As Loriun signed the final document, he hurled the pen into the wastebasket at the corner of his office and stomped out.
“I’m leaving early,” he growled at Kaoi, his assistant. The Omega’s coppery facial fins splayed wide with concern.
“Bad day?”
Loriun grunted. “I’m never filling out a form ever again.”
Kaoi laughed. “Good luck with that. See you Monday.”
The Miami sun beat down on Loriun as he stalked through the parking lot. Despite the humidity of the island, it was nothing compared to his species’ home planet, Usoi. He jammed a fist into his messenger bag and pulled out a saline spray bottle. The puff of moisture wasn’t enough, but it would have to suffice for now.
His phone rang as he slung himself into his car.
“Hello?” he snapped, twisting the key in the ignition.
“Is that any way to talk to your mother?”
Loriun cringed. “Sorry,Riue.” Though English was his primary language, Loriun preferred the Loaish terms for parents. English had no words to differentiate an Alpha mother from an Omega mother, and vice versa.
A peal of laughter from the phone’s speaker soothed Loriun’s irritation.
“I just wanted to know if you had an update on your Omega.”
Riue’svoice brimmed with excitement. She’d nearly burst into tears of joy when Loriun told his parents he was bringing an Omega home.
“I just finished the flood of paperwork.” Loriun sighed, putting the car in gear and navigating from the parking lot. “I thought it would never end.”
“Does that mean you have a date?”
“Yes. He’s coming tonight.” A wave of nerves rolled through his body. Loriun rarely experienced anxiety when meeting new people. As CEO of Ikatere Desalination, business meetings with both humans and Mer made up the bulk of his job. Yet the idea of coming face to face with the man whose photo was now burned into his memory…
“Tonight?!” Riuewas practically squealing with glee.“Fauos! Loriun’s new omega is coming tonight!”
Loriun’sjaei,his Omega father, joined in the cheering.
“When can we meet him?” Riuedemanded.
“Wait, wait, have some patience.” Loriun sped along a little beachside road, barely noticing the scenery flying by. “He has a big adjustment ahead of him. New home, new Alpha, new everything.”
“You’re right, of course. We can be patient,”Riuerelented.
“Can you, Zicoi?”Jaeiteased.
“Oh, stop it. Well, keep us updated, Loriun.”
“I will. Talk to you soon.”
He ended the call just in time. His car rolled to a stop in front of a newly-constructed house, standing in a yard of violet grass. The ocean behind it lapped at the rear walls.
His new home. Beaumont’s new home.Theirnew home.
But Loriun’s first order of business was far more pressing. He parked the car in the driveway and launched himself toward the water, webbed feet kicking sand behind him, and hands busy stripping every article of pointless human clothing from his body.
The powerful muscles along his spine flexed, extending the many vertebrae to their natural state. His tail unfurled from his body and scales lifted along his skin. By the time he reached the shallows, he was fully shifted into his aquatic form, and performed an entirely graceless belly flop into the sea.
Loriun’s throat loosed an indecent moan as the water soothed his dry, shriveled skin. It took several minutes for him to no longer feel mummified, but when he had finally rehydrated, Loriun lashed his tail, and propelled himself deeper into the sea.
For now, all thoughts of the brown-eyed Omega washed away with the current.
