Luca & Luna (Heats and Hearts Book 4)

Sierra Cassidy
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 Luca and Luna

SIERRA CASSIDY
 Contents

Content Notes
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
 Content Notes

Luca & Luna is an m/f omegaverse romance. Luna is a sex worker. At no point in the story does she stop being a sex worker.
There will be graphic sexual scenes between our main characters. Consent is established and respected throughout, and the
relationship is built on kindness and communication.
The omegaverse staples of purring, scents, biting, growling, heats, and bonds are all present in this story.
Some potentially upsetting content includes: slut shaming (not by the mmc), break-and-enter of a home, physical violence,
brief scene at a hospital.
Kinks and sexual acts that will appear on page: masturbation, light bondage, fellatio, cunnilingus, PinV intercourse,
fingering, exhibitionism.
There is no pregnancy in this book.

Some notes on how Sierra’s Omegaverse functions:

Omegas go into heat once or twice a year depending on the individual. Knotting and bonding only occur within the confines of
an omegas heat. All omegas, regardless of sex or gender, can be impregnated.
Alphas only go into a rut (similar to an omega’s heat) if they are in the presence of their bonded omega. If the alpha isn’t
bonded, they don’t experience rut. All alphas, regardless of their sex or gender, are able to impregnate.
Bonding is a permanent and irrevocable two-way (usually consensual) connection that involves the individuals biting on
the scent gland (throat, wrists, and thighs) of the other hard enough to break the skin. Only one bond per scent gland, so biting
over an existing bond mark wouldn’t trigger a bond so long as the original bondmate is alive. The one-way alternative is a
claiming, which is not permanent. Bonding makes the individuals more in tune to the people they are bonded to, and it is
functionally the same as a marriage in this omegaverse.
Healthcare and birth control are readily accessible to everyone regardless of dynamic, sex, or gender. Heat leave is
provided to omegas and their partners as needed. This world is still learning things about the dynamics, bonds, and other
unique things that affect the inhabitants of this omegaverse.
A knock had the wedding party swiveling our heads toward the door. I hopped out of my seat, smoothing down the wine-red
tea-length gown the bride had chosen for us. Luca, our lone groomsman, stood on the other side of the door with a basket
hooked over his arm, and a hand covering his eyes.
“Is everyone dressed?”
“Nope. I opened the door butt naked.”
The fingers over his eyes parted a fraction of an inch. “Liar.”
I laughed, taking the basket of water bottles, programs, and granola bars from him. “Sorry to disappoint.”
Luca snorted, his brown eyes luminous. “It’s not possible for you to be a disappointment. You look beautiful, by the way.
Red looks really nice on you.”
My cheeks warmed, but luckily I’d already been through makeup so there were layers to hide any blushing from him. Being
complimented was nothing new for me. Clients at my weekend job poured them out as easily as breathing, but something about
the sweet sincerity of Luca Marino complimenting me dug a little deeper. “Thanks. You look pretty snazzy yourself.”
His cheeks flushed pink, and his nervous fingers went to fuss with his hair. I snatched them out of the air. “Don’t ruin the
stylist’s work. He made you look so cute.”
That only made his blush deeper. He stared down at me, his mouth opening and then closing, and I could practically see the
words he wanted to ask. You think I’m cute?
Instead, he said, “Make sure Allie drinks one of those waters. Can’t have the bride shriveling into a raisin.” Luca beamed
at me, looking unfairly dashing in his tux, his cheeks flushed with excitement, brown eyes bright, and his dark hair neat and tidy.
“Any other errands for me to run?”
“I think we’re all set for the moment.”
We’d been sending him on errands all day and the affable beta had completed each task without a hint of complaint.
Refreshing was a word that kept coming to my mind. Adorable was another. I didn’t generally classify grown men as cute, but
Luca was. With a perpetual smile and a penchant for helping, it was basically impossible to dislike him.
His older brother was marrying my bestie today. Sidney seemed like a decent guy—certainly better than a lot I had
encountered over the years—and I was doing my damndest to keep happiness for Allie at the forefront today.
Weddings and I didn’t have a fabulous history. My mom was on her fourth marriage right now, or maybe fifth? I had only
met the third at the wedding and never met the fourth at all. Who knew if she’d tossed him aside and found another by now?
And my older sister, Stella, was in the midst of a vicious divorce to a man I’d never wanted her to marry to begin with. But
Sidney wasn’t Rodney, and he wasn’t my dad or stepdads, and I had to keep reminding myself of that.
Seeing Allie absolutely radiant with joy every time she was around Sidney helped convince my brain, but didn’t
completely silence the pessimistic voices in the back of my mind. Allie deserved to be happy, though. I loved her like a sister,
and even though she was familiar with my views, she knew I’d be there for her regardless. Which was why I was in an
excessively crinolined bridesmaid gown, had woken up at the asscrack of dawn, and had put on my biggest smile to get my
bestie down the aisle.
Even so, beyond my pessimism, weddings always made me feel weird. Like I was pressed against the glass, looking in on
something I’d never have, even if I didn’t want it. There was always that quiet question: was it possible for people to make it
work, for them to stay happy with each other for a lifetime?
Luca poked me in the forehead. My oldest niece did the same to me sometimes when I got too up in my thoughts. “That
expression is way too serious for a wedding day. Want to get some air?”
I glanced back at the others—Allie, the bride; Meg, the maid of honor; and Nicky, the sister of the groom. “Anyone mind if I
go for a little walk?”
“Go right ahead,” Meg replied, taking the basket from me. “I’m going to get one of these granola bars into Allie.”
I slipped into the hall, closed the door behind me, and leaned against it before looking up at Luca.
“Everything okay?” He offered me the crook of his arm.
“Absolutely,” I lied, tucking my arm through his. “Just tired.”
“The gardens have a little café in the lobby if you need a pick-me-up. I’ve heard their hot chocolate is pretty good.” Luca
led me down the hallway, past a dozen ornate doors, and out into the main facility where glass domes housed the greenery. The
crisp, beachy scent of him kept the humidity and smell of soil from being too cloying, and I tucked a little closer.
“I might need to Irish up that hot chocolate.”
Luca hummed and pulled us to a stop, turning to face me. “That doesn’t sound like a cure for being tired. You don’t have to
tell me what’s wrong, but I’m a pretty good listener. If you want to talk.”
Of course Luca would be a good listener. I’d already witnessed it for myself when he was endlessly attentive during the
wedding planning discussions. He hadn’t yawned once when we’d gone over the gigantic book of color swatches.
He didn’t speak while he waited for me to decide, only looked at me like whatever I might say was important…like he
was ready to hang on every word. Clients looked at me like that sometimes, but only when I was praising them and pulling
compliments out of my ass. Luca certainly wasn’t expecting either of those things from me.
The second forehead poke startled me out of my thoughts again. “Sorry. I have a lot on my mind today. Bridesmaid duties
and whatnot.”
I knew by his frown he’d been hoping for more, but I didn’t want to get into my family’s disaster marriages or my disbelief
in romantic love. Today wasn’t for any of that.
“Come on, cutie.” I tugged him toward the café. “Let’s get me some sugar.”
Luca paid for the hot chocolate, insisting, “Sad days require free treats.”
Who was I to argue?
We did a quick loop of the building so I could sort out some of the chaos in my brain, letting the drink work its magic
before he returned me to the door to the bridal suite. “Come find me if you want to talk later. Offer stands all night.”
I stood on tiptoe, tugged him down to my level, and kissed his cheek. “Go support your brother. I promise I’ll be just
peachy.”
The moment I stepped inside the suite, I was yanked into bride-fanning duty as it became apparent one of Allie’s relatives
had caused an incident with the florist. They’d sent Nicky to deal with it while Meg kept our bride calm, and with my return I
was in charge of keeping Allie from stress-sweating. Luckily, Allie responded well to affection and Meg was more than happy
to keep her cocooned in a hug until Nicky’s return.
I lost track of how long I used one of the programs as a makeshift fan, offering reassurance whenever Allie started to get
nervous. The uncle had specifically not been invited because of the bullshit he tended to pull at events, but Allie’s mom had
overridden the ban and invited him anyway. My own mother would probably have done the same.
Nicky swept back into the suite some time later with a brilliant smile, a bottle of sparkling lemonade, and a handful of
glasses. “High fives for the best groomswoman in history!”
I gratefully accepted my share of lemonade and swallowed half of it before slapping my free hand against Nicky’s. “Done!
Why are we high-fiving?”
 Nicky looked so damn proud of herself and it was the cutest thing ever. She and Luca both got that look when they
accomplished something. “Well, for one, I got the florist to agree to stay as long as we kept ‘Druncle’ Ted away from her. Luca
escorted him to his hotel room, and I bribed the florist with a box of chocolates I stole from here and a generous tip. And, for
two, I have our moms guarding each other so neither of them get into trouble bothering the bride or groom.”
“Damn.” I laughed. Using the moms against each other was both ruthless and brilliant. “Someone’s efficient. You even
thought of sugar instead of alcohol for our girl so she doesn’t stumble down the aisle with a tummy full of champagne.”
“I need her stone-cold sober when she becomes my sister-in-law.” Nicky beamed. “You gotta enter the Marino family with
both eyes open.”
The Marinos seemed like a good bunch. Nicky was an absolute sweetheart, if a bit neurotic in the day to day (a trait we
unfortunately shared); Sidney made my bestie the happiest I’d ever seen her; and Luca…well, it was best not to think too hard
about him.
Instead of letting myself dwell on the beta cutie who bought me hot chocolate, I focused on the bride, snuggling up against
her back with a wistful sigh. “I still can’t believe you’re getting married. I know you’re already bonded but still. All this
ceremony and fanciness is really highlighting my singledom.”
Nicky barked a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand as she choked on her lemonade. “Do not complain about being
single anywhere near my mom or she might load Luca into a trebuchet and launch him at you.”
The downside of someone like Luca catching my attention was the closeness of his family. It wasn’t bad, exactly. It was
good…for him. But for me? Holy hell was that pressure. I wasn’t even planning on dating Luca and the mere idea of the
possibility, of the Marinos being aware of that hypothetical situation, made my palms sweaty.
Shoving those thoughts into the pit of my stomach, I layered over them with some concrete optimism and humor so no one
could tell the turn my thoughts had taken.
“Oh nooo. However would I cope with having an adorable beta land in my lap?” I fake-swooned and Allie cackled.
“Listen, you don’t want to catch Mom’s eye,” Nicky warned. “As we speak she’s probably scanning every remotely
attractive guest for bond bites and wedding rings and keeping a tally so she can casually trip me into her top choices at the
reception.”
Ugh. No thank you. Mama Marino was not someone I wanted staring me down.
“So, what’s up with the cuddling?” Nicky asked as she settled into one of the suite chairs. “Did Meg finally tell you the
videographer has food poisoning?”
Aw, fuck.
“What?!” Allie shoved away from Meg, but I caught her by the wrist and pushed her into the chair next to Nicky, starting up
my fanning again.
We had definitely not intended to tell her about the videographer since there was nothing we could do at the last minute.
Everyone we had reached out to was unavailable to cover the event.
“We’re breathing, remember?” I said. “Inhale the good vibes. Exhale the urge to strangle any of the bridal party.”
Allie snorted. “No strangling urges. I just wanted cute videos of the wedding.” Her expression was far too sad for her
wedding day.
“We’re getting everyone to take videos on their phones and send them to me,” said Meg. “I can edit them into a cute
wedding montage.”
Bless Meg. She was good at diffusing situations. It wasn’t one of my natural skills. If you needed someone to escalate shit, I
was your girl.
“The important thing,” declared Nicky, “is that you look gorgeous as fuck and my brother is going to simply pass away
when he sees you.”
Nicky was right. Allie did look impressively gorgeous in the white satin gown that fit her like she was a movie star in the
golden age of Hollywood.
“He’d better not.” Allie laughed, her smile returning. “He’s stuck with me forever, so there will be no passing away from
how cute I look.”
A knock at the door stole our attention, and I scampered to answer it, annoyed with myself when I was disappointed it
wasn’t Luca on the other side. The staffer who had settled us in the suite earlier had returned to let us know everything was
ready to start. “The officiant is all set up, guests are seated, and the musician is going ham on that Pachelbel song. We’re ready
to start your entrances in fifteen minutes.”
“I guess that’s my cue to head back to the boys.” Nicky rose out of her chair and kissed Allie’s cheek. “You’re going to do
fine. I’ll see you at the other end of the aisle.”
With Nicky gone to see her brothers, Meg and I made sure Allie was sheer perfection before we joined them as well.
Luca met me with a bright smile and offered his arm to me again. “Hey there, partner. Ready to walk down the aisle with
me?”
P ure sunshine in physical form tucked her arm in mine, and together we faced the doors that would lead us down the aisle.
Meg and Nicky went ahead of us, red gowns swishing as they moved.
The heat of Luna’s hand soaked through my sleeve, the sweetness of her mango lemonade scent barely stronger than the
bouquet she clutched. I’d grown attuned to it after the past few months of wedding planning, and now I could pick it out with an
embarrassing level of ease whenever she was nearby.
Classical music filled the air from the pianist behind the altar, and I listened carefully for our cue. I made my steps smaller
to accommodate for Luna’s shorter stride as we began to walk, and I stole glances at the beautiful omega by my side. It was
impossible to not notice all the shades of gold threading through her hair, or her ocean blue eyes I wanted to drown in, or those
perfect rose petal lips I’d thought about kissing more times than I could count.
We parted ways, and I took my place next to my brother, the entire congregation rising to watch the bride join us. I had no
idea how an accidental bonding had managed to pair up the most perfect match ever. We had all been surprised when Sidney
had rolled up with Allie, explaining that their brains had basically gone feral, and they were permanently bonded to each other.
And now they were getting married. They were choosing each other on purpose. There was something so uniquely beautiful
about that and about how they had both always seemed so sure about each other.
I wanted to know what that felt like.
My own dating prospects weren’t exactly what you’d call abundant. For years now, I’d been trying to work up the courage
to move out. I wasn’t afraid to leave, but I was definitely worried about how my mom would react. Not to mention, I did so
much work around the neighborhood that even the thought of moving away from it and having to stop all of that had guilt sitting
like a lead ball in my stomach. Most people weren’t too excited to get involved with someone that still lived with their parents
at my age and had no real reason to do so. I made enough money from work to afford my own place, I was perfectly able to
take care of myself, but I still felt rooted to the spot.
Mom beamed from the front row, watching my sister-in-law move down the aisle toward my brother. I stole another glance
at Luna. Her beautiful blue eyes were shiny, unshed tears obvious with the way the sunlight was hitting her. I still hadn’t figured
out what was bothering her, but I hoped that as the day wore on she might get more open, even if it took the champagne flowing
to loosen her lips. I probably wouldn’t be able to fix whatever was swirling around in her head, but I also knew she wasn’t the
type to burden her friends today.
Her knuckles were as white as the bouquet she held, but I couldn’t pick out any scent of distress from where I stood.
I waited quietly for my cue to pass over the rings, and when I had completed my task, and bride and groom had kissed, I
was able to rejoin Luna. The bridal party left the ceremony space and retreated together to the bridal suite until it was time for
bride and groom to greet their guests. A charcuterie board had been set up during the ceremony for us to eat before dinner.
Allie sat in Sidney’s lap and Meg fed her bites while the photographer worked their magic.
Flutes of champagne and fizzy lemonade decorated all the flat surfaces, and Meg made sure everyone was hydrating
properly, fulfilling her role as the alpha in charge of managing our group today.
“I can’t wait for dinner,” I said, scooping a bite of food for myself. “My stomach is gonna start going concave if I don’t get
a real meal soon.”
Luna snorted. “There’s literally a tray of food in front of you.”
“Yeah, but if I ate as much of it as I wanted, there would be nothing left for anyone else. I’m being polite.”
“It’s true,” Nicky said with a laugh. “Don’t give Luca free rein on any food you want to actually eat yourself.”
“Lucky for Luca, there’s a few things a girl can’t eat herself.” Luna winked at me. “I’d give him free rein on that.”
Heat roared up my spine as my brain made the connection between her words and the salacious meaning. My face flushed
so warm it was a wonder I didn’t start dripping sweat. Mental images of her suggestion tumbled through my mind, my throat
and pants suddenly tight.
“Loons,” Meg chided. “You promised to behave.”
“Excuse you, I promised no such thing.” Luna popped a cherry tomato into her mouth, her eyes full of mirth as if she could
see the valiant struggle inside my brain.
“I vote we not mention either of my brothers eating anything ever again,” Nicky said, thrusting her hand into the air.
