I Hunted My Fatal Mate (Blind Date Corporation #23)

Chapter One

Hemma looked at Kessie and glanced at the vehicle approaching. “Looks like we are going to have some fun today.”

“Is that an armoured vehicle?” Kessie’s eyes were gleaming.

“It is. And don’t worry about your parents. Ekbert is on duty at the house.”

“Okay.” Kessie smiled, and her shoulders relaxed. “Are we going to be seeing Lii today?”

“We are.”

Baola emerged from the vehicle and grinned, introducing herself to Kessie.

Hemma followed behind with two packs, and Salat stowed them in the back. “Ready for a road trip?”

“Yup. Do you do this a lot?”

“Haul an armoured vehicle over to Daycross so that the girls can go play with horses? Nope. But I have four girls and two boys so far. This is a taste of things to come.”

Hemma grinned, and when the girls climbed in back, she slid into the front seat with one of the deadliest men in Aksalla.

“So, you work for Keska?”

“Yes. A few years now. She took in me and my brother when I needed help.”

“Uraddan?”

“Yup.”

“Actives?”

She grinned. “You could say that. We both have Hyreno bias.”

“Ah. You have open gills?”

“No, my brother doesn’t either, I am waiting for open ocean.”

“Saving yourself for something special?”

“Something like that. I am pretty sure I am going to cause a tsunami.”

“Oh. Right.”

She chuckled. “I have a water and wind activation.”

“Ah. That explains it. Your brother?”

“Heavy-hitter and water breather with a link toward plants. He has a life with seaweed in his future.”

“How did you get to Aksalla?”

“Oh, a lot of being used as a spy for the Uraddan government. I look younger than I am and got dragged as a member of the ambassador’s household from country to country. I collected information on the strongest actives in the area and got genetic samples when I could. Yes, that’s what I mean.”

“Ah. So, refugee status?”

“Yup. With a work visa. My brother is just finishing college.”

“Is he going to Hyreno?”

“Yup. He only stayed as long as he did because I am landlocked for now.”

He nodded.

“So, enjoying domestic life?”

He grinned, and that is all he talked about until they pulled off the ferry and onto Daycross Island.

They stopped at the manor house and got out of the car. The girls shrieked as Lii darted out to meet them, and the air was filled with high-speed chatter.

A huge wolf-man came out of the house, wearing a button-down shirt and slacks, accompanied by a dark-haired woman and a baby. The man spoke. “Hey, Salat, glad you came. Who is this?”

Hemma stepped forward and said, “Hey, Lord Daycross.”

He looked at her and blinked. “Hemma?”

“Yup. Free refugee in Aksalla. I have no interest in anyone’s secrets.”

Salat broke the staring match. “Hemma, this is Vallu, Lady Daycross. She’s holding the next Lord Daycross.”

Hemma bowed. “Good morning.”

Vallu looked at her. “Who was your hostage?”

“Brother. He’s grown now. Waiting to head to Hyreno to start his grand researching career.” She smiled. “Top of his class.”

Etgar paused. “So, you did all that...”

“Because someone I loved would be tortured and destroyed if I didn’t. Same as a lot of Uraddan women.” She shrugged. “How is your mother?”

“She might not be happy you are here.”

“Still using eyebeams?”

Vallu grinned. “Oh, so you have been here before.”

“Yes. Now I merely work for Salat’s business partner and co-founder of the BDC.”

Etgar blinked. “It isn’t all Zera?”

Salat chuckled. “No. It is a consortium with only one male on the founding roster. Everything about it is designed to protect the escort, so who do you think designed the protocols that allow the escorts to do whatever they need to, with the patron having to practice a lot of restraint?”

Etgar paused. “Well, hell.”

Hemma smiled. “The ladies are extremely intelligent and goal-focused, but my boss was the one who took the theory to the field. And then they made adjustments, and that is when neutralizing the effectiveness of a patron came in. Fool them once.”

Etgar paused and then laughed.

Vallu looked at the baby in her arms. “And sometimes it works out the other way.”

Etgar smiled down at his wife and son. “That was a very good day.”

Vallu chuckled. “Here. You and Salat can exchange diapering tips. Baola has the girls for now, and maybe Hemma can help me with lunch.”

Etgar gladly took his son and huffed. “Chef takes care of lunch.”

“Then, she can help me set the table.”

Hemma smiled. “The only thing I am paying attention to is Kessie. She’s the sum and total of my focus. I don’t give a fuck how many times you and your wife have gone at it on the dining room table. I know you have excellent cleaning staff.”

Etgar chuckled, and Vallu sighed. With a glance and a nod from Kessie, she headed into the building.

Time to get ready for lunch.

Etgar was riding with the girls, and Salat was talking with some alphas, who were there to exercise their horses for the weekend match.

Hemma sat with Vallu and the baby, talking about Keska and life in Aksalla.

