 |
ExplicitNovelsAudio novels of human relationships and fantasies. Author: Steamy Stories
Daily episodes of explicit romance, from the creators of Steamy Stories Podcast Language: en-us Genres: Health & Fitness, Personal Journals, Sexuality, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Quaranteam Down Under: Part 7
Thursday, 8 January, 2026
Quaranteam Down Under: Part 7Aussie soldier, overwhelmed.Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. List of Characters:House Marshall:Tiberius ‘Ty’ Marshall, 35, Lieutenant Colonel Australian Army Special Air Service. Black Hair, Grey Eyes. Big teddy bear.Charlotte ‘Lottie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Service, Red hair, long hair, service submissive.Leticia ‘Lettie’, Valiant, 35, Captain Australian Army Special Air Service, Red hair, shoulder length hair, tomboy.Talia Becker, 27, Major Israeli Defense Force, Black hair, long hair, braided, willful, but devoted.Alice Rai, 31, Doctor of Medicine, Black hair, blue eyes, partial Indian descent, complete submissive.Elizabeth Connors, 21, younger sister of Jaxson Connors. University Student, FinanceHouse Morgan:Benjamin Morgan, 36, Doctor. Little is known about his background.Grace Lawry, 33, Captain, US Air Force. Tiberius' old friend. Partnered with Benjamin Morgan and the person who involved Ty in the Quaranteam Project.Others:Zoe Evans, 19, daughter of Tiberius' good friends Toby and Matilda Evans and Tiberius' 'niece'. University Student.William 'Bill' Anderson, Colonel. Somewhat stiff, but very capable officer. Currently handling intelligence and internal security.Barry 'Baz Davis, Brigadier. Ty's friend, officer in charge of Victoria Barracks.Jonathan Hoffmann, Lieutenant General. Friend of Tiberius' and the twins' grandfather. Current highest-ranking member of the Australian military.Jaxson Connors, Major, currently under arrest for abuse of authority and attempted murder. Was working with foreign parties to develop the Assassin Variant of DuoHalo.Lottie had replaced his lock screen photo earlier, and it made him smile. He'd taken it just before dinner, a simple photo of all four girls in the kitchen, working together. It might feel strange to add more people to the mix, but he knew Grace had told him a dozen. Unbidden, his mind threw Grace into the image, and even Béatrice, and he hated himself for the thought that it didn't seem out of place.The General's next words brought him back from his self-loathing. "But, well, I'm sorry to say this son, but I'm about to make your day a whole lot more complicated."Ty sat up straighter, and the General continued. "Bill, Colonel Anderson has managed to pick apart some of the loose threads regarding Connors. I'm told that the money trail was exceptionally convoluted, but they traced it back far enough to get a good idea. However, upon doing that, we learned that there are still active agents within our borders."The doorbell rang, and Ty leapt out of his seat. No one had told him they were having visitors."Relax, son. That'll be your door, right? Go down and answer it. Bring your tablet with you so I can explain."Ty did so, striding down the stairs as Lottie opened the door. The General spoke as he did, completely businesslike now."As of 7:35 PM today, the residence of Jaxson, Wendy and Elizabeth Connors was burned to the ground in what we believe to be a deliberate case of arson. No witnesses to the incident have come forward. We now have solid reason to believe that the perpetrators, insurgents we believe to be from an entity or entities in the middle east, were sending a message, but with Jaxson incapacitated, it falls to us to sort out this mess. So, Lt. Colonel, while we handle that, I will have you handle our other problem.""Sir; you can't be serious."Lottie stepped aside and looked back at Ty; her eyes wide. A young woman stepped into the house, brushing her sandy brown hair back out of her face. Her expression was one of curiosity, at least until her eyes met Ty's and she froze. He knew those eyes, but he'd never seen them in that head. She was appraising him, and he had no idea what she was looking for, but she smiled and nodded, continuing into the house as she spoke with Lottie.The General's voice bored into him, driving home the words. "You are hereby ordered to partner with Miss Elizabeth Connors. She has already agreed and signed the NDA, and it will be up to you to enforce it."Tiberius couldn't stifle the groan. "Sir, all due respect, this is a terrible idea. Does she ..”"Lt. Colonel, this pairing is a military decision and we have established that you have sufficient compatibility, therefore you do not have the right of veto under these circumstances.""Oh, for fuck's sake."Chapter 7.Marshall Household, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia, October 27, 2020, 9:15 PMTiberius sat at the table, watching silently as his partners shared a conversation with a young woman he never thought he'd have to meet, let alone be partnered to. It was surreal, if he was honest; the younger sister of the man Ty would probably have considered the biggest nuisance in his life, sitting at his dining table, having a lively conversation with all of his partners.Shit. She's supposed to become one of them. And then there's Béatrice in the next few days, and Grace's problem to think about too. I'm in over my fucking head.He dragged his attention back to the conversation, and tried to catch up as Elizabeth was speaking."Well, I never got along with mum or Jaxson. I think it was partially the age gap with Jaxson, and partially that they were both so cold to me since I was closer to dad. I'm pretty sure they actually hated me, so I went with dad when they split." Elizabeth's hands clenched as she said this, and the entire table could feel the sadness in the woman's voice as she spoke.Alice nodded, patting Elizabeth's hand gently as she placed a cup in front of the young woman. "I feel for you, having to be in such a household as a child must have been difficult, and I hesitate to ask, but why did you return?"Giving Alice a sad smile, she shrugged as she continued. "A 16-year-old doesn't have much say in the matter when the parent they live with dies of a brain aneurysm."Alice's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry! That must have been terrible!"Shaking her head, Elizabeth reached for the steaming cup of tea in front of her. "It's okay. At least dad didn't suffer long. They said it was a; what was it? Ruptured; saccharine aneurysm?"Alice shook her head. "Saccular, dear. A saccular aneurysm." She slid a finger across her choker, deep in thought. "I'm sorry to ask, but did your father have high blood pressure? Did he smoke or drink?"Though she seemed taken aback at the sudden question, she answered, shaking her head. "He didn't smoke, and only drank a few times a week at most, and not much when he did. I; don't know about his blood pressure." She gave Alice a long look afterwards, and the doctor felt her face reddening as she realized what she'd been doing. "Look, I'm not offended or anything, but why the twenty questions?"Lottie, sitting next to Alice, nudged the doctor slightly. "Alice is a doctor, so I daresay it's an occupational habit. She's been making a point of getting all our medical histories, and since it seems you'll be joining our family, it looks like she's started on yours."Elizabeth nodded, seeming to understand, but looking wistful. "Family; after dad died that kinda feels like a foreign concept, you know?" Her eyes found Tiberius' own, and she tilted her head slightly as the words tumbled out. "Jaxson and mum only got worse when I had to go back. I was still numb from dad's death, and they made it clear that I wasn't welcome and never would be. I can't say they abused me, though. The housekeeper made sure I was fed and clothed and mum and Jaxson ignored me completely. So at least I got to grieve for my dad in peace."Looking around, she saw the expressions on the others' faces and shrugged. "I was fine. I didn't really want their attention at that point. And since I got my inheritance from dad's estate at 18, I decided that once I went to Uni, I'd never go back to mum's unless absolutely necessary. I can't say I'm completely independent, but in the three years since then, I've been back only once each year, when they close the dorms. And for the last year, I've been in a share house, so I wouldn't have had to return at all, except that the