Sharkbait Ch. 31-35

"Why don't you take showers and change," I said. "We can hang out and watch a movie or something."

"Sounds good," he said as he practically ran away.

"Those boys will be fantasizing about us all week," I said.

"I don't care what Kai says or threatens, I like Manuel, and if he asks me to be his girlfriend, I'm going to say yes," Makani said. "He's not my Dad, and he's not my Alpha."

"Same for me. Ricardo is a great guy, and there's something about him that makes me think this isn't just a fling."

I could just see Kai's explosion when he found out. "Two things. Don't let it get serious until you come of age, and you have to tell your parents before Kai does."

"You're right," Noelani said. "We'll call Mom and Dad while the guys are asleep. If they won't allow it, there's no point in telling Kai what we think."

I had to keep reminding myself that although I was Alpha blood, I wasn't THEIR Alpha. Sure, I was in charge of the home, but I needed to respect the Three Sisters Pack. While they were talking to their parents, I would ask Luna Carolyn for her advice on how to handle this.

The guys went down for their naps after the showers, and I went back to my bedroom to call the Luna. Her advice was simple; don't get involved. "Let the parents be parents," she said. "They aren't of age, and you aren't a surrogate mother. The girls aren't doing anything illegal, immoral, or unethical, are they?"

"Of course not! We've been training hard and enjoying the summer," I said.

"Then let them have fun. You should have some fun as well, Vicki. It's easy to end up lonely and alone when recovering from rejection. You have to make an effort to make friends, to be social, and to have fun yourself. When was the last time you asked someone out?"

"It was junior year in high school," I said.

"You are jetting around the world, and you don't make time to have fun and enjoy it unless it swims. You don't have to live a spinster's life. If you like a guy, go on a date with him! It won't kill you."

I just snickered, I'd had dates that might. "I'm sure they'll love a date where I bring my security detail along."

"You're a celebrity. Meet people, go to parties, and be seen doing so. Mercedes will love you showing up on the gossip pages."

She would. "Thanks, Luna. You've been a big help." I thought about Larry; he was a good guy, but I felt nothing for him. He was a friend because he was Kai's classmate, and that was all. It wasn't the end; I bet Kai would have a LOT of friends wanting to come over on weekends.

The twins didn't get quite as much encouragement. Their parents didn't forbid them from seeing Manuel and Ricardo, but they wanted to meet them first. It was a good thing they would be arriving in the middle of next week before I left for Boston.

The rest of the weekend went well. The girls spent all their time with Ricardo and Manuel, learning about each other and falling in love. Kai and Amy eventually joined us for more than just meals, and we did a group outing on Sunday. I didn't want to have the guys nervous around a former instructor or their Base Admiral, so I didn't call either for the dive. Instead, we hooked up with a diving charter in La Jolla, renting gear for the guys while we brought our own. The place we dove was remote, an area in the Marine Sanctuary named "Seven Central" for the seven-gilled sharks often seen there. Visibility wasn't bad, and the depths of five to twenty-five meters meant experienced free-divers like us could have a lot of fun.

I asked everyone to take and post photos, which the charter operator was more than happy to do. The shots were better in skin-diving gear, as the tanks and straps didn't cover so much. I was in my whale-shark pattern wetsuit, while Kai and Amy were wearing their matching Tiger Shark pattern.

Kai dove with Amy for the first hour, getting her comfortable underwater again. She was hesitant at first, but she could tell the bottom from the surface. Once Kai had her along the bottom, she could feel her way along the sand and the rocks. Once again, the mind-link we had was a blessing as we were able to talk to each other underwater.

When it came time to dive the deeper waters for the seven-gills, I had the charter divers bring their scuba gear and cameras as I took Amy as my partner. None of the guys could stay under as long as Amy and I could.

The seven-gilled sharks were plentiful, and it was a new experience for me. I'd seen broadnose seven-gills in aquariums, most recently at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but never in the wild. Our presence didn't spook them, with a half-dozen swimming around us when we reached the bottom. We were able to spend about two minutes at a time before returning to the surface to breathe. I used the link to describe everything, and the charter guys got some great videos.