Thank god for Nicky crashing through to drown out the thoughts Luna had inspired.
“Pretty sure you’d get outvoted between Allie and I.” Luna snickered. “But I’ll take pity on you for the moment. Besides,
it’s all Allie’s fault.”
Allie squawked. “How is it my fault?”
My brother looped his arms around her waist but wisely stayed quiet as the ladies chatted.
“Because you’re all cute and happy and it makes me sad about my own very single life.”
Meg glanced over at me and I dropped my gaze to the floor, a protective measure, though she couldn’t possibly see into my
thoughts.
“Loons, I’m gonna need you to keep your skirts down for the duration of the wedding. Tomorrow you do what you like.”
Luna sighed dramatically. “Fiiine.”
I ran through a list of decidedly unsexy things in my head—anything to calm my body down after Luna’s statement. I had no
illusions that she would actually let me. I knew it was only a joke between friends, but now I couldn’t stop imagining what she
would taste like—heaven—and what she would sound like—also heaven.
It put the craving for her in my blood. It wasn’t fair that someone as smart, beautiful, and funny as Luna was basically off-
limits in every possible way. Allie would feed me to a colony of rabid squirrels if I got involved with one of her best friends.
Or, I guess, maybe that’s only what would happen if I managed to fuck it up. She already thought of Luna like a sister. Who was
to say what her exact feelings on the situation would be? I could definitely foresee a shovel talk.
I buried all of those thoughts.
Luna didn’t want me, jokes or no. She was about a million leagues above me, and the odds of her ever being interested
were spectacularly low. Realistically, if it weren’t for the bridal party, she probably wouldn’t have even given me the time of
day.
But reality or not, fate had given me an opportunity to spend time with her. We hadn’t hung out outside of the bridal party
yet, but I hoped we had gotten close enough that she might accept an invitation to do something once the wedding was over. I
didn’t know if she liked dogs or not, but if she did, I could always invite her for a walk, and let her spend some time with the
two I walked for neighbors.
I ate as much of the salami and cheese cubes as politeness allowed, desperate for the meal that would be served shortly.
A knock at the door had Meg rising from her seat to answer it. One of the venue staff let us know that everything was ready
for the announcement of the happy couple.
Allie bounced off of Sidney, tugging at his hand. “Time to greet our adoring public.”
Meg led Nicky, and I followed with Luna to the double doors that opened into the reception hall where the guests were
gathered.
“Here’s the couple of the hour!” the DJ announced. “Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael-Marino!”
 The four of us swept inside and stepped out of the way for Sidney and Allie to take their spotlight, my brother spinning his
bride, her laughter loud enough to reach above the music. They flowed through their first dance, and I couldn’t help but marvel
at the soft expression my brother wore as he looked at his bride. He’d always been pretty chill, but with Allie it was like that
chillness had elevated to peacefulness.
“Druncle to the east,” Meg said, her gaze trained on the opposite side of the hall.
Nicky and I both turned to see. “Are we going to have to cause a scene?” Nicky asked.
Allie’s uncle Ted was carrying a bottle of champagne, drinking straight from the bottle as he made his way through his
crowd, toward the line of sight of the bride.
“Shit. Intervention. You get the bottle; I’ll get the douche.” Meg marched toward him.
“Roger that.” Nicky took me with her, and Luna trotted behind Meg. The maid of honor football-tackled Ted and hoisted
him over her shoulder, never pausing for a moment as she carried him straight out the venue doors. Nicky caught the champagne
bottle before it clattered to the floor.
“Holy shit!” Luna shut the doors behind us and raced over to where Meg had dropped the uncle into one of the chairs.
“You’re a beast.”
Meg rotated her shoulders and stared down at the offending uncle. “Been a while since I’ve had to carry someone like
that.”
Ted was already pretty deep in the bottle, if his glassy eyes were any indication.
“Dude, what the fuck?” Luna snapped, fury bright in her eyes. A sharp edge to her scent denoted how pissed off she was.
“You’re not invited to this event. You need to leave.”
“My sister invited me.”
I might’ve felt bad for Ted if he hadn’t been about two seconds away from causing a scene at my brother’s wedding.
He argued with Meg until the alpha said my name, and I stepped forward on instinct, wrapping my arm around Ted’s
shoulders to escort him back to his hotel room.
He went without a fuss and once we were on the elevator, he turned to me. “That alpha girl is scary. Don’t get on her bad
side.”
I had no intentions of doing so. Ignoring his statement, I said instead, “Remind me what room you’re in.”
Ted shrugged and took another swig of his champagne. With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and called down to reception,
letting them know I had a wedding guest with me who had forgotten his room number. I didn’t relish having to dig through a
drunk man’s pockets for his hotel key, but I eventually got Ted settled, ordered him some room service, and filled up two
glasses of water to leave on his bedside table for the hangover I could only assume he would be nursing come morning.
By the time I returned, they had moved on to the bouquet toss and Luna caught the flowers out of the air with a whoop of
joy.
“Next up is the garter toss,” said the DJ. “Let’s get a chair out there for the bride and groom.”
I tried not to look too closely as my brother got his hands under Allie’s skirt. When he eventually held the garter in the air,
the crowd cheered.
“All right, you know the drill!” The DJ’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Single alphas, and any remaining single betas
on the floor.”
Meg grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me onto the dance floor, situating me toward the center. Before I could protest, the
garter landed right on top of my head.
My brother spun around to see where it had landed, letting out a snort-laugh. “You’re up next, Lulu!”
Embarrassment flooded my system, and I groaned, removing the garter from my head. I tried not to think about any of the
symbolism of Luna being the bouquet catcher.
I was about to step off the dance floor to get myself a drink but then the DJ announced, “There’s one more step to this
tradition, folks. Our garter catcher has to put it on the bouquet catcher!”
Aw, fuck.
My cheeks burst into flame. As much as I wanted to get my hands on Luna, I didn’t want the first time to be in front of an
entire crowd at a wedding. Luna didn’t seem nearly as affected as she sat down in the same chair Allie had used, spread her
knees, and crooked her finger to summon me over.
Holy shit.
I followed like a hooked fish, sank to my knees before her, and took the offered foot she stuck out toward me. The red of
her shoes matched her dress. I looped the garter around her ankle, feeling the heat move from my cheeks to my entire body as I
did so. I couldn’t look away, Luna’s ocean eyes holding me captive as I inched the garter up her leg. More muscle than I’d
expected flexed under my touch. She’d never mentioned if she did dance, but she definitely had calves like I’d seen on
ballerinas
It was impossible to miss the soft hitch of her breath when I settled the garter snugly on her thigh. We both stayed frozen for
a moment, until the clapping from the crowd jolted me, and I whipped my hands away, stood quickly, and offered my hand to
help her up as well.
Dinner being served gave me some time to regain my composure. By the time we’d finished eating and guests were filtering
back onto the dance floor, I’d been stuck in a cycle of remembering her comments, boosted by the knowledge of what her skin
felt like. I absolutely shouldn’t be thinking about her the way that I did. The thoughts came unbidden, and were made worse by
her agreeing to dance. I’d already danced with several guests, plus an obligatory dance with most of my relatives.
Sidney and Allie had departed for their wedding night a little before midnight, leaving the rest of us to dance the night
away.
“Luca.” My name was soft on Luna’s tongue.
“Yeah?”
“Offer still standing?”
“Oh, yeah, of course it is.” My heart flipped dangerously as we wove through the crowd and over to the bar where Luna got
herself a glass of water. Navigating into the hall cut off the raucous sounds of the reception hall, bringing us into silence by
comparison.
“Would it be bad if I asked you to distract me?” she said softly, not quite looking at me. I hadn’t expected any shyness from
her since I’d never seen it before.
“Distract you how?”
The answer came when that absolute goddess of an omega rose up on her toes and kissed me so fiercely that fireworks
went off in my brain, my whole body tingling from the rush of endorphins.
“D on’t“Itellwon’t.”
anyone, okay?” I pulled Luca into the coat room and that adorable beta followed me like a wide-eyed puppy.
Luca crowded me, filling my senses with that crisp, beachy scent that was uniquely him as I hopped up
on the ledge where the rolling partition blocked us from the rest of the venue.
Something about seeing my best friend getting married did funny things to my brain. Luckily, Luca wasn’t hard to convince
when I needed a distraction, taking only a single kiss to dive straight into everything I offered. We’d been eyeballing each other
the last few months during our bridal party duties and curiosity had finally gotten the better of me.
Was it wise to get frisky with my bestie’s new brother-in-law? No, probably not. But I was full of champagne and feelings I
didn’t want to take the time to examine, and a hot and heavy makeout sesh was the perfect antidote to get it all out of my system.
Luca leaned down and I hooked my fingers around the lapels of his tuxedo, pulling until I could reach his mouth. We
crashed together and I drank him down like he was my first sip of water in the desert.
He cupped my head softly, mindful of the elaborate updo they had wrangled my blonde curls into. If I didn’t have to go back
out where people could see me, I would tell him to ruin it, but I didn’t want rumors to get back to the bride and groom. Allie
deserved better than that.
Luca nipped my bottom lip and I gasped into his mouth. Damn. Who knew the beta boy could kiss? I had only tangled with
alphas and other omegas before, but maybe I should have given betas more of a chance.
I tugged him closer, craving being surrounded by him. He tasted like the little strawberry cakes from the dessert table, with
the subtle flavor of sunshine and salt air from his scent. I needed more. Arching against him, I let out a soft whine, my body
thrumming with desire at every sweep of his mouth on mine.
He dipped his head and softly kissed the scent gland on my throat. I squirmed, cursing the size of my bridesmaid dress, and
tugging it up, hoping that it wouldn’t wrinkle too much.
“Touch,” I ordered, breathing hard as I clung to his tuxedo jacket.
He resumed those deep luxurious kisses, dropping his palm to my thigh, carefully navigating the mountain of fabric to trace
over my skin. My clit tingled, desperate for contact.
“Luca.”
A shiver rolled through me when he gently nipped my throat. “I like the way you say my name.”
I tried to rock my hips toward his hand, but he surprised me by dropping to his knees.
I eyed him speculatively. He looked so sweet down there, cheeks flushed and lips softly parted.
“How much experience do you have getting a lady off?”
“Um, not as much as I would like.” He shrugged, gifting me with an innocent grin.
I laughed. “Cute and honest. You can give it a go. I’ll let you practice.”
Luca winked at me before disappearing under my mountainous skirts. He pulled my panties off slowly. The soft stubble on
his cheeks scraped against my thighs and I held my breath, waiting impatiently for him to get the show on the road. His tongue
snaked against my clit and I let out a sharp hiss. I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle myself. The concept of being
overheard and discovered was always hotter than the reality, and I wasn’t ready to deal with that particular humiliation tonight.
Luca devoured my cunt like a cat with a bowl of cream. What the boy lacked in experience and finesse, he made up for
with enthusiasm. Teasing strokes of his tongue kept me on edge, squirmy and desperate.
I cradled his head beneath the skirts. Stupid skirt was in. The. Way. I always liked to look a partner in the eye when they
had their face between my thighs. A single exploratory finger slid inside me and I spread my legs further apart to quietly
encourage him.
Meg had told me to behave until tomorrow. It was after midnight now, so it was technically tomorrow.
I rocked my hips against him and angled him to the perfect spot that had me whining and digging my fingers into him through
the fabric.
“Yes,” I hissed. “Right there, Luca. Don’t. Stop.”
Luca, bless him, poured every ounce of his exuberance onto my clit until I had to drag one of the coats hanging around us
over to bite down on. I bucked against him as the orgasm hit me and I rode that sharp wave to a blissful completion. He lapped
slowly as I settled, sending little sparks of pleasure to tighten my core.
I pushed him away once I could breathe normally again, and his glittering eyes popped up over the skirt, his face shiny from
my cunt. “Did I do okay?”
I giggled helplessly. “I’ll give you top marks for the first time with me. Are we gonna send you out to the wedding with a
boner?”
Luca stood and my gaze was drawn to his crotch, where a rather sizeable cock strained against the fabric.
I spared a glance at the door. “How long does it take you to finish?”
“Um, I don’t think I’ve ever timed it before.”
“Okay, then a different question. Do you think my pussy, mouth, or hands will get you to finish faster?”
His jaw dropped.
I stood and looked up at him. I did love feeling tiny next to people. Luca wasn’t as tall as some people I’d been with, but he
was tall enough I could tuck my head under his chin, which was my favorite height for a partner.
“Cat got your tongue, baby?” I purred playfully.
“No, I’m pretty sure you do.” He caught me up in a fresh kiss, hands linked at the small of my back, pressing me up against
the bulge of his pants. I could taste myself on his lips and I groaned helplessly, standing on my toes to deepen the kiss. If we
weren’t at a public event, I’d have dragged him to bed and fucked this sweet beta until neither of us could stand.
A knock at the door had me leaping out of my skin, heart pounding.
“Shit. Do I look okay?” I asked.
“You look perfect.” Luca smoothed my dress a bit, and I fixed up his dark brown hair so no one would guess what he’d
been doing. “I’ll handle myself later. Just give me a few minutes to calm down.”
“Well, that doesn’t seem very fair.” I’d never had someone not make at least a tiny bit of fuss over not getting to finish for
some reason.
Luca grinned and held up a pair of pink lacy panties he’d pulled off of me. “Let me keep these and we’ll call it an even
trade.”
My laugh caught me off guard and I buried my face in my hands to muffle my giggles. “You’re a naughty boy, Luca Marino. I
never would have guessed.”
He shrugged. “I’m full of surprises.”
Bastard. Now I was curious what else would surprise me. If he were anyone else, I would’ve accused him of doing that on
purpose, but guile didn’t feel like it suited Luca.
Maybe I would take the time to uncover those surprises. It would be stupid. This should only be a one time thing. My life
was too busy and far too complicated to even think about more. But damn if I wasn’t intrigued.
I shook the thought away. I couldn’t date someone who was so important to my friends. I was a dating disaster. The
pressure for things to work out with Luca would immediately ruin it all for me and then it would make things awkward.
 For both of our sakes, this couldn’t go further than tonight.
I stood on my toes and he took the hint to lean down so I could give him a quick kiss before turning toward the door. “Keep
the panties. But don’t tell anyone they’re mine. See you on the dance floor?”
“I’ll be there soon. Save me a dance.”
“Will do.”
I pulled open the door, Luca angling away from sight. Meg was waiting for me.
“There you are. You okay?”
“Yeah, I just needed a little breather. Guess the champagne made me a bit sensitive to the crowds.”
A bald-faced lie, but Meg had likely consumed enough champagne herself that she wouldn’t call me on it. I leaned away
from her so she wouldn’t catch Luca’s scent all over me.
“Let me go pee real quick.” I swerved around her and dashed to the bathroom, snatching up the de-scenting spray to send a
billowing cloud I could twirl through to obscure Luca’s scent further.
Meg and I retreated out to the dance floor and found Nicky sipping a glass of water at one of the many tables. I was jealous
the bride and groom had already departed for their night of wedded bliss because damn if I wasn’t craving my own hotel room
right now so I could ride Luca into the mattress.
Instead, I dragged Nicky up to dance and got through a handful of songs with my friends and other guests before Luca finally
emerged and stole me for his own dance.
His brown eyes burned with desire, but also gentle humor, as he twirled me around the dance floor. I bit my tongue when
the song ended and he went to dance with Meg; a tendril of jealousy curled through me.
Fuck.
I shouldn’t have told myself I couldn’t have him.
That made him forbidden.
And that was the one thing I could never fucking resist.
I stared at my phone. I had Luna’s number saved along with the rest of the bridal party, though I wasn’t sure if I should reach
out to her now that the wedding was over. She hadn’t said to call her. But that was basic protocol, wasn’t it? You hook up in
the coat room and then you call them.
Maybe a text would be safer.
I stared up at the ceiling, the same one I had slept under for the last twenty-six years. The odds of Luna being interested in
me when I still lived at home were small. I hadn’t gotten any closer to moving out. A lot of times being the baby of the family
came with perks, but worrying about my mom’s reaction was not one of them. Being the last to leave meant I was finally turning
a once crowded home into an empty nest.
Mom wasn’t good with stuff like that.
I had heard on more than one occasion that I was welcome to stay forever.
Please, god, don’t let me stay forever.
I had to be strategic about leaving. She didn’t need to know I had been looking at apartments. The same way she didn’t
need to know I’d been thinking about Luna every night this week since the wedding. Normally I would ask Sidney about
something like this, but he was off in the tropics with his new bride, which left me woefully unequipped to handle the hookup
that I desperately wanted to be more. Not that I could’ve told him anyway, since I’d promised Luna I wouldn’t tell anyone.