military came to get me."Lettie gave her a pat on the shoulder. "That's a pretty tough call to make when family is involved. Are you sure you're okay? Did you have someone to support you? A boyfriend? Girlfriend? Just friends in general?""I never really thought of them as family so I don't really regret cutting them out of my life. But it's lonely, you know? I mean, yeah, I had tons of friends at Uni, but almost no boyfriends. I was cautious, since people knew who mum was and a lot of the boys ended up being really fixated on that. Instead, there were a few girls I was really close with, like sisters really, but it's been hard to get in touch with them, and more than one has dropped off the face of the planet. It's terrifying, and as far as everyone knows, there's no end in sight."The young woman paused, looking down at the teacup between her hands before returning her gaze to meet Tiberius' own. "I; I signed all the documents and understand this is all hush-hush, but; is it all true? That there actually is an end in sight? And that this vaccine needs;” She blushed, looking away. "; that it needs sex to work?"The fact that the young woman had gone red to her ears was not lost on anyone in the room, and they got the distinct impression that this young woman, despite her confident demeanor, was rather; inexperienced.Tiberius tried his best to keep a straight face, but he could feel the smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. "Well, I think you'll feel better if the ladies explain the nuances to you, but it's true. I'd like to say that you have a choice, but I don't know that I'd be telling you the truth. For now, I'll leave the room and you can talk it through with the others. Once you've made up your mind, one of them can come get me. I'll just be in the lounge, killing time."Now, she couldn't meet his gaze, but she nodded, and Ty stood, turning and going to his lounge. It had been some time since he'd been able to just kick back and game, so he figured, why not? He had time, and right now he just wanted to shove everything else aside. It was a problem for later."Um, he can't hear us from where he is, right?" Elizabeth's voice was barely a whisper as she spoke, her eyes darting around the room. The four other women sitting around her were incredibly beautiful, and she felt like a duck among swans.Lottie nodded and Elizabeth was glad the two redheads had differing hairstyles or she'd be totally confused on which one was speaking at any moment. "He's probably gone to play a game or something, so it's fine. Even if he isn't, he wouldn't be eavesdropping. Not his style.""Not even when it's to listen in on the sister of his worst enemy?"This time it was Lettie who spoke, stifling laughter as she did. "Worst enemy? Jaxson Connors? God no. Connors was a thorn in his side, yes, but the title of 'worst enemy' belongs to someone else. That's a story for another time though. Suffice it to say you're in no danger of being overheard."The young brunette relaxed as she slumped a little in her chair. "Ok. Good. He has this; aura, you know? It's big and wild and I have no idea how to describe it, but; he's kinda intimidating, but not in a scary way. It; It kind of draws me in? You know what I mean?"This time Talia did laugh. "Darling girl, he's a soldier, and a very good one. While under the correct circumstances, intimidating is correct, I think the word you're looking for here is 'charismatic'. And he certainly is that, too. But that's not what you wanted to talk with us about. So let us start with what you were told about your current situation."Elizabeth gave a noncommittal shrug. "I know my brother got involved with people he shouldn't have and that he caused problems. I don't know who these people are though, and nobody is willing to give me details. And I'm here because they needed a place to keep an eye on me, and then they thought you guys would be good for that job." Her voice faltered as she continued. "Then they started talking about this vaccine, and the stuff around that was; confusing. Bonding and imprinting. They made me do this really weird questionnaire and if the person asking me to do it hadn't been a woman, I'd have slapped them. I mean, how the actual fuck is climacophilia a real thing?"She paused as they all laughed and Lottie gave her a quick explanation of Oracle. The light of understanding dawned on Elizabeth's face as Lottie wound up her explanation. "So, it's basically like the profile for a dating site, only they turned it up to 11. I get it now. So, after that, the system spat out a couple of sheets of paper with some faces and profiles on them. Each of those profiles had a percentage, which must be that compatibility you just mentioned. Anyway, all the guys on the sheets were military, clearly, and they asked me to choose. A couple of the options looked like the kind of smug pricks that tried to get with me when mum was still alive, so it was an instant no there, and then I came across Tiberius' face on the page. He's got that kinda rugged hunk thing going for him, you know? I didn't expect him to have quite so much presence in person though."She let out a little giggle before she continued and the others smiled knowingly. "After that, I read his name and profile and thought, wow, he sounds pretty fun, and that the name seemed familiar. So, I accepted, thinking it would be okay. It was only when I got here that I realized where I'd heard his name before. I'd been back at mum's once or twice to hear Jaxson yelling about this 'Tiberius' he worked with, and mum telling him that he should just get rid of him. They stopped talking about it the moment they figured out I was there, but I guess he never got around to doing anything since he's clearly still here.""Actually, Elizabeth, he almost did. Twice. Almost ended the big guy's career when he shot him in the leg, claiming it was an 'accident', and the second time by trying to give him the plague when we had no vaccine available." Lettie's voice was filled with anger, but it was clearly directed elsewhere.Elizabeth just sat there with her mouth hanging open, horrified. It was one thing for Jaxson to have talked about it, and another entirely for him to have actually acted on those thoughts. How could he possibly want to be stuck with her after that?"Maybe this isn't such a good idea. He can't possibly think well of me, being the sister of the guy who tried to kill him twice. Maybe I should just leave."Talia placed a hand on her shoulder as she made to rise and gently pushed her back into her seat. "Relax. It is clear to us that you are not cut from the same cloth as your brother. The question is not whether he will accept you, but whether you will accept him. Can you trust that he will judge you only on your merits?"Silently, Elizabeth nodded, settling back into her seat and wrapping her hands back around the teacup. The cup was sadly empty, but that didn't go unnoticed as Alice stood and went to the kitchen to refresh it. For several minutes, she watched the four ladies in silence, still unsure of her own position in this place."Um. Can I ask what your relationships with him are like? I don't know anything about the dynamics of a poly relationship and I don't want to step on anyone's toes.""You may safely consider our toes untrodden." Alice laughed as she returned to the table, setting a tray of biscuits down along with a fresh pot of tea. "Our relationships are also quite new and it has been a whirlwind for us as well. Additionally, none of us have been in a poly relationship, so we're all learning together. But what we each have with Tiberius is unique. There are similarities and overlaps, but each of us has our own interactions with him." Alice flicked a glance at Lottie and Elizabeth noticed that, like Alice, she had a silken choker on. It was a lovely accessory, especially with the silver embroidery, but it clearly had more meaning than just that; Elizabeth just didn't know what that meaning was. Both women saw Elizabeth's gaze and smiled."Yes, this is a bit of a hint as to Charlotte and my dynamic with him. It's what we desire, and it's how he approaches us. I'm sure you will see it for yourself soon enough. And in time, you will find your own approach to your relationship with him. His size, in all respects, might intimidate, but that man is always gentle when it is what you desire. He will happily meet you on your terms.""Does; does it have to be sex?" Elizabeth