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E cho searched the horizon before checking his watch again. It was twenty-minutes passed the time they’d planned to meet and there were no signs of Mael, or anyone else, for that matter. He assumed there would be a boat given the gear they’d need to bring along, but maybe he was wrong. Scanning the water, he didn’t clock any dorsal fins, either.

He lifted his face to the sun, closing his eyes. It was a warm April day, and the ocean was peaceful and smooth. A perfect scenario for their search. If Mael ever showed up.

“What time was he going to meet us?” Diego asked, seated on a bench seat along the back of the boat.

Echo tensed. Diego was already distrustful of Mael. He didn’t need to add anything to the long list.

“Two,” Echo said, rechecking his phone for messages.

Nothing. No calls. No texts—though that far out, reception was spotty at best.

“You don’t think this is a trap, do you?” Diego asked.

“No, I don’t think it’s a trap,” Echo spat, though he wasn’t completely sure of anything. He didn’t think it was a trap. Mael wouldn’t do that to him.

Would he?

“I mean, we’re sitting out here in orca territory,” Diego said. “They could attack and claim we’d crossed the line illegally.”

“If Mael wanted to attack me across the line, he would’ve done it days ago.”

Echo scanned the horizon again and was almost ready to give up when motion caught his attention. A boat. A massive one. It looked to be at least a forty-footer, and it was headed their way.

“This might be them.”

Diego rose and walked closer, spying for himself. “About time,” he muttered.

“Play nice, please,” Echo said.

“I will, but he’s not making it any easier.”

Echo sighed and shook his head, hoping he’d not made a mistake bringing Diego—but he’d been a bit nervous coming alone, especially after he’d found out Mael’s family might be joining them. Of course, if things went sideways, it wasn’t as if he and Diego could fight off five adult orcas, but it wasn’t going to go sideways.

Mael wouldn’t let it.

Echo wasn’t sure if he believed that or was trying to convince himself.

As the other boat neared, Echo caught sight of Mael. He fought a smile. His heartbeat accelerated. Butterflies circled in his stomach. Mael captured Echo’s gaze, a soft smile on his lips.

There were two others onboard, and both of them looked enough like Mael for him to believe it was family, for sure. Three was better than five, but then the boat was huge. Two more orcas could be hiding down below.

They rafted up alongside Diego’s boat. Mael snagged the mooring line on theirs and tugged it closer, tying it to the larger craft.

Mael held out a hand to Echo and drew him across. Then into his arms.

Echo closed his eyes, the doubts fading in Mael’s embrace. When they were together, everything felt right.

“Sorry we’re late,” Mael whispered against Echo’s ear. “My brother and sister are a hot mess when they’re together. I’m sorry in advance for whatever comes out of their mouths.”

“Noted,” Echo replied.

He lifted his head and stared up at Mael, just enjoying the view. They’d only been apart for a day, but it felt as if it had been a week. Mael caressed the side of his face, smiling softly. Echo pressed his palms on Mael’s chest and leaned in closer.

Heat swirled in Mael’s eyes. Echo felt heat swirling in other places, particularly those needy places down below. Mael leaned his head down, inching his lips toward Echo’s.

Mael was shoved out of the way and his sister took his place, eyeing Echo up and down.

“Oh, he’s a pretty one, Maelstrom. If you’re not careful, I might steal him away from you,” Tempest said, giving Echo a wink.

Echo’s face grew warm.

“You’re a lesbian, remember?” Mael said. “Back away from my boyfriend.”

Boyfriend? Echo lifted a brow, his face warming even more. Were they hiding that they were mates from Mael’s siblings?

“I thought he was your mate?” his sister said. She turned to Echo. “Never let him get away with anything. Trust me. Give that man an inch, he’s taking a mile.”

“I’ve gotten a hint of that already,” Echo replied, glad he wasn’t expected to cover up their connection without warning. “But I appreciate the advice.”

“Tempest,” his sister said, holding out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Echo.”

Echo shook her hand. “Lovely to meet you, too, Tempest.”

“And that huge one over there is Havoc,” Tempest said.

Echo cast a look down the boat and was shocked to see a man larger than Mael, which seemed near impossible as imposing as his mate was. Havoc had to be at least two to three inches taller than his brother, though, upon further inspection, he wasn’t quite as solid. Havoc was muscled and came close, but Mael looked more powerfully built.

