Page 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Colbie

“W ant to go for a swim with me?” He sounds a little unsure, so I start to strip off my own uniform, no longer concerned about nudity in front of my guys. They’ve seen and worshiped every possible part of my body by now and seem fond of it.

I shiver when I’m completely naked, but it isn’t from being cold—it’s from anticipation for what’s about to happen.

“Have fun,” Gryffin calls as Micah takes my hand. Without another word, we both step into the pool. A squeal leaves my mouth as we plummet. I expected it to be a gentle slope downward, but instead, I’m completely submerged in an instant, the water covering my head. It isn’t cold, so it doesn’t take my breath away, and by contrast, it’s warm and comforting.

I start to panic slightly and begin to swim to the surface, but Micah wraps his arms around me as I watch him shift. His isn’t as aggressive and painful looking as the other guys’. It’s like a wave of magic flows over him, and his legs fuse and scales appear, as do gill slits in his neck. I feel the same thing happen to me, and I wonder if that is always going to occur whenever I’m in water… though it didn’t when I was in the tub in the cabin.

Micah shakes his head. The change is automatic, but it requires you to be fully submerged for longer than a minute , he says inside my head. Come on, let’s check out this pool to make sure there isn’t anything living in here we need to worry about.

I gape at him with dread before spinning around and eyeing the depths. The water is crystal clear, but it obviously glows because of the moss above. There are only shadows down here and the absence of light.

I can’t see anything , I tell him, and he flicks his tail and takes the lead.

Use your other senses as well. You’ll find your tail is sensitive to movement in the water, and you will have a kind of echolocation sense now as well. It helps us navigate the depths, but your eyes will adjust, just give it a moment.

I flick my own tail, not wanting to let him get too far in front of me. There is a flash of light that has me squinting as his trident appears in his hand, and my heart starts to race.

Holy shit, did you see something? I ask, spinning around in search of danger, but he shakes his head and holds out his free hand for me. I take it, and we swim side by side.

No, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I will defend you with my life , he vows, and my body feels all warm and tingly at his declaration.

We leisurely explore the bottom of the pool, taking our time and talking about everything and nothing. Micah tells me he is an only child and that his upbringing was very regimented but didn’t lack in love. His mother is a very affectionate person, although his father is slightly more reserved. He thinks it’s because of his position on the mer council, which takes up a lot of his time. Neither of them were thrilled when he decided to join the shifter military, especially with the strained relations between the mer and the rest of the shifter population, but they eventually accepted his choice.

He teaches me how to maneuver quickly through the water, showing me how to use my tail to my advantage, and eventually, it feels like I’ve had one my entire life.

What are those? I ask, pointing to a rock formation that sparkles with veins of bright green gems that look like they have an inner glow.

They are called aqualibrite. They are highly prized in both the witch and fae kingdoms because they can store and amplify fae or witch power. The stones can be drawn on when they are drained from overuse. They are rare and highly regulated, though, and are supposed to be tricky to mine .

They are pretty. I run my finger over one of them, and I feel a pulse of power explode from them, the shock wave washing over us and pushing us backward, sending me tumbling head over tail.

Whoa , I groan as Micah snags me, pulling me against this chest. That was unexpected.

He chuckles. I have a feeling that’s why they are hard to mine. They have their own inbuilt defense system.

It’s certainly effective. I rest my head against his chest, enjoying the feeling of having his arms around me. I’m not sure where his trident went—probably back where it came from—but as his tail brushes against mine, sending a wave of desire washing over me, I don’t really care.

I lift my head and find him looking at me with a wealth of love and desire. Colbie, you’re beautiful. I never dared to hope to be blessed with a mate mark. I’m a little bit older than the rest of your mates, and I thought I wasn’t worthy, but if you’ll let me, I will try my hardest to make sure you are loved and loved well for the rest of your life . His tone is sweet but seductive, and I press my mouth against his in response.

Kissing underwater is weird. Our gills make it so we can fuse our mouths together without the need to breathe, but water constantly flows in and out of them. His tongue tangles with mine as he pulls my body tightly against his, and the bottoms of our tails kind of weave together until I don’t know where I end and he starts.

He slides a hand between us and cups my breast, squeezing it gently before leaning down and taking my nipple into his mouth. I arch my back, giving him better access, and he switches between both, giving each nipple plenty of attention.

Lower down, a hard ridge rubs against where my pelvis would be in human form, and I moan at the delicious sensation it causes. Air bubbles dance elegantly to the surface as Micah releases the nipple in his mouth.