wasn't sure she wanted to do that with someone she'd just met. "I'm still; not sure about all this; but; I don't want it to be about sex the first time." Her body had been feeling warm for a while now, and she was starting to feel restless. She could feel it in her core and wasn't sure if it was the tea or something else. "And, uh, is it normal to be feeling hot after getting the shot? Um, kinda like when you; you know, get horny?" She couldn't help the blush that crept onto her face at the words. "It feels like an itch I really want to scratch but can't. It's not unbearable, but it's persistent."The others looked concerned, but also understanding. Alice continued speaking, the doctor reacting automatically to the situation. "It has been a number of hours since you received the injection, has it not? From what data we have, we have surmised that something within our biology, or something within our environment, causes us to react to the serum faster than others. Normally, I'm told that it should take at least 12 hours before you start to feel the effects, and 48 hours before it becomes serious, but every case I have read involving Australians has been something like one-quarter of that time."Elizabeth just looked confused and Lottie shrugged. "It's normal, Elizabeth. Part of the serum's effect is to increase the woman's libido, so what you're feeling is supposed to happen."Lottie and the others gave Elizabeth a more detailed explanation on the serum and its effects, and the young woman nodded. Smiling, Lottie took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Alright, why don't we go upstairs and talk to Tiberius. You won't be alone with him, and even when you are, he will not hurt you. That itch will just get worse the longer you wait. But though it will be uncomfortable, we still have time, and I'm sure there will be an option for you to change your mind if that's what you decide in the end."There was a moment as apprehension shot through her, but she agreed.Ty sat on the sofa, leaning forward as he concentrated. Once he left the kitchen, he turned his brain off. Elizabeth and the real world were problems for future Tiberius. Instead, he was tapping buttons and twisting knobs to the beat as he played a rhythm game; one of those niche interests he'd picked up on one of his postings overseas and it had stuck with him. His friends from that posting had even sent him a custom controller, something he still used to this day. It was a fun distraction, and a good one, as he never even saw Lottie and Elizabeth walk into the room, despite the door being within his line of sight. Ty had no idea how long they stood there and watched him, but eventually, Lottie got his attention by pulling his headset off."Oh shit! Sorry, Lots. Got kinda distracted." Turning towards Elizabeth, he smiled warmly. "Hello again Elizabeth, did you have a good chat with the other ladies? Also, do you prefer Elizabeth, Liz or Beth or something else?""I'm okay with most options, but if I had to choose? Liz, please. But Dad used to call me Lizzy, so if you can avoid using that, I'd appreciate it. It would be way too weird if you were to call me that.""Understandable. Liz it is. So, have a seat, you two. Since you're here to see me, you must have things you'd like to discuss?" Shifting over to his recliner, Ty motioned for the pair to sit. "Ah, let me start with this, though. Welcome to our home, Liz. I apologize for not being a better host. I was a little blindsided by your arrival, but you are most welcome."She blushed as the big man smiled at her again. "T-Thank you. I'm sorry to impose."The smile rapidly shifted into a grin. "You don't need to be so nervous. I don't bite. Unless you're into that."Her cheeks heated, and Lottie gave him a look. "Don't tease her, Ty. She's here for a serious talk.""My bad, my bad. I'm sorry. So, what was it you wanted to speak about?"The silence seemed to stretch on as Elizabeth gathered her thoughts, but both Ty and Lottie held themselves still. Finally, she looked up at Ty and asked the question that had been on her mind since she'd discovered the truth. "Do you really not hold it against me for what Jaxson did?"Whatever questions Ty had been expecting, that was not one of them, so it took him a moment to respond. "Why should I? You had nothing to do with it. You said that you weren't close, and I have never once heard that guy speak of even having a sister, so I don't doubt you were telling the truth. Why then, should you suffer consequences from me for his actions?"She scrutinized him for several seconds before the tension in her shoulders seemed to subside and her relief shone through. "Ok. Good. The second thing is, can we not have sex for this; bonding thing? I don't want to just leap into that." Her eyes flicked down and then widened before she continued. "I don't mean ever, just; not immediately.""No problem. Go with what you're comfortable with, no pressure. Uh; w..” Ty wanted to ask if she had experience with any kind of intimacy, but Lottie was giving him a look that promised swift death if he was that callous.Fortunately, Liz didn't seem to catch his near faux pas and just continued unabated. "Thanks. I'm okay with hand jobs and I've given enough blowjobs to know my way around. Guys don't really stick around if you don't give them at least something, right?""I can't speak for all guys, but I've always been alright to wait, within reason. If a girl is gonna blue ball me for years for no reason, then yeah, no thanks, but if it's genuinely because she isn't comfortable, that's okay. I won't necessarily be over the moon about it, but I won't dump her because she isn't ready.""But I do have to do something here, right?" She looked at him accusingly, as if daring him to tell her otherwise.He shrugged. It wasn't going to do any good to sugarcoat it. "It's that, or test your willpower until you can't help but lose your mind with desire? At least that's how I understand it? I mean, if you're simply not attracted to me, there are other options for it, or I could call the General and ask that he reassign you to someone more your speed."She shook her head, slowly drawing her gaze over Ty's form. "No, there's no need for that. I actually think you're pretty hot, but I just don't have the habit of just jumping into bed with a guy on the first meeting. But I do also understand that this is a medical thing, so a compromise would be appreciated." Truth be told, she was out of her depth, but she couldn't admit that. It would definitely change how they looked at her. No, she would tough it out and hopefully he would cut her some slack. If she just had more time to get to know him, this would be so much easier."Sounds fair. If you'd like, after we get you imprinted and that, we can do the whole wining and dining thing. I'm happy to do that, and it will mean we get to know each other. We can maintain the 'no intercourse until you're comfy with it' stance during it all, though you'll still have to get dosed. We can work something out for it." He thought for a moment, giving her a look. "If you'd like, we can do this first dose the same way. I don't know if you're comfortable drinking it, but I could just do it like a clinical thing; I take care of business off on my own, and when I'm close get you to come in and; well, I guess I'm the one coming at that point." He gave her a goofy grin, but she only blushed at his words. "Never mind, we'll work it out. But once you intake my semen, you'll fall asleep immediately, so we'll get you into a bedroom and whatnot."She schooled her expression but internally she was jumping for joy at her good fortune. It had always been her desire to share her first time with someone she really cared about, and maybe he would prove to be that guy, but at least she'd have time to verify it. She acted as though she was thinking about it for a minute and nodded. "I'm okay with just using my mouth. But I would very much like the getting to know you part. It's just; I really don't want my first time..” The words cut off mid-sentence and she turned crimson. "M-My first time with you to be as strangers. I promise I won't keep you waiting too long."Ty smiled. It was an easy enough thing to do. "Well, it's settled then. Why don't we grab your stuff and get you settled in a bedroom upstairs?"She nodded and stood, heading towards the door. Ty looked towards Lottie, who was watching him with an unreadable expression. "What? You