Page 32 of Homecoming

Ahheel lifted the back of Mini’s loose shirt. “Why indeed? It looks like we will be a pod of three.”

Exoval grinned. “I think he should join us for lunch. Do you have a wrap for him?”

Sohar nodded. “Of course.”

Loken stood up from watching what Mini was doing and looked to Exoval, “Is he coming?”

Exoval’s eyes flickered to blue and gold for a moment, looking at Mini in Ahheel’s embrace. “Yeah, he’s on the way.”

Aeryn smiled. “If he goes human ahead of us, I can pull him out and bring him here.”

Exoval nodded. “Got it.”

Loken lifted one of the seats and removed some fabric and a towel.

Aeryn looked off the bow. In the distance, the huge figure approached with increasingly close breaching. She watched, and as she began to gather focus, he surfaced again.

Thera muttered, “He’s a big fucker.”

Orc snorted. “I would argue, but you aren’t wrong. He’s large, even for a blue. Around here, he keeps the lesser beings in line, but we are way faster than he is, and we corner better.”

Thera patted her mate. “Yes, you guys are all very impressive. I won’t swim with any other pods.”

Orc hugged her. “Thank you, and thanks to the little one.”

“We don’t know which one of you got there.” She looked at him, and he grinned. “Fine, you are the likely candidate, but it is only because you hogged me for the first eight hours.”

Aeryn listened, but she watched the whale approach. When it was a few hundred yards off the bow, it went under, and a man surfaced. Aeryn snagged him and pulled him up to the ship in one smooth motion. He landed with a grin, and Loken tossed him a towel.

He dried his hair and then his body. After that, he wrapped the sarong around his hips. Exoval was laughing.

Amby smirked. “Mini, may I introduce my brother by bond, Exeter. A man who fixes his hair before he wraps up his junk.”

Mini’s face was tomato red, and Exeter walked up and took her hand. “Hello, lady. I am Exeter.”

Orc added, “He’s known as the golden alpha. Can you guess why?”

Aeryn looked Exeter over. His skin was gold, his hair was shades of gold, and his eyes had gold in them.

Mini was flustered at the direct attention, and Ahheel stood up. “Exeter, let’s talk.”

The two alphas walked inside to the dining area, and Ahheel spoke rapidly with a lot of hand gestures.

Mini looked mortified.

Aeryn asked, “Mini, what is it?”

“They are discussing my lack of socialization.”

“Oh. Oohh.” Aeryn caught on. “That kind of socialization.”

“Yup. I figured Ahheel would take it easy on me at first, but I have literally seen Exeter, and I don’t know how to deal with that.”

Exoval laughed, and Aeryn reacted. She wrapped him in water and hoisted him above the deck. Amby gasped, “Please put him down.”

Aeryn looked at her. “He is just in an unfamiliar situation. He can breathe and is being held securely; he is not in danger. Why shouldn’t I laugh at that expression of shock on his face?”

Amby blinked and nodded. “Right. He was an ass, but Exeter is his brother, so they tease and laugh together and about one another.”

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