Page 14

fourteen

TRITON

For the first time since I brought my mate back from her world, I slept soundly.

The few occasions I woke, it was because she’d smacked into me in her sleep.

The woman never stopped moving when she was unconscious, and it made me grin every time.

When I eventually woke, she was still sleeping, so I retrieved a book with a small strip of water.

With her lying on my chest, I focused on an ancient story about the endless war between the lion and wolf shifters.

No one knew exactly how it started, but both parties had grown extremely violent in the millennium since it began.

I knew both leaders well, and their ruthlessness certainly hadn’t faded.

Aria’s hand slid over my abdomen as she woke, and my cock throbbed.

It would take weeks of frequent sex to convince my body that I wasn’t about to starve it of physical contact again.

Maybe months.

I looked forward to the day that I wasn’t always erect around my mate.

Mostly because it was easier to think when I wasn’t hard.

“We’re naked, huh?” Aria mumbled.

“Yes.” I didn’t lower a hand to her spine and trace it slowly like I’d been itching to do all morning.

“I think I was supposed to be putting distance between us so we can learn things about each other.

“We can learn without clothes on.

”

“Guess so.”

Her cheek was against my pec, and she closed her eyes as she let out a long sigh.

There was no frustration in the sound—just contentment.

“What do we have to do today?”

“Nothing. I can clear the schedule.”

“Probably shouldn’t. I bet your people are already talking about how you’ve been corrupted by your human womb,” she mumbled.

My eyes narrowed.

“Let them talk.”

“Nothing we can do about it anyway.”

“How are you feeling? It would be wise to get you swimming again if we can.”

She moved a little, and didn’t wince.

“Mostly better.”

I lost the fight with myself and set my hand down on her bare back.

I was addicted to her, and it was an obsession I had no desire to be free of.

But if I was going to make sure she was happy with me, I needed to know more about who she was before I brought her to Alterrae.

“What were you studying in college?” I asked.

She lifted her head, surprise on her face.

“You remember me saying that?”

“I remember everything you’ve said.”

She nodded.

“I was majoring in accounting. It was a terrible fit for my personality, and I struggled with every single class, but I wanted a safe career. Not having money was stressful, especially after my mom died and I didn’t have anyone to fall back on.”

“What would you have studied, if you didn’t have to worry about a job?”

Her lips curved slightly.

“Literature. I was the biggest book snob I knew, but I think you’ve officially defeated me. Your library like the mermaid version of the Beast’s.”

I chuckled.

“The Beast?”

“From Beauty and the Beast. It’s a human fairytale. I have a few retellings in my personal library that you can read.” She yawned and stretched, making my body ache more for her.

“Where would you be if you weren’t the king? What would you want to do?”

“I have no idea. I’ve always been the king.”

“Not when you were a kid, right?”

“I didn’t have the throne, but I was the first merrae born with blue scales in nearly a thousand years. My fate was decided on the day of my birth.”

She frowned.

“Wow. I’m sorry.”

“Are you really apologizing to me for the fact that I was born with strength?”

“No. I’m apologizing because I can’t imagine not having the freedom to decide who and what you wanted to be. There are a lot of shitty things about Earth, but at least where I’m from, I get to decide my own fate. Or I got to, at least. Before.”

“Do you resent me for taking that future away from you?”

Aria shook her head.

“I was in shock, and then I was kind of pissed. But now that I’m starting to wrap my head around everything, I think I understand. It helps that I wasn’t in love with the way my life was going.”

Relief rolled through me like a wave.

“You understand why I took you?”

“Mmhm. Want the summary?”

“Of course.”

She cleared her throat.

“Once upon a time, a lonely, sexy mermonster king suddenly had the opportunity to decide his own future for the first time in his life. So, he rigged a vote and went to Earth to steal a human bride.” She points to herself.

“Now that he’s started determining his own future, he’s realizing that he's had the power to tell his people to fuck off all along.”

I snorted.

“Wait. There’s more.” She held up a finger, telling me to pause. “Will the king embrace the destiny he’s making for himself, or will he pressure his new bride into breeding for the sake of his kingdom? Everything is at stake—but especially, his heart.”

“You have a true talent,” I drawled. “The world of human literature suffers without you in it.”

“It really does.” She lowered her head back to my chest. “What do you think?”

She didn’t clarify, but she didn’t need to. We both knew she was talking about her summary. “I think your king is far too smart to attempt to pressure his bride into having his child. Which he proved by helping her find a plant that would prevent pregnancy.”

“ My king?”

“Yes, Sweetheart. Yours.”

“I kind of like the sound of that.”

“Good. You should.”