clearly have something to say, so don't just stare at me, say it."Her expression didn't change, but the words became pointed. "After you're done and she's asleep, come back to the kitchen. We need to talk."That elicited a flinch and a spike of concern in the big man. Those were never nice words to hear from your partner. Choosing to remain silent, Ty just nodded and followed Liz to the door."He'll join us after he imprints Elizabeth." Lottie settled back into her chair at the table as she spoke.Lettie chuckled. "Ooh, is our big man going to get his hands on a virgin?"Shrugging, she shared in her sister's humor. "She wants to wait for actual intercourse until they've gotten to know each other, but I guess she's going to blow him for now. She was pretty hesitant even for that. I have no idea how she got by in Uni being that sheltered."Talia shrugged. "Not everyone is comfortable with sex. From the sounds of it, her mother did not give her the talks parent and child would normally have on the subject, and though it is an unfortunate reality, most fathers do not have the required experience or knowledge to help their daughters as effectively as a woman. But that is also neither here nor there. Leticia, please repeat what you told us earlier."Lettie sighed and frowned down at the table. "It only struck me after we got home, but when he was proposing to me, a part of what he said is setting off a lot of alarm bells. Things Lottie and I never heard about or even suspected. And that worries me.""What did he say? You can't just tell us it worries you without letting us know what he said." Alice's voice was suffused with equal parts concern and consternation."He said that the injury brought him to a place that he won't ever be happy to admit he was in. That while he was in the hospital or at home alone, he was trapped in his own head. He said the loneliness was smothering him. I; I think he was battling some pretty severe depression, and we weren't even able to see it in him. He's never been able to hide stuff from us, so how did he manage to hide this? I don't know if he's just gotten better at hiding things from us, or if there's something worse at play.""Well, we'll definitely have to talk to him about it. But I think I can answer the question of how he was able to hide it." Alice looked pensive, once again running a finger along her choker. "He was able to hide it because it wasn't there when you two were around. The feelings came from being without you; he's made that clear." She paused, looking a tiny bit melancholy as her eyes fell on Lettie's ring. "But I don't think any of us have seen it in him, so maybe that's a good sign. But if the underlying issue isn't addressed, we'll never know."Lettie saw Alice's gaze come to rest on the ring and knew Ty was planning to get all of them one, but she still knew that something needed to be said. "It's a bit of a segue, but you shouldn't worry about the ring, Alice. It's a symbol of commitment. Exactly the same as your choker is." Looking at Talia, she continued. "The only reason you don't also have one right now is that there probably hasn't been enough time to get it made and the big guy's not going to give you a ring he had made with someone else in mind. It would be just utterly disrespectful."Talia shrugged. "I do not need a symbol to know that he loves me. I can see it in his words and actions every moment of every day." She tilted her head as the grin spread on her face. "However, I cannot deny that I want such a symbol and am impatiently awaiting it."They laughed, their discussion turning towards the future, and potential plans for a wedding or weddings and children.When Ty had led Liz upstairs, he knew the young woman was still watching him intently. He didn't know what she wanted to ask, but it was clearly eating at her. He had assessed her to be an intelligent young woman, if a little sheltered. Now he properly looked at her, noting again her sandy brown hair, a different shade to Jaxson's, but hanging down to her shoulders in waves. Her oval-shaped face held her striking brown eyes and a rather cute button nose above soft pink lips. Her height was roughly in the middle, slightly taller than the twins, but shorter than Talia, probably around 5'6", at best. She was fit, almost military fit, if her frame was any indication, but he knew she wasn't part of the military. But it was a good platform to work from, and all in all, she was attractive. Her age was a bit of a concern, but when he considered it, 21 was an adult, and it wasn't going to be long before he had to consider what was going to happen with Zoe. He hadn't thought Zoe would end up wanting to pair with him, considering their age gap and existing relationship, but with one of those moats filled in the form of Liz, he was no longer sure.More things to worry about. Wonderful.He didn't know if it was a result of the stare or the increasing pressure on him from everything combined, but he spoke a little more forcefully than he'd intended. "Liz, I don't know what you expect to learn by simply boring a hole into my back with your eyes, but you could just ask the question instead? It would certainly get you closer to the answer."He regretted it immediately, as the young woman squeaked in surprise and nearly jumped back, an action that would have been disastrous if they were still on the staircase. She looked ready to sprint away nevertheless, and Ty started to feel terribly guilty."I'm sorry, that came out rougher than I intended. What I'm saying is, you can ask the questions you've got on your mind. There's no need to bottle them up; I'll do my best to answer them."He watched her for a moment as she relaxed and tried to smile reassuringly at her. Eventually, she uncurled enough to meet his eyes again, looking a bit sheepish."I; was wondering if that gentleman act was just that, an act. One that would melt away once we were alone, but I was wrong. I'm sorry.""Nothing to apologize for. You're in an unfamiliar environment, about to do something intimate with an unfamiliar person, all for the sake of survival. It's natural to be wary. Especially when you consider there's no going back after you do it."She definitely looked surprised at that. "So that's really true too? I thought it was just a 'you can't change your mind afterwards because we won't let you' kind of thing.""Nope. You're stuck due to biochemical changes in your body. If you try to do anything with any other guy, it could literally kill you. So please think very carefully about this. If you're still unsure, we can call it off and get you reassigned."She looked a little put out at his words. "I guess I'm not good enough. Considering the gorgeous women you already have;”"Nothing like that. It's because I'm considerably older than you, and I just want you to have the option of choosing someone younger if that's what you want."Now she just looked frustrated. "I'll have you know; I chose you. I knew you were older than me. I; guess I didn't know it was completely permanent, but I'm not worried about that. I just don't want to have sex until I know you better. I have no doubts that we'll get along, seeing as the survey thing said our compatibility is like 90%. So, I'm sure of my decision. Questioning that decision any further is just insulting."Ty could only give her a wry grin. "Well then, lady, consider this soldier suitably chastened. And I think I'm going to really enjoy getting to know you if you've got this much fire. Better than the scared kitten you've been until now.""Well, you try realizing you've walked into the home of a guy your brother has tried to kill. How could I know that you wouldn't hold a grudge?" Her voice was filled with indignance, but all Ty noticed was that she was also gaining confidence. That was a good thing.Ty opened the door to the bedroom; it wasn't the biggest room, but it was the one that had originally been his and Damian's. In fact, it still held the pair of beds they had used, and he couldn't stop the small smile at the memory. They had been keeping it clean, but it was still nice to see all of the rooms in the house being used."Fair enough. Won't hold it against you for being cautious. But how about for now we get you sorted out so it doesn't disrupt your sleep cycle by too much. You'll be out for 10-12 hours after imprinting.""So, I'll wake up alone?""Nah, I'll be here. The twins and Talia will need to head to the base, and Alice has to work, but I'm