Hemma smiled. “I like grocery shopping. It’s my favourite thing. We were stuck on rations with one restricted restaurant every few weeks.”

Vallu winced. “Nasty. Well, I am glad that you and the others are free of them.”

“Me, too.”

“So, what is Keska up to today?”

“Not much. She’s pinned under Sorooth, trying to make Kessie a sibling.”

Vallu smiled. “Omega?”

“Yup. And since you have already met Kessie, you have met Sorooth.”

Vallu nodded. “He’s gorgeous and charming.”

“Yup, and makes charming kids. He’s the reason for the neutralizing.”

Vallu giggled. “Got it.”

“Keska made the masks with the blurring effect.”

“Wow. What else can she make?”

“Anything her hands want to.” Hemma watched Kessie getting the rhythm of the horse under her. “I am pretty sure that she’s going to buy Kessie a horse.”

Vallu grinned. “I have to say I am glad for it. Etgar in riding gear is my favourite fantasy. I am a sucker for his tail coming out of those tight pants.”

Hemma laughed and heard the cord as it emerged. “Sorry.”

“My friend Sabine laughs like that. You have multiple vocal cords?”

“Yup. Hyreno bias. Also have sealed gills.”

“So, why aren’t you in the city?”

“Because my brother isn’t done with school, and the Hyreno were one of the lab’s favourite targets. I ended up blowing about ten different males from different family lines.”

“Oh, wow. So that was how you got the samples.”

“Yup. The hardest part was getting away after that.”

Vallu blinked. “Oh, right. You must be fast.”

“I am. I am also good at crying on command, and as soon as I had the sample, I burst into tears and snivelled that I was scared. I was just eighteen at that point, so I could sell it.”

Vallu blinked. “Those guys are huge.”

“Yup. Is there a reason there are half a dozen of them over there?”

“Oh, sure. They are part of the polo club.”

She turned her head away from the guys who were approaching Salat. “This could get awkward.”

“Oh, shit. Is one of those guys...”

“Three of them. Three of them were Uraddan targets.”

“Oh. Shoot. Well, head down, and I will hold the baby. We will get through the next hour.”

“I don’t know. They were embarrassed, and they hate being embarrassed. I think it’s an ego thing.” She shrugged and tried not to look at the collection of water-breathing thugs.

“Does your brother know about this?”

“I brought in forty independent genetic samples. There are a lot of egos that I damaged when things were discovered in the lab.”

“Oh, right. Damn. I am guessing there were records.”

“There were.” She grimaced. “One of them tastes like fish. I leave it to your imagination to guess which one it is.”

Vallu grinned and looked at the men, cocking her head and starting to guess. It made for an entertaining half hour. Her baby needed feeding, and Vallu handled it casually.

“So, do you have a nanny?”

“Yup. It’s his day off.”

“Oh, a male?”

“Yeah, it’s Salat’s recommendation. He acknowledges that kids are fast, I am a little stronger than I look, Etgar is definitely stronger than he looks, and Lady Daycross senior fires eye lasers.”

“Ah. And some old enemies don’t really believe that the company has changed direction.”

“Right. Fortunately, I am a pretty good healer, and I can heal bullet wounds.”

Hemma smiled and kept an eye on Kessie. She was grinning as she learned how to ride.

“Thank you for allowing us to come.”

“Lii is having fun. Kessie is super smart and a good influence. Baola is just too old for her years.”

“Yeah. Seers are freaky.”

“So, did you want to stay for dinner? I usually send Lii home at eight.”

“It would be up to Salat. He’s our ride.”

“Of course.”

Hemma sent a text to Salat, and he checked his watch and nodded toward her. She smiled at Vallu. “It’s good.”

Vallu grinned and moved her hands around to send a text to the chef. She paused. “Oh, it looks like we are having a few more for dinner.”

“Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes. But they will be on their best behaviour. Etgar and I will make sure of it. They might not even remember.”

“Yup. We can hope they get blown by a lot of Uraddan brunettes.”

Vallu smiled. “Maybe we can just say you are from Aksalla.”

“I think I can remember that. I will have to let Kessie know.” She glanced at the group of men, and it had dwindled to six, but two were now Sethir. “I can’t catch a break.”

“Wow. They really farmed you out.”

“Farm? Why? Are there Erradians? Sarothoans? Islanders?”

Vallu blinked and laughed. “Got it.”

“Yeah, and all under duress.”

“Ah. Right. You could make a fortune just doing that for the BDC.”

“That isn’t really in my career goals. I did too much with too many in too short a time.”

“Right. I hadn’t considered that. I had twenty-five patrons in my career, and it was a lot. The last few years were exclusively Etgar. I would know those furry abs anywhere. And I gave him every heat.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.”

“Says the woman who has never had one.”

“No gills, no heat.” She smirked.

“Oh, wow. So, wait, you are Hyreno affiliated?”