Amy was both thrilled and disappointed as the boat returned from the dive spot. "I love being out here again, but it's so different when I can't see clearly," she said. "I could feel them swimming by, even though they were a dark spot. The bumps were wild." That wasn't always good, as bumping was done by sharks to decide if you were food or not. The sevengills ranged from five to eight feet in length and could become aggressive towards divers, but we didn't see that. I spotted a bunch of leopard sharks, one nurse shark, schools of small tope sharks, and a couple of blue sharks. We also saw sea turtles, sea lions, and a lot of other marine life.

One of the charter boat instructors sat by me on the boat run home when he figured out I wasn't with any of the guys. He was a nice guy, and he asked me out on a date. I gave him my phone number but told him I'd be out of town for a while. That led to a talk about my Shark Week filming, diving around sharks, and diving places I needed to visit. "Any time you and your friends want to dive, call me up," he said. Amy and I took pictures with them all and signed a poster for the dive shop before we left.

Early on Monday morning, there were sad faces as we dropped the guys off at the base again. I gave Larry a friendly hug after he thanked me for everything. "Take care of your buddies," I said. "Everyone makes it through."

Manuel and Ricardo got more than just hugs from the girls, though their makeout session couldn't compare to Amy's. "Next weekend," Kai promised. They all walked away with big smiles on their faces, unlike some of the others who looked like they dreaded the return. Hammer told us that a few students every class make it through Hell Week just to ring the bell on Monday morning.

Our guys would never ring the bell. We'd make sure of it.

"I love you," Amy said, staying motionless as the men walked away. I could see the tears going down her face, and I waited until they were gone before I led her back to the car. "Come on. We've got stuff to do," I said.

Ch. 33

The end of the month came up quickly, and Amy and I drove to the airport to pick up our parents and Amy's brother. Traffic had us running behind, and they called me to say they were waiting at the curb before I made it to the airport. I'd barely stopped the SUV before Susan had the passenger door open and was hugging the hell out of her daughter.

I popped the back hatch and got out, embracing my Mom as Brent and Luke put the luggage in the back. We crammed into my car and got back out on the road, heading south for the Coronado Bay Bridge and our home. "Thank you for coming out," I told my Mom, who was in the middle of the back seat. Susan was in front, and Amy was clinging to her as her wolf took comfort in her scent.

"I missed you," Olivia said. "You are looking good, both of you!"

"We're doing well here," I said. "We keep busy during the week, and most weekends we get Kai and some of his friends with us."

"As long as you're happy," Brent said.

We headed back across the Coronado Bridge and onto the Strand, stopping at Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill for dinner. "Try the grilled swordfish," I suggested.

"Why don't we get a few different dishes and share," Susan said. "We don't get seafood like THIS back home." It was a good idea, and with an appetizer sampler and our dinners, we had a great meal. We got home at almost eight at night. Makani and Noelani were there to greet us, and we were up late at night talking and catching up on what was going on back home.

We talked Luke into going running on the beach with us, so our morning run and exercise was a little more fun. He managed to keep up, which was more than Hammer expected. When we got home, our Moms had taken over the kitchen and had a big breakfast ready. "We have to leave in fifteen minutes to get to the dojo," I said. I only had room for two others in the car, though.

"We cooked, so you boys clean up," Mom said as she put her plate in the sink.

"The hot tub is ready if you want, or just relax," I said. "We will be back about twelve-thirty." The four of us changed into yoga pants and sports bras, putting T-shirts over the top and carrying our uniforms. Hammer didn't believe in belt colors to denote progress; instead, he had ranking boards of all the students on the wall. Beat the man or woman above you in a challenge grapple, and you moved up.

It was a lot like Pack rankings. We were new, but we weren't at the bottom anymore. There were still a LOT of people above us, though.

We parked in the lot less than five minutes before class started, so we were in a hurry to get in. As we entered the building, Susan suddenly stopped. Since she was leading Amy in, it almost resulted in Amy falling before I caught her. "Are you all right," I asked.

"Go," Susan said as she passed Amy to me. "Don't be late." The four of us dressed in our training gi and lined up on the mat as we waited for our Sensei to arrive. I heard a door open and a gasp from behind me. "What is going on, Mom?" I didn't have a link with Susan since I wasn't their Pack anymore.

"Later," she said.