“Nice boat you have here, Havoc,” Echo said, knowing how often alphas took pride in their toys and hoping it might break the ice. “You must like to entertain with something this big.”

“I teach scuba,” Havoc muttered. He raised one brow. “I need room for my students and work. No other reason.”

“Ahh,” Echo said, sensing Havoc was not a fan of him being there. His gaze flicked to Mael, who seemed not to notice the tone or was actively ignoring it.

“Havoc’s not sure about this whole dolphin-orca thing, so I suspect he’s going to make it hard on you,” Tempest said, giving Havoc the eye. She turned back to Echo. “Don’t worry, his bark is much worse than his bite. He’s a big old softy who tells really shitty jokes. Laugh at them until you get on his good side—and then you can tell him how horrible they are.”

Havoc gave Tempest the finger. He turned his attention to Echo. The hint of a raised brow returned. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring.

Echo eyed Mael, who wore a barely-there smile, watching him.

Diego coughed behind him. Echo spun. “Oh, sorry… Tempest, Havoc, this is my best friend Diego.”

“Greetings, Diego,” Tempest said, waving. She turned to Echo. “Another cutie. You dolphins are way too pretty for your own good.”

Echo peeked at Havoc, who glared at Diego with narrowed eyes. Was having two dolphins aboard his boat one too many? From the looks of it, it was two too many.

“Do your brother and sister know what we’re looking for?” Echo asked Mael.

“They have a basic understanding, though I’m sure you have more details to share,” Mael said.

Echo pulled his backpack off his shoulder and dragged his grandfather’s journal and the maps out. Midway on the boat was a seating area surrounding a wide table. He spread the map out there and waited for them all to join him.

Diego moved in close beside him. Havoc rounded the table, his gaze locked on Diego. Echo eyed his friend, noticing Diego looked terrified.

“You’re safe,” Echo whispered as Mael and Tempest took up the spaces beside their brother.

“Are you sure?” Diego asked under his breath before peeking at Havoc.

Echo wasn’t. He’d never met Mael’s siblings, so there was no way he could know if Diego was safe or not. But Diego acting like scared prey might encourage them to act like predators—which would only make things worse.

“What are we looking at?” Tempest asked, eyeing the map.

Echo pointed to an area on the bathymetric map. “This is where my grandfather claims it should be.” He turned to the page in his grandfather’s journal. “His X on his sketch isn’t likely to scale, so we need to widen the search radius a bit.” He circled an area on the map with his fingertip. “I think we should use a grid pattern and search this whole area here.”

“Where did you look the other night when you snuck across into our waters?” Tempest asked, lifting a brow.

Echo flinched, noting a heavy thread of sarcasm in her question. “I am sorry about that. I meant no ill-will to your pod. I just…” He sighed. “I only wanted to find proof that my grandfather wasn’t the flake he’s always been made out to be. If I can prove this cave exists then… he’s a hero. Not a joke.”

“I get it. Family’s important.” Tempest searched his face a moment. “I suppose if our sheriff can pardon your crime, I can, too. Just this once.”

Echo didn’t sense any of her earlier humor. He suddenly sensed she could be just as deadly as Mael if pushed. No way was he pushing any of the Marinos.

“I won’t cross uninvited again. I promise.”

“Good,” Tempest said.

“Wait—you said the sheriff pardoned me? I didn’t know your police had gotten involved. Should I be concerned?”

Havoc and Tempest turned to eye Mael.

“I’m the sheriff of Maki Island,” Mael said, his voice low.

“Oh,” Echo said, blinking as he processed that. He glanced at Diego before turning back to Mael. “I’d heard you were the matriarch’s enforcer. I?—”

“Enforcer?” Tempest asked, lifting a brow. She barked with laughter. “What the hell’s he supposed to be enforcing?” She turned to Mael. “Though, technically, you are law enforcement, so I suppose that’s not exactly wrong.” She turned back to Echo. “We have almost no crime on the island. It’s a lot of checking in on our elders. A few daily swim patrols and drives around the island. The occasional drunken bar fight that needs to be broken up. I can’t even remember the last we had a real cr?—”

Mael, Havoc, and Tempest all grew quiet, their faces tense. Had the last crime been when Maelstrom had fought his brother? Echo was too scared to ask.

