her other cheek.
"I could have tried harder," she told him as she leaned into his caress.
"If things had gotten any harder, I don't think any of us could have taken it," Taarig chuckled.
"You gave us a choice, Cali," Jamis reassured her, "and we accepted. We're bonded now. Together we'll deal with whatever changes that brings."
"I want you to know that I'll do everything I can, so becoming Zagreus is easier for you than it was for my mom and dad."
"Mom and Dad," Taarig frowned at that. "How are you Zagreus if both your parents became Zagreus?"
"Your parents are part of a triad," Jamis finally understood.
"Yes, my father is Zagreus."
"I wasn't aware the Zagreus entered into triads," Taarig said, grimacing slightly when the water hit him as he stepped closer to her.
"My parents are the only ones, and only a select few outside Zagreus society know it." She noticed Taarig's expression. "You've never cleansed with water before?"
"No," he told her. When he'd used the unit earlier, he'd wondered about the extra buttons but ignored them, wanting to get back to Cali. "It's a strange sensation."
"It's the traditional way to cleanse on Earth, at least it was when Mom and Dad lived there. They continued it once they settled with my father. It's become my preference when I need to relax and think." She stepped back, pulling Taarig with her, then rubbed her water-slickened body against his and teased. "How does it feel now?"
Taarig responded by capturing her lips as he lifted her, his cock hardening. Gods, how he loved this female, and now, thanks to her melding with him, he'd be able to love her for eternity.
Jamis watched his mates kiss and felt a sense of rightness he'd never experienced before. Standing before him was his future, and while it wouldn't be perfect, it would be incredibly bright. Stepping into the water, he pressed himself against Cali's back.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
They were getting out of the cleansing unit after an intense round of makeup sex and were heading toward another one on the counter when the cleansing room door suddenly slid open.
"What the ruk, Xanto!" Cali exclaimed. "I told you to stop walking into my resting chamber."
"He's done this before?" Jamis growled as he and Taarig stepped in front of her, blocking Xanto's view of her naked body.
Xanto ignored them and spoke loud enough so Cali could hear him. "I said I wouldn't unless the situation was dire."
"And what's so dire that you couldn't just link me?" she demanded, hopping off the counter to grab two towels, thrusting them at her mates. She knew Xanto wasn't interested in males, but no one saw her mates in all their glory except her.
"The arrival of your parents," Xanto told her.
"What?!" Cali barely had a towel wrapped around her before she pushed her way between Jamis and Taarig, ignoring their growls of disapproval to accuse, "You contacted my parents?!"
"No, you did," Xanto corrected.
"I did no such thing," she denied.
"You did, when your Beast howled," Xanto informed her. "It was recognized by everyone in your bloodline for what it was. A howl of extreme distress."
"Gods," Cali breathed out, remembering exactly how she'd felt at that moment. "So, you're saying my entire family is showing up?"
"I managed to assure your broders that you were okay," Xanto told her.
"Thank the Gods," Cali muttered.
"But your parents refused to take my word for it. They will be arriving in less than an hour."
Cali cursed. "Alright, thank you, Xanto."
With a nod, Xanto left the room, and Jamis waited until the door closed before speaking.
"Do you want to explain why you're so concerned about your parents arriving?" he spoke quietly, but there was no doubt he expected an answer.
"Because it's not going to be pretty," Cali said over her shoulder as she entered her resting chamber. She was surprised to find the bed made with Jamis’s and Taarig's formal uniforms laid out on it. Xanto had been busy while they'd been in the cleansing room.
"Explain," Taarig demanded as he and Jamis followed her into her resting chamber.
With a heavy sigh, she turned and faced them. "Introducing you to my parents was going to be tricky no matter the circumstances. Now they think I was hurt; they’re going to come in hot and aggressive. I just wanted us to have some time alone, just the three of us, to adjust to each other without all the drama."
Taarig moved across the room and wrapped his arms around her. "We'll have that after