currently on orders to stay away from the base, so I'm working remotely. Plus, I have to visit the hospital. I'll bring you along for that.""Is everything okay?""Someone I know is in for treatment but I'll introduce you when we get there. You'll probably become pretty good friends since you're pretty close in age. But that's for tomorrow. Let's focus on today for now, yeah?""Ok. Now I'm wondering if that is as impressive as the rest of you. Well, whatever you're packing, I hope you're ready for the best blowjob you've ever had."Ty just grinned. "Guess it's time to find out."As he closed the door behind him, Ty had to admit it, it had been a pretty spectacular experience. The memory of feeling her tongue running over the head of his cock as she teased him still sent a small shiver up his spine. He hadn't expected the tongue stud and it definitely brought new sensations. She'd clearly gone to some lengths to learn and practice, though she was shy about taking the final step. Well, it wasn't a problem. He was no stranger to waiting, and he wasn't going to push her.But now he had to face whatever it was the girls wanted to talk to him about. It couldn't be good, if Lottie's expression was anything to judge by. But he also couldn't recall doing anything to warrant such a reaction from them. At least, not recently.When he reached the entrance to the kitchen, he could hear them talking, though the angle muffled the words.They don't seem too upset. Maybe it's not so bad?They disabused him of that notion the moment he walked into the room. Four gazes turned towards him, and their collective weight saw him drop into a chair silently.Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. "So;”Lettie spoke over him, clearly also not able to wait any longer. "Let's just get it out there. Ty, during your proposal to me you said something that we can't overlook."Oh shit. Just what did I say to make them mad?But Lettie's next words sent him into a spin."Don't you trust us? What happened Ty? How did you let it get so bad that you were thinking such things? Why did you never tell us what you were feeling? We're supposed to support each other! What do you think we would have done if something happened to you?"Oh no.Alice jumped in, picking up as Lettie took a breath. "From everything we've heard, it sounds like you were suffering from depression, Tiberius. Did you ever seek therapy? Did you find someone to talk to?"Lottie now, taking his hand and squeezing. "Were you just planning to hide it away forever? What would have happened if DuoHalo hadn't brought us together? Ty, it could have caused a downward spiral."And finally, Talia. "You were a fool to hide it, Tiberius. You could have spoken to them at any time. Alice and I were not present, but Charlotte and Leticia were. You could easily have told them. They would have helped you without question, and you know that. So why?"Tiberius could do nothing but stare. He hadn't expected this. But then, he hadn't been really thinking about the effect the words would have when he'd proposed, and now the truths he'd blurted out had come back to bite him.Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! I'd kept it under wraps for this long, too. Fucking hell, Tiberius, your fat fucking mouth will be the death of you!He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at the twins. "I; I kept quiet so it wouldn't burden you. You were already taking care of a lot of the duties I should have been; pulling extremely long hours. I couldn't let you know what was going through my head and have you worry about that too. I know you two. You would have driven down every night to spend it here. I couldn't do that when you had days that finished at 2AM. So, I kept quiet. It was just loneliness. And now it's not a problem. It's fine."The four women clearly didn't believe him and made it pretty clear. Lottie, especially, was furious. "It wouldn't have been a burden, Ty! We gave you space because we thought that was what you wanted. If we had any inkling otherwise we would have moved in that very day! Why the hell did you have to pick this situation to figure out how to hide things from us?""Look. It's nothing. It was a few bad thoughts when I was injured and thought I was going to be drummed out. I dealt with it.""How bad did it get, Tiberius?" Talia pressed him."It wasn't bad. I got a bit lonely and okay, maybe a little depressed. But it's fine now. There's none of that left."He was clearly fooling no one as they just glared at him. He sighed."I wasn't suicidal, if that's what you were asking. I had dark thoughts, but I wouldn't call it suicidal. It was never that. But I contemplated death more then and again when I was infected than at any time and in any situation before. It was like I was empty, missing the most important things inside. Hell, I knew my life was incomplete, but I was still a coward. I didn't tell them. I wasn't willing to take the risk."He laughed bitterly, and the girls could hear the self-depreciation in it. "Me, the big bad soldier, unwilling to take a risk. I'd jump headfirst into a firefight, run straight towards a bomb, but avoid telling the people I care about my feelings. Even with death placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing, I almost stayed silent."The pause seemed unending, but Tiberius took a deep breath and continued."But I realized that it couldn't stay that way. I had to speak up or I'd lose the people important to me. It had already happened once." Lottie looked like she was going to say something, but Lettie's hand on hers stopped her. "No, I needed to say it. And now that I have you all with me, I'm going to do whatever I need to, to make sure you never grow tired of me."For a moment, he thought they were coming around, but it was Alice's voice that cut into him next, her tone becoming forceful as her icy blues locked his gaze to hers. The pressure radiating from the normally submissive woman was beyond intense. "You didn't answer my question, Tiberius. Did. You. Get. Professional. Help?"Ty was unable to look away as he answered. "No. I didn't need it. It passed after I ended up together with all of you. I haven't had a thought like that since then.""Not good enough. You still need to see someone. You are the cornerstone of this family, Tiberius! Your health is paramount. Not just your physical health, but your mental well-being too. Something like this, something you think is small, can become a much larger issue if left unchecked. So please. Please speak to someone about it."Tiberius sighed, defeated. "I suppose there's no way you all will let this go, even if I insist. Fine. If it'll make you happy, I'll look into finding a therapist.""If you'd like, I can make some recommendations. They're all excellent, and the ones I have in mind are accustomed to the military mindset. A couple are vets themselves, so they really do get it."He nodded. "I'd appreciate that." In truth, Tiberius was somewhat relieved. Though it wasn't a lie that those feelings were mostly in the past now, he still occasionally felt the melancholic mood hit him and it was hard to pull himself out of those moods when he fell into one. The last thing he wanted to do was fall apart at a crucial moment. He couldn't afford that. He had been stubborn with himself about seeking help, but he wasn't fool enough to disregard the helping hand now.His family needed him whole, and that meant getting help fixing up the crumbling edges.Marshall Household, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia, October 28, 2020, 10:30 AMTiberius sat at his desk, looking over the documents Colonel Anderson had forwarded to him. From everything they'd discovered, the Connors had been neck-deep in debt, and to some very dangerous people in the middle east. Specifically, he owed close to $2 Million USD to a Sheikh from the Emirates. They had been trying any number of things to come up with the cash, but it was all falling through. So, when they had come to collect, Jaxson had tried to sell his sister as collateral, completely without her knowledge. When he read this, Ty had been beyond incensed. For someone to do that to their own kin was beyond monstrous, doubly so for someone who doesn't even know it's happening. Fortunately for her, they had assumed that since she had been actively dating that she was 'soiled goods', no longer a virgin and therefore of lesser value. When Bill told him this, Ty wanted to hunt the