“That bad, hmm?” Diego asked.

“Our cousin Kaiden was kidnapped and nearly killed by a degenerate in our pod,” Tempest murmured. “He was only a year old.” She shook her head. “That was a very dark day on the island.”

Echo released a sigh. While a child being hurt was absolutely horrendous, he was glad the tension wasn’t over Maelstrom’s deadly fight. He’d seen how discussing that had effected Mael the last time.

“Why would anyone attack an infant?” Diego asked.

“He’d gotten a taste for children,” Havoc said.

Both Echo and Diego gasped.

“Two missing children over two years—and Kaiden nearly became the third,” Havoc added.

“And you didn’t stop him after two?” Diego asked.

Mael growled. “We investigated and couldn’t find solid proof that he’d done it. We had circumstantial evidence and a nearly blind witness to the second. I caught him in the act with the third.”

Echo blew out a breath. “Was Kaiden hurt?”

“He’d been drugged, and he was seconds from being…” Mael’s jaw worked, like he was grinding his teeth. “Cut open.”

“Oh, my gods,” Echo said, rubbing Mael’s back. “I can’t imagine witnessing something like that. But you caught him, right?”

The three Marinos all grew even more tense.

“We caught him, but he slipped through our fingers,” Mael replied.

“Is there an actual homicidal orca shifter out there on the loose?” Diego asked.

“He got some justice, but not enough. We tried our best…”

“Apparently your best wasn’t good enough,” Diego snapped.

Mael’s gaze whipped to Diego. “Your pod stopped us from getting the justice Kaiden and those other two boys deserved!”

Echo sat with that a moment, his mind racing. “Oh, my gods… it’s Pete, isn’t it?”

Mael’s jaw tightened. “When he was caught, an angry mob formed. They beat and kicked him before tossing him over a cliff. Witnesses saw him hit the rock below. We assumed Pete was dead, though we never recovered his body. I assumed sharks or other scavengers had snatched it. We didn’t find out until months later that he’d washed up in Dolphin Cove. Once your people patched him up, he told them I’d murdered those boys and he’d been nearly killed when he tried to stop me from doing it again. So your pod gave Pete sanctuary and said if we touched one hair on his head, we’d break the treaty. Our matriarch decided it wasn’t worth another war and the loss of orca lives. We’d told your council what really happened. If they wouldn’t listen to reason, that was on them, not us.”

Echo met Diego’s shocked gaze.

“I-I’m sorry,” Diego whispered.

Mael cleared his throat. “Tempest works with me, too, by the way. She’s my deputy.”

“Ahh,” Echo said, noting the swift change in subject.

“Ravage, too,” Tempest said. “He only works when Mael or I take a day off.”

“So he’s back on the island covering?” Echo asked.

“Noooo, Rav had plans today,” Tempest said. “We’re technically on swim patrol according to the sign we put on the door.” She tapped on the map with her forefinger. “And speaking of work, let’s get to it. What parts have you already searched?”

He pointed toward where the X lay on his grandfather’s map. “Here, but I was too afraid to use much echolocation that night. I might’ve swam right over it for all I know. I think we should start fresh.”

“Okay, then,” Tempest said. She looked past Echo. “Is Diego coming down, too?”

“No, he’s going to help us navigate,” Echo said. “I have an earpiece, and he has a radio. He’ll track our movements and use the maps to help guide us.”

Diego nodded at Echo’s side, pointing at the map. “I’d suggest the three of you moving in a line, sweeping from this corner to the other. Spin and make another pass. Move down until you’ve covered it all.”

“We need to take it slow and really look for anything out of the ordinary,” Echo said.

“Can you see into the seabed with echolocation?” Mael asked.

“A few feet,” Echo replied.

“Orca can only see a few inches,” Mael said. “Your ability to see under the ocean floor means you’re going to catch things we don’t. If all three of us use our echolocation together, our clicks might boost yours and you might be able to pick up on open chambers or tunnels.”

“My grandfather mentioned there was a great deal of sediment inside the entrance and that was over seventy years ago. It could be fully packed at this point and if it is, there might not be open chambers to find.”