Are you ready to become my mate? he asks, pressing his forehead against mine and staring deep into my soul.

I’m still unsure of the exact logistics of that, but I’m eager to find out, so I nod in agreement. Yes, teach me how to mate in mer form.

He releases me and untangles his tail from mine before moving backward, and I frown with disappointment.

He smiles at my reaction. We just need to pluck our heart scales first, so we can insert them under each other’s skin. Then, we’ll make love, and at the moment of climax, the skin will heal over the scales, mating us forever , he explains, curving his body so his tail sort of bends up in front of him. He’s way more flexible than I thought he would be.

I focus on the scales at the base of his tail and spot the very one he’s talking about—a perfect heart-shaped scale that sits in the center of his caudal fin. He slides a fingernail under it and tugs sharply. He winces, and I feel his pain through our bond, but he beams happily when he holds it up for me to see.

Your turn , he encourages.

I contort my tail in the same way, and even though I just saw him do it, I’m surprised at how flexible I am. It curves up in front of me, and I reach out and repeat his motions, plucking out my own heart scale. There is a bite of pain that sends a line of fire through the middle of my tail, up my torso, and into my chest. Fuck, that isn’t pleasant, but the pulse of approval through our bond quickly makes the pain recede.

Now what? I ask him, and his eyes smolder as he swims slowly forward so our bodies align, our tails twining together once more.

Now I’ll insert this under your skin. Sorry, there is no way to make this pleasant , he cautions as a long claw extends out of the tip of one finger. My eyes widen in surprise as he brings it to my chest and runs it over the top of my right breast.

I grit my teeth against the pain, but the nail is razor sharp, and the incision is almost medical grade, straight and precise with no ragged edges. Blood clouds the water, and I pray that there are no predators in this pool. Micah slides the pretty teal scale deep into the wound, and I can’t stop the scream that barrels out of my lungs. A boiling cloud of bubbles shoots to the surface of the pool, and I hope none of my other mates panic. I send them waves of assurance when I feel a spike along the bond, then I look down as he pulls his hand away. The wound is slightly large now with the scale lodged inside it, and it throbs painfully. I reach up to poke at it, but Micah gently pushes my hand away.

Trust me , he implores. Now it’s your turn. Do the same thing. Will your nail to extend and draw it across my chest. He points to where I need to place it.

I concentrate on turning a nail on my free hand into a claw. It happens easily, but then I hesitate. I don’t like the idea of causing him pain, even if I know it won’t last.

Go on. I can hear his excitement, even if I can’t feel it yet. Taking a deep breath, I slide my nail across his skin. The claw cuts his skin like butter, a tiny trickle of blood flowing into the water, but apparently, it’s not good enough.

Deeper. He groans in my head, and it’s not a groan of pleasure.

I’m sorry , I sob, but he shakes his head and brings his own hand up to grip mine, pushing down. This time, blood spills into the water, creating a thick red cloud around us, and when he releases my hand, there is a large enough wound for me to slide the heart-shaped scale into. I quickly jam my scale inside. His whole body shudders with pain, and his gills work like they are breathing heavily, his chest heaving with exertion.

When it’s firmly lodged deep inside, I drop my hand and bring my gaze back to his face. Now what?

His eyes hood, and he wraps an arm around my waist and tugs me closer, our bodies pressing firmly against one another. Now I’ll make you my mate.

But how? I look down at our tails, wondering about the logistics of everything.

Don’t overthink this , he tells me before taking my mouth with his.

His tongue plunges into my mouth as one hand slips into my hair and he gets a good grip so he can angle my face to his liking as he pours his desperation, longing, and need into the kiss. I feel his stomach muscles ripple against my own, and his tail starts to beat back and forth, taking mine, which is tangled with his, with it. Every brush slides our sensitive scales together, and I feel my arousal quicken and the tails glide more freely. I look down and notice that they are both coated in a clear secretion that seems to be coming from the gaps between the scales.

He tugs my hair, bringing my head back to the angle he wants. Don’t look, just feel , he commands as a pins and needles feeling starts to tingle in my pelvis area. The sensation gets stronger, and I feel something else happen down there, but I can’t look because Micah is controlling my head.

His tail starts to beat a little faster, and all I can do is go along for the ride. The pins and needles feeling recedes and is replaced by a pulsing, throbbing need.

