Based on a post by SilverRyden, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.

Just off the East Coast of Australia, October 21, 2020, 11:05 PM

Talia Becker had gotten no rest since Grace's last contact with Tiberius. Not that she'd tried. Learning that Ty had been exposed to something had set her on edge, but it was the message that had managed to arrive a few hours later that had her truly worried. Even though she knew they'd arrive in time to help him, she couldn't help it; she wasn't there now. After everything else, she couldn't afford to lose him.

Tiberius had swept into her life relatively early in her career, in 2017, and the maelstrom the Australian had left in his wake had left her reeling. Her father appeared one morning at their training grounds, smiling, and simply told them that they were about to embark on a survival exercise over the next seven days. Talia's unit was to hunt down and capture Tiberius, who would evade, and in return attempt to 'kill' his hunters. Talia thought it would be a simple task.

It took all of three days.

In just a mere three days, every member of the unit found themselves back at base, 'killed', and to a man or woman, had never actually seen their adversary until it was too late. He appeared again as they were gathered in a training classroom and began to explain where each member had gone wrong and why they had failed. Talia never even had the opportunity to look at his face before she'd been killed, late on the second day. He had simply melted back into the environment after his training knife had appeared across her throat.

For the first time she could recall since joining the IDF, Talia was interested in a man. It wasn't an attraction. Not exactly. Not then. Curiosity, perhaps. He showed up at Talia's dinner table that night, a guest of her father. The easy-going demeanor, even in the presence of her father, was utterly foreign to her. Even her mother, usually quiet and withdrawn among her father's guests, was smiling and telling stories. A sort of charm, she'd supposed. A natural charisma that drew people in and made them feel comfortable. She looked at him again and it clicked. He was like an oversized teddy bear. Large, occasionally imposing, but ultimately a comforting presence. The only comforting male presence aside from her father, she realized.

Until that point, the men in Talia's life, aside from her father, had come in two varieties; those openly attempting to get close to her to use her father's influence, and those who were lying. Every single one had been repulsive; if not physically, then mentally. She wasn't simply a means to an end to them; she was just a trinket to acquire on the path. To them, she didn't matter, and that infuriated her. She rarely dated men as a result, spending her time with her female cohorts. It had gotten to the point where she almost believed she couldn't be attracted to a man and was trying to figure out how to explain that to her parents, when Ty's appearance made her reevaluate herself once again. Even though he was eight years senior to her then age of 24, Tiberius had never made her feel insignificant or unimportant. When they spent time together, she felt like was the center of his universe. He wasn't overbearing and he never pushed her for intimacy. She realized it when Ty escorted her during her parent's 40th anniversary party a year later; it wasn't that she couldn't date men; it just had to be the right man. She had asked her father if he would be open to that idea, and he had seemed thrilled. Then they had learned of Tiberius' injury, and her father had asked her to wait until he was healed.

Talia was furious. She believed her father was acting the same way towards Tiberius as all the suitors had with her; interested in Ty until he was no longer useful. But Ezekiel denied that instantly. It wasn't that her father was reluctant to have a potentially crippled man as her husband, but that he wanted Tiberius to be able to recuperate without the added pressure of a long distance, potentially political relationship. Zeke actually kept in constant contact with the younger man and admitted to Talia that both he and her mother already loved the man like a son. Zeke had planned to ask him to visit Israel again at the start of 2020, when COVID had slowed travel and then DuoHalo had shut the world down entirely. Now, when Talia finally had a chance to be with him, the man she wanted more than anything was in danger of dying. She couldn't help herself and paced up and down the aisle of the plane.

"Talia, your pacing isn't going to get us there any faster. You're just wearing yourself out and you're going to want that energy." Grace opined, a wry smile on her face.

She understood the Israeli woman's feelings; after all, it wasn't that long ago that she had shared a similar longing for the affable Aussie. Now that she had her own partner, though, she was content. She looked over at Ben, currently curled up under a blanket alongside Theresa, their Team's newest addition, both asleep. Ben was a doctor, and while he was someone Grace had never expected to get along with before, Oracle had them matched at around 93%, and it showed. She'd been through a lot of short-term relationships in the past and had never found anything that really clicked, except Tiberius, and now Ben. With Tiberius, it had been a whirlwind thing, and they both had known that it was temporary, what with their relative roles. With Ben, it was slower; more organic. She connected with Ben far more deeply than she'd anticipated and she found that he brought her a sense of comfort and peace that she'd never realized was missing from her life. Grace hoped that Talia would find the same peace with Tiberius that she now had with Ben. God knows she liked the young woman enough.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the copilot sticking his head into the cabin. "Captain, we're back in communications range."

