foot tangled up in the blanket, when Nico joins us.

  “Hold on there. Just stop.” Eros raises his voice. “Hands in the air, Sunshine.”

  “No,” Nico says. He has one hand on Belle’s breast and the other around her neck. Her head tilts back, lips parted. She’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. She’s mine. Ours.

  “This is important. This is our time. It’s our moment as a pod.” Eros stands at the bottom of the bed, his cock sticking straight out. “We need to see that mark and relish it.”

  “Nico.” Belle’s breathy voice is a cross between a sigh and a moan.

  “Annabelle.” A warning.

  I drop to my knees next to her. I know what Eros is trying to get at. This is important. This time together, with her mark almost complete, it means even more than when we mated Belle. This is going to make us a pod.

  “Please,” she asks.

  Nico growls and rolls to his side.

  “Hold your hand up, Belle. Show it to us.” When she does, my skin lights up. I’m on fire. I want to devour her, and yet she’s too pretty to touch. I’m an overflowing well in a desert during the rainy season. She has changed everything for me. For all of us. Her hand forward, she turns her wrist, showing each of us, and then looks at it herself. She stares at it for a long time, and tears slowly roll down the sides of her face.

  “Hey. Are you okay?” I kiss one of her tears away. She’s still focused on the mark on her hand.

  “I wish I’d known my mother. Like, I have vague memories of her. I know that’s hard. You didn’t know your mother either.” She reaches for me and then Nico. Then turns to Eros. “Your mother is lovely.”

  Eros nods, and for fucking once, the smirk is off his lips.

  “I just . . . I don’t know. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a mother. I know that’s not something that happens here. Not with the issues here. I always thought of myself as lucky that I lived in a time where I could choose to have children or not.”

  I grab her hand and kiss her palm. “If you don’t want to have children, we won’t. We’ll figure something else out. We can leave together. Or stand up to the governor council.”

  “Little Krill, I’ve taken enough from you. If you don’t want to have podlets, then we don’t have podlets.”

  Tears are streaming faster now. “No, yes. I’m not sure. I think I do want children—podlets. But I’m not sure I’ll be a good enough mother.”

  “That’s . . .” Eros shakes his head and then crawls up the bed faster than a sailfish. He blows a raspberry on her belly. Her hands snap to his dark hair. He does it again, and she’s laughing, the tears still flowing. “Simply not true. You will be the most amazing, patient mother. Look at what you’ve had to put up with.” Eros inclines his head to Nico and then me. But she’s smiling, and I don’t care what he does or says now. Her eyes sparkle in the afternoon light. “You’re in charge, Sunshine. What you want, we’ll do.” Eros lowers his head and licks up her core.

  She turns to me, and I nod in agreement. Then she turns to Nico. He nods too. I lean in, and before I capture her lips, I whisper, “Anything.”

  Nico grunts, “Anything,” and pulls her nipple into his mouth. “But enough talking for now.”

  “Agreed.” She arches her back as Eros works her clit. The rest of us are along for the ride—Nico at her breasts, me suckling along her neck, focusing on the tender spot behind her ear that I know she likes so much. No, this is where I want to be for a really long time.

  33

  CASTOR

  I’m acting like a podlet. The best thing for me to do would be to make a proposition to Saraphina from Braesen. She’d be the best thing for my political career. I’d learn to love her. I’ve known for a long time that following through on the pact with Nico wasn’t something I would do.

  The memory of them on the mattress during Vividaria isn’t something I will ever forget. Yes, I’ve been in Annabelle’s pod bed. But seeing them go at it without me has left me spinning, chasing my tail. I can’t stop thinking about her.

  The package in my hand is burning hot. This isn’t something I should have done without asking Nico and Holter. Or Eros, damn him. I’ve heard nothing from any of them since Vividaria. My gut twists. Not how Nico’s healing or how Annabelle is doing after Eros mated her without her talking to the others. Nothing. I only know how Alder is doing because I make it a point to go and see him and Muster every day at Mother’s. The two of them are trying to figure out what they should do. But mostly I’ve seen the two of them just staring at each other, which Dad says is progress. Two days ago, Alder was just throwing things at Muster.

  I push the button for the seabed. I need to get back to Athens. I can’t delay it anymore. The company needs me, and I need to train one of my brothers as a replacement. It’s going to take a lot to pull one or two of them up to speed.

  The door slides open three floors after mine. It’s Pertusio, the doctor who saved both Nico and Alder. “Castor.” He steps on and gives me a nod.

  “Pertusio.”

