Page 27
Story: Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda (Heat, Prey, Love #5)
The day Echo Fisher became Echo Marino felt especially remarkable. From their vantage point on the highest cliff on Maki Island, he could see the ocean for miles around them. The sky was a deep, rich blue and blurred the line between it and sea. It was an unusually warm early fall day, but there was still a hint of chill underneath the sun’s heat. The three dozen chairs behind him were filled with friends and family from both sides.
Diego stood up for him, of course, but there was no groom, no best man, and no Marino siblings at all.
The whole first row on Mael’s side was empty.
Echo stood at the altar, an absolute nervous wreck, his stomach a ball of nerves. The ceremony was supposed to start, and Maelstrom was nowhere in sight. The only saving grace was the fact the Matriarch herself was performing the service. If she was there, he doubted the Marinos had run away.
He was second-guessing the agreement with Mael that neither of them was going to walk down the aisle. They would meet at the altar without that tradition. The only problem with that was, if he was dealing with a runaway groom, he didn’t want everyone to witness his mortification. If he’d been waiting to walk, he could’ve hidden away for the pity in their eyes.
Echo straightened his white tuxedo’s tie and tugged on the cummerbund which was hiding the fact he could no longer button the pants around his stomach. He was suddenly sure he looked ridiculous. He’d opted for a jacket that flowed to the ground like a wedding dress in the back. There was white lace applique along the sleeves, lapels, and the back. He fidgeted with the tie again.
“Relax,” Amiria whispered. “They’re just running a few minutes late.”
“If they don’t hurry up, I’m going to have to pause in the middle to pee,” Echo muttered. “Does he not understand I have two babies pushing on my bladder at all times?”
He glanced toward his parents. His father winked and they both grinned up at him.
Tempest suddenly came storming toward the aisle. She came to an abrupt halt just behind the chairs and spread her arms out wide beside her, lowering her center of gravity. She slapped both palms on her chest and the guests turned to stare at her.
“Tika tonu!” she roared, eyes wide. She slapped her chest over and over.
Male voices behind her yelled, “U - e!”
“Tika tonu!” Tempest roared again, still slapping her chest and whipping out her arms.
The entire audience rose and yelled, “U - e!”
They all slapped their chests and pumped out their elbows in time with Tempest.
Echo’s breath caught in his chest.
A haka.
“Tika tonu atu ki a koe, e tama,” everyone yelled, Diego included.
Diego turned and backed down the dais toward the other guests as they moved their arms and stomped their feet in the rhythmic dance of their ancestors.
Tears burned the backs of Echo’s eyes. He lifted a hand to his lips as he watched everyone, including the Matriarch— and his parents , perform the powerful rite. By the next line, Echo could see the towering heads of the rest of the Marino clan appear near the back. Line by line, they moved forward, performing as they went. Finally, the crowd spread enough that he could lock gazes with Maelstrom.
“E tāu nei.”
Mael was only feet from him as the next to the last line was roared.
“āna! āna! āna!”
His orca stepped just below the low dais and roared the final line.
“Aue... Hī!”
Echo fought the quivering of his lower lip as he wrapped his arms around Mael’s neck. Mael held him tight, pressing a sweet kiss against his temple.
“I’m ready to go into battle beside you. Us against the world, baby,” Mael whispered against his ear. He leaned back, smiling. “Are you ready?”
Echo nodded.
He turned to see Amiria beaming.
“Ko te mea nui ko te aroha,” she said. “The greatest thing is love.”
Echo heard the words that she said, but all he could do was stare into Mael’s eyes, stunned he was finally marrying his handsome orca. He went through the motions for the entire thing, feeling as if he was floating. He said the words he was supposed to, at least he hoped. Mael smiled and returned them. They said their ‘I-do’s’ and they placed rings on fingers, symbols of their never-ending love.
“I now pronounce you husband and husband. He aroha te aroha – love is love.” She smiled at them both, eyes glittering. “You can now kiss your mate.”
Mael pulled him close and kissed him deeply, cupping the back of his head.