bastards down and slaughter every last one of them. The fact that Liz was now his partner just added to that feeling.But the fact that they were unwilling to trade in flesh meant that Connors needed another solution, and fast. Eventually, a proposal was reached. The Sheikh that held the Connors debts was looking for a leg up against the 'competition'. So, in return for developing and delivering into their hands a weaponized variant of DuoHalo, his debt would be dropped. He turned his gaze towards his tablet, where Brigadier Davis, Colonel Anderson and Lt. General Hoffmann were in a conference with him."Colonel, the issue right now is whether these assholes are going to come for Elizabeth, now that they can't get access to what they wanted. I need to know how much danger my family is in. Elizabeth included, I have two civilian partners, which means they are not trained or equipped to deal with a threat situation. Lettie and Talia will teach them self-defense, certainly, but that won't go all that far in a short time. Add Zoe into that mix, and I have three dependents. Hell, four if Béatrice also doesn't have defense training, but I think the DGSE will have that covered."The Colonel rubbed his chin as he thought. "Abduction for ransom, or maybe execution to make a statement. Both are very real possibilities. We do need to deal with the instigator, but again, that's a problem for my team. You've got your hands full with your patch, so just keep an eye out for possible threats. Remember that the unknowns responsible for the fire are in the wind. In the meantime, I can maybe try to leverage some of our international resources to keep tabs on the Sheikh's people and have our own watch for local threats. Brigadier, I trust you've got that covered, sir?""Yeah, I'll tighten up security at the base, so Tiberius, you can just worry about shoring up around your place. Tell the girls to use alternating routes to come up for a bit. Just so they don't establish a pattern. As for you, Colonel, follow up with our friends and see if any of them have been paying attention to the region." Baz was tapping away at his keyboard he spoke, obviously making notes.Ty nodded at the two men. Though Baz was his good friend, they were in work mode. "Understood, Brigadier. General, do you have any additional instructions for me?"The General had remained silent, his eyes closed and seemingly asleep, but both Ty and Bill Anderson knew he was just thinking. "Your Team is very interesting, boy. Australia and Israel, India and soon France, too. How; international of you. Maybe that trend should continue." The segue was abrupt, but it was obviously leading to something. The crafty old goat was always like that. The business-like mood was broken and the tension seeped away.Eyeing the old man, Anderson shrugged. "I suspect you're going to really become Mr. International before too much longer, Tiberius. You'd best prepare yourself. Japan is chomping at the bit to get an influx of men. Almost to the point where they'll send tens of women for every man they're sent. We might be getting in on that soon, too."Nobody but Baz noticed Ty's flinch at the mention of Japan. "You're still stuck on her, mate? Fucking hell, it was six years ago! She isn't worth your energy, mate. And let's be fair, any of your partners is a hundred times better than that heartless bitch could ever hope to be. None of them would ever do you dirty like that.""What's this about, Barry?" Hoffmann cracked one eye open at Baz's outburst.He sighed. "Not surprised he never said anything. The details aren't mine to tell, but the gist of it is that Ty here was in a relationship with this Japanese girl for a good long while. But suddenly she upped and left. No word, no warning, no explanation. Literally just gone one day. Her sister was the one who ended up telling Ty that she went home, but still wouldn't explain what happened. Ty was really taken with her and I think he was planning to take it further, but she went and ran. Broke his heart, almost to the point I think this dumbass developed abandonment issues."Ty had to defend himself. "It wasn't that bad, Baz. I just didn't like that she just left without any explanation. I mean, seriously, if I did something wrong, at least tell me. Nanami, her sister, was barely able to contain her anger with me, and I still have no idea why. That's the only reason I was stuck on it.""That tears it, boy. I'll look into seeing who we can spare to send there, and I'll send you a whole group of pretty Japanese girls. Hell, I'll send you girls from everywhere I can convince to send 'em. Once again, you will have no right to veto." Hoffmann's voice was light, but there was a note of seriousness to it that alarmed Ty.Ty could feel his soldier's veneer cracking at the words. "Uncle Jon; you can't be serious. You already pushed Elizabeth onto my Team. The whole process is supposed to get the consent of both parties."Jonathan Hoffmann scoffed. While he wasn't actually Tiberius' biological uncle, he had been one of his grandfather's good friends and remained a mentor to both Marshall brothers. "Your consent was given the moment I said so, boy. Strewth, of all the men I know, you are probably the only one who would actually complain about beautiful women being thrown at him. The fuck is wrong with you, boy? I know you're not gay. From all accounts, you have four very happy women in your family. So, what're you complaining about?"Tiberius shot an apologetic look at Anderson before he let loose. "Nothing is wrong with me, ya old bastard! You're just throwing things at me left and right! I need time to adjust! I haven't had time to just sit down and process everything that's already happened, let alone handle you making jokes about sending me fucking boatloads of women!"The silence was palpable as everyone just stared at one another. After a moment that felt like minutes, Bill spoke, the smile beginning to tug at his normally stoic face. "I don't think he was joking, Tiberius. And to be fair, I kind of agree with the idea. It'd do wonders for our political climate.""Well fuck. Not you too, Colonel."The smile showed itself in full force now. "Damn, maybe you're worse off than I thought. Get the stick out of your ass and call me Bill like these guys, alright? I'm not about to kill you for using my name. Might have been a thing when you were in my unit, but far be it from me to stop us from becoming mates now. The world's gone to shit and I'm running out of mates. Wait, I just got a couple of new ones, but they're pretty and I don't reckon I'll be copping a root from you anytime soon, ey?"The atmosphere was broken, sending Baz and Hoffmann into fits of laughter."Fucking hell, you old buggers will be the death of me. Ok. Whatever. I'll look into updating my security, but I'm also running out of space. I'll need to call Nik and see if I can swing the cash to buy the properties on either side of mine."Hoffmann's laughter cut off immediately and he shook his head. "No need. The Government is paying for your housing, and it's understood that you're going to have a larger than average team. We'll take care of it. Save your money for your family.""Let me get the okay from Zoe first, yeah? One of those houses is her family's property. She's not a part of my Team ..”"Yet." Baz interjected, his grin threatening to split his face in two.Ty just glared at him. "She's not a part of my Team, and I don't think she'll want to be. That being the case, I'm not going to just take her home away without consulting her. I'll do that today, after I talk to her about all of this. And before you ask, she'll be signing the NDA."Baz rolled his eyes. "You can only keep the blinders on for so long, but believe what you want, mate. She's what, 19 now? And she's had a massive crush on you for years. She'll want in."Ty heard a door open, and he checked his watch. "Gentlemen, it would appear my newest partner has woken, so I think it's time for me to head out. As I said I'll start looking into extra security measures, and I'll ensure the girls are aware of the potential threat. Baz, could you let me know when Béatrice arrives? I'll come get her myself."He deliberately avoided bringing the thing with Grace up. If he got the big guns like Hoffmann or Anderson involved this early, it could cascade into something much bigger. Better to ask Baz to use some subtlety in private, especially if it turned out to be just a misunderstanding.He sent