Mia cleared her throat.“Hello.I am her big sister.Well, elder sister.She is watched.She is protected.”
“I am glad of it.”Mao nodded.“I serve Kazuya, as have my family before me.He is my priority.”
Meeda nodded and exhaled slowly.“Okay.Good.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“You did, and I do better with clarification.Thank you for the use of your blood.”Meeda nodded with a smile.“I am bound to Mia, but for a much shorter lifespan.”
She turned to Mia and said, “Just let me know when you want to leave.”
Meeda walked toward the house and began washing the remaining dishes.She felt better.She looked better, and he was bound to one of the elves.That was fine.Based on what she had learned, she was descended from two types of elves, which explained the mermaid tail and the wings.
She kept going and was drying everything when Mia came in.“What happened?”
“He gave me blood, and then he cuddled me, and I felt wanted, just for a minute.”She folded the towel and set it down.“And then it was gone.The elf instinct is fucking possessive.”
Mia came toward her and hugged her.“Aw, sweetie.Do you want someone?”
“Yeah, or I wouldn’t have tried to bite the hell out of that one guy.”
“Kazuya came over and explained that.There are aquatic courtship dances.He was waiting for you to follow him.”
“Yeah, I gathered that after listening to what Xletl said.I was starving.I would not have been safe to touch.”She sighed.“Maybe I should just drop myself into the deep and see what shows up.”
Mia leaned back and shook her.“Meeda, you are that depressed over a guy?”
She looked at her sister.“You are an omega, Mia.You have had lovers across your lifetime.I am too much of a freak to manage more than handholding.My body feels like it’s going to fly apart if someone doesn’t hold me, and it hurts more than I can describe.”
Mia looked at her and nodded.“We are going back to the islands.”
Meeda frowned.“Why?”
“Because if you can’t find a lover, you can fly and swim as much as you like.It makes you happy, and I will move operations to our offices on Wonder.It isn’t a bad idea to have the swimwear close to the water.”
Meeda started to cry and bent down, and Mia held her head as she crooned to her.“It will be okay, Meeda.I’ve got you.”
* * * *
Vine froze in the doorwayand watched her hero collapse.The words spoke of haunting loneliness, and it echoed in Vine’s chest.A strange instinct to cuddle with Kazuya for comfort ran through her.
She stiffened her back and knocked on the door.Meeda straightened and rubbed her eyes like a child.“Sorry, Vine.”
Vine walked up to her and hugged her.Meeda whispered a request as they stood, hugging each other.Vine nodded.“You are leaving right away?”
Mia was looking at her phone.“The flight is booked, and we have clothing at the holiday house.We will grab our passports and get our asses to the airport.”
Meeda flicked her fingers, and the passports were there.
Vine leaned back.“You are a mage.”
“I am a muddle.I am not properly anything, and that creates confusion.”She sniffled.“Two parts dark elf, one part mage, and one part—”
Mia finished.“Omega.”
Vine leaned back.“You don’t know how to bottle your heats?”
Meeda shook her head, and fat tears flowed.