The rest of the night still felt a bit like floating, though he was a little more coherent. He danced, he ate, he danced some more.
Echo couldn’t remember a day he felt happier.
That was, until a year later when his babies were born. Fifteen months, almost to the day. Right smack dab in the middle of dolphin and orca gestational periods.
Echo leaned back into the circle of Mael’s arms. Their lower bodies were under water in the birthing tide pool on Maki island. Dr. Thames was there, in her wetsuit and stethoscope, leading him through his contractions, along with Maki Island’s midwife and her team.
Hours passed with him pushing out the two large orca calves. His water broke twice, both babes ready to come out together, but things didn’t progress quite as planned. Dr. Thames had to help coax the first calf out. After nine hours of labor, their first child, a boy, was born. He arrived in dolphin form but quickly shifted into a tiny human as soon as he was lifted out of the water.
Two hours after that and they had a daughter, too.
While the midwife and her two male helpers handled the third stage of labor, Dr. Thames checked both babies over with her nurse’s assistance. The babes were weighed and given an initial exam. After they were cleared, Echo watched Mael hold both of their children against his chest, skin-to-skin, and smiled at how happy and terrified he looked at the same time. Both grandmothers rushed in to take a grandbaby once Dr. Thames approved Echo to be moved. Mael climbed back into the water and lifted Echo in his arms.
They were all loaded into Havoc’s boat and returned to Dolphin Bay. Echo had his first chance to nurse both babies, which was a challenge, but one he was up to. He was never so glad to arrive home, even if his house was teeming with family and friends. It allowed him to rest in his own bed while the grandparents, aunt, and uncles fought over who would hold the little ones next.
Mael slipped into the bedroom at some point and snuggled up beside him in bed. They’d both had little sleep and wouldn’t get much in the years to come either.
“I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone,” Mael whispered against his ear. “Thank you for our beautiful children.”
Echo chuckled, the sound faint. “You put in a little work there, too.”
“You did most of it,” Maelstrom whispered, rubbing the tip of his nose against Echo’s earlobe.
“I did,” Echo whispered, eyes closing and a broad smile on his face. “And now we have a family.”
“We’ve always been a family,” Mael said. “You and me. Now you’ve made us four.”
One of the babies cried, and Echo felt his milk drop. The other babe joined in seconds later. There was a knock on their bedroom door soon after that. Amiria peeked in, and the crying grew louder. “We’ve got some hungry babies out here. Can we come in?”
“Of course,” Echo said, struggling to sit up.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Mael said, searching the bedding. He lifted the remote for their new bed and lifted Echo’s head. “We bought this damned thing to help, remember?”
Echo chuckled. “I wasn’t thinking.”
Tempest followed Amiria in, carrying their other infant.
Once Mael helped with the pillows and their daughter had latched on, Echo urged Tempest closer. Soon, the two were nursing away.
“I’m terrified I’m going to drop them,” Echo murmured. “I feel like I should do one at a time.”
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Amiria said. She sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her grandson’s raven peach fuzz. “So, I never heard the final decision on names.”
Echo smiled at Mael.
“Akona Amiria and Tāne Edward,” Mael murmured.
Tears shone in Amiria’s eyes.
“Jeez, you’re right, Eck,” Tempest said. “You just might be my mother’s kryptonite.”
“Stuff it,” Amiria said to Tempest. She dabbed under her eye and smiled at both Echo and Maelstrom. “I’m honored. Thank you.”
“Thank you for swooping in to save us and ensure we could become a family,” Echo said. “Mom.”
Amiria beamed. “Best decision I ever made.”
Once the babies were fed, Tempest and Amiria gathered Akona and Tāne to burp them.
“Get some rest, you two. We can handle this for a bit,” Amiria said before she and Tempest slipped out of the bedroom.
Mael readjusted the pillows and lowered the bed before sliding in beside Echo. He was careful, moving slowly and curling around Echo’s sore body. Echo rested his head above Mael’s heart and fell asleep listening to the sound of his mate’s strong, beating heart, surrounded by love.
He’d feared they’d never get to their happily ever after, but was so glad he’d been proven wrong.