She nodded at him and pulled her tablet out, expecting a barrage of messages to hit. She wasn't disappointed.

No, she was now very worried.

The Valiant sisters had sent updates on Tiberius' condition, and it looked to be bad. From one of the earlier messages, they said he'd already started to have trouble breathing. As if that wasn't bad enough, the most recent, however, said that he'd been trying to hide a bloody nose. The Valiants had informed her that they, along with a pair of Chinooks, would be waiting at the Point Cook airbase and she began to prepare her team.

"Do we have the results back from the Oracle tests we asked for?" Grace called out to one of her lieutenants.

"Yes Captain. All three results are above a 93% match. You almost couldn't ask for better."

Talia smiled. "I knew it would be fine. He is the man I chose, after all."

Grace laughed. "You were planning to ignore the results anyway. What does it matter?"

"Because it's always better to know that you will mesh with your partner, right? If we are to be bonded, I would prefer it to be in both heart and body." Talia blushed, and Grace laughed.

"You're definitely right. Ben, did you get a look at the bloodwork analysis they sent?"

Ben, a slight man of around 5' 9" nodded, keeping his expression neutral, but it was clear he wasn't happy.

"Whoever made this was a complete and utter bastard. This variant has had all of its characteristics, aside from its transmissibility, jacked up to 11. They clearly had to tone that down since it wouldn't survive otherwise. Grace, this isn't a bioweapon; it's a murder weapon. It's made to kill individuals, not communities." He paused, looking at the data again. "As for your guy here, it's not good. If you're telling me that he's already had at least one bloody nose, then it's working faster than anticipated. He's got maybe; six hours before his internals start to go. It's a good thing you got a few partners lined up for him. One shot absolutely will not be enough. I recommend you inject all the prospective partners immediately. It's the girls coming to meet us and the Major here, right?" Grace nodded in the affirmative and he continued. "Good. We can use the time it takes us to load the helicopters and get the teams on boarded to get the ladies prepped and injected. Then the flight time to monitor for abnormalities. That should save us a bit of time on the back end. Major; Becker, right? Are you absolutely certain you want to do this?"

Talia nodded vehemently. "That man is the only one to whom I would consider being bound, Dr. Morgan."

"Very well then. Grace, I recommend we begin the inoculations as soon as we land."

Quarantine Lab, Victoria Barracks, Victoria, Australia, October 22, 2020, 1:35 AM

Ty was actually really enjoying his book. Admittedly, he'd glossed over a few things the first time around; and the second. But this time, it had caught his interest. Maybe it was just a little deeper than the other entries? Or maybe his impending mortality had given him a different perspective. He knew his senses were beginning to dull. The metallic taste from the blood he'd begun to cough up occasionally had faded, telling him his nose had stopped doing its job. He gave it no thought, choosing instead to contemplate the literary work before him. Before any further thought struck, Tiberius was startled out of his focus as the intercom buzzed and Baz's voice boomed into the room.

"Ty, they're almost ready, mate. How are ya holding up?"

"Like someone punched me in the chest a couple dozen times. Pretty sure all this coughing has bruised a rib." Ty chuckled as a thought struck him. "Hey Baz, with all this shit that's happening, can I claim hazard pay?"

"Get fucked, mate."

"I'm about to, ya old bastard. And no, you can't watch." This set Ty off even more, causing him to laugh uproariously before it devolved into a coughing fit. "If I don't spit up a lung first, that is."

Baz sighed in relief as his friend regained control and his phone beeped. Looking down at the text, he nodded towards Ty.

"Alright mate, I'll unseal the door now. Can you suit up and make your way to the officer suites in block B? One of those is set up for you for the night. I've already made sure the corridors are cleared, and that entire building is empty, aside from you."

Ty hesitated as the door opened. "Baz. Is this the right thing to do? This vax. The whole binding thing? Are we jumping headfirst into a mistake?"