LUCA:
It feels weird that the wedding is over after we spent so long planning and prepping

SUNSHINE:
OMG right???
I liked my bridesmaid duties and work is super boring with Allie away
 How am I supposed to have workplace shenanigans without her????

I smiled at my phone. I definitely should not have been thinking about the shenanigans I could get her into if I went to her job.
Maybe she wouldn’t mind a visit.

LUCA:
Could I tempt you with some lunch?
I could make a valiant attempt at alleviating your boredom since you’re unfortunately Allie-free right now

The typing dots appeared and disappeared a half dozen times, each reappearance ratcheting up my anxiety. Maybe I shouldn’t
have asked. Fuck. Did I screw up already?

SUNSHINE:
Lunch sounds nice
Any place in particular?

Oh, thank god. Did this count as a date? I didn’t want to ask her and ruin it if it wasn’t.

LUCA:
I haven’t been down to Allie’s office for a while but we ate at a little Greek place that wasn’t far away
Have you been?

SUNSHINE:
OH MY GOD YES
I almost forgot about that place
The food is so good
Meet you there or pick me up?

LUCA:
I’ll pick you up
Lunch break at noon?

SUNSHINE:
You bet
See you then :)

I huffed out a relieved breath. I would have time to take her out for a nice lunch break before my afternoon shift at the gym. I
wasn’t expecting seeing her to go anywhere, not really. Luna was like the sun. Bright, bold, and beautiful in her searing power.
She was definitely out of my league. But that didn’t stop my little beta heart from hoping.
I prepped breakfast and cleaned the kitchen to a shine before starting to cook the eggs so they’d be ready by the time my
parents got home from their morning activities. Cooking was one of those tasks that I’d always enjoyed. Not quite as much as
baking, though. It was so satisfying to put in the effort and have something beautiful and delicious at the end of it.
Once I’d eaten, I picked up Bagel, the beagle that lived a few streets over, so he could get some exercise. We ran down the
street together to Little Stars Dayhome, where we would pick up Beans.
I didn’t need to ring the doorbell because Beans was already in the window and let out a howl that got Bagel going, too.
The sweet and frazzled woman that ran the dayhome appeared at the door, struggling to get Beans’s harness on him.
“Hey, Ms. Winslow.” I waved. “Can I help?”
“Please. Beans is so much better for you.” She stepped aside, redoing her blonde ponytail while I got Beans outfitted.
I waved to all the kiddos and set off at a run in the direction of the dog park, both of the beagles racing along like their butts
were on fire. Who needed the gym for cardio when you had the energy of a supernova packed into a twenty-pound body to
contend with?
They weren’t even starting to flag by the time we got to the dog park, so I let them off leash and watched them take off in a
wild game of chase before they decided I had to participate and throw a tennis ball until my arm was ready to fall off.
“You guys, the spirit is willing, but the body is tired as fuck.” The combined doggy head tilt made my heart explode. “Okay,
one more, but then we have to head home so your moms don’t wonder if I’ve kidnapped you.”
I hurled the ball, watching them run. I might not have been entirely content with my life, but I was trying to make the best of
it by putting a little extra good out into the universe. The dogs returned with the ball, looking at me with begging eyes.
“Nuh-uh. I said one more and that was one more. You’re going to be a toasted Bagel and baked Beans if I let you stay out in
the sun much longer.”
Ms. Winslow was out in the yard with the kiddos when we arrived back, and they descended on the dogs with excited
squeals, the dogs lapping up the attention.
“You’re an angel,” she said. “Thank you for taking him.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve got to get Bagel back to his mom. Hope the rest of your day goes well!”
Bagel was so deep in the love that I had to carry him home like a baby. “Little love sponge. Hope you’ve still got some of
that left for your mom when we get there.”
I set Bagel on the ground and he hopped excitedly over to his mama, scaling the porch swing to climb into her lap to
shower her with kisses. I let the two of them be, and set off on my next task, checking the mail and watering the plants for a
couple down the street that were visiting family out of town this month.
I was the neighborhood go-to for a lot of things, but I liked feeling needed like that. The bit of extra cash didn’t hurt either. I
never charged anyone, but every so often someone shoved an envelope of cash on me as a thank you for whatever chore I’d
been performing for them.
Normally, my next task after that would be mowing lawns for a few of the more elderly residents of our neighborhood, but
since I was meeting Luna at noon, that would have to wait. With enough time to spare to hop in the shower before lunch, I
scrubbed down, toweled off, and stood in front of my closet, trying to choose something appropriate.
Luna was classy and beautiful, and I wanted to reflect that. The Greek place wasn’t fancy, but I still chose my outfit with
care. It was pretty hot outside, so I opted for some dark-wash denim shorts and a blue polo before driving down to her office
with butterflies in my stomach.
I texted her that I had arrived, and a moment later, she burst out the front doors, looking so wonderfully perfect with her
golden blonde curls hanging around her face, a ruffly white short-sleeved blouse, and a blue floral skirt that fell to her knees
with strappy white shoes on her feet where bold red nails flashed with every step.
I hopped out of the car and opened up the passenger door for her.
“Hey, cutie.” Luna grinned and bounced up on her toes to kiss my cheek before sliding into the passenger seat.
“Hey there.” Heat rushed through me at the contact of her lips on my skin. “You seem like you’re in a good mood.”
“Should I not be? A cute boy’s taking me to lunch.”
Her smile was too beautiful.
The drive to the restaurant was short and we managed to squeak into the last available parking space. Luna patiently waited
while I practically sprinted to the other side of the vehicle to open her door for her.
“So polite.” She giggled, patting my cheek. “Someone’s mama raised him right.”
I’d open a thousand doors if it meant she would smile at me like that again.
She hooked her arm through mine as we walked up to the door, and I opened that one for her too. Luna charmed the hostess
and we were seated a moment later at a tiny two-person table next to a gorgeous mural of Santorini.
“I’m totally going to get the moussaka,” she declared. “And some baklava to take back for my afternoon snack.”
I scanned the menu that the hostess had given us. Our server popped up and I ordered the lamb souvlaki with a glass of
sweet tea.
When we were left alone again, Luna watched me with her enigmatic blue eyes. “So, what prompted today?”
“Mostly it felt weird to not talk to you after the wedding. I thought about calling every day since, but I didn’t know if you
would like that.”
“Good instincts.” She sighed. “I’m not sure what I want in this department, to be honest. We had fun, but every time I think
about us dating, and my friends knowing, your family knowing, laying all those hopes and expectations for everything to work
out…frankly it makes me nauseated. I’d be boxed in the second anyone found out.”
I gave myself a moment to process the words. The biggest thing that leapt out was that she wanted to date me, and holy hell
did that feel like I’d won the fucking lottery. She wasn’t wrong about the rest, though. Allie was my sister now and Luna was
her best friend. And Nicky had definitely bonded with Luna through the course of Sidney and Allie’s engagement. They would
both want things to work out if Luna and I dated. Which meant for me to have a chance there was only one way forward.
“What if they didn’t find out?”
Secret Luna was better than no Luna. It would be weird to avoid telling people of my good fortune if she agreed, but she
was worth it.
Luna quirked her head. “You don’t seem like you could keep a secret. I don’t know how long I could keep a secret like that
when I literally work with Allie.”
“So, you don’t want to…” I held my breath, expecting her to put an immediate stop to everything.
 “I didn’t say that.”
My heart was about ready to beat out of my chest at her declaration and I gripped my knees hard to steady myself.
Luna lapsed into silence as our drinks arrived and she fussed with the straw, choosing her next words. “You’re cute, but
I’m not very good at dating. Historically, people haven’t been great at respecting my boundaries, and my tolerance level for
that is at zero. As much as it would bother me to have Allie and Nicky breathing down my neck with their excitement, I also
don’t want to hurt you. Based on my track record, that’s a pretty likely possibility.”
“Well,” I said slowly, “I do have to point out that I’m an adult and I could choose to take the risk. Besides, I’ve had a crush
on you for months.”
“Oh?” Her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Stroke my ego a little and tell me how many.”
“Coming on a year, maybe? That’s about how long it’s been since we met.” The second I’d seen her for the first time, I’d
been entranced. Between her laugh, her smile, that cloud of golden curls, and the snug pink dress she’d worn, I hadn’t been
able to look away. She was the embodiment of everything I’d hoped for and everything I didn’t dare dream I could have.
Luna cackled and quickly buried her laugh in her hands when other patrons looked over. “You’re even cuter than I was
anticipating. That’s just unfair.”
“Is cute in my favor here?”
Please say yes.
Luna leveled me with her gaze, blue eyes sparkling. “If it was just cute, I would probably say no, but I know you’re
secretly naughty and that may have tipped the scales.”
I held my breath as a myriad of emotions played over her face.
“We need rules,” she finally said, and I thought I might pass out from the wave of excitement that washed over me.
I nodded, bright bliss coursing through my body.
I actually had a chance.
H ow was I supposed to say no when he was looking at me like I was a goddess descended to earth? Sweet boy. He might
want to take the risk, but after seeing too many relationships crumble for loved ones, not taking risks like that was exactly
how I protected myself.
I couldn’t be hurt if I didn’t get too invested.
I allowed people to lean into the rumor that I was a maneater so their expectations stayed low. It didn’t quite matter that I
had been involved with people of all genders and designations at this point, or that I was clear about my boundaries from the
start. It wasn’t my fault that not everyone believed those boundaries were real.
Luca didn’t know my history with relationships or any of the various things I’d done and still did that previous partners
found objectionable. Several had straight up demanded I quit one of my jobs because they didn’t like the duties involved.
Part of me was tempted to spill it all out and get his judgement out of the way, but the part of me more dedicated to self-
preservation didn’t want to know what he would think. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with working weekends as a
dancer, or taking clients to the back rooms for the sake of financial security, but the amount of people who had said unkind
things about my choices was more than zero.
“What kind of rules?” he asked.
He had those puppy eyes, wide and excitable, like he was two seconds away from launching out of his seat to cover me in
kisses, which wouldn’t be so bad if we weren’t in public. It wasn’t how people usually behaved with me. I’d have to keep on
my toes with this one.
“I have a few boundaries I lay down before I consider anything with anyone. If you don’t like them, that’s fine, and we can
keep things exactly as they are.”
Luca nodded slowly. “I can respect boundaries.”
Others had said the same, but that respect hadn’t lasted long. I wanted to believe Luca was different because I couldn’t
exactly deal with him the way I had dealt with others in the past. I had an extremely low tolerance for bullshit with my play
partners. The first instance of stepping on my boundaries would pass with a correction, but if it happened again? Fuck that. The
moment they pushed, I flung those fuckers into the sea. I wouldn’t be able to do that with Luca, or at least not to the same
degree. I could put distance between us, but he was still my best friend’s brother-in-law, and the brother of another friend.
Dating Luca would be a terrible idea. I couldn’t let it stray into that territory, but I could at least let us both indulge in the
physical side of things. I needed him to understand fully so things didn’t get messy.
“First and most obvious rule: we’re telling no one about this. Not your brother and sister, not Allie, not your friends or
your parents. Don’t even start talking about me more in a platonic context because they will sniff it out. My name doesn’t leave
your mouth unless you’re with me.”
“Okay, fair. What else?”
“No sleepovers, and no gifts,” I added from my mental list. “I assume we’ll be meeting at my place since I have no desire
to waste money on a hotel and you live with your parents.”
His cheeks flushed. “If you don’t mind.”
“I like my space so that’s fine. Just don’t touch my stuff. Everything has a spot it belongs in and I like it that way.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Pleasant warmth rushed through me at his words and the cheeky expression on his face.
“Does buying lunch count as a gift?” he asked.
“You don’t have to buy me food, Luca.”
“But I want to.”
“Okay,” I conceded. “Food can count as not-a-gift. But nothing else, and especially not things that someone might comment
on.”
“Got it. So a tiara is off the table, then?”
My laugh caught me off guard and had several tables looking in our direction. I took a long drink until they got bored and
looked away. “Quit being cute when I’m not expecting it.”
Luca beamed. “I feel like you should always have that expectation, but I can try to tone it down.”
Hmm. I didn’t like the idea of that. “You’re fine as you are.”
He grinned, and my heart did a stupid little flip.
“We have to be casual, Luca. This can only be for fun. I meant it when I said I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” he insisted.
“History says otherwise. I like you. You’re so important to people I love and while I’m an excellent fuckbuddy, I’m a
terrible girlfriend, so don’t get it in your head that that can happen between us.”
He didn’t look especially convinced, but he nodded anyway. “I can be casual.”
“Good.”
The little screamy voice in the back of my mind was going wild, shouting that I was going to implode both our lives. I sat in
the lapse of conversation for a few moments, trying to think of what other boundaries I might need to lay down to keep us both
safe. Most people I’d been with had been delighted over the no-strings-attached sex, but I had a sneaking suspicion Luca would
need some guidance with it. He didn’t strike me as the casual sex type, though he’d surprised me at the wedding, so maybe he
was.
“I also can’t offer you sexual exclusivity.”
His eyes widened, and I could see the questions turning around in his head.
“I wanted to be clear about that up front.”
“Are you…with someone?” he asked, choosing his words carefully.
“Not romantically,” I replied, opting for truth even if I didn’t want to launch into a full explanation. “All I can promise you
is that I keep myself safe and have a standing appointment at the omega clinic to make sure I stay that way. I know it’s not an
ideal situation⁠—”
“No, but nothing ever is.” Luca shrugged. “I don’t want to haul out the cliche of ‘I’ll take what I can get,’ but I’m happy
with whatever you want to give me.”
I watched him for a long moment. It was a better response than I’d been anticipating, but not one I trusted in full. Luca
didn’t know the whole story, though I didn’t think it was the business of a friends-with-benefits situation.
“When can I see you again?” Luca asked, as if he weren’t dying to dig into the details I wasn’t freely sharing. “I always
have Tuesday nights off, but the rest of my schedule is pretty variable.”
I stared down at my soda and swirled the ice with my straw. The nagging little voice in my head was not shutting up. I
should’ve ordered a shot of ouzo to quiet it down.
“I can do part of Tuesday nights, unless you want to start coming to yoga. Then you can have me the whole time.”
His eyes widened and a flash of heat flickered across his gaze.
I giggled. “Luca Marino, were you imagining me in yoga poses?”
He coughed discreetly and sucked back some of his sweet tea. “That depends on how much you’d like it if I said yes.”
 “Baby, if you’re with me, you’ll get to experience any pose you can think of. I’m very bendy.”
Luca sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m gonna have to stay sitting for a while.”
“Dork.” I kicked him playfully under the table and fell silent as our food arrived. I shoveled a few bites into my mouth so I
could fuel my brain for this absolutely ridiculous idea.
“I don’t think I have the flexibility for yoga,” said Luca, sparing me from thinking too hard. “I’d like to see you teach a
class, though, and I’m not going to say no to more time with you.”
“We can work on your flexibility. There are props to help if you can’t get all the way into the postures. Plus you can enjoy
my butt in tight pants.”
He choked on his food and I helpfully handed him his drink.
“You’re going to kill me.”
“I hope not,” I said. “There’s a whole lot of you I still have to experience.”
Why was it so much fun making him blush? I liked that I could affect him so easily.
“Any other rules?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Be chill if we see each other in public. People know we know each other so it’s not like we have to pretend
we’ve never met, but I’m just your sister-in-law’s friend. And no posting on social media. I think you follow me on most
platforms already, but any pictures we end up taking do not go online.”
“Fair and reasonable.”
“You’re being very relaxed about all of this,” I pointed out. “You’re not going to change your mind?”
“I won the lottery with you even considering this, so I’m going to do whatever I need to in order to not fuck it all up.”
The parade of failed relationships and ticked off fuckbuddies pushing for more marched through my mind, strengthened by
the reminder of my parents’ viciously bitter divorce and my sister’s ongoing one that had seriously soured my views on
romance. I wasn’t meant to have the storybook life, wasn’t sure that it was even possible. I was content with how things were.
“So what time is yoga on Tuesday?”
“Seven-thirty. Tuesday is a hip mobility class. My other classes are aerial silks.”
“That sounds terrifying,” Luca said with a laugh. “Could you show me some?”
“Sure, if no one’s using it on Tuesday, we can pop over to that part of the studio. The basics aren’t hard to learn; it more so
depends on your strength and coordination to get really good, and your dedication to putting up with pain.”
He chatted with me about which classes were my favorite, what else I liked to do in my spare time—dancing, reading, and
scouring restaurants for the perfect food—and questions about my family, which I answered without giving names, not because
I didn’t trust him, but because I was wildly protective of my sisters.
“You’re a middle baby, right?”
“Mhmm. Both my sisters are betas. One is twelve years older than me and going through a rough divorce, and the other is
four years younger.”
“That sucks about the divorce.”
“It’s a fucking nightmare, to be honest. Her soon-to-be ex is extremely petty and making everything difficult just because he
can.”
“What an asshole,” Luca replied, shoving a bite of kebab into his mouth.
“I mean, I’m not surprised he’s like that. He was a dick when they were dating too, but my sister was optimistic and
astonishingly naive after the divorce our parents went through. Not that I’m saying it’s her fault,” I amended. “I love my sister
but she’s too sweet and he took advantage of that.”
I had tangled with my fair share of assholes of all genders, but because I kept them at a distance, it was a lot easier to
disappear into the night than if I’d gotten myself legally attached, which was another thing I never intended to do.
“Some people are great at finding vulnerable people and exploiting them. I’ve never understood why some people just
want to be dicks like that.” Luca nudged his food around with his fork. “What about the baby sister?”
“She’s in her third year at university. Smart as a goddamn whip, but thus far not a lick of ambition.” I shrugged. “I’m not
worried about that yet. Most people don’t have a ton in their early twenties.”
“Did you?” Luca asked, his curious gaze surveying me.
“Yep,” I said, popping the p. “I wanted as much money and stability as I could grab.”
I could practically see the questions forming in his head, but Luca only nodded. “Would you prefer I not ask questions about
certain topics?”
It was sweet that he wanted to know more about me, and sweeter still that he was boundary-checking when I started to
answer vaguely, though I wasn’t sure how to respond. Luca was basically an open book, and I knew from Nicky and Allie that
my upbringing had been very different from the Marino children. He wouldn’t understand a lot, and tons more that felt too
intimate to share. I could hand over my body to him, but my emotions, memories, and trauma responses? No, thank you.
“Surface things are okay,” I replied. I had already told him too much. He made it too easy to talk, and I’d have to watch
myself so I didn’t give away unnecessary details. There were plenty of things about my life that even Allie and my sisters
didn’t know. I didn’t need to be spilling all my secrets to Luca when I hadn’t even told them.
“Cool,” said Luca. “So what should I wear to yoga?”
The complete lack of pushback left me staring at him. Maybe he could respect boundaries. I shoved down the swell of
warmth in my chest, unsure yet how dangerous that could be for both of us.
SEPTEMBER