Oh God , I murmur as the need builds, and I feel something push against my tail right in that spot. I’m assuming his cock has emerged from wherever it is hidden in this form. With a quick thrust, it slides into my sexual slit, and I groan, clutching his arms to hold myself upright as my body becomes boneless with pleasure.

I close my eyes, and my head drops back as he moves his lips down to my throat, pressing kisses against the other mate marks, and I feel my other mates’ interest pulse inside the bond, which drives my desire even higher. His tail starts to pulse faster now, thrusting his cock in and out as the walls of my pussy flutter and the tension in my body grows.

Feels so fucking good , he murmurs, taking one of my nipples with his mouth and scraping his teeth against it. My eyes widen at the sharp prick, and when I look down, he’s grinning at me with a mouthful of very sharp teeth. His eyes have changed as well, becoming dark wells of blackness that I can see my reflection in.

My lips round in surprise at the sight of this deadly predator whose arms I’m currently trapped in. His taloned fingers scrape against my scalp and hip where he has a tight grip on me so I can’t escape.

A sharp pulse of fright races through me, and I struggle, trying to pull away, but he just holds me tighter, and I hear him say, Let go, Colbie. Give me your inner beast.

I can’t stop what happens next. It’s like I’m suddenly in the back seat and a more primal, animalistic version of me rises to take control. I feel my fingertips turn into talons, and my jaw aches as my teeth become so sharp I pierce my own lip when I gasp with surprise. My eyesight changes, and my hearing tunes into the pulsing beat of his heart and the flow of blood through his veins. I lean in and lick the mark my hydra left on his neck, crowing with joy at the sight of it, before digging my teeth into it as my nails pierce his back, trapping him in place.

He shouts and pulses his tail harder as I suckle the blood that wells on the wound, feeling an almost visceral need to mark him again.

His cock pistons into me, and I feel ridges rub against the sensitive inner walls of my core, my orgasm teetering on the crest of a wave.

Come with me, mate. Join us forever , he growls, and the ridges on his cock expand and begin to vibrate, pushing me off the precipice. I open my mouth and scream as a shockwave of energy explodes outward from us, sending a pulse of power radiating out from our joined bodies. I shudder as pleasure rolls over me and through every part of my body, and I feel the wound in my chest seal over as I watch the same thing happen to his. The wave of pleasure rolls over me again and again, slowly getting weaker before finally disappearing, leaving us both limp and exhausted as we sink deeper into the depths of the pool, our bodies fused together in mutual satisfaction.

* * *

W hen Micah and I emerge, we find the others all napping, but Gem hears us and scrambles to his feet, coming over and holding out his hand. He helps me climb out of the pool, water streaming down my body, and then ignites flames in his hands and quickly dries me off so I can put my clothes on.

“Thanks,” Micah tells him as Gem gives him the same treatment. “Putting on clothes when you’re wet is a pain in the ass. I didn’t think to bring towels.”

“No prob.” Gem winks. “It’s no hardship to look at either of you naked.”

I giggle and elbow him as I zip up my pants before pulling my top on. “You’re just a pervert,” I tease him, and he shrugs good-naturedly.

“Guilty as charged.”

By this time, the others have roused, and Brodie offers us a canteen and some food while the rest pack their bags again.

I take the proffered food. “Thanks, I’m starving.”

“I bet. I need all the details on fucking underwater. Like, where does he stick his—” Before he can finish his sentence, Liam smacks him on the back of the head.

“Shut up, you idiot,” he growls before giving me a kiss on the cheek and clapping Micah on the back. “Congrats, guys, we’re so happy for both of you.”

My mouth drops open. Who is this man and what happened to the grumpy asshole he used to be? He and Micah do that bro hug thing, and Hunter steps up next to me, puts a finger under my chin, and pushes my mouth closed.

“What is happening here?” I ask, and he shrugs.

“It’s the bond. There’s no jealousy, only happiness that everyone is where they need to be. Now let’s get going and find the last two wayward members so we can get that crown on your head, and you can take your rightful place.”

He gives me a quick kiss on the lips, and I shove the granola bar into my mouth, chewing furiously to finish before we leave, then I wash it down with a sip of water.

We head for the tunnel with Gryffin and Gem leading us, another ball of flames guiding the way. Micah throws his backpack over one shoulder and grabs my hand as he and Hunter flank me for this leg of the journey.

I hear Brodie grumble something about having to take the rear again, but Liam’s reply has me smiling.

“Yeah, but this way we get to watch that fine ass for the trip.”

“That’s true,” Brodie replies, and this time, he sounds a lot happier.