"It's proven to work. It may not be the best solution, but it's the one we got. They want this. All three of them. They want to save your life. Your job will be to treat those girls right after the fact. They deserve nothing less than your all and you damn well know it."

"That part still doesn't feel real, you know. Three, including the twins;” Ty coughed, and his face flushed.

"Get over yourself, you lucky bastard. If I wasn't head over heels for Sophie, I'd have killed to be in your shoes."

"How does she feel about sharing? You do realize that's going to be a thing, right?"

Baz blanched. "Fuck me. I hadn't thought about that; I'm a fucking dead man."

"Not like you had anything to do with the situation, Baz. She'll get over it eventually. Or I'll get your job after the funeral." Baz threw a glance at Ty as he walked out.

"Cunt. Go on. And don't come back until you're well again."

His chest tight, Ty made his way towards the officers' suites and was met along the way by a familiar face. Grace and her Team were waiting for him just inside the building. She looked concerned but tried to smile as he approached.

"You looked better this morning, Ty. You can remove the suit. We're safe."

"Felt better too, Grace. Good to see you. I don't think I've met most of your friends here?"

"There's time for that later. I just needed to introduce you to Ben, and he's going to take a small blood draw from you. He's a doctor. Is that okay?"

"Sure thing. Nice to meet ya, doc. I'd shake your hand, but I don't reckon that's in anyone's best interest right now."

The smaller man smiled broadly and reached out, taking Ty's hand and giving it a solid shake, much to the big soldier's surprise. What surprised him more was the small blue pill he'd left in the bigger man's hand.

"Nonsense! I'm safe, and Grace has been very worried about you, so I know you must be a good friend and a good man. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I look forward to getting to know you. Let me just get my souvenir, and we'll send you on your way." He leaned in close as he was preparing to draw blood and mumbled under his breath to Ty. "Take that right now. You're going to need it. It'll kick in by the time you're ready to rumble, so you'll be able to go all three rounds without having to worry. After the serum kicks in in your own body it won't be necessary, but this first time, with you under the effects of this monster strain of Duo? There's no shame in it."

Ty liked him immediately. The man was pleasant and clearly easy to be around. He turned his head and faked a cough, slipping the pill into his mouth. Ben had a fresh bottle of water within arm's reach and handed it over to Ty, winking. He glanced at Grace as he drank and she nodded, blushing slightly. Another woman tapped her on the shoulder and whispered in her ear. Grace laughed and nodded, taking the proffered clipboard and stepping up to Ty.

"I'll need you to sign this for me. I forgot that it's procedure for handing off partners."

Ty looked at the form, immediately confused by the header on the page. Army and Army National Guard Oracle Program Delivery Form. He glanced over the form, seeing that it really was just a simple asset handover confirmation before he got to the admin code at the bottom of the page. DA 6969-R. Some bored paper-pushers must be getting their jollies on that one.

"Grace? This says National Guard."

The grin on her face threatened to reach her ears. "And?"

"You're Air Force? And the 'assets' aren't even in your jurisdiction? Why am I signing this again?"

Her grin continued to grow and he rolled his eyes as they both spoke at the same time. "Bureaucrats."

He shook his head and waved as they departed, before turning back around and looking at the key Grace had left in his hand. Beyond that door, everything would change. His life, their lives, would be forever intertwined. He felt the tightness in his chest fought back another cough, knowing that even if his time was limited, he needed to confirm their willingness and understanding one last time for his own peace of mind.

He stepped into the room and was met with a sight he'd probably never forget. He'd seen the twins in swimsuits more than once, but lingerie; that was an entirely different beast. Lottie had let her hair down and was sitting at the edge of the bed, luscious D-cup curves enshrined in a black set of lingerie, complete with a garter and stockings. Ty had never known she wore those, and he felt the blood surge towards his cock. He gulped, shifting his gaze towards Lettie, who was dressed in an almost identical set of garters and stockings, but instead of the bra, she had on a black bustier. He let his eyes linger there for a moment too, drinking in the twin goddesses before him, before the third goddess in the room commanded his attention.