  He hits the button for the airlocks. He looks at the sea floor button lit up and raises his eyebrows at me. “How is Nico?”

  “Good,” I lie. I have no idea how he is, but that’s his response when anyone asks. Actually, it’s more of a grunt, or he says, “Adequate.” Good is close enough.

  “Tell him I’ll be by later to check his last bandage.”

  “House calls?”

  “Yes, well, you know, anything for the return of Poseidon. Or rather, anything to keep him away from the nurses.” The elevator stops, and the doors open.

  I laugh. Pertusio is a good guy. “I’ll tell him.”

  “Thanks.” He gives a wave on the way out, and I finish the trek down. Now I have to talk to them. In the past, I’ve always walked right in, but that doesn’t feel right anymore.

  I knock and wait.

  The door opens. “Nico, it’s for you.” Eros backs up. He isn’t wearing a shirt, and his hair stands up, disheveled. “Holter,” Eros calls down the hallway.

  I cross my arms over my chest, hiding the package tucked in my armpit from sight.

  Holter is the first to appear down the hallway. I will not run and hide. Holter and Nico have been my friends for my entire life. I’m no stranger here. Even if I feel like one. Damn Eros. This is more than him helping his cousin get Annabelle back to the city. He made this happen. There’s no way this was happenstance.

  “Hey.” Holter’s wearing even less than Eros, wrapped in a towel with wet hair.

  “You look exhausted.”

  “I’m not complaining. Really, I’m not. She’s truly coming into her mermaid hormones. I’m not sure if it was adding a third mate or the relief of being back here, but since Vividaria, I’m not sure I’ve slept.”

  “That bad?”

  “Nico threatened to strap her down so she slept.”

  “Damn.”

  Slapping steps run down the hall, Annabelle stumbles into the room.

  “Female, you need to eat. And something besides protein gel,” Holter grumbles.

  “Castor.” Her blue eyes light up. I swallow hard. I didn’t come here to crawl into her bed, but fuck, if I can be of service . . . She’s reaching out for me.

  “Little Krill. You need to leave Castor alone,” Nico grunts. “And you need to eat proper food and sleep. For a week.”

  “Yes, Daddy.” She laughs. “Oh, fudge tart. I didn’t just say that. But you’re right. You’re so, so right. I’m sorry, Castor. I don’t know what’s come over me.”

  Holter grabs her by the waist and carries her to the island. In no time, he’s cracking eggs in a pan and has pushed a plate of pastries toward her.

  Annabelle grabs one and starts eating. “This is the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth. Wait, I don’t mean that.” She takes another bite. “Oh, fudge. Maybe I do.” Her face is bright red. “I’ll be right back.” She runs down the far hallway. Eros goes after her.

  Holter laughs, and Nico sinks into a chair. The sharks are swimming back and forth in front of the window. They look inside more often than the trained ones at Mother’s apartment. Both sets were trained by my brother Milo and my mother’s mate Constantine. But this set seems . . . domesticated.

  I put the package on the island. Nico eyes it and rocks back in the island chair. I’ve seen plenty of my brothers tumble over but not Nico.

  “I met up with Pertusio in the elevator. He said he’d be by to look at your last bandage. How is it?”

  “There.”

  I swallow my smile.

  “You need to stop bringing her gifts,” Nico says under his breath.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “It could be an ugly seashell, the lint from your washing; hell, it could be the lint from your belly button. It doesn’t matter. They make her hold out hope. You’re going to be king. If you want the votes of Tinom, Vitrom, and Stele, you can’t be in a pod with a human, a criminal and whatever it is I am now.” He doesn’t bring up Holter being a geminae. Because, really, there is no one better than Holter.

  I nod. He’s right. It’s not fair. “This will be the last one, I promise.”

  “Last what?” Annabelle says, appearing from the hallway. She pops a small pastry into her mouth.

  “Here.” I hand it to her. Whatever I was thinking, I don’t know. My pulse throbs in my neck.

  She unties the simple cloth and looks at me. Normally, I don’t wrap the things I give her. I guess I knew this would be the last one too.

  “It’s a nice wooden box.” She moves to the sofa and places it on the table and kneels on the floor next to it.

  I move across the room with her and sit on the sofa. I want her to have this, and if Nico tries to take it away from her, I’m ready to grab it and let her have it, anyway. It’s not fully functional. I’ve throttled it. But if she’s one of us, she’s one of us. Kai has mentioned more than once that she wishes she could contact Annabelle.

  She peels back the final paper sheet. “Oh, fudge. You got me a block.” She jumps up, holding the thing to her chest. “You got me a block.”