the text, and Baz responded by calling him immediately."What the fuck is that request, Ty?""I'll explain later, just keep an eye on Dr. Morgan. Grace is worried about it, and I trust her instincts."The voice that came back after the pause was filled with skepticism. "Is it her instincts you're following or her ass? I know you two had a thing.""Jesus, Baz. Even if we did have a thing at one point, this has nothing to do with that. If that woman is genuinely concerned, we should be too. So could you just set it up please? Quietly?"He sighed. "Fine. I'll make it happen. Just promise me this isn't about unresolved feelings.""I promise it's not. You know me better than that.""You dumb bugger, it's because I know you that I'm asking. Don't get too attached. She already is."Ty didn't rise to the prod. He knew better."Just make it happen please, Baz. I gotta go."He cut the call and left his office, heading downstairs to find Liz sitting at the table with a steaming mug of coffee and a semi-dazed expression. She didn't even register Ty until he started moving pans around."Oh! Uh, good morning. I helped myself to some coffee. Hope that's okay.""All good, Liz. Make yourself at home. How ya feeling?"She contemplated that for a moment. "Pretty good, all things considered. I didn't expect that I'd get off like that. I've never felt that from giving a guy head. It was pretty special."Smiling wryly, Ty nodded. "Yeah, the ladies all said it's better than anything they've felt before. Both the priming orgasm and the one you had when I popped. Apparently, you'll get something similar every time, but without the part where you fall unconscious."She took a deep draw from her coffee before she nodded. "Good. If I blacked out every time it'd get old fast, to be honest.""Well, that was also part of the serum. It happens when you go into the imprinting state, so that's a one-off.""Ok, I understand. So, we're going to the hospital today?""In a bit. You've got time. Wake up fully, freshen up. You can use either the central bath or the master, whichever you'd prefer. You're welcome in either, and there are ladies' products in both these days. I'll get some food going in the meantime.""Ooh, a domestic guy. That's refreshing. You wouldn't believe the kind of slobs college boys tend to be." she cooed, throwing Ty a playful smile.Ty grinned, then pointed at himself. "I was once a college-aged guy, though I didn't get the experience until later. But that's a story for another time. I'll get cooking, so you go get dressed."He scooped up the now empty mug and shooed the young woman out of the kitchen. She seemed a lot more relaxed now, which was good. Hopefully she'd be even more comfortable once she was introduced to Zoe and had someone near her age to interact with.[REDACTED] Hospital, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia, October 28, 2020, 11:40 AMZoe didn't react anywhere near as badly as Ty had expected when he explained the serum and everything it entailed. Her questions leaned more towards understanding the pairing system and how it matched partners. Though he didn't have anything like a perfect understanding, he did know enough to give her the answers she wanted, and she seemed satisfied."So when will I need to do my Oracle thing? The whole 'Team' thing actually sounds cool." Let alone satisfied, she was eager."Not until you're out of here, at least, Zoe. No sense getting you into the system when you can't go anywhere or do anything. There's no hurry anyway."She bit her lip, looking a little put out. "It'd be something to do, at least. I'm getting pretty bored, Ty.""Yeah, I figured that'd be the case, so I brought someone with me today. Shit happened and she was brought to me to join my Team, but she's close to your age, so I figured the two of you would get along. Plus, she was also in Sydney for Uni, so you guys should have at least that much in common."Zoe perked up at the news. "Where is she now then?""Alice is doing a check up on her. She's been going through all our medical histories and getting us up to date on everything."She chuckled. "It pays to have a doctor in the family, huh. At least you don't have to show off to a stranger. It can be pretty embarrassing."Alice laughed as she entered the room. "Please, it's nothing a doctor won't have seen before. With family I'm just doubly motivated to make sure I don't miss anything. Anyway, Elizabeth here is in great health, so why don't the two of you introduce yourselves."As Liz stepped around the corner, both girls' eyes went wide. Zoe's jaw dropped and Liz darted in, throwing her arms around the younger girl, almost sobbing. "Zoe! You're ok! Oh, thank God! You dropped off the planet, girl! What happened?"Zoe was in tears as she hugged Liz back. "I'm sorry, Liz. I tried to make it on my own, but I kinda fucked up. Ran out of money and they cut off my phone. It took weeks to get back here. With my funds dried up, I had nothing to fall back on. At any time, I could have borrowed a few dollars from someone and called Ty, but I was being stubborn."Though he was startled that the pair knew each other, Zoe's revelations took precedence. "I knew something had to have gone wrong, but what happened to Toby and Mattie's bank accounts? Did you lose the cards?""I don't know what happened to my parents' accounts. I never had the cards. Nobody ever gave them to me. Nobody even told me what happened to the house."Ty's eyes widened. "What? Zoe, what the hell do you mean by that?""I never heard anything about my parents' will or any assets or anything like that. I didn't know if they had debts or what happened but the lawyer told me he'd handle it and asked me to sign something. I said I wouldn't sign anything until you looked at it, and he didn't look happy, but he left. I didn't hear from him again, so I thought you might have handled it."Ty was furious again, both at the son of a bitch that had clearly tried to take advantage of her, and at himself, for not ensuring she was looked after. Barely able to contain himself, he turned away from the bed so they couldn't see his face. "Zoe, Liz, I'll be right back. I need to make a couple of phone calls. You two; you two should spend some time catching up."He gave Alice a look and she nodded at him before he left the room and stalked down the hallway, yanking his phone out of his pocket. Scrolling through his contacts, he found a particular name and dialed, barely managing to avoid cracking the screen with the force. It only took a single ring before the call connected, and Ty wasted no time."Juno, I need the name and number of the lawyer who handled the Evans estate, and I need it last week."The person on the other end paused for just a beat before the voice came through, clearly not amused. "Hi Tiberius, I'm good, thanks for asking. Bella and Mars are doing well too. You should meet them sometime. How are you?" Another pause, and the woman's tone shifted, becoming all business. "Let me pull it up, stud. Christ, just how pissed off are you to skip even saying 'hi'?""Volcanic. Vesuvius is a good approximation. The name, Juno."She snorted. "Very funny. Hold on.""Thanks. And sorry. Hi Juno. You find a break in your busy schedule and I'll happily meet you and the munchkins."Juno Claudius was a lawyer, and a damn good one. Though her normal field of expertise was in criminal law, specifically as a prosecutor, she was more than capable in other aspects, and thus did bits of work for Tiberius outside of that, since her mother had been the lawyer for Ty's family. Two years Ty's senior, Juno and Ty only occasionally ran in the same circles, but they had been friends. They spoke over the phone every so often, just to keep tabs on one another, but hadn't met in person in almost six years. Ty genuinely felt bad about it, since it meant that he'd never had the opportunity to meet Juno's kids, Bellona and Mars, both named after children of her own divine namesake. He sent presents for every event, but Juno was just too busy with her career and the twins' care for them to have time to get together. The perils of single motherhood.Ty was trying to calm himself before she spoke again, having put him on speaker. "Shit. The name you're after is Parker Mason. But it'll do you no good to go looking for him. The arrogant prick died three months ago from this plague. And it looks like he tried to mark the estate as being in escrow, along with the transfer of all the accounts into another; but