“You do want kids, though? I saw the way you were with them. You love them.”

“I do love them. I never considered having my own, before.”

“You must’ve thought about it, when you were rigging a vote and traveling to Earth to abduct me.”

“Surely there’s a better word than abduction .” I stroked my fingers down the length of her back, and she sighed again in contentment. “But yes, I can admit that I crave the idea of a family to love now that it’s an option.”

“Were you afraid everyone would realize you tricked them into the vote?”

“Of course. I was tense all the way to the portal out of Alterrae, waiting for someone to tell me that the vote had been redone and I was going to have to stay alone. I didn’t actually think I’d end up with a mate. On Earth, I continuously failed to find someone compatible. I wondered if the goddess was telling me she disagreed with the way I took things into my own hands.”

“You watched everyone else find someone first.”

“Quickly,” I agreed. “The rest of the males who had gone with me found a mate by the second round of humans.”

“And I was at the end of the tenth?”

“Mmhm.”

She shivered as my fingers brushed a spot on her lower back. “I’m sorry if you felt like you had to settle for me, physically at least. I know merrae don’t like tattoos, and it’s obvious that I’m not built like most of the others who mated with your warriors.”

“Tattoos aren’t traditional. We cling to our traditions. Sometimes, that harms us far more than it helps us. I adore yours.” I lifted my fingers to her arm, tracing one of the lines slowly as I wrestled with my temper for a moment before answering her.

The fact that she thought I would prefer she look different was positively infuriating, but she obviously didn’t realize that.

“Sweetheart, a king taking a queen is absolutely against tradition. Seeing your tattoos remind me that I get to decide which of my culture’s rules I follow. I would never have settled for a mate, and I sure as fuck didn’t do that with you. You were the sexiest creature I had ever seen when I claimed you on that beach, and now that you’re here and you’re mine, I’m even more attracted to you. I don’t know what I could’ve possibly done to make you feel or think otherwise.”

“You didn’t do anything. It was just a theory. Everyone on Earth thinks alts like strong, powerful, sturdy women.”

“The way you look has nothing to do with your strength,” I growled. “And I am proud to call you my mate. The humans’ theory is wrong. I have met turned humans all over Alterrae, and they come in all shapes, colors, and sizes.”

“Huh.” She didn’t sound surprised, but she didn’t sound like she didn’t believe me, either. “Were you scared you wouldn’t find anyone, when you were going through all those groups of women?”

I let out a pent-up breath. “Terrified. I told myself that after the tenth group, I would go back home and consider if rigging the vote was the wrong decision. I had been on Earth for nearly three weeks, and every day I spent away was a risk.”

“So the goddess paired us as a last-minute effort to prevent you from staying single?” Her voice was light and playful, so I knew she wasn’t serious.

“No. She tested my resolve, and I proved I was willing to go further and risk more than any sane man would to find my perfect match.”

“What was the risk?”

“The selkies had far too much time to plan an attack. I’m sure they’re waiting for the opportunity to enact it, now. I could have come home to a castle they’d taken over, and had to fight through their ranks to regain my throne.”

“It was worth that much to you?”

“ You were worth that much to me.”

“You didn’t know me. You still don’t.”

“The chance to get to know you is what I cared about.”

“The loneliness was that bad?”

I stroked the sensitive spot on her spine just to see her shudder again. “There are no words to describe the utter bleakness of five centuries alone. I felt like a monster when I was the one person who truly enjoyed our war—because it meant I was living among my people and the other kings, interacting as if I was one of them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for something you played no role in, Aria.”

She rolled her eyes at me. “It’s a way of empathizing, asshole. I’m just saying I wish you didn’t have to deal with that.”

“It could’ve been much worse. I could’ve lost my mate to the plague while I was fighting.”

Aria scowled. “Don’t do that. Don’t compare your personal hell to anyone else’s. Suffering isn’t a competition. There’s no winner.”

“I suppose not.”

“Do you think the selkies are going to use their plan?”

“I’m positive they will. If I wasn’t, I would’ve already taken you away from the castle. Most newly-mated pairs spend a few weeks alone, on the islands off to the north.”

“Really? Why?”

“I suppose it’s our version of a human honeymoon. It began after the first merrae mated with a human female. He took that time to help her adjust to the change and her new magic, and everyone else who came after did the same.”

“Eloise was the first one, right?”

“Yes. You met her?”

“Yeah, when I was looking for the dining room.”

“Did she treat you well? I wasn’t sure how the turned humans would take having a queen.”