“This late in the day, I don’t know if we’ll finish that grid, though,” Tempest said. “Wouldn’t it be smarter to do a quick sweep of the whole area to check for chambers first—just in case there is something you can see? Our time out here could be limited—” She paused to look at Mael. “The longer we’re out here, the more chances of Mom finding out what’s going on.”

Echo’s gaze flicked to Mael’s. The hint of strain on Mael’s face wasn’t missed.

“Would it be bad if she found out?” Echo asked.

All three siblings grew quiet again. A chill washed over Echo.

“I can handle my mother,” Mael murmured. “Let’s just focus on finding this cave if it exists.” He tapped the map. “Since we have limited time today, it makes sense to search for air pockets and chambers first. I think we can manage another visit next weekend.” Mael glanced at Havoc. “Do you have a dive class this Saturday?”

“When don’t I?” Havoc snapped.

Mael glared at his brother.

“Yes, I have a morning class,” Havoc said. “It should be wrapped up by one.”

“Who do you teach?” Diego asked.

Havoc’s nostrils flared. “Not too many orcas left who don’t already know how. I mainly teach humans now.”

“I don’t know many dolphin shifters who dive. Echo and his parents are the only ones,” Diego murmured.

“I doubt I’d be welcome in Dolphin Bay,” Havoc said, glaring at Diego. “So humans it is.”

Diego eyed Havoc a few seconds before glancing away—but his gaze drifted right back.

Echo turned to Havoc—who was staring at Diego.

Not just staring.

They were eyefucking one another.

He turned his shocked gaze to Mael. Both Mael and Tempest wore the same stunned expressions as they looked between Havoc and Diego.

“We’re wasting daylight running our mouths,” Tempest said, breaking the awkward silence. “Let’s get on with it, hmm?”

Diego sat at the table and set his radio and radar tracker down on top of the map. He handed the markers to Echo, who then handed Mael and Tempest one each.

“Clip this to your wetsuit,” Echo said. “Diego can track our location and tell us where the grid perimeters should be through my earpiece.”

Mael urged Echo toward the gear organized at the end of the boat. While Mael and Tempest pulled on their wetsuit tops, Havoc handed him one as well. Echo eyed it, and a mild panic coiled in his belly. He dragged it over his t-shirt, hoping no one would say anything.

“No clothes under the wetsuit,” Havoc barked. “It’ll prevent it from insulating you as well.”

Mael marched over and urged Echo into the stairs to the lower cabins. He blocked the entry, his wide body giving Echo cover. “Lemme help.”

He reached for the hem of Echo’s dark t-shirt and pulled it off.

Echo slithered out of the plain sports bra. As he pulled on the wetsuit top, Mael folded the t-shirt and bra, tucking the latter into the pile to hide it.

“Thank you,” Echo murmured.

“I should’ve realized sooner. I was slow on the uptake there. Sorry.”

“There’s no reason to be sorry,” Echo whispered. “We should’ve grabbed the bottoms before we hid down here, though.”

“Why do you need bottoms?” Mael asked, frowning.

“So my legs don’t freeze.”

Mael’s frown deepened. “Use what nature gave you. Shift your lower body.”

Echo blinked a few times. “You can shift half of your body—and leave the other half human?”

Mael nodded. “I assume this means you can’t?”

Echo shook his head. “No.”

“Well, shit…” Mael’s eyes widened. He spun to walk up the stairs. “Let me see if Havoc has some swim bottoms.”

“And fins!” Echo yelled behind him.

Mael returned a couple of minutes later with a full wetsuit. “No bottoms, but we have a single.”

Echo slipped his shoes, shorts, and underwear off while Mael unzipped the top. In a matter of minutes, he was covered.

“I appreciate you being my shield.”

Mael leaned in for a quick kiss. “That’s what alphas are for, right? Protection.” He grasped Echo’s hand and led him back toward Havoc.

Havoc stood frowning, with his hands on his waist. “You two done making out? I don’t have all day.”

Mael laid Echo’s clothing on one of the seats before spinning to Havoc. “Don’t be an asshole.”

Havoc ignored Mael and eyed Echo. “How long’s it been since your last dive?”

“It’s been about a year. Maybe a little more. And it wasn’t very deep,” Echo said. “It’s probably been three or four years since I’ve gone at any depth—but I used to do open water dives all the time.”