I focused on the lesson, as we practiced different arm locks and leg locks on each other for an hour. After a short break, we practiced grappling with our partners for thirty minutes, then sat around the center ring for the challenge fights. Wanting to move up and impress my parents, I called out Alex Thornton, who was six fighters ahead of me. "You're not ready for me," he said as he walked to the starting line.

"Game on," I said as we bowed to each other.

"FIGHT," Hammer said. Challenge fights were to knockout or submission. Dangerous holds like blocking airways or neck twists are banned. I expected Alex to go for the quick win, so I played defense against his size and reach advantage. He took me to the ground, but I was blocking his moves. For the next three minutes, he tried getting me into a choke, only for me to slip out of it.

Finally, he made a mistake, and I was on it. I got my right leg up between his arm and his shoulder, wrapping it around the back of his head. I rolled him to my left as my right arm pulled his right across his body, and my left leg locked my right leg in place. With one arm, he couldn't fight me off before the cutoff of blood to his brain would knock him out. After three seconds, he tapped out, and I released him.

I didn't celebrate; it wasn't the way here. "Good spar," I said as I untangled myself from him.

"You're learning quickly," he said as he helped me to my feet. Amy fought next, against a woman now ranked just ahead of me. She didn't win, but she gave her all she could handle. After three more fights, the session was over. Hammer dismissed the class and walked to the wall to update the changes.

"That was AMAZING," Susan said as we walked over to them at the side of the room. "I can't believe you can fight like that without seeing her!"

"It's all in the feel," Amy said as she hugged her. "The closer I am, the less my vision matters."

"You did well," Mom told me. "I think we need to incorporate that into some of our training back home. It seems like a good way to defuse situations without having to injure someone." I had to agree; it was fun to learn new disciplines, and no Mixed Martial Artist was without at least a passing ability at grappling. "I'd like to meet your instructor."

"Of course," I said. I walked over to ask Hammer to join us.

"My mom wants to invite him for dinner tonight," Amy sent me. "She's acting weird."

"We'll have plenty of food, but I don't know if he will accept. We can ask." Hammer smiled at our Moms as he walked back with me. "Hammer, this is my Mom, Olivia, and Amy's mother, Susan."

"A pleasure to meet you. Your daughters are excellent..." He had shaken Olivia's hand, but when he touched Susan, it was like a shock went through them both. He recovered quickly. "Students. I wish all of my students had their conditioning and desire to learn."

"I'm glad to find she is continuing to learn and grow now that she's on her own," Liv said.

"And I'm thrilled to see how well Amy is doing after her injury," Susan said. "Have you ever taught a student with vision issues?"

"I had a student who lost his left eye, but nothing like this," Hammer said. "She's inspirational, she doesn't let it stop her, and she makes no excuses. It's great for me because I can point to her and show how a physical problem doesn't stop her from being a good fighter."

I could tell he was getting ready to leave, but Susan was almost shaking; could he be? I looked at Amy. "I think he's Mom's second chance," she told me.

"I know you're busy, but we girls are making a big dinner tonight now that our families are here. Would you like to join us? I'm sure the guys would like to meet you." I prayed he would say yes, or Susan might take it as a rejection, like when Leo dismissed Adrienne after they first met.

"It won't be a problem?"

"Are you kidding? We'll have more than enough," I promised. "It would mean a lot to us if you came. Six o'clock?"

He looked at his calendar. "Man, I'll have to give up take-out chicken and baseball on television," he complained.

"We're having pulled pork, ribs, cornbread, waffle fries, and coleslaw," I countered. "Plus, you can see the television from the hot tub if you bring your suit."

He turned back to Susan, reaching out his hand for hers. "If you don't mind? I don't want to take away from your family time."

She smiled widely at him. "I'd like to talk to you about your experiences in the SEALs, it's fascinating," she said.

"Fine. I'll see you there, and I'll bring some local beer for the adults," he said. "Gotta go." He walked back towards the office as Susan watched his every move.

"We should get home," I said as I pulled my gi off and folded it up, pulling the T-shirt over my head. "We have a LOT to talk about."

No one said anything until we left the parking lot. "Is Hammer?"

"My mate?" Susan asked. "My wolf said so."

"WOOHOO," Amy said as she pulled her tight. "It's about time!"