“H ello,Luna
my little pretzels!”
was impossibly perfect as she stood at the front of class in a drapey blue tank top and navy pants so snug they
might as well be a second skin.
“Hello, Luna!” the class chorused.
“We have a new student who’ll be joining us for tonight’s class, in case you wondered who the new face was, tucked away
in the back.”
They turned to look at me and I froze under the scrutiny. The class was a mix of all body types and ages on yoga mats,
surrounded by props—blocks, bolsters, and straps, Luna had called them as she set me up with my own stash—and ready for
whatever she had planned.
“Let’s start out on our backs,” Luna’s voice was quiet but firm, carrying through the studio space. The class obeyed like
little soldiers and I followed down to my back. I wished I could still see her, but she must have sensed the desire, since she
came floating into my peripheral vision, moving through the room to dole out instructions to breathe and settle into our bodies. I
wasn’t a stranger to working out, though I’d never been quite this mindful of what was going on in my body.
It was easy to become drowsy as she dimmed the lights, her voice guiding us through a relaxation until the class kicked into
gear. My hips were tight. A simple twist had me struggling to breathe, and Luna appeared, tucking a bolster beneath my knees
to ease the movement.
“My class is not ‘no pain, no gain,’” she said to all of us. “Use your supports as needed. Breathe in and come to center.
Now, over to the left.”
This time I was ready and used the prop to keep the stretch comfortable instead of overwhelming. When our movements
brought us off our backs, we settled into hip flexor stretches that had me questioning all of my life decisions before this point.
 “Come on back a bit.” Luna inched my hips backward until she seemed happy with my positioning. “Don’t be a hero, Luca.
Ease into things.”
I nodded hastily, focusing on the burn of my muscles holding me in place.
“We treat our bodies with grace,” Luna said as she moved through the class and took up the same posture on her own mat.
“We honor what our bodies are capable of in this moment and not where we want them to be, or think they should be, and we
seek only the discomfort of pushing our boundaries. If something hurts, please come out of the posture.”
It was a struggle to listen because I wanted to impress her, and also because I hadn’t thought yoga would be that big of a
deal. I was pretty fit for the most part, between chasing after dogs, constant physical chores around the neighborhood, and shifts
at the gym, but this was different.
Each new posture poked at muscles I hadn’t even been aware of before. It was endlessly fascinating to watch her move. I’d
never quite registered how strong Luna was before, but I was gaining a whole new appreciation for the muscles packed into
her body. The flexibility I knew about because she’d told me, though somehow I’d forgotten that a person would need strength
alongside it to accomplish some of these moves.
As we settled into a new stretch, I groaned, struggling to achieve some semblance of what it was supposed to look like.
Luna kneeled at my side, hooking the strap around my foot to make up the extra distance. “Hold on here. Don’t push so hard or
you’ll hurt yourself.”
When we repeated the same set of stretches from the beginning of class, I was surprised how much further into them I could
get without wanting to immediately die.
“Okay, pretzels, let’s wind down. Onto your backs, use your bolsters if you want to for comfort, grab a blanket if you’d
like, and I’ll turn down the lights for a few minutes of relaxation before I let you get back to your lives.” I watched her move
through the class, making sure everyone had what they needed, and she tucked a bolster under my knees, giving me a gorgeous
smile before flipping off the lights.
I lost track of time as I settled into the darkness, eyes closed, body melting into the mat. The deep quiet in the room sank
straight into my bones. I could see why people got into this. Workouts were great and all, but this was chill on top of getting all
those little forgotten muscles. I was half asleep when Luna’s voice broke the silence, telling us to bring awareness back into
our bodies, and start wiggling fingers and toes. It took a lot of willpower to do it when I was ready for a nap, but I did, slowly
coming back to life under her instruction until the whole class was sitting up and facing her.
“Thank you all so much for joining me tonight, for choosing to spend your time with me here and taking this time for
yourself. Have a wonderful rest of your night, and I’ll see you all next week.”
I hung back as everyone prepared to leave, pleasantly surprised to see every single one of them spray and wipe down all of
the communal supplies—a far cry from how people at my gym behaved—before heading out.
Luna paused to give me a quick kiss before bouncing on her toes. “Give me a few minutes to clean the floor and I’ll be right
out.”
“Can I help?” I certainly wasn’t going to stand around while she worked.
“If you really want to. I don’t mind if you want to rest, though.”
“Let me. The sooner we finish, the sooner I get you all to myself, right?”
“Too true. Okay, one sec.” Luna grabbed the giant dust broom and sent me to sweep ahead of her steam mop. She beamed at
me when we finished. “So what did you think? Have I converted you?”
“I liked it a lot more than I expected to. It’s hard as hell, but I think it’ll be good for me. I’m definitely going to feel it
tomorrow.”
“It takes time to get used to it. You did great for your first class.”
My cheeks flushed with warmth at the simple praise. “Thanks. Can I see you do the aerial stuff now?”
“Sure. Let’s head over and see if there’s some free silks.”
I followed her into a massive room with an absolutely cavernous ceiling. A rainbow of fabric hung from it and Luna went
straight for a red set, scaling it like a monkey on a tree. My heart leapt into my throat. She was high enough that she would
definitely break something if she fell. A surge of protectiveness rolled through me.
“Luca,” Luna called down, “get off the mat or I might kick you in the face.”
I hadn’t even realized I had stepped forward. I probably wouldn’t do much better to prevent injury trying to catch her,
anyway, and I definitely didn’t want to get kicked if she didn’t need me.
Retreating quickly to give her space, she did some complicated twist with the fabric sending herself into a downward spin
that froze the breath in my throat. She caught herself about halfway down, transitioning to a flip and catching the fabric around
her arms, which sent her into an upright spin as she whipped her legs up into the air again.
Fucking magic.
How much strength did a person need to fling themselves through the air like that? Dayum. Who knew this little omega had
so much power packed into her?
Another series of twists and flips finally had her touching down, and my arms were around her before I could blink. I
scooped her up with a bout of terrified laughter. “Holy fucking shit, Luna. That was wild!”
She laughed in my arms, snaring her legs around my waist, her eyes glowing with amusement as she dragged my mouth to
hers. All of my tension dropped away, instantly replaced by a wave of hot desire.
“Come on, Luca. Let’s take me home and have a little fun. Work was stressful and I need some release.”
She slid to her feet and I groaned at the friction of her core sliding over my embarrassingly hard cock beneath my sweats.
Luna’s bright laughter had my cheeks heating. “Walk close behind me. Don’t want everyone else in the building to get an
eyeful, do we?”
I followed after her, insisting on carrying her yoga mats and duffel bag for her, and I loaded them into her car before
hopping into my own to follow her to her apartment. My heart was beating a mile a minute. I had only gotten an appetizer at the
wedding, and I was more than ready to eat my fill now.
“Welcome to Chez Luna,” she said, thrusting open her front door.
A rush of mango lemonade filled my nose, as potent as if I’d tucked my face to her throat. I looked around, soaking in all of
the details, having had no idea what to expect from her home. The fourth-story loft had floor-to-ceiling windows along one side
with a spider-like apparatus that stretched to the ceiling with a hoop hanging from the center to hover above a thick mat. The
walls that weren’t white-painted brick were a soft Wedgewood blue. The couch was the same blue, and the rest of the furniture
was white, prompting me to wonder if it was on purpose so everything blended into the walls. She had no kitchen table, only a
breakfast bar with two seats.
There was no sign of a bedroom on this level, so I could only assume that her nest was on the upper level.
“You can put the yoga mats in here,” she said, opening a small closet next to the door. She took the duffel from me and
extracted the clothes from her workday and tossed them into a little hamper next to the washer and dryer that were concealed
behind another door.
“Nest is off limits, okay?”
A thread of disappointment wove through me, but I understood that an omega might not want to share such an intimate space
with just anyone. Whether she would in the future was up for debate. Either way, I could respect that.
“I can ruin you as easily in the living room as the bedroom,” I said with a confidence I was prepared to back up with sheer
enthusiasm.
Luna laughed. I loved that sound.
“Ready for me, cutie?” she asked, stalking toward me. “Because I’m about to rock your world.”
L uca’s whole body tensed, his eyes wide as I made an easy leap. He caught me and hooked his hands under my thighs, turning
to press me up against the wall. His mouth was on mine a moment later, that fresh beachy scent billowing out of him. The
wall press was a classic favorite of mine, making me feel small and secure. He was about a foot taller than me so he boosted
me up, using the wall as a support so we could kiss properly.
His tongue swept into my mouth, his body pressed impossibly close, soft sounds of pleasure escaping his lips as he slowly
devoured me. I wasn’t as surprised by his passion this time as I was at the wedding. This time I leaned into it. Luca’s moan
was music when I nipped his lip and hooked my arm around his neck, letting the other hang down his back so my fingers could
bunch in his shirt.
Luca seemed in absolutely no hurry, spending long moments sampling my lips before he lifted me a little higher and worked
his way at a leisurely pace down my neck and over the curve of my shoulder. I tipped my head to the side and laced my fingers
into his hair as he sucked the scent gland on my throat. It scattered my thoughts and I leaned indulgently into him.
“Luca,” I breathed his name, a contented sigh filling the quiet. I was supposed to be doing the world-rocking, but I was so
fucking comfortable.
The warmth of his body was like a brand seeping into my skin. His teeth grazed my throat and got that primal part of my
omega brain humming.
“Couch,” I demanded.
I loved the way he luxuriated in me, but I needed to get my footing with him, and to do that, I needed his ass on the couch so
I was the one on top.
Luca detached himself so he could see, walked us both over to the couch, and sank down into the plush cushions. I braced
both hands on his shoulders and pushed away, rising up on my knees so I could look down at him. Luckily, a good chunk of his
height was in those lanky runner’s legs. I tucked both hands into his hair and got a firm grip, tugging his head back so I could be
the one to devour him, rolling my hips against his. The sweet boy was already hard as a rock, and I was more than eager to get
my hands on him.
I reached out to tug on his waistband, but he locked both hands around my wrists. I looked at him, wildly confused as to
why he would stop me when this was the very thing he had come over to do.
“Can I settle in a little more first?” he asked. “We were so rushed at the wedding and I want to take my time now, if that’s
okay?”
I wasn’t sure what to do with that. I had had luxurious fuck sessions before, but that tended to be including the afterglow of
each round, not the foreplay. I didn’t need much of that to get rolling, though I did enjoy it when it happened.
“Sure,” I said, curious what exactly he had in mind even while knowing it was better for both of us to get what we needed
quickly and part ways again.
“I know I’ll probably get distracted if we skip ahead to where you’re intending, and I want to make sure you want to have
me back again. Tell me if you don’t like something, okay?”
I nodded, though not every lover I had been involved with was as good at taking feedback as Luca assumed he would be.
“But also tell me what you do like,” he added. “I want to learn.”
I smothered down a purr. “I’m very sturdy and tolerant of pain so there’s not a ton you could throw at me I wouldn’t enjoy
at some level.”
Luca did the puppy head tilt. “But I don’t want to hurt you.”
“There’s a difference between hurting me just because and doing specific things because I enjoy them.” He looked so
concerned and it made me want to squish his cheeks. “Most omegas will enjoy a firmer hand since we heal so well. Not
everyone, mind you, but stuff like hair pulling, ass smacking, pinning me down, are all A-okay as long as you’re doing it with
sexy intent.”
I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. I liked that he showed his emotions on his face. Made it easier for me
to know where things stood.
“You wanna try it?”
“Yes,” he said so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.
I tugged my hair out of its bun and let the curls fall around my face. “All yours.”
Luca let me guide his hand into my hair where he snared a sharp grip that gave the perfect amount of sting, using it to
maneuver my head, exposing my throat so he could get back to work nipping the scent gland. His hand tapped my ass, more at
the level you’d use to get someone’s attention than to show them who’s boss.
“Harder.”
He tried again and it was better than first, leaving a pleasant tingle.
“Harder.” That hit made me squeak, and I leaned into the burn, his fingers curling around my ass cheek. “Yeah, just like
that.”
Luca’s pupils were blown so wide they eclipsed the iris when he switched hands and dragged my head to the other side to
tend to my throat again. His body vibrated with energy beneath me and I gasped when his palm cracked against my ass cheek. I
rocked against him, heat pooling between my thighs, and goosebumps rising across my skin.
Patience when there was pleasure to be had wasn’t one of my strengths, but I could make an attempt so I wasn’t rushing
him. At least for this first time. His fingertips snuck beneath the hem of my shirt and spread across the skin of my back, pressing
me closer.
“You smell so good,” he murmured against my throat. “Sweet. Tart. Perfect.” He punctuated each word with his tongue
lapping over my scent gland, making me wildly squirmy.
“Luca,” I whined, dropping down to grind harder against him. I bit my tongue to keep from demanding that he hurry along.
“Yes, Sunshine?”
A dangerous warmth blossomed in my chest at the nickname. I should nix it, but I hadn’t put “no pet names” on the list of
rules. No one had used anything besides “omega” or plays on my name before. I silenced my thoughts by kissing him again,
urging him to inch my shirt higher.
Stretching my arms overhead in a clear invitation to move things forward, Luca tugged my shirt off and tossed it aside, his
face enraptured as he took in the expanse of skin, what little chest I had barely concealed by a white bralette that wasn’t doing
a particularly good job of hiding the fact that my nipples were ready to cut glass.
Luca tugged one of the straps down and boosted me up with his arms under my butt so I was high enough for his lips to
close over the peak. Pleasant warmth, like melted chocolate, radiated through me, fresh waves rolling with each sweep of his
tongue. The rest of the bralette slowly made its way down until it was hanging around my waist, my top half completely
exposed. Luca traced every inch of me with his fingertips, branding my skin as his lips joined the exploration until I was
shaking in his grip.
“Luca, you’re overdressed.”
“You should fix that for me.” He lifted his arms adorably and I pulled off his shirt, squeaking when he squeezed me so we
were chest to chest. “Is it weird to say thank you? I dunno what the protocol is during stuff like this.”
 I snorted. “Are you trying to say thank you for me fucking you?”
“Yes?” He quirked his head. “I mean, I’ve been thinking about it a lot since the wedding and I still can’t quite believe
you’re right here.”
I gave into the impulse and squeezed his cheeks between my hands. “Stop being so fucking cute. You’re very welcome for
the fucking that’s about to happen, but if we’re going to get to that point we should hurry things along. I mean, not to rush you or
anything, but I get up early and still have a workout and chores to fit on the schedule after this.”
“I could help?”
“You’re sweet, but I’ve been peopling all day and I need that alone time before bed so I can decompress. Until then I’m all
yours, but please. I’m loving what’s happening and I’m impatient for the main event.”
His cock tapped at me through his pants. “You’re impatient for me?”
“Is that hard to believe?” I slid my fingers from his cheeks to interlace behind his head.
“Have you seen you?” Luca asked, completely earnest with a hint of laughter in his tone.
“I definitely have, but I’m also looking at you, and you’re exactly what I want right now.”
He lapsed into silence for a moment, before quietly asking, “Really?”
“Absolutely. Why would you think otherwise?”
Luca shrugged, not quite making eye contact with me. “You’ve seen my brother. It was hard growing up with him looking
the way he does. No one ever gave me a second glance if he was around.”
I’d never run into that issue with my sisters, but Stella was so much older than me that we didn’t generally attract the same
type of people.
“Sidney’s attractive, sure, but everyone has their own taste.” I shrugged. Luca was a total cutie even if he wouldn’t have
made the cut to be on the cover of a magazine. “I don’t want him. Above and beyond the fact that he married my best friend. I
want you.”
The tension in Luca’s body melted beneath me and he pulled me in for a kiss. “Sorry if I made things awkward,” he said.
“Didn’t mean to be a mood killer.”
“Hmm, well, the good thing about a mood is that it can always be brought back. Why don’t you help me take off these pants
and we’ll see what we can do about it?” I slid slowly off his lap, rotating so I could bend over and place my forearms on the
coffee table, leaving my ass to Luca. He peeled my leggings down, his touch ghosting over my skin until my pants were on the
floor and he was helping ease my feet out of them.
The crack of skin on skin as his hand connected to my ass cheek had me jumping and burying my face against my arms with
a moan. “Fuck.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t know there was a thong under those or I’d have embarrassed myself during yoga.”
I giggled, wiggling my hips until he delivered a smack to the other cheek, before his teeth nipped my butt and snared around
the waistband string of the thong to tug it down. His mouth descended on my cunt, hot tongue sweeping between my folds. I
stood on my toes to press against him, groaning freely as he took his time until my legs were shaking.
“Could we try putting that yoga to good use?” Luca kissed my pussy, fingers kneading my ass.
“What did you have in mind?”
“This same position, but your thighs on my shoulders?”
“I could manage that. Let me make one adjustment first.” I hopped away and returned with one of the yoga mats, laying it
over the coffee table so I’d have a softer resting place and better grip. Lifting one leg, and then the other, my core muscles
instantly activated, trembling when Luca dove in against me.
A whine tore out of my throat. Having to keep myself in the position made everything more intense and Luca seemed to
have jacked up his efforts, his tongue playing my clit like a goddamn violin. His name tumbled from my lips, sneaking out
between whines and gasps, every inch of me shaking as the crest of pleasure built lick by lick.
I screamed against the yoga mat as Luca forced me to come on his mouth.
“I just discovered my new favorite sound.” He nudged my thighs further apart to kiss each one, and I whimpered softly as
he lowered my legs down and rolled me over, his gaze sweeping over me. A growl had every hair standing on end as the sound
struck down to my core.
“Luna,” my name came out raspy and dark. “Who hurt you? Who did this?”
I winced as his fingertips traced the line of bruising across my hips.
“Tell me,” he ordered. “I don’t care who it is; I’ll protect you.”
“Luca, stop.” I pushed his hands away. “It’s not⁠—”
His growl cut me off, heat racing through me at his declaration. Luca’s eyes were unfocused, his hands clinging to me with
a desperation I’d never seen from him before.
“Luna. Tell. Me.”
“I did it.”
That snapped some clarity into his gaze.
 “What?”
I pointed to the hoop hanging from the apparatus in the middle of my living room. “I’m learning a new move. New moves
mean new bruises. I hurt myself.”
I sat up and set a soft hand against his cheek, belatedly remembering as I stared at him that betas didn’t growl… Weird.
Luca didn’t smell like an alpha and I’d never heard him growl before today.
He shivered beneath me and a whoosh of breath escaped me as he locked both arms around me, squeezing me to his chest.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I smoothed his hair and offered a soft smile. “It’s sweet that you wanted to protect me even if it’s just me
fucking up my own body.”
“Scared the shit out of me. I was ready to throw hands.”
I laughed quietly and kissed his cheek. “Cutie.”
“No one is allowed to hurt you.”
I swallowed down the thought that I could have used someone as protective as Luca growing up. I didn’t want to get into it
when we were meant to be having fun. We’d already had enough interruptions.
“Except you when you’re smacking my ass,” I said to lighten things up. “Speaking of, I feel like I’ve been very patient and
yet you’re still not naked.”
“I suppose I should fix that.”
“You definitely should.” I rocked my hips against him. “It’s not fair that I’m naked all alone.”
I slid off his lap so he could stand, and I hooked my fingers in the waistband of the sweats he wore, tugging them down
roughly to expose the dick that was ready and waiting for me. Luca didn’t even have a moment to blink before I dug my nails
into his ass cheeks and took him into my mouth. I wasn’t after making him come this way. Betas weren’t quite as quick to
recover as alphas and I had plans to ride this particular beta to oblivion.
Luca cursed and buried his fingers in my hair, desperately clinging with exactly how much sting I liked. He was a
comfortable fit, though I had to use my hands to help me, reveling in every helpless sound I drew out of him. Some people were
so quiet in bed. Not Luca. He provided me with a veritable symphony of moans, groans, hushed cursing, and hitched breaths.
“Luna, please,” he begged, his fingers flexing against my scalp, hips meeting every down stroke of my mouth. His muscles
trembled beneath my touch, and that only made me want to undo him more. I knew every trick in the book, to make things be
over quickly or draw them out.
I popped off and slid up his body, standing on my toes to loop my arms around his neck.
“Yes, Luca?”
Instead of an answer, he melted into a kiss and pulled me with him as he sat back onto the couch, drawing me onto his lap. I
ground against his cock, covering him with my slick. I reached between us, waiting a half second to make sure he was ready
before wrapping my hand around him, and guiding the head of his cock inside me. Focusing on his face as I rocked my way
down the length of him let me see how his eyes widened and his lips parted, let me feel the tremble that ran through him as I
brought us together.
“You should definitely try smacking my ass,” I told him. “You’ll like what it does when I’m on your cock.”
Luca’s few remaining brain cells that had stayed functional while he was balls deep in me were hard at work, helping him
process my words. His hand cracked against my ass cheek and my pussy squeezed sharply around him.
“Holy shit,” he hissed.
I rolled my hips, bracing my hands on the back of the couch, and setting us a steady pace. His touch wandered my body
before eventually settling on my hips, his long fingers curling around my ass cheeks to assist me with each motion. Every so
often his palms slid up my back and pressed me closer for more of those sweet, drugging kisses, forcing me to slow my pace.
“You feel so good.” Luca’s fingertips dug hard into me, his hips fucking up to meet me. “Fuck, Luna.”
Every time he said my name, it was full of reverence like he was addressing a goddess instead of a person.
Pleasure thrummed through my body. My core tightened as I rocked myself closer and closer to the edge. I fastened my teeth
over the scent gland on Luca’s throat, holding him firmly in place as I gave myself over to the rush of sensation. One of Luca’s
arms wrapped securely around my back, the other holding me in place by my hair, his hips rising to meet me as my pussy
convulsed around his cock, my whole body shaking from the release. Luca tumbled after me, spilling hotly inside me, our hips
pressed snugly together.
Bit by bit I resurfaced and relinquished the hold my teeth had on him. I dropped my forehead to his shoulder and breathed
deeply of that crisp, beachy scent. I hadn’t gotten to go to the beach often while growing up, but the moment I had gotten my
license, and the chaos of wherever I happened to be living at the time became too much, I would drive until I hit the ocean. I’d
stand there for hours in the wind and salt air, feeling safe, like I was too far away for any of the bullshit to reach me.
Luca had his head tilted back, resting on the couch, his chest still heaving from the exertion. “Holy shit.” He laughed, like
he couldn’t quite believe he was in this position. “Ho-ly shit.”
I smiled against his skin, in no particular hurry to extract myself. I had to, though. I hadn’t been lying about the time limit.
My wind-down at the end of the day was one of the only things that kept me able to maintain the schedule I did. While sex was
fabulous for working out a little frustration and getting my brain hopped up on endorphins, I relied on my routine. I wasn’t
going to chase him out, but I really should begin the process.
Rising up luxuriously, but still keeping us connected, I stretched overhead and offered him a soft smile. “Want to come
shower with me? I can’t let you go home smelling like me.”
“Any extra time with naked Luna is A-okay in my book.” Luca grinned at me and his fingertips took another tour of my
body. “Can I get you any water? Snacks?”
I snorted. “Offering me things in my own home?”
“I’ll be more prepared next time and bring my own snacks to offer. For now, you could tell me where things are and I can
get them for you?”
“Let’s both get some water.”
I climbed off him, internally lamenting the loss of him filling me. I fetched my thong off the floor and tugged it on so I didn’t
have to deal with him dripping down my thighs.
His gaze on me was almost palpable as he followed me into the kitchen. I showed him where the glasses were while I
pulled the water pitcher out of my fridge and poured some for each of us.
“What’s the soundproofing like here?” Luca asked. “Did we piss off your neighbors?”
“Nah. It’s immaculate. This building is exclusively for unmated omegas and it’s pretty new so they went ham on the
soundproofing to avoid disruptions with the amount of heats going on here at any given time.”
“That’s pretty smart. I’m glad they have safe spaces where you don’t have to worry about disturbing anybody.”
I set my empty glass on the counter and crooked my finger to have him follow me into the main floor bathroom. I had a full
bathroom upstairs as well, an en suite to my nest, but since the nest was off-limits, we were going to stick to the main floor. I
got the water running, peeled off my thong, and stepped under the hot spray. Luca joined me a moment later, thoroughly
distracting me in my washing up by pressing me against the tiles and bending down to nuzzle my throat. Electricity arced
through me as his teeth scraped over my scent gland, leaving me a needy puddle, and he scooped me up to sandwich me
between his body and the wall, his hands braced under my thighs.
I could indulge a little bit. I tried not to think about the minutes ticking away and instead focused on how amazing he felt.
I should have put a stop to it when his cock rose to life between us and he nudged inside me again. But instead I pulled him
closer and let him fuck me against the wall while I clung to him with a growing desperation. I whined as he brought me closer
to the edge again, grinding sharply against me so my clit got enough attention to force me over the precipice again. I shuddered
in his grip and squirmed as he finished himself off.
I didn’t have it in me to protest when Luca offered to wash me up after my feet were back on the floor. With my hair
washed and conditioned, and my body scrubbed down, we gave ourselves a final rinse and I bundled myself into a robe while
Luca re-dressed himself.
“Can I see you again?”
Yes.
“Next Tuesday? I’ll get you all limber before I give you your workout.”
“I can already tell Tuesday’s going to become my favorite day of the week.” He smiled and leaned to kiss me again before I
could finally work up the willpower to send him home.
When it was only me in my apartment again, the silence was magnified. To remedy that, I put on my evening wind-down
music and slipped out of my robe, leaving it discarded over the couch before moving into a slow, luxurious yoga routine that
released all of the lingering tension from my body.
Before bed, I portioned the ingredients for my overnight oatmeal into the slow cooker and made sure my toppings were
prepped for morning. All that was left was to take myself upstairs to my empty nest. I had pushed away the impulse to ask Luca
to leave his shirt so I could tuck it among the blankets of my nest. That was sacred space and I needed to keep it my own.
With a sigh, I bundled myself under the mountain of blankets. There would be time tomorrow to examine the steady pulsing
in my cunt and the desire to curl around him as I slept.
Luca Marino was trouble, and I had never been very good at staying out of that.
 to be able to talk to someone, anyone, about how absolutely incredible Luna was. Every moment with her was like I
I wanted
had ascended. Every scent, sound, and sensation of her—it was more than I could’ve imagined.
I craved her on a molecular level, and leaving her apartment each time took a frankly ridiculous amount of willpower.
Everything in me wanted to carry her up to her nest and fall asleep listening to her heartbeat. But that was against the rules, and
I was going to respect her boundaries if it killed me.
She was starting to feel like a dream. We hadn’t discussed talking between the dates, but it felt weird to not, so on Thursday
I caved.