“I usually suggest a refresher course for anyone who hasn’t dived within the past year,” Havoc said, lifting a scuba set. “I’ll give you a quick, dirty one to make sure everything’s fresh in your mind.”

“Great, thanks,” Echo murmured.

Havoc reviewed all the gear before he put it on Echo and made sure they were both comfortable with the dive to come.

Only wearing the top half of her wetsuit, Tempest spun away from them. She pulled off her shorts, baring her ass for the world to see, and tossed the shorts to the deck before jumping over the edge half naked. Mael did the same.

Echo walked to the side of the boat and glanced down. Both Tempest and Mael had human upper bodies—and orca lower bodies. “I’m so jealous right now.”

Mael smiled up at him.

Havoc brought over a pair of flippers and helped Echo slide into them. Once the fit was adjusted, Havoc rose. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Echo replied, sitting down on the back edge of the boat.

Havoc gave him a thumbs up.

Echo fell backward into the water. Mael rechecked all of Echo’s gear once he bobbed back up to the surface.

“You don’t you trust me to check his gear?” Havoc asked from his perch over the edge of the boat.

“I trust you,” Mael murmured. “But… he’s…” Mael turned his gaze on Echo. “Nothing’s going to happen to him in my company.”

“Fuuuuck, he’s got it bad,” Tempest said. She looked up at Havoc. “I’ve never seen him this sappy in my life.”

“No one has,” Havoc said, glaring down.

Echo fought a smile, noting Mael fought his own.

Mael lifted his gaze. There was hunger swirling in the depths.

Echo shivered against him.

“Later tonight,” Mael whispered.

An excited thrill swept through Echo’s body.

Once Mael appeared happy with the gear and Echo had tested his waterproof earpiece, they slipped under the surface. Mael grabbed his hand, and they shot like an arrow, speeding for the ocean floor. In that form, Echo was over twice as fast as the fastest human swimmers, getting close to twelve miles an hour. In dolphin form, he could swim over twenty. Orca could swim thirty-five miles per hour. Even half-shifted, it felt as if Mael and Tempest were traveling close to full speed.

He turned his head, shocked by the sight of Mael’s lower orca body. Mael looked like a merman, half orca, half man. Tempest the same. Maybe they were the source of the mermaid myth. Had sailors glimpsed an orca shifter in that shape? All Echo did know for sure was he was jealous of their ability. What he wouldn’t give to be able to use his tail on occasion and have the use of human hands at the same time.

They reached the seabed quickly and set up flags for the corners of the grid. With Diego’s help, they searched the grid, making sweep after sweep. An hour in, they had to come up and switch out their tanks before going back down. A little while after that, Echo thought he saw a small air pocket, but after sending out a few more clicks, he couldn’t confirm what he’d seen. Finally, just before they were almost done, Echo noticed an empty pocket underground. When he found a corner, he knew he might be on to something. Right angles suggested something man or shifter made, not a natural formation. He stopped Mael and Tempest and pointed it out, planting a flag over what he assumed was an underground chamber.

They scouted the ground around where Echo indicated. They found no entrance, tunnel, or other way into the cavern. While his echolocation wasn’t as good in the ground as it was in the water, he should’ve been able to see something. If it was the cave his grandfather noted, a way in should’ve been there.

Frustrated and almost out of air, they had to call it a day. They rose and quickly removed their gear.

“What was the flag for?” Mael asked, pulling on his swim trunks.

“I saw an open pocket,” Echo said. “There was a corner to one side of it. I don’t think it’s natural.”

“But your grandfather mentioned it was a cave, right?” Mael asked, sitting beside Echo. “Would that have right angles?”

“Maybe not,” Echo murmured, questioning himself.

Mael leaned close, smiling. “We can try again next weekend.”

“Are you sure that’s safe? I don’t want to get into trouble with your mother.”

“I said I can handle her,” Mael said.

Echo shook off his worry. He’d have to trust that Mael could handle things, even if he got the sense no one handled the matriarch. “I wish one of you had seen the open space to confirm what I did. What if my echolocation was off and it’s nothing?”

“Don’t do that. Don’t doubt yourself,” Mael said. “We’ve got a spot on the map, and we’ll bring more tanks and more gear next weekend. Rav does marine salvage on occasion, so he might have some goodies we can use, too. If there’s a cave down there, we’re going to find it.”

