Page 48 of Homecoming

“Oh. That.”

“Yes. The way you look changed.”

Orla snorted. “Yes. I used to look a certain way, and then, I changed.”

“Not since two weeks ago?”

“Oh, when you insulted me? Yeah, not since then. I just project a certain aura so folks don’t bother me.” She chuckled. “You are just too weak-minded. You fell for it. Well, and you have complete contempt for betas.”

He stood next to her bed. “I don’t have contempt for betas; I just have never found them to be a suitable sex partner in the long term.”

“Nice to know all those betas have escaped your attentions.”

He opened his mouth and closed it with a snap.

“Why are you with me?”

“I found you. They called everyone within two hundred kilometres to search, and I followed the trail of your blood in the water, scared off the sharks, and sent out the call that I had found you. The whales wanted to play with your boat like a ball.”

“Thank you for finding me. Would you like a reward for not tearing me to pieces and seeing how far the whales were willing to chase the chunks?” Orla muttered.

Ligo’s appalled expression and paling skin indicated she might have gone too far.

“Sorry. I meet hostility with hostility.”

“They tried to rape you.”

“Tried. Operative word. I knocked them out and got the hell out of Dodge. My misspent youth let me get it started at least.”

“Get what started?”

“The zodiac. I haven’t been on the ocean in a decade.”

“Why not?”

“I wanted to go to college, and I finished high school early, so I was emancipated and started classes. I nearly finished a sociology degree, and then, I didn’t.”

Ligo took a seat, and she noticed that he had a cup of coffee. She licked her split lip and sighed. Eating and drinking were going to be unpleasant for a while. Jane’s healing spell was going to work wonders as soon as Orla let herself heal.

“Why didn’t you finish?”

“Something you may suspect by now. I was attacked by one of my professor’s TAs. Nothing was done. I was ostracized, and I moved, got a job at a bookstore, and volunteered at a women’scrisis centre until Aeryn came to live with me. She was only in the city for a few months; then, she was in crisis, and I helped as best I could.”

“You were attacked as a student?”

“Yeah, the professor was a beta who insisted that his alpha work really close to his rut. He said I was stunning, and he lured me around his desk. He grabbed me. I clawed and fought but managed to avoid penetration. The door burst open, security pried him off me, and I was brought to the campus clinic,” she mumbled and looked at him. “What did they give me?”

“Lots of stuff. How do you feel?”

“Less like preserved meat.”

Ligo nodded. “Good. When your wounds seal a bit, I can help you wash your hair.”

“I look forward to it. I hate smelling blood.” She exhaled and relaxed. “How long have we been here?”

“Four hours or so.”

“Aeryn is almost here. I think she can see the hospital from where she is because she is all excited.”

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