LUCA:
Do you like dogs?

SUNSHINE:

I like specific dogs that I can give back at the end of the day
Why?
You’re not planning on getting me a puppy are you?

LUCA:
Nope :P
Pretty sure Sidney would whack me with a newspaper if I ever tried to give an animal as a gift

SUNSHINE:
Oh right he’s a puppy rescuer
Why do you want to know if I like dogs?
 LUCA:
I take a couple in my neighborhood for walks
If you were ever bored and wanted some dog time you could come with us
SUNSHINE:
I could do that when the weather cools down
I like indoor exercise when it’s hot as balls
Need that sweat to be from good honest work not from the sun cooking my ass
LUCA:
OK we’ll wait until September at least. Maybe go in the evening when the sun has set
I wish I wasn’t working tonight so I could see you teach your other classes
SUNSHINE:
I’ll give you private lessons
Wanna let me tie you to the hoop next time?
LUCA:
I could be persuaded
Did you have anything specific in mind?
SUNSHINE:
We’ll talk about it later
I have to start class
Later gator

I had no issue if Luna wanted to tie me up and have her way with me. There was certainly a lot of creativity we could get up to
with our combined strength and her flexibility. All it would take was a willingness to play.
By the time Saturday rolled around, I had to chide myself every time I brought my phone out so I didn’t invite Luna to go for
a walk or for lunch or to a movie. I wanted to be in her presence, but I had to be patient. If she wanted the rules to change, she
would tell me.
It was going to be a long existence if my brain was going to make me crawl from one Tuesday to the next. The next time I
saw Luna, I would clarify the terms a bit better. If I was allowed to text freely, that might help. Part of me considered seeing if I
could wrangle my second day off to be Thursdays so I could get a double dose of Luna with the excuse of attending one of her
aerial classes, but I didn’t want to push. This would be so much easier if we were dating normally, but I had meant what I
thought when I had agreed. Secret Luna was better than no Luna, and now that I had fully experienced her, I knew that was even
more true.
Realistically my boss, Lux, probably wouldn’t have any issue with adjusting my schedule. As intimidating as she came off
at first, the alpha was a hopeless romantic, and even if I didn’t give her any details, I doubted she would mind helping me
rearrange things so I could spend a little more time with Luna if it ever came to that.
Truthfully, the gym was starting to wear on me a little. I didn’t hate it, but I was growing less and less excited about coming
to work. I had been here for years, in part because Lux was such an easy boss, but in my experience, once this feeling started, it
only ever got worse. I couldn’t quit without having something else to fill my time with.
My therapist had told me that I made my entire life about work and about what I could do for others. But wasn’t that the
point of work? The work we did was in service of others, or at least, I thought it should be. What else would I even do? My
childhood friends had moved away, and the people I’d met in university had fallen by the wayside as they returned to their own
cities to work. Unfortunately for me, the bonds made with weekend binge drinking and stress studying hadn’t lasted outside of
those circumstances. Mom kept telling me I should take up a hobby. I wasn’t very good at that either.
Rest didn’t come naturally to me, and I had packed my schedule so full that it was hard to think of anything that would
alleviate the guilt of taking time for myself. What could I do that I loved that much? Luna was the first person to make me want
to drop my responsibilities, but I could hardly call her a hobby. I definitely needed something though. I was going to make
myself stir crazy if I didn’t.
I revved my engine as I parked outside of Rodney’s townhouse. I hadn’t even gotten out of the car before my nieces were
sprinting out the door, barrelling toward me. Nova crashed against me and little Aurora toddler-ran behind her to cling to my
leg.
Rodney rolled his eyes as he marched down the walkway with their weekend bags. I flipped him the bird behind Nova’s
back before laying my hand over Rory’s head.
“How are my best girls?”
“They’re both in a mood today.” Rodney sauntered up. He dropped both of their bags at my feet and stood with his hands on
hips. “I don’t get a goodbye?”
Rory clung tighter, and Nova tensed in my arms.
“Girls!” Rodney snapped.
Nova spun in my grip and kept her back pressed to my chest. “Bye, Dad.”
Rory’s little face was buried against my thigh. Apparently none of us were a fan of Rodney today. I’d have to dig out of
Nova what kind of bullshit he’d pulled this weekend. She usually got chatty over ice cream, so that would be our first stop.
Every second weekend they went with him since he had moved out, and he never drove them home, preferring to make
things as annoyingly difficult on Stella as he could. I was more than happy to get the girls out of his presence as quickly as
possible, so I always picked them up to get a head start on auntie time.
“Rory, if you wave bye-bye, we’ll go get ice cream,” I promised my littlest niece. She flailed one arm out in his direction.
That was as good as he was going to get. “Okay, into the car.”
Nova dashed away and plunked herself into the passenger seat, pleased as punch that she was finally big enough to do so. I
scooped up both of their bags and lifted Rory into my arms, turning my back on Rodney and marching away. Once I got Rory
settled in her car seat, I whipped away from the townhouse and toward the girls’ favorite ice cream shop. We never chatted
much right at the beginning. They always needed time to decompress after seeing their dad.
 Before the split I had made a point of leaving my Sundays open for them, knowing that as much as Stella tried to conceal
the fighting from them, they had to have known. Kids always knew. Now that Rodney was out of the house, our special Sundays
were always capped off by family dinner with Stella before I had to leave and prepare for my next week.
Once we got inside the ice cream shop, the energy started returning to the girls, Rory wiggling happily in my arm as I held
her up to look at the flavors.
“What are you gonna get, Supernova?”
“Torn between tiger tail and pistachio.”
“Girl, where did you get those taste buds from?”
Nova shrugged, opting to get a double scoop of the incongruous flavors. Rory was easy to please with a baby scoop of
chocolate. I always got ice cream with them. My mom had been obsessed with her figure, and while she would take us out for
treats, she had made it pretty obvious she couldn’t possibly consume them along with us.
I wasn’t going to let my best girls grow up with that mentality. I ordered myself a scoop of raspberry ripple with sprinkles,
and the three of us sat in the corner of the little parlor to eat our treats together.
“How was your weekend?”
Nova shrugged and poked at her ice cream.
“Does that mean there was nothing to report or you’re not ready to talk about it yet?”
“Daddy had a girl over. He barely talked to us the whole time and I had to feed Rory breakfast because he stayed in bed
with her until noon.” My anger must’ve shown on my face because she added, “Are you going to tell Mommy?”
“I have to. She would want to know that your dad’s not taking care of you.”
Nova stared at her treat for a moment before her hazel eyes focused on me. “Mommy and Daddy are still married, aren’t
they?”
“Technically, yes.”
“Is this new lady going to be part of their pack?”
“I have no idea what your dad has planned, Supernova. I wouldn’t worry about it right now.”
Fucking Rodney.
Of course he would have the fucking audacity to flaunt some woman in front of his daughters while he was still married to
my sister.
With a couple more bites of ice cream, I got Nova chatting about all of the gossip from school. The lives of twelve-year-
olds were surprisingly dramatic.
When ice cream was finished, I took them to the park, pushing Rory in the baby swing while Nova did her very best to turn
the swings into a 360-degree ordeal. I had done the same at her age, but seeing her fly and then crash-land into the sand had my
stomach leaping up to my throat every single time. She popped up with a laugh, completely fine, but it didn’t prevent the heart-
stopping moment of anxiety. Stella would feed me to the wolves if I brought back one of her kids broken.
“Hey, Auntie?”
“Yeah?”
“Could we pick up some strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight?” Nova asked.
“You bet your butt we can.”
Once the novelty of the swings had finally worn off, I gathered up the girls. We picked up some cake from the grocery store
and made our way back to their house. It smelled absolutely delicious when we walked through the door. Stella definitely had a
pot roast going.
My sister appeared a moment later, dropping to her knees to hug both of her daughters. “Hello, my sweet babies. Did you
have fun with Auntie?”
Nova snorted. “Have I ever said no to that question?”
“I gotta check,” defended Stella. “She could stop being fun one day.”
“Psh!” I kicked her lovingly on the butt as I passed her and headed into the kitchen. “Not possible. Best auntie for life!
Now where’s my Beany Boy?”
Beans howled from behind the baby gate that kept him from leaping to freedom every single time the door opened. He was
standing on his hind legs, making adorable whining noises at me until I cupped his face in both hands. Beans loved a good face
rub. You had to be extra vigorous until he got play-bitey, and then he would flop onto his back for belly scratches. We had a
routine.
“Beans!” Rory pressed herself against the baby gate and Beans did his very best to lick all over her face. She shrieked with
laughter as he cleaned her cheeks. “Good boy!”
Stella took down the baby gate so the dog Rodney had forced on her could properly greet the girls. Beans was a good dog,
but holy hell were beagles high energy, and Stella didn’t have the time for that. Rodney had shown up with the dog and gotten
the girls all excited right after Stella had kicked him out. She hadn’t had the heart to refuse to let them keep the dog. Nova was
pretty good about walking him after dinner, but Stella had someone that came by in the morning to tire out that bundle of fur.
 Nova disappeared up to her room after giving Beans his kisses. She’d hit that half-and-half phase where sometimes she
was the sweet-as-pie little girl we’d known her whole life and sometimes the brooding took over. Honestly, Stella was lucky it
had taken this long. I’d been a raging ball of hormones and fury at Nova’s age. So long as she was still down for auntie time, I
wasn’t going to say a word. Bedrooms were sanctuaries and Nova loved hers. The mountain of plushes we’d been acquiring
for her over the years still lived on her bed, and I wondered often if she would grow up to be an omega like me. Both of her
parents were betas, but genetics were weird. Rory didn’t like anything touching her while she slept except for her stuffed pig,
Hammy.
“Supernova!” I called up the stairs. “You hanging in your room til dinner?”
“Yes!” she yelled back through the closed door.
Stella scooped up Rory. “Ready for a nap, baby?”
“I not a baby, Mommy!”
“Sorry, sorry. Is my big girl ready for a nap?”
Rory nodded like a bobble head and let Stella take her upstairs. I waited with Beans in the kitchen sipping a sparkling
water while Stella got Rory settled.
My sister returned barely ten minutes later and sank into the chair across from me. “Thanks again for picking them up. How
was auntie time?”
“No problem. It was fab as usual, but your husband is a bitch.”
Stella snort-laughed before she caught herself. “Don’t I know it. What did he do this time?”
“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but I’m pretty sure he’s dating someone. At the very least he’s fucking around.”
I watched a myriad of emotions flicker across my sister’s face: shock, anger, hurt.
“Did you see them?” she asked quietly.
“No.” I shook my head. “Nova told me.”
“For fuck’s sake.” Stella buried her face in her hands. “Why would he bring someone around the girls?”
“Why does Rodney do anything? He lives to infuriate you.”
Stella let out a sniffle. “I don’t know what to do.”
“My vote is that we forget that asshole and get you fighting for full custody with no visitation. The girls were wigged out
when I picked them up. I would definitely get them over to that therapist you’ve had them visit and get everything recorded if
you can. Rodney doesn’t deserve to see the girls. And that’s not even me being anti-dad. He’s a dick.”
“I know. It’s just hard. The house is in his name still and I can barely afford anything. I can’t take any more kids at the
dayhome without hiring someone, and if I hire someone then I’m not making any more money, so what’s the point? I hate him for
putting us in this position.”
I had never expected anything else out of Rodney, but I certainly didn’t say as much to my sister. “I don’t know, Stell. Do
you think we could get the house from him? We could fix up the basement. You have a side entrance so you could get a tenant.”
My sister sighed and traced the wood grain of the table with her fingertip. “I know that’s a smart option, but I’m really not
comfortable having a stranger in the house.”
“We could dig up someone safe.”
“I’ll think about it. I promise.” Stella rose from her seat and went to check the food in the oven, a wave of delicious smells
wafting from inside. “Is there anything new with you?”
“Nah. You know me. I’m a boring workaholic.”
“Don’t forget to have a little fun once in a while. I know you don’t know how to rest, but you know how to have fun.”
“Well, let’s both make promises to think about it.”
She didn’t know I had been saving up, or at least didn’t know the purpose. Every dollar I had socked away after paying off
my apartment and tuition was to help her and the girls. Maybe the money would end up being a university fund like I had given
to my younger sister, or maybe it would go toward buying this house from Rodney so my sister and nieces would have a safe
place to call home where things were familiar and Stella could continue running her business.
“Don’t use my words against me.”
“We all do what we gotta do, Stell. I know you wish things were different, but Rodney has a new place and he’s already
getting back out there.”
“I don’t think I could do the same.”
“No? No one catching your eye?”
Stella’s cheeks flushed.
I leapt over and poked her ribs. “Who is it? Tell me right now.”
“It’s silly.”
“Your happiness isn’t silly,” I insisted.
She stared up at the ceiling, refusing to meet my gaze. “The man that walks Beans in the morning is pretty cute. God only
knows how old he is, though. I’m probably entering into cougar territory.”
 “If robbing the cradle is what it takes to get your mind off Rodney, then I’m all for it. Do you think he’d be interested?”
“Hard to say.” Stella shrugged. “He’s been walking that dog every single morning completely for free, so I guess it’s not out
of the question.”
“No one does anything for free. It definitely sounds like a crush to me. Have you talked to him?”
Stella fussed with her cuticles, a telltale sign that she was getting nervous. “Not really. He always comes by after most of
the kids have arrived, so it’s not like I can stop to chitchat.”
“And how exactly did he end up walking Beans if you’ve never talked to him?”
“The other dog he walks got off leash one morning and decided that he and Beans were best friends. We had a very brief
conversation while Beans was losing his mind, and he offered to take my dog with him while he walked the other one since he
was already doing that, so it wasn’t any extra work. I was so frazzled at the time, I didn’t even think to question it. I was just so
grateful for the help.”
“Well, I’m glad he didn’t turn out to be a dog thief. The girls would’ve been crushed.”
“I know.” She threaded her fingers through her hair. “I thought of that after the fact when he was already long gone, and I
had no contact information for him.”
I smacked both palms onto the table. “Well, I think you should woman up and ask this guy out. He’s obviously not bothered
by the chaos of your life, so that’s a step in the right direction.”
Stella got up and started rearranging her spice cabinet, another sign of her nerves. “I’ll think about it. Rodney and I have
been together for so long. I don’t even know how to date anymore.”
“All the more reason you need to get some practicing. Flirt a little. You’re a total cute patoot and this guy would be lucky to
catch your attention.” I hovered behind her, watching her alphabetize her herbs. “So does Dog Walker have a name?”
“Um, Luke, I think?”
Realization crashed over me like ice water.
Fucking fuck.
I glanced back at my texts with Luca. I couldn’t say a fucking thing now. If I suddenly switched gears and told Stella not to
say anything, she would grill me like shrimp on a barbecue. And if I wasn’t letting Luca tell anyone about us, it would be pretty
fucking hypocritical of me to tell Stella even if it was for the express purpose of making sure my sister didn’t ask out my
fuckbuddy.
I swallowed the nausea that climbed up my throat.
What a fucking mess.
H ow had a month passed already? There was no anniversary to celebrate over the weekend when we weren’t anything
official, but I had tucked it away in my head regardless. I didn’t want to push a boundary and offer to take Luna to dinner,
but I did whip up a batch of amaretti cookies and put a container of them in the bag I was taking to yoga tonight.
The minutes crept by like molasses. I raced through my daily tasks, keeping the dogs out for a little extra time so that when I
brought them back, I would be that much closer to seeing Luna again.
I had asked on a forum what might be a good activity that would help me get better at yoga, something that would make me
both stronger and more flexible without actually being yoga since it felt weird to take a class taught by someone that wasn’t
Luna. A lot of the suggestions were things like Pilates, but one suggestion caught my interest, even if I wasn’t brave enough at
that moment to pursue it.
Pole dancing.
I had asked for more info, and the person who had suggested it told me it had been the quickest increase in strength,
stamina, and flexibility they had ever experienced, in part because of the sense of accomplishment that came with each new
move being mastered, and partly the way you could lean into all the ridiculousness in ways that was harder to do with other
activities.
I hadn’t gone beyond thanking them for the information at the time, but the idea had been ping-ponging around in my head
nonetheless. There was a studio not too far from yoga, and since I had nothing else to do while waiting, I decided I could at
least drive by and see what the fuss was about.
I sat awkwardly in the parking lot. I had no reason to be afraid, but I didn’t know what they would think of me showing up.
I also wasn’t entirely sure if it was pathetic or not that I wanted to do secret training so I could impress Luna when I attended
her classes.
A knock on my window had me leaping out of my skin. I rolled down the window and gave a tiny wave to the security
guard.
 “This is private property,” he said. “You’re making people uncomfortable.”
Fuck.
“Sorry. I’m trying to hype myself up to check out classes at the studio.”
The security guard let out a laugh. “You’re not exactly their regular clientele. Do you want me to walk you in?”
That was way more embarrassing than going in myself, but I felt like I had to prove a point. If I said yes, there was no
backing down.
“Sure.”
I climbed out of my car and followed him inside, where a petite beta at the front desk looked at me from behind thick
glasses. “Welcome to Miss Dazzle’s Pole Fitness. My name is Candy. How can I help you?”
I swallowed hard and spilled out why I had come, including my motivation for looking into all of this to begin with.
My declaration seemed to fill her with glee, her smile stretching impossibly wide, and her eyes glittering with excitement.
“We would love to teach you here. Let me go grab one of the instructors.” She hopped off and stuck her head through a door
at the back of the studio, yelling out, “Auggie! I have a newbie for you to meet.”
I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, but a lean omega with glitter swiped over his chest and wearing the tiniest shorts
in existence was not it.
He thrust out his hand, a mop of brown curls hanging in front of hazel eyes, his cheeks—and body, though it was harder to
tell with all the glitter—were covered in freckles. “Hey, newbie. I’m August, but you can call me Auggie if you’d like.”
“Luca.” I shook his offered hand.
“You’re interested in classes?” Auggie asked.
Candy rattled off why I had come, and Auggie seemed just as delighted as she had.
“I can absolutely train you, but it won’t be easy.” His hands swept up my arms. “You’ve got a decent bit of muscle. I need
you to sign a waiver before you can get on a pole. Do you want one on one or a group class?”
I couldn’t quite decide if it would be worse to have his singular attention or if being among a class of other beginners
would somehow result in that many more eyes judging me.
“Maybe one on one to start? I can give it a few lessons and make sure I’m not a total disaster.”
Auggie chuckled. “Honey, every single pole artist was a complete disaster their first time. That’s no way to gauge how
good you’ll get. You have to have the fire and the will to put up with the pain. If your girl does aerials, then she’s definitely put
up with a lot. These sports are not for the faint of heart.”
I already knew it would take guts to do. If Luna could do a twenty-foot drop, then I could handle a pole. “I’d like to try.”
Auggie’s eyes gleamed. “Then let’s get you a waiver.”
Getting on the pole the same day I’d gone to the studio hadn’t been in my plans, but Auggie was so excited, I didn’t know
how to say no. I signed my name on the waiver with the same level of anticipatory dread as if I were signing away my soul to
the devil.
“Do I need to get tiny shorts, too?”
Auggie burst out laughing. “Only if you want to. Less clothing makes pole a lot easier. You can get away with a shirt for a
little bit, but pants will have you sliding straight down. I have a clean pair of shorts in my bag if you want to try them.”
The flush of embarrassment filled my body, but I nodded anyway. Auggie gave me the shorts and I disappeared into the
bathroom to change, having to psych myself up all over again to leave it once I was down to the shorts.
Candy wolf-whistled at me when I walked back in.
“Don’t mind her. She’s a thirsty bitch,” Auggie said, winking playfully in Candy’s direction. “Let’s have you try a pole
climb and hold when you get to the top, okay?”
He showed me the proper position. and I immediately had a profound appreciation for how strong Auggie had to be. Every
inch of me trembled as I climbed the pole, holding on for dear life at the top before sliding hopelessly back to the floor.
“Not a terrible start. I’ll give you one that’s more fun. Fireman spin.” Auggie showed me the move, and I did my very best
to replicate it. This one came with a rush that immediately made me understand what the person who had suggested pole dance
to me meant. The tiny shorts, the spins, the ridiculous amount of strength they needed to do any of it, and the excitement that
came from doing something even remotely correctly. It made sense.
It was definitely a workout that would get me results if I could stick to it. Maybe I could convince Lux to install a pole at
the gym. The idea had me laughing and I nearly tripped over myself as I tried another spin.
“You have to focus while you’re on the pole, Luca. None of us want you to get hurt doing this. I mean, beyond the regular
amount of hurt you get from doing this.”
Auggie showed me a couple more beginner moves before I finally had to ask for a break, during which he showed me a few
more advanced combinations that dropped my jaw. What would Luna say if she saw me doing that? I could only hope she
would be impressed in the way I was when she had tumbled from the ceiling in her silks.
“Holy shit,” I muttered.
“I know, right?” Candy’s voice right next made me jump. “Auggie is our star performer.”
 “The studio does performances?”
Candy giggled. “No, silly. Auggie works for an ultra-fancy omega club.”
“You’re not supposed to tell everyone about that,” Auggie said as he touched back down. He explained further, “I’m not
secretive about it, but some students only want a fun time with their friends where they dance around, feel sexy for a little bit,
and pretend that the reality of sex work doesn’t exist.”
“My brother was a sex worker, so I definitely know it exists.”
Auggie’s eyebrow rose. “Oh? What kind?”
“He was a heat helper for almost a decade.”
Auggie nodded approvingly. “Now I wonder if I’ve had him.”
My stomach squirmed, wanting me to move away from the conversation topic of my brother potentially having had sex with