Echo smiled at Mael. “I really appreciate all you’re doing to help me on this fool’s errand.”

Mael smiled caressing Echo’s cheek. “Even if we don’t find it, we’re spending time together, hmm? No fool’s errand in that.”

Echo smiled. He lifted his lips when Mael leaned closer for a kiss.

“Get a room,” Tempest chided over her shoulder, free of gear and dragging her shorts back on. She gave them a wink and then spun to help Havoc stow their gear.

“Mind if I ride back with you two?” Mael asked.

Echo frowned. “I’d love that… but it might not be safe. There’s usually a lot of people around the docks, especially on a weekend.”

Mael nodded, looking disappointed. “You’re probably right.”

“Could you… sneak me onto the island?” Echo had long wondered what Maki Island looked like. Knowing it was Maelstrom’s home only made him want to see it more.

Mael chuckled. “Sneak? There are way too many nosy, prying eyes on the island for anyone to sneak without being caught.” He paused a moment. “I’m not quite ready for that fight yet, so it might be best to wait for you to visit.”

“I was hoping to spend time with you tonight,” Echo whispered.

Mael traced his thumb over Echo’s lower lip. “I can catch the last ferry to the mainland. As long as I’m allowed to spend the night. There won’t be another one until morning.”

Echo grinned. The idea of spending all night in Mael’s arms was a thrill. “Of course you can stay.”

“Good answer,” Mael said, his smile bright. He leaned in for a kiss.

Echo rose on his tiptoes, hungry for more than just a kiss. Mael’s lips firmed on his, clearly wanting more, too. They broke apart. Mael rested his forehead on Echo’s.

“I could kiss you all day.”

Echo smiled to himself at Mael’s admission.

“Me, too—but the sooner I leave, the sooner you can come home to me.”

Come home to me.

Echo’s chest tightened. Their bond seemed to tighten every second they were together. His house suddenly seemed empty imagining Mael not in it.

Mael seemed to have felt the unconscious underlying meaning in those words, too. He lifted his head and stared down into Echo’s eyes. The emotion he saw in Mael’s dark eyes left him breathless. And overwhelmed. He took a half step back, dragging in a breath. Mael grabbed his hand and lifted it to his lips for a gentle kiss.

“I didn’t mean home … that’s not your home,” Echo babbled. “I know it’s not your home.”

“I know what you meant,” Mael said, his voice low and seemingly deep with emotion. “And… you’re my home now, Echo. Wherever you are is where I belong.”

Echo watched Mael kiss the back of his hand again, mesmerized by his handsome, charming predator. He didn’t notice which one of them closed the gap. Maybe it had been both of them, their bodies attracted like magnets to one another. Regardless of how, he ended up back in Mael’s arms.

Where he belonged.

Mael stole another soft kiss. “You are right, though. I can come home to you sooner if you leave now.”

Echo attempted to pull away—but Mael’s grip was too tight. “You have to let go.”

Mael groaned but finally released him.

Echo rose on his toes, lips upturned. Mael swooped down for one last kiss before they saw one another again.

He turned to see where Diego was and found Havoc and Tempest watching them. Echo smiled, his face warming. He’d been so focused on Mael, he’d almost forgot they weren’t alone. Looking past them, Echo noticed Diego was back on his boat, sitting in the captain’s chair with his back to everyone. “Diego looks ready to go.” Echo squeezed Mael’s hand. “I’ll see you later.”

Echo struggled to walk away, but he forced himself to. After collecting a few pieces of the gear he’d used to hand over to Havoc, Mael took it from him.

“I’ve got this. Go home and get ready for me.”

“I need to take off the wetsuit.”

“He has plenty.” Mael eyed his brother. “Echo can hold on to this for next weekend, right?”

Havoc nodded.

“You don’t need this for your students?”

“We’re pool training next weekend,” Havoc yelled, gaze trained on some rope knots he was untangling. “You’re good.”

“Thanks,” Echo said. He turned to Mael. “Want me to make us some dinner?”

“Can you cook?” Mael asked. “I saw bag after bag of takeout on your boat.”

“I didn’t want to waste time before getting out on the water,” Echo argued. “Yes, I can cook. A little.” He chuckled. “You’ll live.”

Mael barked with laughter. “Okay, as long as I survive.”

Echo leaned in for one last kiss, hating to leave.