“I don’t think they care about the royalty thing as much as the rest of the merrae, but yeah, she was cool.” Aria grabbed her hair off her back, pulling it away so I had better access as I started tracing her spine again. “How do you think the selkies are going to attack? And when?”

I lifted a shoulder. “It’s hard to say. We made enough of an impression in the meeting with them that they haven’t done anything yet. At the same time, they must realize that the longer they let me train you, the stronger you’ll become and the harder it will be to take us down.”

“So you think it will be soon.”

“If I were them, I wouldn’t wait.”

“You would attack right now?”

I made a noncommittal noise. “I’m back home, and they know we’re stronger than them. With me here, they know a loss is unavoidable if they move against us directly. Whatever their plan was, they had to have changed it. Now, their best option will be to try to get you away from me.”

“They’re going to abduct me too?”

“Not too . Abduction is still the wrong word for what I did.”

She snorted. “Alright. But they are going to try to take me.”

“Or kill you. It’s the only way to get half of the throne’s magic now, and they know they can’t take me down.”

“Lovely.”

“I won’t let them have you.” I put a little more pressure on that sensitive spot, and she gave me a soft groan.

“But if you don’t, they’re just going to keep coming up with plans, right?”

“Probably. And I’ll let them keep planning as long as they want. I hope that while they do, we’ll figure out why they’re trying to claim more power now. Regardless, I won’t risk your life.”

“Mmkay.” She lowered her head back to my chest. “Your heart is beating fast.”

“My mate is talking about someone wanting her dead. Of course my heart is beating fast.” I fought to keep my voice even as I spoke, but I was fairly sure I failed.

“I guess that tracks.” She placed her hand on my abdomen, draping her leg over my cock. My muscles tensed as she traced the lines between them. “Do all merrae have muscles like these?”

“Yes. It’s genetic.”

“Must be nice.”

I closed my eyes, trying like hell to stop my erection from throbbing against her leg. “My people don’t value appearance as much as yours. The mated male merrae grumble about the way their females discuss finding others attractive.”

“Eloise and Heidi mentioned that all the turned humans are attracted to you.”

“How did that make you feel?” My voice strained. Her hand was nearing my erection as she continued tracing near my lower abdomen.

“Possessive, actually.”

I couldn’t suppress my rumble of satisfaction. “I belong to you.”

“You keep saying that, but there are lots of things we haven’t done.”

“Like what?”

“I haven’t gotten you off with my hand. Or my mouth.”

My cock throbbed so hard, I almost lost control then and there. “The mate bond doesn’t require either of those things.”

“Does it require anything now that it’s sealed? Other than loyalty?”

“No.”

“That means we can do whatever we want, right?”

“Yes.”

Her fingers moved back up my abdomen, and my eyes closed as I fought to keep myself under control.

Fuck, I wanted her.

“So you want kids, but you’re not going to try to push me into having them immediately,” she said.

“Right.”

“Okay. But we still haven’t talked about sex.”

“What is there to talk about?” My voice was still straining.

She was going to drive me insane if she kept touching me like that.

My cock throbbed so hard against her thigh, I worried I was hurting her.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she said.

Shit. I’d opened my mind to her the night before.

“Don’t close it again,” she warned. “If you get to hear my embarrassing thoughts, I get to hear yours.”

“Fine.”

“Most couples would figure out how their sex drives worked together before marriage, right?”

“I don’t know all the details about how marriage works in your world.”

“Well, they would. Most of them, at least. Some people have a high drive, some have a low drive. Some are in-between. Historically, I’m pretty low, but I’ve never had a hard time getting turned on if someone initiates.”

“Don’t speak about the human males you’ve been with unless you want me to kill them, Sweetheart.”

“There’s a point.” Aria started tracing again. “I was asking about your sex drive.”

“I have no idea historical evidence in either direction. I only fucked women from other kingdoms before I became king, and it’s been several human lifetimes since then.”

“So right now, you’re pretty backed up, so to speak. Sexually constipated.”

I barked out a laugh. “It’s a crude way to put it, but accurate.”

“So if we want to figure out whether you have a high or low sex drive, we’re going to need to get it out of your system by screwing a lot. The way people do in the honeymoon phase of a new relationship.”

“We don’t need to.”

“You don’t want to?”

“Of course I want to. I just don’t want you to feel pressured. I?—”

“Triton, I’m disgustingly attracted to you. I want to try to screw it out of my system too so I can get myself under control again.”

My hand slid down her spine of its own volition, cupping her backside. “That’s not going to work.”

“We can still try.” Aria slid her leg off my lap, and my fingers dug into her ass. “What do you say?” She met my gaze, and the wicked look in her eyes only made me want her more.

“Fuck, yes.”