It had been nearly two years since he'd last seen Talia and the young woman had truly grown into her own. Raven black hair, pulled into a long braid that stopped just shy of her pert ass. Here and now, her lovely olive-skinned frame stood tall and willowy at 5'10", all grace and sensuous power coiled into that fit package. A package shielded from the world by only a pure white teddy. Even through the garment, he could see the pointy tips of her C-cups, rock hard beneath that sheer fabric. If Ty had been semi aroused before, he stood at full attention now; a respectable seven and a half with solid girth. They all smiled as he adjusted himself and Talia took his hand, pulling him further in.

"Getting uncomfortable there, Tiberius? Come, sit. I know you will wish to talk before we do anything. It will do for us as well, though I think the three of us are quite ready for you." She paused for a moment and Ty realized that the scent of female arousal was permeating the room, strong enough for even his currently diminished nasal capacity to detect. "Doctor Benjamin did say that the serum would 'rev our engines', but I think he rather understated just how much so."

She spun as he reached the edge of the bed, pulling Ty's head down and into a ferocious kiss. Ty was lost in it, hands running up and down her sides before she pulled away to look him in the eyes.

"Finally. For two years I have wanted to do that. I wish only that the circumstances could be different, but this will suffice. We will make it work. I will have two wonderful new sisters by my side for the journey."

Ty was staring into her eyes when a pair of pale hands pulled at his face, Lottie drawing him in for her own hungry kiss. The repressed passion asserted itself clearly here, and the lovely redhead molded her body into the big man's, her thigh grinding wantonly against his straining bulge. Ty lost track of time in the kiss, his hands roaming unconsciously. When they eventually separated, he was unsure if it had been a few seconds, or several minutes. He wasn't entirely sure he cared. At some point during the kiss, Lettie had slipped in behind him and had begun undoing the buttons on his uniform.

"She's not wrong, big guy. Though for us, I think without this, we'd have danced around one another forever. I do wish it hadn't taken you nearly dying for it, but we'll take it."

Lettie now stepped in from behind her sister, gently nudging her out of the way before making her best effort to devour Tiberius' lips and tongue. Once again, he lost himself in the sensations of her body, stopping only as he realized that Talia and Lottie were busy sharing their own kiss.

He was gob-smacked. Oh, he knew the twins were bisexual. He'd been around them for more than long enough and seen plenty of their dates firsthand. He just hadn't realized that Talia was too. Her father was fairly traditional in some ways, so he had never suspected it would be a thing for her.

"I didn't realize you swung that way, Tal."

"Before I met you, my love, the men in my life were trash. Savages and schemers, save my father. My closest companions were women, and in them I both sought and found solace. I had not been with a woman since you and I met, though it struck me that in this situation, it would not be a bad thing. I was discussing it with these two when they told me that they too were bi. It does not hurt that I find them very attractive. Do you disapprove?"

"Hell no! Two of the three hottest women I know making out not two meters away from me wearing damn near nothing? I'd love an encore!" Ty was certain he'd have managed to stay at full attention even without chemical assistance under these circumstances.

Lettie kissed him again but gave him a stern gaze. "One very important detail, big guy. While Lottie and I might play with you together, we won't ever be playing with each other. Our focus will only ever be you or another girl."

"You know damn well that I'd never ask that of you. What's happening in front of me right now is already crazy hot." He paused, the lopsided smile falling from his face. "But while we're being serious, I need to confirm it from each of you one more time. Last chance. Are you all certain this is what you want?"

Three heads turned to face him and nodded in the affirmative. Ty took a deep breath and nodded back, the smile now back in place on his face. "I'm glad the three of you make it so easy to love ya. So, how do we want to do this?"

The three women giggled and dragged him onto the bed, rapidly pulling his uniform off his body while showering him in kisses. Ty, for his part, managed to divest the trio of their undergarments in short order and planted his own kisses on their newly exposed flesh. Lettie giggled as she pulled his boxers off.

"Well, that's a big winner, sis. We had always wondered how; endowed you were, Tiberius. Those board shorts you insisted on wearing whenever we went to the beach never let us get much of a look."

"Well, I sure as hell wasn't going to put on that pair of budgie smugglers you got me that one time. Even if they weren't like two sizes too small, they were bright fucking yellow!" Ty laughed, remembering the too small swimwear clearly. The present had been a joke, and they'd never actually expected him to wear it.

Ty kissed all three women again and then shuffled up the bed. Lottie was nearest to him as he lay back, and she let out an adorable squeak as Ty picked her up, planting her legs firmly on either side of his head before letting his tongu