it never happened. He got sick and kicked the bucket.""Escrow? Who the fuck did this guy try and sell it to?" Ty's fury returned twofold now.There was the sound of frantic typing and a soft curse as the answer came back. "Himself. How arrogant could he be, the prick. Didn't even try to hide it. Had this gone through, it would have flagged immediately. Wait, Tiberius, the Evans estate means Toby and Matilda, right? Which in turn means their baby girl. Holy fuck. This son of a bitch tried to steal from Zoe? How did you not catch this?""It never went through me, Juno. From the sounds of it, he tried to take advantage of Zoe's desire to be an adult and managed to keep me out of the equation, at least until he tried to get her to sign something she didn't understand. Thank God she had the good sense to refuse." Ty let out a breath, hating his next words before he even uttered them. "Juno, I know you're busy, but can you take over this matter? Her family's estate needs to be sorted out but I don't think I can trust anyone but you. I'll pay double your normal rate."She scoffed. "Go to hell! If you think I'd charge you to help Zoe, you're out of your mind. I actually have a nearly empty workload, so I'll happily chase this up. I'll take other work if you have any too, stud." There was another pause and then her voice returned, now considerably more sombre. "Tiberius, it's probably also about time we had a face-to-face. There's something I need to talk to you about. It's very important, and it's long overdue."This was unusual. Juno was generally a serious person, but this sounded different. "Something private? Should we just meet for lunch?""No, not today. I; I need a bit of time to; sort myself out. I'll call you. For now, let me suss out this mess with Zoe. And send her my love, yeah? Tell her Auntie J misses her." She was stumbling over her words, suddenly flustered, though Ty couldn't understand why."Of course. Thanks, Juno. Maybe I can meet the kids at this 'talk'?""Maybe. That might be a good idea, actually. The kids can finally meet ..” There was a bit of noise as she picked up the phone to hang up and Ty couldn't quite hear the words she mumbled at the end before the line went dead.Feeling confident that Zoe's situation would be handled, he started to walk back to her room, when it hit him and he stopped dead in his tracks, nearly causing an accident as two people swerved to avoid colliding with him. They backed away, watching him warily, but Ty didn't even notice, too lost in his thoughts.Juno hadn't once mentioned her long-time boyfriend, Craig. He tried to remember, but he couldn't recall her mentioning him the last couple of times they spoke either, back in June or even further back in January. Had he really been so insensitive as to not even ask after him? Had something happened between them? Was she okay by herself? And had he really been so stuck in his own head that he was ignoring his friends? Who else had he let fall by the wayside while wallowing?His self-doubt emerged; ‘Some leader I am. Maybe I really do need therapy; fuck.’As he re-entered Zoe's room, he was pleased to see the two young women chatting animatedly. Alice must have gone back to her rounds, because she was nowhere to be seen. Both of their faces colored as he entered, and Liz beamed at him."Well, it certainly seems like I don't have to worry about whether I can trust you in the long term, Tiberius. Now it's just a matter of us getting to know one another, and then;” They both burst into a fit of giggles.Eyebrows raised; he looked between both girls. "What am I missing?"The pair exchanged glances before replying as one. ""Nothing!"""I see." He shrugged, knowing there were no answers to be had here. "But I'm pleasantly surprised to find out the two of you know each other. It's good you'll both have someone of similar age to talk to." Nodding sagely, he let his eyes fall on Zoe. "Zoe, I've gotten in touch with Juno. She's going to sort out the thing with your parents' estate. Everything's going to be fine."Zoe looked surprised "Auntie J is going to help? That's great news!""She is and she sends her love. And Zoe, I'm so sorry I let it get this bad. I should have paid more attention, even if you didn't want that. I guess I was a bit stuck in my own head."She looked chastened as he said that and looked down. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have shut you out. You were always just trying to do what was best for me. Still are.""Yeah, well. I've been pretty self-absorbed this year, it seems. But that's done with. My family is my priority, and that includes you." He scratched at his beard before changing the subject. "So, how do you two know each other?"Liz smiled. "We lived in the same share house. Zoe's in a design program and I'm doing a finance degree, so separate universities, but they're close enough that it was cheaper to share accommodations. And you remember last night, when I said I had a few girls who I was like sisters with? Well Zoe's one of them, and I lost touch with her, for reasons that are obvious to me now.""That's quite serendipitous. Like I said, I'm glad you both will have each other. It'll go a long way towards ensuring your comfort. As for me;”Ty trailed off as the footsteps drew close, and he heard a sound that was extremely out of place in a hospital. Ty's phone began ringing, but he ignored it, already reaching for his own gun as he turned around. After all, to a soldier, the sound of a round being chambered in a weapon was unmistakable.Oh, fuck. "Get down!"Two people in scrubs and facemasks rounded the corner, guns drawn. There was no time for hesitation, and he had barely an instant to realize these were the same two that had nearly crashed into him in the hall earlier before Ty snapped his arms up and fired.Then the world went mad with fire and light and as quickly as it began, Ty's world went dark.Chapter 8.Saegusa Household, Richmond, Victoria, Australia, October 28, 2020, 9:56 AM"White Cypress? You're kidding." There was no measuring the disbelief in Rayne's voice. Across his desk, Victoria Whitlock, a geneticist and another employee of BioWorks sat, giving him a wry smile as she nodded. She was also his newest partner, arriving just as Ty had said she would. They had spent the last hour just chatting and had finally started talking shop."Specifically, Callitris Columellaris, yes. We tested a great many things, Rayne." Her clipped British accent gave her heritage away as she continued. "Individuals of various backgrounds, our own. We even went through all the protocols and accessed our sample library. Any blood sample exposed to the serum, but not exposed to White Cypress shows a reaction consistent with all of the initial reporting from the Americans.""Victoria, you cannot be telling me that pollen is why we're seeing accelerated effects from the serum? How the hell do you even explain that?""We're still working on that part. I can't give you specifics, but I do know that it shows its effect most clearly on any sample that has had time to process cypress pollen in the recent past. When an unpaired individual takes in the serum, we know that their immune system receives a massive boost. Something in immunoglobulins regularly exposed to white cypress pollen seems to cause a cascading reaction with the serum, forcing it to accelerate. And by a factor of three to four, just as you've observed." She leaned back, running a hand through her silky brown hair. She kept it in a pixie cut since leaving it long would just get in the way when she did lab work, but the style had grown on her. Her mother had said she looked like a boy, but then again, her mother was more plastic than not these days, so Victoria had limited regard for her opinion.As she stretched, she didn't miss how Rayne's eyes traced the contours of her body and she had to hide her smile. At 31, she knew she was only a few years older than him, but that 3 in her age was starting to make its presence known in little ways. And truth be told, after seeing the women already around him, she had worried a little that the man in front of her wouldn't find her attractive enough. Judging by his current interest, she knew she'd been wrong on that point, at least. Her gaze came to rest on his chest, marveling at the way his muscles seemed to ripple under his shirt as he breathed.To be continued in part 8. Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts, for Literotica.
