When he’s not looking, because he gets jealous when we do that!

And we don’t care if he’s jealous because it feels so good and it helps the pups grow in our bellies!

We are all mothers to them, then!

But sometimes we do it to provoke him!

If he sees us, he chases us apart and then mounts us!

Yes! We mount each other and then he mounts us, roaring!

And our pups will suckle our teats; and we will swim and feed together and all the time he will be there!

Yes, he will be there erect and ready and waiting for us!

Because he can’t go anywhere for fear of losing us and we can come and go and lure him on and into us as much as we please!

He can’t go anywhere; he’s ours for the whole season!

We share him, and through him, we share each other!

We are sister-betas now!

Or we will be soon!

Just you wait!

Yes, just you wait!

He waited with her as the betas went ashore to pup. He could feel her nervousness and desire vibrating through the water and, even though it didn’t peek out, he was constantly aware of the cock hidden inside his fur. He was aware that he was a male and that he couldn’t yet be part of this new order into which she was about to swim.

They floated together, until enough time had passed for the pupping to be complete. Then, anxiously, she went to shore to take her place in her harem, who were milling about him—their chosen alpha—and nursing their hungry new pups.

She rubbed her body against his as she left, telling him that she would come back out to feed soon enough, that she would see him then and tell him all about it, and that this wasn’t yet farewell.

He floated on his back with his head and flippers held up above the ocean’s surface to the warmth of the sun. He watched absently as the water dried and turned into a web of gritty crystals on his flippers. His gaze slid past the pattern of salt to the shore when the alpha honked and roared, then threw himself onto his friend’s back and began humping violently at her body. The rest of the harem sprawled languidly in the sun and grunted happily to one another. Once the alpha was done with a shudder and growl, he rolled off her and she shuffled away. Her sister-betas surrounded her, nuzzled her and rubbed at her with their bodies while their pups gambolled about them.

Other beta-half-pups drifted, too young to go to shore this season. They barked at each other, and herded fish and squid together.