my pole dancing teacher.
Auggie laughed and guided me back to the pole. “A chat for another time. I’ll show you some conditioning moves and
you’re welcome to come by when we don’t have an active class so you can get some practice.”
“I work in a gym right now. Is there anything I can do with traditional training that would help?”
“Anything that builds strength really. Get on a pull-up bar. Start there. You need to get some good grip strength going, which
comes with other perks.” Auggie winked.
“Perks?”
“Mhmm,” replied Candy. “Strong forearms are basically porn. You know you’re in for a good time when someone rolls up
with strong arms.”
My cheeks flushed with heat. “Good to know. Thanks again for teaching me.”
“I’m very dedicated to the pursuit of love.” Auggie grinned. “Besides, how often is it that someone gets creative enough to
use pole dance to impress their crush? I have to take advantage when life presents me with these opportunities. I don’t suppose
you want to tell me about them? I love the gossip.”
“I would, but we’re in a secret thing and I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”
Auggie snorted. “So secret that Candy and I both know?”
“Well…you don’t know who I’m secretly dating, so maybe that’s okay?” Auggie and Candy didn’t know Luna, and I hadn’t
said her name at any point…
“Oh my god, honey, I can see the panic in your eyes. I’m sure it’s fine. Not like you’re handing out her name and social
security number.” Auggie patted my shoulder. “Now, how’re you feeling so far about pole?”
“I feel like my body is going to hate me tomorrow, but it was more fun than I expected?”
“Good! Fun is an excellent motivator. I’ll make sure to teach you some playful things if you come back instead of it being
all work. How do you feel about the sexier side of this?”
“Um.” I froze. Auggie had been graceful, but I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant or how that applied to me.
“You can do this as purely athletic and treat it more like acrobatics, or you can work up to doing what I do at the club.
Have you been to a club like that?”
I shook my head. “Well, not an omega-specific one. I went once for a friend’s birthday in college and I wasn’t very
comfortable, so I’ve never been again.”
Auggie nodded thoughtfully. “It’s not the scene for everyone, but I promise it’s a ton of fun when you have the right
atmosphere. I’d love to see you perform on stage if you ever feel bold enough. I know, I know, I’m getting ahead of myself.”
“A bit,” I said with a laugh.
“Think about it, okay?”
I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be able to do anything but think about it.
L uca winced as he stretched during my class. I wasn’t sure how it was possible that he had gotten his muscles even tighter
than last week, but somehow he had managed it. I wiggled a couple of blocks to help him hold the position more
comfortably.
He mouthed a “thank you.”
“We’re holding for thirty more seconds and then we’re going to go into our final relaxation,” I told the class, watching the
seconds tick by on the clock. The very end was always my favorite, when I could see the tension float out of them. “Okay, let’s
get settled.”
I didn’t even pretend not to stare at Luca while his eyes were closed. Everyone else had their eyes closed too, so no one
could see me. Stella hadn’t said anything about asking him out and Luca hadn’t said anything either. I was mostly banking on my
sister being a chickenshit because I had no idea what the hell I would do if she actually did ask him out. I couldn’t tell her not
to, and I also couldn’t technically tell Luca to not agree if she did. He would definitely be an improvement over Rodney for
Stella, but the mere idea of him dating my sister sparked a jealousy so strong it nearly choked me.
I slapped back the little voice in my head that wanted to keep him. It had wanted to keep a lot of people, and listening to
that voice had never gone well.
I’d been debating with myself since Sunday if I should ask Luca about Stella. If he had recently started walking Beans, then
I might’ve been suspicious. As far as I was aware, Luca didn’t even know I had sisters until our first “date.” He didn’t seem
like the type to play the long game, finding out about Stella from Allie, and then deciding on walking her dog on a whim to
cultivate goodwill with me. He’d probably seen Stella struggling and immediately offered to help.
He was just like that.
I swallowed hard against the rise of emotion in my throat. My sisters and I had complicated relationships, but there was
nothing I wouldn’t do for them, and it meant more than I could ever express that Luca had taken it upon himself to help Stella
for no other reason than to be helpful.
 As class ended and everyone put away their supplies, Luca hung back and helped me clean up the room afterward. I
watched him curiously.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Workout today took a little more out of me than I expected.”
“Good thing you have me to loosen you up again.”
Luca tucked close to me and dipped down to speak quietly in my ear. “I know I promised you could tie me up this week, but
would you mind terribly if we just hung out? I don’t know how much my body can take tonight.”
I raised one incredulous eyebrow. “Not even going to ask me if I’ll get on top and save you the effort?”
His cheeks flushed in the dim light of the empty studio. “I’m not going to say I don’t enjoy the view. I didn’t want you to
feel like you had to.”
I put the broom and steam mop away. “We can skip if you’re not up to it.”
“No. I’ve been waiting all week for this. If you want to skip then that’s okay, but I’d still like to see you tonight. Outside of
class, I mean.”
“All right. Why on earth were you doing a workout before coming to see me anyway?”
“It was kind of impromptu. A new friend wanted me to try.”
Heat raced through my body. “If that’s code for you’re sleeping with someone else, I’d like to know.”
Luca’s jaw dropped. “God, no. I haven’t touched anyone but you, and I have no plans to do otherwise.”
The sense of relief from those words shouldn’t have been as strong as it was. Luca was perfectly able to have as many
partners as he wanted as long as he kept me informed so we could stay safe. I didn’t have to like it, but I would be a giant
hypocrite if I forbade it.
“Have you had dinner already?” Luca asked when I didn’t immediately respond.
I shook my head. Usually I would eat after class, but my new schedule with Luca had me eating a little less than I should.
“We could order in? I’ll do whatever sexy things you want as long as it doesn’t require the use of my arms.”
I rolled my eyes playfully with a quiet laugh. “Okay. Put in something for delivery and we can meet at my apartment.”
“No preferences?” he asked. “What’s your favorite?”
“Cobb salad, but with cheddar instead of blue cheese.”
He was already on his phone looking for a place that had it. “Okay, order placed!”
I stewed on the drive back to my place, annoyed with myself that I was reacting like Luca was mine instead of someone to
only have fun with. I should pull back. There was too much Luca didn’t know, and it wasn’t even really his business. I had to
remind myself of that. Spilling my guts and letting him splash around in that pool of secrets and history wouldn’t change the
reality of our situation, and it wouldn’t make me any more likely to tolerate people getting up in my romantic business.
Maybe I should push him toward Stella for both our sakes. My fingers white-knuckled on my steering wheel, a growl
crawling up my throat. Okay, scratch that thought. I wanted to keep loving my sister, and if I was going to react like that, I
would have to hope Luca turned her down if she ever got around to asking him out.
I waited for Luca inside the front entrance of my apartment building so I could see his arrival. He pulled into the visitor
parking and walked up to the front doors with an obnoxiously cute pep in his step. He grinned at me as I let him in and stood
close enough to touch in the elevator on the way up to my apartment.
“I brought snacks this time. Amaretti. They’re my nonna’s recipe.”
He thrust the container into my hands and I stared down at the blue lid, the cookies obscured through the clear plastic.
Stella was the only one who had made food for me since I was little.
“Do you not…like amaretti?” he asked hesitantly. “You’re squeezing that container pretty hard.”
I unclenched my fingers and gave myself a little mental shakedown. “I love all cookies. Sorry, I’m in a weird mood today.”
Between Luca and my sister, I was starting to wonder if I would ever feel on balance again. Partners, however temporary,
didn’t usually make me feel any type of way, but Luca…Luca fucking Marino was so good at getting under my defenses with his
little puppy eyes.
Barely a moment after getting through the door, the buzzer rang with the arrival of our food. The delivery driver handed
Luca our dinner while I went about my evening tasks. My stomach was growling with the knowledge that it would be fed soon.
Luca looked right at home in my tiny kitchen, checking through the cupboards for what he sought, removing our food from the
plastic containers, and plating them up as if we were eating at a restaurant.
“Come sit.” He set my salad at the breakfast bar. “Drink preference?”
“I have blackberry sparkling water on the bottom shelf in the fridge,” I replied. “Help yourself to anything you want.”
Luca found the sparkling water in question and poured it into a glass for me before fetching us forks. He’d gotten himself a
pork chop and mashed potatoes, and when he saw me eyeballing the rich mushroom gravy draped over the meat, he nudged his
plate toward me. “Want to taste?”
I already knew I loved what I had ordered, but hot food was always more comforting than cold. The flavor combo had me
wiggling in my seat.
 “Good?”
“Delicious.”
I ate quietly while Luca updated me about his work and the neighborhood. My questions about Stella sat like poison on my
tongue and I knew it was probably better to spoil the evening now than to let myself stew.
“What do you think of the woman you walk dogs for?”
“Mrs. Cardellini is sweet. She used to babysit me when I was little. And Ms. Winslow seems super nice if a little frazzled.
Why?”
I couldn’t deny it now. It could’ve been coincidence there was a dog walker out there named Luke, but while Luca might
not know Stella’s first name, I couldn’t argue with the fact that her last name definitely was Winslow. Our having different
surnames kept most people from realizing we were related.
“Luca, Stella Winslow is my sister.”
“Really?” he chirped. “Small world.”
“Very small. What would you do if…?”
“If what?”
I poked at my salad, not wanting to ask.
“Luna, is everything okay?”
His dark gaze burned into me, but his lips stayed closed, waiting for me to answer in my own time.
“Mostly? I don’t know how to ask without telling you about a private conversation and I don’t want to make things weird,
but it would be better for both of us to know the answer sooner rather than later.” I stabbed my lettuce with a little more force
than necessary.
“I can’t give an answer without knowing the question.” Luca collected a piece of pork chop on his fork, scooped some
mashed potato onto the tip, and swirled it in the gravy before offering it to me.
I snatched the bite petulantly and chewed slowly while I considered. The logic of Luca and Stella—of pairing a helper
with someone who needed the support—did absolutely nothing to override the growl that rose in my throat every time I
entertained the idea. They would be good for each other. Far better than I could be for Luca.
“Would you go out with Stella if she asked?” I spat the words out before I could think any more about it, regretting it
instantly when his mouth dropped open.
“Absolutely not.”
The firmness of his response was a relief even as my need to defend my sister roared to life. “Why not? What’s wrong with
her?” I slapped my hands over my face once I realized what I’d said. “That’s a stupid question. Ignore me. Sisterly instinct.”
Luca laughed softly and pried my hands away. “There’s nothing wrong with Stella. She seems perfectly lovely, but for one,
I like you, not her. And for two, even if I was interested in her, double-dipping in the same family doesn’t float my personal
boat.”
I gave in to the urge to put my head on his shoulder with a sigh. His arm slung around my shoulders.
“Were you actually worried about that?”
I pressed my lips tightly together, refusing to answer the question. “It doesn’t matter,” I said instead.
“Of course it matters,” Luca insisted. “I’m a pretty open book. If you’re worried about something, you can talk to me about
it. I want you to be comfortable.”
I swallowed hard against the rise of emotion. Rather than speaking, I turned and cupped his cheek, pulling his mouth to
mine. I knew how to do this part of things. Confronting the layers of everything built up by people who hadn’t given a flying
fuck if I was comfortable wasn’t something I was prepared to do today. Luca twisted in his chair, threading his fingers into my
hair, lips soothing even as they ignited.
Climbing onto his lap was a bit of a struggle considering he was tucked close to the breakfast bar, but once I managed it, I
sank my weight against him, diving deeper into the kiss. His soft scent enveloped me. His arms trembled around me and he
broke away, flexing his hands with a wince.
“Sorry. Arms are weak right now.”
“You wouldn’t have to use them if you let me tie you to the hoop.” The particular desire to see Luca trussed up and spread
out for my personal enjoyment pulsed between my thighs. He’d look so pretty. Vulnerable in a way that most men I’d
encountered wanted me to be but would never consider for themselves. Would Luca put himself in that position for me?
“Can we put the hoop at a height I can sit on it while tied up? I could manage that.”
“You bet your ass we can! It’s adjustable.” I slid off his lap, crooking my finger for him to follow me onto the mats. Once I
got him arranged in the center, I leveled the hoop against his butt and had him bring his arms through to hold it in place. “Okay,
keep it there and I’ll adjust the height.”
It took only a few seconds to get it right and Luca was able to rest a good portion of his weight.
“Perfect. Wait right there.” I slipped away to my nest in the loft and grabbed one of the boxes from under my bed that held
all the restraints I owned. Luca watched me with wide eyes as I returned, his gaze darting between me and the box.
 “Whatcha got there?”
“Supplies.” I set the box down and popped the lid, focusing on Luca’s face as his gaze darted over the contents.
“Holy shit,” he muttered.
“Is that a good or a bad holy shit?” Sitting cross-legged in front of my stash, I nudged through the stock looking for a solid
set of leather cuffs.
“It’s good,” he squeaked out. “Really good. I didn’t expect you to have so much.”
“This is only the restraints,” I pointed out. “I have organized boxes for everything else.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his breathing turning shallow as the steady rise of his cock fought with
his pants. Slipping off the floor, I brought the cuffs with me and stood in front of him, walking my fingertips up his chest.
“Ready?” I lifted the cuffs with my free hand, letting the metal glint against the leather in the light.
“More than.”
“Pick your safe word while I get you ready.”
“I can’t tell you to stop?”
“You can, but ‘Don’t. Stop.’ sounds very close to ‘don’t stop’, so it’s good to have something that’s entirely unambiguous.”
“Mango? Is that a good safe word?”
“Works for me.” I had him strip off his shirt, and then I arranged him with his arms through the hoop, forearms resting over
the top curve. I secured a cuff around each wrist, pinning him to the hoop. “How does that feel?”
Luca wiggled, finding himself able to move his arms up and down, but still firmly attached to the hoop. “A little nerve-
racking, but not uncomfortable.”
“Good. Tell me if that changes.”
“Will do.”
“Is it safe to assume you haven’t played with most of this before?”
“Yeah, pretty safe.”
“Thoughts and feelings on the blindfold?”
“Positive?”
I set a soft blindfold over his eyes. “See how that feels. I’m going to grab one more box.”
I wasn’t sure where Luca stood on a lot of things of this variety, but I could try a few to find out what he enjoyed. The next
box I pulled out from under the bed was all of my supplies for impact and sensation play. I wasn’t going to haul out every trick
today, but I could test out the basics and see how it went.
Luca’s whole body turned to me as I returned to the main level. “Blindfold is weird. I don’t dislike it, but could you tell me
what’s happening?”
“I thought we could test a few things. I’ll go easy on you and you tell me how you feel with each, okay?”
“Okay. What’s first?”
“Getting you used to the restraints.” I slid up against his chest and hooked my arms around the back of his neck, standing on
my toes to reach his mouth. An eager student, Luca poured himself into the kiss. I let my hands wander. He strained against the
cuffs, groaning breathlessly against my mouth as I tweaked his nipples and worked my fingertips down his body, slipping them
up into the waistband of his sweats. He shivered beneath my touch, arching into me, his breathing transitioning to sharp pants as
I got a grip on his cock.
“How are you doing?”
“God. Don’t stop.”
I chuckled softly, giving him a firm stroke. “And that is exactly why we have safe words.”
Slipping to my knees, I took his pants with me, and helped him step out of the ankles, rising back up to take him into my
throat. I dug my nails into the front of his hips to stop the buck I knew was coming. Curses fell easily from his lips as I worked
him between mine, his whole body shaking.
“Fucking hell. Luna, please, it’s so much.”
I licked up the side of his cock and kept a firm hold. “You want me to stop?”
“Not even a little bit.”
I kept one hand on him and reached for my box of toys, pulling out a super soft leather flogger and slowly dragged the tassel
ends over his chest. His hands curled into fists.
“One hit. If you like it, I’ll go a little harder.”
Luca gave a small nod and I smacked the flogger against him. It was barely more than a brush, but he still jumped.
“Another?”
“Yeah,” he said breathlessly, squirming in place.
I slid around behind him, trailing the flogger over his shoulders, and letting the leather sway against the curve of his ass
before I smacked it there with a little more force. Luca squeaked and I smoothed a hand over his ass cheek. “Another?”
The moment he nodded, I brought the flogger down. My hand followed immediately to soothe the sting, leaning my chest
against his back and reaching around to give his cock a few strokes.
“You’re doing very well.” I planted a kiss to his shoulder. “Want to try another toy?”
“You’re making it so hard to think.” Luca laughed and flexed his hips against my hand. “I’ll do anything you want as long as
you don’t stop touching me.”
I kept one hand working on his cock, while I fetched out a smooth paddle and laid the shiny wood against his ass. “I’ll be
gentle with this one.”
Luca sucked in a sharp breath, a shudder rolling through him. “I’m ready.”
I loosened my grip a little on him, knowing how he would move once I made impact, and smacked the wood against his ass.
Luca hissed, hips moving him away from the paddle and driving his cock through my fist, that hiss melting straight into a groan.
“Fuck. My brain doesn’t know how to make sense of any of this.”
“That’s half the fun.” I nuzzled his skin. “Confuse it enough and it’ll turn off. That’s what I like about this. There’s so many
things we could play with if you enjoy this. Thoughts?”
I didn’t make whatever thoughts he might have easy, keeping up a slow rhythm on his cock, and ignoring the heat building in
my own body that wanted me to climb straight onto him.
“Like I said before, I’ll do anything you want. I want to try new things with you.”
“I’ve never taught anyone else about all of this before, so you have to communicate so I don’t fuck everything up and make
you have a bad time. Promise?”
“I promise. You should definitely kiss me again though. My lips are lonely.”
I giggled as I stripped off my clothing and scaled the hoop, koala-clinging to him and using the hoop for leverage.
“No fair.” Luca moaned, seeking me out. “You’re naked and I can’t see it.”
I silenced his protest with a searing kiss, hooking my knees over the hoop, so I could use it to press him closer and rock my
core over the tip of his cock. I could usually last longer with play like this, but need thrummed through me and seeing Luca
surrender to me was making me squirmy. I wanted this to be a good play session for him, so I had to keep myself under control.
“Only one hit with that last one?” Luca asked.
“For today, yes.”
“What else are we playing with?”
I laughed and stole another kiss, rocking slowly against him. “Four new things isn’t enough for you?”
“I’m just excited for everything with you.”
Emotion rose again and I smothered it down, kissing Luca again to drown it out further. “Wait here.”
I stepped away to increase the slack on the hoop until it was held up only by Luca’s cuffs, and returned to guide him down
to the mats. Luca stretched out slowly, a fresh shiver running over him as I seated myself in his lap and pinned him down with
one hand on the hoop. With a hand braced on his chest, I rose up and sank once more so that he filled me exactly as I craved.
The blindfold barred me from the heat I knew I would find in his gaze, and the cuffs stopped his hands from finding my skin, but
neither mattered. I could breathe in his surrender and feel the power of his body beneath mine as I rode us to completion.
“Luca.” His name burned on my tongue as my core tightened, fingers dipping to focus on my clit while I drove our hips
together.
“Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop.” His pleading filled me with a particular fire, tipping me straight over the edge. Luca
bucked up into me with a cry as my pussy clamped down on him.
I stilled slowly, riding him at my leisure until I’d recovered my breath with a happy hum. “You look very good tied up.”
“I’ll have to take your word on that since I can’t see for myself.” Luca laughed and wriggled beneath me. “Am I allowed
out now?”
“I suppose so.” I kissed him soundly while I freed him from the cuffs and tossed the blindfold aside.
He flipped me onto my back and buried his face against my throat. “I missed seeing you. And yes, I realize that I’m not
seeing you in this current position, but I also missed having my hands on you.”
“Did you like being tied up, or no?” I asked, stroking my fingers through his hair.
“Yes, I think so. It made things more intense not being able to see. I had to really focus on how everything felt. Does it take
long to get used to?”
“Depends on the person and the partner. Sometimes the entire point is that you can’t get used to what’s happening, but that’s
why it’s important to try different things and see what you like best.”
Luca nodded and planted a kiss on my collarbone. “I think…anything with you would be hard to get used to. It feels like
there are all these layers to you and each one has new things to discover.”
“Is that good?” I relaxed under the weight and warmth of him, my stomach growling as I realized we’d completely
abandoned our food.
“Very good,” he insisted. “Now I guess I should get off you and make sure you eat a bit more. Or I could grab the cookies
and feed them to you like you’re an ancient queen.”
“I’ve never been fed like an ancient queen before,” I confessed.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 A common fish (A. cuchia) in Bengal, remarkable for its singular
respiratory apparatus. It has only three branchial arches, with
rudimentary branchial laminæ, and with very narrow slits between
the arches. To supplement this insufficient respiratory apparatus, a
lung-like sac is developed on each side of the body behind the head,
opening between the hyoid and first branchial arch. The interior of
the sac is abundantly provided with blood-vessels, the arterial
coming from the branchial arteries, whilst those issuing from it unite
to form the aorta. A. cuchia approaches the Eels in having the
humeral arch not attached to the skull.
Monopterus.—Vent in the posterior half of the body, which is
naked. Three branchial arches with rudimentary gills, but without
breathing sac.
One species (M. javanicus), which is extremely common in the
East Indian Archipelago and in the eastern parts of the Continent.
Upwards of three feet long.
Symbranchus.—Vent in the posterior half of the body, which is
naked. Four branchial arches with well developed gills.
Three species, of which one (S. marmoratus) is extremely
common in tropical America, and the other (S. bengalensis) not less
so in the East Indies.
Chilobranchus.—Vent in the anterior half of the length of the
body, which is naked. Vertical fins reduced to a simple cutaneous fold,
without rays.
A small fish (Ch. dorsalis) from North Western Australia and
Tasmania.

