Page 114 of Echo and the Homicidal Sea Panda

The rest of the council looked just as stern as every other face he’d seen. Three sat on either side of the mayor. Echo’s stomach turned again, and he hoped his morning sickness didn’t come back for a round two.

“Echo Fisher, you’re here today because of some concerns we have about the safety of our pod. Those concerns have only heightened after learning that this man you bring into our town is none other than Maelstrom Marino,” Mayor Ashbridge said.

A roar swept through the audience at the mention of Maelstrom’s name. Several hundred people screaming was ear-piercing.

“Quiet down,” their mayor said to the crowd. “Quiet down.”

Once everyone settled, the mayor leaned into the mic again. “I also learned you put one of my officers in a choke hold, disarmed another, and threatened to kill all four of them. They left the scene in fear of their lives.”

Another collective roar rose, the voices so loud not one single one could be heard. It was just noise. Echo cringed.

Maelstrom leaned into the microphone at the podium, his voice ringing out over the roar. “Shut the fuck up!” He turned to glare at the crowd.

Shockingly, they did shut up.

But then, hewastheir boogeyman.

Mael turned to face the mayor. “Your officers broke into Echo’s home. They did not announce themselves as police. They yanked us out of bed where we were asleep. They tazed me three times because I was trying to protect Echo—who was being tossed about and held captive. They cuffed me and refused to allow us to put on a stitch of clothing. And then he…” Mael pointed to the officer who pushed him. “He pushed Echo down three steps where he landed on the floor.. You’re damned right I put him in a choke hold after he hurtmy pregnant mateand threatened the lives of him and our children.”

Silence filled the assembly hall for several seconds.

“Did you just say…your pregnant mate?We are talking about Echo Fisher,a dolphin shifter,correct?” one of the council members asked.

“Yes,” Mael murmured. “Echoismy mate, and he is pregnant with my children.”

Whispers and murmurs raced around the room.

“I fear you’ve been duped, Mr. Marino. Dolphins and orca cannot reproduce together,” Mayor Ashbridge said, glaring at Echo. “If Echo truly is pregnant, it’s not yours.”

“He is, and theyaremy children,” Mael murmured, staring down at Echo with love in his eyes. He brought Echo’s hand in his to his lips and kissed the back of it.

“We need to base these proceedings in reality, not fantasy,” another on the council said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Excuse me? I may be able to help,” someone called from the back.

Echo turned and saw his doctor approaching.

Dr. Thames stopped beside Echo. “I can speak on your behalf, but I need explicit permission to tell them what I know. And if there’s anything you don’t want me to divulge, tell me.”

“I’d appreciate you sharing if you think it can help—but I don’t want everyone to know my gender at birth,” Echo whispered.

Dr. Thames nodded and smiled. She turned to the council. “Echo is currently my obstetrics patient, and I’ve examined him twice in the last few weeks. He is indeed pregnant, and there are two fetuses. I immediately noticed they are large in size. Larger than any dolphin babes I’ve ever seen. I worried they might have a medical condition they would need to be treated for, so I had my lab run various tests on Echo’s blood sample. Trace fetal DNA showed that the father was orca.”

The assembly rose in volume again.

“You knew?” Echo asked amid the screams around them.

Dr. Thames smiled softly. “I knew.” She rubbed Echo’s shoulder and leaned close to his ear. “I don’t know if this helps your case, but now they can’t refute your claim that Maelstrom’s the father.”

“Okay, okay… quiet down!” the mayor yelled into his microphone.

“I might also add that the lab was confused by the findings, so they processed Echo’s DNA, as well. His DNA is ten percent orca.”

The audience went silent.

Echo stared at Dr. Thames in shock.

“Over the years, we’ve had to do DNA testing for many of my patients. Echo isn’t the first I’ve found with traces of orca genetics, but he is the highest percentage I’ve seen. All of this strongly suggests that not only are orca-dolphin matings possible, but that they’ve happened in the past. There’s no reason to doubt that Mr. Marino fathered these children.”

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