"I'm forty-four years old, baby, and widowed for thirteen years," Susan said dejectedly. "Hell, I stopped going to the Summits when I turned forty because I didn't think Luna would give me another. I've not given a man a second glance since Todd died, and I don't know what to think now. I wasn't expecting a human male."

"He's pretty hot, isn't he," Mom teased. "I bet you could still bounce a quarter on that ass of his."

It was funny watching Susan get all flustered about it. "Did you pack a swimsuit," I asked her.

"The green one-piece," she said.

"Oh, HELL no," Amy said. "No granny suits for you! Vicki, you've got to help pick out a nice bikini for Mom's hot tub time. Something guaranteed to get a strike when it goes in the water."

I laughed at that. "Susan still has the body of a much younger woman. Put those curves into the yellow bikini? Hammer will bite into that, develop lockjaw, and get dragged to death." I snuck a glance at Susan and saw her jaw drop.

"She's right," Mom said. "You are only here for a week, and the mate bond doesn't work with him the way it does for our kind. Trust me, I know. It took a lot of persistence for Brent to get me to fall in love with him." She leaned forward and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "We all want you to be happy, Susan. If you don't want him, just say so."

"I want him," she whispered.

Amy smiled and turned around. "Good. Makani, I need you to take my Mom to the spa this afternoon. The rest of us will get everything ready for dinner." She turned back towards her mom. "Operation Hunky Stepdad has begun."

Ch. 34

I looked approvingly at Susan as she and Makani came back from the spa. Hammer was a warrior; he'd want a strong woman, not some ditzy, heavily-made-up, desperate divorcee. Susan's hair laid in gentle waves down her head to her shoulders. Her face glowed with health, and her fingers and toes had been manicured and coated with clear polish. She looked naturally beautiful.

We switched places, and I took Susan into her daughter's room to look through her suitcase. She'd brought sensible clothing for summer, but we didn't want to blend in now. I found the yellow Bodyglove bikini and handed it to her. "Put this on while I look for a dress," I said.

She looked at the pieces of neon-yellow fabric connected by thin straps like I was nuts. "I haven't worn a suit this revealing since before my first child," she objected.

"Put it on, trust me," I said.

She went into the bathroom, coming out like her suit was on fire. "I can't wear this! You can see my stretch marks!"

I had her turn around. "You look hot," I said. "Hammer's only going to get a glimpse before you get in the tub, so don't worry so much." I handed her a colorful, light silk dress with Hawaiian flowers on the print. She pulled it over her head and smoothed it out. "See? Perfect."

"It's thin enough to see the suit under it!"

"I know. That will tease Hammer's eyes while you remain covered. The poor guy is not going to know what hit him," I said excitedly.

"I don't know why I'm trusting you with this," she said.

"Because you haven't had a date since the Obama administration?" Susan let out a breath. "Hammer is a great guy. We've told you how he came to our aid at the beach, and how good a trainer he is. Hammer retired to take care of his wife, and then he lost her anyway. He's lonely, but he felt something today. We can all see it."

"I'm so nervous!"

I grabbed Susan's hands so she wouldn't damage her makeup. "Just relax. The bond is going to help you. Treat it like an ember; protect it from the winds, feed it tinder, and turn it into a roaring fire."

We walked back into the living room, where Brent and Luke were watching a baseball game. "Wow, Mom," Luke said as he saw her. "You're beautiful."

"It feels weird to be romancing a male with my son and daughter in the room," Susan said.

"He's your mate, Mom," Amy said. "I'm excited, and he's a strong male. We'll get him comfortable and disappear when it is time."

The cornbread was coming out of the oven when there was a knock on the door. "Come on, Mom," Amy said. The two opened the door to Hammer, who was nervously standing with two six-packs of beer in his hands. "Welcome to our home, Hammer," Amy said.

Susan held the door open as he walked in, kicking his shoes off and leaving them by the door with the others. "Thank you for inviting me. That smells great," he said. "Can I put these somewhere?"

"I'll take them," Susan said. He almost dropped one of them as her hand touched his, but they completed the handoff.

Amy reached for his arm, and he offered it. She led him into the living room, confident in her steps in her home. "You met Luke this morning. This man is Vicki's father, Brent Lawrence," she said.