Thirty-First Family—Murænidæ.
Body elongate, cylindrical or “band-shaped, naked or with
rudimentary scales. Vent situated at a great distance from the head.
Ventral fins none. Vertical fins, if present, confluent, or separated by
the projecting tip of the tail. Sides of the upper jaw formed by the
tooth-bearing maxillaries, the fore part by the intermaxillary, which is
more or less coalescent with the vomer and ethmoid. Humeral arch
not attached to the skull. Stomach with a blind sac; no pyloric
appendages. Organs of reproduction without efferent ducts.
The “Eels” are spread over almost all fresh waters and seas of
the temperate and tropical zones; some descend to the greatest
depths of the oceans. The young of some have a limited pelagic
existence. (Leptocephali, see p. 179.) At Monte Bolca fossil remains
are very numerous, belonging to recent genera, Anguilla,
Sphagebranchus, and Ophichthys; even larval Leptocephales have
been preserved. Anguilla has been found also in the chalk of Aix and
Oeningen.
In the majority of the species the branchial openings in the
pharynx are wide slits (Murænidæ platyschistæ); in others, the true
Murænæ, (Murænidæ engyschistæ) they are narrow.
Nemichthys.—Exceedingly elongate, band-shaped; tail tapering
into a point. Vent approximate to the pectorals, but the abdominal
cavity extending far behind the vent. Jaws produced into a long
slender bill, the upper part being formed by the vomer and
intermaxillaries. The inner surface of the bill covered with small tooth-
like asperities. Eye large. The nostrils of each side are close together,
in a hollow before the eye. Gill-openings wide, nearly confluent.
Pectoral and vertical fins well developed.
This very singular type is a deep-sea form, occurring at depths of
from 500 to 2500 fathoms. The two species known have hitherto
been found in the Atlantic only.
Cyema.—This genus combines the form of the snout of
Nemichthys, with the soft and shorter body of a Leptocephalus; but
the gill-openings are very narrow and close together on the abdominal
surface. Vent in about the middle of the length of the body; vertical fins
well developed, confined to, and surrounding, the tail. Pectoral fins
well developed. Eye very small.
Known from two specimens only, 4½ inches long, dredged in
depths of 1500 and 1800 fathoms in the Pacific and Antarctic
Oceans.
Saccopharynx.—Deep-sea Congers, with the muscular system
very feebly developed, with the bones very thin, soft, and wanting in
inorganic matter. Head and gape enormous. Snout very short,
 pointed, flexible, like an appendage overlapping the gape. Maxillary
and mandibulary bones very thin, slender, arched, armed with one or
two series of long, slender, curved, widely set teeth, their points being
directed inwards; palate toothless. Gill-openings wide, at some
distance from the head, at the lower part of the sides; gills very
narrow, free, and exposed. Trunk of moderate length. Stomach
distensible in an extraordinary degree. Vent at the end of the trunk.
Tail band-like, exceedingly long, tapering in a very fine filament.
Pectoral small, present. Dorsal and anal fins rudimentary.
This is another extraordinary form of Deep-sea Eels; the
muscular system, except on the head, is very feebly developed; the
bones are as thin, soft, and wanting in inorganic matter, as in the
Trachypteridæ. This fish is known from three specimens only, which
have been found floating on the surface of the North Atlantic, with
their stomachs much distended, having swallowed some other fish,
the weight of which many times exceeded that of their destroyer. It
attains to the length of several feet.
Synaphobranchus.—Gill-openings ventral, united into a
longitudinal slit between the pectoral fins, separate internally. Pectoral
and vertical fins well developed. Nostrils lateral, the anterior
subtubular, the posterior round, before the lower half of the eye. Cleft
of the mouth very wide; teeth small; body scaly. Stomach very
distensible.
Deep-sea Congers, with well-developed muscular system,
spread over all oceans, and occurring in depths of from 345 to 2000
fathoms. Four species are known. Probably attaining to the same
length as the Conger.
Anguilla.—Small scales imbedded in the skin. Upper jaw not
projecting beyond the lower. Teeth small, forming bands. Gill-openings
narrow, at the base of the pectoral fins. The dorsal fin commences at
a considerable distance from the occiput.
Some twenty-five species of “Eels” are known from the
freshwaters and coasts of the temperate and tropical zones; none
have been found in South America or the west coast of North
America and West Africa. The following are the most noteworthy:—
The common European species (A. anguilla) is spread over Europe
to 64° 30´ lat. N., and all round the Mediterranean area, but is not
found either in the Danube or in the Black and Caspian Seas; it
extends across the Atlantic to North America. The form of the snout
varies much, and some naturalists have believed that specimens
with a broad and obtuse snout were specifically distinct from those
with pointed snout. However, every degree of breadth of the snout
may be observed; and a much safer way of recognizing this species,
and distinguishing it from other European Eels, is the forward
position of the dorsal fin; the distance between the commencement
of the dorsal and anal fins being as long as, or somewhat longer
than, the head. Eels grow generally to a length of about three feet,
but the capture of much larger examples is on record. Their mode of
propagation is still unknown. So much only is certain that they do not
spawn in fresh water, that many full-grown individuals, but not all,
descend rivers during the winter months, and that some of them at
least must spawn in brackish water or in deep water in the sea; for in
the course of the summer young individuals from three to five inches
long ascend rivers in incredible numbers, overcoming all obstacles,
ascending vertical walls or floodgates, entering every larger and
smaller tributary, and making their way even over terra firma to
waters shut off from all communication with rivers. Such
immigrations have been long known by the name of “Eel-fairs.” The
majority of the Eels which migrate to the sea appear to return to
fresh water, but not in a body, but irregularly, and throughout the
warmer part of the year. No naturalist has ever observed these
fishes in the act of spawning, or found mature ova; and the organs of
reproduction of individuals caught in fresh water are so little
developed and so much alike, that the female organ can be
distinguished from the male only with the aid of a microscope.
The second species found in Great Britain, on the coasts of
Europe generally, in China, New Zealand, and the West Indies, is (A.
latirostris) the “Grig” or “Glut,” which prefers the neighbourhood of
the sea to distant inland-waters, and in which the dorsal fin begins
farther backwards, the distance between the commencement of the
dorsal and anal fins being shorter than the head; its snout seems to
be always broad. On the American side of the Atlantic other species,
beside A. anguilla are found in abundance: A. bostoniensis, A.
texana. The largest Eels occur in lakes of the islands of the Indo-
Pacific, and they play a conspicuous part in the mythology of the
South-Sea Islanders and Maories; individuals of from eight to ten
feet in length have been seen, and referred to several species, as A.
mauritiana, fidjiensis, obscura, aneitensis, etc.
Conger.—Scaleless. Cleft of the mouth wide, extending at least to
below the middle of the eye. Maxillary and mandibulary teeth arranged
in series, one of which contains teeth of equal size, and so closely set
as to form a cutting edge. No canine teeth. Vomerine band of teeth
short. Pectoral and vertical fins well developed, the dorsal
commencing behind the root of the pectoral. Gill-openings large,
approximate to the abdomen. The posterior nostril opposite to the
upper or middle part of the orbit, the anterior in a tube. Eyes well
developed.
The “Congers” are marine Eels; the best known species (C.
conger) seems to be almost cosmopolitan, and is plentiful all round
Europe, at St. Helena, in Japan, and Tasmania. It attains to a length
of eight feet, and thrives and grows rapidly even in confinement,
which is not the case with the freshwater Eel. Three other species
are known, of which C. marginatus from the Indian Ocean, is the
most common. Leptocephalus morrisii is an abnormal larval
condition of the Conger.
Genera allied to Conger are Poeciloconger, Congromurcæna,
Uroconger, and Heteroconger.
Murænesox.—Scaleless. Snout produced. Jaws with several
series of small closely set teeth, anteriorly with canines; vomer with
several long series of teeth, the middle of which is formed by large
conical or compressed teeth. Gill-openings wide, approximate to the
abdomen. Pectoral and vertical fins well developed, the dorsal
beginning above the gill-opening. Two pairs of nostrils, the posterior
opposite to the upper part or middle of the eye.
Four species from tropical seas, M. cinereus being very common
in the Indian Ocean, and attaining to a length of six feet.
Nettastoma.—Scaleless. Snout much produced, depressed.
Jaws and vomer with bands of card-like teeth, those along the median
line of the vomer being somewhat the larger. Vertical fins well
developed; pectorals none. Gill-openings of moderate width, open.
 Nostrils on the upper surface of the head, valvular; the anterior near to
the end of the snout, the posterior above the anterior angle of the eye.
This genus lives at some depth, the Japanese species (N.
parviceps) having been obtained at 345 fathoms. N. melanurum from
the Mediterranean, seems to inhabit a similar depth. Hyoprorus is its
Leptocephalid form.
Genera allied to Murcænesox are Saurenchelys, Oxyconger,
Hoplunnis, and Neoconger; in all these the nostrils have a superior
or lateral position. In other genera the nostrils perforate the upper lip,
as in Myrus, Myrophis, Paramyrus, Chilorhinus, Murænichthys, and
Ophichthys, the last genus deserving of particular mention on
account of its great range and common occurrence.
Ophichthys.—Nostrils labial; extremity of the tail free, not
surrounded by a fin.
More than eighty species are known, many of which are
abundant on the coasts of the tropical and sub-tropical zones. They
do not attain to a large size, but many must be extremely voracious
and destructive to other fishes, if we draw an inference from the
formidable dentition with which their jaws and palate is armed. Other
species have much more feeble, and some even obtuse teeth, better
adapted for seizing Crustaceans than vigorous and slippery fishes.
Some have rudimentary pectoral fins or lack them altogether. Many
are highly ornamented with bands or spots, the coloration being
apparently very constant in the several species.

Fig. 303.—Ophichthys crocodilinus,

from the Indo-Pacific.
 Moringua.—Body scaleless, cylindrical, with the trunk much
longer than the tail. Pectorals none or small; vertical fins but little
developed, limited to the tail. Posterior nostrils in front of the small
eye. Cleft of the mouth narrow; teeth uniserial. Heart placed far behind
the branchiæ. Gill-openings rather narrow, inferior.
Six species from freshwaters, brackish water, and the coasts of
India to the Fiji Islands.
Muræna.—Scaleless. Teeth well developed. Gill-openings and
clefts between the branchial arches narrow. Pectoral fins none; dorsal
and anal fins well developed. Two nostrils on each side of the upper
surface of the snout; the posterior a narrow round foramen, with or
without tube; the anterior in a tube.

Fig. 304.—Head of a Muræna.

Fig. 305.—Muræna pavonina, from Southern Seas.

The Murænas are as abundantly represented in the tropical and
sub-tropical zones, and have nearly the same range, as Ophichthys.
The number of species known exceeds eighty. The majority are
armed with formidable pointed teeth, well suited for seizing other fish
on which they prey. Large specimens thus armed readily attack
persons in and out of the water; and as some species attain a length
of some six or eight feet, they are justly feared by fishermen. The
minority of species have obtuse and molar-like teeth, their food
consisting chiefly of Crustaceans and other hard-shelled animals.
Most of the Murænas are beautifully coloured and spotted, some in a
regular and constant manner, whilst in others the pattern varies in a
most irregular fashion: they have quite the appearance of snakes.
The Muræna of the Ancient Romans is Muræna helena, which is not
confined to the Mediterranean, but also found in the Indian Ocean
and on the coast of Australia. Its skin is of a rich brown, beautifully
marked with large yellowish spots, each of which contains smaller
brown spots.

Fig. 306.—Muræna picta, from the Indo-Pacific.

Gymnomuræna differs from Muræna in having the fins reduced to
a short rudiment near the end of the tail. Six species are known
growing to a length of eight feet.
 Fig. 307.—Gymnomuræna vittata, from Cuba.
Myroconger and Enchelycore belong to the same sub-family as
Muræna, but the former is provided with pectoral fins, and in the
latter the posterior nostril is a long slit, and not round as in the other
genera.

FIFTH ORDER—LOPHOBRANCHII.
The gills are not laminated, but composed of small rounded lobes
attached to the branchial arches. Gill-cover reduced to a large simple
plate. Air-bladder simple, without pneumatic duct. A dermal skeleton
composed of numerous pieces arranged in segments, replaces more
or less soft integuments. Muscular system not much developed.
Snout prolonged. Mouth terminal, small, toothless, formed as in
Acanthopterygians.
 Fig. 308.—Gills of Hippocampus abdominalis.

First Family—Solenostomidæ.
Gill-openings wide. Two dorsal fins, the rays of the anterior not
articulated. All the other fins well developed.
One living genus only is known, which was preceded in the
tertiary epoch by Solenorhynchus (Monte Postale).
Solenostoma.—Snout produced into a long tube. Body
compressed, with very short tail. All parts covered with thin skin,
below which there is a dermal skeleton formed by large star-like
ossifications. The soft dorsal and anal fins on elevated bases; caudal
fin long. Ventral fins inserted opposite to the anterior dorsal, close
together, seven-rayed; they are free in the male, but in the female
their inner side coalesces with the integuments of the body, a large
pouch for the reception of the eggs being formed thereby. Air-bladder
and pseudobranchiæ absent. Branchiostegals four, very thin.
Intestinal tract very simple, with a stomachic dilatation, without pyloric
appendages. Ova very small.
The dermal skeleton of this singular type is formed by star-like
ossifications, four in each horizontal and vertical series on the side of
the fore part of the trunk; each consists of four or three radiating
branches by which it joins the neighbouring bones; on the hind part
of the trunk and tail the series are diminished to two. The dorsal and
abdominal profiles in front of the fins are protected by similar bones.
The vertebral column is composed of eighteen abdominal and fifteen
caudal vertebræ, the vertebræ gradually decreasing in length
backwards, so that the shortness of the tail is caused not only by the
smaller number of vertebræ, but also by their much lesser length.
Neural and hæmal spines are developed. The pelvis consists of two
pairs of cartilaginous laminæ, the convex margin of the anterior
fitting into an angle of a dermal bone which separates the pelvis from
the well-ossified humeral arch.
The singular provision for the retention and protection of the eggs
has been described above (p. 162, figs. 73 and 74), and we have
only to repeat here that it is the female which takes care of the
progeny, and not the male as in the following family. Two or three
small species are known from the Indian Ocean; they are beautifully
marked, especially the male, which also appears to be of smaller
size in this genus than the female.

Second Family—Syngnathidæ.
Gill-openings reduced to a very small opening near the upper
posterior angle of the gill-cover. One soft dorsal fin; no ventrals, and,
sometimes, one or more of the other fins are also absent.
Small marine fishes, which are abundant on such parts of the
coasts of the tropical and temperate zones as offer by their
vegetation shelter to these defenceless creatures. They are bad
swimmers (the dorsal fin being the principal organ of locomotion),
and frequently and resistlessly carried by currents into the open
ocean or to distant coasts. All enter brackish water, some fresh
water. The strata of Monte Bolca and Licata (Sicily) have, yielded
evidence of their existence in the tertiary epochs; beside species of
Siphonostoma and Syngnathus (Pseudosyngnathus), remains of an
extinct genus, Calamostoma, allied to Hippocampus, but with a
distinct caudal fin, have been found. On their propagation see p.
163, Fig. 76.
A. Syngnathina.—The tail is not prehensile, and generally
provided with a caudal fin.—Pipe-Fishes.
 Siphonostoma.—Body with distinct ridges, the upper caudal ridge
continuous with the lateral line, but not with the dorsal ridge of the
trunk. Pectoral and caudal fins well developed; dorsal fin of moderate
length, opposite to the vent. Humeral bones movable, not united into a
“breast-ring.” Males with an egg-pouch on the tail, the eggs being
covered by cutaneous folds.
Two species, of which S. typhle is common on the British, and
generally distributed on the European coasts.
Syngnathus.—Body with the ridges more or less distinct, the
dorsal ridge of the trunk not being continuous with that of the tail.
Pectoral fins well developed; caudal present. Dorsal fin opposite or
near to the vent. Humeral bones firmly united into the breast-ring.
Egg-pouch as in Siphonostoma.
The distribution of this genus nearly coincides with that of the
family, some fifty species being known. S. acus, the great Pipe-fish
(see Fig. 75, p. 163), is one of the most common European fishes,
extending across the Atlantic and southwards to the Cape of Good
Hope; it attains a length of 18 inches. Another very common species,
frequently met at sea, and spread over nearly all the tropical and
sub-tropical seas, is S. pelagicus, agreeably marked with alternate
brown and silvery cross-bars.
Doryichthys.—Body with the ridges well developed. Pectoral and
caudal fins present. Dorsal fin long or of moderate length, opposite to
the vent. Humeral bones firmly united. Males with the lower ridges of
the abdomen dilated, the dilated parts forming a broad groove for the
reception of the ova.
In these Pipe-fishes the ova are not received in a completely
closed pouch, but glued on to the surface of the abdomen. Twenty
species from tropical seas.
Nerophis.—Body smooth, rounded, with scarcely any of the
ridges distinct. Pectoral fin none, caudal absent or rudimentary, the tail
tapering into a point. Dorsal fin of moderate length, opposite to the
vent. The ova are attached to the soft integument of the abdomen of
the male, and are not covered by lateral folds of the skin.
Seven species from the European seas and the Atlantic. N.
æquoreus (Ocean Pipe-fish), N. ophidion (Straight-nosed Pipe-fish),
and N. lumbriciformis (Little Pipe-fish), are common on the British
coasts.
Protocampus.—The whole dermal skeleton is covered with skin.
A broad cutaneous fold runs along the back in front and behind the
dorsal; a similar fold along the abdomen. Pectoral fin none; caudal
very small.
The single species of this remarkable genus, P. hymenolomus,
occurs in the Falkland Islands. It may be regarded as an embryonal
form of Nerophis, the median skin-folds being evidently remains of
the fringe which surrounds the body of the embryo.
The other genera belonging to this group are, Icthyocampus,
Nannocampus, Urocampus, Leptoichthys, Coelonotus, and
Stigmatophora.
Hippocampina.—The tail is prehensile, and invariably without
caudal fin.—Sea-horses.
Gastrotokeus.—Body depressed, the lateral line running along
the margin of the abdomen. Shields smooth. Tail shorter than the
body. Pectoral fins. No pouch is developed for the ova, which are
imbedded in the soft integument of the abdomen of the male.
Gastrotokeus biaculeatus, very common in the Indian Ocean to
the coasts of Australia.
Solenognathus.—Body compressed, deeper than broad. Shields
hard, rugose, with round or oval interannular plates; and without
elongate processes. Tail shorter than the body. Pectoral fins.
Three species, from the Chinese and Australian Seas; they are
the largest of Lophobranchs, S. hardwickii, attaining to a length of
nearly two feet.
 Fig. 309.—Phyllopteryx eques.
Phyllopteryx.—Body compressed, or as broad as deep. Shields
smooth, but some or all of them are provided with prominent spines or
processes on the edges of the body; some of the processes with
cutaneous filaments. A pair of spines on the upper side of the snout
and above the orbit. Tail about as long as the body. Pectoral fins. The
ova are imbedded in soft membrane on the lower side of the tail,
without a pouch being developed.

Three species from the coasts of Australia. The protective

resemblances with which many Lophobranchs are furnished, attain
to the highest degree of development in the fishes of this genus. Not
only their colour closely assimilates that of the particular kind of
seaweed which they frequent, but the appendages of their spines
seem to be merely part of the fucus to which they are attached. They
attain a length of 12 inches.
Hippocampus.—Trunk compressed, more or less elevated.
Shields with more or less prominent tubercles or spines. Occiput
compressed into a crest, terminating at its supero-posterior corner in a
 prominent knob (coronet). Pectoral fins. The males carry the eggs in a
sac at the base of the tail, opening near the vent.
A singular resemblance of the head and fore part of the body to
that of a horse, has given to these fishes the name of “Sea-horses.”
They are abundant between and near the tropics, becoming scarcer
in higher latitudes. Some twenty species are known, some of which
have a wide geographical range, as they are often carried to great
distances with floating objects to which they happen to be attached.
—Acentronura is a genus closely allied to Hippocampus.

SIXTH ORDER—PLECTOGNATHI.
Teleosteous fishes with rough scales, or with ossifications of the
cutis in the form of scutes or spines; skin sometimes entirely naked.
Skeleton incompletely ossified, with the vertebræ in small number.
Gills pectinate; a narrow gill-opening in front of the pectoral fins.
Mouth narrow; the bones of the upper jaw generally firmly united. A
soft dorsal fin, belonging to the caudal portion of the vertebral
column, opposite to the anal; sometimes elements of a spinous
dorsal besides. Ventral fin none, or reduced to spines. Air-bladder
without pneumatic duct.

First Family—Sclerodermi.
Snout somewhat produced; jaws armed with distinct teeth in
small number. Skin with scutes or rough. The elements of a spinous
dorsal and ventral fins generally present.
Marine fishes of moderate or small size, very common in the
tropical zone, but scarcer in higher latitudes. They have been found
in three localities of tertiary strata, viz., at Monte Bolca, where a
species of Ostracion occurs, and in the Schists of Glaris, from which
two genera have been described, Acanthoderma and
Acanthopleurus, closely allied to Balistes and Triacanthus.
Glyptocephalus from the Isle of Sheppey has the skull of a Balistes,
but its body is covered with tubercles arranged in regular series. The
Scleroderms may be divided into three very natural groups:—
 A. Triacanthina.—The skin is covered with small, rough, scale-
like scutes. A spinous dorsal fin with from four to six spines. A pair of
strong, movable ventral spines, joined to the pelvic bone.
To this group belong the genera Triacanthodes, Hollardia, and
Triacanthus, represented by five species, of which Triacanthus
brevirostris from the Indian Ocean is the most common.
B. Balistina.—Body compressed, covered with movable scutes or
rough. Spinous dorsal reduced to one, two, or three spines. Ventral
fins reduced to a single pelvic prominence, or entirely absent.
To this group belong the genera Balistes, Monacanthus, and
Anacanthus, the last genus being distinguished by a barbel at the
lower jaw.

Fig. 310.—Balistes vidua.

Balistes, or the “File-fishes” proper, inhabit the tropical and sub-
tropical seas; shoals of young are not rarely met with in mid-ocean.
Some thirty species are known, many attaining a length exceeding
two feet; but the majority are much smaller, and frequently beautifully
and symmetrically marked. Both jaws are armed with eight strong
incisor-like and obliquely truncated teeth, by which these fishes are
enabled to break off pieces of corals on which they feed, or to chisel
a hole into the hard shell of Mollusca, in order to extract the soft
parts. They destroy an immense number of Mollusks, thus becoming
most injurious to the pearl-fisheries. The first of their three dorsal
spines is very strong, roughened in front like a file, and hollowed out
behind to receive the second much smaller spine, which, besides,
has a projection in front, at its base, fitting into a notch of the first.
Thus these two spines can only be raised or depressed
simultaneously, and the first cannot be forced down, unless the
second has been previously depressed. The latter has been
compared to a trigger, hence a second name, “Trigger-fish,” has
been given to these fishes. Some species are armed with a series of
short spines or tubercles on each side of the tail. Two species (B.
maculatus and B. capriscus), common in the Atlantic, sometimes
wander to the British coasts.
The Monacanthus are similarly distributed as the Balistes, and
still more abundant, some fifty species being known. Their dentition
is very similar, but they possess one dorsal spine only, and their
rough scales are so small as to give a velvety appearance to the skin
(Figs. 17 and 18, p. 48). Adult males of some of the species possess
a peculiar armature on each side of the tail, which in females is
much less developed or entirely absent. This armature may consist
either in simple spines arranged in rows, or in the development of
the minute spines of the scales into long stiff bristles, so that the
patch on each side of the tail looks like a brush.
C. Ostraciontina.—The integuments of the body form a hard
continuous carapace, consisting of hexagonal scutes juxtaposed in
mosaic-fashion. A spinous dorsal and ventral fins are absent; but
sometimes indicated by protuberances.
The “Coffer-fishes” (Ostracion) are too well known to require a
lengthened description. Only the snout, the bases of the fins, and the
hind part of the tail are covered with soft skin, so as to admit of free
action of the muscles moving these parts. The mouth is small, the
maxillary and intermaxillary bones coalescent, each jaw being armed
with a single series of small slender teeth. The short dorsal fin is
opposite to the equally short anal. The vertebral column consists of
fourteen vertebræ only, of which the five last are extremely short, the
anterior elongate. Ribs none. The carapaces of some species are
three-ridged, of others four- and five-ridged, of some provided with
long spines. Twenty-two species from tropical and sub-tropical seas
are known.

Second Family—Gymnodontes.
Body more or less shortened. The bones of the upper and lower
jaw are confluent, forming a beak with a trenchant edge, without
teeth, with or without median suture. A soft dorsal, caudal and anal
are developed, approximate. No spinous dorsal. Pectoral fins; no
ventrals.
Marine fishes of moderate or small size from tropical and sub-
tropical seas. A few species live in fresh water. Fossil remains of
Diodon are not scarce at Monte Bolca and Licata; a distinct genus,
Enneodon, has been described from Monte Postale. The
Gymnodonts may be divided into three groups:
A. Triodontina.—Tail rather long, with a separate caudal fin.
Abdomen dilatable into a very large, compressed, pendent sac, the
lower part of which is merely a flap of skin, into which the air does not
penetrate, the sac being capable of being expanded by the very long
pelvic bone. The upper jaw divided by a median suture, the lower
simple.
A single genus and species (Triodon bursarius) from the Indian
Ocean.
B. Tetrodontina.—Tail and caudal fin distinct. Part of the
œsophagus much distensible, and capable of being filled with air. No
pelvic bone.
“Globe-fishes” have a short, thick, cylindrical body, with well
developed fins. It is covered with thick scaleless skin, in which,
however, spines are imbedded of various sizes. The spines are very
small, and but partially distributed over the body in some species,
whilst in others they are very large, and occupy equally every part of
the body. These fishes have the power of inflating their body by filling
their distensible œsophagus with air, and thus assume a more or
less globular form. The skin is, then, stretched to its utmost extent,
and the spines protrude and form a more or less formidable
defensive armour, as in a hedgehog; therefore they are frequently
called “Sea-hedgehogs.” A fish thus blown out turns over and floats
belly upwards, driving before the wind and waves. However, it is
probable that the spines are a protection not only when the fish is on
the surface and able to take in air, but also when it is under water.
Some Diodonts, at any rate, are able to erect the spines about the
head by means of cutaneous muscles; and, perhaps, all fill their
stomach with water instead of air, for the same purpose and with the
same effect. In some Diodonts the spines are fixed, erect, not
movable. The Gymnodonts generally, when taken, produce a sound,
doubtless by the expulsion of air from the œsophagus. Their
vertebral column consists of a small number of vertebræ, from 20 to
29, and their spinal chord is extremely short. All these fishes have a
bad reputation, and they are never eaten; indeed, some of them are
highly poisonous, and have caused long continued illness and death.
Singularly, the poisonous properties of these fishes vary much as
regards intensity, only certain individuals of a species, or individuals
from a certain locality, or caught at a certain time of the year, being
dangerous. Therefore it is probable that they acquire their poisonous
quality from their food, which consists in corals and hard-shelled
Mollusks and Crustaceans. Their sharp beaks, with broad
masticating posterior surface, are admirably adapted for breaking off
branchlets of coral-stocks, and for crushing hard substances.

Fig. 311.—Jaws of Tetrodon.

 Fig. 312.—Tetrodon margaritatus.
Tetrodon (including Xenopterus).—Both the upper and lower
jaws are divided into two by a mesial suture.
Extremely numerous in tropical and sub-tropical zones, more
than sixty species being known. In some of the species the dermal
spines are extremely small, and may be absent altogether. Many are
highly ornamented with spots or bands. A few species live in large
rivers—thus T. psittacus from Brazil; T. fahaka, a fish well known to
travellers on the Nile, and likewise abundant in West African rivers;
T. fluviatilis from brackish water and rivers of the East Indies. The
species figured is one of the smallest, about six inches long, and
common in the Indo-Pacific.
Diodon.—Jaws without mesial suture, so that there is only one
undivided dental plate above and one below.
In these fishes, as well as in some closely allied genera, the
dermal spines are much more developed than in the Tetrodonts; in
some the spines are erectile, as in Diodon, Atopomycterus,
Trichodiodon, and Trichocyclus; in others they are stiff and
immovable, as in Chilomycterus and Dicotylichthys. Seventeen
species are known, of which Diodon hystrix is the most common as it
is the largest, growing to a length of two feet. It is spread over the
Tropical Atlantic as well as Indo-Pacific, as is also a smaller, but
almost equally common species, Diodon maculatus.